Showing papers by "University of Auckland published in 1993"
TL;DR: This paper shows how fetal undernutrition at different stages of gestation can be linked to these patterns of early growth in babies who are small at birth or during infancy.
2,594 citations
Johns Hopkins University1, University of Helsinki2, National Institutes of Health3, University of Denver4, Los Alamos National Laboratory5, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center6, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio7, Centre national de la recherche scientifique8, Memorial University of Newfoundland9, University of Auckland10, Creighton University11
TL;DR: Somatic as well as germline mutations of the gene were identified in RER+ tumor cells, and this mutS homolog is likely to be responsible for HNPCC.
2,297 citations
TL;DR: This work has identified missense mutations of the RET proto-oncogene in 20 of 23 apparently distinct MEN 2A families, but not in 23 normal controls, and found that 19 of these 20 mutations affect the same conserved cysteine residue at the boundary of theRET extracellular and transmembrane domains.
Abstract: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) is a dominantly inherited cancer syndrome that affects tissues derived from neural ectoderm. It is characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and phaeochromocytoma. The MEN2A gene has recently been localized by a combination of genetic and physical mapping techniques to a 480-kilobase region in chromosome 10q11.2 (refs 2,3). The DNA segment encompasses the RET proto-oncogene, a receptor tyrosine kinase gene expressed in MTC and phaeochromocytoma and at lower levels in normal human thyroid. This suggested RET as a candidate for the MEN2A gene. We have identified missense mutations of the RET proto-oncogene in 20 of 23 apparently distinct MEN 2A families, but not in 23 normal controls. Further, 19 of these 20 mutations affect the same conserved cysteine residue at the boundary of the RET extracellular and transmembrane domains.
1,810 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, velocity and turbulence profiles associated with the k-ϵ turbulence model are proposed which produce homogeneous conditions, and the cospectrum for the Reynolds stress exhibits a characteristics frequency n o ≈ u ∗ / z which is consistent with the suggested profile equations.
1,044 citations
TL;DR: Results prove the existence of a genetically determined predisposition to colorectal cancer that has important ramifications for understanding and preventing this disease.
Abstract: Genetic linkage analysis was used to determine whether a specific chromosomal locus could be implicated in families with a history of early onset cancer but with no other unique features. Close linkage of disease to anonymous microsatellite markers on chromosome 2 was demonstrated in two large kindreds. The pairwise lod scores for linkage to marker D2S123 in these kindreds were 6.39 and 1.45 at zero recombination, and multipoint linkage with flanking markers resulted in lod scores of 6.47 and 6.01. These results prove the existence of a genetically determined predisposition to colorectal cancer that has important ramifications for understanding and preventing this disease.
918 citations
TL;DR: Calcium supplementation significantly slowed axial and appendicular bone loss in normal post-menopausal women and had a similar effect whether dietary calcium intake was above or below the mean value for the group.
Abstract: Background The use of calcium supplements slows bone loss in the forearm and has a beneficial effect on the axial bone density of women in late menopause whose calcium intake is less than 400 mg per day. However, the effect of a calcium supplement of 1000 mg per day on the axial bone density of postmenopausal women with higher calcium intakes is not known. Methods We studied 122 normal women at least three years after they had reached menopause who had a mean dietary calcium intake of 750 mg per day. The women were randomly assigned to treatment with either calcium (1000 mg per day) or placebo for two years. The bone mineral density of the total body, lumbar spine, and proximal femur was measured every six months by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum and urine indexes of calcium metabolism were measured at base line and after 3, 12, and 24 months. Results The mean (±SE) rate of loss of total-body bone mineral density was reduced by 43 percent in the calcium group (-0.0055 ±0.0010 g per square centime...
516 citations
TL;DR: This reformed medical geography will analyze issues such as the consequences of illness and health service provision for both personal well-being and the collective experience of place by communities.
Abstract: An engagement with public health concerns and aspects of social theory such as the structure/agency debate is crucial to medical geography. The imperatives underlying this engagement center on place, a geographical concept which is prominent in both social theory and recent health philosophy. Without detracting from its distinguished heritage, this reformed medical geography will analyze issues such as the consequences of illness and health service provision for both personal well-being and the collective experience of place by communities.
479 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the results of valence-only self-consistent field calculations on Hg n+ (n = 0, 1, 2) and HgH n+(n = 1, 0, 0) using nonrelativistic and quasirelativistic energy-adjusted ab initio pseudopotentials for Hg are compared with corresponding all-electron values from non-relative (Hartree-Fock) and relativistic (Dirac Fock) atomic calculations.
Abstract: The results of valence-only self-consistent field calculations on Hg n+ (n = 0, 1, 2) and HgH n+ (n = 0, 1) using nonrelativistic and quasirelativistic energy-adjusted ab initio pseudopotentials for Hg are compared with corresponding all-electron values from nonrelativistic (Hartree-Fock) and relativistic (Dirac-Fock) atomic as well as from nonrelativistic (Hartree-Fock) and quasirelativistic (Hartree-Fock with no-pair Hamiltonian) molecular calculations. The accuracy of the energy-adjusted ab initio pseudopotential scheme, e.g., the reproduction of the major relativistic effects, is demonstrated both for the atom and the molecule. Correlation effects are included in the quasirelativistic pseudopotential studies by means of large-scale configuration interaction calculations. The quasirelativistic pseudopotential results obtained in the intermediate coupling scheme are in excellent agreement with available experimental data.
376 citations
TL;DR: Data provide support for the hypothesis that long-term potentiation 3 involves mechanisms additional to those for long- Term potentiation 2, and one possible mechanism is altered gene expression, initiated by immediate early gene transcription factors such as zif/268 and possibly homo- or heterodimers of Fos and Jun family members, that then contributes to the stabilization or maintenance of long- term potentiation3.
304 citations
TL;DR: Investigation of descending, efferent projections of nucleus robustus archistriatalis in male zebra finches and greenfinches with injections of either biotinylated dextran amine or cholera toxin B‐chain conjugated to horseradish peroxidase shows potential pathways are identified by which the respiratory‐vocal activity controlled by one side of the lower medulla can be influenced by the nucleus robustUS of either side, thereby possibly bringing about bilateral coordination
Abstract: The descending, efferent projections of nucleus robustus archistriatalis were investigated in male zebra finches and greenfinches with injections of either biotinylated dextran amine or cholera toxin B-chain conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. The results show that in addition to the well-known projections to the tracheosyringeal motor nucleus and the dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex, there are other projections of comparable density to the ipsilateral nucleus ambiguus and nucleus retroambigualis. Within nucleus ambiguus, robustus axons terminate in close proximity to laryngeal motoneurons which were retrogradely labelled in the same bird by injections of cholera B-chain into the laryngeal muscles; and within nucleus retroambigualis robustus axons terminate in relation to bulbospinal neurons previously shown to project to regions of spinal cord containing motoneurons innervating abdominal expiratory muscles (J.M. Wild, Brain Res. 606:119–124, 1993). These projections of nucleus robustus thus seem well placed to coordinate syringeal, laryngeal, and expiratory muscle activity during vocalization. Other relatively sparse, but distinct, projections of nucleus robustus were found to nucleus dorsolateralis anterior thalami, pars medialis, to a narrow region between the superior olivary nucleus and the spinal lemniscus, and to the rostral ventrolateral medulla. Neurons in these last two locations were retrogradely labelled bilaterally following injections of cholera B-chain into nucleus retroambigualis of one side. Together with sparse contralateral projections of nucleus robustus to all brainstem targets receiving ipsilateral projections, potential pathways are thus identified by which the respiratory-vocal activity controlled by one side of the lower medulla can be influenced by the nucleus robustus of either side, thereby possibly bringing about bilateral coordination of respiratory-vocal output. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
301 citations
TL;DR: The interaction between maternal smoking and bed sharing suggests that a mechanism involving passive smoking, rather than the previously proposed mechanisms of overlaying and hyperthermia, increases the risk of sudden infant death from bed sharing.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES--To investigate why sharing the bed with an infant is a not consistent risk factor for the sudden infant death syndrome in ethnic subgroups in New Zealand and to see if the risk of sudden infant death associated with this practice is related to other factors, particularly maternal smoking and alcohol consumption. DESIGN--Nationwide case-control study. SETTING--Region of New Zealand with 78% of all births during 1987-90. SUBJECTS--Home interviews were completed with parents of 393 (81.0% of total) infants who died from the sudden infant death syndrome in the postneonatal age group, and 1592 (88.4% of total) controls who were a representative sample of all hospital births in the study region. RESULTS--Maternal smoking interacted with infant bed sharing on the risk of sudden infant death. Compared with infants not exposed to either risk factor, the relative risk for infants of mothers who smoked was 3.94 (95% confidence interval 2.47 to 6.27) for bed sharing in the last two weeks and 4.55 (2.63 to 7.88) for bed sharing in the last sleep, after other confounders were controlled for. The results for infants of non-smoking mothers were inconsistent with the relative risk being significantly increased for usual bed sharing in the last two weeks (1.73; 1.11 to 2.70) but not for bed sharing in the last sleep (0.98; 0.44 to 2.18). Neither maternal alcohol consumption nor the thermal resistance of the infant's clothing and bedding interacted with bed sharing to increase the risk of sudden infant death, and alcohol was not a risk factor by itself. CONCLUSION--Infant bed sharing is associated with a significantly raised risk of the sudden infant death syndrome, particularly among infants of mothers who smoke. The interaction between maternal smoking and bed sharing suggests that a mechanism involving passive smoking, rather than the previously proposed mechanisms of overlaying and hyperthermia, increases the risk of sudden infant death from bed sharing.
TL;DR: The organization of Field L2, and that of its flanking regions, L1 and L3, was investigated with 14C‐2‐deoxyglucose, cytochrome oxidase, and both retrograde and anterograde tracing techniques.
Abstract: Ascending auditory efferents in birds terminate mainly within Field L2, a cytoarchitectonically distinct region of the caudomedial telencephalon. The organization of Field L2, and that of its flanking regions, L1 and L3, was investigated with 14C-2-deoxyglucose (14C-2-DG), cytochrome oxidase, and both retrograde and anterograde tracing techniques. Field L2 was found to contain a high concentration of cytochrome oxidase. Following auditory stimulation, 14C-2-DG autoradiography revealed that Field L2 consists of two adjacent but seemingly discontinuous zones, designated Field L2a, which lies ventromedially, and Field L2b, which lies dorsolaterally. Termination of thalamic efferents: The thalamic auditory nuclei ovoidalis (Ov) and semilunaris parovoidalis (SPO) project predominantly upon Field L2, and possibly sparsely upon L1, L3 and the overlying hyperstriaturn ventrale (HV). Ov subnuclei project upon L2a and SPO projects predominantly upon L2b. The topography of the projections is inverted along the ventromedial-to-dorsolateral axis of L2, and is in accord with an inverted tonotopic representation of frequencies; high frequencies ( < 3.5 kHz) being found in the more ventromedial parts of L2a, and low frequencies and broad band responses in L2b. Intra- and extratelencephalic connections: Field L2a also receives a substantial projection from HV, but the efferent projections of L2a appear confined to adjacent "neostriatal" regions. The subsequent projections of L2b were not identified in this study. L1 and L3 project predominantly to the dorsal neostriatum (Nd) caudolateral to Field L, and have fewer projections to the caudoinedial paleostriatum and anterior hyperstriatum accessorium. Nd projects massively upon the ventromedial nucleus of the intermediate archistriatum (Aivm), which has bilateral projections upon the caudomedial telencephalon and is the origin of a major descending pathway having dense terminations surrounding the ovoidalis complex (Ov and SPO), MLd, the lateral lemniscal nuclei, and sparse terminations within SPO itself. It is suggested that within the telencephalon the major components of the auditory pathway consist of cell groups which collectively correspond to the populations of neurons found within the auditory cortex of mammals. 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc. The anatomical organization of the avian auditory system has been investigated in several avian species, including pigeon (Boord, '68; Karten, '67, '68; Leibler, '75; Correia et al., '82; Arends and Zeigler, '86; Wild, '87a), dove (Durand et al., '92), chicken (Conlee and Parks, '86), owl (Knudsen, '83; Takahashi and Konishi, '88a,b), budgerigar (Brauth et al., '87; Brauth and McHale, '881, canary (Kelley and Nottebohm, '791, guinea fowl (Bonke et al., '79a), starling (Hausler, '891, and zebra finch (Bell et al., '89; Fortune and Margoliash, '91, '921, and although important details of the pathways undoubtedly differ between them, a basic pattern of projections from cochlear nuclei to the telencephalon is common to them all. Thus, efferents of the cochlear nuclei and nucleus laminaris project upon the contralateral nucleus mesencephalicus lateralis, pars dorsalis (MLd), the avian equivalent of the central nucleus of the mammalian inferior colliculus (Boord, '68; Leibler, '75). Projections of MLd terminate, predominantly ipsilaterally, within the nucleus ovoidalis (Ov) and to a lesser extent within the subjacent nucleus semilunaris parovoidalis (SPO) of the thalamus (Karten, '67). SPO in pigeon also receives a substantial projection directly from two of the three nuclei
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of smoking by the father and other household members has been examined in a large nationwide case-control study, where four hundred eighty-five sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths in the post-neonatal age group were compared with 1800 control infants.
Abstract: Objective. Maternal smoking has been shown to be a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The effect of smoking by the father and other household members has not previously been examined. Methods. A large nationwide case-control study. Four hundred eighty-five SIDS deaths in the postneonatal age group were compared with 1800 control infants. Results. Infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy had a 4.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.28, 5.11) greater risk of death than infants of mothers who did not smoke. Infants of mothers who smoked postnatally also had an increased risk of SIDS compared with infants of nonsmokers and, furthermore, the risk increased with increasing levels of maternal smoking. Smoking by the father and other household members increased the risk (odds ratio [OR] = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.92, 3.02 and OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.99, respectively). Smoking by the father increased the risk of SIDS if the mother smoked, but had no effect if she did not smoke. In analyses controlled for a wide range of potential confounders, smoking by the mother and father was still significantly associated with an increased risk of SIDS. Conclusion. Passive tobacco smoking is causally related to SIDS.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present removalability theorems for quasiregular mappings in Lnm (i2, A n) and LP(R n) for the 4-dimensional case.
Abstract: O. Introduction 1. Notation 2. Some exterior algebra 3. Differential forms in Lnm (i2, A n) 4. Differential systems for quasiregular mappings 5. Liouville Theorem in even dimensions 6. Hodge theory in LP(R n) 7. The Beltrami equation in even dimensions 8. The Beurling-Ahlfors operator 9. Regularity theorems for quasiregular mappings 10. The Caccioppoli type estimate 11. Removability theorems for quasiregular mappings 12. Some examples Appendix: The 4-dimensional case
TL;DR: In the absence of specific contraindications, low dose diuretics and low dose beta blockers should be considered for first line treatment, since for only these drug groups is there direct evidence of reduced risk of stroke and coronary disease in people with raised blood pressure.
Abstract: A report to the National Advisory Committee on Core Health and Disability Support Services, New Zealand, on the management of raised blood pressure recommends that decisions to treat raised blood pressure should be based primarily on the estimated absolute risk of cardiovascular disease rather than on blood pressure alone In general, patients with a blood pressure of 150-170 mm Hg systolic or 90-100 mm Hg diastolic, or both, should be given treatment to lower blood pressure if the risk of a major cardiovascular disease event in 10 years is more than about 20% The results of clinical trials indicate that, at this level of absolute risk, 150 people would require treatment to reduce the annual number of cardiovascular events by about one Implementation of these recommendations may result in a smaller proportion of people aged under 60, particularly women, receiving treatment but an increased proportion of older people treated In the absence of specific contraindications, low dose diuretics and low dose beta blockers should be considered for first line treatment, since for only these drug groups is there direct evidence of reduced risk of stroke and coronary disease in people with raised blood pressure
TL;DR: Autoradiography results show that in the substantia nigra of the human brain cannabinoid receptors are located on striatonigral terminals which degenerate in Huntington's disease.
TL;DR: Activation of central muscarinic receptors with pilocarpine, or block of D2 dopamine receptors with haloperidol, treatments which do not cause neuronal damage, strongly induced Fos and Jun B in hippocampal and striatal neurons, but only induced c-Jun very weakly, which may participate in the genetic cascade of events that produce programmed cell death in neurons.
TL;DR: To determine prevalence, clinical association and predictive power of antiphospholipid antibodies in pregnancy, a large number of patients with confirmed or suspected cases of pregnancy-related antibodies are surveyed.
TL;DR: Centrally administered IGF-1 appears to provide worthwhile trophic support to cells within most cerebral structures after transient hypoxic-ischemic injury and is not mediated via insulin receptors, hypothermia, or hypoglycemic mechanisms.
Abstract: Intraventricular injection of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) 2 h after hypoxic-ischemic injury reduces neuronal loss. To clarify the mode of action, we compared histological outcome between treatment groups in the following three studies: 0, 0.5, 5, and 50 micrograms IGF-1 given 2 h after injury; 0 and 20 micrograms IGF-1 given 1 h before; and 20 micrograms IGF-1 and insulin or vehicle alone given 2 h after. Unilateral hypoxic-ischemic injury was induced in adult rats by ligation of the right carotid and exposure to 6% O2 for 10 min. Histological outcome was evaluated in the cortex, striatum, and hippocampus 5 days later. Five to 50 micrograms IGF-1 reduced the incidence of infarction and neuronal loss in a dose-dependent manner in all regions (p < 0.05), and 50 micrograms reduced the infarction rate from 87 to 26% (p < 0.01). Pretreatment did not alter outcome. IGF-1 improved outcome compared with equimolar doses of insulin (p < 0.05) and did not affect systemic glucose concentrations or cortical temperature. The results indicate that the neuronal protective effects of IGF-1 are specific and are not mediated via insulin receptors, hypothermia, or hypoglycemic mechanisms. Centrally administered IGF-1 appears to provide worthwhile trophic support to cells within most cerebral structures after transient hypoxic-ischemic injury.
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that viable cells produce or concentrate growth factors which prevent the induction of these enzymes, whereas damaged cells cannot, and the possibility that macrophages may contribute to delayed neuronal death following ischemia is raised.
TL;DR: A prototype teleoperated microsurgical robot (MSR-1) and associated virtual environment for eye surgery is developed and is used in research on enhancing the accuracy and dexterity of microsurgeons by creating mechanical and visual telepresence.
Abstract: We have developed a prototype teleoperated microsurgical robot MSR-1 and associated virtual environment for eye surgery. Bidirectional pathways relay visual, auditory, and mechanical information between the MSR-1 master and slave. The surgeon wears a helmet visual master that is used to control the orientation of a stereo camera system visual slave observing the surgery. Images from the stereo camera system are relayed back to the helmet or adjacent screen where they are viewed by the surgeon. In each hand the surgeon holds a pseudotool a shaft shaped like a microsurgical scalpel that projects from the left and right limbs of a force reflecting interface mechanical master. Movements of the left and right pseudotools cause corresponding movements scaled down by 1 to 100 times in the microsurgical tools held by the left and right limbs of the micromotion robot mechanical slave that performs the surgery. Forces exerted on the left and right limbs of the slave microsurgical robot via the microtools are reflected back after being scaled up by 1 to 100 times to the pseudotools and hence surgeon via actuators in the left and right limbs of the mechanical master. This system enables tissue cutting forces to be felt including those that would normally be imperceptible if they were transmitted directly to the surgeon's hands. The master and slave subsystems visual, auditory, and mechanical communicate through a computer system which serves to enhance and augment images, filter hand tremor, perform coordinate transformations, and perform safety checks. The computer system consists of master and slave computers that communicate via an optical fiber connection. As a result, the MSR-1 master and slave may be located at different sites, which permits remote robotic microsurgery to become a reality. MSR-1 is being used as an experimental testbed for studying the effects of feedforward and feedback delays on remote surgery and is used in research on enhancing the accuracy and dexterity of microsurgeons by creating mechanical and visual telepresence.
TL;DR: A series of 89 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, most of whom had a “good” neurological outcome, were assessed with a range of tests of memory and cognition as inpatients and at 10 weeks and 12 months after SAH.
Abstract: In this prospective study, a series of 89 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), most of whom had a "good" neurological outcome, were assessed with a range of tests of memory and cognition as inpatients and at 10 weeks and 12 months after SAH. On tests of verbal cognition and memory, most patients had scores in the normal range 12 months after SAH. However, a significant number of patients still showed impairment on tests of visuospatial construction and memory, mental flexibility, and psychomotor speed at the 12-month assessment. Statistical analyses were carried out for each test score to see whether aneurysm site, location of blood on the admission computed tomographic scan, vasospasm, ischemia, hydrocephalus, grades at admission to and at discharge from hospital, and Glasgow Outcome Scale score at follow-up were associated with test scores. Aneurysm site was not shown to be associated with performance on any test at any time, and the other complications of SAH had only minimal predictive value. The grade at discharge proved to be the best predictor of impairment of cognition and memory at both follow-up assessments. Older subjects did not recover to the same extent as younger subjects by the 12-month assessment. The authors conclude that the diffuse effects of SAH are more important than focal neuropathology in relation to cognitive impairment in this group of patients.
TL;DR: Findings show melatonin may have potential benefits for international aircrew after a series of international flights and showed a trend in jet lag, mood, and sleepiness measures toward an improved recovery in the late melatonin group and a worse Recovery in the earlymelatonin group as compared to placebo.
TL;DR: It is argued that advancing a recursive understanding of space and place is an appropriate direction in medical geography, which will include both an understanding of the ways in which space shapes the character of places and how the particularities of places resist or set in motion (orthodox) spatial processes.
TL;DR: Five different cDNAs whose expression was induced by Al stress have been isolated from the root tips of Al-treated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants, and it was found that wali4 is homologous to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and wali1 is homologueous to a group of plant proteins that are cysteine-rich and have homology to metallothioneins.
Abstract: Five different cDNAs (termed wali1 to wali5 for wheat aluminum induced) whose expression was induced by Al stress have been isolated from the root tips of Al-treated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants. Four of these genes were induced 24 to 96 h after Al treatment, and their expression is reduced when the Al is removed. Each of these four genes was induced by inhibitory levels of Al in two wheat cultivars[mdash]Warigal, an Al-sensitive cultivar, and Waalt, an Al-tolerant cultivar. The fifth gene (wali2) showed a complex bimodal pattern of induction and was induced by Al only in the sensitive cultivar. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of these clones to those in the sequence data bases showed that wali4 is homologous to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and wali1 is homologous to a group of plant proteins that are cysteine-rich and have homology to metallothioneins. wali2 encodes a novel protein with a repeating motif of cysteine amino acids. The remaining two wali clones (wali3 and wali5) encode related, cysteine-rich proteins that show no significant homology to any known sequences.
TL;DR: In this article, a replication of Aaker and Keller's study of consumer evaluations of brand extensions examines the extent to which the findings of this exploratory study generalise, and provisionally conclude that consumer acceptance of a proposed brand extension will tend to be higher if: (1) the perceived quality of the brand is high, (2) there is perceived fit between the two product categories, especially in terms of the transferability of the skills and the complementarily of the two products, and (3) the extension is in a category which is difficult to make.
TL;DR: Multiple-regression analyses with fat mass and insulin levels as independent variables indicated that BMD/height of total body and femoral trochanter were primarily related to fat mass, whereas, in femoral neck, the significant relationship was with insulin.
Abstract: We recently established that the dependence of bone mineral density (BMD) on body weight in women is mainly attributable to a close relationship between total body fat mass and BMD. The present study assesses whether this latter relationship might be contributed to by the hormones insulin or amylin, both of which may influence fat mass and calcium metabolism. Fifty-three normal postmenopausal women underwent a 75-g glucose tolerance test with measurement of plasma insulin and amylin concentrations every 30 min for 2 h. Body composition and BMD/height (to provide a quantity with the dimensions of volumetric density that is independent of body size) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and volumetric density of the third lumbar vertebral body was calculated. Circulating insulin concentrations correlated with BMD/height and volumetric density of the third lumbar vertebral body (r = 0.28-0.52). They also were related to body weight (r = 0.34-0.56) and fat mass (r = 0.38-0.56) but were not independently related to lean mass on multiple regression. There were no consistent relationships between amylin levels and these variables. Multiple-regression analyses with fat mass and insulin levels as independent variables indicated that BMD/height of total body and femoral trochanter were primarily related to fat mass, whereas, in femoral neck, the significant relationship was with insulin. Volumetric density of the third lumbar vertebral body was related to insulin levels alone on this analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
TL;DR: A substantial association of breastfeeding with a lowered risk for SIDS is shown, which supports the need for more positive promotion and active community support to further enhance the level and length of exclusive breastfeeding.
Abstract: The New Zealand Cot Death Study, a multicentre case-control study, was set up to identify risk factors associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In the 3 years of the study there were 485 infant deaths classified as SIDS in the study areas and 1800 infants who were randomly selected as controls. Data were collected by parent interviews and from obstetric notes. A full set of data for this analysis was available from 356 cases and 1529 control infants. The relationship between length of any breastfeeding and SIDS was examined: 92% of the controls were initially breastfed compared to 86% of the cases. As time went by, cases stopped breastfeeding sooner than controls: by 13 weeks, 67% controls were breastfed versus 49% cases. A reduced risk for SIDS in breastfed infants persisted during the first 6 months after controlling for confounding demographic, maternal and infant factors. Infants exclusively breastfed 'at discharge from the obstetric hospital' (odds ratio [OR] = 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.35-0.71) and during the last 2 days (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.91) had a significantly lower risk of SIDS than infants not breastfed after controlling for potential confounders. We have shown a substantial association of breastfeeding with a lowered risk for SIDS. This supports the need for more positive promotion and active community support to further enhance the level and length of exclusive breastfeeding.
TL;DR: The results indicate that calcein-AM is able to penetrate intact living cornea revealing cell viability, and it also has the capacity to 'trace' cellular elements and reveal fine structure within a dense connective tissue matrix.
Abstract: Fluorescent viability probes have been used to visualise and investigate the viability, morphology and organisation of the keratocyte within the stroma of the intact living cornea. The live cell probe, calcien-AM, in combination with a dead cell probe, ethidium homodimer (Live/Dead Assay, Molecular Probes, U.S.A.) proved superior to earlier generation vital dyes such as fluorescein diacetate or 5,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate, initially used in combination with ethidium bromide. The ubiquitous distribution of esterase enzymes that cleave calcien-AM within the keratocyte cytoplasm produced a high concentration of fluorescently active calcein throughout the cell, including fine cell processes. Epi-illuminated fluorescence microscopy on transparent corneal dissections subsequently revealed details of keratocyte microanatomy and three-dimensional network organisation in situ. Three morphologically discrete subpopulations of keratocytes were identified: two formed relatively small bands of cells, immediately subjacent to either Bowman9s or Descemet9s membranes, the third subpopulation constituting the majority of keratocytes typically located within the corneal stroma. The results indicate that calcein-AM is able to penetrate intact living cornea revealing cell viability, and it also has the capacity to ‘trace’ cellular elements and reveal fine structure within a dense connective tissue matrix.