bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An outbreak of enterically transmitted non‐A, non‐E viral hepatitis
Authors: Luo K. ‐X. , Zhang L. , Wang S. ‐S. , Nie J. , Yang S. ‐C. , Liu D. ‐X. , Liang W. ‐F. , He H. ‐T. , Lu Q.
Published: March 2003

Patients with isolated serum transaminase elevations of unknown cause are common in China. An outbreak of such disease took place in a technicians’ school during 1996. To define the epidemic and determine the etiology, a study was carried out, which included investigation of epidemiological, clinical and histological features. The symptoms of this disease were mild. The major clinical feature was transaminase elevation, and all serum markers of known hepatitis viruses were negative. Although the course of disease in most patients was self‐limiting, in a few it was prolonged and relapsed. Histological findings were mild portal hepatitis or non‐specific reactive hepatitis. The disease first appeared in 1994, and this outbreak occurred after October 1996. A total of 381 people were affected and the prevalence was as high as 60.7%. Casual contact and small‐scale food transmission were considered to be risk factors for infection and the epidemic was under control 2 months later following the introduction of preventive measures for gastroenteric infection. Viral genomic fragments from the so‐called transfusion‐transmitted virus (TTV) were detected in acute‐phase sera and stool samples collected 2 weeks before onset. Therefore, this disease outbreak might be another form of enterically transmitted viral hepatitis, not related to hepatitis A and E.
Phylogenetic evidence, by multiple clone analysis of hypervariable region 1, for the transmission of hepatitis C virus to chronic haemodialysis patients
Authors: Hosokawa  , Esumi  , Iwasaki  , Yanai  , Enomoto  , Kawano
Published: March 2003

We analysed hepatitis C virus (HCV) sequences to determine whether nosocomial transmission of HCV occurred in a haemodialysis unit. Twenty patients positive for serum HCV RNA were investigated. All were undergoing haemodialysis therapy in the same room. The hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) sequence of HCV was amplified and multiple clones sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences revealed five genetic clusters consisting of HCV isolates from 11 of the 20 patients. In addition to two genetic clusters of HCV isolates from the four currently seroconverting patients and another patient who had been persistently infected, we identified three other phylogenetic relationships in HCV isolates from six patients. The patients grouped into the same cluster received haemodialysis individually on the same shift and/or side‐by‐side. Phylogenetic analysis of HCV HVR1 sequences corroborated the patient‐to‐patient HCV transmission suggested by an epidemiological study and that unrecognized transmission of HCV occurs in the dialysis room. Our multiple clone analysis of HCV isolates provides detailed information on nosocomial transmission of HCV. Transmission occurs more frequently when treatment is performed at the same time than in consoles located close to each other.
Prevalence of SENV‐H viraemia among healthy subjects and individuals at risk for parenterally transmitted diseases in Germany
Authors: Schröter M. , Laufs R. , Zöllner B. , Knödler B. , Schäfer P. , Sterneck M. , Fischer L. , Feucht H.‐H.
Published: March 2003

summary. The prevalence of a newly described DNA virus (SENV‐H) was examined in a population of 599 individuals by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All individuals were assigned to a nonrisk or a risk group depending on the presence of historical or serological factors indicating an increased risk for parenterally transmitted diseases. In a group of 226 healthy blood donors, 38 (16.8%) were found to be SENV‐H viraemic. The highest prevalence of SENV‐H viraemia was observed among patients infected by HIV (28 of 63; 44.4%). Contrarily, of 78 individuals on maintenance haemodialysis, only 10 (12.8%) were found positive in the SENV‐H PCR. Our results demonstrate that SENV‐H viraemia is widespread in the general population. Therefore, it seems to be questionable if parenteral transmission is the main route for spreading SENV‐H. The hepatitis‐inducing capacity of SENV‐H is unclear. However, taking our clinical and epidemiological data into account it seems unlikely that this virus is responsible for hepatitis.
A preliminary survey for changes in urban Fox (Vulpes vulpes) densities in England and Wales, and implications for rabies control
Authors: Wilkinson D. , Smith G. C.
Published: March 2003

A questionnaire was sent to 139 councils and 44 local mammal groups in England and Wales, requesting data on changes in urban Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) densities between 1987 and 1997. Of 152 responses, 41% believed Fox numbers had increased, 42% believed Fox numbers were unchanged and 7% believed Fox numbers had decreased. Most of the increases were perceived to be due to increased food availability, and decreases due to sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei). In the event of a rabies outbreak in Britain, the models used to determine control strategies are dependent on having sufficiently up‐to‐date urban Fox density data. This survey suggests that urban Fox density data for Britain should be updated in the near future.
Distribution, status and conservation problems of the Spanish Ibex, Capra pyrenaica (Mammalia: Artiodactyla)†
Authors: Pérez Jesús M. , Granados José E. , Soriguer RamóN C. , Fandos Paulino , Márquez Francisco J. , Crampe Jean P.
Published: March 2003

In this paper, the distribution and status of the Spanish Ibex, Capra pyrenaica (Mammalia: Artiodactyla), are revised. The whole Iberian population numbers nearly 50 000, distributed in more than 50 nuclei, and has generally increased during the last decades. Nevertheless, within this wider context, different conditions apply to different populations, including recent extinction (the Pyrenean population), recovery from recent severe epizooty of sarcoptic mange (e.g. the Sierras de Cazorla and Segura y Las Villas range population) and populations at high densities (e.g. Gredos mountain range and Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, among others). The main factors affecting the conservation of this species are also reported and discussed. On the basis of current information we propose the status of ‘vulnerable’ for the Spanish Ibex.
Larvicidal toxicity of Japanese Bacillus thuringiensis against the mosquito Anopheles stephensi
Authors: SAITOH HIROYUKI , HIGUCHI KAZUHIKO , MIZUKI EIICHI , OHBA MICHIO
Published: March 2003

Japanese isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis were screened for larvicidal activity against the mosquito Anopheles stephensi, the urban malaria vector of the Indian subcontinent. Among more than 30 strains identified, larvicidal activity causing >80% mortality in 72 h was demonstrated for 41/1449 (2.8%) isolates. The majority of strains and isolates (97.2%) exhibited little or no larvicidal activity. Anopheles‐active strains belonged to more than 12 H serotypes, especially H3ade (serovar fukuokaensis) and H44 (serovar higo). SDS‐PAGE profiles of inclusion proteins showed 4 distinct types among 6 active strains examined. The most active Japanese isolates were H20 strain 89‐T‐34‐14 (LC50 4.4 μg/ml) and H44 serovar higo strain 74‐E‐45‐24 (LC50 7.6 μg/ml), respectively, 13‐fold and 23‐fold less active than the international standard H14 serovar israelensis (LC50 0.33 μg/ml).
Activity patterns inGlossina longipennis:a field study using different sampling methods
Authors: Makumi J. N. , Green C. , Baylis M.
Published: March 2003

Abstract.Studies on the daily activity of Glossina longipennis at Galana Ranch using a black odour‐baited electrocuting target confirmed its crepuscular activity profile. Activity started at 05.00–05.30 hours and peaked at 06.00–06.30 hours, stopped by 09.00 hours, then started again at 17.00–17.30 hours with a peak at 18.30–19.00 hours, ceasing by 19.30 hours. Females made up 60% of the overall catch, and tended to arrive later than males. Other stationary sampling methods (trap, stationary ox) gave similar results. With the stationary methods, very few flies were caught outside the periods of peak activity (only 1.5% of the total between 09.00 and 17.00 hours); the ox was the only stationary bait to catch any flies between 10.00 and 16.00 hours. More flies were caught throughout the day at mobile baits (8.3% of the male and 2.3% of the female catch was taken between 09.00 and 17.00 hours). Mobile baits caught considerably more males than females (females were 17% of the catch). These males had on average higher fat and haematin reserves. Similar nutritional differences were not observed for females. There were fewer older females (ovarian category 3 or more) in mobile compared to stationary baits, and a lower proportion of the youngest males (wing fray category 1) at natural compared with artificial baits.
Body size variation of the floodwater mosquito Aedes albifasciatus in Central Argentina
Authors: Gleiser R. M. , Urrutia J. , Gorla D. E.
Published: March 2003

An inverse relationship between larval density and adult body size has been reported for several mosquito species, affecting their survival and vector competence, response to repellents and other factors. Larvae of the floodwater mosquito Aedes (Ochlerotatus) albifasciatus (Macquart) (Diptera: Culicidae) develop quickly in temporary pools, so intraspecific competition (for food or space) might regulate population abundance and affect the size of adult mosquitoes. We investigated the temporal variation of adult female wing‐length (an index of body‐size) in natural populations of Ae. albifasciatus, using adults collected during each phase of the rainy season. The relationships between adult mosquito abundance, female wing‐length, rainfall and temperature were analysed through simple regressions. Skewness of the frequency distribution of wing‐lengths showed a strong negative relationship with mean wing‐length. The distribution of wing‐lengths varied seasonally and was correlated with rainfall 7–15 days previously as the major consequence of breeding site volume. Thus temporal variation of body size in natural populations of Ae. albifasciatus reflected density‐dependent changes in the aquatic habitat where immature stages develop, influenced more by rainfall than by temperature or other environmental variables.
Dispersal range of Simulium neavei in an onchocerciasis focus of western Uganda
Authors: Mpagi J. , Katamanywa J. , Garms R.
Published: March 2003

The dispersal range of the vector Simulium neavei Roubaud (Diptera: Simuliidae) was investigated in an onchocerciasis focus in Kabarole district, western Uganda, adjacent to the Itwara Forest Reserve, where the species breeds in phoretic association with the river crab Potamonautes aloysiisabaudiae (Nobili) (Decapoda: Potamonautidae). Biting rates were highest at the edge of the forest, but blood‐seeking flies were collected up to a distance of about 4 km from the forest. Entomological data did not agree with the geographical distribution of onchocerciasis, which is hyperendemic in larger distances from the forest. The possible reasons are discussed.
Blood‐feeding in mosquitoes: probing time and salivary gland anti‐haemostatic activities in representatives of three genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex)
Authors: Ribeiro J. M. C.
Published: March 2003

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) face their hosts' haemostatic mechanisms when attempting to feed on blood. Accordingly, they antagonize haemostasis by salivary agents that include anti‐clotting, anti‐platelet and vasodilatory compounds. Because haemostasis is a complex and redundant physiological response that varies between vertebrates, it is to be expected that haematophagous animals have a salivary armoury that most efficiently counteracts their preferred hosts. The mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus Say, which has a strong tendency to ornithophagy, appears to have only recently adapted to mammals and may not have evolved efficient mechanisms to counteract mammalian platelet responses, while birds only have relatively inefficient thrombocytes. Accordingly, we compared the probing behaviour of Cx. quinquefasciatus with two other mosquito species from different backgrounds: Aedes aegypti (L.) and Anopheles albimanus Weidemann, that have apparently had a longer evolutionary association with mammals. Culex takes much more time to find blood on a mammalian host (human or mouse) when compared to the two other mosquito species, but does not differ in probing behaviour when feeding on a chicken. Salivary anti‐haemostatic components were also measured in those three species of mosquito and results are discussed in context with the probing behaviour.
Differential ecology of Anopheles punctulatus and three members of the Anopheles farauti complex of mosquitoes on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, identified by PCR‐RFLP analysis
Authors: Beebe N. W. , Bakote'e B. , Ellis J. T. , Cooper R. D.
Published: March 2003

From a series of larval collections made across northern Guadalcanal during the dry season, October–November 1997, four members of the Anopheles punctulatus group of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were identified using PCR‐RFLP analysis. Anopheline larvae were found in 54/57 (95%) of the sites sampled, comprising An. farauti Laveran sensu stricto (32 sites), An. farauti species no. 2 (39 sites), An. farauti no. 7 (36 sites) and An. punctulatus Dönitz (10 sites). Anopheles punctulatus occurred only on the coastal plain, where it was associated with the more transient sites. Anopheles farauti sensu lato was more widespread throughout the survey region, with similar proportions of all three sibling species in both transient and permanent sites. Two members of the An. farauti complex, An. farauti s.s. and species no. 2, were found in brackish water. All breeding sites of An. punctulatus were cohabited by An. farauti s.l., sometimes by all three sibling species. Anopheles farauti s.s. was the only species collected on human bait, with a much higher biting rate early in the evening (57 bites/human/hour at 18.30–20.00 hours) than later (0.8 bites/human/hour at 21.00–24.00 hours).
Effects of infection of the tick Ornithodoros moubata with African swine fever virus
Authors: Rennie L. , Wilkinson P. J. , Mellor P. S.
Published: March 2003

The effects of infection with African swine fever virus (ASFV) on adult and nymphal Ornithodoros moubata Murray (Ixodoidea, Argasidae) ticks were examined. Three groups of ticks were used, an uninfected control group, one group infected with the VIC T90/1 isolate of ASFV and another group infected with the LIV 13/33 isolate of ASFV. Infection with ASFV did not affect the oviposition rates of infected ticks when compared with uninfected ticks. There was no difference between infected and uninfected ticks in progeny hatching rates and first nymphal stage feeding rates. Feeding rates of infected adult ticks were also unaffected. However, a significant increase in mortality rates was observed amongst the adult ticks that fed on an infective bloodmeal compared to ticks fed on an unifected bloodmeal.
Transovarial transmission of African swine fever virus in the argasid tick Ornithodoros moubata
Authors: Rennie L. , Wilkinson P. J. , Mellor P. S.
Published: March 2003

The aim of this study was to determine filial infection prevalence of experimentally infected colony Ornithodoros moubata Walton (Ixodoidea: Argasidae) ticks for African swine fever virus (ASFV). Three groups of ticks were used: an uninfected control group, one group orally infected with the VIC T90/1 isolate and another group orally infected with the LIV 13/33 isolate of ASFV. The results show that filial infection prevalences were not constant but were highly variable between egg batches from different ticks and between successive egg batches from the same tick. Filial infection prevalences ranged from 1.8% to 31.8% for ticks infected with the VICT90/1 isolate and from 1.2% to 35.5% for ticks infected with the LIV 13/33 isolate. A similar pattern was noted after the third feed. Immunohistochemisty showed that virus replicates in the developing larval cells and not in the yolk sac cells or within the outer layers of the eggs. The results show that ASFV can replicate to a high titre (105.1log10HAD50) within the larval cells of the developing egg.
Measuring the hospital experiences of junior doctors
Authors: Rolfe I E , Pearson S , Sanson‐Fisher R , Fardell S D , Kay F J , Gordon J
Published: March 2003

The development of an appraisal questionnaire which measures junior doctors' opinions about their hospital experiences is described. The first section of the questionnaire consists of seven reliable subscales which measure opinions about teaching and learning, registrar teaching, consultant teaching, staff support, workload, administration and overall experiences during a period of attachment or term. The second part of the survey contains 11 reliable questions about the hours spent on service and education during the term. The responses to this measure of 257 randomly selected Australian junior doctors are described. The questionnaire may be used to contrast the experiences of junior doctors in different types of terms, different hospitals or varying levels of training. The data generated from the instrument can provide useful information about hospitals, such as the work practices of junior staff and the effectiveness of educational programs.
Measurement of how well a paediatric training programme prepares graduates for their chosen career paths
Authors: Macnab Andrew , Martin Jennifer , Duffy Damian , Murray Gisella
Published: March 2003

To provide a sound basis for modification of our paediatric residency education programme, we surveyed graduates from the past 16 years. The questionnaire was designed to determine the adequacy of training rotations in preparing graduates for their career paths. Questionnaires were mailed to 81 graduates; 73 (90%) replied. A modified version was completed by 27 of 29 current residents (93%). For most rotations, responses were normally distributed. However, 10 or more respondents identified exposure in one area as `excessive' and in 6 as `inadequate'. Current residents scored many rotations as `inadequate', likely indicative of their limited exposure to actual practice. Recommendations were consistent for subjects needing more instruction. All major issues raised by graduates had been identified by faculty, but the substantiation enabled changes to be made with widespread support. We recommend periodic survey of graduates to evaluate how well education is preparing residents for their ultimate career paths.
Day surgery: teaching the next generation
Authors: O'Driscoll  , Rudkin  , Carty
Published: March 2003

The advent of day surgery presents new opportunities and challenges for medical education. The opportunity to see patients pre‐operatively and follow them through surgery to discharge on the same day is unique to day surgery. However, with rare exceptions, the development of educational programmes in ambulatory surgical settings is still largely at a rudimentary level. An undergraduate pilot programme was conducted at the University of Adelaide to explore the practicalities, acceptance and educational value of a day surgery programme for final‐year medical students. The programme had three components: day surgery patient follow through, practical procedure tutorials and problem‐based learning tutorials. It incorporated assessment of practical skills and theoretical knowledge with the use of log books and clinical and practical simulations as important elements in the assessment process. The pilot programme was accepted by all stakeholders and students' perceived significant gains in knowledge and skills. This programme may provide a teaching model that could be adapted for use in other medical schools.
Portfolio learning in general practice vocational training – does it work?
Authors: Snadden David , Thomas Mary L
Published: March 2003

Reflective learning has been widely addressed as an important learning mechanism in the educational literature. The creation of portfolios has been seen as a mechanism to promote this, though there has been little exploration of the place of a portfolio in general practice training. This study examined the introduction of a model of a portfolio learning strategy into one training region. The model had been developed by previous pilot work. The study explored the model in terms of its usefulness in general practice training and its relationship to reflective learning. An educational facilitator was used to support this introduction.

Workshops and written material were developed to disseminate and refine ideas generated in the pilot study. This was followed by visits to trainer/general practice registrar (GPR) pairs over a 2‐year period. These visits included semistructured interviews, which were tape‐recorded and analysed using qualitative methods. Additional written resources, video and audio material as well as new workshops were designed with the researched participants in order to promote the development of the concepts of portfolio learning.

Sixty interviews were carried out over a 2‐year period with 44 pairs of trainers and GPRs. This included a total of 27 trainers and 44 registrars. Eighteen pairs were interviewed twice. Two focus groups were used at the end of the project.

Portfolios have a place to play in general practice vocational training. They act as a bridge between hospital and general practice. They can be used to develop a learner‐centred curriculum, explore difficult emotive concerns and facilitate feedback. They do not suit all learning styles. Their use is determined by a cost–benefit analysis described in this study.
Health care perceptions of the standardized patient
Authors: Rubin Nancy J. , Philp Elizabeth B.
Published: March 2003

As the use of standardized patients (SPs) for education and assessment continues to grow, there becomes an ever‐increasing cohort of patients in our clinical practices who have participated as SPs. The present study is part of a five‐year longitudinal study to examine the impact of participation as a standardized patient on the perceptions of the standardized patient's own health care. SPs participating in the 1993, 1994 and 1995 Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) for medical students at the end of their third year were requested to respond to mailed questionnaires before, immediately after and one year after their participation in the OSCE(s). Results indicated that, while overall the SP's perceptions of their interactions with their doctors were positive both before and after participation in the OSCE, as a group, their perceptions of their own health care was significantly worse at one year post‐OSCE. Additionally, when divided according to SP experience, that is novice versus experienced SP, most of the items on which there were changes were mutually exclusive between the groups. If these significant negative changes are due to the SPs becoming more educated consumers of medical care, this can be seen as a positive outcome. However, if the changes are due to variables particular to the third‐year medical student OSCEs themselves, debriefing of the SPs following their participation in the OSCE may be warranted.
Education as a means of reducing medical expenses
Authors: Tajima  , Nagasawa  , Tanabe  , Kusaba  , Tadano
Published: March 2003

In treating patients with infectious diseases, key knowledge and experience are essential in making appropriate clinical decisions.

Medical students in Japan receive limited tuition in clinical pharmacology and microbiology in their undergraduate curriculum. Education and guidance in these fields are not always provided, even during postgraduate training. To help overcome this problem, we have devised a quick medical reference system to support antimicrobial chemotherapy, and this has been operating in our hospital since May 1994. This system is integrated in order to convey the maximal significance of test results by providing detailed information on various kinds of pathogens and antibiotics immediately on every computer display. This is a unique system in Japan, and aims to help doctors provide effective therapy. Using this system, we have succeeded in reducing medical expenditure for antimicrobials by around 10%.
Variation in medical students' approaches to diagnosis: a basis for initiating conceptual change among teachers and students
Authors: Lindblom‐Ylänne  , Meyer
Published: March 2003

Objectives

This study examines Finnish medical students' approaches to diagnosis and investigates further how medical teachers can use information about variation in their students' approaches to diagnosis to foster teaching in medical school.

Design

The medical students responded to the Conceptions and Experiences of Diagnosis Inventory (CEDI).

Setting

Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki.

Subjects

Ninety medical students in their clinical years and eight clinical teachers from the same Faculty of Medicine.

Results

The 11 subscales of the CEDI formed two contrasting factors: the first reflecting variation in `non‐virtuously' labelled, and the second in `virtuously' labelled, aspects of diagnosis.

Conclusions

Cluster analyses revealed subgroup characteristics of students' diagnostic processes that are of potential benefit to both students and teachers. Teacher interviews indicated that, for students, the CEDI may act as a self‐assessment tool to help develop their diagnostic and metacognitive skills. For teachers, the CEDI was seen to offer important information about their students' conceptions of diagnosis and diagnostic skills.
A comparison of the educational opportunities on junior medical attachments in general practice and in a teaching hospital: a questionnaire survey
Authors: Murray Elizabeth , Jolly Brian , Modell Michael
Published: March 2003

Objectives

 To obtain students' perceptions of the educational quality of the general internal medicine teaching overall and to determine whether specific learning objectives were better addressed in general practice or in hospital.

Design

 The survey was carried out after a 10 week block of general internal medicine, consisting of five weeks taught in general practice and five weeks taught in a teaching hospital. Students were randomly allocated to start in either general practice or hospital. The outcome measure was a questionnaire survey of students perceptions' of their learning on the two halves of the block. Each student completed the same questionnaire twice: once after their hospital experience and once after their general practice experience. Statistical Analysis was carried out using the SPSS package for Windows 3·1. Group means were calculated for each response, and the mean differences for each student's responses for the two learning environments were analysed using t‐tests for paired samples.

Setting

 Royal Free and University College Medical School at University College London.

Subjects

 The study population was the entire annual intake (n = 225) of students into the first clinical year at one UK medical school.

Results

 Students perceived they learnt more about history taking and physical examination in the community, whereas they learnt more about writing up their clerkings, keeping progress notes and disease management in hospital.

Conclusions

 The community and hospital environments appear to have different strengths for the teaching of medical students. These data support judicious transfer of clinical skills teaching from teaching hospitals into general practice, when the circumstances achieved here can be duplicated. However, some aspects of the clinical attachment, particularly record keeping and disease management, are probably better taught in hospital at present.
Selecting medical students: a case report of the need for change
Authors: Marley  , Carman
Published: March 2003

Objectives

To review the selection of medical students by academic score alone.

Setting

The University of Adelaide.

Methods

Surveys of students, staff, school counsellors and review of matriculation scores and rankings in the medical course.

Results

Staff and school counsellors both rated personal qualities such as problem solving ability and communication skills as highly desirable attributes to be sought, but not rote learning ability. School counsellors reported intense pressure on students and schools to achieve the required high scores, with educationally undesirable narrowing of subject choices and reduced involvement in sport and extra‐curricular activities. Matriculation scores did not predict placings in our medical course. Only 52% of students had a clear ambition to do medicine, while parental pressure and a high mark featured strongly as other reasons for entry. Only 11% of students claimed any reasonable knowledge about their chosen career before entry.

Conclusion

This case report confirmed that selecting medical students by academic score alone was no longer desirable.
Continuing education courses in dentistry: assessing impact on practice
Authors: Bullock A D , Belfield C R , Butterfield S , Ribbins P M , Frame J W
Published: March 2003

Introduction

In the context of movement towards mandatory continuing dental education, this paper describes how a delayed postal questionnaire can be used in course evaluation. Specifically, the value of the questionnaire as a tool for assessing the impact of short course attendance on general dental practice is examined.

Method

Questionnaires were distributed to all those attending three courses, ranging in size, in the West Midlands region. As well as reflecting on the course, respondents were asked their views on the usefulness of the questionnaire, the length of time between course attendance and assessment of impact, and types of courses likely to have greatest impact.

Results

Respondents thought the questionnaire an appropriate tool for assessing impact on practice, that an appropriate interval of time between the course and the delayed questionnaire is about six weeks, and that courses most likely to impact on practice are those which offer updates on common clinical topics and are hands‐on in nature.

Discussion

A delayed questionnaire could be a useful mechanism for evaluating the impact on practice of some types of courses. Response rates from those attending large lecture courses might be low. Course evaluation is also limited by resources and time. Criteria for identifying which courses should be subject to such evaluation might include high cost per participant and links with review cycles.

Conclusion

There is scope for more structured evaluation of continuing dental education, including the assessment of impact on practice. The questionnaire described is a useful component of an evaluation framework.
Single‐handed practices – their contribution to an undergraduate teaching network in the first year of the new curriculum
Authors: Wylie A M , Stephenson A , Copperman J , Wingfield R , Turner M , Steward C
Published: March 2003

Objectives

The new curriculum at King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry, which commenced in September 1996, requires all medical undergraduates to have a general practice placement throughout the 5␣years of their medical education.

Design

This paper discusses recruitment, training and support of teaching practices for the new curriculum, reviews the distribution of single‐handed general practices in the network and, via a selection of monitoring and evaluation procedures, discusses the implications of a policy which is inclusive of single‐handed practices. The findings relate to the experience of the first semester of the first year of the new curriculum. It also examines the contributions that single‐handed practices have made to the teaching network and the kind of support needed, if single‐handed practices are to continue to contribute to the King’s teaching network.

Setting

King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Subjects

Medical undergraduates.

Results

The findings of this paper revealed that over a third of general practice provision is via single‐handed practices in South‐east London. Within the undergraduate teaching network, 10% of practices are single‐handed. Students are welcomed and receive a learning experience comparable to those students in larger practices. Attendance at training events has proved difficult for some of these tutors, but the extra input from the department, in order to address this deficit, has not been onerous. Indeed, single‐handed practices have not been unique with regard to difficulties in attendance at training events.

Conclusions

The study concludes that single‐handed practices can make satisfactory provision for undergraduates in the new curriculum and there is no evidence from this study to suggest otherwise.
Polymorphic microsatellite loci in Mimulus guttatus and related species
Authors: KELLY ALAN J. , WILLIS JOHN H.
Published: March 2003

The evolution of self‐fertilization from outcrossing is one of the most common evolutionary transitions in flowering plants. One goal of our research is to develop a linkage map based upon microsatellite loci in Mimulus guttatus and the selfing derivative M. nasutus in order to examine the genetics of one such transition. Here we present 19 primer pairs that detect polymorphisms between these two species. Within‐population allelic surveys demonstrate the value of these markers for detailed analysis of population structure. We have found also that many of the microsatellites are conserved in more distantly related Mimulus species, and may thus serve as useful genetic markers for population genetic and comparative mapping studies within this diverse genus.
Sexing birds using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers
Authors: LESSELLS C. M. , MATEMAN A. C.
Published: March 2003

We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to sex birds from small tissue (usually blood) samples. Arbitrarily chosen 10‐mer PCR primers were screened with DNA from known‐sex individuals for the production of a bright female‐specific band. Suitable primers were found for seven bird species after screening about 30 primers (range 2–63), and no primer was found for three other species after screening about 50 primers for each species. Investigations into the reliability of RAPD markers for sexing great tits Parus major and oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus show that: (i) when PCR reaction conditions for great tit DNA are varied, either the presence of the female‐specific band correctly predicts the individual’s sex or no DNA amplification occurs; (ii) the female‐specific band in great tits can be sequenced, and subsequently amplified using specific PCR primers; (iii) null alleles of the female‐specific fragment occur at an estimated frequency of 0% (n = 241 females) in great tits and 0.6% (n > 290 females) in oystercatchers; (iv) the female‐specific fragment in great tits occurs in individuals from a wide geographical range encompassing two subspecies; and (v) the relative intensity of bands in great tit RAPD banding profiles is consistent across individual birds and scorers. The RAPD primers that we have identified are generally species specific, and the consequent time cost of screening for primers is the chief disadvantage of using RAPD markers to sex birds. However, with large sample sizes this disadvantage is outweighed by the relative technical simplicity and low cost of the technique.
Phylogeography of the natterjack toad Bufo calamita in Britain: genetic differentiation of native and translocated populations
Authors: ROWE G. , BEEBEE T. J. C. , BURKE T.
Published: March 2003

The natterjack toad Bufo calamita is rare in Britain, which is at the northwestern edge of its biogeographical range. We investigated the level of genetic differentiation amongst almost all (34 out of 38) of the surviving British populations of this species, and among six new populations established by translocations during the 1980s. For eight microsatellite loci, allele sizes and frequencies were analysed using samples from each of these populations. The populations clustered into three robustly differentiated groups, each of which corresponded with a geographical region (east/southeast England, Merseyside and Cumbria). The Cumbrian populations showed a further weak geographical substructuring into northern and southern clades. The populations in south Cumbria were genetically more diverse than those in any of the other regions, as judged by the mean numbers of alleles per locus and the mean heterozygosity estimates. The translocated populations clustered close to their founders and, with one exception, did not differ significantly with respect to mean allele numbers, heterozygosity or polymorphism level. However, significant genetic differentiation (as measured by unbiased RST) was found between all but one of the founder‐translocation pairs. The implications of this phylogeographic study for the future conservation of B. calamita in Britain are discussed.
Plucked hair samples as a source of DNA: reliability of dinucleotide microsatellite genotyping
Authors: GOOSSENS B. , WAITS L. P. , TABERLET P.
Published: March 2003

To test whether plucked hairs are a reliable source of DNA for genotyping microsatellite loci, we carried out experiments using one, three, or 10 hairs per extract for 50 alpine marmots. For each extract, seven independent genotypings were performed for the same locus (multiple‐tubes approach). Two types of genotyping errors were recorded: a false homozygote defined as the detection of only one allele of a true heterozygote, and a false allele defined as a PCR‐generated allele that was not one of the alleles of the true genotype. Using DNA extracted from one, three, or 10 hairs, the overall error rate was 14.00%, 4.86%, and 0.29%, respectively. Based on our results, we conclude that 10 hairs should be used to obtain consistently reliable genotypings using the single‐tube approach, and that a single plucked hair could represent a reliable source of DNA if the multiple‐tubes approach is used. For future studies of dinucleotide repeat diversity using DNA extracted from one to three shed or plucked hairs, we strongly recommend initiating an appropriate pilot study to quantify the error rate and to determine the reliability of the single‐tube approach.
Geographic analysis of nucleotide diversity and song sparrow (Aves: Emberizidae) population history
Authors: FRY ADAM J. , ZINK ROBERT M.
Published: March 2003

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control‐region (CR) sequences were analysed to address three questions regarding the evolution of geographical variation in song sparrows. (i) Are mtDNA sequences more informative about phylogenetic relationships and population history than previously published restriction fragment (RFLP) data? (ii) Are song sparrow CR sequences evolving in a selectively neutral manner? (iii) What do the haplotype cladogram and geographical pattern of nucleotide diversity (π) suggest about the recent evolutionary history of song sparrow populations? Results from phylogenetic analyses of CR sequences corroborate RFLP results and reveal instances in which haplotypes do not group by locality. Neutrality tests (Tajima 1989a) suggest that song sparrow mtDNA is evolving in a selectively neutral manner, although exceptions are noted. A novel geographical pattern of π suggests a model of song sparrow population history involving multiple Pleistocene refugia and colonization of some formerly glaciated regions from multiple sources. Moreover, application of coalescence theory to the haplotype cladogram suggests that two different haplotypes (48NF and 151HA) may have predominated in different parts of the song sparrow's range. This model provides insight into the current distribution of song sparrow mtDNA haplotypes and may explain the discordance between evolutionary history inferred from mtDNA and morphology in this species.
Population genetic structure of wild rice Oryza glumaepatula distributed in the Amazon flood area influenced by its life‐history traits
Authors: AKIMOTO M. , SHIMAMOTO Y. , MORISHIMA H.
Published: March 2003

Wild plant species develop their own way of living to adapt to the specific environment of their habitats. Their life‐history traits strongly affect the genetic structure of the population. The wild species Oryza glumaepatula Steud. growing in the Amazon basin seems to have characteristic life‐history traits suited for the flood condition. At the vegetative growth stage, the culms frequently break at internodes. With no roots anchoring on the ground, plant bodies floating in the water move downriver by water current and wind. To examine the association between the life‐history traits and genetic population structure of Amazonian O. glumaepatula, we analysed allozyme variability at 29 loci of 16 enzymes using 37 populations from five regions. Allozymes were not so variable (total gene diversity HE = 0.044) compared with Asian wild rice, O. rufipogon Griff. The bottleneck effect and rare opportunity of interspecies gene flow may prevent the development of allozyme variability. Population genotypes tended to be differentiated among geographically isolated regions. Observed heterozygosities were much lower than expected heterozygosities, or gene diversity (HO = 0.003 for whole population) and FIS over polymorphic loci was 0.931, indicating that O. glumaepatula has developed an inbreeding system. But, the intrapopulation gene diversity (HS) was higher than interpopulation gene diversity (DST), as generally observed in outbreeding populations. The migration ability of O. glumaepatula makes long‐distance seed dispersal possible. This might have led to frequent gene flow among populations.
Nuclear insertion sequences of mitochondrial DNA predominate in hair but not in blood of elephants
Authors: Greenwood Alex D. , Pääbo Svante
Published: March 2003

Hair has become a widely used source of DNA in population genetics, forensics, and conservation biology. Here we report that PCR primers that amplify a segment of the mitochondrial control region from blood DNA amplify primarily integrated nuclear copies of mitochondrial DNA from hair DNA. Thus, in some species, and under some circumstances, DNA from hair may yield unreliable results.
Electrophoretic differentiation in isolated populations of Lolium rigidum Gaud.
Authors: Bennett S. J. , Hayward M. D.
Published: March 2003

Sixteen wild populations of Lolium rigidum Gaud. were collected from island and mainland locations in Mediterranean Europe and western Asia. Five loci, controlling isozymes at four enzyme systems, were assayed on 60 plants per population using starch gel electrophoresis. Gene diversity measures and Nei’s genetic distance were calculated, and the relationships between the populations were analysed using principal component (PCA) and cluster analyses. All populations were found to show a gene diversity index that is consistent with that expected in a cross‐fertilising species. The highest gene diversity measures were recorded in some of the island populations. Both PCA and cluster analysis grouped the Balearic Island populations together and separated the Spanish and Sardinian populations from any of the others. The results are discussed with respect to a number of theories of migration between populations, and in relation to the colonization history of each island. It is suggested that the preservation of these island populations in gene banks is important as part of a core collection of the species.
Mitochondrial and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) diversity of the African malaria vector Anopheles funestus
Authors: MUKABAYIRE O. , BOCCOLINI D. , LOCHOUARN L. , FONTENILLE D. , BESANSKY N. J.
Published: March 2003

The pattern of sequence variation in the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene (cyt‐b) and ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) was examined in Anopheles funestus from Senegal and Burkina Faso in West Africa and Kenya in East Africa. From both West African countries, samples included individuals hypothesized to represent reproductively isolated taxa based upon different karyotypes and behaviours. Analysis of the cyt‐b data revealed high haplotypic diversity (86%) and an average pairwise difference per site of 0.42%. Sequence variation was not partitioned by geographical origin or karyotype class. The most common haplotype was sampled across Africa (≈ 6000 km). Analysis of the ITS2 data revealed one of the longest spacers yet found in anophelines (≈ 704 bp). In common with other anopheline ITS2 sequences, this one had microsatellites and frequent runs of individual nucleotides. Also in common with data from other anopheline ITS2 studies, the An. funestus sequences were almost monomorphic, with only two rare polymorphisms detected. The results from both markers are congruent and do not support the hypothesis of reproductively isolated chromosomal taxa within An. funestus. Whether the lack of support by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences is a result of the recent origin of the presumptive taxa, or of the absence of barriers to gene flow, remains to be elucidated, using more rapidly evolving markers such as microsatellites.
Influence of landscape on the population genetic structure of the alpine butterfly Parnassius smintheus (Papilionidae)
Authors: Keyghobadi Nusha , Roland Jens , Strobeck Curtis
Published: March 2003

Four microsatellite DNA markers were developed which were used to examine the relationship between landscape and population genetic structure among a set of populations of the butterfly Parnassius smintheus located in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Detailed information on the dispersal of adult butterflies among this same set of populations was available. Simple and partial Mantel tests were used to examine the relationships between genetic distances, predicted rates of dispersal, and a number of landscape variables, all measured pairwise for 17 sample sites. Nei’s standard genetic distance was negatively correlated with predicted dispersal. We observed a significant pattern of isolation by distance at a very small spatial scale. The distance between sites that was through forest was a stronger predictor of genetic distance than the distance through open meadow, indicating a significant effect of landscape on population genetic structure beyond that of simple isolation by distance. Our results suggest that rises in the tree‐line in alpine areas, caused by global warming, will lead to reduced gene flow among populations of P. smintheus.
Mitochondrial DNA analysis of sympatric morphotypes of bottlenose dolphins (genus: Tursiops) in Chinese waters
Authors: Wang J. Y. , Chou L.‐S. , White B. N.
Published: March 2003

The classification within the bottlenose dolphin (genus Tursiops) is controversial. Although many morphological variants exist, most authors have concluded that the genus is composed of a single species, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu 1821). Two distinct morphotypes of bottlenose dolphins, which have been referred to as T. truncatus and T. aduncus, exist in sympatry in Chinese waters. Comparisons of a 386‐bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (n = 47) indicated that the two sympatric morphotypes were genetically distinct, with seven fixed site differences and a sequence divergence of approximately 4.4%. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood, neighbour‐joining and maximum parsimony approaches showed that the truncatus‐type dolphins from Chinese waters were more closely related to Atlantic Ocean truncatus‐type than to the sympatric aduncus‐type dolphins. The Atlantic truncatus‐type dolphins also shared the same diagnostic sites that separated Chinese truncatus‐type from aduncus‐type dolphins. The molecular data agreed completely with the morphological classifications of the specimens. This congruence is strong evidence that the sympatric morphotypes in Chinese waters are reproductively isolated and comprise two distinct species. These findings have important implications for the conservation of bottlenose dolphins in Chinese waters.