Effective communications on invasive alien species: Identifying communication needs of Swedish domestic garden owners

Invasive alien species threaten biodiversity with domestic gardens acting as a major pathway for the introduction of alien species. Even though the Nordic region is not currently a hotspot for biological invasions, the number of invasions in the Nordic area has been predicted to increase due to climate change. Given a time lag between introduction and invasion, many non-invasive horticultural alien species already introduced into gardens may become invasive in the future. This study aimed to identify the communication needs of Swedish garden owners regarding their management of invasive alien species. A survey among domestic garden owners, informed by topic specialists and local area experts, and interviews with garden owners were conducted in three different bio-climatic areas in a latitudinal gradient across Sweden. The questions targeted invasive alien species and their relations to biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as measures taken to control these species. Analysing the survey data collected in relation to measures taken to control invasive species, Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) modelling was used to identify geographically varying communication needs of the domestic garden owners. In all study areas, the garden owners' measures taken to control invasive alien species were correlated with their strength of beliefs in having experienced local biodiversity loss. A majority of the garden owners were, moreover, uncertain about the impact of climate change on the invasiveness of alien species. In addition, the garden owners' capacity for identifying invasive alien species was often in need of improvement, in particular with respect to the species Impatiens glandulifera, Reynoutria japonica and Rosa rugosa. The results suggest that the evidence-based guidelines for effective communications we developed, have the potential to help communicators meet the local communication needs of garden owners across Sweden, in relation to the management of invasive alien garden species.

Comparison of chronic widespread pain prevalence with different criteria in two cohorts of rheumatoid arthritis

Objective

This study aims to investigate chronic widespread pain with the 1990 (CWP1990) and 2019 (CWP2019) definitions 6 years after the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in one patient cohort with tight controls and one conventional cohort, and factors associated with reporting CWP1990 and CWP2019, respectively.

Methods

A cohort of 80 RA patients with monthly visits to the physician the first 6 months was compared to a cohort of 101 patients from the same clinic with conventional follow-up. Both cohorts had early RA (< 13 months). The prevalence of CWP1990 and the more stringent CWP2019 were in a 6-year follow-up investigated with a questionnaire, including a pain mannequin and a fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire.

Results

In the tight control cohort, 10% reported CWP2019 after 6 years compared to 23% in the conventional cohort (p = 0.026). There was no difference when using the CWP1990 definition (27% vs 31%, p = 0.546). When adjusted for important baseline data, the odds ratio for having CWP2019 was 2.57 (95% CI 1.02–6.50), in the conventional group compared to the tight control group (p = 0.046). A high level of fear-avoidance behaviour towards physical activity was associated with CWP2019, OR 10.66 (95% CI 1.01–112.14), but not with CWP1990 in the tight control cohort.

Conclusion

A more stringent definition of CWP identifies patients with a more serious pain condition, which potentially could be prevented by an initial tight control management. Besides tight control, caregivers should pay attention to fear-avoidance behaviour and tailor treatment.

Key Points

• CWP2019 is a more stringent definition of chronic widespread pain and identifies patients with a more serious pain condition.

• Patients with a serious pain condition could be helped by frequent follow-ups.

• This study suggests that a special attention of fear-avoidance behaviour towards physical activity in patients with RA is needed.

Cost-effectiveness of high-sensitivity faecal immunochemical test and colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer screening can decrease morbidity and mortality. However, there are widespread differences in the implementation of programmes and choice of strategy. The primary objective of this study was to estimate lifelong costs and health outcomes of two of the currently most preferred methods of screening for colorectal cancer: colonoscopy and sensitive faecal immunochemical test (FIT).

METHODS

A cost-effectiveness analysis of colorectal cancer screening in a Swedish population was performed using a decision analysis model, based on the design of the Screening of Swedish Colons (SCREESCO) study, and data from the published literature and registries. Lifelong cost and effects of colonoscopy once, colonoscopy every 10 years, FIT twice, FIT biennially and no screening were estimated using simulations.

RESULTS

For 1000 individuals invited to screening, it was estimated that screening once with colonoscopy yielded 49 more quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and a cost saving of €64 800 compared with no screening. Similarly, screening twice with FIT gave 26 more QALYs and a cost saving of €17 600. When the colonoscopic screening was repeated every tenth year, 7 additional QALYs were gained at a cost of €189 400 compared with a single colonoscopy. The additional gain with biennial FIT screening was 25 QALYs at a cost of €154 300 compared with two FITs.

CONCLUSION

All screening strategies were cost-effective compared with no screening. Repeated and single screening strategies with colonoscopy were more cost-effective than FIT when lifelong effects and costs were considered. However, other factors such as patient acceptability of the test and availability of human resources also have to be taken into account.

Directional limits on persistent gravitational waves using LIGO S5 science data

The gravitational-wave (GW) sky may include nearby pointlike sources as well as stochastic backgrounds. We perform two directional searches for persistent GWs using data from the LIGO S5 science run: one optimized for pointlike sources and one for arbitrary extended sources. Finding no evidence to support the detection of GWs, we present 90% confidence level (C.L.) upper-limit maps of GW strain power with typical values between 2-20×10(-50)  strain(2) Hz(-1) and 5-35×10(-49)  strain(2) Hz(-1) sr(-1) for pointlike and extended sources, respectively. The latter result is the first of its kind. We also set 90% C.L. limits on the narrow-band root-mean-square GW strain from interesting targets including Sco X-1, SN 1987A and the Galactic center as low as ≈7×10(-25) in the most sensitive frequency range near 160 Hz.

Minimizing scanning electron microscope artefacts by filter design

A new type of non-linear filter for digital images has been developed. By using distance transforms we estimate the average point spread function for a set of fibre cross-sectional images. Then a fast filter technique, based on lookup tables for distance layers, attenuates the uneven background response from the scanning electron microscope. Compared to the convolution-based techniques that we tried, this approach caused less blurring effects on our fibre images and also made the background pixels more homogeneous. The only assumption we make is that we can roughly segment the background pixels by using a pixel-wise classifier. Although the assumption that the uneven background response can be described by a circular point spread function is only approximately true in the case discussed here, this method greatly attenuates the effect and provides a fast and general filtering method that can also be of use for other applications.

Children with septo-optic dysplasia - how to improve and sharpen the diagnosis

The data in this article are based on investigations performed in 25 children with suspected septo-optic dysplasia (SOD). There are many signs and methods that help in the diagnosis of SOD. In particular, the ocular fundus, abnormalities of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis and other midline brain structures should be described. In order to achieve a more holistic and functional diagnosis, the degree of neurological, neuropsychiatric and psychological involvement should also be stated. It has been suggested that SOD is associated with autosomal recessive inheritance, and it can be speculated that it is the result of genetic and environmental influences early in gestation. An early diagnosis can favourably influence the outcome of the affected child.

Mental development in late infancy after prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines--a prospective study

Seventeen infants born to mothers who used benzodiazepines (BZD) throughout pregnancy were followed prospectively and compared with 29 infants born to mothers who had not used psychoactive substances. On the Griffiths' Developmental Scale, the BZD-exposed infants demonstrated consistently lower mean GQs and DQs for all subscales at 5, 10 and 18 months of age. The differences in GQ reached statistical significance at 10 and 18 months. The DQs differed significantly for all subscales at 10 months and for the personal-social behaviour and hearing and speech subscales at 18 months of age. We suggest that prenatal exposure to BZD may cause a general delay in mental development up to 18 months of age.

Distribution of glutamic acid decarboxylase messenger RNA-containing nerve cell populations of the male rat brain

The distribution of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA was investigated throughout the rat brain by means of in situ hybridization. Hybridization was carried out with a 35S-radiolabeled cRNA probe transcribed from a cDNA from cat occipital cortex and cloned in a SP6-T7 promoter-containing vector. Fixed tissue sections were hybridized with 35S GAD probe (0.6 kb length). Signal was detected by means of film or emulsion autoradiography. The autoradiograms were semiquantitatively evaluated by means of computer-assisted image analysis. The results obtained with this evaluation were correlated with the results of the semiquantitative analysis of GAD immunoreactivity performed by Mugnaini and Oertel. Specific labeling was only observed in neuronal cell bodies, whereas no labeling was found over neuropil, glial and endothelial cells. The highest labeling was found in the bulbus olfactorius (internal plexiform and granular layers) and in the caudal magnocellular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Strong labeling was observed in the Purkinje layer of the cerebellar cortex, the interpeduncular nucleus, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, the nucleus of Darkschewitsch and the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Intermediate or low levels of GAD mRNA were present in various brain nuclei, where gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-containing cell bodies had been observed with other techniques. Interestingly, a low level of GAD mRNA was found in the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens, where the vast majority of nerve cells is known to contain GAD immunoreactivity. Only a poor correlation was found between the present semiquantitative measurements of GAD mRNA content and previous analyses of the number of GAD-immunoreactive cell bodies. The present study demonstrates that there exists a differential regional expression of GAD mRNA. The comparison with cell counts performed by immunocytochemistry suggests that some brain areas, such as caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens, contain a large number of GAD-immunoreactive cell bodies which express a low level of GAD mRNA. The opposite seems to be true for other nuclei, such as the globus pallidus, the zona reticulata of the substantia nigra and the inferior collicle, where few GAD-immunoreactive cell bodies contain high levels of GAD mRNA. In conclusion, the present study gives a low magnification map of GAD mRNA levels in the adult male rat brain. Marked biochemical heterogeneities may be present among GABA neuronal populations based on their expression of GAD mRNA. The comparison between the present in situ hybridization and previous immunocytochemical studies suggests that there may exist at least two populations of GABA neurons in the brain, having high and low levels respectively of both GAD mRNA and GAD enzyme.

The mechanism of cAMP-induced glucocorticoid receptor expression. Correlation to cellular glucocorticoid response

The mechanism of regulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression by cAMP was investigated in rat hepatoma cells (HTC). Incubation of HTC cells with the cAMP-inducing agent, forskolin, caused a significant increase in the levels of both [3H]dexamethasone binding capacity and GR mRNA by about 2- to 2.4-fold within 4 h. Incubation of HTC cells with the cAMP analogue, 8-bromo-cAMP, also increased the GR mRNA level to a similar degree in a concentration-dependent manner. The increase in GR mRNA did not require ongoing translation or transcription. Determination of GR mRNA stability in 8-bromo-cAMP-induced cells showed that the message had a half-life of approximately 10 h, which is about 2.5 times longer than the GR mRNA half-life in nontreated cells (t1/2 = 4 h). These results indicate that the increased steady state level of GR mRNA induced by cAMP analogue is, at least in part, caused by increased GR mRNA stability. In both forskolin-pretreated and nontreated HTC cells, dexamethasone caused an approximately 70% down-regulation of GR protein levels. However, since forskolin induced the GR level 2- to 2.4-fold, the relative amount of GR protein remaining in cells treated with both forskolin and dexamethasone was about 2- to 2.4-fold higher compared to cells treated with dexamethasone alone. This increased GR level correlated well with the increase in inducibility of two glucocorticoid regulated genes, the endogenous tyrosine aminotransferase and the stably integrated mouse mammary tumor virus. These data suggest that relatively small changes in GR levels are reflected in parallel changes in cellular response to glucocorticoid hormones. This also implicates a limiting nature of the GR protein in determining the biological response.

Chronic immobilization stress: evidence for decreases of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine immunoreactivity and for increases of glucocorticoid receptor immunoreactivity in various brain regions of the male rat

Male rats were exposed to severe 14 day immobilization stress. Body weight, body temperature, food and water intake, behavioral parameters, and serum corticosterone levels were measured during and after the stress period. On the 7th day after cessation of stress the experimental animals together with the control rats were taken to immunocytochemical analysis involving morphometry and microdensitometry of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), various neuropeptide, and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) immunoreactivities (IRs) in a large number of regions of the central nervous system. In addition, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) IR was analyzed in the pituitary gland. Seven days following cessation of the chronic stress food intake, total locomotion and forward locomotion had been restored to normal. Serum corticosterone levels appeared to remain increased even 6 days following cessation of the chronic immobilization stress, probably caused by increased release of ACTH. Paraventricular corticotropin releasing hormone (CRF) IR was negatively correlated with the pituitary ACTH IR, indicating that the increase in ACTH release was produced by an increased release of CRF from the hypothalamus. The major immunocytochemical change observed 7 days after cessation of stress was a disappearance of 5-HT IR in the 5-HT cell groups B1, B2, B3, and B7. 5-HT IR in nerve terminals was only affected in the dorsal horn, where 5-HT IR was increased in the substantia gelatinosa. GR IR was found to be significantly increased in monoaminergic cell groups: serotoninergic B7, dopaminergic A12, and noradrenergic A1, A2, and A6. A trend for a reduction of TH IR was observed in nigral DA cells associated with significant reductions in TH IR in striatal DA nerve terminals. Finally, increases in 5-HT and substance P (SP) IR were found in the nerve terminals of the substantia gelatinosa of the cervical spinal cord in the stress group. In the present experimental model evidence has been obtained for a maintained activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as evaluated 7 days after cessation of severe chronic immobilization stress. The reduction of 5-HT IR in various 5-HT cell groups indicates a reduction of 5-HT synthesis, which may also be associated with reduced 5-HT release from the nerve terminals, since no depletion was observed in terminal regions and in one case an increase in 5-HT IR was noted (substantia gelatinosa).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Regional differences in glucocorticoid receptor immunoreactivity among neuropeptide Y immunoreactive neurons of the rat brain

By means of two-colour immunocytochemistry using a mouse monoclonal antibody directed against the rat liver glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and a rabbit polyclonal neuropeptide Y (NPY) antiserum combined with the biotin-avidin immunoperoxidase and a double immunofluorescence procedure, it has been possible to demonstrate nuclear GR immunoreactivity (IR) in neurons showing cytoplasmatic NPY IR in rat brain. The majority of NPY immunoreactive perikarya of the medial parvocellular part of the arcuate nucleus, locus coeruleus and the rostral and caudal part of the ventrolateral medulla oblongata contained strong nuclear GR IR. Many of the NPY immunoreactive neurons present in the subnuclei of the nucleus tractus solitarius also contained nuclear GR IR, while most of the NPY immunoreactive perikarya of the cerebral cortex and all of the neostriatum appeared to lack GR IR. These results indicate that NPY immunoreactive neurons in the upper and lower brain stem, but not in the cerebral cortex and in the neostriatum may be directly involved in mediating central effects of glucocorticoids.

Localization of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the male rat brain by in situ hybridization

The localization and distribution of mRNA encoding the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was investigated in tissue sections of the adult male rat brain by in situ hybridization and RNA blot analysis. GR mRNA levels were measured by quantitative autoradiography with 35S- and 32P-labeled RNA probes, respectively. Strong labeling was observed within the pyramidal nerve cells of the CA1 and CA2 areas of the hippocampal formation, in the granular cells of the dentate gyrus, in the parvocellular nerve cells of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, and in the cells of the arcuate nucleus, especially the parvocellular part. Moderate labeling of a large number of nerve cells was observed within layers II, III, and VI of the neocortex and in many thalamic nuclei, especially the anterior and ventral nuclear groups as well as several midline nuclei. Within the cerebellar cortex, strong labeling was observed all over the granular layer. In the lower brainstem, strong labeling was found within the entire locus coeruleus and within the mesencephalic raphe nuclei rich in noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine cell bodies, respectively. A close correlation was found between the distribution of GR mRNA and the distribution of previously described GR immunoreactivity. These studies open the possibility of obtaining additional information on in vivo regulation of GR synthesis and how the brain may alter its sensitivity to circulating glucocorticoids.

Pre- and postsynaptic features of the central angiotensin systems. Indications for a role of angiotensin peptides in volume transmission and for interactions with central monoamine neurons

The transmitter receptor matches and mismatches in the angiotensin (ANG) immunoreactive (IR) neuronal systems of the rat CNS have been characterized in various regions by means of ANG II immunocytochemistry and 125I-angiotensin II receptor autoradiography. By means of in situ hybridization the distribution of angiotensinogen mRNA has been mapped out and related to the distribution of ANG IR. In some areas, high densities of ANG IR nerve terminals and ANG II receptors (e.g. paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, locus coeruleus and nucleus tractus solitarius) or high densities of ANG II receptors alone (e.g. medial geniculate body, subthalamic nucleus and superficial layer of the superior collicle) were often associated with high levels of angiotensinogen mRNA, suggesting the existence of an extracellular formation of ANG II, mediating biological responses. These results underline a role of ANG peptides in volume transmission in addition to transmitter function. Other areas, such as nuc. n. hypoglossi, practically lacking ANG IR terminals, pericarya and receptors, also contained high levels of angiotensinogen mRNA, suggesting a different role of angiotensinogen in these areas. Evidence for presynaptic (turnover changes) and post-synaptic (receptor-receptor crosstalk) interactions with CA neuronal systems has been obtained especially in cardiovascular centers. Thus, ANG II reduces in a concentration related way the affinity of 3H-paraminoclonidine binding sites in the dorsomedial medulla without influencing the Bmax value. These results indicate the existence of intramembrane interactions between ANG II and alpha 2 adrenergic receptors. Finally paraventricular but not perifornical ANG immunoreactive nerve cells costore nuclear glucocorticoid receptor IR, suggesting that some ANG neurons may be directly regulated by glucocorticoids.

Chronic haloperidol affects striatal D2-dopamine receptor reappearance after irreversible receptor blockade

The time course of recovery of [3H]spiperone binding in the rat striatum after administration of the irreversible antagonist N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) was studied in chronically haloperidol-treated rats (0.5 mg/kg, i.p., twice a day for two weeks). Chronic neuroleptic treatment significantly enhanced the [3H]spiperone Bmax value. EEDQ (6.0 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a similar profound decrease of [3H]spiperone binding site density in both saline- and haloperidol-treated rats. However, the receptor degradation rate constant in the haloperidol-treated animals (k = 0.0051 h-1) and the receptor production rate (r = 1.6 fmol/mg prot/h) were lower than in the saline-treated rats (k = 0.0074 h-1; r = 1.8 fmol/mg prot/h). These results are different from what is found in 6-OH-dopamine lesioned rats. D2-receptor recovery after EEDQ administration is enhanced in chronically (4-5 weeks) denervated striatum (Brain Research, 329 (1985) 225-231) while the degradation rate constant is unchanged. Thus, the present results indicate that chronic haloperidol treatment reduces both the degradation and production rates of striatal D2-receptors.

Effects on the child of alcohol abuse during pregnancy. Retrospective and prospective studies

Retrospective and prospective investigations of children to alcoholic women gave an incidence of fetal alcohol lesion of one per 300 deliveries of whom half had the complete fetal alcohol syndrome. Perinatal and infant mortalities were increased seven to tenfold and low birth weight (less than or equal to 2 500 g), preterm deliveries (less than 37 weeks) and smallness for gestational age (less than -2 S.D.) were increased eightfold, threefold and twelvefold, respectively. Small size at birth correlated with reduced mental performance later in life, 58% had IQ below 85 and 19% below 70.8% had cerebral palsy. The incidence of cerebral palsy associated with maternal inebriety was 1/5 000 deliveries, i.e. every sixth case of cerebral palsy. Tracing of alcoholic women during pregnancy and treatment gave favourable effect on intrauterine growth when sobriety could be induced early in pregnancy but could not protect from functional brain disturbance measured by neurological performance and be evoked response electroencephalography. Damage to the fetus by alcohol is now the largest known health hazard by a noxious agent that is preventable.