bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization and expansion of baboon CD4+CD25+ Treg cells for potential use in a non‐human primate xenotransplantation model
Authors: Porter Cynthia M. , Horvath‐Arcidiacono Judith A. , Singh Avneesh K. , Horvath Keith A. , Bloom Eda T. , Mohiuddin Muhammad M.
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  Background:  It is well established that CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells can modulate allogeneic immune responses. Xenotransplantation, proposed as a means to address the critical shortage of human organs, may also benefit from similar approaches to avert rejection. Baboons are a preferred preclinical animal model for xenogeneic organ transplantation experiments, and the characterization of baboon Treg cells will be beneficial to future tolerance studies in this animal model.

Methods:  We analyzed CD4+CD25+ T cells from baboon lymph nodes, spleens, and blood by flow cytometry, then purified and expanded porcine antigen‐specific baboon CD4+CD25high cells in vitro to evaluate their regulatory activity in the baboon anti‐pig xenogeneic responses.

Results:  CD4+CD25high T cells were 1.7%, 3.1%, and 1.9% of baboon splenic, lymph node, and blood T cells, respectively. The CD4+CD25high T cells expressed the Treg cell‐associated transcription factor, FoxP3. Proliferation/suppression assays using irradiated pig peripheral blood mononuclear cells as stimulators showed that Treg cells suppressed the vigorous baboon CD4+CD25− T‐cell anti‐pig proliferation response and cytokine secretion. Expanded baboon Treg cells suppressed baboon anti‐pig CD4+CD25− T‐cell proliferation ∼4‐ to 10‐fold more than freshly isolated Treg cells. Expanded Treg cells suppressed proliferation to primary cells from the same pig used for expansion more effectively than proliferation to stimulators from a different strain of pig, suggesting a level of antigen specificity.

Conclusion:  We demonstrate that baboon Treg cells suppress immune responses to xenogeneic stimulation. These studies suggest that adoptive transfer of expanded Treg cells into transplant recipients may provide an approach to prevent cell‐mediated rejection of grafts and potentially induce tolerance in the pig to baboon xenotransplantation preclinical model.
Effect of exogenous glutamate and N‐Methyl‐D‐aspartic acid on spontaneous activity of isolated human ureter
Authors: Jankovic Slobodan M , Jankovic Snezana V , Stojadinovic Dobrivoje , Jakovljevic Mihajlo , Milovanovic Dragan
Published: July 2007

Objectives: While the neurotransmitter role of glutamate in the gastrointestinal tract has been shown, its effects on smooth muscle of the human ureter have not previously been investigated. In our study we have investigated the effects of exogenous glutamate on the spontaneous activity of isolated human ureter, taken from 14 adult patients after nephrectomy.

Methods: The segment of ureter, excised 3 cm distal from the pyeloureteral junction, was isolated in an organ bath. Both longitudinal tension and intraluminal pressure of the segment were recorded simultaneously.

Results: Glutamate administered in the lumen of the isolated ureteral segments (7.8 × 10−7 M/L−3.5 × 10−2 M/L) was ineffective. When added to the isolated organ bath from the serous side of the ureteral segment, glutamate (7.9 × 10−6 M/L−10.6 × 10−3 M/L) and N‐Methyl‐D‐aspartic acid (NMDA) (9.1 × 10−8 M/L−3.1 × 10−5 M/L) produced a concentration‐dependent increase in spontaneous activity of the isolated preparations, while kainic acid (6.3 × 10−8 M/L−10.5 × 10−5 M/L) and (+/–)‐trans‐1‐Aminocyclopentane‐trans‐1,3‐dicarboxylic acid (ACPD) (7.7 × 10−8 M/L −6.5 × 10−5 M/L) were ineffective.

Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that an excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate stimulates spontaneous activity of the human ureter through activation of NMDA ionotropic receptors, located on smooth muscle cells or intramural nerve fibers
Significance of the craniocaudal distribution of cancer in radical prostatectomy specimens
Authors: Ishii Junichiro , Ohori Makoto , Scardino Peter , Tsuboi Toshiki , Slawin Kevin , Wheeler Thomas
Published: July 2007

Objectives:  To examine the differences in the distribution of prostate cancer (PCa) in the craniocaudal dimension and their potential significance.

Methods:  We studied 1253 patients with clinically localized PCa treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) from 1983 to 2000. We analyzed the clinicopathological features according to the craniocaudal distribution (apex, mid, base) of the largest cancer focus.

Results:  Of these patients, 456 (36%) had the largest cancer focus in the apex, 728 (58%) in the mid, and 69 (6%) in the base. The cancers in the apex were less invasive than those in the mid or base, as evidenced by the lower frequency of extracapsular extension (27% vs 43%, 52%, respectively) and/or seminal vesicle involvement (5% vs 13%, 20%, respectively). The frequency of the largest cancer focus in the apex has increased significantly over time, from 26% before 1995 to 46% after 1995 (P < 0.001). Serum prostate specific antigen non‐progression rate at 10 years for patients with a cancer at the apex was 83%, which was better than 76% and 77% of patients with a cancer at the mid or base (P = 0.029, P = 0.14, respectively).

Conclusion:  The cancers dominant at the apex are increasing over time and represent half of the patients treated by RP in recent years. These cancers tend to be less aggressive compared to those in the mid or base of the prostate. This knowledge may be useful in understanding the biology of and maximizing the detection of PCa
Evaluation of urinary CA19‐9 levels in bladder cancer patients classified according to the combinations of Lewis and Secretor blood group genotypes
Authors: Nagao Keiji , Itoh Yukio , Fujita Kazuhiko , Fujime Makoto
Published: July 2007

Objectives:  This study evaluated the clinical significance of urinary CA19‐9 levels in bladder cancer patients classified according to various combinations of Lewis (Le) and Secretor (Se) genotypes.

Methods:  Urinary CA19‐9 and DU‐PAN‐2 levels were measured as units per mg creatinine (U/mg Cr) in 121 patients with bladder cancer and in 31 patients with other urologic diseases. Genotyping was carried out using polymerase chain reaction‐based methods.

Results:  Urinary CA19‐9‐values in patients with both Le and Se alleles (Le/Le, Se/Se; Le/Le, Se/se; Le/le, Se/Se; Le/le, Se/se) were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in bladder cancer cases compared to the other urologic diseases. The cut‐off value determined using receiver operating characteristics analyses was 37.6 U/mg Cr. Approximately 70% (57/87) of bladder cancer patients with both Le and Se alleles demonstrated urinary CA19‐9 levels over the cut‐off value. In contrast, only 16% (4/24) of patients with other urologic diseases were over the cut‐off value.

Conclusions:  The urinary CA19‐9 level can be a new effective diagnostic tool in bladder cancer patients with both Le and Se alleles.
Extragastrointestinal stromal tumor possibly originating from the prostate
Authors: Yinghao Sun , Bo Yang , Xiaofeng Gao
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  We report a case of extragastrointestinal stromal tumor possibly originating from the prostate. The patient underwent radical prostatectomy because of no metastatic evidence. No recurrence and metastasis have been found during 14 months of follow up. To our knowledge, this may be the third such case published in a report in terms of pathological type.
MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL AND BIOTERRORISM INDUCED PANDEMICS
Authors: TYSHENKO MICHAEL G.
Published: July 2007

A recent approach for bioterrorism risk management calls for stricter regulations over biotechnology as a way to control subversion of technology that may be used to create a man‐made pandemic. This approach is largely unworkable given the increasing pervasiveness of molecular techniques and tools throughout society. Emerging technology has provided the tools to design much deadlier pathogens but concomitantly the ability to respond to emerging pandemics to reduce mortality has also improved significantly in recent decades. In its historical context determining just how ‘risky’ biological weapons is an important consideration for decision making and resource allocation. Management should attempt to increase capacity, share resources, provide accurate infectious disease reporting, deliver information transparency and improve communications to help mitigate the magnitude of future pandemics.
ETHICAL ASPECTS OF LIMITING RESIDENTS' WORK HOURS
Authors: WIESING URBAN
Published: July 2007

Definition of the problem: The regulation of residents' work hours involves several ethical conflicts which need to be systematically analysed and evaluated.

Arguments and conclusion: The most important ethical principle when regulating work hours is to avoid the harm resulting from the over‐work of physicians and from an excessive division of labour. Additionally, other ethical principles have to be taken into account, in particular the principles of nonmaleficence and beneficence for future patients and for physicians. The article presents arguments for balancing the relevant ethical principles and analyses the structural difficulties that occur unavoidably in any regulation of the complex activities of physicians.
Foundations of British Sociology 1880–1930: Contexts and Biographies
Authors: Goldman Lawrence
Published: July 2007

‘This paper provides an overview of aspects of the history of British sociology. In particular, it tries to answer critical historical work by among others, Perry Anderson and Philip Abrams, which sought to explain the supposed indigenous ‘failure’ to develop academic sociology in Britain before the 1960s. It is argued that a narrowly academic reading of the history of sociology cannot do justice to its role in the service of social administration and public enlightenment and may exaggerate the degree to which sociology from its foundations was conceived as a purely intellectual discipline. The paper points to a thriving sociological culture in Britain in the generation before the First World War, though it was one in which many contributions came from philosophers, natural scientists and political economists rather then self-proclaimed ‘sociologists’. It ends with a brief review of Patrick Geddes and Victor Branford, a founder of the Sociological Society and editor of the Sociological Review, whose biographies and eclectic social and international interests tell us something about the personalities and political interests of early British sociological pioneers.'
Victor Branford and the Building of British Sociology
Authors: Scott John , Husbands Christopher T.
Published: July 2007

Victor Branford was a central figure in the institutional development of British sociology in the first thirty years of the twentieth century. He is, however, a neglected figure and little is known about his life and his work in sociology. This article presents a biographical account of Victor Branford and outlines his sociological ideas. Particular attention is given to the part played by Branford and his second wife, Sybella Gurney, in the establishment of the Sociological Society and The Sociological Review. Writing between 1903 and 1930, he set out a distinctive view of the nature of sociology and an account of modernity, which he saw as underpinning a conception of a third way in politics that goes beyond capitalism and socialism. He tied this view, set out in the years after the First World War, to a conception of the public role of sociology in which the sociologist was to be a leading element in the building of social citizenship through social reconstruction.
Cultures of Embodied Experience: Technology, Religion and Body Pedagogics
Authors: Shilling Chris , Mellor Philip A.
Published: July 2007

Two trends have dominated recent sociological analyses of embodiment. There has, on the one hand, been a proliferation of analyses identifying bodies as the experiential vehicles through which we exist and interact in the world. On the other hand, this has been accompanied by a large growth in studies suggesting that technological advances have both increased our exposure to instrumental rationality and radically weakened the boundaries between humans and machines. Considered together, these trends raise an important question which has, however, been marginalised in the literature: if bodies are increasingly shaped and even constituted by the performative demands and invasive capacities of technology, what implications does this have for our lived experience of ourselves and our social and natural environment? In addressing this issue, our paper revisits Heidegger's discussion of the technological ‘enframing’ of humans and asks two questions. First, what have we lost experientially by being positioned as a ‘standing reserve’ for technologically driven demands for efficiency in contemporary society? Second, can the analysis of religious attempts to reframe human experience provide us with a perspective from outside this technological culture that enables us to appreciate the embodied experiences, dispositions and potentialities of humans in fresh ways? Our approach to these issues proceeds via a comparative study of the ‘body pedagogics’ of modern technological culture and two, very different, religious cultures.
‘How to Be a Happy Homosexual?!’ Non-Monogamy and Governmentality in Relationship Manuals for Gay Men in the 1980s and 1990s
Authors: Klesse Christian
Published: July 2007

This article explores discourses on non-monogamy in relationship manuals published in the 1980s and 1990s for gay men from a perspective of governmentality. A distinctive feature of relationship manuals for gay men is the presentation of (non-) monogamy as a matter of choice and negotiation. However, within this paradigm, most manuals problematise recreational, casual, or non-relational sex or relationships with multiple partners through a set of discourses around the concepts intimacy, maturity, addiction and compulsion. The normative ideal of a successful gay male partnership is fleshed out in the provision of narrative schemata based on stage model theories which naturalise white middle class relationship experiences and concerns. Governmental rationality thereby enfolds itself in an interplay of several strategies including psychologisation, individualisation, normalisation, problematisation, and responsibilisation.
Non-Attendance for Health Care: When Rational Beliefs Collide
Authors: Buetow Stephen
Published: July 2007

Some patients choose not to attend for health care despite health concerns or an opportunity for improved health. Social norms that privilege professional expertise, and good health, deem this choice irrational. However, this paper explores how a particular version of rational choice theory suggests ‘positive choices’ for such non-attendance. These are cognitive and subjectively rational decisions, which are made freely with potentially positive consequences and are not social problems if respect for personal autonomy trumps obligations to others. Specifically, Boudon's ‘cognitivist theory of action’ is used to conceptualise non-attendance as both a rational and irrational choice, from different perspectives. Because the perspective of non-attendees has been marginalised, the paper also suggests a typology of instrumental and non-instrumental ‘strong reasons’ for rational non-attendance. This may help groups such as professionals to understand and accept that non-attendance can be subjectively rational, without relinquishing their own perspective that it is irrational. Acceptance of the defensibility, if not the rightness, of the perspective of non-attendees is needed to show respect for non-attendees’ moral agency and to begin to repair relationships with these individuals, who may seek help from health professionals in the future.
Role with the Punches: The Construction and Representation of Amir Khan as a Role Model for Multiethnic Britain
Authors: Burdsey Daniel
Published: July 2007

This article examines the rapid rise to fame of teenage British Asian boxer Amir Khan following his silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, and provides a critical discourse analysis of the way that he was subsequently constructed and represented by politicians and the media as a role model for multiethnic Britain. The analysis demonstrates that in the periods directly after both the 2004 Olympic Games and the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the majority of discourses about, and representations of, Khan were inextricably related to contemporary debates around multiculturalism, national identity, and religious extremism and/or deviance amongst young British Muslim men. This article argues that despite the ostensibly positive portrayals of Khan as an individual, a broader, more critical reading of these texts uncovers how they actually reproduce the contradictions and problems inherent to New Labour's policies on citizenship, community cohesion, the ‘war on terror’ and ‘diversity management’. The article concludes that the almost ubiquitous configuration of Khan as a positive role model is in danger of obscuring the continued existence of discourses and practices of racism and social exclusion in contemporary Britain.
The diving response of a diving beetle: effects of temperature and acidification*
Authors: Calosi P. , Bilton D. T. , Spicer J. I.
Published: July 2007

Aquatic insects obtain oxygen either from air dissolved in water or directly from air via surfacing. Diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) rely on a subelytral air store, which has to be renewed periodically at the water's surface. [Correction added after publication 28 July 2007: in the preceding sentence ‘Diving beetles Ilybius montanus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)’ was corrected to ‘Diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)’]. The way in which diving behaviour responds to changes in the insect's environment has not been previously explored, however. Here, we investigate the diving behaviour of the widespread European species Ilybius montanus (Stephens). We go on to examine how different aspects of the diving behaviour of individual insects change with temperature and water acidity, using both hydrochloric and sulphuric acids. Individual surfacing frequency was significantly higher at 20.5°C than at 14.5°C, which resulted from a shortening of the mean dive duration at higher temperatures, no associated change being seen in mean time spent exchanging at the surface. The observed reductions in dive duration may have resulted from increased metabolic rate at higher temperatures, while the constancy of surface time suggests that this represents a trade‐off between gas exchange demands and selection to minimize time spent at the surface, perhaps to avoid predation. Although acidity did not affect surfacing frequency or the mean duration of individual dive parameters, it resulted in a breakdown of an individual's ability to regulate diving behaviour with temperature. This effect was most pronounced when experimental water was acidified using sulphuric acid, indicating that anion, as well as acidity itself, is of importance. As the dive response could be broken down into readily quantifiable components, and this behaviour showed marked responses to the factors considered here, we propose that diving activity could serve as an integrative organismal biomarker in these and other surface‐exchanging aquatic insects.
A phylogeny of the high‐elevation Tibetan megophryid frogs and evidence for the multiple origins of reversed sexual size dimorphism
Authors: Fu J. , Weadick C. J. , Bi K.
Published: July 2007

A molecular phylogeny of the high‐elevation Tibetan megophryid frogs was reconstructed using mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences. Both parsimony and Bayesian analysis produced similar tree topologies, which identified the genusLeptobrachiumas a sister group toVibrissaphora, and the generaOreolalaxandScutigeras monophyletic groups. Within the latter two genera, several species groups were also clearly recognized. At least 13 megophryids display reversed sexual size dimorphism (RSSD), where males are equal to or larger than females. According to our phylogenetic hypothesis, RSSD may have independently evolved at least five times or as many as seven times in this group. The multiple origins of RSSD within this group provide an excellent opportunity for studying the relationship between body size sexual dimorphism and other life‐history traits and for determining the costs and benefits of RSSD.
Use of native woodlands and traditional olive groves by foraging bats on a Mediterranean island: consequences for conservation
Authors: Davy C. M. , Russo D. , Fenton M. B.
Published: July 2007

We recorded bat activity on Zakynthos island (Greece) to test the hypotheses that (1) olive (Olea europea) groves and native woodlands provide comparable foraging habitat for insectivorous bats, (2) lower foraging activity occurs in olive groves treated with insecticide chemicals. We acoustically sampled bat activity (passes per minute) in four wooded habitats (organic and non‐organic olive groves, oak woodland (Quercus ilex and Quercus coccifera) and pine (Pinus halepensis) woodland from June to August 2005. Habitat type did not affect overall bat activity. A single application of insecticide chemicals annually did not affect activity over traditional olive groves. Habitat use on the island differed in several ways from that reported in studies at mainland sites. Most strikingly, pine woodland supported higher bat activity than expected relative to other habitat types, and we recorded unexpectedly high levels of M. capaccinii activity in woodland habitats. We suggest that traditional olive groves buffer some bat species from the effects of deforestation. Conservation plans for Mediterranean bats should consider the biodiversity value of these groves along with the need to conserve small woodland patches. Finally, understanding island‐specific patterns of habitat use is essential to bat conservation on small off‐shore islands.
Defensive and infrared reception responses of true vipers, pitvipers, Azemiops and colubrids
Authors: Roelke C. E. , Childress M. J.
Published: July 2007

It has been suggested that true vipers (Viperidae: Viperinae) possess the ability to detect temperature differences between objects despite the lack of an apparent infrared radiation sensor. We tested the ability to distinguish between heated and unheated targets in three species of pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae), four species of true vipers, two species of colubrids (Colubridae: Natricinae, Colubrinae) and Azemiops feae (Viperidae: Azemiopinae). All species of pitvipers tested could distinguish between the warm and cool targets, while no tested species of true viper, colubrid or Azemiops demonstrated this ability. In addition, pitvipers exhibited behaviors that true vipers or Azemiops did not exhibit. Our results suggest that the tested species of true vipers, Azemiops and colubrids may not posses the ability to sense infrared radiation or do not use it in a defensive context, and suggest that some defensive behaviors are associated with the pit organ in pitvipers.
Natal dispersal of European hare in France
Authors: Bray Y. , Devillard S. , Marboutin E. , Mauvy B. , Péroux R.
Published: July 2007

Dispersal is a fundamental process with wide‐ranging evolutionary and management consequences. To date, natal dispersal has never been described for the polygynous‐promiscuous European hareLepus europaeus. Using telemetry, we investigated the natal dispersal pattern in two zones that differed in hunting pressure and hare density. We quantified both the natal dispersal rates and distances using 84 juvenile hares. We tested for the influence of several factors (age, sex, density and period of the year) on these two variables. Overall, the mean dispersal rate was 43% and the median natal dispersal distances were 209 m for philopatric hares and 1615 m for dispersers. The maximum distance moved was 17.35 km. Natal dispersal rates were higher in the hunting zone with less density for both males and females, but males dispersed more frequently than females in the two zones although females moved over longer distances. Natal dispersal occurred preferentially between 4 and 6 months of age. This very fine description of the natal dispersal pattern allowed us to make inferences about both the evolutionary and proximate causes of natal dispersal. We also advocate that more attention should be paid to dispersal in studies on hare dynamics and on the conception of hare management, because dispersal seems to be more common than previously thought.
Early evidence for the Algerian hedgehog in Europe
Authors: Morales A. , Rofes J.
Published: July 2007

This paper reports the earliest documented record of the Algerian hedgehog Atelerix algirus in Europe. Only a first lower molar of the 13 specimens found inside a Bronze Age grave at the site of Biniai Nou in Minorca (Balearic islands, Spain) provided unequivocal traits for this species. Of the two AMS radiocarbon dates taken on the hedgehog bones, the oldest one dated the sample to the 13th century, indicating a contamination of the deposits and a rather recent arrival of the species on the island. Geographical, cultural and zoological data provide circumstantial evidence pointing to the Almohad invaders as the responsible agents for the introduction of A. algirus into Minorca, probably as part of a larger‐scale animal translocation phenomenon whose details are being worked out at this moment.
Sexing sooty terns on Ascension Island from morphometric measurements
Authors: Reynolds S. J. , Martin G. R. , Wallace L. L. , Wearn C. P. , Hughes B. J.
Published: July 2007

Sooty terns Onychoprion fuscata are one of the most abundant seabirds but breeding populations in many colonies have diminished. Rapid sexing of sooty terns in the field could be crucial in advancing our understanding of their reproductive biology, and in promoting conservation. However, sooty tern males and females are identical in their plumage and, thus, difficult to sex in the field. Morphometric measurements were taken from 63 adult sooty terns breeding on Ascension Island in 2005. A small blood sample was taken from the brachial vein to determine the bird's sex using standard PCR‐based molecular techniques. Males were consistently larger in all morphometric measurements than females but considerable overlap between the sexes resulted in no single measurement being a useful discriminator of sex. A principal components analysis on a correlation matrix of seven morphometric measurements indicated that the first principal component (PC1) was a good ‘body size’ axis explaining 40.5% of the variance in the original matrix. The suite of head measurements all had high character loadings on PC1 and were, therefore, good indicators of the body size of sooty terns. Tarsus length and wing length were less reliable predictors of sex. Discriminant analyses revealed that a disciminant function incorporating head measurements and wing length allowed 77.8% of sooty terns to be sexed correctly based upon morphometric measurements alone. Further morphometric approaches to sexing should be explored with sooty terns captured in subsequent years.
A Bayesian estimate of harbour seal survival using sparse photo‐identification data
Authors: Mackey B. L. , Durban J. W. , Middlemas S. J. , Thompson P. M.
Published: July 2007

Survival rates have rarely been estimated for pinniped populations due to the constraints of obtaining unbiased sample data. In this paper, we present an approach for estimating survival probabilities from individual recognition data in the form of photographic documentation of pelage patterns. This method was applied to estimate adult (age 2+) survival for harbour seals in the Moray Firth, NE Scotland. An astronomical telescope was used to obtain digital images of individual seals, and high‐quality images were used to document the annual presence or absence of individuals at a single haul‐out site over a 4‐year period. A total of 95 females, 10 males and 57 individuals of unknown sex were photographically documented during the study period. Survival and recapture probabilities were estimated using Jolly–Seber mark–recapture models in a Bayesian statistical framework. Computer‐intensive Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods were used to estimate the probability distributions for the survival and recapture probabilities, conveying the full extent of the uncertainty resulting from unavoidably sparse observational data. The deviance information criterion was used to identify a best‐fitting model that accounted for variation in the probability of capture between sexes, with constant survival. The model estimated adult survival as 0.98 (95% probability interval of 0.94–1.00) using our photo‐identification data alone, and 0.97 (0.92–0.99) with the use of an informative prior distribution based on previously published estimates of harbour seal survival. This paper represents the first survival estimate for harbour seals in the UK, and the first survival estimate using photo‐identification data in any species of pinniped.
Psychiatric Comorbidity in Epilepsy: A Population‐Based Analysis
Authors: Tellez‐Zenteno Jose F. , Patten Scott B. , Jetté Nathalie , Williams Jeanne , Wiebe Samuel
Published: July 2007

Summary

Purpose: The estimated prevalence of mental health disorders in those with epilepsy in the general population varies owing to differences in study methods and heterogeneity of epilepsy syndromes. We assessed the population‐based prevalence of various psychiatric conditions associated with epilepsy using a large Canadian national population health survey.

Methods: The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 1.2) was used to explore numerous aspects of mental health in persons with epilepsy in the community compared with those without epilepsy. The CCHS includes administration of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview to a sample of 36,984 subjects. Age‐specific prevalence of mental health conditions in epilepsy was assessed using logistic regression.

Results: The prevalence of epilepsy was 0.6%. Individuals with epilepsy were more likely than individuals without epilepsy to report lifetime anxiety disorders or suicidal thoughts with odds ratio of 2.4 (95% CI = 1.5–3.8) and 2.2 (1.4–3.3), respectively. In the crude analysis, the odds of lifetime major depression or panic disorder/agoraphobia were not greater in those with epilepsy than those without epilepsy, but the association with lifetime major depression became significant after adjustment for covariates.

Conclusions: In the community, epilepsy is associated with an increased prevalence of mental health disorders compared with the general population. Epilepsy is also associated with a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation. Understanding the psychiatric correlates of epilepsy is important to adequately manage this patient population.
Magnetoencephalography Is More Successful for Screening and Localizing Frontal Lobe Epilepsy than Electroencephalography
Authors: Ossenblok Pauly , De Munck Jan C. , Colon Albert , Drolsbach Willem , Boon Paul
Published: July 2007

Summary

Purpose:The diagnosis of frontal lobe epilepsy may be compounded by poor electroclinical localization, due to distributed or rapidly propagating epileptiform activity. This study aimed at developing optimal procedures for localizing interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) of patients with localization related epilepsy in the frontal lobe. To this end the localization results obtained for magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) were compared systematically using automated analysis procedures.

Methods:Simultaneous recording of interictal EEG and MEG was successful for 18 out of the 24 patients studied. Visual inspection of these recordings revealed IEDs with varying morphology and topography. Cluster analysis was used to classify these discharges on the basis of their spatial distribution followed by equivalent dipole analysis of the cluster averages. The locations of the equivalent dipoles were compared with the location of the epileptogenic lesions of the patient or, if these were not visible at MRI with the location of the interictal onset zones identified by subdural electroencephalography.

Results:Generally IEDs were more abundantly in MEG than in the EEG recordings. Furthermore, the duration of the MEG spikes, measured from the onset till the spike maximum, was in most patients shorter than the EEG spikes. In most patients, distinct spike subpopulations were found with clearly different topographical field maps. Cluster analysis of MEG spikes followed by dipole localization was successful (n = 14) for twice as many patients as for EEG source analysis (n = 7), indicating that the localizability of interictal MEG is much better than of interictal EEG.

Conclusions:The automated procedures developed in this study provide a fast screening method for identifying the distinct categories of spikes and the brain areas responsible for these spikes. The results show that MEG spike yield and localization is superior compared with EEG. This finding is of importance for the diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of patients with frontal lobe epilepsy.
The Impact of Cerebral Source Area and Synchrony on Recording Scalp Electroencephalography Ictal Patterns
Authors: Tao James X. , Baldwin Maria , Ray Amit , Hawes‐Ebersole Susan , Ebersole John S.
Published: July 2007

Summary

Purpose: To determine the cerebral electroencephalography (EEG) substrates of scalp EEG seizure patterns, such as source area and synchrony, and in so doing assess the limitations of scalp seizure recording in the localization of seizure onset zones in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Methods: We recorded simultaneously 26 channels of scalp EEG with subtemporal supplementary electrodes and 46–98 channels of intracranial EEG in presurgical candidates with temporal lobe epilepsy. We correlated intracranial EEG source area and synchrony at seizure onset with the corresponding scalp EEG. Eighty‐six simultaneous intracranial‐ and scalp‐recorded seizures from 23 patients were evaluated.

Results: Thirty‐four intracranial ictal discharges (40%) from 9 patients (39%) had sufficient cortical source area (namely > 10 cm2) and synchrony at seizure onset to produce a simultaneous or nearly simultaneous focal scalp EEG ictal pattern. Forty‐one intracranial ictal discharges (48%) from 10 patients (43%) gradually achieved the necessary source area and synchrony over several seconds to generate a scalp EEG ictal pattern. These scalp rhythms were lateralized, but not localizable as to seizure origin. Eleven intracranial ictal discharges (13%) from 4 patients (17%) recruited the necessary source area, but lacked sufficient synchrony to result in a clearly localized or lateralized scalp ictal pattern.

Conclusions: Sufficient source area and synchrony are mandatory cerebral EEG requirements for generating scalp‐recordable ictal EEG patterns. The dynamic interaction of cortical source area and synchrony at the onset and during a seizure is a primary reason for heterogeneous scalp ictal EEG patterns.
The Isoelectric Point of Lead Magnesium Niobate
Authors: Deliormanlı Aylin M. , Çelik Erdal , Polat Mehmet
Published: July 2007

Lead magnesium niobate (PMN) is an important relaxor ferroelectric material commonly used in multilayer capacitor and actuator manufacturing owing to its high dielectric constant and superior electrostrictive properties. However, the isoelectric point of this material in water is not known and there is justification for a detailed investigation. In this work, the isoelectric point (IEP) of aqueous PMN suspensions were determined as a function of solids concentration. Results showed that IEP of the PMN suspensions strongly depended on the solids loading. The IEP was between pH 9 and 10 at particle concentrations between 10 to 20 vol%. The IEP shifted gradually to a lower pH value as the particle concentration decreased. Solubility experiments showed that Pb2+and Mg2+ions dissolved from the PMN surface, especially in the acidic pH range. The study provides a new insight on the aqueous stability of perovskite materials which possess more than one soluble cation in their structure.
Fabrication of Highly Porous Samaria‐Doped Ceria by Acid Leaching Magnesia from Magnesia–Samaria‐Doped Ceria Ceramics
Authors: Wang Feng‐Yun , Jung Guo‐Bin , Su Ay , Chan Shih‐Hong , Li Xiang‐Ai , Xiao Lifen
Published: July 2007

Highly porous Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (CSO) was prepared by acid leaching MgO from CSO–MgO (CSM) ceramics with acetic acid solution. The effects of leaching conditions and MgO content were studied. Using 60 vol% acetic acid at 85°C for 8.5 h, the MgO in CSM ceramics was effectively leached out but no CSO was dissolved; thus highly porous CSO with an open porosity of 68% was successfully prepared. The open porosity of sufficiently leached pellet increased with the MgO content, but when the vol% of MgO exceeded 60%, the flexural strength of the leached pellets decreased from 25 to 1 MPa. The leaching approach allows the fabrication of porous CSO with the vol% of MgO up to 60%.
Pressureless Sintering of Zirconium Diboride Using Boron Carbide and Carbon Additions
Authors: Zhu Sumin , Fahrenholtz William G. , Hilmas Gregory E. , Zhang Shi C.
Published: July 2007

The synergistic roles of boron carbide and carbon additions in the enhanced densification of zirconium diboride (ZrB2) by pressureless sintering have been studied. ZrB2was sintered to >99% relative density at 1900°C. The combination of 2 wt% boron carbide and 1 wt% carbon promoted densification by removing surface oxide impurities (ZrO2and B2O3) and inhibiting grain growth. Four‐point bending strength (473±43 MPa), Vickers' microhardness (19.6±0.4 GPa), fracture toughness (3.5±0.6 MPa·m1/2), and Young's modulus (507 GPa) were measured. Thermal gravimetry showed that the combination of additives did not have an adverse effect on the oxidation behavior.
Central serous chorioretinopathy
Authors: Wang Maria , Munch Inger Christine , Hasler Pascal W. , Prünte Christian , Larsen Michael
Published: July 2007

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a disease of the retina characterized by serous detachment of the neurosensory retina secondary to one or more focal lesions of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). CSC occurs most frequently in mid‐life and more often in men than in women. Major symptoms are blurred vision, usually in one eye only and perceived typically by the patient as a dark spot in the centre of the visual field with associated micropsia and metamorphopsia. Normal vision often recurs spontaneously within a few months. The condition can be precipitated by psychosocial stress and hypercortisolism. Ophthalmoscopic signs of CSC range from mono‐ or paucifocal RPE lesions with prominent elevation of the neurosensory retina by clear fluid – typical of cases of recent onset – to shallow detachments overlying large patches of irregularly depigmented RPE. The spectrum of lesions includes RPE detachments. Granular or fibrinous material may accumulate in the subretinal cavity. Serous detachment often resolves spontaneously. From first contact, counselling about the potential relation to stress and glucocorticoid medication is warranted. After 3 months without resolution of acute CSC or in chronic CSC, treatment should be considered. Resolution of detachment can usually be achieved in acute CSC by focal photocoagulation of leaking RPE lesions or, in chronic CSC, by photodynamic therapy. The effect of therapy on long‐term visual outcome is insufficiently documented. Reattachment within 4 months of onset is considered a relevant therapeutic target because prolonged detachment is associated with photoreceptor atrophy. This suggests that the value of treatment depends upon proper selection of cases that will not resolve without therapy. Chronic CSC may be difficult to differentiate from occult choroidal neovascularization secondary to CSC. Patients with chronic CSC who receive glucocorticoid treatment for systemic disease can often be managed without having to discontinue this medication.
Prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibres in urban and rural adult Chinese populations: the Beijing Eye Study
Authors: You Qisheng , Xu Liang , Jonas Jost B.
Published: July 2007

Purpose:  To determine the prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibres in the elderly Chinese population.

Methods:  The Beijing Eye Study, a population‐based, cross‐sectional cohort study, included 4439 subjects out of the 5324 invited to participate (response rate 83.4%) with an age of > 40 years. The present investigation consisted of 8663 eyes of 4378 (98.6%) subjects for whom readable fundus photographs were available.

Results:  Myelinated retinal nerve fibres were detected in 35 eyes (29 subjects) with a prevalence rate of 0.4 ± 6.3%[95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27, 0.54] per eye and 0.7 ± 8.1% (95% CI: 0.42, 0.90) per subject. The myelinated nerve fibres were located most often in the temporal inferior region, followed by the temporal superior region and the nasal region. Prevalence of myelinated nerve fibres was not associated statistically with age, gender, refractive error, visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure, cataract, glaucoma and age‐related macular degeneration.

Conclusion:  Myelinated retinal nerve fibres are present in about seven out of 1000 elderly Chinese in northern China, without association to VA, refractive error, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
CULTURALLY‐FOCUSED BATTERER COUNSELING FOR AFRICAN‐AMERICAN MEN*
Authors: GONDOLF EDWARD W.
Published: July 2007

Research Summary:

Clinicians and researchers have strongly recommended culturally‐focused counseling with African‐American men arrested for domestic violence. An experimental clinical trial tested the effectiveness of this approach against conventional cognitive‐behavioral counseling in all‐African‐American groups and in racially‐mixed groups (N = 501). No significant difference was found in the reassault rate reported by the men's female partners over a 12‐month follow‐up period (23% overall). During that period, men in the racially‐mixed groups were, moreover, half as likely to be rearrested for domestic violence as the men in the culturally‐focused groups. The men's level of racial identification did not significantly affect the outcomes of the counseling options.

Policy Implications:

Simply adding a culturally‐focused counseling group to domestic violence programs does not seem in itself to improve outcomes. In the current study, the culturally‐focused counseling was an appendage to an existing agency closely linked to the criminal justice system. Culturally‐focused counseling may prove to be more effective within community‐based organizations tied to local services and supports.
Three years of experience running the Masoala Rainforest ecosystem at Zurich Zoo, Switzerland
Authors: BAUERT M. R. , FURRER S. C. , ZINGG R. , STEINMETZ H. W.
Published: July 2007

Masoala Rainforest is an 11 000 m2 greenhouse ecosystem within Zurich Zoo, Switzerland, inaugurated in July 2003. This exhibit acts as an ambassador for the Masoala National Park, Madagascar, with the aim of displaying an authentic representation of Masoala National Park and thus raising awareness of the threatened animal and plant biodiversity of Madagascar, and especially the Masoala Peninsula. As of November 2006, the artificial Masoala Rainforest ecosystem harbours 478 plant, six mammal, 22 bird, seven reptile, two amphibian, three fish and more than 50 invertebrate species. All animals are free roaming within the ecosystem and the sound integration of a conservation initiative into the concept of the exhibit created a tremendous response in the national as well as international press, resulting in a substantial increase in visitor numbers. In this paper, we present Zoo Zurich's experience after 3 years, of running a complex artificial ecosystem.
Role of veterinarians in re‐introductions
Authors: KOCK R. A. , SOORAE P. S. , MOHAMMED O. B.
Published: July 2007

Re‐introduction science is in its infancy. Early and recent experiences show how success requires a long‐term and dedicated commitment and all attempts can fail too easily, sometimes for veterinary reasons. A suitably qualified and experienced veterinarian's primary role, as part of the team, is to ensure the health and welfare of animals, both those selected for re‐introduction and sympatric species in the recipient area, before, during and after re‐introduction and/or any intervention procedure, whether chemically or physically restrained. Prevention of alien disease introduction to the recipient area is probably the single most important responsibility.
Tools and techniques for disease risk assessment in threatened wildlife conservation programmes
Authors: MILLER P. S.
Published: July 2007

Disease plays a significant role as a risk factor in wildlife conservation programmes involving animal movements, such as translocation, transportation among zoos or reintroduction. However, the traditional ‘zero‐risk tolerance’ approach to the assessment of disease risk in these programmes is unattainable and unmanageable, often leading to an excessively cautious attitude towards the risks that are involved. It is therefore critically important to develop a comprehensive, unified and broadly applicable set of descriptive and analytical tools that can more realistically and accurately assess disease‐based risks in conservation‐based animal‐movement programmes. The Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, of the IUCN – World Conservation Union, has brought together an international team of wildlife medicine professionals to construct a set of qualitative and quantitative tools to assess disease risk. The tools are flexible, intuitive and span a broad range of complexities. These tools are designed to enable professionals to incorporate not only published, statistically valid data but also to make reasonable decisions under conditions of uncertainty, and to capture valuable information from more basic field or clinical experience. Selected tools from the larger ‘toolkit’ are described here, with examples from actual case studies where available.
The many uses of non‐invasive faecal steroid monitoring in zoo and wildlife species
Authors: SCHWARZENBERGER F.
Published: July 2007

During the past two decades, techniques for faecal steroid analysis have been developed and have been used for research with mammalian, bird and, to a lesser extent, reptile, amphibian and fish species. Various techniques for the analysis of reproductive (oestrogen, androgen, progestagen) and adrenocortical (glucocorticoids) steroid hormones have been established and have been applied to a wide range of research questions studying captive and free‐ranging wildlife, as well as domestic and laboratory species. Because of species‐specific differences in steroid metabolism in even closely related species, careful validation of assay methods is necessary in order to generate meaningful and accurate results. For future research and management of free‐ranging and captive wildlife, the great potential of non‐invasive endocrine monitoring will be utilized more than ever. In light of this, captive wildlife species are ideal research subjects, as longitudinal sample collection is possible and studies connecting physiology, endocrinology, reproduction and stress with various social and/or environmental factors can be carried out and can be analysed to determine how they impact animal health.