bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Swallow Characteristics in Patients With Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Palmer Phyllis M. , Neel Amy T. , Sprouls Gwyneth , Morrison Leslie
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This prospective investigation evaluates oral weakness and its impact on swallow function, weight, and quality of life in patients with oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD).

Method

Intraoral pressure, swallow pressure, and endurance were measured using an Iowa Oral Performance Instrument in participants with OPMD and matched controls. Timed water swallow, weight, and quality of life were also assessed.

Results

Participants with OPMD were weaker than controls. Oral weakness impacted strength, swallow pressure, swallow capacity, swallow volume, swallow time, and quality of life. Tongue endurance was not affected by oral weakness.

Conclusion

This investigation provides further insight into the swallow function of patients with myopathic disease. Muscle fiber loss leads to weakness, which results in reductions in swallow function and quality of life. Weight and endurance are not greatly altered.
The Intonation–Syntax Interface in the Speech of Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: MacPherson Megan K. , Huber Jessica E. , Snow David P.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This study examined the effect of Parkinson’s disease (PD) on the intonational marking of final and nonfinal syntactic boundaries and investigated whether the effect of PD on intonation was sex specific.

Method

Eight women and 8 men with PD and 16 age- and sex-matched control participants read a passage at comfortable pitch, rate, and loudness. Nuclear tones from final and nonfinal syntactic boundaries in clauses and lists were extracted. Measures of fundamental frequency (F0) were made on each tone contour.

Results

Individuals with PD demonstrated impaired differentiation of syntactic boundary finality/nonfinality with contour direction. They produced a lower proportion of falling contours in final boundaries and a higher proportion of falling contours in nonfinal boundaries than did control participants. Although not mediated by syntax, the effect of PD on F0 standard deviation (F0 SD) and pitch range in semitones (PRST) was sex specific. Women with PD produced greater F0 SD and PRST than did men with PD and women without PD. Men with PD produced lower PRST than did men without PD.

Conclusions

Impaired intonational marking of syntactic boundaries likely contributes to dysprosody and reduced communicative effectiveness in PD. The effect of PD on intonation was sex specific. The results are not fully explained by PD-related motor execution impairments.
Effects of Noise and Speech Intelligibility on Listener Comprehension and Processing Time of Korean-Accented English
Authors: Wilson Erin O’Brien , Spaulding Tammie J.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This study evaluated the effects of noise and speech intelligibility on the processing of speech produced from native English; high-intelligibility, Korean-accented English; and moderate-intelligibility, Korean-accented English speakers.

Method

Both listener comprehension, determined by accuracy judgment on true/false sentences, and processing time, estimated from response latency, were assessed under the following 3 conditions: quiet, +10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and +5 dB SNR. Fifty-four monolingual, English-speaking adults served as the listeners for this study.

Results

While noise did not affect the time it took to process foreign-accented speech, it decreased the comprehension of the foreign-accented speech more so than the native speech. Decreasing English intelligibility also resulted in reduced listener comprehension. In addition, the processing time needed to comprehend the intended message depended on the intelligibility of the foreign-accented speaker. Listener comprehension negatively correlated with processing time.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that decreased speech intelligibility and adverse listening conditions can be major challenges for effective communication between foreign-accented speakers and native listeners. The results also indicate that foreign-accented speech requires more effortful processing relative to native speech under certain conditions, affecting both comprehension and processing efficiency.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of the Velopharyngeal Mechanism at Rest and During Speech in Chinese Adults and Children
Authors: Tian Wei , Yin Heng , Redett Richard J. , Shi Bing , Shi Jin , Zhang Rui , Zheng Qian
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Recent applications of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique introduced accurate 3-dimensional measurements of the velopharyngeal mechanism. Further standardization of the data acquisition and analysis protocol was successfully applied to imaging adults at rest and during phonation. This study was designed to test and modify a noninvasive protocol for evaluating young children without using general anesthesia. In addition, the velopharyngeal structures and their maximal motion were compared between adults and children.

Method

MRI data were acquired in 12 young adults and 9 children at rest and during speech production. Multiple measurements were made on the velopharyngeal and craniofacial structures as well as on the levator veli palatini muscle.

Results

Most of the ratio measurements of structural shape and maximal motion in the velopharyngeal and craniofacial regions were not significantly different between the adults and the children, despite the fact that the children had much smaller structures than the adults.

Conclusion

The proportion of the velopharyngeal mechanism remains stable in young children and adults so that the motions of the velum and pharyngeal walls are adequate to close the velopharyngeal port completely.
Normative Data for the Words-in-Noise Test for 6- to 12-Year-Old Children
Authors: Wilson Richard H. , Farmer Nicole M. , Gandhi Avni , Shelburne Emily , Weaver Jamie
Published: August 2010

Purpose

To establish normative data for children on the Words-in-Noise Test (WIN; R. H. Wilson, 2003; R. H. Wilson & R. McArdle, 2007).

Method

Forty-two children in each of 7 age groups, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years (
n
= 294), and 24 young adults (age range: 18–27 years) with normal hearing for pure tones participated. All listeners were screened at 15 dB HL (American National Standards Institute, 2004) with the octave interval between 500 and 4000 Hz. Randomizations of WIN Lists 1, 2, and 1 or WIN Lists 2, 1, and 2 were presented with the noise fixed at 70 dB SPL, followed by presentation at 90 dB SPL of the 70 Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (T. W. Tillman & R. Carhart, 1966) words used in the WIN. Finally, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised (L. M. Dunn & L. M. Dunn, 1981) was administered. Testing was conducted in a quiet room.

Results

There were 3 main findings: (a) The biggest change in recognition performance occurred between the ages of 6 and 7 years; (b) from 9 to 12 years, recognition performance was stable; and (c) performance by young adults (18–27 years) was slightly better (1–2 dB) than performance by the older children.

Conclusion

The WIN can be used with children as young as 6 years of age; however, age-specific ranges of normal recognition performance must be used.
Developing a Weighted Measure of Speech Sound Accuracy
Authors: Preston Jonathan L. , Ramsdell Heather L. , Oller D. Kimbrough , Edwards Mary Louise , Tobin Stephen J.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

To develop a system for numerically quantifying a speaker’s phonetic accuracy through transcription-based measures. With a focus on normal and disordered speech in children, the authors describe a system for differentially weighting speech sound errors on the basis of various levels of phonetic accuracy using a Weighted Speech Sound Accuracy (WSSA) score. The authors then evaluate the reliability and validity of this measure.

Method

Phonetic transcriptions were analyzed from several samples of child speech, including preschoolers and young adolescents with and without speech sound disorders and typically developing toddlers. The new measure of phonetic accuracy was validated against existing measures, was used to discriminate typical and disordered speech production, and was evaluated to examine sensitivity to changes in phonetic accuracy over time. Reliability between transcribers and consistency of scores among different word sets and testing points are compared.

Results

Initial psychometric data indicate that WSSA scores correlate with other measures of phonetic accuracy as well as listeners' judgments of the severity of a child’s speech disorder. The measure separates children with and without speech sound disorders and captures growth in phonetic accuracy in toddlers' speech over time. The measure correlates highly across transcribers, word lists, and testing points.

Conclusion

Results provide preliminary support for the WSSA as a valid and reliable measure of phonetic accuracy in children’s speech.
From data and measures to meaningful decisions: Designing useful information for senior managers and boards
Authors: Jenkins Julian
Published: August 2010

Analytical approaches to organizational decisionmaking, with their heavy reliance on data, measures and increasingly sophisticated IT, work well for solving tame problems, but not for the wicked problems which increasingly confront organizational and government decision-makers. An alternative approach, drawing on the ancient tradition of rhetoric and focusing on the way that meaning is constructed and communicated, opens up new horizons for enabling decision-makers to overcome the problem of information overload and make good decisions. Applying this approach opens up new opportunities for information design to play a crucial role in organizational decision-making.
CityRank: A dynamic tool for exploring and generating new indices of cities
Authors: Flaxman Seth
Published: August 2010

In the context of data on cities, we present an example of how to make statistics relevant and meaningful to non-expert users. While the cities of the world are emerging as key players in global processes, from climate change to migration, the body of data on the cities of the world is neither extensive nor well-organized. Towards the end of organizing, understanding, and presenting this data, we have created an online framework called CityRank. To make this data relevant to users, CityRank allows users to upload new data sets and create and share personalized rankings of cities based on the data included in CityRank’s data repository.
Shifts in the language of interpretation with bi- or multi-lingual clients
Authors: Hlavac Jim
Published: August 2010

Shifting from one language of interpretation to another (i.e. from language a and language x to language a and language y) is not an unknown phenomenon in mediated interactions between bi- or multi-lingual clients and multilingual interpreters. Typically, this occurs when clients wish to shift to their dominant language and interpreters also have proficiency (and accreditation) in this language. Twenty Australian-based interpreters (out of a sample of sixty) reported engaging in shifting in the course of interpreting. Language combinations and circumstances motivating clients to shift are presented and systematised to show that the two largest groups of potential shifters are clients who wish to revert to their (chronologically) first acquired language and those who shift from a ‘national’ or ‘majority-group’ language to a ‘minority’ or ‘regional’ one spoken in their country of origin. Responses to hypothetical shifts in the language of interpretation are discussed in which interpreter informants provide acceptability judgements of courses of action and justifications for accepting — or refusing to accept — a shift in the language of interpretation.
Anaphoric devices in written and spoken narrative discourse
Authors: Bel Aurora , Perera Joan , Salas Naymé
Published: August 2010

In this study, we focus on pronominal anaphora and we investigate the referential properties of null and overt subject pronouns in Catalan, in the semi-spontaneous production of narrative spoken and written texts by three groups of speakers/writers (9–10, 12–13, and 15–16 year olds). We aimed at determining (1) pronoun preferences for a specific type of antecedent; (2) their specialization in a certain discourse function; and (3) whether the pattern is affected by text modality (spoken vs. written texts). We analyzed 30 spoken and 30 written narrative texts, produced by the same 30 subjects, divided into the age groups mentioned above. Results seem fairly consistent across age groups and modalities, showing that null pronouns tend to select antecedents in subject position and are well specialized in maintaining reference, while overt pronouns offer a less clear pattern both in their selection of antecedents and in the discourse function they perform. Our findings partially support those of previous research on other null-subject languages, in particular, the Position of Antecedent Hypothesis (PAH) formulated by Carminati (2002) for Italian.
Elementary school children’s decisions about paragraph organization
Authors: Dávalos Amira , Alvarado Mónica
Published: August 2010

The main purpose of the present paper is to explore children’s abilities to introduce punctuation in Spanish texts. In this context, sixty Mexican elementary school children (ages 8–11) were asked to edit an expository text. The children’s written responses were analyzed from a pragmatic perspective following Nunberg (1990) and Figueras (2001). The result of this exercise led to some hypotheses on the relation between the discursive connectors and punctuation, and also on the semantic criteria that lead children to delimit certain textual units. From the way the children delimited units we observed a tendency to progress from identifying text sentences to defining them with punctuation in expository written discourse.
Children differentiated in their use of punctuation, using commas for serial units and upper cases and full stops for text sentences beginning with explicit subjects. Therefore, we follow that explicit subjects might be a key starting point in the development of those criteria that help to differentiate the structures of text sentences and serial units, at least when revising someone else’s text.
COI1, a jasmonate receptor, is involved in ethylene-induced inhibition of Arabidopsis root growth in the light
Authors: Adams Eri , Devoto Alessandra , Turner John
Published: August 2010

Plant response to stress is orchestrated by hormone signalling pathways including those activated by jasmonates (JAs) and by ethylene, both of which stunt root growth. COI1 is a JA receptor and is required for the known responses to this hormone. It was observed that the coi1 mutant, which is largely unresponsive to growth inhibition by JAs, was also partially unresponsive to growth inhibition by ethylene and by its immediate precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), in the light but not in the dark. Although COI1 was required for this response to ACC, other components of the JA signal perception pathway were not. Mutants selected for insensitivity to ethylene, including etr1, ein2, and ein3, showed greater ACC-induced root growth inhibition in the light than in the dark. However, the double mutants etr1;coi1, ein2;coi1, and ein3;coi1, and coi1 seedlings treated with silver ions to block the ethylene receptors showed almost complete unresponsiveness to ACC-induced root growth inhibition in the light. The light requirement for the COI1-mediated growth inhibition by ACC was for long photoperiods, and the ACC response was not abolished by mutations in the known photoreceptors. The complementation assay indicated that SCF complex assembly was not required for COI1 function in the ACC response, in contrast to the JA response. It is concluded that COI1 is required for the light-dependent, JA-independent, root growth inhibition by ethylene.
Abscisic Acid in Salt Stress Predisposition to Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in Tomato and Chrysanthemum
Authors: DiLeo Matthew V. , Pye Matthew F. , Roubtsova Tatiana V. , Duniway John M. , MacDonald James D. , Rizzo David M. , Bostock Richard M.
Published: August 2010

Plants respond to changes in the environment with complex signaling networks, often under control of phytohormones that generate positive and negative crosstalk among downstream effectors of the response. Accordingly, brief dehydration stresses such as salinity and water deficit, which induce a rapid and transient systemic increase in levels of abscisic acid (ABA), can influence disease response pathways. ABA has been associated with susceptibility of plants to bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes but relatively little attention has been directed at its role in abiotic stress predisposition to root pathogens. This study examines the impact of brief salinity stress on infection of tomato and chrysanthemum roots by Phytophthora spp. Roots of plants in hydroponic culture exposed to a brief episode of salt (sodium chloride) stress prior to or after inoculation were severely diseased relative to nonstressed plants. Tomato roots remained in a predisposed state up to 24 h following removal from the stress. An increase in root ABA levels in tomato preceded or temporally paralleled the onset of stress-induced susceptibility, with levels declining in roots prior to recovery from the predisposed state. Exogenous ABA could substitute for salt stress and significantly enhanced pathogen colonization and disease development. ABA-deficient tomato mutants lacked the predisposition response, which could be restored by complementation of the mutant with exogenous ABA. In contrast, ethylene, which exacerbates disease symptoms in some host–parasite interactions, did not appear to contribute to the predisposition response. Thus, several lines of evidence support ABA as a critical and dominant factor in the salinity-induced predisposition to Phytophthora spp. infection.
Induction of Systemic Resistance in Plants by Biochar, a Soil-Applied Carbon Sequestering Agent
Authors: Elad Yigal , David Dalia Rav , Harel Yael Meller , Borenshtein Menahem , Kalifa Hananel Ben , Silber Avner , Graber Ellen R.
Published: August 2010

Biochar is the solid coproduct of biomass pyrolysis, a technique used for carbon-negative production of second-generation biofuels. The biochar can be applied as a soil amendment, where it permanently sequesters carbon from the atmosphere as well as improves soil tilth, nutrient retention, and crop productivity. In addition to its other benefits in soil, we found that soil-applied biochar induces systemic resistance to the foliar fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea (gray mold) and Leveillula taurica (powdery mildew) on pepper and tomato and to the broad mite pest (Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks) on pepper. Levels of 1 to 5% biochar in a soil and a coconut fiber-tuff potting medium were found to be significantly effective at suppressing both diseases in leaves of different ages. In long-term tests (105 days), pepper powdery mildew was significantly less severe in the biochar-treated plants than in the plants from the unamended controls although, during the final 25 days, the rate of disease development in the treatments and controls was similar. Possible biochar-related elicitors of systemic induced resistance are discussed.
Characterization of Kudzu (Pueraria spp.) Resistance to Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the Causal Agent of Soybean Rust
Authors: Jordan Stephen A. , Mailhot Daniel J. , Gevens Amanda J. , Marois Jim J. , Wright David L. , Harmon Carrie L. , Harmon Philip F.
Published: August 2010

Kudzu (Pueraria spp.) is an accessory host for soybean rust (SBR) (caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi) that is widespread throughout the southeastern United States. An expanded survey of kudzu sites was conducted in 2008 to determine the proportion of natural resistance in the north-Florida kudzu population. Of the 139 sites evaluated, ≈18% were found to be free of SBR infection, while 23% had reduced sporulation. Ten accessions of kudzu from north-central Florida were characterized for their response to challenge by a single isolate of P. pachyrhizi under laboratory conditions. Three outcomes were observed: tan lesions with profuse sporulation (susceptible); reddish-brown lesions with delayed, reduced sporulation (resistant); and an immune response in which no lesions developed (immune). Of the 10 accessions, 6 were susceptible, 3 were immune, and 1 was resistant. Cytological examination revealed that resistant interactions were typified by early onset of a multicell hypersensitive response (HR) while typical immune interactions were the result of cell wall depositions that blocked penetration in combination with early onset of the HR. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the extent of colonization. After 15 days, there was 10-fold less P. pachyrhizi DNA present in resistant compared with susceptible kudzu, while the amount of P. pachyrhizi DNA present in the immune kudzu was below the detection level. Susceptible kudzu had approximately half the amount of P. pachyrhizi DNA present when compared with a susceptible soybean cultivar.
Nitric Oxide Acts Downstream of Auxin to Trigger Root Ferric-Chelate Reductase Activity in Response to Iron Deficiency in Arabidopsis
Authors: Chen Wei Wei , Yang Jian Li , Qin Cheng , Jin Chong Wei , Mo Ji Hao , Ye Ting , Zheng Shao Jian
Published: August 2010

In response to iron (Fe) deficiency, dicots employ a reduction-based mechanism by inducing ferric-chelate reductase (FCR) at the root plasma membrane to enhance Fe uptake. However, the signal pathway leading to FCR induction is still unclear. Here, we found that the Fe-deficiency-induced increase of auxin and nitric oxide (NO) levels in wild-type Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) was accompanied by up-regulation of root FCR activity and the expression of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor (FIT) and the ferric reduction oxidase 2 (FRO2) genes. This was further stimulated by application of exogenous auxin (α-naphthaleneacetic acid) or NO donor (S-nitrosoglutathione [GSNO]), but suppressed by either polar auxin transport inhibition with 1-naphthylphthalamic acid or NO scavenging with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, tungstate, or Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride. On the other hand, the root FCR activity, NO level, and gene expression of FIT and FRO2 were higher in auxin-overproducing mutant yucca under Fe deficiency, which were sharply restrained by 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide treatment. The opposite response was observed in a basipetal auxin transport impaired mutant aux1-7, which was slightly rescued by exogenous GSNO application. Furthermore, Fe deficiency or α-naphthaleneacetic acid application failed to induce Fe-deficiency responses in noa1 and nial nia2, two mutants with reduced NO synthesis, but root FCR activities in both mutants could be significantly elevated by GSNO. The inability to induce NO burst and FCR activity was further verified in a double mutant yucca noa1 with elevated auxin production and reduced NO accumulation. Therefore, we presented a novel signaling pathway where NO acts downstream of auxin to activate root FCR activity under Fe deficiency in Arabidopsis.
A Suite of Lotus japonicus Starch Mutants Reveals Both Conserved and Novel Features of Starch Metabolism
Authors: Vriet Cécile , Welham Tracey , Brachmann Andreas , Pike Marilyn , Pike Jodie , Perry Jillian , Parniske Martin , Sato Shusei , Tabata Satoshi , Smith Alison M. , Wang Trevor L.
Published: August 2010

The metabolism of starch is of central importance for many aspects of plant growth and development. Information on leaf starch metabolism other than in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is scarce. Furthermore, its importance in several agronomically important traits exemplified by legumes remains to be investigated. To address this issue, we have provided detailed information on the genes involved in starch metabolism in Lotus japonicus and have characterized a comprehensive collection of forward and TILLING (for Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes) reverse genetics mutants affecting five enzymes of starch synthesis and two enzymes of starch degradation. The mutants provide new insights into the structure-function relationships of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and glucan, water dikinase1 in particular. Analyses of the mutant phenotypes indicate that the pathways of leaf starch metabolism in L. japonicus and Arabidopsis are largely conserved. However, the importance of these pathways for plant growth and development differs substantially between the two species. Whereas essentially starchless Arabidopsis plants lacking plastidial phosphoglucomutase grow slowly relative to wild-type plants, the equivalent mutant of L. japonicus grows normally even in a 12-h photoperiod. In contrast, the loss of GLUCAN, WATER DIKINASE1, required for starch degradation, has a far greater effect on plant growth and fertility in L. japonicus than in Arabidopsis. Moreover, we have also identified several mutants likely to be affected in new components or regulators of the pathways of starch metabolism. This suite of mutants provides a substantial new resource for further investigations of the partitioning of carbon and its importance for symbiotic nitrogen fixation, legume seed development, and perenniality and vegetative regrowth.
Nonspecific Phospholipase C NPC4 Promotes Responses to Abscisic Acid and Tolerance to Hyperosmotic Stress inArabidopsis
Authors: Peters Carlotta , Li Maoyin , Narasimhan Rama , Roth Mary , Welti Ruth , Wang Xuemin
Published: August 2010

Diacyglycerol (DAG) is an important class of cellular lipid messengers, but its function in plants remains elusive. Here, we show that knockout of the Arabidopsis thaliana nonspecific phospholipase C (NPC4) results in a decrease in DAG levels and compromises plant response to abscisic acid (ABA) and hyperosmotic stresses. NPC4 hydrolyzes various phospholipids in a calcium-independent manner, producing DAG and a phosphorylated head group. NPC4 knockout (KO) plants display decreased ABA sensitivity in seed germination, root elongation, and stomatal movement and had decreased tolerance to high salinity and water deficiency. Overexpression of NPC4 renders plants more sensitive to ABA and more tolerant to hyperosmotic stress than wild-type plants. Addition of a short-chain DAG or a short-chain phosphatidic acid (PA) restores the ABA response of NPC4-KO to that of the wild type, but the addition of DAG together with a DAG kinase inhibitor does not result in a wild-type phenotype. These data suggest that NPC4-produced DAG is converted to PA and that NPC4 and its derived lipids positively modulate ABA response and promote plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses.
Measuring the New Economy: An International Comparative Perspective
Authors: Van Ark Bart
Published: August 2010

The advances made in the production and use of information and communication technology (ICT) during the past decades may have potentially large effects for long term economic growth. Indeed the substantial acceleration in real GDP growth in many OECD countries, but in particular in the United States, during the second half of the 1990s has led to suggestions that a “new economy” has emerged. In this new economy the old economic rules were supposed to have become invalid. For example, traditional concerns about the limits of maximum production capacity might disappear as the marginal costs of producing ICT goods and services are virtually nil. Moreover, the trade‐off between inflation and unemployment could be reduced due to a more efficient inventory management.
Impact of permethrin impregnated bednets on child mortality in Kassena‐Nankana district, Ghana: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Binka F. N. , Kubaje A. , Adjuik M. , Williams L. A. , Lengeler C. , Maude G. H. , Armah G. E. , Kajihara B. , Adiamah J. H. , Smith P. G.
Published: August 2010

A community‐based randomized, controlled trial of permethrin impregnated bednets was carried out in a rural area of northern Ghana, between July 1993 and June 1995, to assess the impact on the mortality of young children in an area of intense transmission of malaria and no tradition of bednet use. The district around Navrongo was divided into 96 geographical areas and in 48 randomly selected areas households were provided with permethrin impregnated bednets which were re‐impregnated every 6 months. A longitudinal demographic surveillance system was used to record births, deaths and migrations, to evaluate compliance and to measure child mortality. The use of permethrin impregnated bednets was associated with 17% reduction in all‐cause mortality in children aged 6 months to 4 years (RR=0.83; 95% CI 0.69–1.00; P=0.05). The reduction in mortality was confined to children aged 2 years or younger, and was greater in July‐December, during the wet season and immediately after (RR=0.79; 95% CI 0.63–1.00), a period when malaria mortality is likely to be increased, than in the dry season (RR=0.92, 95% CI 0.73–1.14). The ready acceptance of bednets, the high level of compliance in their use and the subsequent impact on all‐cause mortality in this study has important implications for programmes to control malaria in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Ultrasonographic organometry: liver and spleen dimensions among children in Zimbabwe
Authors: Friis H. , Ndhlovu P. , Mduluza T. , Kaondera K. , Franke D. , Vennervald B. Jyding , Christensen N. Ornberg , Doehring E.
Published: August 2010

Attempts have been made to develop a staging system of sonographic Schistosoma mansoni morbidity for use in epidemiological studies and for evaluation of control programmes. Therefore, normal dimensions of livers and spleens in children in countries with endemic S. mansoni infections need to be established.

Normal dimensions of livers and spleens are presented, based on examination of 144 Zimbabwean children between 8 and 16 years of age found to be S. mansoni egg negative 12 months after treatment with praziquantel. Based on the liver and spleen measurements, an index of liver size and the spleen volume were calculated. Height was employed as the independent variable in all multiple regression models. The organometric data are presented as prediction plots, with observed values and fitted regression line with 95% confidence and prediction intervals. The mean spleen volume was 30% larger for boys than for girls, whereas there was no consistent difference in liver size. No effect of growth Z‐scores was seen. The measurements were compared with normal dimensions of livers of German children. For a given height, the mean index of liver size was lower in Zimbabwean than in German children, but inter‐observer variation could be a possible explanation for this difference.
Prevention of snail miracidia interactions using Phytolacca dodecandra (L'Herit) (endod) as a miracidiacide: an alternative approach to the focal control of schistosomiasis
Authors: Madhina D. , Shift C.
Published: August 2010

The effect of endod berry extract against schistosome miracidia has been tested to determine the sensitivity of these organisms to the molluscicide and to see whether miracidia subjected to sublethal doses of the toxicant will be able to infect their specific host snails. Short contact (30 min) LC50 of endod extract with miracidia of Schistosoma mansoni was 8.2 parts per million (p.p.m.) (95% CL 5–13). However, exposure of S. haematobium to sublethal doses of 3 p.p.m. for 30 min or overnight in open air ponds reduced their infectivity 3.5‐5.6‐fold when compared with controls. It is suggested that the toxicant could be used in low doses at transmission foci to reduce schistosome infection in snails. This could be done by using a controlled release system to apply the toxicant material at such foci where transmission is likely to occur.
Efficacy of sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Malawian children under five years of age
Authors: Nwanyanwu Okey C. , Ziba Charles , Kazembe Peter , Chitsulo Lester , Wirima Jack J. , Kumwenda Newton , Redd Stephen C.
Published: August 2010

In March 1993, sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) replaced chloroquine as the first line drug for malaria treatment in Malawi. Since then, the Ministry of Health has been receiving anecdotal and written reports of SP treatment failures in children. To determine whether treatment failure with SP was a widespread problem, children <5 years of age with axillary temperature>38.0°C and parasite density >2000/mm3attending the outpatient clinics of the Mangochi and Karonga District Hospitals were enrolled in the study with parental consent. These were then followed for 28 days or until they failed clinically. Of 159 patients enrolled, 145 (91.2%) were followed for 28 days or until clinical failure. Of these, none had RII resistance and 3 (1.9%) had RIII resistance: 2/69 (2.9%) in Mangochi and 1/76 (1.3%) in Karonga; 142/145 (97.9%) exhibited Rl/sensitive patterns. Of those followed to day 28 or to clinical failure, 77.1% had parasite clearance by day 3 and 98.6% had parasite clearance by day 7. Of those with temperature readings (n=140), 129 (92.1%) clinically improved on day 3 and 98.6% improved by day 7. Other indicators of clinical improvement (from day o to day 3) included, reported increased level of activity in 136 (97.1%) of the children, and mother's impression of child's improvement in 113 (80.7%). Of the 14 patients not followed to day 28 or to clinical failure, II were lost to follow‐up by day 7. No allergic skin reactions were noted, and no deaths were observed. These data show that after one year of widespread use of SP in Malawi, Plasmodium falciparum parasite resistance remains very low, and therefore contradicts reports of widespread parasite resistance to SP.
(S)‐9‐(3‐hydroxy‐2‐phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine [(S)‐HPMPA]: a purine analogue with trypanocidal activityin vitroandin vivo
Authors: Kaminsky Ronald , Schmid Cecile , Grether Yvonne , HolY Antonin , Clercq Erik De , Naesens Lieve , Brun Reto
Published: August 2010

The unique features of purine salvage systems of pathogenic haemoflagellates render them selectively susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of purine analogues. A series of acyclic nucleoside phosphonates were evaluated for activity against pathogenic haemoflagellatesin vitro.One of the phosphonylmethoxyalkylpurines, namely (S)‐9‐(3‐hydroxy‐2‐phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine [(S)‐HPMPA], was activein vitroagainst bloodstream forms ofTrypanosoma brucei rbodesiense, T. b. gambiense, multidrug‐resistantT. b. brucei, T. congolenseandT. evansi, but not against intracellularT. cruziorLeishmania donovani.Cytotoxic effects against mammalian cells were observed at 4900‐27 300‐fold higher concentrations than those necessary to inhibitT. b. rbodesiense.(S)‐HPMPA was able to eliminateT. b. rbodesienseand multidrug‐resistantT. b. bruceiin an acute rodent model with two administrations of 10 mg/kg each.
Studies on the periodicity and intravascular distribution of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae in paired samples of capillary and venous blood from Recife, Brazil
Authors: Dreyer Gerusa , Pimentael Agueda , Medeiros Zulma , Béliz Fatima , Moura Izolda , Coutinho Amaury , de Andrade Luiz Dias , Rocha Abraham , da Silva Luiz Mauricio , Piessens Willy F.
Published: August 2010

We examined the periodicity and intravascular distribution of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae (mf) and determined the effect of these parasite properties on the accuracy of blood filming and filtration methods for diagnosis of bancroftian filariasis in the endemic area of Recife, Brazil. Microfilariae in both venous and capillary blood exhibited a nocturnal periodicity pattern with a relatively high amplitude. Overall, capillary blood contained ˜ 1.25 times the number of mf present at the same time in the same volume of venous blood. However, the ratio of mf present in capillary and venous blood varied over a 24‐hour period, so that the fewest mf were present in the capillary bed of the skin at the time when biting activity of the local Culex vector is the lowest. Twenty or 60 μl blood films did not reliably detect carriers with fewer than 100 or 60 mf/ml venous blood, respectively, and were thus inadequate for the identification of low density mf carriers. In contrast, all carriers with > I mf/20 or 60 μl blood smear at night could be identified during daytime hours by filtration of I ml venous blood
Partnership between Europe and developing countries in health research
Authors: Bruycker Marc De , Hagan Paul
Published: August 2010

The European Commission has been supporting joint research activities relevant to development, including health related research, since 1983, and has recently issued its second call for scientific proposals (EC 1996) within the programme of International Cooperation with Developing Countries (INCO/DC) which has become a broader programme than its predecessor. Health research remains a priority area, together with research on agriculture and the sustainable use of natural resources. The Commission's International Scientific Cooperation Programme is an integral part of the European Union's Fourth Framework Programme on Research. It serves Europe's research policy but it does even more. It is also an instrument to support other European policies, such as development cooperation, external relations and economic cooperation with third countries.
Use of recombinant Onchocerca volvulus antigens for diagnosis and surveillance of human onchocerciasis
Authors: Chandrashekar R. , Ogunrinade A. F. , Weil G. J.
Published: August 2010

The diagnostic value of ELISAs based on recombinant Onchocerca volvulus antigens OC 3.6 and OC 9.3 was evaluated with sera from endemic areas in West Africa, Guatemala and Ecuador. IgG assays were slightly more sensitive than those that detected IgG4, and the antigen combination was significantly more sensitive than either antigen alone (OC 3.6, 93%; OC 9.3, 84%, combined 98%). These assays were also evaluated with sera from 2 villages in the Onchocerciasis Control Programme area of West Africa including one village (Pendie) with recent recrudescence of infection and one (Niarba) where transmission had been interrupted for 15 years by vector control. The OC 3.6 IgG antibody assay was sensitive for new infections and exposure in Pendie; 24/24 (100%) of people with positive skin snips and 15/74 (20%) of sera from MF negative people had IgG antibodies to this antigen. In addition, antibodies to OC 3.6 often preceded the onset of skin snip positivity in Pendie. In contrast, IgG antibodies to OC 3.6 and OC 9.3 were rarely seen in children born during the 15 years since transmission was interrupted by vector control in Niarba. These encouraging results suggest that antibody assays based on OC 3.6 and OC 9.3 may be valuable tools for surveillance of onchocerciasis and also for monitoring the efficacy of control programmes.
Aetiology of acute diarrhoea in hospitalized children in Hong Kong
Authors: Biswas R. , Lyon D. J. , Nelson E. A. S. , Lau D. , Lewindon P. J.
Published: August 2010

To determine the role of enteric pathogens in acute childhood diarrhoea in Hong Kong, 388 children with diarrhoea and 306 children of similar age without diarrhoea were evaluated in a hospital‐based study during a one‐year period from August 1994 to July 1995. Of the diarrhoeal cases, 55% were under 1 year and 95% were below 5 years of age. On admission, 22% had some dehydration but none was severely dehydrated. All children were well nourished. Over 60% of children with diarrhoea had one or more pathogens in their stool. Rotavirus was the most commonly isolated pathogen (34.6%), followed by Salmonella (23.3%), Campylobacter (4.7%) and Shigella (2.1%). Rotavirus was not assessed in the controls and was detected mainly during the winter months December to February. Bacterial pathogens were identified more commonly in diarrhoea patients (30%) than in controls (5.6%) (P<0.001). Despite rapid recent socioeconomic development in Hong Kong, non‐typhoidal Salmonella diarrhoea remains a significant local problem in infants under 1 year. Further detailed assessment of the transmission and prevention of this infection is required.
The 5‐year outcome of multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients in the Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Schaaf H. S. , Botha P. , Beyers N. , Gie R. P. , Vermeulen H. A. S. , Groenewald P. , Coetzee G. J. , Donald P. R.
Published: August 2010

Little is known about the outcome of multidrug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries. In this study, 443 patients with MDR‐TB, defined as resistance to two or more antituberculosis drugs, were identified over the 2‐year period 1987 and 1988 in the Cape Province of South Africa. The 5‐year outcome of the 343 (77%) patients that could be traced by questionnaire was evaluated retrospectively during 1992 and 1993. Of these, 240 (70%) were resistant to both isoniazid (H) and rifampicin (R) with or without resistance to other first‐line antituberculosis drugs and 103 (30%) were resistant to H or R and/or other antituberculosis drugs. Mortality was 116 (48%) and 28 (27%) in these groups respectively with a significantly greater risk of death in the first group. Only 114 (33%) of all the MDR‐TB patients were cured after 5 years, 50 (15%) were respiratory disabled and 44 (13%) were still bacteriology positive. Twenty‐four (7%) patients were lost during follow‐up. Taking into account the high costs involved in treating MDR‐TB patients and the scarce resources available in developing countries, more emphasis should be placed on direct observed therapy to cure newly diagnosed infectious drug sensitive tuberculosis patients, thus preventing MDR‐TB rather than treating it.
Clinical and parasitological responses after up to 6.5 years of ivermectin treatment for onchocerciasis
Authors: Whitworth J. A. G. , Maude G. H. , Downham M. D.
Published: August 2010

There are plans to use mass treatment with ivermectin to clear all Africa of the worst ocular and cutaneous effects of onchocerciasis. However, there remains uncertainty about the most suitable treatment regimen and the likely effects of ivermectin on onchocercal skin disease. We have followed 948 subjects for over 6 years in a double‐blind, randomized, controlled study of ivermectin for onchocerciasis in a hyperendemic focus in Sierra Leone. Using an intention‐to‐treat analysis we found a microfilarial prevalence of 16% 6 months after up to 4 annual doses of ivermectin, and 13% prevalence in the group receiving up to 10 doses of ivermectin at 6‐monthly intervals. Microfilarial loads were well suppressed in both groups, but repopulation data suggest that adult female worms are still alive and fecund, strongly underlining the need to continue treatment. A clear effect of ivermectin was demonstrated on itching, with about one‐third of cases being alleviated. Significant reductions in the prevalence of serious hyperkeratosis, and possibly dyspigmentation (leopard skin), were noted, but not for any other onchocercal skin lesion. Six‐monthly and annual treatment regimens with ivermectin were equally effective in terms of dermatological and parasitological impact.
In vitro susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to quinine: relation to parasite density and drug distribution in culture fractions
Authors: Mapaba Erasto , Ericsson Örjan , Hellgren Urban , Rombo Lars
Published: August 2010

We have studied the importance of parasite density (2, 0·2, 0·02 and 0·002%) for the in vitro susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum (F32 strain) to quinine. Shorter exposures (48 hours) only briefly inhibited parasites in wells with the highest initial density. Parasites reappeared after 3–5.5 days in wells with intermediate (0·2 and 0·02%) and lowest density (0·002%). Longer exposures (72 hours), however, inhibited them for much longer periods and parasites did not reappear in most of the wells with the lowest density during the 28 days of follow‐up. The mean multiplication rate following reappearance was tenfold per parasite schizogony cycle. The mean elimination rate per schizogony cycle was calculated to be 99·91%. The elimination and multiplication rates were not correlated to initial parasite density. The mean ratio between quinine concentrations in erythrocytes and medium was 3·6 regardless of quinine concentrations and presence of parasites. Mean quinine‐free fractions of 36 and 67% were found from total concentrations of 0·33 and 10·4 µmol/1.

We conclude that initial parasite density determines the time to reappearance of parasites following quinine exposure while the elimination and multiplication rates are independent of the initial parasite density, and that quinine protein binding is concentration‐dependent in vitro and lower than during treatment.
Deltamethrin‐impregnated bednets as an operational tool for malaria control in a hyper‐endemic region of Burundi: impact on vector population and malaria morbidity
Authors: Bortel W. Van , Delacollette C. , Barutwanayo M. , Coosemans M.
Published: August 2010

Within the framework of the National Malaria Control Programme Burundi, impregnated bednets were promoted through health care facilities, schools and local administration in Nyanza Lac district. The decision to buy a bednet was left to the inhabitants and, as a result, coverage rates between 6 and 65% were observed at sub‐district level. Three intervention regions were specified based on the intervention start date. From November 1992 until March 1995, bi‐monthly parasitological and entomological surveys were carried out in two areas each of Region 1 and Region 2. After introduction of impregnated bednets in Region 1 the proportions of children under 5 with high parasitaemia were reduced by 42 and 53% in the 2 parasitological survey areas, where the average bednet coverages were 55 and 44% respectively. In the survey areas of Region 2 (control) no significant change occurred during the same period. During the second part of the intervention from September 1994, when intervention was also operational in Region 2, significant decreases in the proportion of high parasitaemia (63 and 42%) among children under 5 years were obtained in both parasitological survey areas of Region 2 (average coverages of 51 and 29%). The positive output of the intervention was maintained and even reinforced in the survey areas of Region 1. Bednets as a tool for malaria control entail specific problems such as coverage, daily use, reimpregnation, and renewal of old and torn nets. Further evaluation has to point out the possible shift of the clinical spectrum and the age‐specific admission of malaria cases to assess the long‐term benefit of this control method.