bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term epidemiology, effect on body condition and interspecific interactions of concomitant infection by nasopharyngeal bot fly larvae (Cephenemyia auribarbisandPharyngomyia picta, Oestridae) in a population of Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)
Authors: VICENTE J. , FIERRO Y. , MARTÍNEZ M. , GORTÁZAR C.
Published: October 2004

We studied the pattern of infection and the inter-annual variation and individual factors affecting the infection of 2 species of nasopharyngeal bot flies,Cephenemyia auribarbisandPharyngomyia picta(Diptera: Oestridae), in a population of Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) from south central Spain (10 annual periods between 1990 and 2003). Mean prevalence±S.E.95%CIof infection was 35·19±4·24% (n=486). The frequency distribution of the parasites was markedly aggregated (K: 0·213, mean abundance±S.D.: 5·49±12·12). Parasite load of Oestridae peaked at calf and subadult age groups and declined thereafter, which suggests that acquired immunity may be acting. In common with other host–parasite relationships, male hosts were found to have higher prevalence and abundance levels than females. The prevalence ofP. pictawas positively affected by the presence ofC. auribarbiswhereas the intensity of infection ofP. pictawas negatively affected by the presence ofC. auribarbis. Intensity ofP. pictain concomitant infections withC. auribarbiswas lower than in pureP. pictainfections, whilst the intensity ofC. auribarbisinfections did not change. This provides good evidence of interspecific competence, which could be dealt with by parasites by means of asynchronous life-cycles and different maturation periods. Weather also affects the dynamics and transmission rates of these parasites. Previous annual rainfalls positively affected the level of infection with oestrids. Yearly autumn rainfalls affected positivelyP. picta, possibly due to an effect on the pupal stage survival. Infection of Oestridae affected body condition in calves and subadults, suggesting that oestrids could have sublethal effects on Iberian red deer. Future research is needed to investigate the effect of parasites on the dynamics of the Iberian red deer.
Variation in the helminth community structure in spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) from four montane wadis in the St Katherine region of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt
Authors: BEHNKE J. M. , HARRIS P. D. , BAJER A. , BARNARD C. J. , SHERIF N. , CLIFFE L. , HURST J. , LAMB M. , RHODES A. , JAMES M. , CLIFFORD S. , GILBERT F. S. , ZALAT S.
Published: October 2004

We compared helminth communities in spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) from 4 wadis in the arid montane region of the southern Sinai in Egypt, in a 4-week period in late summer. Total helminth species richness was 14 (8 nematodes, 5 cestodes and 1 acanthocephalan) with 94% of mice carrying at least 1 species and an overall mean species richness of 1·85. The most prevalent parasites wereProtospirura muricola(47·8%) andDentostomella kuntzi(46·3%). One larval cestode,Joyeuxiella rossicum, represents a new host record. The helminth community was dominated by intestinal nematodes (88·7%) of which 58·2% were arthropod-transmitted heteroxenic species. At the component community level, 70% of the worms were recovered from mice in just two wadis (Gharaba and Tlah) and 48·6% of intestinal nematodes were from Wadi Gharaba. Although only 7 species of helminths were recorded from Wadi Gharaba, this site gave the highest Berger-Parker dominance index because ofP. muricola. P. muricolawas also dominant in Wadi El Arbaein whilstSyphacia minutawas the dominant species in Wadis Gebal and Tlah. At the infracommunity level, mean species richness and Brillouin's index of diversity were highest in Wadi Tlah and lowest in Wadi Gebal, and the former was age dependent. Whilst mice from different wadis differed in the nematodes that were most common, those from Wadi Gharaba carried the highest mean number of worms/mouse. The abundance ofP. muricolain particular varied markedly between sites: Wadi Gharaba was distinct as the site showing the highest mean worm burden whereas mice from Wadi Gebal were uninfected. None of the directly transmitted oxyuroid nematodes showed significant variation in abundance between wadis, or host sex or age classes. Overall, the single extrinsic factor in the study, site of capture, was more important than the intrinsic factors in explaining variation in helminth communities in the region. We conclude that in the high mountains of southern Sinai, each wadi is distinct in terms of its rodent parasites, and hence we expect spatially different coevolutionary pressures on their hosts, with resultant variation in life-histories.
Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi TcRjl locus and analysis of its transcript
Authors: NEPOMUCENO-SILVA J. L. , DE MELO L. D. B. , MENDONÇA S. M. , PAIXÃO J. C. , LOPES U. G.
Published: October 2004

RJLs represent a recently described family of the Ras-related GTP-binding proteins. The Trypanosoma cruzi orthologue, TcRjl, was isolated and its locus was characterized in a region of almost 5 kb. Its 660 bp orf, predicting a protein of 24·13 kDa, is present as a single copy gene in T. cruzi I lineage, and from 1–2 copies in T. cruzi II lineage. TcRjl shares 73% aa sequence similarity with its closest identified orthologue, T. brucei TbRjl. RT–PCR experiments revealed that TcRjl is transcribed in mRNA in the 3 main life forms of the parasite, while Northern hybridization demonstrated that TcRjl is transcribed in T. cruzi epimastigotes as at least 2 transcripts, one of around 950 nt and the other of 1500 nt. Splice-leader addition was mapped to a single site at −69 bp upstream of TcRjl orf indicating that the two mRNA types may derive in differences at the 3′ of TcRjl mRNA. TcRjl locus presents considerable synteny with Rjl loci from Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major as available from their respective genome projects.
Intra-specific host sharing in the manipulative parasiteAcanthocephalus dirus: does conflict occur over host modification?
Authors: SPARKES T. C. , WRIGHT V. M. , RENWICK D. T. , WEIL K. A. , TALKINGTON J. A. , MILHALYOV M.
Published: October 2004

The acanthocephalan parasiteAcanthocephalus dirusinduces a colour change in the intermediate host, the aquatic isopodCaecidotea intermedius, which increases transmission to definitive hosts (creek chub, sunfish). We examined the potential for conflict to occur between infective (cystacanth) and non-infective (acanthor, acanthella) stages ofA. dirusover the level of colour modification that should be induced when these stages share a host. Using a field survey, we showed that host sharing by infective and non-infective stages was relatively common and that infective and non-infective stages differed in their effects on colour modification. Non-infective stages induced a colour change over 40% of the body, whereas infective stages induced a colour change over 80%. Thus, conflict could occur between stages over the level of modification that should be induced. We then showed that mixed-stage infections induced a colour change in the host that was consistent with the level of modification induced by the infective stage. We discuss the potential significance of these results to patterns of host modification and their effects on stage-related survival in nature.
Risk factors for gametocyte carriage in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in children
Authors: SOWUNMI A. , FATEYE B. A. , ADEDEJI A. A. , FEHINTOLA F. A. , HAPPI T. C.
Published: October 2004

The risk factors associated with gametocytaemia at presentation and after treatment with different antimalarial drug regimens were evaluated in 767 children enrolled prospectively in 5 antimalarial drug trials between July 1996 and December 2002 in a hyperendemic area of southwestern Nigeria. The children were assigned to one of 6 treatment groups: chloroquine (CQ) only; pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine (PS) only; amodiaquine (AQ) only; CQ combined with chlorpheniramine (CQCP); or PS combined with CQ (CQPS) or AQ (AQPS). At enrolment, 115 (15%) of 767 children were gametocyte carriers. During follow-up, 15·6% of all patients (i.e. 120 patients) developed patent gametocytaemia, which in 85% (102 patients) had developed by day 7 following treatment. In a multiple regression model, 4 factors were found to be independent risk factors for the presence of gametocytaemia at enrolment: male gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=0·55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0·36–0·83,P=0·005), absence of fever (AOR=1·61, 95% CI 1·05–2·5,P=0·03), duration of illness >3 days (AOR=1·57, 95% CI 1·0–2·4,P=0·047), and asexual parasite densities less than 5000/μl (AOR=0·42, 95% CI 0·24–0·73,P=0·002). The presence of patent gametocytaemia at enrolment (AOR=0·04, 95% CI 0·02–0·07,P<0·001) and recrudescence of asexual parasites within 14 days were associated with the presence of gametocytaemia 7 or 14 days after enrolment (AOR=0·5, 95% CI 0·3–0·8,P=0·007). Delay in the time taken to clear the initial parasitaemia (>2 days) was associated with increased risk of subsequent gametocyte carriage. These findings may have implications for malaria control efforts in sub-Saharan Africa where control of the disease depends almost entirely on chemotherapy.
Structure of the microfilarial reservoir ofLoa loain the human host and its implications for monitoring the programmes of Community-Directed Treatment with Ivermectin carried out in Africa
Authors: PION S. D. S. , GARDON J. , KAMGNO J. , GARDON-WENDEL N. , CHIPPAUX J. P. , BOUSSINESQ M.
Published: October 2004

This paper describes the structure of the microfilarial reservoir ofLoa loain an endemic population of central Cameroon. The possible effects of age and sex on the prevalence and intensity of microfilaraemia have been explored. Logistic analysis showed that the prevalence of microfilaraemia increased significantly with age, reaching 60% in the oldest males. This result suggests that the figure commonly reported, according to which only one third of the infected individuals were microfilaraemic, should be reconsidered; in addition, as part of surveys of loiasis, crude microfilaraemia prevalence values should be replaced by adjusted ones. The intensity of infection did not show any age-specific change. As a result, even if the oldest members of the male population are clearly the most at risk of developing post-ivermectin serious adverse reactions, especiallyLoa-encephalopathy, the other members of the population are not risk-free. Therefore, in those areas where the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control is undertaking regular mass distributions of ivermectin for onchocerciasis control, and where loiasis is co-endemic, no subpopulation should be excluded from surveillance and monitoring during community directed treatments with ivermectin.
Potential risk factors for bovineNeospora caninuminfection in Germany are not under the control of the farmers
Authors: SCHARES G. , BÄRWALD A. , STAUBACH C. , ZILLER M. , KLÖSS D. , SCHRÖDER R. , LABOHM R. , DRÄGER K. , FASEN W. , HESS R. G. , CONRATHS F. J.
Published: October 2004

In the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, herds were identified that were likely to have aNeospora caninumsero-prevalence [ges ]10% by using a bulk milk ELISA. Individual herd data were obtained by a questionnaire. Univariate logistic regression showed that bulk milk positive farms had a significantly higher chance to report an increased abortion rate than negative farms (PWald<0·1). The chance to have a bulk milk positive herd increased with the minimum number of years a farm had reported an increased abortion rate (PWald<0·1). Questionnaire data, population and dog density as well as climatic data specific for the farm localization were used to identify potential risk factors for a herd to have acquiredN. caninuminfections. Within an optimized multiple logistic regression model ‘Number of farm dogs’, ‘Herd size’, and factors related to the municipality the farm was localized, i.e. ‘Mean temperature in July’, and ‘Dog density’ were significant risk factors (PWald<0·1). The present study underlines the role farm dogs have in the epidemiology of neosporosis. In addition, it suggests that the risk a herd has to acquireN. caninuminfections is also associated with factors related to the farm location, i.e. factors that are largely out of the control of farmers.
Eleven years of malaria surveillance in a Sudanese village highlights unexpected variation in individual disease susceptibility and outbreak severity
Authors: CREASEY A. , GIHA H. , HAMAD A. A. , EL HASSAN I. M. , THEANDER T. G. , ARNOT D. E.
Published: October 2004

An analysis is presented of continuous data collected over 11 years based on 1902600 person/days of observation on the malaria experience of the people of Daraweesh, a village in eastern Sudan. Malaria transmission is hypo-endemic: the acquisition of clinical immunity with age is not as obvious as in more holo-endemic areas and malaria remained a problem in all age groups throughout the study. However, this population, who are of Fulani origin, showed a distinctly variable level of disease susceptibility. Thirty-two percent of the village never reported malaria symptoms or required malaria treatment while others experienced up to 8 clinical episodes over the 11 years of observation. Malaria incidence was clearly influenced by drought but much less obviously by rainfall. To what extent outbreak patterns are explicable in terms of anopheline factors, and to human immune factors, remains an interesting question for malaria modelling in this, and in other low transmission zones, such as the burgeoning urban areas of modern Africa.
Evidence for the hypothesis of strain formation inPomphorhynchus laevis(Acanthocephala): an investigation using mitochondrial DNA sequences
Authors: O'MAHONY E. M. , BRADLEY D. G. , KENNEDY C. R. , HOLLAND C. V.
Published: October 2004

A hypothesis has been erected stating that in the British Isles the acanthocephalan,Pomphorhynchus laeviscan be separated into 3 strains, an English, Irish and marine strain. Ecological and morphological evidence exists in support of this hypothesis. An investigation at the molecular level was conducted in order to test the validity of the existing evidence. A mitochondrial gene, subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase was partially sequenced from 3 Irish populations ofP. laevis, 1 Scottish population and 3 English populations.P. laevissequences from brown trout from Ireland, England and Scotland were very similar, showing a mean sequence divergence of 0·7%. Sequences from two populations ofP. laevisfrom English chub and bullhead were also similar to each other (0·35% divergence). These two groups of sequences, the brown trout group and the chub/bullhead group were 2·2% different. These data confirm the existence of at least 2 strains in Ireland and Britain, although there is evidence to suggest that these strains are defined by their host species rather than by their geographical distributions.
Bayesian age-stage modelling of Plasmodium falciparum sequestered parasite loads in severe malaria patients
Authors: SMITH T. , DIETZ K. , VOUNATSOU P. , MÜLLER I. , ENGLISH M. , MARSH K.
Published: October 2004

A discrete-time age-stage model is proposed for estimating the number of sequestered parasites in severe malaria patients. A Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach is used to model the dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in 107 paediatric patients in a randomized controlled trial of quinine and artemether in Kenya, in whom 4-hourly peripheral parasitaemia determinations were made. The MCMC approach allows the model to be fitted simultaneously to the entire dataset, providing point and interval estimates for both population and individual patient parameters. Analysis of a simulated dataset indicated that the models gave good estimates of the distribution of parasites between different stages on enrolment, for patients with a wide range of initial states. The analysis of the Kenyan patients suggested that there is considerable variation between patients within the same centre, in both the proportion of sequestered parasites and the intrinsic rate of increase of the parasite population in the absence of treatment. The resulting models should prove a useful tool for cross-validating biochemical approaches for estimating the sequestered load.
Stability ofCorynosomapopulations with fluctuating population densities of the seal definitive host
Authors: VALTONEN E. T. , HELLE E. , POULIN R.
Published: October 2004

In theory there should be a strong coupling between host and parasite population sizes. Here, we investigated population size and structure in 3 species of acanthocephalans,Corynosoma semerme,C. strumosumandC. magdaleni, in ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from the Bothnian Bay over a period of more than 20 years. During this period, seal numbers first decreased markedly and then increased steadily; at the same time, a paratenic fish host particularly important forC. strumosumhas gradually disappeared from the bay due to decreasing salinity. We found no evidence that the mean abundance of any of the 3 acanthocephalan species changed significantly over time, nor was there any relationship between parasite abundance at any point in time and seal numbers in the corresponding year. Based on the proportion of sexually mature female worms per infrapopulation, and on relationships between the sex ratio of worms and infrapopulation size, bothC. magdaleniandC. semermeappear to be doing well, independently of the population size of their seal definitive hosts. In contrast, perhaps because of the loss of its main paratenic host,C. strumosumappears more at risk in the Bothnian Bay. Our results show that in complex natural systems, there are not necessarily simple, direct links between definitive host population size or density, and parasite population dynamics.
The multiple roles of the mitochondrion of the malarial parasite
Authors: KRUNGKRAI J.
Published: October 2004

Mitochondria of the malaria parasitePlasmodium falciparumare morphologically different between the asexual and sexual blood stages (gametocytes). In this paper recent findings of mitochondrial heterogeneity are reviewed based on their ultrastructural characteristics, metabolic activities and the differential expression of their genes in these 2 blood stages of the parasite. The existence of NADH dehydrogenase (complex I), succinate dehydrogenase (complex II), cytochrome c reductase (complex III) and cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV) suggests that the biochemically active electron transport system operates in this parasite. There is also an alternative electron transport branch pathway, including an anaerobic function of complex II. One of the functional roles of the mitochondrion in the parasite is the coordination of pyrimidine biosynthesis, the electron transport system and oxygen utilization via dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and coenzyme Q. Complete sets of genes encoding enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the ATP synthase complex are predicted fromP. falciparumgenomics information. Other metabolic roles of this organelle include membrane potential maintenance, haem and coenzyme Q biosynthesis, and oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, the mitochondrion may be a chemotherapeutic target for antimalarial drug development. The antimalarial drug atovaquone targets the mitochondrion.
Trypanosomatid biodiversity in Costa Rica: genotyping of parasites from Heteroptera using the spliced leader RNA gene
Authors: WESTENBERGER S. J. , STURM N. R. , YANEGA D. , PODLIPAEV S. A. , ZELEDÓN R. , CAMPBELL D. A. , MASLOV D. A.
Published: October 2004

The biodiversity of insect trypanosomes is largely unknown, resulting in significant gaps in the understanding of pathogen evolution. A culture-independent preliminary survey of trypanosomatid fauna was conducted for the parasites of Heteroptera (Hemiptera) from several localities in Costa Rica. Trypanosomatid infections were detected by light microscopy of smeared gut contents. Out of 257 insects representing 6 families, infections were found in 62 cases; cultures were obtained for 29 new isolates. Gut material from infected hosts was preserved in the field using an SDS–EDTA buffer solution for subsequent DNA extraction in the laboratory. PCR amplification of the trypanosomatid-specific spliced leader (SL) RNA gene repeats was successful for 60 field samples. Eighteen distinct SL RNA typing units were identified in a set of 28 samples analysed in detail. Cluster analysis indicated that these typing units were unique and thus could represent new species and, in some cases, new genera. This study reveals only a minor fraction of the trypanosomatid biodiversity, which is anticipated to be high.
Phylogeny, taxonomy and grouping of Trypanosoma rangeli isolates from man, triatomines and sylvatic mammals from widespread geographical origin based on SSU and ITS ribosomal sequences
Authors: MAIA DA SILVA F. , NOYES H. , CAMPANER M. , JUNQUEIRA A. C. V. , COURA J. R. , AÑEZ N. , SHAW J. J. , STEVENS J. R. , TEIXEIRA M. M. G.
Published: October 2004

Phylogenetic relationships among Trypanosoma rangeli isolates from man, wild mammals and triatomine bugs from widespread geographical origin were inferred by comparison of the small subunit of ribosomal gene sequences. The phylogenetic trees indicated that the subgenus Herpetosoma is polyphyletic and strongly supported division of this group into two monophyletic lineages, one made up of T. rangeli, T. rangeli-like and allied species and other consisting of T. lewisi and related taxa. Based on phylogenetic analysis, morphology, behaviour in vertebrate and invertebrate hosts and epidemiology we propose: a) the validation of Herpetosoma as a taxon comprised only for species of group lewisi and the maintenance of T. lewisi as the type-species of this subgenus; b) the classification of T. rangeli, T. rangeli-like and allied species into a ‘T. rangeli-clade’ more closely related to Schizotrypanum than to T. lewisi or T. brucei. The phylogenetic tree disclosed at least 4 groups within the clade T. rangeli, all confirmed by polymorphism of the internal transcribed spacer, thus conferring for the first time phylogenetic support to groups of T. rangeli and corroborating the high complexity of this taxon. Grouping was independent of their mammalian host-species and geographical origin, indicating that other factors are determining this segregation.
Molecular ecology of Schistosoma mansoni transmission inferred from the genetic composition of larval and adult infrapopulations within intermediate and definitive hosts
Authors: THERON A. , SIRE C. , ROGNON A. , PRUGNOLLE F. , DURAND P.
Published: October 2004

We investigated the genotypic composition of the digenetic parasite Schistosoma mansoni for its adult stages within the definitive host (the wild rat, Rattus rattus) and for the larval stages within the intermediate host (the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata) both collected at the same transmission site. Our analyses are based upon the recognition and distribution of 200 different multilocus genotypes generated by RAPD markers. While intramolluscan larval infrapopulations are characterized by a low infection rate (0·6% on average) and low intra-host genetic diversity (1·1 genotype on average per infected snail), adult infrapopulations within rats showed a high infection rate (94%) and a substantial intra-host genetic diversity (34 genotypes on average) linked to high intensities (160 worms per host on average). A single definitive host bearing 105 different genotypes harboured 52% of the total genetic diversity detected within the whole parasite population. Analysis of the genetic data allowed the identification of various ecological, behavioural and immunological factors which are likely to enhance transmission of multiple parasite genotypes towards the vertebrate hosts. From the distribution of repeated identical multilocus genotypes within the parasite population and among the hosts, we have inferred different parameters of the cercarial transmission efficiency as well as patterns and processes by which vertebrate hosts acquire infection in the field.
Meta-analysis of age-prevalence patterns in lymphatic filariasis: no decline in microfilaraemia prevalence in older age groups as predicted by models with acquired immunity
Authors: STOLK W. A. , RAMAIAH K. D. , VAN OORTMARSSEN G. J. , DAS P. K. , HABBEMA J. D. F. , DE VLAS S. J.
Published: October 2004

The role of acquired immunity in lymphatic filariasis is uncertain. Assuming that immunity against new infections develops gradually with accumulated experience of infection, models predict a decline in prevalence after teenage or early adulthood. A strong indication for acquired immunity was found in longitudinal data from Pondicherry, India, where Mf prevalence was highest around the age of 20 and declined thereafter. We reviewed published studies from India and Subsaharan Africa to investigate whether their age-prevalence patterns support the models with acquired immunity. By comparing prevalence levels in 2 adult age groups we tested whether prevalence declined at older age. For India, comparison of age groups 20–39 and 40+ revealed a significant decline in only 6 out of 53 sites, whereas a significant increase occurred more often (10 sites). Comparison of older age groups provided no indication that a decline would start at a later age. Results from Africa were even more striking, with many more significant increases than declines, irrespective of the age groups compared. The occurrence of a decline was not related to the overall Mf prevalence and seems to be a chance finding. We conclude that there is no evidence of a general age-prevalence pattern that would correspond to the acquired immunity models. The Pondicherry study is an exceptional situation that may have guided us in the wrong direction.
Activity of benzothiazoles and chemical derivatives onPlasmodium falciparum
Authors: HOUT S. , AZAS N. , DARQUE A. , ROBIN M. , DI GIORGIO C. , GASQUET M. , GALY J. , TIMON-DAVID P.
Published: October 2004

Malaria is a major health concern particularly in Africa which has about 90% of the worldwide annual clinical cases. The increasing number of drug-resistantPlasmodium falciparumjustifies the search for new drugs in this field. Antimalarial activity of 2-substituted 6-nitro- and 6-amino-benzothiazoles and their anthranilic acids has been tested. Anin vitrostudy has been performed on W2 and 3D7 strains ofP. falciparumand on clinical isolates from malaria-infected patients. Toxicity has been assessed on THP1 human monocytic cells. For the most active drug candidates, thein vitrostudy was followed byin vivoassaysonP. berghei-infected mice and byin vitroassays in order to determine the stage-dependency and the mechanism of action. Of 39 derivatives testedin vitro, 2 had specific antimalarial properties. Each compound was active on all stages of the parasite, but one was markedly active on mature schizonts, while the other was more active on young schizont forms. Both drugs were also active on mitochondrial membrane potential.In vivodata confirmed efficiency with a sustained decrease of parasitaemia. Products A12 and C7 may be considered as potential antimalarial worthy of further chemical and biological research.
Irreducible components of the space of foliations associated to the affine Lie algebra
Authors: CALVO-ANDRADE O. , CERVEAU D. , GIRALDO L. , LINS NETO A.
Published: October 2004

In this paper, we give the explicit construction of certain components of the space of holomorphic foliations of codimension one, in complex projective spaces. These components are associated to some algebraic representations of the affine Lie algebra $\mathfrak{aff}(\mathbb{C})$. Some of them, the so-called exceptional or Klein–Lie components, are rigid in the sense that all generic foliations in the component are equivalent (Example 1). In particular, we obtain rigid foliations of all degrees. Some generalizations and open problems are given at the end of §1.
Quality of life from the perspectives of older people
Authors: GABRIEL ZAHAVA , BOWLING ANN
Published: October 2004

This paper report results from a national survey of quality of life (QoL), based on 999 people aged 65 or more years living in private households in Britain. The study produced both qualitative and quantitative interview data. The 999 survey respondents were interviewed in their own homes with a semi-structured survey instrument, and 80 were followed-up in greater depth at one and two years after the baseline interview. The material from the in-depth interviews is presented here. The main QoL themes that emerged were: having good social relationships, help and support; living in a home and neighbourhood that is perceived to give pleasure, feels safe, is neighbourly and has access to local facilities and services including transport; engaging in hobbies and leisure activities (solo) as well as maintaining social activities and retaining a role in society; having a positive psychological outlook and acceptance of circumstances which cannot be changed; having good health and mobility; and having enough money to meet basic needs, to participate in society, to enjoy life and to retain one's independence and control over life. The results have implications for public policy, and supplement the growing body of knowledge on the composition and measurement of quality of life in older age.
Quality of life in the third age: key predictors of the CASP-19 measure
Authors: WIGGINS RICHARD D. , HIGGS PAUL F. D. , HYDE MARTIN , BLANE DAVID B.
Published: October 2004

This article aims to identify and analyse the lifecourse and contextual factors that influence the quality of life in early old age. We conceptualise quality of life as distinct from the factors which influence it, and employ a model of the quality of life that is derived from an explicit theory of human need. The operational measure (CASP-19) consists of 19 Likert-scaled items which cover four theoretical domains: control, autonomy, self-realisation and pleasure. A postal questionnaire was sent to 286 British people aged 65–75 years who were members of the sample for the 1930s Boyd-Orr study of health and diet and who had been followed up through retrospective interviews during the late 1990s. The 286 were broadly representative of their age group. The survey's response rate was 92 per cent. Respondents provided information on a number of contextual influences on their quality of life in early old age, notably social support and participation, the quality and quantity of social contact, feelings of trust and reciprocity about the local neighbourhood, health and financial security. In the analyses reported here, a series of conceptual and operational influences on quality of life in early old age is identified using block regression models. Finally, the relative impact of each predictor on CASP-19 is examined. The findings suggest that the legacy of the past tends to be best captured by people's feelings about the adequacy of their pensions and their status as owner-occupiers as well as a feeling that the area in which they live is deprived. The quality of the social contact people describe and how close they feel to those around them will ameliorate the negative impacts of the past and the immediate environment. In addition, we must recognise that people remain vulnerable to the impact of loss: recent bereavement, and major illnesses can impact on a person's quality of life.
Quality of life perceptions and social comparisons in healthy old age
Authors: GRAHAM BEAUMONT J. , KENEALY PAMELA M.
Published: October 2004

This paper reports a study of the influence of healthy older people's type of residence and social comparison strategies on their quality of life perceptions. Data were collected from 190 participants aged 65 or more years resident in one London Borough. Participants were classified by their type of residence, and their quality of life was assessed by the Schedule for Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life: Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW). Among the reported social comparison judgements, the dominant strategy was ‘Downward Contrast’. It was the sole strategy for 78 per cent of those studied, and was significantly associated with a higher perceived quality of life. Among other statistically significant findings, it was found that positive orientation, optimistic orientation, and the use of Contrast rather than Identification comparisons associated with a better reported quality of life. The over-riding influence of Downward Contrast comparisons was also confirmed: this strategy appears to be adaptive and functional in enhancing perceived quality of life. The effect is not mediated by depression, although differences in comparison strategy were observed among groups with different residential status. The possibility of an intervention to enhance the perceived quality of life is discussed.
Inequalities in quality of life among older people from different ethnic groups
Authors: MORIARTY JO , BUTT JABEER
Published: October 2004

British research on the quality of life in old age has neglected the increasing ethnic diversity of the older population, and although studies of health and income inequalities have highlighted the contribution played by racism, analyses of the factors influencing the quality of life have rarely considered its effects. This paper discusses inequalities in quality of life among older people from different ethnic groups using data from a cross-sectional survey of 203 White British, Asian, Black Caribbean, Black African and Chinese people aged 55 and more years living in England and Scotland. They were interviewed face-to-face in the language of their choice using a semi-structured schedule. Consistent with the existing literature, the study found differences in health, income and social support among the ethnic groups. The paper suggests, however, that future work should examine disparities in health and income within as well as between minority ethnic groups, and that a greater appreciation is required of the way in which such disparities may be accentuated by variations in health expectations, in the distribution of income within households, and in the willingness to discuss financial difficulties. The cumulative effects of health and material disadvantage and the experience of racism have implications both for future quality of life research and for government policies that aim to raise social inclusion and reduce inequalities.
Family, work and quality of life: changing economic and social roles through the lifecourse
Authors: EVANDROU MARIA , GLASER KAREN
Published: October 2004

This article reports research funded as part of the recent ESRC Growing Older initiative. The project ‘Family, Work and Quality of Life’ explored changes in economic and social roles across four birth cohorts passing through mid-life (45–59/64 years) in Britain. The relationship between multiple role responsibilities and a range of indicators of quality of life, including material resources, health and engagement in social activities were investigated. The research was based upon secondary analysis of four different surveys: the 2000 British Household Panel Study, the 1994–95 Family and Working Lives Survey, the 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000 General Household Surveys, and the longitudinal Retirement Survey (1988/89 and 1994). A particularly interesting finding is that being ‘caught in the middle’, in terms of having simultaneous care-giving responsibilities to dependent children and frail parents whilst in paid work, has been atypical. Only one-in-nine British women, and one-in-ten British men, aged 45–49 years (born in 1941–45) occupy all three roles concurrently, but multiple role occupancy is increasing across cohorts, particularly the combination of caring and paid work. Role occupancy significantly affects the accumulation of pension entitlements (particularly second-tier pensions), with the effect that many women who have fulfilled the important social roles of carer and parent will face a low income in old age. Where adverse health outcomes were found, parental role in mid-life was most frequently associated with such poor health, suggesting that continued parental demands in mid-life may have negative health consequences.
Determinants of quality of life amongst older people in deprived neighbourhoods
Authors: SMITH ALLISON E. , SIM JULIUS , SCHARF THOMAS , PHILLIPSON CHRIS
Published: October 2004

This article analyses the determinants of the quality of life in a sample of 600 people aged 60 or more years living in deprived areas of three English cities. Data were collected by means of a face-to-face administered questionnaire. Two standardised measures, the ‘Satisfaction With Life Scale’ (SWLS) and the ‘Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale’ (PGCMS), and a single-item question were used to produce outcome measures of the quality of life. Using a conceptual model of quality of life factors, 21 socio-demographic, objective and subjective variables were correlated with each of the measures. Thirteen of these variables were subsequently entered in three multiple regression models. Subjective variables correlated significantly with all three quality of life measures, but socio-demographic and objective life condition variables correlated less strongly. Regression analysis revealed perception of own health, perceived ability to cope financially, perception of poverty over time and loneliness to be important determinants of the quality of life across all three quality of life measures. Variables that described characteristics of the urban environment had limited direct influence on the quality of life. The findings support the conceptual framework and highlight the key role played by subjective variables in determining the quality of life of older people in deprived urban areas.
Academic writing
Authors: Paltridge Brian
Published: October 2004

This article reviews research and developments that are relevant to second language students writing in academic settings. First, it reviews research into writing requirements at undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study. It then discusses the particular socio-cultural context of academic writing, including the notions of genre and discourse community, and the politics of academic writing. The article then reviews descriptions of academic writing that draw on register studies, discourse studies, genre studies, and corpus studies. This includes cross-cultural comparisons of academic writing, disciplinary differences in academic writing, and critical views on the nature of academic writing. The article then reviews the development of approaches to the teaching of academic writing. The article concludes with a discussion of the assessment of academic writing and indications for future research in the area of second language academic writing.
The Irony of Passionate Chaos: Modernity and Performing Medea
Authors: Shaw Fiona
Published: October 2004

Clara Armand, author of the preceding article on ‘Dialogism and the Theatre Event’ in relation to Deborah Warner's production of Euripides' Medea, talks with Fiona Shaw about her close working relationship with the director in earlier productions, and the process of creating and developing the title role in the play. The interview took place in the Queen's Theatre on 21 February 2001, during the West End run of the production.
Being a Shyster: Re-visioning the Actor with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Karafistan Rachel
Published: October 2004

A personal introduction by Clive Barker on the place of the Shysters in Midlands theatre: I moved from London to Birmingham around the time the new Birmingham Rep was built. I thought it had all the worst features of a theatre and all the best features of a municipal crematorium. There were serious flaws, too, with the Midlands Art Centre, although my children enjoyed the Saturday morning activities. However, soon a group of idealists founded the Birmingham Arts Lab, whose work was exciting and enjoyable, and brought to the city the best of new experimental theatre. Some years later I moved to Coventry, which I had thought of as a theatrical desert since the death of Brian Bailey, with the Belgrade staggering through a succession of unfortunate managements. But the past ten years have seen a glorious flowering of small companies which display both vision and technical ability. Central to this activity are the Shysters, a group of actors with learning disabilities who have found ways of turning these into their own distinctive theatrical style and language. Since I sit on their board of directors I have felt it difficult to write personally about their work in NTQ, and was delighted when Rachel Karafistan remedied this deficiency by offering us the following article. I love the Shysters: their work entrances me, and I would willingly see their shows once a week if possible. They help to make being sent to Coventry a rich theatrical experience.
Dance Culture and Statuary Politics: Chiang Kai-Shek and the Myth of Primitivism
Authors: Sporton Gregory
Published: October 2004

Dance is often assumed to have universal values and to manifest a spirit of freedom, especially individual freedom. It is also the case that such freedom is perceived to be deeply rooted in the condition of humanity. In this article Gregory Sporton shows how these assumptions can mislead us about the basis on which dance operates. By citing the body as the original manifestation of expression, and linking dance practice to primitive experience, a sentimental picture of ourselves as dancers emerges. Taking dance practice in Taiwan as an example, the author shows how this ‘naturalist argument’ can be exploited by a political culture and in doing so divert questions of identity. For the visiting observer, dance appears to evidence political culture and social aspiration, identities that are fixed in the present rather than the archaic past. Gregory Sporton has had a substantial performing career in ballet, contemporary dance, opera, and performance art. He is Head of the School for Performance and Moving Image at the University of Central England.
Remembering Glynne Wickham
Authors: Brown John Russell
Published: October 2004

Celebrating the life of Glynne Wickham, 1922–2004.
Golden Masks in Moscow
Authors: Herbert Ian
Published: October 2004

The Russian theatre recognizes achievement at the Golden Mask ceremony in the Bolshoi, April 2004.
Creating a ‘socialist way of life’: family and reproduction policies in Bulgaria, 1944–1989
Authors: BRUNNBAUER ULF , TAYLOR KARIN
Published: October 2004

This article explores the policies of the Bulgarian socialist regime (1944–1989) towards the family. Initially, the Bulgarian Communist Party focussed on the abolition of the patriarchal family, the emancipation of women and the struggle against ‘bourgeois residues’ in family life. However, the dramatic decline of the birth rate – a result of rapid urbanization and increasing female employment – led to a re-direction of official discourse. Reproduction became heavily politicized, as the 1968 ban on abortion makes evident. Despite pro-natalist measures, the government was unable to stop the fertility decline. This article demonstrates how socialist family policy was gradually modified through negotiation between the Party and the population.
The state of the art in ontology learning: a framework for comparison
Authors: SHAMSFARD MEHRNOUSH , ABDOLLAHZADEH BARFOROUSH AHMAD
Published: October 2004

In recent years there have been some efforts to automate the ontology acquisition and construction process. The proposed systems differ from each other in some factors and have many features in common. This paper presents the state of the art in Ontology Learning (OL) and introduces a framework for classifying and comparing OL systems. The dimensions of the framework concern what to learn, from where to learn it and how it may be learnt. They include features of the input, the methods of learning and knowledge acquisition, the elements learned, the resulting ontology and also the evaluation process. To extract this framework, over 50 OL systems or modules thereof that have been described in recent articles are studied here and seven prominent ones, which illustrate the greatest differences, are selected for analysis according to our framework. In this paper after a brief description of the seven selected systems we describe the dimensions of the framework. Then we place the representative ontology learning systems into our framework. Finally, we describe the differences, strengths and weaknesses of various values for our dimensions in order to present a guideline for researchers to choose the appropriate features to create or use an OL system for their own domain or application.
Towards a paradigm change in computer science and software engineering: a synthesis
Authors: ZAMBONELLI FRANCO , VAN DYKE PARUNAK H.
Published: October 2004

In this paper, we identify and analyse a set of characteristics that increasingly distinguish today's complex software systems from ‘‘traditional” ones. Several examples in different areas show that these characteristics are not limited to a few application domains but are widespread. Then, we discuss how these characteristics are likely to impact dramatically on the very way software systems are modelled and engineered. In particular, we appear to be on the edge of a radical shift of paradigm, which is about to change our very attitudes in software systems modelling and engineering.
Context matching for electronic marketplaces: a case study
Authors: BONIFACIO MATTEO , DONÀ ANTONIA , MOLANI ALESSANDRA , SERAFINI LUCIANO
Published: October 2004

Matching algorithms automatically discover semantic relations between two autonomously developed conceptual representations of two overlapping domains. Typical examples of such conceptualisations are electronic market catalogues (e.g., unspsc and eCl@ss) and Web directories (e.g., google and yahoo). The objective of this paper is the description of a use case in which the matching algorithm CtxMatch, developed at ITC-IRST and the University of Trento, has been used to re-classify into the Universal Standard Products and Services Classification (unspsc) the catalogue of office equipment and accessories used by a worldwide telecommunication company to classify its suppliers. On the basis of this experience we are envisaging new applications of the algorithm in the area of demand aggregation. We conclude the paper by briefly describing a future application in this area.
Chinese Middle Class Attitudes Towards International Affairs: Nascent Liberalization?
Authors: Johnston Alastair Iain
Published: October 2004

There is a growing interest in the preferences of an emerging middle class in China towards domestic reform. But little attention has been paid to middle class views on world affairs and foreign policy. Given the murky trajectory of political reform in China it is uncertain how middle class preferences may affect government policy. But with the growing role of entrepreneurs in policy-making, one could plausibly expect that middle class voices will increasingly be heard at the top. We need to know what these voices are saying. Using longtitudinal data from the Beijing Area Study this article examines the attitudes of Beijing's middle class towards free trade, international institutions, military spending, the United States and nationalism. It finds that generally the middle class exhibits a greater level of nascent liberalism than poorer income groups. This is consistent with what various international relations theories would expect.