Effects of dietary aluminum,calcium, and phosphorus on egg and bone of European starlings

Egg and bone of passerine birds nesting in acidified habitats may be affected by high levels of Al or P, or low levels of Ca. Nine treatments of three levels of dietary Al (target levels of 200, 1,000, and 5,000 g/g) and three levels of Ca:P (target levels of NN = 1.3% Ca: 0.9% P; LL = 0.19 Ca:0.45 P; LH = 0.19 Ca: 1.65 P) were fed to 16–17 starling pairs during two breeding seasons. Eggs of starlings fed the LH diet were smaller and weighed less than eggs from the NN and LL treatments. Treatment effects on thickness, strength, and weight of eggshells were not consistent between seasons, probably because of differences in actual dietary levels of Al, Ca, and P or in incubation intervals. In one season, birds fed the highest Al diet had thicker eggshells than those from the other Al treatments (no effect from Ca:P); the following season, eggshells from the NN and LH treatments were thicker and stronger than those from the LL treatment. Eggshells from the NN treatment weighed more than those from the other Ca:P treatments. Starlings on the LH diet had the strongest femurs, but the effect was interactive with different levels of dietary Al. Effects of Ca:P on egg and bone were more evident than Al effects.     

Effects of GABAA receptor ligands on noradrenaline concentration and β-adrenoceptor binding in mouse cerebral cortex

The present experiments investigated changes in -adrenoceptor binding and noradrenaline stores in mouse cerebral cortex after single treatments with drugs which bind to the GABA_A receptor but which attenuate the actions of GABA. Neither the GABA antagonist, securinine, nor the picrotoxin/Cl^– channel ligand, picrotoxin, affected noradrenaline levels or -adrenoceptor binding. However, both the benzodiazepine inverse agonist, DMCM, and pentylenetetrazole increased noradrenaline levels 24 h after injection. Only pentylenetetrazol modified -adrenoceptor binding: there was a significant increase in receptor number 4 days after injection, but a significant decrease after 7 days. The anxiogenic, proconvulsant drug, yohimbine, was without effect. The changes induced by DMCM and pentylenetetrazole do not seem to be related to the behavioural effects of these drugs or to their affinity for binding to benzodiazepine receptors. The possibility that these compounds have actions in addition to those at the GABA_A receptor is discussed.     

癫痫患者P50听觉诱发电位的研究

目的 探讨Ｐ５０在癫痫患者检测中的临床价值。方法 对２５例癫痫患者进行Ｐ５０测试,分析Ｐ５０波的潜伏明和波幅以及在不同刺激频率时Ｐ５０波幅的比率。选择年龄、性别２与患者组相匹配的２５名健康受试者对照组,结果 癫痫患者组Ｐ５３波的潜伏期较长,波幅则显著减低,其中以１８例颞叶癫痫２表现显著,７例额叶癫痫２不明显。刺激频率稍加快时,患者组Ｐ５０的波幅比率明显减小。结论Ｐ５０波的潜伏期和以应异常与颞叶功能     

Job marketability survey for athletic trainers in selected midwestern States

This study was conducted to determine job availability for athletic trainers in school and/or clinic settings in western Kansas, western Nebraska, western Oklahoma, and eastern Colorado. A survey was sent to 109 physical therapy (PT) clinics and 194 public schools to determine the major factors associated with job marketability. Of the 194 questionnaires mailed to the public schools, 119 were returned for a 61% response rate. Of the 109 questionnaires mailed to PT clinics, 57 were returned for a 52% response rate. Very few school districts (13%) hired their own trainer due to financial restrictions; therefore, the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) athletic trainer would increase his/her likelihood of being hired if he/she was also teacher-certified. Most of the clinics responding would hire an NATA-certified athletic trainer if that individual was also licensed as a physical therapist, whereby, the trainer without PT licensure could be used for outreach programs for the local high schools. Essential factors identified by both the public school and clinic personnel for increasing the marketability of athletic trainers were: 1) NATA certification, 2) acquisition of an additional certification such as a teaching endorsement or a PT degree, and 3) willingness to provide services jointly to the schools and/or clinic with either being the primary hiring agent.     

Psychological and behavioral predictors of body fat distribution: age and gender effects

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal fat has been shown to be associated with several adverse outcomes including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Risk factors for abdominal fatness include genetic effects, age, and gender. Most recently, it has been hypothesized that psychological factors, as well as behavioral factors, may play a part in where fat is distributed. The purpose of this study was to assess the longitudinal predictive power of psychological variables (cynicism, anger, anxiety, and depression) measured in 1987 on waist-hip ratio (WHR) measured from 1992 to 1994 among different age and gender groups, as well as to test if alcohol consumption or smoking (measured in 1990) would mediate any of the relationships found. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Data from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (n = 1392; average age: 58 years for middle-aged group and 74 years for older group; 58% female) were analyzed using a maximum-likelihood regression model where age, gender, and age by gender effects were assessed. RESULTS: Cynicism and anxiety predicted WHR in middle-aged subjects regardless of gender. Cynicism explained 2.5% of the variance in WHR and anxiety explained 1.7% of the variance in WHR. Anger predicted WHR in males regardless of age, explaining 4.0% of the variance; depression predicted WHR only in middle-aged females, explaining 2.0% of the variance. All analyses adjusted for body mass index, and neither alcohol consumption or smoking status mediated the relationships. DISCUSSION: These findings are suggestive with regard to the hypotheses that certain psychological states and behaviors may be associated with increased abdominal fatness.     

Digital X-rays are here; why aren't you using them?

Digital imaging is here. It is cost-effective and helps dentists glean more useful information to make treatment decisions. Many more choices of digital systems are available for dentists to adopt than when the technology was introduced. The hardware is less costly than it was even one year ago, and image storage is now very inexpensive. Technical time is reduced, and no special training is required if the dentist or auxiliary has used a paralleling system. Insurance companies are gearing up to accept image files attached to claims. Why, then, are dentists not buying these systems as fast as manufacturer's can build them? This article explores that question and discusses the false assumptions behind perceived obstacles.     

Effect of novel environmental stimuli on rat behaviour and central noradrenaline function measured by in vivo microdialysis

Rationale: Although physically aversive stimuli induce functional changes in central noradrenergic neurones, little is known about the noradrenergic response to environmentally aversive stimuli. Objectives: The first aim was to characterise environmental features that are perceived as stressful by rats. The second was to investigate whether changes in the concentration of extracellular noradrenaline are induced by these environmental features. Methods: A light/dark shuttle-box was used to test rats’ behavioural response to a range of stimuli (novelty, bright light, and the presence of an unfamiliar rat), either before or after microdialysis probe implantation. Changes in the concentration of extracellular noradrenaline in the frontal cortex and hypothalamus in vivo were then evaluated on exposure to these same test conditions. Results: Naive rats spent less time in a brightly-lit test arena than a dark one. However, the behavioural response to the light arena was attenuated by the presence of an unfamiliar rat. Probe implantation intensified the response to the light arena but did not affect behaviour in the dark arena. In the microdialysis studies, there was no change in the concentration of extracellular noradrenaline on transfer of rats to the dark arena but there was an increase in both the frontal cortex (+45%) and hypothalamus (+75%) on exposure to the light arena. A similar increase was induced in both brain regions when the light arena contained an unfamiliar rat. Conclusions: Implantation of a microdialysis probe modifies the behavioural responses to certain environmental stimuli. Regardless of this, the extent to which rats perceive a novel environment as aversive is not the only determinant of the noradrenergic response to such stimuli. However, differences in stimulus controllability in the microdialysis and the behavioural experiments could influence the apparent intensity of the stress. Received: 29 October 1998 / Final version: 19 March 1999     

Immunoassay and GC-MS procedures for the analysis of drugs of abuse in meconium.

The analysis of meconium specimens for metabolites of substances of abuse is a relatively accurate method for the detection of fetal exposure to drugs. Most of the methods reported in the literature before the early 1990s relied on radioimmunoassays. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate methods for meconium sample preparation for the screening and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmation of meconium extracts for cannabinoids, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and phencyclidine. EMIT and TDx immunoassays were evaluated as screening methods. The sample preparation method developed for screening included extraction and purification prior to analysis. Cutoff levels were administratively set at 20 ng/g for 11-nor-delta9-THC-9-COOH (THCCOOH) and phencyclidine and at 200 ng/g for benzoylecgonine, morphine, and amphetamines, although lower levels could be detected in meconium using the EMIT-ETS system. Ninety-five meconium specimens were subjected to the screening procedure with GC-MS confirmation of presumptive positives. In addition, 30 (40 for cocaine) meconium specimens were subjected to GC-MS analysis for all analytes regardless of the screening results to determine the false-negative rate, if any, of the immunoassay. Although there were no false negatives detected, the GC-MS confirmation rate for the immunoassay-positive specimens was generally low, ranging from 0% for amphetamines to 75% for opiates. The lowest rate of confirmed positives was found with the cannabinoids, suggesting that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) metabolites other than free 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta9-THC may be major contributors to the immunoassay response in meconium.