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Abstract: The impact of meltwater injection into the shear margins of Jakobshavn Isbræ via drainage from water‐filled crevasses on ice flow is examined. We use Landsat‐8 Operational Land Imager panchromatic, high‐resolution imagery to monitor the spatiotemporal variability of seven water‐filled crevasse ponds during the summers of 2013 to 2015. The timing of drainage from water‐filled crevasses coincides with an increase of 2 to 20% in measured ice velocity beyond Jakobshavn Isbræ shear margins, which we define as extramarginal ice velocity. Some water‐filled crevasse groups demonstrate multiple drainage events within a single melt season. Numerical simulations show that hydrologic shear weakening due to water‐filled crevasse drainage can accelerate extramarginal flow by as much as ~35% within 10 km of the margins and enhance mass flux through the shear margins by 12%. This work demonstrates a novel mechanism through which surface melt can influence regional ice flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smokers report more pain and worse functioning. The evidence from pain clinics suggests that depression affects this relationship: The association between smoking and chronic pain is weakened when controlling for depression. This study explored the relationship between smoking, pain and depression in a large general population‐based cohort (Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study). Methods: Chronic pain measures (intensity, disability), self‐reported smoking status and a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) were analysed. A multivariate analysis of covariance determined whether smoking status was associated with both pain measures and a history of depressive illness. Using a statistical mediation model any mediating effect of depression on the relationship between smoking and chronic pain was sought. Results: Of all 24,024 participants, 30% (n = 7162) reported any chronic pain. Within this chronic pain group, 16% (n = 1158) had a history of MDD; 7108 had valid smoking data: 20% (n = 1408) were current smokers, 33% (n = 2351) former and 47% (n = 3349) never smokers. Current smokers demonstrated higher pain intensity and pain‐related disability scores compared with former and non‐smokers (p < 0.001 for all analyses). From the mediation model, the effect on pain intensity decreased (p < 0.001), indicating that the relationship between smoking and a history of depression contributes significantly to the effect of smoking on pain intensity. When applied to smoking‐related pain disability, there was no mediation effect. Conclusions: In contrast to smokers treated in pain clinics, a history of MDD mediated the relationship between smoking and pain intensity, but not pain‐related disability in smokers in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective An association between bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment has repeatedly been described, even for euthymic patients. Findings are inconsistent both across primary studies and previous meta-analyses. This study reanalysed 31 primary data sets as a single large sample ( N = 2876) to provide a more definitive view. Method Individual patient and control data were obtained from original authors for 11 measures from four common neuropsychological tests: California or Rey Verbal Learning Task ( VLT), Trail Making Test ( TMT), Digit Span and/or Wisconsin Card Sorting Task. Results Impairments were found for all 11 test-measures in the bipolar group after controlling for age, IQ and gender ( Ps ≤ 0.001, E.S. = 0.26-0.63). Residual mood symptoms confound this result but cannot account for the effect sizes found. Impairments also seem unrelated to drug treatment. Some test-measures were weakly correlated with illness severity measures suggesting that some impairments may track illness progression. Conclusion This reanalysis supports VLT, Digit Span and TMT as robust measures of cognitive impairments in bipolar disorder patients. The heterogeneity of some test results explains previous differences in meta-analyses. Better controlling for confounds suggests deficits may be smaller than previously reported but should be tracked longitudinally across illness progression and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about a research that is based on a large series of patients who underwent a none-bone anchored musculoperiosteal flap technique of cochlear implant device fixation. It mentions that a retro-auricular curvilinear incision is made and a musculo-periosteal flap is raised anteriorly to expose the mastoid bone and the bony external auditory canal. It adds that long-term results in patients demonstrated low complication rates with no cases of device extrusion or migration.

Past breeding strategies for dairy cattle have been very effective in producing rapid genetic gain to achieve industry targets and raise profitability. Such gains have been largely facilitated by intense selection of sires combined with the use of artificial insemination. However, this practice can potentially limit the level of genetic diversity through inbreeding and selection plateaus. The rate of inbreeding in Australia is increasing, primarily as a result of semen importation from a small number of prominent bulls from the USA. The effect of this genetic influx in the Australian dairy cattle population is poorly understood both in terms of diversity and local adaptation/divergence. This study uses 845 genome-wide SNP genetic markers and 431 bulls to characterize the level of genetic diversity and genetic divergence within the Australian and international Holstein Friesian dairy population. No significant differences in genetic diversity (as measured by heterozygosity [ H o] and allelic richness [ A]) were observed over the 25-year time period (1975–1999) for bulls used in Australia. The importation of foreign semen into Australia has increased the effective population size until it was in effect a sub-sample of the global population. Our data indicate that most individuals are equally closely related to one another, regardless of country of origin and year of birth. In effect, the global population can be considered as one single population unit. These results indicate that inbreeding, genetic drift and selection has had little effect at reducing genetic diversity and differentiating the Australian Holstein Friesian population at a genome-wide level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of severe fetal dystocia due to hydrops fetalis associated with pulmonary aplasia in two male and pulmonary hypoplasia in one female Australian Dexter fetuses from two herds is described. Obstetrical intervention by caesarean section was required for delivery of the fetuses, with mortalities in one dam and the 3 calves. Clinical, pathological and genetic features are tabulated to assist in distinguishing pulmonary hypoplasia-associated hydrops fetalis from the more prevalent disorder of chondrodysplasia in Dexter cattle. Anasarca and complete absence or presence of only rudimentary lung tissue in a large thoracic cavity clearly distinguishes this entity from the lesions of Dexter chondrodysplasia that include severe micromelia and abundant lung tissue in a small thoracic cavity with shortened spine and rib cage. Pedigree information suggested that Dexter hydrops may be transmitted in an autosomal recessive manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an obituary for James Brunskill Brierley, Carshalton and honorary consultant in Neuropathology in West Park Hospital in Epsom, England.

Cavanagh J, Smyth R, Goodwin GM. Relapse into mania or depression following lithium discontinuation: a 7-year follow-up. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2004: 109: 91–95. © Blackwell Munksgaard 2004. We aimed to assess whether outcome followed a worse course after acute lithium withdrawal. Data were acquired by review of the clinical records on 14 cases and 28 controls matched for age, gender and time on lithium for about 7 years following discontinuation. Significant differences were found between cases and controls. Cases experienced more episodes of depression and total affective relapse. The log-rank test revealed a significantly lower survival probability in cases than controls ( P < 0.0009). However, the increased risk of recurrence was largely confined to the interval immediately after lithium discontinuation. These results confirm that acute discontinuation of lithium leads to a high immediate relapse rate. Most of the excess morbidity over 7 years appears to be attributable to the first episode following discontinuation. Outcome was not worsened by discontinuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the abstract of the article "Characterization of the Bovine Aggrecan Gene: Genomic Structure and Physical and Linkage Mapping," by J. A. L. Cavanagh, I. Tammen, M. J. Hayden, C. A. Gill, F. W. Nicholas and H. W. Raadsma, published in the October 2005 issue of the journal "Animal Genetics."