Inter-tissue differences in fatty acid incorporation as a result of dietary oil manipulation in Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni).

Fatty acid profile analysis is a tool for dietary investigation that may complement traditional stomach contents analysis. While recent studies have shown that the liver of sharks fed different diets have differing fatty acid profiles, the degree to which diet is reflected in shark blood serum and muscle tissue is still poorly understood. An 18-week controlled feeding experiment was undertaken using captive Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni).

Dietary fish oil replacement with palm or poultry oil increases fillet oxidative stability and decreases liver glutathione peroxidase activity in barramundi (Lates calcarifer).

Complete dietary fish oil replacement with palm or poultry oil in barramundi (Lates calcarifer) had no detrimental effects on growth or hepatosomatic index of juvenile fish up to an average size of ~50 g. However, it significantly decreased the omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the fish muscle (fillet) lipids. This was particularly true for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which are recognised for their health beneficial effects in the human diet.

Experimental evaluation of fatty acid profiles as a technique to determine dietary composition in benthic elasmobranchs.

Fatty acid (FA) analysis is a tool for dietary investigation that complements traditional stomach content analyses. Controlled feeding experiments were used to determine the extent to which the FA composition of diet is reflected in the liver and muscle tissue of the Port Jackson shark Heterodontus portusjacksoni. Over 10 wk, two groups of sharks were fed prawns or squid, which have distinct FA profiles.

Dietary alpha-linolenic acid does not enhance accumulation of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in barramundi (Lates calcarifer).

This study examined the effects of substituting fish oil and fish meal with a blend of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 n-3) rich vegetable oils (14%, w/w) and defatted poultry meal (34%, w/w) in a formulated diet, on growth and tissue fatty acid profiles in barramundi fingerlings. Results indicated that on average, while the ALA levels of the barramundi liver and fillet increased with increasing dietary ALA, there was no corresponding increase in the levels of the omega-3 (n-3) long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA). Compared to fish consuming a commercial feed, which contained fish meal and fish oil, fish on the ALA diets grew slower, had a lower feed intake and lower n-3 LCPUFA levels in the tissues.

An alternative n-3 fatty acid elongation pathway utilising 18:3n-3 in barramundi (Lates calcarifer).

Desaturase and elongase are two key enzyme categories in the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) pathway that convert dietary α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3). The Δ6 desaturase is considered as rate limiting in the conversion. In a previous study in barramundi we demonstrated that the desaturase had a low Δ6 activity but noted that the enzyme also possessed Δ8 ability that utilised 20-carbon fatty acids.

Electrochemical activity of glucose oxidase on a poly(ionic liquid)-Au nanoparticle composite.

Glucose oxidase (GOx) adsorbed on an ionic liquid-derived polymer containing internally organized columns of Au nanoparticles exhibits direct electron transfer and bioelectrocatalytic properties towards the oxidation of glucose. The cationic poly(ionic liquid) provides an ideal substrate for the electrostatic immobilization of GOx. The encapsulated Au nanoparticles serve to both promote the direct electron transfer with the recessed enzyme redox centers and impart electronic conduction to the composite, allowing it to function as an electrode for electrochemical detection.

Dietary fish oil replacement with canola oil up-regulates glutathione peroxidase 1 gene expression in yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi).

The marine carnivore yellowtail kingfish (YTK, Seriola lalandi) was fed diets containing 5% residual fish oil (from the dietary fish meal) plus either 20% fish oil (FO), 20% canola oil (CO), 20% poultry oil (PO), 10% fish oil plus 10% canola oil (FO/CO) or 10% fish oil plus 10% poultry oil (FO/PO) and the effects on fish growth and hepatic expression of two glutathione peroxidase (GPx 1 and GPx 4) and two peroxiredoxin (Prx 1 and Prx 4) antioxidant genes were investigated. Partial (50%) replacement of the added dietary fish oil with poultry oil significantly improved fish growth whereas 100% replacement with canola oil significantly depressed fish growth. The fatty acid profiles of the fish fillets generally reflected those of the dietary oils except that there was apparent selective utilization of palmitic acid (16:0) and oleic acid (18:1n-9) and apparent selective retention of eicospentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3).

Local anaesthetics use does not suppress muscle activity following an ankle injection.

Purpose: To determine if peroneus longus (PL), peroneus brevis (PB), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscle activation patterns during inversion perturbation and running tasks are suppressed following lidocaine injection to the anterior talofibular (ATF) and calcaneofibular (CF) ligament regions.

Methods: Fourteen recreationally active male subjects (age, 24.8 ± 2.

Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) desaturase with Δ6/Δ8 dual activities.

Barramundi is a commercially farmed fish in Australia. To examine the potential for barramundi to metabolise dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 n-3), the existence of barramundi desaturase enzymes was examined. A putative fatty acid Δ6 desaturase was cloned from barramundi liver and expressed in yeast.

All-Organic, Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Composites with Electrospun Fiber Fillers.

Stimuli-responsive materials are desired for a wide range of applications. Here, we report the design and fabrication of all-organic, stimuli-responsive polymer composites using electrospun nanofibers as the filler. The incorporation of 4 wt % of filler into the polymer matrix increased the tensile storage modulus by 2 orders of magnitude.

Addressing existential disruption in traumatic spinal cord injury: a new approach to human temporality in inpatient rehabilitation.

This article uses Heidegger's notion of humanp temporality to illuminate the meaning of the temporal disruption that can occur after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Though time is seen as important in rehabilitation practice, especially in occupational theory, it is often conceptualised in linear terms thus missing its existential structure. Our goal in this article is to enhance researchers' and rehabilitation clinicians' ways of doing and thinking about rehabilitation by revealing and articulating the role of human temporality in recovery and re-habilitation in the case of TSCI.

Self-assembly and orientation of hydrogen-bonded oligothiophene polymorphs at liquid-membrane-liquid interfaces.

One of the challenges in organic systems with semiconducting function is the achievement of molecular orientation over large scales. We report here on the use of self-assembly kinetics to control long-range orientation of a quarterthiophene derivative designed to combine intermolecular π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding among amide groups. Assembly of these molecules in the solution phase is prevented by the hydrogen-bond-accepting solvent tetrahydrofuran, whereas formation of H-aggregates is facilitated in toluene.

Self-assembly and conductivity of hydrogen-bonded oligothiophene nanofiber networks.

Symmetric oligothiophene derivatives containing hydrogen bond forming segments create self-supporting organogels consisting of self-assembled 1D nanostructures at low concentrations. Hydrogen bond formation and π-π stacking were both found to be crucial for the formation of conductive supramolecular networks of 1D nanostructures.

A synergistic assembly of nanoscale lamellar photoconductor hybrids.

Highly ordered nanostructured organic/inorganic hybrids offer chemical tunability, novel functionalities and enhanced performance over their individual components. Hybrids of complementary p-type organic and n-type inorganic components have attracted interest in optoelectronics, where high-efficiency devices with minimal cost are desired. We demonstrate here self-assembly of a lamellar hybrid containing periodic and alternating 1-nm-thick sheets of polycrystalline ZnO separated by 2-3 nm layers of conjugated molecules, directly onto an electrode.

Talocrural dislocation with associated weber type C fibular fracture in a collegiate football player: a case report.

Objective: To present the case of a talocrural dislocation with a Weber type C fibular fracture in a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football athlete.

Background: The athlete, while attempting to make a tackle during a game, collided with an opponent, who in turn stepped on the lateral aspect of the athlete's ankle, resulting in forced ankle eversion and external rotation. On-field evaluation showed a laterally displaced talocrural dislocation.

Sham device v inert pill: randomised controlled trial of two placebo treatments.

Objective: To investigate whether a sham device (a validated sham acupuncture needle) has a greater placebo effect than an inert pill in patients with persistent arm pain.

Design: A single blind randomised controlled trial created from the two week placebo run-in periods for two nested trials that compared acupuncture and amitriptyline with their respective placebo controls. Comparison of participants who remained on placebo continued beyond the run-in period to the end of the study.

Precipitative growth templated by a fluid jet.

Tubular growth by chemical precipitation at the interface between two fluids, a jet and its surroundings, underlies the development of such important structures as chimneys at hydrothermal vents. This growth is associated with strong thermal and/or solute gradients localized at those interfaces, and these gradients, in turn, often produce radial compositional stratification of the resulting tube wall. A fundamental question underlying these processes is how the interplay between diffusion, advection, and precipitation determines the elongation rate of the tubes.

Stalactite growth as a free-boundary problem: a geometric law and its platonic ideal.

The chemical mechanisms underlying the growth of cave formations such as stalactites are well known, yet no theory has yet been proposed which successfully accounts for the dynamic evolution of their shapes. Here we consider the interplay of thin-film fluid dynamics, calcium carbonate chemistry, and CO2 transport in the cave to show that stalactites evolve according to a novel local geometric growth law which exhibits extreme amplification at the tip as a consequence of the locally-varying fluid layer thickness. Studies of this model show that a broad class of initial conditions is attracted to an ideal shape which is strikingly close to a statistical average of natural stalactites.

Patient expectations in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials.

Objective: To explore participants' experience in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) specifically in relationship to their expectations.

Background: Aspects of being in RCTs, such as informed consent, perception of benefit and understanding of randomization, have been examined. In contrast, little is known concerning the formation of patient expectations before and during trials.

Neuromuscular dynamic restraint in women with anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

The purpose of this study was to identify neuromuscular characteristics related to dynamic restraint in the knee. Observing compensatory changes to these characteristics in women with anterior cruciate ligament injuries provides important information for understanding functional knee stability, injury prevention, and performance. Twelve female subjects with anterior cruciate ligament injuries and 17 female control subjects participated in this study to assess electromyographic activity during landing from a hop and knee perturbation; hamstring muscle stiffness and flexibility; and isokinetic strength.

Tubular precipitation and redox gradients on a bubbling template.

Tubular structures created by precipitation abound in nature, from chimneys at hydrothermal vents to soda straws in caves. Their formation is controlled by chemical gradients within which precipitation occurs, defining a surface that templates the growing structure. We report a self-organized periodic templating mechanism producing tubular structures electrochemically in iron-ammonium-sulfate solutions; iron oxides precipitate on the surface of bubbles that linger at the tube rim and then detach, leaving behind a ring of material.

Effect of lateral ankle ligament anesthesia on single-leg stance stability.

Purpose: This study was designed to determine, in isolation, the contribution of lateral ankle ligament mechanoreceptors to postural stability during single leg static (eyes open, eyes closed) and landing tasks.

Methods: Fourteen healthy subjects (nine males, five females) underwent two different treatment conditions (control, anesthesia) in a counterbalanced order (48-h interval). During the anesthetic treatment, lidocaine was injected into the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligament (1.

Knee joint biomechanics: relevance to imaging.

Over the past 2 decades our understanding of the anatomy and biomechanics of the knee joint has dramatically increased. The translation of this knowledge into clinical practice has greatly improved athletic training and medical treatment when injury occurs. Advances in imaging techniques have played a role in this improvement.

Elbow: the trochleogingylomoid joint.

More complex than a hinged joint, the elbow provides flexion-extension as well as pronation-supination. A unique arrangement of joint surfaces, soft tissue restraints, and muscle forces provides the mobility and stability of this joint. Understanding basic elbow biomechanics will assist the musculoskeletal radiologist in evaluations of this joint.