Paid employment of mothers and fathers of an adult child with multiple disabilities

Background Paid employment is increasingly undertaken by mothers as their children age, with the majority of women being in employment by the time their offspring are adult. Opportunities to engage in employment appear to be reduced for mothers of children with disabilities; however, little is known about the employment of mothers or fathers of adults with disabilities. Method Data were collected regarding the employment decisions of parents of a young adult with multiple disabilities and contrasted with those of parents whose children were all developing normally. Twenty-five mothers and 12 fathers of a young adult with multiple disabilities were interviewed, as were 25 comparison mothers and 19 comparison fathers. Data collected included hours of work, reasons for employment status, attitudes towards work and child care, and psychological well-being. Results Clear differences were found between the two groups. Mothers and fathers of a child with multiple disabilities showed different engagement patterns with the paid workforce from comparison parents. Hours of work for fathers of a young adult with multiple disabilities showed a bi-modal distribution, with some fathers working fewer hours than usual and others working very long hours. For mothers in both groups, the number of hours in paid employment was negatively associated with reports of psychological problems. Conclusions Increased attention needs to be given to the employment opportunities of parents of children with disabilities since employment appears to play a protective role for mothers, in particular. Services provided to adults with disabilities will need to change if parents are to have the same life chances as parents without adult offspring with a disability.

Multiple ciguatoxins present in Indian Ocean reef fish

Optimised gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/MS) methods, in combination with a [H-3]-brevetoxin binding assay (RLB), revealed multiple ciguatoxins in a partially purified extract of a highly toxic Lutjanus sebae (red emperor) from the Indian Ocean. Two major ciguatoxins of 1140.6 Da (I-CTX-1 and -2) and two minor ciguatoxins of 1156.6 Da (I-CTX-3 and -4) were identified. Accurate mass analysis revealed that I-CTX-1 and -2 and Caribbean C-CTX-1 had indistinguishable masses (1140.6316 Da, at 0.44 ppm resolution). Toxicity estimated from LC/MS/RLB responses indicated that I-CTX-1 and -2 were both similar to 60% the potency of Pacific ciguatoxin-1 (P-CTX-1). In contrast to ciguatoxins of the Pacific where the more oxidised ciguatoxins are more potent, I-CTX-3 and -4 were similar to 20% of P-CTX-1 potency. Interconversion in dilute acid or on storage, typical of spiroketal and hemiketal functionality found in P-CTXs and C-CTXs, respectively, was not observed to occur between I-CTX-1 and -2. The ratio of CTX-1 and -2 varied depending on the fish extract being analysed. These results suggest that I-CTX-1 and -2 may arise from separate dinoflagellate precursors that may be oxidatively biotransformed to I-CTX-3 and -4 in fish. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Yield response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes to different types of drought under rainfed lowlands - Part 1. Grain yield and yield components

Responses of rice genotypes to drought stress may be different when characteristics of the drought stress environments differ. The performance of 128 genotypes was examined under irrigation and four different types of drought stress, to determine genotypic consistency in yield and factors determining yields under different drought stress conditions. The different drought conditions were mild drought during grain filling, short and severe drought at flowering, prolonged severe drought during the reproductive to grain filling, and prolonged mild drought during vegetative and grain filling. Genotypic grain yield under mild stress conditions was associated with yield under irrigated conditions, indicating the importance of potential yield in environments where the yield reduction was less than 50%. However, yields under irrigated conditions differed over time and locations. Under prolonged or severe drought conditions, flowering time was an important determinant of grain yield. Earlier flowering genotypes escaped the severe stress and had higher grain yields indicating large genotype by environment (G x E) interactions which have implications for plant breeding even for mild stress. It is suggested that variations in flowering time, potential yields and drought patterns need to be considered for development of drought-resistant cultivars using specific physiological traits. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The triad of bilateral retinoblastoma, dysplastic naevus syndrome and multiple cutaneous malignant melanomas: a case report and review of the literature

We report a case of a patient with the triad of retinoblastoma, dysplastic naevus syndrome (DNS) and multiple cutaneous melanomas. The combination of retinoblastoma and DNS is a significant risk factor for the development of cutaneous melanoma. This risk extends to family members. We recommend that survivors of (inherited) retinoblastoma and their relatives are closely screened for the presence of dysplastic naevi. (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Behavior of argon gas release from manganese oxide minerals as revealed by Ar-40/Ar-39 laser incremental heating analysis

Manganese oxides in association with paleo-weathering may provide significant insights into the multiple factors affecting the formation and evolution of weathering profiles, such as temperature, precipitation, and biodiversity. Laser probe step-heating analysis of supergene hollandite and cryptomelane samples collected from central Queensland, Australia, yield well-defined plateaus and consistent isochron ages, confirming the feasibility, dating very-fined supergene manganese oxides by Ar-40/(39) Ar technique. Two distinct structural sites hosting Ar isotopes can be identified in light of their degassing behaviors obtained by incremental heating analyses. The first site, releasing its gas fraction at the laser power 0.2-0.4 W, yields primarily Ar-40(atm), Ar-38(atm), and Ar-36(atm), (atmospheric Ar isotopes). The second sites yield predominantly Ar-40* (radiogenic Ar-40), Ar-39(K), and Ar-38(K) (nucleogenic components), at similar to0.5-1.0 W. There is no significant Ar gas released at the laser power higher than 1.0 W, indicating the breakdown of the tunnel sites hosting the radiogenic and nucleogenic components. The excellent match between the degassing behaviors of Ar-40*, Ar-39(K), and Ar-38(K) suggests that these isotopes occupy the same crystallographic sites and that Ar-39(K) loss from the tunnel site by recoil during neutron irradiation and/or bake-out procedure preceding isotopic analysis does not occur. Present investigation supports that neither the overwhelming atmospheric Ar-40 nor the very-fined nature of the supergene manganese oxides poses problems in extracting meaningful weathering geo-chronological information by analyzing supergene manganese oxides minerals.

Consensus neuropathological diagnosis of common dementia syndromes: testing and standardising the use of multiple diagnostic criteria

The aim of this study was to assess the variation between neuropathologists in the diagnosis of common dementia syndromes when multiple published protocols are applied. Fourteen out of 18 Australian neuropathologists participated in diagnosing 20 cases (16 cases of dementia, 4 age-matched controls) using consensus diagnostic methods. Diagnostic criteria, clinical synopses and slides from multiple brain regions were sent to participants who were asked for case diagnoses. Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, accuracy and variability were determined using percentage agreement and kappa statistics. Using CERAD criteria, there was a high inter-rater agreement for cases with probable and definite Alzheimer's disease but low agreement for cases with possible Alzheimer's disease. Braak staging and the application of criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies also resulted in high inter-rater agreement. There was poor agreement for the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and for identifying small vessel disease. Participants rarely diagnosed more than one disease in any case. To improve efficiency when applying multiple diagnostic criteria, several simplifications were proposed and tested on 5 of the original 210 cases. Inter-rater reliability for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies significantly improved. Further development of simple and accurate methods to identify small vessel lesions and diagnose frontotemporal dementia is warranted.

Distribution kinetics of solutes in the isolated in-situ perfused rat head using the multiple indicator dilution technique and a physiological two-barrier model

The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of [C-14]diclofenac, [C-14]salicylate and [H-3]clonidine using a single pass rat head perfusion preparation. The head was perfused with 3-[N-morpholino] propane-sulfonic acid-buffered Ringer's solution. Tc-99m-red blood cells and a drug were injected in a bolus into the internal carotid artery and collected from the posterior facial vein over 28 min. A two-barrier stochastic organ model was used to estimate the statistical moments of the solutes. Plasma, interstitial and cellular distribution volumes for the solutes ranged from 1.0 mL (diclofenac) to 1.6 mL (salicylate), 2.0 mL (diclofenac) to 4.2 mL (water) and 3.9 mL (salicylate) to 20.9 mL (diclofenac), respectively. A comparison of these volumes to water indicated some exclusion of the drugs from the interstitial space and salicylate from the cellular space. Permeability-surface area (PS) products calculated from plasma to interstitial fluid permeation clearances (CLPI) (range 0.02-0.40 mL s(-1)) and fractions of solute unbound in the perfusate were in the order: diclofenac>salicylate >clonidine>sucrose (from 41.8 to 0.10 mL s(-1)). The slow efflux of diclofenac, compared with clonidine and salicylate, may be related to its low average unbound fraction in the cells. This work accounts for the tail of disposition curves in describing pharmacokinetics in the head.

Extensive multiple test centre evaluation of the VecTest malaria antigen panel assay

To determine which species and populations of Anopheles transmit malaria in any given situation, immunological assays for malaria sporozoite antigen can replace traditional microscopical examination of freshly dissected Anopheles. We developed a wicking assay for use with mosquitoes that identifies the presence or absence of specific peptide epitopes of circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium falciparum and two strains of Plasmodium vivax (variants 210 and 247). The resulting assay (VecTest(TM) Malaria) is a rapid, one-step procedure using a 'dipstick' test strip capable of detecting and distinguishing between P. falciparum and P. vivax infections in mosquitoes. The objective of the present study was to test the efficacy, sensitivity, stability and field-user acceptability of this wicking dipstick assay. In collaboration with 16 test centres world-wide, we evaluated more than 40 000 units of this assay, comparing it to the standard CS ELISA. The 'VecTest(TM) Malaria' was found to show 92% sensitivity and 98.1% specificity, with 97.8% accuracy overall. In accelerated storage tests, the dipsticks remained stable for >15 weeks in dry conditions up to 45degreesC and in humid conditions up to 37degreesC. Evidently, this quick and easy dipstick test performs at an acceptable level of reliability and offers practical advantages for field workers needing to make rapid surveys of malaria vectors.

Characterisation of multiple Caribbean ciguatoxins and congeners in individual specimens of horse-eye jack (Caranx latus) by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

We studied the variation in toxin profiles of purified extracts of 10 individual specimens and two pools of ciguateric Caranx latus. High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) identified in all individual samples at least seven Caribbean ciguatoxins (C-CTXs) comprising C-CTX-1 and its epimer C-CTX-2 ([M + H](+) m/z 1141.58), and five new C-CTX congeners with pseudo-molecular ions at m/z 1141.58, 1143.60, 1157.57, 1159.58, and 1127.57. In some samples, additional C-CTX isomers were detected with [M + H](+) ions at m/z 1141.58 (two), 1143.60 (one) and 1157.57 (two). The two low-toxic pools contained only four to six ciguatoxins. The comparison in relative proportions of four different mass classes ([M + H](+) at m/z 1141, 1143, 1157 and 1127) showed that the group at m/z 1157 increased (2-20%) with flesh toxicity. More than 80% of group m/z 1141 comprised C-CTX-1, C-CTX-2 and their isomer C-CTX-1 a whose level in this group correlated with fish toxicity. Contrary to low-toxic fishes, high-risk specimens had C-CTX-1 levels

Secretory pathway of trypanosomatid parasites

The Trypanosomatidae comprise a large group of parasitic protozoa, some of which cause important diseases in humans. These include Tryanosoma brucei (the causative agent of African sleeping sickness and nagana in cattle), Trypanosoma cruzi (the causative agent of Chagas' disease in Central and South America), and Leishmania spp. (the causative agent of visceral and [muco]cutaneous leishmaniasis throughout the tropics and subtropics). The cell surfaces of these parasites are covered in complex protein- or carbohydrate-rich coats that are required for parasite survival and infectivity in their respective insect vectors and mammalian hosts. These molecules are assembled in the secretory pathway. Recent advances in the genetic manipulation of these parasites as well as progress with the parasite genome projects has greatly advanced our understanding of processes that underlie secretory transport in trypanosomatids. This article provides an overview of the organization of the trypanosomatid secretory pathway and connections that exist with endocytic organelles and multiple lytic and storage vacuoles. A number of the molecular components that are required for vesicular transport have been identified, as have some of the sorting signals that direct proteins to the cell surface or organelles it? the endosome-vacuole system. Finally, the subcellular organization of the major glycosylation pathways in these parasites is reviewed. Studies on these highly divergent eukaryotes provide important insights into the molecular processes underlying secretory transport that arose very early in eukaryotic evolution. They also reveal unusual or novel aspects of secretory), transport and protein glycosylation that may be exploited in developing new antiparasite drugs.

Multiple maps and activity-dependent representational plasticity in the anterior Wulst of the adult barn owl (Tyto alba)

In the present study we addressed the issue of somatosensory representation and plasticity in a nonmammalian species, the barn owl. Multiunit mapping techniques were used to examine the representation of the specialized receptor surface of the claw in the anterior Wulst. We found dual somatotopic mirror image representations of the skin surface of the contralateral claw. In addition, we examined both representations 2 weeks after denervation of the distal skin surface of a single digit. In both representations, the denervated digital representation became responsive to stimulation of the adjacent, mutually functional, digit. The mutability and multiple representations indicates that the Wulst provides the owl with sensory processing capabilities analogous to those in mammals.

Spatial and temporal changes in multiple hormone groups during lateral bud release shortly following apex decapitation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) seedlings

Although the co-ordination of promotive root-sourced cytokinin (CK) and inhibitory shoot apex-sourced auxin (IAA) is central to all current models on lateral bud dormancy release, control by those hormones alone has appeared inadequate in many studies. Thus it was hypothesized that the IAA : CK model is the central control but that it must be considered within the relevant timeframe leading to lateral bud release and against a backdrop of interactions with other hormone groups. Therefore, IAA and a wide survey of cytokinins (CKs), were examined along with abscisic acid (ABA) and polyamines (PAs) in released buds, tissue surrounding buds and xylem sap at 1 and 4 h after apex removal, when lateral buds of chickpea are known to break dormancy. Three potential lateral bud growth inhibitors, IAA, ABA and cis-zeatin 9-riboside (ZR), declined sharply in the released buds and xylem following decapitation. This is in contrast to potential dormancy breaking CKs like trans-ZR and trans-zeantin 9-riboside 5'phosphate (ZRMP), which represented the strongest correlative changes by increasing 3.5-fold in xylem sap and 22-fold in buds. PAs had not changed significantly in buds or other tissues after 4 h, so they were not directly involved in the breaking of bud dormancy. Results from the xylem and surrounding tissues indicated that bud CK increases resulted from a combination synthesis in the bud and selective loading of CK nucleotides into the xylem from the root.

Effects of seawater components on immature Culicoides molestus (Skuse) (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae)

Following analysis of beach sites and an indication that seawater components might influence larval occurrence, we studied the impact of increasing salinity and seawater concentration on survival of fourth-instar larvae of the canal biting midge, Culicoides molestus . While NaCl had little effect on immature survival, increasing the concentration of seawater increased mortality prior to the adult stage. Seawater at three and four times the normal concentration killed all immatures. Artificial elevation of seawater concentration in the sandy substrate preferred by larvae, therefore, has the potential to reduce immature midge survival. Diet also affected survival, with higher mortality of immatures that were fed fish-food flakes compared with those that were fed live nematodes.

Existence of multiple solutions for finite difference approximations to second-order boundary value problems

Error condition detected We consider discrete two-point boundary value problems of the form D-2 y(k+1) = f (kh, y(k), D y(k)), for k = 1,...,n - 1, (0,0) = G((y(0),y(n));(Dy-1,Dy-n)), where Dy-k = (y(k) - Yk-I)/h and h = 1/n. This arises as a finite difference approximation to y" = f(x,y,y'), x is an element of [0,1], (0,0) = G((y(0),y(1));(y'(0),y'(1))). We assume that f and G = (g(0), g(1)) are continuous and fully nonlinear, that there exist pairs of strict lower and strict upper solutions for the continuous problem, and that f and G satisfy additional assumptions that are known to yield a priori bounds on, and to guarantee the existence of solutions of the continuous problem. Under these assumptions we show that there are at least three distinct solutions of the discrete approximation which approximate solutions to the continuous problem as the grid size, h, goes to 0. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.