The Nutritional Demands of Egg Production in Female Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Egg production is a demanding process for female birds. A number of studies have shown that body condition declines during breeding and reserves of lipid and protein are depleted. The aims of this study were to measure the relative contributions of exogenous and endogenous nutrients to the formation of eggs by captive female Zebra Finches and to investigate the transfer of material from the body reserves to the developing eggs. Analysis of eggs revealed that there was little change in egg size or composition between the eggs of a clutch. On average the eggs contain 58.3mg of lipid, 134.8mg of protein and 17.8mg of calcium. The amino acid composition of egg proteins was similar to that in domestic hens. The mean clutch size for the colony was 5.2 +/- 0.9 eggs. The onset of ovarian development was detected at around Day -4 of the laying cycle (ovulation of first egg on Day 0). Similarly, the oviduct grows rapidly from Day -4 to Day -1, then it declines in weight as the clutch is laid. Taking the above information into account the investment of protein and lipid in the clutch was calculated. Demand for egg nutrients increases rapidly from Day -4. Peak protein demand occurs on Day 1 of the cycle and for lipid on Day 0, after this demand gradually falls as the eggs are laid. The consumption and the nutritional value of seed was measured during the period of egg formation in an attempt to estimate the use of exogenous nutrients. There was no measurable increase in seed consumption by breeding pairs of Zebra Finches from day to day of the laying cycle. However, a marked increase in the consumption of cuttlefish bone was recorded. Comparing the composition of a clutch of five eggs and the food consumed at the time of their formation it was clear that the diet could not meet demand for egg protein or amino acids. There is a possibility that during egg formation there is an increase in digestive efficiency to liberate more nutrients from the diet. However, this would lead to relatively little protein becoming available. In terms of energy available the diet could go some way towards satisfying demands for lipid. Calcium for the eggshells could be supplied from the diet alone. The body reserves of protein and lipid were investigated during the period of egg formation. The lean dry weight and lipid of the pectoral muscle, ovary, oviduct and total carcass was measured, together with the dry weight of the leg muscles, heart, liver, gut and gizzard. There was a decline in the lean dry weight of the pectoral muscles equivalent to 15% of the protein in a five-egg clutch. The total carcass lean dry weight declined also by an amount equal to 76.8% of the protein in a five-egg clutch. The timing of this decline closely matched the demand for egg protein. Other organs, except the heart, followed a similar pattern of decline across the laying period. There is a decline in body lipid by 61% of the amount found in females at the start of the laying cycle. This amounts to much more than the lipid content of a clutch of five eggs. The bulk of this lipid is lost from lipid depots. Intramuscular lipid declines but the amount involved is relatively insignificant. Ash weight of the carcass showed no significant change and the calcium content of the ash was the same in post and pre-breeding females. In considering the budgeting of nutrients for the eggs; Body reserves of protein decline by an amount equivalent to 74.6% of the total reproductive requirement (eggs plus oviduct). If there is an increase in digestive efficiency of the order seen in a previous study then up to 15.2% of protein could come from the diet. The remainder could be made available by a decrease in female activity that would free protein from metabolism for reproduction. It is possible that the diet can make a significant contribution to lipid needed for the eggs. In addition, the body reserves of lipid fall by an amount much greater than that found in the eggs. This surplus of lipid indicates that as well providing for the eggs themselves the lipid reserves may act as an energetic buffer to offset the extra demands of egg production. Calcium is likely to be obtained entirely from the diet. There was no evidence to suggest reserves were used. The pectoral muscle was investigated in more detail. Direct measurement of the protein content of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar fractions of muscle revealed a similar pattern of decline in both fractions to that seen in lean dry weight. Also, the total amount of measured protein lost by the pectoral muscle was close to the loss of lean dry weight, indicating that lean dry weight is a good indirect measure of protein in muscle. Gel filtration analysis of the sarcoplasmic fraction revealed three proteins, two of which were tentatively identified as myoglobin and haemoglobin. The remainder, of high molecular weight appeared to be responsible for the bulk of the decline in sarcoplasmic protein. Isotope labelled methionine was used to provide evidence that protein from the body reserves is transferred directly to the developing eggs. There was a significant difference in the isotope content of the pectoral muscle and oviduct between breeding and non-breeding females suggesting a higher turn-over of protein in the breeding birds

Development of a decision support tool to facilitate primary care management of patients with abnormal liver function tests without clinically apparent liver disease [HTA03/38/02]. Abnormal Liver Function Investigations Evaluation (ALFIE)

Liver function tests (LFTs) are routinely performed in primary care, and are often the gateway to further invasive and/or expensive investigations. Little is known of the consequences in people with an initial abnormal liver function (ALF) test in primary care and with no obvious liver disease. Further investigations may be dangerous for the patient and expensive for Health Services. The aims of this study are to determine the natural history of abnormalities in LFTs before overt liver disease presents in the population and identify those who require minimal further investigations with the potential for reduction in NHS costs

NXY-059, a Failed Stroke Neuroprotectant, Offers No Protection to Stem Cell-Derived Human Neurons

Background: Developing new medicines is a complex process where understanding the reasons for both failure and success takes us forward. One gap in our understanding of most candidate stroke drugs before clinical trial is whether they have a protective effect on human tissues. NXY-059 is a spin-trap reagent hypothesized to have activity against the damaging oxidative biology which accompanies ischemic stroke. Re-examination of the preclinical in vivo dataset for this agent in the wake of the failed SAINT-II RCT highlighted the presence of a range of biases leading to overestimation of the magnitude of NXY-059\u27s effects in laboratory animals. Therefore, NXY-059 seemed an ideal candidate to evaluate in human neural tissues to determine whether human tissue testing might improve screening efficiency. Materials and Methods: The aim of this randomized and blinded study was to assess the effects of NXY-059 on human stem cell-derived neurons in the presence of ischemia-like injury induced by oxygen glucose deprivation or oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide or sodium nitroprusside. Results: In MTT assays of cell survival, lactate dehydrogenase assays of total cell death and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining of apoptotic-like cell death, NXY-059 at concentrations ranging from 1 µm to 1 mm was completely without activity. Conversely an antioxidant cocktail comprising 100 µm each of ascorbate, reduced glutathione, and dithiothreitol used as a positive control provided marked neuronal protection in these assays. Conclusion: These findings support our hypothesis that stroke drug screening in human neural tissues will be of value and provides an explanation for the failure of NXY-059 as a human stroke drug

Development and Evaluation of Methods for Surveying Fish Populations in Nearshore Waters

Nearshore areas provide critical habitat for a range of fish species targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries, both of which make an important contribution to local economies in rural areas. However, established trawl survey methods are not suited to many nearshore areas, owing to shallow depths, obstructions on the sea bed or vulnerable habitats, so there is a lack of information on fish abundance in these areas. The aim of the present project was to develop and test survey methods applicable to Scottish inshore waters, focussing on baited underwater cameras, fish traps, systematic rod-and-line surveys and observations of fish bycatch in crustacean trap fisheries, and to carry out associated studies of fish movements. A lightweight baited underwater camera system was developed that could be deployed by two persons from inshore fishing vessels and small boats. The system consisted of a digital camera and strobes in underwater housings, mounted on a frame of aluminium alloy tubing, suspended above the seabed by sub-surface floats on one leg of a J-shaped mooring. The camera was baited with oily fish and a standardized 1 hour deployment period was used, to minimize variability in results due to changing tidal currents and bait degradation. Photographs were taken at 30 second intervals throughout the deployment period. On retrieval, the photographs were examined to derive indices of fish abundance, such as the time to first arrival of particular species (TFA) and the maximum number of individuals seen in the field of view at any time during the deployment (MaxN). The BUC system was developed and tested in the Firth of Clyde and then deployed at a range of other locations in Lamlash Bay, Arran, the Firth of Lorn, the Sound of Mull, Loch Sunart, Loch Etive, around Skye, Galloway and in Orkney. The BUC system was successfully deployed from a range of types of vessel in depths down to 40 m. Over thirty species of fish were recorded in total, including species of commercial interest, with lesser spotted dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula, being the most commonly recorded. The number of species and indices of abundance were highest at sites on the Galloway peninsula. When compared within a single area, BUC detected more species than angling or fish traps, but less than in visual transects by SCUBA divers. BUC shows great potential as a cost-effective survey method, able to show relative differences in abundance between areas. It is likely that it would also be effective in detecting temporal trends, though this was outside the scope of the present project. A Norwegian design of collapsible cod trap, Roscoff traps designed for common prawns and Norway lobster creels were investigated as fish traps. There were differences in catch rates and species composition related to the trap design. Roscoff traps appeared to be suitable for sampling juvenile cod (Gadus morhua) in complex habitat in shallow water, whereas collapsible cod traps are suitable for larger fish, but need to be fished in greater numbers to obtain sufficient data. Creel fisheries were surveyed by questionnaire and by on-board catch sampling. A range of fish species is taken as bycatch in creels, with some obvious differences in species composition between crab fishing and Norway lobster fishing in relation to the depths and ground types fished. The present results suggest that the catch rates of commercial fish species may be too low for creeling to be a useful way of monitoring fish stocks, but sampling throughout the year in different areas would be desirable to assess this more fully. A small-scale pilot study in Galloway indicated some potential for rod-and-line surveys to generate useful information on the abundance of certain fishes. The Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network and the Scottish Shark Tagging Project already collect information on catches of angling target species and on tagging and recaptures of tagged fish. This would be augmented by encouraging anglers to submit returns with an indication of fishing duration even when they have not caught anything. However, we were unsuccessful in recruiting volunteers to participate in a randomized angling survey. Further work is required to develop statistically robust angling surveys in which volunteer anglers would be willing to participate. Experience indicates that payment of expenses would be required for volunteers to agree to fish according to a survey protocol. To study movements of a species of interest to recreational sea anglers, spurdog (Squalus acanthias), ten specimens in Loch Etive were tagged with data storage tags designed to record water temperature and depth. To date, one tag has been recovered and the downloaded data shows an interesting pattern of nocturnal movements into shallow water. More information should become available when more of the tagged spurdog are recaptured. The following recommendations arise from the present study: To improve our understanding of baited methods of surveying fish and to develop improved estimates of abundance, modelling studies of bait odour dispersal and fish responses are required, building on previous work in this area. Further trials of baited underwater cameras at different sites and under different conditions are required to assess the degree of variability in the different types of abundance index that can be derived. Further work to compare different survey methods is required at sites with greater fish abundance, e.g. at sites around the Galloway peninsula. A BUC system with greater depth limit (e.g. 200 m) should be developed to extend the range of habitats in which it can be used to include other species of interest. Further work is required to assess the size and species selectivity of different designs of fish trap. An intensive pilot survey of an area of interest, such as an actual or proposed marine protected area, by BUC and fish traps would provide a good test of the ability of these methods to generate data of use to inshore fishery managers and conservation interests. Seasonal sampling of fish bycatch in Norway lobster and crab creel fisheries is desirable to further assess the potential for creel fisheries to be used to monitor fish populations. Ongoing analysis of recreational sea-angling catch and tagging records should be encouraged and supported by Marine Scotland. There should be continued engagement between recreational sea-anglers and fishery scientists in Marine Scotland and universities

Prediction of liver disease in patients whose liver function tests have been checked in primary care : model development and validation using population-based observational cohorts

This work was supported by the UK National Health Service Research & Development Programme Health Technology Assessment Programme (project number 03/38/02) and also by the Backett Weir Russell Career Development Fellowship, University of Aberdeen.OBJECTIVE: To derive and validate a clinical prediction model to estimate the risk of liver disease diagnosis following liver function tests (LFTs) and to convert the model to a simplified scoring tool for use in primary care. DESIGN: Population-based observational cohort study of patients in Tayside Scotland identified as having their LFTs performed in primary care and followed for 2 years. Biochemistry data were linked to secondary care, prescriptions and mortality data to ascertain baseline characteristics of the derivation cohort. A separate validation cohort was obtained from 19 general practices across the rest of Scotland to externally validate the final model. SETTING: Primary care, Tayside, Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: Derivation cohort: LFT results from 310 511 patients. After exclusions (including: patients under 16 years, patients having initial LFTs measured in secondary care, bilirubin >35 μmol/L, liver complications within 6 weeks and history of a liver condition), the derivation cohort contained 95 977 patients with no clinically apparent liver condition. Validation cohort: after exclusions, this cohort contained 11 653 patients. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnosis of a liver condition within 2 years. RESULTS: From the derivation cohort (n=95 977), 481 (0.5%) were diagnosed with a liver disease. The model showed good discrimination (C-statistic=0.78). Given the low prevalence of liver disease, the negative predictive values were high. Positive predictive values were low but rose to 20-30% for high-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully developed and validated a clinical prediction model and subsequent scoring tool, the Algorithm for Liver Function Investigations (ALFI), which can predict liver disease risk in patients with no clinically obvious liver disease who had their initial LFTs taken in primary care. ALFI can help general practitioners focus referral on a small subset of patients with higher predicted risk while continuing to address modifiable liver disease risk factors in those at lower risk.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Oral dosing with papaya latex is an effective anthelmintic treatment for sheep infected with Haemonchus contortus

Background The cysteine proteinases in papaya latex have been shown to have potent anthelmintic properties in monogastric hosts such as rodents, pigs and humans, but this has not been demonstrated in ruminants. Methods In two experiments, sheep were infected concurrently with 5,000 infective larvae of Haemonchus contortus and 10,000 infective larvae of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and were then treated with the supernatant from a suspension of papaya latex from day 28 to day 32 post-infection. Faecal egg counts were monitored from a week before treatment until the end of the experiment and worm burdens were assessed on day 35 post-infection. Results We found that the soluble fraction of papaya latex had a potent in vivo effect on the abomasal nematode H. contortus, but not on the small intestinal nematode T. colubriformis. This effect was dose-dependent and at tolerated levels of gavage with papaya latex (117 μmol of active papaya latex supernatant for 4 days), the H. contortus worm burdens were reduced by 98%. Repeated treatment, daily for 4 days, was more effective than a single dose, but efficacy was not enhanced by concurrent treatment with the antacid cimetidine. Conclusions Our results provide support for the idea that cysteine proteinases derived from papaya latex may be developed into novel anthelmintics for the treatment of lumenal stages of gastro-intestinal nematode infections in sheep, particularly those parasitizing the abomasum

Correction: Resolving nanoscopic structuring and interfacial THz dynamics in setting cements

Correction for ‘Resolving nanoscopic structuring and interfacial THz dynamics in setting cements’ by Fu V. Song et al., Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 4982–4990, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1MA01002F.Funder: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/100010661; Grant(s): ACT, No. 299668 Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100000266; Grant(s): EP/K000128/1, EP/L000202 Funder: Science and Technology Facilities Council; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100000271; Grant(s): RB1100006, RB1110428 and RB1310334 Funder: Sapienza Università di Roma; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100004271 Funder: McMaster University; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/100009776 Funder: University of British Columbia; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100005247 Funder: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100000038; Grant(s): RGPIN 04598, RY

One-Year Risk of Stroke after Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke

BACKGROUND Previous studies conducted between 1997 and 2003 estimated that the risk of stroke or an acute coronary syndrome was 12 to 20% during the first 3 months after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke. The TIAregistry.org project was designed to describe the contemporary profile, etiologic factors, and outcomes in patients with a TIA or minor ischemic stroke who receive care in health systems that now offer urgent evaluation by stroke specialists. METHODS We recruited patients who had had a TIA or minor stroke within the previous 7 days. Sites were selected if they had systems dedicated to urgent evaluation of patients with TIA. We estimated the 1-year risk of stroke and of the composite outcome of stroke, an acute coronary syndrome, or death from cardiovascular causes. We also examined the association of the ABCD2 score for the risk of stroke (range, 0 [lowest risk] to 7 [highest risk]), findings on brain imaging, and cause of TIA or minor stroke with the risk of recurrent stroke over a period of 1 year. RESULTS From 2009 through 2011, we enrolled 4789 patients at 61 sites in 21 countries. A total of 78.4% of the patients were evaluated by stroke specialists within 24 hours after symptom onset. A total of 33.4% of the patients had an acute brain infarction, 23.2% had at least one extracranial or intracranial stenosis of 50% or more, and 10.4% had atrial fibrillation. The Kaplan–Meier estimate of the 1-year event rate of the composite cardiovascular outcome was 6.2% (95% confidence interval, 5.5 to 7.0). Kaplan–Meier estimates of the stroke rate at days 2, 7, 30, 90, and 365 were 1.5%, 2.1%, 2.8%, 3.7%, and 5.1%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, multiple infarctions on brain imaging, large-artery atherosclerosis, and an ABCD2 score of 6 or 7 were each associated with more than a doubling of the risk of stroke. CONCLUSIONS We observed a lower risk of cardiovascular events after TIA than previously reported. The ABCD2 score, findings on brain imaging, and status with respect to large-artery atherosclerosis helped stratify the risk of recurrent stroke within 1 year after a TIA or minor stroke. (Funded by Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb.)Supported by an unrestricted grant from Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb