bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The relationships between intestinal damage and circulating endotoxins in experimental Trypanosoma brucei brucei infections
Authors: NYAKUNDI J. N. , CRAWLEY B. , SMITH R. A. , PENTREATH V. W. 
Published: August 2008

The involvement of intestinal damage in experimental African trypanosomiasis was investigated in rats infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei by measuring the urinary excretion of the previously administered non-metabolizable sugar probes, D-mannitol and lactulose, and the flux of FITC-dextran across isolated, everted gut segments. There was increased urinary recovery and flux of the sugar probes across the intestine which were significant (P<0·05) and maximum at day 21 of the infection, but subsequently reduced, in the terminal stages of infection (day 33 p.i.). In the case of the everted sac studies the reductions were to less than 25% control values (P<0·001). Levels of circulating endotoxin were increased approximately 3-fold at day 21 p.i., 4-fold at day 33 p.i., compared to controls. At day 21 there was a significant correlation (r = 0·63, P<0·01) between the log endotoxin levels and the increased sugar excretion expressed as the lactulose/mannitol ratios. Histological studies showed damage to the villi, wall thinning and marked cellular infiltrations, which were very prominent in the proximal jejunum and duodenum. These results demonstrate that during trypanosome infections in rats, increased intestinal leakage and increased circulating endotoxins are significant pathological features.
Egg-laying patterns and in vivo egg production in the monogenean parasites Heteraxine heterocerca and Benedenia seriolae from Japanese yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata
Authors: MOONEY A. J. , ERNST I. , WHITTINGTON I. D. 
Published: August 2008

SUMMARYEgg-laying patterns and egg production in Heteraxine heterocerca from the gills and Benedenia seriolae from the skin of Japanese yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata in Japan were investigated in vivo. Eggs were collected every 3 h from sexually mature H. heterocerca and B. seriolae infecting 3 S. quinqueradiata kept individually over 3 consecutive days and exposed to alternating periods of illumination and darkness (LD 12:12; light on 06.00, light off 18.00) and maintained at 23·8±0·1°C and 35 ppt salinity. A well-defined egg-laying rhythm was demonstrated for H. heterocerca while B. seriolae was shown to release eggs continuously. A total of 114 000 H. heterocerca eggs was collected and of these, 45·4 (42·5–49·9)% were collected during the first 3 h period following dark at 18.00 h. A total of 662 857 B. seriolae eggs was collected and these were distributed over each 3 h period ranging from 11·1 to 14·1% of the daily egg output. All eggs extracted from the uterus of each H. heterocerca were joined together forming an ‘egg-string’. The contrasting egg-laying patterns of H. heterocerca and B. seriolae suggest that each species makes use of a different infection strategy to infect the same host species, S. quinqueradiata.
Effects of laboratory culture on compatibility between snails and schistosomes
Authors: THERON A. , COUSTAU C. , ROGNON A. , GOURBIÈRE S. , BLOUIN M. S. 
Published: August 2008

SUMMARYThe genetic control of compatibility between laboratory strains of schistosomes and their snail hosts has been studied intensively since the 1970s. These studies show (1) a bewildering array of genotype-by-genotype interactions – compatibility between one pair of strains rarely predicts compatibility with other strains, and (2) evidence for a variety of (sometimes conflicting) genetic mechanisms. Why do we observe such variable and conflicting results? One possibility is that it is partly an artifact of the use of laboratory strains that have been in culture for many years and are often inbred. Here we show that results of compatibility trials between snails and schistosomes – all derived from the same natural population – depend very much on whether one uses laboratory-cultured or field-collected individuals. Explanations include environmental effects of the lab on either host or parasite, and genetic changes in either host or parasite during laboratory culture. One intriguing possibility is that genetic bottlenecks during laboratory culture cause the random fixation of alleles at highly polymorphic loci that control the matched/mismatched status of hosts and parasites. We show that a simple model of phenotype matching could produce dose response curves that look very similar to empirical observations. Such a model would explain much of the genotype-by-genotype interaction in compatibility observed among strains.
A pilot study of cognitive therapy in bipolar disorders
Authors: SCOTT J. , GARLAND A. , MOORHEAD S. 
Published: August 2008

Background. The efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive therapy (CT) is well established for unipolar disorders, but little is known about its utility in bipolar disorders. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of using CT as an adjunct to usual psychiatric treatment in this patient population.Method. Subjects referred by general adult psychiatrists were assessed by and independent rater and then randomly allocated to immediate CT (N=21) or 6-month waiting-list control, which was then followed by CT (N=21). Observer and self-ratings of symptoms and functioning were undertaken immediately prior to CT, after a 6-month course of CT and a further 6-months later. Data on relapse and hospitalization rates in the 18 months before and after commencing CT were also collected.Results. At 6-month follow-up, subjects allocated to CT showed statistically significantly greater improvements in symptoms and functioning as measured on the Beck Depression Inventory, the Internal State Scale, and the Global Assessment of Functioning than those in the waiting-list control group. In the 29 patients who eventually received CT, relapse rates in the 18 months after commencing CT showed a 60% reduction in comparison with the 18 months prior to commencing CT. Seventy per cent of subjects who commenced therapy viewed CT as highly acceptable.Conclusion. Although the results of this study are encouraging, the use of CT in subjects with bipolar disorders is more complex than in unipolar disorders and requires a high level of therapist expertise. The therapy may prove to be particularly useful in the treatment of bipolar depression.
The relationship between obsessive–compulsive disorder and anxiety and affective disorders: results from the Johns Hopkins OCD Family Study
Authors: NESTADT G. , SAMUELS J. , RIDDLE M. A. , LIANG K.-Y. , BIENVENU O. J. , HOEHN-SARIC R. , GRADOS M. , CULLEN B. 
Published: August 2008

Objective. This study investigates the relationship of specific anxiety and affective disorders to obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in a blind, controlled family study.Method. Eighty case and 73 control probands, as well as 343 case and 300 control first-degree relatives of these probands, participated in the study. Subjects were examined by psychologists or psychiatrists using the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Anxiety version (SADS-LA). Two experienced psychiatrists independently reviewed all clinical materials, and final diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV criteria, by consensus procedure.Results. Except for bipolar disorder, all anxiety and affective disorders investigated were more frequent in case than control probands. Substance dependence disorders were not more frequent. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, agoraphobia, separation anxiety disorder (SAD) and recurrent major depression were more common in case than control relatives. These disorders occurred more frequently if the relative was diagnosed with OCD. Only GAD and agoraphobia were more frequent in case relatives independent of OCD.Conclusion. GAD and agoraphobia share a common familial aetiology with OCD. The other anxiety and affective disorders, when comorbid with OCD, may emerge as a consequence of the OCD or as a more complex syndrome.
Discriminating between chronic fatigue syndrome and depression: a cognitive analysis
Authors: MOSS-MORRIS RONA , PETRIE KEITH J. 
Published: August 2008

Background. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and depression share a number of common symptoms and the majority of CFS patients meet lifetime criteria for depression. While cognitive factors seem key to the maintenance of CFS and depression, little is known about how the cognitive characteristics differ in the two conditions.Methods. Fifty-three CFS patients were compared with 20 depressed patients and 38 healthy controls on perceptions of their health, illness attributions, self-esteem, cognitive distortions of general and somatic events, symptoms of distress and coping. A 6 month follow-up was also conducted to determine the stability of these factors and to investigate whether CFS-related cognitions predict ongoing disability and fatigue in this disorder.Results. Between-group analyses confirmed that the depressed group was distinguished by low self-esteem, the propensity to make cognitive distortions across all situations, and to attribute their illness to psychological factors. In contrast, the CFS patients were characterized by low ratings of their current health status, a strong illness identity, external attributions for their illness, and distortions in thinking that were specific to somatic experiences. They were also more likely than depressed patients to cope with their illness by limiting stress and activity levels. These CFS-related cognitions and behaviours were associated with disability and fatigue 6 months later.Conclusions. CFS and depression can be distinguished by unique cognitive styles characteristic of each condition. The documented cognitive profile of the CFS patients provides support for the current cognitive behavioural models of the illness.
Monozygotic twins discordant for major depression: a preliminary exploration of the role of environmental experiences in the aetiology and course of illness
Authors: KENDLER KENNETH S. , GARDNER CHARLES O. 
Published: August 2008

Background. Genetic effects upon behaviour are pervasive. To what extent are the many correlates of major depression (MD) due to individual-specific environmental experiences versus genetic factors correlated with risk for MD?Methods. From a population-based twin registry, we identified 72 female monozygotic pairs discordant for a lifetime history of MD and compared the affected and unaffected members on a wide range of putative correlates of MD.Results. The affected twin differed from her unaffected co-twin on many variables, eight of which were maximally discriminating: (i) maternal protectiveness; (ii) conflictual parent–child relationship; (iii) low optimism; (iv) current stressful life events; (v) financial difficulties and a history of (vi) phobia, (vii) nicotine dependence; and (viii) divorce. A cluster analysis suggested three ‘environmental pathways' to MD characterized by: (i) childhood vulnerability and anxiety; (ii) acting-out and demoralization; and (iii) interpersonal difficulties.Conclusion. Important precursors and sequelae of MD originate in environmental experiences unique to the individual and are not mediated through genetic factors or family-of-origin effects. Such environmental factors cause pervasive differences in monozygotic twins discordant for MD, especially in the areas of interpersonal difficulties, psychopathology, social problems and self-concept. These findings should be interpreted in the context of possible retrospective recall bias and the difficulty of distinguishing risk factors from sequelae in co-twin–control studies.
The NART as an index of prior intellectual functioning: a retrospective validity study covering a 66-year interval
Authors: CRAWFORD J. R. , DEARY I. J. , STARR J. , WHALLEY L. J. 
Published: August 2008

Background. The National Adult Reading Test (NART) is widely used in research and clinical practice as an estimate of pre-morbid or prior ability. However, most of the evidence on the NART's validity as a measure of prior intellectual ability is based on concurrent administration of the NART and an IQ measure.Method. We followed up 179 individuals who had taken an IQ test (the Moray House Test) at age 11 and administered the NART and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at age 77. A subset (N=97) were also re-administered the original IQ test.Results. The correlation between NART performance at age 77 and IQ age 11 was high and statistically significant (r=0·73; P<0·001). This correlation was comparable to the correlation between NART and current IQ, and childhood IQ and current IQ, despite the shared influences on the latter variable pairings. The NART had a significant correlation with the MMSE but this correlation fell to near zero (r=0·02) after partialling out the influence of childhood IQ.Discussion. The pattern of results provides strong support for the claim that the NART primarily indexes prior (rather than current) intellectual ability.
Post-traumatic stress disorder in primary-care settings: prevalence and physicians' detection
Authors: TAUBMAN-BEN-ARI O. , RABINOWITZ J. , FELDMAN D. , VATURI R. 
Published: August 2008

Background. Little is known about the prevalence of PTSD in primary-care settings and regarding the ability of primary-care physicians to detect PTSD. The current study examines prevalence of PTSD in a national sample of primary-care attenders and primary-care physicians' detection of PTSD and general psychological distress in PTSD patients.Methods. Data are from a national study of 2975 primary-care attenders in Israel. Demographic data, responses to the GHQ-28, PTSD Inventory and physicians' diagnoses were examined.Results. Twenty-three per cent of all patients who attended clinics (N=684) reported traumatic events, 39% of whom (males 37%, females 40%) met criteria for PTSD on the PTSD Inventory. Eighty per cent of the males and 92% of the females with PTSD were distressed according to the GHQ. According to physicians, 37% of persons who reported trauma (40% of the women, 32% of the men) suffered from psychological distress. Only 2% of patients meeting PTSD criteria on the self-report measure were given a diagnoses of PTSD by physicians.Conclusions. Many primary-care patients suffer from PTSD, which is usually accompanied by major psychological distress. Attention by primary-care physicians to a history of trauma could improve physicians' detection of this disabling disorder.
Patients' and relatives' assessment of clozapine treatment
Authors: ANGERMEYER M. C. , LÖFFLER W. , MÜLLER P. , SCHULZE B. , PRIEBE S. 
Published: August 2008

Background. Subjective evaluations by schizophrenic patients and their relatives of clozapine treatment were assessed as part of an exploratory study.Methods. A problem-centred interview was carried out with 80 patients at discharge from in-patient or day-hospital treatment. Views of 46 relatives on the treatment were also assessed.Results. In addition to expected effects (improvement of or stabilisation of one's state of mental health, antipsychotic effects), patients surprisingly often highlighted the calming and relaxing effect of clozapine as well as improved sleep as particularly positive. While more than half of the respondents expected a worsening of their condition if they stopped taking medication, only every fifth patient feared a relapse. Among the negative effects, fatigue and sedation were cited by far the most often. The absence of extrapyramidal side effects was clearly noted as an advantage of clozapine. Only 10 % of those questioned were aware of the risks for the haemotopoetic system associated with the drug. Differences were found between patients' and relatives' assessments particularly with regard to the negative effects.Conclusions. Patients and relatives frequently hold specific and distinct views on clozapine treatment. These views should be considered when patients and relatives are informed and when compliance is addressed.
Widespread anatomical abnormalities of grey and white matter structure in tuberous sclerosis
Authors: RIDLER K. , BULLMORE E. T. , DE VRIES P. J. , SUCKLING J. , BARKER G. J. , MEARA S. J. P. , WILLIAMS S. C. R. , BOLTON P. F. 
Published: August 2008

Background. Neuroimaging studies of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) have previously focused mainly on tubers or subependymal nodules. Subtle pathological changes in the structure of the brain have not been studied in detail. Computationally intensive techniques for reliable morphometry of brain structure are useful in disorders like TSC, where there is little prior data to guide selection of regions of interest.Methods. Dual-echo, fast spin-echo MRI data were acquired from 10 TSC patients of normal intelligence and eight age-matched controls. Between-group differences in grey matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid were estimated at each intracerebral voxel after registration of these images in standard space; a permutation test based on spatial statistics was used for inference. CSF-attenuated FLAIR images were acquired for neuroradiological rating of tuber number.Results. Significant deficits were found in patients, relative to comparison subjects, of grey matter volume bilaterally in the medial temporal lobes, posterior cingulate gyrus, thalamus and basal ganglia, and unilaterally in right fronto-parietal cortex (patients −20%). We also found significant and approximately symmetrical deficits of central white matter involving the longitudinal fasciculi and other major intrahemispheric tracts (patients −21%); and a bilateral cerebellar region of relative white matter excess (patients +28%). Within the patient group, grey matter volume in limbic and subcortical regions of deficit was negatively correlated with tuber count.Conclusions. Neuropathological changes associated with TSC may be more extensive than hitherto suspected, involving radiologically normal parenchymal structures as well as tubers, although these two aspects of the disorder may be correlated.
Fatigue, depression and chronic hepatitis C infection
Authors: WESSELY SIMON , PARIANTE CARMINE 
Published: August 2008

Background. We aimed to determine if an association exists between uncomplicated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and depression or fatigue.Method. A review of the literature was undertaken.Results. There is an association between HCV infection and either depression or fatigue in certain
circumstances – those who are aware they are HCV positive, those with advanced liver disease and
those seen in specialist referral centres. All these studies are subject to important biases. There are
only a few studies in which knowledge of HCV status and assessment of fatigue or depression is
independent. These studies do not suggest an association. There is no association between
conventional markers of liver disease and depression or fatigue.Conclusions. Despite anecdotal evidence to the contrary, at the moment there is no evidence that
HCV infection per se is associated with fatigue or depression, and there is a suggestion that it is not.
The same risk factors that exist for fatigue in other physical illnesses, such as metabolic disorder,
mood disorder, demographics and lack of exercise, certainly exist for HCV. Although there are
elegant theoretical mechanisms, there is no compelling epidemiological evidence for an additional
HCV specific fatigue or depression factor.
Beliefs, sense of control and treatment outcome in post-traumatic stress disorder
Authors: LIVANOU M. , BAOŞĞLU M. , MARKS I. M. , DE SILVA P. , NOSHIRVANI H. , LOVELL K. , THRASHER S. 
Published: August 2008

Background. Few studies have shown that maladaptive beliefs relate to treatment outcome.Method. In a randomized controlled study, 87 patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had exposure therapy alone or cognitive restructuring alone, or both combined, or relaxation. Independent blind assessors assessed patients at pre-, mid- and post-treatment and at follow-up; at those times patients rated cognitive, behavioural and emotional aspects of their disorder.Results. Baseline beliefs about mistrust, helplessness, meaninglessness and unjustness of the world related to baseline PTSD symptoms but did not predict treatment outcome, though improvement in certain beliefs correlated with more symptom improvement. Several ‘key’ beliefs changed after, and none before, symptoms improved. At post-treatment, sense of control and attribution of gains to personal efforts predicted maintenance of gains at follow-up.Conclusions. Baseline beliefs and improvement in beliefs did not predict outcome. Post-treatment sense of control/internal attribution predicted maintenance of gains at follow-up. How much sense of control is produced by or causes improvement deserves testing.
Genetic effects on the variation and covariation of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional-defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) symptomatologies across informant and occasion of measurement
Authors: NADDER T. S. , RUTTER M. , SILBERG J. L. , MAES H. H. , EAVES L. J. 
Published: August 2008

Background. Previous studies have shown that the presence of conduct disorder may contribute to the persistence of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology into adolescence; however, the aetiological relationship between the two phenotypes remains undetermined. Furthermore, studies utilizing multiple informants have indicated that teacher ratings of these phenotypes are more valid than maternal reports.Methods. The genetic structure underlying the persistence of ADHD and oppositional-defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) symptomatologies as rated by mothers and teachers at two occasions of measurement was investigated on a sample of 494 male and 603 female same sex adolescent twin pairs participating in the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development (VTSABD).Results. Using structural modelling techniques, one common genetic factor was shown to govern the covariation between the phenotypes across informants and occasion of measurement with additional genetic factors specific to ODD/CD symptomatology and persistence of symptomatology at reassessment. Genetic structures underlying the phenotypes were, to some extent, informant dependent.Conclusions. The findings indicate that it is unlikely that the co-morbidity between ADHD and ODD/CD is due to environmental influences that are independent of ADHD. Rather it is likely to be due to a shared genetic liability either operating directly, or indirectly through gene–environment correlations or interactions. The covariation between phenotypes across informants and time is governed by a common set of genes, but it seems that ODD/CD is also influenced by additional genetic factors. Developmentally, different forms of genetic liability control ADHD in males and inattention in females.