bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and implications of psychopathological non‐cognitive symptoms in dementia
Authors: Saz P. , López‐Antón R. , Dewey M. E. , Ventura T. , Martín A. , Marcos G. , De La Cámara C. , Quintanilla M. A. , Quetglas B. , Bel M. , Barrera A. , Lobo A.
Published: December 2008

Objective:  Clinical experience and recent population studies suggest that psychopathological, non‐cognitive symptoms are both frequent and relevant in dementia.

Method:  A representative community sample (n = 4,803 individuals, 55 + years) was interviewed in a two‐phase design. The Geriatric Mental Sate (GMS) was used for assessment and cases were diagnosed according to DSM‐IV‐TR criteria.

Results:  The prevalence of non‐cognitive symptoms (1 + symptoms) in cases of dementia (n = 223) was 90.1%, and negative‐type symptoms were most frequently found. A GMS ‘apathy‐related symptom cluster’ (anergia, restriction of activities and anhedonia) was significantly more frequent in the demented (55.6%) than in non‐cases (0.7%; specificity = 99.2%). In both dementia of Alzheimer’s type and vascular dementia, number of symptoms tended to be inversely related to severity of dementia, but psychopathological profiles differed.

Conclusion:  Non‐cognitive, negative‐type symptoms are very frequent in cases of dementia living in the community. They have powerful specificity in the distinction with non‐cases, and might change current concepts of dementia.
Epidemiological data on consumer allergy to p‐phenylenediamine
Authors: Thyssen Jacob Pontoppidan , White Jonathan M. L. ,   European Society of Contact Dermatitis
Published: December 2008

Many women and men now dye their hair. p‐Phenylenediamine (PPD) is a frequent and important component of permanent hair dye products; exposure to it may cause allergic contact sensitization, acute dermatitis, and severe facial oedema. To increase our understanding of PPD allergy, we reviewed published literature containing PPD patch test data from dermatitis patients and individuals in the general population. This was performed to estimate the median prevalence and the weighted average of PPD sensitization and thereby assess the burden of PPD‐containing hair care products on health. Literature was examined using PubMed–MEDLINE, Biosis, and Science Citation Index. The median prevalence among dermatitis patients was 4.3% in Asia, 4% in Europe, and 6.2% in North America. A widespread increase in the prevalence of PPD sensitization was observed among Asian dermatitis patients. In Europe, a decrease in the 1970s was replaced by a plateau with steady, high prevalences ranging between 2% and 6%. The prevalence remained high in North America, although a decreasing tendency was observed. Contact allergy to PPD is an important health issue for both women and men. More stringent regulation and enforcement are required as public health measures to reduce the burden of disease that exposure to PPD has brought to populations.
The non‐inherited maternal HLA haplotype affects the risk for type 1 diabetes
Authors: Åkesson K. , Carlsson A. , Ivarsson S.‐A. , Johansson C. , Weidby B.‐M. , Ludvigsson J. , Gustavsson B. , Lernmark Å. , Kockum I.
Published: December 2008

The aim was to test the hypothesis that the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype that is not inherited from the mother, that is, the non‐inherited maternal antigen (NIMA) affects the risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D). A total of 563 children with T1D and 286 non‐diabetic control children from Sweden were genotyped for DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 alleles. The frequency of positively (DR4‐DQA1*0301‐B1*0302 and DR3‐DQA1*0501‐B1*0201), negatively (DR15‐DQ A1*0102‐B1*0602) or neutrally (all other) T1D associated HLA haplotypes were compared between NIMA and non‐inherited paternal antigen (NIPA). All comparisons were carried out between HLA‐matched patients and controls. The frequency of positively associated NIMA was higher among both DR4/X‐positive healthy individuals compared wit DR4/X‐positive patients (P < 0.00003) and DR3/X‐positive healthy individuals compared with DR3/X‐positive patients (P < 0.009). No such difference was observed for NIPA. High‐risk NIMA was increased compared to NIPA among healthy DR3/X‐ and DR4/X‐positive children (P < 0.05). There was no difference in frequency of positively associated haplotypes between patient NIMA and NIPA. The NIMA but not the NIPA affects the risk for T1D, suggesting that not only the inherited but also non‐inherited maternal HLA haplotypes, perhaps through microchimerism or other mechanisms, may influence the risk for the disease.
NRAMP1 (SLC11A1) gene polymorphisms that correlate with autoimmune versus infectious disease susceptibility in tuberculosis and rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Ates Ö. , Dalyan L. , Müsellim B. , Hatemi G. , Türker H. , Öngen G. , Hamuryudan V. , Topal‐Sarıkaya A.
Published: December 2008

NRAMP1 gene has multiple pleiotropic effects on macrophage activation pathways. These pleiotropic effects may increase resistance to infections such as tuberculosis (TB), but may also lead to susceptibility of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It has been hypothesized that allele 3 would be associated with autoimmune diseases, whereas allele 2 would be associated with infectious diseases, and genetic factors that enhanced survival in the epidemics of TB might have led to susceptibility for the development of RA. We analysed four NRAMP1 gene polymorphisms including 5′ promoter (GT)n (rs34448891), INT4 (469 + 14G/C) (rs3731865), 3′UTR (1729 + 55del4) (rs17235416) and D543N (codon 543, Asp to Asn) (rs17235409) in 112 patients with TB, 98 patients with RA, 80 healthy controls for TB and 122 healthy controls for RA using ARMS‐PCR and PCR‐RFLP. We found a significant association between INT4 and RA (P = 0.004, odds ratio: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.24–3.41), but no significant differences between 5′ promoter, D543N, 3′UTR polymorphisms and RA. There were no associations between NRAMP1 gene polymorphisms and TB. Similarly, no significant differences were observed between NRAMP1 polymorphisms and rheumatoid factor positivity and erosive disease in RA and localization of TB. INT4 polymorphism may be associated with RA in Turkish patients.
MCP‐1 and CCR2 gene polymorphisms in Czech patients with allergic disorders
Authors: Izakovicova Holla L. , Mrazek F. , Petrek M.
Published: December 2008

Several lines of evidence suggest that chemokines play an important role in asthma and allergy. We analysed polymorphisms at –2518A/G and –2076A/T of MCP‐1 and V64I of CCR2 gene in healthy subjects (n = 306) and allergic patients (n = 332). Allele and genotype frequencies did not differ significantly between groups. Nevertheless, MCP‐1 variants were associated with allergen sensitization. The results suggest that MCP‐1, but not CCR2 gene variants, may participate in the pathogenesis of allergic phenotypes at least in the Caucasian population.
Analysis of ERCC2/XPD functional polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Wan L. , Lin Y. J. , Sheu J. J. , Huang C. M. , Tsai Y. , Tsai C. H. , Wong W. , Tsai F. J.
Published: December 2008

Sunlight/ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has been recognized as an important risk factor for developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the interpretation of genetic variations involved in UV‐light sensitivity is largely unknown. Recent studies indicated that two genetic variations of ERCC2/XPD gene (rs1799793 in exon 10 and rs13181 in exon 23) have been found to exert negative influences on nucleotide excision repair system. To analyse the possible contribution of the ERCC2/XPD functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in genetic susceptibility to SLE, the rs13181 and rs1799793 SNPs in ERCC2/XPD were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Association was studied by case–control analyses using samples from 172 SLE patients and 160 healthy controls. Haplotype analysis was performed to detect the association with genetic predisposition to SLE and the clinical features. Although these two functional genetic variations are linked to several immune dysfunction‐induced diseases, no statistically significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies were observed between SLE patients and controls. Haplotype analysis showed that none of ERCC2/XPD haplotypes was associated with the incidence of SLE disease, nor the preference of clinical features. In conclusion, the ERCC2/XPD functional polymorphisms analysed in this study showed no association in genetic susceptibility to SLE.
CRP and FCGR2A genes have an epistatic effect on carotid artery intima‐media thickness: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study
Authors: Pessi T. , Eklund C. , Huhtala H. , Raitakari O. T. , Juonala M. , Kähönen M. , Viikari J. S. A. , Lehtimäki T. , Hurme M.
Published: December 2008

The role of the inflammatory mediator C‐reactive protein (CRP) in atherosclerosis is recognized although its specific functions are not entirely clear. CRP binds to the Fcγ receptor2A (FcγR2A) and its polymorphism, FCGR2A (Arg131His), strongly influences the binding. We wanted to evaluate the CRP‐mediated proatherogenic process on early atherosclerosis and investigated whether CRP and FCGR2A show an interactive effect on carotid intima‐media thickness (IMT). Polymorphisms of FCGR2A (Arg131His) and CRP (–717A > G, –286C > T > A, +1059G > C, +1444C > T and +1846G > A) were genotyped and their effects on IMT were analyzed in 2260 young adults participating in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. CRP haplotypes were constructed based on the CRP polymorphisms. The FCGR2A(Arg131His) polymorphism did not have an independent effect on IMT but a significant gene‐gene interaction, epistasis, between FCGR2A and CRP genetics on IMT was found. The epistatic effect was seen in men at haplotype and genotypic level; both CRP haplotype GCGCG (–717, –286, +1059, +1444 and +1846) and CRP–717A > G polymorphism interacted with FCGR2A(Arg131His) on IMT. After adjustment with classical risk factors the P‐values for interaction were P = 0.013 and P = 0.010, respectively. No associations were observed in women. In conclusion, this study showed that the effect of CRP genetics on early atherosclerotic changes is modulated by the FCGR2A genetics.
The Relationship of Household Routines to Morbidity Outcomes in Childhood Asthma
Authors: Peterson‐Sweeney Kathleen
Published: December 2008

PURPOSE.  The major purpose of this study was to explore the effect of routines on asthma management and morbidity outcomes for children with asthma and their parents.

DESIGN AND METHODS.  This study is a secondary data analysis in a sample of 150 children, which was originally used for an intervention study.

RESULTS.  Parents who had fewer routines in their homes had lower quality‐of‐life scores and higher burden of asthma scores when compared to parents in households with more routines. More routines were associated with improved asthma morbidity outcomes as measured by nurse rankings of routines.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS.  Assisting families to establish routines may result in improved asthma morbidity outcomes.
Prospective Evaluation of a Pediatric Inpatient Early Warning Scoring System
Authors: Tucker Karen M.  , Brewer Tracy L.  , Baker Rachel B.  , Demeritt Brenda  , Vossmeyer Michael T. 
Published: December 2008

PURPOSE.  The present study evaluated the use of the Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) for detecting clinical deterioration among hospitalized children.

DESIGN/METHODS.  A prospective, descriptive study design was used. The tool was used to score 2,979 patients admitted to a single medical unit of a pediatric hospital over a 12‐month period.

RESULTS.  PEWS discriminated between children who required transfer to the pediatric intensive care unit and those who did not require transfer (area under the curve = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.84–0.94, p < .001).

IMPLICATIONS.  The PEWS tool was found to be a reliable and valid scoring system to identify children at risk for clinical deterioration.
EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF INFECTIOUS DIARRHEA USING LACTOFERRIN AND HEMOGLOBIN MARKERS
Authors: VORAVUTHIKUNCHAI S.P. , OKADA K. , IIDA T. , HONDA T.
Published: December 2008

Lactoferrin (Lf) assay has been commercial for diarrhea for several years, but some factors confused the result interpretation. An immuno‐based rapid method was developed to detect Lf and hemoglobin (Hb) present in fecal sample. The objectives were to differentiate groups of diarrhea and provide a rapid test that could be used in order to help health professionals to quickly manage patient care, taking into account the type of diarrhea that is attacking. Positive results for fecal Lf indicated an inflammatory condition of the intestines. Positive results for fecal Hb suggested the presence of occult blood in stools. It has a sensitivity of 0.156 ng/µL of Lf and 0.313 ng/µL of Hb. Liquid fecal samples were mixed with a mixture containing antibodies to Lf and Hb. These antibodies were conjugated to colored latex beads. Each test zone on the test device has immovably fixed upon it a complementary antibody that binded specifically with one of the labeled antibodies in the mixture. Positive results appeared as stripes across the corresponding test zone. It has a sensitivity of 0.156 ng/µL of Lf and 0.313 ng/µL of Hb. Diagnostic evaluation of 156 patients with diarrhea was carried out to determine the accuracy of this test. Lf assay combined with Hb assay can increase specificity and sensitivity for invasive pathogens causing diarrhea. The test could be used to guide the diagnostic workup in order to identify patients who are likely to benefit from empirical antibiotic therapy.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The results described here demonstrate the practical feasibility of using lactoferrin (Lf)/hemoglobin (Hb) latex agglutination for presumptive determination of inflammatory diarrhea as simple markers of invasive organisms. In addition to a quick guideline to doctors to manage efficiently, it would greatly reduce costly, unnecessary routine cultural process. A big advantage of this present communication is to include the second marker in order to precisely distinguish false Lf+ from true inflammatory diarrhea as blood that is always present in these patients and that can be detected by Hb marker. The results clearly demonstrated that Lf and Hb titers are consistently present in the inflammatory process.
APPLICATION OF REAL‐TIME POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION FOR RAPID DETERMINATION OF SALMONELLA IN RESTAURANT FOODS
Authors: BERRADA H. , SORIANO J.M. , PICÓ Y. , MAÑES J.
Published: December 2008

Several foods have been identified as frequently or occasionally contaminated with Salmonella, such as eggs, raw milk and all raw foods of animal origin that may carry salmonella and other bacteria. Salmonellosis is the most common food‐borne illness, but it is usually preventable according to the implementation of a food safety system that includes Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. In this study, 96 food samples of the University restaurant of Valencia (Spain) were divided into four groups: first course; main course; accompaniment; and dessert, and were analyzed simultaneously with classical and fluorogenic polymerase chain reaction microbiological analysis. Neither of the procedures detected the presence of Salmonella in the analyzed food samples.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Polymerase chain reaction applied to identify Salmonella is time‐effective and reduces the amount of time required. Identification results are available 48 h earlier than classical testing. For this reason, this method is useful as a more rapid screening tool to sort out negative samples at an earlier stage.
NEW PRIMERS FOR AMPLIFICATION OF THE PLANCTOMYCETES 16S rRNA GENE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES
Authors: SHU QINGLONG , JIAO NIANZHI
Published: December 2008

Although the 16S rDNA primer set Pla‐46‐F/1392‐R is often used to explore the planctomycetes community, the universal reverse primer 1392‐R limits the capability of the forward primer Pla‐46‐F. Here we report two new reverse primers (Pla‐1097‐R and Pla‐1368‐R), which greatly promote the potential ability of the forward primer Pla‐46‐F, both theoretically and experimentally. The tests with field samples showed that PCR induced by the new primer sets both reduced mismatches to non‐planctomycetes and supplemented the diversity of planctomycetes, particularly increasing the numbers of planctomycetes genera in both seawater and sediment samples. Our results strongly suggest that the diversity of planctomycetes revealed by the previously used primer set Pla‐46F/1392‐R has been underestimated.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The planctomycetes are an important bacteria; this paper developed two robust reverse primers which have been verified with filed samples. For natural and artificial ecosystems, the application of the new primers will: 1) reduce mismatches to non‐planctomycetes during PCR amplifying; 2) supplement the diversity of planctomycetes and 3) benefit our understanding of its potential ecological role.
REPRODUCIBLE FILTRATION OF BACTERIA WITH MICROMECHANICAL FILTERS
Authors: REIDT ULRICH , CHAUHAN LINA , MÜLLER GERHARD , MOLZ RAMONA , LINDNER PETRA , WOLF HANS , FRIEDBERGER ALOIS
Published: December 2008

For the detection of bacteria in potable water, several kinds of biosensors could be used. However, any of them faces its physical limits when very low concentrations of bacteria should be detected. In this article, we used micromechanical filters with perforated membranes for capturing and enriching bacteria and to facilitate the detection of Escherichia coli. The results in this article show the easy and effective removal of bacteria from the surface of the microsieve membranes. By plating off the filters on LB agar plates, we could quantitatively analyze very low concentrations of bacteria and show that micromechanical filters are potentially suitable for subsequent transfer of bacteria to a biochip for further analysis. In addition, direct immunodetection of nonpathogenic E. coli O157:H7 on micromechanical filter surfaces by fluorescent‐labelled polyclonal antibodies is demonstrated. In summary, micromechanical filters present a promising tool for future detection of bacteria in potable water.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

There are two major fields of applications: (1) Laboratory analytics: Samples of water, blood or other aqueous solutions can be quickly analyzed for bacteriological contaminations using micromechanical filters for extraction; and (2) Field applications for quick monitoring of potable water quality become possible using a mobile detection system based on the micromechanical filters for sampling and simultaneous detection on the filter surface.
DETECTION OF CAMPYLOBACTER FROM BROILER CARCASS RINSE SAMPLES UTILIZING THE TECRA VISUAL IMMUNOASSAY (VIA)
Authors: BAILEY J.S. , FEDORKA‐CRAY P. , RICHARDSON L.J. , COX N.A. , COX J.M.
Published: December 2008

Poultry meat is considered to be a major vector of transmission of Campylobacter, either directly, through consumption of poorly prepared product or cross‐contamination, or indirectly, through introduction of the bacterium into the food production environment. Efficient detection of Campylobacter is intrinsic to the management of the pathogen during poultry production. The TECRA Campylobacter Visual Immunoassay (CAMVIA) protocol, enrichment in a proprietary TECRA Campylobacter enrichment broth followed by an ELISA, was compared with a conventional cultural method, with enrichment in Bolton medium (containing lysed horse blood), followed by plating onto Campy‐cefex agar. Of the 398 broiler carcass rinses tested from 19 commercial processing plants, a total of 350 carcasses (88%) were found to be positive for Campylobacter by at least one method. The TECRA CAMVIA yielded 317 Campylobacter‐positive results, four of which were false positive and 22 of which were false negative, while conventional enrichment and plating detected the bacterium in only 280 samples with 48 false negatives. These data demonstrate that the TECRA CAMVIA has a statistically higher sensitivity and specificity than a conventional culture procedure using Bolton broth as the enrichment.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Standard Campylobacter methodology procedures currently take 4–5 days for detection of Campylobacter spp. in a sample when using an enrichment step. The TECRA Campylobacter Visual Immunoassay (VIA) reduces the amount of time it takes to determine whether Campylobacter spp. are present on poultry carcasses that have been rinsed. The procedure can effectively determine the presence of Campylobacter spp. in 2 days and has a statistically higher sensitivity and specificity than a conventional culture procedure using Bolton broth as the enrichment.
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES STRAINS HARBORING LISTERIA INNOCUA PUTATIVE TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATOR GENE LIN0464
Authors: LIU DONGYOU , LAWRENCE MARK L. , HITCHINS ANTHONY D.
Published: December 2008

The genus Listeria comprises six closely related bacterial species that share considerable morphological, ecological, biochemical and molecular similarities. In this study, through examination of a large collection (n = 84) of Listeria monocytogenes strains, we identified four serovar 4c strains (i.e., RM3894, RM3899, RM3901 and RM3905) that cross‐reacted with Listeria innocua putative transcriptional regulator gene lin0464 primers. We then investigated these four unusual strains by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers for several L. monocytogenes species‐, virulence‐ and group‐specific genes and a newly identified L. innocua‐specific transcriptional regulator lin2455 gene. The fact that the four strains were recognized by L. monocytogenes inlA, lmo0733, inlJ, lmo2672 and lmo1134 primers but undetected by L. innocua‐specific lin2455 primers suggests their L. monocytogenes species identity, and this was confirmed by their testing positive for the presence of L. monocytogenes specific rRNA. As these strains displayed a reaction pattern with L. monocytogenes‐specific primers that is typical of lineage subgroup IIIA serovar 4c strains (ATCC 19116, RM3030 and FSL‐F2‐458), they are likely of serovar 4c in the lineage subgroup IIIA in spite of their possession of L. innocua putative transcriptional regulator gene lin0464. It is clear from this and other published examples that the close relatedness of the Listeria species even extends to the occasional possession by one species of gene(s) normally regarded as specific to another species.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Given that Listeria species resemble each other closely and often coexist in clinical, food and environmental specimens, it is important to develop a capability to differentiate pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes from nonpathogenic Listeria species, such as Listeria innocua. By employing primers derived from a newly identified L. innocua‐specific gene lin2455, along with several L. monocytogenes primers, it is possible to confirm the species and subgroup identity of L. monocytogenes strains (RM3894, RM3899, RM3901 and RM3905) possessing L. innocua putative transcriptional regulator lin0464 gene. From a food safety perspective, the ability to rapidly and precisely determine Listeria food isolates as L. innocua species with polymerase chain reaction targeting lin2455 gene offers a valuable means to verify the nonpathogenic nature of the bacteria present. On the other hand, the benefit of utilizing molecular techniques to distinguish between avirulent serovar 4a and potentially virulent serovar 4c, as well as non4a‐non4c (including 7) within lineage III lies in that it will generate additional caution and preparedness among laboratory and hospital personnel in their handling of lineage III isolates that may be potentially pathogenic.
Rethinking Remoteness: A Simple and Objective Approach
Authors: ZHAO YUEJEN , GUTHRIDGE STEVEN
Published: December 2008

This paper re‐examines the characteristics and assumptions of current remoteness/accessibility classifications in Australia and proposes a simple and easily understandable alternative measure for remoteness. In this study, remoteness is redefined simply as the average distance between two nearest people within an appropriate spatial unit where population distribution is assumed to be homogenous. By definition, the most straightforward remoteness and incapacity index (RII) would be remoteness times a measure of the incapacity for social and commercial interaction, where remoteness is gauged by the square root of the area divided by the population, and incapacity is measured by the reciprocal of population.

Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Local Area (SLA) level population data and digital boundaries have been utilised for assessment of this index. The utility of the RII is demonstrated with two examples of activity measures for general practitioner services and businesses. At the State/Territory level, RIIs are negatively related to both general practitioner services per person (Pearson correlation coefficient r=−0.873), and the number of businesses per person (r=−0.546). The correlation can be further enhanced by normalising the distributions of the remoteness scores with a simple logarithmic function. The strong correlations confirm that remoteness has a substantial inverse impact on daily activities. Greater distance means longer time and higher costs for travelling, diseconomy of scale, and higher personnel costs. The RII provides an alternative measure of remoteness that is both intuitive and statistically straightforward and, at an SLA level, closely coincides with the commonly used but complex Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia Plus (ARIA+). Significantly, the RII is free of the service specific and policy sensitive adjustments justified by accessibility that have been introduced into existing measures.
The Potential of Tree Rings in Eucalyptus pauciflora for Climatological and Hydrological Reconstruction
Authors: BROOKHOUSE MATTHEW , LINDESAY JANETTE , BRACK CRIS
Published: December 2008

We investigate the causes of variability in a tree‐ring chronology comprising data from Eucalyptus pauciflora Sieb. Ex. Spreng. at the alpine treeline on the Kosciuszko Plateau in New South Wales, Australia. Following verification of crossdating in a subset of the available data, we found that ring width correlates significantly with net radiation, precipitation and mean minimum and maximum air temperature during the preceding winter and spring of the growing season. Our results for spring are consistent with the impact of climate on tree growth in alpine woodlands reported in previous studies. Analyses of snow‐depth data revealed negative correlations with ring width throughout winter and spring. Our results indicate that low temperature and high precipitation during winter negatively affect the growth of E. pauciflora by prolonging spring snow cover. Ring width also correlates significantly with an index of soil dryness and flow in rivers with their headwaters in the Kosciuszko plateau. Given the apparent sensitivity of our chronology to climate and snow conditions, our results suggest that tree‐ring chronologies comprising data from E. pauciflora at the alpine treeline have potential for climatological and hydrological reconstruction in southeast Australia.
Ethnic Emancipation and Urban Land Claims: Disenfranchisement of the Ga of Accra, Ghana
Authors: YEBOAH IAN E.A.
Published: December 2008

Several Sub‐Saharan African countries have experienced an upsurge of land claims by various ethnic groups whose lands were acquired by both the colonial and the post‐colonial State through compulsory acquisition. Ethnicity has been used as the basis of emancipating some ethnic groups from perceived disenfranchisement and impoverishment caused by the State acquiring their land. In some cases such land claims result in violence that threatens the social fabric of these countries. An urban example of such a land claim has been made by the GaDangme Council (GDC) in Ghana. This paper assesses the land claim by GDC and argues that its claim of disenfranchisement is more a perception than reality. The paper also investigates why GDC perceives the Ga ethnic group as impoverished and disenfranchised. It concludes by providing structural and pragmatic ways for solving problems centred on Ga land acquisition by the State. Resolving the Ga case may provide lessons for other countries experiencing similar problems.
Exploratory Analysis of Similarities in Solar Cycle Magnetic Phases with Southern Oscillation Index Fluctuations in Eastern Australia
Authors: BAKER ROBERT G.V.
Published: December 2008

There is growing interest in the role that the Sun's magnetic field has on weather and climatic parameters, particularly the ~11 year sunspot (Schwab) cycle, the ~22 yr magnetic field (Hale) cycle and the ~88 yr (Gleissberg) cycle. These cycles and the derivative harmonics are part of the peculiar periodic behaviour of the solar magnetic field. Using data from 1876 to the present, the exploratory analysis suggests that when the Sun's South Pole is positive in the Hale Cycle, the likelihood of strongly positive and negative Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) values increase after certain phases in the cyclic ~22 yr solar magnetic field. The SOI is also shown to track the pairing of sunspot cycles in ~88 yr periods. This coupling of odd cycles, 23–15, 21–13 and 19–11, produces an apparently close charting in positive and negative SOI fluctuations for each grouping. This Gleissberg effect is also apparent for the southern hemisphere rainfall anomaly. Over the last decade, the SOI and rainfall fluctuations have been tracking similar values to that recorded in Cycle 15 (1914–1924). This discovery has important implications for future drought predictions in Australia and in countries in the northern and southern hemispheres which have been shown to be influenced by the sunspot cycle. Further, it provides a benchmark for long‐term SOI behaviour.
Small Animal Gastroenterology
Authors: Battersby Ian
Published: December 2008

Small Animal Gastroenterology
 Edited by Jörg Steiner Published by Schluetrsche Verlagsgesellchaft, 2007, hardback, 352 pages, Price £88.00, ISBN‐13: 978‐3899930276
Private Gain and Public Pain: Financing American Health Care
Authors: Siegel Bruce , Mead Holly , Burke Robert
Published: December 2008

Virtually all Americans are part of the health care system. They may be patients, health professionals, employers providing benefits, insurers, medical manufacturers, regulators, innovators, or investors. Each has a stake in this burgeoning sector of the United States economy, and each may be critically affected, in multiple and diverse ways, by changes to the system under health reform. As health care expenditures continue to rise, it is increasingly important to understand where these expenditures go and the factors that drive these cost increases. This article examines health care expenditure patterns, considering both the “usual suspects” that frequently are cited as spending drivers, as well as certain significant dynamics that may be the main contributors to rising costs. We conclude that in order to successfully contain costs, health reform will need to address these underlying factors.
Protect the Sick: Health Insurance Reform in One Easy Lesson
Authors: Stone Deborah
Published: December 2008

In most other nations, insurance for medical care is called sickness insurance, and it covers sick people. In the United States, we have “health insurance,” and its major carriers — commercial insurers, large employers, and increasingly government programs — strive to avoid sick people and cover only the healthy. This perverse logic at the heart of the American health insurance system is the key to reform debates.

Focusing on sick people versus healthy people might seem a strange way to view the coverage issue. Most discussions of insurance categorize people into other groupings: the insured versus the uninsured; Caucasian whites versus other racial and ethnic groups; men versus women; poor and low-income people versus everybody else; children, adults, and the elderly; or citizens versus immigrants and undocumented aliens. More recently, health researchers have begun talking about “vulnerable populations,” using most of the same demographic groupings and adding other illness-inducing factors such as social isolation, stress, and impoverished neighborhoods. But as I will show, insurance plans now use premiums, cost-sharing, and other design features in ways that indirectly divide each of these groups into the sick and the healthy, to the detriment of the sick. By shifting the costs of illness onto people who use medical care — that is, sick people — market-oriented reforms of the last few decades have eroded insurance in the name of strengthening it.
The States' Role in National Health Reform
Authors: Weil Alan R. , Tallon James R.
Published: December 2008

Debates over health care reform often focus on the appropriate role for the government in health care. Much less attention is paid to defining the respective roles of the states and the federal government. Yet, in the American political system, the basic issue of federalism has profound implications.

The question for the nation is which aspects of health policy should reflect national, uniform standards, and which should vary according to local conditions, values, and preferences. Economic mobility and the desire for efficiency militate for national uniformity and federal standards. By contrast, state policies can be more closely tailored to local economic conditions and can reflect local values regarding matters such as the appropriate role of government.
Aging, Primary Care, and Self-Sufficiency: Health Care Workforce Challenges Ahead
Authors: Mullan Fitzhugh , Frehywot Seble , Jolley Laura J.
Published: December 2008

Health care depends on people. It is the health workforce — doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, and nursing assistants, to mention a few — that, in large measure, determine the quality and effectiveness of any health enterprise. The nature of the health workforce was integral to the health care reform debates of the early 1990s and will surely be central in proposals to improve the quality, accessibility, and cost of U.S. health care in the future. Therefore, as we enter a new period of health reform deliberations and as we face the inevitability of an aging population, it is important to consider the problems and potential remediation necessary for the health workforce of the future. This article focuses particularly on physicians and nurses while recognizing the importance and frequently parallel concerns that arise across all health care disciplines. Understanding how the composition, capacity, and activities of a health care workforce must change as part of health reform requires an understanding of the context in which health professionals practice. What are the factors that govern health care today, and what are their impact on the health workforce?
Should a Reformed System Be Prepared for Public Health Emergencies, and What Does That Mean Anyway?
Authors: Katz Rebecca , Levi Jeffrey
Published: December 2008

A typical discussion around health reform in the U.S. focuses on how the nation can most effectively and efficiently extend insurance coverage to the rising number of people who have none. Furthermore, discussions about health care reform typically are centered on times of normalcy, when the health care system is not overly taxed and there is the luxury of time to think about everyday matters of health and health care, including health care services needed to prevent illness, treat conditions, and address individual emergencies. But in light of the lessons learned over the past decade, it is also essential to consider how any reformed health care system will react to and mitigate the consequences of a public health emergency.
Introduction: Organ Donation and Death from Unexpected Circulatory Arrest: Engaging the Recommendations of the Institute of Medicine
Authors: DuBois James M. , Volpe Rebecca L.
Published: December 2008

This symposium explores the boldest recommendation of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee on Increasing Rates of Organ Donation (hereafter Committee), namely, the recommendation that the U.S. consider a new population of potential donors. In its 2006 report, Organ Donation: Opportunities for Action, the committee recommended pilot programs in socalled “uncontrolled” donation after a circulatory determination of death (uDCD). Potential uDCD donors have died from an unexpected loss of circulation, either due to sudden cardiac arrest or excessive blood loss following traumatic injury. Because circulation is lost before death is determined and long before organ procurement could begin, potentially transplantable organs will die from oxygen starvation (warm ischemia) unless they are quickly preserved by cooling or other means.
The Washington, D.C. Experience with Uncontrolled Donation after Circulatory Determination of Death: Promises and Pitfalls
Authors: Light Jimmy A.
Published: December 2008

As of January 1, 2008, over 98,000 people are waiting for organ transplants in the United States of America. Of those, nearly 75,000 are waiting for a kidney. In this calendar year, fewer than 15,000 will receive a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. The average waiting time for a deceased donor kidney now exceeds five years in virtually all metropolitan areas. Sadly, nearly as many people die waiting as there are deceased donors each year, despite monumental efforts by the entire transplant community to increase both the number of organ donors and the number of organs recovered from each donor. The imbalance between demand and supply has led to considerable efforts to expand the criteria for what is considered an acceptable organ donor by the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN), thereby hoping somewhat to assuage the shortfall of donor organs. So-called Expanded Criteria Donors (ECDs) may be older than 50, have history of hypertension, or have died from intracerebral hemorrhage and/or have impaired renal function. ECDs now make up nearly 40% of the donor population.
Legal Authority to Preserve Organs in Cases of Uncontrolled Cardiac Death: Preserving Family Choice
Authors: Bonnie Richard J. , Wright Stephanie , Dineen Kelly K.
Published: December 2008

In this paper, we assume that organ donation policy in the United States will continue to be based on an opt-in model, requiring express consent to donate, and that families will continue to have the prerogative to make donation decisions whenever the deceased person has not recorded his or her own preferences in advance. The limited question addressed here is what should be done when a potential donor dies unexpectedly, without any recorded expression of his or her wishes at hand, while a family decision is being sought.
Donation after Uncontrolled Cardiac Death (uDCD): A Review of the Debate from a European Perspective
Authors: Borry Pascal , Van Reusel Walter , Roels Leo , Schotsmans Paul
Published: December 2008

In the early days of organ transplantation from deceased donors (mid-1950s), the surgical team would bring the donor into the operating room with the recipient, the respirator would be stopped, and the team would wait for the donor’s heart to cease beating. This type of organ donation has been defined as donation after cardiac death (DCD), also referred to as non-heart-beating donation (NHBD). These donors were not declared dead using neurological criteria, but rather using conventional cardiorespiratory criteria. In 1959, Mollaret and Goulon coined the term “coma dépassé” (beyond coma) for the patients with an irreversible state of coma and apnea. Jean Morelle and Guy Alexandre of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, were the first to introduce a set of brain death criteria based on the description of coma dépassé, and carried out, in 1963, the first transplants from a brain dead donor in their country and in the world.
Brain Death Revisited: The Case for a National Standard
Authors: Choi Eun-Kyoung , Fredland Valita , Zachodni Carla , Lammers J. Eugene , Bledsoe Patricia , Helft Paul R.
Published: December 2008

The concept of brain death evolved because advancements in medical science permitted unprecedented artificial maintenance of vital body functions by external means. Although the concept of brain death is accepted clinically, ethically, and legally in the United States, there is no national standard for the determination of brain death. There is evidence that variability and inconsistency in the process of determining brain death exist both in clinical settings and in State statutes. Several studies demonstrate that medical personnel determine brain death in variable ways, and have variable understandings of the definition of brain death. The declaration of death has significant legal consequences such as probate proceedings and liability issues for wrongful death. Inconsistencies in the determination of death may therefore be medically, ethically, and legally problematic.
Tilapia–Shrimp Polyculture in Negros Island, Philippines: A Review
Authors: Cruz Philip S. , Andalecio Merlina N. , Bolivar Remedios B. , Fitzsimmons Kevin
Published: December 2008

Tilapia–shrimp polyculture has played an important role in current efforts to control luminous bacterial disease caused by Vibrio harveyi. At present, green water technology is most extensively used by shrimp farmers in Negros Island in the central Philippines. While the contribution of tilapia as a biomanipulator is highlighted in the literature, the mechanism of action is not well understood. Data were gathered from shrimp ponds practicing two production systems: (a) green water system (probiotics + tilapia) and (b) closed/semiclosed system (probiotics alone). There was no difference between luminous Vibrio count (P < 0.05) in both systems, and water quality was found to be similar (P < 0.05). Because the green water system uses a bigger reservoir to raise the tilapia biomass, the net shrimp production was lower. In terms of direct cost of production, however, the green water system was 10–15% lower than the closed/semiclosed system because of significantly less aeration required. The polyculture maintained a more stable plankton environment during the early months of culture, which increased survival of shrimps. Various pathways are presented for the control of luminous bacterial growth in polyculture ponds: (a) fish feeding on organic wastes and conversion to feces; (b) selective fish foraging to increase the dominance of beneficial phytoplankton; (c) bioturbation of pond sediments; and (d) release in the water column of antimicrobials, fungi, or competing bacteria from the skin and gut mucus of tilapia.
Production and Processing Trait Comparisons of Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, and Their Hybrids Grown in Earthen Ponds
Authors: Jiang Mingkang , Daniels William H. , Pine Harvey J. , Chappell Jesse A.
Published: December 2008

Fingerling HS‐5 channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, NWAC 103 channel catfish, D&B blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, HS‐5 female channel × D&B male blue catfish F1 hybrids, and NWAC 103 female channel × D&B male blue catfish F1 hybrids were stocked into twenty‐five 0.04‐ha earthen ponds at 12,500 fish/ha and grown for 277 d. Fish were fed daily at rates from 1.0 to 3.0% biomass based on feeding activity and temperature and adjusted weekly assuming a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.8 and 100% survival. At harvest, 40 fish from each pond were sampled, and all other counted and weighed. Mean survival, growth rate indexes (a), FCR, and skin‐on fillet percentages were not significantly different. Mean harvest weights and net production were higher for HS‐5 channel and its hybrid than for the NWAC 103 channel, NWAC 103 hybrid, and D&B blue catfish, partially because of their larger mean stocking weights. D&B blue catfish was more uniform in size than NWAC 103 channel and NWAC 103 hybrid. D&B blue catfish was the easiest to seine. HS‐5 hybrids and NWAC 103 hybrids had lower mean head percentage and a better processing yield than their parent channel catfish.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus Associated with Mass Mortality of Postlarval Abalone, Haliotis diversicolor supertexta (L.), in Sanya, China
Authors: Cheng Lu , Huang Jie , Shi Chengyin , Thompson Kim D. , Mackey Bernard , Cai Junpeng
Published: December 2008

Outbreaks of mass mortality in postlarval abalone, Haliotis diversicolor supertexta (L.), have swept across south China since 2002 and in turn have resulted in many abalone farms closing. Twenty‐five representative bacterial isolates were isolated from a sample of five diseased postlarval abalone, taken 15 d postfertilization during an outbreak of postlarval disease in Sanya, Hainan Province, China in October 2004. A dominant isolate, referred to as Strain 6, was found to be highly virulent to postlarvae in an experimental challenge test, with a 50% lethal dose (LD50) value of 3.2 × 104 colony forming units (CFU)/mL, while six of the other isolates were weakly virulent with LD50 values ranging from 1 × 106 to 1 × 107 CFU/mL, and the remaining 18 isolates were classified as avirulent with LD50 values greater than 1 × 108 CFU/mL. Using both an API 20E kit and 16S recombinant DNA sequence analysis, Strain 6 was shown to be Vibrio parahaemolyticus. It was sensitive to 4 and intermediately sensitive to 5 of the 16 antibiotics used when screening the antibiotic sensitivities of the bacterium. Extracellular products (ECPs) prepared from the bacterium were lethal to postlarvae when used in a toxicity test at a concentration of 3.77 mg protein/mL, and complete liquefaction of postlarvae tissues occurred within 24 h postexposure. Results from this study implicate V. parahaemolyticus as the pathogen involved in the disease outbreaks in postlarval abalone in Sanya and show that the ECPs may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Gene Cloning and Expression of Major Capsid Protein of Large Yellow Croaker Iridovirus and Its Secretion Based on α‐hemolysin Transport System
Authors: Yang Zhao , Liu Qin , Wang Qiyao , Zhang Yuanxing
Published: December 2008

Large yellow croaker iridovirus (LYCIV) is an important pathogen of mariculture fish. The complete gene of an important protective antigen, major capsid protein (MCP), of LYCIV was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and was cloned into pET‐16b for expression in Escherichia coli. The MCP‐encoded gene was in‐frame fused to the E. coliα‐hemolysin transport elements to construct the MCP secretory expression plasmid pMOhlyM, and its secretion characters in E. coli and attenuated Vibrio anguillarum MVAV6203 were investigated. With the aid of E. coliα‐hemolysin transport system, about 400 μg/L MCP was secreted into culture supernatant in E. coli, while intracellularly expressed MCP in MVAV6203 was not secreted. The study provides the foundation for attempts to secrete viral‐originated antigens by the E. coli HlyA transporter in bacterial hosts and to explore feasible ways to develop multivalent live vaccines against both bacterial and viral pathogens.