Anatomy and Histology of the Male Reproductive Complex of the Onion Maggot Fly, \u3ci\u3eDelia Antiqua\u3c/i\u3e, (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) Including Some Comparisons With \u3ci\u3eD. Platura\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eD. Radicum\u3c/i\u3e

In Delia antiqua (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), the male reproductive complex is composed of a pair of testes, paired vas deferens connecting the testes to the anterior ejaculatory duct, and a pair of paragonial (accessory) glands. Each D. antiqua paragonial gland consists of a single layer of secretory epithelial cells surrounded by a thin sheath of muscle tissue. The paragonial cells appear to be largely homogeneous in form, however a minor number of cells exhibit unique staining characteristics distinct from the main cells of the gland. This is preliminary evidence for a secondary cell type as has been found for Drosophila and Aedes paragonial glands. In contrast to the testis and vas deferens, where most of the growth occurs during the pupal stage, the D. antiqua paragonial glands expanded markedly due to secretory accumulation during the first days of adult life. Based on histochemical analyses, the paragonial secretion contained abundant protein, with evidence of glycoprotein. The reproductive complex in all three Delia species (D. antiqua, D. radicum (Bouche) and D. platura (Meigen)) appears similar, with the exception of size differences and timing of paragonial secretory accumulation and sperm maturation. Paragonial glands of D. radicum were the largest in both length and width, and only this species possessed abundant sperm upon eclosion. Of the three species, D. radicum appears most capable of mating immediately after eclosion based on the histology of its reproductive complex, which is consistent with biochemical and behavioral observations made earlier in this laboratory

An Allometric Study of the Boxelder Bug, \u3ci\u3eBoisea Trivittata\u3c/i\u3e (Heteroptera: Rhopalidae)

An allometric study was conducted on the boxelder bug, Boisea trivittata, to confirm the number ofinstars and to identify characteristics most useful for rapid instar identification of field samples. Analysis of field populations collected throughout the 1990-92 seasons indicated that there were five instars, clearly defined on the basis of size and the presence of wing pads. This finding is in contrast with the only other published study on stages of the boxelder bug, which claims there are six nymphal instars. Size data gathered from field populations were substantiated by laboratory growth studies. Head width and/or second antennal segment length were identified as the most useful parameters for instar identification

Egg Production in the Boxelder Bug \u3ci\u3eBoisea Trivittata\u3c/i\u3e (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae)

Boxelder bug females emerged from overwintering sites in the spring and rapidly provisioned eggs with yolk materials. Five discrete egg stages were identified based on egg size, protein content, and degree of chorion sclerotization. Females did not accumulate yolk materials into the egg until after melanization was completed, as unmelanized animals rarely possessed even stage 2 eggs. All adult females entering overwintering sites possessed only immature stage eggs (stage 1 and 2). The rate of egg vitellogenesis in the spring was rapid; a major change in numbers of more mature stage eggs (stage 3 and above) in the ovary occurred within approximately 6 days. Most mating pairs recovered in the field (92%, 12/13) possessed ovaries full of eggs in stages 3, 4 or 5. The remaining female contained only immature eggs of stage 1 and 2. This finding indicates that fully provisioned ovaries are not an absolute requirement for mating to occur. The signals that initiate vitellogenesis and control the movement of materials from fat body into eggs are unknown for the boxelder bug

Lost relation between blood pressure and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Background: Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels have consistently been associated with hypertension. During the last decades there has been an unexplained reduction in blood pressure (BP) in Western countries. We therefore examined the relation between serum 25(OH)D and BP in the 7th survey of the Tromsø study 2015/2016. Methods: Blood pressure and serum 25(OH)D were measured and life-style factors registered in 15,951 subjects not using BP medication. Results: In unadjusted analyses there was a significant negative association between serum 25(OH)D and systolic and diastolic BP that disappeared after adjusting for relevant confounders. This finding is in contrast to our previous reports on 25(OH)D and BP. We therefore cross-sectionally re-analyzed non-smoking (due to interference by smoking in the 25(OH)D assay) subjects not using BP medication from the 4th survey in 1994/1995 (n ¼ 4108), 6th survey in 2007/ 2008 (n ¼ 7553) and 7th survey 2015/2016 (n ¼ 13,413). Adjusting for age and BMI, there were significant inverse relations between BP and 25(OH)D in the 4th, to a lesser degree in the 6th, and none in the 7th survey. For males the age- and BMI-adjusted differences in systolic BP between those with serum 25(OH)D 100 nmol/L were 6.2 mmHg, 4.1 mmHg and 0.1 mmHg, for the 4th, 6th and 7th surveys, respectively. Conclusions: Concomitant with a substantial reduction in BP from 1994 to 2015, there has been a loss of relation between 25(OH)D and BP which is hard to explain

Client predictors of therapy dropout in a primary care setting

Bakgrunn: Frafall fra terapi representerer en betydelig utfordring. Derfor har det blitt grundig studert hva som kan predikere frafall fra terapi. Dette har hittil ikke blitt undersøkt i primærhelsetjenesten i Norge. Formålet med denne studien var å undersøke hvilke karakteristikker ved klienter som kan predikere frafall fra tjenesten Rask Psykisk Helsehjelp (RPH). Metode: Vi gjennomførte en sekundær analyse av en randomisert kontrollert studie (RCT). Utvalget besto av 526 voksne deltakere som mottok behandling fra Rask Psykisk Helsehjelp i kommunene Sandnes og Kristiansand fra november 2015 til august 2017. Ved bruk av logistisk regresjon undersøkte vi sammenhengen mellom ni klientkarakteristikker og frafall. Resultater: Frafallsraten i studien var 25.3%. Eldre klienter hadde lavere odds ratio (OR) for å falle fra sammenlignet med yngre klienter (OR = 0.44, [95% CI = .27, .71]). Klienter med høyere utdanning hadde lavere odds ratio for å falle fra sammenlignet med klienter med lavere grad av utdanning (OR = .57, 95% CI [.35, .92]). Klienter med dårlig sosial støtte hadde høyere odds ratio for å falle fra sammenlignet med klienter med god sosial støtte (OR = 1.90, [95% CI = 1.20, 2.99]). Karakteristikkene kjønn, innvandrerbakgrunn, arbeidsstatus, funksjonsnivå, symptomtrykk og problemvarighet predikerte ikke frafall. Diskusjon: De predikerende karakteristikkene vi fant i denne prospektive studien kan hjelpe RPH-terapeuter å identifisere klienter i risiko for frafall. Strategier for å forebygge frafall diskuteres.Hovedoppgave psykologprogrammetPROPSY317PRPSY

The effect of high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation on bone mineral density in subjects with prediabetes

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with increased fracture risk and recent studies show crosstalk between bone and glucose metabolism. Few studies have investigated the effect of vitamin D supplementation on bone without additional calcium. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether a high dose of vitamin D3 could improve bone mass density (BMD) in prediabetic subjects. Methods: The current study was conducted as a secondary research on a previously performed trial, in which five hundred and eleven subjects with prediabetes were randomized to vitamin D3 (20 000 IU per week) versus placebo for five years. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Results: Two hundred and fifty-six subjects were randomized to vitamin D and 255 to placebo. Mean baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was 60 nmol/L. Two hundred and two and 214 in the vitamin D and placebo groups, respectively, completed BMD measurements, whereas one in each group was excluded due to use of bisphosphonates. Males given vitamin D had significantly less reduction in BMD at the femoral neck measurement site compared to the controls (0.000 g/cm2 versus -0.010 g/cm2, p=0.008). No significant differences between intervention groups were seen at the total hip measurement site, regarding both males and females. Conclusions: Vitamin D3 supplementation alone may be beneficial in males with prediabetes, but confirmatory studies are needed

Context-Aware Personalised Service Delivery

Postprin

Egg Production in the Boxelder Bug \u3ci\u3eBoisea Trivittata\u3c/i\u3e (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae)

Boxelder bug females emerged from overwintering sites in the spring and rapidly provisioned eggs with yolk materials. Five discrete egg stages were identified based on egg size, protein content, and degree of chorion sclerotization. Females did not accumulate yolk materials into the egg until after melanization was completed, as unmelanized animals rarely possessed even stage 2 eggs. All adult females entering overwintering sites possessed only immature stage eggs (stage 1 and 2). The rate of egg vitellogenesis in the spring was rapid; a major change in numbers of more mature stage eggs (stage 3 and above) in the ovary occurred within approximately 6 days. Most mating pairs recovered in the field (92%, 12/13) possessed ovaries full of eggs in stages 3, 4 or 5. The remaining female contained only immature eggs of stage 1 and 2. This finding indicates that fully provisioned ovaries are not an absolute requirement for mating to occur. The signals that initiate vitellogenesis and control the movement of materials from fat body into eggs are unknown for the boxelder bug

The effect of high-dose vitamin D supplementation on muscular function and quality of life in postmenopausal women—A randomized controlled trial

Objective: Observational studies have suggested positive associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and muscular strength, balance and quality of life. Our aim was to examine whether high-dose vitamin D supplementation would improve these measures as compared to standard-dose vitamin D, as well as the possible muscular effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding vitamin D-related enzymes. Design: A 12-month randomized, double-blind, controlled trial where the participants received daily elemental calcium (1000 mg) plus vitamin D3 (800 IU). In addition, the participants were randomized to receive either capsules with vitamin D3 (20 000 IU) or matching placebos to be taken twice a week. Patients: A total of 297 postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis. Measurements: Muscle strength (handgrip and knee extensor strength), balance (tandem test) and quality of life (EQ-5D) were measured at baseline and after 12 months. The subjects were genotyped for SNPs related to vitamin D metabolism. Results: Of the 297 included women, 275 completed the study. Mean serum 25(OH)D levels dramatically increased in the high-dose group (from 64.7 to 164.1 nmol/L; P<.01), while a more moderate increased was observed in the standard-dose group (from 64.1 to 81.8 nmol/L; P<.01). There was no significant difference between the groups in change in muscular strength, balance or quality of life over the intervention period. Polymorphisms in rs3829251 (located in the 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase gene) were associated with muscle strength and treatment effects. Conclusion: One-year treatment with high-dose vitamin D had no effect on muscular strength, balance or quality of life in postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis as compared to standard dose. The association between rs3829251 and muscle strength needs confirmation in other populations