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Elissa Burton,1,2 Vinicius Cavalheri,1 Richard Adams,3 Colleen Oakley Browne,4 Petra Bovery-Spencer,4 Audra M Fenton,3 Bruce W Campbell,5 Keith D Hill1,6 1School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; 2Research Department, Silver Chain, Perth, WA, Australia; 3Community Services, West Gippsland Healthcare Group, Warragul, VIC, Australia; 4Falls Prevention for People Living with Dementia Project, Central West Gippsland Primary Care Partnership, Moe, VIC, Australia; 5Allied Health, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Traralgon, VIC, Australia; 6Preventive and Public Health Division, National Ageing Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise programs to reduce falls in older people with dementia who are living in the community.Method: Peer-reviewed articles (randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and quasi-experimental trials) published in English between January 2000 and February 2014, retrieved from six electronic databases – Medline (ProQuest), CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, EMBASE and Scopus – according to predefined inclusion criteria were included. Where possible, results were pooled and meta-analysis was conducted.Results: Four articles (three RCT and one single-group pre- and post-test pilot study) were included. The study quality of the three RCTs was high; however, measurement outcomes, interventions, and follow-up time periods differed across studies. On completion of the intervention period, the mean number of falls was lower in the exercise group compared to the control group (mean difference [MD] [95% confidence interval {CI}] =-1.06 [-1.67 to -0.46] falls). Importantly, the exercise intervention reduced the risk of being a faller by 32% (risk ratio [95% CI] =0.68 [0.55–0.85]). Only two other outcomes were reported in two or more of the studies (step test and physiological profile assessment). No between-group differences were observed in the results of the step test (number of steps) (MD [95% CI] =0.51 [-1.77 to 2.78]) or the physiological profile assessment (MD [95% CI] =-0.10 [-0.62 to 0.42]).Conclusion: Findings from this review suggest that an exercise program may potentially assist in preventing falls of older people with dementia living in the community. However, further research is needed with studies using larger sample sizes, standardized measurement outcomes, and longer follow-up periods, to inform evidence-based recommendations. Keywords: cognitive impairment, older people, physical activity, fallers, community dwelling

OBJECTIVES: To identify the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among Mississippi women from 1991 to 1999, using data from the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and to examine the probability that certain risk factors would occur in certain groups of African American and white women in Mississippi. METHODS: We extracted self-reported data on 9690 women in Mississippi from the BRFSS for 1991 to 1999. We performed logistic regression analyses to examine the independent effects of age and race as relative risks for cardiovascular disease, controlling for socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Odds ratios for cigarette smoking for some African American women, for high blood pressure for some white women, and for diabetes in some white and African American women were significantly elevated. Prevalence data, however, showed that African American women had a higher prevalence of diabetes and overweight than white women did. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight among Mississippi women seemed to increase as they aged. Decreasing obesity should be a major public health priority, as obesity's association with several chronic diseases is well documented and it is very prevalent among Mississippi women. Implementing programs to address unhealthy behaviors is essential for maintaining good health and thus should be strongly encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The USDA Soybean Isoline Collection has been an invaluable resource for the soybean genetics and breeding community. This collection, established in 1972, consists of 611 near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying one or multiple genes conferring traits that had been determined to exhibit Mendelian inheritance. It has been used in multiple studies on the genetic basis, physiology, and agronomy of these qualitative traits. Here, we used publicly available genotype (SoySNP50K), phenotype, and pedigree data on this collection to characterize the isogenicity of the NILs and identify chromosomal positions of unmapped genes. A total of 368 NILs had at least 80% identity to their recurrent parent and, thus, were useful for what can be called introgression mapping. Both on-target and off-target introgressions were evaluated. The size of on-target introgressions into individual NILs ranged from 61 kb to 8.4 Mb, whereas off-target introgressions ranged from 2.6 kb to 54.8 Mb. The observed large off-target introgressions indicated that some NILs carry introgressions nearly the size of an entire chromosome. By applying introgression mapping to genes that had never been mapped, we identified the likely chromosomal positions of six such genes: ab, im, lo, Np, pc, and Rpm. The size of mapping intervals was large in some cases (10.28 Mb for im) but small in others (0.21 Mb for Np). The results reported herein will provide future researchers with a resource to help select informative NILs for future studies, and provide a starting point to further fine map, and ultimately clone and functionally characterize these six soybean genes., (© 2023 The Authors. The Plant Genome published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Crop Science Society of America.)

We demonstrate strong self-referential effects in county-level data concerning use of the death penalty. We first show event-dependency using a repeated-event model. Higher numbers of previous events reduce the expected time delay before the next event. Second, we use a cross-sectional time-series approach to model the number of death sentences imposed in a given county in a given year. This model shows that the cumulative number of death sentences previously imposed in the same county is a strong predictor of the number imposed in a given year. Results raise troubling substantive implications: The number of death sentences in a given county in a given year is better predicted by that county's previous experience in imposing death than by the number of homicides. This explains the previously observed fact that a large share of death sentences come from a small number of counties and documents the self-referential aspects of use the death penalty. A death sentencing system based on racial dynamics and then amplified by self-referential dynamics is inconsistent with equal protection of the law, but this describes the United States system well., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

CORE IDEAS: 'Fiskeby III' harbors a combination of abiotic stress traits, including iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) tolerance. An IDC quantitative trait locus on chromosome Gm05 was identified in genome-wide association studies and biparental populations. Fine-mapping resolved a 137-kb interval containing strong candidate genes. Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is an important nutrient stress for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grown in high-pH soils. Despite numerous agronomic attempts to alleviate IDC, genetic tolerance remains the most effective preventative measure against symptoms. In this study, two association mapping populations and a biparental mapping population were used for genetic mapping of IDC tolerance. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified on chromosomes Gm03, Gm05, and Gm06. Heterogenous inbred families were developed to fine-map the Gm05 QTL, which was uniquely supported in all three mapping populations. Fine-mapping resulted in a QTL with an interval size of 137 kb on the end of the short arm of Gm05, which produced up to a 1.5-point reduction in IDC severity on a 1 to 9 scale in near isogenic lines., (© 2019 The Author(s).)

Developments in genomic and genome editing technologies have facilitated the mapping, cloning, and validation of genetic variants underlying trait variation. This study combined bulked-segregant analysis, array comparative genomic hybridization, and CRISPR/Cas9 methodologies to identify a CPR5 ortholog essential for proper trichome growth in soybean (Glycine max). A fast neutron mutant line exhibited short trichomes with smaller trichome nuclei compared to its parent line. A fast neutron-induced deletion was identified within an interval on chromosome 6 that co-segregated with the trichome phenotype. The deletion encompassed six gene models including an ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana CPR5. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to mutate the CPR5 ortholog, resulting in five plants harboring a total of four different putative knockout alleles and two in-frame alleles. Phenotypic analysis of the mutants validated the candidate gene, and included intermediate phenotypes that co-segregated with the in-frame alleles. These findings demonstrate that the CPR5 ortholog is essential for proper growth and development of soybean trichomes, similar to observations in A. thaliana. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the value of using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate an allelic series and intermediate phenotypes for functional analysis of candidate genes and/or the development of novel traits.

International environmental treaties are the key means by which states overcome collective action problems and make specific commitments to address environmental issues. However, systematically assessing states' influence in promoting global environmental protection has proven difficult. Analyzing newly compiled data with a purpose-built statistical model, we provide a novel measurement of state influence within the scope of environmental politics and find strong influences among states and treaties. Specifically, we report evidence that states are less likely to ratify when states within their region ratify, and results suggesting that countries positively influence other countries at similar levels of economic development. By examining several prominent treaties, we illustrate the complex nature of influence: a single act of ratification can dramatically reshape global environmental politics. More generally, our findings and approach provide an innovative means to understand the evolution and complexity of international environmental protection., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The photosynthetic, optical, and morphological characteristics of a chlorophyll-deficient (Chl-deficient) "yellow" soybean mutant (MinnGold) were examined in comparison with 2 green varieties (MN0095 and Eiko). Despite the large difference in Chl content, similar leaf photosynthesis rates were maintained in the Chl-deficient mutant by offsetting the reduced absorption of red photons by a small increase in photochemical efficiency and lower non-photochemical quenching. When grown in the field, at full canopy cover, the mutants reflected a significantly larger proportion of incoming shortwave radiation, but the total canopy light absorption was only slightly reduced, most likely due to a deeper penetration of light into the canopy space. As a consequence, canopy-scale gross primary production and ecosystem respiration were comparable between the Chl-deficient mutant and the green variety. However, total biomass production was lower in the mutant, which indicates that processes other than steady state photosynthesis caused a reduction in biomass accumulation over time. Analysis of non-photochemical quenching relaxation and gas exchange in Chl-deficient and green leaves after transitions from high to low light conditions suggested that dynamic photosynthesis might be responsible for the reduced biomass production in the Chl-deficient mutant under field conditions., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Processing of double-stranded RNA precursors into small RNAs is an essential regulator of gene expression in plant development and stress response. Small RNA processing requires the combined activity of a functionally diverse group of molecular components. However, in most of the plant species, there are insufficient mutant resources to functionally characterize each encoding gene. Here, mutations in loci encoding protein machinery involved in small RNA processing in soya bean and Medicago truncatula were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 and TAL-effector nuclease (TALEN) mutagenesis platforms. An efficient CRISPR/Cas9 reagent was used to create a bi-allelic double mutant for the two soya bean paralogous Double-stranded RNA-binding2 (GmDrb2a and GmDrb2b) genes. These mutations, along with a CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutation of the M. truncatula Hua enhancer1 (MtHen1) gene, were determined to be germ-line transmissible. Furthermore, TALENs were used to generate a mutation within the soya bean Dicer-like2 gene. CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of the soya bean Dicer-like3 gene and the GmHen1a gene was observed in the T 0 generation, but these mutations failed to transmit to the T 1 generation. The irregular transmission of induced mutations and the corresponding transgenes was investigated by whole-genome sequencing to reveal a spectrum of non-germ-line-targeted mutations and multiple transgene insertion events. Finally, a suite of combinatorial mutant plants were generated by combining the previously reported Gmdcl1a, Gmdcl1b and Gmdcl4b mutants with the Gmdrb2ab double mutant. Altogether, this study demonstrates the synergistic use of different genome engineering platforms to generate a collection of useful mutant plant lines for future study of small RNA processing in legume crops., (© 2017 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Since 1976, the United States has seen over 1,400 judicial executions, and these have been highly concentrated in only a few states and counties. The number of executions across counties appears to fit a stretched distribution. These distributions are typically reflective of self-reinforcing processes where the probability of observing an event increases for each previous event. To examine these processes, we employ two-pronged empirical strategy. First, we utilize bootstrapped Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests to determine whether the pattern of executions reflect a stretched distribution, and confirm that they do. Second, we test for event-dependence using the Conditional Frailty Model. Our tests estimate the monthly hazard of an execution in a given county, accounting for the number of previous executions, homicides, poverty, and population demographics. Controlling for other factors, we find that the number of prior executions in a county increases the probability of the next execution and accelerates its timing. Once a jurisdiction goes down a given path, the path becomes self-reinforcing, causing the counties to separate out into those never executing (the vast majority of counties) and those which use the punishment frequently. This finding is of great legal and normative concern, and ultimately, may not be consistent with the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Mutagenesis is a useful tool in many crop species to induce heritable genetic variability for trait improvement and gene discovery. In this study, forward screening of a soybean fast neutron (FN) mutant population identified an individual that produced seed with nearly twice the amount of sucrose (8.1% on dry matter basis) and less than half the amount of oil (8.5% on dry matter basis) as compared to wild type. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA), comparative genomic hybridization, and genome resequencing were used to associate the seed composition phenotype with a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 8 and 13. In a backcross population, the translocation perfectly cosegregated with the seed composition phenotype and exhibited non-Mendelian segregation patterns. We hypothesize that the translocation is responsible for the altered seed composition by disrupting a β-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] synthase 1 ( KASI ) ortholog. KASI is a core fatty acid synthesis enzyme that is involved in the conversion of sucrose into oil in developing seeds. This finding may lead to new research directions for developing soybean cultivars with modified carbohydrate and oil seed composition., (Copyright © 2017 Dobbels et al.)

The present study aimed to examine the perceptions of African American communities regarding the involvement of political leaders in facilitating policy and environmental change promoting healthy eating and physical activity. We selected the Metro Jackson Area comprised of Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties because it is a combination of urban and rural communities. The sample consisted of 70 participants from seven sites. A total of seven focus groups were asked to respond to one question to assess political leaders' involvement in healthy living: "When you think about your political leaders that you have in the Jackson, Mississippi area, do any of them promote healthy eating and physical activity?" Focus groups consisted of six to 12 participants and were asked to comment on their participation in physical activity. The focus group interviews were digitally recorded. The recorded interviews were transcribed by a professional transcriptionist. Community members could not recollect much participation from political leaders in the health prevention/intervention efforts. In each of the counties, there was evidence that there was some involvement by local politicians in health promotion issues, but not on a large scale. In conclusion, making healthy foods and products available in neighborhood stores has long been associated with healthy behaviors and positive health outcomes. This can make a difference in the Mississippi communities where supermarkets are not accessible and health disparities abound.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions and is linked to hypertension among African American youth. Optimistic bias influences behavior of youth causing them to underestimate their susceptibility to negative health outcomes. This study explored adolescent behaviors and prevalence of high blood pressure and obesity in a school district. We examined the relationship between individual health risk practices and optimistic bias on health outcomes; 433 African American high school students were administered a survey and had their obesity and blood pressure measured by the school nurse. Canonical correlational analyses were used to examine relationships between health risk practices and descriptive statistics for optimistic bias and health outcomes. Engaging in moderate exercise for at least 30 min in the last 7 days and lower blood pressure was the only statistically significant relationship. Two-thirds of the students did not perceive themselves to be at risk of developing cardiovascular disease with males at greater risk than females, despite the presence of clinical risk factors for hypertension and obesity. Reducing health optimistic bias is an effective way of motivating young people to adopt more positive behaviors using educational institutions to implement intervention programs that promote positive health behavior as a way to reduce health disparities.

Key Message: Three adjacent and distinct sequence rearrangements were identified at a NAP1 locus in a soybean mutant. Genetic dissection and validation revealed the function of this gene in soybean trichome development. A soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) gnarled trichome mutant, exhibiting stunted trichomes compared to wild-type, was identified in a fast neutron mutant population. Genetic mapping using whole genome sequencing-based bulked segregant analysis identified a 26.6 megabase interval on chromosome 20 that co-segregated with the phenotype. Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of the mutant indicated that the chromosome 20 interval included a small structural variant within the coding region of a soybean ortholog (Glyma.20G019300) of Arabidopsis Nck-Associated Protein 1 (NAP1), a regulator of actin nucleation during trichome morphogenesis. Sequence analysis of the candidate allele revealed multiple rearrangements within the coding region, including two deletions (approximately 1-2 kb each), a translocation, and an inversion. Further analyses revealed that the mutant allele perfectly co-segregated with the phenotype, and a wild-type soybean NAP1 transgene functionally complemented an Arabidopsis nap1 mutant. In addition, mapping and exon sequencing of NAP1 in a spontaneous soybean gnarled trichome mutant (T31) identified a frame shift mutation resulting in a truncation of the coding region. These data indicate that the soybean NAP1 gene is essential for proper trichome development and show the utility of the soybean fast neutron population for forward genetic approaches for identifying genes.

Background: The safety of mutagenized and genetically transformed plants remains a subject of scrutiny. Data gathered and communicated on the phenotypic and molecular variation induced by gene transfer technologies will provide a scientific-based means to rationally address such concerns. In this study, genomic structural variation (e.g. large deletions and duplications) and single nucleotide polymorphism rates were assessed among a sample of soybean cultivars, fast neutron-derived mutants, and five genetically transformed plants developed through Agrobacterium based transformation methods., Results: On average, the number of genes affected by structural variations in transgenic plants was one order of magnitude less than that of fast neutron mutants and two orders of magnitude less than the rates observed between cultivars. Structural variants in transgenic plants, while rare, occurred adjacent to the transgenes, and at unlinked loci on different chromosomes. DNA repair junctions at both transgenic and unlinked sites were consistent with sequence microhomology across breakpoints. The single nucleotide substitution rates were modest in both fast neutron and transformed plants, exhibiting fewer than 100 substitutions genome-wide, while inter-cultivar comparisons identified over one-million single nucleotide polymorphisms., Conclusions: Overall, these patterns provide a fresh perspective on the genomic variation associated with high-energy induced mutagenesis and genetically transformed plants. The genetic transformation process infrequently results in novel genetic variation and these rare events are analogous to genetic variants occurring spontaneously, already present in the existing germplasm, or induced through other types of mutagenesis. It remains unclear how broadly these results can be applied to other crops or transformation methods.

Genetic bottlenecks during domestication and modern breeding limited the genetic diversity of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Therefore, expanding and diversifying soybean genetic resources is a major priority for the research community. These resources, consisting of natural and induced genetic variants, are valuable tools for improving soybean and furthering soybean biological knowledge. During the twentieth century, researchers gathered a wealth of genetic variation in the forms of landraces, Glycine soja accessions, Glycine tertiary germplasm, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Type and Isoline Collections. During the twenty-first century, soybean researchers have added several new genetic and genomic resources. These include the reference genome sequence, genotype data for the USDA soybean germplasm collection, next-generation mapping populations, new irradiation and transposon-based mutagenesis populations, and designer nuclease platforms for genome engineering. This paper briefly surveys the publicly accessible soybean genetic resources currently available or in development and provides recommendations for developing such genetic resources in the future. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Background: Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for stroke, but the mechanisms by which smoking contributes to stroke are not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the roles of lung function (represented by forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)) and aldosterone as potential mediators of the association of smoking with stroke., Methods and Results: The data were derived from 5010 Jackson Heart Study participants who had mean follow-up of 97.9 months. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, we estimated the hazard ratios of smoking for total stroke with and without adjustment for FEV1 and/or aldosterone at baseline after controlling for the confounders. The hazard ratio for current smoking (versus never smoking) was 2.70 (95% CI 1.71 to 4.25) for total stroke after adjustment for the confounders. Additional adjustment for FEV1 and aldosterone reduced the hazard ratio to 2.32 (95% CI 1.42 to 3.79), suggesting that 22.4% of the excess risk of current smoking for total stroke is mediated by these factors. FEV1 and aldosterone account for 13.1% and 12.1%, respectively, of the excess risk. The hazard ratio for FEV1 increased (0.61 versus 0.65) after including systemic inflammatory marker C-reactive protein, and the hazard ratios for aldosterone were comparable for the models that included all confounders and smoking status with or without different blood pressure measurements., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the difference in stroke risk between current and never smokers may develop partially through pathways involving lung function and aldosterone and that the mediation effect through aldosterone is independent of blood pressure., (© 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Small nonprotein-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) are present in most eukaryotes and are central effectors of RNA silencing-mediated mechanisms for gene expression regulation. In plants, DICER-LIKE1 (DCL1) is the founding member of a highly conserved family of RNase III-like endonucleases that function as core machinery proteins to process hairpin-like precursor transcripts into mature miRNAs, small regulatory RNAs, 21-22 nucleotides in length. Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) were used to generate single and double-mutants of putative soybean DCL1 homologs, DCL1a and DCL1b, to confirm their functional role(s) in the soybean miRNA pathway. Neither DCL1 single mutant, dcl1a or dcl1b plants, exhibited a pronounced morphological or molecular phenotype. However, the dcl1a/dcl1b double mutant expressed a strong morphological phenotype, characterized by reduced seed size and aborted seedling development, in addition to defective miRNA precursor transcript processing efficiency and deregulated miRNA target gene expression. Together, these findings indicate that the two soybean DCL1 paralogs, DCL1a and DCL1b, largely play functionally redundant roles in the miRNA pathway and are essential for normal plant development., (Copyright © 2016 Curtin et al.)

The soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] chlorophyll-deficient line MinnGold is a spontaneous mutant characterized by yellow foliage. Map-based cloning and transgenic complementation revealed that the mutant phenotype is caused by a nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution in the third exon of a Mg-chelatase subunit gene (ChlI1a) on chromosome 13. This gene was selected as a candidate for a different yellow foliage mutant, T219H (Y11y11), that had been previously mapped to chromosome 13. Although the phenotypes of MinnGold and T219H are clearly distinct, sequencing of ChlI1a in T219H identified a different nonsynonymous mutation in the third exon, only six base pairs from the MinnGold mutation. This information, along with previously published allelic tests, were used to identify and clone a third yellow foliage mutation, CD-5, which was previously mapped to chromosome 15. This mutation was identified in the ChlI1b gene, a paralog of ChlI1a. Sequencing of the ChlI1b allele in CD-5 identified a nonsynonymous substitution in the third exon that confers an identical amino acid change as the T219H substitution at ChlI1a. Protein sequence alignments of the two Mg-chelatase subunits indicated that the sites of amino acid modification in MinnGold, T219H, and CD-5 are highly conserved among photosynthetic species. These results suggest that amino acid alterations in this critical domain may create competitive inhibitory interactions between the mutant and wild-type ChlI1a and ChlI1b proteins., (Copyright © 2015 Campbell et al.)

Fast neutron radiation has been used as a mutagen to develop extensive mutant collections. However, the genome-wide structural consequences of fast neutron radiation are not well understood. Here, we examine the genome-wide structural variants observed among 264 soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] plants sampled from a large fast neutron-mutagenized population. While deletion rates were similar to previous reports, surprisingly high rates of segmental duplication were also found throughout the genome. Duplication coverage extended across entire chromosomes and often prevailed at chromosome ends. High-throughput resequencing analysis of selected mutants resolved specific chromosomal events, including the rearrangement junctions for a large deletion, a tandem duplication, and a translocation. Genetic mapping associated a large deletion on chromosome 10 with a quantitative change in seed composition for one mutant. A tandem duplication event, located on chromosome 17 in a second mutant, was found to cosegregate with a short petiole mutant phenotype, and thus may serve as an example of a morphological change attributable to a DNA copy number gain. Overall, this study provides insight into the resilience of the soybean genome, the patterns of structural variation resulting from fast neutron mutagenesis, and the utility of fast neutron-irradiated mutants as a source of novel genetic losses and gains., (Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.)

Government policies and community expectations in Australia continually lead to calls for healthcare change. These changes are often met with resistance from clinicians and managers. Making change happen requires consideration of the way policies, culture, context, shared vision and leadership can drive or impede change. This reflective case study critically investigates one change process; the evolution of a Sub-acute Ambulatory Care Services (SACS) program in an Australian regional hospital over a 3-year period. The new Community Rehabilitation Services (CRS) program evolved from a merger of Centre and Home Based Rehabilitation (CBR and HBR). Hospital amalgamations, closures and privatisation, and the Department of Health policy relating to SACS, ambulatory care and rehabilitation were some of the key elements explored in this paper.

Background: To examine the association of increased plasma leptin concentration with prevalent stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD) and to examine the genetic contributions of leptin to this association in the Jackson Heart Study cohort., Methods: A cohort of 5170 participants aged 21-84 years who underwent Exam I during 2000-2004 was analysed. Odds ratios (OR) of prevalent stroke and CHD were calculated using a logistic regression model adjusted for age, smoking, hypertension and waist circumference (WC). Variance component analysis was used to partition the phenotypic variance of leptin into the polygenic and environmental components., Results: The prevalence of stroke and CHD was 4.04% and 5.85% in women, and 4.88% and 8.92% in men, respectively. Body mass index (BMI) and WC were highly correlated with leptin both in men and women. In multivariate analysis stratified by sex, leptin was significantly associated with stroke (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.21-3.21) in women after adjustment for age, smoking, systolic blood pressure, BMI and WC (P = 0.0079). No significant association was observed in men. Heritability of sex-, age-adjusted log-transformed leptin for this cohort was 38.0% and 37.8% after further adjustment for WC and hypertension, respectively. In addition, a sibship effect was also found to be significant and explained 12.2% of the total variance of leptin (P = 0.007)., Conclusion: There is a significant association of leptin with stroke in women, which is partly influenced by the genetic factor. The findings suggest that leptinemia is an independent risk factor for stroke in African American women.

The effectiveness of the number-consonant mnemonic for immediate recall and long-term retention of 4 6-digit lock combinations was examined in 36 volunteers who were 60 years old or more. Participants were randomized into either an experimental condition (n = 17) that received training in the number-consonant mnemonic or a group that received placebo training only (n = 19). There were no differences between groups for number recall at posttest. At 3 days a modest difference appeared, favoring the experimental condition, which became highly significant at the 7-day telephone follow-up. This finding suggests that a distinguishing characteristic of the number-consonant mnemonic may be the extent to which it facilitates the maintenance of learned numeric material in memory over time.