The Rabbit as a New Reservoir Host of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

We investigated the prevalence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in rabbits acquired from two commercial vendors and a local petting zoo. Fecal samples from 34 Dutch Belted (DB) and 15 New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were cultured; and isolates were biotyped, serotyped, tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and genotyped by repetitive-element sequence–based PCR (Rep-PCR). Seven (25%) of 28 DB rabbits acquired from one commercial source were positive for EHEC, including O153:H- and O153:H7. One (9%) of 11 NZW rabbits from the same source was positive for eae-, stx1+ O153 strains. In contrast, six DB rabbits from another commercial source and four rabbits from a petting zoo were negative for EHEC. Rep-PCR demonstrated that the O153 EHEC and O145 enteropathogenic E. coli were two distinct clones. Our study indicates that rabbits are a new reservoir host of EHEC that may pose a zoonotic risk for humans

Shakespeare and the rival poet; displaying Shakespeare as a satirist and proving the identity of the patron and the rival of the sonnets,

Mode of access: Internet

Does exposure to asbestos cause ovarian cancer? A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Introduction: The asbestos and ovarian cancer relationship is not well understood because of small numbers of women exposed to asbestos, small numbers of cases, and misclassification of peritoneal mesothelioma as ovarian cancer on death certificates. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to quantify the evidence that exposure to asbestos causes ovarian cancer. Methods: Fourteen cohort and two case-control studies were identified in Medline searches from 1950 to 2008. Results: Statistically significant excess mortality was reported in four of the cohort studies, all of which determined their outcomes from the death certificate. Peritoneal mesotheliomas were reported in these studies, two of which reexamined pathology specimens and reported disease misclassification. Exposure-response relationships were inconsistent. When all studies were included in a meta-analysis, the effect size was 1.75 (95% CI, 1.45-2.10) attenuating to 1.29 (95% CI, 0.97-1.73) in studies with confirmed ovarian cancers. Conclusion: Taken without further analysis, women thought to have ovarian cancer had an increased rate in the meta-analysis if reporting having been exposed to asbestos, compared with reference populations. This result may have occurred because of disease misclassification. ©2011 AACR

Key issues and drivers affecting coastal and marine resource decisions: participatory management strategy evaluation to support adaptive management

The management of coastal and marine resources is a collective decision-making process involving a sequence of events, from generating information about the status of the resource, to problem recognition, and identifying suitable responses to problems. It usually involves multiple individuals with varying perceptions and influences. Adaptive management (or learning by doing) has been proposed as a framework for collective decision-making in natural resource management (NRM). It requires generating information—through effective monitoring systems—for comparing objectives with actual outcomes of management. Management strategy evaluation (MSE) models the adaptive management process to evaluate the trade-offs and uncertainties of different adaptive strategies. In this paper, we review the literature to understand the attributes of decision processes about NRM in coasts and oceans, and use the key learnings from this review combined with knowledge from past MSE applications to consider how MSE can address these attributes. The review identifies the following key categories of attributes affecting NRM decisions: (1) governance structures, (2) power and leadership, (3) psychological dimensions, and (4) cognitive issues. We find that MSE is effective in dealing with these decision process attributes as it helps understand how actors interact and respond to problems, which includes how they deal with pressures and shortfalls in knowledge and support for their actions. By addressing decision-making at both individual and group levels, MSE supports stakeholder engagement. This may also facilitate social learning and development of a shared understanding of the challenges of NRM in coasts and oceans