bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
HEALTH ISSUES AMONG FILIPINO WOMEN IN REMOTE QUEENSLAND
Authors: Kelaher Margaret , Potts Helen , Manderson Lenore 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT:This paper discusses health issues among Filipinas (women born in the Philippines) living in remote and rural environments in Queensland. The sample was recruited as part of the University of Queensland component of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health (ALSWH). Most of the women lived in an urban or semi‐urban area (391), whereas 90 lived in rural or remote areas. Community perceptions had a much greater impact on health service utilisation in rural and remote areas than in urban areas. The transition between newcomer and old‐timer is more difficult for Filipinas than for other rural women because they are visibly different from other members of the community and suffer from stigmatisation associated with perceptions of Filipinas as mail order brides. For these women, concerns about confidentiality and a reluctance to ask for support are major barriers to health service utilisation. The area of greatest concern is mental health, particularly in relation to parenting issues. Improving access may involve providing a greater awareness of what services are available and allowing women to access services in a way that does not require them to label themselves or be labelled by others.
INSIGHTS OBTAINED FROM AN EVALUATION OF A FALLS PREVENTION PROGRAM SET IN A RURAL HOSPITAL
Authors: Hathaway Joy , Walsh Jane , Lacey Christine , Saenger Helen 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT:An evaluation of a Falls Prevention Program that took place in a 29‐bed rural hospital in New South Wales is described. The aim of the project was to ascertain the overall effectiveness of the Program and to explore the usefulness of the assessment criteria in predicting falls. The sample consisted of 111 participants, representing all patients 65 years and over who were admitted to the general ward of the hospital between January and December 1997. The Falls Prevention Program had reduced the incidence of falls and was found to be effective for those patients requiring minimal assistance with walking. However, it was less effective for those using pick‐up frames or forearm support frames. The patients who fell were more likely to be in the high risk category and it was concluded that while the assessment criteria was useful in predicting falls, the Falls Prevention Program could only limit the number of falls but not prevent them altogether. Age, mental status and mobility of patients in combination with time and location of falls suggested a pattern that was possibly peculiar to this rural hospital, which has implications for funding and staffing.
Ecosystem controls of juvenile pink salmon (Onchorynchus gorbuscha) and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Authors: Cooney Robert T. , Allen J. R. , Bishop M. A. , Eslinger D. L. , Kline T. , Norcross B. L. , Mcroy C. P. , Milton J. , Olsen J. , Patrick V. , Paul A. J. , Salmon D. , Scheel D. , Thomas G. L. , Vaughan S. L. , Willette T. M. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractFive years of field, laboratory, and numerical modelling studies demonstrated ecosystem‐level mechanisms influencing the mortality of juvenile pink salmon and Pacific herring. Both species are prey for other fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals in Prince William Sound. We identified critical time‐space linkages between the juvenile stages of pink salmon and herring rearing in shallow‐water nursery areas and seasonally varying ocean state, the availability of appropriate zooplankton forage, and the kinds and numbers of predators. These relationships defined unique habitat dependencies for juveniles whose survivals were strongly linked to growth rates, energy reserves, and seasonal trophic sheltering from predators. We found that juvenile herring were subject to substantial starvation losses during a winter period of plankton diminishment, and that predation on juvenile pink salmon was closely linked to the availability of alternative prey for fish and bird predators. Our collaborative study further revealed that juvenile pink salmon and age‐0 herring exploit very different portions of the annual production cycle. Juvenile pink salmon targeted the cool‐water, early spring plankton bloom dominated by diatoms and large calanoid copepods, whereas young‐of‐the‐year juvenile herring were dependent on warmer conditions occurring later in the postbloom summer and fall when zooplankton was composed of smaller calanoids and a diversity of other taxa. The synopsis of our studies presented in this volume speaks to contemporary issues facing investigators of fish ecosystems, including juvenile fishes, and offers new insight into problems of bottom‐up and top‐down control. In aggregate, our results point to the importance of seeking mechanistic rather than correlative understandings of complex natural systems.
Effect of intracerebroventricular infusion of urocortin on feed and salt intake in parotid fistulated sheep
Authors: SUNAGAWA Katsunori , McKINLEY Michael J. , PURCELL Brett S. , THOMSON Craig , BURNS Peta L. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe effect of a new peptide, brain urocortin (UCN), in the central regulation of feed and salt intake in parotid fistulated sheep was investigated through a continuous intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of the peptide at a small dose for 48 h. Feed and salt intake on day 1 of UCN infusion were similar to those before infusion. However, feed and salt intake on day 2 during UCN infusion decreased significantly. Water intake on days 1 and 2 during UCN infusion was the same as that before infusion. Saliva secretion from the unilateral parotid gland during UCN infusion was unchanged from that before infusion. On the other hand, urine excretion during UCN infusion increased significantly. The present results suggested that UCN acts directly on the brain mechanisms of sheep to decrease feed and salt intake, but does not alter water intake.
Distribution of immunoreactive von Willebrand factor in the microvascular network of bovine cystic follicles
Authors: ISOBE Naoki , YOSHIMURA Yukinori , NAKAO Toshihiko 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe present study was undertaken to examine whether the von Willebrand factor (vWF) expression in the follicular microvasculature in the cystic follicles differs from that in the atretic follicles. Paraffin sections of healthy, atretic and cystic follicles were immunostained with rabbit monoclonal antibody to vWF. The vWF‐positive cells were counted in four different regions of a follicle from the apical to the basal side. In all types of follicles, immunoreactions for vWF were observed in the endothelial cells of capillaries as well as veins and arteries in the theca interna and externa. In the theca interna, vWF‐positive areas were significantly lower in the Type A and B cystic follicles compared to advanced and late atretic follicles. In the theca externa, the vWF‐positive blood vessels and vWF‐positive area were significantly smaller in all types of cystic follicles than in the healthy or atretic follicles. From these results, it is suggested that in the cystic follicles the induction of vWF in the follicular microvasculature system is reduced, which may suppress the degeneration of vascular system. Continuation of stability in vasculature may be one of the factors that delays the tissue regression in the cystic follicles, and also contributes to the accumulation of follicular fluid that originates from the serum.
Optimization of selection and mating schemes in closed broiler lines
Authors: NOMURA Tetsuro , YAMAGUCHI Shigeki , MUKAI Fumio , YAMAMOTO Aya 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTMinimum coancestry mating (MC) is a simple mating system to reduce inbreeding in populations, in which matings are allocated so as to minimize the average inbreeding coefficient of progeny. This system was compared with random mating (RM) in simulated broiler lines. The population structure and genetic parameters were determined on the basis of an existing broiler line. Comparison of mating systems was made under two selection methods. The first method (DIS) was based on selection index for achieving desired genetic gains. In the second method (LPS), a combination of the family index and linear programming technique was applied to obtain the desired genetic gains. The selected traits were body weight at 6 weeks of both sexes and age at sexual maturity of hen. Four schemes by all the possible combinations of selection and mating methods (DIS + RM, DIS + MC, LPS + RM and LPS + MC) were compared in terms of genetic gains and inbreeding during 15 generations of selection and mating. The results obtained are summarized as follows: (i) the four schemes produced similar genetic gains averaged over replicates; (ii) the variations of genetic gains under LPS + RM and LPS + MC schemes were much smaller than under DIS + RM and DIS + MC schemes; (iii) irrespective of the selection methods, MC reduced the average inbreeding coefficients to about 80% of RM and; (iv) the inbreeding coefficients of individuals in the schemes with RM were distributed in a wide range, while the inbreeding coefficients in the schemes with MC showed a high uniformity. From these results, the LPS + MC scheme was recommended as a selection and mating strategy in closed broiler lines.
Pedigree analysis of genetic subdivision in a population of Japanese Black cattle
Authors: HONDA Takeshi , NOMURA Tetsuro , YAMAGUCHI Yuki , MUKAI Fumio 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTTwenty‐five subpopulations (i.e. populations of prefectures) of more than 2000 Japanese Black cows younger than or equal to 10 years of age were analyzed to evaluate the genetic relationships in the current population. The total number of cows analyzed was 392 346 and their pedigrees were traced back to 1944 or before. Using the pedigree records, the genetic relationships among the subpopulations were estimated by the two different measurements: (i) the average additive relationship coefficients and (ii) Nei's standard genetic distances. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to the matrix of the average additive relationship coefficients, and the factor loadings of subpopulations were plotted on the plane to visualize the genetic configuration of subpopulations. To understand the grouping process of the subpopulations, cluster analysis was applied to the matrix of the Nei's genetic distances, and a dendrogram was constructed. There was a high consistency between the results from PCA and cluster analysis. Eight subpopulations with relatively low migration rates showed their unique genetic compositions, and the other 17 subpopulations with high migration rates formed a single cluster. The major cause of the genetic similarity among the 17 subpopulations was inferred to be the strong genetic influence from one subpopulation (Hyogo prefecture) with prominent characteristics for meat quality.
Effect of administration of acid‐ and bile‐tolerant lactobacilli on pigs intestinal microbial population
Authors: OTSUKA Makoto , MUTO Tomoko , KATSUNUMA Yu , NAKAMURA Yutaka , TAKADA Ryozo , MINATO Hajime 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe effects of the administration of four Lactobacillus strains as probiotics on the constitution of microbial populations in the intestine of pigs were investigated by using a litter of pigs. The experimental group was fed a diet blended with the freeze‐dried powder containing lactobacilli at a concentration of 0.2% (W/W). After 4 weeks of probiotics administration, the total viable count of anaerobes in the feces was not significantly different between the pigs fed a diet supplemented with probiotics and the pigs given the non‐supplemented diet. However, viable counts of eubacteria were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the feces of pigs fed a diet supplemented with probiotics than in the pigs given the non‐supplemented diet. Conversely, viable counts of clostridia were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in the feces of pigs fed a diet supplemented with probiotics than the pigs given the non‐supplemented diet. The total volatile fatty acid concentrations in the feces of pigs that were given a diet supplemented with probiotics were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those given the non‐supplemented diet. Further, the molar proportion of n‐butyric acids in the feces of pigs that were given a diet supplemented with probiotics, was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those given the non‐supplemented diet.
Reduction of ammonia emission from growing pig rooms by feeding a lower protein diet supplemented with apple pomace
Authors: YAMAMOTO Akemi , UMEMOTO Eiichi , ITOH Minoru , MATSUI Masatoshi , FUJIMURA Nobuo , FURUYA Shu 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTAn experiment was conducted to determine the effect of supplementing a reduced crude protein (CP) diet with apple pomace on the ammonia emissions from growing pig rooms. Four pigs (45 kg BW) each were assigned to one of two diets. Each group was housed in a separate room and fed a standard diet (CP 16.6%) or a low CP, amino acid‐supplemented diet (CP 9.1%) containing 23.1% of dried apple pomace for two 7‐day experimental periods. After the completion of the first period, the pigs were switched to the other diet. The daily ammonia emissions, measured for 3 days after a 4‐day adaptation period, were much lower for pigs fed the apple pomace‐supplemented diet than for pigs fed the standard diet (0.47 g/pig vs 7.30 g/pig, respectively). The daily nitrogen intake for the standard diet and the apple pomace‐supplemented diet was 58.1 and 35.5 g/pig, respectively. The pigs fed the apple pomace‐supplemented diet excreted more fecal nitrogen than pigs fed the standard diet (17.5 g/day vs 11.0 g/day, respectively), but urinary nitrogen excretion with the apple pomace‐supplemented diet was estimated to be 2.9 g/day, which was much lower than that for the standard diet (27.0 g/day). The addition of apple pomace to a reduced CP, amino acid‐supplemented diet reduces urinary nitrogen excretion and thereby ammonia emission.
Effects of elevated CO2 and vascular plants on evapotranspiration in bog vegetation
Authors: Heijmans Monique M. P. D. , Arp Wim J. , Berendse Frank 
Published: March 2003

AbstractWe determined evapotranspiration in three experiments designed to study the effects of elevated CO2 and increased N deposition on ombrotrophic bog vegetation. Two experiments used peat monoliths with intact bog vegetation in containers, with one experiment outdoors and the other in a greenhouse. A third experiment involved monocultures and mixtures of Sphagnum magellanicum and Eriophorum angustifolium in containers in the same greenhouse. To determine water use of the bog vegetation in July–August for each experiment and each year we measured water inputs and outputs from the containers. We studied the effects of elevated CO2 and N supply on evapotranspiration in relation to vascular plant biomass and exposure of the moss surface (measured as height of the moss surface relative to the container edge).Elevated CO2 reduced water use of the bog vegetation in all three experiments, but the CO2 effect on evapotranspiration interacted with vascular plant biomass and exposure of the moss surface. Evapotranspiration in the outdoor experiment was largely determined by evaporation from the Sphagnum moss surface (as affected by exposure to wind) and less so by vascular plant transpiration. Nevertheless, elevated CO2 significantly reduced evapotranspiration by 9–10% in the outdoor experiment.Vascular plants reduced evapotranspiration in the outdoor experiment, but increased water use in the greenhouse experiments. The relation between vascular plant abundance and evapotranspiration appears to depend on wind conditions; suggesting that vascular plants reduce water losses mainly by reducing wind speed at the moss surface. Sphagnum growth is very sensitive to changes in water level; low water availability can have deleterious effects. As a consequence, reduced evapotranspiration in summer, whether caused by elevated CO2 or by small increases in vascular plant cover, is expected to favour Sphagnum growth in ombrotrophic bog vegetation.
Regulation of alternative splicing of α‐actinin transcript by Bruno‐like proteins
Authors: Suzuki Hitoshi , Jin Yui , Otani Hifumi , Yasuda Kunio , Inoue Kunio 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground: The Bruno‐like or CELF proteins, such as mammalian CUGBP1 and Etr‐3, Xenopus EDEN‐BP, and Drosophila Bruno (Bru), are regulators of gene expression at the post‐transcriptional level, and contain three RNA‐recognition motifs (RRMs). It has been shown that mammalian CUGBP1 and Etr‐3 regulate alternative splicing of cardiac troponin T pre‐mRNA via binding to CUG‐triplet repeats.Results: Using in vitro selection and UV‐crosslinking experiments, we found that zebrafish Bruno‐like proteins bound to repeat elements of uridine and purine (termed UREs). It is known that non‐muscle (NM) and smooth muscle (SM) exons of the rat α‐actinin gene are used in a mutually exclusive manner. Transfection experiments in mammalian cells showed that zebrafish Brul and Etr‐3 induced the muscle‐specific splicing of rat α‐actinin pre‐mRNA via binding to the URE at the branch point upstream of the NM exon. In contrast, zebrafish Etr‐1 promoted skipping of both the NM and SM exons in a manner which was not dependent on URE‐binding.Conclusions: Our results showed that Bruno‐like proteins bind to UREs and regulate the alternative splicing of α‐actinin pre‐mRNA. Members of the Bruno family play multiple roles in splicing regulation.
Bradykinin is not involved in angiotensin converting enzyme modulation of ovarian steroidogenesis and prostaglandin production in frog Rana esculenta
Authors: BRAMUCCI M. , MIANO A. , GOBBETTI A. , ZERANI M. , QUASSINTI L. , MACCARI E. , MURRI O. , AMICI D. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTAngiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was demonstrated to modulate the production of 17β‐estradiol, progesterone and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in frog ovary of Rana esculenta. However, the activity was not mediated by angiotensin II (Ang II). In an attempt to identify the peptide involved in the pathway modulated by ACE, bradykinin, another physiological substrate of ACE, was chosen and incubated in the presence of the membrane suspension purified from the frog ovary homogenate. The hydrolytic products were analysed by reverse‐phase high‐pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and the results showed that bradykinin was metabolized by membrane suspension. The presence of the protease inhibitors in the incubation mixture indicated ACE and neutral endopeptidase as being responsible for the bradykinin hydrolysis. Frog ovary was incubated in vitro in the presence of bradykinin (10 μM), bradykinin receptor antagonist NPC 567 (1 mg mL–1), bradykinin fragment (1–7) (10 μM), ACE (2.5 mU mL–1), captopril (0.1 mM) and lisinopril (0.1 mM). The results showed no modulating activity by bradykinin on ovarian 17β‐estradiol and PGE2 production, thus demonstrating that it was not involved in the ACE‐modulated pathway.
Nandrolone decanoate treatment induces changes in contractile responses of rat untrained fast‐twitch skeletal muscle
Authors: JOUMAA W. H. , SERRURIER B. , BIGARD X. , LÉOTY C. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThis investigation was designed to examine whether short‐term administration of anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS) (nandrolone decanoate) could produce changes in contractile responses of untrained rat fast‐ (edl) and slow‐ (soleus) twitch skeletal muscle. Twenty male rats were divided into two groups, one group received weekly (for 6 weeks) an intramuscular injection of AAS, nandrolone decanoate (15 mg kg–1) and the second group received weekly the similar doses of vehicle (sterile peanut oil). In edl intact isolated small bundles (two to four cells), it was found that nandrolone decanoate treatment increases the K+ contracture tension (146 mM) relative to maximum tension by 56%, whereas no change was observed in the time to peak tension and in the time constant of relaxation. By contrast, in treated soleus muscle, compared with control, no significant modification was found in the K+ contracture characteristics. The change in edl contractile responses was associated with a shift to more negative potential of the voltage‐dependence activation and the steady‐state inactivation curves which also shifted leftward in treated soleus fibres. Furthermore, in edl skinned Triton X‐100 fibres, the Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile proteins (pCa50) was increased, while electrophoresis analysis indicates no significant effect of nandrolone decanoate treatment on myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms. The present results show that nandrolone decanoate treatment produces more pronounced changes in untrained fast muscle function rather than soleus by acting at different levels of the excitation–contraction coupling mechanism without changes in the MHC isoforms and that contractile responses became similar to those found in soleus muscle.
Cyclic fluctuations in the cardiac performance of the isolated Langendorff‐perfused mouse heart: pyruvate abolishes the fluctuations and has an anti‐ischaemic effect
Authors: Wang Q.‐D. , Tokuno S. , Valen G. , Sjöquist P.‐O. , Thorén P. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTDuring the development of a Langendorff preparation of isolated mouse hearts, hitherto undescribed cyclic fluctuations in left ventricular pressure and coronary flow were independently observed in three laboratories. Isolated mouse hearts were perfused with crystalloid glucose‐containing Krebs–Hensleit buffer in a constant pressure model, and left ventricular pressures were measured via an intraventricular balloon catheter. After acquiring technical skill in preparing the mouse hearts, the perfusionists observed that fluctuations in cardiac performance with a cycle period lasting 5–10 min occurred shortly after initiation of perfusion. Each fluctuation cycle consisted of a phase of increase and a phase of decrease. Synchronized with the fluctuations in left ventricular pressure, increases and decreases in dP/dt max took place. Analogous fluctuations in coronary flow occurred, with onset 1–2 min later than changes in left ventricular systolic pressure. In some preparations a gradual ST‐segment elevation was seen on the electrocardiogram during the systolic pressure increase phase. The amplitude of the fluctuations could be augmented by increasing the perfusion pressure, and reduced, but not abolished, by lowering the pressure. Changes in buffer calcium, magnesium, or sodium concentration did not alter the fluctuations, nor did any change of anaesthetics, mouse strain, or left ventricular drainage. Altering the perfusion mode from constant pressure to constant flow did not prevent the occurrence of the cyclic fluctuations. The hearts became stable and the fluctuations disappeared when the buffer was supplemented with 2 mm pyruvate. In the present study, pyruvate given throughout stabilization and reperfusion also markedly attenuated the ischaemic insult, as evidenced by the delayed ischaemic contracture and a reduced magnitude of ischaemic contracture. A cardioprotective effect was only visible at early reperfusion, did not affect the final functional recovery. In conclusion, a phenomenon of cyclic fluctuations in left ventricular pressure followed by fluctuations in coronary flow was observed in isolated mouse hearts. These could be abolished by adding 2 mm pyruvate to the perfusion buffer. Pyruvate in the buffer also markedly attenuated the post‐ischaemic deterioration of cardiac performance seen in this mouse model.