Do Consultation Charges Deter General Practitioner Use Among Older People? A Natural Experiment. ESRI WP194. May 2007

Background: A change in the pricing of general practitioner care in the Republic of Ireland in 2001 provides a natural experiment of the influence of economic incentives on GP visiting. Methods: Social surveys (N=937 in 2000 & N=1053 in 2004) were carried out before and after the change in pricing arrangements. OLS and logistic regression were used to examine change in both the overall probability of attending the GP and the frequency of visiting in the previous year. Results: 93% in 2000 and 95% in 2004 visited their GP at least once. Where the proportion of those aged 65 to 69 visiting at least once fell by 1% between 2000 and 2004, the proportion aged 70 to 74 increased by 4.6%; those 75 to 79 increased by 6.3%; those aged 80 to 84 increased by 3.2%. Frequency of visiting remained stable at 5.3 visits per year but increased with age and worse health. Logistic regression models confirmed the increase in the probability of visiting for over 70s between 2000 and 2004

The Regional Dimension of Taxes and Public Expenditure in Ireland. ESRI WP195. May 2007

In Ireland as in many other countries there has been an ongoing debate on the nature, degree and trends of regional imbalance. However, relatively little is known about the effects of policies at the regional level in Ireland. This paper considers two aspects of public policy namely the fiscal system and public expenditure. In particular regional government accounts are constructed, which identify the level of taxation, subsidisation and public expenditure at the regional level. The analysis of this data confirms that the fiscal system does reduce relative income differences in Ireland. Furthermore there are substantial resource transfers across regions

Scribal service people in motion: Culture, power and the politics of mobility in India’s long eighteenth century, c. 1680–1820

A decade after IESHR’s Special Issue of 2010, ‘Munshis, Pandits and Record-Keepers: Scribal communities and historical change in India’, we return again to the challenges and dilemmas that scribes, bureaucrats, intellectuals and literati of different kinds faced during the early modern centuries. Building on recent advances in our understanding of these key communities, this Special Issue turns the focus to the eighteenth century. We explore the strategies of individuals as they navigated new conditions of service, unexpected opportunities for personal advancement and the complexities of affiliation amid personal networks that extended across boundaries of region, language and religion. We investigate the important role of scribal people in the literary cultures of the eighteenth century, and the new meanings that their participation gave to literary syncretism and hybridity. We return again to questions of intellectual history and the reflections of scribal service people as they sought to find meaning in the collapse of old political formations and the rise of new ones. This Introduction surveys the recent scholarly literature in these connected fields, situates the essays here in the context of this new work, and identifies some of the key questions which remain to be answered in this critical era of transition between the India of ‘early modernity’ and the coming of the colonial world

Cervicovaginal fluid and semen block the microbicidal activity of hydrogen peroxide produced by vaginal lactobacilli

BACKGROUND: H(2)O(2 )produced by vaginal lactobacilli is believed to protect against infection, and H(2)O(2)-producing lactobacilli inactivate pathogens in vitro in protein-free salt solution. However, cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) and semen have significant H(2)O(2)-blocking activity. METHODS: We measured the H(2)O(2 )concentration of CVF and the H(2)O(2)-blocking activity of CVF and semen using fluorescence and in vitro bacterial-exposure experiments. RESULTS: The mean H(2)O(2 )measured in fully aerobic CVF was 23 ± 5 μM; however, 50 μM H(2)O(2 )in salt solution showed no in vitro inactivation of HSV-2, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Hemophilus ducreyii, or any of six BV-associated bacteria. CVF reduced 1 mM added H(2)O(2 )to an undetectable level, while semen reduced 10 mM added H(2)O(2 )to undetectable. Moreover, the addition of just 1% CVF supernatant abolished in vitro pathogen-inactivation by H(2)O(2)-producing lactobacilli. CONCLUSIONS: Given the H(2)O(2)-blocking activity of CVF and semen, it is implausible that H(2)O(2)-production by vaginal lactobacilli is a significant mechanism of protection in vivo

Comparative Genomic and Proteomic Analyses of Three Widespread Phytophthora Species: Phytophthora chlamydospora, Phytophthora gonapodyides and Phytophthora pseudosyringae

The genus includes some of the most devastating plant pathogens. Here we report draft genome sequences for three ubiquitous species-, , and . is an important forest pathogen that is abundant in Europe and North America. and are globally widespread species often associated with aquatic habitats. They are both regarded as opportunistic plant pathogens. The three sequenced genomes range in size from 45 Mb to 61 Mb. Similar to other oomycete species, tandem gene duplication appears to have played an important role in the expansion of effector arsenals. Comparative analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) across 44 oomycete genomes indicates that oomycete lifestyles may be linked to CAZyme repertoires. The mitochondrial genome sequence of each species was also determined, and their gene content and genome structure were compared. Using mass spectrometry, we characterised the extracellular proteome of each species and identified large numbers of proteins putatively involved in pathogenicity and osmotrophy. The mycelial proteome of each species was also characterised using mass spectrometry. In total, the expression of approximately 3000 genes per species was validated at the protein level. These genome resources will be valuable for future studies to understand the behaviour of these three widespread species

Comparative Genomic and Proteomic Analyses of Three Widespread Phytophthora Species: Phytophthora chlamydospora, Phytophthora gonapodyides and Phytophthora pseudosyringae

The genus includes some of the most devastating plant pathogens. Here we report draft genome sequences for three ubiquitous species-, , and . is an important forest pathogen that is abundant in Europe and North America. and are globally widespread species often associated with aquatic habitats. They are both regarded as opportunistic plant pathogens. The three sequenced genomes range in size from 45 Mb to 61 Mb. Similar to other oomycete species, tandem gene duplication appears to have played an important role in the expansion of effector arsenals. Comparative analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) across 44 oomycete genomes indicates that oomycete lifestyles may be linked to CAZyme repertoires. The mitochondrial genome sequence of each species was also determined, and their gene content and genome structure were compared. Using mass spectrometry, we characterised the extracellular proteome of each species and identified large numbers of proteins putatively involved in pathogenicity and osmotrophy. The mycelial proteome of each species was also characterised using mass spectrometry. In total, the expression of approximately 3000 genes per species was validated at the protein level. These genome resources will be valuable for future studies to understand the behaviour of these three widespread species

Pectobacterium and Dickeya species detected in vegetables in Northern Ireland

Publication history: Accepted - 22 January 2019; Published online - 7 February 2019.Destructive soft rot Pectobacteriaceae affect a number of vegetable crops and cause high economic loses in the field and storage. The diversity of Pectobacterium and Dickeya causing soft rot of vegetables in Northern Ireland is unknown. This study provides details of Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. detected in vegetables from several locations in Northern Ireland in the years 2015–2017. Soft rot Pectobacteriaceae were identified based on DNA sequences. Thirty one strains were selected for further phylogenetic analysis based on the recA gene region. Results from the testing of over 3456 potato samples for plant health statutory purposes in years 2005–2017 demonstrated that Dickeya spp. is not the major pathogen causing soft rot or blackleg in Northern Ireland. The most predominant species causing soft rot of vegetables in Northern Ireland were Pectobacterium atrosepticum and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Pectobacterium atrosepticum was also detected on hosts other than potato. Testing of bacteria isolated from carrots led to the detection of P. carotovorum and Dickeya sp. This is the first study to provide knowledge about Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. diversity causing soft rot of vegetables in Northern Ireland confirmed by real-time PCR and DNA sequences. This is also the first report of the detection of D. aquatica from a source other than water

Safeguarding global plant health: the rise of sentinels

Publication history: Accepted - 28 August 2018; Published online - 04 September 2018; Published - 15 January 2019The number of alien plant pests and pathogens is rapidly increasing in many countries as a result of increasing trade, particularly the trade in living plants. Sentinel plantings in exporting countries to detect arthropod pests and agents of diseases prior to introduction provide information about the likelihood of introduction and the potential impact on plants native to the importing country. Such plantings can consist of species that are native to exporting or importing countries (“in-patria” and “ex-patria” plantings). In-patria plantings consist of young woody plants of species that are commonly exported and can be used to identify pests that may be introduced to new countries via the trade in live plants. Ex-patria plantings consist of exotic young or mature woody plants and surveys may provide information about potential impacts of pests if these were to become established in a new country. We discuss the methods and benefits of this powerful tool and list examples of studies that highlight the large number of unknown organisms and pest–host relationships that can be detected. The usefulness of sentinel plantings is illustrated using examples of arthropod pests and fungal pathogens of European and Asian tree species that were identified in sentinel studies in China and the Asian Russia

In vaginal fluid, bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis can be suppressed with lactic acid but not hydrogen peroxide

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) produced by vaginal lactobacilli is generally believed to protect against bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), and strains of lactobacilli that can produce H₂O₂are being developed as vaginal probiotics. However, evidence that led to this belief was based in part on non-physiological conditions, antioxidant-free aerobic conditions selected to maximize both production and microbicidal activity of H₂O₂. Here we used conditions more like those <it>in vivo </it>to compare the effects of physiologically plausible concentrations of H₂O₂and lactic acid on a broad range of BV-associated bacteria and vaginal lactobacilli.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Anaerobic cultures of seventeen species of BV-associated bacteria and four species of vaginal lactobacilli were exposed to H₂O₂, lactic acid, or acetic acid at pH 7.0 and pH 4.5. After two hours, the remaining viable bacteria were enumerated by growth on agar media plates. The effect of vaginal fluid (VF) on the microbicidal activities of H₂O₂and lactic acid was also measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Physiological concentrations of H₂O₂(< 100 μM) failed to inactivate any of the BV-associated bacteria tested, even in the presence of human myeloperoxidase (MPO) that increases the microbicidal activity of H₂O₂. At 10 mM, H₂O₂inactivated all four species of vaginal lactobacilli but only one of seventeen species of BV-associated bacteria. Moreover, the addition of just 1% vaginal fluid (VF) blocked the microbicidal activity of 1 M H₂O₂. In contrast, lactic acid at physiological concentrations (55-111 mM) and pH (4.5) inactivated all the BV-associated bacteria tested, and had no detectable effect on the vaginal lactobacilli. Also, the addition of 10% VF did not block the microbicidal activity of lactic acid.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Under optimal, anaerobic growth conditions, physiological concentrations of lactic acid inactivated BV-associated bacteria without affecting vaginal lactobacilli, whereas physiological concentrations of H₂O₂produced no detectable inactivation of either BV-associated bacteria or vaginal lactobacilli. Moreover, at very high concentrations, H₂O₂was more toxic to vaginal lactobacilli than to BV-associated bacteria. On the basis of these <it>in vitro </it>observations, we conclude that lactic acid, not H₂O₂, is likely to suppress BV-associated bacteria <it>in vivo</it>.</p

Identifying Factors to Improve Oral Cancer Screening Uptake: A Qualitative Study

Aims: To engage with high risk groups to identify knowledge and awareness of oral cancer signs and symptoms and the factors likely to contribute to improved screening uptake. Methods: Focus group discussions were undertaken with 18 males; 40+ years of age; smokers and/or drinkers (15+ cigarettes per day and/or 15+ units of alcohol per week), irregular dental attenders living in economically deprived areas of Teesside. Results: There was a striking reported lack of knowledge and awareness of oral cancer and its signs and symptoms among the participants. When oral/mouth cancer leaflets produced by Cancer Research UK were presented to the participants, they claimed that they would seek help on noticing such a condition. There was a preference to seek help from their general practitioner rather than their dentist due to perceptions that a dentist is ‘inaccessible ’ on a physical and psychological level, costly, a ‘tooth specialist ’ not a ‘mouth specialist’, and also not able to prescribe medication and make referrals to specialists. Interestingly, none of the 18 participants who were offered a free oral cancer examination at a dental practice took up this offer. Conclusions: The uptake of oral cancer screening may be improved by increasing knowledge of the existence and signs and symptoms of oral cancer. Other factors that may increase uptake are increased awareness of the role of dentists in diagnosing oral cancer, promotion of oral cancer screening by health professionals during routine health checks, and the use of a ‘‘health’ ’ screening setting as opposed to a ‘‘dental’ ’ setting for such checks