Does the Neighborhood Area of Residence Influence Non-Attendance in an Urban Mammography Screening Program? A Multilevel Study in a Swedish City

MethodsWe analyze all women invited to mammography screening in 2005–09, residing in the city of Malmö, Sweden. Information regarding mammography screening attendance was linked to data on area of residence, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics available from Statistics Sweden. The influence of individual and neighborhood factors was assessed by multilevel logistic regression analysis with 29,901 women nested within 212 neighborhoods.ResultsThe prevalence of non-attendance among women was 18.3%. After adjusting for individual characteristics, the prevalence in the 212 neighborhoods was 3.6%. Neighborhood of residence had little influence on non-attendance. The multilevel analysis indicates that 8.4% of the total individual differences in the propensity of non-attendance were at the neighborhood level. However, when adjusting for specific individual characteristics this general contextual effect decreased to 1.8%. This minor effect was explained by the sociodemographic characteristic of the neighborhoods. The discriminatory accuracy of classifying women according to their non-attendance was 0.747 when considering only individual level variables, and 0.760 after including neighborhood level as a random effect.ConclusionOur results suggest that neighborhoods of residence in Malmö, Sweden (as defined by small-area market statistics (SAMS) areas) do not condition women’s participation in population based mammography screening. Thus, interventions should be directed to the whole city and target women with a higher risk of non-attendance.     

Two different β-lactamase genes are present in Streptomycees cacaoi

Two beta-lactamase genes called blaL and blaU have been cloned independently in Liège and in Ume?, from Streptomyces cacaoi. Genes blaL and blaU were found to differ largely in their nucleotide sequences, although the encoded proteins both belonged to the class A of beta-lactamases (active-site serine penicillinases). DNA-hybridization and polymerase chain reaction assays have now demonstrated that both blaL and blaU genes were present in the S. cacaoi strains used in Liège and in Ume?.     

Ethylene and IAA interactions in the inhibition of photoperiodic flower induction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pharbitis nil</Emphasis>

It has been shown that both IAA and ethylene application inhibit flower induction in the short-day plant Pharbitis nil. However application of IAA has elevated ethylene production in this plant, as well. Strong enhancement of ethylene production is also correlated with the night-break effect, which completely inhibits flowering. In order to determine what the role of IAA and ethylene is in the photoperiodic flower induction in Pharbitis nil, we measured changes in their levels during inductive and non-inductive photoperiods, and the effects of ethylene biosynthesis and action inhibitors on inhibition of flowering by IAA. Our results have shown that the inhibitory effect of IAA on Pharbitis nil flowering is not physiological but is connected with its effect on ethylene biosynthesis.     

Bifidobacteria-mediated immune system imprinting early in life

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The application of fluorescence spectroscopy to organic matter characterisation in drinking water treatment

Key to effective disinfection byproduct (DBP) management is source water control and management, and more specifically, organic matter (OM) control and management. However, the content and character of OM in source waters is spatially and temporally variable, and the prediction of its composition is challenging. Water treatment companies require adequate analytical techniques for OM characterisation to maintain the operation of the water supply and treatment systems adjusted to constantly changing environmental conditions. There is a requirement, therefore, for an improved understanding of OM composition and character in source water, how that composition and character varies with flow conditions, and how this impacts on drinking water treatment. This paper demonstrates that fluorescence spectroscopy offers a potential alternative to other analytical methods of OM characterisation. The advantages of fluorescence include rapid, sensitive and selective characterisation of OM, no sample pre-treatment, small sample volume, and the potential for on-line monitoring incorporation. Fluorescence can provide useful information on OM reactivity and treatability together with an indication of the OM sources (allochthonous or autochthonous). The paper discusses a body of literature which has identified relationships between fluorescence spectra and OM physico-chemical properties (i.e. degree of hydrophobicity, microbial content), has applied fluorescence spectroscopy to characterise the changes in OM upon disinfection, and has related the fluorescence properties to DBP formation. Further work is required in the robust management of data arising from fluorescence spectroscopy analysis and, in particular, Excitation Emission Matrices. Consideration must be given as to how the data might best be employed to greatest effect on a routine basis at WTW.