Knowledge about a species' conservation status and funding for its preservation: Analysis

Using a species’ population to measure its conservation status, this note explores how an increase in knowledge about this status would change the public’s willingness to donate funds for its conservation. This is done on the basis that the relationship between the level of donations and a species’ conservation status satisfies stated general mathematical properties. This level of donation increases, on average, with greater knowledge of a species’ conservation status if it is endangered, but falls if it is secure. Game theory and other theory is used to show how exaggerating the degree of endangerment of a species can be counterproductive for conservation.

Uterine preservation or hysterectomy at sacrospinous colpopexy for uterovaginal prolapse

This study retrospectively compared 34 women who had a sacrospinous hysteropexy and 36 who had a vaginal hysterectomy and sacrospinous fixation for symptomatic uterine prolapse. All women underwent independent review and examination, with a mean follow-up of 36 months in the hysterectomy group and 26 months in the hysteropexy group.  The subjective success rate was 86% in the hysterectomy group and 78% in the hysteropexy group (P = 0.70). The objective success rate was 72% and 74%, respectively (P = 1.00). The patient-determined satisfaction rate was 86% in the hysterectomy group and 85% in the hysteropexy group (P = 1.00). The operating time in the hysterectomy group was 91 minutes, compared to 59 minutes in the hysteropexy group (P

Cancer culture: Epidemics, human behaviour and the dubious search for new risk factors

The rise of melanoma and the almost complete decline of stomach cancer clearly reflect disturbances of human culture during the 20th century. Environmental factors play a dominant role in the epidemiology of melanoma and many other malignancies.