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Increased Probability (increased + probability)
Selected AbstractsNonresponse to first-line pharmacotherapy may predict relapse and recurrence of remitted geriatric depressionDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 3 2001Alastair J. Flint MB, FRANZCP, FRCP(C) Abstract The authors examined whether nonresponse to first-line pharmacotherapy was associated with an increased probability of relapse or recurrence following remission of an episode of geriatric depression. The study group consisted of 74 elderly patients whose index episode of nonpsychotic unipolar major depression had responded to antidepressant pharmacotherapy. In 6 of these patients, the depressive episode had not responded to first-line pharmacotherapy (8 weeks of nortriptyline, including 2 weeks of adjunctive lithium) but it had responded to second-line treatment (phenelzine with or without adjunctive lithium). The 74 patients were maintained on acute doses of the medications that had led to response and were followed for 2 years or until relapse or recurrence, whichever occurred first. The cumulative probability of relapse or recurrence was 67% for patients who responded to second-line treatment compared with 18% for patients who responded to first-line treatment (P=0.0003). As expected, mean time to response was significantly longer for patients who responded to second-line treatment but this factor did not account for the difference in out-come between the two groups. These findings suggest that pharmacotherapy resistance may constitute a risk factor for relapse or recurrence of remitted geriatric depression, even when patients are maintained on the medication that they eventually respond to. Depression and Anxiety 13:125,131, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Aetiology in severe and mild mental retardation: a population-based study of Norwegian childrenDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2000Petter Strřmme MD PhD The aetiology of mental retardation (MR) was studied in a population-based series of Norwegian children derived from 30 037 children born between 1980 and 1985. The study included 178 children, 79 with severe MR (SMR) (IQ<50) and 99 with mild MR (MMR) (IQ 50 to 70). Aetiology was divided into two main groups: biopathological and unspecified. The biopathological group comprised 96% of SMR and 68% of MMR, and was subdivided into prenatal (70% and 51%), perinatal (4% and 5%), and postnatal damage (5% and 1%), and a group of undetermined timing of the damaging event (18% and 11%). Single-gene disorders accounted for 15 of the 63 children with genetic disorders, including X-linked recessive in six. During the course of the study, at least 27 (15%) children had their aetiological diagnosis revised. Gestational age <32 weeks, birthweight <1500g, and Apgar scores 0 to 2 at 1 and 5 minutes implied a significantly increased risk of MR, but contributed to only 4% of the children in the study. Decreased birthweight (1500 to 2499 g) and Apgar scores 3 to 6 at 1 and 5 minutes showed increased probability of MR. Despite extensive investigations, 4% of SMR and 32% of MMR were not identified with any biological markers and were considered as unspecified MR, several most probably representing the lower end of the normal IQ distribution in the population. [source] Early adolescents show enhanced acute cocaine-induced locomotor activity in comparison to late adolescent and adult ratsDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Kimberly A. Badanich Abstract Initiation of drug use during adolescence is associated with an increased probability to develop a drug addiction. The present study examined dose,response effects of cocaine (0, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg, i.p.) on locomotor activity in early adolescent (postnatal day (PND) 35), late adolescent (PND 45), and young adults (PND 60) by measuring total distance moved (TDM) and frequency of start,stops. In response to 20 mg/kg cocaine, early adolescents showed the greatest cocaine-induced increase in TDM in comparison to late adolescent and adult rats. At this same dose, early adolescents showed the greatest cocaine-induced attenuation of start,stops relative to older rats. Results suggest that early adolescents engage in more cocaine-induced locomotor activity and less stationary behavior indicating that early adolescents are more sensitive to locomotor activating effects of high dose cocaine than older rats. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 127,133, 2008. [source] Racing performance following the laryngeal tie-forward procedure: A case-controlled studyEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008J. Cheetham Summary Reasons for performing study: The laryngeal tie-forward procedure (LTFP) is becoming widely used for correction of dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) despite the absence of an evidence-based assessment of its efficacy. Hypotheses: The LTFP returns racing performance to preoperative baseline levels and to that of matched controls; and post operative laryngohyoid position is associated with post operative performance. Design and population: Case-controlled study of racehorses undergoing a LTFP for dorsal displacement of the soft palate at Cornell University between October 2002 and June 2007. Methods: The presence of at least one post operative start and race earnings ($) were used as outcome variables. Controls were matched by age, breed and sex from the third race prior to surgery. A novel radiographic reference system was used to determine laryngohyoid position pre- and post operatively. Data for definitively and presumptively diagnosed cases were analysed separately. Results: During the study interval, 263 racehorses presented, of which 106 were included in the study; 36 had a definitive diagnosis of DDSP and 70 a presumptive diagnosis. Treated horses were equally likely to race post operatively as controls in the equivalent race. Treated horses had significantly lower earnings in the race before surgery than matched controls. The procedure moved the basihyoid bone dorsally and caudally and the larynx dorsally and rostrally. A more dorsal post operative basihyoid position and more dorsal and less rostral laryngeal position were associated with an increased probability of racing post operatively. Conclusions: Horses undergoing a LTFP are as likely to race post operatively as matched controls. The procedure restores race earnings to preoperative baseline levels and to those of matched controls. Potential relevance: This study provides strong evidence supporting the use of the LTFP in racehorses. Further work is needed to determine the relationship between laryngohyoid conformation and nasopharyngeal stability in horses. [source] GENETIC STUDY: BclI glucocorticoid receptor polymorphism and smoking in the general populationADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Satu J. Siiskonen ABSTRACT We studied the hypothesis that the BclI polymorphism of the glucocorticoid receptor gene is associated with an increased probability of being a (heavy) smoker and a decreased ability to quit smoking. The study cohort consisted of all subjects in the Rotterdam Study, a Dutch population-based cohort of people aged 55 years and older, for whom BclI genotyping and smoking status at baseline were available. In prospective analyses, the smoking status was reassessed during three additional examination rounds. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the association between BclI polymorphism and being a smoker or a heavy smoker at baseline. Furthermore, the relationship between BclI polymorphism and incident smoking cessation was tested with Cox proportional hazards analysis within those who smoked at baseline. In total, 6358 subjects were included in the study. The presence of a G-allele was not associated with current smoking at baseline [odds ratio (OR) = 0.96, 95%confidence interval (CI): 0.85,1.09] or with the incidence of smoking cessation during follow-up [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.98, 95%CI: 0.80,1.19]. Within current smokers, having a G-allele was not significantly associated with the risk of being a heavy smoker when measured by pack-years smoked (OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 0.85,1.35) or daily consumption of tobacco (OR = 1.10, 95%CI: 0.88,1.37). We were not able to replicate the earlier findings indicating that the proportion of current smokers is lower among carriers of the CC-genotype of the BclI glucocorticoid receptor. Furthermore, the BclI glucocorticoid receptor polymorphism did not predict the incidence of smoking cessation in the general elderly population. [source] Stabilizing effects of extracellular ATP on synaptic efficacy and plasticity in hippocampal pyramidal neuronsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 4 2005Eduardo D. Martín Abstract The role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a neurotransmitter and extracellular diffusible messenger has recently received considerable attention because of its possible participation in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. However, the possible contribution of extracellular ATP in maintaining and regulating synaptic efficacy during intracellular ATP depletion is understudied. We tested the effects of extracellular ATP on excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) evoked in CA1 pyramidal neurons by Schaffer collateral stimulation. In the absence of intracellular ATP, EPSC rundown was neutralized when a low concentration of ATP (1 µm) was added to the extracellular solution. Adenosine and ATP analogues did not prevent the EPSC rundown. The P2 antagonists piridoxal-5,-phosphate-azophenyl 2,,4,-disulphonate (PPADS) and reactive blue-2, and the P1 adenosine receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT) had no detectable effects in cells depleted of ATP. However, the protective action of extracellular ATP on synaptic efficacy was blocked by extracellular application of the protein kinase inhibitors K252b and staurosporine. In contrast, K252b and staurosporine per se did not interfere with synaptic transmission in ATP loaded cells. Without intracellular ATP, bath-applied caffeine induced a transient (< 35 min) EPSC potentiation that was transformed into a persistent long-term potentiation (> 80 min) when 1 µm ATP was added extracellularly. An increased probability of transmitter release paralleled the long-term potentiation induced by caffeine, suggesting that it originated presynaptically. Therefore, we conclude that extracellular ATP may operate to maintain and regulate synaptic efficacy and plasticity in conditions of abnormal intracellular ATP depletion by phosphorylation of a surface protein substrate via activation of ecto-protein kinases. [source] Glutathione-S-transferase genotypes and the adverse effects of azathioprine in young patients with inflammatory bowel diseaseINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 1 2007Gabriele Stocco PhD Abstract Background: Adverse drug reactions to azathioprine, the prodrug of 6-mercaptopurine, occur in 15%,38% of patients and the majority are not explained by thiopurine-S-methyltransferase (TPMT) deficiency. Azathioprine is known to induce glutathione depletion and consumption of glutathione is greater in cells with high glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity compared with those with low activity; moreover, some reports indicate that GST might play a direct role in the reaction of glutathione with azathioprine. The association between polymorphisms of GST-M1, GST-P1, GST-T1, and TPMT genes and the adverse effects of azathioprine was therefore investigated. Methods: Seventy patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), treated with azathioprine, were enrolled and clinical data were retrospectively determined. TPMT and GST genotyping were performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays on DNA extracted from blood samples. Results: Fifteen patients developed adverse effects (21.4%); there was a significant underrepresentation of the GST-M1 null genotype among patients developing adverse drug reactions to azathioprine (odds ratio [OR] = 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.037,0.72, P = 0.0072) compared with patients who did not develop adverse effects. Patients heterozygous for TPMT mutations presented a marginally significant increased probability of developing adverse effects (OR = 6.38, 95% CI = 0.66,84.1, P = 0.062). Moreover, among the 55 patients who did not develop adverse effects, there was a significant underrepresentation of the GST-M1 null genotype among patients who displayed lymphopenia as compared with those that did not display this effect of azathioprine (OR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.013,1.08, P = 0.032). Conclusion: Patients with IBD with a wildtype GST-M1 genotype present increased probability of developing adverse effects and increased incidence of lymphopenia during azathioprine treatment. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007;13:57,64) [source] Acute-care nurses' attitudes towards older patients: A literature reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 2 2000Mary Courtney PhD With increases in life expectancy and increasing numbers of older patients utilising the acute setting, attitudes of registered nurses caring for older people may affect the quality of care provided. This paper reviews recent research on positive and negative attitudes of acute-care nurses towards older people. Many negative attitudes reflect ageist stereotypes and knowledge deficits that significantly influence registered nurses' practice and older patients' quality of care. In the acute setting, older patients experience reduced independence, limited decision-making opportunities, increased probability of developing complications, little consideration of their ageing-related needs, limited health education and social isolation. Available instruments to measure attitudes towards and knowledge about older people, although reliable and valid, are outdated, country-specific and do not include either a patient focus or a caring perspective. This paper argues for the development and utilisation of a research instrument that includes both a patient focus and a caring dimension. [source] Tree species range shifts at a continental scale: new predictive insights from a process-based modelJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Xavier Morin Summary 1Climate change has already caused distribution shifts in many species, and climate predictions strongly suggest that these will accelerate in the future. Obtaining reliable predictions of species range shifts under climate change is thus currently one of the most crucial challenges for both ecologists and stakeholders. 2Here we simulate the distributions of 16 North American tree species at a continental scale for the 21st century according to two IPCC storylines, using a process-based species distribution model that for the first time allows identification of the possible causes of distribution change. 3Our projections show local extinctions in the south of species ranges (21% of the present distribution, on average), and colonizations of new habitats in the north, though these are limited by dispersal ability for most species. Areas undergoing local extinctions are slightly larger under climate scenario A2 (+3.2 C, +22% on average) than B2 (+1.0 C, +19% on average). This small difference is caused by nonlinear responses of processes (leaves and flowers phenological processes in particular) to temperature. We also show that local extinction may proceed at a slower rate than forecasted so far. 4Although predicted distribution shifts are very species-specific, we show that the loss of habitats southward will be mostly due to increased drought mortality and decreased reproductive success, while northward colonizations will be primarily promoted by increased probability of fruit ripening and flower frost survival. 5Synthesis. Our results show that different species will not face the same risks due to climate change, because their responses to climate differ as well as their dispersal rate. Focusing on processes, our study therefore tempers the alarming conclusions of widely used niche-based models about biodiversity loss, mainly because our predictions take into account the local adaptation and trait plasticity to climate of the species. [source] The rough edges of the conservation genetics paradigm for plantsJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2006N. J. OUBORG Summary 1Small and isolated populations of species are susceptible to loss of genetic diversity, owing to random genetic drift and inbreeding. This loss of diversity may reduce the evolutionary potential to adapt to changing environments, and may cause immediate loss of fitness (cf. inbreeding depression). Together with other population size-dependent stochastic processes, this may lead to increased probabilities of population extinction. 2This set of processes and theories forms the core of conservation genetics and has developed into the conservation genetics paradigm. Many empirical studies have concentrated on the relationship between population size and genetic diversity, and in many cases evidence was found that small populations of plants do indeed have lower levels of genetic diversity and increased homozygosity. Although less empirical attention has been given to the relationship between low genetic diversity, fitness and, in particular, evolutionary potential, the paradigm is now widely accepted. 3Here we present five areas of the paradigm which could be refined, i.e. the ,rough' edges of the conservation genetics paradigm. 4Treating population size and isolation not as interchangeable parameters but as separate parameters affecting population genetics in different ways could allow more accurate predictions of the effects of landscape fragmentation on the genetic diversity and viability of populations. 5There is evidence that inbreeding depression may be a genotype-specific phenomenon, rather than a population parameter. This sheds new light on the link between population inbreeding depression and the expected increased probability of extinction. 6Modern eco-genomics offers the opportunity to study the population genetics of functional genes, to the extent that the role of selection can be distinguished from the effects of drift, and allowing improved insights into the effects of loss of genetic diversity on evolutionary potential. 7Incorporating multispecies considerations may result in the generally accepted notion that small populations are at peril being called into question. For instance, small populations may be less capable of sustaining parasites or herbivores. 8Comparative studies of endangered, common and invasive species may be a valuable approach to developing conservation biology from a phenomenological case study discipline into one investigating the general principles of what sustains biodiversity. 9The issues discussed set an agenda for further research within conservation genetics and may lead to a further refinement of our understanding and prediction of the genetic effects of habitat fragmentation. They also underline the need to integrate ecological and genetic approaches to the conservation of biodiversity, rather than regarding them as opposites. [source] Sleep in individuals with Cri du Chat syndrome: a comparative studyJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 8 2009A. P. H. M. Maas Abstract Background Sleep problems are common in individuals with intellectual disability. Little is known about sleep in children and adults with Cri du Chat syndrome (CDC). Method Sleep was investigated in 30 individuals with CDC using a sleep questionnaire. Sleep problems and sleep behaviours in individuals with CDC were compared with individuals with non-specific intellectual disabilities (NS) (n = 30) and Down's syndrome (DS) (n = 30). Results Nine individuals with CDC (i.e. 30%) had a sleep problem, compared with seven individuals with NS (i.e. 23%) and three individuals with DS (i.e. 10%). Though there were few differences between diagnostic groups, night waking problems were most common in CDC. Individuals with CDC frequently showed behaviours related to disordered breathing and poor-quality sleep. Several behaviours related to sleep had a higher occurrence in CDC than in DS (P < 0.05) but not in NS. Conclusions It is concluded that individuals with CDC do not have an increased probability of sleep problems as compared with other individuals who share similar demographic characteristics. Hypotheses about causes of night waking problems in CDC are generated and suggestions for future research of sleep in individuals with CDC are given. [source] Is there safety in numbers?MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2007The effect of cattle herding on biting risk from tsetse flies Abstract In sub-Saharan Africa, tsetse (Glossina spp.) transmit species of Trypanosoma which threaten 45,50 million cattle with trypanosomiasis. These livestock are subject to various herding practices which may affect biting rates on individual cattle and hence the probability of infection. In Zimbabwe, studies were made of the effect of herd size and composition on individual biting rates by capturing tsetse as they approached and departed from groups of one to 12 cattle. Flies were captured using a ring of electrocuting nets and bloodmeals were analysed using DNA markers to identify which individual cattle were bitten. Increasing the size of a herd from one to 12 adults increased the mean number of tsetse visiting the herd four-fold and the mean feeding probability from 54% to 71%; the increased probability with larger herds was probably a result of fewer flies per host, which, in turn, reduced the hosts' defensive behaviour. For adults and juveniles in groups of four to eight cattle, > 89% of bloodmeals were from the adults, even when these comprised just 13% of the herd. For groups comprising two oxen, four cows/heifers and two calves, a grouping that reflects the typical composition of communal herds in Zimbabwe, , 80% of bloodmeals were from the oxen. Simple models of entomological inoculation rates suggest that cattle herding practices may reduce individual trypanosomiasis risk by up to 90%. These results have several epidemiological and practical implications. First, the gregarious nature of hosts needs to be considered in estimating entomological inoculation rates. Secondly, heterogeneities in biting rates on different cattle may help to explain why disease prevalence is frequently lower in younger/smaller cattle. Thirdly, the cost and effectiveness of tsetse control using insecticide-treated cattle may be improved by treating older/larger hosts within a herd. In general, the patterns observed with tsetse appear to apply to other genera of cattle-feeding Diptera (Stomoxys, Anopheles, Tabanidae) and thus may be important for the development of strategies for controlling other diseases affecting livestock. [source] Disability Support Pension Recipients: Who Gets Off (and Stays Off) Payments?THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 1 2007Lixin Cai We use Centrelink payment records on Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients over the period 1995 to 2002 to investigate individual transitions off payments. Our findings are consistent with the existence of a close correspondence between disability benefit receipt and labour market outcomes: entry to DSP via unemployment benefits is associated with substantially reduced prospects of exiting DSP, while employment during the DSP spell is associated with not only an increased probability of exiting DSP, but also more success in staying off payments once an exit has been made. A further finding of our analysis is that persons who exit DSP due to take-up of employment have a relatively high rate of return to payments compared with persons who exit for other reasons, and indeed exhibit a high propensity to cycle off and on payments. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Activating Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor Genes' Association with Recurrent MiscarriageAMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Rafael Gustavo Vargas Problem, Natural killer (NK) cells are regulated through NK cell receptors such as killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). KIRs are suspected of being involved in the causes of recurrent miscarriage (RM) as a higher proportion of activated NK cells were observed in women with RM when compared with that in controls. The aim of this study was to investigate if KIR genes coding for receptors known to have as ligands HLA class I molecules are correlated with RM. Method of study A matched case,control study was carried out in 68 south Brazilian Caucasian patient couples with RM and 68 control fertile couples. KIR genes were typed by PCR-Reverse SSO method. Results The rate of possession of an elevated number of activating KIR genes (positive for five or six activating KIR genes out of six different activating KIR genes analyzed) in RM patient women was significantly higher (P = 0.0201) when compared with that in control fertile women. These data suggest that women carrying a high content of activating KIR genes have about threefold increased probability to develop RM [OR = 2.71; 95% CI (1.23,6.01)]. Conclusion Our results indicate that RM could be associated with NK cell activation mediated by a profile rich in activating KIR genes. [source] Integrated care of childhood disease in Brazil: Mothers' response to the recommendations of health workersACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2005Antonio JL Alves da Cunha Abstract Aim: To describe the process of follow-up in primary care facilities where the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy was implemented. IMCI was developed by WHO and UNICEF as an integrated approach to manage sick children under 5 y of age and aims to reduce mortality and morbidity. Methods: From August 2001 to February 2002, 229 sick children who had a health condition included in the IMCI case management guidelines were seen in six family healthcare facilities in Brazil. We analysed the care provided to 153 children who were recommended for a 2- or 5-d follow-up visit. Children who did not return were visited and assessed at home. Results: Only 87 children (56.9%) timely returned for follow-up: 70 had improved, eight presented the same health conditions, five were worse and four had a new problem. The main reasons given for not returning for follow-up were: the child had improved (35.1%) and other family priorities (47.4%). Home visits showed that, although most children had improved (n=49), some had a new health problem and one child was sick enough to be referred. Prescription of antibiotics was associated with increased probability of returning for a follow-up visit (RR =1.64 [1.22,2.20], p=0.001). Conclusion: Adherence to follow-up was just over 50%, mostly because the condition had already resolved, but some children were still sick and needed intervention. Training on counselling on the recognition of danger signs and when to return for a follow-up visit must be reinforced. [source] | |||||||||||||