XROMM kinematics of ventilation in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo).

The avian ribcage is derived relative to other amniotes, and is hypothesised to be constrained in its movements during ventilation. The double-headed ribs form two articulations with the vertebrae, and are thought to rotate about a strict anatomical axis. However, this costovertebral joint constraint has not been demonstrated empirically and was not found in other taxa with double-headed ribs (i.e. crocodilians). Here, we used X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM) to quantify rib rotation in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) during breathing. We demonstrate that, as predicted from anatomy, the ribs do rotate in a hinge-like manner about a single axis. There is also evidence for elliptical motion of the sternum, as has been reported in other taxa. The evolution of the avian ribcage is closely related to the co-evolution of ventilation and flight, and these results are important for how we model ventilation mechanics in living and fossil birds.

Alligator mississippiensis sternal and shoulder girdle mobility increase stride length during high walks.

Crocodilians have played a significant role in evolutionary studies of archosaurs. Given that several major shifts in forelimb function occur within Archosauria, forelimb morphologies of living crocodilians are of particular importance in assessing locomotor evolutionary scenarios. A previous X-ray investigation of walking alligators revealed substantial movement of the shoulder girdle, but as the sternal cartilages do not show up in X-ray, the source of the mobility could not be conclusively determined. Scapulocoracoid movement was interpreted to indicate independent sliding of each coracoid at the sternocoracoid joint; however, rotations of the sternum could also produce similar displacement of the scapulocoracoids. Here, we present new data employing marker-based XROMM (X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology), wherein simultaneous biplanar X-ray video and surgically implanted radio-opaque markers permit precise measurement of the vertebral axis, sternum and coracoid in walking alligators. We found that movements of the sternum and sternocoracoid joint both contribute to shoulder girdle mobility and stride length, and that the sternocoracoid contribution was less than previously estimated. On average, the joint contributions to stride length (measured with reference to a point on the distal radius, thus excluding wrist motion) are as follows: thoracic vertebral rotation 6.2±3.7%, sternal rotation 11.1±2.5%, sternocoracoid joint 10.1±5.2%, glenohumeral joint 40.1±7.8% and elbow 31.1±4.2%. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of sternal movement relative to the vertebral column (presumably via rib joints) contributing to stride length in tetrapods.

Breathing with floating ribs: XROMM analysis of lung ventilation in savannah monitor lizards.

The structures and functions of the vertebrate lung and trunk are linked through the act of ventilation, but the connections between these structures and functions are poorly understood. We used X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM) to measure rib kinematics during lung ventilation in three savannah monitor lizards (Varanus exanthematicus). All of the dorsal ribs, including the floating ribs, contributed to ventilation; the magnitude and kinematic pattern showed no detectable cranial-to-caudal gradient. The true ribs acted as two rigid bodies connected by flexible cartilage, with the vertebral rib and ventromedial shaft of each sternal rib remaining rigid and the cartilage between them forming a flexible intracostal joint. Rib rotations can be decomposed into bucket handle rotation around a dorsoventral axis, pump handle rotation around a mediolateral axis and caliper motion around a craniocaudal axis. Dorsal rib motion was dominated by roughly equal contributions of bucket and pump rotation in two individuals and by bucket rotation in the third individual. The recruitment of floating ribs during ventilation in monitor lizards is strikingly different from the situation in iguanas, where only the first few true ribs contribute to breathing. This difference may be related to the design of the pulmonary system and life history traits in these two species. Motion of the floating ribs may maximize ventilation of the caudally and ventrolaterally positioned compliant saccular chambers in the lungs of varanids, while restriction of ventilation to a few true ribs may maximize crypsis in iguanas.

Rib kinematics during lung ventilation in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis): an XROMM analysis.

The current hypothesis regarding the mechanics of breathing in crocodylians is that the double-headed ribs, with both a capitulum and tuberculum, rotate about a constrained axis passing through the two articulations; moreover, this axis shifts in the caudal thoracic ribs, as the vertebral parapophysis moves from the centrum to the transverse process. Additionally, the ventral ribcage in crocodylians is thought to possess additional degrees of freedom through mobile intermediate ribs. In this study, X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM) was used to quantify rib rotation during breathing in American alligators. Whilst costovertebral joint anatomy predicted overall patterns of motion across the ribcage (decreased bucket handle motion and increased calliper motion), there were significant deviations: anatomical axes overestimated pump handle motion and, generally, ribs in vivo rotate about all three body axes more equally than predicted. The intermediate ribs are mobile, with a high degree of rotation measured about the dorsal intracostal joints, especially in the more caudal ribs. Motion of the sternal ribs became increasingly complex caudally, owing to a combination of the movements of the vertebral and intermediate segments. As the crocodylian ribcage is sometimes used as a model for the ancestral archosaur, these results have important implications for how rib motion is reconstructed in fossil taxa, and illustrate the difficulties in reconstructing rib movement based on osteology alone.

XROMM analysis of rib kinematics during lung ventilation in the green iguana, Iguana iguana.

The three-dimensional rotations of ribs during breathing are typically described as bucket-handle rotation about a dorsoventrally oriented axis, pump-handle rotation about a mediolateral axis, and caliper rotation about a rostrocaudal axis. In amniotes with double-headed ribs, rib motion is constrained primarily to one degree-of-freedom (DOF) rotation about an axis connecting the two rib articulations. However, in Squamata, the ribs are single headed and the hemispherical costovertebral joints permit rotations with three DOF. In this study, we used X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM ) to quantify rib rotation during deep breathing in four green iguanas. We found that rib rotation was strongly dominated by bucket-handle rotation, thus exhibiting nearly hinge-like motion, despite the potential for more complex motions. The vertebral and sternal segments of each rib did not deform measurably during breathing, but they did move relative to each other at a thin, cartilaginous intracostal joint. While standing still and breathing deeply, four individual iguanas showed variability in their rib postures, with two breathing around a highly inflated posture, and two breathing around a posture with the ribs folded halfway back. Bucket-handle rotations showed clear rostrocaudal gradients, with rotation increasing from the third cervical to the first or second dorsal rib, and then decreasing again caudally, a pattern that is consistent with the intercostal muscles in the rostral intercostal spaces being the primary drivers of inspiration. The constrained, primarily bucket-handle rotations observed here during breathing do not help to explain the evolution of permissive, hemispherical costovertebral joints in squamates from the more constrained, double-headed rib articulations of other amniotes.

Evaluation of a spirituality informed e-mental health tool as an intervention for major depressive disorder in adolescents and young adults - a randomized controlled pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression in adolescents and young adults is a major mental health condition that requires attention. Research suggests that approaches that include spiritual concepts and are delivered through an online platform are a potentially beneficial approach to treating/managing depression in this population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week online spirituality informed e-mental health intervention (the LEAP Project) on depression severity, and secondary outcomes of spiritual well-being and self-concept, in adolescents and young adults with major depressive disorder of mild to moderate severity. METHODS: A parallel group, randomized, waitlist controlled, assessor-blinded clinical pilot trial was conducted in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The sample of 62 participants with major depressive disorder (DSM-IV-TR) was defined by two age subgroups: adolescents (ages 13 to 18 years; n = 31) and young adults (ages 19 to 24 years; n = 31). Participants in each age subgroup were randomized into the study arm (intervention initiated upon enrolment) or the waitlist control arm (intervention initiated after an 8-week wait period). Comparisons were made between the study and waitlist control arms at week 8 (the point where study arm had completed the intervention and the waitlist control arm had not) and within each arm at four time points over 24-week follow-up period. RESULTS: At baseline, there was no statistical difference between study and waitlist participants for both age subgroups for all three outcomes of interest. After the intervention, depression severity was significantly reduced; comparison across arms at week 8 and over time within each arm and both age subgroups. Spiritual well-being changes were not significant, with the exception of an improvement over time for the younger participants in the study arm (p = 0.01 at week 16 and p = 0.0305 at week 24). Self-concept improved significantly for younger participants immediately after the intervention (p = 0.045 comparison across arms at week 8; p = 0.0175 in the waitlist control arm) and over time in the study arm (p = 0.0025 at week 16). In the older participants, change was minimal, with the exception of a significant improvement in one of six factors (vulnerability) in study arm over time (p = 0.025 at week 24). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the LEAP Project pilot trial suggest that it is an effective, online intervention for youth ages 13 to 24 with mild to moderate major depressive disorder with various life situations and in a limited way on spiritual well-being and self-concept. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00985686. Registered 24 September 2009.

Three-dimensional fibre-type distribution in the paravertebral muscles of the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius f. furo) with relation to functional demands during locomotion.

We investigated the functional corollaries of a relatively long trunk with regard to trunk use during overground and underground locomotion and with regard to fibre-type distribution within the paravertebral musculature using the example of the domestic ferret. Fibre-type distribution was determined using enzyme histochemistry on serial cross-sections through the complete musculo-skeletal apparatus. Back posture and back movements were analysed using cineradiography. During overground locomotion, the back is bent into an arch, resulting in a back length comparable to normally proportioned small mammals. During underground locomotion, the back is held straight, resulting in greater rotational inertia and higher stabilisation requirements. This is reflected in the fibre-type distribution pattern, which differs clearly from that of all other mammals investigated so far. Instead of being separated into superficial, glycolytic and deep, oxidative parts, all the epaxial and the iliopsoas muscles consisted of 20-30% oxidative, 20-30% oxidative-glycolytic and 40-60% glycolytic fibres, with no or only minor differences between superficial and profound muscles or muscle regions. Only the quadratus lumborum muscle showed a fibre-type distribution comparable to other mammals, reflecting its primary function as an accessory muscle of respiration. We suggest that the observed pattern reflects the adaptation of the back muscles to the functional demands of a long trunk and the increased need to stabilise it during overground and especially underground locomotion.

A home study-based spirituality education program decreases emotional distress and increases quality of life--a randomized, controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Although epidemiological studies have reported protective effects of religion and spirituality on mental health, it is unknown whether spirituality can be used as an intervention to improve psychological well-being. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a home study-based spirituality program on mood disturbance in emotionally distressed patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A non-blinded, randomized, wait list-controlled trial of 165 individuals with mood disturbance [score of >40 on the Profile of Mood States (POMS)] were recruited from primary care clinics in a Canadian city between August 2000 and March 2001. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to a spirituality group (an 8-week audiotaped spirituality home-study program), a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction group (attendance at facilitated classes for 8 weeks), or a wait-list control group (no intervention for 12 weeks). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes were mood disturbance, measured using POMS, and quality of life, measured using the SF-36, a short-form health survey with 36 questions. The POMS and the SF-36 were completed at baseline, at 8 weeks, and at 12 weeks. RESULTS: At the end of the 8-week intervention period, the mean POMS score improvement was -43.1 (-45.7%) for the spirituality group, -22.6 (-26.3%) for the meditation group, and -10.3 (11.3%) for the control group (P<.001 for spirituality vs control group; P=.034 for spirituality vs meditation group). Mean improvement in the SF-36 mental component summary score was 14.4 (48.6%) for the spirituality group, 7.1 (22.3%) for the meditation group, and 4.7 (16.1%) for the control group (P<.001 for spirituality vs control group; P=.029 for spirituality vs meditation group). At 12 weeks, POMS and SF-36 scores remained significantly different from baseline for the spirituality group.

Meta-analysis of rates of erectile function after treatment of localized prostate carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The results of a 1997 meta-analysis of the rates of erectile function after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and radical prostatectomy have been widely used in patient and professional education materials and as a reference against which new findings are compared. With a number of recent publications, it is now possible to update this analysis and compare brachytherapy with or without EBRT with EBRT alone, standard and nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, and cryotherapy. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review and subsequent meta-analysis of the rates of erectile dysfunction associated with the treatments of localized prostate carcinoma was conducted. A simple logistic regression analysis was used to combine the data from the 54 articles that met the selection criteria. RESULTS: The predicted probability of maintaining erectile function after brachytherapy was 0.76, after brachytherapy plus EBRT 0.60, after EBRT 0.55, after nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy 0.34, after standard radical prostatectomy 0.25, and after cryotherapy 0.13. When only studies reporting > or = 2 years follow-up were considered, the only significant change was a decline in the probability for nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. No brachytherapy studies had a follow-up of > or = 2 years. When the probabilities were adjusted for age, the spread between the RT methods and surgical approaches was greater. CONCLUSION: The differences in the probability of maintaining erectile function after different treatments of localized prostate cancer are significant.

Fiber-type composition in the perivertebral musculature of lizards: Implications for the evolution of the diapsid trunk muscles.

The perivertebral musculature of lizards is critical for the stabilization and the mobilization of the trunk during locomotion. Some trunk muscles are also involved in ventilation. This dual function of trunk muscles in locomotion and ventilation leads to a biomechanical conflict in many lizards and constrains their ability to breathe while running ("axial constraint") which likely is reflected by their high anaerobic scope. Furthermore, different foraging and predator-escape strategies were shown to correlate with the metabolic profile of locomotor muscles in lizards. Because knowledge of muscle's fiber-type composition may help to reveal a muscle's functional properties, we investigated the distribution pattern of muscle fiber types in the perivertebral musculature in two small lizard species with a generalized body shape and subjected to the axial constraint (Dipsosaurus dorsalis, Acanthodactylus maculatus) and one species that circumvents the axial constraint by means of gular pumping (Varanus exanthematicus). Additionally, these species differ in their predator-escape and foraging behaviors. Using refined enzyme-histochemical protocols, muscle fiber types were differentiated in serial cross-sections through the trunk, maintaining the anatomical relationships between the skeleton and the musculature. The fiber composition in Dipsosaurus and Acanthodactylus showed a highly glycolytic profile, consistent with their intermittent locomotor style and reliance on anaerobic metabolism during activity. Because early representatives of diapsids resemble these two species in several postcranial characters, we suggest that this glycolytic profile represents the plesiomorphic condition for diapsids. In Varanus, we found a high proportion of oxidative fibers in all muscles, which is in accordance with its high aerobic scope and capability of sustained locomotion.

A spirituality teaching program for depression: qualitative findings on cognitive and emotional change.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted with participants from a trial evaluating an 8-week spirituality teaching program to treat unipolar major depression. The objectives of this study were to understand the nature of the observed mood following participation in the spirituality based intervention. DESIGN: This study used the methods of a naturalistic inquiry. SETTING: A total of 15 interviewees were purposefully sampled from the trial population. INTERVENTION: The intervention consisted of audio CDs for home-based use that delivered lectures and stories about spirituality, suggested behavioural applications and included relaxation practices. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant 6 months post program completion. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were coded for patterns of substantive core meaning in terms of the participants' subjective and behavioural experiences of the program materials. RESULTS: Participants described an expanded spiritual awareness, characterized by a sense of connection with self, others, the world and universal energy. The primary influences participants reported occurred as a result of practicing forgiveness, compassion, gratitude and acceptance in their daily lives and included reduced negative thinking patterns, being less judgmental, reduced ego-centricity, and improved self-esteem. Concurrent with these shifts, participants experienced an improved mood characterized by reduced anxiety and/or depression, mental clarity, calmness and improved relationships. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the spirituality teaching program impacts depression by expanding spiritual beliefs and shifting perspectives of life situations, oneself and others. Spiritual teachings and practices could be an innovative and valuable adjunct intervention to treat depression.

Reduced health resource use after acupuncture for low-back pain.

OBJECTIVES: Acupuncture is commonly used to treat low-back pain (LBP) and clinical trials have demonstrated its efficacy. However, less is known about how the utilization of acupuncture impacts public health service utilization in the real world. This study investigates the association between acupuncture utilization for LBP and health care utilization by assessing whether patients who undergo acupuncture subsequently use fewer health care resources and whether those patients differ in their health care use from the general population with LBP. DESIGN: This study employed the design of a two-group pre/post secondary data analysis. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: There were two study populations. To identify patients who received acupuncture for LBP in 2000, patient charts at Alberta registered acupuncture clinics were reviewed. The comparison group was identified from the Alberta physician claims administrative database. Acupuncture group cases were matched with four comparison cases from the general population with LBP based on gender and age. OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of physician visits and physician service cost for LBP-related services for 1 year pre- and postacupuncture treatment period were calculated from the physician claims data for both study groups. RESULTS: For the 201 cases and 804 controls, the mean age was 48 years and 54% were female. The number of physician visits for the 1-year period postacupuncture decreased 49% for the acupuncture group (p<0.01) compared to the 1-year period preacupuncture. For the comparison there was a decrease of 2% in physician visits (p=0.59) for the same time periods. Corresponding to the decrease, physician services cost declined 37% for the case group (p=0.01) and 1% for the comparison (p=0.86). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that patients with LBP were less likely to visit physicians for LBP after acupuncture treatment. This led to reduced health services spending on LBP.

A spirituality teaching program for depression: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial assessed the efficacy of a Spirituality Teaching Program to treat unipolar major depression. METHOD: A randomized controlled, assessor blinded trial design was used. A total of 84 individuals aged 18 years or older with unipolar major depression of mild to moderate severity were recruited in Calgary, Canada and randomized to two study arms: 1) Spirituality Teaching Program Group (8 week, home-based Spirituality Teaching Program); and 2) Waitlist Control Group (no intervention followed by Spirituality Teaching Program starting at week 9). Outcome measures (depression severity, response rate, remission rate) were assessed at baseline, 8, 16, and 24 weeks using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). RESULTS: The two trial groups were similar in their demographic and disease characteristics at baseline. At the 8-week point, the change in depression severity was significantly different between the two groups (change in HAM-D score: 8.5 for the Spirituality Group and 2.3 for the Waitlist Control Group, p < 0.001). The Spirituality Teaching Program Group had significantly higher response (36% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001) and remission rates (31% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001) than the Waitlist Control Group. The benefits remained throughout the observation period for the Spirituality Teaching Program Group participants with response rates of 56.4% at 16 weeks and 58.9% at 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: The Spirituality Program significantly reduced depression severity and increased response and remission rates. This non-drug treatment program should be investigated further as a treatment option for depression.

Mental disorders and reasons for using complementary therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare patients with and without mental disorders who seek services from a complementary therapy practitioner with regard to quality of life, reasons for seeking complementary therapies, complaints, and physical conditions. METHOD: We studied new patients who attended a complementary therapy clinic offering acupuncture treatment between July 1, 1993, and March 31, 1995. We collected data from a self-administered questionnaire and from a physician-conducted psychiatric assessment. RESULTS: Of the 826 new patients at the clinic, 578 (70%) presented with a mental disorder. Patients with a mental disorder perceived their quality of life as poorer and reported greater levels of stress than did those without a mental disorder. However, the groups did not differ in their self-reported reasons for seeking complementary therapies, in their complaints, or in their physical conditions. Among patients with a mental disorder, the major reasons for choosing complementary therapies were personal preference, interest, or belief in complementary therapies (44.3%) and perceiving complementary therapies as a last resort (30.7%). Most patients with a mental disorder saw a complementary practitioner for musculoskeletal and connective-tissue disorders (44.1%), fatigue (26.6%), and headache (15.2%). The most frequent physical illnesses among patients with a mental disorder were diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (42.6%). CONCLUSION: Like their counterparts without a mental disorder, individuals with a mental disorder use complementary therapies because of personal beliefs. The wide use of complementary therapies among individuals with a mental disorder may be ascribed to a poor quality of life and high levels of distress.