bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal variability in growth of juvenile sparid fishes from the Mediterranean littoral zone
Authors: Planes S. , Macpherson E. , Biagi F. , Garcia-Rubies A. , Harmelin J. , Harmelin-Vivien M. , Jouvenel J.-Y. , Tunesi L. , Vigliola L. , Galzin R.
Published: July 2002

Populations of three species of juvenile Sparidae (Diplodus puntazzo, Diplodus sargus and Diplodus vulgaris) were sampled at different spatial scales in the north-western Mediterranean Sea over two years to follow growth after settlement. Length–frequency distributions were collected each week for periods of six months following the arrival of off-shore larvae in inshore habitats. Data were collected by underwater visual census along permanent transects.

Growth rate measured as the slope of the linear relationship between mean size and time varied between species. Diplodus puntazzo (0.160 mm d−1) and D. vulgaris (0.202 mm d−1), which are settling in winter experienced slower growth than D. sargus (0.567 mm d−1) which settles in summer. It is concluded that the difference was in part due to water temperature. Analysis of growth rate within each species also revealed significant differences among sites probably related to the currents and the water mass temperatures.
Are Pecten maximus and Pecten jacobaeus different species?
Authors: Wilding Craig S. , Beaumont Andy R. , Latchford John W.
Published: July 2002

Two members of the scallop genus Pecten (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) occur in European waters. Pecten maximus is largely an Atlantic species whilst Pecten jacobaeus is almost completely confined to Mediterranean waters despite slight overlap of distributions in the western Mediterranean. Genetic distances between these species were estimated using both allozyme electrophoresis and mitochondrial DNA PCR–RFLP and shown to be of a similar magnitude to intraspecific values, considerably lower than expected for congeneric species. These data are discussed in the light of recognised morphological differences, hybrid rearing trials and previous studies examining genetic distance by allozyme methodologies.
Love in a Colonial Climate: Marriage, Sex and Romance in Nineteenth-Century Bengal
Authors: Raychaudhuri Tapan
Published: July 2002

Studies concerned with the intimate areas of human experience suggest that the institutions
and social mores structured around the instinctive drives of mankind—such as sex, love and fear,
are not meant to serve the same purpose in every culture. Belief systems, world views and culturally-determined
expectations from life determine the texture, causation and expression of even our very basic emotions.
Nature's purpose for the sexual impulse may be the propagation of the species,
but in controlling and harnessing this drive for the ends of social cohesion, different cultures have had
very different objectives in view and used very different means. The emotive affects associated with its
expression have also varied accordingly.
Hydraulic Religion: ‘Great King’ Cults in the Ming and Qing
Authors: Dodgen Randall
Published: July 2002

In the middle years of the Ming (1368–1644) dynasty, temples dedicated to the Fourth Son Golden Dragon Great King (jin long si da wang) began to appear on dikes and in administrative centers along the Yellow River and the Grand Canal. The Golden Dragon cult originated as an ancestral cult dedicated to an apotheosized Southern Song (1127–1280) patriot from the Hangzhou area. It later became popular with boatmen and merchants who travelled on the Grand Canal. Beginning in the sixteenth century, hydraulic officials promoted the cult as an adjunct to their administration of the Canal and the Yellow River.
‘If Anyone Hungers …’: An Integrated Reading of 1 Cor 11.17–34
Authors: HENDERSON SUZANNE WATTS
Published: July 2002

Based on an integrated reading of the social and sacramental dimensions of 1 Cor 11.17–34, this study suggests that, rather than denoting the private homes of the wealthy, Paul's use of οικια/οικος (11.22, 34) refers to the domain of the Corinthian church's gathering. As a result, his exhortation in these verses entails not a tacit endorsement of stratified resources but a concerted argument for the feeding
of the hungry in the community's shared meal (δειπνον), a meal he hopes will imitate Jesus' pattern of self-sacrifice and so will become a meal that is ‘of the Lord (κυριακον δειπνον)’.
The effects of natural Plasmodium falciparum infection on
the fecundity and mortality of Anopheles gambiae s. l. in
north east Tanzania
Authors: HOGG J. C. , HURD H.
Published: July 2002

Rodent and avian malaria parasites have been reported to have an
adverse
affect upon the reproductive fitness of
mosquitoes. In order to determine whether fecundity reduction occurs in
Anopheles
gambiae s. l. infected with human
malaria a study of wild-caught mosquitoes was undertaken in the Muheza
district
of north east Tanzania. Fully engorged,
indoor resting females were collected daily for 4 months and maintained
for
5 days. A sporozoite rate of 11·5% was
detected for the whole collection and of those females alive on day 6 an
additional 17·5% were infected with oocysts alone.
Oocyst, but not sporozoite, infection resulted in a 17·5% reduction
in
egg production. Fecundity reduction was not caused
by a reduction in bloodmeal size in infected females and no size difference
was detected between oocyst-infected and
uninfected females although sporozoite-positive females were significantly
larger. Comparisons in parity between
uninfected and infected groups indicate that infection does not affect
survival beyond the first gonotrophic cycle as no
changes in survivorship occurred as a result of sporozoite infection.
The influence of sex and age on antibody isotype
responses to Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma
japonicum in human populations in Kenya and the Philippines
Authors: WEBSTER M. , LIBRANDA-RAMIREZ B. D. L. , ALIGUI G. D. , OLVEDA R. M. , OUMA J. H. , KARIUKI H. C. , KIMANI G. , OLDS G. R. , FULFORD A. J. C. , BUTTERWORTH A. E. , DUNNE D. W.
Published: July 2002

We have investigated the effects of host age and sex on human antibody
isotype responses to Schistosoma mansoni and
Schistosoma japonicum adult worm (AW) and soluble egg (SEA) antigens,
using sera from subjects in Kenya and the
Philippines. Similar trends with age were observed between the two populations
despite host, parasite and environmental
differences between the two geographical locations. IgE to AW increased
with age,
whereas most isotype responses to SEA
decreased with age. IgG1, IgG3 and IgG4
subclass responses to adult worm, however, did not show a broadly rising
or
falling pattern with age. Males were found to have higher IgG1,
IgG4 and IgE to AW in both populations. This sex
difference remained significant in the Kenyan population even after controlling
statistically for confounding factors such
as age and differences in intensity of infection. Analysis of
S. mansoni and S. japonicum adult worm antigens reactive
with
IgE revealed a predominant 22 kDa band in both parasites. Only those individuals
with relatively high IgE titres
specifically reactive with S. mansoni or S. japonicum
AW had detectable IgE against Sj22 or Sm22.
Wuchereria bancrofti in Kwale District,

Coastal Kenya: patterns of focal distribution of infection,

clinical manifestations and anti-filarial IgG responsiveness
Authors: WAMAE C. N. , GATIKA S. M. , ROBERTS J. M. , LAMMIE P. J.
Published: July 2002

A cross-sectional study of bancroftian filariasis was

conducted in 2 adjacent communities, Mvumoni and Kilore in Muhaka,

Kwale District. Wuchereria bancrofti infection,

clinical manifestations and anti-filarial IgG responsiveness

were determined before the long rains, a time coinciding with a

low transmission season. The prevalence of microfilaraemia

increased gradually with age and was significantly higher in

Kilore (24%) than in Mvumoni (6·3%,

P<0·001). Similarly, the

prevalence of antigenaemia increased with age and also was

significantly higher in Kilore, 48·9% than in Mvumoni,

20·5% (P<0·001). Hydrocele, funiculitis,

lymphangitis and lymphadenitis were also significantly more

common in Kilore than

in Mvumoni. In comparing the 2 communities, levels of IgG4

responsiveness in antigen-positive persons were higher in

Kilore than Mvumoni (P=0·034), but this was

related to higher antigen loads in persons in Kilore than in

Mvumoni. In antigen-negative persons, anti-filarial antibodies

of 3 IgG isotypes were significantly higher in Kilore than Mvumoni

(P<0·001, for IgG1, IgG2, IgG4). These

results emphasize the highly focal nature of bancroftian

filariasis in this setting

and demonstrate that anti-filarial antibody levels are

related to transmission intensity.
Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium from various
hosts
Authors: MORGAN U. M. , SARGENT K. D. , DEPLAZES P. , FORBES D. A. , SPANO F. , HERTZBERG H. , ELLIOT A. , THOMPSON R. C. A.
Published: July 2002

A 298 bp region of the Cryptosporidium parvum 18S rDNA
and
a 390 bp region of the acetyl-CoA synthetase gene were
sequenced for a range of human and animal isolates of Cryptosporidium

from different geographical areas. A distinct
genotype is common to isolates from cattle, sheep and goats and also an
alpaca
from Peru and is referred to here as the
‘calf’-derived Cryptosporidium genotype. Another
genotype of ‘human’-derived isolates also appears to be conserved

amongst human isolates although humans are also susceptible to infection
with
the ‘calf’ Cryptosporidium genotype. Mice
and pigs carry genetically distinct genotypes of Cryptosporidium.

Three snake isolates were also analysed, 2 of which
exhibited C. muris genotypes and the third snake isolate carried

a distinct ‘mouse’ genotype.
Experimental evidence of hybrid breakdown between
genetically distinct populations of Echinostoma caproni
Authors: TROUVÉ S. , RENAUD F. , DURAND P. , JOURDANE J.
Published: July 2002

In this paper we investigate whether the assortative mating
between individuals of the same genetic entity (i.e. coming
from the same geographical area) of Echinostoma caproni, reported

in a previous paper, may be explained by a post-zygotic
isolating mechanism. The fecundity of the adults of 2 parental genetic

entities and of their hybrids (i.e. F1, F2, F3) was
quantified through 3 successive generations. Whereas the number of eggs

released by F1 hybrids is similar to that of the
mid-parent, that of recombinant hybrids (F2–3 hybrids) is
significantly lower than that of F1 and that of the mid-parent.
Since these results seem to demonstrate hybrid breakdown, 2 important
factors maintaining reproductive isolation, i.e.
pre-mating reproductive isolation and low hybrid fecundity, may influence

the evolution of E. caproni.
Phylogenetic relationships of the family Campulidae
(Trematoda) based on 18S rRNA sequences
Authors: FERNANDEZ M. , LITTLEWOOD D. T. J. , LATORRE A. , RAGA J. A. , ROLLINSON D.
Published: July 2002

Traditionally, the family Campulidae has been associated either
with
the family Fasciolidae, parasites of ruminants, or the
Acanthocolpidae, parasites of fishes, based on morphological similarities.

Since morphology does not seem to resolve
clearly the problem of the relationships of campulids, we have used the

sequences of the 18S rRNA gene of the campulids
Zalophotrema hepaticum, Campula oblonga and
Nasitrema globicephalae, the fasciolid Fasciola hepatica,
the acanthocolpid
Stephanostomum baccatum and the outgroup Schistosoma mansoni

to infer a phylogeny. Maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining
methods were applied. Both methods indicated that campulids are closer
to
acanthocolpids than fasciolids.
In order to confirm this relationship, we generated a second phylogeny

using all the partial sequences of the 18S published
for trematodes: Lobatostoma manteri, Echinostoma caproni,

Calicophoron calicophorum, Tetracerasta blepta, Gyliauchen
sp.
and Opistorchis viverrini, plus those mentioned above, and
Dicrocoelium dendriticum. The aspidogastrean L. manteri
was
used as the outgroup. Results were identical to the first analysis.
According to this and the most recent Digenean phylogeny,
which considers campulids and acanthocolpids as sister groups, we
suggest that a common origin for these 2 groups would
imply a host-switching process. The life-cycle of acanthocolpids
includes marine gastropods as first intermediate hosts,
and fishes as second intermediate and definitive hosts. In this
context, the hypothesis would be that trematodes whose
cycle ended in fishes were able to switch to mammalian hosts.
Models for the in-host dynamics of malaria revisited:
errors in some basic models lead to large over-estimates of
growth rates
Authors: SAUL A.
Published: July 2002

The mathematical model of the in-host dynamics for malaria parasites
of Anderson, R. M., May, R. M. & Gupta, S.
(1989), Parasitology99 (Suppl.) S59–S79, and subsequently
used by other authors, contains an error. This leads to very
substantial over-estimates in parasite growth rates. A corrected form of
the model is presented in this paper.
The influence of temperature on the survival and
infectivity of the cercariae of Echinoparyphium recurvatum
(Digenea: Echinostomatidae)
Authors: McCARTHY A. M.
Published: July 2002

Survival and infectivity characteristics are described for cercariae
of the echinostome Echinoparyphium recurvatum at 10,
15, 20, 25 and 30°C. Cercarial survival was markedly age- and temperature-dependent,
maximum survival time being
reduced from 68 h at 10°C to 12 h at 30°C, 50% survival times falling
from 47·9 h at 10°C to 8·4 h at 30°C. The mean
instantaneous per capita death rate of cercariae increased exponentially
with temperature. Cercarial infectivity was also
temperature dependent, the main effect of temperature being upon the rate
at which infectivity diminished with increasing
age of cercariae. Infectivity increased from zero at 10°C to a maximum
at 25°C after which it declined to a low level at
30°C. Overall transmission efficiency of cercariae at each experimental
temperature was calculated as the ratio of the mean
instantaneous per capita death rate (μ) to the mean instantaneous
per capita rate of infection (β). Transmission efficiency

of cercariae was found to be maximal at 20°C and at a relatively high
level between 10 and 25°C. Transmission efficiency
was zero at 10°C and at a very low level at 30°C. These results
suggest that the cercariae of E. recurvatum show
transmission optima at water temperatures likely to be encountered in natural
habitats in Britain and Europe.
Single nucleotide variation in rDNA ITS-2 differentiates
Psoroptes isolates from sheep and rabbits from the same
geographical area
Authors: OCHS H. , MATHIS A. , DEPLAZES P.
Published: July 2002

Psoroptic sheep scab and psoroptic otoacariasis of domestic rabbits occur in the same geographical regions of Switzerland.
To address the question as to whether Psoroptes mites are naturally transmitted between sheep and rabbits, we determined
the sequences of the rDNA second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) from psoroptic mites from sheep (5 field isolates
from Switzerland and 2 laboratory isolates from Ireland and the UK) and from rabbits (8 field isolates from Switzerland).
The ITS-2 sequences for all Psoroptes mites originating from sheep were identical and differed at 1 nucleotide position
from all the sequences of the rabbit-derived isolates. A statistically significant difference between a rabbit-derived isolate
and isolates originating from sheep was also obtained by morphometric analysis of the lengths of the outer opisthosomal
setae. For comparative purposes, the ITS-2 sequences from Chorioptes and Sarcoptes collected in Switzerland were also
determined. No intraspecies variation was found in 6 sarcoptic isolates from red foxes, with a sequence identity of 41%
as compared to Psoroptes. The ITS-2 sequences of 3 chorioptic isolates differed by 24–29% from the Psoroptes sequence.
Identical sequences were found for the Chorioptes isolates from sheep and a camel, which differed by 18% from the
sequence of an isolate from a cow. These genetic data of psoroptic mites originating from sheep and rabbits from the same
geographical area suggest the existence of epidemiologically separated populations.
L-Glutamate binding sites of parasitic nematodes:
an association with ivermectin resistance?
Authors: HEJMADI M. V. , JAGANNATHAN S. , DELANY N. S. , COLES G. C. , WOLSTENHOLME A. J.
Published: July 2002

Nematode membrane preparations contain high amounts of low-affinity specific L-glutamate binding sites. The numbers
of these sites were increased in 2 isolates, one field-derived and the other laboratory-derived, of ivermectin-resistant
Haemonchus contortus and a field isolate of ivermectin-resistant Telodorsagia circumcincta, when compared to control, drug-
sensitive isolates. Specific [3H]ivermectin binding to these membrane preparations showed no differences between
ivermectin-sensitive and resistant isolates and the number of ivermectin binding sites was approximately 100-fold less
than the number of L-glutamate binding sites. Kinetic analysis of L-glutamate binding suggested the presence of at least
2 classes of binding site. L-Glutamate binding was blocked by ibotenic acid, kynurenic acid and β-hydroxyaspartate, but
not by ivermectin, argiopine, kainate, quisqualate or NMDA. Competition assays with ibotenic acid suggested that there
were 2 distinct populations of glutamate binding sites and that the site with the lower affinity for ibotenate was upregulated
in the ivermectin-resistant nematodes. In the field isolate of resistant H. contortus we found no coding changes in the
cDNAs encoding glutamate-gated chloride channel subunits HG2, HG3 and HG4, nor were any changes in channel
expression detected using subunit-specific antibodies. The low-affinity binding site is unlikely to be associated with the
ivermectin receptor in these nematodes.
Genetic diversity and dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax populations in multiply infected
children with asymptomatic malaria infections in Papua New Guinea
Authors: BRUCE M. C. , GALINSKI M. R. , BARNWELL J. W. , DONNELLY C. A. , WALMSLEY M. , ALPERS M. P. , WALLIKER D. , DAY K. P.
Published: July 2002

We describe the dynamics of co-infections of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax in 28 asymptomatic children by
genotyping these species using the polymorphic loci Msp2 and Msp3α, respectively. The total number of Plasmodium spp.
infections detected using 3 day sampling over 61 days varied between 1 and 14 (mean 6·6). The dynamics of P. falciparum
and P. vivax genotypes varied greatly both within and amongst children. Periodicity in the detection of P. falciparum
infections is consistent with the synchronous replication of individual genotypes. Replication synchrony of multiple co-
infecting genotypes was not detected. In 4-year-old children P. falciparum genotype complexity was reduced and episodes
lasted significantly longer (median duration > 60 days) when compared to children aged 5–14 years (median duration
9 days). P. vivax genotype complexity was not correlated with age but the episode duration was also longer for this species
in 4-year-olds than in older children but was not as long as P. falciparum episodes. Recurrence of P. falciparum and P.
vivax genotypes over weeks was observed. We interpret these major fluctuations in the density of genotypes over time as
the result of the mechanism of antigenic variation thought to be present in these Plasmodium species.
Davidson on the Ontology and Logical Form of Belief
Authors: HACKER P. M. S.
Published: July 2002

1. Belief and mental states

Davidson holds that intentional verbs occurring in the form ‘A Vs that p’ signify propositional attitudes. These are, he claims, (i) mental states (MS 160; KOM passim), and (ii) dispositions (FPA 103). Davidson does not conceive of himself as introducing a special technical sense of the common intentional verbs. He insists that ‘the mental states in question are beliefs, desires, intentions, and so on, as ordinarily conceived' (KOM 51f.). Consequently he contends that believing that p is a mental state, disposition or dispositional state. These ontological claims about the nature of belief inform his account of the logical form of belief sentences. I shall address the question of whether believing that p can justly be deemed a mental state, a disposition or dispositional state. Subsequently I shall examine Davidson's account of the logical form of belief sentences.

Our concept of a mental state, like so many of the concepts which philosophers treat as categorial, is none too sharply defined. It has a respectable use, which can be described. But, like other such general psychological terms, e.g. ‘mental process’, ‘mental activity’, far from being the ‘hardest of the hard’ - a sharply circumscribed categorial term akin to a variable in a well-constructed formal system — it has blurred boundaries and is elastic. Like all our ordinary psychological concepts, it evolved in order to meet everyday needs. As Wittgenstein observed, ‘The concepts of psychology are just everyday concepts. They are not concepts newly fashioned by science for its own purposes, as are the concepts of physics and chemistry.’

Although our ordinary concepts can be replaced by technical ones for specialized purposes, they cannot be abused without generating conceptual confusion and incoherence. If the expression ‘mental state’ is being employed in its ordinary sense, then it is wrong to hold that believing that p is to be in any mental state. If it is being employed in a special technical sense, then those who employ it thus owe us an account of what it means and how it is to be used. This Davidson and the many other philosophers who subscribe to the view that believing is a mental state have not done. Until such an account is forthcoming, one may presume that they think of themselves as deploying our ordinary concept of a mental state. And if so, I shall argue, they are misusing it.
Wittgenstein's Ph.D Viva—A Re-Creation
Authors: Goldstein Laurence
Published: July 2002

Wittgenstein's Ph.D. viva, held in June 1929, was a charade, for the dissertation presented by Wittgenstein was his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus which had achieved the status of a classic in the seven years since its publication and was widely acclaimed as a masterpiece. The viva was treated by all participants as something of a joke, and the doctorate was duly awarded. But suppose that the viva had been properly conducted, and Wittgenstein had been subjected to searching criticism of the content of his dissertation, and the examiners had looked carefully at the question of how original were the ideas... ? I here present, in the form of a drama, that counterfactual viva.
Relationships between hostility and physiological
coronary heart disease risk factors in young adults:
the moderating influence of depressive tendencies
Authors: RAVAJA N. , KAUPPINEN T. , KELTIKANGAS-JÄRVINEN L.
Published: July 2002

Background. We examined whether the relationships between hostility and physiological coronary
heart disease (CHD) risk factors differ as a function of depressive tendencies (DT).

Methods. The participants were 672 randomly selected healthy young adults who self-reported their
hostility (anger, cynicism, and paranoia) and DT. The physiological CHD risk factors studied were
systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body-mass index, serum high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and serum triglycerides.

Results. We found that hostility was negatively associated with the physiological CHD risk factors
among individuals exhibiting high DT while hostility was positively associated with, or unrelated
to, the physiological risk factors among individuals showing low DT. The Hostility × DT
interaction explained 2 to 5% of the variance in the physiological parameters.

Conclusion. The findings suggest that DT have a moderating influence on the relationships between
hostility and CHD risk. Despite the established risk factor status of hostility, lack of anger and
hostility, when combined with high DT, may represent the most severe exhaustion where the
individual has given up. Disregard of this fact may explain some null findings in the research on
hostility and CHD risk.
Increased rates of psychosis among immigrants to Sweden: is migration a risk factor for psychosis ?
Authors: ZOLKOWSKA K. , CANTOR-GRAAE E. , McNEIL T. F.
Published: July 2002

Background. Previous studies have shown high rates of psychosis among Afro-Caribbean immigrants to the UK and immigrants to the Netherlands. Rates of schizophrenia-like psychoses (SLP), i.e. schizophrenia or other non-affective psychosis, among the native-born and immigrant populations were assessed in Malmö, the city in Sweden with the highest proportion of immigrants.

Methods. All adult patients admitted for in-patient psychiatric treatment in Malmö during the course of a 1-year period (N = 1162) were studied with regard to ethnicity and SLP diagnosis. A smaller sample consisting only of first-onset SLP cases (regardless of in- or out-patient status) was also studied (N = 56). Risks for admission and first-onset were calculated on the basis of current background population figures for Malmö.

Results. Compared with those who were native-born, immigrants had increased risk for admission for SLP, with a similar tendency for increased risk for first-onset of SLP. Relative risk for SLP admission was most markedly increased in immigrants from East-Africa. Background factors specifically associated with migration (e.g. extreme duress) did not appear to contribute strongly to SLP in immigrants.

Conclusion. While the current results add to the growing body of evidence showing increased risk for psychosis in immigrants, vulnerability to psychosis may have been determined by factors other than the migration process.
Do cognitive complaints either predict future
cognitive decline or reflect past cognitive decline? A
longitudinal study of an elderly community sample
Authors: JORM A. F. , CHRISTENSEN H. , KORTEN A. E. , HENDERSON A. S. , JACOMB P. A. , MACKINNON A.
Published: July 2002

Data from a two-wave longitudinal study of an elderly community sample were used
to assess whether cognitive complaints either predict subsequent cognitive decline or reflect past
cognitive decline. Cognitive complaints and cognitive functioning were assessed on two occasions
three and a half years apart. Cognitive complaints at Wave 1 were found not to predict future
cognitive change on the Mini-Mental State Examination, an episodic memory test or a test of
mental speed. Similarly, cognitive complaints at Wave 2 were unrelated to past cognitive changes
on these tests after statistically controlling for the effects of anxiety and depression. Furthermore,
cognitive complaints did not predict either mortality (after controlling for anxiety and depression)
or future dementia. These results are evidence against the inclusion of cognitive complaints in
diagnostic criteria for proposed disorders such as age-associated memory impairment, mild
cognitive disorder and ageing-associated cognitive decline.
Cognitive performance and complaints of cognitive
impairment in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
Authors: WEARDEN ALISON , APPLEBY LOUIS
Published: July 2002

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) complain that they have difficulties with
concentration and memory but studies to date have not found consistent objective evidence of
performance deficits. Two groups of CFS patients, depressed and non-depressed, and healthy
controls, were asked about concentration problems in general and specifically when reading. CFS
subjects were more likely than controls to report that they had concentration problems when
reading, that they needed to re-read text and that they failed to take in what they were reading.
Subjects then performed a task in which their reading behaviour and text recall was measured.
While all CFS subjects complained of general cognitive failures and of difficulties with reading, only
depressed CFS subjects recalled significantly less of the text than controls. Severity of complaints
about reading problems was not related to amount of text recalled, but was related to severity of
depressed mood. However, subjects were able to evaluate accurately their ability to remember the
text immediately after reading it and before being tested for recall. Additionally, subjects performed
a paired-associate learning task on which no significant differences between the subject groups was
found. It is concluded that deficits in cognitive functioning in CFS patients are more likely to be
found on naturalistic than on laboratory tasks.
Social distance towards the mentally ill: results of
representative surveys in the Federal Republic of Germany
Authors: ANGERMEYER MATTHIAS C. , MATSCHINGER HERBERT
Published: July 2002

Background. In 1975, a special commission appointed by the German Parliament submitted its
report on the desolate state of psychiatric care in the old Federal Republic of Germany
including suggestions for much-needed reforms. Among them was a call for the reduction of
existing prejudices against mentally ill people. This study addresses the question as to what
attitude is commonly found among the general public towards the mentally ill nowadays, two
decades after the first step towards reform in psychiatric care and focuses on social distance.

Methods. Between spring 1990 and the end of 1993, a total of 11 representative surveys were
carried out in Germany, eight of them in the former Federal Republic, or the old Länder.

Results. Even today, mentally ill people are met with a great deal of rejection by the German
public. Alcohol dependants are rejected most, even more so than those suffering from schizophrenia.
Personal experience with mental illness is associated with a lower level of derived social
distance, which may be attributed to an increase in positive emotional reactions and reduced
feelings of anxiety. There is an association between a person's attitude towards the mentally ill
and his/her overall value orientation.

Conclusions. Although, for methodological reasons, we are not able to show a significant change
in attitude in the wake of the reform in psychiatric care, our results lend support to one of the
basic assumptions of community psychiatry, namely the premise that personal contact with the
mentally ill can help to reduce feelings of resentment towards the latter.
The epidemiology and classification of bulimia nervosa
Authors: SULLIVAN P. F. , BULIK C. M. , KENDLER K. S.
Published: July 2002

Background. We sought to determine whether there was
empirical support for the diagnostic
thresholds of DSM-IV bulimia nervosa (BN) and whether an empirically derived
typology
resembled the diagnostic categories of DSM-IV.

Methods. Detailed information about bulimic behaviours were

assessed via personal interview in a
population-based sample of 1897 Caucasian female twins. We assessed
the lifetime prevalence of the
component bulimic behaviours and DSM-IV and DSM-III-R BN. Latent class
analysis of nine
separate bulimic symptoms was used to develop an empirical typology of
bulimic behaviour.

Results. Although the lifetime prevalences of bingeing
(23·6%) and vomiting (4·8%) were relatively
common, DSM-IV BN was distinctly uncommon (0·5%). The criterion

that specified the frequency
and duration of bingeing and vomiting was an important limiting
condition. Analysis of alternative
thresholds found little support for the DSM-IV thresholds requiring
an average of twice per week
for 3 months. Latent class analysis yielded an interpretable four class

solution that had little overlap with the DSM-IV typology.

Conclusions. As in other studies of unselected samples of
women, the lifetime presence of bulimic
behaviours are relatively high. Our results suggest that the DSM-IV approach
to categorizing
bulimic behaviour inadequately captures the spectrum of lifetime
bulimic behaviours in the general population.
The views and outcomes of consenting and non-consenting patients
receiving ECT
Authors: WHEELDON T. J. , ROBERTSON C. , EAGLES J. M. , REID I. C.
Published: July 2002

Background. Current mental health legislation in the UK
makes provision for the use of certain
treatments in severely ill patients who are unable, or unwilling, to give
informed consent. Under the
terms of this legislation, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be used,
usually to treat severely
depressed patients. A number of organizations have challenged this practice,
stating that ECT
should only be given with fully informed consent: it has been implied that
patients receiving
compulsory ECT (given without the patient's consent, under the terms
of mental health legislation)
find the treatment damaging and unhelpful.

Methods. A series of 150 patients receiving ECT in Aberdeen
was studied. A proportion of the series
(approximately 7%) received compulsory ECT. The views and treatment outcomes
of compulsory
patients were compared with those of patients giving informed consent for
treatment.

Results. More than 80% of patients in both consenting and compulsory
groups considered ECT to
have helped them. Clinical outcome did not differ between the groups. Patients'
views showed
marked concordance with independent medical evaluation of outcome.

Conclusions. Outcome following ECT in non-consenting patients
is equivalent to that seen in
consenting patients whether rated by the patients themselves or by clinicians.
Overall outcome is
good, with more than 80% of patients benefiting from treatment. A ban on
compulsory ECT would
deny the access of seriously ill patients to an effective and acceptable
treatment.
Absence of social networks, social support and
health services utilization
Authors: KOUZIS ANTHONY C. , EATON WILLIAM W.
Published: July 2002

Background. This study examines the effects of distress
and three types of social relationships
(family, friends, and confidantes) on the use of out-patient health services
in an adult sample from
a community survey of 3481 persons in Baltimore, Maryland.

Methods. Independent effects of predisposing (age, education,
marital status, race and sex), enabling
(employment, income and insurance) and need (physical health) factors are
adjusted for in
estimating the odds of using health care services.

Results. Illness, being female, and having insurance were positively
related to use of services, while
being aged was inversely related. After adjustment for the above factors,
social support interacted
with psychological distress to effect the use of medical care: the combination
of high distress and
low social support by a confidante results in a fourfold increase of medical
utilization.

Conclusions. Our findings support the inclusion of psychological
distress and social network
variables in addition to physical health status in models attempting to
explain the use of health
services. Despite an inability to analyse change over time, our data suggest
an understanding of the
interrelationship between psychosocial factors, distress and health care
use would benefit health
providers and their patients.
Can biased symptom perception explain false-alarm
choking sensations?
Authors: RIETVELD S. , EVERAERD W. , VANBEEST I.
Published: July 2002

Background. Breathlessness in asthma often cannot be explained
with objective variables indicating
airways obstruction. The hypothesis that unrealistic breathlessness results
from false interpretation
of sensations was tested.

Methods. Sixty-four children and adolescents with asthma, aged
9–18 years, were randomly
assigned to: (1) standardized physical exercise for induction of general
symptoms; (2) equipment
causing itching through skin irritation; or (3) physical exercise combined
with equipment causing
itching through skin irritation. Pre-test and post-test measures were:
lung function; breathlessness;
general symptoms; itching; state anxiety; and worry.

Results. Lung function decreased within normal parameters (3·8%,
1·1%, 2·6%, respectively) and
did not differ significantly between conditions. Breathlessness increased
significantly after exercise,
particularly in condition 3. Breathlessness correlated with general symptoms
and worrying, but not
with changes in lung function, age, or asthma severity.

Conclusion. Biased symptom perception can explain unrealistic
breathlessness. Prerequisites are
situational cues triggering selective perception and ambiguous sensations
associated with the
anticipated (feared) physical state. Excessive breathlessness may often
warrant objective
confirmation by means of lung-function testing.
Magnetic resonance imaging differences between
dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease:
a pilot study
Authors: HARVEY G. T. , HUGHES J. , McKEITH I. G. , BRIEL R. , BALLARD C. , GHOLKAR A. , SCHELTENS P. , PERRY R. H. , INCE P. , O'BRIEN J. T.
Published: July 2002

Background. Temporal lobe atrophy on magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) has been suggested as
a specific diagnostic marker for Alzheimer's disease (AD). No previous
comparison with dementia
with Lewy bodies (DLB) has been reported.

Method. T1-weighted MRI scans were performed on 11 subjects
with AD (nine with
NINCDS/ADRDA probable AD and two with neuropathologically proven AD)
and nine subjects
with DLB (four with probable DLB diagnosed by clinical criteria and five
with neuropathologically
proven DLB). Groups were matched for age, duration of illness and cognitive
test score. Two raters,
blind to diagnosis and neuropathological findings, measured the volumes
of the frontal lobes,
temporal lobes, hippocampi, parahippocampal gyri, amygdalae, and caudate
nuclei using a
computerized volumetric analysis system. Scans were also rated for medial
temporal atrophy on a
four-point scale by an experienced rater.

Results. AD subjects had significantly smaller left temporal
lobes and parahippocampal gyri than
those with DLB. Medial temporal atrophy was present in 9/11 AD cases
(82%) and absent in 6/9
(67%) of DLB cases. Two neuropathologically confirmed cases of DLB had
severe medial temporal
atrophy; both had concurrent AD-type pathology in the temporal lobe (Braak
stage 4).

Conclusions. This pilot study supports the hypothesis that
a greater burden of pathology centres on
the temporal lobes in AD compared with DLB, except in DLB cases with concurrent
Alzheimer
pathology. A larger study is needed to confirm these findings and to determine
whether MRI has
a role in assisting with the clinical differentiation between DLB and AD.
The efficacy of drug treatments for dysthymia:
a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: DE LIMA M. S. , HOTOPH M. , WESSELY S.
Published: July 2002

Background. Dysthymia is a common mental disorder, associated with considerable disability and
high co-morbidity. This review assessed the role of pharmacological treatment.

Methods. All randomized-controlled trials that compared active drug versus placebo for dysthymic
patients were included. Pooled relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were
calculated with the Random Effect Model method. Where possible, number needed to treat and
number needed to harm were estimated.

Results. Fifteen trials were included for the main comparisons. Similar results were obtained in
terms of efficacy for different groups of drugs, such as tricyclic (TCA), selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRI), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) and other drugs (sulpiride, amineptine,
and ritanserin). The pooled RR treatment response was 0·68 (95% CI 0·59–0·78) for TCA, 0·64
(95% CI 0·55–0·74) for SSRIs, 0·59 (95% CI 0·48–0·71) for MAOIs. Other drugs (amisulpride,
amineptine and ritanserin) showed similar results. Patients treated on TCA were more likely to
report adverse events, compared with placebo. There were no differences in response to active
treatment when dysthymia was compared to either dysthymia plus major depression or briefer non-major depressive states.

Conclusions. Drug treatment appears to be effective in the short-term management of dysthymic
disorder. The choice of drug should take into account specific side-effects profile of each drug.
Personality and personality disorder: current issues and directions
Authors: PARKER GORDON , BARRETT ELAINE
Published: July 2002

The last decade has seen a renewed interest and research effort focused on the broad areas of
personality and personality disorder. Issues preoccupying researchers include problems of
classification (especially categorical versus dimensional models), the absence of theoretical models,
and implications of the suggested continuity between ‘normal’ personality dimensions and
personality disorder.
Quantitative MRI of the hippocampus and amygdala in severe depression
Authors: MERVAALA E. , FÖHR J. , KÖNÖNEN M. , VALKONEN-KORHONEN M. , VAINIO P. , PARTANEN K. , PARTANEN J. , TIIHONEN J. , VIINAMÄKI H. , KARJALAINEN A.-K. , LEHTONEN J.
Published: July 2002

Background. There is little evidence to support possible structural changes in the amygdala and
hippocampus of patients with severe depression.

Methods. Quantitative MRI of the amygdala and hippocampus, as well as proton spectroscopy
(MRS) of mesial temporal structures were studied in 34 drug-resistant in-patients with major
depression and compared with 17 age-matched controls. Volumetric MRI data were normalized for
brain size.

Results. The volume of the left hippocampus was significantly smaller in the patients compared
with the controls. Both groups exhibited similar significant hippocampal asymmetry (left smaller
than right). The patients, but not the controls, had significant asymmetry of the amygdalar volumes
(right smaller than left). No differences were observed between the patients and controls in the T2
relaxation times for the hippocampus and amygdala. Mesial temporal lobe MRS revealed a
significantly elevated choline/creatine ratio in the patients compared with the controls.

Conclusions. This quantitative MRI study provides support for a possible association between
structural and biochemical substrates and severe drug-resistant major depression.
Social phobia subtypes in the general population revealed by cluster analysis
Authors: FURMARK T. , TILLFORS M. , STATTIN H. , EKSELIUS L. , FREDRIKSON M.
Published: July 2002

Background. Epidemiological data on subtypes of social phobia are scarce and their defining
features are debated. Hence, the present study explored the prevalence and descriptive characteristics
of empirically derived social phobia subgroups in the general population.

Methods. To reveal subtypes, data on social distress, functional impairment, number of social fears
and criteria fulfilled for avoidant personality disorder were extracted from a previously published
epidemiological study of 188 social phobics and entered into an hierarchical cluster analysis.
Criterion validity was evaluated by comparing clusters on the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the
Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). Finally, profile analyses were performed in which
clusters were compared on a set of sociodemographic and descriptive characteristics.

Results. Three clusters emerged, consisting of phobics scoring either high (generalized subtype),
intermediate (non-generalized subtype) or low (discrete subtype) on all variables. Point prevalence
rates were 2·0%, 5·9% and 7·7% respectively. All subtypes were distinguished on both SPS and
SIAS. Generalized or severe social phobia tended to be over-represented among individuals with
low levels of educational attainment and social support. Overall, public-speaking was the most
common fear.

Conclusions. Although categorical distinctions may be used, the present data suggest that social
phobia subtypes in the general population mainly differ dimensionally along a
mild–moderate–severe continuum, and that the number of cases declines with increasing severity.
How do people with schizophrenia explain the
behaviour of others? A study of theory of mind and
its relationship to thought and speech disorganization
in schizophrenia
Authors: SARFATI YVES , HARDY-BAYLÉ MARIE-CHRISTINE
Published: July 2002

Background. This paper examines the attribution of mental states to others in schizophrenia and its
links with thought and speech disorganization.

Methods. Two groups of schizophrenic subjects (15 with and 10 without thought and speech
disorganization) were compared with 10 manic subjects and 15 normal controls on their pattern of
answers to 14 theory of mind comic strips.

Results. Schizophrenic subjects with disorganization and a more severe general psychopathology
exhibited more unadaptated interpretations of others' mental states than those without
disorganization or the manic or normal controls. Their explanation of other people's behaviour
tended to be influenced by the frequency of their actions rather than their mental states.

Conclusions. The disorganization pattern in schizophrenia may be associated with a specific deficit
of the cognitive ability referred to as theory of mind, and this deficit could be a state rather than
a trait variable. Patients with thought and speech disorders may be more likely to understanding
other people's mental states in unambiguous and common situations.
Psychosocial adjustment after traumatic brain injury:
what are the important variables?
Authors: TATE R. L. , BROE G. A.
Published: July 2002

Background. The common legacy of severe degrees of traumatic brain injury is varying degrees and
types of impairments, which impact significantly upon the individual's resumption of pre-morbid
psychosocial roles. Yet there are few data to indicate the relative contribution of these and other
non-injury related variables.

Methods. Seventy individuals with varying levels of disability after severe traumatic brain injury
were examined neurologically and neuropsychologically, on average at 6 years post-trauma. A
range of biographical, injury, impairment and psychological variables were examined with multiple
regression analyses to identify those that contributed to successful psychosocial reintegration.

Results. Severity of injury and impairments, along with chronicity and level of self-esteem were
significant predictors of psychosocial adjustment. Further analyses revealed that within the
neuropsychological domain, the variable measuring behavioural regulation of abilities was the most
significant. Examination of specific domains of psychosocial functioning (occupational activities,
interpersonal relationships and independent living skills) revealed different patterns of significant
predictor variables, in addition to indices of the severity of initial injury: neurophysical impairments
and memory functioning predicted successful occupational activities; chronicity, cognitive speed
and behavioural regulation predicted success in interpersonal relationships; and neurophysical
impairments, behavioural regulation and memory functioning predicted independent living skills.

Conclusions. These results reinforce the overriding importance of injury severity and neurological
factors (both neurophysical as well as neuropsychological) in predicting psychosocial adjustment
after traumatic brain injury. Support for the contribution of non-neurological factors was also
found.