Patient sexual function and hip replacement surgery: A survey of surgeon attitudes

Neuro-urology: functional disorders in male and female urogenital trac

On the presence of first premolars in skulls of badgers, Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758), mainly from the Netherlands

The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) shows much variation in presence of first premolars. In this study a collection of badger skulls, mainly from the Netherlands, was examined for the presence of first premolar elements. The distribution pattern of first premolars, in skulls from the Netherlands, was compaired with data, presented in literature. Our results indicate that there are differences in distribution between different populations and that there might be differences between males and females in presence of first premolars. From a subset of 50 skulls, several measures were taken to see which factors are highly related with presence of first premolars. The amount of direct space for the first premolar to develop (distance between the canine and the second premolar) seems to be highly related with presence or non-presence of first premolars

On the presence of first premolars in skulls of badgers, Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758), mainly from the Netherlands

The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) shows much variation in presence of first premolars. In this study a collection of badger skulls, mainly from the Netherlands, was examined for the presence of first premolar elements. The distribution pattern of first premolars, in skulls from the Netherlands, was compaired with data, presented in literature. Our results indicate that there are differences in distribution between different populations and that there might be differences between males and females in presence of first premolars. From a subset of 50 skulls, several measures were taken to see which factors are highly related with presence of first premolars. The amount of direct space for the first premolar to develop (distance between the canine and the second premolar) seems to be highly related with presence or non-presence of first premolars

Bodembescherming bij doorgangsdepots voor baggerspecie : Verwaarloosbaar bodemrisico met een geochemische barrière

Bij het ontwateren en rijpen van nuttig toepasbare baggerspecie wordt veelvuldig gebruikt gemaakt van doorgangsdepots. Op initiatief van de waterschappen is een alternatief ontwikkeld voor de bodembescherming met behulp van een folie. Met een minerale bodembeschermingslaag kan eveneens een verwaarloosbaar bodemrisico bereikt worden. Een generieke regeling bleek vooralsnog niet haalbaar

A spatially explicit agent-based model of the interactions between jaguar populations and their habitats

Agent-based models can predict system-level properties of populations from stochastic simulation of fine-scale movements. One important application to conservation lies in their ability to consider the impact of individual variation in movement and decision-making on populations under future landscape changes. Here, we present a spatially explicit agent-based simulation of a population of jaguars (Panthera onca) in a mixed forest and farmland landscape in Central America that demonstrates an application of least-cost modelling, a description of the way that agents move through their environment, to equilibrium population dynamics. We detail the construction and application of the model, and the processes of calibration, sensitivity analysis and validation with empirical field data. Simulated jaguars underwent feeding, reproduction, and mortality events typical of natural populations, resulting in realistic population dynamics and home range sizes. Jaguar agents located inside protected forest reserves exhibited higher fitness (fecundity, energy reserves, age and age of mortality) as well as lower energy- and habitat-related mortality than jaguar agents located outside these reserves. Changes in fecundity directly affected the dynamics of simulated populations to a larger degree than either mortality or agent–agent interactions. Model validation showed similar patterns to camera traps in the field, in terms of landscape utilisation and the spatial distribution of individuals. The model showed less sensitivity to socially motivated and fine-scale movements, apart from those directed towards feeding and reproduction, but reflected the interactions and movement of naturally occurring populations in this region. Applications of the model will include testing impacts on population dynamics of likely future changes in landscape structure and connectivity

Impact of enhanced recovery on oncological outcomes following minimally invasive surgery for rectal cancer.

Oncological outcomes of locally advanced rectal cancer depend on the quality of surgical and oncological management. Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) have yet to be assessed for their oncological impact when used in combination with minimally invasive surgery. This study assessed outcomes with or without an ERP in patients with rectal cancer. This was a retrospective analysis of all consecutive adult patients who underwent elective minimally invasive surgery for primary rectal adenocarcinoma with curative intent between February 2005 and April 2018. Both laparoscopic and robotic procedures were included. Short-term morbidity and overall survival were compared between patients treated according to the institutional ERP and those who received conventional care. A total of 600 patients underwent minimally invasive surgery, of whom 320 (53·3 per cent) were treated according to the ERP and 280 (46·7 per cent) received conventional care. ERP was associated with less overall morbidity (34·7 versus 54·3 per cent; P < 0·001). Patients in the ERP group had improved overall survival on univariable (91·4 versus 81·7 per cent at 5 years; hazard ratio (HR) 0·53, 95 per cent c.i. 0·28 to 0·99) but not multivariable (HR 0·78, 0·41 to 1·50) analysis. Multivariable analysis revealed age (HR 1·46, 1·17 to 1·82), male sex (HR 1·98, 1·05 to 3·70) and complications (HR 2·23, 1·30 to 3·83) as independent risk factors for compromised overall survival. Disease-free survival was comparable for patients who had ERP or conventional treatment (80·5 versus 84·6 per cent at 5 years respectively; P = 0·272). Treatment within an ERP was associated with a lower morbidity risk that may have had a subtle impact on overall but not disease-specific survival

Differential effects of muscle fibre length and insulin on muscle-specific mRNA content in isolated mature muscle fibres during long-term culture

The aims of this study were (1) to determine the relationship between muscle fibre cross-sectional area and cytoplasmic density of myonuclei in high- and low-oxidative Xenopus muscle fibres and (2) to test whether insulin and long-term high fibre length caused an increase in the number of myonuclei and in the expression of α-skeletal actin and of myogenic regulatory factors (myogenin and MyoD) in these muscle fibres. In high- and low-oxidative muscle fibres from freshly frozen iliofibularis muscles, the number of myonuclei per millimetre fibre length was proportional to muscle fibre cross-sectional area. The in vivo myonuclear density thus seemed to be strictly regulated, suggesting that the induction of hypertrophy required the activation of satellite cells. The effects of muscle fibre length and insulin on myonuclear density and myonuclear mRNA content were investigated on high-oxidative single muscle fibres cultured for 4-5 days. Muscle fibres were kept at a low length (∼15% below passive slack length) in culture medium with a high insulin concentration (∼6 nmol/l: "high insulin medium") or without insulin, and at a high length (∼5% above passive slack length) in high insulin medium. High fibre length and high insulin medium did not change the myonuclear density of isolated muscle fibres during culture. High insulin increased the myonuclear α-skeletal actin mRNA content, whereas fibre length had no effect on α-skeletal actin mRNA content. After culture at high fibre length in high insulin medium, the myonuclear myogenin mRNA content was 2.5-fold higher than that of fibres cultured at low length in high insulin medium or in medium without insulin. Myonuclear MyoD mRNA content was not affected by fibre length or insulin. These in vitro experiments indicate that high muscle fibre length and insulin enhance muscle gene expression but that other critical factors are required to induce adaptation of muscle fibre size and performance. © 2006 Springer-Verlag

Oil effect in freshly spiked marine sediment on Vibrio fischeri, Corophium volutator and Echinocardium cordatum

The purpose of this study was to provide data to be used in The Netherlands for development of ecotoxicologically based quality criteria for oil-contaminated sediments and dredged material. In addition, the relation of toxicity to specific oil boiling-point fraction ranges was explored. Natural marine sediment, with a moisture, organic carbon, and silt content of approximately 80, 1.8, and 33% of the dry weight, respectively, was artificially spiked using a spiking method developed in this project. Aliquots of one part of the sediment were spiked to several concentrations of Gulf distillate marine grade A (DMA) gasoil (containing 64% C10-19) and aliquots of the other part to several concentrations of Gulf high viscosity grade 46 (HV46) hydraulic oil(containing 99.2% C19-40). Thus, for each individual oil type, a concentration series was created. Vibrio fischeri (endpoint: bioluminescence inhibition), Corophium volutator (endpoint: mortality), and Echinocardium cordatum (endpoint: mortality) were exposed to these spiked sediments for 10 min, 10 d and 14 d, respectively. Based on the test results, the effective concentration on 50% of the test animals was statistically estimated. For DMA gasoil and HV46 hydraulic oil, respectively, the effective concentrations were 43.7 and 2,682 mg/kg dry weight for V. fischeri, 100 and 9,138 mg/kg dry weight for C. volutator, 190, and 1064 mg/kg dry weight for E. cordatum. This study shows that the toxicity is strongly correlated with the lower boiling-point fractions and especially to those within the C10-C19 range