bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous dwarf rat: A novel model for aging research
Authors: Kuramoto Kazunao , Tahara Shoichi , Sasaki Toru , Matsumoto Shigenobu , Kaneko Takao , Kondo Hiroshi , Yanabe Makoto , Takagi Shohei , Shinkai Tadashi
Published: September 2009

Aim:  Dwarf animal models can provide new models for aging research. For the spontaneous dwarf rat (SDR), a dwarf strain derived from the Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat, no data relevant to aging research are available. The present study aimed to examine its growth, hormonal background, lifespan and age‐related diseases.

Methods:  Male SDR and SD rats were used for growth comparison and for immunohistochemistry and plasma hormonal analysis. SDR of each sex were maintained until natural death and then inspected pathologically.

Results:  SDR showed an apparent dwarfism in their youth. Immunohistochemistry indicated that the development of growth hormone (GH)‐positive cells in the pituitary was insufficient in SDR. In SDR, plasma GH levels were lower than in SD rats. Moreover, both insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) and insulin levels were decreased compared to levels in SD rats. Male and female SDR showed a mean lifespan of 29.3 ± 3.3 and 26.8 ± 5.3 months, respectively. The main neoplastic lesions in SDR were pituitary and mammary tumors. Major non‐neoplastic lesions were incisor malocclusion, heart disease, chronic nephropathy (male) and cerebral hemorrhage (female). Most cases of chronic nephropathy were mild.

Conclusion:  Compared with longevity data and pathological data reported for SD rats, the lifespan in SDR was increased by 20–40% in males and 10–20% in females, and SDR had characteristic decreases in pituitary and mammary tumors as well as in severe chronic nephropathy. The SDR, differing in endocrinology, longevity and pathology from the SD rat, is potentially a new animal model for aging research.
Post‐pubertal emergence of a dopamine phenotype in netrin‐1 receptor‐deficient mice
Authors: Grant Alanna , Speed Zoe , Labelle‐Dumais Cassandre , Flores Cecilia
Published: September 2009

During the pubertal period the mesocortical dopamine (DA) system undergoes substantial reorganization of neuronal connectivity and functional refinement. Netrins are guidance cues involved in the organization of neuronal circuitry. We have previously shown that adult mice that develop with reduced levels of the netrin‐1 receptor [deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC)] display selective reorganization of mesocortical DA circuitry, show enhanced mesocortical DA function and exhibit a behavioural phenotype opposite to that observed in animal models of schizophrenia. Here we assess whether the dcc behavioural and DA phenotypes are present prior to the maturation of the mesocortical DA system by comparing dcc‐heterozygous and wild‐type mice at the post‐weaning and peri‐pubertal periods on various indices of DA function. At both the post‐weaning and peri‐pubertal ages, but unlike in adulthood, dcc‐heterozygous and wild‐type mice show no differences in the number of midbrain DA neurones or in tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels in the medial prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, the elevated baseline concentration of mesocortical DA and DA metabolites observed in adult dcc‐heterozygous mice is not present in either post‐weanling or peri‐pubertal mice. Interestingly, post‐weanling, but not peri‐pubertal, dcc‐heterozygous mice show greater baseline concentrations of DA metabolites in the nucleus accumbens, opposite to what was observed in adulthood. Finally, neither post‐weanling nor peri‐pubertal dcc‐heterozygous mice demonstrate the blunted amphetamine‐induced locomotor response observed in adulthood. Thus, these findings show that the ‘protective’dcc phenotype has a post‐pubertal emergence and indicate that DCC may play a role in the normal maturation of the mesocorticolimbic DA system.
Sensory deprivation regulates the development of the hyperpolarization‐activated current in auditory brainstem neurons
Authors: Hassfurth Benjamin , Magnusson Anna K. , Grothe Benedikt , Koch Ursula
Published: September 2009

Hyperpolarization‐activated and cyclic nucleotide‐gated (HCN) channels are highly expressed in the superior olivary complex, the primary locus for binaural information processing. This hyperpolarization‐activated current (Ih) regulates the excitability of neurons and enhances the temporally precise analysis of the binaural acoustic cues. By using the whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique, we examined the properties of Ih current in neurons of the lateral superior olive (LSO) and the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) before and after hearing onset. Moreover, we tested the hypothesis that Ih currents are actively regulated by sensory input activity by performing bilateral and unilateral cochlear ablations before hearing onset, resulting in a chronic auditory deprivation. The results show that after hearing onset, Ih currents are rapidly upregulated in LSO neurons, but change only marginally in neurons of the MNTB. We also found a striking difference in maximal current density, voltage dependence and activation time constant between the LSO and the MNTB in mature‐like animals. Following bilateral cochlear ablations before hearing onset, the Ih currents were scaled up in the LSO and scaled down in the MNTB. Consequently, in the LSO this resulted in a depolarized resting membrane potential and a lower input resistance of these neurons. This type of activity‐dependent homeostatic change could thus result in an augmented response to the remaining inputs.
Cognition and hearing aids
Authors: LUNNER THOMAS , RUDNER MARY , RÖNNBERG JERKER
Published: September 2009

The perceptual information transmitted from a damaged cochlea to the brain is more poorly specified than information from an intact cochlea and requires more processing in working memory before language content can be decoded. In addition to making sounds audible, current hearing aids include several technologies that are intended to facilitate language understanding for persons with hearing impairment in challenging listening situations. These include directional microphones, noise reduction, and fast‐acting amplitude compression systems. However, the processed signal itself may challenge listening to the extent that with specific types of technology, and in certain listening situations, individual differences in cognitive processing resources may determine listening success. Here, current and developing digital hearing aid signal processing schemes are reviewed in the light of individual working memory (WM) differences. It is argued that signal processing designed to improve speech understanding may have both positive and negative consequences, and that these may depend on individual WM capacity.
Working memory, deafness and sign language
Authors: RUDNER MARY , ANDIN JOSEFINE , RÖNNBERG JERKER
Published: September 2009

Working memory (WM) for sign language has an architecture similar to that for speech‐based languages at both functional and neural levels. However, there are some processing differences between language modalities that are not yet fully explained, although a number of hypotheses have been mooted. This article reviews some of the literature on differences in sensory, perceptual and cognitive processing systems induced by auditory deprivation and sign language use and discusses how these differences may contribute to differences in WM architecture for signed and speech‐based languages. In conclusion, it is suggested that left‐hemisphere reorganization of the motion‐processing system as a result of native sign‐language use may interfere with the development of the order processing system in WM.
Cognition and aided speech recognition in noise: Specific role for cognitive factors following nine‐week experience with adjusted compression settings in hearing aids
Authors: RUDNER MARY , FOO CATHARINA , RÖNNBERG JERKER , LUNNER THOMAS
Published: September 2009

The working memory model for Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) proposes that language understanding under taxing conditions is related to explicit cognitive capacity. We refer to this as the mismatch hypothesis, since phonological representations based on the processing of speech under established conditions may not be accessed so readily when input conditions change and a match becomes problematic. Then, cognitive capacity requirements may differ from those used for processing speech hitherto. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis by investigating the relationship between aided speech recognition in noise and cognitive capacity in experienced hearing aid users when there was either a match or mismatch between processed speech input and established phonological representations. The settings in the existing digital hearing aids of the participants were adjusted to one of two different compression settings which processed the speech signal in qualitatively different ways (“fast” or “slow”). Testing took place after a 9‐week period of experience with the new setting. Speech recognition was tested under different noise conditions and with match or mismatch (i.e. alternative compression setting) manipulations of the input signal. Individual cognitive capacity was measured using a reading span test and a letter monitoring test. Reading span, a reliable measure of explicit cognitive capacity, predicted speech recognition performance under mismatch conditions when processed input was incongruent with recently established phonological representations, due to the specific hearing aid setting. Cognitive measures were not main predictors of performance under match conditions. These findings are in line with the ELU model.
Visual discrimination of vowel duration
Authors: LIDESTAM BJÖRN
Published: September 2009

Discrimination of vowel duration was explored with regard to discrimination threshold, error bias, and effects of modality and consonant context. A total of 122 normal‐hearing participants were presented with disyllabic‐like items such as /lal‐lal/ or /mam‐mam/ in which the lengths of the vowels were systematically varied and were asked to judge whether the first or second vowel was longer. Presentation was either visual, auditory, or audiovisual. Vowel duration differences varied in 24 steps: 12 with a longer first /a/ and 12 with a longer last /a/ (range: ±33–400 ms). Results: 50% JNDs were smaller than the lowest tested step size (33 ms); 75% JNDs were in the 33–66 ms range for all conditions but V /lal/, with a 75% JND at 66–100 ms. Errors were greatest for visual presentation and for /lal‐lal/ tokens. There was an error bias towards reporting the first vowel as longer, and this was strongest for /mam‐mam/ and when both vowels were short, possibly reflecting a sublinguistic processing strategy.
Development of social‐cognitive and communication skills in children born deaf
Authors: PETERSON CANDIDA C.
Published: September 2009

Central to the interface of social‐cognitive and communicative development is the growth of a theory of mind (ToM). ToM is mastered by most hearing children and deaf children of signing deaf parents by the age of 5 or 6 but is often seriously delayed in deaf children of hearing parents. This paper reviews recently published research on deaf children’s ToM development and presents an original study consisting of eight longitudinal case histories that collectively map late‐signing deaf children’s ToM performance from 44 to 158 months of age. While five tentative conclusions can be posited from the collective research so far, further investigation of each of these possibilities is clearly needed.
Aggressive and Prosocial Peer Group Functioning: Effects on Children's Social, School, and Psychological Adjustment
Authors: Chung‐Hall Janet , Chen Xinyin
Published: September 2009

This study examined the effects of aggressive and prosocial contexts of peer groups on children's socioemotional and school adjustment. Data on informal peer groups, social functioning, and different aspects of adjustment were collected from multiple sources in a sample of elementary school children (149 boys, 181 girls; M age = 10 years). Multilevel analyses indicated that group aggressive and prosocial orientations made direct contributions to children's social, school, and psychological functioning. Group contexts also moderated the individual‐level relations between social behavior and self‐perceptions; prosocial behavior was associated with social or scholastic self‐perceptions more evidently in low prosocial and high aggressive groups. The results suggest that the peer group is an important context for children's performance and adjustment in various domains.
Network-Based Genomic Discovery: Application and Comparison of Markov Random-Field Models
Authors: Wei Peng , Pan Wei
Published: September 2009

As biological knowledge accumulates rapidly, gene networks encoding genomewide gene–gene interactions have been constructed. As an improvement over the standard mixture model that tests all the genes identically and independently distributed a priori, Wei and co-workers have proposed modelling a gene network as a discrete or Gaussian Markov random field (MRF) in a mixture model to analyse genomic data. However, how these methods compare in practical applications is not well understood and this is the aim here. We also propose two novel constraints in prior specifications for the Gaussian MRF model and a fully Bayesian approach to the discrete MRF model. We assess the accuracy of estimating the false discovery rate by posterior probabilities in the context of MRF models. Applications to a chromatin immuno-precipitation–chip data set and simulated data show that the modified Gaussian MRF models have superior performance compared with other models, and both MRF-based mixture models, with reasonable robustness to misspecified gene networks, outperform the standard mixture model.
Multiple Credit Ratings, Cost of Debt and Self‐Selection
Authors: Mählmann Thomas
Published: September 2009

Abstract:  In a world where firms pay for credit ratings and (because of regulatory requirements) where some investors must pay attention to the ratings of some specified set of raters, it may well be in the interests of a firm to seek a third ‘optional’ rating, beyond the standard ‘mandatory’ two ratings from Moody's and Standard and Poor's. The firm may get a better rating from the third major rater Fitch, which could save substantially on future debt issuance costs. In this paper I specify and estimate a structural self‐selection model of the demand for optional credit ratings derived from their expected reduction effect on borrowing cost compared with the optional ratings' cost. Attention is focused on specifying the role of expected cost of debt savings in the derived demand for optional ratings; these are found to be empirically important determinants of the decision to request Fitch ratings.
Site‐specific population dynamics and variable olfactory marker protein expression in the postnatal canine olfactory epithelium
Authors: Bock Patricia , Rohn Karl , Beineke Andreas , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Wewetzer Konstantin
Published: September 2009

The main olfactory epithelium is a pseudostratified columnar epithelium that displays neurogenesis over the course of a lifetime. New olfactory neurons arise basally and are transferred to the middle third of the epithelium during maturation. It is generally believed that this pattern is present throughout the olfactory area. In the present study, we show that the postnatal canine olfactory epithelium is composed of two distinct types of epithelium, designated A and B, which not only differ in olfactory neuron morphology, marker expression and basal cell proliferation but also display a patchy distribution and preferential localization within the nasal cavity. Type A epithelium, abundant in the caudal part of the olfactory area, contains well‐differentiated olfactory neurons positive for olfactory marker protein but low numbers of immature neurons and proliferating basal cells, as visualized by TrkB/Human Natural Killer‐1 (HNK‐1) glyco‐epitope and Ki‐67 immunostaining, respectively. In contrast, type B epithelium is mainly found in the rostral part and contains smaller and elongated neurons that display increased levels of TrkB/Human Natural Killer‐1 (HNK‐1) glyco‐epitope immunoreactivity and a higher number of Ki‐67‐positive basal cells but lower and variable levels of olfactory marker protein. The vomeronasal organ displays a uniform distribution of molecular markers and proliferating basal cells. The observation that olfactory marker protein in type A and B epithelium is preferentially localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm, respectively, implies correlation between subcellular localization and olfactory neuron maturation and may indicate distinct functional roles of olfactory marker protein. Whether the site‐specific population dynamics in the postnatal canine olfactory epithelium revealed in the present study are modulated by physiological parameters, such as airflow, has to be clarified in future studies.
The representation of fathers by children of depressed mothers: refining the meaning of parentification in high‐risk samples
Authors: Woolgar Matthew , Murray Lynne
Published: September 2009

Background: Children’s representations of mothers in doll‐play are associated with child adjustment. Despite the importance of fathers for children’s adjustment, especially in the context of maternal psychopathology, few studies have considered children’s representations of their fathers.

Method: We examined the portrayal of fathers by 5‐year‐old children of depressed (N = 55) and non‐depressed (N = 39) mothers in a doll‐play procedure concerning family experience.

Results: Children gave equal prominence in their play to mothers and fathers. Representations of fathers were unrelated to maternal mood, but were associated with parental conflict. Representations of child care for the father that was unreciprocated predicted poor child adjustment in school, but only in children exposed to maternal postnatal depression.

Conclusions: It may be clinically useful to consider children’s distinctive representations of their mother and father; but the concept of parentification in relation to risk and resilience effects requires refinement.
Pathogenesis of familial Parkinson’s disease: new insights based on monogenic forms of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Hatano Taku , Kubo Shin‐ichiro , Sato Shigeto , Hattori Nobutaka
Published: September 2009

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common movement disorders caused by the loss of dopaminergic neuronal cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal degeneration in PD remain unknown; however, it is now clear that genetic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. Approximately, 5% of patients with clinical features of PD have clear familial etiology, which show a classical recessive or dominant Mendelian mode of inheritance. Over the decade, more than 15 loci and 11 causative genes have been identified so far and many studies shed light on their implication in not only monogenic but also sporadic form of PD. Recent studies revealed that PD‐associated genes play important roles in cellular functions, such as mitochondrial functions, ubiquitin‐proteasomal system, autophagy‐lysosomal pathway and membrane trafficking. Furthermore, the proteins encoded by PD‐associated genes can interact with each other and such gene products may share a common pathway that leads to nigral degeneration. However, their precise roles in the disease and their normal functions remain poorly understood. In this study, we review recent progress in knowledge about the genes associated with familial PD.
Delayed activin A administration attenuates tissue death after transient focal cerebral ischemia and is associated with decreased stress‐responsive kinase activation
Authors: Mukerji Shibani S. , Rainey Riley N. , Rhodes Jamie L. , Hall Alison K.
Published: September 2009

Focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion initiates complex cellular and molecular interactions that lead to either cell repair or destruction. In earlier work, we found that activin A is an early gene response to cerebral ischemia and supports cortical neuron survival in vitro. In this study, the ability of exogenous activin A to attenuate injury from transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was tested in adult mice. Intracerebroventricular administration of activin A prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion reduced infarct volume apparent 1 day after experimental stroke. A single activin A administration at 6 h following ischemia/reperfusion reduced lesion volumes at 1 and 3 days and led to improved neurobehavior. Moreover, activin A treatment spared neurons within the ischemic hemisphere and led to a concomitant reduction in microglial activation. Activation of the stress‐responsive kinases p38 and c‐jun N‐terminal kinase implicated in neuronal apoptosis after stroke was reduced following activin A treatment. Together these findings suggest that activin A promotes tissue survival after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion with an extended therapeutic window.
Computer Use and Attitudes Towards Computerised Therapy Amongst Young People and Parents Attending Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Authors: Stallard Paul , Velleman Sophie , Richardson Thomas
Published: September 2009

Background:  There has been little research examining attitudes towards computerised therapy in young people.

Method:  A self‐report survey of 37 young people and 31 parents using Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Results:  Young people reported high levels of computer usage and online help‐seeking behaviour. Young people were cautious about computerised therapy whereas parents were more positive, identifying more benefits than concerns.

Conclusions:  Mental health professionals need to be aware of young people’s online help‐seeking behaviour in order to correct inaccuracies and maximise uptake of computerised therapy.
The Effectiveness of a Community Intensive Therapy Team on Young People’s Mental Health Outcomes
Authors: Simpson Wendy , Cowie Lee , Wilkinson Lucy , Lock Naomi , Monteith Graham
Published: September 2009

Background:  UK‐wide concerns about availability, cost, efficacy and inappropriate use of psychiatric inpatient provision for adolescents have led to the development of new models of intensive community based care.

Method:  This paper describes the Fife Intensive Therapy Team (FITT) model and provides an analysis of HoNOSCA (Health of the Nation Outcomes Scale for Children and Adolescents) data for 57 patients to evaluate the effectiveness of the service.

Results:  Following intervention by the FITT, a substantial and significant reduction in HoNOSCA scores was recorded.

Conclusions:  The apparent success of the model has implications for the future development of acute mental health services for young people.
Spatial Implications Associated with Using Euclidean Distance Measurements and Geographic Centroid Imputation in Health Care Research
Authors: Jones Stephen G. , Ashby Avery J. , Momin Soyal R. , Naidoo Allen
Published: September 2009

Objective. To determine the effect of using Euclidean measurements and zip‐code centroid geo‐imputation versus more precise spatial analytical techniques in health care research.

Data Sources. Commercially insured members from a southeastern managed care organization.

Study Design. Distance from admitting inpatient facility to member's home and zip‐code centroid (geographic placement) was compared using Euclidean straight‐line and shortest‐path drive distances (measurement technique).

Data Collection. Administrative claims from October 2005 to September 2006.

Principal Findings. Measurement technique had a greater impact on distance values compared with geographic placement. Drive distance from the geocoded address was highly correlated (r=0.99) with the Euclidean distance from the zip‐code centroid.

Conclusions. Actual differences were relatively small. Researchers without capabilities to produce drive distance measurements and/or address geocoding techniques could rely on simple linear regressions to estimate correction factors with a high degree of confidence.
Treatment of suction termination of pregnancy‐retained products with misoprostol markedly reduces the repeat operation rate
Authors: CHAMBERS Dennis G. , MULLIGAN Ea C.
Published: September 2009

A six‐year audit of clinical outcomes following the treatment of suction termination of pregnancy‐retained products of conception symptoms with 200 µg of misoprostol orally or sublingually three times a day for six doses showed that it was 93% effective and it reduced the repeat dilation and curettage rate by 79.6% (P < 0.001).
Randomised double‐blind trial of the effect of vitamin C on dyspareunia and vaginal discharge in women receiving doxycycline and triple sulfa for chlamydial cervicitis
Authors: KHAJEHEI Marjan , KESHAVARZ Tahereh , TABATABAEE Hamid Reza
Published: September 2009

Background:  Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial cause of cervicitis.

Aim:  The aim of this randomised, double‐blind trial was to compare the effect of vitamin C on dyspareunia and vaginal discharge in women receiving doxycycline and triple sulfa for chlamydial cervicitis.

Methods:  Eighty women with increased anti‐C. trachomatis IgM, reporting abnormal vaginal discharge and dyspareunia, demonstrating signs of cervical oedema and erythema and friability of cervix were included. Thirty‐nine women received doxycycline capsules 100 mg twice daily plus triple sulfa vaginal cream once daily for ten days, and 41 received doxycycline capsules 100 mg twice–daily and triple sulfa vaginal cream once daily plus vitamin C tablets 250 mg once daily for ten days. Women were evaluated at follow‐up visit, eleventh day, following completion of intervention.

Analysis:  The effect of treatment was assessed regarding clinical criteria (presence of endocervical mucopus and cervical severity score) and presence of dyspareunia. Statistical analysis was carried out using spss version 11.5.

Results:  The mean age of women was 30.6 ± 8.4 years. There was no relationship between demographics and dyspareunia and discharge (P > 0.05). There was statistically significant difference between the effect of ‘doxycycline plus triple sulfa’ and ‘doxycycline, triple sulfa plus vitamin C’ on discharge and dyspareunia (P = 0.005, P < 0.001, respectively). Most frequently reported drug‐related adverse event in both groups was heartburn.

Conclusion:  Adding vitamin C to doxycycline and triple sulfa was more efficient than standard regimen (doxycycline and triple sulfa without vitamin C) in treating chlamydial cervicitis.
Twin deliveries and place of birth in NSW 2001–2005
Authors: ALGERT Charles S. , MORRIS Jonathan M. , BOWEN Jennifer R. , GILES Warwick , ROBERTS Christine L.
Published: September 2009

Background:  Twin pregnancies have an elevated risk of adverse outcomes, particularly preterm twins.

Aims:  Describe the distribution of twin deliveries by hospital level, the associated perinatal and maternal morbidity, and determine predictors of perinatal morbidity and urgent transfer to a neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods:  Longitudinally linked New South Wales delivery and hospital records for the years 2001–2005 were used to identify perinatal and maternal morbidity/mortality in twin pregnancies. Regression analysis was used to examine predictive factors, including birth hospital volume.

Results:  At ≤ 32 weeks, 88.1% of twins were delivered in tertiary referral hospitals. By 34–35 weeks, only 39.7% of twins were delivered in tertiary units. Gestational age was the primary predictor of perinatal morbidity/mortality. Perinatal morbidity/mortality and maternal morbidity were lowest for deliveries at 38 weeks. There was no evidence that planned caesarean section at ≤ 38 weeks was protective against perinatal morbidity/mortality. There was an increased risk of perinatal morbidity/mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 2.22) for twins delivered at 33–35 weeks gestation at hospitals with < 500 deliveries per annum, and an increased risk of urgent neonatal transfer (OR = 2.06). Twin pairs for whom there was a ≥ 20% discordance in birthweight had an increased risk of morbidity/mortality at 36–38 weeks (OR = 1.79).

Conclusions:  Both infant and maternal morbidity increase from 39 weeks gestation. Delivery of twins before 36 weeks at smaller hospitals (< 500 deliveries per annum) should be avoided. A twin pregnancy where there is a ≥ 20% difference in estimated fetal weights should be considered for referral to a tertiary obstetric unit.
An anonymous survey of registrar training in the use of Kjelland's forceps in Australia
Authors: CHINNOCK Marian , ROBSON Stephen
Published: September 2009

Large series suggest that, when used with appropriate care and skill, rotational deliveries with Kjelland's forceps are a safe and useful procedure. We surveyed obstetric trainees in Australia to assess their experience with, and intentions to use, Kjelland's forceps. The response rate was 65%, and it was uncommon for even senior trainees to have performed more than ten Kjelland's forceps rotations during their training. Ninety‐four per cent of final‐year trainees stated they did not intend to use Kjelland's forceps in their consultant practice.
Kjelland's forceps in the new millennium. Maternal and neonatal outcomes of attempted rotational forceps delivery
Authors: AL‐SUHEL Raya , GILL Simmerjyot , ROBSON Stephen , SHADBOLT Bruce
Published: September 2009

Background:  The use of Kjelland's forceps is now uncommon, and published maternal and neonatal outcome data are from deliveries conducted more than a decade ago. The role of Kjelland's rotational delivery in the ‘modern era’ of high caesarean section rates is unclear.

Aims:  To compare the results of attempted Kjelland's forceps rotational delivery with other methods of instrumental delivery in a tertiary hospital.

Methods:  Retrospective review of all instrumental deliveries for singleton pregnancies 34 or more weeks gestation in a four‐year birth cohort, with reference to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Results:  The outcomes of 1067 attempted instrumental deliveries were analysed. Kjelland's forceps were successful in 95% of attempts. Kjelland's forceps deliveries had a rate of adverse maternal outcomes indistinguishable from non‐rotational ventouse, and lower than all other forms of instrumental delivery. Kjelland's forceps also had a lower rate of adverse neonatal outcomes than all other forms of instrumental delivery.

Conclusions:  Prudent use of Kjelland's forceps by experienced operators is associated with a very low rate of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Training in this important obstetric skill should be reconsidered urgently, before it is lost forever.
A pilot survey of the impact of menstrual cycles on adolescent health
Authors: FARQUHAR Cynthia M. , ROBERTS Helen , OKONKWO Quirine L. , STEWART Alistair W.
Published: September 2009

Background: The experience of menstruation and reproductive health by adolescent girls has been poorly studied in New Zealand.

Aims: To develop and pilot a Web‐based survey of 16‐year‐olds’ experience of menstruation and reproductive health with the eventual objective of conducting a larger population‐based survey. A secondary aim was to report on the experience of menstrual and reproductive health in a group of 16‐year‐old girls in an urban setting.

Methods: A Web‐based survey was developed and tested in 2006 with assistance of a multidisciplinary advisory group. The final version of the questionnaire had 146 questions in 11 sections and the topics were menstrual history, general health including use of medications, access to medical care or health information, sexual health, family history and personal information including smoking, height, weight, ethnicity, paid employment of parents, drug and alcohol use and exercise patterns.

Results: Seventy‐five 16‐year‐old students completed the survey. Twenty‐five per cent considered that their periods were quite a bit or a lot of trouble and 10% avoided certain activities during their menstrual periods, nearly 50% of girls always experienced some pain with every period, and 30% had seen a health professional about their period pains. Thirty‐three stated that menstruation was moderately to severely painful and that daily activity was affected. Fifty per cent of girls were sexually active and of these 80% described it as painful.

Conclusions: The Web‐based survey was a successful approach to collecting information and could be used in a larger study.
Population screening and early detection of ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women
Authors: NELSON Anne E. , FRANCIS Jane E. , ZORBAS Helen
Published: September 2009

The National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre position statement: ‘Population screening and early detection of ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women’, was developed and agreed following a Forum in February 2009 attended by key Australian stakeholders. The final position statement and supporting background information have been endorsed by key Australian colleges and agencies.

Position statement on population screening and early detection of ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women

There is currently no evidence that any test, including pelvic examination, CA125 or other biomarkers, ultrasound (including transvaginal ultrasound), or combination of tests, results in reduced mortality from ovarian cancer.

There is no evidence to support the use of any test, including pelvic examination, CA125 or other biomarkers, ultrasound (including transvaginal ultrasound), or combination of tests, for routine population‐based screening for ovarian cancer.

Further validation in large clinical trials is required before current or new biomarkers could be recommended for routine use in a population screening setting.
A comparison of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand‐Perinatal Death Classification system and relevant condition at death stillbirth classification systems
Authors: LU Jye Ru , McCOWAN Lesley
Published: September 2009

Background: Stillbirths comprise two‐thirds of all perinatal mortality. A classification system with low ‘unexplained’ stillbirth rates is important when developing prevention strategies.

Aims:  This study aims to (i) determine whether the proportion of stillbirths classified as ‘unexplained’ is reduced, by using the relevant condition at death (ReCoDe) stillbirth classification system, compared with the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand – Perinatal Death Classification (PSANZ‐PDC) system; and (ii) compare the proportion of stillbirths attributed to fetal growth restriction and other causes by each system.

Methods:  The ReCoDe stillbirth classification system was applied to the National Women's Health's stillbirth database for years 2004–2007. The proportion of stillbirths classified as ‘unexplained’ and as a result of fetal growth restriction was compared between the ReCoDe and the PSANZ‐PDC systems using the χ2 test.

Results:  The proportion of stillbirths classified as unexplained was less with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ‐PDC (8.5% (n = 26) vs 14.1% (n = 43) P = 0.04). The proportion with the primary cause attributed to fetal growth restriction was increased with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ‐PDC (23.2% (n = 71) vs 8.2% (n = 25) P < 0.0001). However, 44.8% (n = 137) of all stillbirths were small for gestational age (birthweight < 10th customised centile). The most common primary cause or condition at death by both systems was congenital abnormalities.

Conclusion:  The proportion of stillbirths classified as unexplained was less with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ‐PDC but rates with either method were low compared with earlier classification systems. Fetal growth restriction was listed as the primary condition more commonly with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ‐PDC because of different definitions.
How does a colony of Apoica flavissima (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Epiponini) maintain a constant temperature?
Authors: YAMANE Sôichi , MATEUS Sidnei , HOZUMI Satoshi , KUDÔ Kazuyuki , ZUCCHI Ronaldo
Published: September 2009

The thermal characteristics of a colony of Apoica flavissima, an epiponine wasp, were examined. The nest, with a diameter of slightly less than 30 cm, was built on a twig of an orange tree. The temperature of the roof surface fluctuated greatly, ranging between 19.1 and 41.5°C. However, the temperature in the central cell was kept constant at around 27°C throughout a day. Although heavy rain pelted the nest roof in the morning, the central cell maintained temperatures higher than 25°C. On the contrary, after all immature and adult wasps were removed the temperature in the nest fluctuated considerably. The presence of immature individuals and adult wasps densely covering the under surface of the comb seemed to function as an effective insulator. The smaller temperature fluctuation in the central cell than on the roof surface, when the nest was in the empty state, suggests that the thick spongy tissue of the roof made from curled plant leaf hairs serves as an insulator to prevent the conduction of solar heat into the cells and the outward flow of heat generated in cells, especially at night.
Two new species of Torymus Dalman, 1820 (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) parasitizing Celticecis japonica Yukawa and Tsuda, 1987 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) that induce leaf galls on Celtis species (Ulmaceae) in Japan
Authors: MATSUO Kazunori , YUKAWA Junichi
Published: September 2009

Torymus celticolus Matsuo sp. nov. and Torymus celtidigalla Matsuo sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) are described as parasitoids of larvae of Celticecis japonica Yukawa & Tsuda, 1987 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) that induce leaf galls on Celtis species (Ulmaceae) in Japan. A key to species of the genus Torymus known in Japan is provided.
Morphology of sternum V glands in three caddisfly species, Stenopsyche marmorata, Eubasilissa regina and Nemotaulius admorsus (Insecta: Trichoptera)
Authors: HASHIMOTO Yukinari , KOBAYASHI Yukimasa
Published: September 2009

The present study describes the morphology of the sternum V gland of three caddisfly species, Stenopsyche marmorata Navas, Eubasilissa regina (McLachlan) and Nemotaulius admorsus (McLachlan), each of which belongs to a different family of the order Trichoptera, using light and scanning electron microscopy. In both sexes of these three species, the gland orifices are located on the sides of the sternum V as crescent‐shaped slits, and are connected with the glandular tissue via cuticular gland ducts. The shapes of glands differ greatly among species; a slender ampullar form in S. marmorata, a flattened saccular form (horseshoe shape) in E. regina and a kidney shape in N. admorsus. The glands are composed of four essential components: large secretory cells, small reservoir cells, the lining of the reservoir and the gland duct. In S. marmorata and E. regina, additional components, muscle fibers, are present around the small reservoir cells. The secretory cells covering the whole outer surface of the gland are very large, and form many bunches in S. marmorata and E. regina, but do not form them in N. admorsus. The small reservoir cells lie inside the layer of the secretory cells and are tightly connected with the cuticular lining of the reservoir. The linings become thick cuticular ducts near the gland orifices. Histological features suggest that the secretory cells of the sternum V gland of Trichoptera belong to the type of class 3 cells in insect epidermal glands.
Nesting Success of Birds in Different Silvicultural Treatments in Southeastern U.S. Pine Forests
Authors: Barber David R. , Martin Thomas E. , Melchiors M. Anthony , Thill Ronald E. , Wigley T. Bently
Published: September 2009

Abstract: We examined nesting success and levels of nest predation and cowbird parasitism among five different silvicultural treatments: regenerating (3–6 years old  ), mid‐rotation (12–15 years old ), and thinned (17–23 years old ) pine plantations, single‐tree selection, and late‐rotation pine‐hardwood stands in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas from 1993 to 1995. We monitored 1674 nests. Differences in daily mortality and daily predation rate among two or more treatments were found for 4 and 3 of 12 species, respectively. These differences were lost following Bonferroni adjustments, but thinned stands had higher levels of predation than single‐tree selection stands when predation levels were averaged across species. Daily predation rates were positively correlated with the relative abundance of birds, suggesting that nest predators respond to prey availability (i.e., nests) in a density‐dependent manner. The relative abundance of cowbirds differed among treatments, with the highest densities in regenerating, thinned, and single‐tree selection stands. Field Sparrows ( Spizella pusilla) and Yellow‐breasted Chats (  Icteria virens) experienced higher levels of parasitism in thinned than regenerating plantations, whereas White‐eyed Vireos (   Vireo griseus) experienced higher parasitism in regenerating plantations than in mid‐rotation or thinned plantations. Several shrub‐nesting and 1 ground‐nesting species had lower nesting success in thinned and regenerating plantations than has been reported in previously published studies. Thus, some seral stages of even‐aged management may provide low‐quality nesting habitat for several early‐successional bird species. In contrast, many species nesting in mid‐rotation and single‐tree selection stands had nesting success similar to or greater than that found in previous studies, suggesting that some silvicultural treatments, when embedded in a largely forested landscape, may provide suitable habitat for forest land birds without affecting their reproductive success.
Recovery Patterns of Understory Herbs and Their Use as Indicators of Deciduous Forest Regeneration
Authors: McLachlan Stephane M. , Bazely Dawn R.
Published: September 2009

Abstract: Habitat fragmentation has reduced the richness of native species of forests in northeastern North America. Despite recent large‐scale increases in forest cover, studies indicate that understory herbaceous plant communities may take many decades to recover. We studied recovery patterns of vegetation following up to 35 years of forest regeneration in restored former cottage and road sites at Point Pelée National Park, Ontario, Canada, to assess the vulnerability of the understory herbaceous species. Overall, there were no significant differences in the diversity of native species between restored and relatively undisturbed reference sites. There was, however, significant among‐site variation in the composition of the native species component of these plant communities. When only restored sites were examined, variation in native species composition was associated with time since site restoration, soil moisture, canopy cover, and distance to continuous forest. Native species were assigned vulnerability rankings according to their relative occurrence in reference and restored sites. Spring‐flowering herbs, with ant‐ or gravity‐dispersed seeds, were absent from restored sites and were defined as highly vulnerable. In contrast, summer‐ and fall‐flowering herbs, with vertebrate‐ and wind‐dispersed seeds, dominated restored sites and were less vulnerable. Species of low and intermediate vulnerability had colonized restored sites successfully, and the latter should function as indicators of recovery. In contrast, species with high vulnerability rankings had not recovered at all and, because of their limited dispersal ranges, may recolonize restored sites only if they are actively reintroduced.
Strategic Habitats for Biodiversity Conservation in Florida
Authors: Kautz Randy S. , Cox James A.
Published: September 2009

Abstract: Privately owned lands support a large portion of the biodiversity in some areas, but procedures for identifying those private lands critical to the maintenance of biodiversity vary tremendously. We used habitat‐based distribution maps in combination with population conservation goals to help identify strategic habitats on private lands in Florida. We used a vegetation map, occurrence data, and published life‐history information to create habitat‐based distribution maps for 179 rare taxa. We estimated the security of 130 of the taxa by overlaying public land boundaries on habitat maps and then estimating whether conservation lands satisfied a population goal of supporting at least 10 populations of approximately 200 breeding adults. The remaining taxa were evaluated in terms of number of occurrence records on conservation lands. Of the 179 taxa evaluated, existing conservation lands did not adequately protect 56. We then identified habitats on private lands that could best satisfy the minimum conservation goal or else significantly enhance the survival potential of inadequately protected taxa. Strategic habitats included a mix of large and small sites, incorporated some corridor or stepping‐stone connections among habitat patches, and protected multiple species. Additional strategic habitats were identified for shorebirds, four natural plant communities, and 105 globally rare plants. The strategic habitats identified in Florida cover 1.65 million ha (12% of the land area) and would cost $8.2 billion (about 15% of Florida's annual state budget) to purchase and $122 million per year to manage. Existing conservation lands account for 3.07 million ha (22% of the land area).
Developing Policy‐Oriented Curricula for Conservation Biology: Professional and Leadership Education in the Public Interest
Authors: Clark Tim W.
Published: September 2009

Abstract: Some conservation biologists question the ability of current university curricula to prepare students to meet the needs of the profession in solving real‐life conservation problems or to integrate the goals of conservation biology with other societal goals. The gist of the criticism is that curricula tend to emphasize narrow, technical proficiency at the expense of more integrative, “policy‐oriented” problem solving. Conservation biologists' work should be relevant to policy, and I argue that professional participation could become more effective through a broader educational curriculum. Such curricula should teach students three things: (1) an understanding of how the policy‐making system works and how human value interactions constitute the core of professional work, (2) mastery of skills in critical thinking and development of an interdisciplinary, “procedural rationality” for analyzing problems and evaluating potential solutions, and (3) development of influence and responsibility within policy systems. Seminars, case studies, and field trips are among the tools that can develop these skills in students. Finally, the education committee of the Society for Conservation Biology has great potential to improve the quality and relevance of professional education.