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During the period from 1994 to 1996, an increase in the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of human salmonellosis associated with exposure to exotic pets including iguanas, pet turtles, sugar gliders, and hedgehogs was observed in Canada. Pet turtle-associated salmonellosis was recognized as a serious public health problem in the 1960s and 1970s, and in February 1975 legislation banning the importation of turtles into Canada was enacted by Agriculture Canada. Reptile-associated salmonellosis is once again being recognized as a resurgent disease. From 1993 to 1995, there were more than 20,000 laboratory-confirmed human cases of salmonellosis in Canada. The major source of Salmonella infection is food; however, an estimated 3 to 5% of all cases of salmonellosis in humans are associated with exposure to exotic pets. Among the isolates from these patients with salmonellosis, a variety of Salmonella serotypes were also associated with exotic pets and included the following: S. java, S. stanley, S. poona, S. jangwani, S. tilene, S. litchfield, S. manhattan, S. pomona, S. miami, S. rubislaw, S. marina subsp. IV, and S. wassenaar subsp. IV.

Demographic data were gathered from two populations of the little long-tailed
dunnart, Sminthopsis dolichura, inhabiting semi-arid
nature reserves in the Western Australian wheatbelt in order to place the
ecology of this species (formerly part of the
Sminthopsis murina complex) in perspective. In all
respects, S. dolichura is similar to
S. murina from south-eastern Australia, and, indeed, to
most other species of the Sminthopsis group. High
mobility and transiency rates, an extended seasonal pattern of reproduction,
relatively rapid development of the young and the probable existence of
polyoestry characterise the life history of S. dolichura
and most other species within the group that have been studied. These
attributes enable a high degree of reproductive flexibility and permit these
species to opportunistically invade new habitats and ephemeral post-fire seral
stages. The observed sympatry with highly seasonal monoestrous dasyurids of
the genus Antechinus is postulated to occur through
spatial and temporal selection of different microhabitats, but also suggests
that phylogenetic factors may be at least as important as the predictability
of climate and food resources in explaining the evolution of different
reproductive strategies.

Through the 1980s and early 1990s, the course of American health research was increasingly shaped by politically-aggressive activism for two particular diseases, breast cancer and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Even as national stakes rose, both in dollars spent and growing demands on the medical system, breast cancer and AIDS advocates made government policy-making for research ever more public and controversial. Through skillful cultivation of political strength, interest groups transformed individual health problems into collective demands, winning notable policy influence in federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Activists directly challenged fundamental principles of both government and medical systems, fighting to affect distribution of research funds and questioning well-established scientific methods and professional values. In the contest for decision-making power, those players achieved remarkable success in influencing and infiltrating (some critics said, undermining) both the politics and science of medical research. Between 1990 and 1995, federal appropriations for breast cancer study rose from $90 million to $465 million, while in that same period, NIH AIDS research rose from $743.53 million to $1,338 billion.

In this paper the sociological significance of informal giving in the Netherlands is addressed. Does informal giving in any way compensate for the failing efficacy of official politics to counteract social inequality? Empirical results are presented from a study about informal giving in the Netherlands. Material as well as immaterial gifts were distinguished: presents, money gifts, food, shelter, care or help, and blood and organs. The data showed informal giving to be ruled by reciprocity: gifts are followed by return gifts in most cases. However, reciprocity appeared to have a positive as well as a negative side: those who give many gifts, receive many gifts in return, but those who do not give much - often because their social and material conditions do not allow them to do so - are also the poorest receivers: the unemployed and the elderly in our sample. It is concluded that informal giving does not compensate for existing social inequality. Informal giving mainly benefits those who already receive much; those who need it most, receive the least. Reciprocity, then, may be considered `a principle of exclusion'.

Birds are not normally viewed as pests but, in the case of cereals and soft fruit, both resident and migrant species can cause significant losses. In sub-Saharan Africa, the expansion of the area under cereal crops, especially in displacing the normal food plants of the grain-eating birds, has exacerbated the problem and rendered ineffective many traditional me.t_hods of crop protection. Environmental considerations mean that management strategies must now be tackled at the government and community level, rather than solely by the individual farmer. Grain-eating Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa provides the background information needed for an understanding of the birds which cause the damage, their identification, biology and feeding habits. It also presents the variety of techniques necessary to assess the likelihood and extent of crop damage from season to season and so facilitate the choice of cost-effective methods and levels of control. Intended as a comprehensive reference for policy makers and extensionists, this handbook will also be useful to all public and private sector management staff who are involved in loss assessment and the implementation of control methods in cereal production.

7 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables. ; The food and feeding of Flemish Cap cod are described for 5 years based on 3921 stomachs collected in the fishing grounds off the Flemish Cap, Newfoundland in summer 1989–1993. Feeding intensity was high but the prey spectrum was narrow in all years with hyperiids and redfish (Sebastes sp.) predominating. Squid and poly-chaetes had a high inter-annual variability. Juvenile cod diet was dominated by crustaceans, mainly hyperiids, and polychaetes, while in adult cod diet the most important prey were fish, mainly redfish. The maximum size of redfish eaten increased with cod size, but prey–predator size relationships showed weak correlation. Cannibalism increased in 1991 (mainly upon 1-year-olds), coinciding with the appearance of a large year class in 1990. In the years 1992 and 1993, a change in the diet was observed involving an increase of hyperiids in the adult cod diet and a decline of redfish. ; The material used in the present work was collected and analysed as part of research programmes financed by the European Union (n. 11 1 246 E P and AIR1-CT92- 0558). ; Peer reviewed

To describe the health effects of the political system in Zaïre on asylum seekers seen at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture a retrospective study was performed of the records of 92 asylum seekers from Zaïre who were seen for medical reports at the medical foundation in 1993 and 1994. Eighty one had been imprisoned; the others had been severely treated at home by the security services. Sixty six had been detained for up to one year. Prison conditions were invariably unsanitary, and food of poor quality when provided. All had been beaten on arrest, and all but two had been beaten repeatedly in prison. Nearly all the women and some of the men described sexual abuse. Almost all left prison through bribery or because a guard had a similar background. Seventy two asylum seekers had scarring, consider to be consistent with the history, and 70 were considered to have suffered persistent psychological damage. Asylum seekers from Zaïre will have health effects from experiences unimaginable to the ordinary Briton. An understanding of the background will help clinicians manage them.

The increasingly capitalist nature of agricultural production is critiqued in an examination of the alternative model of production devised by Wes Jackson (1980): perennial herbaceous polyculture (PHP). The majority of researchers & theorists have sought the environmental goal of sustainable agriculture through the minimization of the harmful side effects of agricultural production in combination with increased production & profit incentives. However, it is argued that the reliance on capitalist gains & technological advances that drain resources is potentially threatening to the environment. Jackson's PHP model relies on the development of perennial prairie plants that provide food resources without the land damage associated with contemporary plowing, fertilizing, & scientific farming techniques. The implementation of the PHP model would reduce the current dependence of local farmers on national corporations & scientific advance in order to remain competitive. Further, the PHP model would allow for the rejuvenation of farming communities that have been wiped out by the corporatization of agriculture. Despite the vast benefits offered by the PHP model, it is concluded that implementation requires a radical cultural transformation away from the capitalist-only vision of production. T. Sevier

Three methods of assessing relative abundance of wild canids were evaluated on a population of dingoes,
Canis lupus dingo (Corbett), on a cattle station in south-westem Queensland. The tested indices relied on
measurements of activity based on spoor. Two of the techniques attracted the target species to tracking
stations through the use of a novel (fatty acid scent) or food-based (buried meat) attractant. The third index
(activity) measured the number of dingo tracks crossing tracking stations placed at 1-km intervals along a
road transect.
All three indices had a high level of agreement for detecting differences in relative abundance, with
correlation coefficients exceeding 0.85. When the stations were analysed in 1-km segments, the activity
index proved the most sensitive, producing proportionally more positive responses than either of the other
two indices irrespective of whether the tracking stations were assessed at 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-day intervals.
Inconsistencies between indices existed, with the derived abundance indices not showing the anticipated
reduction following population reduction. The effect of season and the interaction between dingo activity
and index methodology are discussed.

ABSTRACTThe microbiological safety of water supplies is at present assured by monitoring for the absence of the faecal indicator organisms, total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli. This monitoring work represents the bulk of the workload of microbiology laboratories in the water industry. The accuracy of current methods is not questioned, but the times taken to obtain a presumptive result (18 h) and a confirmed result (up to 72 h) impose delays, particularly with regard to the recommissioning of distribution systems. There is therefore a continued demand for more rapid techniques, which has not been satisfied, despite the advances in analytical methods which have been adopted in other industries. Alternatives to the traditional culture‐based methods are reviewed in this paper, and promising techniques for water applications are highlighted. Highly specific bacterial labelling methods and sensitive instrumentation for detection and enumeration already exist, so that rapid same‐day detection of coliforms is technically feasible. Suitable separation methods for rapid analysis of water samples have not yet been developed, but antibody‐mediated separations which are now employed in clinical and food microbiology may be applicable.

Most feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are descendants of domestic swine that have gone wild and their reproduction is uncontrolled by man. A few populations may be descendants of European wild boar or crosses between wild boar and domestic swine. Disease control officials report that 23 states have established populations of feral pigs and the total feral pig population in the United States is probably in excess of 2 million animals. A population of feral pigs was documented in the fall of 1993 on the Fort Riley Military Installation in northeastern Kansas. Biologists from the Fort Riley Natural Resources Division and the Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit assessed the situation and recommended that the pig population be eradicated because of the potential for disease, crop damage, erosion, competition for food with native wildlife and depredation on native wildlife. The goal of this management plan is to eradicate feral pigs on Fort Riley. We have integrated a variety of control techniques emphasizing the use of cage traps, snares, and possibly radio telemetry and aerial hunting.

Approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration with deaf adults and prelingually deafened children above age two, the success of cochlear implants lacks supporting independent evaluative documentation. Allen et al (1993) compared hearing thresholds of profoundly deaf children with and without implants. Children with implants had an unaided threshold of 109.8 dB, which improved with the implant to 56.0 dB. Children without implants had an unaided threshold of 105.1 dB, which improved to 61.8 dB with conventional aids. Pure tone thresholds of 56.0 dB or 61.8 dB does not mean a child can process speech at that level. Lennenberg's critical stage theory (1967) represents the theoretical rationale for early implanting of prelingually deaf children. The flaw in this rationale rests on the fact that prelingually deaf children would not be acquiring English as a second language, even if the implant gave them adequate perception of English. There are strong, legitimate reasons to question the experimental implantation of prelingually deaf children, just as there are factual reasons to support it that should be considered by parents along with the possible benefits.

In consonance with her commitment to the enhanced welfare of
the masses, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, shortly after assuming the
office, set up a "Task Force on Agriculture" to look into the problems
of agriculture in general and issues of agricultural taxation including
Ushr in particular and to submit a report in six weeks. The task force
worked day and night to comply with the Prime Minister's directive and
submitted its report within the stipulated time. As must be clear from
the terms of reference, the task force was to define the major problems
of agriculture and to recommend solutions that are practical and
acceptable to all concerned. Before going into the specific problems and
justifiable recommendations, the report presents an overview of the
state of the art in agriculture and pinpoints the facts that agriculture
is still the major sector of the Pakistani economy in many ways, and
that its growth performance, though laudable, has progressively fallen
in the Eighties with signs of stagnating agricultural production in the
Nineties. These trends, coupled with the rapid growth of population,
have resulted in mounting import bills of basic foods against scarce
foreign exchange earnings.

Despite early warnings of lead toxicity, until recently this metal was added to a variety of consumer and industrial products. Today, thousands of children in the United States, and probably tens of thousands more worldwide, are suffering the consequences of exposure to lead. The lead story looms as major public policy failure that will eventually cost billions of dollars to remedy. Little is known about the toxicological properties of the more than 70,000 chemicals in commerce. Consequently, it seems likely that other "leads" are finding their way into our food, water, and air. Inadequate testing of chemicals to which the public is exposed presents a serious public health risk, particularly to children whose nervous systems are still developing. The Federal government should expand toxicological testing programs for existing and new chemicals, requiring increased developmental toxicological, particularly neurotoxicological, testing of chemicals to which the public is significantly exposed. In keeping with the concept of full-cost pricing, the costs of these tests should be incurred by the manufacturer, not the government, and should be considered a routine cost of product development.

THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (NAFTA) AND THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT) SHIFT POWER AWAY FROM STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE FEDERAL SYSTEM. THEY IMPOSE NEW RULES ON THE EXERCISE OF STATE AND LOCAL POWERS OVER PROCUREMENT AND THE REGULATION OF FOOD. ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, PRODUCT AND SERVICE STANDARDS, INVESTMENTS, SERVICES, FINANCIAL SERVICES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND LAND TRANSPORTATION. STATES WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH VARIOUS REPORTING AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO STRICTER NONDISCRIMINATION OBLIGATIONS TOWARD IMPORTED GOODS AND SERVICES THAN UNDER THE COMMERCE CLAUSE OF THE U.S CONSTITUTION. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WILL BE JUDGED BY INTERNATIONAL PANELS, WHOSE JUDGEMENTS THE UNITED STATES MUST ENFORCE OR SUFFER TRADE SANCTIONS FROM AGGRIEVED TRADING PARTNERS. YET, STATES HAVE NOT STRONGLY OPPOSED NAFTA AND GATT. THE GREATEST STATE OPPOSITION HAS BEEN TO AUTOMATIC PREEMPTION, WHICH THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION PROMISED TO AVOID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. NEVERTHELESS, INCREASED POWER OVER FEDERALISM HAS MOVED TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, BUSINESS, AND TRADE-DISPUTE PANELS, WITH LESS POWER FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.