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The deterioration of monument or building stone materials is mostly due to the growth of black crusts that cause blackening and disaggregation of the exposed surface. This study reports on new oxygen (δ17O, δ18O and Δ17O) and sulphur (δ33S, δ34S, δ36S, Δ33S and Δ36S) isotopic analyses of black crust sulphates formed on building stones in Sicily (Southern Italy). The measurements are used to identify the possible influence of volcanic emissions on black crust formation. Black crusts were mostly sampled on carbonate stone substrate in different locations subject to various sulphur emission sources (marine, anthropogenic and volcanic). Unlike atmospheric sulphate aerosols that mostly exhibit Δ33S > 0‰, here most of the analysed black crust sulphates show negative Δ33S. This confirms that black crust sulphates do not result from deposition of sulphate aerosols or of rainwater but mostly from the oxidation of dry deposited SO2 onto the stone substrate. The δ34S and δ18O values indicate that most of black crust sulphate originates from anthropogenic activities. Δ17O values are found to be related to the sampling location. The largest 17O-anomalies (up to ~4‰) are measured in black crust from areas highly influenced by volcanic emissions, which demonstrates the strong involvement of ozone in the formation of black crusts in volcanically influenced environments.

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Glass materials are broadly used in the built environment (windows, facades, roofs, museum showcases, and solar panels) due to their optical (transparency) and thermal properties. Their interaction with the multiphase atmospheric medium results in a more or less pronounced transparency loss called soiling. This phenomenon leads to a loss of amenity of artefacts; consequently, high cleaning costs have to be supported by public and private entities. Complete understanding of the nature of surface deposit appears thus extremely important for addressing strategies to control it. The present research is based on the sheltered exposure, in different environments, of durable glass panels during 1 year. At these different locations, airborne pollutant concentrations have also been monitored. Three environments have been investigated: rural (R), urban (U) and industrial (I). Results show that the mass of the deposit and the optical impairment of the glass (haze) are too spread to allow discriminating between different environments. However, the analyses of soluble species and particulate organic matter allow identifying factors responsible for soiling and highlighted the reactivity of deposit to relative humidity which favours post-deposit evolution.

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Objetivo: Determinar la eficacia de la ciprofloxacina tópica al 0,3% en la reducción de la biota conjuntival en pacientes operados de cataratas. Pacientes y métodos: Estudio experimental, prospectivo, aleatorizado, controlado a simple ciego. Cuarenta y seis ojos de 46 pacientes fueron distribuidos al azar en dos grupos: el grupo de estudio (n = 23) recibió ciprofloxacina al 0,3% un día antes de la cirugía a razón de una gota cada 6 h y, luego, en el día de la cirugía, una gota cada 15 min, empezando una hora antes de la cirugía hasta completar tres dosis; el grupo control (n = 23) no recibió antibiótico; en ambos grupos para el campo quirúrgico se utilizó iodopovidona al 10%. Se tomaron muestras de la conjuntiva en cuatro momentos diferentes, cultivadas en medios sólidos (agar chocolate, agar sangre) y en caldo de enriquecimiento (tioglicolato). Además se obtuvieron muestras de humor acuoso que fueron cultivadas en tioglicolato. La presencia de bacterias fue identificada cuantitativa y cualitativamente y la frecuencia de contaminación fue medida considerando el desarrollo de microorganismos en los medios de cultivo tanto líquido como sólido, y se contabilizaron los números de colonias (UFC) en el sólido. Resultados: Antes de la administración de ciprofloxacina al 0,3% se obtuvieron cultivos positivos en el 82,6 y 78,3% de los pacientes en los grupos de estudio y control, respectivamente. La administración de ciprofloxacina al 0,3% redujo significativamente las UFC en comparación con el grupo control (p < 0,05); inmediatamente después del uso de la iodopovidona el porcentaje de pacientes con cultivo positivo disminuyó a 21,7% en el grupo de estudio y a 8,7% en el grupo control; al final de la cirugía este porcentaje fue de 26 y 30,4%, respectivamente. El germen más frecuente fue el estafilococo coagulasa-negativo (66,7%) (AU)

Conclusión: La administración de ciprofloxacina al 0,3% reduce la carga bacteriana conjuntival en el período preoperatorio, pero no la erradica de forma significativa. La administración de iodopovidona erradica la biota conjuntival en el 50-70% de los pacientes operados de cataratas (AU)

Objective: To determine the efficacy of topical 0.3% ciprofloxacin in reducing conjunctival biota in patients undergoing cataract surgery. Patients and methods: Experimental, prospective, randomized, controlled and single-blind study. Forty-six eyes of 46 patients were randomized into 2 groups, the study group (n = 23) received topical 0.3% ciprofloxacin one day before surgery for six times, and on the day of the surgery one drop every 15 minutes starting one hour before surgery until 3 doses were completed. The control group (n = 23) did not receive any antibiotics. For both groups for the surgical field 10% povidone-iodine was applied. Samples from the conjunctiva were taken at four different times and then cultured on solid media (chocolate agar, blood agar) and enrichment broth (thioglycolate). The aqueous humor samples were also cultured in thioglycolate. The presence of bacteria was identified quantitatively and qualitatively, and the frequency of contamination was measured by considering the presence of bacteria in liquid and solid culture media. The number of colony forming units (CFU) was counted in the solid culture medium. Results: Positive cultures were obtained in 82.6% and 78.2% of the patients in the study and control groups, respectively, before the administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin. The administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin significantly reduced the CFU compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Immediately after the use of povidone-iodine, the proportion of patients with a positive culture decreased to 21.7% in the study group, and 8.7% in the control group. At the end of the surgery, this percentage was 26% and 30.4%, respectively. The most common isolated pathogen was negative-coagulase Staphylococcus (66.7%) (AU)

Conclusion: The administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin reduces conjunctival bacterial load in the preoperative period. However, it was unable to eradicate the bacteria completely. The administration of povidone-iodine reduced conjunctival biota in 50%-70% of patients undergoing cataract surgery (AU)

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OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of topical 0.3% ciprofloxacin in reducing conjunctival biota in patients undergoing cataract surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Experimental, prospective, randomized, controlled and single-blind study. Forty-six eyes of 46 patients were randomized into 2 groups, the study group (n=23) received topical 0.3% ciprofloxacin one day before surgery for six times, and on the day of the surgery one drop every 15minutes starting one hour before surgery until 3 doses were completed. The control group (n=23) did not receive any antibiotics. For both groups for the surgical field 10% povidone-iodine was applied. Samples from the conjunctiva were taken at four different times and then cultured on solid media (chocolate agar, blood agar) and enrichment broth (thioglycolate). The aqueous humor samples were also cultured in thioglycolate. The presence of bacteria was identified quantitatively and qualitatively, and the frequency of contamination was measured by considering the presence of bacteria in liquid and solid culture media. The number of colony forming units (CFU) was counted in the solid culture medium. RESULTS: Positive cultures were obtained in 82.6% and 78.2% of the patients in the study and control groups, respectively, before the administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin. The administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin significantly reduced the CFU compared to the control group (P<.05). Immediately after the use of povidone-iodine, the proportion of patients with a positive culture decreased to 21.7% in the study group, and 8.7% in the control group. At the end of the surgery, this percentage was 26% and 30.4%, respectively. The most common isolated pathogen was negative-coagulase Staphylococcus (66.7%). CONCLUSION: The administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin reduces conjunctival bacterial load in the preoperative period. However, it was unable to eradicate the bacteria completely. The administration of povidone-iodine reduced conjunctival biota in 50%-70% of patients undergoing cataract surgery.

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Insect population dynamics depend strongly on environmental factors. For floodwater mosquitoes, meteorological conditions are crucial in the rhythm of mosquito abundances. Indeed, rainfall triggers the egg hatching after flooding breeding sites, and temperature controls the duration of the aquatic immature development up to adult emergence. According to this, we have developed a simple mechanistic and tractable model that describes the population dynamics of floodwater mosquitoes as a function only of the most accessible meteorological variables, rainfall and temperature. The model involves three parameters: development duration tdev of the immature aquatic stages, the adult emergence rate function f(t) (characterized by the emergence time scale tau and shaping the profile of adult population abundance), and the depletion rate, alpha, of adult disappearance. The developed model was subsequently applied to fit experimental field data of the dynamics of Aedes caspius (Pallas), the main pest mosquito in southern France. First, it was found that the emergence rate function of adult mosquitoes very well reproduce experimental data of the dynamics of immature development for all sampled temperatures. The estimated values of tdev and tau both exhibit Arrhenius behaviour as a function of temperature. Second, using the meteorological records of rainfall and temperature as inputs, the model correctly fit data from a two-site CO2 trapping survey conducted in 2004 and 2005. The estimated depletion rates (summation of the mortality and the emigration rates) were found to be a concave quadratic function of temperature with a maximum of 0.5 per days at about 22 degrees C.

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The larval survival and development times of Aedes caspius (Diptera: Culicidae) were examined in the laboratory. These life history traits were estimated using life tables constructed for two populations, one of which had been subjected to a long-term larvicide control program. Traits were evaluated for eight different population densities. The effects of population, larval stage and larval density were investigated using a general linear model. Density was positively correlated with larval survival but did not affect development time. The fourth instar and pupae had the lowest larval survival rates. First and fourth instar larvae had the longest development times. These traits were not significantly different between the two populations. The effect of larvicide control on these traits is discussed.

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The survivorship characteristics of two populations of Aedes caspius (Pallas) (Diptera: Culicidae) were compared in the laboratory. One population was sourced from Mourgues, where larvicides have been used continuously for approximately 40 years, and the other from Pont de Gau, where there has been no consistent mosquito control. The aims of the study were to ascertain the basic life history profiles of adults and to determine whether continuous larviciding affects inherent adult survivorship. Life tables were constructed to calculate the following life expectancy parameters: mean lifetime (tau(ad)); maximum lifetime (tau(max)), and daily survival rate (p(ad)). All three parameters were higher for females than for males (paired t-test, P < or = 0.001); male mean lifetime, maximum lifetime and daily survival rate were 4.95 +/- 0.94 days, 20.50 +/- 6.66 days and 0.79 +/- 0.05, respectively; female values were 14.74 +/- 3.68 days, 49.69 +/- 16.55 days and 0.93 +/- 0.02, respectively. No differences were found between the two populations, and no correlations were found between initial adult densities and their respective survival rates. The survivorship curves for Ae. caspius were type IV for males (mortality rates higher for young adults) and type III for females (mortality rates constant).

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Christophers' stages durations and effect of interrupted blood meal were investigated in laboratory to study the gonotrophic cycle of Aedes caspius (Pallas, 1771). A first experiment was done with replete females (full blood meal) and females with an interrupted blood meal. Females were then regularly dissected, the durations of Christophers' stages I, II, III, IV, V were up to 8, 8, 32, 8, 48 h, respectively. A second experiment was done with replete females, females with an interrupted blood meal and females with an interrupted blood meal completed 24 h later. Interrupted females matured 21 +/- 5 follicles, interrupted-completed females 92 +/- 11, and replete females 120 +/- 8 follicles.

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OBJECTIVES: To develop a valid and reliable internet based lifestyle physical activity questionnaire suitable for use among the United Kingdom population. METHODS: After a detailed content analysis and item generation using a panel of experts, an internet based measure of lifestyle physical activity behaviour was developed. Data were collected from 1369 subjects in total. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the two subscales of the Brunel lifestyle physical activity questionnaire among independent samples and by use of multisample analyses. RESULTS: The confirmatory factor analysis showed the psychometric integrity of two subscales: planned physical activity and unplanned physical activity. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument designed to provide an online behavioural assessment to be used in conjunction with a 12 week personalised fitness programme delivered through the internet.

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A total of 35 pigs aged 15 weeks old, and 21 pigs aged 8 weeks old were divided into 7 groups. Groups 1 and 2 were uninfected and challenge control groups, respectively. Groups 3 and 4 were infected weekly with 6 increasing doses of Ascaris suum eggs, and group 4 was additionally treated with pyrantel. Groups 5, 6, and 7 were immunized weekly with the 14, 42, or 97 kDa fractions from adult worms, respectively. Animals of groups 2-7 were challenged with 10000 A. suum eggs 7 days after the last infection/immunization. Serum was sampled weekly and specific IgG1, IgG2, and IgM responses were measured. Pigs of groups 5, 6, and 7 showed high IgG1 and IgG2 responses especially against adult worms antigens, while infected groups had high IgG1 and IgM responses, especially against larva. The IgG1 responses were negatively correlated to the numbers of larvae in the lungs, and positively associated with the liver white spot numbers. There was a positive correlation between IgG2 and the numbers of white spots and lung larvae, while IgM was negatively correlated with these parasitological measures. These findings are discussed and it is suggested that acquired resistance against A. suum larvae is correlated with the induction of IgG1 and IgM, and not with IgG2, and that future vaccination protocols may focus on inducing the Th2 activity.

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We studied the cross-resistance to three highly toxic Bacillus sphaericus strains, IAB-59 (serotype H6), IAB-881 (serotype H3), and IAB-872 (serotype H48), of four colonies of the Culex pipiens complex resistant to B. sphaericus 2362 and 1593, both of which are serotype H5a5b strains. Two field-selected highly resistant colonies originating from India (KOCHI, 17,000-fold resistance) and France (SPHAE, 23,000-fold resistance) and a highly resistant laboratory-selected colony from California (GeoR, 36,000-fold resistance) showed strong cross-resistance to strains IAB-881 and IAB-872 but significantly weaker cross-resistance to IAB-59 (3- to 43-fold resistance). In contrast, a laboratory-selected California colony with low-level resistance (JRMM-R, 5-fold resistance) displayed similar levels of resistance (5- to 10-fold) to all of the B. sphaericus strains tested. Thus, among the mosquitocidal strains of B. sphaericus we identified a strain, IAB-59, which was toxic to several Culex colonies that were highly resistant to commercial strains 2362 and 1593. Our analysis also indicated that strain IAB-59 may possess other larvicidal factors. These results could have important implications for the development of resistance management strategies for area-wide mosquito control programs based on the use of B. sphaericus preparations.

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Pigs infected with T. spiralis and T. britovi were followed by double (IgG) and triple antibody ELISA (IgG1, IgG2 and IgM) during a 12-week-period. Specific IgG and IgG1 responses were similar and showed a significant relation with the infecting doses and intensity of infection. Response to T. britovi was slightly lower than in groups infected with the same dose of T. spiralis. IgG2 response was weak and almost undetectable in the lowest infected pigs, but relationship with the intensity of infection was unclear. IgM antibodies showed rapid but transient increases, generally simultaneous to peaks of IgG response.

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OBJECTIVES: To determine the carriage rate of Staphylococcus aureus (SA), both methicillin sensitive, and methicillin resistant (MRSA), among employees of a nursing home in the absence of an epidemic. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: A 210-bed suburban skilled nursing facility with a low endemic rate of SA infection. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-three asymptomatic employees recruited in two waves. MEASUREMENT: Nasal swabs were cultured for SA; DNA strain typing was performed on MRSA isolates from the first wave of recruits. RESULTS: 21 of 73 (29%) cultures were positive for SA. Ten of these 21 (14% of participating employees) had nasal carriage of MRSA. MRSA carriage was not significantly correlated with age, duration of employment, or job type (clinical vs. non-clinical), and DNA strain typing suggested that employee carriage of MRSA was not the result of a common source. CONCLUSIONS: Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage is common among skilled nursing facility personnel, and MRSA accounts for a substantial proportion of SA carriage among employees, even in the absence of an epidemic. Further research is needed to determine whether the high SA carriage rates among employees reflects work place acquisition, and, if so, whether it poses a hazard to the employees. The low incidence of nosocomial MRSA infections around the time of the study suggests that with usual infection control practices (eg, hand washing), MRSA-colonized caregivers pose little risk to nursing facility residents.

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Two studies were performed to determine the influence of game location on the strategic decisions of ice hockey coaches. In study 1, coaches from the National (n = 23) and Ontario Hockey Leagues (n = 17) indicated the degree to which they had their teams forecheck assertively at home versus away. In study 2, video analysis of 62 National Hockey League games was used to verify the extent to which teams in this league use an assertive forechecking strategy at home versus away. In study 1, coaches reported that they implemented a more assertive forechecking style at home versus away (P < 0.001). The results of the video analysis in study 2 were consistent with the coaches' reports: teams used a more assertive forechecking style at home versus away (P < 0.03). The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the home advantage in the National Hockey League.

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Improvement in end-of-life care has become a demand of the public and a priority for health care professionals. Medical textbooks could support this improvement by functioning as educational resources and as reference material. In this paper, four widely used general medical textbooks are assessed for their coverage of nine content domains for 12 illnesses that often cause death; each domain in each disease and in each text was graded for presence and helpfulness of advice. Helpful information was rare, and only prognostication and medical treatments to alter the course of the disease were usually mentioned. Harrison's Textbook of Medicine, The Merck Manual, and Scientific American Medicine often mentioned at least a few of the domains in each disease, although not often in a way that would guide a clinician. Manual of Medical Therapeutics (The Washington Manual) includes little information about end-of-life care. Improvement seems possible. Short additions of information on end-of-life care would probably be effective. Many chapters discussed at length certain topics that are clearly optional; other textbooks addressed these topics only briefly. When dealing with end-of-life care, physicians should seek guidance from other sources and textbook authors and editors should improve the utility and completeness of their texts.

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Two studies were conducted to examine the relationship between class cohesion and exercise adherence in older adult exercisers. Study 1 examined the predictive ability of four dimensions of cohesion on exercise participation at 1, 6, and 12 months following the initial assessment of cohesion. Study 2 examined the effectiveness of a team-building intervention, designed to enhance class cohesion (and based on Study 1 results), on improving exercise adherence and return rates. Participants were assigned to a team-building, placebo, or control condition. Study 1 showed that three measures of cohesion, Individual attractions to the group-social, Group integration-social, and Group integration-task, were all significantly related to exercise class attendance following a 1-month interval. Group integration-task was significantly related to class attendance following a 6- and a 12-month interval. Study 2 showed that participants in the team-building condition (a) attended more classes than the control and placebo conditions and (b) had a higher return rate following a 10-week hiatus than the control condition. It was concluded that (a) class cohesion plays a significant role in exercise class participation, both short- and long-term, and (b) samples of older adult exercisers are appropriate groups for interventions based on developing class cohesion.

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The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between game location and precompetition psychological states. Male rugby players (N = 100) completed the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and the Profile of Mood States approximately 1 hr before a home and an away game. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance of mood and anxiety scores indicated significant differences between home and away locations. Participants scored higher on Vigor and Self-confidence, and lower on Tension, Depression, Anger, Fatigue, Confusion, Cognitive Anxiety, and Somatic Anxiety when competing at home. The findings support the proposal (Courneya & Carron, 1992) that psychological states are influenced by game location.

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The main objective of this study was to establish the relationship between perceptions of status attributes and cohesion and status ranking and cohesion. A secondary aim was to determine whether age (operationalized by scholastic levels) or culture serves as a moderator in the relationship between either status attributes or status ranking and cohesion. Another secondary aim was to determine if differences are present in the importance attached by athletes to status attributes. Canadian and Indian athletes were tested. Although perceptions of the importance of status attributes and cohesiveness were related, the effect size was small (Green, 1991); perceptions of status ranking and cohesiveness were not related. Neither scholastic level nor culture served as a moderator in the association between either status attributes or status rank and cohesion. The importance that athletes attach to status attributes is similar between scholastic levels and across cultures. The results are discussed in terms of the role of status in sport teams.

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The purpose of the study was to compare the relative merits of two approaches to the measurement of perceived behavioral control for the prediction of attendance in an exercise program in an elderly population. The first approach was to conceptualize perceived behavioral control in the traditional manner outlined by Ajzen (1987). The second approach was to conceptualize control beliefs as two distinct constructs: scheduling self-efficacy and perceived barriers to exercise. Participants (N = 157, average age = 68 years +/-7.87, 74% female) were volunteers from elderly exercise classes. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires assessing the constructs at Weeks 5 and 9 of a 16-week exercise program. Attendance was monitored and used as the dependent variable. Results revealed that in an active elderly sample, (a) scheduling self-efficacy is a superior conceptualization for control beliefs than perceived behavioral control, (b) neither attitude nor subjective norm predict intention or attendance in an exercise program, and (c) perceived barriers to exercise are not related to exercise intention or attendance.

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The purpose of the present study was to examine the relative contributions of various travel related variables to visiting team success in the National Hockey League. A multiple regression design was used with game outcome as the dependent variable. The independent variables of interest included, as main effects and interactions, number of time zones crossed, direction of travel, distance traveled, preparation/adjustment time, time of season, game number on the road trip, and the home stand. Visiting team success was negatively associated with the interaction of number of time zones crossed and increased preparation time between games, and was positively associated with game number on the road. It was concluded that only a small portion of the variance in the home advantage/visitor disadvantage can be explained by travel related factors.

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