bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Neurophysiological Encoding of Environmental Events at Six Months
Authors: Kable Julie A. , Coles Claire D.
Published: March 2004

Abstract: Background: Using methodologies from developmental studies on infant information‐processing skills, early manifestations of later long‐term neurocognitive effects of prenatal alcohol exposure can be explored by assessing primary cognitive processes, including attentional regulation and processing speed.

Methods: One hundred eighteen 6‐month‐old infants (18 high risk, 100 low risk) from a longitudinal study of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and intrauterine growth retardation were presented with both auditory (400 and 1000 Hz pure tones) and visual stimuli (chromatic Caucasian faces) in an information‐processing paradigm with cardiac response as the dependent variable. The first three habituation trials were analyzed to assess neurophysiological encoding of environmental events in infants categorized as high and low risk based on status of maternal drinking. Specific indexes of the cardiac response were used to assess the infant's (1) speed of initiating attention, (2) sustained attention, and (3) shifting attention after stimulus offset.

Results: Infants identified as high risk based on a cumulative risk index for prenatal alcohol exposure responded more slowly to stimuli and were rated as significantly higher in arousal level across the three trials but did not display differences in their sustained deceleration responses or responses to stimulus‐offset.

Conclusions: Less efficient neurophysiological encoding was observed among high‐risk infants, suggesting that prenatal alcohol exposure may disrupt fundamental components of the attentional system responsible for regulating the body's responses to environmental events. Slower neurophysiological responses involved in encoding environmental stimuli and initiating attention and higher levels of behavioral arousal suggest that these infants may have had difficulties with regulating the interactions between arousal level and the attentional system needed to provide optimal efficiency in processing environmental events. These outcomes suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure results in specific impairments in early attentional regulation, which may influence subsequent cognitive development and behavioral outcomes dependent on these primary cognitive processes.
Heightened Heart Rate Response to Alcohol Intoxication Is Associated With a Reward‐Seeking Personality Profile
Authors: Brunelle Caroline , Assaad Jean‐Marc , Barrett Sean P. , Ávila Cesar , Conrod Patricia J. , Tremblay Richard E. , Pihl Robert O.
Published: March 2004

Abstract: Background: The psychomotor stimulant theory of addiction posits that sensitivity to the positively rewarding properties of alcohol puts certain individuals at higher risk for alcohol abuse. A valid and reliable index of overactivation in the reward system has been a heightened baseline heart rate (HR) increase on the ascending limb of the blood alcohol curve. The main goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between this HR response and a questionnaire measuring sensitivity to reward and sensitivity to punishment. Additional goals included looking at (1) the association between a high HR response and various personality traits (hopelessness/introversion, anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity, and sensation‐seeking) and (2) the relationship between these personality traits and stimulant use.

Methods: A total of 18 low‐ and 19 high‐HR responders completed the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS), and a modified version of the Addiction Severity Index.

Results: High‐HR responders obtained significantly higher scores than low‐HR responders on the sensitivity to reward scale of the SPSRQ, as well as increased sensation‐seeking scores on the SURPS. High‐HR responders were not at significantly higher risk of having used stimulants, but stimulant use was associated with higher impulsivity scores on the SURPS.

Conclusions: Novelty/sensation‐seeking is among the personality traits that have been linked to heavy alcohol use. This study suggests that reward sensitivity might mediate the relationship between this personality profile and drinking behavior.
Nefazodone Treatment of Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Major Depression
Authors: Hernandez‐Avila Carlos A. , Modesto‐Lowe Vania , Feinn Richard , Kranzler Henry R.
Published: March 2004

Abstract: Background: Major depression is a common comorbid condition among individuals with alcohol dependence. This study examined the effects of nefazodone, a norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake blocker and 5‐hydroxytryptamine‐2 receptor antagonist, on mood and anxiety symptoms and drinking behavior in a sample of depressed alcoholics.

Methods: This study was a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled comparison of nefazodone (200–600 mg/day) or placebo in a sample of alcohol‐dependent subjects (n= 41; 52% women) with current major depression. After a 1‐week placebo lead‐in period, subjects were randomly assigned to receive study medication and supportive psychotherapy for 10 weeks.

Results: Depressive and anxiety symptoms declined significantly over time. Although the nefazodone group showed greater reductions in these symptoms, the effects did not reach statistical significance. Nonetheless, nefazodone‐treated subjects showed a significantly greater reduction in heavy drinking days and in total drinks compared with placebo‐treated subjects.

Conclusions: The lack of significant effects on depression and anxiety symptoms may reflect limited statistical power. Despite the small sample size, nefazodone significantly reduced some measures of alcohol consumption in this sample of depressed alcoholics.
Differential Expression of Liver Interleukin‐6 Receptor‐α in Female Versus Male Ethanol‐Consuming Rats
Authors: Gallucci Randle M. , Sloan Dusti K. , O'Dell Sijy J. , Reinke Lester A.
Published: March 2004

Abstract: Background: It is well known that women are more susceptible to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) than men, and inflammation is thought to play a major role in alcohol‐induced liver injury. Increased circulating levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)‐6 are a marker for serious ALD in humans. However, IL‐6 also has protective effects, such as induction of liver regeneration and inhibition of hepatocyte apoptosis. Although the roles of IL‐6 in ALD have begun to be established, little is known about the expression of its receptor (IL‐6Rα) during chronic alcohol administration.

Methods: Male and female rats were intragastrically fed ethanol or control isocaloric liquid diet for 2 and 4 weeks. Liver samples were collected, and gene expression was assessed by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.

Results: Herein, we show clear gender differences in alcohol‐induced liver IL‐6Rα expression. Analysis of rat liver samples showed that ethanol consumption significantly increased IL‐6Rα messenger RNA and protein expression in females as compared with similarly treated males after 2 and 4 weeks. Increased STAT3 phosphorylation in the livers of ethanol‐consuming females also indicated greater IL‐6Rα activation in these animals. Conversely, ethanol‐consuming males displayed increased IκB messenger RNA and protein expression, which may inhibit IL‐6R expression, compared with females.

Conclusions: Given the association of inflammation with ethanol‐induced liver damage, these data may offer insight into a possible mechanism by which females develop more severe ALD than males.
EEG and ECG in Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy
Authors: Nei Maromi , Ho Reginald T. , Abou‐Khalil Bassel W. , Drislane Frank W. , Liporace Joyce , Romeo Alicia , Sperling Michael R.
Published: March 2004

Summary:  Purpose: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a major cause of mortality for patients with epilepsy. Cardiac factors may be involved and were evaluated in this study.

Methods: EEG and ECG data for 21 patients with definite (n = 6) or probable (n = 15) SUDEP were compared with data from a group of 43 patients with refractory partial epilepsy. ECG abnormalities and heart rate (HR) changes were correlated with clinical data.

Results: Fourteen patients died in their sleep; two were awake. Ictal maximal HR (90 seizures from 16 of 21 patients) was significantly higher in SUDEP (mean, 149 beats/min, BPM) than in comparison patients (mean, 126 BPM; p < 0.001). Greater increases in HR were associated with seizures arising from sleep (78 BPM increase) than from wakefulness (47 BPM; p < 0.001) in SUDEP, as compared with the non‐SUDEP group (52 BPM in sleep, 43 BPM in wakefulness; p = 0.27). Ictal cardiac repolarization and rhythm abnormalities occurred in 56% of SUDEP (including two atrial fibrillation, two ventricular premature depolarizations, two marked sinus arrhythmia, two atrial premature depolarizations, one junctional escape, one ST‐segment elevation), and 39% of comparison patients (p = 0.39). No specific seizure onset (laterality or lobe) was associated with SUDEP.

Conclusions: This study reveals, for the first time, evidence of increased autonomic stimulation (as measured by HR) associated with seizures, particularly in sleep, in patients with SUDEP, as compared with a clinically similar group of patients with refractory epilepsy.
Seizure, Neuron Loss, and Mossy Fiber Sprouting in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1–Infected Organotypic Hippocampal Cultures
Authors: Chen Su‐Fen , Huang Chiung‐Chun , Wu Hung‐Ming , Chen Shun‐Hua , Liang Ying‐Ching , Hsu Kuei‐Sen
Published: March 2004

Summary:  Purpose: Epileptic seizures are frequently seen after viral encephalitis. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) encephalitis is the most common cause of acquired epilepsy in humans. However, little information is available about the neuropathogenesis of HSV‐1–associated seizures. We have developed an in vitro HSV‐1–infected organotypic hippocampal slice culture to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of HSV‐1–associated acute seizure activity.

Methods: Hippocampal slice cultures were prepared from postnatal day 10 to 12 rat pups. Wild‐type HSV‐1 strain RE (1 × 105 PFU) was applied to cultures at 14 days in vitro. The excitability of CA3 pyramidal cells and hippocampal network properties were measured with electrophysiological recordings. Hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) and Timm stains were used.

Results: HSV‐1 infection induces epileptiform activity, neuron loss, and subsequently a dramatic increase of mossy fiber sprouting in the supragranular area. With intracellular recordings, surviving CA3 pyramidal cells exhibited a more depolarizing resting membrane potential concomitant with an increase in membrane input resistance and had a lower threshold to generate synchronized bursts and a decrease in the amplitude of afterhyperpolarization than did controls. When the antiherpes agent acyclovir was applied with a delay of 1 or 24 h after HSV‐1 infection, a dramatic inhibition of HSV‐1 replication and protection of the neuron loss were observed.

Conclusions: These results suggest that a direct change in the excitability of the hippocampal CA3 neuronal network and HSV‐1–induced neuron loss resulting in subsequent mossy fiber reorganization may play an important role in the generation of epileptiform activity.
Increased Numbers of Coassembled PSD‐95 to NMDA‐receptor Subunits NR2B and NR1 in Human Epileptic Cortical Dysplasia
Authors: Ying Zhong , Bingaman William , Najm Imad M.
Published: March 2004

Summary:  Purpose: Glutamatergic transmission between neurons occurs at chemical synapses. The N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA)‐receptor subclass of ionotropic glutamate receptors has been implicated in the epileptogenic mechanisms in human cortical dysplasia (CD). NMDA receptors are clustered at the postsynaptic membrane by anchoring to the postsynaptic density protein PSD‐95, a putative ion channel–clustering protein. In this study, we quantitatively investigated the coassembly of PSD‐95 to NR2B and NR1 in human epileptogenic cortex as compared with nonepileptic cortex.

Methods: We used coimmunoprecipitation and immunoblotting techniques to quantify and compare the numbers of coassembled PSD‐95 with NR2B, PSD‐95 with NR1, and NR2B with NR1 in the membrane proteins of brain tissues resected from four patients (aged 3.5, 6, 14, and 18 years) with medically intractable neocortical epilepsy associated with CD. The resected cortical tissues were grouped into epileptic and nonepileptic, as determined by prolonged subdural electrode recordings in three patients and direct intraoperative electrocorticographic recording in one patient.

Results: In all patients, the amounts of immunoprecipitated complexes, which reflect the numbers of coassembled PSD‐95 proteins to NR2B subunits, were increased in epileptic cortex as compared with nonepileptic cortex.

Conclusions: These results suggest that increased coassembly of NR2B and NR1 with PSD‐95 may underlie one of the cellular mechanisms that contribute to the in situ increased hyperexcitability, leading to seizure generation in focal CD.
Complete Loss of the Cytoplasmic Carboxyl Terminus of the KCNQ2 Potassium Channel: A Novel Mutation in a Large Czech Pedigree with Benign Neonatal Convulsions or Other Epileptic Phenotypes
Authors: Pereira Sandrine , Roll Patrice , Krizova Jitka , Genton Pierre , Brazdil Milan , Kuba Robert , Cau Pierre , Rektor Ivan , Szepetowski Pierre
Published: March 2004

Summary:  Purpose: Benign neonatal familial convulsions (BNFCs) represent a rare epileptic disorder with autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. To date, two voltage‐gated potassium (K+) channel genes, KCNQ2 and KCNQ3, have been identified in typical BNFC families. The study of new pedigrees may help detect new mutations and define genotype–phenotype correlations.

Methods: A large Czech family was detected in which BNFC was inherited together with a broad range of various nonneonatal epileptic phenotypes. Genetic linkage study and direct mutation analysis were performed to find the disease‐causing mutation.

Results: In seven patients with BNFCs and no recurrence of seizures, a novel two‐base‐pair deletion (1369del2) was identified within the coding sequence of the KCNQ2 gene. The mutation led to a putative protein that lacked nearly all its carboxyl terminus part, which plays a critical role for the accurate expression of the functional K+ channels. Three patients with generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCSs), all without any history of BNFCs, also displayed 1369del2. Three other patients with other idiopathic epileptic phenotypes did not have the mutation.

Conclusions: A novel 2‐bp deletion within the coding sequence of the potassium channel KCNQ2 gene was detected in patients from a large and heterogeneous family with BNFCs or non‐BNFC seizures.
Polygenic Control of Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy Phenotypes in the Genetic Absence Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS)
Authors: Rudolf Gabrielle , Thérèse Bihoreau Marie , F. Godfrey Richard , P. Wilder Steven , D. Cox Roger , Lathrop Mark , Marescaux Christian , Gauguier Dominique
Published: March 2004

Summary:  Purpose: Generalized nonconvulsive absence seizures are characterized by the occurrence of synchronous and bilateral spike‐and‐wave discharges (SWDs) on electroencephalographic recordings, concomitant with behavioral arrest. The GAERS (genetic absence rats from Strasbourg) strain, a well‐characterized inbred model for idiopathic generalized epilepsy, spontaneously develops EEG paroxysms that resemble those of typical absence seizures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic control of SWD variables by using a combination of genetic analyses and electrophysiological measurements in an experimental cross derived from GAERS and Brown Norway (BN) rats.

Methods: SWD subphenotypes were quantified on EEG recordings performed at both 3 and 6 months in a cohort of 118 GAERS × BN F2 animals. A genome‐wide scan of the F2 progenies was carried out with 146 microsatellite markers that were used to test each marker locus for evidence of genetic linkage to the SWD quantitative traits.

Results: We identified three quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in chromosomes 4, 7, and 8 controlling specific SWD variables in the cross, including frequency, amplitude, and severity of SWDs. Age was a major factor influencing the detection of genetic linkage to the various components of the SWDs.

Conclusions: The identification of these QTLs demonstrates the polygenic control of SWDs in the GAERS strain. Genetic linkages to specific SWD features underline the complex mechanisms contributing to SWD development in idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
Subtraction SPECT Coregistered to MRI in Focal Malformations of Cortical Development: Localization of the Epileptogenic Zone in Epilepsy Surgery Candidates
Authors: O'Brien Terence J. , So Elson L. , Cascino Gregory D. , Hauser Mary F. , Marsh W. Richard , Meyer Fredric B. , Sharbrough Frank W. , Mullan Brian P.
Published: March 2004

Summary:  Purpose: To determine the extent to which periictal subtraction single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) may improve detection and definition of the epileptogenic zone in patients with focal malformations of cortical development (MCDs).

Methods: Subtraction SPECT coregistered to magnetic resonance (MR) images (SISCOM) were constructed for 22 consecutive patients with focal MCDs who underwent periictal SPECT injection (18 ictal and four postictal). In the 17 patients who had epilepsy surgery, concordance between the site of SISCOM localization and site of surgical resection was determined by coregistration of SISCOM images with postoperative MRIs.

Results: SISCOM images were localizing in 19 (86%) patients, including eight of the 10 with nonlocalizing MRI. Concordance of SISCOM localization was 91% with MRI localization, 93% with scalp ictal EEG localization, and 100% with intracranial EEG localization. Eight patients whose SISCOM localization was concordant with the surgical resection site had lower postoperative seizure frequency scores (SFSs; p = 0.04) and greater postoperative improvement in SFSs (p = 0.05) than the nine patients whose SISCOM was either nonconcordant or nonlocalizing. On multiple regression analysis, a model combining SISCOM concordance with surgical resection site and extent of MRI lesion resection was predictive of postoperative SFS (R2= 0.47; p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Periictal subtraction SPECT using the SISCOM technique provides useful information for seizure localization in patients with focal MCDs, even when MRI is nonlocalizing.
Means‐Testing the Child Benefit
Authors: Kornstad Tom , Thoresen Thor O.
Published: March 2004

Improving the distributional impact of transfers may be costly if it reduces labor supply. In this paper we show how effects of changes in the design of the child benefit program can be examined by employing information from behavioral and non‐behavioral simulations on micro data. The direct distributional effects are assessed by tax‐benefit model calculations, while female labor supply responses to alternative child benefit schemes are simulated under the assumption that choices are discrete. Distributional effects after labor supply responses are also shown. The study confirms that greater targeting of the child benefit is traded against reductions in female labor supply.
Wage Differentials between the State and Private Sectors in Moscow
Authors: Jovanovic Branko , Lokshin Michael M.
Published: March 2004

In this study the 1997 Russian Labor Force Survey is used to investigate wage differentials between the state and the private sector in the city of Moscow. Our analysis demonstrates that substantial differences exist between private and state sector wages. We estimate the gap between private and state sector wages to be 14.3 percent for men and 18.3 percent for women. We also find gender differences in wages. Men in the private sector earn on average 23.7 percent more than women. The gender wage gap in the state sector is even higher at 32.5 percent. In the state sector, wages for both men and women increase as years of tenure increase. But in the private sector this is only true for men; women earn no return to tenure. The probability of employment in the private sector decreases with age and tenure.
Rising Trends in Cesarean Section Rates in Egypt
Authors: Khawaja Marwan , Jurdi Rozzet , Kabakian‐Khasholian Tamar
Published: March 2004

Abstract:  Background: Cesarean section rates have been increasing worldwide, but little research exists on trends of cesarean section delivery for any country in the Arab world. The purpose of this study was to document recent levels and trends of cesarean section rates in Egypt, and to estimate trends in cesarean section by type of hospital from three population‐based national surveys. Methods: This descriptive study used merged data files from three nationally representative samples of ever‐married women aged 15 to 49 years. Results: A significant rise in cesarean deliveries occurred for all births, from a low of 4.6 percent in 1992 to 10.3 percent in 2000. However, hospital‐based cesarean deliveries were much higher in 1987–1988 (13.9%), increasing to 22.0 percent in 1999–2000. Although the cesarean section rate was slightly higher in private hospitals, the rate also increased consistently in public hospitals. Conclusions: The high and unprecedented increase in cesarean section rates reported in this study may be partly due to cesarean sections that are not medically indicated, and suggest that physician practice patterns, financial incentives or other profitability factors, and patient preferences should be explored. (BIRTH 31:1 March 2004)
Does a Pregnant Woman's Intended Place of Birth Influence Her Attitudes Toward and Occurrence of Obstetric Interventions?
Authors: Van Der Hulst Leonie A.M. , Van Teijlingen Edwin R. , Bonsel Gouke J. , Eskes Martine , Bleker Otto P.
Published: March 2004

Abstract:  Background: A home confinement with midwifery care is still an integral part of Dutch maternity care. It has been argued that the existence of home birth itself influences the course of the birth process positively, which is why obstetric interventions are low in comparison with neighboring countries. This study examined the impact of women's intended place of birth (home or hospital) and the course of pregnancy and labor when attended by midwives. Methods: This is a prospective study of 625 low‐risk pregnant women, gestation 20 to 24 weeks, enrolled in 25 independently working midwifery practices. The course of labor was measured by the frequency of interventions by midwives and obstetricians. Results: Amore nontechnological approach to childbirth was observed within the women opting for a home birth compared with the women opting for a hospital birth. Data showed a relationship between interventions and planned birth site: sweeping membranes and amniotomy by midwives were more likely to be conducted in women opting for a home birth. Multiparas opting for hospital birth were more likely to experience consultations and referrals. Within the group of multiparas referred for obstetrician care, women intending to have a home birth experienced fewer interventions (e.g., induction, augmentation, pharmacologic pain relief, assisted delivery, cesarean section) compared with those who had opted for a hospital birth. Conclusions: A large proportion of women desire a home birth. The impact of that choice demonstrated a smoother course of the birth process, compared with women who desired to deliver in the hospital, as measured by fewer obstetric interventions. We suggest that psychological factors (expectation and perceptions) influence both a woman's decision of birthplace and the actual birth process. (BIRTH 31:1 March 2004)
Considering a Simple Strategy for Detection of Women at Risk of Psychological Distress after Childbirth
Authors: Des Rivières‐Pigeon Catherine , Saurel‐Cubizolles Marie‐Josèphe , Lelong Nathalie
Published: March 2004

Abstract:  Background: Postpartum depression is a common, severe, yet often undetected condition. Between 10 and 15 percent of new mothers suffer from depressive disorders in the first year after childbirth. The objective of this study was to investigate whether asking women questions about their daily life constituted a useful strategy to detect women at risk of developing psychological distress after childbirth. Methods: A prospective study of 330 first‐ and second‐time mothers was conducted. Structured interviews with women were performed at the maternity unit 1 to 2 days after childbirth, and postal questionnaires were sent to participants 5 months later. An interviewer wrote down her perception of the mood of participants, in the form of three short statements, immediately after the interview. This perception was compared with the score of the woman on the General Health Questionnaire scale, which was included in the 5 months’ questionnaire. Results: The interviewer's perception of women's mood was significantly associated with the score on the General Health Questionnaire scale 5 months later. Multivariate analysis showed that the interviewer's perception of anxiety was a better predictor of postpartum psychological distress at 5 months than women's answers to questions about their mood before pregnancy and 1 to 2 days after delivery. Conclusions: Asking the new mother questions about her private and occupational life can be considered as one of many possible ways to improve the identification of women at risk of developing postpartum depression. (BIRTH 31:1 March 2004)
Childbirth Preferences after Cesarean Birth: A Review of the Evidence
Authors: Eden Karen B. , Hashima Jason N. , Osterweil Patricia , Nygren Peggy , Guise Jeanne‐Marie
Published: March 2004

Abstract:  Background: Conflicting evidence on maternal and fetal safety of vaginal and cesarean childbirth after a previous cesarean makes patients and practitioners uncertain about pursuing a trial of labor or an elective repeat cesarean delivery. This review systematically evaluated and summarized the evidence related to women's preference for delivery. Methods: The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Registry of Controlled Trials and the MEDLINE, HealthSTAR, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases were searched from 1980 to August 2002. We reviewed controlled trials, case‐control studies, and observational studies that contained original patient data on preference for women with a previous cesarean delivery and that were of “good” or “fair” quality. Results: Women with a previous vaginal delivery were more likely to select trial of labor than women who did not have one. The most commonly cited reason for selecting trial of labor was ease of recovery and desire to return quickly to caring for other children (reported in 6 of 7 studies). Safety for the mother and/or infant was cited as an important reason for delivery choice in 4 of 11 studies. Important ethnic differences were reported. Nonwhite women were more likely to identify their provider as an important influence (39% vs 19%), and perceived labor as something to be avoided if another option resulted in a healthy baby compared with white women, who perceived labor as a challenge and an experience not to be missed. Conclusions: A woman's choice for delivery was often based on family obligations, such as the need for a shorter recovery so that she could care for her infant and children at home, rather than the safety of herself or her infant. It remains unclear if education on vaginal birth after cesarean increases the proportion of women who choose trial of labor. Future studies should evaluate the impact of education and timing of education on patient preference. (BIRTH 31:1 March 2004)
Differential Sperm Priming by Male Sailfin Mollies (Poecilia latipinna): Effects of Female and Male Size
Authors: Aspbury Andrea S. , Gabor Caitlin R.
Published: March 2004

Recent interest in sperm competition has led to a re‐evaluation of the ‘cheap sperm’ assumption inherent in many studies of sexual selection. In particular, mounting evidence suggests that male sperm availability can be increased by the presence of females. However, there is little information on how this interacts with male traits presumably affected by female mate choice, such as larger size. This study examines the effects on male sperm availability of female presence, male body size, and female body size in the sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna. Individual males of variable body sizes were isolated in divided tanks for 3 d, after which time either a female or no female was added to the other side of the tank. Prior to the treatments, larger males had more stripped sperm than smaller males. Female presence significantly increased the amount of sperm males primed, but this effect was strongest in small males. Furthermore, males showed a greater priming response in the presence of larger females than in the presence of smaller females. These results demonstrate that the presence of sexually mature females increases the amount of sperm males have for insemination. Furthermore, traits that indicate female fecundity may be used by males as cues in male mate choice.
Incubation Behaviour in Northern Lapwings: Nocturnal Nest Attentiveness and Possible Importance of Individual Breeding Quality
Authors: Lislevand Terje , Byrkjedal Ingvar , Grønstøl Gaute B. , Hafsmo Jo E. , Kallestad Geir R. , Larsen Vegard A.
Published: March 2004

Previous studies of sex roles in the polygynous Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus have shown that males incubate less than females, perhaps suggesting that sexual selection is important in shaping the parental behaviour of this species. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine for the first time the possibility that males compensate for low diurnal nest attentiveness by increasing their nocturnal assistance and (2) evaluate the hypotheses that sexual selection and individual breeding quality determines incubation behaviour in lapwings. Males were never found incubating at night in 19 nests, although median diurnal male attentiveness was 15.3% in 16 of the same pairs. Nor were there any differences among monogamous and polygynous males in the time spent in four categories of behaviour (incubation, guarding, maintenance and mating activities). The time males spent in mating and incubation behaviours was weakly negatively correlated, and the time spent incubating varied considerably among males (0–74%). Further, female body condition was positively related with male nest attentiveness and there was a negative relationship between nest attentiveness and date of arrival to the study area in monogamous, but not in polygynous, males. We argue that sexual selection could not alone explain all sides of Northern Lapwing incubation, and suggest that individual differences in breeding quality may also be important.
Wild Chimpanzees Produce Group‐Specific Calls: a Case for Vocal Learning?
Authors: Crockford Catherine , Herbinger Ilka , Vigilant Linda , Boesch Christophe
Published: March 2004

Vocal learning, where animals can modify the structure of their vocalizations as a result of experience, has been found in a range of birds and mammals. Although vocal learning is a fundamental aspect of developing spoken language, there is as yet little evidence that vocal learning occurs in primates. Here we examine whether vocal learning may occur in chimpanzees. We analysed whether wild male chimpanzees,Pan troglodytes verus,of four communities living in a similar habitat in the Taï Forest, Côte d'Ivoire, developed community specific pant hoots. If so, we expected males of three contiguous communities to have distinct pant hoots, while pant hoots of males from a fourth, distant community, located 70 km away, should only differ from those of the contiguous communities by chance. Our analysis confirmed these expectations. In addition, the acoustic distances between the pant hoots of pairs of individuals did not correlate with the genetic relatedness of those pairs, where genetic relatedness was determined using nuclear DNA analysis. Thus, neither habitat nor genetic differences accounted for the observation that there were acoustic differences in the pant hoot structure of males living in neighbouring communities, but not in those of males from a distant community. This suggests that chimpanzees may actively modify pant hoots to be different from their neighbours, providing support for the vocal learning hypothesis.
Role of radiology in the treatment of malignant hilar biliary strictures 1: Review of the literature
Authors: Hii Michael WJ , Gibson Robert N
Published: March 2004

Malignant strictures of the biliary tree are an uncommon cause of obstructive jaundice. There are a number of pathological subtypes, but tumours in this region tend to have similar clinical and diagnostic features and therapeutic and prognostic implications. We review the published literature on this topic discussing diagnostic modalities and treatment options with a focus on radiological intervention. Diagnosis currently is best achieved using a range of procedures. Direct cholangiography remains the gold standard in delineating anatomy, but the invasiveness of this procedure limits its use as a purely diagnostic tool. Magnetic resonance technology, in particular magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, has an increasing role as accessibility is improved. Treatment of these tumours is difficult. Surgical resection and palliative biliary enteric bypass are the most common methods used with endoscopic and percutaneous therapies reserved for palliating patients not fit for surgery. There is little firm evidence to suggest that any one palliative modality is superior. Interventional radiology is particularly suitable for palliative management of difficult and expansive lesions as the anatomy can preclude easy access by surgical or endoscopic techniques. Good palliative results with minimal mortality and morbidity can be achieved with percutaneous stenting .
Accuracy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma staging by magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Lau KY , Kan WK , Sze WM , Lee AWM , Yau TK , Tan LTH , Chan PO
Published: March 2004

To audit the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in daily reporting, the MR images of 101 adult patients with newly diagnosed NPC reported between December 1996 and February 2002 were reviewed retrospectively. Based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer (AJCC/UICC) TNM staging criteria (1997), the tumour staging obtained from the MR reports and the MR films was compared by two experienced head and neck radiologists. The number of patients being upstaged, downstaged or unchanged was noted. In all stages, the NPC staging obtained from the MR reports revealed 18 (17.8%) understaged, eight (7.9%) overstaged and 75 (74.2%) the same stage when compared to the staging obtained from the MR films based on the AJCC/UICC criteria. The percentage of patients being understaged or overstaged, in decreasing order of frequency, were stages II, III, IV and I. Magnetic resonance of NPC should be reported by radiologists who are not only familiar with the pathology of this condition and its pattern of spread but who should also base their reports on the AICC/UICC staging criteria. The necessity to improve our MR staging accuracy is largely because it determines the type of therapy to be given and this has to be appropriate and adequate for a successful treatment.
Intensity‐modulated radiation therapy: Not a dry eye in the house
Authors: Metcalfe Peter , Chapman Alison , Arnold Anthony , Arnold Belinda , Tangboonduangjit Puangpeng , Capp Anne , Fox Chris
Published: March 2004

Inverse planned intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been applied to patients in a conformal fashion in order to avoid the lacrimal gland. In the present study, we report a patient in which a potential planned dose of 63 Gy to the lacrimal gland for a conventional plan was reduced to12 Gy to the lacrimal gland for the IMRT plan. Dose objective inverse planning was provided using a Pinnacle treatment planning computer and treatment was delivered using a Varian dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) on a Varian linear accelerator. Because multiple MLC segments are used to deliver the modulated treatment, conventional dose checks by manual calculation are not practical. To aid in an alternative dosimetric verification process, the Pinnacle planning computer has two unique dose tools, which provide axial and beams eye view doses on user‐specified check phantoms. The combined field axial dose tool matched our ion chamber dose checks within ± 2.4% at the isocentre. The individual beams eye view dose tool matched film dose maps within ± 3% in the umbra.
Dosimetric study of optimal beam number and arrangement for treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy
Authors: Budrukkar Ashwini N , Hope Geoff , Cramb Jim , Corry June , Peters Lester J
Published: March 2004

The purpose of this dosimetric study was to evaluate the effect of beam number and arrangement on the dose distribution with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. Computed tomography data sets of seven patients who were treated for nasopharyngeal carcinoma at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre were used for the present dosimetric study. The dose planned was 70 Gy in 7 weeks for the gross nasopharyngeal and nodal disease and the biological equivalents of 60 Gy in 6 weeks for the high‐risk and 50 Gy in 5 weeks for the low‐risk nodal disease. A plan using seven fields was compared to that using nine fields in all patients. Plans were assessed on the dose to the planning target volume (PTV) and the degree of parotid sparing achieved by evaluating both dose−volume histograms (DVH) and axial slices. Seven fields (three anterior and four posterior) provide good PTV coverage and satisfactory parotid sparing in patients with localized nasopharyngeal lesions. Nine fields appear to be better for tumours with significant posterolateral parapharyngeal extension. Parotid sparing is consistently better with nine fields. Both DVH and axial slices need to be evaluated before accepting any plan.
Publication rates of abstracts presented at annual scientific meetings: How does the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists compare?
Authors: Bydder Sean A , Joseph David J , Spry Nigel A
Published: March 2004

The abstract to publication ratio (APR) is a measure of the quality of scientific meetings. The aim of the present study was to determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at annual Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) conferences, and to identify the publishing journals. All free paper research abstracts (oral or poster) presented by RANZCR radiologists, radiation oncologists and trainees at the four consecutive meetings between 1996 and 1999 were identified retrospectively from conference programmes. The PubMed database (http:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMed) was searched to determine whether or not the abstract had been published as a full paper. Of the 480 free paper research abstracts, 168 (35%) had been published as full articles. The overall abstract to publication ratio for radiology was 29% and for radiation oncology was 41%. Papers were published in a variety of journals but Australasian Radiology accounted for 27%. The mean time between presentation and publication was 16.5 months (median 17 months). These overall abstract to publication ratios are lower than those reported for overseas‐based meetings in each respective area. Guidelines to scientific committees could increase the APR by more rigorous selection of abstracts. Future research should look at barriers to the publication of research findings, and identify ways to assist the publication process.
Anterior infradiaphragmatic free gas following bronchial rupture: Case report and literature review
Authors: Koh Eamon SC , Chapeikin Gavin
Published: March 2004

Bronchial rupture is an uncommon injury that presents clinically and radiologically with tension or non‐tension pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema caused by air leak and migration of free gas. Infradiaphragmatic gas has previously been demonstrated in mechanically ventilated patients with pneumomediastinum and is secondary to passage of air via anterior and posterior trans‐diaphragmatic pathways. We present a case of bronchial rupture complicated by extensive infradiaphragmatic gas following mechanical ventilation that illustrates these pathways and some of the major radiographic signs associated with this injury.
Haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets syndrome: Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging findings in the liver
Authors: Maher Michael M , Kalra Mannudeep K , Lucey Brian C , Jhaveri Kartik , Sahani Dushyant V , Hahn Peter F , O'Neill Mary Jane , Mueller Peter R
Published: March 2004

We describe the imaging findings of the HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets) syndrome in a gravid 36‐year‐old‐woman who presented at 19.5 weeks gestation with severe right upper quadrant pain. Ultrasound findings suggested a focal hyperechoic liver lesion suggesting pregnancy‐related hepatopathy prior to development of biochemical signs of HELLP syndrome. Within 3 days, the patient developed characteristic clinical and laboratory evidence of the HELLP syndrome. MR imaging at this time demonstrated localized hepatic ischaemia, further strengthening the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome.
Communicating oesophageal duplication
Authors: Dahniya MH , Grexa E , Ashebu S , Aduh P
Published: March 2004

Oesophageal duplications are rare congenital abnormalities. Most of them do not communicate with the oesophageal lumen. We present a very uncommon finding of communicating oesophageal duplication in which the connection between the oesophagus and its duplicate portion was demonstrated by CT.
Malignant rhabdoid tumour of the third ventricle
Authors: Garg A , Gaikwad S , Gupta V , Mishra NK , Vaish S , Ralte AM
Published: March 2004

A 16‐year‐old boy presented to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences hospital with signs and symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. A CT scan showed obstructive hydrocephalus from a large posterior third ventricle mass lesion. The patient underwent a subtotal resection of the tumour, followed by radiotherapy. Histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical features of the tumour were consistent with primary malignant rhabdoid tumour. The age of presentation and location of the lesion were unusual.
The practical discourse in philosophy and nursing: an exploration of linkages and shifts in the evolution of praxis
Authors: Connor Margaret J.
Published: March 2004

Abstract The concept of praxis, also known as the practical discourse in philosophy, has been expressed in different ways in different eras. However, the linkages from one era to another and from one paradigm to another are not well explicated in the nursing literature. Difficulties with translations of ‘praxis’ into ‘practice’ and the connotations of the word ‘practical’ in the English language and in nursing have influenced extrapolation of the linkages. More recently, further blurring of the linkages occurred from the popular association of praxis within the emancipatory paradigm. Integral to the concept of praxis, since the time of Aristotle, is the notion of phronesis: a process of moral reasoning enacted to establish the ‘good’ of a particular situation, often referred to as practical wisdom. The purposes of this paper are twofold. Firstly to demonstrate a number of linkages and shifts in the evolution of praxis. This, I believe, will enhance understanding of the multiple expressions of praxis in contemporary nursing. Secondly, to promote and affirm the importance of praxiological knowledge development in the discipline. Furthermore, increased appreciation of the concept of praxis provides an important vehicle for the advancement of nursing as a moral endeavour and the nurse as moral agent.
The importance of knowing how to talk about illness without applying the concept of illness
Authors: Nordby Halvor
Published: March 2004

AbstractThe paper explores consequences of applying the view that illness is negative first‐person experience in caring practice. The main reason this is an important issue is that it is empirically documented that patients conceive of illness in different ways. Communicating about illness in caring practice can therefore involve difficulties. I argue that many of these difficulties can be avoided if nurses focus directly on the extension of the concept of illness – patients’ experiences like the state of being in pain – and not on how this extension is represented as (the intension)illness. This argument is compatible with different views on the nurse–patient relationship as a communicative process. All it requires is the acceptance of minimal assumptions about concepts and concept possession. The argument has a descriptive and a normative dimension. It is descriptive in the sense that it seeks to use concepts from philosophy of mind to explain how many nurses succeed in talking about illness without applying the concept of illness. It is normative in the sense that it provides a philosophical justification for this practice.
Pedagogical integrity in the knowledge economy
Authors: Myrick Florence
Published: March 2004

Abstract In pedagogy, as in life generally, there are moral complexities and ambiguities intrinsic to the teaching–learning process. Within the context of the knowledge economy and globalization those complexities and ambiguities are proliferating. How we as educators address the interface between these complexities is critical to how well we and those we serve fare in the educational and practice environment. With the emergent corporate university culture it would seem that the major goal is to become a ‘knowledge factory’ or a site of knowledge creation. Increasingly its scientific and technological agenda is to focus on generating knowledge that would further the means and ends of economic growth and public policy. Traditionally, however, education has meant much more than this. Indeed, the original purpose of university education was designed to foster a desire for right conduct and good things which ultimately cannot be neatly packaged and delivered. Within this view, university educators would thus be expected to cultivate a climate of self‐reflection in which learning can be fulfilling in itself. This paper explores the notion of globalization and its hegemonic influence on the university agenda and addresses how corporatism, a key dimension of globalization, is in effect usurping the very essence of the teaching–learning process.
‘Who is the Developed Woman?’: Women as a Category of Development Discourse, Kumaon, India
Authors: Klenk Rebecca M.
Published: March 2004

This article analyses gendered discourses of development in rural North India, and addresses the usefulness of recent scholarship on development as ‘discourse’ for understanding connections between development and subjectivity. This scholarship is an excellent point of departure for exploring the contradictions inherent in the institutionalization of economic development and the global reach of its discourses, but it has focused primarily upon development as discourse at official sites of deployment, while paying less attention to how specific discourses and processes of development are appropriated by those constituted as beneficiaries of development. The under‐theorization of this aspect has meant that the range of processes through which development projects may encourage new subject positions are poorly understood. By investigating what some women in rural Kumaon have made of their own development, this article contributes to emerging scholarship on development and subjectivity with an ethnographic analysis of the polysemic enthusiasm for development expressed by some of its ‘beneficiaries’.