Abstract: Background The increased use of meta-analysis in systematic reviews of healthcare interventions has highlighted several types of bias that can arise during the completion of a randomised controlled trial. Study publication bias has been recognised as a potential threat to the validity of meta-analysis and can make the readily available evidence unreliable for decision making. Until recently, outcome reporting bias has received less attention. Methodology/Principal Findings We review and summarise the evidence from a series of cohort studies that have assessed study publication bias and outcome reporting bias in randomised controlled trials. Sixteen studies were eligible of which only two followed the cohort all the way through from protocol approval to information regarding publication of outcomes. Eleven of the studies investigated study publication bias and five investigated outcome reporting bias. Three studies have found that statistically significant outcomes had a higher odds of being fully reported compared to non-significant outcomes (range of odds ratios: 2.2 to 4.7). In comparing trial publications to protocols, we found that 40-62% of studies had at least one primary outcome that was changed, introduced, or omitted. We decided not to undertake meta-analysis due to the differences between studies. Conclusions Recent work provides direct empirical evidence for the existence of study publication bias and outcome reporting bias. There is strong evidence of an association between significant results and publication; studies that report positive or significant results are more likely to be published and outcomes that are statistically significant have higher odds of being fully reported. Publications have been found to be inconsistent with their protocols. Researchers need to be aware of the problems of both types of bias and efforts should be concentrated on improving the reporting of trials.

Abstract: Holstein steer calves (n = 25) were used to evaluate the effects of treadmill exercise (TME) on blood metabolite status and formation of dark-cutting beef. Calves were blocked by BW (156 {+/-} 33.2 kg) and assigned randomly within blocks to 1 of 5 TME treatments arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial design (4 or 8 km/h for a duration of 10 or 15 min) with a nonexercised control. Venous blood was collected via indwelling jugular catheters at 10, 2, and 0 min before TME and at 2-min intervals during exercise. Nonexercised steers were placed on the treadmill but stood still for 15 min. Serum cortisol levels, as well as plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate, and NEFA, were similar (P > 0.05) before TME. Serum cortisol concentrations were unaffected (P > 0.05) during the first 6 min of TME, but between 8 and 15 min of TME, cortisol concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) in steers exercised at 8 km/h than those exercised at 4 km/h or controls (speed x time, P < 0.001). Although TME did not affect (P > 0.05) plasma glucose levels, plasma lactate concentrations in steers exercised at 8 km/h increased (P < 0.05) sharply with the onset of the TME treatment and remained elevated compared with steers exercised at 4 km/h or unexercised controls (speed x time, P < 0.001). Exercised steers had the lowest (P < 0.05) plasma NEFA concentrations during the first 6 min of TME compared with unexercised steers; however, NEFA concentrations were similar after 10 and 12 min of TME, and by the end of TME, steers exercised at 8 km/h had greater (P < 0.05) NEFA levels than nonexercised controls or steers exercised at 4 km/h (speed x time, P < 0.001). Even though muscle glycogen levels and pH decreased (P < 0.001) and muscle lactate concentrations increased (P < 0.001) with increasing time postmortem, neither treadmill speed nor TME duration altered postmortem LM metabolism. Consequently, there were no (P > 0.05) differences in the color, water-holding capacity, shear force, or incidences of dark-cutting carcasses associated with preslaughter TME. It is apparent that preslaughter TME, at the speeds and durations employed in this study, failed to alter antemortem or postmortem muscle metabolism and would not be a suitable animal model for studying the formation of the dark-cutting condition in ruminants.

Abstract: This study examined relative influences of predominant collagen fiber orientation (CFO), mineralization (% ash), and other microstructural characteristics on the mechanical properties of equine cortical bone. Using strain-mode-specific (S-M-S) testing (compression testing of bone habitually loaded in compression; tension testing of bone habitually loaded in tension), the relative mechanical importance of CFO and other material characteristics were examined in equine third metacarpals (MC3s). This model was chosen since it had a consistent non-uniform strain distribution estimated by finite element analysis (FEA) near mid-diaphysis of a thoroughbred horse, net tension in the dorsal/lateral cortices and net compression in the palmar/medial cortices. Bone specimens from regions habitually loaded in tension or compression were: (1) tested to failure in both axial compression and tension in order to contrast S-M-S vs non-S-M-S behavior, and (2) analyzed for CFO, % ash, porosity, fractional area of secondary osteonal bone, osteon cross-sectional area, and population densities of secondary osteons and osteocyte lacunae. Multivariate multiple regression analyses revealed that in S-M-S compression testing, CFO most strongly influenced total energy (pre-yield elastic energy plus post-yield plastic energy); in S-M-S tension testing CFO most strongly influenced post-yield energy and total energy. CFO was less important in explaining S-M-S elastic modulus, and yield and ultimate stress. Therefore, in S-M-S loading CFO appears to be important in influencing energy absorption, whereas the other characteristics have a more dominant influence in elastic modulus, pre-yield behavior and strength. These data generally support the hypothesis that differentially affecting S-M-S energy absorption may be an important consequence of regional histocompositional heterogeneity in the equine MC3. Data inconsistent with the hypothesis, including the lack of highly longitudinal collagen in the dorsal-lateral ;tension' region, paradoxical histologic organization in some locations, and lack of significantly improved S-M-S properties in some locations, might reflect the absence of a similar habitual strain distribution in all bones. An alternative strain distribution based on in vivo strain measurements, without FEA, on non-Thoroughbreds showing net compression along the dorsal-palmar axis might be more characteristic of the habitual loading of some of the bones that we examined. In turn, some inconsistencies might also reflect the complex torsion/bending loading regime that the MC3 sustains when the animal undergoes a variety of gaits and activities, which may be representative of only a portion of our animals, again reflecting the possibility that not all of the bones examined had similar habitual loading histories.

Abstract: Why does Pavlov's dog salivate? In response to the tone, or in expectation of food? While in vertebrates behaviour can be driven by expected outcomes, it is unknown whether this is true for non-vertebrates as well. We find that, in the Drosophila larva, odour memories are expressed behaviourally only if animals can expect a positive outcome from doing so. The expected outcome of tracking down an odour is determined by comparing the value of the current situation with the value of the memory for that odour. Memory is expressed behaviourally only if the expected outcome is positive. This uncovers a hitherto unrecognized evaluative processing step between an activated memory trace and behaviour control, and argues that learned behaviour reflects the pursuit of its expected outcome. Shown in a system with a simple brain, an apparently cognitive process like representing the expected outcome of behaviour seems to be a basic feature of behaviour control.