bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lactation is associated with an increase in slow‐wave sleep in women
Authors: Blyton D. M. , Sullivan C. E. , Edwards N. 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYMajor physiological changes occur following parturition and the onset of lactation, including the withdrawal of oestrogen and progesterone, with a consequent increase in circulating prolactin (PRL). Changes in other circulating hormones are well known to alter sleep architecture in other circumstances. We therefore aimed to assess whether sleep architecture is altered in fully lactating women as a result of hormonal changes associated with lactation. A descriptive comparison study was undertaken on 12 fully breastfeeding women (B/F), 12 age‐matched control women (CTRL), and seven postnatal women who had chosen to bottle‐feed their infants (BOTTLE). Maternal age, infant age and body mass index (BMI) were similar between all three groups. We performed overnight polysomnography utilizing the Portable Compumedics P‐series. The total sleep time (TST) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time were similar in the three groups of women. However, B/F women demonstrated a marked increase in slow wave sleep (SWS), 182 ± 41 min compared with CTRL (86 ± 22 min, P < 0.001 compared with B/F) and BOTTLE subjects (63 ± 29 min, P < 0.001 compared with B/F). There was a compensatory reduction in light non‐rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in B/F when compared with CTRL and BOTTLE. The most likely explanation for the altered sleep architecture noted to occur in women who are fully breastfeeding their infants is an increase in circulating PRL, which occurs in lactating women. Enhanced SWS may be another important factor to support breastfeeding in the postnatal period.
Sleep in seasonal affective disorder patients in forced desynchrony: an explorative study
Authors: Koorengevel Kathelijne M. , Beersma Domien G. M. , Den Boer Johan A. , Van Den Hoofdakker Rutger H. 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYThe majority of winter‐type seasonal affective disorder (SAD) patients complain of hypersomnia and daytime drowsiness. As human sleep is regulated by the interaction of circadian, ultradian and homeostatic processes, sleep disturbances may be caused by either one of these factors. The present study focuses on homeostatic and ultradian aspects of sleep regulation in SAD. Sleep was recorded polysomnographically in seven SAD patients and matched controls subjected to a 120‐h forced desynchrony protocol. In time isolation, subjects were exposed to six 20‐h days, each comprising a 6.5‐h period for sleep. Patients participated while being depressed, while remitted after light therapy and in summer. Controls were studied in winter and in summer. In each condition, the data of each subject were averaged across all recordings. Thus, the influence of the effects of the circadian pacemaker on sleep was excluded mathematically. The comparison of patients with controls and with themselves in the various conditions revealed no abnormalities in homeostatic parameters: sleep stage variables, relative power spectra and time courses of power in various frequency bands across the first three non‐rapid eye movement–rapid eye movement (NREM–REM) cycles showed no differences. The data suggest that homeostatic processes are not involved in the disturbance of sleep in SAD.
Enrofloxacin serum bioactivity in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, following oral administration of 5 mg/kg in whole fish
Authors: Linnehan R.M. , Ulrich R.W. , Ridgway S. 
Published: March 2003

Eight adult bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus (six male, two female) were employed in a single‐dose study of orally administered enrofloxacin dosed at 5 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were obtained from all animals at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h following administration of the dose in the animals morning ration of fish. Serum antimicrobial activity concentrations (SAAC) were determined using bioassay. The mean elimination half‐life (t½) of enrofloxacin and its major metabolites was 6.4 ± 2.0 h with a range of 3–9.4 h. The time of maximal serum concentration (tmax) occurred at approximately 4 h with a range of 2–8 h following a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg. This variation in tmax most likely resulted from individual differences in absorption because of variations in the storage and digestion of the fish ration containing the drug dose within the compartmentalized cetacean stomach.
The effect of intravenous administration of variable‐dose flumazenil after fixed‐dose ketamine and midazolam in healthy cats
Authors: ILKIW J. E. , FARVER T. B. , SUTER C. , MCNEAL D. , STEFFEY E. P. 
Published: March 2003

Ilkiw, J. E., Farver, T. B., Suter, C., McNeal, D., Steffey, E. P. The effect of intravenous administration of variable‐dose flumazenil after fixed‐dose ketamine and midazolam in healthy cats. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.25, 181–188.The effects of intravenous administration of variable‐dose flumazenil (0, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/kg) after ketamine (3 mg/kg) and midazolam (0.0 and 0.5 mg/kg) were studied in 18 healthy unmedicated cats from time of administration until full recovery. End‐points were chosen to determine whether flumazenil shortened the recovery period and/or modified behaviors previously identified and attributed to midazolam. Overall, flumazenil administration had little effect on recovery or behaviors. One minute after flumazenil administration, all cats were recumbent but a greater proportion of cats which received the highest dose assumed sternal recumbency with head up than any other group. Although not significant, those cats that received the highest flumazenil dose also had shorter mean times for each of the initial recovery stages (lateral recumbency with head up, sternal recumbency with head up and walking with ataxia) than any of the other treatment groups that received midazolam. For complete recovery, flumazenil did decrease the proportion of the cats that was sedated, but did not shorten the time to walking without ataxia. Based on this study, the administration of flumazenil in veterinary practice, at the doses studied, to shorten and/or improve the recovery from ketamine and midazolam in healthy cats cannot be recommended.
Sensitivity and specificity of third‐generation hepatitis C virus antibody detection assays: an analysis of the literature
Authors: Colin C. , Lanoir D. , Touzet S. , Meyaud‐Kraemer L. , Bailly F. , Trepo C. ,   the HEPATIS Group
Published: March 2003

This study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of third‐generation serological hepatitis C diagnostic tests from an analysis of the literature. The literature analysis was run using criteria from McMaster University for the assessment of diagnostic tests. The selected studies were grouped according to the type of population at high and low risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and to the type of reference test. The homogeneity of the sensitivity and the specificity was tested in each group using a Fisher’s exact test. Of 132 studies, 10 were selected. When the estimates were homogeneous, summary point estimates and confidence intervals were computed; when the estimates were heterogeneous, subgroup analysis was performed.The sensitivity of third‐generation enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA3) was estimated at 98.9% (95% CI: 94–100%) in patients with chronic liver disease and at 97.2% (95% CI: 92–99%) in panels of sera. ELISA3 specificity was found at 100% in patients with chronic liver disease. The sensitivity of the third generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA3) was assessed at 78.8% (95% CI: 65–89%) in haemodialysed patients.This analysis provides evidence for the good sensitivity and specificity of ELISA3 assays particularly in high risk patient groups and confirms their use for screening in these populations. Further studies are needed to assess properly RIBA3 in general population and in risk patients.
The impact of prior hepatitis B virus infection on liver histology and the response to interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Myers R. P. , Thibault V. , Poynard T. 
Published: March 2003

summary.  Patients with chronic hepatitis C frequently have antibodies to the hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc), indicative of prior hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In these patients, persistence of HBV may exacerbate liver injury and diminish the response to treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between previous HBV infection and liver histology and the sustained virologic response (SVR) to interferon (IFN)‐based therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. A total of 132 HBsAg‐negative, treatment‐naive patients were evaluated. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, the impact of anti‐HBc‐positivity on the rate of SVR was determined. Progression to bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. The median age of the patients was 47 years (IQR, 37–60), 57% were male, and 73% had genotypes 1, 4, 5, or 6. Fifty‐one patients (39%) were anti‐HBc‐positive. The prevalence of moderate to severe necroinflammatory activity (P = 0.36) and progression to bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis (log‐rank P = 0.83) was similar between anti‐HBc‐positive and ‐negative patients. After a median of 48 weeks (IQR, 26–52) of therapy (IFN, n = 116; IFN and ribavirin, n = 16), 23 patients (17%) achieved a SVR; the rate of response was similar in anti‐HBc‐positive and ‐negative patients (18%vs 17%, P = 1.00). After controlling for age, gender, genotype, fibrosis, and treatment regimen, anti‐HBc status did not independently affect the rate of SVR (anti‐HBc‐positive vs negative: odds ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.45 to 4.06; P = 0.58). In conclusion, previous HBV infection does not affect liver histology or the response to IFN‐based therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Time on antiretroviral therapy is a protective factor for liver fibrosis in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co‐infected patients
Authors: Tural C. , Fuster D. , Tor J. , Ojanguren I. , Sirera G. , Ballesteros À. , Lasanta J. A. J. , Planas R. , Rey‐Joly C. , Clotet B. 
Published: March 2003

summary. To assess the factors associated with liver fibrosis in human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus (HIV/HCV) co‐infected patients eligible for anti‐HCV therapy, we performed an observational, single‐centred, cross‐sectional study of 180 HIV/HCV co‐infected patients who underwent liver biopsy between May 1998 and November 2001. A total of 126 patients with a known date of HCV infection were evaluated. Liver fibrosis was defined as a Knodell stage of fibrosis 1–4. The mean age was 36.7 (3.8) years, 81% were male and had a mean age of 20.5 (3.8) years at HCV infection. Mean CD4 cell count and plasma HIV‐1 RNA load at the time of biopsy were 552 cell/mm3 (239) and 2.5 log10 (0.9), respectively; 118 patients had been on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for a median of 45 months (Q1–Q3: 21–75) and 84 on protease inhibitor for a median of 12.0 months (Q1–Q3: 0–29.5); 55 had an AIDS event or a CD4 cell count nadir < 200 cells/mm3 prior to biopsy. Median histological activity index was 6 and 27% had a Knodell stage of fibrosis 0. On the multivariate analysis time on ART (OR for 6 months extra: 0.954, 95% CI: 0.859–0.994), CD4 cell count at the time of liver biopsy (OR for 100 cells/mL increase: 0.740, 95% CI: 0.670–0.905), age at HCV infection acquisition (OR for 5 years extra: 2.594, 95% CI: 1.326–5.133) and alcohol intake (> 50 g/day) (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.108–6.731) were associated with liver fibrosis. Hence ART should be a priority in HIV/HCV co‐infected patients eligible for anti‐HCV treatment as it is a protective factor for liver fibrosis.
An assessment of British farmers’ and gamekeepers’ experiences, attitudes and practices in relation to the European Polecat Mustela putorius
Authors: Packer James J. , Birks Johnny D. S. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractPostal questionnaires were distributed to farmers and gamekeepers within the Polecat’s Mustela putorius main range in Britain. Only 11% of responding farmers had ever experienced damage by Polecats; 28% regarded the species as a threat to livestock. Conversely 53% of farmers believed Polecats control Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, and 39% believed they control rodents on the farm. Two‐thirds of responding gamekeepers had experienced Polecat predation of penned game, with the commonest access routes via ‘pop‐holes’ and beneath the perimeter wire. Most gamekeepers (68%) regarded the Polecat as a minor pest, but ranked it as a less serious threat to game than predators such as the Fox Vulpes vulpes, Feral Cat Felis catus, Stoat Mustela erminea, corvids and Mink Mustela vison.Majorities of both farmers and gamekeepers would be concerned about an increase in the numbers of Polecats, and most wished to be free to control the species. Trapping was regarded as the main defence against Polecat predation of game; 91% of gamekeepers had trapped Polecats over the preceding 5 years. A minority of farmers carried out Polecat control; this activity was more prevalent on farms near the fringe of the species’ range. Pest‐control practices likely to impact accidentally or indirectly upon Polecats, such as rodenticide use, fumigation (‘gassing’) of Rabbit burrows and ferreting, were also more prevalent on farms towards the fringe of the species’ range.These findings are discussed in the light of the Polecat’s status as a Scheduled species recovering its range in Britain. In anticipation of the species’ further spread into areas where game shooting is prevalent, recommendations are made regarding the need to improve game husbandry and to modify trapping practice. In particular, the night‐time closure of pop‐holes and the effective exclusion of Polecats from tunnel traps are suggested as a means of promoting greater tolerance of Polecats and compliance with the law.
Review of the distribution ofMesoplodonspecies (order Cetacea, family Ziphiidae) in the North Atlantic
Authors: Macleod Colin D. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTFour species of beaked whales of the genusMesoplodonregularly occur in the North Atlantic. These are Sowerby's Beaked WhaleMesoplodon bidens, Blainville's Beaked WhaleMesoplodon densirostris, Gervais Beaked WhaleMesoplodon europaeus andTrue's Beaked WhaleMesoplodon mirus. These four species differ in their distribution within this area.M. bidensis the most northerly recorded species followed byM. mirus.M. densirostris and M. europaeusboth generally occur further south and their distributions cross the equator. The distribution ofMesoplodonspecies may relate to variations in water temperature.
A reassessment of the distribution of the rareGenetta johnstoni(Viverridae, Carnivora) with some newly discovered specimens
Authors: GAUBERT P. , VERON G. , COLYN M. , DUNHAM A. , SHULTZ S. , TRANIER M. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe rare Johnston’s Genet (Genetta johnstoni) is one of the least known small carnivores inhabiting the West African rain forest. Some newly discovered specimens collected from the field (Guinea and Ivory Coast) and several rediscovered specimens resulting from reinvestigating collections, have permitted us to reconsider the distribution of the species. Coupled with a bibliographic review and a census of specimens kept in public collections, a reassessed distribution map is proposed, extending the previous estimated range 400 km to the West (Kolenté Plates, Guinea) and more than 600 km to the East (Tarkwa, Ghana). The majority of collected specimens have come from the inland forests of northern Liberia and south‐eastern Guinea, while the surroundings of Mt. Nimba also support numbers of this species. We suggest that the supposed restriction ofG. johnstonito rain forest be re‐evaluated because a specimen was collected in a region of moist woodlands and savannah (Kolenté Plateau). With regard to these new distributional data, conservation implications for the whole Upper Guinean block population are discussed.
Mixed infection by tick‐borne encephalitis virus and Borrelia in ticks
Authors: Korenberg E. I. , Kovalevskii Y. V. , Karavanov A. S. , Moskvitina G. G. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryTo investigate the relationships between tick‐borne encephalitis (TBE) virus and the bacterial spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in vectors with mixed infections, unfed adult Ixodes persulcatus ticks were collected by flagging from vegetation in southern‐taiga forests of the Pre‐Urals region of Russia where both infections circulate sympatrically. Prevalences of TBE and Borrelia infections in a total of 4234 ticks were compared over 5 years. No significant differences were revealed between the prevalence of Borrelia infection in ticks with and without TBE virus (29.4 ± 7.8% vs 23 ± 3.6%), or between the prevalence of TBE virus infection in ticks with and without Borrelia (24.0 ± 6.6% vs 18.4 ± 3.4%). In ticks with mixed infection (40/689 = 5.8%), concentrations of TBE virus and Borrelia were not significantly correlated with one another. Field observations showed parallel trends in the prevalence of these pathogens in tick populations from year to year (1993–1997) indicating that, in I. persulcatus with mixed infection, Borrelia and TBE virus do not seem to interfere with each other and are apparently not involved in any antagonistic relationships.
Sugars in the gut of the sandfly Phlebotomus orientalis from Dinder National Park, Eastern Sudan
Authors: Hamilton J. G. C. , Naiem D. A. E.L. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe sandfly Phlebotomus orientalis Parrot (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in eastern and Upper Nile regions of Sudan, where vector infection rates of over 7% have been reported. Sugars are known to be important for development of the parasite and for increasing the survival and oviposition rates of several species of sandflies.In the present study we have analysed the sugars present in the guts of individuals and groups of male and female P. orientalis and compared these with sugars from several potential local plant sources: Acacia seyal, Balanites aegyptiaca and Combretum kordofanum. The distribution of these trees in Sudan is closely correlated with that of P. orientalis.Only 20% of individually analysed female sandflies had significant amounts of sugars present suggesting that P. orientalis either digest their sugar meal quickly or do not require regular sugar meals. Interestingly, the sugars present in the males were significantly different to those found in the females, indicating that they had fed on different sugar sources.There was evidence that fruit sugars from Balanites aegyptiaca, Combretum kordofanum and aphid or coccid honeydew are utilized by male and female P. orientalis. There was evidence to indicate that female P. orientalis feeds directly on honeydew. There was no evidence to indicate that direct feeding on leaves is a typical source for the sugar meal. There was no melizitose and only a very small amount of turanose present in the male, suggesting that honeydew was not an important sugar source for males.
Cleptohaematophagy of the Triatomine bug Belminus herreri
Authors: Sandoval C. M. , Joya M. I. , Gutierez R. , Angulo V. M. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe Triatomine bug Belminus herreri, previously known only from Panama, is reported for the first time from Colombia. Three adult B. herreri were collected from a chicken coop and a viable egg was found on a Bactris palm at Carmen municipality in humid forest zone at 680 m altitude. From 44 eggs produced, five progeny were reared to adulthood. During early instars they were unable to take bloodmeals directly from vertebrate hosts, but they fed successfully by cleptohaematophagy on blood from replete Rhodnius prolixus.
Further evidence that deltamethrin‐impregnated collars protect domestic dogs from sandfly bites
Authors: Halbig P. , Hodjati M. H. , Mazloumi‐Gavgani A. S. , Mohite H. , Davies C. R. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryIn many foci of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL), domestic dogs are important reservoir hosts of the causativeLeishmaniaparasites transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae). We tested the protective value of impregnated dog collars (20 g plastic containing deltamethrin 800 mg ai) againstPhlebotomus papatasi(Scopoli) sandflies in Iran. For each assay, the dog was sedated and caged in a net with 70–100 wild‐caught sandflies overnight (23.30–06.30 hours). Dogs wearing the collars were bitten by ∼80% fewer sandflies than before collars were fitted, i.e. 51% vs. 11% of hungry female flies exposed. Sandfly mortality rates following 20 h exposure to dogs with collars (18%) or without collars (17%) were not significantly different. Effects of collars were tested when dogs had been wearing them for 8 days. A previous trial against the sandflyP. perniciosusNewstead in France, using smaller dogs, showed that effects of such collars were not fully realized until they had been worn for 2 weeks or more; they remained effective for at least 8 months and killed significant proportions of the sandflies exposed. Present results withP. papatasi, confirming that this simple device provides effective protection against sandflies, are considered sufficiently encouraging to justify a community‐wide field trial of deltamethrin‐impregnated dog collars against ZVL vector sandflies in Iran.
Environmental information systems for the control of arthropod vectors of disease
Authors: Thomson M. C. , Connor S. J. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryOver the last decade, remote sensing technologies and geographical information systems have moved from the research arena into the hands of vector control specialists. This review explains remote sensing approaches and spatial information technologies used for investigations of arthropod pests and vectors of diseases affecting humans and livestock. Relevant applications are summarized with examples of studies on African horse sickness vector Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), malaria vector Anopheles and arbovirus vector culicine mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), leishmaniasis vector Phlebotomus sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae), trypanosomiasis vector tsetse (Diptera: Glossinidae), loaiasis vector Chrysops (Diptera: Tabanidae), Lyme disease vector Ixodes and other ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). Methods and their uses are tabulated and discussed with recommendations for efficiency, caution and progress in this burgeoning field.
Experimental skin lesions from larvae of the bot fly Dermatobia hominis
Authors: Pereira M. C. T. , Leite V. H. R. , Leite A. C. R. 
Published: March 2003

SummarySkin biopsies from larvae of Rattus norvegicus, experimentally infested with Dermatobia hominis (Linnaeus Jr) (Diptera: Cuterebridae), were processed for histopathological studies. Two days after infestation, the first‐stage larvae (L1) were located deep in the dermis, surrounded by an inflamed area infiltrated predominantly by neutrophils. On the fourth day a thin necrotic layer could be seen close to the larvae, surrounded by large numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, macrophages with a few eosinophils and mast cells. A small warble was formed after the fourth day, increasing in size until the seventh day, when the L1 moulted to the second‐stage larva (L2). The inflammatory process continued with increasing numbers of neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, eosinophils and mast cells invading the area, as well as the proliferation of fibroblasts and endothelial cells and the appearance of a few localized haemorrhages. After 18–20 days, the L2 moulted to the third‐stage larva (L3), when a few plasma cells could be seen in the inflamed area. At 25–30 days there was a reduction in the necrotic layer, as well as in the number of neutrophils and lymphocytes, although large amounts of eosinophils, plasma cells, and collagen fibres were seen. The L3 usually left the host after 30 days. Two days later, the larval cavity was reduced, mast cells infiltrated the region and collagen fibre production were increased. After 7 days, an intense infiltration of plasma cells and scattered necrotic areas could be seen. A scar formed after 10 days. This study showed the laboratory rat to be a suitable model for studies of D. hominis infestation.