Demographic trends.

<p>The number of mountain brushtail possums captured at the Cambarville study site before and after the February 2009 Black Saturday wildfires. The timing of the15 trapping sessions over this period are indicated with a “+” sign.</p

Stages of hollow formation, death and decay of mountain ash trees (<i>Eucalyptus regnans</i>).

<p>The trees surveyed in this study were characterised according to five tree form (TF) categories pictured from left to right: TF1: live trees with no visible hollows (typically young trees); TF2: live trees with visible hollows (typically older, senescing trees); TF3: dead trees in the early stages of decay; TF4; dead trees in the mid-stages of decay; and TF5: highly decayed dead trees. Live trees do not begin to form hollows suitable for arboreal marsupials until they reach an age of at least 120 years.</p

Logistic mixed models testing for upward shifts in the tree forms (TF2–5, see Figure 1 for details) selected as den sites by mountain brushtail possums at Cambarville before and after the February 2009 Black Saturday fires.

<p>The significant negative interactions between <i>Burnt_zone</i> and <i>Post_fire</i> indicates that individuals in the burnt area used less-decayed trees after the fire.</p

Pre and post-fire shifts in the tree forms used as shelter by mountain brushtail possums.

<p>These graphs show the predicted probabilities (and 95% confidence intervals) of an occupied tree being of a form greater than Tree Form 2 (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0022952#pone-0022952-g006" target="_blank">Figure 6a</a>), greater than Tree Form 3 (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0022952#pone-0022952-g006" target="_blank">Figure 6b</a>) or greater than Tree Form 4 (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0022952#pone-0022952-g006" target="_blank">Figure 6c</a>) before and after the fire unburnt and unburnt habitat. See <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0022952#pone-0022952-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a> for details of Tree Form (TF) categories. These predictions were from generalised linear mixed models of the types of trees used by individuals radiotracked before and after the fires. See <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0022952#pone-0022952-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a> for fitted model statistics.</p

The Effects of a Calcium-Rich Pre-Exercise Meal on Biomarkers of Calcium Homeostasis in Competitive Female Cyclists: A Randomised Crossover Trial

<div><p>Cycling is recognised as a sport in which there is a high incidence of poor bone health. Sweat calcium losses may contribute to this.</p><p>Purpose</p><p>To examine whether a calcium-rich pre-exercise meal attenuates exercise-induced perturbations of bone calcium homeostasis caused by maintenance of sweat calcium losses.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Using a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design, 32 well-trained female cyclists completed two 90 min cycling trials separated by 1 day. Exercise trials were preceded 2 hours by either a calcium-rich (1352 ± 53 mg calcium) dairy based meal (CAL) or a control meal (CON; 46 ± 7 mg calcium). Blood was sampled pre-trial; pre-exercise; and immediately, 40 min, 100 min and 190 min post-exercise. Blood was analysed for ionized calcium and biomarkers of bone resorption (Cross Linked C-Telopeptide of Type I Collagen (CTX-I), Cross Linked C-Telopeptide of Type II Collagen (CTX-II), Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), and bone formation (Procollagen I N-Terminal Propeptide (PINP)) using the established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.</p><p>Results</p><p>PTH and CTX-I increased from pre-exercise to post-exercise in both conditions but was attenuated in CAL (p < 0.001). PTH was 1.55 [1.20, 2.01] times lower in CAL immediately post-exercise and 1.45 [1.12, 1.88] times lower at 40 min post-exercise. CTX-I was 1.40 [1.15, 1.70] times lower in CAL at immediately post-exercise, 1.30 [1.07, 1.57] times lower at 40 min post-exercise and 1.22 [1.00, 1.48] times lower at 190 min post-exercise (p < 0.05). There was no significant interaction between pre-exercise meal condition and time point for CTX-II (p = 0.732) or PINP (p = 0.819).</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>This study showed that a calcium-rich pre-exercise breakfast meal containing ~1350 mg of calcium consumed ~90 min before a prolonged and high intensity bout of stationary cycling attenuates the exercise induced rise in markers of bone resorption – PTH and CTX-I.</p><p>Trial Registration</p><p>Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry <a href="https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=366558" target="_blank">ACTRN12614000675628</a></p></div

Flow chart of subject recruitment, group allocation and analysis.

<p>Flow chart of subject recruitment, group allocation and analysis.</p

Schematic overview of study design.

<p>Schematic overview of study design.</p

Serum concentrations of biomarkers for bone turn over, calcium homeostasis and haematocrit before and after control (CON) and calcium-rich (CAL) meal conditions and exercise.

<p>Mean ± 95% CI Haematocrit (Hct; A); ionized cacium (iCa: B); and concentrations of <i>parathyroid hormone</i> (PTH: C); <i>cross linked C-telopeptide of type I collagen</i> (CTX-I: D); <i>cross linked C-telopeptide of type II collagen</i> (CTX-II: E); <i>procollagen I N-terminal propeptide</i> (PINP: F); and at each time point for control (CON: open circles) and calcium (CAL: solid squares) trials. Blood samples were taken pre-trial at T = -15 min; pre-exercise at T = 115 min; and post-exercise at all subsequent time points. *Significant difference (p < 0.05) between trial meal conditions at the indicated time point</p