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As critical criminology has turned toward the study of differential pathways to offending, the need to study the contextual differences between men and women’s offending has become increasingly apparent. Likewise, it is evident that there is a need to study the circumstances and experiences that lead to queer offending, as it appears to be distinct from non-queer offending in a variety of ways. Compared to non-queer offenders, queer offenders are subject to different experiences that influence their criminal propensity, including family strife, difficulties at school, and exposure to violence in ways that directly link to their queer identities. For these reasons, a queer criminal pathways approach must be developed.This chapter will argue that a pathways framework is an eminent approach to queer criminology, despite its lack of use in explaining queer offending thus far. By focusing on youth offending, this chapter will demonstrate the suitability of pathways to prior research on queer criminality and how it can be developed for use in the future. This chapter outlines pathways studies finding that trauma contribute to future offending propensity. Considering that offending in queer youth is frequently associated with prior trauma – most notably, sexual victimization and homelessness, of which the queer youth population suffer disproportionately from compared to their non-queer peers – the pathways framework is a suitable approach to future studies of queer offenders. more...

Modern microbial and ecosystem sciences require diverse interdisciplinary teams that are often challenged in “speaking” to one another due to different languages and data product types. Here we introduce the IsoGenie Database (IsoGenieDB; https://isogenie-db.asc.ohio-state.edu/), a de novo developed data management and exploration platform, as a solution to this challenge of accurately representing and integrating heterogenous environmental and microbial data across ecosystem scales. The IsoGenieDB is a public and private data infrastructure designed to store and query data generated by the IsoGenie Project, a ~10 year DOE-funded project focused on discovering ecosystem climate feedbacks in a thawing permafrost landscape. The IsoGenieDB provides (i) a platform for IsoGenie Project members to explore the project’s interdisciplinary datasets across scales through the inherent relationships among data entities, (ii) a framework to consolidate and harmonize the datasets needed by the team’s modelers, and (iii) a public venue that leverages the same spatially explicit, disciplinarily integrated data structure to share published datasets. The IsoGenieDB is also being expanded to cover the NASA-funded Archaea to Atmosphere (A2A) project, which scales the findings of IsoGenie to a broader suite of Arctic peatlands, via the umbrella A2A Database (A2A-DB). The IsoGenieDB’s expandability and flexible architecture allow it to serve as an example ecosystems database. more...

Maintaining a balance between predator and prey populations can be an ongoing challenge for fisheries managers, especially in managing artificial ecosystems such as reservoirs. In a high-elevation Utah reservoir, the unintentional introduction of the Utah Chub Gila atraria and its subsequent population expansion prompted managers to experimentally shift from exclusively stocking Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to also stocking tiger trout (female Brown Trout Salmo trutta × male Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis) and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii utah (hereafter, Cutthroat Trout) as potential biological control agents. We measured a combination of diet, growth, temperature, and abundance and used bioenergetic simulations to quantify predator demand versus prey supply. Utah Chub were the predominant prey type for tiger trout, contributing up to 80% of the diet depending on the season. Utah Chub represented up to 70% of the total diet consumed by Cutthroat Trout. Although Utah Chub dominate... more...

Women with cancer are more likely to fall than women without cancer placing them at high risk of fall-related fractures, other injuries and disabilities. Determining the efficacy of fall prevention programs depends upon reliable self-reporting of falls. The purpose of this paper is to describe the approach used to collect falls as a primary endpoint of a 12-month fall prevention exercise trial in older women cancer survivors. GET FIT (Group Exercise Training for Functional Improvement after Treatment) was a randomized controlled trial of women cancer survivors aged 50–75 years who had completed chemotherapy and were randomized into one of three exercise groups: strength training, tai chi, or seated stretching (control). We captured falls and injurious falls through monthly and quarterly self-report. Women with an e-mail address received surveys electronically via REDCap and women without one completed the survey by phone, postcard, or in exercise class. Out of 442 randomized women, 96% (n=422) reported having an e-mail. Women with an email address were more likely to be white race (p more...

In highly managed reservoir systems, species interactions within novel fish assemblages can be difficult to predict. In high-elevation Scofield Reservoir in Utah the unintentional introduction of Utah Chub Gila atraria and subsequent population expansion prompted a shift from stocking exclusively Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to include tiger trout (female Brown Trout Salmo trutta × male Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis) and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii utah, which composed a novel suite of top predators and potential competitors. We examined the interspecific interactions among Scofield Reservoir piscivores using a multifaceted approach including gut analyses, stable isotopes, and gape limitation. Large Cutthroat Trout consumed 50–100% Utah Chub and tiger trout consumed 45–80%. In contrast, small and large Rainbow Trout consumed primarily invertebrate prey and exhibited significant overlap with small tiger trout, Cutthroat Trout, and Utah Chub. Large Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout ... more...

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma in the United States has risen rapidly over the last 30 years, whereas the incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma has fallen dramatically. In contrast, parts of Asia have extremely high rates of squamous cell carcinoma, but virtually no adenocarcinoma. Within the United States, Asian-Americans as a whole, have low rates of esophageal adenocarcinoma and higher rates of squamous cell carcinoma. It is unclear what the patterns are for those Asians born in the United States. The relative influence of ethnicity and environment on the incidence of esophageal cancer in this population is unknown. We identified all cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma from the California Cancer Registry 1988-2004, including 955 cases among 6 different Asian ethnicities. Time trends were examined using Joinpoint software to calculate the annual percentage changes in regression models. Rates of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma varied substantially among different Asian ethnic groups, but squamous cell carcinoma was much more common than adenocarcinoma in both foreign-born and US-born Asian-Americans. Rates of squamous cell carcinoma were slightly higher among US-born Asian men (4.0 per 100,000) compared with foreign-born Asian men (3.2 per 100,000) and White men (2.2 per 100,000), P = 0.03. Rates of adenocarcinoma were also slighter higher among US-born Asian men (1.2 per 100,000) compared with foreign-born Asian men (0.7 per 100,000), P = 0.01. Rates of squamous cell carcinoma decreased for both US-born and foreign-born Asians during this period, whereas adenocarcinoma remained low and stable. These results provide better insight into the genetic and environmental factors affecting the changing incidence of esophageal cancer histologies in the United States and Asia. more...

The United States has a high rate of death due to firearms, and gun buyback programs may mitigate these high death rates. Understanding the demographics, motivation, and geographic region of participants may improve program efficacy.Three Injury Free Coalition for Kids gun buyback programs, in collaboration with the local police, were studied: Phoenix, Arizona; Worcester, Massachusetts; and New Haven, Connecticut. Participants were defined as those who relinquished a firearm. A self-administered, anonymous, paper survey elicited information from participants regarding demographic data, formal training on the use of the firearm, how the firearm was acquired, potential child access, knowledge of others injured by a firearm, whether the firearm was stored unlocked, factors motivating the surrender of the firearm, and other factors. Survey results were entered into a composite database and analyzed for differences in location, race, sex, and other factors.Participants (n = 301) were predominantly male (73.5%), white (80.9%), and older than 55 years (59.0%). They lived an average of 19.0 miles from the event by zip codes and had an average median household income of $65,731. More than half (54.5%) did not purchase the firearm, acquiring it through inheritance, gift, or random find. Most (74.8%) had previous firearms training and were relinquishing for safety reasons (68.3%). Those relinquishing firearms for safety reasons were less likely to have purchased the firearm (odds ratio [OR], 2.46, p0.05), less likely to have any formal training (OR, 5.92; p0.01), and less likely to keep the firearm locked (OR, 3.50; p0.01). Women were less likely to have purchased the firearm (OR, 0.50; p0.05). Fifty-three percent of those turning in firearms reported having at least one more firearm at home; designated themselves to be white, compared with all other groups combined (OR, 2.55; p0.05); more likely to report locking the firearm (OR, 0.11; p0.001); more interested in receiving a gun lock (OR, 0.15; p0.001); and more likely to know others who also own firearms (OR, 0.17; p0.001). In at least one of the cities participating in this study, as many as 30 percent of the weapons used in gun-wielding criminal acts were burglarized from the home of legal gun owners that had failed to secure them properly.The gun buyback program is solely one prong of a multipronged approach in reducing firearm-based interpersonal violence. Additional research is necessary to determine effective methods to target individuals who would have the greatest impact on gun violence if they relinquished their weapons. Through the forging of relationships and enhancement of firearm knowledge among medical, law enforcement, judicial, and school communities, the prevention of intentional and unintentional firearm-related injuries will be able to be managed more effectively. more...

With a median age at lung cancer diagnosis of 70 years, patients may be at risk of poor physical functioning that is accelerated by cancer treatment. However, it is unknown whether all patients experience the same rate of functional decline during treatment or if some patients have more or less severe trajectories. The purpose of this study was to identify trajectories of self-reported physical function in lung cancer survivors and examine whether mental health and fatigue influenced the rate of change. In a sample of 72 newly diagnosed lung cancer survivors (mean age = 71 + 10 years) we used multilevel modeling to assess trajectories of self-report physical functioning and the influence of mental health and fatigue assessed five times over one year. Self-report physical function did not change significantly over the year (□=-0.46, p=0.53); however, there was significant variability within the sample around the average rate of change (p more...

Objectives. We conducted qualitative interviews with breast cancer survivors to identify themes related to institutional, personally mediated, and internalized discrimination in the medical setting. Methods. We conducted 7 focus groups and 23 one-on-one interviews with a multiethnic sample of breast cancer survivors randomly selected from a population-based registry covering the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, California. Results. Participants reported experiencing different forms of medical discrimination related to class, race, and language. Among African Americans, participants reported experiencing internalized discrimination and personal or group discrimination discrepancy—perceiving discrimination against them as a racial/ethnic group, yet not perceiving or discussing personal experiences of discrimination. Among Asian immigrants, participants reported experiencing institutional and personally mediated overt types of discrimination, including lack of access to quality and readily available translation services. Our results also indicated well-established coping mechanisms in response to discrimination experiences in both groups. Conclusions. Participants reported experiencing medical discrimination at all 3 levels, which may have deleterious health effects through the biopsychosocial stress pathway and through active coping mechanisms that could lead to delayed- or underutilization of the health care system to avoid discrimination. more...

The GET FIT (Group Exercise Training for Functional Improvement after Treatment) trial is the first randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of two specific and separate types of exercise training, tai chi and strength training, to reduce falls in older female cancer survivors. The purpose of the present study is to: 1) report on the feasibility of recruitment into the trial and 2) report on retention and adherence to the exercise trial. Women were recruited through cancer registries, clinician referral, letters to past research participants, self-referral and screening of electronic health records (EHR). Interested and eligible women were consented and randomized to participate in a strength training, tai chi, or flexibility (placebo control) exercise class two times a week for 6 months. Out of 1490 screened women, 442 began the study intervention and 52 withdrew before the 6 month intervention was complete resulting in an 88% retention rate. Women who withdrew from the study reported more worry about falls compared to those who did not withdraw (p more...

Soybean is a major crop species providing valuable feedstock for food, feed and biofuel. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in developing genomic resources for soybean, including on-going efforts to sequence the genome. These efforts have identified a large number of soybean genes, most with unknown function. Therefore, a major research priority is determining the function of these genes, especially those involved in agronomic performance and seed traits. One means to study gene function is through mutagenesis and the study of the resulting phenotypes. Transposon-tagging has been used successfully in both model and crop plants to support studies of gene function. In this report, we describe efforts to generate a transposon-based mutant collection of soybean. The Ds transposon system was used to create activation-tagging, gene and enhancer trap elements. Currently, the repository houses approximately 900 soybean events, with flanking sequence data derived from 200 of these events. Analysis of the insertions revealed approximately 70% disrupted known genes, with the majority matching sequences derived from either Glycine max or Medicago truncatula sequences. Among the mutants generated, one resulted in male-sterility and was shown to disrupt the strictosidine synthase gene. This example clearly demonstrates that it is possible to disrupt soybean gene function by insertional mutagenesis and to derive useful mutants by this approach in spite of the tetraploid nature of the soybean genome. more...

With the U.S. military under intense scrutiny to cut costs, the Department of Defense must determine ways to use its limited resources more efficiently. One financial incentive ripe for change is the retention bonus. This compensation tool, used by the military to retain highly qualified individuals, could be harnessed more effectively with an auction mechanism for distribution. This thesis studies three different types of auctions, and examines which auction would be utilized best by the government as a retention tool. The three auctions analyzed were a sealed bid-discriminatory auction, a sealed bid-uniform auction and a sequential bid-uniform auction. The results of the experiment showed that discriminatory auctions fared best overall. Sealed bid-discriminatory auctions had a significant savings of 5.1% over sealed bid-uniform auctions and a 10.1% savings over sequential bid-uniform auctions. more...

A triplex PCR assay was developed and evaluated for efficacy in detecting Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a variety of raw and ready-to-eat food products. Following a short enrichment period, artificially contaminated food samples were subjected to a triplex PCR assay, which incorporated published primers for each food pathogen, a protocol for sample collection, and a PCR procedure designed specifically for the assay. The selected primers amplified fragment sizes of 159 bp, 252 bp, and 360 bp for C. jejuni, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp., respectively. This assay provides specific and reliable results and allows for the cost-effective detection of all three bacterial pathogens in one reaction tube. more...

Detection of food-associated bacterial pathogens has become a major focus of the food industry, regulatory agencies, and researchers. Multiple pathogens need to be rapidly detected with high specificity and as cost efficient as possible. In this research, a multiplex PCR assay for the specific detection of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:-H7, Salmonella, and Campylobacter jejuni was developed. The four bacteria were detectable at 104 CFU/PCR reaction. No cross-reactivity with other bacteria commonly found associated with the four target organisms was found. This assay would simplify detection procedures for the target pathogens, reduce the time and labor necessary to acquire food safety results, and might allow one protocol to be used for bacterial detection on a wide variety of food products. more...

Arcobacter is a recently described species, previously considered part of the Campylobacter family. A sensitive assay such as that provided by PCR could help to distinguish the closely related Arcobacter from Campylobacter. A PCR method to specifically detect both Campylobacter jejuni and Arcobacter butzleri in the same reaction tube has been developed. C. jejuni and A. butzleri were inoculated into a range of dairy products, raw and ready-to-eat foods. The presence of these two organisms was detected in these test foods by the multiplex PCR assay. A product of 159 bp was apparent when C. jejuni was present, while a 1223 bp product was seen when A. butzleri was present. When both organisms were present, both bands could be detected on the agarose gel. All organisms were confirmed by standard microbiological methods. There was complete agreement between the PCR and standard methods. This PCR assay will allow detection of both organisms within the same PCR tube and can be performed within an 8 h day. The presence of these two human pathogens, which are difficult to distinguish by standard biochemical methods, can now be identified using this PCR assay. more...

Stable carbon isotope ratio analysis (SCIRA) of honey for undeclared presence of cane or corn sugars has been available for 20 years. Its use with domestic and imported honeys is reviewed. Six years of data from the internal standard isotope ratio analysis (ISCIRA) method support its worldwide validity for honey analysis. The ISCIRA database of pure honeys has been increased from 64 U.S. samples to 224 by addition of data from Germany, United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, and Spain. ISCIRA analyses of 131 commercial honeys from the United States, Mexico, and Spain found that 17 are adulterated. Analyses of 303 Chinese honeys proves that they should have carbon isotope values similar to honeys from other areas, contrary to claims that the observed differences are intrinsic because of the variability of environmental conditions and of plants used in honey production in China. Addition of corn or cane (C4) sugars to honeys in amounts that do not produce a δ13C value greater than -23.5%o for the mixture cannot be detected by the original 1978 SCIRA procedure. Such adulteration however is detected by ISCIRA procedure from the δ13C value of the protein contained in the honey, which shows the isotopic composition of the honey before addition of C4 sugars. Fortythree percent of 98 honeys received in the United States in 1994-1997 with δ13C < -23.5%o were suspected and found to be adulterated. more...

An assay for Campylobacter jejuni based on the polymerase chain reaction was developed in our laboratory and shown to be a sensitive and specific method to identify this bacterium in pure culture. This assay was evaluated as a method to rapidly detect C. jejuni attached to chicken carcasses. Chicken carcasses were sampled for PCR using three methods including pre-enrichment of the washes, direct plating of the washes and differential centrifugation of the washes prior to testing. It was found that plating the wash solutions on Campy Cefex plates prior to performing PCR was the most specific and reliable of the three treatment menthods evaluated. more...

Cytochrome P-450 (P-450) 2E1 is under transcriptional and post-transcriptional control. Well-defined time courses were carried out to compare the effect of pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole on catalytic activities, apo-P-450 2E1 levels and mRNA levels to evaluate whether induction of P-450 2E1 is preceded by altered mRNA levels. Two days of treatment with pyrazole or three days of treatment with 4-methylpyrazole resulted in significant induction of P-450 2E1, as assessed by Western blots and by oxidation of dimethylnitrosamine or p-nitrphenol. No changes in mRNA levels were detected with either inducer. Within 2 h of the second treatment with pyrazole, maximal induction of P-450 2E1 was observed, however, 1 8–12 h time-dependent period was required after the third treatment with 4-methylpyrazole for maximal induction. Irrespective of the time period, increased catalytic and P-450 2E1 appears to reflect a post-transcriptional mechanism. A single treatment with 4-methylpyrazole increased P-450 2B1/B2 levels and oxidation of pentoxyresorufin about 2- to 3-fold. No change in mRNA levels for 2B1/B2 was observed. Although significant, the induction of 2B1/B2 by 4-methylpyrazole is more than an order of magnitude less than that by phenobarbital. Pyrazole did not induced 2B1/B2. It appears that, similar to acetone and ethanol, 4-methylpyrazole may increase several P-450 isozymes, whereas pyrazole is more specific for induction of P-450 2E1. more...

Glycerol was shown recently to be metabolized to formaldehyde by microsomes from chowfed control rats (Winters et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 153: 612-617, 1988). In the present study, experiments were carried out to evaluate the oxidation of glycerol by microsomes isolated from rats treated with inducers of different isozymes of cytochrome P-450. The oxidation of glycerol to formaldehyde was increased in microsomes from rats treated with pyrazole, ethanol or acetone relative to their respective controls, but not after treatment with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene. This reaction was sensitive to inhibition by carbon monoxide and was inhibited by compounds known to be effective substrates for P-450j, e.g. aniline, ethanol, pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole. Treatment with pyrazole caused an increase in Vmax for glycerol oxidation but did not affect affect the Km (about 15 mM) for glycerol, as compared to saline controls. Evidence that the product of glycerol metabolism is formaldehyde was provided by the observation that this product served as a substrate for the glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase, and the amount of formaldehyde detected was identical to that detected by the Nash reaction. By utilizing [14C]glycerol, and coupling the formaldehyde dehydrogenase reaction to the formate dehydrogenase reaction, 14CO2 could be detected, indicating that the formaldehyde produced was derived from the added glycerol. These results suggest that that glycerol is not metabolically inert when added to microsomes but serves as an effective substrate for the cytochrome P-450j isozyme, extending the alcohol substrate specificity of this enzyme to poly-ols. The production of formaldehyde from glycerol may require caution since glycerol is often present in microsomal or reconstituted systems. more...

The design of a single vertically shifting VLSI register module that functions as two dynamically partitioned last-in-first-out (LIFO) stacks is presented. The module consists of a tiled array of custom static master-slave storage elements with a simple state machine adjacent to each register word serving as a register allocation controller. The dual-stack module is intended primarily for application in stack-based processor architectures requiring two high-performance LIFO stacks. Simulation results are presented. > more...

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, with support from the National Science Foundation, conducts a program for middle school girls-Adventures in Computers, Engineering, and Space-whose main goal is to address the gender gap in engineering and computer science. The program emphasizes hands-on engineering and computer activities through participation in (1) a one-week residential summer camp for girls entering seventh and eighth grades, (2) one-day camp follow-up sessions throughout the school year, and (3) fairs conducted at schools and other public and private facilities throughout the local community. This paper provides an overview of the program and a discussion of the lessons learned from the 2001-2002 focus and how these lessons are affecting the design of the 2002 camp and later project activities and proposals. The paper also addresses program assessment, including tracking the program participants, to determine the program's effectiveness at reaching its goals. more...

The pepC gene of Listeria monocytogenes encodes aminopeptidase C that is predicted to share 72% amino acid sequence similarity and 53% sequence identity with the cysteine aminopeptidase PepC from Lactococcus lactis. The gene product also shows strong similarity to aminopeptidase C from Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus, and to a cysteine proteinase/bleomycin hydrolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme from L. monocytogenes displayed broad N-terminal hydrolytic activity, with a similar substrate specificity to its lactic acid bacterial counterpart. The inhibition spectrum shows a great deal of similarity with enzymes from the family of lactic acid bacteria. In addition, one of the clones studied contained DNA sequences that could encode a regulatory protein of the deoR helix-turn-helix DNA binding protein family. The organization of the locus, designated pep, is presented along with the characterization of the gene products of the pep locus. more...

Z. YILDIRIM, D.K. WINTERS AND M.G. JOHNSON. 1999.Bifidocin B produced by Bifidobacterium bifidum NCFB 1454 was purified to homogeneity by a rapid and simple three step purification procedure which included freeze drying, Micro-Cel adsorption/desorption and cation exchange chromatography. The purification resulted in 18% recovery and an approximately 1900-fold increase in the specific activity and purity of bifidocin B. Treatment with bifidocin B caused sensitive cells to lose high amounts of intracellular K + ions and u.v.absorbing materials, and to become more permeable to ONPG. Bifidocin B adsorbed to the Gram-positive bacteria but not the Gram-negative bacteria tested. Its adsorption was pHdependent but not time-dependent. For sensitive cells, the adsorption and lethal action of bifidocin B was very rapid. In 5 min, 95% of bifidocin B adsorbed onto sensitive cells. Several salts inhibited the binding of bifidocin B, which could be overcome by increasing the amount of bifidocin B added. Pre-treatment of sensitive cells and cell walls with detergents, organic solvents or enzymes did not cause a reduction in subsequent cellular binding of bifidocin B, but cell wall preparations treated with methanol:chloroform and hot 20% (w/v) TCA lost the ability to adsorb bifidocin B. Also, the addition of purified heterologous lipoteichoic acid to sensitive cells completely blocked the adsorption of bifidocin B. The amino acid sequence indicated that the bacteriocin contained 36 residues. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis yielded a sequence of KYYGNGVTCGLHDCRVDRGKATCGIINNGGMWGDIG. Curing experiments with 20 m gm l 1 acriflavine yielded cell derivatives that no longer produced bifidocin B but retained immunity to bifidocin B. Production of bifidocin B, but not immunity to bifidocin B, was associated with a plasmid of about 8 kb in this strain. more...

Campylobacter jejuni was inoculated into a range of raw and ready-to-eat foods. These food samples were used as a test source for detection of this bacterium by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Specific detection of Camp. jejuni, as indicated by a PCR product of 159 bp, was possible with all pre-cooked deli-sliced and raw poultry products tested. All vegetables tested were compatible with the PCR assay. Cantaloupe, kiwi and pineapple tested positive while strawberries, watermelon, grapes and apples tested negative. By using a nested PCR assay that yields a single band at 122 bp, positive results were obtained with watermelon and grapes while the apple and strawberries continued to give a negative reaction. These rapid and specific assays for Camp. jejuni are compatible with most foods in insuring the safety of the food product. more...

Rapid detection of Campylobacter jejuni by PCR directly from foods, without prior growth steps, would be beneficial for the poultry industry. We have previously reported a PCR assay that allows detection of this bacterium after 48 h growth on Campy cefex agar. We have now developed a more rapid nested PCR assay that specifically detects C. jejuni in chicken washes that have not undergone any lengthy growth steps prior to PCR. For the nested reaction, an external set of primers, C-1 and C-4, are used for 24 cycles. At this time, 1 microl of the PCR product is removed and added to a second reaction. The second PCR assay is run with C-1 and an internal primer, C-2, for 24 cycles. A single band on a 4% NuSieve agarose gel at 122 bp was apparent with C. jejuni cells at a sensitivity of 10(2) cfu ml-1. With this method chicken carcasses can be washed and C. jejuni identified all within 1 day. We detected C. jejuni in approximately 80% of four groups of chickens using this method. The identifications have been confirmed by standard microbiological techniques. more...

The purposes of this study were to examine the prevalence of gambling among youth, compare rates of gambling between 1992 and 1995, and determine what levels of gambling frequency may be considered common and uncommon. The two samples included 122,700 Minnesota public school students in the 6th, 9th, and 12th grades in 1992; and 75,900 9th and 12th grade students in 1995. Students were administered the Minnesota Student Survey, a 126-item, anonymous, self-administered, paper-and-pencil questionnaire that inquires about multiple content domains, including gambling behaviors. The same questionnaire, with minor revisions to the gambling items, was administered in both 1992 and 1995 to students in their classrooms by the Minnesota Department of Education. There were slight decreases in overall gambling rates from 1992 to 1995. The majority of students gambled at least once during the past year. However, most did not play any game on a weekly/daily rate and did not report any problems associated with their gambling. Gender, grade, and race effects were found for gambling frequency. Boys gambled more often than girls, and 9th and 12th grade students gambled more often than 6th grade students. Asian American and White students reported lower rates of gambling frequency than Mexican/Latin American, African American, and American Indian students. From a statistical standpoint (i.e., beyond the 97.7 percentile), it may be considered in the uncommon range for girls to play two or more games at a weekly/daily rate, and for boys to play four or more games at a weekly/daily rate. Variables associated with gambling frequency included antisocial behavior, gender, and alcohol use frequency. Although the finding that gambling did not increase from 1992 to 1995 is encouraging, this is the first generation of youth to be exposed to widespread accessibility to gambling venues and gambling advertising and it will be important to continue monitoring the prevalence of youth gambling. more...

BACKGROUND: Catered meals are common in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and physician offices. During a routine site visit of an outpatient clinic, Infection Control (IC) identified an outbreak of gastrointestinal (GI) illness among clinic employees. Personnel attributed their illness to a lunch catered from a local restaurant the previous day. METHODS: Cases were defined as personnel who ate catered food and developed two or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, fever, or chills. A menu and list of employees present at the luncheon were obtained. Clinic personnel were interviewed for food and symptom histories. Stool specimens and temperatures were collected on symptomatic personnel. The local department of health (DOH) and the hospital epidemiologist were notified, along with the vendor who provided the lunch. RESULTS: Fourteen cases were identified among 21 clinic personnel (attack rate=70%). The illness onset varied from 2 to 17 hours (median=12 hours) after lunch. Personnel reported the following symptoms: diarrhea (86%), abdominal cramps (66%), nausea (40%), chills (20%), and headache (20%). Personnel who ate pasta with cream sauce were more likely to become ill compared to those who did not (13/17 [76%] versus 1/3 [33%], p=0.14]. Stool cultures were obtained from six cases; all were negative for bacterial pathogens. Secondary illness developed in two family members of employees. Seven employees continued to have contact with patients while symptomatic and were reluctant to go home due to financial and staffing constraints. CONCLUSIONS: The attack rate and incubation period suggests this outbreak was directly related to a catered meal. IC and the DOH would not have been aware of this outbreak had the IC practitioner not arrived for a routine site visit. Clinic personnel were unaware that GI illness could be transmitted to others and continued to work while symptomatic. This investigation prompted education of the medical center's clinical administrators regarding the importance of notifying IC regarding foodborne illnesses and prohibiting symptomatic personnel from working. more...

Intracranial microinjections of the GABAA agonist muscimol were used to assess the involvement of the dentato-interposed cerebellar nuclear complex in the performance of the conditioned (CR) and unconditioned (UR) nictitating membrane responses in the rabbit. Specifically, the experiments test the hypothesis that the cerebellar nuclei are involved in the performance of both the CRs and URs. The experiments employed temporary nuclear lesions to disrupt the CRs in order to examine parallel effects on URs. Animals were conditioned in a standard delay conditioning paradigm. Injection sites at which the muscimol application disrupted execution of the CRs were identified in each rabbit. Once these sites were found, the effects of muscimol and saline injections were evaluated while alternating paired trials with unpaired trials in which only the unconditioned stimuli were applied. There are two main findings in the present study. First, the activation of the GABAA receptors in the dentato-interposed cerebellar nuclear region reduced the amplitude and increased the latency of the UR. This change in the UR closely paralleled the disruption of the CR. This observation is consistent with the notion that the cerebellum is involved in the regulation of defensive flexion reflexes. Second, cerebellar nuclear inactivation did not eliminate the tone-induced enhancement of the UR. This finding suggests the presence of cerebellum-independent circuits subserving the intermodal interaction between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. more...

Little is known of the needs of family members who provide home care to persons receiving ventilatory support (VS). In a structured interview of 44 care givers of 29 persons receiving VS, finances, provisions for emergencies, information, family relationships, and continuity of care were ranked as the most important needs. Needs for support services were ranked highest in importance to the care givers of persons receiving continuous VS, care givers who did not live in, and children of persons receiving VS. Parents of persons receiving VS ranked educational needs and attention to other family members of highest importance. Handling emergencies was most important to less experienced care givers, whereas financial and respite needs were more important to experienced and full-time care givers. Findings suggest the need for early participation of community health care professionals in care giver preparation, negotiations with third-party payers, 24-hour support services, information networks, and long-term, comprehensive coverage of services. more...

Constitutive levels of the ethanol-inducible cytochrome P450 (P450 2E1), as well as the extent of inducibility of this isozyme by pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole in alcohol-preferring and non-preferring lines of rats, were investigated in order to evaluate whether the presence of this enzyme correlates with preference for ethanol. The content of P450 2E1 as detected immunochemically, as well as catalytic activity of P450 2E1 associated with the oxidation of preferred substrates such as dimethylnitrosamine and p-nitrophenol, was similar in liver microsomes from preferring and non-preferring rats. 4-Methylpyrazole was a poor inducer of P450 2E1 in both lines. Pyrazole treatment produced an identical 3- to 4-fold increase in content and catalytic activity of P450 2E1 in the two lines. The preferring and non-preferring rats do not appear to differ in their liver microsomal contents of cytochromes P450 2B1/B2 or 1A1. It appears that preference for ethanol is not associated with differences in the constitutive values or altered susceptibility to induction of P450 2E1 in the liver. more...

Constitutive levels of the ethanol-inducible cytochrome P450 (P450 2E1), as well as the extent of inducibility of this isozyme by pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole in alcohol-preferring and non-preferring lines of rats, were investigated in order to evaluate whether the presence of this enzyme correlates with preference for ethanol. The content of P450 2E1 as detected immunochemically, as well as catalytic activity of P450 2E1 associated with the oxidation of preferred substrates such as dimethylnitrosamine and p-nitrophenol, was similar in liver microsomes from preferring and non-preferring rats. 4-Methylpyrazole was a poor inducer of P450 2E1 in both lines. Pyrazole treatment produced an identical 3- to 4-fold increase in content and catalytic activity of P450 2E1 in the two lines. The preferring and non-preferring rats do not appear to differ in their liver microsomal contents of cytochromes P450 2B1/B2 or 1A1. It appears that preference for ethanol is not associated with differences in the constitutive values or altered susceptibility to induction of P450 2E1 in the liver. more...