Relationship between Conception Date and Latitude in Muskoxen

It has been suggested that muskoxen calve earlier with increasing latitude but the available data do not seem to have been thoroughly analyzed. Therefore, estimated conception dates (K=657) from a wide range of latitudes were compared. The results indicate that conceptions occur about a month earlier in the arctic than at temperate latitudes. This conclusion is consistent with reported observations of mating behaviour and calving season

Seasonal Patterns in Growth Hormone, Insulin and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 in Female Muskoxen

Over a year, mean serum growth hormone concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 3 ng/ml in tame muskoxen with the lowest values and fewest pulses between October and January. Serum insulin ranged from 0.25 to 0.92 ng/ml, with minima in summer. There were marked seasonal changes in serum insulin-like growth factor-1 in both tame and wild muskoxen but the late summer peak was higher and more distinct in the tame animals with levels reaching 160-250 ng/ml in September

Ultrasonic Imaging of Reproductive Events in Muskoxen

To our knowledge, this is the first detailed report of ovarian follicular dynamics in a wild species. It seems that the pattern in muskoxen, with major and minor waves and a short first cycle, is similar to that in goats. Insight of this kind is important in the design of appropriate artificial breeding systems and in this respect, the muskox may provide a useful model for the endangered takin {Budorcas taxicolor). A detailed knowledge of ovarian events may also be critical to the interpretation of the response of wild populations to environmental stress

Illawarra Born cross-generational health study: feasibility of a multi-generational birth cohort study

Background: There is a strong interest in the concept of developmental origins of health and disease and their influence on various factors from cradle to grave . Despite the increasing appreciation of this lifelong legacy across the human life course, many gaps remain in the scientific understanding of mechanisms influencing these formative phases. Cross-generational susceptibility to health problems is emerging as a focus of research in the context of birth cohort studies. The primary aim of the Illawarra Born study is to make scientific discoveries associated with improving health and wellbeing across the lifespan, with a particular focus on preventable chronic diseases, especially mental health. This birth cohort study will follow and collect data from three cohorts representing different stages across the lifespan: infants, adults (parents) and older adults (grandparents). The multi-generational, cross-sectional and longitudinal design of this birth cohort study supports a focus on the contributions of genetics, environment and lifestyle on health and wellbeing. The feasibility of conducting a multi-generational longitudinal birth cohort project was conducted through a small pilot study. Methods/design: The purpose of this paper is to report on the feasibility and acceptability of the research protocol for a collaborative cross-generation health study in the community and test recruitment and outcome measures for the main study. This feasibility study included pregnant women who were intending to give birth in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region in Eastern Australia. The area includes a large, regional referral hospital, with capacity to treat specialist and complex cases. Pregnant women were asked to participate in five data collection waves beginning at 22 weeks gestation and ending with a 6-month post-partum appointment. Recruitment was then extended, via the pregnant women, to also include fathers and maternal grandmothers. Discussion: This feasibility study focused on the perinatal period and collected data across three multi-disciplinary domains including mental health, diet, exposures to toxins and the role of these in maternal and infant outcomes. Forty-one families participated in extensive data collection from 22 weeks gestation to 6-months post-partum. Factors impacting on viability and feasibility including recruitment solutions provide the basis for a large-scale study

Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines for adults aged 18-64 years and adults aged 65 years or older: an integration of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology assembled a Consensus Panel representing national organizations, content experts, methodologists, stakeholders, and end-users and followed an established guideline development procedure to create the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults aged 18-64 years and Adults aged 65 years or older: An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep. These guidelines underscore the importance of movement behaviours across the whole 24-h day. The development process followed the strategy outlined in the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. A large body of evidence was used to inform the guidelines including 2 de novo systematic reviews and 4 overviews of reviews examining the relationships among movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, and all behaviours together) and several health outcomes. Draft guideline recommendations were discussed at a 4-day in-person Consensus Panel meeting. Feedback from stakeholders was obtained by survey (n = 877) and the draft guidelines were revised accordingly. The final guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for a healthy day (24-h), comprising a combination of sleep, sedentary behaviours, and light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity. Dissemination and implementation efforts with corresponding evaluation plans are in place to help ensure that guideline awareness and use are optimized. Novelty First ever 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults aged 18-64 years and Adults aged 65 years or older with consideration of a balanced approach to physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep Finalizes the suite of 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Canadians across the lifespa

Erratum to:Effects of a physical activity and nutrition program in retirement villages: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background This cluster randomised controlled trial aimed to determine if a 6- month home-based intervention could improve the physical activity and dietary behaviours of adults aged 60 to 80 years living in retirement villages located in Perth, Western Australia. Methods Participants (n = 363) from 38 retirement villages were recruited into the trial and allocated to the intervention (n = 197: 17 sites) or control (n = 166: 21 sites) group and were blinded. Previously validated instruments-Fat and Fibre Barometer and International Physical Activity Questionnaire, along with anthropometric measures (weight, height, waist and hip circumferences) and blood pressure were collected at baseline and 6 -month time period. Comparisons between intervention and control groups were undertaken pre- and post- intervention using univariate chi-square and t-tests. Multi-level mixed regression analyses were then conducted to ascertain the effects of the intervention on changes in the outcome variables over time and between groups. Results A total of 139 (70.5%) intervention and 141 (84.9%) control group participants completed the program and post-test assessments. The intervention group demonstrated significant increases in time (80 min more per week on average) devoted to moderate-intensity physical activity, engagement in strength exercises (from 23.7% to 48.2%), frequency of fruit consumed as well as fat avoidance and fibre intake scores, in addition to a 0.5 kg mean reduction in weight post program, whereas no apparent changes were observed in the control group. Mixed regression results further confirmed statistically significant improvements in weight loss (p < 0.05), engagement in strength exercises (p < 0.001) and fruit intake (p = 0.012) by the intervention participants at post-test relative to their controls. Conclusions Retirement offers a time to reassess lifestyle, and adopt positive health enhancing physical activity and dietary behaviours. This intervention was successful in improving weight, engagement in strength exercises, increasing levels of moderate-intensity physical activity and consumption of fruit among retirement village residents. Further investigation is needed on how to better engage retirement village managers in such programs. Trial registration Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12612001168842) registered November 2, 2012

Association of total energy intake and macronutrient consumption with colorectal cancer risk: results from a large population-based case-control study in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario, Canada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diet is regarded as one of the most important environmental factors associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. A recent report comprehensively concluded that total energy intake does not have a simple relationship with CRC risk, and that the data were inconsistent for carbohydrate, cholesterol and protein. The objective of this study was to identify the associations of CRC risk with dietary intakes of total energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and alcohol using data from a large case-control study conducted in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and Ontario (ON), Canada.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Incident colorectal cancer cases (n = 1760) were identified from population-based cancer registries in the provinces of ON (1997-2000) and NL (1999-2003). Controls (n = 2481) were a random sample of residents in each province, aged 20-74 years. Family history questionnaire (FHQ), personal history questionnaire (PHQ), and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were used to collect study data. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of intakes of total energy, macronutrients and alcohol with CRC risk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Total energy intake was associated with higher risk of CRC (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.21-2.01, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.02, 5^thversus 1^stquintile), whereas inverse associations emerged for intakes of protein (OR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.69-1.00, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.06, 5^thversus 1^stquintile), carbohydrate (OR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.63-1.00, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.05, 5^thversus 1^stquintile) and total dietary fiber (OR: 0.84, 95% CI:0.67-0.99, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.04, 5^thversus 1^stquintile). Total fat, alcohol, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and cholesterol were not associated with CRC risk.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study provides further evidence that high energy intake may increase risk of incident CRC, whereas diets high in protein, fiber, and carbohydrate may reduce the risk of the disease.</p

Brain Deletion of Insulin Receptor Substrate 2 Disrupts Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Metaplasticity

Diabetes mellitus is associated with cognitive deficits and an increased risk of dementia, particularly in the elderly. These deficits and the corresponding neurophysiological structural and functional alterations are linked to both metabolic and vascular changes, related to chronic hyperglycaemia, but probably also defects in insulin action in the brain. To elucidate the specific role of brain insulin signalling in neuronal functions that are relevant for cognitive processes we have investigated the behaviour of neurons and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus of mice lacking the insulin receptor substrate protein 2 (IRS-2)