Proteomic analysis reveals dynamic changes in cloacal fluid composition during the reproductive season in a sexually promiscuous passerine.

Cryptic female choice (CFC) is a component of postcopulatory sexual selection that allows females to influence the fertilization success of sperm from different males. While its precise mechanisms remain unclear, they may involve the influence of the protein composition of the female reproductive fluids on sperm functionality. This study maps the protein composition of the cloacal fluid across different phases of female reproductive cycle in a sexually promiscuous passerine, the barn swallow.

Nest sanitation as an effective defence against brood parasitism.

Egg rejection is a crucial defence strategy against brood parasitism that requires the host to correctly recognise the foreign egg. Rejection behaviour has, thus, evolved in many hosts, facilitated by the visual differences between the parasitic and host eggs, and driving hosts to rely on colour and pattern cues. On the other hand, the need to recognise non-egg-shaped objects to carry out nest sanitation led birds to evolve the ability to discriminate and eject objects using mainly shape cues.

On 3-Coloring of ( )-Free Graphs.

The 3-coloring of hereditary graph classes has been a deeply-researched problem in the last decade. A hereditary graph class is characterized by a (possibly infinite) list of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs ; the graphs in the class are called -free. The complexity of 3-coloring is far from being understood, even for classes defined by a few small forbidden induced subgraphs.

Structures in G proteins important for subtype selective receptor binding and subsequent activation.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) selectively couple to specific heterotrimeric G proteins comprised of four subfamilies in order to induce appropriate physiological responses. However, structural determinants in Gα subunits responsible for selective recognition by approximately 800 human GPCRs have remained elusive. Here, we directly compare the influence of subtype-specific Gα structures on the stability of GPCR-G protein complexes and the activation by two Gq-coupled receptors.

Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand position statement executive summary: coronary artery calcium scoring.

Introduction This article summarises the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand position statement on coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring. CAC scoring is a non-invasive method for quantifying coronary artery calcification using computed tomography. It is a marker of atherosclerotic plaque burden and the strongest independent predictor of future myocardial infarction and mortality.

Improving access and equity in reducing cardiovascular risk: the Queensland Health model.

Objectives: To measure changes in cardiovascular risk factors among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or type 2 diabetes enrolled in a centralised statewide coaching program delivered by telephone and mail-out in the public health sector in Queensland.

Design: A population-based audit of cardiovascular risk factor data collected prospectively as part of The COACH (Coaching Patients On Achieving Cardiovascular Health) Program (TCP) delivered through Queensland Health's Health Contact Centre.

Setting And Participants: 1962 patients with CHD and 707 patients with type 2 diabetes who completed TCP from 20 February 2009 to 20 June 2013, of whom 145 were Indigenous Australians.

Host genotype and age have no effect on rejection of parasitic eggs.

Egg rejection belongs to a widely used host tactic to prevent the costs incurred by avian brood parasitism. However, the genetic basis of this behaviour and the effect of host age on the probability of rejecting the parasitic egg remain largely unknown. Here, we used a set of 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci, including a previously detected candidate locus (Ase64), to link genotypes of female great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), a known rejecter, with their egg rejection responses in two host populations.

Brood parasites lay eggs matching the appearance of host clutches.

Interspecific brood parasitism represents a prime example of the coevolutionary arms race where each party has evolved strategies in response to the other. Here, we investigated whether common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) actively select nests within a host population to match the egg appearance of a particular host clutch. To achieve this goal, we quantified the degree of egg matching using the avian vision modelling approach.

Early and late results of combined mitral-aortic valve surgery.

Objective: This retrospective study was designed to assess the early morbidity and mortality as well as long-term mortality of combined aortic-mitral valve procedures at a single centre.

Methods: Patients were identified by analysing the intensive care and perfusion databases, from 1989 to 2003, with 113 receiving aortic-mitral valve procedures. Eighty-four percent of patients received a mechanical bileaflet valve.

Stress, myocardial infarction, and the "tako-tsubo" phenomenon.

Emotional distress as a trigger for acute myocardial infarction is beginning to gain credibility as it is recognised that traditional risk factors can account for only half of all myocardial infarctions. Here, three cases of myocardial infarction are presented in the setting of an acute emotional stressor, with coronary angiography showing only minimal coronary artery disease. In all cases striking wall motion abnormalities, mimicking a "tako-tsubo", were noted with complete resolution within 30 days.

"Stress" and coronary heart disease: psychosocial risk factors.

An Expert Working Group of the National Heart Foundation of Australia undertook a review of systematic reviews of the evidence relating to major psychosocial risk factors to assess whether there are independent associations between any of the factors and the development and progression of coronary heart disease (CHD), or the occurrence of acute cardiac events. The expert group concluded that (i) there is strong and consistent evidence of an independent causal association between depression, social isolation and lack of quality social support and the causes and prognosis of CHD; and (ii) there is no strong or consistent evidence for a causal association between chronic life events, work-related stressors (job control, demands and strain), Type A behaviour patterns, hostility, anxiety disorders or panic disorders and CHD. The increased risk contributed by these psychosocial factors is of similar order to the more conventional CHD risk factors such as smoking, dyslipidaemia and hypertension.

Opening Pandora's box: the unpredictability of reassurance by a normal test result.

Objectives: To determine the rate of failure of patient reassurance after a normal test result and study the determinants of failure.

Design: Replicated single case study with qualitative and quantitative data analysis.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

[Laparoscopic peroperative cholangiography--indications and significance].

The authors have performed 35 peroperative laparoscopic cholangiographies by means of transcystic cannylation of the choledochus in 410 patients subdued to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Choledocholelithiasis was found in 8 patients (22.85%).

Community exercise to prevent heart disease. How much should we advise?

There is international agreement that those in the community who are habitually active, either in work or in leisure, have a better coronary risk profile and a lower death rate from coronary heart disease (CHD). This agreement is usually translated into recommendations encouraging the population to perform regular aerobic exercise for 30 minutes thrice weekly. Such a policy is intrinsically costly, requiring detailed medical examination, exercise testing and exercise prescription.

Transcranial electrical motor evoked potentials as a prognostic indicator for motor recovery in stroke patients.

Transcranial electrical motor evoked potentials (MEP) were examined in 33 patients within three days after stroke. Normal values for MEP and motor central conduction time (CCT) were obtained in 46 healthy controls whose MEPs were evaluated during slight voluntary muscle contraction and at rest. Two months later 23 patients were re-examined clinically and electrophysiologically.

[The startle response and epilepsy].

Startle responses (SR) are described as epileptic and non-epileptic attacks and their mechanisms are poorly understood. Long-loop reflexes and a satisfactory response to L-tryptophan treatment have only seldom been published in this condition. This prompted us to report a case with epilepsy and startle-induced tonic spasms, the latter refractory to all conventional medication except for L-tryptophan.

[Reconditioning of diabetics--a progressive therapeutic method].

The authors discuss an untraditional comprehensive therapeutic method of diabetes where in 30 patients marked improvement of parameters of the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism was achieved. The value of the mean fasting blood sugar level declined from 11.28 mmol/l to 5.

The contribution of a non-invasive test to clinical care. The impact of echocardiography on diagnosis, management and patient anxiety.

We prospectively studied the impact of echocardiography on a cardiologist's diagnosis and management plan and on patient anxiety for 300 consecutive referrals. There was an impact on diagnosis in 90% of patients. Most common was confirmation of diagnosis usually with the addition of information pertinent to management (81%); change of disease category or resolution of diagnostic doubt was uncommon (9%).

Prognosis of cardiac disease in the ambulant patient.

Much investigation and treatment in cardiac practice is based on the assumption that unexpected death is common in cardiac patients. The validity of this assumption was examined in 636 of 669 (95.1%) consecutive ambulant patients.