Digital Commons Network^™

On A Simple Method For Analyzing Multivariate Survival Data Using Sample Survey Methods, Pingfu Fu, J. Sunil Rao

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

A simple technique is illustrated for analyzing multivariate survival data. The data situation arises when an individual records multiple survival events, or when individuals recording single survival events are grouped into clusters. Past work has focused on developing new methods to handle such data. Here, we use a connection between Poisson regression and survival modeling and a cluster sampling approach to adjust the variance estimates. The approach requires parametric assumption for the marginal hazard function, but avoids specification of a joint multivariate survival distribution. A simulation study demonstrates the proposed approach is a competing method of recent developed marginal approaches …

Human Fetal, Cord Blood, And Adult Lymphocyte Progenitors Have Similar Potential For Generating B Cells With A Diverse Immunoglobulin Repertoire, Grant R. Kolar, Takafumi Yokota, Maria Isabel D. Rossi, Swapan K. Nath, J. Donald Capra

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Several characteristics of the immunoglobulin (Ig) repertoire in fetuses and adults set them apart from each other. Functionally, this translates into differences in the affinity and effectiveness of the humoral immune response between adults and the very young. At least 2 possibilities could explain these differences: (1) fetal and adult lymphocyte progenitors differ significantly in their potential to form a diverse repertoire, and (2) factors extrinsic to the immunoglobulin locus are more influential to the character of the repertoire. To address this, we used nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficient- β2 microglobulin knockout (NOD/SCID/β2m ^-/-) mice reconstituted with human B-cell progenitors …

Application Of Genotypic And Phenotypic Analyses To Commercial Probiotic Strain Identity And Relatedness, P. S. M. Yeung, Christopher L. Kitts, Phillip S. Tong, M. E. Sanders

Biological Sciences

Aims: The objective of this study was to generate strain-specific genomic patterns of a bank of 67 commercial and reference probiotic strains, with a focus on probiotic lactobacilli.
Methods and Results: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used as the primary method for strain differentiation. This method was compared with carbohydrate fermentation analysis. To supplement visual comparison, PFGE patterns were analysed quantitatively by cluster analysis using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages. SmaI, NotI and XbaI were found to effectively generate clear and easy-to-interpret PFGE patterns of a range of probiotic strains. Some probiotic strains from different sources shared highly …

Application Of Genotypic And Phenotypic Analyses To Commerical Probiotic Strain Identity And Relatedness, P.S.M. Yeung, C. L. Kitts, R. Cano, P. Tong

Biological Sciences

Aims: The objective of this study was to generate strain-specific genomic patterns of a bank of 67 commercial and reference probiotic strains, with a focus on probiotic lactobacilli.

Methods and Results: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used as the primary method for strain differentiation. This method was compared with carbohydrate fermentation analysis. To supplement visual comparison, PFGE patterns were analysed quantitatively by cluster analysis using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages. SmaI, NotI and XbaI were found to effectively generate clear and easy-to-interpret PFGE patterns of a range of probiotic strains. Some probiotic strains from different sources …

A Protozoan Parasite In Wild And Captive Monarch Butterfly Populations Near Monteverde, Costa Rica, November 2004, Joanna Hsu

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Although the protozoan parasite Ophyrocystis elektroscirrha was first recovered from Danaus plexippus (Nymphalidae: Danainae) and Danaus gilippus populations in Florida in 1966 and has since been found in many other monarch and queen populations worldwide, no previous studies have shown that this parasite infects butterflies in Costa Rica. This study is the first to do so, documenting the occurrence of Ophryocystis elektroscirrha in a wild and butterfly garden population of D. plexippus near Monteverde, Costa Rica. Although only a few infected individuals were found in both populations, there was a stark contrast in the number of parasites per individual between …

November 1, 2004 Reporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus In Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman A. Alrajhi

Saudi Medical Journal

The human immunodeficiency virus HIV type 1 has evolved as one of the most important global infectious pathogens. Although the virus had initially emerged among certain high risk groups in developed countries, it quickly gained momentum in developing countries threatening most population groups. The first case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was diagnosed in 1984. Twenty years later, by the end of 2003, 1509 patients have been reported to have acquired HIV 1. The majority of the early infected patients have acquired HIV 1 from blood product transfusion. Subsequently, the most prevalent mode of transmission …

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns Of Group B Streptococci Isolated From Pregnant Women In Trinidad, West Indies, Fitzroy A. Orrett

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Civil Rights And The "Twinkie" Tax: The 900-Pound Gorilla In The War On Obesity, Sayward Byrd

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of The Human Tissue Industry: A Call For Fast-Track Regulations, Michael Leachman

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients In Relationship To Post Transplant Coronary Artery Disease, Mark Randall

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Post transplant coronary artery disease influences short and long-term survival of pediatric heart transplant recipients. Associated cardiovascular disease risk factors among non-heart transplant adult and pediatric heart populations for development of coronary artery disease have been documented. Little is known about these typical cardiovascular disease risk factors as well as other possible risk factors in the development of post transplant coronary artery disease. Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine children/adolescents (n=194), 5-18 years old, at least one-year post heart transplant. This study also investigated if there were physiological and psychological/behavioral differences between recipients with (n = 28) …

The Natural History And The National Pre-Marital Screening Program In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Medical Journal

The genetic disorders are chronic in nature and, therefore, require continuous support and health care. Consequently, the genetic diseases cause formidable economic and psychosocial burdens on the family with negative reflection on the community at large. The genetic diseases are a heterogeneous group that result in varieties of chronic health ailment as a result of defects in the genetic material. The congenital malformations and some genetic defects may result from exposure to radiation, pharmaceutical drugs, the exposure of the mother during pregnancy to certain infectious diseases, such as rubella, toxoplasma or viruses. It may also result as a side effect …

Evaluation Of A Pcr-Amplified Is6110 Insertion Element In The Rapid Diagnosis Of Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Comparison To Microscopic Methods In Sudan, Tarig G. El-Dawi, Mohamed E. Hamid

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method (IS6110 insertion site) in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in sputum samples in comparison to smears by using culture on Loewenstein-Jensen medium as a standard. METHODS: The study was conducted during the period 1999 through to 2000, at Khartoum Teaching Hospital, Sudan, on 200 sputum samples. The samples were collected from patients suspected of having pulmonary tuberculosis, were examined using a PCR amplified IS6110 insertion element in comparison to Ziehl-Neelsen stained smears in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Culture on …

Seroprevalence Of Bartonella Henselae And Bartonella Quintana Infections In Children From Central And Northern Jordan, Ahmad M. Al-Majali, Khaled M. Al-Qudah

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of antibodies to Bartonella henselae (B.henselae) and Bartonella quintana (B.quintana) among children from central and northern Jordan. METHODS: Sera from 482 children were randomly collected from referenced governmental hospitals in the central and northern parts of Jordan during the period between January 2001 to March 2003. An indirect immunofluorescent assay was used to determine serum antibody titers to B.henselae and B.quintana. Sera that were reactive at a dilution >/-1:64 were considered positive. In addition, blood from 20 cats belonged to children with high B.henselae titers were tested using polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Out of the …

Eradicating Footrot From Western Australia - A Farmer's Guide, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

Virulent footrot can occur on any farm in the medium to high rainfall zone. Persons who regularly buy and sell sheep take a greater risk, but even properties with a closed breeding flock are at risk from stray sheep. People often associate footrot with properties managed by inefficient farmers. This is a false belief. Many good farmers have found the disease in their sheep, including high profile studs. Footrot can strike anywhere and often without warning. It is important to remember that once it is found; getting to know and understand the disease will help you to beat it. A …

Contemporary Corporate Theory Applied To The Health Care Sector: A Canadian Perspective, Janis Sarra

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Taking Sides In The Vaccine/Autism Legal Battle, Bartholomew C. Wacek

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law

No abstract provided.

Rabies Deaths In Pakistan: Results Of Ineffective Post-Exposure Treatment, Shehzad Parviz, Rashid Chotani, Joseph Mccormick, Sue Fisher-Hoch, Stephen Luby

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: To estimate the incidence of rabies and the effectiveness of post-exposure treatment (PET) in Pakistan.Methods: Rabies cases admitted from July 1993 to December 1994 to a public rabies isolation hospital were analyzed. Two samples (one sample each from a separate peripheral site) of a single batch of sheep brain vaccine (SBV) were also tested for potency by the National Institute of Health (NIH) test in May 1997.Results: Forty patients were admitted with a history of clinical rabies. The median age was 22 years and 55% were under 15. Thirteen (23%) victims did not receive any vaccine; the remaining 27 …

Socio-Cultural, Environmental And Health Challenges Facing Women And Children Living Near The Borders Between Afghanistan, Iran And Pakistan (Aip Region), Iraj M. Poureslami, David R. Maclean, Jerry Spiegel, Annalee Yassi

Journal of International Women's Studies

For hundreds of years, people in the AIP region (the Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan borders) have been challenged by conflict and political and civil instability, mass displacement, human rights abuses, drought and famine. Given this sad history, it not surprising that in this region health and quality of life of vulnerable groups are among the worst in the world. In spite of national and international efforts to improve health status of vulnerable populations in this region, the key underlying socio-cultural determinants of health and disparities, i.e. gender, language, ethnicity, residential status, and socio-economic status (SES), have not been addressed or even systematically studied, …

The Rise And Decline Of Structural Remedies, Russell L. Weaver

San Diego Law Review

One of the most significant remedial developments during the twentieth century was the rise and (partial) decline of the structural injunction in which courts, usually federal courts, restructure or reshape legislative or administrative agencies such as schools or prisons. Structural remedies appear to be inconsistent with the judicial function conceptually. Despite this concern, federal courts have entered structural relief in an extraordinary array of cases that have dramatically reshaped society. This Article examines the structural remedy and offers some reflections on its appropriate use.

Dynamical Epidemic Suppression Using Stochastic Prediction And Control, Ira Schwartz, Lora Billings, Erik Bollt

Department of Mathematics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We consider the effects of noise on a model of epidemic outbreaks, where the outbreaks appear randomly. Using a constructive transition approach that predicts large outbreaks prior to their occurrence, we derive an adaptive control scheme that prevents large outbreaks from occurring. The theory is applicable to a wide range of stochastic processes with underlying deterministic structure.

Murray Ledger And Times, October 26, 2004, Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

Washington University Record, October 22, 2004

Washington University Record

No abstract provided.

Hospital Volunteers: A Study Of Motivation, Judith Blanchard

Master's Theses

This study was conducted using in-depth interviews of 21 hospital volunteers to determine what motivations were operative in their choice to volunteer in a hospital and to determine whether any significant differences with regard to their motivation could be ascertained on the basis of age or gender. The study further probed the satisfaction and needs of these volunteers relative to their choice and motivation.

The study found that a combination of altruistic concerns, personal interests, and needs were fundamental to the study participants' volunteer choices. No clear differences in motivation were found on the basis of gender. Retirement from employment …

The Cowl - V. 69 N. 8 - October 21, 2004

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 69 No. 8 - October 21, 2004. 24 pages.

2nd National Invasive Rodent Summit

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Papers (abstracts follow)

Historical perspectives and current ecological impacts of nutria in Louisiana
Urban desert islands
Flea control on wild rodents
An overview of rodent control to protect biodiversity on mainland New Zealand
Risk assessment of rodenticide use in New Zealand
Rodents on oceanic islands
Invasive species
Improving the management of rat control damage on the Caribbean National Forest
The USGS role in nutria research and management
Controlling roof rats (Rattus rattus) for protection of Puerto Rican parrots
Anticoagulant resistance in farm rat populations in the UK
Invasive rodent research priorities in New Zealand
The National Invasive Species Council
Integrated …

The Bg News October 19, 2004, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. October 19, 2004. Volume 95-Issue 40.

October 18, 2004 Reporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Feral Swine Impacts On Agriculture And The Environment, Nathan W. Seward, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Gary W. Witmer, Richard M. Engeman

Sheep and Goat Research Journal

More than 30 species of exotic freeranging mammals have become established in the United States since European colonization (De Vos et al., 1956; McKnight, 1964; Roots, 1976). These species often become serious economic pests and can have grave consequences on their host environments (Cottam, 1956; De Vos et al., 1956; Mayer and Brisbin, 1991). True wild pigs (Suidae) are not native to the United States. Only the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu; Tayassuidae) that inhabits the southwestern and south-central parts of the United States is native (Mayer and Brandt, 1982; Mayer and Wetzel, 1986). Feral swine (Sus scrofa …

A Heuristic Methodology For Locating Monitoring Stations To Detect Contamination Events In Potable Water Distribution Systems, James R. Chastain Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The requirements to protect public water systems from intentional contamination have expanded in the years following September 11, 2001. The areal extent and non-linear nature of water demand and movement in the distribution system makes efficient location of sampling points difficult. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that contamination conceptually can occur at any point and at any time within the distribution system. Small to mid-sized water systems are especially at a disadvantage in addressing this issue due to limited resources available to them.

This paper proposes a heuristic methodology to identify strategic locations within the system that can …