Ambassador Animals Do Not Have a Clear Effect on Visitor Conservation Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Exotic Pets at a Zoo Exhibit.

There is relatively little work examining visitor outcomes of ambassador animal programs, such as whether these programs are educationally effective or unintentionally promote exotic pet ownership. We designed a two-way factorial experiment to test whether ambassador animals enhanced or detracted from the educational outcomes of a zoo exhibit. We surveyed 312 visitors at the Oakland Zoo at a static exhibit focused on the illegal wildlife trade.

Teaching the difficult-to-teach topics.

It is now accepted that teaching in palliative medicine should be integrated throughout the medical undergraduate curriculum. Recommendations suggest the inclusion of knowledge areas such as symptom control, as well as more attitudinal aspects such as teamwork and understanding patient and carer perspectives on illness. These subjects should be taught on a stepwise basis, introducing concepts at an early stage and then be built on throughout training.

The views of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on advance care planning: a qualitative study.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of death worldwide and there are concerns that end-of-life care for these patients is inadequate. Advance care planning is encouraged, with the hope that it will improve communication and avoid unwanted interventions, which have been particular concerns; in practice, these discussions rarely occur. We have little knowledge of the views of patients with COPD on advance care planning.

Glucocorticoids worsen excitotoxin-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in hippocampal cultures.

Glucocorticoids (GCs), the adrenal steroid hormones released during stress, have well-known anti-inflammatory actions. Despite that, there is increasing evidence that GCs are not uniformly anti-inflammatory in the injured nervous system and, in fact, can be pro-inflammatory. The present report continues this theme.

Novel glucocorticoid effects on acute inflammation in the CNS.

The CNS can mount an inflammatory reaction to excitotoxic insults that contributes to the emerging brain damage. Therefore, anti-inflammatory drugs should be beneficial in neurological insults. In contrast, glucocorticoids (GCs), while known for their anti-inflammatory effects, can exacerbate neurotoxicity in the hippocampus after excitotoxic insults.