bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coverage of the pre-Iraq War debate as a case study of frame indexing
Authors: Groshek Jacob
Published: November 2008

This study examined critical coverage, substantive news frames, and news sources in The New York Times and Washington Post coverage of the pre-Iraq War debate. This content analysis evaluated media coverage before and after Congress passed the resolution that authorized the use of military force in Iraq. Results demonstrated that Congressional consensus was related to diminished frequencies of critical and substantively framed paragraphs in coverage yet the ongoing international debate sustained relatively more intense levels of critical coverage after the resolution passed than before. Substantively framed coverage, however, declined across all source types and levels of measurement after the Congressional resolution. In sum, the observed increase in the level of consensus within the US government seemed to influence coverage of the pre-Iraq War debate as it continued within and among other groups, such that substantive news frames were indexed to this shift in the tone, intensity, and focus of the policy debate. These findings therefore suggest a level of integration between indexing and framing in which an increased level of official consensus may be predictive of not only certain tones of coverage but also certain news frames being adopted over others.
Hemoglobin and Streptococcus suis cell wall act in synergy to potentiate the inflammatory response of monocyte-derived macrophages
Authors: Tanabe Shin-ichi , Gottschalk Marcelo , Grenier Daniel
Published: November 2008

Streptococcus suis, a major swine pathogen world-wide, can trigger macrophages to secrete large amounts of proinflammatory cytokines, which increase the permeability of the blood—brain barrier. In this study, we hypothesized that hemoglobin may potentiate the inflammatory response of human macrophages stimulated with a S. suis cell-wall preparation. Monocyte-derived macrophages were stimulated with the S. suis cell-wall preparation in the presence or absence of human hemoglobin, and the secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6, and IL-8 was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The cell-wall preparation induced dose-dependent IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 responses in macrophages. Hemoglobin potentiated the cell-wall induced inflammatory response, resulting in a significantly higher secretion of all the cytokines. The S. suis cell-wall preparation in combination with hemoglobin activated macrophage intracellular kinases involved in inflammatory signaling pathways. In conclusion, hemoglobin, which may be released in vivo by the action of S. suis suilysin on red blood cells, contributes to raising the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators by acting in synergy with S. suis cell-wall components. This phenomenon may contribute to the development and the severity of meningitis.
Continuous pharmacodynamic activity of eritoran tetrasodium, a TLR4 antagonist, during intermittent intravenous infusion into normal volunteers
Authors: Rossignol Daniel P. , Wong Nancy , Noveck Robert , Lynn Melvyn
Published: November 2008

Background: Eritoran tetrasodium (E5564), a structural analogue of the lipid A portion of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide or LPS), is an antagonist of LPS and other Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligands. Eritoran tetrasodium quantitatively blocks LPS response in vivo in animal and human endotoxemia models and demonstrates a long pharmacokinetic half-life, but a short pharmacodynamic half-life. The objective of this study was to assess the safety, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of E5564 infused twice-daily at three target steady-state plasma levels of approximately 1, 3 and 10 µg/ml in healthy volunteers.

Results: Loading and maintenance doses of up to 77 mg over 3 days in females and 105 mg over 6 days in males were safe and well-tolerated except for self-limiting phlebitis at the drug infusion site. Plasma levels reached steady state by 24 h. The Cmax, Cmin, and C88, AUC0 —∞ were dose proportional and gender independent. Pharmacodynamic activity measured by an ex vivo LPS challenge assay, demonstrated dose-dependence for both E5564 and LPS and plasma levels of ~3 µg/ml E5564 or greater blocked up to 1 ng/ml LPS.

Conclusions: Every 12-h dosing of E5564 can replace continuous infusion, while maintaining uninterrupted blocking of high-dose LPS.
Genomic islands from five strains of Burkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: Tuanyok Apichai , Leadem Benjamin R , Auerbach Raymond K , Beckstrom-Sternberg Stephen M , Beckstrom-Sternberg James S , Mayo Mark , Wuthiekanun Vanaporn , Brettin Thomas S , Nierman William C , Peacock Sharon J , Currie Bart J , Wagner David M , Keim Paul
Published: November 2008

Background

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the etiologic agent of melioidosis, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality where this infection is endemic. Genomic differences among strains of B. pseudomallei are predicted to be one of the major causes of the diverse clinical manifestations observed among patients with melioidosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of genomic islands (GIs) as sources of genomic diversity in this species.

Results

We found that genomic islands (GIs) vary greatly among B. pseudomallei strains. We identified 71 distinct GIs from the genome sequences of five reference strains of B. pseudomallei: K96243, 1710b, 1106a, MSHR668, and MSHR305. The genomic positions of these GIs are not random, as many of them are associated with tRNA gene loci. In particular, the 3' end sequences of tRNA genes are predicted to be involved in the integration of GIs. We propose the term "tRNA-mediated site-specific recombination" (tRNA-SSR) for this mechanism. In addition, we provide a GI nomenclature that is based upon integration hotspots identified here or previously described.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that acquisition of GIs is one of the major sources of genomic diversity within B. pseudomallei and the molecular mechanisms that facilitate horizontally-acquired GIs are common across multiple strains of B. pseudomallei. The differential presence of the 71 GIs across multiple strains demonstrates the importance of these mobile elements for shaping the genetic composition of individual strains and populations within this bacterial species.
Validation of putative reference genes for gene expression studies in human hepatocellular carcinoma using real-time quantitative RT-PCR
Authors: Cicinnati Vito R , Shen Qingli , Sotiropoulos Georgios C , Radtke Arnold , Gerken Guido , Beckebaum Susanne
Published: November 2008

Background

Reference genes, which are often referred to as housekeeping genes are frequently used to normalize mRNA levels between different samples in quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The selection of reference genes is critical for gene expression studies because the expression of these genes may vary among tissues or cells and may change under certain circumstances. Here, a systematic evaluation of six putative reference genes for gene expression studies in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is presented.

Methods

Six genes, beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), hydroxymethyl-bilane synthase (HMBS), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl-transferase 1 (HPRT1), succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit A (SDHA) and ubiquitin C (UBC), with distinct functional characteristics and expression patterns were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Inhibitory substances in RNA samples were quantitatively assessed and controlled using an external RNA control. The stability of selected reference genes was analyzed using both geNorm and NormFinder software.

Results

HMBS and GAPDH were identified as the optimal reference genes for normalizing gene expression data between paired tumoral and adjacent non-tumoral tissues derived from patients with HCC. HMBS, GAPDH and UBC were identified to be suitable for the normalization of gene expression data among tumor tissues; whereas the combination of HMBS, B2M, SDHA and GAPDH was suitable for normalizing gene expression data among five liver cancer cell lines, namely Hep3B, HepG2, HuH7, SK-HEP-1 and SNU-182. The determined gene stability was increased after exclusion of RNA samples containing relatively higher inhibitory substances.

Conclusion

Of six genes studied, HMBS was found to be the single best reference gene for gene expression studies in HCC. The appropriate choice of combination of more than one reference gene to improve qRT-PCR accuracy depends on the kind of liver tissues or cells under investigation. Quantitative assessment and control of qRT-PCR inhibitors using an external RNA control can reduce the variation of qRT-PCR assay and facilitate the evaluation of gene stability. Our results may facilitate the choice of reference genes for expression studies in HCC.
Changes in medicine course curricula in Brazil encouraged by the Program for the Promotion of Medical School Curricula (PROMED)
Authors: Souza Patrícia Alves de , Zeferino Angélica Maria Bicudo , Ros Marco Da Aurélio
Published: November 2008

Background

The Program for the Promotion of Changes in Medical School Curricula (PROMED) was developed by the Brazilian Ministries of Health and Education. The objective of this program was to finance the implementation of changes to the curricula of medical schools directed towards the Brazilian national healthcare system (SUS). This paper reports research carried out together with the coordinators responsible for the PROMED of each medical school approved, in which interviews were used to evaluate whether this financial support succeeded in stimulating changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of this program three years after implementation in the universities that received funding.

Methods

The 19 course coordinators of the medical schools in which the PROMED project was implemented were interviewed using a questionnaire containing 12 questions for qualitative analysis. This paper focuses partially on the reports of the results of this qualitative analysis. Laurence Bardin's.

Results

The universities interviewed were found to have some common concerns: the decoupling of basic and professional training difficulties in achieving proximity to the network of services; insufficient funding; and the emphasis of most teachers being on teaching hospitals and specialization. These findings indicate that the direction of curriculum reform (PROMED) is toward providing a targeted training for this system.

Conclusion

The interviewees were aware that this program would trigger future changes in all aspects of healthcare and represents an ongoing challenge to the academic field. PROMED provided the momentum for change in the nature of medical training in Brazil and was seen as powerful enough to override other processes and as a basis for guidance regarding the methodology, pedagogical approach and scenarios of practical experience.
Intrapetrous internal carotid artery dissection and essential thrombocythemia: what relationship? A case report
Authors: D'Ambrosio Daniele , Della-Morte David , Gargiulo Gaetano , Rossetti Marianna , Rundek Tatjana , Rengo Franco , Abete Pasquale
Published: November 2008

Internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection is responsible for 10–20% of strokes in young and middle-aged patients. Isolated ICA dissection involving the intrapetrous carotid canal is particularly rare, and no case has been reported to describe an association between intrapetrous ICA dissection and essential thrombocythemia. We report a case of ischemic stroke in the presence of intrapetrous right ICA dissection and essential thrombocythemia. The diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia was performed by bone marrow biopsy. The essential thrombocythemia may cause endothelial dysfunction and predispose to vascular damage such as carotid artery dissection.
Comprehensive biomarker monitoring in cytokine therapy: heterogeneous, time-dependent, and persisting immune effects of interleukin-10 application in psoriasis
Authors: Döcke Wolf-Dietrich , Asadullah Khusru , Belbe Gudrun , Ebeling Merle , Höflich Conny , Friedrich Markus , Sterry Wolfram , Volk Hans-Dieter
Published: November 2008

Cytokine and anticytokine treatments represent promising approaches for therapy of immune-mediated diseases. In humans, however, regulatory consequences of interference with the cytokine network are only partially understood. Biomarker analysis in clinical studies may help to overcome this complexity and provide novel information about the in vivo relevance of individual cytokines. We report systemic immunological effects of IL-10 therapy in 10 psoriasis patients during a 7-week treatment period followed by a 7-week observation period. IL-10 was given s.c. at 8 μg/kg/day or 20 μg/kg/3×/week, and a broad range of immunological biomarkers was analyzed in an extended kinetics (17 time-points) before, during, and after IL-10 therapy. Besides the expected anti-inflammatory effects (e.g., inhibition of LPS-induced cytokine secretion), we found unexpected effects, such as activation of NK cells and an increase in parameters indicating proinflammatory activity (C-reactive protein and soluble IL-2R). Furthermore, cumulative effects (IgE and IgA), loss of effect (IL-1R antagonist and IFN-γ secretion), or counter-regulation during and rebound after IL-10 therapy (TNF-α and IL-12/IL-23 p40) were found. Remarkably, some alterations were retained long after the 7-week treatment period (IL-4 secretion, monocytic CD86, and TGF-β1). In summary, we found manifold effects of IL-10 far beyond the immediate anti-inflammatory activity considered initially. These findings may explain the rather disappointing clinical effects of IL-10 therapy in exacerbated inflammation but also hint to its role for sustained immunological reshaping. They further exemplify the importance of analyzing an extended kinetics of an entire panel of biomarkers for understanding the effects of therapeutic interference with the cytokine network.
Expression of kinin receptors on eosinophils: comparison of asthmatic patients and healthy subjects
Authors: Bertram Cornelia M , Misso Neil L , Fogel-Petrovic Mirjana , Figueroa Carlos D , Foster Paul S , Thompson Philip J , Bhoola Kanti D
Published: November 2008

Eosinophils contribute to asthmatic airway inflammation by releasing cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLT) and other inflammatory mediators, and bradykinin (BK) induces bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients. The aims of this study were to investigate kinin receptor expression on eosinophils of asthmatic and healthy subjects and to assess the effects of kinin stimulation on eosinophils, which were isolated from peripheral blood of asthmatic (n=27) and healthy subjects (n=14). Kinin B1 and B2 receptors (B1R and B2R, respectively) and mRNA expression were investigated by quantitative confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and RT-PCR. Intracellular Ca2+ was assessed by live-cell fluorescence confocal microscopy. Production of cysLT and eosinophil migration in response to BK and Lys-des[Arg9]-BK were assessed. Eosinophils expressed kinin B1R and B2R mRNA and proteins. Quantitative immunofluorescence analysis indicated that expression of B1R and B2R proteins was significantly greater in eosinophils of asthmatic patients compared with those of nonasthmatic subjects. However, kinin B1R and B2R mRNA expression did not differ significantly between these groups. Expression of kinin B1R and mRNA was decreased in patients using high doses of inhaled corticosteroids and in eosinophils treated with a corticosteroid in vitro. Kinin B1 and B2 agonists up-regulated expression of their respective receptors but did not increase intracellular Ca2+ or the production of cysLT or enhance eosinophil migration significantly. Up-regulation of kinin receptor expression in eosinophils of asthmatic patients may be a consequence of inflammation, whereby enhanced release of kinin peptides has a positive-feedback effect on kinin receptor expression. Importantly, anti-inflammatory corticosteroids down-regulated the expression of the kinin B1R.
Type 2 Deiodinase Expression Is Induced by Peroxisomal Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Agonists in Skeletal Myocytes
Authors: Grozovsky Renata , Ribich Scott , Rosene Matthew L. , Mulcahey Michelle A. , Huang Stephen A. , Patti Mary Elizabeth , Bianco Antonio C. , Kim Brian W.
Published: November 2008

The thyroid hormone activating type 2 deiodinase (D2) is known to play a role in brown adipose tissue-mediated adaptive thermogenesis in rodents, but the finding of D2 in skeletal muscle raises the possibility of a broader metabolic role. In the current study, we examined the regulation of the D2 pathway in primary skeletal muscle myoblasts taken from both humans and mice. We found that pioglitazone treatment led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in primary human skeletal myocyte D2 activity; this effect was seen with other peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonists. D2 activity in primary murine skeletal myotubes increased 2.8-fold in response to 5 μm pioglitazone and 1.6-fold in response to 5 nm insulin and increased in a dose-dependent manner in response to lithocholic acid (maximum response at 25 μm was ∼3.8-fold). We compared Akt phosphorylation in primary myotubes derived from wild-type and D2 knockout (D2KO) mice: phospho-Akt was reduced by 50% in the D2KO muscle after 1 nm insulin exposure. Expression of T3-responsive muscle genes via quantitative RT-PCR suggests that D2KO cells have decreased thyroid hormone signaling, which could contribute to the abnormalities in insulin signaling. D2 activity in skeletal muscle fragments from both murine and human sources was low, on the order of about 0.01 fmol/min · mg of muscle protein. The phenotypic changes seen with D2KO cells support a metabolic role for D2 in muscle, hinting at a D2-mediated linkage between thyroid hormone and insulin signaling, but the low activity calls into question whether skeletal muscle D2 is a major source of plasma T3.
FGF3 in the floor plate directs notochord convergent extension in theCionatadpole
Authors: Shi Weiyang , Peyrot Sara M. , Munro Edwin , Levine Michael
Published: November 2008

Convergent extension (CE) is the narrowing and lengthening of an embryonic field along a defined axis. It underlies a variety of complex morphogenetic movements, such as mesoderm elongation and neural tube closure in vertebrate embryos. Convergent extension relies on the same intracellular molecular machinery that directs planar cell polarity (PCP) in epithelial tissues,including non-canonical Wnt signaling components. However, it is not known what signals coordinate CE movements across cell fields. In the simple chordate Ciona intestinalis, the notochord plate consists of just 40 cells, which undergo mediolateral convergence (intercalation) to form a single cell row. Here we present evidence that a localized source of FGF3 in the developing nerve cord directs notochord intercalation through non-MAPK signaling. A dominant-negative form of the Ciona FGF receptor suppresses the formation of polarized actin-rich protrusions in notochord cells, resulting in defective notochord intercalation. Inhibition of Ciona FGF3 activity results in similar defects, even though it is expressed in an adjacent tissue: the floor plate of the nerve cord. In Xenopusmesoderm explants, inhibiting FGF signaling perturbs CE and disrupts membrane localization of Dishevelled (Dsh), a key regulator of PCP and CE. We propose that FGF signaling coordinates CE movements by regulating PCP pathway components such as Dsh.
Economic Analysis of Simulation Selection Problems
Authors: Chick Stephen E. , Gans Noah
Published: November 2008

Ranking and selection procedures are standard methods for selecting the best of a finite number of simulated design alternatives based on a desired level of statistical evidence for correct selection. But the link between statistical significance and financial significance is indirect, and there has been little or no research into it. This paper presents a new approach to the simulation selection problem, one that maximizes the expected net present value of decisions made when using stochastic simulation. We provide a framework for answering these managerial questions: When does a proposed system design, whose performance is unknown, merit the time and money needed to develop a simulation to infer its performance? For how long should the simulation analysis continue before a design is approved or rejected? We frame the simulation selection problem as a “stoppable” version of a Bayesian bandit problem that treats the ability to simulate as a real option prior to project implementation. For a single proposed system, we solve a free boundary problem for a heat equation that approximates the solution to a dynamic program that finds optimal simulation project stopping times and that answers the managerial questions. For multiple proposed systems, we extend previous Bayesian selection procedures to account for discounting and simulation-tool development costs.
The green seaweed Ulva rigida as a bioindicator of metals (Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd) in a low-salinity coastal environment
Authors: Boubonari Theodora , Malea Paraskevi , Kevrekidis Theodoros
Published: November 2008

The capacity of Ulva rigida as a bioindicator of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd contamination in oligohaline coastal waters was investigated. Metal concentrations in U. rigida, water and sediments and several environmental variables were measured seasonally at four stations in the coastal section of the Evros River Delta, Aegean Sea. All four metals in sediments had a significant local variation; in particular, they decreased with increasing distance from the fluvial end-member of Evros River. Mean Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd concentrations in U. rigida were 61.0, 22.4, 6.1 and 1.1 μg g-1 dry weight, respectively. This macroalga, compared to other co-occurring macroalgal species, had a high metal accumulation capacity, mainly of Cu and Cd. Local patterns of Zn, Cu and Pb in U. rigida were similar to those in sediments, while that of Cd was not; moreover, Cu and Pb in U. rigida correlated positively with their sediment contents, suggesting that this seaweed satisfies the basic prerequisite for a bioindicator of these elements in oligohaline environments. No metal in U. rigida displayed a significant seasonal variation, and there was no significant variation in ambient concentrations. A negative correlation between Zn in U. rigida and water salinity was found, probably due to both a higher metal burden in the freshwater flowing in the study area and to a decrease in Zn uptake with increasing salinity; Cd in the macroalga correlated negatively with water column ammonium.
Derivation and Characterization of Canine Embryonic Stem Cell Lines with In Vitro and In Vivo Differentiation Potential
Authors: Vaags Andrea K. , Rosic-Kablar Suzana , Gartley Cathy J. , Zheng Yan Zhen , Chesney Alden , Villagómez Daniel A.F. , Kruth Stephen A. , Hough Margaret R.
Published: November 2008

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent permanent cell lines that can be maintained in an undifferentiated state. In an environment that induces differentiation, they form derivatives of the three embryonic germ layers: mesoderm, ectoderm, and endoderm. These characteristics give ESCs great potential for both basic research and clinical applications in the areas of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The establishment of ESCs from large animals that model human diseases is of significant importance. We describe the derivation of permanent canine cell lines from preimplantation-stage embryos. Similar to human ESCs, canine ESCs expressed OCT3/4, NANOG, SOX2, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, TRA-1–60, TRA-1–81, and alkaline phosphatase, whereas they expressed very low levels of SSEA-1. They maintained a normal karyotype and morphology typical of undifferentiated ESCs after multiple in vitro passages and rounds of cryopreservation. Plating cells in the absence of a feeder layer, either in attachment or suspension culture, resulted in the formation of embryoid bodies and their differentiation to multiple cell types. In vivo, canine ESCs gave rise to teratomas comprising cell types of all three embryonic germ layers. These cells represent the first pluripotent canine ESC lines with both in vitro and in vivo differentiation potential and offer the exciting possibility of testing the efficacy and safety of ESC-based therapies in large animal models of human disease.
Enforced Expression of Mixl1 During Mouse ES Cell Differentiation Suppresses Hematopoietic Mesoderm and Promotes Endoderm Formation
Authors: Lim Sue Mei , Pereira Lloyd , Wong Michael S. , Hirst Claire E. , Van Vranken Benjamin E. , Pick Marjorie , Trounson Alan , Elefanty Andrew G. , Stanley Edouard G.
Published: November 2008

The Mixl1 gene encodes a homeodomain transcription factor that is required for normal mesoderm and endoderm development in the mouse. We have examined the consequences of enforced Mixl1 expression during mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation. We show that three independently derived ESC lines constitutively expressing Mixl1 (Mixl1C ESCs) differentiate into embryoid bodies (EBs) containing a higher proportion of E-cadherin (E-Cad)+ cells. Our analysis also shows that this differentiation occurs at the expense of hematopoietic mesoderm differentiation, with Mixl1C ESCs expressing only low levels of Flk1 and failing to develop hemoglobinized cells. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence studies revealed that Mixl1C EBs have extensive areas containing cells with an epithelial morphology that express E-Cad, FoxA2, and Sox17, consistent with enhanced endoderm formation. Luciferase reporter transfection experiments indicate that Mixl1 can transactivate the Gsc, Sox17, and E-Cad promoters, supporting the hypothesis that Mixl1 has a direct role in definitive endoderm formation. Taken together, these studies suggest that high levels of Mixl1 preferentially allocate cells to the endoderm during ESC differentiation.
A STUDY OF THE TOXICITY OF DIPHTHERIA BACILLI ISOLATED FROM IMMEDIATE CONTACTS
Authors: Hachtel Frank W. , Bailey Mary Shedwick
Published: November 2008

The members of the community at large are not often sources of diphtheria infection and we must look elsewhere to find the factors of greatest danger. School children do not furnish the source of infection. These investigators point to convalescents and contacts as being the probable distributors of the virulent bacilli.
POLLUTION OF DEEP WELLS AT LANSING, MICHIGAN
Authors: Rich Edward D.
Published: November 2008

This story is out of the book of bitter experience. Sanitary engineers will be especially interested in the way in which germs found a passage the moment man relaxed his vigilance. The special lesson to be learned is that deep wells require the same watchful care as shallow ones.
TRAFFIC REGULATION AS A MEANS OF PREVENTING INJURY AND DEATH FROM STREET VEHICLES
Authors: Byrne S. J.
Published: November 2008

Mortality in New York City from auto accidents increased 735 per cent in 1917 over previous averages, and 940 per cent in 1918. Figures are duplicated elsewhere. Dr. Byrne urges radical measures of restriction and calls for a campaign for standard regulations with real penalties. He considers education of pedestrians and children very necessary.
THE PURIFICATION OF OYSTERS AS A CONSERVATION MEASURE
Authors: Wells William Firth
Published: November 2008

Give the oyster a chance to cleanse itself and typhoid will be as preventable here as with domestic water supplies. This is the motif of this paper by Dr. Wells, who is no new hand at discussing shellfish problems. “It can be considered a conservation measure,” he urges.
STUDIES ON THE VIABILITY OF THE TUBERCLE BACILLUS
Authors: Rogers J. B.
Published: November 2008

These observations suggest that open cases of tuberculosis should not be admitted to wards of a general hospital and emphasize the need of housing advanced cases under good control. Dust rising from dry-swept floors, even where phenol was used, produced the disease in guinea pigs.
BY-PRODUCTS FROM SEWAGE SLUDGE
Authors: Weston Robert Spurr
Published: November 2008

Economy and conservation have worked for years at the problem of profit from sewage. Mr. Weston notes that many American cities have potential by-products enough to make recovery worth trying. English cities have found the American Miles process profitable. It will at least lessen the cost of sewage disposal.
MEAT INSPECTION LAW FOR MUNICIPALITIES
Authors: Jones W. Parker
Published: November 2008

Less than one-third of our cities of 5,000 population or more have any regulation of meat inspection, and in many of these the inspection is incomplete. This affects communities using local meats, which are more likely to be infected than are interstate meats. Public health demands serious reforms in this matter.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE DIPHTHERIA VIRULENCE TEST IN PUBLIC HEALTH WORK
Authors: Wade E. M. , Vaughan G. E.
Published: November 2008

These authors advocate tonsilectomy where virulent diphtheria bacilli persist in throats with adenoids or enlarged tonsils. Diphtheria bacilli of well persons are rarely virulent unless these persons have associated with cases of diphtheria. Organisms are almost always virulent in persons sick with the disease and their associates.
SELF-IMPOSED INSPECTION OF THE NATIONAL CANNERS ASSOCIATION
Authors: Loomis H. M.
Published: November 2008

Here is where the manufacturers on their own initiative have instituted inspection to improve, standardize and certify their own canned products. The public health aspects are important and include good original material, proper processing, supervision of health of employees and improved sanitation of factories.
BACTERIA OF THE AIR IN AN AMUSEMENT HALL
Authors: Huddleson I. Forest , Hull Thomas G.
Published: November 2008

In view of the controversies over the closing of theatres and halls during the influenza epidemic this paper is illuminating. Such places seem, even under good conditions, to be clearing houses for oral organisms. Contamination of the atmosphere in them apparently relates itself to local epidemics. Here is food for thought for health officers.
TYPES OF FATIGUE
Authors: Stiles Percy G.
Published: November 2008

Bad habits in the nervous system often lead to “vicious circles” in mental processes. Discipline is important here. Change of scene or sanatorium life is beneficial largely in its power to get the mind out of its “ruts.” Psychotherapy may effect this. Recovery from mental fatigue is less a matter of correcting metabolism than of forming desirable habits.
RECOVERY OF STREPTOCOCCUS HEMOLYTICUS FROM RESTAURANT TABLEWARE
Authors: Saelhof Clarence C. , Heinekamp W. J. R.
Published: November 2008

“Dangers of dirty dishes” this paper might be termed. It is a quantitative presentation of just what these dangers are in public restaurants. They constitute a vexing problem to every health officer, and he needs the plain facts for the education of his public. With these, his people will back him in efforts to improve such places.
Observations on Deficiency Diseases in Labrador
Authors: Appleton V. B.
Published: November 2008

This observer had the rare opportunity of comparing communities of humans whose dietary could be absolutely determined. The Esquimos on the Labrador side of Belle Isle were able to get food with vitamins enough to protect them, but those on the Newfoundland side, even with milk from underfed cows, had much incidence of deficiency disease.
TESTING OF ANTISTREPTOCOCCUS SERUM
Authors: Enlows Ella M. A.
Published: November 2008

A satisfactory method for the standardization of antistreptococcus serums depends upon the determination of definite species and their etiological relationships to certain pathological processes. Such serums would undoubtedly be more efficient if prepared by injection of fewer types and used only against the organisms which these types represent.
COUNTY HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Authors: Pomeroy J. L.
Published: November 2008

Progress in public health work demands simplified administration. Los Angeles County is striving to meet the demands of efficiency plus economy by effecting consolidation of health services with cities. The County has already established a coordinated social service with the cities within it. The County Health Office is meeting the problem by making contracts with the cities for specified units of service.
Health Officers' Exchange: Sketch Mapping for Public Health Problems
Authors: Hulse F. E.
Published: November 2008

Under this head the Journal will print short articles giving accounts of actual experiences, methods and plans which have proved of practical utility in local health organizations, in the hope that health officers and sanitarians generally will find them of interest and value. Health officers and other health workers are invited to submit their experiences. Manuscripts must be limited to 1,500 words, preferably 1,000. The briefer and more concisely written they are, the better the chance of their publication.
WORKSHOP EDUCATION IN HYGIENE
Authors: Routsong R. C.
Published: November 2008

In this paper Mr. Routsong outlines a comprehensive program for workshop education and hygiene. Mr. Routsong's experience in this matter makes his statement extremely valuable to industrial hygiene workers.
RURAL SANITATION: DEFINITION, FIELD, PRINCIPLES, METHODS, AND COSTS
Authors: Rankin W.S.
Published: November 2008

In this rather brief paper, Doctor Rankin outlines the problem which was the subject of an interesting and important session of the meetings at Rochester.
The mortality of Swedish and U.S. white males: a comparison of experience, 1969-1971.
Authors: Tomasson R F
Published: November 2008

The life expectancy of males in the United States is lower than that of males in most of the developed countries and in some of the not-so-developed ones. U.S. females, by contrast, do much better in international ranking. This study compares the mortality of U.S. white males with that of Swedish males who have had the highest reported male life expectancies in the world since the early 1960s. Life expectancy at birth in 1969-71 was 67.9 for U.S. white males compared with 71.9 for Swedish males. Greater U.S. white male mortality is found at all ages from birth through ages 75-79. At the upper ages there is a reversal of the differential with U.S. white males having lower mortality than their Swedish counterparts. The greatest relative differentials between the two male populations is found at ages under 1, ages 20-24, and ages 50-59. At ages under 1 the greater U.S. white male mortality is accounted for mainly by higher death rates from infectious diseases, at ages 20-24 by higher rates from the external causes of death (specifically accidents and homicide), and at ages 50-59 from most of the major organic causes of death.
An analysis of physician visit data from a complex sample survey.
Authors: Freeman D H , Freeman J L , Koch G G , Brock D B
Published: November 2008

A generalization of ordinary least squares methods is used in the analysis of physician visit data from a complex sample survey. The emphasis, in this paper, is on the valid substantive inferences to be drawn from an analysis of this type of data. The procedure is found to be useful in two ways. First, the resultion on a national basis. It is concluded that age is an imp-s of a comparative sampling study are reported. Second, the procedure is used to remove statistically non-significant variation from the data in order to generate fitted or smoothed estimates on which the substantive analyst may focus his attention. These fitted values are then examined for implications to physician service utilization on a national basis. It is concluded that age is an important variable while the effect of sex and race depends on age. Similarly, residence and income are important but the effect of education depends on the level of income.
Pathways to the hospital for the geriatric psychiatric patient in New York and London.
Authors: Simon R J , Kuriansky J B , Fleiss J L , Gurland B J
Published: November 2008

This communication examines the pathways of geriatric psychiatric patients in New York and London from the time of onset of a psychiatric episode to hospitalization. Informants of 50 patients in each city were interviewed with a semi-structured interview covering the events and the patient's activities prior to hospitalization. The results show that the time from the onset of the episode to hospitalization is significantly shorter in London than it is in New York. The major portion of this difference is accounted for by the longer time spent London the doctor is significantly more involved in New York between episode onset and initial medical contact. In the decision to hospitalize. In New York the main reason for hospitalization is harmful behavior, while in London it is psychiatric symptoms.
Epidemiologic studies of Reye's syndrome: cases seen in Pittsburgh, October 1973-April 1975.
Authors: Ruben F L , Streiff E J , Neal M , Michaels R H
Published: November 2008

Twenty-seven cases of Reye's syndrome (RS) were admitted over a 19-month period to one urban hospital. All lived in a suburban or rural location and 23 cases occurred during two influenza outbreaks. Two to three months following the last cases of RS, 24 families of RS cases and 21 control families representing neighbors or friends were interviewed for factors which could predispose to RS. Children with RS had an illness immediately preceding the onset of RS more frequently than did controls (p less than .001). No other clinical, familial, or environmental factors distinguished RS children and families from controls. Water samples, collected during the interviews, from 34 homes showed no potential toxins. The geographic pattern of RS cases with localization exclusively to rural areas suggests that an as yet unidentified environmental factor may be related to the development of RS.
The worth of a screening program: an application of a statistical decision model for the benefit evaluation of screening projects.
Authors: Bay K S , Flathman D , Nestman L
Published: November 2008

A statistical decision model is applied to the benefit evaluation of screening projects to derive an expression which provides upper and lower limits for average benefits in terms of prevalance rates of screen positives and negatives, and the average cost of screening and referral. Possible applications of such a technique are discussed and a numerical example is given.
Problems in the nutritional assessment of black individuals.
Authors: Garn S M , Clark D C
Published: November 2008

Nutritional assessment of American Negro (Black) individuals of largely-African ancestry is complicated by differences that transcend socioeconomic status (SES). These include smaller size at birth but greater size from 2 to 14 years, advanced skeletal development ("bone age"), advanced dental development, a larger skeletal mass and bone "density" and a lesser rate of adult bone loss in the Black female from age 40 on as shown in a variety of bone-losing situtations, including renal osteodystrophies. Thus, appropriate dimensional and radiographic and radiogrammetric measures must be employed. Differences in hemoglobin concentration approximating 1.0g/100ml and in hematocrit levels also indicate the need for population-specific standards, otherwise gross errors will be made in calculating the per cent "deficient" and "low". Since self-assignments to racial categories are commonly used, the problem of racial identification is minimal. Failure to employ appropriate standards will result in underestimating the dimensional, radiographic and radiogrammetric effects of undernutrition in Blacks after the 2nd year, underestimating adult bone loss to a large degree, but overestimating the severity of hematologic responses from the 1st year through the 9th decade.
An introductory course in prescription drugs for community health workers developed by a systems approach.
Authors: Liang M H
Published: November 2008

A 16-hour introductory course in prescription drugs for community health workers was developed by a systems approach. It featured an emphasis on: (1) learning the broad indications, side effects, and adverse reactions of the 30 most commonly prescribed drugs in the outpatient clinic, and (2) aiding the workers in patient education. Teaching materials were simple and inexpensive. An evaluation based on a pretest of the course's objectives compared to a final test documented the success of the instruction.
A facet of the biohazard control program: agent registration, risk assessment and computerization of data.
Authors: Irwin J , Stoner G D
Published: November 2008

An assessment of risk in handling microbial agents at a major biomedical research institute is given. Included also are the risks associated with handling tissue cultures and animals. Two computer programs are described for the storage and retrieval of data on agents, tissue cultures, and animals.
Education for adolescent mothers in a hospital setting.
Authors: Badger E , Burns D , Rhoads B
Published: November 2008

This paper describes an innovative service program designed to help adolescent mothers become more effective parents. Mother-infant pairs are recruited in the postpartum unit of Cincinnati (Ohio) General Hospital, and weekly classes are held in a pediatric clinic waiting room until infants are approximately six months of age. Medical consultation and/or treatment and education for parenthood in the areas of health, nutrition, and infant stimulation are the foci of the program. The interest and participation of the mothers, the opinion of professionals, tests of maternal knowledge, and measurements of maternal-infant interaction attest to the value and success of this program.
The underdevelopment of health of working America: causes, consequences and possible solutions.
Authors: Navarro V
Published: November 2008

This article presents the health conditions of working America, and provides an analysis of the causes of that situation. It is postulated that the main health problems in the U.S. are due not to prevalent life styles-as the behavioralists indicate-but to the dramatic maldistribution of economic and political power in our society, with the absence of control by the majority of the U.S. population-the working and lower-middle classes-over the work process with which they are involved, the economic wealth that they produce, and the political institutions that they pay for. The production of goods and wealth as well as the political institutions of the United States are dominated and controlled by a minority of our population-the corporate and upper-middle classes. Empirical information is presented to support this postulate. In light of this explanation, it is asserted that a major public health task is to deliberately and actively contribute to the political mobilization of forces aimed at bringing about profound changes in the pattern of control of our working insitutions and of the distribution of wealth and political power, changes which seek to shift that control from the few to the many.
The effort to rehabilitate workers' compensation.
Authors: Barth P S
Published: November 2008

State workers' compensation laws have been subjected to criticism since their inception; pressure to change them is now increasing. Most of the current challenge arise from dissatisfaction with the level of benefits available to disabled workers or their survivors, and, to a lesser degree, with the extent of program coverage. In response to this challenge, changes will occur that my range from reform-simply raising benefit levels and extending coverage-to program redesign, implying major structural revisions or abolishment of the system. For several reasons, including public apathy, the role of interest groups, and experience with other social insurance programs, it seems likely that basic structural shifts will not occur in the near future. While the criticism of these state laws is widespread, the problems can be dealt with in the existing framework. One area, however, could conceivably arouse sufficient public and legislative interest to upset this forecast. If it develops that the system is excluding large numbers of individuals disabled or killed by occupational diseases, workers' compensation laws could be placed in jeopardy. While evidence on this is scarce, it is clear that the current system compensates only a small number of serious cases of disability arising from occupational diseases.
Mortality and morbidity associated with legal abortions in Hungary, 1960-1973.
Authors: Bognar Z , Czeizel A
Published: November 2008

In Hungary, with 10 million inhabitants, the number of induced abortions in the 1960's first approached and then reached 200,000 cases annually. These data mean that the number of induced abortions has increased substantially compared with earlier decades. A qualitative change has also occurred, from criminal abortions to, in most cases, legally induced abortions performed in hospitals. On the basis of 32 deaths directly resulting from legal induced abortion in the first trimester during 1960-1972, maternal mortality is about 1.5 per 100,000 abortions in Hungary, the lowest rat observed until the present anywhere in the world. According to a special survey conducted in Budapest in 1966, the overall morbidity rate was 41.6 per 1,000 abortions of which 0.9 was due to perforations, 22.7 to post-abortal hemorrhages, and 18.0 to inflammatory complications, i.e., early post-abortal complications had to be reckoned with in every 25th case. Data in the present study suggest a correlation between induced abortions and the incidence of placenta previa, premature separation of the placenta, and premature births.
Racial difference in incidence of ABO hemolytic disease.
Authors: Bucher K A , Patterson A M , Elston R C , Jones C A , Kirkman H N
Published: November 2008

In this review of 7,464 consecutive infants born at North Carolina Memorial Hospital, hemolytic disease from ABO incompatibility was found to be two to three times as common in black infants as in white infants. The statistical significance of the difference remained high as more restrictive criteria for ABO hemolytic disease were applied. ABO disease, serious enough to cause an indirect serum bilirubin of 15 mg/100ml or higher, had an incidence in black newborns as great as the incidence of Rh hemolytic disease in whites. In contrast, the general prevalence and severity of hyperbilirubinemia was not found to be higher in black newborns than in white infants. The difference cannot be attributed to differences in the prevalence of ABO blood groups between the two races. Policies of early discharge of newborns could be affected by the finding that ABO erythroblastosis is two to three times as common in black infants as in white infants.
Relations between nutrition and cognition in rural Guatemala.
Authors: Freeman H E , Klein R E , Kagan J , Yarbrough C
Published: November 2008

The nutritional status of three and four year old children, as measured by height and head circumference, is related to cognitive performance in four rural Guatemalan villages. The relationships persist when social factors are taken into account. Families in two of the villages participate in a voluntary, high protein-calorie supplementation program. In the other two villages, the families receive a vitamin and mineral supplement with one-third of the calories. Although the longitudinal study still is ongoing there is some evidence that the children who receive the higher calorie supplement (or whose mothers received it during pregnancy and lactation) are most likely to score high in cognitive performance. The results support other animal and human studies that report an association between nutrition and cognitive development. The findings, while not diminishing social environmental explantions of differences in cognitive function, suggest the worth of nutrition intervention programs in rural areas of lesser-developed countries.