Extended High Frequency Brainstem Auditory Evoked Testing in Aging Canines

Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, has a common pattern of high frequency hearing loss that progresses as humans age. It is thought that canines experience a similar pattern of hearing loss as they age. Currently, there is little research on how aging impacts canine hearing acuity. This study was conducted to obtain data to determine if thresholds for the brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) were different for two types of acoustic stimuli in older dogs. Ten dogs age nine or older were tested but data from two dogs were removed after the initial analysis. Threshold estimations were performed using clicks and 12kHz tonebursts. Stimuli were initially presented at a high intensity level of 92 dB peSPL. Wave V peaks were marked as the intensity decreased until peaks could no longer be identified; this was determined to be threshold. If no response was found at the initial presentation level of 92 dB peSPL, then intensity was increased to 102 dB peSPL. If no peak was identified at 102 dB peSPL, then testing was terminated and a no-response finding was recorded. For data analysis, 112 dB peSPL was used as threshold for the dogs with no responses. The results showed a statistically significant difference in the average thresholds for the click and 12kHz toneburst. The average threshold using clicks was 65.75 dB peSPL while the average threshold using 12kHz tonebursts was 92 dB peSPL. Since responses to clicks are thought to represent hearing sensitivity in the 2- 4kHz range and responses to 12kHz tonebursts represent higher frequency responses, the difference in hearing thresholds for a group of older canines might be an indication of a decline iv in auditory responses in higher frequency regions of the cochlea as canines age. It is possible hearing loss might be occurring within frequency regions above those assessed by click stimuli, and clinicians might want to consider incorporating high frequency toneburst testing into diagnostic BAER protocols in aging canines. More data on younger canines are needed before conclusions can be made about age-related hearing loss in canines

The architect and the metropolis: The work of James and Decimus Burton in London and Dublin, c. 1800-1840

No history of a city or career of an architect is complete. This is a study of the interaction of both. The careers of James Burton (1761-1837) and his son Decimus (1800-1881) are used as a fulcrum for exploring the emergence of London as a metropolis c. 1800-1840. This sets up a dialectic between the independent processes of a city and the emergence of the professional architect. It is argued that the interaction of these two distinct, but mutually dependent, architectural phenomena produces the urban form. In turn the way in which the design of a city shapes the responses of its inhabitants to it is explored. Moreover as evidence of any kind of biographical details about the life of either James or Decimus Burton is extremely limited the idea of the architect as 'auteur' is challenged as the importance of their work can be determined by its role in the city rather than in the personal development of the Burtons. Both Burtons made a substantial contribution to the urban planning of London and later Dublin. James built considerable amounts of Bloomsbury, Regent Street and the Regent's Park. Decimus was involved with many major building projects in London including the Regent's Park, the Royal Parks and the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Their careers raise important methodological issues of how to discuss architects of national importance in the face of the absence of an archive? Here contexts for the Burtons' activities are created using a range of material set against the contemporary social and political map. This approach places emphasis on the works themselves which have their own identity as part of the emerging metropolis. In this way the architect can be defined by the metropolis rather than the traditional approach of the metropolis being defined by the architects who constructed it

Grieving Artists: Influences of Loss and Bereavement on Visual Artmaking

This phenomenological survey explored how professional artists navigated personal loss experiences that were a result of the death of a loved one. Although artists have worked within themes of death throughout history, most studies on art and bereavement to date have focused on psychological or therapeutically-oriented investigations. Exploring how bereaved artists experience their own art-making through contemporary practices may serve to understand how fine art processes and grief could be interrelated. The guiding questions were explored through semi-structured interviews with eight exhibiting artists. The participants all self-identified regarding age and gender, and ranged in subject matter, media choices, and artistic practices. Each had experienced the loss of at least one significant relationship during their professional career. Kvale’s (1996) method of research interviewing and narrative structuring was applied and led to the emergence of six themes including 1) experiencing grief; 2) faith and beauty; 3) merging; 4) storying; 5) exhibiting work; and 6) curative aspects of art as well as 13 sub-themes. Art-work reflecting the imagery created during each participant’s bereavement experiences are also included

Interventions to Reduce Recidivism Rates among Juvenile Offenders

This paper will review epidemiologic literature on interventions that contribute favorably to reducing rates of recidivism among juvenile offenders. In this context, the exposures are the various interventions and treatment modalities that may be used in an attempt to prevent recidivism; the disease (outcome) is recidivism. Recidivism is defined as the tendency to relapse into a previously undesirable type of behavior, especially crime. For the purpose of this review, juvenile offender includes boys and girls aged 12-21 who can be classified as juvenile delinquents and/or who have committed at least one violent crime; the juvenile offenders in the studies reviewed may or may not be incarcerated. This review does not include juvenile sex offender

High Priced Corn and Dairy Cow Rations

Corn grain usually makes up 30 to 35% of the total ration dry matter (DM) of a typical Midwest lactating cow diet. Changes in its price, therefore, can have a significant impact on total feed costs. Even with high corn prices, however, it is unlikely that corn grain will be removed completely from the ration. Corn grain, due to its high starch content, permits the formulation of energy-dense rations required by cows with high genetic merit for milk production. Adequate starch concentrations in corn grain also promote growth of rumen bacteria and protozoa essential for optimum forage fermentation. On the other hand, too much starch in the rumen may result in sub-clinical and/or clinical rumen acidosis

The NAD(P)H oxidase homolog Nox4 modulates insulin-stimulated generation of H\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e0\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e and plays an integral role in insulin signal transduction

Insulin stimulation of target cells elicits a burst of H2O2 that enhances tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and its cellular substrate proteins as well as distal signaling events in the insulin action cascade. The molecular mechanism coupling the insulin receptor with the cellular oxidant-generating apparatus has not been elucidated. Using reverse transcription-PCR and Northern blot analyses, we found that Nox4, a homolog of gp91phox, the phagocytic NAD(P)H oxidase catalytic subunit, is prominently expressed in insulin-sensitive adipose cells. Adenovirus-mediated expression of Nox4 deletion constructs lacking NAD(P)H or FAD/NAD(P)H cofactor binding domains acted in a dominant-negative fashion in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and attenuated insulin-stimulated H2O2 generation, insulin receptor (IR) and IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, activation of downstream serine kinases, and glucose uptake. Transfection of specific small interfering RNA oligonucleotides reduced Nox4 protein abundance and also inhibited the insulin signaling cascade. Overexpression of Nox4 also significantly reversed the inhibition of insulin-stimulated IR tyrosine phosphorylation induced by coexpression of PTP1B by inhibiting PTP1B catalytic activity. These data suggest that Nox4 provides a novel link between the IR and the generation of cellular reactive oxygen species that enhance insulin signal transduction, at least in part via the oxidative inhibition of cellular protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases), including PTP1B, a PTPase that has been previously implicated in the regulation of insulin action

Intermediate progenitors support migration of neural stem cells into dentate gyrus outer neurogenic niches.

The hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is a unique brain region maintaining neural stem cells (NCSs) and neurogenesis into adulthood. We used multiphoton imaging to visualize genetically defined progenitor subpopulations in live slices across key stages of mouse DG development, testing decades old static models of DG formation with molecular identification, genetic-lineage tracing, and mutant analyses. We found novel progenitor migrations, timings, dynamic cell-cell interactions, signaling activities, and routes underlie mosaic DG formation. Intermediate progenitors (IPs, Tbr2+) pioneered migrations, supporting and guiding later emigrating NSCs (Sox9+) through multiple transient zones prior to converging at the nascent outer adult niche in a dynamic settling process, generating all prenatal and postnatal granule neurons in defined spatiotemporal order. IPs (Dll1+) extensively targeted contacts to mitotic NSCs (Notch active), revealing a substrate for cell-cell contact support during migrations, a developmental feature maintained in adults. Mouse DG formation shares conserved features of human neocortical expansion

Assessment of nursing response to a real-time alerting tool for sepsis : A provider survey

An information technology solution to provide a real-time alert to the nursing staff is necessary to assist in identifying patients who may have sepsis and avoid the devastating effects of its late recognition. The objective of this study is to evaluate the perception and adoption of sepsis clinical decision support.Includes bibliographical reference