bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Semiologic Value of Ictal Autoscopy
Authors: Maillard Louis , Vignal Jean Pierre , Anxionnat Rene , Taillandier Luc , Vespignani Hervé 
Published: March 2004

Summary:  Purpose: Autoscopy is a pathologic perception of one's body or one's face image within space, either from an internal (“as in a mirror”) or from an external (“out‐of‐body experience”) point of view. Among various psychiatric and neurologic disorders, partial epilepsy is the main etiology. However, the significance of this rare ictal symptom remains controversial. We report this phenomenon in three epilepsy patients and discuss its semiologic value and neuropsychological significance. Methods: Interictal EEG and/or video‐EEG monitoring was performed, as well as neuropsychological examination and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: The three patients had a lesion involving, or limited to, the right parietal region on cerebral MRI. All three patients experienced autoscopy associated with other ictal signs supporting a right parietal lobe origin of seizures. In one patient, seizure origin was documented with video and surface EEG ictal recordings. Conclusions: Autoscopy was shown to have an ictal mechanism and was associated with seizures arising from the nondominant parietal region. We hypothesize that ictal autoscopy may result from disruption of the normal integration of body representation.
Is Cooperative Breeding Associated With Bigger Brains? A Comparative Test in the Corvida (Passeriformes)
Authors: Iwaniuk Andrew N. , Arnold Kathryn E. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractThe cognitive demands of a social existence favour the evolution of relatively large brains and neocortices in primates. Comparable tests of sociality and brain size/structure in birds have not been performed, despite marked similarities in the social systems of birds and mammals. Here, we test whether one aspect of avian sociality, cooperative breeding, is associated with an increase in brain size across 155 species of the passeriform parvorder Corvida. Using conventional and phylogeny‐corrected statistics, we examined the correlated evolution of relative brain size and: the presence/absence of cooperative breeding, percentage of nests that are cooperative and cooperatively breeding group size. Most of the comparisons yielded non‐significant results, which suggests that cooperative breeding is not related to relative brain size in this parvorder. There are a number of potential explanations for our findings. First, changes in brain region size may be correlated with cooperative breeding without affecting overall brain size. Secondly, cooperatively breeding birds might not possess more complex social behaviour than non‐cooperatively breeding birds. Thirdly, relatively large brains might be ancestral in this parvorder. This may predispose them to evolve the range of complex behaviours found in this group, including extreme sociality. Finally, ecological and/or developmental factors might play a more significant role than social behaviour in the diversification of avian brain size. Assessing these alternatives requires more information on the neural and cognitive differences between bird species.
Female Size Influences Mate Preferences of Male Guppies
Authors: Dosen Laura D. , Montgomerie Robert 
Published: March 2004

AbstractGuppies (Poecilia reticulata) have a promiscuous mating system in which female choice for brightly coloured males plays an important role. Consequently, much research on guppies has examined how mate choice by females has lead to the evolution of male colour patterns. Much less attention has been devoted to mate choice by males in this species. In this study, we show that male guppies are choosy when selecting a female to associate with, significantly preferring the larger female when presented with two females that differed by ≥2 mm in standard length (SL). The strength of their preference for each female increased with absolute female size. The relative sizes of the females, however, also influenced male mating preferences: males showed stronger preferences for the larger female as the difference in SL between the two females increased. Such a preference for larger females is not unexpected as fecundity generally increases with body size in female fish. Thus, males choosing to mate with the larger female should have higher reproductive success. An apparent, but non‐significant anomaly, whereby males appear to prefer the smaller of the two females when the difference between female SL was <4 mm, deserves further investigation.
Social Environment Affects Peripheral Oxytocin and Cortisol during Stress Responses in Guinea‐Pigs
Authors: Machatschke Ivo H. , Wallner Bernard , Schams Dieter , Dittami John 
Published: March 2004

AbstractNumerous studies have demonstrated interactions between oxytocin (OT) secretion, adrenal activity, an animal's social environment, and stress responses. In the present study, we hypothesized that partner preference and pair bonding cause increased peripheral OT, which down‐regulates the adrenal and behavioral response in stress. In addition, we tested whether these interactions depended on sex, the social environment of the individual, or the type of stressor. Experiments were carried out on guinea‐pigs held in sexual‐pairs or stressed by isolation. Among the paired individuals choice tests were carried out to document partner preference. Female preference for a male was expressed by spatial cohesion. Stress responses to abiotic stimuli were examined and compared between isolated and cohabited animals with or without preference. Results show that OT of cohabited animals was significantly higher than during isolation. OT levels were further increased in males preferred by females. Cortisol (CORT) levels were elevated in isolated animals. There were no significant differences between pairs with and without female preference. Behaviorally, partner preferences were expressed by high amounts of tactile contact. The stress‐induced behavioral immobility response after exposure to a noise stressor was significantly reduced in preferred males and to a lesser extent in their female partners. Only females with preferences showed an endocrine stress response. Their levels of OT increased. There was no consistent post‐stressor release of CORT. The data indicate that the social environment of an individual, here expressed as preference or isolation, influences peripheral OT secretion. Behavioral stress responses were similarly affected by social factors without a clear involvement of peripheral CORT or OT.
Big cat scan: Magnetic resonance imaging of the tiger
Authors: Snow Thomas M , Litster Annette L , Gregory Richard JW , Hanger Jonathan J 
Published: March 2004

SUMMARYIn August 2002, we performed MRI scans on a female juvenile Bengal tiger. We present the clinical course, imaging and autopsy findings, and some comparative anatomy of the tiger brain and skull. Magnetic resonance images of a tiger have not previously been published.
Sequential audits of unacceptable delays in radiation therapy in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Kenny Liz , Lehman Margot ,   Faculty of Radiation Oncology, RANZCR
Published: March 2004

SUMMARYDelays in accessing radiation treatment are of concern in Australia and New Zealand, both in terms of the proportion of patients who are actually able to access care, and in the timeliness of starting treatment. For those who are able to access treatment, one in three patients experience an unacceptable delay in starting treatment, and only one in four patients starts radiotherapy within standard good practice times. During the year 2002, more than 15 000 Australians who potentially could have benefited from radiotherapy, did not receive this treatment. For those who were able to access radiotherapy treatment, worsening delays were experienced in Australia, with greater than 40% of patients receiving curative treatment, 30% receiving palliative treatment, and 56% receiving emergency treatment starting outside of standard good practice times. Delays of up to 151 days were experienced in Australia. In Australia, delays in implementing recommendations to improve the infrastructure are resulting in a declining service for cancer patients. In New Zealand, the situation, in general, is improving, although there needs to be an ongoing commitment to grow the service according to the population needs. Urgent implementation of strategic planning is required.
Shocking abdominal trauma: Review of an uncommon disorder of small intestine perfusion
Authors: Koh Eamon SC , Thomas Richard 
Published: March 2004

SUMMARY‘Shock bowel’ is a rare disorder of gastrointestinal physiology with characteristic radiological features. It usually occurs in the setting of blunt abdominal trauma and hypovolaemia, with complete reversibility of these findings following resuscitation. We present a case demonstrating the classic features of this complex of imaging findings thought to be caused by end‐organ hypoperfusion.
Multiplanar reconstruction in adult intussusception: Case report and literature review
Authors: Dawes Laughlin C , Hunt Roland , Wong James K , Begg Stuart 
Published: March 2004

SUMMARYWe describe the use of computed tomography (CT) with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) in positive diagnosis of a case of enteric intussusception in an adult. To our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of the use of MPR in this setting. Intussusception in adults is an uncommon cause of bowel obstruction that usually presents with non‐specific symptoms. An underlying lesion is found in most cases. Multiplanar reconstruction should be used to confirm the diagnosis of intussusception when suspected on axial views, and should increase the yield of positive diagnoses when used in the assessment of a complex abdominal mass involving the bowel.
Education for All: How Much Will It Cost?
Authors: Delamonica Enrique , Mehrotra Santosh , Vandemoortele Jan 
Published: March 2004

AbstractIn 1990, a target of universal access to basic education by the year 2000 was set by two global conferences. Ten years later, however, it was clear that the target had not been met. Too many countries had made insufficient progress, and although many of the reasons for this inadequate progress were country‐specific, one factor stood out in virtually all countries: inadequate public finance for primary education. In 2000, the Millennium Summit set a new target date for achieving ‘education for all’ of 2015. This article updates the global and regional cost estimates for reaching that target. The estimates are based on the most recent country‐by‐country data on budgetary expenditure, population and enrolment trends, and unit cost. The annual additional cost of achieving ‘education for all’ in developing countries by 2015 is estimated at US$ 9.1 billion. Although this is affordable at the global level, individual countries will need considerably more resources than are currently available. However, official development assistance (ODA) has been declining, and the share of ODA allocated to basic education has changed little over the past decade. Therefore, although affordable, the target of universal basic education by 2015 is likely to be missed, just as it was in 2000, without a major change both in ODA and national budgets.
Sustaining Livelihoods on Mongolia's Pastoral Commons: Insights from a Participatory Poverty Assessment
Authors: Mearns Robin 
Published: March 2004

AbstractUnder the socialist regime that prevailed until the start of the 1990s, Mongolia made great progress in improving human development indicators, and poverty was virtually unknown. Political and economic transition in the 1990s ushered in a rapid rise in asset and income inequality, and at least a third of the population has been living in poverty since 1995. Many workers made redundant from uneconomic state‐owned enterprises were absorbed into the extensive livestock sector in rural areas and by the growing informal economy in urban areas. The livestock sector grew dramatically, with herders accounting for over a third of the total population and half of the active labour force by the late 1990s. Three consecutive years of drought and harsh winters in 1999–2002 then drastically reduced the national herd. These trends are viewed against a backdrop of relative neglect of the livestock sector in development priorities and a concomitant decline in agricultural productivity. Pressures on common pasture have mounted, and conflict over grazing is becoming endemic. In such a context, sustainable management of Mongolia's pastoral commons should be central to the country's economic development agenda in general, and to its poverty reduction strategy in particular. This article draws on the findings of a country‐wide participatory poverty assessment conducted in 2000. Blending quantitative and qualitative data, these findings help to bring into sharper relief the broad outlines of an integrated approach to building secure and sustainable livelihoods both on and off the pastoral commons.
Law and Disorder: Local Implementation of Mongolia's Land Law
Authors: Fernandez‐Gimenez Maria E. , Batbuyan B. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractWith the dismantling of herding collectives in Mongolia in 1992, formal regulatory institutions for allocating pasture vanished, and weakened customary institutions were unable effectively to fill the void. Increasing poverty and wealth differentiation in the herding sector, a wave of urban–rural migration, and the lack of formal or strong informal regulation led to a downward spiral of unsustainable grazing practices. In 1994, Mongolia's parliament passed the Land Law, which authorized land possession contracts (leases) over pastoral resources such as campsites and pastures. Implementation of leasing provisions began in 1998. This article examines the implications of the Law's implementation at the local level, based on interviews with herders and officials in all levels of government, and a resurvey of herding households. Amongst many findings, the research shows that poorer herders were largely overlooked in the allocation of campsite leases; that the poor had become more mobile and the wealthy more sedentary; that there had been a sharp decline in trespassing following lease implementation, but that many herders and officials expected pasture leasing to lead to increased conflict over pastures. The Land Law provides broad regulatory latitude and flexibility to local authorities, but the Law's lack of clarity and poor understanding of its provisions by herders and local officials limit its utility. The existing legal framework and local attitudes stand in clear opposition to the implied goal of land registration and titling — an all‐embracing land market and the supremacy of private property rights.
Pastoralism and Protected Area Management in Mongolia's Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
Authors: Bedunah Donald J. , Schmidt Sabine M. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractThe Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park was established in south central Mongolia in 1993 and is used by over 1100 families with pastoralism as their main means of livelihood. Research conducted in 1998–2000 to analyse grazing management problems identified a number of issues and concerns, including a significant increase in the number of herders and the size of the herd; variations in herd size reflecting differences in wealth; problems with marketing of livestock or livestock products; declining stock movements because of transportation costs and loss of water sources; and significant competition and conflicts for grazing areas. The socio‐economic problems associated with Mongolia's transition to a market system, coupled with the expansion of protected areas, mean that herders have to adapt to both the current economic system and changes in land use. Although some aspects of the development of the park can be seen as a positive influence on maintaining pastoral livelihoods in this area, the national goal of protecting 30 per cent of the country, doubling the area of Mongolia currently under protected area status, could have negative effects on pastoral livelihoods, unless ministry officials, protected area administrators and pastoralists can work effectively to solve resource problems.
Relative risk aversion, relative prudence and comparative statics under uncertainty: The case of (μ, σ)‐preferences
Authors: Eichner Thomas , Wagener Andreas 
Published: March 2004

AbstractFrom the expected‐utility approach, relative risk aversion being smaller than one and relative prudence being smaller than two emerge as preference restrictions that fully determine the optimal responses of decisions under uncertainty to certain shifts in probability distributions. We characterize the magnitudes of relative risk aversion and relative prudence in terms of the two‐parameter, mean‐standard deviation approach. We demonstrate that this characterization is instrumental in obtaining comparative static results in the two‐parameter setting. We further relate our findings to the results in the expected‐utility framework.
Factor Endowments and the Private Provision of Public Goods
Authors: Vicary Simon 
Published: March 2004

AbstractThe paper examines the consequences of increasing the size of the community in the standard model of the private provision of public goods when costs are variable. In contrast to an economy with fixed costs, the provision of the public good can fall with a larger community, and an increased provision of the public good is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for individual utility to rise. The paper also contributes to the literature on immiserizing growth in that it shows that capital accumulation can possibly result in lower utility for all individuals.
Aortic valvular endocarditis caused byBartonella vinsoniisubsp.berkhoffiiin 2 dogs presenting for fulminant pulmonary edema
Authors: Smarick Sean D. , Jandrey Karl E. , Chomel Bruno B. , Thomas William P. , Aldrich Janet 
Published: March 2004

AbstractObjective: To describe the clinical course of 2 dogs that presented with fulminant cardiogenic pulmonary edema due to aortic valvular endocarditis caused byBartonella vinsoniisubsp.berkhoffii.Case series summary: Two dogs that were presented for respiratory distress had severe pulmonary infiltrates. Mechanical ventilation was required to support the dogs while the cause of the infiltrates was determined. The diagnosis of cardiogenic edema was made based on echocardiographic findings of aortic valve vegetation and severe aortic valvular regurgitation. Values obtained from pulmonary artery catheterization supported this diagnosis. Both dogs were euthanized, one within 24 hours of admission due to severe aortic regurgitation thought to be untreatable, and the other 9 days after admission due to the development of acute renal failure. Histological evaluation of the aortic valves, serology, and polymerase chain reaction confirmedBartonella vinsoniisubsp.berkhoffiias the cause of the aortic endocarditis.New or unique information provided: In medium‐to‐large breed dogs presenting with fulminant pulmonary edema, aortic valvular endocarditis due toBartonellaspp. should be considered as a causal agent.
Hyperglycemic, hyperosmolar syndrome in feline diabetics: 17 cases (1995–2001)
Authors: Koenig Amie , Drobatz Kenneth J. , Beale A. Brady , King Lesley G. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractObjective:The purposes of this study were to characterize the hyperglycemic, hyperosmolar syndrome (HHS), also known as nonketotic hyperosmolar diabetes, in cats; to determine the prevalence of HHS in the diabetic cat population in the emergency room; to document the outcome in cats with HHS; and to identify any predisposing factors or predictors of survival.Design:Retrospective study.Setting:An emergency service at a veterinary teaching hospital located in a major metropolitan area.Animals:The case records of 17 cats with hyperglycemic, hyperosmolar syndrome presenting from 1995 to 2001 were evaluated. An additional 37 cats with diabetic ketoacidosis and 80 cats with diabetes mellitus served as comparison groups.Interventions:None.Measurements and main results:Signalment, history, physical examination findings, clinico‐pathologic data, concurrent disease, and outcome were recorded. Hyperglycemic, hyperosmolar syndrome was seen in older cats that were often long‐standing diabetics receiving insulin for many months. Client concerns included polydipsia, polyuria, and lethargy. Neurologic and respiratory signs occurred frequently. Evaluation at presentation revealed profound dehydration, lactic acidosis, and azotemia. Serious concurrent diseases that likely contributed to the development of the HHS crisis were diagnosed in 88% (15/17) of the HHS cats. The most common concurrent diseases were renal failure, respiratory compromise, infection, congestive heart failure, neoplasia, and gastrointestinal tract disease. Pancreatitis and hepatic disease did not occur frequently in this diabetic cat population. Sixty‐five percent of HHS cats did not survive the initial hospitalization, with most dying or being euthanized within 10 hours of presentation. The long‐term survival rate was low (12%).Conclusions:HHS is a serious life‐threatening form of diabetic crisis and cats with HHS often have other severe systemic diseases. Cats with diabetes and concurrent disease, especially renal failure and congestive heart failure, are at increased risk of HHS and should be closely monitored for signs of crisis. The mortality rate for HHS cats is high.