A proposed rapid methodology to assess the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment.

PURPOSE: To determine whether a sample of the 50-year-old and above population would provide comparable information to a total population-based survey. METHODS: In 1996, a national eye survey of the total population in The Gambia was undertaken and the results concerning the prevalence and distribution of blindness and low vision have been reported. The same data set was used to analyse the prevalence and causes of blindness and low vision in people aged 50 years and above, and to compare the findings with the total population. RESULTS: Of 55 bilaterally blind people in the total population, 83.6% were 50 years of age or older. The distribution by cause of blindness was similar for the total population and for those aged 50 years and above. Cataract and uncorrected aphakia accounted for 46% and 13%, respectively, in the total population and 48% and 15% in the 50 year and above age group. Trachoma accounted for 5% and 4%, and other corneal opacities for 16% and 13%, respectively. Phthisis bulbi, which may follow perforated corneal ulcers, ocular trauma/surgery or occasionally severe uveitis, accounted for 4% in both age groups, and glaucoma accounted for 9% in the total population and 11% in the 50 year plus group. CONCLUSION: Assessment of the 50 year and above age group proved to be a good indicator for the causes of blindness and visual impairment in the total population and for determining those causes of blindness that are avoidable. Such an assessment requires a much smaller sample size, less than 20% of the sample size for the total population, and is likely to be less expensive

Enhancement of pigmeat quality by altering pre-slaughter management

End of project reportThe studies presented in this report were conducted to investigate the effect of breed, slaughter weight, castration of male pigs and strategic feeding strategies on the performance of pigs to slaughter and on their carcass quality. The effect of breed, gender and feeding regimen on the performance of pigs and their carcass quality was examined in the first study (Section 3). From weaning to slaughter Landrace-sired pigs grew at a similar rate but had a better feed conversion efficiency compared with Duroc-sired pigs. Landrace-sired pigs also had a higher carcass lean and greater muscle depth than Duroc-sired pigs. Entire male pigs grew more efficiently, had lower lean content in their carcasses and had a reduced kill out yield when compared with gilts. The eye muscle depth was greater for gilts than entire males. Diluting the diet with grass-meal (GM) reduced growth rate, caused a deterioration in feed conversion efficiency, reduced back fat thickness, reduced eye muscle thickness and reduced kill out yield compared to the control feeding regimen of a cereal based diet. Compensatory growth was observed during a re-alimentation period following a period of diet dilution with grass-meal. However, where it did occur, in most cases it was only partial. Adding 5% rapeseed oil instead of lard to the finisher diet increased nitrogen utilization efficiency and phosphorous utilization efficiency. The effect of gender (boar, castrate, gilt) and slaughter weight (80 to 120kg) on pig performance, carcass quality, meat quality, and nitrogen excretion was investigated in the second study (Section 4). Boars grew faster than gilts and more efficiently than castrates or gilts. Castrates had a higher kill out yield than boars. Nitrogen excretion from castrates was similar to gilts which were both higher than that from boars. The processing value of carcasses from castrates may be higher than that of boars and gilts. In particular castrates had heavier loins and bellies than either boars or gilts. Carcasses from castrates and gilts had a higher temperature (recorded 24 hours post slaughter) than boars. However, pH24 was not affected by gender. The intramuscular fat content of the l. dorsi in castrates was higher than that of boars or gilts, however at 1.65% this was well below the level (2.0%) above which any noticeable sensory attributes might be detected. Feed intake increased with increasing slaughter weight and feed conversion efficiency deteriorated. N excretion also increased with each increment in weight. Carcass lean content increased up to 90kg live EOP 4939.doc 4 25/10/2005 weight then reached a plateau and declined after 110kg live weight. Heavier carcasses yielded more product for approximately the same slaughtering cost and the associated larger muscles could make it easier to use seam butchery techniques that result in lean, well-trimmed, attractive cuts and joints. The pH45 and pH24 were reduced with increasing slaughter weight and drip loss increased. Heavier pigs may be more prone to the development of PSE than lighter pigs as their carcass temperature remains higher for longer than that of lighter pigs

Validation of the self-completed Cambridge-Hopkins questionnaire (CH-RLSq) for ascertainment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a population survey.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Epidemiological studies of restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been limited by lack of a well validated patient-completed diagnostic questionnaire that has a high enough specificity to provide a reasonable positive predictive value. Most of the currently used patient completed diagnostic questionnaires have neither been validated nor included items facilitating the differential diagnosis of RLS from conditions producing similar symptoms. The Cambridge-Hopkins diagnostic questionnaire for RLS (CH-RLSq) was developed with several iterations to include items covering the basic diagnostic features of RLS and to provide some basic differential diagnosis. This validation study sought to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the RLS diagnosis based on this questionnaire. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The CH-RLSq was completed by 2005 blood donors who were asked to consent to being contacted for a telephone diagnostic interview. A scoring criterion was established for ascertainment of RLS based on the clinical definition of the disorder and the exclusion of "mimic" conditions. A weighted sample (N=185) of all completed questionnaires was selected for expert clinical diagnosis of RLS using the validated Hopkins Telephone Diagnostic Interview (HDTI). The telephone interviewers were blinded to all questionnaire responses. RESULTS: A telephone diagnosis was obtained on 183 of the sample's 185 questionnaires. The questionnaire's normalized sensitivity and specificity were 87.2% and 94.4%, respectively, for RLS compared to not RLS. The positive predictive values in this sample were 85.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire provides a reasonable level of sensitivity and specificity for ascertainment of RLS in population-based studies

RLS and blood donation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The link between brain iron deficiency and RLS is now well established. In a related observation, several conditions that can deplete iron stores have been linked to increased probability of RLS. Blood donation has been linked to iron deficiency. It has thus been hypothesized that donating blood may be a risk factor for developing RLS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two thousand and five UK blood donors, ranging from first-time donors to some who had donated more than 70 times, completed the validated Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire (CH-RLSq) following their donation session. The questionnaire included a set of questions designed to diagnose RLS. The donors' histories of blood donations were determined both from self-report and from the National Blood Service database. RESULTS: A number of statistical models were constructed to determine whether the probability of RLS diagnosis was related to the history of blood donations. Controlling for age and sex, no evidence was found to suggest that a greater number or frequency of blood donations increased the risk of RLS. Even amongst sub-groups especially vulnerable to iron depletion through blood donation, such as vegetarians or low weight individuals, no evidence for an increased risk of RLS could be found. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that the frequency or number of blood donations up to the UK maximum of three times a year would increase the risk of RLS

The effectiveness of phonological reading aids and the role of self-regulation in L2 Japanese kanji word learning

Accessing Japanese kanji word pronunciation is particularly challenging for Japanese second language (L2) learners due to the phonologically opaque nature of the Japanese writing system. As a result, this ‘phonological inaccessibility’ can negatively impact second language (L2) Japanese kanji word decoding, a vital skill in the learning and retaining L2 vocabulary. 98 adult beginner-to-intermediate level participants were recruited across divergent first language (L1) writing systems to investigate the effectiveness of using romaji and furigana as phonological reading aids in L2 Japanese kanji word learning. Results from an ANCOVA analysis found a significant overall main effect between the two phonological learning conditions, with a higher recall of novel kanji word pronunciation using the Romanised version of Japanese. In terms of phonological decoding of L2 Japanese kanji words, the results of this study provide further empirical support of the influence of cross-linguistic transfer in L2 learning. The effectiveness of phonological reading aids in kanji decoding by proficiency level found no statistically significant differences between learning groups. The implications for pedagogy are that early L2 learners of Japanese may benefit from using a Romanised version of Japanese to reinforce L2 kanji learning before moving on to more authentic writing systems. This study also explored L2 kanji word learning under the framework of self-regulation. Differences between L2 Japanese learners across divergent writing systems and proficiency levels were explored using a modified version of Tseng et. al’s. (2006) SRCVoc, called the ‘Self-Regulatory Capacity for learning Kanji’ developed by Rose (2017). Results of the cross-orthographic self-regulation analysis found no significant differences between different L1 learners, but did find significant differences in commitment control and metacognitive strategies by L2 proficiency level. Beginner-level learners scored higher than more advanced Japanese learners, suggesting that more advanced learners may suffer from a breakdown in self-regulation as they progress through higher stages of the language

Beryllium and Alpha-Element Abundances in a Large Sample of Metal-Poor Stars

The light elements, Li, Be, and B, provide tracers for many aspects of astronomy including stellar structure, Galactic evolution, and cosmology. We have taken spectra of Be in 117 metal-poor stars ranging in metallicity from [Fe/H] = -0.5 to -3.5 with Keck I + HIRES at a resolution of 42,000 and signal-to-noise ratios of near 100. We have determined the stellar parameters spectroscopically from lines of Fe I, Fe II, Ti I and Ti II. The abundances of Be and O were derived by spectrum synthesis techniques, while abundances of Fe, Ti, and Mg were found from many spectral line measurements. There is a linear relationship between [Fe/H] and A(Be) with a slope of +0.88 +-0.03 over three orders of magnitude in [Fe/H]. We fit the relationship between A(Be) and [O/H] with both a single slope and with two slopes. The relationship between [Fe/H] and [O/H] seems robustly linear and we conclude that the slope change in Be vs. O is due to the Be abundance. Although Be is a by-product of CNO, we have used Ti and Mg abundances as alpha-element surrogates for O in part because O abundances are rather sensitive to both stellar temperature and surface gravity. We find that A(Be) tracks [Ti/H] very well with a slope of 1.00 +-0.04. It also tracks [Mg/H] very well with a slope of 0.88 +-0.03. We find that there are distinct differences in the relationships of A(Be) and [Fe/H] and of A(Be) and [O/H] for our dissipative stars and our accretive stars. We suggest that the Be in the dissipative stars was primarily formed by GCR spallation and Be in the accretive stars was formed in the vicinity of SN II.Comment: Accepted for Ap.J. Nov. 10, 2011, v. 741 70 pages, 27 figures, 5 table

Distribution, seasonal occurrence, recruitment and growth of juvenile commercial flatfish species on the west coast of Ireland

The population dynamics of juvenile flatfish were investigated on the west coast of Ireland. Firstly, beach seining was carried out to assess spatial and temporal variations in flatfish assemblages, on sandy beach nursery grounds, in two regions, on the west coast of Ireland, Galway Bay (2002 to 2003) and Dingle Co. Kerry (2000 to 2003). In both locations 0+ plaice generally were numerically dominant in the catches. This is consistent with flatfish assemblages in European waters. There was a significant difference between beaches in the species composition and plaice densities in Galway Bay, while no annual differences could be discerned. Secondly, a push-net survey was carried out in Galway Bay from 2002 to 2003, to determine the settlement, seasonal occurrence, growth and mortality of 0+ plaice. Settlement occurred in late April in 2002, and in late March of 2003. Higher peak densities were recorded in 2003. Growth rates were similar to a predicted growth model obtained at optimal feeding conditions. Daily mortality rates were within that recorded elsewhere in European waters. Experimental push-netting showed that depth does not influence the catches of 0+ plaice in shallow water. Sampling at night produced significantly higher densities of 0+ plaice. Thirdly, otolith microstructure was used to determine hatching dates, larval period, settlement dates and growth of 0+ plaice in Galway Bay in 2003. Hatching time ranged from late January to late March. The larval period for fish ranged from 28 to 43 d, the lowest recorded in Europe. This was consistent with sea temperature, where higher temperatures have lower larval periods. Settlement period was longer than that determined by sampling, ranging from early to mid March to late April. Three cohorts of settlement were noted, which corresponded to pulses in hatching. Observed growth was similar to predicted growth and a strong inverse relationship was noted between growth and density

Non-homologous end-joining pathway associated with occurrence of myocardial infarction: gene set analysis of genome-wide association study data

<p>Purpose: DNA repair deficiencies have been postulated to play a role in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The hypothesis is that DNA damage accumulating with age may induce cell death, which promotes formation of unstable plaques. Defects in DNA repair mechanisms may therefore increase the risk of CVD events. We examined whether the joints effect of common genetic variants in 5 DNA repair pathways may influence the risk of CVD events.</p> <p>Methods: The PLINK set-based test was used to examine the association to myocardial infarction (MI) of the DNA repair pathway in GWAS data of 866 subjects of the GENetic DEterminants of Restenosis (GENDER) study and 5,244 subjects of the PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER) study. We included the main DNA repair pathways (base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)) in the analysis.</p> <p>Results: The NHEJ pathway was associated with the occurrence of MI in both GENDER (P = 0.0083) and PROSPER (P = 0.014). This association was mainly driven by genetic variation in the MRE11A gene (PGENDER = 0.0001 and PPROSPER = 0.002). The homologous recombination pathway was associated with MI in GENDER only (P = 0.011), for the other pathways no associations were observed.</p> <p>Conclusion: This is the first study analyzing the joint effect of common genetic variation in DNA repair pathways and the risk of CVD events, demonstrating an association between the NHEJ pathway and MI in 2 different cohorts.</p&gt

Visual census, photographic records and the trial of a video network provide first evidence of the elusive Sicyopterus cynocephalus in Australia

Opportunistic encounters with an elusive large-bodied sicydiine goby in a single plunge pool led us to photograph and deploy three video cameras to detect individuals in that pool. Subsequently, a catchment-wide search indicated that the species, eventually identified as Sicyopterus cynocephalus, was confined to the single pool where it was originally detected. A network of ten video cameras was then deployed to estimate the number of individuals of that species and of a congener, S. lagocephalus, by non-destructive means. This study provides the first record of S. cynocephalus in Australia, and showcases the synergy of active snorkel searches and a remote camera network in counting individuals of two sympatric species of Sicyopterus