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Brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) results in upper extremity (UE) movement limitations. Current assessments of UE function used to inform clinical decision-making only evaluate a limited set of static postures and/or movements and have been criticized for being insensitive to certain meaningful differences in function. Reachable workspace provides a numeric and visual assessment of global UE movement ability by quantifying the regions in space that patients can reach with their hands, and it can be collected using real-time feedback to elicit a best-effort acquisition of function. This study evaluated the ability of a real-time feedback reachable workspace tool to assess UE movement in BPBI. Twenty-two children with BPBI participated. Reachable workspace data were collected with three-dimensional motion capture using real-time visual feedback to measure UE reaching ability in all regions surrounding the body. All outer, far-from-body points reached by the hand were recorded and analyzed by region. A two-way, within-subjects analysis of variance was used to assess interlimb differences in percentage workspace reached and median reach distance for each of the six regions. The affected limb had significantly less percentage workspace reached than the unaffected limb for all six regions (mean interlimb differences by region, 5.7%–38.6%). The affected limb had significantly less median reach distance than the unaffected limb for all six regions (mean interlimb differences by region, 3.1%–36.8%). The workspace approach was capable of detecting UE movement impairments of the BPBI-affected limb. The reported deficits in workspace on the affected limb correspond to common movement impairments in BPBI, such as limitations in shoulder elevation, external rotation, extension, and elbow extension. The real-time feedback reachable workspace tool is sufficiently robust for assessing UE movement impairments in children with BPBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.10.011 Byline: A. Hollinger, A. Christe, M.J. Thali, B.P. Kneubuehl, L. Oesterhelweg, S. Ross, D. Spendlove, S.A. Bolliger Keywords: Virtopsy; Auditory ossicle luxation; Petrous bone fracture; Post-mortem imaging; MSCT Abstract: As the auditory ossicles are difficult to display without harming them in conventional autopsies, lesions of these minute bones and the ossicular chain are regularly missed. In this study, the method of choice in clinical medicine for the examination of such lesions, namely multislice computed tomography, was applied to 100 corpses. The hereby obtained results regarding ossicle luxation and petrous bone fracture indicated that the lesions were not dependant on the amount, but rather on the type of energy inflicted to the head. Author Affiliation: University of Bern, Centre for Forensic Imaging and Virtopsy, Institute of Forensic Medicine, IRM, Buehlstrasse 20, CH 3012 Bern, Switzerland Article History: Received 12 June 2007; Revised 9 October 2008; Accepted 15 October 2008

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2005.05.010 Byline: Ross S. Guest Keywords: Demographic economics; Saving; Consumption Abstract: This paper reports simulations of the effect of fertility on optimal saving and consumption under three assumptions about capital mobility: zero, perfect and imperfect. The case of imperfect capital mobility is modeled by expressing the interest rate as a function of the level of foreign liabilities. Simulations show that even a small degree of responsiveness of the interest rate to the level of foreign liabilities is sufficient to generate optimal paths of consumption and saving that are very close to the paths for a closed economy. The results of the simulations suggest that, with an exogenous rate of technical progress, the effect of a lower fertility rate on social welfare is not likely to be significantly welfare-reducing. Author Affiliation: Griffith Business School, Griffith University, PMB 50, Gold Coast Mail Centre, Qld, Australia Article History: Received 1 January 2004; Revised 1 September 2004; Accepted 1 May 2005

Blastocystis is a genus of intestinal stramenopiles that infect vertebrates, and may cause disease of the alimentary tract. Currently, at least 40 genotypes ("subtypes") of Blastocystis are recognised worldwide based on sequence data for the small subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene. Despite the numerous studies of Blastocystis worldwide, very few studies have explored Blastocystis in wild animals, particularly in Australia. Here, we used a PCR-based next generation sequencing (NGS)–phylogenetic approach to genetically characterise and classify Blastocystis variants from selected wildlife in the Australian state of Victoria. In total, 1658 faecal samples were collected from nine host species, including eastern grey kangaroo, swamp wallaby, common wombat, deer, European rabbit, canines and emu. Genomic DNA was extracted from these samples, a 500 bp region of the SSU-rRNA gene amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and, then, a subset of samples sequenced using Illumina technology. Primary PCR detected Blastocystis in 482 of the 1658 samples (29%), with the highest percentage in fallow deer (63%). Subsequent, Illumina-based sequencing of a subset of 356 samples revealed 55 distinct amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) representing seven currently-recognised subtypes (STs) [ST13 (prominent in marsupials), ST10, ST14, ST21, ST23, ST24 and ST25 (prominent in deer)] and two novel STs (ST45 and ST46) in marsupials. Mixed infections of different STs were observed in macropods, deer, emu and canids (fox, feral dog or dingo), but no infection was detected in rabbits or wombats. This study reveals marked genetic diversity within Blastocystis in a small number of species of wild animals in Australia, suggesting complexity in the genetic composition and transmission patterns of members of the genus Blastocystis in this country. [Display omitted] • Blastocystis was detected in Australian wildlife, including macropods and deer, using relatively large sample sizes • Two novel subtypes ST45 and ST46 were detected in marsupials • Mixed subtypes were observed in macropods, deer, emu and canids, but no infection was detected in rabbits or wombats • Occurrence of human-infective subtypes in wildlife present is a potential risk for the contamination of water catchments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]