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Selected AbstractsLiquid-based cytology: is this the way forward for cervical screening?CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2002R. P. MOSELEY Liquid-based cytology: is this the way forward for cervical screening? Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is currently being marketed as an alternative methodology to replace the conventional PAP smear in cervical cytology. A substantial body of literature exists in support of LBC, some of which is at least partially sponsored by product manufacturers. The majority of published literature in support of LBC employs Bethesda reporting terminology. In this study we have analysed published raw data and presented this in NHSCSP terminology. Claims relating to sensitivity, specificity and smear adequacy have then been considered with reference to this data. Our analysis of existing data does not support the nationwide implementation of LBC at present. Further studies are recommended in order to evaluate the place of this technology within the NHSCSP. [source] Conservation Biogeography: assessment and prospectDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 1 2005Robert J. Whittaker ABSTRACT There is general agreement among scientists that biodiversity is under assault on a global basis and that species are being lost at a greatly enhanced rate. This article examines the role played by biogeographical science in the emergence of conservation guidance and makes the case for the recognition of Conservation Biogeography as a key subfield of conservation biology delimited as: the application of biogeographical principles, theories, and analyses, being those concerned with the distributional dynamics of taxa individually and collectively, to problems concerning the conservation of biodiversity. Conservation biogeography thus encompasses both a substantial body of theory and analysis, and some of the most prominent planning frameworks used in conservation. Considerable advances in conservation guidelines have been made over the last few decades by applying biogeographical methods and principles. Herein we provide a critical review focussed on the sensitivity to assumptions inherent in the applications we examine. In particular, we focus on four inter-related factors: (i) scale dependency (both spatial and temporal); (ii) inadequacies in taxonomic and distributional data (the so-called Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls); (iii) effects of model structure and parameterisation; and (iv) inadequacies of theory. These generic problems are illustrated by reference to studies ranging from the application of historical biogeography, through island biogeography, and complementarity analyses to bioclimatic envelope modelling. There is a great deal of uncertainty inherent in predictive analyses in conservation biogeography and this area in particular presents considerable challenges. Protected area planning frameworks and their resulting map outputs are amongst the most powerful and influential applications within conservation biogeography, and at the global scale are characterised by the production, by a small number of prominent NGOs, of bespoke schemes, which serve both to mobilise funds and channel efforts in a highly targeted fashion. We provide a simple typology of protected area planning frameworks, with particular reference to the global scale, and provide a brief critique of some of their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we discuss the importance, especially at regional scales, of developing more responsive analyses and models that integrate pattern (the compositionalist approach) and processes (the functionalist approach) such as range collapse and climate change, again noting the sensitivity of outcomes to starting assumptions. We make the case for the greater engagement of the biogeographical community in a programme of evaluation and refinement of all such schemes to test their robustness and their sensitivity to alternative conservation priorities and goals. [source] Brief interventions: good in theory but weak in practiceDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 1 2004Professor ANN M. ROCHE Director Abstract A substantial body of research evidence has accumulated in support of the efficacy of brief interventions for a number of alcohol and drug-related problem areas, most notably alcohol and tobacco. This evidence has been used to exhort a range of professional groups such as general practitioners (GPs), and more recently emergency department hospital staff to engage in brief interventions. Internationally, however, these secondary prevention efforts have largely failed. Why have these proven interventions not been embraced by frontline workers? This is a little-asked question as efforts to press-gang unwilling professionals to take up the cudgel continue. This paper examines the characteristics of brief interventions and their principal delivery agents and explores reasons for the failure to move from efficacy to effectiveness. Given the prevention potential that rests with brief intervention, these are crucial questions to address. A key feature of brief intervention delivery also examined is the role of GPs versus the less well-explored option of the practice nurse. It will be proposed that perhaps we have the right vehicle but the wrong driver and that until closer scrutiny is made of this issue efforts in this key prevention area will continue to fail to achieve optimum results. [source] Quantitative tools for perfecting species listsENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 2 2002Michael W. Palmer Abstract A substantial body of literature has accumulated on the topic of the estimation of species richness by extrapolation. However, most of these methods rely on an objective sampling of nature. This condition is difficult to meet and seldom achieved for large regions. Furthermore, scientists conducting biological surveys often already have preliminary but subjectively gathered species lists, and would like to assess the completeness of such lists, and/or to find a way to perfect them. We propose several strategies for utilizing external data (such as might be obtained using GIS) to aid in the completion of species lists. These include: (i) using existing species lists to develop predictive models; (ii) using the uniqueness of the environment as a guide to find underrepresented species; (iii) using spectral heterogeneity to locate environmentally heterogeneous regions; (iv) combining surveys with statistical model-building in an iterative manner. We demonstrate the potential of these approaches using simulation and case studies from Oklahoma. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] EVOLUTION OF COLOR VARIATION IN DRAGON LIZARDS: QUANTITATIVE TESTS OF THE ROLE OF CRYPSIS AND LOCAL ADAPTATIONEVOLUTION, Issue 7 2004Devi M. Stuart-Fox Abstract Many animal species display striking color differences with respect to geographic location, sex, and body region. Traditional adaptive explanations for such complex patterns invoke an interaction between selection for conspicuous signals and natural selection for crypsis. Although there is now a substantial body of evidence supporting the role of sexual selection for signaling functions, quantitative studies of crypsis remain comparatively rare. Here, we combine objective measures of coloration with information on predator visual sensitivities to study the role of crypsis in the evolution of color variation in an Australian lizard species complex (Ctenophorus decresii). We apply a model that allows us to quantify crypsis in terms of the visual contrast of the lizards against their natural backgrounds, as perceived by potential avian predators. We then use these quantitative estimates of crypsis to answer the following questions. Are there significant differences in crypsis conspicuousness among populations? Are there significant differences in crypsis conspicuousness between the sexes? Are body regions "exposed" to visual predators more cryptic than "hidden" body regions? Is there evidence for local adaptation with respect to crypsis against different substrates? In general, our results confirmed that there are real differences in crypsis conspicuousness both between populations and between sexes; that exposed body regions were significantly more cryptic than hidden ones, particularly in females; and that females, but not males, are more cryptic against their own local background than against the background of other populations. Body regions that varied most in contrast between the sexes and between populations were also most conspicuous and are emphasized by males during social and sexual signaling. However, results varied with respect to the aspect of coloration studied. Results based on chromatic contrast ("hue' of color) provided better support for the crypsis hypothesis than did results based on achromatic contrast ("brightness' of color). Taken together, these results support the view that crypsis plays a substantial role in the evolution of color variation and that color patterns represent a balance between the need for conspicuousness for signaling and the need for crypsis to avoid predation. [source] Prevention and treatment of hepatitis C in injection drug usersHEPATOLOGY, Issue 5B 2002Brian R. Edlin 3180 18th St. Injection drug users constitute the largest group of persons infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States, and most new infections occur in drug users. Controlling hepatitis C in the U.S. population, therefore, will require developing, testing, and implementing effective prevention and treatment strategies for persons who inject drugs. Fortunately, a substantial body of research and clinical experience exists on the prevention and management of chronic viral diseases among injection drug users. The need to implement interventions to stop the spread of HCV among drug users is critical. The capacity of substance-use treatment programs need to be expanded to accommodate all who want and need treatment. Physicians and pharmacists should be educated in how to provide access to sterile syringes and to teach safe injection techniques, both of which are lifesaving interventions. The treatment of hepatitis C in drug users requires an interdisciplinary approach that brings together expertise in treating hepatitis and caring for drug users. Treatment decisions should be made individually by patients with their physicians, based on a balanced assessment of risks and benefits and the patient's personal values. Physicians should carefully assess, monitor, and support adherence and mental health in all patients, regardless of whether drug use is known or suspected. Research is needed to better understand how best to prevent and treat hepatitis C in substance users. In the meantime, substantial progress can be made if existing knowledge and resources are brought to bear. [source] The impact of climate change on birdsIBIS, Issue 2004Humphrey Q. P. Crick Weather is of major importance for the population dynamics of birds, but the implications of climate change have only recently begun to be addressed. There is already compelling evidence that birds have been affected by recent climate changes. This review suggests that although there is a substantial body of evidence for changes in the phenology of birds, particularly of the timing of migration and of nesting, the consequences of these responses for a species' population dynamics is still an area requiring in-depth research. The potential for phenological miscuing (responding inappropriately to climate change, including a lack of response) and for phenological disjunction (in which a bird species becomes out of synchrony with its environment) are beginning to be demonstrated, and are also important areas for further research. The study of climatically induced distributional change is currently at a predictive modelling stage, and will need to develop methods for testing these predictions. Overall, there is a range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that could potentially inhibit adaptation to climate change and these are a high priority for research. [source] Paternal transmission of genetic damage: findings in animals and humansINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 3 2000Martin H. Brinkworth The concept that mutations can be induced in the male germ-line and result in adverse effects in the offspring has achieved only limited acceptance despite considerable theoretical appeal. This is partly because fetal malformations are generally perceived to be induced solely as a result of maternally mediated events during gestation and partly because the low incidence of the end-points concerned make experimental approaches costly and time-consuming. Nonetheless, a substantial body of work relating to the hypothesis has accumulated in the last 20 years, which has never been reviewed in its entirety. A consideration of the available evidence indicates that preconceptional paternal exposure to mutagens (particularly radiation, cyclophosphamide and ethylnitrosourea) can indeed, under certain conditions, have adverse effects on offspring. The results suggest two principal mechanisms by which such effects may be induced: the induction of germ-line genomic instability or the suppression of germ cell apoptosis. [source] Leadership Style, Regime Type, and Foreign Policy Crisis Behavior: A Contingent Monadic Peace?INTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2005Jonathan W. Keller While a substantial body of theory suggests that democracies should behave peacefully toward all states (monadically), most empirical evidence indicates they are only pacific in their relations with fellow democracies (dyadically). A new theoretical synthesis suggests that the missing link between democratic constraints and pacific monadic behavior is leaders' perceptions of, and responses to, these constraints. Research on political leadership indicates that, contrary to conventional wisdom, leaders respond in systematically different ways to domestic constraints: "constraint respecters" internalize constraints in their environments, while "constraint challengers" view such constraints as obstacles to be surmounted. An analysis of 154 foreign policy crises provides strong support for this contingent monadic thesis: democracies led by constraint respecters stand out as extraordinarily pacific in their crisis responses, while democracies led by constraint challengers and autocracies led by both types of leaders are demonstrably more aggressive. [source] The Meaning of Home: A Chimerical Concept or a Legal Challenge?JOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETY, Issue 4 2002Lorna Fox ,Home' is not an easy concept to pin down. Although the term is instantly familiar, and the physical reality of home is an important and omnipresent feature of our everyday lives, the legal conception of home has received surprisingly little attention. The relative neglect of home is particularly striking, however, in light of the substantial body of research which has been carried out on the subject of home in other disciplines. This article discusses the meanings of home which have evolved from interdisciplinary research. It is argued that this research could provide a starting point for the development of a more clearly articulated socio,legal understanding of the meaning and value of home to occupiers. It is suggested that a legal concept of the meaning of home would be useful, for instance, when considering the conflict of interests between the occupiers of a property ,as a home', and other parties with ,non,home' interests in the property, for example, creditors. This article seeks to identify some of the values of home which might inform a legal concept of home, and so be ,weighed in the balance' on the occupier's side when decisions involving conflicts between home interests and commercial interests are considered. [source] The Couple That Prays Together: Race and Ethnicity, Religion, and Relationship Quality Among Working-Age AdultsJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 4 2010Christopher G. Ellison A substantial body of research has shown that relationship quality tends to be (a) lower among racial and ethnic minorities and (b) higher among more religious persons and among couples in which partners share common religious affiliations, practices, and beliefs. However, few studies have examined the interplay of race or ethnicity and religion in shaping relationship quality. Our study addresses this gap in the literature using data from the National Survey of Religion and Family Life (NSRFL), a 2006 telephone survey of 2,400 working-age adults (ages 18,59), which contains oversamples of African Americans and Latinos. Results underscore the complex nature of the effects of race and ethnicity, as well as religious variables. In particular, we found that couples' in-home family devotional activities and shared religious beliefs are positively linked with reports of relationship quality. [source] Survey of the learning activities of Australasian radiation oncology specialist traineesJOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 6 2008T Holt Summary Trainee radiation oncologists must master a substantial body of skills and knowledge to become competent specialists. The resources available to support this are limited. We surveyed the 90 registrars enrolled in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Surgeons (RANZCR) radiation oncology training programme to obtain a range of information about their learning activities (with a significant focus on part 1 teaching). Responses were received from 59 registrars (66% of those eligible). Trainees reported spending a median 2.5 h per week (range 0,10 h) in formal teaching activities. With regard to part 1 exam preparation, 83% reported having had physics teaching , the median quality was 5/7; 88% had radiobiology teaching , the median quality was 4/7; 52% had anatomy teaching , the median quality was 3/7. Registrars training within the RANZCR radiation oncologists training programme perceive their own clinical learning environment as generally good; however' 50% of respondents felt that more teaching was needed for part 1 subjects. This compared with only 19% of respondents who felt that more teaching was required for part 2 exam preparation. Innovative solutions, such as centralized web-based teaching, may help to address weaknesses in part 1 teaching. With increasing demands on radiation oncologists and trainees it will be important to monitor learning environments. [source] Combined oxygen and silicon isotope analysis of biogenic silica,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 4 2008Melanie J. Leng Abstract There is increasing interest in the use of biogenic silica O and Si isotope ratios to understand climate and environmental processes. Virtually all of the fairly substantial body of literature deals with either oxygen or silicon. This is partly because measurement of oxygen isotope composition is done using either vacuum dehydration, isotope exchange or stepped fluorination techniques, while increasingly researchers are turning to multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) for Si isotope analysis, even though Si isotope analysis can be done using fluorination methods used for the oxygen isotope measurements. Here we describe a procedure for simultaneous determination of isotopic abundances of oxygen and silicon from the same aliquot of biogenic silica. Pure silica is dissociated into O and Si compounds using a fluorination technique, in which reaction with bromine pentafluoride (BrF5) produces oxygen (O2, subsequently converted to CO2), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) and other fluorine by-products (e.g. BrF3). These compounds are cryogenically separated using cold traps. Yields for oxygen and silicon recovery are 70,80% for biogenic silica depending on the nature of the hydrous layer and 97,99% for pure quartz. Reproducibility of the oxygen isotopic composition is ca. 0.3, and silicon between 0.06,0.12,. © Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) copyright 2008. Reproduced with the permission of NERC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Association Between Ethanol and Sucrose Intake in the Laboratory Mouse: Exploration Via Congenic Strains and Conditioned Taste AversionALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2000David A. Blizard Background: A substantial body of literature indicates that intakes of "sweet' solutions and ethanol are positively correlated across inbred strains of rats and mice but there has been speculation that the correlation is fortuitous and there is no agreement on the underlying mechanism. Methods and Results: We assessed the correlation between intake of sucrose and ethanol in congenic mice created by backcrossing alleles favoring sucrose intake from the BXD RI-5 strain into DBA/2J. In addition, to probe more specifically the interrelationship between intake of the two solutions, we examined aversion generalization from sucrose to ethanol in C57BL/6J mice. Among the congenic mice, a statistically significant product-moment correlation of r= 0.36 (p < 0.02) was found between 6-hr intake of sucrose corrected for differences in baseline water intake and preference for 10% ethanol presented in a 96-hr 2-bottle test. Furthermore, C57BL/6J male mice conditioned to avoid a 0.2 M sucrose solution generalized their aversion to a 10% ethanol solution presented in the same 2-bottle test, drinking 42.1 ± 9.38% (mean ± SE) of their total fluid intake from the ethanol tube, compared with the control group mean of 69.86 ± 8.84%. Conclusions: The positive association between intake of sucrose and ethanol in congenic mice provides strong evidence that the previously demonstrated genetic correlation between intake of these solutions is not the result of fortuitous fixation of unrelated alleles and provides suggestive evidence that, at least in the B6/D2 lineage, the genetic association between intakes of the two solutions reflects close linkage or the pleiotropic effects of the same genes. The demonstration that a conditioned taste aversion to sucrose generalized to ethanol in the C57BL/6J inbred mouse strain is an extension of similar observations in outbred rats and specifically demonstrates that intake of the two solutions is controlled by some of the same physiologic or neurological processes and thus is consistent with the pleiotropic interpretation of the genetic correlation. [source] Relationship of resident characteristics, attitudes, prior training and clinical knowledge to communication skills performanceMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2006Toni Suzuki Laidlaw Purpose, A substantial body of literature demonstrates that communication skills in medicine can be taught and retained through teaching and practice. Considerable evidence also reveals that characteristics such as gender, age, language and attitudes affect communication skills performance. Our study examined the characteristics, attitudes and prior communication skills training of residents to determine the relationship of each to patient,doctor communication. The relationship between communication skills proficiency and clinical knowledge application (biomedical and ethical) was also examined through the use of doctor-developed clinical content checklists, as very little research has been conducted in this area. Methods, A total of 78 first- and second-year residents across all departments at Dalhousie Medical School participated in a videotaped 4-station objective structured clinical examination presenting a range of communication and clinical knowledge challenges. A variety of instruments were used to gather information and assess performance. Two expert raters evaluated the videotapes. Results, Significant relationships were observed between resident characteristics, prior communication skills training, clinical knowledge and communication skills performance. Females, younger residents and residents with English as first language scored significantly higher, as did residents with prior communication skills training. A significant positive relationship was found between the clinical content checklist and communication performance. Gender was the only characteristic related significantly to attitudes. Conclusions, Gender, age, language and prior communication skills training are related to communication skills performance and have implications for resident education. The positive relationship between communication skills proficiency and clinical knowledge application is important and should be explored further. [source] combi.pl: a computer program to combine data sets with inconsistent microsatellite marker allele size informationMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 3 2008HELGE TÄUBERT Abstract Combining two data sets with allele information from overlapping microsatellite markers is often desirable, particularly in population genetic studies where a substantial body of published data exists. When genotyping is performed in different laboratories, allele size calling may not be presumed to be consistent. Our approach solves this problem by assigning allele sizes across studies using maximum-likelihood theory. Using data overlaps in samples and markers, allele shifts between two studies are calculated for each overlapping marker and a single file containing allele frequencies of consistent alleles is produced. The program (combi.pl) is written in PERL and available at http://data40.uni-tz.gwdg.de/~htaeube. [source] Oscillations in the basal ganglia under normal conditions and in movement disordersMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 10 2006Plamen Gatev MD Abstract A substantial body of work within the last decade has demonstrated that there is a variety of oscillatory phenomena that occur in the basal ganglia and in associated regions of the thalamus and cortex. Most of the earlier studies focused on recordings in rodents and primates. More recently, significant advances have been made in this field of research through the analysis of basal ganglia field potentials recorded from implanted deep brain stimulation electrodes in the basal ganglia of human patients with Parkinson's disease and other disorders. It now appears that oscillatory activity may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. The most significant finding is that in Parkinson's disease synchronized oscillatory activity in the 10- to 35-Hz band (often termed ",-band") is prevalent in the basal ganglia,thalamocortical circuits, and that such activity can be reduced by dopaminergic treatments. The entrainment of large portions of these circuits may disrupt information processing in them and may lead to parkinsonian akinesia (and perhaps tremor). Although less firmly established than the role of oscillations in movement disorders, oscillatory activities at higher frequencies may also be a component of normal basal ganglia physiology. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society [source] Harnessing Conflict in Foreign Policy Making: From Devil's to Multiple AdvocacyPRESIDENTIAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2002ALEXANDER L. GEORGE When making (foreign)policy, presidents must navigate between twin dangers: excessive conformity and destructive conflict among the policy advocates. The notions of devil's and multiple advocacy are reexamined in light of three decades of research in political science and psychology as coping strategies for dealing with these dangers. Devil's advocacy is of some help in promoting diversisity and mitgating tendencirs toward conformity, despite serious implementation difficulties. A substantial body of conceptual and empirical work bearing on the assessment of the more comprehensive multiple advocacy work has accumulated since its formulation in 1972. The main findings are (I) that practices associated with multiple advocacy have indeed contributed to improving and uncovering avoidable errors, (2) that the implementation of multiple advocacy has been uneven (which makes evaluation difficult), and (3) a number of suggestions for fine-tuning the prescriptive model and specfing conditions conducive to its effective application. [source] Struggling to Survive: Sexual Assault, Poverty, and Mental Health Outcomes of African American WomenAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2010Thema Bryant-Davis A substantial body of research documents the mental health consequences of sexual assault including, but not limited to, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use, and suicidality. Far less attention has been given to the mental health effects of sexual assault for ethnic minority women or women living in poverty. Given African American women's increased risk for sexual assault and increased risk for persistent poverty, the current study explores the relationship between income and mental health effects within a sample of 413 African American sexual assault survivors. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that after controlling for childhood sexual abuse there were positive relationships between poverty and mental health outcomes of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and illicit drug use. There was no significant relationship between poverty and suicidal ideation. Counseling and research implications are discussed. [source] The Problem with Programs: Multiple Perspectives on Program Structures in Program-Based Performance-Oriented BudgetsPUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 2 2008CAROLYN BOURDEAUX Often the transition to performance-based budgeting requires the initial development of a program structure. While a substantial body of literature is available to assist governments in developing performance measures, program development has received little recent attention in the scholarly literature. This research draws on a case study of the State of Georgia's effort to develop a program structure. The problems encountered by Georgia provide the foundation for an analysis that explains how programs interact with competing budgetary purposes and agendas. The analysis in turn suggests ways that budget structures might be adjusted to better balance competing purposes. [source] Behavioural Central Bank Loss Functions, Skewed Risks and Certainty EquivalenceTHE MANCHESTER SCHOOL, Issue 2003Ali Al-Nowaihi We set out to investigate the role of additive uncertainty under behaviourally plausible non-standard central bank loss functions on future inflation. Building on a substantial body of evidence in the economic psychology literature, we propose (i) period-by-period loss functions that are non-convex, i.e. displaying diminishing or non-increasing sensitivity to losses, and (ii) non-linear weighting of probabilities, hence departing from the expected utility paradigm. The main conclusion of the study is that if the additive uncertainty is caused by a non-normal distributed additive shock, for instance if the probability distribution of the shock is skewed, then with these departures from the quadratic function the principle of certainty equivalence does not hold anymore. [source] Extrastriatal dopaminergic dysfunction in tourette syndromeANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2010Thomas D. L. Steeves MD Objective Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder presenting with tics and a constellation of nonmotor symptoms that includes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive,compulsive disorder, and impulse control disorders. Accumulated evidence from pharmacological trials and postmortem analyses suggests that abnormalities of dopaminergic neurotransmission play a key role in the pathogenesis of TS. A substantial body of evidence has also accrued to implicate regions outside the striatum in the generation of tics. Methods We initiated an [11C]FLB 457 positron emission tomography study in conjunction with an amphetamine challenge to evaluate extrastriatal dopamine (DA) D2/D3 receptor binding and DA release in a group of treatment-naive, adult TS patients compared with a group of age- and sex-matched controls. Results At baseline, TS patients showed decreased [11C]FLB 457 binding potentials bilaterally in cortical and subcortical regions outside the striatum, including the cingulate gyrus, middle and superior temporal gyrus, occipital cortex, insula, and thalamus. Amphetamine challenge induced DA release in both control and TS subjects bilaterally in many cortical regions; however, in TS patients, regions of increased DA release were significantly more widespread and extended more anteriorly to involve anterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri. Conversely, and in contrast to healthy controls, no significant DA release was noted in the thalami of TS patients. Interpretation These abnormalities of dopaminergic function localize to brain regions previously implicated in TS and suggest a mechanism for the hyperexcitability of thalamocortical circuits that has been documented in the disorder. ANN NEUROL 2010;67:170,181 [source] Water fluoridation, osteoporosis, fractures,recent developmentsAUSTRALIAN DENTAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2001Lisa L. Demos Abstract Background: Optimal (1 ppm) water fluoridation is seen as the most socially equitable way to prevent dental caries, however concerns about the safety of fluoridation are periodically raised. Methods: Research on effects on bone published since the 1991 National Health and MedicalResearch Council report on water fluoridation was reviewed. Results: Thirty-three studies were identified. Adverse effects in animal feeding studies were only seen at doses much greater than those currently used in artificial water fluoridation. The majority of animal studies showed no effect or a beneficial effect of lowfluoride doses. The results of ecological studies were conflicting. One of the two cohort studies showed an increase in fracture incidence at fluoride levels four times greater than optimal water fluoridation and the other showed no effect after 20 years' optimal fluoridation. The cross-sectional studies showed a favourable effect on bone mineral density. The clinical trials predominantly showed increased bone density in several sites associated with fluoride treatment of 9,22.6mg fluoride per day for one-four years. Conclusion: These studies provide a substantial body of evidence that fluoride at up to 1ppm does not have an adverse effect on bone strength, bone mineral density or fracture incidence. [source] Behavioral genetics in antisocial spectrum disorders and psychopathy: A review of the recent literatureBEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 2 2010Tracy D. Gunter M.D. Behavioral geneticists are increasingly using the tools of molecular genetics to extend upon discoveries from twin, family, and adoption studies concerning the heritability of antisocial spectrum disorders and psychopathy. While there is a substantial body of research concerning antisocial spectrum disorders in the behavioral genetics literature, only a few studies could be located using the phenotype of psychopathy. In this report we summarize some of the recent molecular genetics work concerning antisocial spectrum disorders and psychopathy, with a focus on genes involved in the serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways, while also mentioning some of the novel genetic factors being considered. Monoamine oxidase (MAOA) and the serotonin transporter (5HTT) are reviewed at length, as these genes have received significant scientific attention in recent years and are sites of high biological plausibility in antisocial spectrum disorders and psychopathy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] ETHICAL DEBATE OVER ORGAN DONATION IN THE CONTEXT OF BRAIN DEATHBIOETHICS, Issue 2 2010MARY JIANG BRESNAHAN ABSTRACT This study investigated what information about brain death was available from Google searches for five major religions. A substantial body of supporting research examining online behaviors shows that information seekers use Google as their preferred search engine and usually limit their search to entries on the first page. For each of the five religions in this study, Google listings reveal ethical controversy about organ donation in the context of brain death. These results suggest that family members who go online to find information about organ donation in the context of brain death would find information about ethical controversy in the first page of Google listings. Organ procurement agencies claim that all major world religions approve of organ donation and do not address the ethical controversy about organ donation in the context of brain death that is readily available online. [source] The mood spectrum: improving the diagnosis of bipolar disorderBIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 2005Jules Angst Although the distinction between bipolar and unipolar disorders served our field well in the early days of psychopharmacology, in clinical practice it is apparent that their phenotypes are only partially described by current diagnostic classification systems. A substantial body of evidence has accrued suggesting that clinical variability needs to be viewed in terms of a broad conceptualization of mood disorders and their common threshold or subthreshold comorbidity. The spectrum model provides a useful dimensional approach to psychopathology and is based on the assumption that early-onset and enduring symptoms shape the adult personality and establish a vulnerability to the subsequent development of Axis-I disorders. To obtain a clearer understanding of the depressive phenotype, it is pivotal that we increase our detection of hypomanic symptoms so that clinicians can better distinguish bipolar II disorder from unipolar depression. Diagnostic criteria sensitive to hypomanic symptoms have been identified that suggest bipolar II disorder is at least as prevalent as major depression. Moreover, the comorbidities of these illnesses are very different and alcoholism in particular appears to be a greater problem in bipolar II disorder than in unipolar depression. Structured clinical interviews and patient self-report questionnaires have also successfully identified the presence of hypomanic symptoms in patients with unipolar disorder and support the concept of a spectrum of bipolar illness. In conclusion, the importance of subthreshold syndromes should not be underestimated as failure to recognize bipolar spectrum disorder could delay treatment and worsen prognosis. [source] Histopathology of breast cancer among African-American women,CANCER, Issue S1 2003Lavinia P. Middleton M.D. Abstract Although the overall incidence of breast cancer in African-American women is lower than in white women, African-American women younger than 50 years old have a higher incidence of breast cancer than white women. African-American women with breast cancer have a poorer survival rate than white women and are more likely to die of breast cancer in almost every age group. To explain this disparity, we studied a substantial body of literature that reported a biologic difference in the tumors found in African-American and white women. Specifically, more aggressive histopathologic patterns have been described among African-American patients with breast cancer when compared with white women. In addition, there are data that support an ethnicity-related variation in the expression of breast tumor hormonal markers. The objective of this study was to critically evaluate the existing published data on the histologic features of breast cancer to determine whether breast cancer in African-American women is a histologically more aggressive disease than in white women. We conclude that the aggressive tumor histology reported in African-American women has not been analyzed carefully with respect to the age of the patient at the time of diagnosis and the stage of disease at presentation. Furthermore, there is a need for central pathology review using accepted, published criteria for diagnosis of uncommon and controversial histologic subtypes of breast cancer. Cancer 2003;97(1 Suppl):253,7. Published 2003 by the American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11021 [source] Intimate partner violence and child abuse: a child-centred perspectiveCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Chris Goddard Abstract A substantial body of literature assessing the impact of intimate partner violence on children and associations between intimate partner violence and child abuse now exists. Central to knowledge about these areas of practice and research is a robust, child-centred consideration of some of the more challenging conceptual issues they give rise to. In this paper, we aim to stimulate debate by presenting a critical, child-centred perspective on the intersection between intimate partner violence and child abuse. Initially, we provide the context for the review by presenting a brief overview of the literature. We then consider three central issues from a child-centred perspective. We discuss the language used to describe children forced to live with intimate partner violence, and the importance of hearing children's perspectives on their experiences of such conflict. Finally, we consider similarities and differences between the intimate partner violence and child abuse fields from a child-centred viewpoint. We conclude that increasing conceptual clarity around these issues will enhance research in the field, and ultimately improve interventions designed to protect children forced to live with intimate partner violence. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Explanation and Evidence in Informal ArgumentCOGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2000Sarah K. Brem A substantial body of evidence shows that people tend to rely too heavily on explanations when trying to justify an opinion. Some research suggests these errors may arise from an inability to distinguish between explanations and the evidence that bears upon them. We examine an alternative account, that many people do distinguish between explanations and evidence, but rely more heavily on unsubstantiated explanations when evidence is scarce or absent. We examine the philosophical and psychological distinctions between explanation and evidence, and show that participants use explanations as a substitute for missing evidence. Experiment 1 replicates the results of other researchers, but further shows that participants generate more evidence when they are not constrained by their lack of data. Merely mentioning a source of data can alter both their evaluation (Experiment 2) and their production (Experiment 3) of explanations and evidence. In Experiment 4, we show that participants can explicitly consider the availability of evidence and other pragmatic factors when evaluating arguments. Finally, we consider the implications of using explanations to replace missing evidence as a strategy in argument. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||