2,172 research outputs found
Contaminant Concentrations are Higher in Farm-raised Salmon as Compared to Wild Salmon
No full textThis issue was undated. The date given is an estimate.21 pages, 1 article*Contaminant Concentrations are Higher in Farm-raised Salmon as Compared to Wild Salmon* (Hites, Ronald A.; Carpenter, David O.; Foran, Jeffery A.) 21 page
Parameterization of the duration of infection stages of serotype O foot-and-mouth disease virus: an analytical review and meta-analysis with application to simulation models
No full textFoot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is considered one of the most important infectious diseases of livestock because of the devastating economic consequences that it inflicts in affected regions. The value of critical parameters, such as the duration of the latency or the duration of the infectious periods, which affect the transmission rate of the FMD virus (FMDV), are believed to be influenced by characteristics of the host and the virus. Disease control and surveillance strategies, as well as FMD simulation models, will benefit from improved parameter estimation. The objective of this study was to quantify the distributions of variables associated with the duration of the latency, subclinical, incubation, and infectiousness periods of FMDV transmission. A double independent, systematic review of 19 retrieved publications reporting results from experimental trials, using 295 animals in four reference laboratories, was performed to extract individual values related to FMDV transmission. Probability density functions were fitted to data and a set of regression models were used to identify factors associated with the assessed parameters. Latent, subclinical, incubation, and infectious periods ranged from 3.1 to 4.8, 2 to 2.3, 5.5 to 6.6, and 3.3 to 5.7 days, respectively. Durations were significantly (p < 0.05) associated independently with route of exposure, type of donor, animal species, strains, characteristics of sampling, and clinical signs. These results will contribute to the improvement of disease control and surveillance strategies and stochastic models used to simulate FMD spread and, ultimately, development of cost-effective plans to prevent and control the potential spread of the disease in FMD-free regions of the world
The Intermediate Sex
No full text"The Intermediate Sex: A Study of Some Transitional Types of Men and Women," a groundbreaking work by Edward Carpenter first published in 1908 and expanded in 1921, stands as one of the first serious and empathetic studies on homosexuality and variations in sexual identity, subjects considered taboo at the time. In this collection of essays, Carpenter advocates for the existence of "intermediate sex" individuals—those with transitional traits between male and female—as a natural and socially valuable phenomenon. Examining the subject from biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives, the author argues that these individuals are not morally degenerate or mentally ill but are rather "less specialized" people who offer significant cultural and intellectual contributions to society; this courageous text redefined the concepts of love, friendship, and sexual freedom, laying the foundation for modern discussions on sexual identity.Edward Carpenter'ın 1908'de yayımlanan ve 1921'de genişletilen “The Intermediate Sex” (Ara Cinsiyet) adlı çığır açıcı eseri, o dönemde tabu olarak görülen eşcinsellik ve cinsel kimlik farklılıkları üzerine yapılan ilk ciddi ve empatik çalışmalardan biridir. Carpenter, bu denemeler koleksiyonunda, erkek ve kadın özellikleri arasında geçişken tipler olan "ara cinsiyet" bireylerinin varlığını doğal ve toplumsal açıdan değerli bir fenomen olarak savunur. Biyolojik, psikolojik ve sosyolojik açılardan konuyu inceleyen yazar, bu bireylerin ahlaki yozlaşmışlık ya da akıl hastalığı olmadığı, aksine toplum için önemli kültürel ve entelektüel katkılar sunan, "daha az uzmanlaşmış" kişiler olduğunu öne sürer; bu cesur metin, aşk, dostluk ve cinsel özgürlük kavramlarını yeniden tanımlayarak modern cinsel kimlik tartışmalarının temelini atmıştır
A Survey of Metals in Tissues of Farm-raised and Wild Salmon
No full textThis issue was undated. The date given is an estimate.15 pages, 1 article*A Survey of Metals in Tissues of Farm-raised and Wild Salmon* (Foran, Jeffery A.; Hites, Ronald A.; Carpenter, David O.; Hamilton, M. Coreen; Mathews-Amos, Amy; Schwager, Steven J.) 15 page
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones 1899-1981 and twentieth-century evangelicalism.
No full textThe purpose of this thesis was to demonstrate the significance of the life and ministry of David Martyn Lloyd-Jones in post-war British evangelicalism and to show that, so far as Protestant churches in England and Wales were concerned, no history of the period can afford to ignore him. It is our contention that despite differences of opinion and self- marginalization Lloyd-Jones was and has remained a major force in evangelical thinking. In order to understand how this developed the thesis has been structured along thematic lines highlighting events, persons and questions. The study begins by setting the stage with a biographical chapter and goes on to examine the kind of impact that Lloyd-Jones's preaching had on Christians of all denominations. He believed preaching to be the greatest need of the day and the position of this thesis is that preaching was Lloyd-Jones's greatest contribution to twentieth- century Christianity. As a preacher he attracted one of London's largest congregations and in chapter three we look at the history and nature of Westminster Chapel comparing it with neighbouring ministries, and establishing the kind of people who went to hear him. Chapters four and five ascertain the factors which shaped Lloyd-Jones's views on the church and show how his Reformed evangelicalism led in a separatist as opposed to an ecumenical direction and finally, to a position which was neither Congregational nor Presbyterian. Our further argument is that while he favoured unity among believers his separatist ecclesiology only exacerbated the situation and left evangelicals more divided than before. Chapters six to eight evaluate Lloyd-Jones's background, the nature of his leadership and the extent of his influence - factors which either shaped or were the outcome of his ministry - and looks at the issues which these questions raise
Exposures to Organic Pollutants and Respiratory Illnesses in Adults and Children
No full textBackground: During the last decades, concern has increased about adverse health effects resulting from exposure to indoor organic pollutants. As a class of contaminants, organic air pollutants indoors are extremely diverse and the range of its sources is extensive, including building materials and household and personal products. There have been numerous reports of increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, including asthma among adults and children, due to elevated indoor concentrations of organic pollutants.Objectives: In this chapter we conducted a review of the current literature with the aim of providing additional insights into the association between organic pollutants and respiratory health among adults and children.Discussion: It is concluded that indoor air pollution, in particular, organic contaminants, may pose a significant risk for our respiratory health, and the potential health impacts of building design may require greater recognition and further research.Conclusion: Exposure to organic chemical pollutants is likely to continue with newer compounds being introduced. Therefore, an approach to risk management must respond in a timely and effective manner
Wastewater-Based Epidemiology of Stimulant Drugs: Functional Data Analysis Compared to Traditional Statistical Methods
No full textBackground Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a new methodology for estimating the drug load in a population. Simple summary statistics and specification tests have typically been used to analyze WBE data, comparing differences between weekday and weekend loads. Such standard statistical methods may, however, overlook important nuanced information in the data. In this study, we apply functional data analysis (FDA) to WBE data and compare the results to those obtained from more traditional summary measures.
Methods We analysed temporal WBE data from 42 European cities, using sewage samples collected daily for one week in March 2013. For each city, the main temporal features of two selected drugs were extracted using functional principal component (FPC) analysis, along with simpler measures such as the area under the curve (AUC). The individual cities’ scores on each of the temporal FPCs were then used as outcome variables in multiple linear regression analysis with various city and country characteristics as predictors. The results were compared to those of functional analysis of variance (FANOVA).
Results The three first FPCs explained more than 99% of the temporal variation. The first component (FPC1) represented the level of the drug load, while the second and third temporal components represented the level and the timing of a weekend peak. AUC was highly correlated with FPC1, but other temporal characteristic were not captured by the simple summary measures. FANOVA was less flexible than the FPCA-based regression, and even showed concordance results. Geographical location was the main predictor for the general level of the drug load.
Conclusion FDA of WBE data extracts more detailed information about drug load patterns during the week which are not identified by more traditional statistical methods. Results also suggest that regression based on FPC results is a valuable addition to FANOVA for estimating associations between temporal patterns and covariate information
Cost-effectiveness analysis of a mobile ear screening and surveillance service versus an outreach screening, surveillance and surgical service for indigenous children in Australia
No full textIndigenous Australians experience a high rate of ear disease and hearing loss, yet they have a lower rate of service access and utilisation compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Screening, surveillance and timely access to specialist ear, nose and throat (ENT) services are key components in detecting and preventing the recurrence of ear diseases. To address the low access and utilisation rate by Indigenous Australians, a collaborative, community-based mobile telemedicine-enabled screening and surveillance (MTESS) service was trialled in Cherbourg, the third largest Indigenous community in Queensland, Australia. This paper aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the MTESS service using a lifetime Markov model that compares two options: (i) the Deadly Ears Program alone (current practice involving an outreach ENT surgical service and screening program), and (ii) the Deadly Ears Program supplemented with the MTESS service. Data were obtained from the Deadly Ears Program, a feasibility study of the MTESS service and the literature. Incremental cost-utility ratios were calculated from a societal perspective with both costs (in 2013-14 Australian dollars) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) discounted at 5% annually. The model showed that compared with the Deadly Ears Program, the probability of an acceptable cost-utility ratio at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $ 50,000/QALY was 98% for the MTESS service. This cost effectiveness arises from preventing hearing loss in the Indigenous population and the subsequent reduction in associated costs. Deterministic and probability sensitivity analyses indicated that the model was robust to parameter changes. We concluded that the MTESS service is a cost-effective strategy. It presents an opportunity to resolve major issues confronting Australia's health system such as the inequitable provision and access to quality healthcare for rural and remotes communities, and for Indigenous Australians. Additionally, it may encourage effective health service delivery at a time when the healthcare funding and workforce capacity are limited
Entrenched geographical and socioeconomic disparities in child mortality: trends in absolute and relative inequalities in Cambodia
No full textBackground: Cambodia has made considerable improvements in mortality rates for children under the age of five and neonates. These improvements may, however, mask considerable disparities between subnational populations. In this paper, we examine the extent of the country's child mortality inequalities
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