Advances

Advances gives a glimpse of the many significant research projects at the university. Tell us about your discoveries. E-mail: wisweek@news.wisc.edu.

Gender differences may be root of sleeping disorder
Gender hormones may be a key factor in the onset of a common human disorder called sleep apnea, suggest findings from a new study by researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Sleep apnea, which typically occurs when the tongue blocks the airway during sleep, affects more than 18 million Americans, a majority of whom are middle-aged men.

Scientists Andrea Zabka and Mary Behan studied how age affects a female rat’s response to hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, and compared the results to those from a previous study focusing on male rats’ responses. The gender-specific responses, they found, are completely different. Results are published in the December issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. In another study already under way, Zabka and Behan turn their attention to male rats to examine the role of testosterone in respiratory control.

Women deeply involved in dairy farming
Despite the hard work, long hours and stresses associated with farming, most women on Wisconsin dairy farms were positive about their quality of life, according to a university study published in late November.

Results of the study illustrated how women contribute to Wisconsin’s dairy farms and identified programs they wanted so they could work more effectively on the farm.

“We found that women are vital to dairy operations today and contribute in many ways,” says Jennifer E. Vogt. “Women tend to be especially knowledgeable about the bookkeeping and financial aspects of the family dairy farm. Many are also extensively involved in livestock work and, to a lesser extent, fieldwork. And they have the greatest responsibility for household work and care of children.

“An important part of their value on farms is their flexibility in moving among these areas as the farm’s needs dictate,” says Vogt.

Before she graduated, Vogt was a research assistant with the Program on Agricultural Technology Studies, part of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. For a complete copy of the report: “The Roles of Women on Wisconsin Dairy Farms at the Turn of the 21st Century,” see the PATS web site: http://www.wisc.edu/pats

Alternative to amputation
Two physicians at UW Hospital and Clinics have been using a technique called limb salvage to save the legs of patients with cardiovascular problems that would otherwise require amputation of their limbs.

The procedure involves the use of angioplasty equipment in areas of the body where ballooning and stents aren’t generally used, because the blood vessels that supply the legs are so small.

UW Hospital and Clinics is one of a handful of medical facilities in Wisconsin to offer limb salvage. The technique has been available since February. Girma Tefera, a vascular surgeon, provides the anatomical and surgical expertise. Timothy Tanke, an interventional cardiologist, handles the technical work, performing the balloon angioplasty and clearing out the artery blockage with a wire catheter. Their efforts represent a unique meshing of cardiovascular disciplines.

The procedure represents a promising alternative for patients who, for a host of medical reasons — advanced age, diabetes, lung disease — aren’t candidates for traditional vascular surgery. Until now, the only medical option has often been limb amputation.