Current CAPE-15: A measure of recent psychotic-like experiences and associated distress

Aim Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are common in young people and are associated with both distress and adverse outcomes. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-Positive Scale (CAPE-P) provides a 20-item measure of lifetime PLEs. A 15-item revision of this scale was recently published (CAPE-P15). Although the CAPE-P has been used to assess PLEs in the last 12 months, there is no version of the CAPE for assessing more recent PLEs (e.g. 3 months). This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the current CAPE-P15 and assess its relationship with current distress. Method A cross-sectional online survey of 489 university students (17–25 years) assessed lifetime and current substance use, current distress, and lifetime and 3-month PLEs on the CAPE-P15. Results Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the current CAPE-P15 retained the same three-factor structure as the lifetime version consisting of persecutory ideation, bizarre experiences and perceptual abnormalities. The total score of the current version was lower than the lifetime version, but the two were strongly correlated (r = .64). The current version was highly predictive of generalized distress (r = .52) and indices that combined symptom frequency with associated distress did not confer greater predictive power than frequency alone. Conclusion This study provided preliminary data that the current CAPE-P15 provides a valid and reliable measure of current PLEs. The current CAPE-P15 is likely to have substantial practical utility if it is later shown to be sensitive to change, especially in prevention and early intervention for mental disorders in young people.

Brief screening for psychosis-like experiences

Objective Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are common, and are markers of poor mental health. This study examined the internal structure of a screening test, the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-Positive scale (CAPE-P) in a young Australian sample. Method A cross-sectional online survey, which included the CAPE-P, was completed by 1610 university students aged between 18 and 25 years. Confirmatory factor analyses compared 1-, 4-, and 5-factor models, and examined effects of omitting selected items. Results A 3-factor model, omitting items on magical thinking, grandiosity, paranormal beliefs and a cross-loading item produced the best fit. The resultant 15-item CAPE (CAPE-P15) had three subscales - Persecutory Ideation, Perceptual Abnormalities and Bizarre Experiences, all with high levels of internal consistency. Conclusion The CAPE-P15 shows promise as a measure of positive, psychosis-like experiences, but further validation of this measure is required in community samples.

Subtypes of psychotic-like experiences are differentially associated with suicidal ideation, plans and attempts in young adults

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) have been associated with increased risk of suicidality, but it is unclear whether the level of risk varies with different types of PLE. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 1610 university students. Respondents completed the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-15 (CAPE-P15) assessing PLEs on three subscales: Perceptual Abnormalities (PA), Persecutory Ideation (PI) and Bizarre Experiences (BE). Lifetime suicidal ideation, plans and attempts, cannabis, ecstasy and methamphetamine use and family history of mental disorder were also assessed. Multinomal logistic regression was used to examine unique determinants of lifetime suicidality, defined as any history of (i) suicidal ideation or plans and (ii) any attempt, relative to no lifetime history of suicidality. A lifetime history of PA and PI provided significant unique contributions to the prediction of suicide risk, after control for other significant predictors. BE were not associated with any suicide variable demonstrating the variation in risk of suicidality with different types of PLEs. Perceptual abnormalities and persecutory ideation as measured by the CAPE-P15 are the PLEs associated with a higher risk of lifetime suicidality.

The Cape Horn breed : my experiences as an apprentice in sail in the full-rigged ship "British Isles" as told to P. R. Stephensen /

Mode of access: Internet.

Vaccine farming in Cape Town

The review details the development of the Subunit Vaccine Group at the University of Cape Town, from its beginnings as a plant virology laboratory in the 1980s. The investigation and development of Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Human immunodeficiency vaccine candidates are covered in detail, with an emphasis on how this work allowed the evolution of a systematic approach to the optimisation of expression of these and other proteins especially in plants, but also in insect cell culture. We discuss various insights gained during our work, such as approaches to codon optimisation, use of different vector systems and plant hosts, intracellular targetting and gene modification. The future prospects for both our work and for the field of plant-made vaccines in general, are discussed. © 2011 Landes Bioscience.

Fishery biology and management of Protonibea diacanthus (Sciaenidae) aggregations in far Northern Cape York Peninsula waters

The sciaenid Protonibea diacanthus is a large, long-lived predatory fish of inshore northern Australian waters, which forms annual aggregations that are fished extensively by traditional (subsistence) and recreational fishers. There are now widespread concerns that the resource is being overexploited. Indigenous fishers of the Cape York Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) relate that large adult fish (up to 1500 mm total length (TL)) made up the bulk of the catch from the sciaenid aggregations until about 1994. In contrast, sexually mature P. diacanthus comprised only a small component (12 fish out of 270=4.4%) examined in a 1999–2000 sampling programme that was biased towards the largest individuals available. At 790 mm TL, the minimum size at first maturity for female P. diacanthus in this study is much smaller than the 920 mm TL reported previously in Queensland waters. Developing ovaries were observed in specimens sampled from sciaenid aggregations which formed in NPA waters between May and September 2000. However, no fish with ripe or spent gonads were found in the study, so the current timing and location of the spawning season for P. diacanthus in the region remain unknown. Food items observed in the analysis of the diet of P. diacanthus from the NPA included a variety of teleosts and invertebrates. The range of animal taxa represented in the prey items support the description of an ‘opportunistic predator’ attributed to the species. In our sampling, the stomach contents of fish caught during the time of the aggregation events did not differ from those observed at other times of the year. A total of 114 P. diacanthus were tagged and released at aggregation sites during the study period, and 3 fish (2.6%) were subsequently recaptured. The low rate of tag returns from the wild stock tagging programme, both in this study (2.6%) and from recreational fisher tag/release programmes for the sciaenid elsewhere in Queensland (6.5%), were not explained by tag loss nor mortality, given the high retention rate of tags and the zero mortality seen in tank trials. In response to the biological findings from this study, indigenous community councils of the NPA imposed a 2-year fishing moratorium for P. diacanthus. Surveys at aggregation sites in 2002 and 2003 established that much larger fish (mean size 103.5 cm TL) were again present on the grounds, albeit in very low numbers. These recent preliminary results highlight the critical need for continued monitoring and management of the P. diacanthus fishery in the NPA, if prospects for resource recovery are to be realised. The NPA initiative has provided a rare opportunity to negotiate a co-management strategy, based on scientific data and traditional knowledge, for the recovery of a cultural and economically significant fished resource.

Escapement of the Cape rock lobster (Jasus lalandii ) through the mesh and entrance of commercial traps

Metal-framed traps covered with polyethylene mesh used in the fishery for the South African Cape rock lobster (Jasus lalandii) incidentally capture large numbers of undersize (<75 mm CL) specimens. Air-exposure, handling, and release procedures affect captured rock lobsters and reduce the productivity of the stock, which is heavily fished. Optimally, traps should retain legalsize rock lobsters and allow sublegal animals to escape before traps are hauled. Escapement, based on lobster morphometric measurements, through meshes of 62 mm, 75 mm, and 100 mm was investigated theoretically under controlled conditions in an aquarium, and during field trials. SELECT models were used to model escapement, wherever appropriate. Size-selectivity curves based on the logistic model fitted the aquarium and field data better than asymmetrical Richards curves. The lobster length at 50% retention (L50) on the escapement curve for 100-mm mesh in the aquarium (75.5 mm CL) approximated the minimum legal size (75 mm CL); however estimates of L50 increased to 77.4 mm in field trials where trapentrances were sealed, and to 82.2 mm where trap-entrances were open. Therfore, rock lobsters that cannot escape through the mesh of sealed field traps do so through the trap entrance of open traps. By contrast, the wider selection range and lower L25 of field, compared to aquarium, trials (SR = 8.2 mm vs. 2.6 mm; L25 =73.4 mm vs. 74.1 mm), indicate that small lobsters that should be able to escape from 100-mm mesh traps do not always do so. Escapement from 62-mm mesh traps with open entrance funnels increased by 40−60% over sealed traps. The findings of this study with a known size distribution, are related to those of a recent indirect (comparative) study for the same species, and implications for trap surveys, commercial catch rates, and ghost fishing are discussed.

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of B-type stars from the Edinburgh-Cape Survey - III. Completion of a magnitude range limited survey

High spectral resolution (R similar to 40 000) and signal-to- noise ratio observations of five high Galactic latitude early- type stars taken from the Edinburgh-Cape (EC) Faint Blue Object Survey are presented. These were required to complete a magnitude range-limited survey of young B-type objects with 11 <V <15. Of the five stars, four were rejected on the grounds that they are either subluminous (subdwarf or horizontal branch), were part of a binary system or possessed colours later than the (U - B) = -0.5 cut-off employed. The remaining star in the data set, EC 19596-5356, is found to exhibit normal young B-type stellar properties. A kinematic analysis reveals that an origin in the Galactic disc appears likely for all the stars in the sample. Some statistics are drawn about the number density of young stars in the Galactic halo.

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of post-asymptotic giant branch candidates from the Edinburgh-Cape Survey

High spectral resolution ( R similar to 40 000) and signal-to-noise optical spectra, obtained at the Very Large Telescope ( VLT), are presented for three post-asymptotic giant branch ( AGB) candidates selected from the Edinburgh-Cape ( EC) Faint Blue Object Survey. The stellar atmospheric parameters and chemical compositions, derived using sophisticated non-local thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, reveal that EC 14102-1337 and EC 20068-7324 are both in an evolved post-horizontal branch ( HB) evolutionary state. However, EC 11507-2253 is most likely a post-AGB star.

Model atmosphere and kinematical analyses of early-type stars from the Edinburgh-Cape Survey

We present high-resolution spectroscopic observations of 21 B- type stars, selected from the Edinburgh-Cape Blue Object Survey. Model atmosphere analyses confirm that 14 of these stars are young, main-sequence B-type objects with Population I chemical compositions. The remaining seven are found to be evolved objects, including subdwarfs, horizontal branch and post-AGB objects. A kinematical analysis shows that all 14 young main-sequence stars could have formed in the disc and subsequently been ejected into the halo. These results are combined with the analysis of a previous subsample of stars taken from the Survey. Of the complete sample, 31 have been found to be young, main-sequence objects, with formation in the disc, and subsequent ejection into the halo, again being found to be a plausible scenario.

Energetic costs of parasitism in the Cape ground squirrel Xerus inauris

Parasites have been suggested to influence many aspects of host behaviour. Some of these effects may be mediated via their impact on host energy budgets. This impact may include effects on both energy intake and absorption as well as components of expenditure, including resting metabolic rate (RMR) and activity (e.g. grooming). Despite their potential importance, the energy costs of parasitism have seldom been directly quantified in a field setting. Here we pharmacologically treated female Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris) with anti-parasite drugs and measured the change in body composition, the daily energy expenditure (DEE) using doubly labelled water, the RMR by respirometry and the proportions of time spent looking for food, feeding, moving and grooming. Post-treatment animals gained an average 19 g of fat or approximately 25 kJ d(-1). DEE averaged 382 kJ d-1 prior to and 375 kJ d-1 post treatment (p> 0.05). RMR averaged 174 kJ d-1 prior to and 217 kJ d-1 post treatment (p

Burrow architecture and digging activity in the Cape dune mole rat

While females are traditionally thought to invest more time and energy into parental care than males, males often invest more resources into searching and displaying for mates, obtaining mates and in male-male conflict. Solitary subterranean mammals perform these activities in a particularly challenging niche, necessitating energetically expensive burrowing to both search for mates and forage for food. This restriction presumably affects males more than females as the former are thought to dig longer tunnels that cover greater distances to search for females. We excavated burrow systems of male and female Cape dune mole rats Bathyergus suillus the, largest truly subterranean mammal, to investigate whether male burrows differ from those of females in ways that reflect mate searching by males. We consider burrow architecture (length, internal dimensions, fractal dimension of tunnel systems, number of nesting chambers and mole mounds on the surface) in relation to mating strategy. Males excavated significantly longer burrow systems with higher fractal dimensions and larger burrow areas than females. Male burrow systems were also significantly farther from one another than females were from other females' burrow systems. However, no sex differences were evident in tunnel cross-sectional area, mass of soil excavated per mound, number of mounds produced per unit burrow length or mass of soil excavated per burrow system. Hence, while males may use their habitat differently from females, they do not appear to differ in the dimensions of the tunnels they create. Thus, exploration and use of the habitat differs between the sexes, which may be a consequence of sex differences in mating behaviour and greater demands for food.

Jettisoning Ballast or Fuel? Caudal Autotomy and Locomotory Energetics of the Cape Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis (Gekkonidae)

Many lizard species will shed their tail as a defensive response (e.g., to escape a putative predator or aggressive conspecific). This caudal autotomy incurs a number of costs as a result of loss of the tail itself, loss of resources (i.e., stored in the tail or due to the cost of regeneration), and altered behavior. Few studies have examined the metabolic costs of caudal autotomy. A previous study demonstrated that geckos can move faster after tail loss as a result of reduced weight or friction with the substrate; however, there are no data for the effects of caudal autotomy on locomotory energetics. We examined the effect of tail loss on locomotory costs in the Cape dwarf gecko Lygodactylus capensis (similar to 0.9 g) using a novel method for collecting data on small lizards, a method previously used for arthropods. We measured CO2 production during 5-10 min of exhaustive exercise (in response to stimulus) and during a 45-min recovery period. During exercise, we measured speed (for each meter moved) as well as total distance traveled. Contrary to our expectations, tailless geckos overall expended less effort in escape running, moving both slower and for a shorter distance, compared with when they were intact. Tailless geckos also exhibited lower excess CO2 production (CO2 production in excess of normal resting metabolic rate) during exercising. This may be due to reduced metabolically active tissue (tails represent 8.7% of their initial body mass). An alternative suggestion is that a change in energy substrate use may take place after tail loss. This is an intriguing finding that warrants future biochemical investigation before we can predict the relative costs of tail loss that lizards might experience under natural conditions.