bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
REVIEW: The role of anthropometric measurements in nasal surgery and research: a systematic review
Authors: Doddi N. M. , Eccles R.
Published: June 2010

Clin. Otolaryngol. 2010, 35, 277–283

Background:  Anthropometric measurements of the nose provide objective data about the size and shape of the nose. Data of average nasal anthropometric values for various ethnic groups is promoted to be of great importance in planning aesthetic nasal surgery, but there may be fundamental problems with this approach.

Objective of review:  To collate existing knowledge on nasal anthropometry and, determine its value to the nasal surgeon, in planning aesthetic nasal surgery and in research.

Search strategy:  A structured search of PubMed was performed from 1 January 1973 to 31 December 2009 focussing on nasal anthropometry. The MeSH keywords used were nasal/nose, anthropometry/history/methods/measurements, aesthetic, surgery, nose, otorhinolaryngologic surgical procedures.

Results:  There is published literature on the average values of the nasal dimensions for various ethnic groups, to aid surgeons in planning improvements of the face. However the large overlap of anthropometric data between racial groups and the lack of any scientific basis for the concept of race means that the published data for racial groups is of little use in planning nasal surgery.

Nasal anthropometry, however, helps to answer important clinical questions in research. It has established the role of primary rhinoplasty in patients with cleft lip nasal deformity. It serves as an objective tool to investigate whether reconstructive nasal septoplasty in the paediatric population has any deleterious effect on nasal growth. Anthropometry also helps in the characterisation of dysmorphic syndromes.

Conclusions:  The published anthropometric data for racial groups is of little use in planning nasal surgery. Anthropometric measurements of the nose may help to answer important clinical questions in research on the effects of surgery on nasal and facial development.
Correlation between attenuated psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms among Japanese students
Authors: Kobayashi Hiroyuki , Yamazawa Ryoko , Nemoto Takahiro , Murakami Masaaki , Kashima Haruo , Mizuno Masafumi
Published: June 2010

Aims: To examine the emergence of attenuated psychotic experiences, self‐disturbance or affective symptoms among younger subjects in the general population and to investigate the intergroup differences on each symptom between adolescents and post‐adolescents.

Methods: A total of 781 participants, 496 university students (mean age: 19.3 ± 1.1 years) and 285 high school students (mean age: 16.0 ± 0.3 years), were administered self‐reported questionnaires. Psychotic prodromal symptoms were evaluated using the PRIME Screen‐Revised (PS‐R), a 12‐item self‐reported questionnaire. To measure the cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms associated with depression, the Zung Self‐rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), a 20‐item self‐reported questionnaire, was administered.

Results: There were no intergroup differences on the factor score of the PS‐R, except the self‐demarcation factor (post‐adolescents > adolescents), whereas there were significant differences in the factor score of the ZSDS, except for the anxiety factor. Among the post‐adolescents, the factors of the PS‐R showed a moderate correlation to the cognitive factor on the ZSDS; among the adolescents, the PS‐R factors showed a greater correlation to the anxiety factor on the ZSDS than other factors. There were no differences in the distribution of each item of the PS‐R between the two groups.

Conclusions: The disturbance of self results in difficulty to precisely objectify, especially among adolescents, which would induce more primitive reactions such as agitation, irritability or anxiety; probably, the self disturbance would become an explicit symptom from an implicit experience with advancing age of the subject. Although these data are only preliminary, they could explain the pathway of progression prior to the onset of psychosis, from disturbance within the self to exaggerated self‐absorption.
Pioglitazone and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with Type 2 diabetes receiving concomitant treatment with nitrates, renin–angiotensin system blockers, or insulin: results from the PROactive study (PROactive 20)
Authors: ERDMANN Erland , SPANHEIMER Robert , CHARBONNEL Bernard ,   on behalf of the PROactive Study Investigators
Published: June 2010

Background:  Patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are often treated with multiple glucose‐lowering and cardiovascular agents. The concomitant use of nitrates, renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockers, or insulin has been linked to a potential increase in myocardial ischemic risk with rosiglitazone. The PROactive database provides an opportunity to investigate the effects of these medications on the potential macrovascular benefits reported with pioglitazone.

Methods:  The PROactive study was a randomized double‐blind prospective trial that evaluated mortality and cardiovascular morbidity in 5238 patients with T2DM and macrovascular disease. Patients received pioglitazone or placebo in addition to their baseline glucose‐lowering and cardiovascular medications. The effect of pioglitazone on composite endpoints was evaluated, including all‐cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke, as well as safety events of edema and serious heart failure, in subgroups using nitrates, RAS blockers, or insulin at baseline.

Results:  The risk of all‐cause death, MI, and stroke for pioglitazone versus placebo was similar regardless of the baseline use of nitrates, RAS blockers, or insulin, with hazard ratios ranging from 0.81 to 0.87. Similar results were obtained for the other composite endpoints analyzed. There were no significant interactions between baseline medication subgroups and treatment. The increased risk of edema and serious heart failure was consistent across the baseline medication subgroups.

Conclusions:  This post hoc analysis did not reveal an increased risk of macrovascular events with pioglitazone in patients receiving nitrates, RAS blockers, or insulin. Rather, all patients realized the same trend towards benefit with pioglitazone, and adverse events of edema and heart failure were predictable.
Ocular axial length and corneal refraction in children with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS I‐Hurler)
Authors: Fahnehjelm Kristina Teär , Törnquist Alba Lucia , Winiarski Jacek
Published: June 2010

Background/aims:  To assess corneal refraction and axial length in children with mucopolysaccharidosis I‐Hurler (MPS I‐H), treated early with stem cell transplantation (SCT), in order to establish possible causes of hyperopia.

Methods:  Clinical ophthalmological follow‐up included keratometry and measurements of axial length.

Results:  Five patients, with SCT performed before 23 months of age, were examined. Median age was 8.2 years (range 5.2–10.5). Best‐corrected decimal visual acuity was ≥0.5 (≥20/40 Snellen fraction) in seven of 10 eyes. High hyperopia, ranging from +4.0 to +9.0 spherical equivalents, was noted in all 10 eyes. Mild to moderate corneal opacities occurred in all 10 eyes. Optic disc areas, borders and cuppings were normal in all 10 eyes. No patient had glaucoma. Keratometry could be performed in five patients and demonstrated low values in the group ranging from 38.24 to 41.56 Diopters (D) right eye to 38.24–41.94 D left eye, which was significantly lower than the age matching reference material (p < 0.05). Axial lengths, available in five patients, ranged between 20.68 to 21.57 mm right eye and 20.52 to 21.38 mm left eye, which also was lower than the age matching reference material (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Reduced axial length together with reduced corneal refraction is suggested to be causative to the hyperopia in patients with MPS I Hurler. Detection of refractive errors and prescription of eye glasses are important to avoid amblyopia.
Investigation of vasculogenic mimicry in sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid
Authors: Xu Xiaofang , Jia Renbing , Zhou Yixiong , Song Xin , Fan Xianqun
Published: June 2010

Purpose:  Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a newly proposed pattern of tumour angiogenesis that has been identified in some malignancies and is associated with poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sebaceous carcinomas of the eyelid exhibit VM and to determine whether these fluid‐conducting patterns are associated with clinicopathologic features, the number of microvessels and the levels of endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloprotease‐2 (MMP‐2) in tumours.

Methods:  Forty paraffin‐embedded samples of sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid were collected, along with complete clinical and pathologic data for all the cases. Tissue sections were stained for CD34, periodic acid and Schiff (PAS), VEGF and MMP‐2. VM was identified by the presence of PAS‐positive and CD34‐negative loops lined by tumour cells. The VM status of tumour samples was compared with the clinical and pathological data using statistical tests. The levels of VEGF, MMP‐2 and the number of microvessels were compared between patients with and without VM.

Results:  VM was detected in 14 of 40 (35%) tumour samples. The existence of VM in tumours was associated with tumour size (p = 0.007) and recurrence (p = 0.021). The number of microvessels was lower in tumours with VM (13.03 ± 4.02 versus 22.99 ± 7.72; p < 0.0001). The staining index of MMP‐2 was higher in tumours with VM (27.43, range: 0–5.3) compared to tumours without VM (16.77, range: 0–2.7; p = 0.004). However, there was no difference in the expression of VEGF between groups with and without VM (p = 0.244).

Conclusions:  Vasculogenic mimicry is present in sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid making it an unfavourable prognosis sign. MMP‐2 is associated with VM formation in sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid.
Case series of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus from Kerala: comparison with other Indian series
Authors: KUMAR Sharath , NAIR Sathyajith , RAJAM Lalitha
Published: June 2010

Aim:  To determine the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients diagnosed with pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) in the general pediatrics department of a tertiary level hospital in southern India and compare them to data of case series from other parts of the country.

Methods:  Retrospective chart review by two independent reviewers. All patients diagnosed with SLE in the pediatrics department of the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences hospital between 1 January 2004 and 31 September 2008, were included in the study.

Results:  Twenty children were diagnosed with pSLE in the above‐mentioned period (female : male ratio 2.3 : 1.0). Fever (75% of patients) and arthralgia (65%) were the most common clinical presenting features. Many patients who were referred as ‘Fever of unknown origin’ (37.5%) or ‘idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura’ (15%) fulfilled the diagnosis of SLE on detailed evaluation. Renal manifestations were present in 11 patients, seven of whom underwent a biopsy. Class IV lupus nephritis was the most common finding (4/7). A very high percentage of our patients had hypocomplementemia (85%). The statistical significance of the differences between our cohort and previously reported cohorts could not be determined.

Conclusions:  pSLE patients in our series, compared to previous literature from India had a much higher incidence of fever, thrombocytopenia and hypocomplementemia at presentation and much lower incidence of arthritis. It is unclear whether these differences represent unique characteristics of ethnically dissimilar subsets of the Indian population. A high index of suspicion should be maintained in order to make an early diagnosis of pSLE, since the most common presenting features in our cohort were arthralgia and fever.
Diagnosis of Paget’s disease of the pelvis using F‐18 FDG PET/CT
Authors: WOO Jin‐Hyun , KIM Sungeun , CHOI Seong J. , LEE Young H. , JI Jong D. , SONG Gwan G.
Published: June 2010

Sclerotic lesions of the right iliac bone were discovered incidentally in a 52‐year‐old Korean woman. In this case, imaging of the right iliac bone showed intense osteoblastic activity on the bone scan and very mild F‐18‐fluoro‐2‐deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography (PET). Since Paget’s disease is rare in Koreans, we aimed to rule out other bone diseases such as osteoblastic metastasis or osteomyelitis. These results allowed us to exclude chronic osteomyelitis or malignancy and clarify the diagnosis of Paget’s disease of the iliac bone. This case illustrates how F‐18 FDG PET/CT can be a useful tool in the differential diagnosis of various bone diseases.
Prediction of Operating Cash Flows: Further Evidence from Australia
Authors: Habib Ahsan
Published: June 2010

This paper examines empirically the relative abilities of current operating cash flows (hereafter OCF) and earnings in predicting future operating cash flows in Australia. It extends prior Australian research on cash flow prediction (

Percy and Stokes 1992
; Clinch, Sidhu and Sing 2002; Farshadfar, Ng and Brimble 2009) by examining future cash flow predictions for one‐, two‐ and three‐year‐ahead forecast horizons; incorporating additional contextual variables likely to affect the predictive association between current cash flows or earnings and future cash flows; and comparing cross‐sectional versus time series‐based prediction models to ascertain the relative superiority of one approach over the other. Regression results reveal that the cash flow‐based models are more accurate in predicting future operating cash flows than earnings‐based models. This result, however, is moderated by firm‐specific contextual factors like firm size, negative versus positive cash flow pattern, cash flow variability and firm operating cycle. Finally, a comparison between cross‐sectional and time series approaches reveals that the cross‐sectional model outperforms the time series model for both the operating cash flows and earnings models in most of the forecast years.
Decision Usefulness of Cash and Accrual Information: Public Sector Managers’ Perceptions
Authors: Andriani Yeny , Kober Ralph , Ng Juliana
Published: June 2010

This study examines the usefulness of accrual accounting information for internal decision‐making contexts in the Western Australian public sector. Based on questionnaire responses of public sector managers, it was found that accrual accounting is perceived to be more useful than cash accounting in 16 of the 19 decision situations. These results suggest that the perceived usefulness of the accrual accounting system has improved with the passage of time. It may well be that perceptions of the usefulness of information derived from an accounting system will change over time as users gain familiarity and experience with a system.
Commentary: Has Australia (or Any Other Jurisdiction) ‘Adopted’ IFRS?1
Authors: Zeff Stephen A. , Nobes Christopher W.
Published: June 2010

This paper replies to a statement made in this journal that ‘Australia definitely adopts IFRSs’. We analyse and compare the several methods that jurisdictions can use to implement International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These include adopting the International Accounting Standards Board's (IASB) process of setting standards, as well as various forms of standard‐by‐standard implementation. We conclude that the Australian method of implementation is different in major ways from those used in such countries as Israel and South Africa, which involve adopting the IASB's process. By contrast, Australia follows a multi‐step process of enrolling each new standard into a category still entitled ‘Australian Accounting Standards’. To refer to the Australian method as ‘adoption’ of IFRS might therefore mislead, even though Australian companies eventually comply with IFRS.
Geophysical survey of the proposed Tsenkher impact structure, Gobi Altai, Mongolia
Authors: ORMÖ Jens , GOMEZ‐ORTIZ David , KOMATSU Goro , BAYARAA Togookhuu , TSERENDUG Shoovdor
Published: June 2010

Abstract– We have performed forward magnetic and gravity modeling of data obtained during the 2007 expedition to the 3.7 km in diameter, circular, Tsenkher structure, Mongolia, in order to evaluate the cause of its formation. Extensive occurrences of brecciated rocks, mainly in the form of an ejecta blanket outside the elevated rim of the structure, support an explosive origin (e.g., cosmic impact, explosive volcanism). The host rocks in the area are mainly weakly magnetic, silica‐rich sandstones, and siltstones. A near absence of surface exposures of volcanic rocks makes any major volcanic structures (e.g., caldera) unlikely. Likewise, the magnetic models exclude any large, subsurface, intrusive body. This is supported by an 8 mGal gravity low over the structure indicating a subsurface low density body. Instead, the best fit is achieved for a bowl‐shaped structure with a slight central rise as expected for an impact crater of this size in mainly sedimentary target. The structure can be either root‐less (i.e., impact crater) or rooted with a narrow feeder dyke with relatively higher magnetic susceptibility and density (i.e., volcanic maar crater). The geophysical signature, the solitary appearance, the predominantly sedimentary setting, and the comparably large size of the Tsenkher structure favor the impact crater alternative. However, until mineralogical/geochemical evidence for an impact is presented, the maar alternative remains plausible although exceptional as it would make the Tsenkher structure one of the largest in the world in an unusual setting for maar craters.
Understanding Why Your New Design Ideas Get Blocked
Authors: Rieple Alison
Published: June 2010

People are creative in different ways and approach problems differently. Alison Rieple believes understanding these differences can reveal bottlenecks and opportunities in the innovation process. Her analysis distinguishes between out‐of‐the‐box thinkers and those who are more conforming, and examines how they deal with the search for new ideas and how both types make important contributions to business success.
Breaking Down the Barriers to Packaging Innovation
Authors: Young Scott
Published: June 2010

Most executives understand that packaging innovation can add value and drive sales. The challenge, explains Scott Young, is to identify opportunities for innovation—and to measure and convey the business value of innovation. To this end, he identifies research techniques that are effective and articulates a framework for distilling the potential return on packaging innovation.
Declaring victory: Toward a new value proposition for business design
Authors: Moore Carol
Published: June 2010

Evaluating the nexus between business and design, Carol Moore asserts that companies can establish and sustain a competitive advantage by investing in experience design, simultaneous design, and the design and delivery of urgently needed information. She identifies five promising business‐design “themes” and urges designers to work in collaborative teams and fully immerse themselves in the context of their endeavors.
A place at the table: Taking design from service to corporate function
Authors: Fluharty Bill
Published: June 2010

At Johnson Controls, design has emerged as a partner in critical business activities. Bill Fluharty discusses how, by providing talent and a sense of vision not available elsewhere, he and his associates have become key players in such arenas as defining deliverables in the product development process, facilitating collaboration, presenting the broad context for decisionmaking, and defining advanced initiatives.
Found in translation: Bringing a Japanese brand to life in the US
Authors: Garvey Gloria , Gramann Brook
Published: June 2010

When InSpecs arrived in Hawaii, managers thought the $39.99 price tag for a complete pair of glasses would draw huge crowds. But business failed to meet expectations. A market analysis and comprehensive design strategy led to significant improvements. Focusing on sales to younger adults, glasses became “fashion eyewear,” and a homegrown identity was replaced with an integrated brand that included a new logo, environments, and packaging.
Perspectives on designing design managers
Authors: Green Lee D. , Smith Jeff , Bryant Gary , Cooper Rachel , Chung Kyung‐won , Finiw Maryann
Published: June 2010

Design management integrates two very different realities. To probe the background needed to embrace this duality, we invited six experts from the corporate, consultant, and academic worlds—Lee Green, Jeff Smith, Gary Bryant, Rachel Cooper, Kyung‐won Chung, and Maryann Finiw—to comment on the business knowledge and attitudes that distinguish designers from design managers.
Industrial Design: A Competitive Strategy
Authors: Grzecznowska Anna , Mostowicz Emilia
Published: June 2010

Analyzing a survey of Polish companies, Anna Grzecznowska and Emilia Mostowicz put the value of design in the context of other needs. Their study reveals that design can improve competitiveness and profitability but highlights how this depends on many factors, including the size and type of business, its relationship with customers, and the opportunities for international exposure and promotion.
Educating Designers for Broad Roles in Organizations
Authors: Conley Chris
Published: June 2010

Companies are looking to designers for talent in such fields as marketing, strategy, product management, and research and development. Chris Conley posits a five‐part framework for applying design expertise across the spectrum of issues related to managing a business. He also offers a curriculum structure and course content that cultivate the skills needed to succeed in these broader roles.
TED: Multidisciplinary Team Projects Crossing University Borders
Authors: Holm Lisbeth Svengren
Published: June 2010

Companies have long approached design as a collaborative effort. The structure and autonomy of university departments, however, have made bringing this synergy to the classroom difficult. Lisbeth Holm comments on how she and colleagues in Stockholm, Sweden, have overcome this problem, including an enlightening critique of cross‐disciplinary methodologies that work best in the school setting.
Design Management: Future Forward
Authors: McBride Mary
Published: June 2010

From an academic perspective, design management has matured into a recognized and valued discipline. Complementing this reality, businesses and professional organizations increasingly champion design expertise as vital to strategic success. Mary McBride believes this trend will continue, especially as design managers respond to new challenges in such arenas as sustainability, resource management, and product and service liability.
Building Better: GSA's National 3D‐4D‐BIM Program
Authors: Ho Peggy , Matta Charles
Published: June 2010

Leaders in harnessing this innovative digital tool for architectural design and facilities management, Peggy Ho and Charles Matta review how the US General Services Administration developed BIM guidance to measure and validate the allocation of space, share building information with designers and contractors, evaluate energy‐efficiency and sustainability strategies, and test alternative schemes for interior circulation.
Get Real and Prosper: Why Social Media Demands Authentic Brands
Authors: Faust William , Householder Leigh
Published: June 2010

With the growing number of company‐sponsored opportunities for interactive digital experiences, William Faust and Leigh Householder stress the need for authenticity. They reinforce their premise with a rich array of cases, and elaborate how, more than just being engaging, these sites should connect with consumers in distinctive ways, be relevant to the brand and the customer, and be something individuals want to share with friends.
Processing: Programming for Designers and Artists
Authors: Reas Casey , Fry Ben
Published: June 2010

Sketching, the ability to look at objects at different angles and scales and, of course, interaction are essential features of the design process. In our digital age, the challenge has been to develop an application that makes these tasks intuitive, adaptable, and accessible. The Open Source application Processing does exactly that. Casey Reas and Ben Fry describe their innovative software and explore its many uses and advantages.
The Designer's Dilemma
Authors: Casey Valerie
Published: June 2010

The Designers Accord, launched in 2007, calls the creative community to enviromental and humanitarian stewardship. Reprising our Fall 2008 theme, Accord founder Valerie Casey discusses its commitment to networking and iterative change as a path to making sustainability the norm in the global marketplace. What's hopeful and inspiring is that her vision now has more than 150,000 supporters from 100 countries and across all design disciplines.
The Future of Search: A Different Perspective
Authors: Anderson Stephen P.
Published: June 2010

The mission at Viewzi is to dramatically improve the search experience. But, as Stephen Anderson explains, that doesn't mean developing a better search engine; rather, it means developing a better way to view search results. The results are a series of custom‐tailored scenes whose look and feel change depending on the intent of the search. It's an impressive innovation that promises to reshape the Internet landscape.
The Whale Drivers of Newfoundland
Authors: Fielding Russell
Published: June 2010

And it's quick, pull the string boys and get the tool out, Haul it away, haul it away! But just two years ago you could hear the same shout Where the whales make free in the harbour. Free in the harbour, the blackfish are sporting again. Free in the harbour, untroubled by comings and goings of men Who once did pursue them as oil from the sea, Hauling away, hauling away! Now they're Calgary roughnecks from Hermitage Bay, Where the whales make free in the harbour. —Stan Rogers, “Free in the Harbour” © 1981, Fogarty's Cove Music. Used with permission.
Stable isotope analysis: modelling lipid normalization for muscle and eggs from arctic mammals and birds
Authors: Ehrich Dorothée , Tarroux Arnaud , Stien Jenny , Lecomte Nicolas , Killengreen Siw , Berteaux Dominique , Yoccoz Nigel G.
Published: June 2010

1. Lipids are more depleted in 13C than proteins. Variable lipid contents in tissues affect therefore the measurements of stable carbon isotope ratios. Model based (also called mathematical) normalization has been suggested to correct δ13C values using the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) as a proxy for lipid content. This approach has not been thoroughly validated for terrestrial animals and it is not clear to what extent it is generally applicable or species/tissue specific.

2. Ratios of stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) were obtained for muscle samples of 22 mainly terrestrial arctic mammal and bird species and for egg samples of 32 bird species from nine sites in the circumpolar Arctic. We used linear and nonlinear equations to model the difference in δ13C between samples from which lipids had been extracted chemically and bulk tissue samples. Models were compared on the basis of a model selection criterion (AIC) and of prediction error as estimated by cross‐validation.

3. For muscle samples, a linear and a nonlinear equation performed equally well. The observed values were also well predicted by a previously published general equation for aquatic organisms. For egg samples, a nonlinear equation fitted separately to waterfowl and non waterfowl bird species fitted the data best. Prediction errors were, however, larger than for muscle samples.

4. The generality of the inferred normalization equations was assessed by applying them to a second data set from a similar ecosystem, but produced in the frame of another study. The predicted lean δ13C values were within 0·5‰ of the observed values for 73% of the muscle samples, but only for 27% of the egg samples.

5. Based on our results, we recommend model based normalization of δ13C values as an economic way to deal with varying lipid contents in muscle samples of mammals and birds. For egg samples, on the contrary, model based predictions had large errors. Therefore, we recommend chemical lipid extraction in order to estimate lipid‐free δ13C values for egg content.
Recent attempts to improve synchronisation of ovulation and to induce superovulation in the mare
Authors: PALMER E.
Published: June 2010

Recent experiments designed to improve synchronisation and stimulation of ovulation in mares are described. The addition of daily injections of oestradiol benzoate to a routine synchronisation protocol, that utilised intravaginal sponge administration of a progestogen, ally I trenbolone, for seven days followed by an injection of prostaglandin at the time of sponge removal, reduced pituitary follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) secretion during treatment, increased the interval from sponge removal to ovulation but did not improve synchronisation of ovulation. Addition of daily injections of testosterone to the protocol reduced the secretion of pituitary luteinising hormone (LH), but not FSH, during treatment and it did improve synchronisation of ovulation.

Attempts to stimulate follicular growth with an anti‐oestrogen, tamoxifen, during late anoestrus or after synchronisation treatment during the breeding season were unsuccessful; FSH and LH secretion rates and follicular growth were not stimulated. Treatment of mares with an extract of horse pituitary glands during successive oestrous cycles to give a total of six treatments per mare during the breeding season induced the growth of a mean of 3.3 mature follicles but only a mean of 1.8 ovulations in each treated cycle. This treatment regime did not seem to exhaust the pool of follicles that can be stimulated in subsequent cycles.
Dynamic physical interactions between the equine embryo and uterus
Authors: GINTHER O. J.
Published: June 2010

Repealed examinations of mares with real‐time ultrasound echography demonstrated that the well‐known phenomenon of transuterine migration of the equine conceptus is not a simple one‐way passage. Instead, the embryonic vesicle was shown to bypass its eventual site of attachment many times per day while traversing the full length of each uterine horn and the uterine body.

The embryonic vesicle showed limited mobility on Days 9 and 10 post ovulation when it spent more than 60 per cent of the time in the uterine body. Maximum mobility occurred on Days 11 to 14. Location changes within a uterine horn were more likely to be progressive when the vesicle was moving in a caudal direction, whereas location changes within the body were more likely to be progressive when the vesicle was moving in a cranial direction. Individuals of twin conceptuses had mobility patterns similar to those of singletons. Administration of a sympathomimetic blocking agent reduced the extent of mobility, indicating that uterine contractions are the propulsive force for vesicle mobility. Water‐filled balloons acting as simulated vesicles were also mobile when placed in the uterus on Days 12 or 13 of dioestrus, but their rate of movement was less than that of embryonic vesicles. It is suggested that the mobility of the embryonic vesicle may play a role in blocking the uterine luteolytic mechanism.

Cessation of vesicle mobility (fixation) occurred on Day 15, 16 or 17 and it remained firm with no further movement between horns. Twin embryos exhibited a preference for unilateral fixation (70 per cent). Fixation may be a function of expansion of the embryonic vesicle combined with intraluminal resistance to mobility resulting from increasing uterine tone. The site of fixation was in the caudal portion of one of the horns, perhaps because of the curvature of the horns at that point. The concept of extensive mobility of the equine conceptus provides rationale for the development of hypotheses concerning the perplexing effects of reproductive status on the site of fixation and the consistency of fixation of the vesicle in the caudal portion of a uterine horn.

Orientation is defined as rotation of the vesicle so that the embryonic pole is located ventrally, opposite the mesometrial attachment of the uterus. It is proposed that orientation takes place between the day of fixation and Day 19 when the embryo proper is first detectable by ultrasound. Orientation is attributable to disproportionate encroachment of the dorsal uterine wall, a massaging action by uterine contractions and greater thickness of the vesicle wall at the embryonic pole.
Between‐species transfer of horse and donkey embryos: A valuable research tool
Authors: ALLEN W. R. , KYDD JULIA , BOYLE M. S. , ANTCZAK D. F.
Published: June 2010

During the six year period between 1979 and 1984 attempts to recover embryos non‐surgically at Days 6 to 8 after ovulation (Day 0) were successful on 15 of 30 occasions (50 per cent) from mated pony mares and on 112 of 210 occasions (53 per cent) from mated or artificially inseminated jenny donkeys. Surgical transfer of nine horse embryos to jenny donkeys and 95 donkey embryos to pony mares resulted in five horse‐in‐donkey and 64 donkey‐in‐horse pregnancies (56 and 67 per cent, respectively).

The striking differences in placentation and hormone secretion patterns that exist between these two types of extraspecific equine pregnancy make them ideal models to study foetomaternal interactions during pregnancy and immunological aspects of early foetal death. Donkeys appear able to carry horse foetuses to term, perhaps because of normal endometrial cup development and the resulting high secretion rates of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and progesterone. Conversely, endometrial cups fail to develop in horses carrying donkey foetuses, the great majority of which grow normally to Day 70 of gestation but thereafter succumb to a vigorous maternal cell‐mediated reaction directed against the donkey allantochorion.

Administration to mares carrying donkey conceptuses of: (a) Synthetic progestogen; (b) a partially purified extract of eCG; (c) large volumes of pregnant and non‐pregnant mares' serum; and (d) repeated injections of lymphocytes from the genetic donkey sire and dam of the embryo, resulted in a significant improvement in pregnancy survival only in those mares treated with pregnant mares' serum and parental donkey lymphocytes. The hypothesis is therefore advanced that failure of the untreated donkey‐in‐horse pregnancy results from the absence of the normal antigenic stimulation of the maternal immune system to provide immunoprotection for the foreign conceptus. In all other types of intra‐, inter‐ and extraspecies equine pregnancy this occurs during invasion of the maternal endometrium by the specialised foetal trophoblast cells to form endometrial cups.
Immunological aspects of pregnancy in mules
Authors: ANTCZAK D. F. , DAVIES C. J. , KYDD JULIA , ALLEN W. R.
Published: June 2010

The pregnant mare makes a range of immune responses to paternally‐inherited foetal histocompatibility antigens. Cytotoxic antibody is first detected in major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐incompatible pregnancies by Days 50 to 70 of gestation. This follows shortly after the development of the endometrial cups and is concurrent with a striking accumulation of maternal lymphocytes and other mononuclear cells in the endometrial stroma around each cup. No such cellular infiltration occurs at the endometrium‐allantochorion border.

The temporal coincidence between endometrial cup formation, cytotoxic alloantibody production and the accumulation of maternal lymphocytes suggests that these three events are interrelated. The relationships have been explored using immunogenetic markers in intraspecies horse pregnancy, by comparing immunological and endocrinological aspects of pregnancy in mares and jenny donkeys carrying normal intra‐specific and interspecific hybrid conceptuses and, finally, by examining foetomaternal interactions in sterile interspecies mules carrying pregnancies of both parental types created by embryo transfer. The working hypothesis has been that the endometrial cups are the source of immunogenic foetal histocompatibility antigen in equine pregnancy and that the cytotoxic antibody response and the lymphocyte accumulation around the cups represent humoral and cell‐mediated arms of the maternal immune response.

Establishment of MHC‐compatible pregnancies demonstrated no significant effect of MHC differences between mother and foetus on serum equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) levels, the duration of eCG secretion or the magnitude of the maternal leucocyte accumulation around the cups. Comparison of intraspecies horse and donkey pregnancies showed major differences between the two, including lower serum eCG levels, smaller endometrial cups with reduced leucocyte accumulation and a lower incidence of maternal sensitisation to foetal histocompatibility antigens in donkey pregnancy. Examination of interspecies mule and hinny pregnancies, on the other hand, showed a marked increase in the maternal lymphocyte reaction around the endometrial cups and a definite influence of the paternal genome of the foetus on eCG production.

The successful transfer of horse and donkey embryos to female mules demonstrated that: (a) Both horse and donkey conceptuses express histocompatibility antigen in immunogenic form early in pregnancy; (b) both horse and donkey chorionic girdle cells can invade the endometrium of the mule to form endometrial cups, the eCG production rate of which is dependant upon foetal genotype; and (c) the magnitude of the lymphocyte accumulation around the endometrial cups does not correlate with known genetic differences between mother and foetus.
Transfer of exotic equine embryos to domestic horses and donkeys
Authors: KYDD JULIA , BOYLE M. S. , ALLEN W. R. , SHEPHARD ALISON , SUMMERS P. M.
Published: June 2010

A total of 43 non‐surgical embryo recoveries performed on two Przewalski's horse mares(Equus przewalski)and two Grant's zebra mares(E burchelli)yielded 11 Przewalski and 14 zebra embryos. Surgical transfer of nine Przewalski embryos to domestic pony recipient mares resulted in seven (78 per cent) extraspecific pregnancies. Two of these recipient mares gave birth to live foals on Days 324 and 329 of gestation respectively and two are at Days 175 and 166 respectively at the time of writing; three conceptuses were resorbed at various times between Days 20 and 100. Non‐surgical transfer of two Przewalski's horse embryos and flank surgical transfer of one other Przewalski's horse embryo to domestic mares failed to establish any pregnancy.

Surgical transfer of five zebra embryos to domestic pony recipients resulted in three (60 per cent) extraspecific pregnancies; one conceptus was resorbed between Days 61 and 70 and the other two are at Days 190 and 201 respectively at the time of writing. Surgical transfer of seven zebra embryos to jenny donkeys gave two (29 per cent) extraspecific pregnancies; one conceptus was resorbed between Days 53 and 79 and the other foal was born prematurely on Day 292 and lived for only 3 h. Non‐surgical transfer of one Day 10 zebra embryo to a jenny donkey did not result in a pregnancy.

These experiments demonstrated that it is possible repeatedly to recover embryos non‐surgically from sedated wild equids and transfer them successfully to domestic horse and donkey recipients. The production of such extraspecific pregnancies by embryo transfer has considerable value as a research tool and the technique should also prove valuable in the future for maximising the reproductive potential of endangered equine species in captivity.
Current developments in embryo transfer
Authors: PASHEN R. L.
Published: June 2010

The present state of knowledge about embryo transfer and the techniques used in recovering, manipulating and sexing embryos are discussed. Speculation is made about possible future developments, including gene injection and application of recombinant DNA technology. It is concluded that such studies will open up new developments in animal breeding. The end result, however, will still depend on an embryo being transferred to a recipient to carry the pregnancy to term.
Factors affecting success of equine embryo transfer
Authors: SQUIRES E. L. , GARCIA R. H. , GINTHER O. J.
Published: June 2010

The production of a live foal via embryo transfer is dependent upon collection of a viable embryo, transfer of the embryo into an appropriate recipient and successful establishment and maintenance of a pregnancy within the recipient. Several factors have been identified that affect embryo recovery. These include age of embryo, reproductive status of the donor and number of detected ovulations. Pregnancy rates have been shown to be influenced by the method of transfer, the technician involved, the time of year, the age and size of embryo and the synchrony of donor and recipient. Data on each of these factors as they affect embryo recovery and transfer are presented and discussed.
Bony fragments in the tarsocrural and metacarpo‐ or metatarsophalangeal joints in the Standardbred horse‐a radiographic survey
Authors: SANDGREN B.
Published: June 2010

Radiographic examination of the tarsocrural, metacarpo‐ or metatarsophalangeal joints was made in 139 Standardbred horses. Most were under three years old with no history of orthopaedic problems. In the tarsocrural joint, osteochondrosis was observed in 25 (18.1 per cent) of the horses (n=138) and 14 (56 per cent) of these were affected bilaterally. In the metatarsophalangeal joint, the most frequent radiographic abnormality was single or multiple bony fragments or defects at the plantar proximal end of the proximal phalanx, which was noticed in 40 (28.8 per cent) of the horses (n=139). The lesion was much more frequent in the hind than in the forelimbs. Ten per cent of horses affected in the hindlimbs had the lesions bilaterally. Palmar or plantar fragments were also more common in the medial, than the lateral, part of the joint. With regard to osteochondrosis in the tarsocrural joint and palmar or plantar bony fragments in the metacarpo‐ or metatarsophalangeal joints, no significant differences in incidence were found between sexes or between left and right sides. There was no correlation between findings of osteochondrosis in the tarsocrural joints and the occurrence of bony fragments in the plantar part of the metatarsophalangeal joints. In the forelimbs, bony fragments in the dorsal parts of the metacarpophalangeal joint were noticed in three (2.9 per cent) of the horses (n=103) and the corresponding figure for the metatarsophalangeal joint was three (2.2 per cent) (n=139). In 102 horses, the tarsocrural, the metacarpo‐ and the metatarsophalangeal joints were radiographed at the same time. One or several joints were affected with osteochondrosis, bony fragments, or defects in underlying bones in 45 (44.1 per cent) of these horses.
The hock as a potential site for non‐invasive bone measurement
Authors: SCOTTI E. , JEFFCOTT L. B.
Published: June 2010

An in vitro study on the calcaneus of adult horses (n = 5) and foals (n = 10) was carried out using radiographic photodensitometry, single photon absorptiometry, transmission ultrasound velocity and chemical analysis. Data for trabecular bone content, ash, calcium and phosphorus levels were obtained. As techniques for assessing bone quality, ultrasound velocity was not sufficiently sensitive nor accurate and radiographic photodensitometry was found to be of limited value. Photon absorptiometry was both accurate and reproducible, although some variation in bone mineral content and bone mineral density was observed along the length of the calcaneus. Bone mineral content was estimated in a second series of fibular tarsal bones from 23 horses ranging in age from less than six months to 16 years. The photon absorptiometry technique was also applied to the hocks of four hind limbs at post mortem and two horses under general anaesthesia. It was concluded that the calcaneus was a feasible site for photon absorptiometry, but that the present equipment would require considerable modification for use in the standing horse.
Evaluation of equine locomotion during different degrees of experimentally induced lameness I: Lameness model and quantification of ground reaction force patterns of the limbs
Authors: MERKENS H. W. , SCHAMHARDT H. C.
Published: June 2010

Force plate data from walking horses were used to evaluate the locomotion of a group of six horses during experimentally induced lameness in a forelimb or a hindlimb. By tightening or loosening screws in modified horseshoes the resulting pressure pain on the sole enabled induction and release of three different degrees of supporting lameness within a period of 2 h. The ground reaction force (GRF) patterns of the different recording sessions were compared with control data of the same horse as well as with the ‘standard’ horse data using a quantitative evaluation procedure involving 93 GRF parameters. Clinically mild and moderate lameness at the walk could be distinguished by applying the H(orse)INDEX method, using ‘standard’ GRF data of horses of the same breed. Even subtle changes (clinically mild lameness at the trot but no lameness visible at the walk, and nerve blocking of moderate lameness at the walk) could be demonstrated objectively using an adapted quantification procedure (the C(ontrol)INDEX method), if control GRF parameters of that horse were obtained before lameness was present.
Curettage of subchondral bone cysts in medial femoral condyles of the horse
Authors: WHITE N. A. , McILWRAITH C. W. , ALLEN D.
Published: June 2010

Fifty one horses had unilateral or bilateral femorotibial arthrotomy with medial condyle bone cyst curettage. A total of 60 cyst were treated. Treated horses responded to the surgery three to 12 months postoperatively. In 42 horses lameness was reduced or eliminated, enabling them to return to and remain in their intended function. Of these 42 horses 35 are sound, four of which have not started training, and seven showed partial improvement, two of which had no long term follow up. Of the remaining nine horses, two showed no reduction in lameness and seven were not followed up. Arthrotomy was successful in reducing or eliminating lameness in 82 per cent of all horses and 95 per cent of those where follow‐up was possible (42 of 44). Arthrotomy with subchondral bone cyst enucleation and curettage was determined to be a satisfactory treatment in anticipation of a variety of athletic activities.
Luteal maintenance in mares after transfer of equine trophoblastic vesicles
Authors: BALL B. A. , ALTSCHUL M. , HILLMAN R. B.
Published: June 2010

Trophoblastic vesicles have been used to study maternal recognition of pregnancy in several domestic species. Because of the unique aspects of pregnancy recognition in mares, this study was conducted to examine the ability of trophoblastic vesicles from Day 12 to 14 equine conceptuses to prolong luteal maintenance in mares. Trophoblastic vesicles formed in vitro from conceptus fragments were transferred surgically to the uterus of mares (n=15) at Days 6, 8 or 10 after ovulation. Sham‐operated mares (n=8) served as controls. Luteal maintenance was assessed by daily serum progesterone concentrations and by evaluation of interovulatory intervals. Interovulatory intervals were longer (p<0.1) in treated than in control mares (30.2 ± 2.6 vs. 22.6 ± 2.9, respectively). Trophoblastic vesicle transfer at Day 10 after ovulation resulted in more (P=0.16) treated than control mares with interovulatory intervals of at least 42 days (5 of 9 vs 0 of 3, respectively). Progesterone concentrations differed (p<0.05) between treated mares with prolonged interovulatory intervals, and control or treated mares without prolonged interovulatory intervals, by Day 14 or 15 after ovulation, respectively. Although luteal maintenance was prolonged in 56 per cent of the treated mares that received vesicles at Day 10, trophoblastic vesicles did not enlarge spherically in utero sufficiently for detection by transrectal ultrasonography.