Asia

Secondary analyses of Revised NEO Personality Inventory data from 26 cultures (N = 23,031) suggest that gender differences are small relative to individual variation within genders; differences are replicated across cultures for both college-age and adult samples, and differences are broadly consistent with gender stereotypes: Women reported themselves to be higher in Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Warmth, and Openness to Feelings, whereas men were higher in Assertiveness and Openness to Ideas. Contrary to predictions from evolutionary theory, the magnitude of gender differences varied across cultures. Contrary to predictions from the social role model, gender differences were most pronounced in European and American cultures in which traditional sex roles are minimized. Possible explanations for this surprising finding are discussed, including the attribution of masculine and feminine behaviors to roles rather than traits in traditional cultures.

Through their domestication and subsequent selection, sheep have been adapted to thrive in a diverse range of environments. To characterise the genetic consequence of both domestication and selection, we genotyped 49,034 SNP in 2,819 animals from a diverse collection of 74 sheep breeds. We find the majority of sheep populations contain high SNP diversity and have retained an effective population size much higher than most cattle or dog breeds, suggesting domestication occurred from a broad genetic base. Extensive haplotype sharing and generally low divergence time between breeds reveal frequent genetic exchange has occurred during the development of modern breeds. A scan of the genome for selection signals revealed 31 regions containing genes for coat pigmentation, skeletal morphology, body size, growth, and reproduction. We demonstrate the strongest selection signal has occurred in response to breeding for the absence of horns. The high density map of genetic variability provides an in-depth view of the genetic history for this important livestock species.

Background: Ethnic differences in the association between central obesity and raised albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) have not been investigated. Our aim was to determine whether the association between central obesity, defined by the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and ACR differed between subjects of Hindustani-Surinamese, African-Surinamese and Dutch origin. Methods: In total, 334 Hindustani-Surinamese (~South Asian), 589 African-Surinamese (~African), and 493 Dutch (~European) men and women, aged 35-60 years, randomly selected from the municipal register of Amsterdam, participated in an interview and physical examination. We calculated the WHtR by dividing the waist circumference by height and the log ACR (logACR, log mg/mmol) by log-transforming the albumin concentration by the creatinine concentration in urine. The association between WHtR and logACR was studied in the total population and stratified by ethnicity. We also tested for interaction. Results: In the total population, a higher WHtR was associated with a higher logACR, after adjustment for sex, age, and smoking, body mass index and the presence of type 2 diabetes or hypertension. Among the Hindustani-Surinamese, the adjusted association between WHtR and logACR appeared somewhat stronger than among the other ethnic groups: for every 0.1 increase in the WHtR, the log-ACR increased by 0.522 (0.096-0.949) log mg/mmol among the Hindustani-Surinamese, by 0.334 (0.047-0.622) among the African-Surinamese and by 0.356 (−0.010-0.721) among the Dutch. However, the interaction was not statistically significant. Conclusions: WHtR was associated with a higher ACR among populations of Hindustani-Surinamese, African-Surinamese and Dutch origin. Our study seems to support global use of WHtR in relation to ACR across ethnic groups. However, although not significant, the association appeared slightly stronger among the Hindustani-Surinamese than among the other ethnic groups. If confirmed, this could have implications for use of the WHtR across ethnic groups.

This is an Accepted Article that has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication in the Journal of Diabetes, but has yet to undergo copy-editing and proof correction. Please cite this article as an “Accepted Article”; doi: 10.1111/j.1753-0407.2011.00115.x ... Comprehensive Risk ...

BACKGROUND: Adenomatoid odontogenic tumour (AOT) is a benign odontogenic jaw lesion. The aim of this study was to update the biological profile of AOT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cases published in the literature and cases in files of co-authors were included. RESULTS: 550 new cases were retrieved, and of a total of 1082 cases analysed, 87.2% were found in the second and third decades. The M:F ratio was 1:1.9. 70.8% were of the follicular variant (extrafollicular: 26.9%, peripheral: 2.3%). 64.3% occurred in the maxilla. 60% of follicular AOTs were associated with unerupted canines. Nineteen cases of AOT (2.8%, M:F ratio was 1:1.4) were associated with embedded third molars. Twenty-two peripheral AOTs (2.3%, M:F ratio was 1:5.3) were recorded. The relative frequency (RF) of AOT ranged between 0.6% and 38.5%, revealing a considerably wider AOT/RF range than hitherto reported (2.2-7.1%).

Inmigración; Dermatosis; Inmigrante Resumen Introducción: España presenta una nueva realidad sociodemográfica condicionada por la llegada de gran número de personas inmigrantes. Debido a la escasez de estudios en nuestro país sobre población inmigrante (PI) en el campo de la Dermatología nos planteamos realizar este trabajo. Objetivo: Conocer la frecuencia de consultas de la PI de nuestro ámbito, documentar sus dermatosis y compararlas con las de la población autóctona (PA). Pacientes y métodos: Estudio prospectivo, descriptivo y analítico y subestudio observacional transversal de casos y controles. Se incluyó a todos los pacientes inmigrantes que fueron atendidos en la Sección de Dermatología entre febrero de 2005 y febrero de 2006. Resultados: La PI generó el 4,1% del total de consultas en Dermatología. Las patologías más frecuentes por las que consultaron fueron: dermatitis eccematosa (18,4%), verruga vírica (6,4%) y acné (6,3%). Al comparar las dermatosis entre PI y PA, la dermatitis eccematosa, la alopecia, el melasma, la tiña, la escabiosis, el herpes simple, la queratosis pilar y la xerosis fueron significativamente más frecuentes en la PI, mientras que los nevus melanocíticos, la verruga vírica, la queratosis actínica, la hidrosadenitis supurativa, el lupus, el melanoma y el carcinoma espinocelular lo fueron menos (p < 0,05). Conclusiones: Las dermatosis por las que la población inmigrante suele consultar son las patologías habituales en nuestra práctica clínica diaria. Además sus dermatosis infecciosas son cosmopolitas, por lo que el paciente inmigrante probablemente no supone un riesgo real de transmisión de enfermedades importadas tropicales en el campo de la Dermatología.

The Asian venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis guidelines was first published in 2012. Since its first edition, the Asian Venous Thrombosis Forum (AVTF) working group have updated the Asian VTE epidemiology and reviewed issues that were not addressed in the previous guidelines. The authors noted that the rising incidence of VTE across Asia may be attributable to aging population, dietary changes, and increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes. The new additions in the guideline include role of thrombophilia in VTE, bleeding risk in Asians, individual risk assessment, updates in the prevention of VTE in medically ill, bariatric surgery, cancer, orthopaedic and trauma patients. The influence of primary thrombophilia in perioperative VTE is still unclear. The secondary risk factors however, is similar between Asians and Caucasians. The group found no evidence of increased risk of bleeding while using pharmacological agents, including the use of novel anti-coagulants. At present, ...

The plant family Orobanchaceae includes many parasitic weeds that are also impressive invaders and aggressive crop pests with several specialized features (e.g. microscopic seeds, parasitic habits). Although they have provoked several large-scale eradication and control efforts, no global evaluation of their invasive potential is as yet available. We use tools from ecological niche modeling in combination with occurrence records from herbarium specimens to evaluate the global invasive potential of each of 10 species in this assemblage, representing several of the worst global invaders. The invasive potential of these species is considerable, with all tropical and subtropical countries, and most temperate countries, vulnerable to invasions by one or more of them. INTRODUCTION The parasitic angiosperm genera Aeginetia, Alectra, Orobanche, and Striga are the most serious parasitic weeds in the world today. Along with Cuscuta (Cuscutaceae), they represent the five parasitic plant genera on the list of noxious weeds maintained by the United States. These genera are classified in the family Orobanchaceae (1), which are obligate root parasites, in that they require host plants to complete their life cycles. Broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) and Aeginetia are holoparasites, which entirely lack chlorophyll and depend on hosts for nutrition. The other genera, considered hemiparasites, have some chlorophyll and are capable of photosynthesis, but they still rely on hosts for water and minerals. Worldwide, more than 30 species of witchweeds (Striga spp.) are recognized, 22 of which are endemic to Africa (2), the center of distribution and diversity of witchweeds. All known Striga species are African except S. curviflora Benth.

There is growing interest in comparing patterns of social and health service development in advanced Asian economies. Most publications concentrate broadly on a range of core social services such as education, housing, social security and health care. In terms of those solely focused on health, most discuss arrangements in specific countries and territories. Some take a comparative approach, but are focused on presentation and discussion of expenditure, resourcing and service utilization data. This article extends the comparative analysis of advanced Asian health systems, considering the cases of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The article provides basic background information, and delves into common concerns among the world's health systems today including primary care organization, rationing and cost containment, service quality, and system integration.

Background: Little is known about the revalence of and risk factors for human Tlymphotropic virus type I and type II (HfLV-I, HTLV-II) infections in Brazil. Study Design and Methods: Sera from 17,063 healthy Brazilian donors were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody to HTLV-1/11 between August 1991 and July 1993. Repeated1 reactive samples were confirmed by Western blot, and discrimination between H+LV-I and HTLV-II was made by polymerase chain reaction or synthetic peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A univariate analysis was performed on demographic and serologic data.

This study estimated the health and economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region, addressing a significant gap in the current evidence base. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and witnessing parental violence. Population Attributable Fractions were calculated and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost from physical and mental health outcomes and health risk behaviors attributable to child maltreatment were estimated using the most recent comparable Global Burden of Disease data. DALY losses were converted into monetary value by assuming that one DALY is equal to the sub-region's per capita GDP. The estimated economic value of DALYs lost to violence against children as a percentage of GDP ranged from 1.24% to 3.46% across sub-regions defined by the World Health Organization. The estimated economic value of DALYs (in constant 2000 US$) lost to child maltreatment in the EAP region totaled US $151 billion, accounting for 1.88% of the region's GDP. Updated to 2012 dollars, the estimated economic burden totaled US $194 billion. In sensitivity analysis, the aggregate costs as a percentage of GDP range from 1.36% to 2.52%. The economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region is substantial, indicating the importance of preventing and responding to child maltreatment in this region. More comprehensive research into the impact of multiple types of childhood adversity on a wider range of putative health outcomes is needed to guide policy and programs for child protection in the region, and globally.

The structural organization of the spermatozoon from the Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber (Family: Castoridae), was determined and compared to that of other sciuromorph rodents. The beaver spermatozoon has a head, which is variable in form but usually paddle-shaped, with a small nucleus and very large acrosome, and a tail that is relatively short compared to that of most other rodents. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that in most testicular spermatozoa the acrosome projects apically, although in a few it becomes partly flexed. During the final stages of maturation, however, the acrosome becomes highly folded so that the apical segment comes to lie alongside part of the acrosome that occurs lateral to the nucleus, with, in some cases, fusion taking place between the outer acrosomal membranes. The sperm nucleus is wedge-shaped, being broader basally and narrowing apically with an occasional large nuclear vacuole occurring. This spermatozoon structure is markedly different from that found in the other species of Geomyoidea, which is the sister group of the Castoridae. The findings thus emphasize the highly divergent nature of the beaver spermatozoon and demonstrate that, within the proposed Infraorder Castorimorpha, very large differences in sperm structure have evolved. J. Morphol. 268:683-689, 2007Morphol. 268:683-689, . 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

To determine prevalence and incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a modern meat packing plant. The secondary objective was to explore the relation between ethnicity and CTS. Six hundred and sixty five workers were interviewed and examined to find the prevalence of CTS. Subsequently, 421 workers without CTS were followed up and examined at a median interval of 253 days; of those, 333 remained without CTS and were again examined at a median interval of 148 days. The prevalence and incidence of CTS was 21% and 11/100 person-years, respectively. The incidence for Asian mixed, white, and other ethnicities was 12.0, 12.2, and 7.2 cases/100 person-years, respectively. The observed incidence for men and women was 9.7 and 18.4 cases/100 person-years, respectively. This difference was not quite significant (p = 0.068) with an estimated relative risk (women v men) of 1.9 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.9 to 3.8). The interaction between sex and use of tools was significant (p = 0.04), however, although the relative risk for CTS in women who used tools was 4.2 the numbers were small and not significant. The relative risk for men who used tools was 0.64 and not significant. The percentage of incident cases with comorbid disease was only 6.3% (3/47). The prevalence and incidence of CTS in this workforce were higher than in the general population. However, the prevalence of CTS in this modern, mechanised plant was not significantly different from that reported in older plants. No relation was found between ethnicity, age, body mass index, and CTS for either prevalence or incidence. Comorbid disease among the cases of CTS is significantly less than that found in other industry.

† Background Rice has been found in archaeological sites dating to 8000 BC, although the date of rice domestication is a matter of continuing debate. Two species of domesticated rice, Oryza sativa (Asian) and Oryza glaberrima (African) are grown globally. Numerous traits separate wild and domesticated rices including changes in: pericarp colour, dormancy, shattering, panicle architecture, tiller number, mating type and number and size of seeds. † Scope Genetic studies using diverse methodologies have uncovered a deep population structure within domesticated rice. Two main groups, the indica and japonica subspecies, have been identified with several subpopulations existing within each group. The antiquity of the divide has been estimated at more than 100 000 years ago. This date far precedes domestication, supporting independent domestications of indica and japonica from pre-differentiated pools of the wild ancestor. Crosses between subspecies display sterility and segregate for domestication traits, indicating that different populations are fixed for different networks of alleles conditioning these traits. Numerous domestication QTLs have been identified in crosses between the subspecies and in crosses between wild and domesticated accessions of rice. Many of the QTLs cluster in the same genomic regions, suggesting that a single gene with pleiotropic effects or that closely linked clusters of genes underlie these QTL. Recently, several domestication loci have been cloned from rice, including the gene controlling pericarp colour and two loci for shattering. The distribution and evolutionary history of these genes gives insight into the domestication process and the relationship between the subspecies. † Conclusions The evolutionary history of rice is complex, but recent work has shed light on the genetics of the transition from wild (O. rufipogon and O. nivara) to domesticated (O. sativa) rice. The types of genes involved and the geographic and genetic distribution of alleles will allow scientists to better understand our ancestors and breed better rice for our descendents.

The phylogenetic relationships among isolates of the Saprolegnia diclina-Saprolegnia parasitica complex were investigated based on ITS rDNA sequences, and correlated with morphological and physiological characters. The isolates studied belong to five phylogenetically separate clades. The majority of presumed parasitic isolates, mostly isolated from fish lesions, fell within a clade that comprises isolates which has been variously named as S. diclina Type 1, S. parasitica, Saprolegnia salmonis or just as unnamed Saprolegnia sp. Presence of bundles of long-hooked hairs on secondary cysts, high frequency of retracted germination, and oogonia production at 7°C (when occurring) were characteristic of this clade. A single isolate identified as S. diclina Type 2 clustered in a clade along with Saprolegnia ferax isolates. The isolates identified as S. diclina s. str. (S. diclina Type 3) distributed in two clades and appeared closely related to Saprolegnia multispora and to a number of Chilean isolates identified as Saprolegnia australis. The ITS sequences of clade I were almost identical even though the isolates were of diverse geographical origins and showed physiological and morphological differences and variations in their pathogenicity. This suggest these species reproduces clonally even in apparently sexually competent isolates. Adaptation to parasitism in Saprolegnia might have occurred at spore level by the development of long-hooked hairs to facilitate host attachment and selection of a retracting germination. The use of the name S. parasitica should be assigned to isolates of clade I that contained isolates forming cysts with bundles of long-hooked hairs.

Approximately 70.0% of the world&#39;s malnourished children live in Asia, resulting in the region having the highest concentration of childhood malnutrition. About half of the preschool children are malnourished ranging from 16.0% in the People&#39;s Republic of China to 64.0% in Bangladesh. Prevalence of stunting and underweight are high especially in South Asia where one in every two preschool children is stunted. Besides protein-energy malnutrition, Asian children also suffer from micronutrient deficiency. Iron deficiency anaemia affects 40.0-50.0% of preschool and primary school children. Nearly half of all vitamin A deficiency and xeropthalmia in the world occurs in South and Southeast Asia, with large numbers of cases in India (35.3 million), Indonesia (12.6 million) and China (11.4 million). Another major micronutrient problem in the region is iodine deficiency disorders, which result in high goiter rates as manifested in India, Pakistan and parts of Indonesia. While under-n...

Although longitudinal experimental community health research is crucial to testing hypotheses about the demographic impact of health technologies, longitudinal demographic research field stations are rare, owing to the complexity and high cost of developing requisite computer software systems. This paper describes the Household Registration System (HRS), a software package that has been used for the rapid development of eleven surveillance systems in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Features of the HRS automate software generation for a family of surveillance applications, obviating the need for new and complex computer software systems for each new longitudinal demographic study.

In this study, the strength development and lechability aspects of metal-contaminated soil treated with ordinary portland cement (OPC) were investigated. The soil was collected from a scrap metal yard within the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Metal composition analysis indicated that the predominant metals present in the soil were iron (42,194 mg/kg), aluminium (8874 mg/kg), zinc (690 mg/kg), lead (428 mg/kg), copper (107 mg/kg) and chromium (52 mg/kg). The contaminated soil was treated with OPC using cement-to-dry soil (C/Sd) ratios of 0.5, 1 and 2. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by performing unconfined compressive strength (UCS) as well as crushed and whole block leaching (WBL) tests on the treated soil. The treatment results were compared to the solidified waste acceptance criteria which were compiled based on the regulatory waste disposal limit at a disposal site in the United Kingdom and the maximum concentration of contaminants for toxicity characteristic of solid wastes from United States Environmental Protection Agency. Results indicated that chemical stabilization of metal-contaminated soils using OPC was effective for prevention of metal leaching from both disintegrated samples subsequent to years of weathering (crushed block) and intact samples (whole block) into the environment. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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We have studied stoma care nurses' experience with Asian patients having a stoma. The general public's attitudes to abdominal surgery in general were assessed in a survey of employees in Leicester. M a n y stoma care nurses are aware of the needs of Asian patients, especially with regards to ethnic dress, but only half o f the ostomists who wanted to see a stoma care nurse or fellow ostomist were able to do so (Z= = 4.5, p < 0.03). All ostomists considered counselling on education, employment and marriage inadequate. There is a high level o f anxiety about stomas and these anxieties are surprisingly similar for all ethnic groups. R~sum& Nous avons 6tudi6 l'expdrience des infirmi6res stomathdrapistes avec les patients asiatiques ayant une stomie abdominale. L'attitude du public en g6n6ral envers la chirurgie abdominale a 6t6 6tudi6e sur des em-ploy6s de Leicester. Beaucoup de stomath6rapistes sont conscientes du besoin des patients asiatiques, particuli6rement en raison de leurs v6tements traditionnels, mais seulement la moitib des stomis6s qui voulaient voir une stomath6rapiste ou un malade stomis6 6tait capable de le faire (Z 2 = 8.5, p < 0.005), et significativement moins d'infirmi6res que de malades savaient que les asiatiques avaient un besoin de stomath&apistes (x 2 = 4.5, p < 0.03). Tousles stomisds consid6raient que les conseils en 6ducation, en emplois, ou en mariage 6taient inad6quats. I1 y avait un taux important d'anxi6t6 envers les stomies et cette anxi6t6 6tait de faqon surprenante similaire pour tous les groupes ethniques.

Very little of the intense interest and activity in the field of family planning in Pakistan has come up in the form of publications. Since the formation of the Family Planning Association of Pakistan in 1953 and the initiative of the government in promoting a national family-planning programme in its Second Five-Year Plan, relatively few reports have been printed. Most of what has been written in Pakistan about family planning has either been reported at conferences abroad or published in foreign journals, or submitted as graduate dissertations at universities within the country and abroad1. While numerous papers presented at conferences in Pakistan have been given limited circulation in mimeographed form2, much of the preliminary data, emanating from most of the action-research projects in progress, are held up till substantive demographic changes are measured and approaches evaluated accordingly.

To estimate global and regional trends from 1990 to 2010 of the prevalence and number of persons visually impaired specifically by diabetic retinopathy (DR), as a complication of the precipitous trends in global diabetes, is fundamental for health planning purposes. The meta-analysis of published population studies from 1990 to 2012 for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD) yielded estimated global regional trends in DR among other causes of moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity &lt;6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity &lt;3/60). Globally in 2010, out of overall 32.4 million blind and 191 million visually impaired people, 0.8 million were blind and 3.7 million were visually impaired because of DR, with an alarming increase of 27% and 64%, respectively, spanning the two decades from 1990 to 2010. DR accounted for 2.6% of all blindness in 2010 and 1.9% of all MSVI worldwide, increasing from 2.1% and 1.3%, respectively, in 1990. T...

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in Asia has an incidence rather lower than in Western countries yet tends to afflict a younger population. As in the West, imatinib mesylate (IM, Glivec) has supplanted busulphan, hydroxyurea and interferon-a as first-line treatment.

This paper introduces basic Buddhist cosmology and ethical teachings, emphasizing the concepts of rebirth and Karma. There follows a discussion of the Buddhist view of illness and its causes. Using these introductory concepts, the Buddhist view on euthanasia is explored and contrasted with the views of Marvin Kohl, a leading proponent of euthanasia. It is shown that Buddhism prohibits euthanasia as an option for the terminally ill but instead advocates hospice care. The paper is offered to expand the current dialogue on bioethical issues beyond the Judeo-Christian perspective.

Human manipulation of wild progenitors during crop domestication has led to the foundation of modern agriculture (Zohary and Hopf, 2000 ; Glémin and Bataillon, 2009). A common suite of traits including loss of seed shattering, dormancy, and branching are often selected during the domestication process and referred to as the "domestication syndrome" (Zohary and Hopf, 2000). After primary traits have been selected and fi xed, the process of domestication often has directed more attention to quality traits such as color, shape, and fl avor, and physiological traits contributing to uniformity (Doebley et al., 2006). Studies analyzing the genetic structure of wild and cultivated crops, in combination with archeological and historical evidence, have provided insight into the geographic and temporal details of domestication to reveal where, when, and how many times a crop was domesticated (Meyer et al., 2012). To date, the majority of domestication studies has focused on staple food crops with little attention toward root vegetables (Meyer et al., 2012). Cultivated carrot (Daucus carota L. subsp. sativus L.) is a common vegetable with a well-known and widely distributed weedy progenitor, wild carrot or Queen Anne's lace (D. carota subsp. carota). Carrot is the most widely grown crop of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), cultivated on 1.2 M hectares globally (carrot and turnip as aggregate data) (FAO, 2011), of which 34 000 hectares of carrots are produced in US with an estimated annual crop value of $758 M (USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2011). Wild carrot occurs widely across temperate regions of the globe. The time frame and geographic region(s) of the fi rst cultivation of carrots are unclear. Vavilov (1992 , pp. 337-340) identifi ed Asia Minor (eastern Turkey) and the inner Asiatic regions as the centers of origin of cultivated carrot and noted Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) as being "the basic center of Asiatic kinds of cultivated carrots" where "wild carrots … practically invited themselves to be cultivated". As observed by the presence of carrot seed at prehistoric human habitations 4000 to 5000 yr

Background: In the Asia-Pacific region, limited systematic assessment has been conducted on HIV service delivery models. Applying an analytical framework of the continuum of prevention and care, this study aimed to assess HIV service deliveries in six Asia and Pacific countries from the perspective of service availability, linking approaches and performance monitoring for maximizing HIV case detection and retention.

Western European populations of red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) are characterized by low size and high fragmentation, which accentuate their sensitivity to hunting. Uncertainties regarding the demographic trends of these populations highlight the need for pertinent hunting regulations. This requires identification of the limits of the populations under exploitation, i.e. delimiting a management unit. We used the left domain of the mitochondrial control region and seven nuclear loci (four microsatellites and three introns) to assess the level of genetic structure and demographic independence between the fragmented Western European and the large Central Asian populations. The second objective was to investigate the colonization history of the Western European populations. This study demonstrated that the Western European populations of red-crested pochard constitute a separate demographic conservation unit relative to the Asian population as a result of very low female dispersal (m...

The overall probability of forming stones differs in various parts of the world: 1-5% in Asia, 5-9% in Europe, 13% in North America, 20% in Saudi Arabia. The composition of stones and their location in the urinary tract, bladder or kidneys may also significantly differ in different countries. Moreover, in the same region, the clinical and metabolic patterns of stone disease can change over time. We examined some epidemiological evidence about the main risk factors for stone formation, both individual and environmental. A slightly higher rate of renal stone disease emerged in males than in females, and in white Caucasians than in Blacks. Stones in the upper urinary tract appear to be related to the life-style, being more frequent among affluent people, living in developed countries, with high animal protein consumption. Bladder stones are nowadays mainly seen in the Third World, on account of very poor socio-economic conditions. A high frequency of stone formation among hypertensive ...

This is the first pathological description of Ôscale drop syndromeÕ (SDS) in Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer Bloch. Cumulative mortality was estimated at 40-50%. The vasculitis in all major organs including the skin and associated tissue necrosis was distinctive. The dermis overlying scale beds was often necrotic and associated with scale loss. Necrosis of splenic ellipsoids, renal glomeruli and choroid rete glands of eye were further hallmarks of a disease with systemic vascular involvement. The brain was not spared vascular damage, and the resulting multifocal encephalomalacia probably accounts for the spiral swimming behaviour in some affected fish. Other lesions included accentuated hepatic lobulation and gastric gland necrosis. Nuclear chromatin margination and karyolysis in hepatocytes, renal tubular epithelium and gastric and intestinal epithelium suggest specific targeting of cells. Basophilic cytoplasmic inclusions were present in spleen, kidney, liver, heart and choroid rete, but they were not prominent. Using transmission electron microscopy, two morphological forms of virions were observed: single-and doubleenveloped hexagonal virions. Based on size and morphology, these virions resemble iridovirus or herpesvirus. The cause of SDS is unknown, but the pathological changes, especially the vasculitis, suggest an infectious aetiology, possibly viral.

Obesity is a significant public health concern affecting more than half a billion people worldwide. Obesity rise is not only limited to developed countries, but to developing nations as well. This paper aims to compare the mean body mass index trends in the World Health Organisation- (WHO-) categorised regions since 1980 to 2008 and secondly to appraise how socioeconomic disparities can lead to differences in obesity and physical activity level across developing nations. Taking into account past and current BMI trends, it is anticipated that obesity will continue to take a significant ascent, as observed by the sharp increase from 1999 to 2008. Gender differences in BMI will continue to be as apparent, that is, women showing a higher BMI trend than men. In the coming years, the maximum mean BMI in more developed countries might be exceeded by those in less developed ones. Rather than focusing on obesity at the individual level, the immediate environment of the obese individual to br...

Family Planning Program Evaluation is not a well-developed art, much less an exact science. The evaluation of the performance of such programs has received a good deal of attention but the methodologies are still controversial and the results inconclusive. This is due to a wide variety of constraints, not all of which are technical, and most of which are not unique to family planning. The prospects for improvement of FPPE depend, to a great extent, on overcoming these constraints.

Probabilistic activity and migrants are migration models assume that search for urban jobs is entirely an urban-based that employment in free-entry activities is a transitional phase during which actively searching for formal sector employment. This paper tests the empirical validity of these assumptions using data, collected by the author in a sample survey in Delhi in IP75-76, on Ml0 migrants from rural areas. The evidence indicates that the migration process postulated in probabilistic models is not realistic in the case of Delhi. Over one-half of the sample had moved to Delhi after lining up specifk jobs; a sizeable proportion expected to enter on arrival activities generally considered to be characterized by freedom of entry; and the majority of entrants into f-try activities did not search for alternative employment and were engaged in the same activities at the time of the survey. alr ne a ES sibk for the views ex for all errors and 0304--3878/84/$3.00 0 1984, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland) * "~~~~~~ f1976a) contains a brief review of the many versions of probabilistic migration rociuced in Todaro (1976a, pp. X&-53). the possibility of mrak-based semzh in me of his models. d the theoretical ~iter~t~~.~ is on explaining the existence o s of urban-based search being more e~~c~ent or essential. discmsion of the survey is given in the appendix.

Background: Reviewing clinical trial site performance identifies strategies to control outcomes. Performance across 5 geographical regions (36 sites across Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and Latin America) was investigated in a study that randomised 322 HIV-infected individuals. Methods: Regional performance was compared using descriptive analysis for time to site opening, recruitment, quality of data and laboratory samples. Follow-up consisted of 10 visits (96 weeks), electronic data collection (EDC) within 7 days of a visit and serious adverse events (SAEs) reported within 24 hours of site awareness. Results: Median days to site opening was 250 (188 to 266), ranging from 177 (158 to 200) (Australia) to 265 (205 to 270) (Europe). Median days to ethics and regulatory approval was 182 (120 to 241) and 218 (182 to 341) days, respectively. Within regions, time to approval ranged from 187 (91 to 205) days (Australia) to 276 (175 to 384) days (Europe). Time to first randomisation ranged from 282 (250 to 313) days (Australia) to 426 (420 to 433) days (North America). Recruitment was lower than forecasted in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America at 89%, 77%, 91% and 43%, respectively. The converse was true in Latin America where despite ethics, regulatory and contractual delays, recruitment was 104% of predicted. Median days to EDC was 7 (3 to 16), ranging from 3 (1 to 16) (Asia) to 13 (8 to 14) days (North America). Median days for initial SAE submission to sponsor was 6 (2 to 20), ranging from 4 (2 to 18) (Latin America) to 24 (5 to 46) days (Australia). Sites took longer to submit final reports, overall median of 28 (7 to 91) days, ranging from 7 days (Australia) to 67 (23 to 103) days (Europe). Conclusions: Population availability and time to ethics and regulatory approvals influence recruitment; therefore accurate feasibility assessments are critical to site selection. Time to ethics and regulatory approval may not limit site inclusion if compensated by rapid recruitment. Identifying potential delays and methods for reduction can decrease time and costs for sponsors.