All-Optical GeV Electron Bunch Generation in a Laser-Plasma Accelerator via Truncated-Channel Injection

We describe a simple scheme, truncated-channel injection, to inject electrons directly into the wakefield driven by a high-intensity laser pulse guided in an all-optical plasma channel. We use this approach to generate dark-current-free 1.2 GeV, 4.5% relative energy spread electron bunches with 120 TW laser pulses guided in a 110 mm-long hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized plasma channel. Our experiments and particle-in-cell simulations show that high-quality electron bunches were only obtained when the drive pulse was closely aligned with the channel axis, and was focused close to the density down ramp formed at the channel entrance. Start-to-end simulations of the channel formation, and electron injection and acceleration show that increasing the channel length to 410 mm would yield 3.65 GeV bunches, with a slice energy spread ∼5×10^{-4}.

Praxis-Informed Pointers: A Student Guide for Optimizing Clinical Learning in a Resource-Constrained Setting

Issue: Health professions education (HPE) is intimately linked with teaching and learning in the clinical environment. While the value of authentic clinical experiences is acknowledged, whether learning actually occurs is to a large extent dependent on students' behaviors and attitudes. The kinds of student behaviors and attitudes that are necessary to optimize learning in the clinical environment thus becomes relevant. Evidence: Tips and recommendations to maximize clinical learning in a variety of settings have been well documented. There is, however, a dearth of literature which takes a narrative-based praxis approach focused on resource-constrained environments. We developed this praxis-orientated article as a means to translate the available literature and theory into a simple, practical guide, focused on optimizing clinical learning from a student perspective, remaining cognizant of the particular challenges present in a resource-constrained setting. Implications: Based on the resource-constrained environments our students are exposed to, we outline the following six key aspects: student-driven learning, integration into the community of practice, student engagement, empathy, interprofessional learning opportunities, and feedback for learning. These aspects provide useful pointers for students in general. Furthermore, exploration into what strategies students may utilize in resource-constrained clinical contexts is addressed.

How radiography educators teach the concept of caring to undergraduate radiography students

INTRODUCTION

Caring is a key part of a radiographers work and the education of student radiographers. Despite recent literature highlighting the importance of putting the patient at the centre of care and being caring, research describing the educational approaches used by radiography educators to facilitate the teaching of caring is lacking. The aim of this paper is to explore the teaching and learning strategies used by radiography educators to facilitate the development of caring in students.

METHODS

A qualitative, exploratory research design was used. Purposive sampling was used to select radiography educators (n = 9). This was followed by quota sampling to ensure all four radiography disciplines, namely diagnostic radiography, diagnostic ultrasound, nuclear medicine technology and radiation therapy were represented in the sample. Data was analysed thematically and themes were identified.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that radiography educators use teaching strategies such as peer role play, learning through observation and role modelling to facilitate teaching and learning of caring.

CONCLUSION

The study suggested that although radiography educators know the teaching strategies that facilitate caring, aspects such as clarification of professional values and the refinement of reflection seems to be lacking.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The teaching and learning approaches that can assist students in developing as caring radiographers can add to the evidence-based pedagogies that shape the teaching of caring in the profession.

Selection of indicator contaminants of emerging concern when reusing reclaimed water for irrigation - A proposed methodology

Organic and microbial contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), even though not yet regulated, are of great concern in reclaimed water reuse projects. Due to the large number of CECs and their different characteristics, it is useful to include only a limited number of them in monitoring programs. The selection of the most representative CECs is still a current and open question. This study presents a new methodology for this scope, in particular for the evaluation of the performance of a polishing treatment and the assessment of the risk for the environment and the irrigated crops. As to organic CECs, the methodology is based on four criteria (occurrence, persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity) expressed in terms of surrogates (respectively, concentrations in the secondary effluent, removal achieved in conventional activated sludge systems, Log K_ow and predicted-no-effect concentration). It consists of: (i) development of a dataset including the CECs found in the secondary effluent, together with the corresponding values of surrogates found in the literature or by in-field investigations; (ii) normalization step with the assignment of a score between 1 (low environmental impact) and 5 (high environmental impact) to the different criteria based on threshold values set according to the literature and experts' judgement; (iii) CEC ranking according to their final score obtained as the sum of the specific scores; and (iv) selection of the representative CECs for the different needs. Regarding microbial CECs, the selection is based on their occurrence and their highest detection frequency in the secondary effluent and in the receiving water, the antibiotic consumption patterns, and recommendations by national and international organisations. The methodology was applied within the ongoing reuse project SERPIC resulting in a list of 30 indicator CECs, including amoxicillin, bisphenol A, ciprofloxacin, diclofenac, erythromycin, ibuprofen, iopromide, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, Escherichia coli, faecal coliform, 16S rRNA, sul1, and sul2.

Occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern in the Eerste River, South Africa: Towards the optimisation of an urban water profiling approach for public- and ecological health risk characterisation

The study evaluated the presence and fate of various contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) from a South African wastewater treatment works (WWTW) and surface waters located around an urban setting. A total of 45 CECs were quantified from nine sampling locations over an 11-month period. Daily loads (g/day) of the target analytes in the WWTW showed persistence of some CECs, along with population-normalised daily loads (mg/day/1000inh) of pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse (DOA) that were estimated for the first time in the study area. Multiple chemical markers were recorded in river water located upstream of the WWTW discharge throughout the study period, suggesting a high degree of diffuse pollution from urban communities in the study area that are not connected to sewage networks or where sanitation services are limited. The potential of using defined surface water locations to perform community-wide substance use profiling for non-sewered communities was also explored. Environmental risk characterisation for the WWTW effluent and surface waters throughout the study period provided multiple risk quotients (RQ) for the target list of CECs spanning over various sentinel trophic levels. High risk profiles (RQ > 1.0) with a frequency of exceedance (FoE) larger than 75 % were recorded for several CECs in both WWTW effluent and surface water locations that suggest potential long-term ecological health risk impacts of pollution hotspot areas in the river catchment situated around the urban area. We present challenges in surface water quality within the study area that is relatable, or may even present more challenging, in other low- or middle-income country (LMICs) settings. The study also highlighted some challenges and limitations associated with the much-needed application of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) intervention in non-sewered communities that can inform on public health and communal substance use profiles of the entire urban setting.

Wastewater-based epidemiology in hazard forecasting and early-warning systems for global health risks

With the advent of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) has been applied to track community infection in cities worldwide and has proven succesful as an early warning system for identification of hotspots and changingprevalence of infections (both symptomatic and asymptomatic) at a city or sub-city level. Wastewater is only one of environmental compartments that requires consideration. In this manuscript, we have critically evaluated the knowledge-base and preparedness for building early warning systems in a rapidly urbanising world, with particular attention to Africa, which experiences rapid population growth and urbanisation. We have proposed a Digital Urban Environment Fingerprinting Platform (DUEF) - a new approach in hazard forecasting and early-warning systems for global health risks and an extension to the existing concept of smart cities. The urban environment (especially wastewater) contains a complex mixture of substances including toxic chemicals, infectious biological agents and human excretion products. DUEF assumes that these specific endo- and exogenous residues, anonymously pooled by communities' wastewater, are indicative of community-wide exposure and the resulting effects. DUEF postulates that the measurement of the substances continuously and anonymously pooled by the receiving environment (sewage, surface water, soils and air), can provide near real-time dynamic information about the quantity and type of physical, biological or chemical stressors to which the surveyed systems are exposed, and can create a risk profile on the potential effects of these exposures. Successful development and utilisation of a DUEF globally requires a tiered approach including: Stage I: network building, capacity building, stakeholder engagement as well as a conceptual model, followed by Stage II: DUEF development, Stage III: implementation, and Stage IV: management and utilization. We have identified four key pillars required for the establishment of a DUEF framework: (1) Environmental fingerprints, (2) Socioeconomic fingerprints, (3) Statistics and modelling and (4) Information systems. This manuscript critically evaluates the current knowledge base within each pillar and provides recommendations for further developments with an aim of laying grounds for successful development of global DUEF platforms.

Assessing condition and ecological role of deep-water biogenic habitats: Glass sponge reefs in the Salish Sea

Biogenic habitats play important roles in shallow-water ecosystems, but their roles in deeper waters are less well-studied. We quantitatively assessed 19 glass sponge reefs in the Salish Sea for live reef-building sponge cover and biodiversity, explored potential drivers behind variation observed among reefs, and quantified individual and collective roles the reefs play in filtration and carbon removal. The reefs support diverse and abundant communities of invertebrates and fish, with 115 unique taxonomic groups observed. Sponge cover varied widely between reefs: percent live reef-building sponge cover ranged from 0.2 to 17.5% and proportion of live reef habitat category ranged from 0.2 to 92%. These differences were predominantly driven by the seabed terrain characteristics such as seafloor rugosity, curvature, and depth; human pressure measures explored in this study - density of anthropogenic objects and fishing footprint over the past 17 years - did not mask the natural influence of seabed terrain. The difference in sponge cover between the reefs led to wide variation in ecosystem function with individual reefs processing between 465 and 47,300 L/m² per day. Collectively, each day the 19 reefs filter 1.04 × 10¹¹ L of water which corresponds to 1% of the total water volume in Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound combined. The reefs remove up to 1 g of carbon per m² per day, comparable to carbon sequestration rates reported for terrestrial old growth forests and to "blue carbon" sequestration rates by marine vegetation. Implications for sponge reef conservation and monitoring are discussed.

Wastewater-based epidemiology and enantiomeric profiling for drugs of abuse in South African wastewaters

The current study is aimed to introduce a wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approach for the first time on the African continent where substance abuse data is limited. The study included the quantification of several drugs of abuse (DOA) in raw wastewater samples. Quantification of urinary metabolites as drug target residues (DTR), as well as enantiomeric profiling of chiral DOA was performed to distinguish between consumption and direct disposal into sewage. Monitoring campaigns were undertaken at two South African wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) located within two provinces of the country. The presence of non-racemic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine, as well as the metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BEG), confirmed their consumption within the areas investigated. Enantiomeric profiling further pointed to the abuse of methamphetamine as the primary DOA with use estimates calculated between 181.9 and 1184.8mg·day^-1·1000inhabitants^-1. Population-normalised mass loads for MDMA and cocaine confirmed their status as secondary DOA within the study sites. Use estimates for the new psychoactive substance (NPS) mephedrone were performed for one WWTW. The minor metabolite of heroin, O-6-monoacetylmorphine (O-6-MAM), was also detected at one WWTW and served as a qualitative indicator for heroin abuse within the area. These findings provide a novel comparison of the WBE approach in a developing-country with other global studies, with the aim to strengthen this approach as a tool to inform drug prevention strategies in countries where substance abuse data is limited due to financial constraints and lack of government structures to facilitate conventional monitoring.

Investigation of the Processing Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Metallocenecatalysed Polyethylene Foams for Rotational Moulding

The object of this work is to investigate the foaming characteristics of three grades of metallocene-catalysed linear low-density polyethylenes for rotational moulding using both an exothermic and endothermic chemical blowing agent. This paper reports on the results of ongoing experimental investigations in which rheological and thermal parameters are related to the polymer structure and mechanical properties. Through adjustments to moulding conditions, the significant processing and physical material parameters, which optimise metallocene-catalysed linear low-density polyethylene foam structure, have been identified. The results obtained from equivalent conventional grades of Ziegler-Natta-catalysed linear low-density polyethylene are used as a basis for comparison.

The Rotational Molding Characteristics of Metallocene Polyethylene Skin/Foam Structures

This article reports on the results of ongoing work in which the foaming characteristics of metallocene-catalyzed linear low density polyethylenes for rotational molding are investigated. Earlier publications related rheological and thermal parameters to the polymer structure and mechanical properties and found that metallocene polyethylene can be used in rotational foam molding to produce a foam that will perform as well as a Ziegler-Natta catalyzed foam. Through adjustments to molding conditions, the significant processing and physical material parameters, which optimize metallocene catalyzed linear low-density polyethylene foam structure, have been identified. This article details the optimum processing route for the production of two layer skin/foam parts using the drop box method.

Exercise therapy - the public health message

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, are currently responsible for 65% of all deaths worldwide and are projected to cause over 75% of all deaths by 2030. A substantial accumulation of epidemiological and experimental evidence has established a causal relationship between NCDs and well-known yet preventable risk factors (e.g., physical inactivity and obesity). Given that physical activity has both direct and indirect effects on the mortality and morbidity of NCDs via other risk factors (e.g., obesity, diabetes, and hypertension), it is now undeniable that sedentary lifestyles are one of the most significant public health problems of the 21st century. In 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Medical Association (AMA) launched the Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) initiative in recognition of the fundamental importance of physical activity to health and well-being. EIM is on the forefront of a global movement to reduce sedentary lifestyles, foster implementation of exercise counseling into clinical practice, and disseminate exercise therapy on a global scale. If the devastating human losses and financial burden of inactivity-induced chronic disease are to be ameliorated, the wide-ranging cost-effective health benefits and financial feasibility of physical activity interventions must be appreciated and promoted.

Combination of molecular modeling, site-directed mutagenesis, and SAR studies to delineate the binding site of pyridopyrimidine antagonists on the human CCK1 receptor

A rational combination of site-directed mutagenesis studies, structure-activity relationships, and dynamic-based docking of pyridopyrimidine-derived CCK1R antagonists into a refined three-dimensional model of the CCK1R allowed us to identify the receptor residues and the ligand functional groups implicated in the molecular recognition process. Our results provided unambiguous evidence that the binding site of these antagonists is overlapping that of the C-terminal tetrapeptide of CCK. In particular, Asn333 and Arg336 residues of the CCK1R are essential for high-affinity binding of these ligands. Moreover, the 2-aryl group in the pyridopyrimidine derivatives shares the same binding pocket as the C-terminal Phe side chain of CCK. Our [pyridopyrimidine.CCK1R] complex model is consistent with previous suggestions concerning the molecular basis that governs functional activity and provides useful considerations about the high CCK1 versus CCK2 selectivity of our derivatives and could contribute to fine-tune the rational design of new molecules with optimized properties.

Mycorrhizal C costs and nutritional benefits in developing grapevines

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) C-costs in grapevines were investigated. Dormant vines rely on stored C for initial growth. Therefore AM colonisation costs would compete with plant growth for available C reserves. One-year-old grapevines, colonised with Glomus etunicatum (Becker and Gerdemann), were cultivated under glasshouse conditions. The C-economy and P utilisation of the symbiosis were sequentially analysed. AM colonisation, during the 0-67 day growth period, used more stem C relative to root C, which resulted in lower shoot growth. The decline in AM colonisation during the period of 67-119 days coincided with stem C replenishment and higher shoot growth. Construction costs of AM plants and root C allocation increased with root P uptake. The efficiency of P utilisation was lower in AM roots. The reliance of AM colonisation on stem C declined with a decrease in colonisation, providing more C for the refilling of stem carbohydrate reserves and shoot growth. Once established, the AM symbiosis increased P uptake at the expense of refilling of root C reserves. Although higher root C allocation increased plant construction costs, AM roots were more efficient at P utilisation.

Importance of Learning in the Response of Ewes to Male Odor

Exposure of anestrous ewes to a ram or its odor results in the activation of the luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion leading to reinstatement of cyclicity in most females. Sexual experience and learning have been suggested as important factors to explain the variability of the female responses. In experiment 1, we compared the behavioral and endocrine responses of four groups of anestrous females that differed in age (young or adult) and previous exposure to males [naive (no exposure) or experienced (courtship behavior for young and numerous mating for adults)]. Age did not seem to affect the LH response to males or their odor. In contrast, sexual experience was a critical factor: the proportion of females exhibiting an LH response to male odor was significantly higher in experienced than in naive ewes. Sexual experience affected the response to male odor, but did not have an effect on responses to the male himself. A second experiment investigated whether the LH response to male odor could result from an associative learning process. Accordingly, we tested the effectiveness of a conditioned stimulus (lavender odor) previously associated with the male, in inducing the endocrine response. The results indicate that the odor of lavender activated LH secretion only in ewes that have been previously exposed to scented males. This demonstrates that ewes are able to learn the association between a neutral odor and their sexual partner.

The G-protein-coupled CCK2 receptor associates with phospholipase Cgamma1

In ElasCCK2 transgenic mice expressing cholecystokinin (CCK2) receptor in acinar cells, pancreatic phenotypic alterations and preneoplastic lesions are observed. We determined whether activation of phospholipase C gamma1 (PLCgamma1), known to contribute to the tumorigenesis pathophysiology, could take place as a new signaling pathway induced by the CCK2 receptor. Overexpression and activation of the PLCgamma1 in response to gastrin was observed in acinar cells. The possibility that the C-terminal tyrosine 438 of the CCK2 receptor associates with the SH2 domains of PLCgamma1 was examined. A specific interaction was demonstrated using surface plasmon resonance, confirmed in a cellular system and by molecular modeling.

Inactivation of the olfactory amygdala prevents the endocrine response to male odour in anoestrus ewes

Our aim was to study the role of the olfactory amygdala (medial and cortical nuclei) and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) in the ability of the male odour or live males to induce a release of luteinizing hormone in anoestrus ewes. To achieve this, we temporarily blocked the activity of these structures by localized retrodialysis administration of the anaesthetic lidocaine. The effect of ram odour on the secretion of luteinizing hormone was completely blocked by inactivation of the cortical nucleus of the amygdala. In contrast, inactivation of part of the accessory olfactory system (the medial nucleus of the amygdala or the VMN) had no effect. In the presence of the male, lidocaine never impaired the endocrine response of the ewes. These results show that modulation of reproduction by the sexual partner even through pheromonal cues does not occur via the direct circuit of the accessory system. On the contrary, the cortical nucleus of the amygdala is absolutely necessary for the treatment of and/or the response to the male olfactory signal but this structure can be bypassed when other sensory cues are available.

Role of experience in the neuroendocrine control of ewes' sexual behavior

We assessed the role of learning in the expression of female sexual behavior and evaluated the relative importance of age versus experience. Two studies were conducted with ovariectomized ewes submitted to steroid treatment that mimicked an estrus cycle. We compared behavioral (experiments 1 and 2), neurochemical (experiment 1), and endocrine (experiment 2) responses of sexually naive young and adult ewes versus sexually experienced adults when exposed to males. In a third study, we compared their performance in an instrumental learning test and the extent to which it was affected by stress. These experiments showed that proceptivity is affected both by age and sexual experience. In experiment 1 only experienced adults were proceptive and displayed an increase in hypothalamic norepinephrine. By the second estrus cycle (experiment 2) naive adults performed similarly to experienced adults but proceptive behavior was still inferior in young ewes. Receptivity was also different between groups but affected more by age than by sexual experience. All ewes mated during the first interaction with a male, although males' latency to ejaculation was shorter with experienced females than naive adults or naive young. Young ewes found food as readily as adults in experiment 3 but were more affected by stress. Together, these experiments show that both experience and age influence sexual activity and that sensitivity to stress may also be involved. This may contribute to the deficient reproductive performance that is often observed in young female mammals.

Rhodopsin crystal: new template yielding realistic models of G-protein-coupled receptors?

Molecular modelling is of major help to understand structure-function data on G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Since the first determination of the structure of rhodopsin, at high resolution, the view has emerged that it will be now easy to automatically obtain realistic models for any GPCR by homology modeling. Our experience on cholecystokinin CCK(1) receptor modelling together with available data on other GPCRs leads us to rule out this opinion. We believe that construction of realistic models of certain GPCRs still remains time-consuming and requires many refinements of the models in close association with experiments. This conclusion has important consequences for modelling orphan GPCRs.

Structure of cholecystokinin receptor binding sites and mechanism of activation/inactivation by agonists/antagonists

Delineation of CCK receptor binding sites is a prerequisite for the understanding of the molecular basis for ligand recognition, partial agonism, ligand-induced traffiking of receptor signalling. In the current paper, we illustrate how, in the past 5 years, studies from our laboratory and others have provided new data on the molecular basis of the pharmacology and functioning of CCK1 and CCK2 receptors. Available data on CCK1 and CCK2R binding sites indicate that 1) homologous regions of the two receptors are involved in the binding site of CCK, however, positioning of CCK slightly differs; 2) binding sites of non-peptide agonists/antagonist are buried in the pocket formed by transmembrane helices and overlap that of CCK and 3) residues of the binding sites as well as of conserved motifs such as E/DRY, NPXXY are crucial for receptor activation.

The biologically crucial C terminus of cholecystokinin and the non-peptide agonist SR-146,131 share a common binding site in the human CCK1 receptor. Evidence for a crucial role of Met-121 in the activation process

The cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor-1 (CCK1R) is a G protein-coupled receptor, which mediates important central and peripheral cholecystokinin actions. Our aim was to progress in mapping of the CCK1R binding site by identifying residues that interact with the methionine and phenylalanine residues of the C-terminal moiety of CCK because these are crucial for its binding and biological activity, and to determine whether CCK and the selective non-peptide agonist, SR-146,131, share a common binding site. Identification of putative amino acids of the CCK1R binding site was achieved by dynamics-based docking of the ligand CCK in a refined three-dimensional model of the CCK1R using, as constraints, previous results that identified contact points between residues of CCK and CCK1R (Kennedy, K., Gigoux, V., Escrieut, C., Maigret, B., Martinez, J., Moroder, L., Frehel, D., Gully, D., Vaysse, N., and Fourmy, D. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 2920-2926 and Gigoux, V., Escrieut, C., Fehrentz, J. A., Poirot, S., Maigret, B., Moroder, L., Gully, D., Martinez, J., Vaysse, N., and Fourmy, D. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 20457-20464). By this approach, a series of residues forming connected hydrophobic clusters were identified. Pharmacological and functional analysis of mutated receptors indicated that a network of hydrophobic residues including Cys-94, Met-121, Val-125, Phe-218, Ile-329, Phe-330, Trp-326, Ile-352, Leu-356, and Tyr-360, is involved in the binding site for CCK and in the activation process of the CCK1R. Within this hydrophobic network, the physico-chemical nature of residue 121 seems to be essential for CCK1R functioning. Finally, the biological properties of mutants together with dynamic docking of SR-146,131 in the CCK1R binding site demonstrated that SR-146,131 occupies a region of CCK1R binding site which interacts with the C-terminal amidated tripeptide of CCK, i.e. Met-Asp-Phe-NH(2). These new and important insights will serve to better understand the activation process of CCK1R and to design or optimize ligands.

Social and health status of arrivals in a French prison: a consecutive case study from 1989 to 1995

BACKGROUND

To assess the demographic, socioeconomic and health status of male arrivals in French jails and to analyze the time trends of these characteristics.

METHODS

The study was carried out in a prison for detained persons and short term prisoners. Using a standardized questionnaire, we recorded the characteristics of all male detainees and prisoners arriving in the prison between 1989 and 1995. The information collected concerned: demographic data, level of education and professional status, reasons for detention or imprisonment, social and family background, lifestyle, medical and psychiatric history, suicide attempts and illicit use of drugs. The characteristics of the study population were compared with those found in the general regional population. We analyzed developing trends in the health status of the prison population as well as their socio-economic profile over a period of seven years (1989 to 1995).

RESULTS

A total of 14,785 questionnaires were analyzed. Of the study population, 56% had no professional qualification, and 62% was unemployed. About two-thirds of the inmates presented psychiatric problems or problems with illicit drug use (one or several drugs). Amongst these, 70% had not had any form of care -neither therapeutic nor educational- before their arrival in prison. Between 1989 and 1995, the proportion of drug users increased by 30%. A parallel increase was observed in the level of unemployment and in the frequency of mental problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest a need for therapeutic and educational care to be provided for prison inmates. This poses a problem which needs to be addressed in terms of public health. The study also illustrates the usefulness of a standardised questionnaire for each arrival. The systematic use of such a tool would make it possible to identify inmates'needs and to propose adapted care solutions.

A prototype of an information system for assessing the health status of prison inmates

A research-action program was established in 1996 between the Loos-Lez-Lille prison psychiatric unit and the Department of Medical Informatics of the University Hospital of Lille (France):--(1) to investigate the health status and the general characteristics of the prison population--(2) to develop an Information System for improving the prison health care and to facilitate social rehabilitation of convicts. Starting off 1988, all new prisoners are interviewed on their arrival using a standard questionnaire. The transfer of all the information recorded in this questionnaire into a computer base was initiated in 1996, when the research action program began. A statistical analysis was performed on 15,200 records (1989-1995) to identify the most informative parameters: 50% of inmates were less than 24 years old; 57% were unemployed; 60% had no professional qualification. 31% of inmates had a psychiatric history and 16% had made a previous suicide attempt. The rate of drug abuse has increased from 24% in 89 to 53% in 95. To analyze the time trends of these parameters, a prototype of Information System was then developed. The system uses the database to product standard reports in real time.

The long-term effects of early kwashiorkor compared with marasmus. IV. Performance on the national high school entrance examination

This is one of a series of studies on the long-term effects of early childhood malnutrition in Barbadian school children. This is the first report of the relationship between early malnutrition and later performance on a national examination administered to all 11-y-old children in Barbados to assign high school seats. We compared scores achieved on the 11-plus examination by 103 boys and girls with histories of marasmus or kwashiorkor with those obtained by 63 healthy comparison children and also with scores obtained by the total island population of children during the same years. We report that children with histories of either type of malnutrition confined to infancy had significantly lower scores on the national high school examination than healthy comparison children. Reduced 11-plus scores were closely associated with teacher reports of attention deficits in the classroom documented when the children were as young as 5 to 8 y of age and also with IQ and academic performance. Early malnutrition had independent effects on performance on the 11-plus examination even when home environmental conditions were controlled for. These findings have important implications for future opportunities available to children with histories of infantile malnutrition.

Severe eczema in a patient with DiGeorge's syndrome

We describe a patient with DiGeorge's syndrome who had severe, intractable eczema. The causes and exact nature of the eczema and DiGeorge's syndrome remain to be elucidated.

Long-term effects of early kwashiorkor compared with marasmus. III. Fine motor skills

Children with histories of marasmus (n = 53) or kwashiorkor (n = 50) in the first year of life and healthy comparison children (n = 50) were tested for fine motor skills by the Purdue pegboard test at ages 11-18 years. The performance of children with histories of marasmus was impaired on two of the four test measures. However, the performance of children with a history of kwashiorkor was impaired on three measures. The presence of soft neurologic signs measured 6 years earlier in the same children was significantly correlated with current pegboard performance, implying that early malnutrition has effects on nervous system function that are evident at least through 18 years of age.

Long-term effects of early kwashiorkor compared with marasmus. I. Physical growth and sexual maturation

Physical growth and sexual maturation were measured in a follow-up study of Barbadian girls and boys aged 11-18 years with histories of kwashiorkor (n = 54) or marasmus (n = 56) in their first year of life. They were compared with healthy neighborhood children matched by sex and age who had normal patterns of growth in early childhood (n = 59). Girls with histories of marasmus had significant delays in the onset of menarche compared with healthy comparison girls. However, their rate of growth during the previous 2 years was accelerated, and the differences in size were smaller than at the earlier testing, confirming catch-up. This pattern was not evident for girls with histories of kwashiorkor, who did not differ from the healthy comparison girls on either onset of menarche, Tanner ratings of sexual maturation, or measures of physical growth. In contrast, boys with histories of kwashiorkor or marasmus did not differ from healthy comparison boys in physical growth or Tanner ratings at these ages.

Long-term effects of early kwashiorkor compared with marasmus. II. Intellectual performance

Intellectual performance including IQ (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised) and conservation was measured at ages 11-18 years in a follow-up study of Barbadian girls and boys who had histories of kwashiorkor (n = 53) or marasmus (n = 55) in their first year of life. They were compared with healthy neighborhood children matched by sex and age who had normal patterns of growth in early childhood (n = 58). On both IQ and conservation tests, children with previous kwashiorkor or marasmus had similar scores, which were significantly lower than scores of healthy comparison children. These findings were examined in relationship to current environmental conditions, which were similar in children with histories of kwashiorkor or marasmus and somewhat less advantaged than those of the comparison children. The effect of early malnutrition and related conditions at the time of episode still emerged as significant even when the current environmental factors were controlled for.

The Diets of Sminthopsis Murina and Antechinus Stuartii (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in Sympatry

In its diet, S. murina is similar to other small dasyurids that have been studied, being qualitatively opportunistic in that it feeds on a wide range of the arthropod prey available to it. Quantitatively, however, S, murina ingests significantly more Scarabaeidae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and larvae, and fewer Formicidae, Orthoptera and Isopoda than are available in pitfall traps during spring-summer, and so cannot be considered opportunistic in this sense. In autumn-winter it also takes significantly more Araneida and fewer Diptera, while Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and larvae are consumed only in the proportions in which they occur. A. stuartii consumes significantly more Coleoptera, Araneida and larvae than expected during the spring-summer season. In autumn-winter, it consumes significantly more Blattodea, Orthoptera and Arthropoda as well, but significantly fewer Formicidae and Diptera. Quantitatively, the two species differ significantly in the distribution of prey items for the spring-summer diet, and also differ in the individual diet categories of Scarabaeidae and larva during winter and for Arthropoda as well, in the total diet. The diet overlap is high (0.94) and there are significant rank correlation coefficients for diet categories, indicating no difference in the order of prey items in a qualitative sense. When the diets are analysed on the basis of habitat-season groups for each 'species' (including pitfall traps), neither habitat nor season is significant, but some of the samples are quite small. The 'species' effect is significant but largely reflects a difference between the diet items available (in pitfall traps) and those actually eaten by these two dasyurids. S. murina utilizes a wider range of prey than A. stuurtii and has a greater niche breadth; however, neither species could be called a diet specialist except in the broad sense ofinsectivores. Diet does not seem to be a significant component of the strong, microhabitat-based, ecological separation of these species.