Showing papers by "University of Bergen published in 1999"

The nature of school bullying : a cross-national perspective

Abstract: The Nature of School Bullying provides a unique world-wide perspective on how different countries have conceptualized the issue of school bullying, what information has been gathered, and what interventions have been carried out. Written and compiled by well known experts in the field, it provides a concise summary of the current state of knowledge of school bullying in nineteen different countries, including: * demographic details * definitions of bullying * the nature and types of school bullying * descriptive statistics about bullying * initiatives and interventions. The Nature of School Bullying provides an authoritative resource for anyone interested in ways in which this problem is being tackled on a global scale. It will be invaluable for teachers, educational policy makers, researchers, and all those concerned with understanding school bullying and finding ways of dealing with it.

The nature and causes of bullying at work

Abstract: The present paper reviews and summarises the research and literature on the nature and causes of bullying at work. Bullying occurs when someone at work is systematically subjected to aggressive behaviour from one or more colleagues or superiors over a long period of time, in a situation where the target finds it difficult to defend him or herself or to escape the situation. Such treatment tends to stigmatise the target and may even cause severe psychological trauma. Empirical studies on the causes of bullying have concentrated on the personality of the victim and psychosocial factors at work. Most studies treat bullying as a unified phenomenon, in spite of the fact that different kinds of behaviours are involved. The concepts of dispute‐related and predatory bullying are introduced in an effort to broaden the perspectives used in future investigations on both the nature and the causes of bullying at work.

Ankle-Arm Index as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in the Cardiovascular Health Study

Abstract: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the legs, measured noninvasively by the ankle-arm index (AAI) is associated with clinically manifest cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors. To determine risk of total mortality, coronary heart disease, or stroke mortality and incident versus recurrent CVD associated with a low AAI, we examined the relationship of the AAI to subsequent CVD events in 5888 older adults with and without CVD. The AAI was measured in 5888 participants >/=65 years old at the baseline examination of the Cardiovascular Health Study. All participants had a detailed assessment of prevalent CVD and were contacted every 6 months for total mortality and CVD events (including CVD mortality, fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, angina, stroke, and hospitalized PAD). The crude mortality rate at 6 years was highest (32.3%) in those participants with prevalent CVD and a low AAI (P<0.9), and it was lowest in those with neither of these findings (8.7%, P<0.01). Similar patterns emerged from analysis of recurrent CVD and incident CVD. The risk for incident congestive heart failure (relative risk [RR]=1.61) and for total mortality (RR=1.62) in those without CVD at baseline but with a low AAI remained significantly elevated after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Hospitalized PAD events occurred months to years after the AAI was measured, with an adjusted RR of 5.55 (95% CI, 3.08 to 9.98) in those at risk for incident events. A statistically significant decline in survival was seen at each 0.1 decrement in the AAI. An AAI of <0.9 is an independent risk factor for incident CVD, recurrent CVD, and mortality in this group of older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Responses of tundra plants to experimental warming:meta‐analysis of the international tundra experiment

Abstract: The International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) is a collaborative, multisite experiment using a common temperature manipulation to examine variability in species response across climatic and geographic gradients of tundra ecosystems. ITEX was designed specifically to examine variability in arctic and alpine species response to increased temperature. We compiled from one to four years of experimental data from 13 different ITEX sites and used meta-analysis to analyze responses of plant phenology, growth, and reproduction to experimental warming. Results indicate that key phenological events such as leaf bud burst and flowering occurred earlier in warmed plots throughout the study period; however, there was little impact on growth cessation at the end of the season. Quantitative measures of vegetative growth were greatest in warmed plots in the early years of the experiment, whereas reproductive effort and success increased in later years. A shift away from vegetative growth and toward reproductive effort and success in the fourth treatment year suggests a shift from the initial response to a secondary response. The change in vegetative response may be due to depletion of stored plant reserves, whereas the lag in reproductive response may be due to the formation of flower buds one to several seasons prior to flowering. Both vegetative and reproductive responses varied among life-forms; herbaceous forms had stronger and more consistent vegetative growth responses than did woody forms. The greater responsiveness of the herbaceous forms may be attributed to their more flexible morphology and to their relatively greater proportion of stored plant reserves. Finally, warmer, low arctic sites produced the strongest growth responses, but colder sites produced a greater reproductive response. Greater resource investment in vegetative growth may be a conservative strategy in the Low Arctic, where there is more competition for light, nutrients, or water, and there may be little opportunity for successful germination or seedling development. In contrast, in the High Arctic, heavy investment in producing seed under a higher temperature scenario may provide an opportunity for species to colonize patches of unvegetated ground. The observed differential response to warming suggests that the primary forces driving the response vary across climatic zones, functional groups, and through time.

Enumeration of Marine Viruses in Culture and Natural Samples by Flow Cytometry

Abstract: Flow cytometry (FCM) was successfully used to enumerate viruses in seawater after staining with the nucleic acid-specific dye SYBR Green-I. The technique was first optimized by using the Phaeocystis lytic virus PpV-01. Then it was used to analyze natural samples from different oceanic locations. Virus samples were fixed with 0.5% glutaraldehyde and deep frozen for delayed analysis. The samples were then diluted in Tris-EDTA buffer and analyzed in the presence of SYBR Green-I. A duplicate sample was heated at 80°C in the presence of detergent before analysis. Virus counts obtained by FCM were highly correlated to, although slightly higher than, those obtained by epifluorescence microscopy or by transmission electron microscopy (r 5 0.937, n 5 14, and r 5 0.96, n 5 8, respectively). Analysis of a depth profile from the Mediterranean Sea revealed that the abundance of viruses displayed the same vertical trend as that of planktonic cells. FCM permits us to distinguish between at least two and sometimes three virus populations in natural samples. Because of its speed and accuracy, FCM should prove very useful for studies of virus infection in cultures and should allow us to better understand the structure and dynamics of virus populations in natural waters.

Satellite Evidence for an Arctic Sea Ice Cover in Transformation.

Abstract: Recent research using microwave satellite remote sensing data has established that there has been a reduction of about 3 percent per decade in the areal extent of the Arctic sea ice cover since 1978, although it is unknown whether the nature of the perennial ice pack has changed. These data were used to quantify changes in the ice cover's composition, revealing a substantial reduction of about 14 percent in the area of multiyear ice in winter during the period from 1978 to 1998. There also appears to be a strong correlation between the area of multiyear ice and the spatially averaged thickness of the perennial ice pack, which suggests that the satellite-derived areal decreases represent substantial rather than only peripheral changes. If this apparent transformation continues, it may lead to a markedly different ice regime in the Arctic, altering heat and mass exchanges as well as ocean stratification.

A scoring system for subjective health complaints (SHC)

Abstract: The aim of this study is to present a complete scoring system for subjective health complaints (SHC) as they are experienced by the lay population. The scoring system records the complaints, and does not map attributions or medical diagnoses. In all, 1,219 subjects (323 men, 896 women) from various occupations were tested with a scoring system, the SHC inventory, previously referred to as the Ursin Health Inventory (UHI). The SHC consists of 29 questions concerning severity and duration of subjective somatic and psychological complaints. The SHC inventory yields scores on single items and a total number of health complaints categorized into five factors: musculoskeletal pain (alpha=0.74), pseudoneurology (alpha=0.73), gastrointestinal problems (alpha=0.62), allergy (alpha=0.58) and flu (alpha=0.67). The SHC inventory is a systematic, easy, and reliable way to score subjective health complaints. The prevalence of these complaints is high, and should be considered before conclusions are reached about new diseases and new attributions of environmental hazards.

Enumeration of phytoplankton, bacteria, and viruses in marine samples.

Abstract: For many years, a small but dedicated group of scientists have been using flow cytometry for the evaluation of marine microorganisms. One of these scientists now provides us with a detailed series of protocols in this area, spelling out the variations in method and instrument operation that are crucial to the successful extraction of quality flow data from marine organisms. In addition, the use of a number of less frequently employed fluorescent probes gives some insight into alternative staining procedures. As our collection of microbiologically oriented techniques increases, this knowledge database becomes invaluable.

Physical activity and behavioral medicine.

Abstract: such analysis was offered. This was particularly surprising since the gay community of West Hollywood is demarcated in part by race and class boundaries. The sample itself was overwhelmingly white; and although there was an attempt to locate the case study presentations inside the history of the epidemic, the unmentioned point of reference seemed to be white middle-class gay male culture. White middleclass gay men have and continue to be the normative point of reference in sexuality and prevention research with gay male populations. What Turner lacks in analysis he makes up in his wonderful descriptions of gay male sexuality. In the end, Risky Sex is a passionate testimonial to the beauty of gay male sex and the power of personal agency. We come to understand anal sex without a condom as a natural extension of the particular psychosexual histories of individual gay men. In this respect, when men engage in risky sex, it is not because they are somehow deficient, or that there is something inherently wrong with them. It is because there is something inherently human about gay sex. And in this age of AIDS, when there is a reactionary tendency to moralize and pathologize sexual behavior, Turner’s work is a welcome contribution to prevention research and a reminder to us all about the importance of understanding sex in all its complexity.

Maximum extent of the Eurasian ice sheets in the Barents and Kara Sea region during the Weichselian

Abstract: Based on field investigations in northern Russia and interpretation of offshore seismic data, we have made a preliminary reconstruction of the maximum ice-sheet extent in the Barents and Kara Sea region during the Early/Middle Weichselian and the Late Weichselian. Our investigations indicate that the Barents and Kara ice sheets attained their maximum Weichselian positions in northern Russia prior to 50 000 yr BP, whereas the northeastern flank of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet advanced to a maximum position shortly after 17000 calendar years ago. During the Late Weichselian (25 000–10000 yr BP), much of the Russian Arctic remained ice-free. According to our reconstruction, the extent of the ice sheets in the Barents and Kara Sea region during the Late Weichselian glacial maximum was less than half that of the maximum model which, up to now, has been widely used as a boundary condition for testing and refining General Circulation Models (GCMs). Preliminary numerical-modelling experiments predict Late Weichselian ice sheets which are larger than the ice extent implied for the Kara Sea region from dated geological evidence, suggesting very low precipitation.

Note on breather type solutions of the nls as models for freak-waves

Abstract: Some breather type solutions of the NLS equation have been suggested by Henderson et al (to appear in Wave Motion) as models for a class of 'freak' wave events seen in 2D-simulations on surface gravity waves. In this paper we first take a closer look on these simple solutions and compare them with some of the simulation data (Henderson et al to appear in Wave Motion). Our findings tend to strengthen the idea of Henderson et al. Especially the Ma breather and the so called Peregrine solution may provide useful and simple analytical models for 'freak' wave events.

Rapid changes in the mechanism of ocean convection during the last glacial period

Abstract: High-amplitude, rapid climate fluctuations are common features of glacial times The prominent changes in air temperature recorded in the Greenland ice cores1,2 are coherent with shifts in the magnitude of the northward heat flux carried by the North Atlantic surface ocean3,4; changes in the ocean's thermohaline circulation are a key component in many explanations of this climate flickering5 Here we use stable-isotope and other sedimentological data to reveal specific oceanic reorganizations during these rapid climate-change events Deep water was generated more or less continuously in the Nordic Seas during the latter part of the last glacial period (60 to 10 thousand years ago), but by two different mechanisms The deep-water formation occurred by convection in the open ocean during warmer periods (interstadials) But during colder phases (stadials), a freshening of the surface ocean reduced or stopped open-ocean convection, and deep-water formation was instead driven by brine-release during sea-ice freezing These shifting magnitudes and modes nested within the overall continuity of deep-water formation were probably important for the structuring and rapidity of the prevailing climate changes

Tropical climates at the Last Glacial Maximum: a new synthesis of terrestrial palaeoclimate data. I. Vegetation, lake-levels and geochemistry

Abstract: Palaeodata in synthesis form are needed as benchmarks for the Palaeoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP). Advances since the last synthesis of terrestrial palaeodata from the last glacial maximum (LGM) call for a new evaluation, especially of data from the tropics. Here pollen, plant-macrofossil, lake-level, noble gas (from groundwater) and δ18O (from speleothems) data are compiled for 18±2 ka (14C), 32 °N–33 °S. The reliability of the data was evaluated using explicit criteria and some types of data were re-analysed using consistent methods in order to derive a set of mutually consistent palaeoclimate estimates of mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCO), mean annual temperature (MAT), plant available moisture (PAM) and runoff (P-E). Cold-month temperature (MAT) anomalies from plant data range from −1 to −2 K near sea level in Indonesia and the S Pacific, through −6 to −8 K at many high-elevation sites to −8 to −15 K in S China and the SE USA. MAT anomalies from groundwater or speleothems seem more uniform (−4 to −6 K), but the data are as yet sparse; a clear divergence between MAT and cold-month estimates from the same region is seen only in the SE USA, where cold-air advection is expected to have enhanced cooling in winter. Regression of all cold-month anomalies against site elevation yielded an estimated average cooling of −2.5 to −3 K at modern sea level, increasing to ≈−6 K by 3000 m. However, Neotropical sites showed larger than the average sea-level cooling (−5 to −6 K) and a non-significant elevation effect, whereas W and S Pacific sites showed much less sea-level cooling (−1 K) and a stronger elevation effect. These findings support the inference that tropical sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) were lower than the CLIMAP estimates, but they limit the plausible average tropical sea-surface cooling, and they support the existence of CLIMAP-like geographic patterns in SST anomalies. Trends of PAM and lake levels indicate wet LGM conditions in the W USA, and at the highest elevations, with generally dry conditions elsewhere. These results suggest a colder-than-present ocean surface producing a weaker hydrological cycle, more arid continents, and arguably steeper-than-present terrestrial lapse rates. Such linkages are supported by recent observations on freezing-level height and tropical SSTs; moreover, simulations of “greenhouse” and LGM climates point to several possible feedback processes by which low-level temperature anomalies might be amplified aloft.

Quality of life in multiple sclerosis: measuring the disease effects more broadly.

Abstract: Objective: To compare the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and self-rated quality of life scores (SF-36 Health Survey) as measures of disease impact in a representative sample of MS patients. Background: The EDSS is the most common outcome measure of impairment/disability for MS patients but is heavily weighted toward mobility. Sensitive outcome measures are needed that also capture other aspects of the effects of MS. Methods: The authors performed a cross-sectional study of the cohort of all individuals with onset of MS between 1976 and 1986 who were diagnosed before 1995 in Hordaland County, Norway. A total of 194 patients (94%) participated. Results: The patients had lower mean scores for all eight SF-36 health dimensions compared with sex- and age-adjusted scores in a general population. EDSS scores correlated highly with physical functioning ( r = −0.86, R 2 = 0.73), and explained some of the variation in social functioning ( r = −0.48, R 2 = 0.23) and general health ( r = −0.46, R 2 = 0.21) but little for the other dimensions. Conclusions: The SF-36 captures the broad effects of MS, and the results showed that patients also are bothered frequently with health problems such as bodily pain and low vitality. These problems, which are not reflected in the Expanded Disability Status Scale, should be given more attention in the treatment of MS and when evaluating interventions.

Total homocysteine and cardiovascular disease.

Abstract: Recent data have shown that an elevated plasma level of the amino acid homocysteine (Hcy) is a common, independent, easily modifiable and possibly causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) which may be of equal importance to hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and smoking. This paper reviews the biochemical, clinical, epidemiological and experimental data underlying this conclusion and is critically questioning whether elevated tHcy is a causal factor.

Childhood environment and adult atopy : Results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey

Abstract: Background: Previous literature has indicated that environmental exposures in childhood influence development of atopic sensitization. Objective: We sought to study the association between childhood environment and adult atopy. Methods: Thirteen thousand nine hundred thirty-two subjects aged 20 to 44 years from 36 areas in Europe, New Zealand, the United States, and Australia took part in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, answering interviewer-led questionnaires and providing blood tests for measurement of specific IgE to grass, house dust mite, cat, and Cladosporium allergens. Results: Atopy was negatively associated with family size (OR = 0.93; 95% CI=0.90-0.96 per 1 sib), partly attributable to an independent protective effect of a greater number of brothers (OR = 0.92; 95% CI=0.89-0.95 per 1 brother). Accounting for total number of siblings, no further influence was detected for number of older or younger siblings. Bedroom sharing was associated with a lower prevalence of atopy, particularly to cat allergen. A protective effect of family size and bedroom sharing could only be detected in subjects reporting no parental allergy (family size, test for interaction P = .012). The presence of a dog in the home in childhood was negatively associated with adult atopy (OR = 0.85, 95% CI=0.78-0.92), an effect that remained after adjustment for parental allergy, sibling allergy, and adult pet ownership. Conclusion: Subjects from large families with brothers, shared bedrooms, and dogs in childhood were less often atopic as adults. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that infectious agents could inhibit development of atopy during childhood. However, in subjects with a strong genetic predisposition, environmental factors in childhood are possibly of less importance. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;103:415-20.)

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) : An update. [Invited paper]

Abstract: On January 2, 1997, the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the US announced that they intend to initiate the development of a new world-wide encryption standard to replace the Data Encryption Standard (DES). A call for candidates was announced world-wide with the deadline of 15th June 1998. Totally, 15 candidates were submitted from the US, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. The author is the designer of one of the candidates, and a codesigner of another proposal.

Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid affect mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation in relation to substrate preference

Abstract: Decreased triacylglycerol synthesis within hepatocytes due to decreased diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) activity has been suggested to be an important mechanism by which diets rich in fish oil lower plasma triacylglycerol levels. New findings suggest that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and not docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), lowers plasma triacylglycerol by increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and decreased availability of fatty acids for triacylglycerol synthesis. To contribute to the understanding of the triacylglycerol-lowering mechanism of fish oil, the different metabolic properties of EPA and DHA were studied in rat liver parenchymal cells and isolated rat liver organelles. EPA-CoA was a poorer substrate than DHA-CoA for DGAT in isolated rat liver microsomes, and in the presence of EPA, a markedly lower value for the triacyl[3H]glycerol/diacyl[3H]glycerol ratio was observed. The distribution of [1-14C]palmitic acid was shifted from incorporation into secreted glycerolipids toward oxidation in the presence of EPA (but not DHA) in rat liver parenchymal cells. [1-14C]EPA was oxidized to a much greater extent than [1-14C]DHA in rat liver parenchymal cells, isolated peroxisomes, and especially in purified mitochondria. As the oxidation of EPA was more effective and sensitive to the CPT-I inhibitor, etomoxir, when measured in a combination of both mitochondria and peroxisomes, we hypothesized that both are involved in EPA oxidation, whereas DHA mainly is oxidized in peroxisomes. In rats, EPA treatment lowered plasma triacylglycerol and increased hepatic mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT)-I activity in both the presence and absence of malonyl-CoA. Whereas only EPA treatment increased the mRNA levels of CPT-I, DHA treatment increased the mRNA levels of peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase and fatty acid binding protein more effectively than EPA treatment. In conclusion, EPA and DHA affect cellular organelles in relation to their substrate preference. The present study strongly supports the hypothesis that EPA, and not DHA, lowers plasma triacylglycerol by increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.

The Effects of Sons and Daughters on Men's Labor Supply and Wages

Abstract: In this paper we estimate the effects of children and the differential effects of sons and daughters on men's labor supply and hourly wage rates. The responses to fatherhood of two cohorts of men from the PSID sample--men born in and before 1950 and men born after 1950--are examined separately, and we use fixed effects estimation to control for unobserved heterogeneity. We find that fatherhood significantly increases the hourly wage rates and annual hours of work for men from both cohorts, and that it is important to allow for heterogeneity and non-linearity in estimating these effects. Most notably, men's labor supply and wage rates increase significantly more in response to the births of sons than to the births of daughters.

Periodontal repair in dogs: effect of rhBMP-2 concentration on regeneration of alveolar bone and periodontal attachment.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) concentration on regeneration of alveolar bone and cementum, and on associated root resorption and ankylosis. Contralateral, critical size, supra-alveolar, periodontal defects were surgically produced and immediately implanted with rhBMP-2 in an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) carrier in 8, young adult, male, beagle dogs. 6 animals received rhBMP-2/ACS (rhBMP-2 at 0.05, 0.10, or 0.20 mg/mL; total construct volume/defect approximately 4.0 mL) in contralateral defects following an incomplete block design. 2 animals received rhBMP-2/ACS (rhBMP-2 at 0 and 0.10 mg/mL) in contralateral defects (controls). The animals were euthanised at 8 weeks post-surgery and block sections of the defects were collected for histologic and histometric analysis. Supra-alveolar periodontal defects receiving rhBMP-2 at 0.05, 0.10, or 0.20 mg/ml exhibited extensive alveolar regeneration comprising 86%, 96%, and 88% of the defect height, respectively. Cementum regeneration encompassed 8%, 6%, and 8% of the defect height, respectively. Root resorption was observed for all rhBMP-2 concentrations. Ankylosis was observed in almost all teeth receiving rhBMP-2. Control defects without rhBMP-2 exhibited limited, if any, evidence of alveolar bone and cementum regeneration, root resorption, or ankylosis. Within the selected rhBMP-2 concentration and observation interval, there appear to be no meaningful differences in regeneration of alveolar bone and cementum. There also appear to be no significant differences in the incidence and extent of root resorption and ankylosis, though there may be a positive correlation with rhBMP-2 concentration.

A 3000-year high-resolution stalagmitebased record of palaeoclimate for northeastern South Africa

Abstract: High-resolution stable isotope variations and growth structure analyses of the last three millennia of a 6600-year stalagmite record at Cold Air Cave, Makapansgat Valley, South Africa, are presented. Growth layers, which are measurable over the last 250 years, are shown to be annual. The correlation between the width of growth layers and precipitation is strongly positive. Changes inδ18O andδ13C are positively correlated and inversely correlated to changes in the colour of the growth layers in the stalagmite. Variations in colour are directly correlated with mean annual temperature. Dark colouration is the product of increased temperature and mobilization of organic matter from the soil, and is associated with wetter summers and enhanced growth of C4 grasses. Darker colouring and enrichedδ18O andδ13C reflect a warmer, wetter environment, whereas lighter colouring and depleted isotopic values are indicative of cooler, drier conditions. The dominant episode in the 3000-year record is the cool, dry 500-year ...

Calibration of the speleothem delta function: an absolute temperature record for the Holocene in northern Norway

Abstract: The speleothem delta function (SDF) provides a new transfer function between the d18O signal of speleothem calcite and surface ground temperature. The function is based on physical principles, relating d18O of the calcite to thermodynamic fractionation, and to the dripwater function, which in turn relates d18O of dripwaters to that of the local precipitation and thus to the modification of source water in relationship to the geographical position of the site. The SDF must be calibrated against at least two reliable and well-dated palaeotemperature points. The end product is a reconstruction of absolute cave and surface temperatures. The technique is tested using a Holocene speleothem from north Norway, SG93, dated by 12 TIMS U-Th dates. The reconstructed temperature curve is presented and compared with the GISP2 ice-core record and with the historic record. In both cases the correlation with SG93 is impressive, indicating the validity of the technique.

Reciprocal synaptic interactions between rod bipolar cells and amacrine cells in the rat retina.

Abstract: Reciprocal synaptic interactions between rod bipolar cells and amacrine cells in the rat retina. Reciprocal synaptic transmission between rod bipolar cells and presumed A17 amacrine cells was studi...

The putative polymerase sequence of infectious salmon anemia virus suggests a new genus within the Orthomyxoviridae.

Abstract: The infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) is an orthomyxovirus-like virus infecting teleosts. The disease caused by this virus has had major economic consequences for the Atlantic salmon farming industry in Norway, Canada, and Scotland. In this work, we report the cloning and sequencing of an ISAV-specific cDNA comprising 2,245 bp with an open reading frame coding for a predicted protein with a calculated molecular weight of 80.5 kDa. The putative protein sequence shows the core polymerase motifs characteristic of all viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases. Comparison of the conserved motifs with the corresponding regions of other segmented negative-stranded RNA viruses shows a closer relationship with members of the Orthomyxoviridae than with viruses in other families. The putative ISAV polymerase protein (PB1) has a length of 708 amino acids, a charge of +22 at neutral pH, and a pI of 9.9, which are consistent with the properties of the PB1 proteins of other members of the family. Calculations of the distances between the different PB1 proteins indicate that the ISAV is distantly related to the other members of the family but more closely related to the influenza viruses than to the Thogoto viruses. Based on these and previously published results, we propose that the ISAV comprises a new, fifth genus in the Orthomyxoviridae.