Relation between breast cancer incidence and environment,lifestyle and socio‐economic factors ‐ an ecological study

Data from the former Cancer Registry of the GDR and from other sources were used in an attempt to explain regional differences in the female breast cancer incidence taking into account the prevalence of known risk factors or the average regional environmental exposure (to air pollutants like SO₂ and NO_X). Although the well‐known ‘ecological fallacy’ demonstrates that the associations observed for the aggregate population level may not apply to individuals, the results obtained seem to be plausible. They confirm the results from individual‐level observational studies (case‐control and cohort studies). Regional differences in incidence rates of breast cancer could be explained by risk factors, found in those epidemiological studies, as for example age of primiparous mothers, social status and others. On the basis of a multiple weighted linear regression analysis, a final model was developed, by means of which more than 63% of the variance of incidence could be explained.     

Predictive validity of driving-simulator assessments following traumatic brain injury: a preliminary study

Objective: To evaluate whether driving simulator and road test evaluations can predict long-term driving performance, we conducted a prospective study on 11 patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Sixteen healthy subjects were also tested to provide normative values on the simulator at baseline.

Method: At their initial evaluation (time-1), subjects' driving skills were measured during a 30-minute simulator trial using an automated 12-measure Simulator Performance Index (SPI), while a trained observer also rated their performance using a Driving Performance Inventory (DPI). In addition, patients were evaluated on the road by a certified driving evaluator. Ten months later (time-2), family members observed patients driving for at least 3 hours over 4 weeks and rated their driving performance using the DPI.

Results: At time-1, patients were significantly impaired on automated SPI measures of driving skill, including: speed and steering control, accidents, and vigilance to a divided-attention task. These simulator indices significantly predicted the following aspects of observed driving performance at time-2: handling of automobile controls, regulation of vehicle speed and direction, higher-order judgment and self-control, as well as a trend-level association with car accidents. Automated measures of simulator skill (SPI) were more sensitive and accurate than observational measures of simulator skill (DPI) in predicting actual driving performance. To our surprise, the road test results at time-1 showed no significant relation to driving performance at time-2.

Conclusion: Simulator-based assessment of patients with brain injuries can provide ecologically valid measures that, in some cases, may be more sensitive than a traditional road test as predictors of long-term driving performance in the community.     

Predicting geographic variation in cutaneous leishmaniasis, Colombia

Approximately 6,000 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis are reported annually in Colombia, a greater than twofold increase since the 1980s. Such reports certainly underestimate true incidence, and their geographic distribution is likely biased by local health service effectiveness. We investigated how well freely available environmental data explain the distribution of cases among 1,079 municipalities. For each municipality, a unique predictive logistic regression model was derived from the association among remaining municipalities between elevation, land cover (preclassified maps derived from satellite images), or both, and the odds of at least one case being reported. Land cover had greater predictive power than elevation; using both datasets improved accuracy. Fitting separate models to different ecologic zones, reflecting transmission cycle diversity, enhanced the accuracy of predictions. We derived measures that can be directly related to disease control decisions and show how results can vary, depending on the threshold selected for predicting a disease-positive municipality. The results identify areas where disease is most likely to be underreported.     

Suitability for psychoanalytic psychotherapy: a review

OBJECTIVE: To review empirical studies on outpatients' pretherapy suitability for psychoanalytic psychotherapy. METHOD: A literature search for studies in English was made in the databases MEDLINE, PsychInfo and EM-base. Forty-one studies spanning 20 years were selected for a thorough evaluation. RESULTS: Seventy-five per cent of the studies concerned brief dynamic psychotherapy. In general, application of single measures of suitability had a modest predictive value with correlations in the range of 0.17-0.73. There was no consistent difference between various formats of therapies. Most promising variables with the highest correlations with good outcome were: 'good quality of object relations', 'psychological mindedness' and 'motivation for change'. Some clinical guidelines can be drawn from quantitative research to provide the therapist with best method and format. CONCLUSION: The importance of psychological variables known from the development of the brief dynamic therapies and earlier research was confirmed. Most correlations were modest and single factors could not be identified. Multivariate designs that combine different methods and formats with patient characteristics seem most promising in future predictor-outcome research.     

A new standardized set of ecological pictures for experimental and clinical research on visual object processing

A new set of 174 pictures in black-and-white, coloured and spatially filtered versions, taken from photographs of real objects belonging to different semantic categories, was realised for experimental and clinical research on visual object processing. Two samples, one of English speakers and one of Italian speakers, were tested in order to provide the normative data for each picture, in both black-and-white and coloured versions, in relation to familiarity, visual complexity and name agreement.     

Nested reciprocities: the organism-environment system in perception-action and development

The ecological approach to studying perception and action is one in which researchers view the structure in ambient energy arrays surrounding a given organism as being sufficient to specify meaningful environmental properties to that organism. Thus, from this perspective, perception is viewed not as a cognitive achievement but as a lawful state of affairs that exists in an organism-environment system. The approach to studying development known as transactionalism is one in which researchers view the developmental process as the expression of a complex web of endogenous and exogenous factors. Thus, from this perspective, development is not an unfolding of a genetic program, but rather an ongoing exchange among levels of the organism-environment system that continues throughout the life span of the organism. Despite their independent development, these two meta-theoretical approaches have much in common. In each approach, the organism-environment system is the fundamental unit of analysis, and the development of perception and behavior is spread across the multiple levels of this system.     

The Genomic Revolution: What Does it Mean for Human and Ecological Risk Assessment?

The first sequencing of a complete organism genome occurred in 1995. Since then there has been an explosion of information, with a new organism being sequenced nearly every week. This rapid development of genomics is providing unparalleled opportunities in toxicology, ecology, and risk assessment. This paper provides an overview of some possible applications of this new information in ecological and human risk assessment.     

Preliminary assessment of perchlorate in ecological receptors at the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (LHAAP), Karnack, Texas

There have been increasing human health and ecological concerns about ionic perchlorate (ClO₄) since it was detected in drinking water sources in 1997. Perchlorate is known to affect thyroid function, causing subsequent hormone disruption and potential perturbations of metabolic activities. According to current estimates, perchlorate is found in the surface or groundwater of 14 states, including Texas. Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, located in east central Texas, was a facility historically associated with perchlorate-containing propellants and rocket motors. Subsequently, perchlorate contamination in ground and surface waters at the facility has been reported. Soil, sediment, water, vegetation, and animal tissue samples were collected from several locations within the plant for a preliminary site assessment of perchlorate contamination. Perchlorate concentrations ranged from 555–5,557,000ppb in vegetation, 811–2038ppb in aquatic insects, below detection limits (ND) to 207ppb in fish, ND-580ppb in frogs, and ND–2328ppb in mammals.Consistent with our hypothesis, aquatic organisms inhabiting perchlorate-contaminated surface water bodies contained detectable concentrations of perchlorate. Additionally, terrestrial organisms were exposed through pathways not necessarily related to contaminated surface waters. Therefore, these data demonstrate that aquatic and terrestrial species are exposed to perchlorate in the environment. To our knowledge, this represents the first incidence of perchlorate exposure among wild animals reported in the scientific literature.An erratum to this article can be found at     

生态因子与古今天麻产区的关系

目的研究天麻分布与生态因子之间的关系。方法分析温度、湿度、海拔及植被等对天麻分布的影响。结果天麻的分布对生态因子敏感,天麻自然分布区基本位于年平均最低地面温度-4℃线与年平均地温20℃线之间,主产区多位于年平均水汽压的14~16 hPa线之间;历代天麻产区的变迁与气候变迁有密切关系。结论天麻的分布与主产区的形成是生态因子综合作用于天麻和蜜环菌的结果。