A Macintosh computer system for collecting and analyzing rodent sexual behavior.

We present a Macintosh-based computer system for collection and analysis of rodent sexual behavior. Two computer programs are presented. The first is an entirely generalizable real time data collection program that records any keyboard or keypad inputs (e.g., user defined behavior codes) and their time of occurrence. The second is somewhat generalizable; we use it to analyze frequencies, durations, and latencies relative to a copulatory series (including mounts, intromissions, and ejaculations). To our knowledge, these are the first such programs available on the Macintosh platform.

Reduction of noise-induced hearing loss using L-NAC and salicylate in the chinchilla.

The effects of a combination of two antioxidant compounds were studied in a chinchilla model of noise-induced hearing loss. After obtaining baseline hearing thresholds using inferior colliculus evoked potentials, chinchillas were exposed for 6 h to octave band noise centered at 4 kHz (105 dB SPL). Post-noise thresholds were obtained 1 h after the noise exposure, and then animals received either saline or salicylate and N-L-acetylcysteine combination. Another group received antioxidant treatment 1 h prior to noise. Hearing was tested at 1, 2 and 3 weeks post-noise. Subsequently, the cochleae were harvested, and cytocochleograms were prepared. There was a 20-40 dB SPL threshold shift at 3 weeks for tested controls. Permanent threshold shifts (PTS) were significantly reduced (P<0.05) to approximately 10 dB for the pre-treatment group at week 3. The PTS for the post-treatment group at week 3 was similar to the pre-treatment group at 1 and 2 kHz (0-10 dB) but was intermediate between the control and pre-treatment groups at 4 and 8 kHz (23 dB). Animals pre-treated with antioxidant had a significant reduction in hair cell loss but those post-treated with antioxidant had no protection from hair cell loss. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of reduction of noise-induced hearing loss using clinically available antioxidant compounds.

The evolution of magnanimity : When is it better to give than to receive?

Conspicuous consumption associated with status reinforcement behavior can be explained in terms of costly signaling, or strategic handicap theory, first articulated by Zahavi and later formalized by Grafen. A theory is introduced which suggests that the evolutionary raison d'être of status reinforcement behavior lies not only in its effects on lifetime reproductive success, but in its positive effects on the probability of survival through infrequent, unpredictable demographic bottlenecks. Under some circumstances, such "wasteful" displays may take the form of displays of altruistic behavior and generosity on the part of high status individuals, in that is signals the ability to bear the short-term costs of being generous or "cooperative," while at the same time reinforcing the long-term benefits of higher status.

A selective Pt-CdS photodiode to monitor erythemal flux.

The design and potential benefit of a solar ultraviolet (UV) radiometer reporting a maximum instantaneous flux of erythemally weighted heterogeneous energy is considered. The proposed device is electronically peak detecting; the user would ideally 'point and paint' the sun to find a localized maximum. A projected exposure time can be calculated from an instantaneous reading of erythemally weighted flux for a given minimal erythemal dose (MED) specified by the user. This calculation, though not necessarily providing a true exposure time, may be useful and informative in that it serves as a more 'recognizable' measure of erythemal flux and introduces a custom scale for each individual via their MED. Erythemal flux is calculated as the weighted integral sum [symbol: see text]j(lambda,t) epsilon(lambda) d lambda, where j (lambda, t) is the instantaneous angular integrated spectral irradiance accepted by human skin. This instrument proposal uses a single interference filter over a Pt-CdS photodiode; the interference filter is offered as a nominal design transmittance. The simulated response of the selective photodiode has a near-linear relation to the effective irradiance. Test inputs for evaluation purposes and to elucidate a transducer response are constructed from a spline interpolation of the World Radiation Center (WRC) spectrum and classic transmittance models. Our desired erythemal flux is offered in interconvertible UV Indexes (UVIs) as a function of zenith angle and atmosphere, characterized by elevation, ozone path, and turbidity.

A new curriculum for fitness education.

Regular exercise is important in a preventive approach to health care because it exerts a beneficial effect on many risk factors in the development of coronary heart disease. However, many Americans lack the skills required to devise and carry out a safe and effective exercise program appropriate for a life-time of fitness. This inability is partly due to the lack of fitness education during their school years. School programs in physical education tend to neglect training in the health-related aspects of fitness. Therefore, a new curriculum for fitness education is proposed that would provide seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students with (a) a basic knowledge of their physiological response to exercise, (b) the means to develop their own safe and effective physical fitness program, and (c) the motivation to incorporate regular exercise into their lifestyle. This special 4-week segment of primarily academic study is designed to be inserted into the physical education curriculum. Daily lessons cover health-related fitness, cardiovascular fitness, body fitness, and care of the back. A final written examination covering major areas of information is given to emphasize this academic approach to exercise. Competition in athletic ability is deemphasized, and motivational awards are given based on health-related achievements. The public's present lack of knowledge about physical fitness, coupled with the numerous anatomical and physiological benefits derived from regular, vigorous exercise, mandate an intensified curriculum of fitness education for school children.

Stress and hypertension.

Mental stress seems clearly and inextricably linked to the development and maintenance of high blood pressure. Blood pressure evaluated during ambulation, work, or mental stress instead of at rest or in the physician's office consistently improves the ability to predict the target-organ damage often associated with all forms of hypertension. An improved understanding of the relationship between emotional arousal and high blood pressure has accelerated knowledge surrounding the stress-related entities of white-coat hypertension, borderline or mild hypertension, circadian blood pressure changes, labile hypertension, and ambulatory or work-related hypertension. Further development and refinement of diagnostic testing devices such as ambulatory blood pressure monitors and standardized mental stress testing protocols with simultaneous blood pressure determination should improve the evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy, therapeutic efficacy, and prognostic significance associated with stress-related blood pressure elevations. These advances may be especially important because most of the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension is seen in those with only mild to moderate elevations in blood pressure. Pharmacologic intervention directed at stress-related hypertensive entities may be helpful but remains controversial. Certainly, if instituted, drug therapy should be directed toward preservation of the target organs. Therapeutic intervention through nonpharmacologic modalities appears to be the logical treatment of choice for these hypertensive subgroups. Combined hygienic interventions may be especially powerful. Combinations of lifestyle treatment modalities optimizing nutrition, exercise, weight control, and stress management should obviate the need for medications in many cases of stress-related hypertension. Improved recognition and clinical evaluation of the relationship between environmental stress and hypertension will assist the primary care physician in the management of the blood pressure variations associated with daily life.

Upper respiratory tract disease and mycoplasmosis in desert tortoises from Nevada.

A population of desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) at Yucca Mountain (Nevada, USA) was monitored during four sampling periods using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to determine the percentage of individuals that had been exposed to Mycoplasma agassizii, a causative agent of upper respiratory tract disease. Respiratory tract disease has been considered a significant factor in the decline of desert tortoise populations in the Mojave Desert (USA). Few differences between sexes in ELISA values or percentages testing positive were noted. From 15 to 23% of samples per period tested positive for exposure to the mycoplasma. However, we noted few clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease. This is in contrast to an earlier study which reported a similar proportion of seropositive tortoises as well as a high percentage of tortoises with clinical signs. However, our results are consistent with that study's conclusion that seropositivity for M. agassizii was a poor predictor of the likelihood to exhibit clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease. Earlier reported epizootics of mycoplasma-associated respiratory disease occurred mainly during times of drought. Our samples were collected during a period of average to above-average rainfall, suggesting that manifestation of clinical signs of the disease may depend upon the physiological condition of tortoises which, in turn, is related to environmental conditions.

Antibodies to granulocytic ehrlichiae in white-footed and cotton mice in eastern United States.

Serum samples, collected from Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mouse) or Peromyscus gossypinus (cotton mouse) during 1987 through 1990 in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, and North Carolina (USA), and in 1997 in southern Connecticut were analyzed by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining methods or Western blot procedures for antibodies to granulocytic ehrlichiae. Of the 82 sera from white-footed mice in Connecticut tested by IFA methods with either the BDS or NCH-1 strain of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent, 45 (55%) and 42 (51%) of the samples contained antibodies to these strains, respectively, at concentrations ranging from 1:80 to 1:2560. One (2%) of 43 sera from P. leucopus captured in Assateague Island (Maryland) had a titer of 1:80, while three (20%) of 15 sera from P. gossypinus, captured in Sapelo Island (Georgia) and four (40%) of 10 sera from cotton mice caught in Amelia Island (Florida) had antibodies to the NCH-1 strain at titers of 1:160 to 1:1,280. Fifty-five sera from P. leucopus in Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) and 30 sera from P. gossypinus in Mississippi were negative. Western blot analyses confirmed seropositivity for 19 (95%) of 20 mouse sera positive by IFA staining methods, including samples from both mouse species captured in Connecticut, Maryland, or Florida. There were key banding patterns to proteins having molecular masses of about 44, 80, 105, 110, or 120 kDa. Both serologic assays can be used to determine if mice have been exposed to granulocytic ehrlichiae. These rodents also may be useful in surveillance programs to identify endemic sites for HGE and in performing laboratory studies on immune responses to the etiologic agent.

Satisfaction, motivation, and commitment of senior medical record administration and medical technology students.

This study refined an existing Allied Health Career Attitude Scale (AHCAS) and measured the attitudes of a nationwide sample of students in medical record administration and medical technology. A survey of seniors enrolled in 35 medical record administration and 37 medical technology programs was conducted with 756 usable student responses. The 39-item questionnaire was used to measure the satisfaction of seniors with their career choice, motivation to participate in professional organizations, and career outlook. On the total scale, scores of medical record administration students were significantly more positive. No significant difference was found between groups on the subscale measuring satisfaction with career choice. Medical record administration seniors were significantly more positive on the subscale measuring motivation to participate in professional organizations and the subscale measuring career outlook. The paper contains various interpretations of these findings with suggestions for the use of the scale by allied health educators.

A prospective randomized clinical trial of patellar resurfacing and nonresurfacing in bilateral TKA.

UNLABELLED: We conducted a randomized clinical trial to determine long-term outcome differences of patella resurfacing versus nonresurfacing in patients undergoing bilateral total knee arthroplasty. We questioned whether there were differences with respect to the operative procedure, anterior knee pain, Knee Society scores, patellofemoral-related revision rates, patient satisfaction and preference, and patellofemoral functional activities. Thirty-two patients (64 knees) underwent primary bilateral single-stage total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. All patients received the same cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty. Patients were randomized to resurfacing or nonresurfacing of the patella for the first total knee arthroplasty, and the second knee received the opposite treatment. All living patients were followed to a minimum of 10 years. We found no differences with regard to range of motion, Knee Society Clinical Rating Score, satisfaction, revision rates, or anterior knee pain. Thirty-seven percent of patients preferred the resurfaced knee, 22% the nonresurfaced knee, and 41% had no preference. Two patients (7.4%) in the nonresurfaced group and one patient (3.5%) in the resurfaced group underwent revision for a patellofemoral-related complication. Equivalent clinical results for resurfaced and nonresurfaced patellae in total knee arthroplasty were demonstrated in this 10-year randomized clinical trial. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Psychophysiologic stress testing as a predictor of mean daily blood pressure.

This study describes correlations between the mean daily blood pressures determined by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and those obtained during psychophysiologic stress testing. Seven normotensive and 21 hypertensive persons were monitored for hemodynamic changes in the laboratory while undergoing various standardized, low-challenge psychophysiologic tests. The same persons then had their blood pressure monitored with an ambulatory unit for the rest of the day. The laboratory "resting" pressure used was derived by averaging measurements for mean blood pressure obtained in three positions: standing, sitting, and supine. The "stress" pressure used was the mean blood pressure obtained by averaging three readings taken during videogame playing. A good correlation (r = 0.78) between work-time blood pressure and the laboratory stress pressure was noted. The correlation was improved (r = 0.8) when the averages of laboratory resting and stress values were used. A relationship was also noted between peak pressures obtained during the laboratory testing and those obtained during work-time by ambulatory monitoring.

Excitation of surface electromagnetic waves on water.

Excitation of surface electromagnetic waves (SEW) on water was studied using optical coupling techniques at microwave frequencies. Excitation of SEW was also achieved using direct horn antenna coupling. The transmitted SEW power was increased by adding acid and salt to water. The horn antenna gave the maximum excitation efficiency 70%. It was increased to 75% by collimating the electromagnetic beam in the vertical direction. Excitation efficiency for the prism (0 degrees pitch angle) and grating couplers were 15.2% and 10.5% respectively. By changing the prism coupler pitch angle to +36 degrees , its excitation efficiency was increased to 82%.

Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in rodents in the eastern and southern United States.

Serologic studies were conducted to determine whether white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus) contained serum antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays detected antibodies to this spirochete in 35.7 and 27.3% of 56 P. leucopus and 535 P. gossypinus serum samples, respectively, collected in Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Antibody titers ranged from 1:160 to greater than or equal to 1:40,960. On the basis of adsorption tests, the antibodies detected appeared to be specific to Borrelia spirochetes. Seropositive rodents in the eastern and southern United States, areas where human cases of Lyme borreliosis have been reported, indicate a widespread geographic distribution of B. burgdorferi or a closely related spirochete.