Economic Studies Reinforce Efforts to Safeguard Specialty Crops in the United States.

Pathogen-tested foundation plant stocks are the cornerstone of sustainable specialty crop production. They provide the propagative units that are used to produce clean planting materials, which are essential as the first-line management option of diseases caused by graft-transmissible pathogens such as viruses, viroids, bacteria, and phytoplasmas. In the United States, efforts to produce, maintain, and distribute pathogen-tested propagative material of specialty crops are spearheaded by centers of the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN). Agricultural economists collaborated with plant pathologists, extension educators, specialty crop growers, and regulators to investigate the impacts of select diseases caused by graft-transmissible pathogens and to estimate the return on investments in NCPN centers. Economic studies have proven valuable to the NCPN in (i) incentivizing the use of clean planting material derived from pathogen-tested foundation plant stocks; (ii) documenting benefits of clean plant centers, which can outweigh operating costs by 10:1 to 150:1; (iii) aiding the development of disease management solutions that are not only ecologically driven but also profit maximizing; and (iv) disseminating integrated disease management recommendations that resonate with growers. Together, economic studies have reinforced efforts to safeguard specialty crops in the United States through the production and use of clean planting material.

Teaching safety at a summer camp: evaluation of a water safety curriculum in an urban community setting.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this project was to evaluate a water safety curriculum in a low-income, minority-focused, urban youth summer camp. The curriculum is available to Safe Kids Coalitions across the country; however, it has not previously been evaluated. METHODS: Participants were pre-K to third-grade students (n = 166). Children watched a video and received the curriculum in a classroom setting. Each child was given a pre-, post-, and 3-week retention exam to assess knowledge change. Mean test scores and number of safety rules participants could list were analyzed using paired Student's t tests. Parents were given a baseline survey at the beginning (n = 140) and end of the weeklong curriculum (n = 118). RESULTS: The participants were 50% male, 27.5% Hispanic, 68.7% African American, and 3.8% biracial. Children were divided into three groups: pre-K/kindergarten, first and second grade, and third grade. Children in each of the groups received higher knowledge scores at the posttest (p = .0097, p < .0001, and p < .0001, respectively), with little decline in scores at the 3-week retention exam. Similar results were seen for the ability to list safety rules, though the number fell slightly between the posttest and retention test. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that children possessed more knowledge of water safety after receiving this curriculum. This knowledge increase was maintained through the 3-week retention exam. Further evaluation of the curriculum's content and its impact on water safety beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors are needed, as well as evaluation of additional settings, risk areas, and the role of parental involvement.

Pediatric injuries in Central Texas.

In Texas, more children aged from 1 through 14 years die from injury-related causes than from the next 9 causes of death combined. Injuries to children hospitalized in Central Texas during 2003 and 2004 were caused predominantly by falls and motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) and resulted in a large number of fractures and open wounds. Fifty-six Central Texas children died in 2003 and 2004 after reaching the hospital, out of a total of 175 children killed in injury-related events during this period. Most injury-related deaths were due to a traumatic brain injury. Most of the children suffering injury in MVCs were not restrained at the time of the accident. Injury data are invaluable to injury prevention efforts. These data were gathered from the Public Use Data File maintained by the Injury and EMS/Trauma Registry Group at the Department of State Health Services; limitations of the data set are discussed, and implications for injury prevention are highlighted.

Screening for risky alcohol use among caregivers of pediatric trauma patients: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Injury is the leading cause of death for children and has been linked to caregiver drinking. Screening and brief intervention for risky drinking has been successful in adult trauma centers but has not been evaluated in caregivers of pediatric trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate a pilot screening process for risky drinking caregivers, to determine rates of risky alcohol use, and to assess potential relationships between risky drinking and child safety behaviors. METHODS: Caregivers of pediatric trauma patients were screened by trained injury prevention educators. The screening assessed risky drinking, tobacco and illicit drug use, and child safety behaviors. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, frequency comparisons, and univariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Over 7 months, 295 caregivers were screened; 32.5% (n = 96) screened positive for risky alcohol use. For 173 injured children, one caregiver was screened, and for 61 children, two caregivers were screened. In the one-caregiver group, 29% (n = 50) screened positive for risky drinking. For the two-caregiver group, in 18% (n = 11) of the cases, both caregivers screened positive, whereas in 39% (n = 24) only one caregiver screened positive. Males were more likely to screen positive (p < 0.01). Relationships between reported child safety behaviors and risky drinking were of interest, but not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study demonstrate that a substantial number of caregivers of pediatric trauma patients will self-report risky drinking behaviors, and therefore, an opportunity exists for these families to receive the benefits of screening and brief intervention programs in pediatric trauma care settings.

Screening for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a select sample of injured and uninjured pediatric patients.

PURPOSE: Injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality to children. The purpose of this study is to compare attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) screening results in a select group of injured pediatric patients to noninjured patients. METHODS: Parents of patients 6 to 12 years of age were enrolled in the study. Patients were either admitted for specific injury mechanisms (n = 133) or appendicitis (n = 157). Demographic and medical data were collected, and an ADHD screening tool was administered. Logistic regression models were used to compare screening results between groups. RESULTS: The injured patient group was 3.25 times more likely to screen positive for ADHD (odds ratio, 3.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-6.72; P = .002) than the appendicitis group. Among the injured patients who screened positive for ADHD, only 34.0% reported currently receiving treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that pediatric patients with certain injury mechanisms may warrant screening and referral for ADHD. Appropriate identification and treatment of undiagnosed ADHD may reduce the burden of injury recidivism. Screening and referral for ADHD within a trauma service should be evaluated for effectiveness as an injury prevention initiative.

Prevalence of craniorachischisis in a Texas-Mexico border population.

BACKGROUND: The most severe neural tube defect (NTD), craniorachischisis, is characterized by anencephaly confluent with spina bifida open from the cervical to the lumbar region. We describe the prevalence of craniorachischisis among the Texas-Mexico border population during the period 1993-1999. METHODS: An active surveillance system identified all clinically apparent NTD-affected fetuses and infants born to mothers residing and delivering in any of the 14 Texas-Mexico border counties. Craniorachischisis cases included live-born, stillborn, and therapeutic abortions. RESULTS: A total of 16 craniorachischisis cases were identified for a total prevalence of 0.51 per 10,000 live births (Mexican American prevalence, 0.52 per 10,000) and a prevalence of 0.28 per 10,000 live births for cases of 20 weeks gestation or greater. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of craniorachischisis was higher than that reported in Atlanta (0.1 per 10,000 live births), but much lower than that reported in Northern China (10.7 per 10,000 births). In this high NTD prevalence region, it is possible that a multiplicity of risk factors, mostly related to poverty, contribute to a high prevalence of craniorachischisis.

Axonal conduction properties of antidromically identified neurons in rat barrel cortex.

Physiological studies of the rodent somatosensory cortex have consistently described considerable heterogeneity in receptive field properties of neurons outside of layer IV, particularly those in layers V and VI. One such approach for distinguishing among different local circuits in these layers may be to identify the projection target of neurons whose axon collaterals contribute to the local network. In vivo, this can be accomplished using antidromic stimulation methods. Using this approach, the axonal conduction properties of cortical efferent neurons are described. Four projection sites were activated using electrical stimulation: (1) vibrissal motor cortex, (2) ventrobasal thalamus (VB), (3) posteromedial thalamic nucleus (POm), and (4) cerebral peduncle. Extracellular recordings were obtained from a total of 169 units in 21 animals. Results demonstrate a close correspondence between the laminar location of the antidromically identified neurons and their anatomically known layer of origin. Axonal properties were most distinct for corticofugal axons projecting through the crus cerebri. Corticothalamic axons projecting to either VB or POm were more similar to each other in terms of laminar location and conduction properties, but could be distinguished using focal electrical stimulation. It is concluded that, once stimulation parameters are adjusted for the small volume of the rat brain, the use of antidromic techniques may be an effective strategy to differentiate among projection neurons comprising different local circuits in supra- and infragranular circuits.

Effect of antenatal steroid administration on the fetal biophysical profile.

PURPOSE: Our objective was to determine whether antenatal steroid administration affects the biophysical profile score in fetuses. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 84 fetuses between 28 and 34 weeks' menstrual age at risk of preterm delivery. Two intramuscular injections of 12 mg of betamethasone were given to the mother 24 hours apart. All fetuses underwent biophysical profile testing prior to and between 24 and 48 hours after steroid administration. Biophysical profiles (including nonstress tests) were evaluated by two maternal-fetal medicine specialists blinded to the timing of steroid administration. Neonatal outcome, including Apgar score, menstrual age at delivery, admission to and length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, and mortality, was analyzed in all subjects. RESULTS: In 31 (37%; 95 confidence interval, 26.6-47.2%) of 84 cases, the biophysical profile score decreased at least 2 points after steroid administration. The most commonly affected variables were fetal breathing and the nonstress test. There was no significant difference in the neonatal outcome between the fetuses whose biophysical profile decreased and those whose did not. CONCLUSIONS: Biophysical profile scores were decreased in more than one third of fetuses within 48 hours of antenatal steroid administration, but neonatal outcome was not affected. Knowledge of this occurrence could avoid incorrect decision making regarding fetal well-being.

Sensory loss by selected whisker removal produces immediate disinhibition in the somatosensory cortex of behaving rats.

This study used extracellular unit recordings in behaving animals to evaluate thalamocortical response transformations in the rat whisker-barrel system. Based on previous acute studies using controlled whisker stimulation, we hypothesized that in a cortical barrel adjacent (non-principal) whiskers exert a net inhibitory effect. In contrast, in thalamic barreloid neurons, the effects of neighboring whiskers should be net facilitatory. We evaluated these hypotheses by recording unit activity at 21 sites in 17 animals trained to explore a wire mesh screen with their whiskers. In the middle of the recording session, selected vibrissae were clipped close to the skin surface. The absence of whiskers surrounding the principal whisker was associated with a mean 20% increase in cortical activity and, conversely, a 37% decrease in the thalamic activity. Removal of the principal whisker resulted in a 50% decrease in cortical unit firing. Findings are consistent with the idea that, in the behaving animal, each barrel uses multi-whisker thalamic inputs and local inhibitory circuitry to sharpen the receptive field properties of its constituent neurons. Cortical disinhibition as a consequence of selective whisker removal is likely to be an important factor underlying altered receptive field properties in sensory-deprived animals.

When days are numbered: calendar structure and the development of calendar processing in English and Chinese.

Unlike English, Chinese uses a numerical system for naming months and days. This study explored whether this difference in naming affects the development of simple calendar calculation. Eight- and 10-year-old children as well as undergraduates in China and the United States were asked to name the day or month that comes a specified time before or after a given day or month. In each age group Chinese speakers primarily used calculation based on calendar names to solve these tasks, while English speakers primarily resorted to reciting the names. The magnitude of these differences was substantial; on difficult tasks Chinese fourth graders performed at speeds comparable to those of English-speaking adults. Implications for models of how linguistic structure affects cognition are discussed.

Effects of a developmental physical therapy program on oxygen saturation and heart rate in preterm infants.

To evaluate the physiologic responses of 14 preterm infants to physical therapy, pulse oximetry was used to measure the percentage of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and heart rate during baseline, intervention, and recovery phases. Treatment consisted of six one-minute activities that were equally divided between the side-lying and supported-sitting positions. The order of position and activities was randomly varied. A one-way analysis of variance for repeated measures revealed no significant changes in mean SaO2 as a function of the position or duration of intervention. Mean heart rate increased significantly as a result of intervention (p less than .0001), but there was no significant difference between the baseline and recovery phases. Further analysis indicated that the change in heart rate was not a function of duration of intervention. The results indicate that the preterm infants were able to tolerate the intervention without desaturation. The return of heart rate to baseline values during the recovery phase suggested a normal physiologic response to exercise. Despite some technical limitations, pulse oximetry is recommended to monitor preterm infants during physical therapy.

Neutrophil and monocyte adherence in diabetes mellitus, alcoholic cirrhosis, uraemia and elderly patients.

The neutrophil and monocyte adherence were assessed in patients with diseases which predispose them to increased risk of infections. Neutrophil adherence was found to be markedly impaired in diabetes mellitus, alcoholic cirrhosis and uraemia. Monocyte adherence was also depressed in patients with diabetes mellitus and alcoholic cirrhosis, but not in patients with uraemia. Thus, the increased susceptibility of these categories of patients to infection can be explained in part by a defect in adherence. In contrast, neutrophil and monocyte adherence in elderly patients were comparable to that in healthy young adults, which confirms previous observations that the age-dependent decline in immunological function affects mainly the T and B cell systems.

Human monocyte adherence measured by the nylon fibre microcolumn technique.

A simple rapid method for the measurement of human monocyte adherence using nylon fibre microcolumns is described. The kinetics indicate the optimal contact time to be 30 min for monocytes, compared with 10 min for neutrophils. The optimal temperature is 37 degrees C; significantly low values were obtained for 4 degrees C and 45 degrees C, while intermediate values were obtained for 25 degrees C. Monocyte adherence was more sensitive to inhibition by fluoride than cyanide, suggesting that energy for adherence is mainly derived from the glycolytic pathway. The addition of phorbol myristate acetate enhances monocyte adherence. Significant decay in monocyte adherence occurred after isolation from whole blood for 24 h or longer.

Decay of granulocyte adherence following isolation from human blood.

We studied the rate of decay of granulocyte adherence following isolation from human blood using the nylon-fibre microcolumn technique recently developed in our laboratory. The decay in adherence was found to be evident by 6 h, pronounced by 24 h, and very substantial by 48 h. This decay in adherence can be reversed by incubation at 4 degrees C instead of 37 degrees C. It can also be retarded by incubation with both superoxide dismutase and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The data suggests that peroxidation of the granulocyte membrane is a possible mechanism for the decay in granulocyte adherence. These results provide further insight into biological aspects of granulocyte activity, and have implications for the laboratory evaluation of granulocyte function.