Self-Reported Childhood Maltreatment and Erotic Target Identity Inversions Among Men with Paraphilic Infantilism.

Adults with paraphilic infantilism may desire to wear diapers or engage in infant-like role play. Erotic target identity inversions (ETII) and childhood maltreatment have been hypothesized to cause regressive interests. To evaluate these two etiological hypotheses, we surveyed the online adult baby/diaper lover community. Data from 1904 cis-gender men revealed a prevalence of pedophilic interests comparable with the general male population, arguing against ETIIs as common in paraphilic infantilism. In contrast, self-reported childhood neglect and abuse were highly prevalent, suggesting that infantilism might be correlated with childhood maltreatment. Additionally, some participants described repetition and/or sexualization of negative childhood experiences.

Histological outcome of delayed orchidectomy after primary chemotherapy for metastatic germ cell tumour of the testis.

AIMS: To identify the incidence of viable local tumour in the testis of patients undergoing delayed orchidectomy after initial presentation with advanced germ cell tumour (GCT) treated by primary chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients presenting with advanced metastatic GCT were reviewed. The median age at presentation was 34 years. All received chemotherapy without previous orchidectomy. The decision to initiate chemotherapy without orchidectomy was based on a heavy tumour load and the patient's condition at initial presentation. A histological diagnosis was available from a biopsy of metastases in 23 patients; treatment in the remaining 10 patients was initiated after diagnosis based on a combination of elevated serum tumour markers, testicular findings and the presence of a retroperitoneal mass. RESULTS: Seminomatous GCT (SGCT) was diagnosed in 13 patients, non-seminomatous GCT (NSGCT) in 17 patients and mixed GCT (MGCT) in the remaining three patients. Bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin-based chemotherapy was the principle regimen. After initial chemotherapy, all patients with pure SGCT had only scar tissue in the orchidectomy specimen, with no residual tumour. Nine of 17 patients (52.9%) with NSGCT had viable tumour remaining in the orchidectomy specimen. All three cases of MGCT had persistent viable invasive seminoma. Twenty-seven patients (81.8%) were recurrence free and alive after a median of 49 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-six per cent of patients had residual tumour locally in the testis after primary chemotherapy for metastatic GCT of the testis. However, in the cases with pure seminomatous disease, there was no residual tumour present. It may not be necessary to undertake delayed orchidectomy in these patients.

Investigation of stimulus position in the production of the strength duration curve of the external anal sphincter muscle in women with anorectal dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: The strength duration test (SDT) is a minimally invasive test of the innervation of a muscle and has been successfully adapted for use on the external anal sphincter (EAS). The SDT has previously been performed on the EAS placing a stimulating probe in the 3 o'clock position. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was any variation in the strength duration curves (SDC) produced at different positions around the EAS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients with anorectal dysfunction attended our Institution for Anorectal Physiology Studies and were recruited to the study. After undergoing anal manometry, pudendal nerve terminal motor latency measurement and endoanal ultrasonography, the SDT was performed in four stimulus positions (3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock). The sequence of positions was randomly selected. RESULTS: Four SDCs were obtained successfully in 25 patients. There was no significant difference seen between the four positions at the longer current durations (1-100 ms). Significant differences occurred at the shortest current durations (0.3 and 0.1 ms) when comparing adjacent stimulus positions except between the 6 and 9 o'clock positions, which were comparable. When opposing positions were compared (3-9 and 6-12 o'clock) at these short durations no significant difference was found. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the SDC produced at 3 and 9 o'clock. These positions closely correspond to where the pudendal nerves enter the EAS. It therefore appears acceptable to perform the SDT in either of these positions, though 3 o'clock remains our preferred position.

A history of total mercury in edible muscle of fish from lakes in northern Canada.

Subsistence fishing has been an important source of food for Native People in northern Canada since prehistoric time. Measurements of the levels of mercury in edible muscle of northern fish have been undertaken for over three decades in efforts to evaluate the risks of consuming northern fish. This report summarizes the data obtained from 7974 fish of 25 species from sites distributed from the Yukon to Labrador. The most abundant species were lake trout, lake whitefish, arctic char, walleye, northern pike and burbot. The question being asked was essentially "Are the fish safe to eat?" The results were used to support decisions on fishing and consumption of fish. They were sorted in several ways, into concentration ranges corresponding to human consumption guidelines, into political jurisdictions and into types of bedrock geology. Overall walleye, northern pike and lake trout, usually exceeded the subsistence consumption guideline of 0.2 microg g-1 total mercury and often exceeded the higher guideline of 0.5 microg g-1 total mercury for commercial sales of fish. Mercury in burbot, another facultative predator, was often lower but several still exceeding a guideline. Arctic char collections were mostly from anadromous populations and these had very low levels of mercury, presumably reflecting marine food sources. Lake whitefish were among the cleanest fish examined with 69 of 81 collections falling in the lowest range. Most collections were from sites in sedimentary rock. However a few sites were in metamorphic, intrusive or volcanic rocks and these, taken together, tended to have a higher proportion of sites in the higher ranges of mercury. These results indicate a widespread problem with mercury in subsistence fisheries for predator species of fish with the problem being most problematic for Nunavut.

Concentrations of copper thought to be toxic to Escherichia coli can induce the viable but nonculturable condition.

We have determined that concentrations of copper considered to be toxic can induce a fraction of a population of Escherichia coli to enter the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) condition. Copper-induced VBNC cells could be resuscitated for up to 2 weeks after entering the VBNC state.

The viable but nonculturable state of Ralstonia solanacearum may be involved in long-term survival and plant infection.

The role of the dormant-like viable but nonculturable (VBNC) condition in the etiology of bacterial infection was examined using a plant system. The plant-pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum was first shown to enter into the VBNC state both in response to cupric sulfate when in a saline solution and when placed in autoclaved soil. To determine if the VBNC condition is related to pathogenesis, the physiological status of bacteria recovered from different regions of inoculated tomato plants was determined at different stages of infection. The fraction of in planta bacteria that were VBNC increased during infection and became greater than 99% by the late stage of disease. The possibility that soil-dwelling VBNC bacteria may resuscitate and infect plants was also examined. When tomato seeds were germinated in sterile soil that contained VBNC but no detectable culturable forms of R. solanacearum cells, resuscitation was observed to occur in soil adjacent to plant roots; these resuscitated bacteria were able to infect plants. This is the first report of R. solanacearum entering the VBNC state and of resuscitation of any VBNC plant-pathogenic bacteria and provides evidence that the VBNC state may be involved in explaining the persistent nature of some infections.

Effect of denture wax-pattern position on radial setting expansion.

Th dynamics of the setting expansion of gypsum-bonded investment is complicated by many variables and not well understood. The purposes of this study were to examine the fluid mechanics of the flow of investment during setting and to determine if the presence of wax patterns influences effective setting expansion. Mesial-occlusal-distal (MOD) inlay wax patterns were invested at six different radial positions and four different axial positions in plastics casting rings. Total expansion was determined by using xeroradiography. Combined results of radial expansion data at different axial and radial locations within casting rings suggest that expansion of gypsum-bonded investment may represent a variant of the laminar flow of a viscous fluid.

Ring volume/ring liner ratio and effective setting expansion.

Effective radial setting expansion of wax patterns in a gypsum-bonded investment is influenced by many factors, especially by the diameter of the cylindrical casting ring. The hypothesis tested was that the ratio of the volume of the casting rings to the volume of the ring liner is a primary determinant of radial setting expansion. Mesio-occlusodistal inlay wax patterns were invested individually in plastic casting rings of different lengths and diameters and imaged using xeroradiography. Effective setting expansion was determined in 34-mm-long, 28-mm-diameter rings and used as a predictor of expansion in rings of different sizes. Experimental setting expansion results did not differ significantly from the predicted values.