Long Term Study

A large prospective long-term study with users of natural family planning (NFP) methods has been conducted to analyze the relation between unintended pregnancy rates and sexual behavior with special reference to barrier method use in the fertile phase. Seven hundred and fifty eight NFP beginners, 19-45 years of age, 14870 cycles, 28 unintended pregnancies were studied. Of the couples, 54.2% use NFP only or predominantly and 45.9% use mixed methods (additional barrier method use in the fertile phase in 55.7% of the cycles). The overall pregnancy rate after 12 cycles of exposure is 2.2% according to the actuarial method. There is no significant difference between NFP users and mixed methods users and also no significant effect of duration of use in the first 5 years of exposure. During "perfect use" the pregnancy rate at 12 months is 0.63%. When only protected intercourse takes place in the fertile phase the pregnancy rate is 0.45%. The symptothermal method of NFP is most un...

Sediment traps were deployed on the Northwest Shelf (NWS) of Australia in November 1996, to determine fluxes of organic matter and inorganic elements from the photic zone to deeper waters in a transect extending from Exmouth Shelf to Exmouth Plateau. Infiltrex II water samplers collected particulate and dissolved organics from the water column near the trap sites. Surface sediments and sediment cores were also collected over the study region. Lipid biomarkers were used to determine the sources of organic carbon and its cycling processes on the NWS.Dry weight fluxes from the traps ranged from 124 to 616 mg m−2 day−1and particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes ranged from 22 to 42 mg m−2 day−1. The biogenic lipids consisted of biomarkers indicative of marine zooplankton, phytoplankton and bacteria, plus traces of land plant markers. A large contribution of unresolved complex material (UCM), which is indicative of petroleum, was detected at four times the biogenic hydrocarbon flux at shallow stations, and up to seven times the biogenic hydrocarbon flux at the most offshore station.There is essentially no river input, and only trace aeolian-derived material to contribute to primary production on the NWS of Australia. Most of the organic matter produced are rapidly recycled in the water column and the small fraction of lipids that settle to the sediments is already partially degraded and undergoes further rapid degradation in the surface sediments. Natural oil seeps also provide utilisable organic carbon to the system. The production and vertical flux rates of organics determined in this study are comparable to those reported in studies of shallow traps in oceanic areas from long-term studies in the Arabian Sea, and other coastal margins such as the Bay of Biscay (France) and California (USA).In offshore areas, most “living” lipid materials passed through the GFF filters thus invalidating POC estimates based on high volume sampling. To adequately assess living (particulate) carbon, gentle filtration of low volume seawater samples is more accurate, as shown by this solid phase absorption study of individual lipid biomarkers.

Several long-term mark recapture studies have been conducted on box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) providing valuable information on life span, basic demography, home range, and apparent effects of environmental changes on box turtle survival. One of the longest studied populations was first marked in 1942 on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland, and has been surveyed every 10 years

Marine turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease primarily affecting green turtles (Chelonia mydas) that is characterized by multiple cutaneous masses. In addition, the condition has been confirmed in other species of sea turtles. The disease has a worldwide, circumtropical distribution and has been observed in all major oceans. Although reported since the late 1930s in Florida, it was not until the late 1980s that it reached epizootic proportions in several sea turtle populations. Long-term studies have shown that pelagic turtles recruiting to near shore environments are free of the disease. After exposure to these benthic ecosystems, FP manifests itself with primary growths in the corner of the eyes spreading to other epithelial tissue. One or more herpesviruses, a papillomavirus, and a retrovirus have been found associated with tumors using electron microscopy and molecular techniques; however, the primary etiological agent remains to be isolated and characterized. Field observations support that the prevalence of the disease is associated with heavily polluted coastal areas, areas of high human density, agricultural runoff, and/or biotoxin-producing algae. Marine turtles can serve as excellent sentinels of ecosystem health in these benthic environments. FP can possibly be used as an indicator but correlations with physical and chemical characteristics of water and other factors need to be made. Further research in identifying the etiologic agent and its association with other environmental variables can provide sufficient parameters to measure the health of coastal marine ecosystems, which serve not only as ecotourism spots but also as primary feeding areas for sea turtles.

Purpose Treatment of anal fistulas by use of adhesives is an attractive method because of its simplicity and it can be performed on an ambulatory basis. Furthermore, if the treatment is unsuccessful, adhesive use does not subsequently prevent the surgeon from utilizing alternative surgical techniques and/or products. BioGlue® Surgical Adhesive is a two-component surgical adhesive composed of bovine serum albumin and glutaraldehyde. We evaluated the usefulness of BioGlue® for the treatment of high transsphincter anal fistulas. Methods Patients diagnosed with high transsphincter anal fistulas of cryptoglandular origin, whether relapsed or not, were included in this study. A seton was placed before the injection of BioGlue® into the fistula track of high transsphincter anal fistulas in patients with secondary tracts and/or purulent collections. Clinical charts, operative reports, and endoanal echography results obtained for each patient were reviewed. Results Fourteen patients (13 males; mean age, 39.9 (range, 24–66) years) with high transsphincter anal fistulas of cryptoglandular origin were recruited into the study. The average time of symptom evolution was 35.6 (range, 2–96) months. Ten of 14 cases were for relapsed fistulas. Six patients required the placement of a seton 37 (range, 32–42) days before the BioGlue® injection. Patients were followed for a mean length of 13.92 (range, 3–21) months, and the fistula healed completely in only seven patients (50 percent). Conclusions These preliminary results demonstrate that BioGlue® may be useful for treating patients with high transsphincter anal fistulas. Further prospective long-term studies are needed.

The impact of African elephantsLoxodonta africana Blumenbuch, 1797 on biodiversity is hotly debated in wildlife management circles with scientists polarised in their views. This polarisation is largely due to the individual experiences of researchers. We aimed to determine whether elephants or rainfall patterns drove changes in vegetation condition (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index; NDVI) by avoiding a site-specific approach and looking at the issue at a broader scale. We used published estimates of elephant population density from 30 sites and recorded the change in density from 1995–1999, from 1999–2002 and from 2002–2006. We also recorded the deviation of annual rainfall from the long-term mean for those periods. We modelled these variables against the change in NDVI between periods using mixed effects models. We found that elephants were more influential in driving change in vegetation condition than rainfall, and this also occurred at one of our individual test sites where long-term data were available (Kruger). Elephants and rainfall combined to drive change in vegetation condition at our other long-term test site (Amboseli). Management activities (fencing, water provision) may cause the differences between the two long-term study sites. Change in productivity driven by rainfall has ramifications for biodiversity, suggesting that elephant derived changes in vegetation productivity (NDVI) also impacts on biodiversity. Thus, this study supports previous findings from individual sites that elephants impact vegetation, however there is also a suggestion that these impacts may vary according to management actions.

Background and purpose In Pakistan, almost 70% of the population lives in rural areas. Ninety-four percent of households in rural areas and 58% in urban areas depend on biomass fuels (wood, dung, and agricultural waste). These solid fuels have poor combustion efficiency. Due to incomplete combustion of the biomass fuels, the resulting smoke contains a range of health-deteriorating substances that, at varying concentrations, can pose a serious threat to human health. Indoor air pollution accounts for 28,000 deaths a year and 40 million cases of acute respiratory illness. It places a significant economic burden on Pakistan with an annual cost of 1% of GDP. Despite the mounting evidence of an association between indoor air pollution and ill health, policy makers have paid little attention to it. This review analyzes the existing information on levels of indoor air pollution in Pakistan and suggests suitable intervention methods. Methods This review is focused on studies of indoor air pollution, due to biomass fuels, in Pakistan published in both scientific journals and by the Government and international organizations. In addition, the importance of environmental tobacco smoke as an indoor pollutant is highlighted. Results Unlike many other developing countries, there are no long-term studies on the levels of indoor air pollution. The limited studies that have been undertaken indicate that indoor air pollution should be a public health concern. High levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide have been reported, and generally, women and children are subject to the maximum exposure. There have been a few interventions, with improved stoves, in some areas since 1990. However, the effectiveness of these interventions has not been fully evaluated. Conclusion Indoor air pollution has a significant impact on the health of the population in Pakistan. The use of biomass fuel as an energy source is the biggest contributor to poor indoor air quality followed by smoking. In order to arrest the increasing levels of indoor pollution, there is a dire need to recognize it as a major health hazard and formulate a national policy to combat it. An integrated effort, with involvement of all stakeholders, could yield promising results. A countrywide public awareness campaign, on the association of indoor air pollution with ill health, followed by practical intervention would be an appropriate approach. Due to the current socioeconomic conditions in the country, development and adoption of improved cooking stoves for the population at large would be the most suitable choice. However, the potential of biogas as a fuel should be explored further, and modern fuels (natural gas and LPG) need to be accessible and economical. Smoking in closed public spaces should be banned, and knowledge of the effect of smoking on indoor air quality needs to be quantified.

This study presents the results of a ten year monitoring programme on cultural and tourism development in the city of Sibiu. Over the ten year research period the programme expanded to cover a wide range of data sources, including resident and visitor surveys, stakeholder interviews and secondary statistical data. The research started at a fairly low level with studies of single events in the cultural agenda of Sibiu. The programme was significantly expanded in 2007 thanks to the staging of the European Capital of Culture in ...