bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Faecal Indices Based on near Infrared Spectroscopy to Assess Intake, in vivo Digestibility and Chemical Composition of the Herbage Ingested by Sheep (Crude Protein, Fibres and Lignin Content)
Authors: Fanchone A. , Boval M. , Lecomte Ph. , Archimède H.
Published: March 2007

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of faecal indices based on near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to assess chemical composition and functional properties (intake and in vivo digestibility) of fresh grass ingested by sheep. Reference data and faecal spectra were obtained from a pen experiment with 12 ewes individually housed and fed fresh Digitaria decumbens at varying stages of re-growth (14–63 days) during a period of 49 days. The amount of herbage offered, refused and faecal excretion were measured per ewe daily. Organic matter (OM) content, crude protein (CP) content, neutral and acid detergent fibre (NDF, ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) content were dosed in offered, refused and faecal samples. OM digestibility (OMD), intake (OMI) and chemical composition of the herbage ingested (OMi, CPi, NDFi, ADFi, ADLi, % dry matter) were calculated per ewe and per seven days. Faecal samples were bulked within each seven days of measurement period, per ewe. Eighty four dried and milled faecal samples were scanned using a monochromator. Faecal spectra were used to calibrate and cross-validate equations for predicting the various parameters using the modified partial least square (MPLS) procedure. For the CP content of the herbage really ingested (CPi), derived standard error of cross-validation ( SECV) and cross-validation R2 ( R2cv) were 0.61% and 0.98. For NDFi, ADFi and ADLi, the values of SEC-V and R2 cv were, respectively, 1.64% and 0.45, 0.78% and 0.91 and 0.34% and 0.77. For OMD, the values of SECV and R2 cv were 2.02% and 0.77, whereas lower calibrations statistics were obtained for OMI (11.04 g kg BW–0.75 and 0.45). These values confirmed the potential of NIR Spectra of faeces as a technology for reliably predicting the in vivo digestibility and chemical quality of herbage really ingested and estimating the herbage intake by small ruminants.
Rapid and Simple Determination of Oil and Urea Concentrations and Solids Content to Monitor Biodegradation Conditions of Wastewater Discharged from a Biodiesel Fuel Production Plant
Authors: Suehara Ken-Ichiro , Owari Kazuo , Kohda Jiro , Nakano Yasuhisa , Yano Takuo
Published: March 2007

To prepare and maintain the optimal biodegradation conditions of wastewater discharged from a biodiesel fuel (BDF) production process with alkali–catalysis transesterification, rapid and simple methods were investigated to measure oil (carbon source of microorganisms) and urea (nitrogen source) concentrations and solids content (indicator of growth inhibition of microorganism) of the wastewater. Two non-destructive methods were investigated. First, physical properties of the BDF wastewater such as electric conductivity (EC), specific gravity (Sp.Gr.) and Brix values were measured and the values were analysed with multiple liner regression (MLR). Only solids content could be predicted by measured physical properties. However, adjustment of the C/N ratio of the BDF wastewater was also necessary to prepare the optimal condition for the microorganism growth in the wastewater treatment process. Therefore, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was applied to simultaneous, non-destructive and rapid measurement of the constituents of the wastewater. The dominant absorptions caused by oil, urea and solids material in the wastewater were observed at 1718, 2154 and 2286 nm, respectively. These were used as the first wavelength to formulate calibration equations, a MLR analysis was carried out between the NIR spectral data and the values of conventional analyses, such as hexane extraction, enzymatic and oven-drying methods, in the calibration sample set (sample number, n = 50). To validate the calibration equations obtained, the predicted values of the oil, urea and solids in the validation sample set ( n = 40), which was not used for formulating the calibration equations, were calculated using the calibration equations. Good agreement was observed between the values of the conventional analyses and the values predicted using NIR; the multiple correlation coefficients of determination ( r2) for the validation equations for oil, solids and urea were 0.993, 0.877 and 0.960, respectively. Prediction of the solids content of the BDF wastewater using EC and Brix values is also possible with the handy EC and Brix meters which are inexpensive and easy to handle. However, these do not allow total management of the BDF production and BDF wastewater treatment processes. On the other hand, the NIR method is potentially suitable for automated process management of a BDF wastewater treatment system.
N-Terminal pro-Brain natriuretic peptide as a potential non-invasive marker of cardiac transplantation rejection
Authors: Avello N , Molina B D , Llorente E , Bernardo M J , Prieto B , Álvarez F V
Published: March 2007

Background: Transplantation is the main palliative treatment for patients with heart failure. Clinical signs of cardiac rejection can be very non-specific or even absent. Thus, successfull management relies on early diagnosis, ideally before the onset of clinical features of cardiac dysfunction. Although endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is the reference diagnostic method, several non-invasive methods have been proposed to reduce the number of EMB performed during the follow-up of the transplanted patient. The aim of the present work was to study the potential relationship between rejection and serum concentrations of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as well as cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in post-transplantation patients.

Methods: Twenty-three consecutive orthotopic heart transplantation recipients with a mean age of 51 years (range 22-66) were prospectively recruited from the cardiac transplantation programme at the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias. Serum NT-proBNP and cTnT were measured during the follow-up of these patients (ranging from 9-13 months post-transplantation) and compared with the results of EMB.

Results: Serum NT-proBNP concentrations progressively decrease during the first year post-transplantation, reaching concentrations slightly higher than the reference values. NT-proBNP concentrations increase significantly in those patients with a rejection episode graded ≥3A on the basis of the EMB ( P < 0.001, Mann-Whitney U-test). No relation between cTnT and rejection was observed.

Conclusions: The potential of NT-proBNP as a non-invasive marker of transplantation rejection shows promising results, since NT-proBNP concentrations increase whenever a significant rejection event takes place in the first year of follow-up.
Patient identification: hybrids and doppelgängers
Authors: Cummins David
Published: March 2007

Safe laboratory practice requires accurate patient identification. Adverse events may occur when a patient has identifiers similar or identical to those of another patient (a ' doppelgänger'), is doubly registered (a 'duplicate registration'), or when registration details are derived from two or more separate sources (a 'hybrid registration'). Distinguishing doppelgängers from duplicate registrations is not always easy. A search of the Harefield Hospital Patient Administration System (PAS) database revealed 39 registrations that shared a forename, surname and date of birth with at least one other registration. Thirty-seven of these cases involved a duplicate registration, one involved a hybrid registration, and one involved a doppelgänger. The National Strategic Tracing Service can help with resolution of difficult cases. Many serious patient identification errors involve what the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) Report refers to as 'extraordinary' coincidences of patients with similar names. Such coincidences are, in fact, not extraordinary, but ordinary. A major challenge will be to establish how adverse events involving coincidence can be described in a way that does not create the impression of extraordinary bad luck.
Prospective validation of cerebrospinal fluid bilirubin in suspected subarachnoid haemorrhage
Authors: Chao Che-yung , Florkowski Christopher M , Fink John N , Southby Sandra J , George Peter M
Published: March 2007

Background: The recommended spectrophotometric scanning for diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is relatively expensive, not fully automated and often requires expert interpretation. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bilirubin offers an alternative approach and may obviate the need for scanning and, hence, we undertook a prospective validation study.

Methods: CSF bilirubin and spectrophotometric scans were compared from 193 patients in our institution over a two-year period and for this 162 clinical records (83.9%) were reviewed. CSF bilirubin was tested for its ability to predict elevated net bilirubin absorbance by spectrophotometry. Final outcomes were obtained by review of clinical records and contacting the New Zealand Health Information Service.

Results: From receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, there was an area under the curve of 0.99 (95% confidence interval: 0.97-1.00). At a cut-off of 359 nmol/L, corresponding to our upper reference interval, CSF bilirubin assay had a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 92.2% and a negative predictive value of 100%. There were no outcomes to suggest that SAH had been missed in any case.

Conclusion: CSF bilirubin is a robust screening test that accurately identifies those samples needing to be scanned and eliminates the need for this to be done in most others.
Validation of the lesser sigmoid notch of the ulna as a reference point for accurate placement of a prosthesis for the head of the radius
Authors: van Riet R. P. , van Glabbeek F. , de Weerdt W. , Oemar J. , Bortier H.
Published: March 2007

We undertook a study on eight arms from fresh cadavers to define the clinical usefulness of the lesser sigmoid notch as a landmark when reconstructing the length of the neck of the radius in replacement of the head with a prosthesis. The head was resected and its height measured, along with several control measurements. This was compared with in situ measurements from the stump of the neck to the proximal edge of the lesser sigmoid notch of the ulna. All the measurements were performed three times by three observers acting independently.

The results were highly reproducible with intra- and interclass correlations of > 0.99. The mean difference between the measurement on the excised head and the distance from the stump of the neck and the lesser sigmoid notch was −0.02 mm (−1.24 to +0.97). This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.78).

The proximal edge of the lesser sigmoid notch provides a reliable landmark for positioning a replacement of the radial head and may have clinical application.
Benign solitary schwannomas
Authors: Knight D. M. A. , Birch R. , Pringle J.
Published: March 2007

We reviewed 234 benign solitary schwannomas treated between 1984 and 2004. The mean age of the patients was 45.2 years (11 to 82). There were 170 tumours (73%) in the upper limb, of which 94 (40%) arose from the brachial plexus or other nerves within the posterior triangle of the neck. Six (2.6%) were located within muscle or bone. Four patients (1.7%) presented with tetraparesis due to an intraspinal extension.

There were 198 primary referrals (19 of whom had a needle biopsy in the referring unit) and in these patients the tumour was excised. After having surgery or an open biopsy at another hospital, a further 36 patients were seen because of increased neurological deficit, pain or incomplete excision. In these, a nerve repair was performed in 18 and treatment for pain or paralysis was offered to another 14.

A tender mass was found in 194 (98%) of the primary referrals. A Tinel-like sign was recorded in 155 (81%). Persistent spontaneous pain occurred in 60 (31%) of the 194 with tender mass, impairment of cutaneous sensibility in 39 (20%), and muscle weakness in 24 (12%).

After apparently adequate excision, two tumours recurred. No case of malignant transformation was seen.
Compliance with continuous passive movement is low after surgical treatment of idiopathic club foot in infants
Authors: Kasten P. , Geiger F. , Zeifang F. , Weiss S. , Thomsen M.
Published: March 2007

Treatment by continuous passive movement at home is an alternative to immobilisation in a cast after surgery for club foot. Compliance with the recommended treatment, of at least four hours daily, is unknown. The duration of treatment was measured in 24 of 27 consecutive children with a mean age of 24 months (5 to 75) following posteromedial release for idiopathic club foot. Only 21% (5) of the children used the continuous passive movement machine as recommended. The mean duration of treatment at home each day was 126 minutes (11 to 496). The mean range of movement for plantar flexion improved from 15.2° (10.0° to 20.6°) to 18.7° (10.0° to 33.0°) and for dorsiflexion from 12.3° (7.4° to 19.4°) to 18.9° (10.0° to 24.1°) (both, p = 0.0001) when the first third of therapy was compared with the last third.

A low level of patient compliance must be considered when the outcome after treatment at home is interpreted.
Early mobilisation after conventional knee replacement may reduce the risk of postoperative venous thromboembolism
Authors: Pearse E. O. , Caldwell B. F. , Lockwood R. J. , Hollard J.
Published: March 2007

We carried out an audit on the result of achieving early walking in total knee replacement after instituting a new rehabilitation protocol, and assessed its influence on the development of deep-vein thrombosis as determined by Doppler ultrasound scanning on the fifth post-operative day. Early mobilisation was defined as beginning to walk less than 24 hours after knee replacement.

Between April 1997 and July 2002, 98 patients underwent a total of 125 total knee replacements. They began walking on the second post-operative day unless there was a medical contraindication. They formed a retrospective control group. A protocol which allowed patients to start walking at less than 24 hours after surgery was instituted in August 2002. Between August 2002 and November 2004, 97 patients underwent a total of 122 total knee replacements. They formed the early mobilisation group, in which data were prospectively gathered. The two groups were of similar age, gender and had similar medical comorbidities. The surgical technique and tourniquet times were similar and the same instrumentation was used in nearly all cases. All the patients received low-molecular-weight heparin thromboprophylaxis and wore compression stockings post-operatively.

In the early mobilisation group 90 patients (92.8%) began walking successfully within 24 hours of their operation. The incidence of deep-vein thrombosis fell from 27.6% in the control group to 1.0% in the early mobilisation group (chi-squared test, p < 0.001). There was a difference in the incidence of risk factors for deep-vein thrombosis between the two groups. However, multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the institution of an early mobilisation protocol resulted in a 30-fold reduction in the risk of post-operative deep-vein thrombosis when we adjusted for other risk factors.
Fractures of Corin ‘Taper-Fit’ CDH stems used in ‘cement-in-cement’ revision total hip replacement
Authors: Briant-Evans T. W. , Norton M. R. , Fern E. D.
Published: March 2007

We describe two cases of fracture of Corin Taper-Fit stems used for cement-in-cement revision of congenital dysplasia of the hip. Both prostheses were implanted in patients in their 50s, with high offsets (+7.5 mm and +3.5 mm), one with a large diameter (48 mm) head and one with a constrained acetabular component. Fracture of the stems took place at nine months and three years post-operatively following low-demand activity. Both fractures occurred at the most medial of the two stem introducer holes in the neck of the prosthesis, a design feature that is unique to the Taper-Fit stem. We would urge caution in the use of these particular stems for cement-in-cement revisions.
Atypical mycobacterial spondylitis in HIV-negative patients identified by genotyping
Authors: Danaviah S. , Govender S. , Gordon M. L. , Cassol S.
Published: March 2007

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections pose a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We report two cases of such infection of the spine in HIV-negative patients who presented with deformity and neurological deficit. The histopathological features in both specimens were diagnostic of tuberculosis. The isolates were identified as Mycobacterium intracellulare and M. fortuitum by genotyping (MicroSeq 16S rDNA Full Gene assay) and as M. tuberculosis and a mycobacterium other than tuberculosis, respectively, by culture. There is a growing need for molecular diagnostic tools that can differentiate accurately between M. tuberculosis and atypical mycobacteria, especially in regions of the developing world which are experiencing an increase in non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.
Acetabuloplasty for neglected dislocation of the hip in older children
Authors: Morsi E.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes the technique and results of an acetabuloplasty in which the false acetabulum is turned down to augment the dysplastic true acetabulum at its most defective part. This operation was performed in 17 hips (16 children), with congenital dislocation and false acetabula. The mean age at operation was 5.1 years (4 to 8). The patients were followed clinically and radiologically for a mean of 6.3 years (5 to 10). A total of 16 hips had excellent results and there was one fair result due to avascular necrosis. The centre-edge angles and the obliquity of the acetabular roof improved in all cases, from a mean of −15.9° (−19° to 3°) and 42.6° (33° to 46°) to a mean of 29.5° (20° to 34°) and 11.9° (9° to 19°), respectively. The technique is not complex and is stable without internal fixation. It provides a near-normal acetabulum that requires minimal remodelling, and allows early mobilisation.
Incomplete seating of the liner with the Trident acetabular system
Authors: Langdown A. J. , Pickard R. J. , Hobbs C. M. , Clarke H. J. , Dalton D. J. N. , Grover M. L.
Published: March 2007

We reviewed the initial post-operative radiographs of the Trident acetabulum and identified a problem with seating of the metal-backed ceramic liner. We identified 117 hips in 113 patients who had undergone primary total hip replacement using the Trident shell with a metal-backed alumina liner. Of these, 19 (16.4%) were noted to have incomplete seating of the liner, as judged by plain anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. One case of complete liner dissociation necessitating early revision was not included in the prevalence figures. One mis-seated liner was revised in the early post-operative period and two that were initially incompletely seated were found on follow-up radiographs to have become correctly seated. There may be technical issues with regard to the implanting of this prosthesis of which surgeons should be aware. However, there is the distinct possibility that the Trident shell deforms upon implantation, thereby preventing complete seating of the liner.
Antibacterial effect of autologous platelet gel enriched with growth factors and other active substances
Authors: Bielecki T. M. , Gazdzik T. S. , Arendt J. , Szczepanski T. , Kròl W. , Wielkoszynski T.
Published: March 2007

Platelet-rich plasma is a new inductive therapy which is being increasingly used for the treatment of the complications of bone healing, such as infection and nonunion. The activator for platelet-rich plasma is a mixture of thrombin and calcium chloride which produces a platelet-rich gel.

We analysed the antibacterial effect of platelet-rich gel in vitro by using the platelet-rich plasma samples of 20 volunteers. In vitro laboratory susceptibility to platelet-rich gel was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method. Baseline antimicrobial activity was assessed by measuring the zones of inhibition on agar plates coated with selected bacterial strains.

Zones of inhibition produced by platelet-rich gel ranged between 6 mm and 24 mm (mean 9.83 mm) in diameter. Platelet-rich gel inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and was also active against Escherichia coli. There was no activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, platelet-rich gel seemed to induce the in vitro growth of Ps. aeruginosa, suggesting that it may cause an exacerbation of infections with this organism. We believe that a combination of the inductive and antimicrobial properties of platelet-rich gel can improve the treatment of infected delayed healing and nonunion.
Intercalary femoral reconstruction with extracorporeal irradiated autogenous bone graft in limb-salvage surgery
Authors: Krieg A. H. , Davidson A. W. , Stalley P. D.
Published: March 2007

Between 1996 and 2003, 16 patients (nine female, seven male) were treated for a primary bone sarcoma of the femur by wide local excision of the tumour, extracorporeal irradiation and re-implantation. An additional vascularised fibular graft was used in 13 patients (81%). All patients were free from disease when reviewed at a minimum of two years postoperatively (mean 49.7 months (24 to 96).

There were no cases of infection. Primary union was achieved after a median of nine months (interquartile range 7 to 11). Five host-donor junctions (16%) united only after a second procedure. Primary union recurred faster at metaphyseal junctions (94% (15) at a median of 7.5 months (interquartile range 4 to 12)) than at diaphyseal junctions (75% (12) at a median of 11.1 months (interquartile range 5 to 18)).

Post-operatively, the median Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score was 85% (interquartile range 75 to 96) and the median Toronto Extremity Salvage score 94% (interquartile range 82 to 99). The Mankin score gave a good or excellent result in 14 patients (88%).

The range of movement of the knee was significantly worse when the extracorporeally irradiated autografts were fixed by plates rather than by nails (p = 0.035).

A total of 16 (62%) of the junctions of the vascularised fibular grafts underwent hypertrophy, indicating union and loading.

Extracorporeal irradiation autografting with supplementary vascularised fibular grafting is a promising biological alternative for intercalary reconstruction after wide resection of malignant bone tumours of the femur.
Patellar tendon lengthening for patella infera using the Ilizarov technique
Authors: In Y. , Kim S.-J. , Kwon Y.-J.
Published: March 2007

Patella infera can cause knee pain and lead to patellofemoral osteoarthritis. Treatment is usually unsatisfactory. We describe a case of severe patella infera after operative treatment for fracture of the patella. We used Ilizarov external fixation and gradual lengthening of the patellar tendon. The patellar height was restored and the patient’s symptoms were much improved.
Foetal growth velocities in twin pregnancies
Authors: Taylor GM , Owen P , Mires GJ
Published: March 2007

A retrospective longitudinal study was performed to quantify foetal growth velocities in twin pregnancies and to determine the effect of variables specific to twin pregnancies on growth velocity. Foetal growth velocity standard deviation (Z) scores were calculated from serial ultrasound data using published singleton reference data for 131 consecutive sets of twins from 30 to 37 weeks' gestation. Compared with low-risk pregnancies, the twin foetal abdominal area growth velocity Z scores were significantly reduced from 30 to 37 weeks and biparietal diameter growth velocity Z scores were also significantly lower, from 30 to 33 weeks. Amongst the twin pairs there were no significant differences in Z scores with respect to chorionicity, foetal sex, birth order to whether delivery was premature or term. This retrospective study has demonstrated that twin foetal growth velocity is reduced when compared to singletons from at least as early as 30 weeks' gestation. Twin specific variables such as chorionicity, sex, birth order and subsequent premature birth do not need to be accounted for in the interpretation of growth velocities in twins. The clinical importance of determining foetal growth velocity in twin pregnancies awaits further prospective study.
Trends in the twinning rate in Johannesburg, South Africa, 1969–1989 and estimated twinning rates for 1990
Authors: Hain Frances M , Kromberg Jennifer GR
Published: March 2007

Birth statistics for the Johannesburg Metropolitan Region were collected for 757 151 confinements from 1969 to 1989 (467 513 Black, 194 375 White, 67 250 Coloured and 28 013 Indian confinements). From 1969 to 1978 data on the sexes of twins were also collected for 375 203 of the confinements (203 504 Black, 129 631 White, 28 253 Coloured and 13 815 Indian confinements). A twin confinement was defined as two deliveries during one confinement. Twinning rates (TRs), defined as the number of twin confinements per 1000 total confinements, were calculated per year for each population group and from 1969–1978 estimates of the relative proportions of dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twins were calculated and thus the relative DZTRs and MZTRs. A significant decline in Black and Coloured TRs was observed between 1969 and 1989. A significant decline in Black DZTR but not Black MZTR was observed between 1969 and 1978, the Coloured twin sample was too small to show significant trends over this period. It is probable that the overall decline in Black twinning may be explained by a decline in the DZTR. An analysis of birth statistics for 159 748 confinements (134 504 Black and 25 244 White confinements) collected as part of a prospective study of TRs in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Region from 1988 to 1990, indicated that the Black TR continued to decline at least until the end of 1990. TRs in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Region calculated from City Health Department birth statistics collected from 1988 to 1990 were: 13.8 and 10.77 for the Black and White populations, respectively. TRs for this period calculated from the combined birth statistics of 14 hospitals, nursing homes and maternity clinics across the region were: 12.4 and 10.88 for the Black and White populations, respectively.
Predicting infant temperament from neonatal reactivity for AGA/SGA twin pairs
Authors: Riese Marilyn L
Published: March 2007

The predictive relation between neonatal reactivity and 12-, 18-, and 24-month temperament was assessed for 22 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA)/small-for-gestational-age (SGA) twin pairs. Neonatal reactivity included ratings of visual and auditory orienting responses to a bull's-eye, rattle, bell, voice, and face plus voice combined, as well as alertness. Infant temperament ratings were made of emotional tone, activity, attentiveness, and social orientation to staff during ageappropriate activities in the laboratory. There were no group differences in the neonatal or infant ratings. For AGA twins, a pattern of predictive correlations was obtained between neonatal reactivity and temperament at each age. A similar predictive pattern was not observed for the SGA twins. Group differences in rates of maturation related to stresses associated with intrauterine growth retardation influenced the significance of the neonatal variables for later temperament development.
Similarity of social security numbers among twins: data from the Virginia Twin Registry
Authors: Page William F , Corey Linda
Published: March 2007

At least two twin registries in the United States have been or are being assembled using the similarity of Social Security Numbers in computerized records to help identify possible twin pairs. While the success of such enterprises depends directly on a high probability of twinness given Social Security Numbers, there are theoretical and practical reasons to study the probability of Social Security Number similarity given twinness. For example, the number of twin pairs with similar Social Security Numbers obviously determines the maximum number of twin pairs that can be discovered by similarity algorithms. To study this issue, we examined the similarity of known Social Security Numbers in twin pairs from the Virginia Twin Registry by age, sex, race, and zygosity of the pair. We found that similarity between the Social Security Numbers of twin pairs varies markedly by age, and MZ twin pairs have significantly more similar Social Security Numbers than DZ pairs at all ages. Among older twins, there are also significant differences by sex and race. For younger twins, algorithms that identify putative twin pairs on the basis of the similarity of their Social Security Numbers hold the promise of being able to identify a large proportion of all true twin pairs. Such algorithms will be substantially less successful, however, in identifying a large proportion of older twin pairs.
The East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (Belgium): a population-based registe
Authors: Loos Ruth , Derom Catherine , Vlietinck Robert , Derom Robert
Published: March 2007

The East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS), started in 1964, is unique among the 17 major European twin registers because it is population based, the twins (and higher order births) are ascertained at birth, basic perinatal data are collected, chorion type is established and, when appropriate, genetic markers including DNA fingerprints, are determined. The total number of sets is 5089 twin, 158 triplet and 14 of higher order. Zygosity has been diagnosed on the basis of sex, placental structure and genetic markers in more than 95% of pairs. The EFPTS is the only large register that includes placental data and allows differentiation of three subtypes of monozygotic twins based on the time of the initial zygotic division: the dichorionic—diamnionic pairs (early), the monochorionic—diamnionic pairs (intermediate), and the monochorionic—monoamnionic pairs (late). Methodology and basic results in twins are considered in this article; detailed studies will be reported later. The sex proportion in dizygotic (DZ) twins is the same as in singletons, whereas monozygotic (MZ) twins number more girls than boys. The difference in perinatal mortality between DZ and MZ twins is limited to the monochorionic MZ subgroup. Birth weight is highest in DZ twins and diminishes stepwise in MZ dichorionic and MZ monochorionic twins. Duration of pregnancy follows the same trend but is limited to a few days. Iatrogenic pregnancies are increasing to the point of representing almost 50% of the twin births in 1997.
How heritable is individual susceptibility to death? The results of an analysis of survival data on Danish, Swedish and Finnish twins
Authors: Iachine Ivan A , Holm Niels V , Harris Jennifer R , Begun Alexander Z , Iachina Maria K , Laitinen Markku , Kaprio Jaakko , Yashin Anatoli I
Published: March 2007

Molecular epidemiological studies confirm a substantial contribution of individual genes to variability in susceptibility to disease and death for humans. To evaluate the contribution of all genes to susceptibility and to estimate individual survival characteristics, survival data on related individuals (eg twins or other relatives) are needed. Correlated gamma-frailty models of bivariate survival are used in a joint analysis of survival data on more than 31 000 pairs of Danish, Swedish and Finnish male and female twins using the maximum likelihood method. Additive decomposition of frailty into genetic and environmental components is used to estimate heritability in frailty. The estimate of the standard deviation of frailty from the pooled data is about 1.5. The hypothesis that variance in frailty and correlations of frailty for twins are similar in the data from all three countries is accepted. The estimate of narrow-sense heritability in frailty is about 0.5. The age trajectories of individual hazards are evaluated for all three populations of twins and both sexes. The results of our analysis confirm the presence of genetic infiuences on individual frailty and longevity. They also suggest that the mechanism of these genetic infiuences may be similar for the three Scandinavian countries. Furthermore, results indicate that the increase in individual hazard with age is more rapid than predicted by traditional demographic life tables.
Book Reviews
Authors: Latorre Guisela
Published: March 2007

Botánica Los Angeles: Latino Popular Religious Art in the City of Angeles by Patrick Arthur Polk, ed. Los Angeles: The Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 2004. 140 pp.

Guisela Latorre is an assistant professor in the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Trained in art history and working in an interdisciplinary framework, she researches the contexts of artistic production in Chicano/a and Latin American art.
Book Reviews
Authors: Small Cathy A.
Published: March 2007

Pieces of Cloth, Pieces of Culture: Tapa from Tonga and the Pacific Islands by Ping‐Ann Addo. Oakland, CA: California College of the Arts, 2004. 50 pp. (Co‐published with the California Academy of Sciences.).

Pieces of Cloth, Pieces of Culture: Tapa Making and Community Collaboration (DVD) by Sonia BasSheva.

Cathy A. Small is Professor of Anthropology and Graduate Coordinator at Northern Arizona University. She conducted fieldwork in the Kingdom of Tonga from 1981 to 1984, in 1987, and in 1995, since focusing on Tongan‐Americans who now live in Northern California. Her recent work explores ethnographic and computer simulation approaches to cultural change, including an ethnography of U. S. "college culture," My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student (Cornell University Press, 2005).
Book Reviews
Authors: Petch Alison
Published: March 2007

Cabinets for the Curious: Looking Back at Early English Museums by Ken Arnold. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006. 297 pp.

Alison Petch is a project researcher and registrar at the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Until March 2006, she was employed on the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)— funded "Relational Museum" project, and since April 2006, she has been working on "The Other Within: An Anthropology of Englishness at the Pitt Rivers Museum," also funded by the ESRC.
Book Reviews
Authors: Biddison Dawn
Published: March 2007

Museums and Source Communities:. Routledge Reader by Laura Peers and Alison K. Brown, eds. New York: Routledge, 2003. 280 pp.

Based in Anchorage, Alaska, Dawn D. Biddison is Alaska Collections Project Assistant Curator for the Arctic Study Center (ASC) of the Smithsonian Institution. Her work on the Sharing Knowledge website (http://alaska.si.edu/) and the permanent Smithsonian gallery and learning center planned for the 2010 Anchorage Museum expansion is based on collaboration with Alaska Native Elders, artists, scholars, and tribal representatives.
Book Reviews
Authors: Ellis Ngarino
Published: March 2007

Manawa: Pacific Heartbeat:. Celebration of Contemporary Maori and Northwest Coast Art by Nigel Reading and Gary Wyatt. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2006. 170 pp.

Ngarino Ellis is of Ngapuhi and Ngati Porou tribal descent, a lecturer in the Department of Art History at the University of Auckland, a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, an indigenous arts curator, and a writer on Maori arts, architecture, history, and culture. Her current research interests include Ngati Porou carving, moko, gender, and art crime.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Atypical Stevens-Johnson Syndrome: A Case Series
Authors: Ravin Karen A. , Rappaport Lara D. , Zuckerbraun Noel S. , Wadowsky Robert M. , Wald Ellen R. , Michaels Marian M.
Published: March 2007

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired respiratory illness in the adolescent population. Stevens-Johnson syndrome is an extrapulmonary manifestation that has been associated with M pneumoniae infections. Three adolescent males presented within a 1-month period with M pneumoniae respiratory illnesses and severe mucositis but without the classic rash typical of Stevens-Johnson. Diagnosis was facilitated by the use of a polymerase chain reaction–based assay. This case series highlights the potential for M pneumoniae–associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome to occur without rash and supports the use of polymerase chain reaction for early diagnosis.
Treatment of mine tailings using ALFA® technology
Authors: Mohamed A. M. O. , Hossein M. , Hassani F.
Published: March 2007

To evaluate the success of the ALFA technology to stabilise and solidify the acid-producing tailings by means of ettringite formation, a tailings sample from a mine in the province of Quebec, Canada, was subjected to treatment and subsequent evaluation. The tailings sample was initially subjected to physical and chemical analysis and the optimised condition for the formation and precipitation of ettringite within the sample was established via X-ray diffraction analysis. To establish whether the pozzolanic reactions has occurred in the treated samples and monitor the growth of ettringite in the specimens under investigation, samples were cured for 3, 28, 90, 360, and 660 days and were analysed for their mineralogical constituents. The treated samples with the aluminium, lime and fly ash (ALFA) technology were subjected to different leaching tests. The leachants were simulated groundwater with a pH of 5·5; acid rain with a pH of 4·5, which contained sulphuric acid; a sulphuric acid solution with a pH of 2·5 (Modified TCLP); and acetic acid solution with pH of 2·88. In addition, treated samples were further evaluated for their stability via durability tests (strength, hydraulic conductivity, and cyclic freeze-thaw).

Pour évaluer le succès de la technologie ALFA (Aluminium, Lime and Fly ash ou aluminium, chaux et cendres volantes) pour stabiliser et solidifier des stériles produisant de l'acide au moyen de formation d'ettringite, des échantillons de résidus miniers issus de la province de Québec, au Canada, ont été traités puisé tudiés. Des essais chimiques et physiques ont tout d'abord été réalisés sur les échantillons. Une analyse par diffraction de rayons X a permis d'établir les conditions optimales de formation et de précipitation d'ettringite dans le spécimen. Pour déterminer si les réactions pozzoloniques se sont produites dans les échantillons traités et contrôler la formation d'ettringite dans les spécimens àl'étude, les échantillons ont été mûris pendant 3, 28, 90, 360 et 660 jours avant que leurs constituants minéralogiques ne soit analysés. Différents tests de lixiviation TLCP (« toxicity characteristic leaching procedure ») ont été réalisés sur les échantillons traités avec la technologie ALFA. Les lixiviats considérés ont été les suivants: eau souterraine simulée de pH 5,5, pluie acide de pH 4,5 contenant de l'acide sulfurique, solution d'acide sulfurique de pH 2,5 (TLCP modifié) et solution d'acide acétique (TLCP) de pH 2,88. On a également évalué la stabilité des échantillons traités au moyen d'essais de durabilité (résistance, conductivité hydraulique, cycle de gel-dégel).
Cultivar and Seeding Date Effects on Kernel Smut of Rice
Authors: Slaton Nathan A. , DeLong Russell E. , Norman Richard J. , Cartwright Richard D. , Wilson Charles E.
Published: March 2007

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars vary in susceptibility to kernel smut (Tilletia barclayana). The incidence and severity of kernel smut is believed to increase as rice seeding is delayed. The research objective was to evaluate the influence of seeding date on kernel smut incidence and severity of rice. Kernel smut incidence and severity and grain yield were evaluated on selected cultivars seeded on three or four dates at 7 site‐years in Arkansas. Grain yield was generally greatest when rice was seeded in April and declined as seeding was delayed until June. Kernel smut incidence (r = 0.38) and severity (r = 0.38) were significantly, albeit weakly, correlated with seeding date. Depending on site‐year, kernel smut incidence and severity were affected by cultivar, seeding date, or their interaction. Within each site‐year, incidence and severity were generally lowest numerically for the first (earliest) seeded rice. With subsequent seedings, kernel smut incidence and severity increased at 1 site‐year, remained constant at 2 site‐years, or showed no trend (i.e., fluctuated) among seeding dates at 4 site‐years, but 3 of the 4 site‐years had greater incidence than the first seeding. Cultivars rated highly susceptible to kernel smut generally had greater incidence and severity values than susceptible or moderately susceptible cultivars. Kernel smut incidence and severity averages were not significantly correlated with air temperatures or precipitation for 20 d after anthesis or 7 d before and after anthesis. Data suggest that seeding the least‐susceptible cultivars during the earliest recommended period may reduce damage from this disease in most years.
By‐Plant Prediction of Corn Forage Biomass and Nitrogen Uptake at Various Growth Stages Using Remote Sensing and Plant Height
Authors: Freeman Kyle W. , Girma Kefyalew , Arnall Daryl B. , Mullen Robert W. , Martin Kent L. , Teal Roger K. , Raun William R.
Published: March 2007

As research intensifies on developing precision agricultural practices for corn (Zea mays L.) production, an important component will be to identify the scale at which these practices should be implemented. We hypothesized that optical sensing can be used to measure individual corn plant biomass and N uptake. A 3‐yr study was conducted at three locations in Oklahoma. Optical sensor readings of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and plant height measurements were collected on individual corn plants at various growth stages ranging from V8 (collar of eighth leaf unfolded) to VT (last branch of the tassel is completely visible) and correlated with individual plant biomass, forage yield per unit area occupied by the plant, and N uptake of that plant. Individual plant height measurement, collected before reproductive growth, was a good predictor of plant biomass across the six site years of the study (r2 = 0.81). The index of NDVI × plant height provided the highest correlation with by‐plant forage yield on an area basis. Optical sensor and plant height measurements collected at the V8 to V10 (collar of 10th leaf unfolded) growth stage can distinguish individual plants and provide information as to their biomass accumulation and N uptake. This research demonstrates that by‐plant information can be collected and used to direct high resolution N applications. The index, NDVI × plant height, may be used to refine midseason fertilizer N rates based on expected N removal and by‐plant measurements at or before V10.
Conservation Practices in Western Oregon Perennial Grass Seed Systems: III. Impacts on Gray‐Tailed Vole Activity
Authors: Steiner J. J. , Gavin W. E. , Mueller‐Warrant G. W. , Griffith S. M. , Whittaker G. W. , Banowetz G. M.
Published: March 2007

Decreased use of field burning to dispose of straw after harvest of temperate grass seed crops and the implementation of alternative conservation practices including direct seeding (DS) and maximal residue (HR) management have raised questions whether certain pests such as the gray‐tailed vole (Microtus canicaudus) are worse than before these changes. The number of vole burrow holes was determined 15 Jan. 1999 at two research locations in western Oregon. Comparisons were made for the effects of DS and conventional tillage (CT) establishment, maximal and minimal residue (LR) management, present perennial seed crops, and immediate–prior crop in the rotation sequence and two‐crops‐prior in the rotation sequence. The treatments that most greatly influenced vole activity were crop establishment method and the previous crop in the rotation sequence. Vole activity was greatest in DS tillage establishment and when perennial grass seed was the prior crop in the rotation sequence. A possible production strategy to reduce vole activity could be to include meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba Benth.) or cereals in the rotation sequences when DS perennial grass seed crops are grown. This research demonstrates how vole activity can be reduced in perennial grass seed crops, without the need for tillage before establishment of new stands.
Nitrogen and Tillage Effects on Wheat Leaf Spot Diseases in the Northern Great Plains
Authors: Krupinsky J. M. , Halvorson A. D. , Tanaka D. L. , Merrill S. D.
Published: March 2007

There is a need for management practices in cropping systems that can reduce the impact of plant diseases. Leaf spot diseases on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were evaluated for 11 yr to determine the influence of tillage, N fertilization, and cultivar on disease severity in a long‐term cropping system project, which included two cropping systems {spring wheat (SWF)–fallow and annual cropping [spring wheat (SWA)–winter wheat (WWA)–sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)]}. The major leaf spot diseases were tan spot and Stagonospora nodorum blotch. In low precipitation years, the impacts of management practices on leaf spot disease severity were minimal. No‐till (NT) did not consistently increase the severity of leaf spot diseases. During the drier years, NT had the advantage of conserving soil water while not increasing the risk to leaf spot diseases. When N treatments influenced leaf spot disease severity, higher levels of disease severity were associated with the low‐N fertilizer treatment compared with higher levels of N fertilization. When a tillage × N treatment interaction was significant, disease severity was higher with NT at the low N treatment, but at the high N treatment the differences among tillage treatments were greatly reduced or eliminated. This indicates an advantage of using adequate N fertilizer especially with NT under our environmental conditions. When differences in leaf spot diseases for cultivars were evident, Roughrider winter wheat had higher levels of disease severity compared with Norstar; however, the differences between the spring wheat cultivars Butte86 and Stoa were not consistent for both cropping systems. Producers should integrate a combination of management practices to develop a consistent long‐term strategy for disease management suited to their production system and location.
Yield, Seed Quality, and Sulfur Uptake of Brassica Oilseed Crops in Response to Sulfur Fertilization
Authors: Malhi S. S. , Gan Y. , Raney J. P.
Published: March 2007

Field experiments were conducted in 2003, 2004, and 2005 on a S‐deficient Gray Luvisol (Boralf) soil near Star City, in northeastern Saskatchewan, to determine yield, seed quality and S uptake response of different Brassica (B.) oilseed species/cultivars to S deficiency and S fertilization. A total of 20 treatments were tested in a factorial combination of four oilseed crops (B. juncea canola cv. Arid, B. juncea canola cv. Amulet, B. juncea mustard cv. Cutlass, and B. napus cv. InVigor 2663 hybrid canola) and five rates of potassium sulfate fertilizer (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 kg S ha−1). All B. species/cultivars responded positively for seed yield and most other parameters to S fertilizer in all 3 yr, but the magnitude of response varied with species/cultivar and year. Seed yield was highest with Cutlass juncea mustard in a dry year (2003), but was highest with InVigor 2663 hybrid canola in years with above‐average precipitation (2004 and 2005). Seed yield was usually maximized at the rate of 30 kg S ha−1 for all B. species/cultivars. Oil concentration in seed increased with S fertilization for all B. species/cultivars. There was a significant (albeit small) increase of protein concentration in seed due to S fertilization. Cutlass juncea mustard accumulated considerably high concentrations of glucosinolates in seed, but glucosinolate concentrations were low in other B. species/cultivars. Sulfur uptake in seed was highest with Cutlass juncea mustard in all years. The effects of S deficiency and applied S were more pronounced on seed than straw. In conclusion, S fertilizer requirements for optimum seed yield were similar for all the B. species/cultivars used in this study on S‐deficient soil, but higher yielding types of B. would produce greater seed yield by using S more efficiently.