Scholarly productivity: are nurse academics catching up?

The aim of this study was to document the amount of recent change in Australian nurse academics' scholarly productivity and to investigate the influence of demographic factors such as gender, academic rank, qualifications, increase in qualifications, state of residence, university and university size. Scholarly productivity was calculated from an audit of journal articles. The findings of this study indicate that, while there has been a slight increase in scholarly productivity in the last five years, nursing still lags behind other disciplines. Scholarly productivity was found to be positively associated with highest academic qualification, academic rank and promotion. The study indicates the continuing need for senior nurse academics to provide mentoring to colleagues and foster the development of skills associated with scholarly productivity.     

Body mass index and age affect Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire scores in male subjects

This cross-sectional analysis evaluated the effect of age and body mass index (BMI) on Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire scores in males. Subjects (n = 60) were recruited according to BMI status. Each completed the 51-item Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. The group was split at the median age to produce a “younger” and “older” group for statistical analysis. A 2-way between-groups analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of BMI on disinhibition (P = .003) and hunger (P = .041) with higher levels found in overweight males compared to healthy-weight counterparts. A significant main effect of age on hunger (P = .046) demonstrated older males were less susceptible to hunger than younger males. These insights provide a better understanding of eating behavior across the male life cycle and may assist health professionals to better guide men in weight management in the light of rising overweight/obesity.     

Infantile spasms in COFS syndrome

Cerebro-oculo-facial-skeletal (COFS) syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by microcephaly, microphthalmia and/or cataracts, neurogenic arthrogryposis, and multiple congenital anomalies. A term female infant with COFS syndrome who developed infantile spasms at the age of 3 months is reported. The patient had a good response to intramuscular ACTH with disappearance of infantile spasms and resolution of the hypsarrhythmic pattern on electroencephalography succeeded by a slow, synchronous pattern. Modified hypsarrhythmia returned after ACTH therapy was discontinued. Infantile spasms have not previously been reported in association with COFS syndrome and are a potentially treatable aspect of the disease. This patient may add to the clinical spectrum of COFS syndrome or may have a variant.     

Pelvic Pain Complicating LHRH Analogue Treatment of Fibroids

We present these 3 cases to alert others to the possibility of severe pain with rapid shrinkage of fibroids occurring during LHRH analogue treatment. We suggest management of such events should not be surgical except for vaginal excision of prolapsed fibroid polyps.     

Voltage-gated Currents in Rabbit Retinal Astrocytes

The voltage-gated currents of the astrocytes associated with the retinal capillaries of the rabbit retina were studied using whole-cell patch clamp recording. The resting potential of these cells was −70 ± 4.8 mV (mean ± SEM; n = 54), and the input resistance and cell capacitance were 558 ± 3.6 MΩ and 19.5 ± 1.8 pF respectively. Depolarization to potentials positive to −50 mV evoked rapidly activating inward and outward currents. The inward current was transient, eliminated by substitution of choline for Na⁺ in the bathing solution, and reduced by 50% in the presence of 1 μM tetrodotoxin. The time-to-peak of the Na⁺ current was more than twice that for the Na⁺ current found in retinal neurons. The glial Na⁺ current was half-inactivated at −55 mV. A transient component of the outward K⁺ current was blocked by external 4-aminopyridine while a more sustained component was blocked by external tetraethylammonium. At potentials between −150 and −50 mV the membrane behaved Ohmically. Voltage-gated currents in retinal astrocytes recorded in situ appear qualitatively similar to those described for some glial cells in vitro.