bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention strategies in a multicultural, disadvantaged community
Authors: Kemp Lynn , Harris Elizabeth , Chavez Roberta 
Published: July 2006

Aim:  This study assessed levels of maternal knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention strategies in a socio‐economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse population.Methods:  Pregnant women (n = 233) were asked to name three things they could do to reduce the risk of cot death. Answers were marked in accordance with the US National Institute of Child Health and Development guide‐lines.Results:  Of women 51.5% could correctly name two or more strategies that could reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. There was significant difference by the woman’s country of birth: 68.2% of Australian‐born women were able to correctly identify two or more strategies, compared with only 37.3% of those born overseas (P < 0.001). Most of the small number of Indigenous women included in the study were able to correctly identify two or more strategies. Year of arrival in Australia, number of previous children, age and level of education were not significantly related to women’s knowledge.Conclusion:  Knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention strategies was poorer in overseas‐born women. Practitioners working with disadvantaged, overseas‐born women should give consideration to women’s knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention if current low rates of sudden infant death syndrome deaths are to be maintained.
Audit of feeding practices in babies <1200 g or 30 weeks gestation during the first month of life
Authors: Cormack Barbara E , Bloomfield Frank H 
Published: July 2006

Aim:  In 2002, the composition of the breast milk fortifier used in our hospital changed, giving increased protein and energy. We therefore decided to prospectively audit nutritional management in our unit and to compare nutritional intake and growth in our babies with published data.Methods:  Data were prospectively collected over a 3‐month period on infants <1200 g or 30 weeks gestation. Prescribed and delivered volumes of all parenteral and enteral fluids were recorded. Babies were weighed as per unit protocol.Results:  Thirty‐four infants met the audit criteria. Data are median (range). After the first week of life, energy and protein intakes were 147 (78–174) kcal/kg/day and 3.9 (2.1–4.8) g/kg/day respectively. Daily weight gain was 17 (−3.2–35.4) g/kg and was significantly associated with both energy and protein intakes (P < 0.001). However, standard deviation scores for weight fell from 0.15 (−1.9–2.0) at birth to −1.0 (−2.9–0.8) by 36 weeks corrected age. Time to commencing enteral feeds was 1 (1–3) day and to full enteral feeds was 8 (5–28) days. One infant was diagnosed with necrotising enterocolitis and eight with chronic lung disease. Mean protein intake was significantly lower in babies with chronic lung disease (P = 0.005).Conclusion:  Overall, nutritional intakes and weight gain in this cohort of babies lie within the recommended ranges, although protein intakes in the smallest babies are at the lower end of the range. Enteral feeds are introduced early and advanced rapidly, but we have a low incidence of necrotising enterocolitis. However, babies still fell across weight centiles, suggesting that actual intakes for these tiny babies may be inadequate.
Features of Kawasaki disease at the extremes of age
Authors: Lee Kyung‐Yil , Hong Ja‐Hyun , Han Ji‐Whan , Lee Joon‐Sung , Lee Byung‐Churl , Burgner David 
Published: July 2006

Aim:  The diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) in those outside the typical age range (6 months−4 years) is often delayed, potentially worsening prognosis. The features of KD in children ≤6 months and ≥5 years were compared with those presenting within the more typical age distribution.Methods:  Korean children with complete diagnostic criteria for KD were grouped according to their age at presentation: Group A (≤6 months), Group B (7 months−4 years) and Group C (≥5 years). The clinical features, laboratory findings and outcome in each group were compared.Results:  Of 136 children presenting to a single centre between 1999 and 2003, 10 children were in Group A, 114 in Group B and 12 in Group C. The mean total fever duration was 8 days in Group C and 6.2 days in Group A (P = 0.03). All children in Group C had cervical lymphadenopathy, compared with 50% of Group A and 64% of Group B (P = 0.01). Coronary artery lesions were commoner in older children (Group C, 42%) compared with Group B (17%, P = 0.05). All children had an equivalent leukocytosis, but Group C had significantly higher neutrophil counts (P = 0.001). Group A had significantly lower mean haemoglobin (P = 0.003) and total protein (P = 0.002) at presentation and a more marked thrombocytosis 1 week after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (P < 0.05).Conclusion:  The clinical and laboratory phenotype of KD varies with age. Older children may have a more marked inflammatory response and worse outcome. Younger children who are treated appropriately may not have a chance to higher risk of coronary artery lesions.
Research note: Preliminary report on the extreme endolithic microbial consortium of ‘Pailas Frías’, ‘Rincón de la Vieja’ Volcano, Costa Rica
Authors: Hernández‐Chavarría Francisco , Sittenfeld Ana 
Published: July 2006

SUMMARYFlakes detached from rocks of a volcano rivulet at ‘National Park Rincón de la Vieja Volcano’, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, revealed a green layer 2–3 mm deep into the rock matrix. Analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed a complex assemblage of microorganisms, beginning with a thin layer of Cyanidium and followed by diatoms of the genus Pinnularia and curved and straight bacteria. To our knowledge, this is the first description of an endolithic microbial consortium dominated by diatoms, and also the first report of endolithobionts from volcanic rocks in a tropical area.
Sponge–seaweed associations in species of Ptilophora (Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Tronchin Enrico , Samaai T. , Anderson R. J. , Bolton J. J. 
Published: July 2006

SUMMARYSponge–seaweed associations in the seaweed genus Ptilophora are poorly understood; therefore, 94 specimens, representing all 17 species of Ptilophora, were examined to detail this phenomenon. All but 2 Ptilophora species were shown to produce surface proliferations, with 13 species found to have sponge associations. Evidence for facultative sponge epiphytism was found with species–specific interactions being unlikely. Results show that surface proliferations are not induced by sponge epiphytes, as they often occur in the absence of sponge epiphytes, and vice versa. The significant number of proliferate thalli found with sponge epiphytes suggests that there is a likely relationship between the presence of surface proliferations and sponge infestation. Sponge epiphytes and Ptilophora species appeared structurally related in that the sponge probably exploits a niche habitat provided by the alga, for which surface proliferations might aid the sponge in bonding to the alga.
When Social Health Insurance Goes Wrong: Lessons from Argentina and Mexico
Authors: Lloyd‐Sherlock Peter 
Published: July 2006

Abstract Social health insurance (SHI) has gained popularity in recent years as a health‐care funding mechanism for developing countries in Latin America and beyond. This is reflected in a number of high‐profile conferences sponsored by international agencies, and a profusion of externally funded reform projects. This article assesses the potential of SHI to provide a sound model of health‐care financing, drawing on the experiences of Argentina and Mexico. It uses four criteria to assess the performance of SHI: coverage, equity, effectiveness and sustainability. The article begins by outlining key principles of SHI and comparing it to other models of health‐care financing. It then gives a comparative overview of four SHI programmes in Argentina and Mexico, before analysing their performance in greater detail. The article finishes by extracting lessons from this comparative analysis, both for the countries studied and for global debates on SHI.
Physiological consequences of captive conditions in water voles (Arvicola terrestris)
Authors: Moorhouse T. P. , Gelling M. , McLaren G. W. , Mian R. , Macdonald D. W. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractRe‐introductions of captive‐bred animals are increasingly common in wildlife conservation and it is important that they fulfil their potential. To foster this goal we examined variations in stress levels in a captive‐bred population of water voles Arvicola terrestris in response to housing conditions and radio‐collaring, using weight loss and leukocyte coping capacity (LCC) as measures of relative stress, to investigate the impacts of housing conditions, handling and radio‐collaring on this species. Thirty‐eight water voles (22 males and 16 females) were used in the investigation, 25 housed in outdoor enclosures and 13 in laboratory cages. During the 6‐week study, LCC, body weight and urine refractive index (URI, an indicator of hydration levels) were recorded once a week for each individual in weeks 1, 2, 4 and 6. After the first sample, radio‐collars were attached to 20 individuals (10 males and 10 females) taken from both housing types. Throughout the experiment laboratory‐cage housed voles weighed less, had lower LCC scores – indicating a reduced ability to combat infection – and had higher URIs than outdoor‐enclosure voles. This suggests that the laboratory‐cage voles were more stressed and dehydrated than the outdoor‐enclosure voles. Weights and LCC scores of both housing groups decreased as the study progressed, suggesting that elements of the study, such as repeated handling, may have caused stress to both groups. Evidence suggested a short‐term effect of radio‐collaring on immuno‐competence. We conclude that captive housing conditions, repeated manipulation and radio‐collaring had demonstrable physiological effects on the water voles studied. We recommend that the effects of husbandry and tagging practices upon captive‐bred mammals be closely studied as part of the quest to improve the success of the re‐introductions to which they contribute.
Secret lives of maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus Illiger 1815): as revealed by GPS tracking collars
Authors: Bandeira de Melo L. F. , Lima Sábato M. A. , Vaz Magni E. M. , Young R. J. , Coelho C. M. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus is a nocturnal and shy species, which has proven difficult to study in the field; consequently, data about its behavioural biology are almost absent from the scientific literature. However, recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology mean that it is now possible to study the socio‐spatial dynamics of this species in the field. In the present study three related maned wolves (an adult pair and their juvenile female offspring) were monitored by GPS tracking collars for a 6‐month period, which included the birth of a litter of pups to the adult pair. The three GPS collars were programmed to record the position of the wearer every 2 h (simultaneously for all three individuals). Analyses of the data from the three individuals showed that the female had the largest home range, then the male and finally the juvenile. Furthermore, there was considerable overlap in home‐range use by all three individuals. The home ranges of the adult pair also varied in relation to the birth of pups (decreasing dramatically and then showing a slow increase). During the night, which is the normal period of activity for this species, the three individuals avoided contact with each other. However, during the day, the adult pair usually slept together and their juvenile slept within a few hundred metres of their location. The distance travelled at night was greatest for the female, then the male and finally the juvenile. These data suggest that (1) the social bond between the male and female is strong, (2) maned wolves are highly tolerant of their juvenile offspring, even in the case of new pups being born, and (3) that maned wolves do not hunt together and, in fact, avoid each other when hunting.
Tetranucleotide microsatellite loci from eastern bluebirds Sialia sialis
Authors: FAIRCLOTH BRANT C. , KELLER GWEN P. , NAIRN C. JOSEPH , PALMER WILLIAM E. , CARROLL JOHN P. , GOWATY PATRICIA ADAIR 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe describe primers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions to amplify 18 tetranucleotide microsatellite DNA loci in eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis). The primers were tested using individuals from two study sites in Georgia and South Carolina. Among individuals from the Georgia population (n = 23), the primer pairs developed in this study yielded an average of 6.6 alleles per locus (range 2–12), an average observed heterozygosity of 0.56 (range 0.24–0.96) and an average polymorphic information content of 0.65 (range 0.3–0.86). Among individuals from the South Carolina population (n = 19), the primer pairs yielded an average of 5.8 alleles per locus (range 2–9), an average observed heterozygosity of 0.56 (range 0.05–0.86) and an average polymorphic information content of 0.63 (range 0.29–0.83).
Universal primers for a large cryptically simple cpDNA microsatellite region inAristolochia(Aristolochiaceae)
Authors: WANKE STEFAN , QUANDT DIETMAR , NEINHUIS CHRISTOPH 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe provide a new and valuable marker to study species relationships and population genetics in order to trace evolutionary, ecological, and conservational aspects in the genusAristolochia. Universal primers for amplification and subsequent sequencing of a chloroplast microsatellite locus inside thetrnK intron are presented. Utility of the primers has been tested in 32 species representing all clades ofAristolochia, including population studies within theA. pallidacomplex,A. clusiiandA. rotunda. The microsatellite region is characterized as a (AnTm)krepeat of 22–438 bp containing a combination of different repeats arranged as ‘cryptically simple’.
hybridlab (version 1.0): a program for generating simulated hybrids from population samples
Authors: NIELSEN EINAR EG , BACH LARS ARVE , KOTLICKI PIOTR 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe present the computer program hybridlab 1.0 for simulating intraspecific hybrids from population samples of nuclear genetic markers such as microsatellites, allozymes or SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). The program generates a user‐specified number of multilocus F1 hybrid genotypes between any pair of potentially hybridizing populations included in a standard input‐file of multilocus genotypes for population genetic analysis. This simple, user‐friendly program has a wide range of applications for studying natural and artificial hybridization; in particular, for evaluating the statistical power for individual assignment of parental and hybrid individuals. An example of application for Atlantic cod populations is given.
Incorporating historical museum specimens into molecular systematic and conservation genetics research
Authors: AUSTIN JEREMY J. , MELVILLE JANE 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe successfully amplified mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellites from historical museum specimens of lizards and frogs dating from 1894 through to 1998. Ancient DNA techniques were used to extract whole genomic DNA from a number of different tissues, including liver, leg muscle and toe clips, followed by standard polymerase chain reaction techniques for amplification. We had a 78% success rate amplifying mtDNA from 14 museum specimens and a 57% success rate amplifying microsatellite markers for seven museum specimens. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating historical museum specimens into molecular systematic and conservation genetic studies.
Seventeen novel microsatellite markers from an enriched library of the pest species Bactrocera dorsalis sensu stricto
Authors: AKETARAWONG N. , BONIZZONI M. , MALACRIDA A. R. , GASPERI G. , THANAPHUM S. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractSeventeen novel microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized from an enriched DNA library of the pest species Bactrocera dorsalis sensu stricto. The polymorphism of these loci was tested in individual fruit flies from a Thai mass‐rearing strain and three wild Asian populations: two from Thailand and one from Myanmar. Allele numbers per locus ranged from two to 15. In the natural populations, a high level of polymorphism was detected in all loci suggesting the usefulness of these markers to quantify the genetic variation in this highly invasive insect.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in Elliot's pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti)
Authors: JIANG PING‐PING. , DING PING. , FANG SHENG‐GUO 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe isolated eight microsatellite loci from genomic DNA in Elliot's pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti using streptavidin‐coated magnetic beads. In the analyses of 53 individuals sampled, these loci displayed polymorphism varying from six to nine alleles per locus and observed heterozygosities ranging from 0.174 to 0.430. The results suggested that these novel microsatellite markers could become useful molecular tools for genetic studies of S. ellioti.
Development of EST‐SSRs in Cucumis sativus from sequence database
Authors: KONG Q. , XIANG C. , YU Z. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractSimple sequence repeat markers derived from expressed sequence tags (EST‐SSR) are potentially valuable tools for plant breeding and germplasm collection conservation, and increasingly, efforts have been made for developing this type of marker. We have identified 20 polymorphic SSR markers from cucumber ESTs deposited in public sequence database. The average allele number was 3.3 per locus, ranging from two to six alleles during screening 20 cucumber genotypes with the mean expected heterozygosity of 0.477. Amplification products were also detected by 13 pairs of primer in Cucumis melo. These informative EST‐SSR markers can be used in cucumber genetic improvement projects.
Health Insurance Take‐up by the Near‐Elderly
Authors: Buchmueller Thomas C. , Ohri Sabina 
Published: July 2006

Objective. To examine the effect of price on the demand for health insurance by early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64.Data Source. Administrative health plan enrollment data from a medium‐sized U.S. employer.Study Design. The analysis takes advantage of a natural experiment created by the firm's health insurance contribution policy. The amount the firm contributes toward retiree health insurance coverage depends on when a person retired and her years of service at that date. As a result of this policy, there is considerable variation in out‐of‐pocket premiums faced by individuals in the data. This variation is independent of the nonprice attributes of the health insurance plans offered and is plausibly exogenous to individual characteristics that are likely to affect the demand for insurance. A probit model is used to estimate the decision to take‐up employer‐sponsored health insurance by early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. Demand for insurance is measured as a function of out‐of‐pocket premiums and a set of individual characteristics.Principal Findings. We find that price has a small but statistically significant effect on the decision to take up coverage. Estimated price elasticities range from −0.10 to −0.16, depending on the sample.Conclusions. The implied elasticities are comparable with results found in previous studies using very different data. Our estimates indicate that policy proposals for a Medicare buy‐in or a nongroup tax credit will have a modest impact on take‐up rates of near‐elderly retirees.
Racial Variation in End‐of‐Life Intensive Care Use: A Race or Hospital Effect?
Authors: Barnato Amber E. , Berhane Zekarias , Weissfeld Lisa A. , Chang Chung‐Chou H. , Linde‐Zwirble Walter T. , Angus Derek C. ,   on behalf of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ICU End‐of‐Life Peer Group
Published: July 2006

Objective. To determine if racial and ethnic variations exist in intensive care (ICU) use during terminal hospitalizations, and, if variations do exist, to determine whether they can be explained by systematic differences in hospital utilization by race/ethnicity.Data Source. 1999 hospital discharge data from all nonfederal hospitals in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.Design. We identified all terminal admissions (N=192,705) among adults. We calculated crude rates of ICU use among non‐Hispanic whites, blacks, Hispanics, and those with “other” race/ethnicity. We performed multivariable logistic regression on ICU use, with and without adjustment for clustering of patients within hospitals, to calculate adjusted differences in ICU use and by race/ethnicity. We explored both a random‐effects (RE) and fixed‐effect (FE) specification to adjust for hospital‐level clustering.Data Collection. The data were collected by each state.Principal Findings. ICU use during the terminal hospitalization was highest among nonwhites, varying from 64.4 percent among Hispanics to 57.5 percent among whites. Compared to white women, the risk‐adjusted odds of ICU use was higher for white men and for nonwhites of both sexes (odds ratios [ORs] and 95 percent confidence intervals: white men =1.16 (1.14–1.19), black men =1.35 (1.17–1.56), Hispanic men =1.52 (1.27–1.82), black women =1.31 (1.25–1.37), Hispanic women =1.53 (1.43–1.63)). Additional adjustment for within‐hospital clustering of patients using the RE model did not change the estimate for white men, but markedly attenuated observed differences for blacks (OR for men =1.12 (0.96–1.31), women =1.10 (1.03–1.17)) and Hispanics (OR for men =1.19 (1.00–1.42), women =1.18 (1.09–1.27)). Results from the FE model were similar to the RE model (OR for black men =1.10 (0.95–1.28), black women =1.07 (1.02–1.13) Hispanic men =1.17 (0.96–1.42), and Hispanic women =1.14 (1.06–1.24))Conclusions. The majority of observed differences in terminal ICU use among blacks and Hispanics were attributable to their use of hospitals with higher ICU use rather than to racial differences in ICU use within the same hospital.