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To examine how precipitation patterns and climate change impact feeding choices made by a population of critically endangered cotton‐top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus), we examined 22 years of feeding data (1999–2020) from 21 groups collected at Parque Natural Regional Bosque Seco El Ceibal Mono Tití in Santa Catalina, Colombia. We describe the diet and examine the role of seasonal rainfall and annual variation in rainfall on diet. Rainfall is highly seasonal (mean annual rainfall 1562 mm [range 940–2680 mm]) with a dry, early rainy, and late rainy season in each year. Over 80 species of plants formed part of the fruit, nectar, and exudate components of the diet. Fruits, although available year‐round, were more commonly available and consumed during the late rainy seasons (August–November). Exudates were consumed more frequently in the dry season (December–March) and invertebrate consumption was stable across the year. Nectar feeding from a single species (Combretum fruticosum) peaked in November. Rainfall varied over the years, with 13 years exceeding the 99% confidence intervals for mean rainfall. Ten of these extreme years (both drought and extremely wet) occurred in the last 11 years. Fruit consumption did not vary between extreme and average years, but cotton‐top tamarins consumed more invertebrates and exudates in wet years. Presently, cotton‐top tamarins appear to be able to cope with these extreme variations in rainfall due to their highly varied diet. However, the forests that these primates depend upon for survival are threatened by human exploitation making it critically important to maintain a generalist feeding strategy for survival as many fruiting trees that compose a large proportion of the diet are removed. As conservation efforts continue, plant species consumed by cotton‐top tamarins provide useful data when selecting species for habitat restoration programs. Highlights: Cotton‐top tamarins have a diverse diet consisting of fruits from trees, shrubs, and lianas as well as a variety of invertebrates, exudates, and nectar, feeding less frequently on flowers, meristems, fungi, cactus, and palms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obtaining prospective written consent from women to participate in trials when they are experiencing an obstetric emergency is challenging. Alternative consent pathways, such as gaining verbal consent at enrolment followed, later, by obtaining written consent, have been advocated by some clinicians and bioethicists but have received little empirical attention. We explored women's and staff views about the consent procedures used during the internal pilot of a trial (GOT-IT), where the protocol permitted staff to gain verbal consent at recruitment.Methods: Interviews with staff (n = 27) and participating women (n = 22). Data were analysed thematically and interviews were cross-compared to identify differences and similarities in participants' views about the consent procedures used.Results: Women and some staff highlighted benefits to obtaining verbal consent at trial enrolment, including expediting recruitment and reducing the burden on those left exhausted by their births. However, most staff with direct responsibility for taking consent expressed extreme reluctance to proceed with enrolment until they had obtained written consent, despite being comfortable using verbal procedures in their clinical practice. To account for this resistance, staff drew a strong distinction between research and clinical care and suggested that a higher level of consent was needed when recruiting into trials. In doing so, staff emphasised the need to engage women in reflexive decision-making and highlighted the role that completing the consent form could play in enabling and evidencing this process. While most staff cited their ethical responsibilities to women, they also voiced concerns that the absence of a signed consent form at recruitment could expose them to greater risk of litigation were an individual to experience a complication during the trial. Inexperience of recruiting into peripartum trials and limited availability of staff trained to take consent also reinforced preferences for obtaining written consent at recruitment.Conclusions: While alternative consent pathways have an important role to play in advancing emergency medicine research, and may be appreciated by potential recruits, they may give rise to unintended ethical and logistical challenges for staff. Staff would benefit from training and support to increase their confidence and willingness to recruit into trials using alternative consent pathways.Trial Registration: This qualitative research was undertaken as part of the GOT-IT Trial (trial registration number: ISCRTN 88609453 ). Date of registration 26/03/2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES) (ISRCTN11883920) demonstrated improved survival for postmenopausal women with ER-positive/unknown primary breast cancer who switched to exemestane after 2-3 years tamoxifen, compared with those continuing on tamoxifen to complete 5 years therapy. This was achieved without detriment to on-treatment quality-of-life (QoL). We report on- and post-treatment QoL impact in IES.Methods:A total of 582 patients from 8 countries participated in the QoL substudy. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) and endocrine symptom subscale (ES) were completed at baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48 and 60 months. The primary endpoint was FACT-B Trial Outcome Index (TOI); secondary endpoints included severity of individual endocrine symptoms.Results:Both the groups showed gradual improvement in overall QoL and lessening of total endocrine symptoms post treatment compared with baseline (P<0.002). There was no evidence of any between-group differences in TOI. Vasomotor complaints remained high on treatment. Vaginal discharge was more frequent (P<0.01) with tamoxifen up to 24 months from baseline. In both the groups, post-treatment libido did not recover to baseline levels.Conclusion:Clinical benefits of switching to exemestane are accompanied by good overall QoL. Although some symptoms persist, the majority of endocrine symptoms improve after treatment completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DESIGN: Qualitative interview study. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-nine patients with a family history of cancer who attend a regional cancer genetics clinic in the UK were interviewed about their current and previous research experiences. Findings: Interviewees gave a range of explanations for research participation. These were categorised as (a) social--research participation benefits the wider society by progressing science and improving treatment for everyone; (b) familial--research participation may improve healthcare and benefit current or future generations of the participant's family; and (c) personal--research participation provides therapeutic or non-therapeutic benefits for oneself. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss the distinction drawn between motives for research participation focused upon self (personal) and others (familial/social), and observe that personal, social and familial motives can be seen as interdependent. For example, research participation that is undertaken to benefit others, particularly relatives, may also offer a number of personal benefits for self, such as enabling participants to feel that they have discharged their social or familial obligations. We argue for the need to move away from simple, static, individualised notions of research participation to a more complex, dynamic and inherently social account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design: Qualitative interview study. Participants: Fifty-nine patients with a family history of cancer who attend a regional cancer genetics clinic in the UK were interviewed about their current and previous research experiences. Findings: Interviewees gave a range of explanations for research participation. These were categorised as (a) social—research participation benefits the wider society by progressing science and improving treatment for everyone; (b) familial—research participation may improve healthcare and benefit current or future generations of the participant's family; and (c) personal— research participation provides therapeutic or nontherapeutic benefits for oneself. Conclusions: We discuss the distinction drawn between motives for research participation focused upon self (personal) and others (familial/social), and observe that personal, social and familial motives can be seen as interdependent. For example, research participation that is undertaken to benefit others, particularly relatives, may also offer a number of personal benefits for self, such as enabling participants to feel that they have discharged their social or familial obligations. We argue for the need to move away from simple, static, individualised notions of research participation to a more complex, dynamic and inherently social account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callithrix jacchus infants are raised in complex family environments where most members participate in rearing the young. Many studies examining male parental behavior have focused on the carrying of infants with observations made within the family context. However, interference from family members can make it difficult to assess the father's motivation to care for infants. Our goals were to develop a testing paradigm for determining an individual's response to infant stimuli separate from family influences, compare a male's motivation to respond to an infant stimulus outside the family with his paternal behavior within the family, to compare responses to infant stimuli of parentally experienced versus inexperienced males and finally to develop a reproducible and standardized method of testing male responsiveness to infant stimulus that could serve to evaluate hormonal manipulations. Fifteen experienced common marmoset fathers were evaluated using three different measures of parental behavior: (1) instantaneous scan sampling, (2) continuous focal sampling in the family, and (3) continuous focal sampling of males presented with four infant stimuli: familiar and unfamiliar infants, familiar and unfamiliar infant vocalizations. Six parentally inexperienced males (non-fathers) served as controls. Males that carried the most in the family were typically the same males that responded most to the infant vocalization tests. Experienced fathers did not differ in their latency to enter the stimulus cage for any of the four infant stimuli response tests while inexperienced males took significantly longer to enter the stimulus cage. In addition, fathers expressed a greater frequency of infant-directed behavior than did the inexperienced males during the unfamiliar infant and unfamiliar vocalization tests. These studies show that experienced male marmosets are highly motivated to interact with infant stimuli and that there is interindividual variability in response to infant vocalizations. Testing males outside of the family allows for a clear assessment of male's interest in infant stimuli in both parentally experienced fathers and inexperienced males. Am. J. Primatol. 70:84–92, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined seasonal patterns of fruit availability, dietary quality, and group size in the descendants of an introduced chimpanzee population on Rubondo Island, Tanzania. The site has supported a free-ranging population without provisioning for 40 years. Our goals were to determine whether Rubondo chimpanzees experience periods of fruit shortage, and whether they respond to changes in fruit availability similarly to chimpanzees at endemic sites. We indexed the fruit availability of tree and liana species on transects stratified across three chimpanzee ranging areas. We used fecal analyses to evaluate seasonal changes in diet, and used data on party size and nesting group size to examine seasonal patterns of grouping. Tree fruit availability was positively correlated with rainfall, with a period of relative tree fruit scarcity corresponding with the long dry season. Liana fruit availability was not related to rainfall, and lianas exhibited less variable fruiting patterns across seasons. Fruits made up the majority of the chimpanzee diet, with lianas accounting for 35% of dietary fruit species. Fruits of the liana Saba comorensis were available during all months of phenological monitoring, but they were consumed more when tree fruit was scarce, suggesting that Saba comorensis fruits may be a fallback food for Rubondo chimpanzees. There were no increases in consumption of lower-quality plant parts between seasons, and there were no changes in group size between seasons. These results contrast with evidence from several endemic chimpanzee study sites, and indicate that Rubondo chimpanzees may have access to abundant and high-quality foods year round. Am. J. Primatol. 69:487–502, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interviews with neonatologists in a related study had revealed a degree of discomfort with approaching bereaved parents for postmortem examinations (PMs) and a widespread concern that parents should not be further distressed or feel under pressure to consent. Objective: To report the attitudes of bereaved parents to trial related perinatal PMs, in the light of declining perinatal PM rates and poor levels of participation in pathology studies. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out, using semistructured interviews. The study involved 11 interviews with 18 bereaved parents from five UK neonatal units. The parents had consented to the enrolment of their baby in one of two neonatal trials. Results: The data provide support for the careful approach described by neonatologists in a related study, but also suggest that it may be possible to approach more parents without undermining their wellbeing. The interviews show the variety of reactions to PMs that one would expect, from parents who were clear that they did not want a PM to others who felt that they needed the information from the examination. Between these extremes were parents who were initially discomforted by the idea but who then made the decision to go ahead. Parents who elected to have a PM did so for their own needs, or to contribute to a trial, or for both reasons. The fact that the subject was raised was generally not seen as inappropriate, and none stated that they kit that they were actually pressured into making their decision. The data also suggest that for some parents the degree of caution and selectivity exercised by the neonatologists may not be entirely appropriate. In two cases, consent for the PM was driven by a sense of making an altruistic contribution to research, and, in another two, altruism was expressed in the context of their own desire for information from a PM. Conclusions: It is important to determine whether trial related pathology studies are considered by... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the attitudes of neonatologists to trial related perinatal postmortem examinations (PMs), in the light of declining perinatal PM rates and poor levels of participation in pathology studies. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out, using semistructured interviews. Twenty six neonatologists from five UK neonatal units were interviewed; five UK perinatal pathologists also contributed to the study. The professionals involved were all linked to one or both of two neonatal trials. Results: Pathologists expressed concern over the difficulties experienced in UK perinatal pathology and the impact on research of inadequate levels of samples. The interviews with neonatologists reveal discomfort over approaching bereaved parents for PMs, and a widespread concern that parents should not be further distressed or feel under pressure to consent. Although there was support for neonatal trials, the study highlights a view that PMs may be unnecessary if the cause of death seems apparent or when a baby was born prematurely, and a devaluation of PMs among some younger staff. Poor rates of participation in pathology studies may be accounted for by a notable sense of disconnection between trial interventions and pathology studies. Conclusions: Neonatologists were concerned to protect vulnerable parents and varied in whether they saw this as compatible with inclusion in trial related pathology studies. Dedicated research is needed to document and gain an understanding of the consent process and should examine the usefulness and impact of consent forms. It should assess whether professionals might benefit from training, to help parents to come to their decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproduction is restricted to a small number of animals within both captive and wild groups of callitrichid monkeys (marmosets and tamarins). Sexual development of nonbreeding group members might differ from that of active breeders. Measurements of physical growth typically involve animal handling. However, capture and restraint of callitrichid monkeys can disrupt natural behaviors and physiology. This study introduces a method for estimating size of external genitalia by measuring frontal scrotum width of unrestrained cotton-top tamarin males. We examined whether scrotum width was a reliable indicator of testis size, and whether the method provided information useful for comparisons of growth and development among individuals. Animals were lured to a standardized position, and maximum width of the scrotum was systematically compared to a card with a series of rectangles graded in 1 mm increments. Card measures were validated with caliper measurements of scrotum width and testicle dimensions. Regressions of testes dimensions measured by caliper on scrotum width measured by card were between 82 and 93%, suggesting that measures of frontal scrotum width provide consistent estimates of relative testis sizes. The period of rapid growth ended by roughly two years of age, after which scrotum size did not differ from that of breeding males. Am. J. Primatol. 51:187–195, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent models of the evolution and dynamics of family structure in cooperatively breeding vertebrates predict that the opening of breeding vacancies in cooperatively breeding groups will result in (1) dispersal movements to fill the reproductive position, and (2) within-group conflict over access to reproduction. We describe the behavioral and demographic changes that followed the creation of breeding vacancies in three wild groups of cooperatively breeding common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus). Replacement of the breeding female was rapid when no adult females remained in the group, but did not occur for several months when other adult females were present. Aggression of adult animals towards same-sex potential immigrants was associated with a period of reduced affiliation, increased intragroup agonism, no intragroup sexual behavior, and frequent extragroup copulations. This ended with the fissioning of groups along sexual lines. After replacement, multiple males copulated with multiple females and vice versa, with no increases in sexually related aggression. Female-female conflict was resolved through infanticide. The lack of direct conflict between males is consistent with cooperative polyandry. After a breeding vacancy appeared, marmoset groups showed conflict of interests among group members similar to those shown by cooperatively breeding birds, but they used different behavioral mechanisms to resolve those conflicts. Our data provide important evidence from a cooperatively breeding mammal to support Emlen’s model for the evolution of vertebrate families, but they suggest that species-specific inter- and intrasexual competitive strategies should be considered before the model can be applied to other cooperatively breeding vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent human studies suggest that oesophageal HCO3- secretion, in conjunction with salivary HCO3- secretion and secondary oesophageal peristalsis, is important for the protection of oesophageal mucosa from refluxed gastric contents. This study evaluated simultaneously the responsiveness of oesophageal and salivary HCO3- secretion to oesophageal acidification in eight healthy subjects. A 10 cm segment of oesophagus was perfused at a constant rate of 5 ml/min with a specially designed tube assembly. Saline was used initially, and then 10 mM and 100 mM HCl. The perfusates contained 3H-polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a concentration marker to determine volumes. Corrections were applied for a small degree of contamination by swallowed saliva and refluxed gastric alkali. Oesophageal perfusion with 10 mM HCl did not cause symptoms (nausea and heartburn), but tripled the oesophageal HCO3- output from a baseline of 51 mumol/10 cm/10 min (p = 0.021), while doubling the rate of salivary HCO3- secretion from a median basal value of 140 mumol/10 min (p = 0.021). Oesophageal perfusion with 100 mM HCl was associated with symptoms of nausea and heartburn in all subjects. The median oesophageal HCO3- output increased 32 fold to 1659 mumol/10 cm/10 min (interquartile range 569 to 3373; p = 0.036), and salivary HCO3- secretion approximately tripled from basal values (p = 0.036). In conclusion, oesophageal acidification stimulates both salivary and oesophageal HCO3- secretion, responses which may be protective to the oesophageal epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Injury of the oesophageal mucosa can result from exposure to refluxed gastric acid and pepsin. Competence of the lower oesophageal sphincter and peristaltic activity serve to reduce contract time between luminal acid and oesophageal mucosa, but intraluminal neutralisation of residual acid by bicarbonate may also be important in preventing oesophageal mucosal injury. Whereas swallowed saliva contains bicarbonate, recent experiments have also demonstrated alkali secretion from the mammalian oesophagus. Bicarbonate secretion from the human oesophagus was therefore examined with an intubation technique and perfusion of the oesophagus with a non-absorbable marker. Saliva, gastric, and oesophageal aspirates were collected and bicarbonate concentrations determined by measurements of pH and pCO2 or by back titration. In 32 normal subjects (17 women, 15 men) median basal oesophageal bicarbonate secretion determined by a pH/pCO2 method was 416 (range 139-1050) mumol/hour/10 cm. In a subgroup of 15 experiments median oesophageal bicarbonate output was 489 (range 157-1033) mumol/hour/10 cm (pH/pCO2 method) compared with a median alkali output of 563 (range 135-799) mumol/hour/10 cm as determined by back titration. The difference was not significant. Salivary contamination of the oesophagus accounted for 25% of all bicarbonate measured within the oesophagus and refluxed gastric bicarbonate accounted for 2.5%. Bicarbonate secretion from the normal human oesophagus may, in combination with swallowed salivary bicarbonate, play a part in preventing oesophageal mucosal damage due to refluxed gastric acid and pepsin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This questionnaire-based study describes in detail the attitudes of 245 carriers of recessive disorders to preimplantation diagnosis (PID). These are compared to responses to other reproductive options for carriers, that is prenatal diagnosis (PND), adoption, donor insemination (DI) and egg donation. The positive attitudes of this sample to PID and corresponding negative attitudes to adoption, DI and egg donation are striking. Almost the entire sample indicated that they viewed early reassurance and the opportunity to avoid a termination of pregnancy as important advantages of PID. Disadvantageous aspects of PID were acknowledged, but did not result in many participants finding this approach unacceptable. The study revealed a number of differences between men and women, especially in their perceptions of the disadvantages of PID. Women saw the practical difficulties of PID as more important disadvantages than did the men, and were very much more concerned about the issues involving embryos. Men, conversely, rated the impact upon their partners as a more important disadvantage. These findings underline the importance of considering both sets of views. Despite support for PID, in an overall assessment it did not displace PND as the most useful reproductive option. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hormonal profiles during postpartum estrus, time of conception, and pregnancy were determined in urine samples from six cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus oedipus), Noninvasive collection techniques permitted daily sampling throughout lactation and pregnancy. Urinary estrone (E1), estradial (E2), and both bioactive and immunoreactive luteinizing hormone/ chorionic gonadotropin (LH/CG) measures revealed an interval of 19 ± 2.07 (S E M) days between parturition and the postpartum ovulatory LH peak. An increase in both El and E2 was seen prior to the LH peak; however, E1 and E2 continued to increase to their highest concentrations after the LH peak. Since postpartum ovulations resulted in pregnancy, neither postpartum estrus nor conception was suppressed by lactation. The length of gestation (measured from the LH peak to parturition) was 183.7 ± 1.14 (S E M) days, which is at least 30 days longer than that previously reported for other callitrichid species. Both E1 and E2 reached their maximum levels during midpregnancy but showed a rapid decline at parturition. Gestational levels of CG were first detectable approximately 20 days after the LH peak and continued to be elevated for approximately 80 days. The Sub-Human Primate Tube Test (SHPTT) for pregnancy did not detect the LH Peak and was less sensitive than other methods in detecting CG. Two RIA methods and a bioassay technique could not distinguish between LH and CG. We concluded that monitoring both estrogen and LH concentration was needed to determine when ovulation occurs in the cotton-top tamarin, since peak values of estrogen are seen after the ovulatory LH peak. Also, these tamarins were pregnant the majority of the time, indicating an unusually high fertility rate in contrast to most noncallitrichid primate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an abstract of the paper "A developmental approach to the study of socially-mediated learning in chimpanzees and cotton-top tamarins," by T. Humle and colleagues, to be presented at the 21st Congress of the International Society of Primatological Society in Entebbe, Uganda on June 25-30, 2006.

Background: There is increasing evidence that tight blood glucose (BG) control improves outcomes in critically ill adults. Children show similar hyperglycaemic responses to surgery or critical illness. However it is not known whether tight control will benefit children given maturational differences and different disease spectrum.Methods/design: The study is an randomised open trial with two parallel groups to assess whether, for children undergoing intensive care in the UK aged Discussion: The relevance of tight glycaemic control in this population needs to be assessed formally before being accepted into standard practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an abstract of the paper "The effect of unequal reward distribution on cooperative problem solving in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)," by K.A. Cronin and C.T. Snowdon, to be presented at the 21st Congress of the International Society of Primatological Society in Entebbe, Uganda on June 25-30, 2006.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article about the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale that was published previously.