Wilfred Trotter and the biosociology of peace and war

The distinguished surgeon Wilfred Trotter (1872–1939), in his book Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War, can be regarded as a pioneer of biosociology and its application to the phenomenon of war. In this paper some of Trotter's ideas are discussed and their relevance to the problems of the present day are considered.     

Psychiatric Comorbidity in Women with Disordered Eating Behavior: A National Study

ABSTRACT

This study used data collected by Statistics Canada in the Mental Health and Well-being cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey (N = 20,211) to examine the associations between disordered eating behavior and selected mood, anxiety and substance use disorders in adult women grouped in three age groups. Significant associations between disordered eating behaviors and major depression, substance dependence and psychological distress were found for women in all three age ranges. Prevalence of specific classes of anxiety disorders in women who reported disordered eating behaviors differed according to their age. Having disordered eating behaviors was significantly associated with both 12-month and lifetime prevalence of social phobia for women above 25 years of age. Lifetime prevalence of agoraphobia was associated with disordered eating behaviors in women 15–44 years old, and the 12-month prevalence was associated with disordered eating behaviors only in women 15–24 years of age. Disordered eating behaviors were significantly associated with lifetime prevalence of panic disorder in women in all three age ranges and with 12-month prevalence of panic disorder in women in two age ranges, 15–24 and 45 and above. The findings highlight the importance of taking age into consideration when developing assessment instruments and treatment strategies to address the co-occurrence of eating disorders and other psychiatric disorders.     

Changes in the Biochemical Profiles of Mid-Cervically Located Adenosine A1 Receptors After Repeated Theophylline Administration in Adult Rats

Abstract

Background/Objective: Adenosine A1 receptors localized in the phrenic motoneurons (PMNs), where the axons of the descending bulbospinal respiratory make synaptic contacts, may be involved in theophylline- induced respiratory-related activity in rats. The objective of this study was to characterize the biochemical profiles of adenosine A., receptors in 2 groups of rats: (a) naive and (b) theophylline-treated (3-day oral administration).

Methods: Biochemical binding characteristics of adenosine A1 receptors in the C3 to C5 (PMN) of adult rats were assessed in naive (n = 6) and theophylline-treated animals (n = 6) using [3H]-DPCPX (10 pmol/L to 30 nmol/L), the specific adenosine A1 receptor antagonist in saturation-binding assays. Competition assays used theophylline as the competing ligand (20 mmol/L to 20 pmol/L), and protein concentration was determined with the Bradford assay using a range of standards (0.016-1.0 mg/mL).

Results: In saturation-binding assays in naive animals, the A1 receptor was characterized by a single binding site with Smax and Kd values of 256.00 ± 32.13 fmoi/mg protein and 2.89 ± 0.45 nmol/L, respectively. Analysis of the isotherm in theophylline-treated animals showed 1 site with Smax and Kd values of 219.00 ± 26.3 fmol/mg protein and 0.60 ± 0.21 nmol/L, respectively, and a second site characterized by Smax and Kd values of 492.6 ± 3.15 fmol/mg protein and 14.09 ± 2.06 n mol/L, respectively.

Conclusions: Theophylline administration revealed 2 binding sites on receptors (characterized by the specific adenosine A1 antagonist, [3H]-DPCPX) located in the vicinity of phrenic motoneurons (C3-C5). Alteration of the receptor profiles after theophylline may underlie the respiratory-related actions of the drug.