Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| endotoxin increases both protein and fluid microvascular permeability in cat skeletal muscle. | to evaluate effects of lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) on protein and fluid permeability in a whole organ skeletal muscle preparation. | 2003 | 12576966 |
| nitric-oxide-mediated regulation of cardiac contractility and stretch responses. | in the heart, nitric oxide (no) is constitutively produced by the vascular and endocardial endothelium, the cardiomyocytes and the autonomic nerves. whereas stimulation of no release from the vascular endothelium has consistently been shown to quicken the onset of left ventricular (lv) relaxation and cause a small reduction in peak contraction, the role of myocardial no production in regulating cardiac function appears to be more complex and controversial. some studies have shown that non-isofor ... | 2003 | 12732269 |
| titin is a candidate gene for stroke volume response to endurance training: the heritage family study. | a genome-wide linkage scan for endurance training-induced changes in submaximal exercise stroke volume (deltasv50) in the heritage family study revealed two chromosomal regions (2q31-q32 and 10p11.2) with at least suggestive evidence of linkage among white families. here we report a further characterization of the quantitative trait locus (qtl) in chromosome 2q31 and provide evidence that titin (ttn) is likely a candidate gene involved. the original linkage was detected with two markers (d2s335 ... | 2003 | 12865504 |
| titin determines the frank-starling relation in early diastole. | titin, a giant protein spanning half the sarcomere, is responsible for passive and restoring forces in cardiac myofilaments during sarcomere elongation and compression, respectively. in addition, titin has been implicated in the length-dependent activation that occurs in the stretched sarcomere, during the transition from diastole to systole. the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of titin in the length-dependent deactivation that occurs during early diastole, when the myocyte is ... | 2003 | 12566538 |
| human infestation with bird mites in wollongong. | this is a report of a case of bird mite infestation which occurred in wollongong in mid-december 1996. the individual suffered hundreds of bites, most of which were marked by itchy red papules 3-4 mm in diameter. tiny mobile parasites (< 1 mm) collected from the skin and adjacent bedroom wall were identified as bird mites from the family gamasidae, most probably from the genus ornithonyssus. the source of the infestation was a starling nest under the eaves adjacent to the bedroom. the report sum ... | 2003 | 12926740 |
| titin isoform variance and length dependence of activation in skinned bovine cardiac muscle. | we have explored the role of the giant elastic protein titin in the frank-starling mechanism of the heart by measuring the sarcomere length (sl) dependence of activation in skinned cardiac muscles with different titin-based passive stiffness characteristics. we studied muscle from the bovine left ventricle (blv), which expresses a high level of a stiff titin isoform, and muscle from the bovine left atrium (bla), which expresses more compliant titin isoforms. passive tension was also varied in ea ... | 2003 | 12963792 |
| activation of mst1 causes dilated cardiomyopathy by stimulating apoptosis without compensatory ventricular myocyte hypertrophy. | activation of mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (mst1) by genotoxic compounds is known to stimulate apoptosis in some cell types. the importance of mst1 in cell death caused by clinically relevant pathologic stimuli is unknown, however. in this study, we show that mst1 is a prominent myelin basic protein kinase activated by proapoptotic stimuli in cardiac myocytes and that mst1 causes cardiac myocyte apoptosis in vitro in a kinase activity-dependent manner. in vivo, cardiac-specific overexpress ... | 2003 | 12750396 |
| song as an honest signal of past developmental stress in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | bird song is a sexually selected male trait where females select males on the basis of song quality. it has recently been suggested that the quality of the adult male song may be determined by nutritional stress during early development. here, we test the 'nutritional-stress hypothesis' using the complex song of the european starling. fledgling starlings were kept under experimental treatment (unpredictable short-term food deprivations) or control conditions (ad libitum food supply), for three m ... | 2003 | 12816653 |
| first report on cryptococcus laurentii associated with feather loss in a glossy starling (lamprotornis chalybaeus). | although cryptococcus laurentii has been isolated from fresh droppings and cloaca samples from feral pigeons, it has never before been associated with an actual disease condition in birds. this case study deals with the first report on c. laurentii associated with feather loss in a glossy starling (lamprotornis chalybaeus). the bird exhibited patchy feather loss, especially around the back and beak area, and greyish crusts sticking quite firmly to the underlying skin. the feathers had a greasy a ... | 2003 | 12850922 |
| endothelin-1 contributes to the frank-starling response in hypertrophic rat hearts. | endothelin-1 is involved in mechanical load-induced cardiac growth processes; it also has effects on contractility. the interaction of endothelin-1 and the frank-starling response is unknown. the present study aimed to characterize the role of endothelin-1 in the regulation of the frank-starling response, one of the major mechanisms regulating cardiac contractile force, in both normal and hypertrophied hearts. nontransgenic rat hearts and hypertrophic hearts of hypertensive double transgenic rat ... | 2003 | 12511536 |
| behavioral, physiological, and endocrine responses of starlings to acute increases in density. | one potential stressor to vertebrates both in the wild and in captivity is the presence of numerous individuals in a confined space. to examine the effects of increased conspecific density in birds, we simultaneously measured cardiac, behavioral, and endocrine responses of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to acute crowding. a cage containing a resident bird was outfitted with a trap door that allowed for the introduction of intruder birds (one, three, or five birds) without human interferen ... | 2003 | 14609544 |
| collapsible upper airway segment to study the obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome in rats. | animal models have been used to study the pathophysiology of the obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (sahs). nevertheless, in none of the models described to date have the animals been subjected to the different patterns of upper airway obstructive events (apneas, hypopneas, and inspiratory flow limitation) characterizing sahs. our aim was to devise and test a computer-controlled collapsible upper airway segment applicable to rats and able to realistically mimic obstructive sahs events. th ... | 2003 | 12853011 |
| [assimilation of rhythm by the isolated dog heart during gradual raising of stimulation frequency]. | an ability for a forestalling regulation of contractility of the heart with calculation of the tendency of rhythm increasing was revealed under a gradual increasing of heart rhythm. a forestalling regulation of heart contractility occurs with rhythm assimilation at the cell level of the heart and irrespective of the influence of frank-starling law and neurohumoral factors on the work of the heart. a 5-10% increasing of heart rhythm is characterized by optimal rhythm assimilation. a 15-40% increa ... | 2003 | 14870491 |
| altered force-frequency response in non-failing hearts with decreased serca pump-level. | decreased serca2 activity is considered to significantly contribute to the contractile dysfunction of failing hearts. however, it is now known how decreases in serca activity affect cardiac function in detail and also if a decrease alone is sufficient to cause heart failure. | 2003 | 14499868 |
| endothelial distribution of the membrane water channel molecule aquaporin-1: implications for tissue and lymph fluid physiology? | aquaporin-1 (aq-1) is a transmembrane water channel protein reportedly expressed in continuous capillary endothelium and intestinal lacteals. we investigated endothelial aq-1 expression in rat intestine and mesentery, and also in lymph nodes. | 2003 | 15624322 |
| myosplint decreases wall stress without depressing function in the failing heart: a finite element model study. | the myocor myosplint is a transcavitary tensioning device designed to change left ventricular (lv) shape and reduce wall stress. regional wall stress cannot be measured in the intact heart and lv function after surgical remodeling is often confounded by inotropic agents and mitral repair. we used a realistic mathematical (finite element) model of the dilated human lv to test the hypothesis that myosplint decreased regional ventricular fiber stress and improved lv function. | 2003 | 14530007 |
| effects of dietary quality on basal metabolic rate and internal morphology of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were fed either a low- or high-quality diet to test the effects of dietary quality on basal metabolic rate (bmr) and internal morphology. basal metabolic rate did not differ significantly between the two dietary groups, but internal morphology differed greatly. starlings fed the low-quality diet had heavier gastrointestinal tracts, gizzards, and livers. starlings fed the high-quality diet had heavier breast muscles. starlings on the low-quality diet maintain ... | 2003 | 10068622 |
| daily rhythm of sleep-wakefulness in the starling, sturnus vulgaris. | wakefulness (w), slow wave sleep (sws) and paradoxical sleep (ps) were recorded electrographically in four captive starlings sturnus vulgaris under natural lighting conditions. starling males slept considerably less than females in the period following sleep onset. the hourly percentage and episode durations of sws slightly increased in the course of the night. the percentage of ps was highest during the first half of the night, then exhibited a decreasing trend. the episode durations of ps show ... | 2003 | 3591363 |
| sleep pattern in the starling (sturnus vulgaris). | electrographic and behavioural observations were conducted on two male and two female captive starlings (sturnus vulgaris) under natural illumination conditions during autumn. polygraphically sleep and wakefulness of starling were similar to those of other birds. starling's total sleep (ts) and slow wave sleep (sws) lasted 39.0 +/- 1.4% and 38.3 +/- 1.7% of the 24-h period respectively. paradoxical sleep (ps) was 1.8 +/- 0.2% of the total sleep time. the mean durations individual of ts, sws and ... | 2003 | 3837600 |
| european starling (sturnus vulgaris): avian model and monitor of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination at a superfund site in southern illinois, usa. | accumulation and effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) in avian species were evaluated at a superfund site located at crab orchard national wildlife refuge (il, usa). european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were monitored at nest boxes constructed at each of two study and two reference sites. during the breeding season, starling productivity and adult provisioning behavior were monitored. at 15 d after hatch, chicks and adults were collected for contaminant and biomarker analyses. chicks and ... | 2004 | 14768872 |
| developmental stress, social rank and song complexity in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | bird song is a sexually selected trait and females have been shown to prefer males that sing more complex songs. however, for repertoire size to be an honest signal of male quality it must be associated with some form of cost. this experiment investigates the effects of food restriction and social status during development on song complexity in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). birds that experienced an unpredictable food supply early in life produced a significantly smaller repertoire o ... | 2004 | 15101438 |
| individual variation in plasma estradiol-17beta and androgen levels during egg formation in the european starling sturnus vulgaris: implications for regulation of yolk steroids. | while it is clear that maternal transfer of steroids to egg yolk can have significant effects on offspring phenotype, an unresolved question is whether females can facultatively adjust yolk hormone levels independently of their own plasma levels or whether yolk steroid levels are simply a direct consequence of temporal variation in the female's hormonal status. in part, this is because we lack detailed information about the day-to-day pattern of changes in plasma hormone levels during the laying ... | 2004 | 15081834 |
| primitive auditory stream segregation: a neurophysiological study in the songbird forebrain. | auditory stream segregation refers to the perceptual grouping of sounds, to form coherent representations of objects in the acoustic scene, and is a fundamental aspect of hearing and speech perception. the perceptual segregation of simple interleaved tone sequences has been studied in humans and european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) using sequences of 2 alternating tones differing in frequency (aba-aba-aba-...). the segregation of a and b tones into separate auditory streams is believed to be pr ... | 2004 | 15044521 |
| specific floater home ranges and prospective behaviour in the european starling, sturnus vulgaris. | in many bird species, floaters are present on the breeding grounds in one or more years before they breed. there is increasing evidence that they have specific home ranges in which they search for information about current and future breeding opportunities. we investigated the role of prospecting in a migratory european starling (sturnus vulgaris) population. radio-tracking showed that male starling floaters use specific home range areas during the breeding period. nest-box observations demonstr ... | 2004 | 14991146 |
| endothelin levels in experimental diabetes combined with cardiac hypertrophy. | diabetes mellitus is associated with endothelial and cardiac dysfunction, and endothelin has been suggested to alter cardiac function by being a positive inotropic agent, modulating the frank-starling response, contracting the coronary arteries and inducing tissue proliferation. we investigated endothelin levels in diabetic and in healthy dogs, 1 and 3 days after placing arteriovenous shunts (8 weeks after diabetes induction) in the femoral regions. right and left ventricular weight/body weight ... | 2004 | 15838277 |
| frank-starling mechanism contributes modestly to ventricular performance during atrial fibrillation. | the aim of this study was to assess whether frank-starling mechanism has an independent effect on left ventricular (lv) performance in atrial fibrillation (af). | 2004 | 15851203 |
| verocytotoxin-producing escherichia coli in wild birds and rodents in close proximity to farms. | wild animals living close to cattle and pig farms (four each) were examined for verocytotoxin-producing escherichia coli (vtec; also known as shiga toxin-producing e. coli). the prevalence of vtec among the 260 samples from wild animals was generally low. however, vtec isolates from a starling (sturnus vulgaris) and a norway rat (rattus norvegicus) were identical to cattle isolates from the corresponding farms with respect to serotype, virulence profile, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type ... | 2004 | 15528570 |
| biology of the troponin complex in cardiac myocytes. | troponin is the regulatory complex of the myofibrillar thin filament that plays a critical role in regulating excitation-contraction coupling in the heart. troponin is composed of three distinct gene products: troponin c (ctnc), the 18-kd ca(2+)-binding subunit; troponin i (ctni), the approximately 23-kd inhibitory subunit that prevents contraction in the absence of ca2+ binding to ctnc; and troponin t (ctnt), the approximately 35-kd subunit that attaches troponin to tropomyosin (tm) and to the ... | 2004 | 15736582 |
| european starling chicks benefit from high yolk testosterone levels during a drought year. | avian egg yolk contains androgenic hormones, such as testosterone, of maternal origin. experimental elevation of yolk testosterone levels enhances growth of canary chicks. success in sibling competition, due to increased begging, is presumed to underlie this growth enhancement, because canary hatchlings from testosterone-treated eggs beg longer in response to vibrational stimuli than controls. furthermore, experimental elevation of both yolk androstenedione and testosterone increased chick growt ... | 2004 | 15256308 |
| hemodynamic effects of inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitrotyrosine generation in heart failure. | the hemodynamic effects of cardiac inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) and of inos-mediated peroxynitrite in patients with left ventricular (lv) dysfunction are unclear. the present study investigates the incidence and functional significance of inos expression and nitrotyrosine formation in patients with heart failure. | 2004 | 15366433 |
| acute peritoneal dialysis in rats results in a marked reduction of interstitial colloid osmotic pressure. | the aim of this study was to investigate whether the interstitial colloid osmotic pressure (cop(i)) of peritoneum is of importance for peritoneal fluid reabsorption during peritoneal dialysis (pd). for testing this hypothesis, a method to isolate interstitial fluid from the peritoneal membrane and to measure the interstitial cop(i) in the normal peritoneum and directly after the initiation of pd needed to be developed and validated. eighteen female rats were anesthetized subcutaneously in the ne ... | 2004 | 15579514 |
| proteolytic n-terminal truncation of cardiac troponin i enhances ventricular diastolic function. | besides the core structure conserved in all troponin i isoforms, cardiac troponin i (ctni) has an n-terminal extension that contains phosphorylation sites for protein kinase a under beta-adrenergic regulation. a restricted cleavage of this n-terminal regulatory domain occurs in normal cardiac muscle and is up-regulated during hemodynamic adaptation (z.-b. yu, l.-f. zhang, and j.-p. jin (2001) j. biol. chem. 276, 15753-15760). in the present study, we developed transgenic mice overexpressing the ... | 2004 | 15611140 |
| in situ measurements of crossbridge dynamics and lattice spacing in rat hearts by x-ray diffraction: sensitivity to regional ischemia. | synchrotron radiation has been used to analyze crossbridge dynamics in isolated papillary muscle and excised perfused hearts with the use of x-ray diffraction techniques. we showed that these techniques can detect regional changes in rat left ventricle contractility and myosin lattice spacing in in situ ejecting hearts in real time. furthermore, we examined the sensitivity of these indexes to regional ischemia. | 2004 | 15184274 |
| contractile skeletal muscle tissue-engineered on an acellular scaffold. | for the reconstructive surgeon, tissue-engineered skeletal muscle may offer reduced donor-site morbidity and an unlimited supply of tissue. using an acellularized mouse extensor digitorum longus muscle as a scaffold, the authors produced engineered skeletal muscle capable of generating longitudinal force. eight extensor digitorum longus muscles from adult mice were made acellular using a protocol developed in the authors' laboratory. the acellular muscles were then placed in a bath of 20% fetal ... | 2004 | 14758222 |
| diversities and similarities in pfge profiles of campylobacter jejuni isolated from migrating birds and humans. | to genetically sub-type campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from migratory birds, and to compare these with clinical strains collected in the same area and corresponding time period, with the aim to increase our knowledge on sub-types occurring among wild birds and their possible impact on human disease. | 2004 | 15012823 |
| pathological, clinical and mycological findings in experimental aspergillosis infections of starlings. | a group of 24 wild starlings (sturnus vulgaris), in undefined age categories but at least post-pubertal, constituted the material of this study. six starlings were kept as a control group and 18 starlings served as the infection group. the starlings in the infection group were infected with inoculums of 1.35 x 10(6)/0.2 ml aspergillus fumigatus via intratracheal route whereas the control group was administered only placebo in the same way. six, four, two, four and two birds died on 2, 3, 4, 5 an ... | 2004 | 15086506 |
| first record of metacestodes of mesocestoides sp. in the common starling (sturnus vulgaris) in europe, with an 18s rdna characterisation of the isolate. | metacestodes of mesocestoides sp. were recorded from sturnus vulgaris (passeriformes: stumidae) in the czech republic in april 2002. they were found in a cutaneous cyst and in the thoracic region of the body cavity of the bird. this is the first record of metacestodes of mesocestoides sp. in this host species in europe as well as the first finding of the formation of a cutaneous cyst provoked by this parasite. additional specimens from apodemus agrarius (mammalia: rodentia) from bulgaria and lac ... | 2004 | 15139376 |
| sarcomere-length dependence of lattice volume and radial mass transfer of myosin cross-bridges in rat papillary muscle. | we examined the sarcomere length-dependence of the spacing of the hexagonal lattice of the myofilaments and the mass transfer of myosin cross-bridges during contraction of right ventricular papillary muscle of the rat. the lattice spacing and mass transfer were measured by using x-ray diffraction, and the sarcomere length was monitored by laser diffraction at the same time. although the lattice spacing and the sarcomere length were inversely related, their relationship was not exactly isovolumic ... | 2004 | 14767773 |
| genetic characterization of a herpesvirus isolate from a superb starling (lamprotornis superbus) as a psittacid herpesvirus genotype 1. | four genotypes of the psittacid herpesvirus (pshv) cause pacheco disease in parrots. viruses that are serologically cross-reactive to the pshvs have also been isolated from passerine species. dna was amplified from a herpesvirus isolated from a superb starling (lamprotornis superbus) with pshv-specific primers and polymerase chain reaction. a comparison of the partial sequence of the ul 16 gene from this herpesvirus with sequences from viruses of known pshv genotypes showed that the herpesvirus ... | 2004 | 15077818 |
| acetylcholinesterase in central vocal control nuclei of the zebra finch (taeniopygia guttata). | the distribution of acetylcholinesterase (ache) in the central vocal control nuclei of the zebra finch was studied using enzyme histochemistry. ache fibres and cells are intensely labelled in the forebrain nucleus area x, strongly labelled in high vocal centre (hvc) perikarya, and moderately to lightly labelled in the somata and neuropil of vocal control nuclei robust nucleus of arcopallium (ra), medial magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (mman) and lateral magnocellular nucleus of ... | 2004 | 15286416 |
| reverse remodeling and enhanced inotropic reserve from the cardiac support device in experimental cardiac failure. | progressive chamber remodeling plays a major role in the pathophysiology of chronic cardiac failure. recent studies have begun exploring the potential for a passive external containment to impede such progressive dilation. in dogs with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, surgical placement of a thin external polyester mesh led to reversal of chronic chamber dilation after 3 to 6 months. systolic function was preserved compared with the earlier time point. both end-systolic and end-diastolic chamber ... | 2004 | 15803553 |
| aversion of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to garlic oil treated granules: garlic oil as an avian repellent. garlic oil analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. | european starlings significantly reduced their consumption of a food mixture that was 50% food-grade garlic oil (go)-impregnated granules, even after overnight food deprivation, as demonstrated by "one-choice" ("no-choice") tests. food consumption during 3 h following overnight food deprivation was reduced by 61-65% compared to controls. by testing the same subjects with 25, 10, and 1% mixtures of granules in feed, it was shown that commercial go granules were repellent to birds in lower concent ... | 2004 | 15080619 |
| nutmeg mannikins ( lonchura punctulata) reduce their feeding rates in response to simulated competition. | group feeding animals experience a number of competitive foraging costs that may result in a lowered feeding rate. it is important to distinguish between reductions in feeding rates that are caused by reduced food availability and physical interactions among foragers from those caused by the mere presence of foraging companions that may be self-imposed in order to obtain some benefit of group membership. starlings ( sturnus vulgaris) reduce their feeding rates when in the company of simulated co ... | 2004 | 14722748 |
| relationship between dde concentrations and laying sequence in eggs of two passerine species. | passerine eggs make useful biomonitors of environmental pollutants. among passerines, it is not known whether organochlorine contaminants in eggs within the same clutch are independent observations or follow a laying order effect. intraclutch variation of dde (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis[(p-chlorophenyl)]ethylene) concentrations was studied in eggs collected from prothonotary warblers (protonotaria citrea) and european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) nesting on national priority list sites in lower alabam ... | 2004 | 15386134 |
| direct social contacts override auditory information in the song-learning process in starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | social influence on song acquisition was studied in 3 groups of young european starlings raised under different social conditions but with the same auditory experience of adult song. attentional focusing on preferred partners appears the most likely explanation for differences found in song acquisition in relation to experience, sex, and song categories. thus, pair-isolated birds learned from each other and not from broadcast live songs, females did not learn from the adult male tutors, and shar ... | 2004 | 15250805 |
| mediation of a corticosterone-induced reproductive conflict. | current research in birds suggests that a conflict should exist during reproduction for the role of the glucocorticoid corticosterone (cort). while elevated levels have been correlated with the increased energetic demand of raising offspring, elevated cort levels have traditionally been implicated in reproductive abandonment. we examined the relationship between cort and nest desertion in breeding wild female european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) incorporating analyses of both total circulating ... | 2004 | 15215043 |
| hemispheric specialization in the primary auditory area of awake and anesthetized starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | although evidence exists for a lateralization of song production, few studies have focused on the perceptual aspect of lateralization in songbirds. in the present study, the authors recorded neuronal responses to a variety of species-specific and artificial, nonspecific stimuli in both hemispheres of awake and anesthetized male starlings (sturnus vulgaris). recordings were made in the primary auditory area of the songbird brain, the field l complex. the right hemisphere exhibited significantly m ... | 2004 | 15174938 |
| post-hatching dynamics of plasma biochemistry in free-living european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | this is the first study of plasma biochemical parameters in free-living altricial birds during an entire developmental period in a nest, represented by european starling (sturnus vulgaris). dynamics of postnatal changes from hatching until close to fledging (days 1 to 15) were registered. parameters of protein metabolism represented by total proteins, albumin and globulin concentrations increased continuously during the observed developmental period. there were two peaks in uric acid concentrati ... | 2004 | 15165575 |
| prior experience with photostimulation enhances photo-induced reproductive development in female european starlings: a possible basis for the age-related increase in avian reproductive performance. | reproductive performance in female birds improves with age, and this is generally attributed to experiences obtained during breeding. in temperate-zone species, experience with photostimulation during the first breeding year may prime the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis to respond to photic cues more rapidly or robustly in subsequent years. to test this idea, we captured 32 photorefractory juvenile (hence naive to photostimulation) female european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) and held half of ... | 2004 | 15151935 |
| metabolic power of european starlings sturnus vulgaris during flight in a wind tunnel, estimated from heat transfer modelling, doubly labelled water and mask respirometry. | it is technically demanding to measure the energetic cost of animal flight. each of the previously available techniques has some disadvantage as well advantages. we compared measurements of the energetic cost of flight in a wind tunnel by four european starlings sturnus vulgaris made using three independent techniques: heat transfer modelling, doubly labelled water (dlw) and mask respirometry. we based our heat transfer model on thermal images of the surface temperature of the birds and air flow ... | 2004 | 15531650 |
| comparison of the cost of short flights in a nectarivorous and a non-nectarivorous bird. | although most birds are accustomed to making short flights, particularly during foraging, the flight patterns during these short periods of activity differ between species. nectarivorous birds, in particular, often spend time hovering, while non-nectarivorous birds do not. the cost of short flights is likely therefore to differ between nectarivorous and non-nectarivorous birds because of the different energetic contributions of different flight types to the behaviour. the 13c-labelled bicarbonat ... | 2004 | 15472026 |
| evidence against a period of relative photorefractoriness during the recovery of photosensitivity in common starlings. | in many species of birds, the end of the breeding season is caused by the development of absolute photorefractoriness, characterised by spontaneous gonadal regression under a long photoperiod followed by a period during which gonadal maturation cannot be stimulated by further photostimulation. it has been suggested that during the dissipation of photorefractoriness under short photoperiods, birds become relatively photorefractory-that there is a gradual decrease in critical photoperiod. if true, ... | 2004 | 14980802 |
| neuroanatomical evidence for indirect connections between the medial preoptic nucleus and the song control system: possible neural substrates for sexually motivated song. | in european starlings ( sturnus vulgaris) as in other seasonally breeding songbirds, a major function of song during the breeding season is mate attraction, and song in this context is highly sexually motivated. song learning, perception, and production are regulated by nuclei of the song control system, but there is no evidence that these nuclei participate in the motivation to sing. evidence suggests that the medial preoptic nucleus (pom), a diencephalic nucleus outside of the song control sys ... | 2004 | 14968358 |
| social suppression of song is associated with a reduction in volume of a song-control nucleus in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | in seasonally breeding songbirds, variations in testosterone and song correlate with volume changes in brain nuclei associated with song, including the hvc. the authors tested whether singing can lead to activity-dependent increases in hvc volume by examining song output in starlings (sturnus vulgaris). the authors manipulated males' environments so that only some were dominant with nestboxes, whereas others were not. some of these males thus sang at higher rates and had larger hvc volume than o ... | 2005 | 15727528 |
| effects of arginine vasotocin (avt) on the behavioral, cardiovascular, and corticosterone responses of starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to crowding. | previous studies in european starlings have concluded that conspecific crowding can be a significant stressor that is capable of simultaneously altering behavior, heart rate, and corticosterone (cort) concentrations. it was hypothesized that the peptide hormone arginine vasotocin (avt) has a role in the regulation of these three types of responses to crowding. four male and four female resident starlings were submitted to nine combinations of 3 crowding treatments (0, 1, or 5 intruder starlings) ... | 2005 | 15708756 |
| influence of the number of repellent-treated and untreated food or water containers on intake by the european starling. | the availability of multiple sources of food and drink has a profound influence on choice behavior in rodents. it is not known how other taxa might respond to the same kind of variation in availability. we tested european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) with various combinations of unadulterated and repellent-treated (0.025% citronellyl acetate) resources. in experiment 1, birds drank more plain than repellent-treated water than when given (a) 2 bottles of plain water and 2 of repellent-water, or ( ... | 2005 | 15951054 |
| stress hormones: a link between maternal condition and sex-biased reproductive investment. | in species where offspring fitness is sex-specifically influenced by maternal reproductive condition, sex allocation theory predicts that poor-quality mothers should invest in the evolutionarily less expensive sex. despite an accumulation of evidence that mothers can sex-specifically modulate investment in offspring in relation to maternal quality, few mechanisms have been proposed as to how this is achieved. we explored a hormonal mechanism for sex-biased maternal investment by measuring and ex ... | 2005 | 16475090 |
| metabolic adjustments to increasing foraging costs of starlings in a closed economy. | knowledge of the physiological consequences of variation in food availability may be essential for understanding behavioural and life history responses to such variation. to study the physiological consequences of food availability animals are generally subjected to caloric restriction or starvation, thereby reducing the upper limit to the energy budget. the relevance of this approach to free-living animals is questionable, however, because under natural conditions low food availability often re ... | 2005 | 16244169 |
| immediate early gene activity in song control nuclei and brain areas regulating motivation relates positively to singing behavior during, but not outside of, a breeding context. | in some species, such as songbirds, much is known about how the brain regulates vocal learning, production, and perception. what remains a mystery is what regulates the motivation to communicate. european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) sing throughout most of the year, but the social and environmental factors that motivate singing behavior differ seasonally. male song is highly sexually motivated during, but not outside of, the breeding season. brain areas outside the song control system, such as ... | 2005 | 16155901 |
| auditory stream segregation in the songbird forebrain: effects of time intervals on responses to interleaved tone sequences. | for both humans and other animals, the abilities to integrate separate sound elements over time into coherent perceptual representations, or 'auditory streams', and to segregate these auditory streams from other interleaved sounds are critical for hearing and vocal communication. in humans and european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) the ability to perceptually segregate a simple interleaved tone sequence comprised of two alternating tones differing in frequency (aba-aba-aba-...) into separate audi ... | 2005 | 16127270 |
| corticosterone inhibits feather growth: potential mechanism explaining seasonal down regulation of corticosterone during molt. | corticosterone (cort) is seasonally modulated in many passerines, with plasma cort concentrations lowest during the prebasic molt when all feathers are replaced. to explain why, we proposed that the birds downregulate natural cort release during molt in order to avoid cort's degradative effects on proteins and its inhibition of protein synthesis. if cort exerted these effects during molt, it could slow protein deposition during feather production and potentially result in a longer period of degr ... | 2005 | 16125989 |
| evidence for opioid involvement in the regulation of song production in male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | many social animals vocalize at high rates, suggesting that vocal communication is highly motivated and rewarding. in songbirds, much is known about the neural control of vocal behavior; however, little is known about neurobiological mechanisms regulating the motivation to communicate. this study examined a possible role for opioid neuropeptides in motivation and reward associated with song production in male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). peripheral opioid blockade facilitated male song ... | 2005 | 15727529 |
| why birdsong is sometimes like music. | the sounds and songs of birds have inspired the musical compositions of numerous cultures throughout the globe. this article examines a variety of compositions from western music that feature birdsong and explores the concept of birds as both vocalists and instrumentalists. the concept of birds as composers is then developed-how they use rhythmic variations, pitch relationships, and combinations of notes similar to those found in music-and the theory that birds create variation in their songs pa ... | 2005 | 16085998 |
| myoclonus induced by cathode ray tube screens and low-frequency lighting in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | 2005 | 16055664 | |
| feathers at nests are potential female signals in the spotless starling. | although the presence of feathers in the nest is widespread among birds, it has not been previously suggested that feathers can be used as sexual signals. females of the spotless starling (sturnus unicolor) regularly carry feathers to their nest, mostly during laying and incubation. we show that the arrangement of these feathers was non-random with respect to the side (obverse or reverse) placed upwards (which can be viewed from the nest entrance). feathers of the wood pigeon (columba palumbus) ... | 2005 | 17148200 |
| delayed resolution of negative pressure pulmonary edema associated with low-molecular-weight dextran after microsurgery--a case report. | negative pressure pulmonary edema (nppe) is an uncommon perioperative complication after total or partial upper airway obstruction during anesthesia or respiratory distress. the cardinal event causative of the pathophysiology is believed to be the generation of a sudden and marked negative intrapleural pressure against a closed glottis, resulting in a disruption of the normal intravascular starling mechanism. ultimately, excessive intravascular fluid which transudes into the interstitial space e ... | 2005 | 16235469 |
| second intermediate host land snails and definitive host animals of brachylaima cribbi in southern australia. | this study of infection of southern australian land snails with brachylaima cribbi metacercariae has shown that all commonly encountered native and introduced snails are susceptible second intermediate hosts. the range of infected snails is extensive with metacercariae-infected snails being present in all districts across southern australia. c. virgata has the highest average natural metacercarial infection intensity of 6.1 metacercariae per infected snail. the susceptibility of birds, mammals a ... | 2005 | 15828579 |
| hormonology: a genomic perspective on hormonal research. | recent advances in comparative genomics allow a new paradigm for hormonal research. at the centennial of the first use of the term hormone by ernest starling, we reflected on the changing approaches in elucidating hormonal signaling mechanisms and highlighted the inadequacy of the term endocrinology, implying remote activation, to describe the diverse modes of hormone actions. several examples were presented to underscore the power of comparative genomics in the identification of new polypeptide ... | 2005 | 16423812 |
| a metabolic approach to the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy in bio t0-2 cardiomyopathic syrian hamsters. | mechanisms underlying dilated cardiomyopathy (dcm) are poorly understood and effective therapy is still unavailable. the aim of this study was to examine the heart ultrastructure and dynamic of bio t0-2 cardiomyopathic hamsters, an animal model of dcm, and to study in these animals, the effects of a co-formulation (hs12607) of propionyl-l-carnitine, coenzyme q(10) and omega-3 fatty acids on cardiac mechanical parameters. sarcomere length, frank-starling mechanism and force-frequency relations we ... | 2005 | 16873937 |
| developmental changes in rat cardiac titin/connectin: transitions in normal animals and in mutants with a delayed pattern of isoform transition. | rat cardiac titin undergoes developmental changes in isoform expression during the period from late embryonic through the first 20-25 days of life. at least five size classes of titin isoforms have been identified using sds agarose gel electrophoresis. the longest normal isoform is expressed in the embryonic stages, and it is progressively replaced with increasingly smaller versions. the isoform switching is consistent with changes in resting tension from lower values in one-day neonates to high ... | 2005 | 16491431 |
| seasonal differences in the secretion of luteinising hormone and prolactin in response to n-methyl-dl-aspartate in starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | in birds, unlike mammals, seasonal changes in reproductive function are associated with marked changes in the amount of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (gnrh) stored in the hypothalamus. prolonged exposure to long photoperiods leads to photorefractoriness after the breeding season. photorefractory birds have low hypothalamic concentrations of chicken gnrh-i (cgnrh-i). exposure to short photoperiods results in renewed cgnrh-i synthesis and increased hypothalamic stores. birds are then photosensit ... | 2005 | 15796761 |
| complementary neural systems for the experience-dependent integration of mate-choice cues in european starlings. | choice of a particular mate phenotype may arise out of experience with the very phenotypes under consideration. female european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) prefer males that sing predominantly long-bout songs over males that sing predominantly short-bout songs, and thus, song-bout length is a phenotypic parameter instrumental in releasing the female's mate choice. the preferred long-bout songs induce higher expression of the immediate early gene (ieg) zenk in the female auditory telencephalon t ... | 2005 | 15389683 |
| effect of ventricular size and patch stiffness in surgical anterior ventricular restoration: a finite element model study. | surgical anterior ventricular restoration (saver) has been proposed for dilated ischemic cardiomyopathy with an akinetic distal anterior left ventricular wall. we tested the hypothesis that saver increases stroke volume, reduces mean myofiber stress and achieves optimal results without a patch. | 2005 | 15620941 |
| ernest henry starling (1866-1927): the scientist and the man. | the pre-eminent achievements of the english physician and physiologist ernest henry starling were his quantitative explanation of the transcapillary transport of fluid, the discovery of the first hormone, secretin, and his formulation of the law of the heart. in some ways starling was an outsider and he was the centre of several scientific and social controversies. however, throughout his life he stressed fundamental scientific attitudes and ideas with remarkable persistence and power, although ... | 2005 | 15682229 |
| regional timing of myocardial shortening is related to prestretch from atrial contraction: assessment by high temporal resolution mri tagging in humans. | earlier studies have shown substantial nonuniformity in normal left ventricular (lv) myocardial function concerning both the degree of shortening and timing of shortening. we hypothesized that nonuniform lv function may be related to nonuniform prestretch induced by atrial contraction. eleven healthy human subjects were studied using mri myocardial tagging and strain analysis. the amount of circumferential prestretch was assessed in 30 lv segments. prestretch was defined as the difference in str ... | 2005 | 15486034 |
| transmural stretch-dependent regulation of contractile properties in rat heart and its alteration after myocardial infarction. | the "stretch-sensitization" response is essential to the regulation of heart contractility. an increase in diastolic volume improves systolic contraction. the cellular mechanisms of this modulation, the frank-starling law, are still uncertain. moreover, their alterations in heart failure remains controversial. here, using left ventricular skinned rat myocytes, we show a nonuniform stretch-sensitization of myofilament activation across the ventricular wall. stretch-dependent ca2+ sensitization of ... | 2005 | 15498894 |
| ppar-gamma activation fails to provide myocardial protection in ischemia and reperfusion in pigs. | peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (ppar)-gamma modulates substrate metabolism and inflammatory responses. in experimental rats subjected to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (i/r), thiazolidinedione ppar-gamma activators reduce infarct size and preserve left ventricular function. troglitazone is the only ppar-gamma activator that has been shown to be protective in i/r in large animals. however, because troglitazone contains both alpha-tocopherol and thiazolidinedione moieties, whether ppa ... | 2005 | 15528232 |
| exposure to chronic stress downregulates corticosterone responses to acute stressors. | we used captive european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to test whether corticosterone responses differed in birds held under normal laboratory conditions or conditions of chronic stress. surprisingly, both basal corticosterone concentrations and corticosterone responses to acute stress were significantly reduced when birds were chronically stressed. to determine the mechanism underlying this reduced response, animals under both conditions were injected with lactated ringer's solution (control), a ... | 2005 | 15886358 |
| gizzard spirurid nematode acuaria skrjabini in japanese tree sparrows and a gray starling from tokyo. | gastrointestinal helminths were collected from 49 japanese tree sparrows (passer montanus saturatus) in tokyo, japan. in 16 sparrows, 1-9 (average, 3.5) gizzard spirurid nematodes (acuaria skrjabini ozerskaya, 1926) were found embedded in the mucosa of the gizzard. in addition, capillaria sp., platynosomum passeri yamashita et tsumura, 1962, and a hymenolepidid cestode were collected from 1, 2, and 1 sparrows, respectively. a sexually mature a. skrjabini female and 3 males were found also in a y ... | 2005 | 15997189 |
| left ventricular volume and function after endoventricular patch plasty for dyskinetic anteroapical left ventricular aneurysm in sheep. | endoventricular patch plasty (the dor procedure) has gained favor as a surgical treatment for heart failure associated with large anteroapical myocardial infarction. we tested the hypothesis that the dor procedure reduces left ventricular volume, increases end-systolic elastance, decreases diastolic compliance, and maintains left ventricular function. | 2005 | 16214516 |
| sch00013, a novel ca(2+) sensitizer with positive inotropic and no chronotropic action in heart failure. | we investigated the effects of the agent sch00013 on ca(2+)-induced force generation in rabbit skinned cardiac muscle fibers and in vivo cardiac function in high-pacing-induced heart failure dogs. the ca(2+)-induced force generation in skinned cardiac muscle fibers was determined at ph 6.2 - 7.4, and sch00013 was found to have a significant ca(2+) sensitizing effect at ph 7.2 to 7.4. there was no significant difference in the ca(2+) sensitizing action between the enantiomers of sch00013. the ca( ... | 2005 | 15644593 |
| pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling of the cardiovascular effects of drugs - method development and application to magnesium in sheep. | there have been few reports of pharmacokinetic models that have been linked to models of the cardiovascular system. such models could predict the cardiovascular effects of a drug under a variety of circumstances. limiting factors may be the lack of a suitably simple cardiovascular model, the difficulty in managing extensive cardiovascular data sets, and the lack of physiologically based pharmacokinetic models that can account for blood flow changes that may be caused by a drug. an approach for a ... | 2005 | 15760466 |
| altered hetero- and homeometric autoregulation in the terminally failing human heart. | to further investigate length-dependent force generation in human heart, nonfailing (donor hearts, nf) and terminally failing (heart transplants, dilated cardiomyopathy, dcm) left ventricular myocardium was studied under various preload (4-40 mn/mm2) or length conditions. in addition, morphological studies (van giesson trichrome staining, electron microscopy) were performed. | 2005 | 15642528 |
| brood size modifications affect plumage bacterial assemblages of european starlings. | during reproduction, birds face trade-offs between time and energy devoted to parental effort and traits associated with self-maintenance. we manipulated brood sizes to investigate the effects of such trade-offs on feather bacterial densities and the structure of bacterial assemblages on feathers in adult european starlings, sturnus vulgaris, and in vitro feather degradation. as predicted by a trade-off between parental effort and self-maintenance, we found that birds with enlarged broods had mo ... | 2005 | 15660952 |
| magscrew total artificial heart in vivo performance above 200 beats per minute. | downsizing pulsatile devices requires an increase of beat rate if flow capacity is to be maintained. we applied this concept to the preclinical magscrew total artificial heart (tah). | 2005 | 15797082 |
| protein kinase c epsilon induces systolic cardiac failure marked by exhausted inotropic reserve and intact frank-starling mechanism. | myofilament dysfunction is a common point of convergence for many forms of heart failure. recently, we showed that cardiac overexpression of pkc epsilon initially depresses myofilament activity and then leads to a progression of changes characteristic of human heart failure. here, we examined the effects of pkc epsilon on contractile reserve, starling mechanism, and myofilament activation in this model of end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy. pressure-volume loop analysis and echocardiography showed ... | 2005 | 15951344 |
| stability of the color-opponent signals under changes of illuminant in natural scenes. | illumination varies greatly both across parts of a natural scene and as a function of time, whereas the spectral reflectance function of surfaces remains more stable and is of much greater relevance when searching for specific targets. this study investigates the functional properties of postreceptoral opponent-channel responses, in particular regarding their stability against spatial and temporal variation in illumination. we studied images of natural scenes obtained in uk and uganda with digit ... | 2005 | 16277277 |
| magscrew tah: an update. | the magscrew total artificial heart (tah) system is the result of a close collaboration among the cleveland clinic foundation, foster miller technologies, wilson greatbatch ltd, and whalen biomedical inc. the system components are the thoracic blood pumping unit with attached compliance chamber and refill port, implantable electronic control unit, implantable battery pack, transcutaneous energy transmission system, external battery pack, and a telemetry system for communication with the electron ... | 2005 | 16340348 |
| a potential cardiovascular mechanism for the behavioral effects of central and peripheral arginine vasotocin. | few studies have attempted to separate the behavior modulating actions of central and peripheral arginine vasotocin/arginine vasopressin (avt/avp) from their roles in the endocrine and cardiovascular stress response. this series of experiments explored the relative contributions of avt's central and peripheral mechanisms on altering behavior while simultaneously investigating avt's effects on the behavioral, cardiovascular, and corticosteroid responses to acute stressors in european starlings (s ... | 2005 | 16029876 |
| pressure-calcium relationships in perfused mouse hearts. | we explored the relationship between left ventricular (lv) pressure and intracellular free calcium concentration ([ca](i)) in the isolated perfused mouse heart. [ca](i) (rhod-2) and lv pressure were recorded simultaneously. in response to increases in lv volume (frank-starling, fs, protocol), there were increases in developed pressure (up to 250%), with no changes in pressure morphology (rise or relaxation time) or [ca](i) (magnitude and morphology) for up to 10 min. during transient increases i ... | 2006 | 16415077 |
| mechanosensory properties in the human gastric antrum evaluated using b-mode ultrasonography during volume-controlled antral distension. | the aims of this study were to evaluate gastric antral mechanical behavior and distension-induced sensorimotor responses in the human gastric antrum using transabdominal ultrasound scanning. ten healthy volunteers underwent volume-controlled ramp inflation of a bag located in the antrum with volumes up to 125 ml. the active and passive circumferential tensions and stresses were calculated from measurements of pressure, diameter, and wall thickness before and during the administration of the anti ... | 2006 | 16293656 |
| organochlorine insecticides in mudflats of hong kong, china. | organochlorine (oc) insecticides were measured in different environmental compartments (including seawater, sediment, and biota) at six sites within the mai po marshes nature reserve (mpmnr) and at one site in a chau (ac) in hong kong in june 2002 (wet season) and january 2003 (dry season). mpmnr is a wetland of international importance (ramsar site) situated in the western part of hong kong, whereas ac is a relatively remote island in starling inlet on the eastern side of the new territories of ... | 2006 | 16307213 |
| the uw solution has greater potential for longer preservation periods than the celsior solution: comparative study for ventricular and coronary endothelial function after 24-h heart preservation. | improvement of long-term heart preservation methods would potentially increase the donor pool and improve survival. we compared the efficacies of the university of wisconsin (uw) and celsior solutions on ventricular and endothelial functions after 24-h preservation. | 2006 | 16520050 |
| prediction of functional recovery of 60-minute warm ischemic hearts from asphyxiated canine non-heart-beating donors. | cardiac function of non-heart-beating donors (nhbds) is uncertain due to severe myocardial damage. we developed an isolated myocardial perfusion system to resuscitate nhbd hearts and attempted to predict functional recovery of 60-minute warm ischemic hearts by analyzing systolic and diastolic functions. | 2006 | 16507429 |
| hydrodynamics of the spinal epidural space in pigs determined by constant-flow methods. | impressive quantities of fluid can be infused into the epidural space of the spine without causing dramatic or sustained increases in pressure. the epidural space is considered "leaky," but questions remain about how fluid leaves the epidural space. we used constant-flow infusions of saline to gain insight into the hydrodynamics involved. | 2006 | 16543094 |
| starling-effect-independent lusitropism index in canine left ventricle: logistic time constant. | the logistic time constant (tau(l)) has been proposed as a better index of the rate of left ventricular (lv) relaxation or lusitropism than the conventional monoexponential time constant (tau(e)). however, whether and how the frank-starling effect influences tau(l) remains to be elucidated. we compared the effect of lv volume (lvv) loading on both logistic and monoexponential fittings. the isovolumic lv relaxation pressure curves from the maximum negative time derivative of pressure (-dp/dt(max) ... | 2006 | 16551893 |
| genome of a novel circovirus of starlings, amplified by multiply primed rolling-circle amplification. | the genus circovirus comprises small non-enveloped viruses with a circular single-stranded dna genome. by using pcr with degenerate primers, a novel circovirus (starling circovirus, stcv) was detected in spleen samples of wild starlings (sturnus vulgaris and sturnus unicolor) found dead during an epidemic outbreak of septicaemic salmonellosis in northeastern spain. using a specific pcr, stcv was also detected in apparently healthy birds from the same population. the genome was amplified using mu ... | 2006 | 16603520 |
| activation of myocardial contraction by the n-terminal domains of myosin binding protein-c. | myosin binding protein-c (mybp-c) is a poorly understood component of the thick filament in striated muscle sarcomeres. its c terminus binds tightly to myosin, whereas the n terminus contains binding sites for myosin s2 and possibly for the thin filament. to study the role of the n-terminal domains of cardiac mybp-c (cmybp-c), we added human n-terminal peptide fragments to human and rodent skinned ventricular myocytes. at concentrations >10 micromol/l, the n-terminal c0c2 peptide activated force ... | 2006 | 16614305 |
| exhaustion of the frank-starling mechanism in conscious dogs with heart failure induced by chronic coronary microembolization. | the role of the frank-starling mechanism in the regulation of cardiac systolic function in the ischemic failing heart was examined in conscious dogs. left ventricular (lv) dimension, pressure and systolic function were assessed using surgically implanted instrumentations and non-invasive echocardiogram. heart failure was induced by daily intra-coronary injections of microspheres for 3-4 weeks via implanted coronary catheters. chronic coronary embolization resulted in a progressive dilation of th ... | 2006 | 16624328 |
| immediate functional effects of left ventricular reduction: a doppler echocardiographic study in the rat. | immediate functional effects of left ventricle reduction (lvr) are not yet fully defined. those effects have been studied in the experimental model of myocardial infarction scar plication (misp) in the rat. | 2006 | 16520267 |