Steroids or pentoxifylline for alcoholic hepatitis (STOPAH): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Alcoholic hepatitis is the most florid presentation of alcohol-related liver disease. In its severe form, defined by a Maddrey's discriminant function (DF) ≥32, the 28-day mortality rate is approximately 35%. A number of potential treatments have been subjected to clinical trials, of which two, corticosteroids and pentoxifylline, may have therapeutic benefit.

Systematics of Old World Odontacolus Kieffer s.l. (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.): parasitoids of spider eggs.

The genera Odontacolus Kieffer and Cyphacolus Priesner are among the most distinctive platygastroid wasps because of their laterally compressed metasomal horn; however, their generic status has remained unclear. We present a morphological phylogenetic analysis comprising all 38 Old World and four Neotropical Odontacolus species and 13 Cyphacolus species, which demonstrates that the latter is monophyletic but nested within a somewhat poorly resolved Odontacolus. Based on these results Cyphacolus syn.

Designing a complex intervention for dementia case management in primary care.

Background: Community-based support will become increasingly important for people with dementia, but currently services are fragmented and the quality of care is variable. Case management is a popular approach to care co-ordination, but evidence to date on its effectiveness in dementia has been equivocal. Case management interventions need to be designed to overcome obstacles to care co-ordination and maximise benefit.

Systematics of the parasitic wasp genus Oxyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), Part I: Indo-Malayan and Palearctic fauna.

The Indo-Malayan and Palearctic species of Oxyscelio (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae s.l.) are revised.

Heart of Hypertension Project: development of a community-based prevention program for young African American men.

Background: Early-onset hypertension (HTN) is a major contributor to shortened life expectancy of African American men. Lifestyle changes are known to reduce blood pressure (BP); however, interventions tailored for young African American men have not been developed.

Objectives: With a community partner, we developed and assessed a HTN education and lifestyle intervention for young African American men.

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) immunohistochemistry as a predictor of resistance to temozolomide in primary CNS lymphoma.

Temozolomide, an alkylating agent, has shown promise in treating primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). The enzyme O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) repairs alkylating damage, such as that induced by temozolomide. We hypothesized that MGMT immunohistochemistry would predict resistance to temozolomide in PCNSL.

Patterns of population genetic variation in sympatric chiltoniid amphipods within a calcrete aquifer reveal a dynamic subterranean environment.

Calcrete aquifers from the Yilgarn region of arid central Western Australia contain an assemblage of obligate groundwater invertebrate species that are each endemic to single aquifers. Fine-scale phylogeographic and population genetic analyses of three sympatric and independently derived species of amphipod (Chiltoniidae) were carried out to determine whether there were common patterns of population genetic structure or evidence for past geographic isolation of populations within a single calcrete aquifer. Genetic diversity in amphipod mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene) and allozymes were examined across a 3.

Long-term reduction in implicit race bias: A prejudice habit-breaking intervention.

We developed a multi-faceted prejudice habit-breaking intervention to produce long-term reductions in implicit race bias. The intervention is based on the premise that implicit bias is like a habit that can be reduced through a combination of awareness of implicit bias, concern about the effects of that bias, and the application of strategies to reduce bias. In a 12-week longitudinal study, people who received the intervention showed dramatic reductions in implicit race bias.

Acute vision loss: a fuzzy presentation of sarcoidosis.

Background: Acute vision loss is a devastating problem for patients and a challenging diagnostic dilemma for Emergency Physicians. This chief complaint is one in which we must be adept at quickly evaluating and initiating either care or referral.

Objectives: This case reviews the approach to acute vision loss and shows the importance of expanding the differential in atypical and complex presentations.

Remarkable range extension of the previously monotypic braconid genus Wushenia Zettel (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae), with description of a second species from Australia.

The apparently rare chelonine wasp genus Wushenia Zettel was previously known only from a single species Wushenia nana Zettel, collected by Townes at 1150 m from Wushe, Taiwan in 1983. Here we describe a second species, Wushenia australiensis sp. nov.

Chinese species of egg-parasitoids of the genera Oxyscelio Kieffer, Heptascelio Kieffer and Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridaes.l., Scelioninae).

To date, the known Chinese fauna of egg-parasitoids of the genus Oxyscelio Kieffer encompasses two species from the mainland - Oxysceliodoumao Burks and Oxyscelionubbin Burks. Here we record eighteen species of Oxyscelio from collections in mainland China: Oxyscelioarvi Burks, Oxyscelioceylonensis (Dodd), Oxyscelioconvergens Burks, Oxysceliocordis Burks, Oxysceliocrebritas Burks, Oxysceliocuculli Burks, Oxysceliodermatoglyphes Burks, Oxysceliodoumao Burks, Oxyscelioflorus Kononova, Oxysceliogranorum Burks, Oxysceliointermedietas Burks, Oxysceliojugi Burks, Oxysceliokramatos Burks, Oxysceliolongiventris Burks, Oxyscelionaraws Kozlov & Lê, Oxyscelioperpensus Kononova, Oxyscelioplanocarinae Burks, and Oxysceliostriarum Burks. Oxyscelio is primarily found in the tropics, and most of these species are shared with Taiwan and southeast Asia.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: the effect of oral exposure dose on attack rate and incubation period in cattle - an update.

Background: To provide information on dose-response and aid in modelling the exposure dynamics of the BSE epidemic in the United Kingdom groups of cattle were exposed orally to a range of different doses of brainstem homogenate of known infectious titre from clinical cases of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Interim data from this study was published in 2007. This communication documents additional BSE cases, which occurred subsequently, examines possible influence of the bovine prion protein gene on disease incidence and revises estimates of effective oral exposure.

A Density Functional with Spherical Atom Dispersion Terms.

A new hybrid density functional, APF, is introduced, which avoids the spurious long-range attractive or repulsive interactions that are found in most density functional theory (DFT) models. It therefore provides a sound baseline for the addition of an empirical dispersion correction term, which is developed from a spherical atom model (SAM). The APF-D empirical dispersion model contains nine adjustable parameters that were selected based on a very small training set (15 noble gas dimers and 4 small hydrocarbon dimers), along with two computed atomic properties (ionization potential and effective atomic polarizability) for each element.

Extraordinary micro-endemism in Australian desert spring amphipods.

Increasing pressure for water in the Australian arid zone is placing enormous stress on the diverse endemic communities inhabiting desert springs. Detailed information about the evolutionary processes occurring within and between individual endemic species will help to develop effective and biologically relevant management strategies this fragile ecosystem. To help determine conservation priorities, we documented the genetic structure of the endemic freshwater amphipod populations in springs fed by the Great Artesian Basin in central Australia.

Assessment of real-time PCR assay for detection of Rickettsia spp. and Rickettsia rickettsii in banked clinical samples.

Two novel real-time PCR assays were developed for the detection of Rickettsia spp. One assay detects all tested Rickettsia spp.; the other is specific for Rickettsia rickettsii.

Do changes in coping style explain the effectiveness of interventions for psychological morbidity in family carers of people with dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Observational studies find that family carers of people with dementia who use more emotional support and acceptance-based coping, and less dysfunctional coping, are less depressed and anxious. We hypothesized that interventions effective in reducing psychological symptoms would increase emotional support and acceptance-based coping, or decrease dysfunctional coping.

Methods: We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials published up to July 2011, of interventions for carers of people with dementia measuring coping and psychological morbidity.

Taxonomic revision of Dodd (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), a parasitoid wasp genus endemic to Australia.

The endemic Australian parasitic wasp genus (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is revised. Sixteen species are recognized: Dodd, Dodd and (Dodd) are redescribed and thirteen new species are recognized; Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , Burks, , and Burks, The genus is found continent-wide but mostly south of the Tropic of Capricorn, and with the highest species diversity occurring in the Pilbara and south-western regions of Western Australia. The hosts of are unknown but specimens reared from eggs confirm that the genus is associated with orthopteran hosts.

Contributions of Dynamic Systems Theory to Cognitive Development.

This paper examines the contributions of dynamic systems theory to the field of cognitive development, focusing on modeling using dynamic neural fields. A brief overview highlights the contributions of dynamic systems theory and the central concepts of dynamic field theory (DFT). We then probe empirical predictions and findings generated by DFT around two examples-the DFT of infant perseverative reaching that explains the Piagetian A-not-B error, and the DFT of spatial memory that explain changes in spatial cognition in early development.