Year In April Research Articles

Malaria Continues as a Major Public Health Problem

April is a busy month for days of emphasis in Global Health. On April 7, we mark the foundation of the World Health Organization (WHO) with World Health Day. On this date the WHO, to be headquartered in Geneva, came into being when the constitution was signed by a majority of members. The details of the first meeting and the aspirations for the work of the WHO are spelled out in the first issue of the WHO Chronicle.1 The 2015 World Health Day will emphasize the importance of food safety, a continuing public health problem.2 In early life, contaminated water and food causes diarrheal disease and a million child deaths each year, the second leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years. Most of these are preventable with clean water supplies, appropriate food hygiene, and adherence to WHO/UNICEF advice on breastfeeding.3 Later in the month, World Malaria Day is celebrated on April 25. It is interesting to note that the first WHO meeting on malaria was actually held several months before the WHO was formally established.1 One objective set by the emerging WHO was “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.” The first meeting of the Expert Committee noted “Malaria remains a great obstacle to the achievement of this objective. Now each year in April, the world remembers the burden placed on humanity by the Plasmodium protozoan parasite that still causes 200 million cases each year.4 Those of us who have worked in malarial areas know only too well its many clinical presentations. Young men with acute psychosis may actually have cerebral malaria and require urgent parental therapy, pregnant women with chronic anemia, and children with lethargy and splenomegaly are but a few of many presentations. Malaria features widely in the history of public health. The features of malaria have been described in literature going back almost 5000 years, first in China and then in ancient Egypt and Greece.4 In ad 300 Chinese physicians described the antipyretic effect of the Qinghao plant (Artemisia annua) and in 1971, Chinese researchers isolated its active component, artemesinin, which has become one of our mainstream drugs. Alphonse Laveran, a French army surgeon stationed in Algeria, first described the parasites in the blood of a patient suffering from malaria. Camillo Golgi, described the different forms of the parasite in blood cells. Both Laveran and Golgi were awarded the Nobel Prize for their contribution to tropical medicine and public health.5 In the Asia-Pacific region, malaria has often controlled human settlement with populations moving to highland regions, as in Papua New Guinea, or drier or cooler locations, as in China. Today it is estimated that 3.3 billion live in areas where they are at risk of acquiring a malaria infection. Malaria kills almost 600 000 each year, mostly children and the majority from Africa. In the Asia-Pacific region, it is still a major problem with 25 million cases and 50 000 deaths per

11th Congress of the Mediterranean Association for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology & 9. Obstetrik ve Jinekolojik Ultrasonografi Kongresi Bildiri Özetleri - 9-12 Ekim 2014, Belek, Antalya

Perinatal Journal is an international, online open access, peer-reviewed scientific journal (e-ISSN: 1305-3124). The journal is the official publication of Perinatal Medicine Foundation. It is published three times a year in April, August and December. The publication language of the journal is English.

New license plate supports youth agricultural programs

New license plate supports youth agricultural programs

Implementation of Right to Education Act in F-North Ward of Mumbai, India

Right to Education Act completed 3 years in April 2013 but what is the ground reality of it's implementation in Mumbai. 99% people in F-North ward of Mumbai have not heard of this act. There is need to create awareness on this act. This is poorly implemented in F-North ward.

Open questions in biology - a tenth anniversary series

In November of this year, it will be ten years since BMC Biology published its first research paper. We shall be marking this anniversary year in April with a special collection of articles reflecting some of our most notable publications of the decade, and a very special celebration at the FASEB meeting in Boston in April - more news on that soon. But meanwhile, and throughout the year, we shall be publishing short contributions from our Editorial Board on those open questions they find most pressing, tantalizing, or just interesting, in their fields, both to reflect the particular interests of a journal with a very broadly defined scope, and to provide some very brief and lively reading. Some members of our Editorial Board have contributed just a paragraph or two, and these contributions will be published together in small collections: our inaugural collection [1] contains a challenge from Stephen Benkovic to researchers engaged in the high-throughput proteomic identification of protein-protein interactions; a question from Julie Theriot on the motor proteins of bacteria; and a proposal from Dagmar Ringe for 21st-century evolutionary biology. Others have sent slightly longer contributions, of which we publish two this month: Gillian Griffiths on nagging puzzles in immunology, all with membrane transport at their heart [2]; and Frank Uhlmann on unanswered questions in chromosome packaging [3], not the least of which is the modus operandi of the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) molecules, whose hinged coil-coil structure and ATPase activity must be telling us something about how they function in chromosome condensation (and sister chromatid cohesion and DNA repair), though it remains tantalizingly unclear exactly what.

Video Self-assessment for Language Learners

Students were video recorded performing similar tasks at both the outset of the academic year in April and towards the year-end in December. Student participants (N=123) viewed both videos in December and completed identical questionnaires with regard to both videos. The questionnaire sought to elicit students’ (1) satisfaction with their English ability, (2) interest in speaking English, (3) ability to interact in English, (4) enjoyment of communication in English, and (5) confidence in speaking English. Mean scores for all items were higher (all statistically significant) for the December videos. In a similar survey comparing students’ perceptions of improvement during their eight months of study, learners participating in the video treatment (N=143) reported higher scores of improvement than the control group (N=107) for all items (2, 4, and 5 achieving statistical significance). Initial results appear to indicate that student videos are correlated with a positive effect upon students’ interest in, enjoyment of, and confidence in speaking English, but not with perceptions of increased general English ability or ability to interact in English. The findings are applicable to teachers and advisors of individual learners, who wish to empower their students in realizing progress for language learning endeavors that can sometimes seem tenuous.

Summary of: Changes in dental health investment across the adolescent years

Background Studies investigating investment in health across the life course are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine investment in dental health across adolescence. Methods Changes in dental health investment, as measured by dental registration (months) between when adolescents were aged 11/12 years compared to when they were 15/16-years-old, were investigated using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions. Adolescents aged 11 or 12 years in April 2003 in the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study were included (n = 13,564). The overall change in registration and changes according to socio-economic status, highest educational attainment of household reference person, parental marital status, as well as the individuals' gender and number of siblings were examined. Within variable disparities at both age groups were also investigated. Results Average number of months registered with a dentist fell from 8.14 months (11/12 years old) to 7.38 months (15/16 years old) (p <0.001). No gender disparities existed when adolescents were aged 11/12 years but when adolescents were 15/16 years old, females had significantly higher registration than males (8.72 months:8.20 months; p <0.001). Conclusions During the transition from childhood to adulthood, an individual's dental health may suffer as a result of a decline in registration rates with a dentist. This risk is likely to be greater among males than females. The role of children's services within dentistry should be reviewed.

Changes in dental health investment across the adolescent years

Studies investigating investment in health across the life course are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine investment in dental health across adolescence. Changes in dental health investment, as measured by dental registration (months) between when adolescents were aged 11/12 years compared to when they were 15/16-years-old, were investigated using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions. Adolescents aged 11 or 12 years in April 2003 in the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study were included (n = 13,564). The overall change in registration and changes according to socio-economic status, highest educational attainment of household reference person, parental marital status, as well as the individuals' gender and number of siblings were examined. Within variable disparities at both age groups were also investigated. Average number of months registered with a dentist fell from 8.14 months (11/12 years old) to 7.38 months (15/16 years old) (p <0.001). No gender disparities existed when adolescents were aged 11/12 years but when adolescents were 15/16 years old, females had significantly higher registration than males (8.72 months:8.20 months; p <0.001). During the transition from childhood to adulthood, an individual's dental health may suffer as a result of a decline in registration rates with a dentist. This risk is likely to be greater among males than females. The role of children's services within dentistry should be reviewed.

Biomass yield from an urban landscape

Abstract Utilizing biomass from urban landscapes could significantly contribute to renewable energy needs. An experiment was begun in 2007 to evaluate the biomass production from a bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon (L.) Pers., lawn in Woodward, Oklahoma USA and to estimate the potential biomass yield for the City of Woodward. Each year in April, the lawn was dethatched and fertilized. Mowing began in mid-to-late May and biomass dry matter (DM) yield was estimated by harvesting four 1 m × 16 m areas. In addition, the DM yield of fallen leaves and tree limbs from pruning operations were added to the lawn yield estimates for total annual biomass potential. These data suggest that during years of high growing season precipitation it was possible to harvest from 13.5 to 19.0 Mg of DM biomass per planted hectare from an urban landscape and 8.0 to 12.3 Mg of DM biomass per planted hectare in years with near normal precipitation and temperatures. It was estimated that the City of Woodward could generate about 3750 Mg of biomass dry matter in a normal rainfall year and about 6100 Mg in a high rainfall year if every homeowner collected their lawn thatch and clippings, and tree leaves, twigs, and limbs for bioenergy production. On the basis of a 10 Mg ha −1 annual DM yield, an estimated 164 million Mg of dry biomass material could be collected in the USA from planted urban areas. Biomass from urban landscapes is an untapped resource and further research is needed to fully explore its potential.

Emission Changes Resulting from the San Pedro Bay, California Ports Truck Retirement Program

Recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations have resulted in lower emissions of particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen from heavy-duty diesel trucks. To accelerate fleet turnover the State of California in 2008 along with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (San Pedro Bay Ports) in 2006 passed regulations establishing timelines forcing the retirement of older diesel trucks. On-road emissions measurements of heavy-duty diesel trucks were collected over a three-year period, beginning in 2008, at a Port of Los Angeles location and an inland weigh station on the Riverside freeway (CA SR91). At the Port location the mean fleet age decreased from 12.7 years in April of 2008 to 2.5 years in May of 2010 with significant reductions in carbon monoxide (30%), oxides of nitrogen (48%) and infrared opacity (a measure of particulate matter, 54%). We also observed a 20-fold increase in ammonia emissions as a result of new, stoichiometrically combusted, liquefied natural gas powered trucks. These results compare with changes at our inland site where the average ages were 7.9 years in April of 2008 and 8.3 years in April of 2010, with only small reductions in oxides of nitrogen (10%) being statistically significant. Both locations have experienced significant increases in nitrogen dioxide emissions from new trucks equipped with diesel particle filters; raising the mean nitrogen dioxide to oxides of nitrogen ratios from less than 10% to more than 30% at the Riverside freeway location.

충무공 해상대전 e-sports대회를 접목한 성웅 이순신 축제의 성공 사례

지방자치단체의 경영개념이 도입되면서 지역경제 활성화와 도시마케팅수단으로서의 지역 문화축제의 개최는 이제 각 지역마다 필수적인 수단이 되었다. 각 지자체마다 각 지역의 특성을 살린 차별화된 축제의 기획으로 단기간 최대의 효과를 얻으려고 노력하고 있다. 하지만, 많은 축제들이 비슷한 프로그램 기획으로 차이점을 보이지 않고 특성화를 꾀하지 못하고 있다. 아산시에서는 매년 4월 이순신 장군의 탄생일을 시작으로 '성웅 이순신 축제'를 개최하고 있다. 다른 축제와 차별화를 꾀하고 다양한 계층을 유입하기 위해 아산시는 호서대학교 게임공학과와 '충무공 해상대전' 온라인 게임을 만들어 이를 소재로 e-sports대회를 개최하였다. 그 결과 기존 축제와 e-sports대회의 결함이란 새로운 시도라는 평가와 함께 축제의 소외계층이었던 청소년들을 대거 축제 안으로 끌어들일 수 있었으며 축제의 다양성과 흥행에 이바지 할 수 있었다. A local festival is to be an essential element for the revival of regional economy and marketing since the management concept have introduced in the local government. Each local government is trying to achieve a maximum of efficiency at short period of time. But, most festival are each similar and common. In Asancity, it was holding the 'Great Admiral Yisunsin Festival' every year in April. It has grown into a representative historical figure festival nationally, but can't get over the limitation of historical figure festival. For differentiation from other festivals, The Asancity developed a online game in collaboration with hoseo university game engineering. The e-sports competition with this game was held, as a result, Many youths whose are a neglected class of people on the festival came in the festival and this e-sports competition has become benchmark for many local governments.

Overweight Among Low-income Texas Preschoolers Aged 2 to 4 Years

Objective Determine child/maternal factors associated with overweight among 2- to 4-year-olds enrolled in the Texas Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Design Matched child and maternal data collected by self-report of the mother during WIC certification. These data were extracted from existing statewide WIC databases and merged. Setting Texas WIC children aged 2 to 4 years in April 2006. Participants Final sample was 22,837 mother–child dyads. Main Outcome Measure Dependent variable—child overweight; independent variables: Child-related—gender, age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid status, living area, and dental problems; Maternal-related—certification status, age, times certified, overweight, high maternal weight gain, and gestational diabetes. Analysis Bivariate relationships at P < .05 were included in the logistic regression. Results Living in a nonborder urban area associated with greater odds of overweight compared to living in a border area. Mother's overweight, high gestational weight gain, and gestational diabetes associated with greater odds of child overweight. Conclusions and Implications Several child- and maternal-related factors were found to be associated with overweight in Texas WIC preschoolers. Health interventions should target 4-year-old Hispanic children living in nonborder urban areas and mothers who are overweight, have high gestational weight gain, or have gestational diabetes.

Caregiving, Mortality, and Mobility Decline&lt;subtitle&gt;The Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study&lt;/subtitle&gt;

Although caregivers report more stress than noncaregivers, few studies have found greater health decline in older caregivers. We hypothesized that caregivers may be more physically active than noncaregivers, which may protect them from health decline. The sample included 3075 healthy adults from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. They were aged 70 to 79 years in April 1997 to June 1998 and resided in Memphis, Tennessee, or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Caregivers (680 [22.1%]) were participants who provided regular care or assistance for a child or a disabled or sick adult. Outcomes included all-cause mortality and incident mobility limitation (defined as difficulty walking one-quarter mile or climbing 10 steps on 2 consecutive semiannual contacts) during 8 years. Total physical activity included daily routine, exercise, and caregiving activity. Overall, 20.6% of caregivers died and 50.9% developed mobility limitations vs 22.0% and 48.9% of noncaregivers, respectively. Associations differed by race and sex. Mortality and mobility limitation rates were 1.5 times higher in white caregivers (eg, among white female caregivers, adjusted hazard ratio for mortality, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.5) but not for black female caregivers vs noncaregivers (adjusted hazard ratio for mortality, 0.9; 95% confidence interval, 0.5-1.4). Physical activity mediated these associations in most race-sex groups. High-intensity caregivers (ie, caregiving > or =24 hours per week) had elevated rates of decline when adjusted for physical activity but lower rates when not adjusted for activity. Older white caregivers have poorer health outcomes than black female caregivers. Physical activity appears to mask the adverse effects of high-intensity caregiving in most race-sex groups.

ONTOGENETIC AND SEASONAL CHANGES IN COLORATION OF THE BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARD (GAMBELIA SILA)

Abstract Among crotaphytids, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is one of only 2 species known in which adults do not have permanent dichromatic patterns, but both males and females display bright breeding colors. Males in most populations develop a salmon color over most of their head and body, whereas females develop rusty red blotches laterally along the head and trunk. Also unusual is the yellow color exhibited by juveniles. Between 1992 and 1994, we captured adult and juvenile G. sila on the Elkhorn Plain, San Luis Obispo County, California, and scored individuals for their coloration. Juvenile G. sila developed a yellow color on the undersides of their hind limbs and tail that was apparent when they were about 55 mm snout-vent length (SVL) and was prominent until about 85 to 90 mm SVL. Both males and females developed breeding colors between 85 and 95 mm SVL. Breeding colors of adults developed soon after they emerged each year in April or early May, and most adults retained breeding col...

Organic soil amendments: Impacts on snap bean common root rot ( Aphanomyes euteiches) and soil quality

Common root rot (causal agent Aphanomyes euteiches) is a major disease of commercially grown snap bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Organic amendments hold potential to suppress plant diseases, which may be due to changes in soil biology and other soil properties. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of paper-mill residual by-products to suppress common root rot of snap bean in relation to soil properties. The study was done on soil (Plainfield sandy loam, Hancock, WI) from a field trial comparing annual applications of fresh paper-mill residuals (0, 22 or 33 dry Mg ha −1) or composted paper-mill residuals (0, 38 or 78 dry Mg ha −1). Soil was removed from each treatment that had been in place 3 years in April 2001 (1 year after last amendment) and on September 2001 (4 months after last amendment) and brought to the laboratory. Soils were incubated at field moisture content (25 °C) and periodically bioassayed with bean seedlings (9, 44, 84, 106, 137, 225 or 270 days after removal from the field) for snap bean root rot. Soils were sampled on the same day as the root rot bioassay and assayed for β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis activities (FDA), microbial biomass-C (MB C) (by chloroform fumigation), water stable aggregation, and total C. There were large differences in snap bean root rot incidence between the field amendment treatments. The unamended field soil had high levels of disease incidence throughout the experiment but disease incidence tended to decrease over time in amended soils. The disease was suppressed by both fresh and composted paper-mill residuals, but the composted residuals at high rates had the lowest disease incidence (<40%) and produced healthiest plants. Root rot severity was strongly negatively correlated with total C (0.001 ≤ p) and arylsulfatase activity (0.001 ≤ p). β-Glucosidase activity was negatively correlated (0.05 ≤ p) with disease severity while soil MB C showed inconsistent negative correlations with disease severity over the incubation sampling periods. Arylsulfatase activity was the best indicator for reflecting disease suppression. The amendments improved soil quality, which was exemplified by improved aggregation.

Fish biomass size spectra in Chesapeake Bay

Biomass size spectra of pelagic fish were modeled to describe community structure, estimate potential fish production, and delineate trophic relationships in Chesapeake Bay. Spectra were constructed from midwater trawl collections each year in April, June–August, and October 1995–2000. The size spectra were bimodal: the first spectral dome corresponded to small zooplanktivorous fish, primarily bay anchovyAnchoa mitchilli; the second dome consisted of larger fish from several feeding guilds that are supported by multiple prey-predator linkages. Annual production estimates of pelagic fish, derived from a mean production to biomass ratio, varied nearly three-fold, ranging from 162 × 109 kcal (125 × 103 tons) in 1996 to 457 × 109 kcal (352 × 103 tons) in 2000. Seasonally, the biomass level and mean individual sizes of fish in the first dome increased from April to October, while the biomass level of the second dome was relatively stable. Regionally, biomass levels in the second dome were higher than biomasses in the first dome for the upper and lower Bay, but were minimal in the middle Bay where seasonal and episodic hypoxia occurs. To test a benthic-pelagic coupling hypothesis that could explain the higher biomass in the second domes for the lower and upper Bay, a cyclic size-spectrum model was fit that included only species in the zooplanktivorous-piscivorous fish guilds. The mean, normalized slope equaled −1, indicating that zooplanktivorous fish may support piscivore production, but that a benthic-pelagic linkage is required to fully support fish production in the second dome. Interannual variability in slopes and intercepts of modeled size spectra was related to salinity, recruitment level of bay anchovy, and the primary axis of a correspondence analysis (salinity effect) on fish community structure. The spectral slope and intercept of normalized spectra were lowest in 1996, a near-record wet year. Results suggest that fish size spectra can be developed as useful indicators of ecosystem state and response to perturbations, especially if prey-predator relationships are explicitly represented.

Patterns of injury in children: a population-based approach.

We describe the frequency and patterns of injury affecting 96 359 children between 0 and 10 years old and living in Alberta, Canada. This population-based, longitudinal study involved children born in the 3 fiscal years of April 1, 1985 to March 31, 1988, recruited before age 1, and who remained in the study until at least age 5. We used the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification chapter-17 diagnostic codes provided by physicians. Codes were grouped into 17 categories; injury episodes were calculated, and age- and gender-specific incidence rates for each category were calculated. The age, pattern, times of greatest risk, and the effect of gender on the type and incidence of injury were determined. Health care administrative data were obtained from all fee-for-service health care venues in Alberta between April 1, 1985 and March 31, 1998 providing services to children registered with the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan and otherwise meeting entrance criteria. Nearly 84% of children received care for an injury during the study period, and in any given year approximately 21% of the population studied had at least 1 injury. Repeat injury was common (73%), and boys were more likely than girls to be injured and to have repeat injury. The most common injuries were dislocations and sprains, open wounds, and superficial injuries and contusions. Burns, poisoning, intracranial injury, and foreign bodies were the next most common, and fractures were least common. Approximately 10% of injuries were multiple-category injuries. Rates varied greatly by injury category, age, and gender. Hospitalization rates varied in a similar manner and commonly accounted for approximately 10% of all services. Males were most likely to have an injury, and aboriginal children or children who had received welfare at some time were at greatest risk. Administrative data can be used to estimate the incidence of injury in a pediatric population. Distinct patterns of injury occur at different ages. Recurrent injury is common. Almost identical proportions of injury (46%) are treated in emergency departments and physicians' offices.

용서대 (Cynoglossus abbreviatus)의 연령과 성장

Age and growth of three-lined tonguefish (Cynoglossus abbreviatus) were studied using samples from the waters off Yosu, Korea, from June to December, 2001. Sagittal otoliths had relatively clear annuli. Each annulus was formed once a year in April. The peak of the gonadosomatic index occurred also in April. The oldest fish observed in this study was 5 years old for females and 4 years old for males. The relationship between the otolith radius (R) and total length (L) was as follows: L=14.921R-2.5318 for females and L=13.527R-0.5584 for males. The relationship between total length and body weight (W) was as follows: <TEX>$W=0.0008L^{3.54}$</TEX> for females and <TEX>$W=0.0029L^{3.14}$</TEX> for males. The growth in length of the fish was expressed by the von Bertalanffy's growth equation as: <TEX>$$L_t=44.54(1-e^{-0.16(t+2.69)})\;for\;females\;and\;L_t=41.52(1-e^{-0.15(t+3.34)})\;for\;males$$</TEX>.

Spread of recombinant DNA by roots and pollen of transgenic potato plants, identified by highly specific biomonitoring using natural transformation of an Acinetobacter sp.

Transgenic potato plants with the nptII gene coding for neomycin phosphotransferase (kanamycin resistance) as a selection marker were examined for the spread of recombinant DNA into the environment. We used the recombinant fusion of nptII with the tg4 terminator for a novel biomonitoring technique. This depended on natural transformation of Acinetobacter sp. strain BD413 cells having in their genomes a terminally truncated nptII gene (nptII'; kanamycin sensitivity) followed by the tg4 terminator. Integration of the recombinant fusion DNA by homologous recombination in nptII' and tg4 restored nptII, leading to kanamycin-resistant transformants. DNA of the transgenic potato was detectable with high sensitivity, while no transformants were obtained with the DNA of other transgenic plants harboring nptII in different genetic contexts. The recombinant DNA was frequently found in rhizosphere extracts of transgenic potato plants from field plots. In a series of field plot and greenhouse experiments we identified two sources of this DNA: spread by roots during plant growth and by pollen during flowering. Both sources also contributed to the spread of the transgene into the rhizospheres of nontransgenic plants in the vicinity. The longest persistence of transforming DNA in field soil was observed with soil from a potato field in 1997 sampled in the following year in April and then stored moist at 4 degrees C in the dark for 4 years prior to extract preparation and transformation. In this study natural transformation is used as a reliable laboratory technique to detect recombinant DNA but is not used for monitoring horizontal gene transfer in the environment.

Maggie’s Story–A Tale of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Maggie’s Story–A Tale of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention