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Background: Few studies have examined whether UK military veterans are at an increased risk of dementia. We explored the risk of dementia in Scottish military veterans aged up to 73 years in comparison with people who have never served. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 78 000 veterans and 253 000 people with no record of service, matched for age, sex and area of residence, with up to 37 years follow-up, using Cox proportional hazard analysis to compare risk of dementia in veterans and non-veterans, overall and by subgroup. Results: Dementia was recorded in 0.2% of both veterans and non-veterans overall, Cox proportional hazard ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82–1.19, p = 0.879 (landmark age: 50 years), with no difference for men but increased risk in veteran women and Early Service Leavers. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was associated with a higher risk of dementia in both veterans and non-veterans, although possibly to a lesser degree in veterans. A history of mood disorder was strongly associated with developing dementia, greater in veterans than in non-veterans, odds ratio 1.54, 95% CI 1.01–2.35, p = 0.045. Conclusions: There was no evidence to suggest that military service increased the risk of dementia, although this may change as the cohort ages. The well-documented association with PTSD shows no evidence of being stronger in veterans; by contrast, the association of mood disorder with dementia is much stronger in veterans. Healthcare providers should carefully assess the cognitive status of older veterans presenting with depressive illness in order to identify early dementia and ensure optimum management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes 24-year-old Adam Werbach's development from high school student activist to president of the Sierra Club. Profiles eight youth organizations focused on environmental activism, public consciousness raising, and youth leadership training in schools and summer camps. Lists 12 other similar youth organizations. (SV)

Researchers used three different genetic techniques to characterize the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium spp. The results indicate that there are two major clades, one containing Trichodesmium erythraeum and the other containing all other species. They also documented the presence of a highly iterated palindrome in this bacterium.

This study focuses on female patients of working age, hospitalized due to moderate, mostly orthopaedic injuries. The aim was to highlight the medical and non-medical factors affecting outcome. Two groups of women, those who 12 months after the injury reported disability within at least three out of five possible areas (work, family, household, social life and leisure-time; n = 34), were compared with women reporting disability within two areas or less (n = 59). Four factors were predictive of outcome according to the multivariate analysis: injury severity as measured by the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), self-perceived injury-related mental and physical health measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) during hospitalization and a history of three or more previous injuries requiring medical care. Sociodemographic background factors did not affect the outcome. By integrating information from AIS and VAS with the number of previous injuries, three quarters of the women were correctly classified; i.e., it was possible to detect a majority of those reporting a poorer outcome one year after the injury already during hospitalization. Simple screening instruments like these seem to be useful in the early detection of vulnerable patients. This study further suggests that more attention should be paid to non-medical factors, the importance of which may have been underestimated regarding a poorer outcome among female patients hospitalized due to injuries. Thus, psychosocial support should not only be offered to patients with major trauma or an obvious psychiatric disorder, but to all injured patients and should be considered as an integral part of medical care. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@ haworth.com]

Carboxysomes and glycogen granules are present in both vegetative and heterocyst cells of the cyanobiont Richelia intracellularis, while gas vesicles and cyanophycin granules are not found. Both the cell types exhibit high concentrations of phycoerythrin (PE) pigment. Only the heterocysts have the nitrogenase enzyme while Rubisco is present mainly in carboxysomes in vegetative cells. The level of glutamine synthetase is very low in the cyanobiont. Details of the ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies are given.

The use of immunochemical labelling and electron microscopy helps examine the subcellular distribution of cytochrome oxidase, a respiratory protein in the nonheterocystous marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium thiebautii. The protein is related to thylakoid and cytoplasmic membranes, and this is indicated by the immunochemical labeling of cytochrome oxidase cells with enhanced nitrogenase levels.