bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and predictive value of ionized hypocalcemia among critically ill patients
Authors: Hästbacka J. , Pettilä V.
Published: November 2003

Background:  Ionized hypocalcemia is common among critically ill patients, and it has been shown to correlate with increased mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the performance and independence of ionized calcium (Ca2+) in prediction of all‐cause day‐30 mortality among critically ill adult patients.

Methods:  Of 993 critically ill patients treated in the Helsinki University Hospital during a 24‐month period, the study comprised 941 patients without calcium supplementation. Patient and laboratory data were obtained retrospectively from an intensive care database. The discriminative powers of admission and lowest Ca2+ values regarding day‐30 mortality were evaluated by producing receiver operating curves (ROC). Hazard ratios for death of severe and mild hypocalcemia were calculated by Cox regression model.

Results:  The prevalence of ionized hypocalcemia (Ca2+  <1.16 mmol l−1) was 85%. Of 941 patients, 45 (4.7%) had ionized calcium >1.3 mmol l−1 and were excluded from mortality analysis. Univariate Cox regression model revealed hazard ratios of 5.1 (95% confidence interval, CI 2.9–9.0) for severe (<0.90 mmol l−1) and 1.8 (95% CI 1.3–2.4) for mild ionized hypocalcemia (0.90–1.15 mmol l−1) on admission, but hypocalcemia was not shown to be independently associated with mortality by multivariate Cox regression model. In prediction of day‐30 mortality admission and lowest Ca2+, levels had areas under curves of 0.636 and 0.671, respectively.

Conclusion:  Ionized hypocalcemia is common among critically ill adults and it is associated with increased mortality. Although non‐survivors and survivors differ significantly in admission Ca2+, hypocalcemia is not independently associated with day‐30 mortality.
Positioning internal jugular venous catheters using the right third intercostal space in children
Authors: Kim K. O. , Jo J. O. , Kim H. S. , Kim C. S.
Published: November 2003

Background:  Central venous catheters are used for pressure measurement, and drug and fluid therapy in children. Several reports have described serious complications related to catheter positioning. We evaluated the possibility of using the right third intercostal space as an anatomic landmark for determining the optimal insertion depth of a central venous catheter from the right internal jugular vein.

Methods:  The distance between the skin puncture site and the right third intercostal space (SK‐ICS) was measured in 83 children. The catheter was inserted to a depth equal to the measured distance. Postoperatively, the distance between the catheter tip and the radiographic junction of the superior vena cava and the right atrium was measured. This was defined as the optimal catheter length, which placed the catheter tip at the SVC/RA junction (SK‐SVC/RA).

Results:  A significant correlation was found between the SK‐ICS and SK‐SVC/RA (regression equation: SK‐SVC/RA = 0.35 + 0.98 × SK‐ICS, r2 = 0.8554). Based on the data obtained, a simple formula, SK‐ICS−1 (cm), predicted that a CVC would be positioned above the RA in 98.8% of patients.

Conclusions:  Using the right third intercostal space as an anatomic landmark allows positioning of the catheter tip in the SVC near to but not in the RA in children.
Impact of SARS on an emergency department in Hong Kong
Authors: Man Chi Yin , Yeung Richard SD , Chung Josephine YM , Cameron Peter A
Published: November 2003

Objective: To report on the impact of a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak on the attendances of a major teaching hospital ED.

Methods: Two periods were studied. The first was prior to the closure of the ED due to SARS and the second was after re‐opening of the ED. Data on attendances, discharge against medical advice, triage categories, trauma and ambulance cases were retrieved from the computer and compared with the data in the same periods in 2002.

Results: In the first period, when compared with 2002 there was a significant decrease in the mean daily attendance (397 vs 524), trauma cases (68 vs 111), minor cases (category 4: 283 vs 361, and category 5: 20 vs 43). In the second period, there was a significant decrease in the mean daily attendance (265 vs 545), trauma cases (40 vs 111), minor cases (category 4: 181 vs 376, and category 5: 12 vs 45), discharge against medical advice (4 vs 6 daily) and ambulance cases (70 vs 86 daily). Patients requiring immediate care however, remained similar.

Conclusion: There was a significant drop in the overall ED attendance, trauma cases and minor cases after the outbreak of SARS. Possible causes include changes in community behaviour, resulting in a lower incidence of trauma and disease and fear of presenting to hospital and contracting SARS.
Is mediastinal shift on chest X‐ray of pneumothorax always an emergency?
Authors: Clark Sean , Ragg Michael , Stella Julian
Published: November 2003

Objective: To determine the incidence of mediastinal shift on chest X‐ray due to pneumothorax.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was undertaken of all patients with pneumothorax presenting to the ED over the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999. The primary outcome was mediastinal shift on initial CXR. The incidence of clinical tension pneumothorax was noted.

Results: There were 176 presentations with pneumothorax in the study period. Two cases of clinical tension pneumothorax were identified and treated prior to CXR. Thirty patients with mediastinal shift on initial CXR, none of which clinically merited emergency needle decompression, were all managed with intercostal catheter (ICC) insertion. Overall, 141 of 176 (80.1%) had an ICC inserted as part of their management. Mean pulse rate (91.8 SD 29.5 vs 86.7 SD 23.6, P = 0.02) and respiratory rate (21.9 SD 14.4 vs 15.1 SD 11.5, P = 0.03) were greater in patients with mediastinal shift on CXR.

Conclusion: True clinical tension pneumothorax is an uncommon condition. Radiological evidence of mediastinal shift is more common. No patient in this latter group deteriorated while awaiting X‐ray.
Community acquired needlestick injuries in non‐health care workers presenting to an urban emergency department
Authors: O'Leary Fenton M , Green Timothy C
Published: November 2003

Objectives: To review the epidemiology and demographics of community acquired needlestick injuries in non‐health care workers attending an urban ED.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with needlestick injuries attending the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital from 1996 to 2001.

Results: One hundred and twenty cases were reviewed. The most common mechanism of injury was exposure to discarded syringes (68%). Forty three (36%) injuries were work related. Twenty four (20%) were non‐accidental. Ten (8%) patients received human immunodeficiency virus post exposure prophylaxis. There were no viral seroconversions in the patients with data available.

Conclusions: We have identified three groups, males, cleaners and police officers, who are at particular risk of injury. Community education is required so that medical assessment is sought early and to increase awareness of these injuries. The provision of post exposure prophylaxis requires individualized risk assessment, as only in a minority of cases is the source available for testing.
Comparison of a verbal numeric rating scale with the visual analogue scale for the measurement of acute pain
Authors: Holdgate Anna , Asha Stephen , Craig Jonathan , Thompson Jennifer
Published: November 2003

Objectives: To test the agreement between the visual analogue scale (VAS) and a verbal numeric rating scale (VNRS) in measuring acute pain, and measure the minimum clinically significant change in VNRS.

Methods: Patients scored their pain by the VAS and the VNRS, then re‐scored their pain every 30 min for up to 2 h. Patients also recorded whether their pain had improved or worsened. Agreement between scores was evaluated, and where patients scored their pain as ‘a bit worse’ or ‘a bit better’ the mean change in VNRS was calculated.

Results: A total of 309 paired observations were obtained from 79 patients. The VAS and VNRS were highly correlated (r = 0.95, 95% CI 0.94–0.96). The VNRS was significantly higher than the VAS for the paired observations, with 95% of the differences between VAS and VNRS lying between −2.3 and 1.3 cm. The minimum clinically significant difference in VNRS was 1.4 cm (95% CI 1.2–1.6).

Conclusions: The VNRS performs as well as the VAS in assessing changes in pain. However, although the VAS and VNRS are well correlated, patients systematically score their pain higher on the VNRS, with an unacceptably wide distribution of the differences.
Traction splinting of femoral shaft fractures in a paediatric emergency department: Time is of the essence?
Authors: Chu Robert SL , Browne Gary J , Lam Lawrence T
Published: November 2003

Objective: To describe the use of traction splinting in children with femoral shaft fracture and to determine if timing of traction splinting application effects outcome.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study conducted over a five and a half year period (1 January 1996 to 1 July 2001) on children presenting with femoral shaft fracture to a Paediatric trauma centre. Data were collected on all children with a radiological diagnosis of fracture to the femoral shaft. Evidence for hypovolaemic shock and neurovascular compromise was sought. The administration of parenteral analgesia and whether a validated pain scale was employed to monitor pain relief was documented. The use of a traction splint or other leg splint device before arrival in the ED and subsequent changes to splinting in hospital were noted. Times to perform radiographic examination and femoral nerve block were also recorded.

Results: Ninety‐five (95) patients met the study inclusion criteria with 66.3% having some form of immobilization and 70% administered parenteral analgesia in the pre‐hospital setting. In only 7.3% of patients was a Thomas splint traction applied within 2 h of arrival. Adverse clinical outcome was not reported in any patient regardless of time to application of Thomas splint traction. The application of Thomas splint traction in the ED resulted in a significant delay in the performance of diagnostic radiographs and femoral nerve block.

Conclusions: The timing of traction splinting is not associated with poor outcome in isolated paediatric femoral shaft fracture provided effective analgesia has been administered in a timely fashion.
Are children with femoral fracture haemodynamically unstable?
Authors: Chu Robert SL , Browne Gary J , Lam Lawrence T
Published: November 2003

Objective: To assess the occurrence of hypovolaemic shock in children who have sustained traumatic femoral fracture.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was performed on a cohort of children with traumatic femoral fracture presenting over a five and a half year period from 1 January 1996 to 1 July 2001. Selected parameters for analysis included administration of a fluid bolus, as well as all available vital signs within 4 h following injury relating to pulse, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, skin capillary refill time and mental status. Fluid and blood transfusion records were examined, as was the need for intraosseous access. Initial haemoglobin and haematocrit results were also obtained.

Results: There was no evidence for haemodynamic instability in the 100 patients who met the selection criteria when compared with internationally accepted normal vital sign parameters. No significant difference was found in the initial vital signs between patients who received fluid bolus and those that didn’t. No patient needed intraosseous access or fluid resuscitation. One patient received blood transfusion without evidence of haemodynamic instability. Haemoglobin and haematocrit values were not significantly decreased. Ninety‐two percent of patients in this study had isolated femoral fracture.

Conclusions: No evidence for haemodynamic instability was found in a cohort of children with traumatic femoral fracture.
Skills retention for insertion of the Combitube and laryngeal mask airway
Authors: Vertongen Vicki M , Ramsay Mace P , Herbison Peter
Published: November 2003

Objective: To determine if the skills to successfully ventilate using the laryngeal mask (The Laryngeal Mask Company Limited, Henley on Thames, United Kingdom) and Combitube (The Kendall Company, Mansfield, USA) can be retained after seven months.

Methods: Nursing, medical and theatre staff from Dunedin Hospital were recruited in a prospective study. Subjects were taught to insert and ventilate an Ambuman manikin using both devices. Subjects were tested on their ability to ventilate the manikin with both devices within one month then following a six‐month period.

Results: A total of 101 subjects were recruited with 86 subjects retested at least six months later. Initial testing resulted in subjects successfully ventilating the manikin in 90% (laryngeal mask) and 92% (Combitube) of attempts. At retesting, successful ventilation was achieved in 85% (laryngeal mask) and 77% (Combitube) of attempts. The decline in skills level was significant for the Combitube only (95% CI 4% to 26%).

Conclusion: The ability to successfully ventilate is better maintained with the laryngeal mask than the Combitube after seven months.
The Communication Clerk role in the emergency department
Authors: King Diane
Published: November 2003

Objective: Analyse the clinical hours saved by the introduction of a dedicated Communications Clerk to the ED.

Methods: A Communications Clerk role was introduced at Flinders Medical Centre during 2002. Over a seven‐week period the number of telephone calls taken and paging performed was logged. This function had previously been performed purely by clinical staff, and the number of clinical hours saved was evaluated.

Results: Over the study period the Communication Clerks worked for 509 h. A total of 7302 telephone calls were answered or made, and 924 pages made. The clinical hours saved was calculated at 243.3. The ratio of hours worked by the Communication Clerk to clinical hours saved overall was 2.1.

Conclusion: The role of a Communication Clerk in a busy ED is an effective work practice change, particularly in relation to clinical hours saved.
Documentation and tagging of casualties in multiple casualty incidents
Authors: Garner Alan
Published: November 2003

The use of triage tags is widely advocated as a tool to improve the management of multiple casualty incident scenes. However, there are no published reports to suggest that triage tags have improved the management of incidents involving more than 24 persons, and a number of reports have detailed problems associated with triage tag use. Alternative systems of scene management such as geographical triage have been successfully used in very large incidents, and are recommended as an alternative to triage tags. Documentation cards attached to casualties may be of use in situations where casualties will pass through an extended evacuation chain, and clear labels for deceased casualties are of benefit as they discourage repeat assessments. Adoption of an evidence‐based approach to multiple casualty incident scene management will require a paradigm shift in the thinking of ambulance services. A broad‐based educational approach that encourages critical reappraisal of existing procedures is recommended.
Glucagon
Authors: Downes Michael A
Published: November 2003

Despite its infrequent usage, glucagon is an important drug in the ED. It has both well established and less well established indications. This article reviews its role for the practising emergency physician.
Paracetamol poisoning: Which nomogram should we use?
Authors: Reid Duncan , Hazell Wayne
Published: November 2003

Objectives: To determine the type of paracetamol nomograms used in Australasian EDs. To review the literature to determine the evidence base for existing nomograms.

Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study via postal survey of all Australasian EDs accredited for specialist emergency medicine training by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM). A literature review using Knowledge Finder search engine was employed.

Results: The response rate was 87%. The most commonly used nomogram had a four‐hour treatment level of 1300 µmol/L (69%). A total of 22% of respondents used a four‐hour treatment level of 1000 µmol/L. Two departments (3%) treated all patients above the 660 µmol/L line. Eleven departments (15%) did not have a treatment line below 1300 µmol/L.

Conclusion: Practice varies in Australasian EDs. Patients with paracetamol levels below the 1300 µmol/L have been reported in the literature to develop hepatotoxicity, and deaths have been documented. N‐acetylcysteine is extremely safe when used in the recommended dosages.
Delayed myotoxicity in snake envenoming by the tiger snake group
Authors: Gavaghan Christopher F , Sparkes Geoffrey
Published: November 2003

Snakebite on the North Coast of New South Wales is not an uncommon cause of envenoming. We report a case of a young woman who presented after a snake bite and did not develop fulminant signs and symptoms of envenoming until 32 h after the bite.
Five years of snake envenoming in far north Queensland
Authors: Barrett Robyn , Little Mark
Published: November 2003

Objective: To describe the epidemiology, clinical features, treatment and outcomes of patients with elapid snake envenoming in far north Queensland.

Methods: Review of patients admitted with snake envenoming to Cairns Base Hospital, Queensland, from 1 January 1996–31 December 2000.

Results: A total of 264 patients presented to the hospital with a diagnosis of snakebite. Of these, 27 (10%) had clinical evidence of envenoming, including seven children. All envenomed patients had been bitten on a limb. Two patients had correct initial first aid applied. Commercially available venom detection kits were used in 23 patients; 14 (61%) bite site swabs were positive, but only four (23%) of 17 urine Venom Detection Kits were positive. Antivenom was administered to 20 envenomed patients. The five brown snake envenomed patients required a median of 9 ampoules of antivenom to treat their coagulopathy. Sixteen patients were admitted to the ICU, with six requiring ventilation. Six patients were successfully managed in the ED observation ward. Three patients envenomed by a taipan, and one by a death adder were discharged with ongoing neurological symptoms. There was one death from brown snake envenoming.

Conclusions: The incidence of snakebite and envenoming in far north Queensland is higher than reported from hospitals in capital cities and is a significant health issue.
Observation of snakebite victims: Is twelve hours still necessary?
Authors: Hughes Andrew
Published: November 2003

Objective: To determine the period of observation required to exclude elapid envenoming following presentation with suspected or definite snakebite in South‐east Queensland.

Methods: Two part case series of patients presenting with a snakebite to a regional hospital in South‐east Queensland. A snakebite assessment protocol was established for a prospective phase with the same data collection tool used for retrospective cases. The time of onset of clinical features, and abnormal investigations consistent with envenoming were recorded for each feature. ‘Time zero’ was set at the time of removal of effective first aid or, time of presentation in the absence of effective first aid.

Results: A total of 360 presentations of snakebite were identified with envenoming diagnosed in 34 cases (9%). Seventy‐three percent of clinical features and investigation abnormalities were present at, or before, time zero with 95% present within 6 h. All abnormalities, which commenced beyond 6 h, occurred in patients where the diagnosis of envenoming had already been established.

Conclusions: Six hours of assessment appears adequate to exclude elapid envenoming in asymptomatic patients in South‐east Queensland. Evidence in the literature of delayed onset of envenoming in completely asymptomatic patients is difficult to find.
Lead poisoning after ingestion of home‐made Chinese medicines
Authors: Fung Hin Tat , Fung Chi Wah , Kam Chak Wah
Published: November 2003

A young woman presented with non‐specific generalized musculoskeletal pain. Investigations revealed anaemia, raised reticulocyte count, basophilic stippling and erythroid hyperplasia of the bone marrow. Further history showed that she had been taking home‐made Chinese medicines for acne for two months and the blood lead level confirmed the diagnosis of lead poisoning. The medications were stopped and her condition gradually improved. Incorporating the use of herbal medicines into the routine medical history is important in early identification of herbal poisoning.
A new drug free technique for reducing anterior shoulder dislocations
Authors: Cunningham Neil
Published: November 2003

Five cases of anterior shoulder dislocation are reported. The dislocations were reduced quickly, painlessly and without the use of drugs using the ‘Cunningham technique.’ The practice and theory of the technique are described. The ‘Cunningham technique’ is a useful single operator method of reducing anterior shoulder dislocations. Further research is being undertaken to reproduce the results in a larger patient group and also to examine how easily the technique can be taught.
Propagation of microcracks at stress amplitudes below the conventional fatigue limit in Ti–6Al–4V
Authors: Hines J. A. , Lütjering G.
Published: November 2003

Fatigue crack growth below the conventional fatigue limit was examined in Ti–6Al–4V in two different microstructural conditions, bi‐modal and fully lamellar. Tests conducted at R = −1, at room temperature and in air showed that there is a stress dependency in the da/dN–ΔK behaviour in both microstructures. The increasing crack front roughness associated with increasing crack size results in a decrease in the crack growth rate relative to the crack growth rate in a single grain. The da/dN vs. ΔK lines were drawn for each crack size and a ‘threshold’ΔK was determined using the intercept of the lines with da/dN = 10−10 m cycle−1. These values were used to construct modified Takahashi–Kitagawa diagrams to predict microcrack growth below the fatigue limit for each microstructure. A comparison of the two microstructures indicated differences in behaviour in microcrack and macrocrack growth that were explained by differences in crack front roughness at a given crack size.
Effect of varying monoterpene concentrations on the response of Ips pini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to its aggregation pheromone: implications for pest management and ecology of bark beetles
Authors: Erbilgin Nadir , Powell Jaimie S. , Raffa Kenneth F.
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 Host plant terpenes can influence attraction of conifer bark beetles to their aggregation pheromones: both synergistic and inhibitory compounds have been reported. However, we know little about how varying concentrations of individual monoterpenes affect responses.

2 We tested a gradient of ratios of α‐pinene, the predominant monoterpene in host pines in the Great Lakes region of North America, to Ips pini's pheromone, racemic ipsdienol plus lanierone.

3 Ips pini demonstrated a parabolic response, in which low concentrations of α‐pinene had no effect on attraction to its pheromone, intermediate concentrations were synergistic and high concentrations were inhibitory. These results suggest optimal release rates for population monitoring and suppression programmes.

4 Inhibition of bark beetle attraction to pheromones may be an important component of conifer defences. At terpene to pheromone ratios emulating emissions from trees actively responding to a first attack, arrival of flying beetles was low. This may constitute an additional defensive role of terpenes, which are also toxic to bark beetles at high concentrations.

5 Reduced attraction to a low ratio of α‐pinene to pheromone, as occurs when colonization densities become high and the tree's resin is largely depleted, might reflect a mechanism for preventing excessive crowding.

6 Thanasimus dubius, the predominant predator of I. pini, was also attracted to ipsdienol plus lanierone, but its response differed from that of its prey. Attraction increased across all concentrations of α‐pinene. This indicates that separate lures are needed to sample both predators and bark beetles effectively. It also provides an opportunity for maximizing pest removal while reducing adverse effects on beneficial species. This disparity further illustrates the complexity confronting natural enemies that track chemical signals to locate herbivores.
Herbivores and pathogens on willow: do they affect each other?
Authors: Simon Matthias , Hilker Monika
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 Willows often need to cope with attack by both rust fungi and herbivores. We studied whether rust infection on willow affects the herbivore, and vice versa, whether herbivore feeding affects the fungal infection. The system investigated by laboratory bioassays and greenhouse experiments consisted of the willow hybrid Salix × cuspidata, the rust Melampsora allii‐fragilis and the willow leaf beetle Plagiodera versicolora. Effects were studied both on a local scale (rust infection and feeding on the same leaf) and systemically (rust infection and feeding on different, but adjacent leaves).

2 Rust infection was not affected by herbivore feeding on a local scale. Systemically, however, the willow's susceptibility towards rust infection was increased by herbivore feeding, as indicated by a higher number of rust sori on leaves adjacent to feeding‐damaged leaves. The herbivore's performance was detrimentally affected by rust infection: increase of mortality (systemically), decrease of larval weight (locally and systemically) and prolonging of developmental time (locally and systemically).

3 Previous rust infection enhanced systemically the willow's susceptibility towards subsequent fungal infection. Previous herbivore feeding on the willow had no effects on the herbivore's developmental time and mortality. However, feeding upon previously feeding‐damaged willow leaves significantly reduced larval weight.
Development of an improved attractive lure for the pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)
Authors: Poland Therese M. , De Groot Peter , Burke Stephen , Wakarchuk David , Haack Robert A. , Nott Reginald , Scarr Taylor
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 The pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda (L.) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), is an exotic pest of pine, Pinus spp., and was first discovered in North America in 1992.

2 Although primary attraction to host volatiles has been clearly demonstrated for T. piniperda, the existence and role of secondary attraction to insect‐produced pheromones have been widely debated.

3 Currently, commercial lures for T. piniperda include only the host volatiles α‐pinene in North America and α‐pinene, terpinolene and (+)‐3‐carene in Europe. Several potential pheromone candidates have been identified for T. piniperda.

4 We tested various combinations of host volatiles and pheromone candidates in Michigan, U.S.A., and Ontario, Canada, to determine an optimal blend.

5 Attraction of T. piniperda was significantly increased when trans‐verbenol (95% pure, 3.2%cis‐verbenol content) was added with or without myrtenol to α‐pinene or to blends of α‐pinene and other kairomones and pheromone candidates.

6 Our results, together with other research demonstrating that trans‐verbenol is produced by T. piniperda, support the designation of trans‐verbenol as a pheromone for T. piniperda. A simple operational lure consisting of α‐pinene and trans‐verbenol is recommended for optimal attraction of T. piniperda.
The spread of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)
Authors: Kirk William D. J. , Terry L. Irene
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 Since the late 1970s, the western flower thrips has spread from its original distribution in western North America to become a major worldwide crop pest.

2 A wide range of data sources have been used to map the original distribution in the U.S.A. and Canada, and the progress of the spread in the U.S.A., Canada, Europe, northern Africa and Australia.

3 The possible reasons for the start of the spread are discussed. The most likely reason is that intensive insecticide use in horticulture in the 1970s and 1980s selected an insecticide resistant strain or strains. These then established in glasshouses across North America and spread from there to Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

4 The international spread of the western flower thrips occurred predominantly by the movement of horticultural material, such as cuttings, seedlings and potted plants. Within Europe, an outward spread from the original outbreak in the Netherlands is discernible. The speed of spread was 229 ± 20 km/year.

5 The spread has not been restricted to glasshouses. The western flower thrips has established outdoors in areas with milder winters; for example, across the southern U.S.A., southern Europe and Australia. It also overwinters in some regions with colder winters.

6 Polyphagous phytophagous thrips have many factors predisposing them to become worldwide crop pests, particularly in glasshouses. Some other species that might spread in a similar way to the western flower thrips are listed.
Using high‐throughput amplified fragment length polymorphism to distinguish sorghum greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) biotypes
Authors: Zhu‐Salzman Keyan , Li Haiwen , Klein Patricia E. , Gorena Roberto L. , Salzman Ron A.
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 The greenbug Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) is a serious pest of Sorghum bicolor L. and small grains in the Southern Plains of the U.S.A. Use of resistant cultivars, the major greenbug management strategy, has been challenged by the rapid development of new greenbug biotypes that overcome plant resistance.

2 We used a high‐throughput amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting method to examine genetic divergence among eight greenbug biotypes (B, C, E, G, I and K, New York and South Carolina). Clustering analysis based on 1775 scored AFLP markers clearly showed that biotypes (C, E, I and K), which are able to infest sorghum fields, share more common polymorphisms among themselves than with other biotypes.

3 This result suggests that common genetic factors exist among these biotypes, enabling them to predominate and thrive in monoculture crops. Our study demonstrated the sensitivity of AFLP in obtaining large quantities of biotype‐associated polymorphic information across the entire greenbug genome.
Fusion of a soybean cysteine protease inhibitor and a legume lectin enhances anti‐insect activity synergistically
Authors: Zhu‐Salzman Keyan , Ahn Ji‐Eun , Salzman Ron A. , Koiwa Hisashi , Shade Richard E. , Balfe Susan
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 The soybean cysteine protease inhibitor soyacystatin N (scN) and Griffonia simplicifolia lectin II (rGSII) have defense functions against the coleopteran cowpea bruchid beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. However, the ability of the insect to activate scN‐insensitive digestive proteases and the relatively low potency of rGSII have hindered their practical application in plant protection.

2 Recent research suggests that defense proteins may achieve increased toxicity and durability when used in combination. Based on the structures of several natural toxin molecules, we hypothesized that covalently linked scN and rGSII could exhibit greater anti‐insect efficacy than the mixture containing individual proteins.

3 To test this hypothesis, a recombinant scN‐rGSII fusion protein that retained both protease inhibitor and lectin functions was constructed.

4 When fed to cowpea bruchid, this new protein showed a synergistic delay in insect development, whereas a mixture of the separate proteins only showed an additive effect.

5 Our results suggest that tethering digestive protease inhibitors to gut epithelium‐interacting lectins could give plant protection superior to strategies based on single genes or mixtures of single gene products.
The efficacy of high and low volume spray applications of Mimic® (tebufenozide) for managing autumn gum moth larvae Mnesampela privata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in eucalypt plantations
Authors: Elek Jane A. , Steinbauer Martin J. , Beveridge Natasha , Ebner Peter
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 The autumn gum moth Mnesampela privata (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae) is a native moth that can outbreak, resulting in significant defoliation of plantation eucalypts in southern Australia.

2 Laboratory trials tested M. privata larvae for their dose–response to the ecdysone agonist, Mimic® 700 WP (a.i. 700 g/kg tebufenozide); ground and aerial field trials also tested its efficacy in eucalypt plantations.

3 The laboratory trials showed that there was no significant difference in mortality between larvae treated with 172 g Mimic® (120 g a.i)/ha and those sprayed with doses ranging from 86 to 3340 g Mimic®/ha.

4 Laboratory and field trials demonstrated that second instars were the most susceptible, with the most rapid response. However, second to fourth instars all reached 100% and fifth instars 90% mortality 3 weeks after aerial spraying at 120 g a.i./ha.

5 Aerial spraying an Eucalyptus globulus plantation with 120 g a.i. Mimic® at 20 L/ha caused 95% mortality of instars two to five, and 100% for instars two to four within 3 weeks after spraying.

6 Ground spraying to run‐off with 120 g a.i. Mimic®/ha reduced defoliation of E. grandis from between 67% to 80% for unsprayed trees to 0% defoliation for sprayed trees.

7 The window for effective management of M. privata larvae is 3–5 weeks, during first to third instar development.

8 Replacement of broad‐spectrum insecticides with the more target‐specific Mimic® should increase the biodiversity of plantations and therefore would be more environmentally friendly.
An improved multi‐component sex attractant for trapping male western yellowstriped armyworm, Spodoptera praefica (Grote) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Landolt Peter J. , Smithhisler Connie , Adams Todd , Zack Richard S.
Published: November 2003

Abstract  1 Chemical analyses of solvent extracts of pheromone glands of female western yellowstriped armyworm moths Spodoptera praefica (Grote) indicated the presence of (Z)‐7‐dodecenol (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate (Z)‐9‐dodecenyl acetate (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate and (Z)‐11‐hexadecenyl acetate.

2 In field tests of combinations of these chemicals, small numbers of male S. praefica were captured in traps baited with (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate. Numbers of males captured in traps were greatly increased in response to blends that included both (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate with either (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z)‐9‐dodecenyl acetate. The combination of (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate and (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate provided the strongest sex attractant for use in trapping male S. praefica.

3 Males of the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) were captured in traps baited with blends possessing (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate, and were greatly reduced in traps baited with blends that included (Z)‐7‐dodecenol.

4 Multi‐component blends that included (Z)‐7‐dodecenol attracted males of the alfalfa looper Autographa californica (Speyer).

5 Males of Peridroma saucia (Hübner) and Mamestra configurata Walker were captured in traps that included (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate with (Z)‐11‐hexadecenyl acetate.

6 These responses by other species of moths to S. praefica pheromone components and blends may still complicate the use of any lure for S. praefica.
The downside of Viagra: women's experiences and concerns
Authors: Potts Annie , Gavey Nicola , Grace Victoria M. , Vares Tiina
Published: November 2003

Abstract  While much is known about the efficacy and safety of sexuopharmaceuticals used by men for the treatment of erectile difficulties, there remains a dearth of knowledge on the perspectives and experiences of their sexual partners. In particular, few studies have focused on the possible detrimental effects for women of Viagra use within a heterosexual relationship. In this paper we report on a qualitative study based in New Zealand, which involved in‐depth interviews with 27 women whose partners used Viagra. A number of key dimensions were identified, three of which revealed issues and concerns for women regarding the use of Viagra by their male partners: the neglect of women by those producing and prescribing Viagra; the embodied relationship (which encompasses physical and psychosocial effects of Viagra use); and broader socio‐cultural implications (e.g. the impact of ‘the culture of Viagra’ on understandings about sexuality in older age, and on ideas about male and female sexuality). We argue that while previous medically‐oriented research in this area has generally assumed an unproblematic link between Viagra use and the resumption of penetrative sex within heterosexual relationships, more attention needs to be paid to partners’ perspectives and desires, and to the specific dynamics of any given relationship. Moreover, while the publicity surrounding Viagra may potentially facilitate more positive attitudes to sexuality in older age, it may also produce a societal expectation that ‘healthy’ and ‘normal’ life for older people requires the continuation of ‘youthful’ (energetic) sex lives focused on penetrative intercourse.
Blurring, moving and broken boundaries: men's encounters with the pregnant body
Authors: Draper Jan
Published: November 2003

Abstract  This paper draws on the findings of a longitudinal ethnographic study of men's transition to fatherhood, conducted in the United Kingdom (UK). It is concerned with their encounters with the pregnant and labouring body. Until relatively recently there has been surprisingly little work, either theoretical or empirical, on the experience of pregnant embodiment. Work in the last decade has indicated that women's experience of ‘being‐with‐child’, their experience of living in and being a pregnant body, can be an ambivalent affair, as some find disconcerting the experience of simultaneously being self and yet Other. If women, who possess the embodied and therefore privileged knowledge of pregnancy, can feel ambivalence, perhaps the case for expectant men is more so. This paper draws on interviews with men making the transition to fatherhood and analyses their experiences of and relation to the pregnant and labouring body. The theoretical analysis of their empirical accounts explores in particular the blurring, moving and broken boundaries of the pregnant and labouring body and how these changing body boundaries can challenge the taken‐ for‐granted assumption that bodies should always be contained, strong and firm. The implications of men's encounters with this ‘differently bounded’ body are examined.
Empty ethics: the problem with informed consent
Authors: Corrigan Oonagh
Published: November 2003

Abstract Informed consent is increasingly heralded as an ethical panacea, a tool to counter autocratic and paternalistic medical practices. Debate about the implementation of informed consent is constricted and polarised, centring on the right of individuals to be fully informed and to freely choose versus an autocratic, paternalistic practice that negates individual choice. A bioethical framework, based on a principle‐led form of reductive/deductive reasoning, dominates the current model of informed consent. Such a model tends to abstract the process of consent from its clinical and social setting. By fleshing out the social process involved when patients and healthy volunteer subjects consent to take part in clinical drug trials, this paper attempts to address the problem arising from the current ‘empty ethics’ model. My arguments are substantiated by qualitative interview data drawn from a study I conducted on the process of consent as experienced by participants in clinical drug trials.
Envisaging the embryo in stem cell research: rhetorical strategies and media reporting of the ethical debates
Authors: Williams Clare , Kitzinger Jenny , Henderson Lesley
Published: November 2003

Abstract  How is the embryo defined, envisaged, imagined? Who speaks on its behalf, and how? Based on a study of UK press and TV news reporting, this paper identifies the rhetorical strategies used to assert competing ethical positions around embryonic stem cell research. We show how both sides in the dispute mobilise metaphors and use personification to recruit support; and how they promote different ideas about the embryo's significance, size, and social embeddedness and present competing narratives about its origins, destiny and ‘death’. The role of visual representation is key here. It does not follow the usual pattern whereby, in the abortion debate, those ‘on the side’ of the fetus display its image while those who are ‘pro‐choice’ shy away from this. In the stem cell debate the pattern is inverted, highlighting the role of technologies of visualisation in defining what counts as human. Our analysis also shows how the media coverage marginalises women's perspectives, disregards more fundamental challenges to science, side‐lines concerns about effectiveness or safety and curtails discussion of broader issues. We reflect on the media processes restricting debate in this way and conclude by identifying opportunities for a more inclusive discussion of science ethics.
Understanding women's sleep management: beyond medicalization‐healthicization?
Authors: Hislop Jenny , Arber Sara
Published: November 2003

Abstract  This paper addresses sleep, which to date has been a neglected area within the sociology of health and illness. We explore the extent to which the concepts of medicalization and healthicization provide appropriate models for understanding the management of women's sleep disruption. The prescription of sleeping pills remains as an indicator of the medicalization of sleep, while the trend towards the healthicization of sleep as part of healthy lifestyle practice is reflected in the increased focus of the media, pharmaceutical and complementary health care industries on sleep. The paper analyses qualitative data on women aged 40 and over to argue that the medicalization‐healthicization framework fails to encapsulate a complete understanding of how women manage sleep disruption within the social context of their lives. It suggests that by looking inside the world of women's sleep we uncover a hidden dimension of self‐directed personalized activity which plays a key role in women's response to sleep disruption. We propose an alternative model for the management of women's sleep which incorporates a core of personalised activity, linked to strategies associated with healthicization and medicalization.
Changes in mental health status amongst children of migrants to Australia: a longitudinal study
Authors: Alati Rosa , Najman Jake M. , Shuttlewood Gregory J. , Williams Gail M. , Bor William
Published: November 2003

Abstract  This paper examines the mental wellbeing of children of Australian migrants. Migration can be viewed as a natural experiment in which persons of one culture have their beliefs, values and behaviours challenged by the host culture. Such a process could be expected to lead to impaired mental health amongst migrants and their children. This paper investigates the relationship between migrants’ region of origin, length of stay in Australia and indicators of impaired mental health. The data were taken from the Mater‐University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), a longitudinal study of mothers and children which started in Brisbane, Australia, in 1981. The study comprises a cohort of over 5,000 women interviewed at their first ante‐natal clinic visit and followed up at 3–5 days, six months, 5 and 14 years after the baby was born. Results showed no significant differences between the mental health of ‘second generation’ children and their Australian counterparts. Length of stay in Australia was not associated with internalising symptoms (anxiety and depression). There was a positive association, however, between the length of stay in Australia and increased externalising problems (aggression and delinquency) amongst the children at both 5‐ and 14‐years follow‐up. We conclude that children of migrants do not differ from comparable children of Australian‐born parents in their mental health. Children of migrant parents have fewer symptoms of some behaviour problems in the years after their arrival in Australia, but these rates increase to the Australian level over time.
An Inside View: Professional Judges’ and Lay Judges’ Support for Mixed Tribunals
Authors: Ivković Sanja Kutnjak
Published: November 2003

This paper studies the level of specific and general support for mixed tribunals, a form of lay participation in the government. The analyses focus on the opinions provided by 229 Croatian lay judges and eighty professional judges – the insiders in mixed tribunals. The results indicate that the judge's lay or professional role in the criminal justice system and the type of court exhibit stronger influence on the general level of support than any of the variables measuring specific support. Nevertheless, the perceived frequency of lay judges’ comments, the most direct measure of members’ crucial activity during trials and deliberations among the specific variables included in the models, is significantly related to the respondents’ general opinions about mixed tribunals.
Fairness, Justice, and Legitimacy: Experiences of People's Judges in South Russia
Authors: Machura Stefan
Published: November 2003

Which criteria do Russians use to evaluate the fairness of their judges, and how does perceived fairness of actual trials influence general beliefs about Russian courts? Lay assessors at courts in South Russia were asked about their experience serving on mixed courts. The justice of the verdicts rendered and the fairness of judges partly explain the respondents’ view of national courts. According to the results, the respondents are also using similar criteria for fairness as Americans or Germans. The social and psychological group effects in a Russian court of lay assessors exhibit a striking similarity to other Western tribunals.
Private Interests Seeking Punishment: Prosecution Brought by Private Individuals and Groups in Spain
Authors: Gil Julio Pérez
Published: November 2003

This article centers on the study of the Spanish private prosecution system. It is an attempt to highlight both its theoretical potential and its practical dysfunctions. This type of lay participation in criminal matters is often seen as a way to strengthen democracy or to legitimate justice, opinions that the author rejects. Although private prosecution may work as a safety valve against the public prosecutor's inactivity, the introduction of private interests in the penal process may distort its true significance and function. Private prosecution can become a Trojan horse within the system.
Feeding the colleges: Cambridge's food and fuel supplies, 1450–1560
Authors: Lee John S.
Published: November 2003

Von Thünen's model of the relationship between concentrated urban demand and rural land use proposes that towns will draw agricultural produce from a series of zones of specialized production around the urban centre. Using the accounts of King's Hall and King's College, this article identifies the areas that supplied Cambridge with food and fuel during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the persistence of such trade. Local geographical conditions meant that, contrary to von Thünen's model, firewood and charcoal were brought from more distant regions than those supplying wheat and malt barley, and Cambridge's hinterland also had to compete with demand from London.