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The authors adapted a measure of apathy previously used with Japanese college students to investigate relations between this construct and personality traits among U.S. college students. Males and females reported similar levels of apathy, and both were significantly lower than those obtained from Japanese college students. Analyses demonstrate the construct validity of the apathy scales for use with English-speaking participants, and highlight interesting similarities and differences between North American and Japanese students. Results (a) suggest a differentiation between apathy and other personality constructs, (b) demonstrate that apathy is comprised of emotional, social, and goal-oriented components, and (c) point to cultural differences in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

The article describes six clusters of acute respiratory illness related to human enterovirus 68 (HEV68) in the U.S., Europe and Asia from 2008-2010. HEV68 infection was reportedly linked with respiratory illness ranging from mild illness not requiring hospitalization to severe illness demanding intensive care and mechanical ventilation. Three cases, one in Japan and two in the Philippines, were said to be fatal. HEV68 disproportionately occurred among children in these six clusters. In August-November 2010, HEV68 was found within a prospective study of respiratory infections in the northern part of the Netherlands. Cases of HEV68 in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia were described.