Objectives: Dehydration in older adults contributes to increased morbidity and mortality during hospitalization. As such, early diagnosis of dehydration may improve patient outcome and reduce the burden on healthcare. This prospective study investigated the diagnostic accuracy of routinely used physical signs, and non-invasive markers of hydration in urine and saliva. Design: Prospective diagnostic accuracy study. Setting: Hospital acute medical care unit and emergency department. Participants: One hundred and thirty older adults (59 males, 71 females, mean (SD) age = 78 (9) y). Measurements: Participants with any primary diagnosis underwent a hydration assessment within 30min of admittance to hospital. Hydration assessment comprised seven physical signs of dehydration (tachycardia (>100bpm), low systolic blood pressure (<100mmHg), dry mucous membrane, dry axilla, poor skin turgor, sunken eyes, and long capillary refill time (>2s)), urine color, urine specific gravity (USG), saliva flow rate (SFR) and saliva osmolality. Plasma osmolality (Posm) and the blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (BUN:Cr) were assessed as reference standards of hydration, with 21% of participants classified with water-loss dehydration (Posm >295mOsm/kg), 19% classified with water-and-solute-loss dehydration (BUN:Cr >20) and 60% classified as euhydrated. Results: All physical signs showed poor sensitivity (0-44%) for detecting either form of dehydration, with only low systolic blood pressure demonstrating potential utility for aiding the diagnosis of water-and-solute-loss dehydration (diagnostic OR = 14.7). Neither urine color, USG, nor SFR could discriminate hydration status (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, AUCROC = 0.49-0.57, P>0.05). In contrast, saliva osmolality demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy (AUCROC = 0.76, P<0.001) to distinguish both dehydration types (70% sensitivity, 68% specificity, OR =5.0 (95%CI 1.7-15.1) for water-loss dehydration, and 78% sensitivity, 72% specificity, OR =8.9 (95%CI 2.5-30.7) for water-and-solute-loss dehydration). Conclusions: With the exception of low systolic blood pressure, which could aid in the specific diagnosis of water-and-solute-loss dehydration, physical signs and urine markers show little utility to determine if an elderly patient is dehydrated. Saliva osmolality demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy compared with physical signs and urine markers, and may have utility for the assessment of both water-loss and water-andsolute-loss dehydration in older individuals. It is particularly noteworthy that saliva osmolality was able to detect water-and-solute-loss dehydration, for which a measurement of plasma osmolality would have no diagnostic utility. Thankyou for allowing us to resubmit the above manuscript to your journal. We have responded to the reviewers comments (see below), with changes in the manuscript highlighted in red text. We hope you feel that these changes have improved the manuscript.Please don't hesitate to contact me if you require...

This study examined the effects on water balance of adding electrolytes to fluids ingested after exercise-induced dehydration. Eight healthy male volunteers were dehydrated by approximately 2% of body mass by intermittent cycle exercise. Over a 30-min period after exercise, subjects ingested one of the four test drinks of a volume equivalent to their body mass loss. Drink A was a 90 mmol.l-1 glucose solution; drink B contained 60 mmol.l-1 sodium chloride; drink C contained 25 mmol.l-1 potassium chloride; drink D contained 90 mmol.l-1 glucose, 60 mmol.l-1 sodium chloride and 25 mmol.l-1 potassium chloride. Treatment order was randomised. Blood and urine samples were obtained at intervals throughout the study; subjects remained fasted throughout. Plasma volume increased to the same extent after the rehydration period on all treatments. Serum electrolyte (Na+, K+ and Cl-) concentrations fell initially after rehydration before returning to their pre-exercise levels. Cumulative urine output was greater after ingestion of drink A than after ingestion of any of the other drinks. On the morning following the trial, subjects were in greater net negative fluid balance [mean (SEM); P < 0.02] on trial A [745 (130) ml] than on trials B [405 (51) ml], C [467 (87) ml] or D [407 (34) ml]. There were no differences at any time between the three electrolyte-containing solutions in urine output or net fluid balance. One hour after the end of the rehydration period, urine osmolality had fallen, with a significant treatment effect (P = 0.016); urine osmolality was lowest after ingestion of drink A.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Modern techniques of bioassay have permitted correlation of hormonal secretion with genital tissue changes during the normal menstrual cycle. During the follicular phase, estrogen secretion rises while other hormone levels are low. At ovulation luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone surges are associated with falling estrogen levels. Secretions of progesterone and estrogen again are characteristic of the luteal phase ending with menstruation. Gonadotrophin-releasing hormones are detectable just before the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone surges. Basal body temperature rises with ovulation and is still the most reliable clinical indicator, although ferning and spinnbarkeit (when present) are also quite helpful. Vaginal smears are probably less useful except in the hands of experienced observers.

The study aim was to examine the effect of fluid intake and dehydration on soccer-skill and high-intensity, intermittent-running performance after 90-minutes intermittent exercise (Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test). Thirteen semi-professional, men soccer-players completed, the 90-minute intermittent exercise on three fluid trials: prescribed fluid equal to sweat loss (1.65 ± 0.17 litres: Mean ± s), ad libitum fluid (0.85 ± 0.19 litres) and no fluid. After the intermittent exercise, dehydration was equivalent to 0.3 ± 0.1, 1.1 ± 0.2, 2.5 ± 0.4% body mass loss on the prescribed-fluid, ad libitum-fluid and no-fluid trials, respectively. Soccer-skill and high-intensity, intermittent-running performance, as assessed by the Loughborough Soccer Passing and Shooting Tests, and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, declined after the intermittent exercise compared with assessments made before. The decline in performance was however similar on all fluid trials (P > 0.34 for interactions and effect sizes were trivial or small). These effect sizes suggest larger fluid intakes had limited and inconsistent (both beneficial and detrimental) effects on performance. In conclusion the results suggest that fluid intake during 90-minutes of intermittent exercise and modest dehydration have limited and inconsistent effects on soccer passing and shooting skill or high-intensity, intermittent-running in a temperate environment.

1. A method is described suitable for the estimation of the milk yield of sheep under natural grazing conditions.2. The yields obtained from Welsh Mountain sheep in two environments are shown.3. A close but diminishing relationship is shown to exist between the milk yield of the ewe and the growth of the lamb. Evidence is given of the effect of milk yield at later stages.4. The estimation of the ewe's milk yield from the weight of the young lamb is discussed. These estimates are used in conjunction with actual milk records in the present study.5. The ewe's milk yield is shown to be significantly related to nutrition, body weight, udder size and the lamb's birth weight.6. The relation of milk yield to weight gain during lactation, fleece weight and fleece type were mainly non-significant.7. From the limited data available, it seems that milk yield has a fairly high repeatability and heritability.

Production of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) by Pseudomonas spp. shows great potential for controlling soilborne plant pathogens. However, little is known about the transcriptional activity of phl and hcn genes encoding 2,4-DAPG and HCN, respectively. To progress toward a better understanding of what triggers phl and hcn expression under rhizosphere conditions, novel PCR primers and TaqMan probes were designed to monitor relative phlD and hcnBC expression in quantitative real time-PCR assays. Transcriptional activity of phlD and hcnBC was studied in time-course confrontational assays using combinations of Pseudomonas spp. isolated in this study: LBUM300 (producing 2,4-DAPG and HCN) and LBUM647 (producing HCN only); pathogens Phytophthora cactorum and Verticillium dahliae; and solid growth media King's B medium and potato dextrose agar. In correlation with the antagonistic activity observed, expression of phlD and hcnBC and production of 2,4-DAPG was detected throughout the 14-day course of the experiment in LBUM300 on both media, while hcnBC expression diminished to undetectable levels in LBUM647. In LBUM300 expression of phlD and hcnBC significantly changed over time and was also influenced by the presence of pathogen and growth media following time-dependent responses.

In contrast with the abundant data available on the composition of cow's milk, information on ewe's milk is relatively sparse. Among the more extensive analyses which have been published are those

An analysis of doe productivity traits was carried out on 884 litter records including 52 sires and 210 daughters (paternal half sisters) of Bauscat (B) and Giza White (G) rabbits. Traits examined included litter size and weight at birth and at weaning, pre-weaning mortality and mean weight of young at weaning. Year-of-kindling affected most litter traits but no pattern of parity effects on litter size and pre-weaning mortality was observed. Litter weight and mean weight of young at weaning generally increased linearly as parity advanced. Litter size and weight and mean weight of young tended to increase as month of kindling advanced from October to March, and to decrease again during April and May. Pre-weaning mortality decreased as month of kindling advanced up to March and increased thereafter during April and May. The sire of the doe affected all litter traits studied, with the exception of litter size at birth and pre-weaning mortality in the B breed. Estimates of heritability for most of the litter traits were moderate or high. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among litter size traits and between litter size and litter weight traits were positive and relatively moderate or large. Litter weight traits were positively correlated both genetically and phenotypically. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between litter size traits and mean weight of young at weaning were negative and relatively moderate or large.