Effect of Cage-Induced Stereotypies on Measures of Affective State and Recurrent Perseveration in CD-1 and C57BL/6 Mice.

Stereotypies are abnormal repetitive behaviour patterns that are highly prevalent in laboratory mice and are thought to reflect impaired welfare. Thus, they are associated with impaired behavioural inhibition and may also reflect negative affective states. However, in mice the relationship between stereotypies and behavioural inhibition is inconclusive, and reliable measures of affective valence are lacking. Here we used an exploration based task to assess cognitive bias as a measure of affective valence and a two-choice guessing task to assess recurrent perseveration as a measure of impaired behavioural inhibition to test mice with different forms and expression levels of stereotypic behaviour. We trained 44 CD- 1 and 40 C57BL/6 female mice to discriminate between positively and negatively cued arms in a radial maze and tested their responses to previously inaccessible ambiguous arms. In CD-1 mice (i) mice with higher stereotypy levels displayed a negative cognitive bias and this was influenced by the form of stereotypy performed, (ii) negative cognitive bias was evident in back-flipping mice, and (iii) no such effect was found in mice displaying bar-mouthing or cage-top twirling. In C57BL/6 mice neither route-tracing nor bar-mouthing was associated with cognitive bias, indicating that in this strain these stereotypies may not reflect negative affective states. Conversely, while we found no relation of stereotypy to recurrent perseveration in CD-1 mice, C57BL/6 mice with higher levels of route-tracing, but not bar-mouthing made more repetitive responses in the guessing task. Our findings confirm previous research indicating that the implications of stereotypies for animal welfare may strongly depend on the species and strain of animal as well as on the form and expression level of the stereotypy. Furthermore, they indicate that variation in stereotypic behaviour may represent an important source of variation in many animal experiments.

Pollen dispersal properties of Poaceae and Cyperaceae: First estimates of their absolute pollen productivities

Pollen-trap results from the Swiss Alps 1996–2009 were used to assess the pollen dispersal–deposition properties of Poaceae (grasses) and Cyperaceae (sedges). Dispersal parameter values were investigated for a modified version of the Prentice–Sugita pollen dispersal–deposition model. Appropriate values (i.e. realistic in the field and allowing realistic modelling results) for wind speed are suggested to be in the range of 3–7 m s− 1 and for pollen an injection height of 0.03–0.1 m above the ground. The appropriate range of pollen injection height values for grasses and sedges differs from that of trees in the same area, suggesting different pollen dispersal properties between herbs and trees. In addition, logarithmic weighting of the vegetation was tested as an alternative to the modified Prentice–Sugita model. This yielded very similar results, suggesting that the use of such much simpler approximations of the pollen–vegetation relationship is a plausible alternative. Based on the modified Prentice–Sugita model, absolute pollen productivity for Poaceae was estimated to 7300 ± 400 grains cm− 2 year− 1 (1 SE). The data basis for Cyperaceae is smaller than for Poaceae, but the dispersal parameter values determined as appropriate for Poaceae yield good results. Absolute pollen productivity for Cyperaceae was estimated to 6300 ± 1100 grains cm− 2 year− 1 (1 SE).

Patterns of regional brain hypometabolism associated with knowledge of semantic features and categories in Alzheimer's disease

The study of semantic memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has raised important questions about the representation of conceptual knowledge in the human brain. It is still unknown whether semantic memory impairments are caused by localized damage to specialized regions or by diffuse damage to distributed representations within nonspecialized brain areas. To our knowledge, there have been no direct correlations of neuroimaging of in vivo brain function in AD with performance on tasks differentially addressing visual and functional knowledge of living and nonliving concepts. We used a semantic verification task and resting 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in a group of mild to moderate AD patients to investigate this issue. The four task conditions required semantic knowledge of (1) visual, (2) functional properties of living objects, and (3) visual or (4) functional properties of nonliving objects. Visual property verification of living objects was significantly correlated with left posterior fusiform gyrus metabolism (Brodmann's area [BA] 37/19). Effects of visual and functional property verification for non-living objects largely overlapped in the left anterior temporal (BA 38/20) and bilateral premotor areas (BA 6), with the visual condition extending more into left lateral precentral areas. There were no associations with functional property verification for living concepts. Our results provide strong support for anatomically separable representations of living and nonliving concepts, as well as visual feature knowledge of living objects, and against distributed accounts of semantic memory that view visual and functional features of living and nonliving objects as distributed across a common set of brain areas.

Correlation between broiler lameness and anatomical measurements of bone using radiographical projections with assessments of consistency across and within radiographs.

Lameness represents a major welfare and production issue in the poultry industry with a recent survey estimating 27% of birds lame and 3% unable to walk by 40 d of age. A variety of factors may induce lameness and are typically grouped into 2 broad classes on the basis of being infectious or skeletal in nature with the latter accounting for the majority of cases. The current work sought to build upon a large body of literature assessing the anatomical properties of bone in lame birds. Our specific objectives sought to identify relationships between relevant anatomical properties of the tibia and metatarsus using digital quantification from radiographs of legs and a measure of walking difficulty. Resulting output was statistically analyzed to assess 1) observer reliability for consistency in placing the leg during the radiograph procedure and quantification of the various measures within a radiograph, 2) the relationship between the various measurements of anatomical bone properties and sex, bird mass, and gait score, and 3) the relationship between each measurement and leg symmetry. Our anatomical bone measures were found to be reliable (intra-rater and test-retest reliabilities < 0.75) within radiograph for all measures and 8 of the 10 measures across radiographs. Several measures of bone properties in the tibia correlated to difficulty walking as measured by gait score (P < 0.05), indicating greater angulations with increasing lameness. Of the measures that manifested a gait score × bird mass interaction, heavier birds appeared to exhibit less angulation with increasing difficulty walking with lighter birds the opposite. These interactions suggest possibilities for influencing effects of activity or feed intake on bone mineralization with the bone angulation observed. Our efforts agree with that of others and indicate that angulation of the tibia may be related to lameness, though subsequent efforts involving comprehensive measures of bird activity, growth rates, and internal bone structure will be needed if the validity of the measures are to be accepted.

Optical and scintillation properties of CsBa2I5:Eu2+

The scintillation and luminescence properties of pure CsBa2I5 and CsBa2I5 doped with 0.5% Eu and 5% Eu were studied between 78 K and 600 K. Single crystals were grown by the vertical Bridgman method from the melt. CsBa2I5:5% Eu showed a light yield of 80,000 photons/MeV, an energy resolution of 2.3% for the 662 key full absorption peak, and an excellent proportional response. Two broad emission bands centered at 400 nm and 600 nm were observed in the radioluminescence spectrum of pure CsBa2I5. The Eu2+ 5d-4f emission band was observed at 430 nm. The radiative lifetime of the Eu2+ excited state was determined as 350 ns. With increasing temperature and Eu concentration the Eu2+ emission shifts to longer wavelengths and its decay time lengthens as a result of self-absorption of the Eu2+ emission. Multiple thermoluminescence glow peaks and a sharp decrease of the light yield at temperatures below 200 K were observed and related to the presence of the charge carrier traps in CsBa2I5:Eu.

Global models of planet formation and evolution

Despite the strong increase in observational data on extrasolar planets, the processes that led to the formation of these planets are still not well understood. However, thanks to the high number of extrasolar planets that have been discovered, it is now possible to look at the planets as a population that puts statistical constraints on theoretical formation models. A method that uses these constraints is planetary population synthesis where synthetic planetary populations are generated and compared to the actual population. The key element of the population synthesis method is a global model of planet formation and evolution. These models directly predict observable planetary properties based on properties of the natal protoplanetary disc, linking two important classes of astrophysical objects. To do so, global models build on the simplified results of many specialized models that address one specific physical mechanism. We thoroughly review the physics of the sub-models included in global formation models. The sub-models can be classified as models describing the protoplanetary disc (of gas and solids), those that describe one (proto)planet (its solid core, gaseous envelope and atmosphere), and finally those that describe the interactions (orbital migration and N-body interaction). We compare the approaches taken in different global models, discuss the links between specialized and global models, and identify physical processes that require improved descriptions in future work. We then shortly address important results of planetary population synthesis like the planetary mass function or the mass-radius relationship. With these statistical results, the global effects of physical mechanisms occurring during planet formation and evolution become apparent, and specialized models describing them can be put to the observational test. Owing to their nature as meta models, global models depend on the results of specialized models, and therefore on the development of the field of planet formation theory as a whole. Because there are important uncertainties in this theory, it is likely that the global models will in future undergo significant modifications. Despite these limitations, global models can already now yield many testable predictions. With future global models addressing the geophysical characteristics of the synthetic planets, it should eventually become possible to make predictions about the habitability of planets based on their formation and evolution.

Moving beyond a descriptive aquatic toxicology: the value of biological process and trait information

In order to improve the ability to link chemical exposure to toxicological and ecological effects, aquatic toxicology will have to move from observing what chemical concentrations induce adverse effects to more explanatory approaches, that are concepts which build on knowledge of biological processes and pathways leading from exposure to adverse effects, as well as on knowledge on stressor vulnerability as given by the genetic, physiological and ecological (e.g., life history) traits of biota. Developing aquatic toxicology in this direction faces a number of challenges, including (i) taking into account species differences in toxicant responses on the basis of the evolutionarily developed diversity of phenotypic vulnerability to environmental stressors, (ii) utilizing diversified biological response profiles to serve as biological read across for prioritizing chemicals, categorizing them according to modes of action, and for guiding targeted toxicity evaluation; (iii) prediction of ecological consequences of toxic exposure from knowledge of how biological processes and phenotypic traits lead to effect propagation across the levels of biological hierarchy; and (iv) the search for concepts to assess the cumulative impact of multiple stressors. An underlying theme in these challenges is that, in addition to the question of what the chemical does to the biological receptor, we should give increasing emphasis to the question how the biological receptor handles the chemicals, i.e., through which pathways the initial chemical-biological interaction extends to the adverse effects, how this extension is modulated by adaptive or compensatory processes as well as by phenotypic traits of the biological receptor.

Novel insights into mechanisms of food allergy and allergic airway inflammation using experimental mouse models

Over the last decades, considerable efforts have been undertaken in the development of animal models mimicking the pathogenesis of allergic diseases occurring in humans. The mouse has rapidly emerged as the animal model of choice, due to considerations of handling and costs and, importantly, due to the availability of a large and increasing arsenal of genetically modified mouse strains and molecular tools facilitating the analysis of complex disease models. Here, we review latest developments in allergy research that have arisen from in vivo experimentation in the mouse, with a focus on models of food allergy and allergic asthma, which constitute major health problems with increasing incidence in industrialized countries. We highlight recent novel findings and controversies in the field, most of which were obtained through the use of gene-deficient or germ-free mice, and discuss new potential therapeutic approaches that have emerged from animal studies and that aim at attenuating allergic reactions in human patients.

Psychometric properties of the MacNew heart disease health-related quality of life instrument in patients with heart failure

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Heart failure (HF) is a severe chronic disease and impairs health-related quality of life (HRQL). While validated specific HRQL instruments are required for evaluation of treatment and rehabilitation in patients with HF, a single validated measure to document changes in HRQL for patients with different heart disease diagnoses would be invaluable. The purpose of this analysis was the psychometric analysis of the German MacNew Heart Disease Questionnaire (MacNew) in HF patients, which has previously been shown to be reliable and valid in patients with myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and arrhythmia. METHODS: We recruited 89 patients (61.7+/-11.5 years; 84.3% male) in two Austrian and one Swiss cardiology department with documented HF (effect sizes 28.9+/-10.1%). The self-administered MacNew, the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were completed. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha), discriminative and evaluative validity were assessed. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha exceeded 0.80. Each MacNew scale differentiated between patients with and without anxiety (3.9+/-1.0 vs. 5.3+/-0.8, all P<0.001), with and without depression (4.2+/-1.2 vs. 5.2+/-0.9 all P<0.03) and by the SF-36 health transition item (deteriorate=4.39, no change=4.95, improve=5.45, all P<0.02). Evaluative validity was demonstrated with effect sizes >0.70 for a subsample attending a 12-week outpatient rehabilitation programme. CONCLUSIONS: The German language version of the MacNew demonstrates consistently acceptable psychometric properties of reliability, validity and responsiveness in patients with documented HF. Together with previous documentation of reliability, validity and responsive, these findings strengthen the argument for the MacNew as a potential 'core' HRQL measure, at least in the German language.

Clean intermittent self-catheterization after botulinum neurotoxin type A injections: short-term effect on quality of life

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that the need for clean intermittent self-catheterization after botulinum neurotoxin type A injections is outweighed by the efficacy of this treatment, so that clean intermittent self-catheterization is not a burden for patients with refractory idiopathic detrusor overactivity. METHODS: Women undergoing intradetrusor injections of 200 units botulinum neurotoxin type A for refractory idiopathic detrusor overactivity were evaluated prospectively. Clean intermittent self-catheterization was discussed with all patients and its possible need after botulinum neurotoxin type A treatment. As indicator of quality of life, lower urinary tract symptom distress and effect on daily activities were assessed using the validated Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7) before and 4 weeks after receiving botulinum neurotoxin type A injections. RESULTS: Mean age of the 65 women was 51 years, and all voided spontaneously before botulinum neurotoxin type A injections. After botulinum neurotoxin type A treatment, 28 (43%) required clean intermittent self-catheterization. Mean UDI-6 and IIQ-7 scores reduced from 61 to 33 (P<.001) and 62 to 30 (P<.001) in women performing clean intermittent self-catheterization and from 60 to 28 (P<.001) and 64 to 25 (P<.001) in those who did not, respectively. Comparison of quality of life in women performing clean intermittent self-catheterization and in those who did not revealed no significant differences before and after botulinum neurotoxin type A treatment. CONCLUSION: Clean intermittent self-catheterization after botulinum neurotoxin type A intradetrusor injections did not impair quality of life in appropriately informed and selected women in the short term. All patients should be informed of the potential need for clean intermittent self-catheterization after botulinum neurotoxin type A injections, and a willingness to do so should be a prerequisite for this still unlicensed off-label treatment.

Interobserver variations of target volume delineation in multicatheter partial breast brachytherapy after open cavity surgery

PURPOSE To investigate interobserver variations of target volume delineations in accelerated partial breast irradiation with multicatheter brachytherapy (BT) and to assess the impact of guidelines on consistency of contouring. METHODS AND MATERIALS A contouring study with two phases in interstitial accelerated partial breast irradiation after open cavity surgery was conducted by the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie-European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology Breast Cancer Working Group. Contours of cavity and planning target volume (PTV) on preimplant and postimplant CT images were delineated. In Phase 1, nine radiation oncologists defined the target volumes of 5 patients, whereas in Phase 2, four observers draw the contours of 4 patients applying guidelines. In Phase 1, experience in breast BT after open cavity surgery was assessed. The delineations were compared between Phase 1 and Phase 2, the impact of guidelines was assessed, and cavity visualization score was related to consistency of delineations. RESULTS Significant interobserver variability in delineations of lumpectomy cavity and PTV was observed among the participants. Observers with BT experience after open cavity surgery outlined the cavity and PTV more consistently (conformity indexgen: 0.52 vs. 0.48 and 0.59 vs. 0.55 for preimplant and postimplant cavities). For all volumes, the mean Vmax/Vmin was 2.2 vs. 2.8. Having used guidelines all conformity indices increased significantly. For cavity, the increase was 14% and 11%, whereas for the PTV, 28% and 17% on the preimplant and postimplant CT images, respectively. A strong correlation was found between consistency of contours and cavity visualization score. CONCLUSIONS Simple guidelines on defining the lumpectomy cavity significantly increased the consistency of contouring. Reliable consistency of target volume definition can be expected only for good cavity visibility.

Influence of Surface Roughness on Mechanical Properties of Two Computer-aided Design/Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) Ceramic Materials

SUMMARY The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of surface roughness on surface hardness (Vickers; VHN), elastic modulus (EM), and flexural strength (FLS) of two computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) ceramic materials. One hundred sixty-two samples of VITABLOCS Mark II (VMII) and 162 samples of IPS Empress CAD (IPS) were ground according to six standardized protocols producing decreasing surface roughnesses (n=27/group): grinding with 1) silicon carbide (SiC) paper #80, 2) SiC paper #120, 3) SiC paper #220, 4) SiC paper #320, 5) SiC paper #500, and 6) SiC paper #1000. Surface roughness (Ra/Rz) was measured with a surface roughness meter, VHN and EM with a hardness indentation device, and FLS with a three-point bending test. To test for a correlation between surface roughness (Ra/Rz) and VHN, EM, or FLS, Spearman rank correlation coefficients were calculated. The decrease in surface roughness led to an increase in VHN from (VMII/IPS; medians) 263.7/256.5 VHN to 646.8/601.5 VHN, an increase in EM from 45.4/41.0 GPa to 66.8/58.4 GPa, and an increase in FLS from 49.5/44.3 MPa to 73.0/97.2 MPa. For both ceramic materials, Spearman rank correlation coefficients showed a strong negative correlation between surface roughness (Ra/Rz) and VHN or EM and a moderate negative correlation between Ra/Rz and FLS. In conclusion, a decrease in surface roughness generally improved the mechanical properties of the CAD/CAM ceramic materials tested. However, FLS was less influenced by surface roughness than expected.