Puberty in birds: the reproductive system of starlings does not respond to short days until birds are fully grown.

If adult starlings are kept on long days, they rapidly become refractory to long days (photorefractory). The recovery of the ability to respond to long days (photosensitivity) occurs after transfer to short days. Photosensitivity is associated with an increase in hypothalamic content of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and, in castrated birds, with an increase in plasma LH. If photorefractory adult or juvenile starlings are transferred to short days, these events begin 3 and 4 weeks respectively after transfer. Starlings apparently hatch in a photorefractory state. However, if nestlings are hand-reared under short days, the increases in GnRH and LH begin at 6 and 7 weeks of age respectively. In this 3-week delay, which corresponds to the time to reach adult body size, simply due to a slower response, or are nestlings incapable of responding to short days until fully grown? Castrated male nestling starlings were hand-reared under short days, under long days or under long days initially and transferred to short days at 2, 3, 6 or 9.5 weeks of age. The increase in plasma LH in birds transferred to short days at or before 3 weeks began at the same time as in birds kept on short days (7 weeks). In birds transferred at 3 weeks or later, the increase in LH began 4 weeks after transfer, irrespective of age. Intact female starlings showed similar responses. Birds kept on short days did not moult whereas birds transferred from long days to short days at 3 weeks did.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of amlodipine on myocardial functional and metabolic recovery following coronary occlusion and reperfusion in dogs

Summary The effects of the dihydropyridine calciumchannel blocker, amlodipine, on subendocardial segment shortening (%SS), regional myocardial blood flow, myocardial high-energy phosphate levels and tissue water content were compared to those of a salinetreated group of barbital-anesthetized dogs subjected to a 45-minute coronary artery occlusion followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion. Saline or amlodipine (200 g/kg, IV) were administered 15 minutes prior to coronary occlusion. There were no significant differences between groups in ischemic bed size or hemodynamics, although dP/dt was higher following amlodipine. Subepicardial collateral blood flow was higher in the amlodipine group during coronary occlusion. Following occlusion, %SS in the ischemic region was markedly decreased in both series and passive systolic lengthening resulted. In spite of similar decreases in %SS during occlusion, the amlodipine- treated dogs showed a marked improvement in myocardial segment function (%SS) of the ischemic-reperfused region throughout 60 minutes of reperfusion as compared to saline-treated animals. In addition, amlodipine prevented the rebound increase in phosphocreatine and attenuated the loss of adenine nucloetides and the increase in tissue water in the ischemic- reperfused area at 60 minutes of reperfusion. These results suggest that amlodipine has a favorable effect on the functional and metabolic recovery of the ischemic-reperfused myocardium, and may have potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The mechanism of action of amlodipine in this model is unknown but may be partially related to a drug-induced increase in coronary collateral blood flow.     

Physiologic responses of men 49 to 65 years of age to endurance training.

A study was made of the effects of training for 30 minutes, three days a week for 20 weeks on certain physiologic measures of sedentary men between 49 and 65 years of age. Twenty-two subjects volunteered for the experimental group, and 8 others for the control group. Exercise sessions were conducted on a quarter-mile track and consisted of continuous bouts of walking and jogging. The average daily energy expenditures progressed from 228 to 365 kilocalories between weeks 4 and 20. For the same period, average exercise heart rates (HRs) progressed from 149 beats/minute (83 per cent maximum HR) to 155 beats/minute (91 per cent maximum HR). The experimental group showed significant increases in maximum oxygen intake (VO2 max) from 2.47 to 2.90 liters/minute (18 per cent) and in maximum pulmonary ventilation (VE max) from 105 to 121 liters/minute (BTPS), and decreases in resting HR, diastolic blood pressure, body weight, skinfold fat, and abdominal girth. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels and heart volume remained unchanged. The control subjects showed no significant changes. Regression analysis, with use of age as a covariate, showed a small but significant inverse relationship with changes in VO2 max. It was concluded that men of the 49-65 age group respond favorably to endurance exercise and show a magnitude of change similar to that found in previous investigations of similar design with younger subjects.     

Sarcoidosis presenting with tachy- and brady-arrhythmias.

We describe a case report of a 49-year-old man admitted to a cardiology unit with a series of arrhythmias with no initially obvious aetiology. Further assessment and the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and histology allowed a diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis to be made. Cardiac sarcoidosis is a major cause of death in patients with systemic sarcoidosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is an additional diagnostic tool for this condition without ionizing radiation exposure.     

Validating the 8 CPCSSN Case Definitions for Chronic Disease Surveillance in a Primary Care Database of Electronic Health Records

PURPOSE

The Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) is Canada’s first national chronic disease surveillance system based on electronic health record (EHR) data. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate case definitions and case-finding algorithms used to identify 8 common chronic conditions in primary care: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dementia, depression, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, parkinsonism, and epilepsy.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional data validation study design, regional and local CPCSSN networks from British Columbia, Alberta (2), Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland participated in validating EHR case-finding algorithms. A random sample of EHR charts were reviewed, oversampling for patients older than 60 years and for those with epilepsy or parkinsonism. Charts were reviewed by trained research assistants and residents who were blinded to the algorithmic diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPVs, NPVs) were calculated.

RESULTS

We obtained data from 1,920 charts from 4 different EHR systems (Wolf, Med Access, Nightingale, and PS Suite). For the total sample, sensitivity ranged from 78% (osteoarthritis) to more than 95% (diabetes, epilepsy, and parkinsonism); specificity was greater than 94% for all diseases; PPV ranged from 72% (dementia) to 93% (hypertension); NPV ranged from 86% (hypertension) to greater than 99% (diabetes, dementia, epilepsy, and parkinsonism).

CONCLUSIONS

The CPCSSN diagnostic algorithms showed excellent sensitivity and specificity for hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, and parkinsonism and acceptable values for the other conditions. CPCSSN data are appropriate for use in public health surveillance, primary care, and health services research, as well as to inform policy for these diseases.     

Characterisation of microsatellite markers in the stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus

We characterized twenty unique polymorphic microsatellite loci in the Eurasian stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, a bird of conservation concern in Europe. The loci were genotyped in 24 individuals and displayed between 2 and 21 alleles per locus. All twenty loci were autosomal based on the genotyping of individuals of known sex and seventeen loci were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These microsatellites will be used to investigate population structure in this species with the aim of informing those responsible for creating conservation management strategies.     

Microscopic Visualization of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors on the Surface of Living Cells Using Bifunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Probes

相似文献   

Injuries from firearms in hunting activities

Background

Recreational hunting is a very popular sport, and frequently involves firearms. Few studies address the pattern of firearm injuries occurring with hunting and how they differ from firearm injuries not associated with hunting.

Purpose

A nation wide database will provide an overall perspective of the scope of the problem and types of injuries.

Methods

Our data were obtained from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research Firearm Injury Surveillance Study 1993–2008 (ICPSR 30543). It was statistically analyzed for demographic and injury patterns using SUDAAN 10™ software. A p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

There were 1,841,269 ED visits for firearm related injuries 1993–2008; 35,970 were involved in hunting (1.95%). Hunters were older than non-hunters (34.5 vs. 26.7 years, p < 0.0001). Handguns were involved in 48% of the non-hunters and 5.3% of the hunters (p < 0.0001). The injury was unintentional in 99.4% of hunters; for non-hunters 32.1% were unintentional and 60.7% assaults. The majority of the hunting injuries presented to small hospitals (65.9%) while the majority of non-hunting injuries presented to the large (27.0%) and very large (35.0%) hospitals. Hunters were nearly all Caucasian (92%). In hunters, 57% were shot compared to 77% in non-hunters. The most common diagnosis in hunters was a laceration (42%) compared to a puncture in non-hunters (41%). The head and neck accounted for nearly one-half of the injuries in hunters (47%); for non-hunters it was the head and neck (29%) and the leg/foot (24%). Mortality was 0.6% for hunters and 5.3% for non-hunters. The use of alcohol and being involved in antisocial behaviours was much higher in the non-hunters. The estimated incidence of a firearm injury associated with hunting activities was 9 per 1 million hunting days.

Conclusion

Hunters injured by firearms were nearly all Caucasian, older than non-hunters, did not involve handguns, presented to small hospitals, often sustained unintentional injuries and were not shot; most commonly injured in the head and neck, and had an overall mortality of 0.6%. These data can be a reference for future studies regarding hunting injuries associated with firearms.