Editorial Perspective. The Low Down on Down Low

Low down on the singing

The male European starling is well known for its diverse range of song phrases, some of which have sometimes been recognizably poached from those of other species and even from anthropogenic sources: it is not entirely unusual to hear the odd telephone ringtone or car alarm amongst their complex songs. There’s evidence that the wide range of the bird’s song phrases provide an indication of a ma...

The low down on low-dose endocrine disruptors.

most complex environmental health threats known today. By mimicking natural hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, these chemicals can interact with the body's endocrine system and exert toxic effects that may lead to reproductive and developmental abnormalities or cancer. In October 2000, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the NIEHS convened an independent panel of experts from aca...

L-type calcium channels: the low down.

L-type calcium channels couple membrane depolarization in neurons to numerous processes including gene expression, synaptic efficacy, and cell survival. To establish the contribution of L-type calcium channels to various signaling cascades, investigators have relied on their unique pharmacological sensitivity to dihydropyridines. The traditional view of dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type calcium ...

Editorial--ICOPA down under.

The low-down on the new CPD system.

A randomly selected audit by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) will be conducted twice a year to check if health care practitioners are complying with the new Continuing Professional Education (CPD) system. This will eventually mean that every practitioner is audited at least once every 5 years. This is how the long-awaited new HPCSA CPD system, piloted from July to Decembe...