Diclofenac residues in carcasses of domestic ungulates available to vultures in India

Gyps vulture populations across the Indian subcontinent are declining rapidly and evidence indicates that veterinary use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac is the major cause. Exposure of vultures to diclofenac is likely to arise from the consumption of livestock carcasses that have been treated shortly before death, however, detailed information regarding the prevalence and residual levels of diclofenac in carcasses available to vultures in India remains unreported. Here, we present data on diclofenac residues in 1848 liver samples taken from carcasses of dead livestock sampled at 67 sites in 12 states within India, between May 2004 and July 2005. Diclofenac residues were detected in carcasses in all states except Orisa, where only one site was sampled. The overall prevalence of detectable diclofenac (>10 microg kg(-1)) across all states was 10.1% and varied significantly among states, with up to 22.3% prevalence determined in Bihar. The geometric mean concentration of diclofenac found in samples in which the drug was detected was 352 microg kg(-1). The prevalence of carcasses containing diclofenac is similar to that previously proposed to be required to have caused the observed Gyps vulture declines in India. On the 11th of May 2006, the Drug Controller General (India) ordered the withdrawal of all licenses granted for the manufacture of diclofenac for veterinary use within India. However, if Gyps vultures are to be protected, potentially substantial existing stocks now need to be quickly and effectively removed from the Indian veterinary market.

Effect of the surface water layer on the optical signal in apertureless scanning near field optical microscopy

Optical signals measured in apertureless scanning near field optical microscopy (ASNOM) under ambient conditions are found to be affected significantly by the thin water layer absorbed on the surface under investigation, the presence of which is detected through measurements of the shear force experienced by the tip. This water layer also results in a large hysteresis between optical signals measured during approach and withdrawal of the tip to the sample surface. The role of this effect in ASNOM is anticipated to be significant, with the possibility of resultant topographically induced artefacts for ASNOM involving intermittent contact of tip and sample, but also providing a potential mechanism for nanoscale optical resolution.

Serial chimerism analyses indicate that mixed haemopoietic chimerism influences the probability of graft rejection and disease recurrence following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) for severe aplastic anaemia (SAA): indication for routine assessment of chimerism post SCT for SAA

Ninety-one patients were studied serially for chimeric status following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) for severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) or Fanconi Anaemia (FA). Short tandem repeat polymerase chain reaction (STR-PCR) was used to stratify patients into five groups: (A) complete donor chimeras (n = 39), (B) transient mixed chimeras (n = 15) (C) stable mixed chimeras (n = 18), (D) progressive mixed chimeras (n = 14) (E) recipient chimeras with early graft rejection (n = 5). As serial sampling was not possible in Group E, serial chimerism results for 86 patients were available for analysis. The following factors were analysed for association with chimeric status: age, sex match, donor type, aetiology of aplasia, source of stem cells, number of cells engrafted, conditioning regimen, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis, occurrence of acute and chronic GvHD and survival. Progressive mixed chimeras (PMCs) were at high risk of late graft rejection (n = 10, P <0.0001). Seven of these patients lost their graft during withdrawal of immunosuppressive therapy. STR-PCR indicated an inverse correlation between detection of recipient cells post-SCT and occurrence of acute GvHD (P = 0.008). PMC was a bad prognostic indicator of survival (P = 0.003). Monitoring of chimeric status during cyclosporin withdrawal may facilitate therapeutic intervention to prevent late graft rejection in patients transplanted for SAA.

Statin withdrawal in people with dementia

Background: There are approximately 24 million people worldwide with dementia; this is likely to increase to 81 million by 2040. Dementia is a progressive condition, and usually leads to death eight to ten years after first symptoms. End-of-life care should emphasise treatments that optimise quality of life and physicians should minimise unnecessary or non-beneficial interventions. Statins are 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors; they have become the cornerstone of pharmacotherapy for the management of hypercholesterolaemia but their ability to provide benefit is unclear in the last weeks or months of life. Withdrawal of statins may improve quality of life in people with advanced dementia, as they will not be subjected to unnecessary polypharmacy or side effects. However, they may help to prevent further vascular events in people of advanced age who are at high risk of such events.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of withdrawal or continuation of statins in people with dementia on: cognitive outcomes, adverse events, behavioural and functional outcomes, mortality, quality of life, vascular morbidity, and healthcare costs.

Search methods: We searched ALOIS (medicine.ox.ac.uk/alois/), the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group Specialised Register on 11 February 2016. We also ran additional searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Clinical.Trials.gov and the WHO Portal/ICTRP on 11 February 2016, to ensure that the searches were as comprehensive and as up-to-date as possible.

Selection criteria: We included all randomised, controlled clinical trials with either a placebo or 'no treatment' control group. We applied no language restrictions.

Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently assessed whether potentially relevant studies met the inclusion criteria, using standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We found no studies suitable for inclusion therefore analysed no data.

Main results: The search strategy identified 28 unique references, all of which were excluded.

Authors' conclusions: We found no evidence to enable us to make an informed decision about statin withdrawal in dementia. Randomised controlled studies need to be conducted to assess cognitive and other effects of statins in participants with dementia, especially when the disease is advanced.

Does Job Search Monitoring Intensity Affect Unemployment? Evidence from Northern Ireland

Because unemployment benefit reforms typically package together a number of changes, few existing evaluations have been able to isolate the effects of changes in job search monitoring intensity on benefit recipient stocks or flows. Those few studies that do so draw mixed conclusions. This paper provides new estimates of monitoring impacts by exploiting plausibly exogenous periods where search monitoring has been temporarily withdrawn - with the regime otherwise unchanged - during a series of benefit office refurbishments in Northern Ireland. As we would expect from search theory, withdrawal of monitoring significantly increases the stock of unemployment benefit recipients via reduced outflows. © The London School of Economics and Political Science 2008.

Tip-enhanced Raman microscopy: practicalities and limitations

The feasibility of apertureless scanning near-field Raman microscopy, exploiting the local enhancement in Raman scattering in the vicinity of a silver or gold tip, was investigated. Using the finite difference time domain method we calculated the enhancement of electric field strength, and hence Raman scattering, achieved through the resonant excitation of local modes in the tip. By modelling the frequency-dependent dielectric response of the metal tip we were able to highlight the resonant nature of the tip-enhancement and determine the excitation wavelength required for the strongest electric field enhancement, and hence Raman scattering intensity, which occurs for the excitation of modes localized at the tip apex. It is demonstrated that a peak Raman enhancement of 10(7)-fold should be achievable with <5 nm spatial resolution. We show that surface-enhanced Raman scattering from carbon contamination on a silver or gold tip can be significant. However, we find for a tip of radius of curvature 20 nm that the Raman enhancement should decay totally within 20 nm from the tip. Hence withdrawal of the tip by this distance should lead to the disappearance of the tip-enhanced signal, leaving only that from carbon contamination on the tip itself and the intrinsic signal from the sample. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Limiting withdrawal rate and maximum film thickness during dip-coating of titania sols onto a Si substrate

The article highlights new insights into production of thin titania films widely used as catalyst support in many modern reactors including capillary microreactors, microstructured fixed-bed reactors and falling film microreactors. Dip-coating of a Mania sol onto a Si substrate has been studied in the range of the sol viscosities of 1.5-2.5 mPa s and the sol withdrawal rates of 0.2-18 mm/s. Different viscosities of sols were created by addition of desired amounts of nitric acid to the synthesis mixture of titanium isopropoxide and Plutonic F127 in ethanol which allowed to control the rate of the condensation reactions. Uniform inesoporous titania coatings were obtained at the solvent withdrawal rates below 10 mm/s at sol viscosities in the range from 1.6 mPa s to 2.5 mPa s. There exists a limiting withdrawal rate corresponding to a capillary number of ca. 0.01 beyond which uniform titania films cannot be obtained. Below the limiting withdrawal rate, the coating thickness is a power function of the sol viscosity and withdrawal rate, both with an exponent of 2/3. The limiting withdrawal rate increases as the solvent evaporation rate increases and it decreases as the sol viscosity increases. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM WITHDRAWAL ON CARCASS COMPOSITION AND RESIDUE CONCENTRATIONS IN CLENBUTEROL-MEDICATED CATTLE

The detection of the illegal use of clenbuterol (CBL) as a growth promoter has relied on detecting residual concentrations of the drug in body fluids or tissues. Analysis of retinal extracts has recently been shown to considerably extend the detection period following withdrawal. The withdrawal periods required to eliminate residues from the liver and retina were investigated by medicating 20 cattle with CBL for 30 days; 6 control animals remained unmedicated. Residual concentrations were monitored throughout this period and for the subsequent 140 days. Concurrent changes in muscle areas and backfat thicknesses were recorded by ultrasound.

Ecological Impacts of Alien Species: Quantification, Scope, Caveats, and Recommendations

Despite intensive research during the past decade on the effects of alien species, invasion science still lacks the capacity to accurately predict the impacts of those species and, therefore, to provide timely advice to managers on where limited resources should be allocated. This capacity has been limited partly by the context-dependent nature of ecological impacts, research highly skewed toward certain taxa and habitat types, and the lack of standardized methods for detecting and quantifying impacts. We review different strategies, including specific experimental and observational approaches, for detecting and quantifying the ecological impacts of alien species. These include a four-way experimental plot design for comparing impact studies of different organisms. Furthermore, we identify hypothesis-driven parameters that should be measured at invaded sites to maximize insights into the nature of the impact. We also present strategies for recognizing high-impact species. Our recommendations provide a foundation for developing systematic quantitative measurements to allow comparisons of impacts across alien species, sites, and time.