Are capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) sensitive to lost opportunities? The role of opportunity costs in intertemporal choice.

Principles of economics predict that the costs associated with obtaining rewards can influence choice. When individuals face choices between a smaller, immediate option and a larger, later option, they often experience opportunity costs associated with waiting for delayed rewards because they must forego the opportunity to make other choices. We evaluated how reducing opportunity costs affects delay tolerance in capuchin monkeys. After choosing the larger option, in the High cost condition, subjects had to wait for the delay to expire, whereas in the Low cost different and Low cost same conditions, they could perform a new choice during the delay. To control for the effect of intake rate on choices, the Low cost same condition had the same intake rate ratio as the High cost condition. We found that capuchins attended both to intake rates and to opportunity costs. They chose the larger option more often in the Low cost different and Low cost same conditions than in the High cost condition, and more often in the Low cost different condition than in the Low cost same condition. Understanding how non-human primates represent and use costs in making decisions not only helps to develop theoretical frameworks to explain their choices but also addresses similarities with and differences from human decision-making. These outcomes provide insights into the origins of human economic behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'Existence and prevalence of economic behaviours among non-human primates'.

Ultrasound Imaging Guide for Assessment of the Intrinsic Ligaments Stabilizing the Subtalar and Midtarsal Joints.

Ligament injuries around the subtalar, talocalcaneonavicular, and calcaneocuboid joints are often underestimated on clinical and imaging findings during investigation of patients with ankle and foot injuries. Because a delayed diagnosis of midtarsal ligament tears may lead to chronic pain and functional disability, an in-depth knowledge of the complex regional anatomy and of the appropriate ultrasound scanning technique is a prerequisite for evaluating these structures and avoiding misdiagnoses. The objective of this article is twofold: to describe the relevant anatomy and biomechanics related to the ligaments that stabilize the subtalar, talocalcaneonavicular, and calcaneocuboid joints, and to illustrate reasoned landmark-based scanning techniques to provide a systematic examination of these ligaments and thus make ultrasound an effective tool for assessment of patients with suspected subtalar or midtarsal sprain.

The PRECOS framework: Measuring the impacts of the global changes on soils, water, agriculture on territories to better anticipate the future.

In a context of increased land and natural resources scarcity, the possibilities for local authorities and stakeholders of anticipating evolutions or testing the impact of envisaged developments through scenario simulation are new challenges. PRECOS's approach integrates data pertaining to the fields of water and soil resources, agronomy, urbanization, land use and infrastructure etc. It is complemented by a socio-economic and regulatory analysis of the territory illustrating its constraints and stakes. A modular architecture articulates modeling software and spatial and temporal representations tools. It produces indicators in three core domains: soil degradation, water and soil resources and agricultural production. As a territory representative of numerous situations of the Mediterranean Basin (urban pressures, overconsumption of spaces, degradation of the milieus), a demonstration in the Crau's area (Southeast of France) has allowed to validate a prototype of the approach and to test its feasibility in a real life situation. Results on the Crau area have shown that, since the beginning of the 16th century, irrigated grasslands are the cornerstones of the anthropic-system, illustrating how successfully men's multi-secular efforts have maintained a balance between environment and local development. But today the ecosystem services are jeopardized firstly by urban sprawl and secondly by climate change. Pre-diagnosis in regions of Emilia-Romagna (Italy) and Valencia (Spain) show that local end-users and policy-makers are interested by this approach. The modularity of indicator calculations and the availability of geo-databases indicate that PRECOS may be up scaled in other socio-economic contexts.

Coagulation testing before epidural analgesia at delivery: cost analysis.

BACKGROUND: The usefulness of coagulation tests performed before epidural analgesia for surgery or to alleviate labour pain is controversial. The aims of this study were: (1) to evaluate the prevalence of abnormal tests in a large cohort of healthy pregnant women and their association with epidural hematoma; (2) to assess the approach of the anesthesiologists to women with abnormal tests; (3) to evaluate the cost of performing coagulation tests before epidural analgesia in all healthy pregnant women. METHODS: Data regarding epidural analgesia, epidural hematoma, PT, APTT, fibrinogen and platelet count were extracted from medical charts. RESULTS: There was no case of epidural hematoma in 2546 pregnant women undergoing epidural analgesia. PT and APTT results were obtained in 2871 women; fibrinogen in 4063 women; platelet count in 5090 women. Three of them (0.1%) had a prolonged PT, 4 (0.14%) had a prolonged APTT, 27 (0.53%) had platelets ≤ 100 × 10(9)/L and 37 (0.91%) had plasma fibrinogen levels <3 g/L. No further tests were requested by the anesthesiologists in these women. Only women with platelets <80 × 10(9)/L were denied epidural analgesia. Based on the data from the literature on the frequencies of epidural hematoma after epidural analgesia, a total cost ranging from 4.5 to 40 million Euros to perform coagulation tests would be necessary to avoid one case of epidural hematoma. DISCUSSION: Unselected coagulation tests before epidural analgesia are not recommended, because epidural hematoma is extremely rare in healthy pregnant women and the cost of screening is not justified.

B-mode and contrast-enhanced sonographic assessment of accessory spleen in the dog.

Four dogs with an accessory spleen are described. The accessory spleens appeared as a round-to-triangular structure located in the perisplenic area. They were homogeneous and isoechoic with the adjacent spleen. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed using a second generation microbubble contrast medium (sulfur hexafluoride). The type and timing of enhancement of the accessory spleen was similar to that of the parent spleen. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is a noninvasive modality useful in distinguishing an accessory spleen from a mass of another origin.

Adapted versions of the Sharp/van der Heijde score are reliable and valid for assessment of radiographic progression in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop adapted versions of the Sharp/van der Heijde radiographic scoring system for use in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and to investigate their validity in JIA patients with polyarticular disease. METHODS: The study group comprised 177 patients with polyarticular JIA. Radiographs of the wrist/hand of each patient were obtained at baseline (first observation) and then at 1, 3, 5, 7/8, and 10 years and were assessed independently by 2 pediatric rheumatologists according to different adaptations of the Sharp/van der Heijde method. To facilitate score assignment, the radiograph for each patient was compared with a bone age-related standard. Validation procedures included analysis of reliability, construct validity, and score progression over time. RESULTS: Interobserver and intraobserver agreement on longitudinal score values and score changes was good for all of the adapted scoring versions (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.85). Score changes over time were moderately to strongly correlated with the clinical indicators of long-term joint damage and with the amount of long-term radiographic damage as measured with the carpo:metacarpal ratio, thereby demonstrating good construct validity. A steady increase in scores over time was observed, with joint space narrowing being the most common form of damage throughout the disease course. The inclusion of 5 new areas appeared to increase the overall construct validity of erosion scores. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the adapted versions of the Sharp/van der Heijde score are reliable and valid for the assessment of radiographic progression in patients with JIA.

Use of the Sharp and Larsen scoring methods in the assessment of radiographic progression in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the applicability of the Sharp and Larsen scoring methods for radiographic damage in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: Wrist/hand radiographs of 25 patients with polyarthritis obtained at first observation and then yearly for 4-5 years were assessed independently by 2 pediatric rheumatologists according to the Sharp and Larsen methods. To facilitate score assignment, each patient radiograph was compared with a bone age-related standard. A third pediatric rheumatologist measured the Poznanski score, and a pediatric radiologist provided a semiquantitative assessment of radiographic damage severity. RESULTS: Interobserver and intraobserver agreement on longitudinal scores were good for both Sharp and Larsen methods, with intraclass correlation coefficient >0.9. Agreement on change assessment was good for the Sharp method and moderate for the Larsen method. Both methods yielded a steady increase in scores during the study, with score change being more marked in the first year. Sharp and Larsen scores were highly correlated (r(s) = 0.96). Correlations of both scores with the Poznanski score were moderate to high (r(s) from -0.62 to -0.72). Radiologist score was correlated at borderline-high level with both Sharp (r(s) = 0.70) and Larsen (r(s) = 0.71) scores. Sharp and Larsen score change from baseline to final visit was moderately to highly correlated with the number of joints with active arthritis and restricted motion and the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire score at final visit. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the Sharp and Larsen scoring systems are potentially reliable and valid for assessment of radiographic progression in patients with polyarticular JIA.

Development and validation of a clinical index for assessment of long-term damage in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a clinical measure of articular and extraarticular damage in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: The Juvenile Arthritis Damage Index (JADI), which is derived from physical examination and a brief review of the patient's clinical history, is composed of 2 parts: assessments of articular damage (JADI-A) and extraarticular damage (JADI-E). Instrument validation was accomplished by evaluating 158 JIA patients with disease duration of at least 5 years, seen consecutively over 21 months. The instrument's feasibility, face and content validity, construct and discriminative ability, internal consistency, and interrater reliability were examined. RESULTS: Among the 158 JIA patients, 47% and 37% had articular and extraarticular damage, respectively. The JADI was found to be feasible and to possess both face and content validity. The JADI-A score correlated highly with the number of joints with limited range of motion (Spearman's r [r(S)] = 0.72) and correlated moderately with the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire score (r(S) = 0.41), Steinbrocker functional classification (r(S) = 0.50), and Poznanski's score of radiographic damage (r(S) = -0.54), thereby demonstrating good construct validity. Correlations with the JADI-E score were lower, owing to the heterogeneity of its items. The JADI-A discriminated well among different levels of disability. The internal consistency (Chronbach's alpha) of the JADI-A and JADI-E was 0.93 and 0.59, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients between pairs of independent observers ranged from 0.85 to 0.97. CONCLUSION: The JADI exhibited good reliability, construct validity, and discriminative ability and is therefore a valid instrument for the assessment of long-term damage in patients with JIA, in the context of both clinical management and research settings.