BACKGROUND Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War have an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the etiology is unknown. OBJECTIVES This study sought to identify geographic areas with elevated risk for the later development of ALS among military personnel who served in the first Gulf War. METHODS A unified geographic information system (GIS) was constructed to allow analysis of ...

Barrier islands on the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico are an internationally important coastal resource. Each spring hundreds of thousands of Nearctic-Neotropical songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration use these islands because they provide the first landfall for individuals following a trans-Gulf migratory route. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level r...

The underlying etiology and pathogenesis of Gulf War veterans' illnesses continue to be under intense investigation. Reports have suggested the basis for these illnesses may be an altered immune system, but compelling evidence is lacking. We sought to determine whether in vitro immune responses were abnormal in symptomatic Gulf War veterans relative to matched controls. A randomized case-contro...

Lake Victoria, which is the largest fresh water lake in Africa, represents a unique ecosystem that has the largest fresh water fishery in the continent. However, increased anthropogenic activities has increased the potential pollution of the lake especially the heavy metal pollutants which may be toxic to humans and aquatic fauna. There is need therefore for continuous monitoring of pollution l...

Determining the relative influence of biotic and abiotic factors on genetic connectivity among populations remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology and in the management and conservation of species. North Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) inhabits upwelling regions in the California Current ecosystem from the Gulf of California to the Gulf of Alaska. In this study, we examined mitoch...

People depend on human infrastructure for a range of activities in their daily lives, such as work and socializing. In this paper we consider three different intertwined types of infrastructures of a society that may be affected in crisis situations: the physical, technological, and human infrastructures. We argue that when the human infrastructure is damaged, e.g. in a natural catastrophe or w...

18 Ophthalmic Care of the Combat Casualty

The six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are among the world's last true monarchies. The ruler of each state enjoys unparalleled power and other members of his ruling family hold most key positions in the government, as well as enjoying many other privileges. Despite significant steps toward institutionalization and the creation of governments that are frequently responsive, ...

In this study, we analyze the refraction of long oceanic waves at the Gulf Stream’s north wall off the Florida coast as observed in imagery obtained from the RADARSAT-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) during the passage of Hurricane Bonnie on August 25, 1998. The wave spectra are derived from RADARSAT-1 SAR images from both inside and outside the Gulf Stream. From the image spectra, we can deter...

INTRODUCTION A sizable literature has analyzed the frequency of alcohol consumption and patterns of drinking among veterans. However, few studies have examined patterns of alcohol use in veterans of the first Gulf War or factors associated with problem drinking in this population. We examined the frequency and patterns of alcohol use in male and female veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War o...