Bone-borne palatal distraction to correct the constricted cleft maxilla.

PubMed

Vyas, Raj M; Jarrahy, Reza; Sisodia, Manisha; Jourabchi, Natanel; Wasson, Kristy L; Bradley, James P

2009-05-01

Transverse maxillary hypoplasia, with or without cleft deformity, is typically treated with orthodontic expansion. However, the management of those patients who present later in life with severe uncorrected deformities or who have failed prior orthodontic care remains controversial. Tooth-borne palatal expanders have limitations in this subset of patients with scarred, constricted cleft palate. In this study, we assess the efficacy and safety of using a bone-borne palatal distraction device as an alternative treatment for this difficult subset of patients. Older children with a constricted maxilla who previously had unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate repairs and failed orthodontic expansion were included in the study (n = 15). Patients underwent Le Fort I corticotomy with placement of the bone-borne distraction device, expansion at a rate of 0.5 mm/d, and subsequent alveolar bone grafting. Preoperative and follow-up maxillary impressions were compared with assessed improvements in intermolar distance, intercanine distance, alveolar cleft width, and total palatal area. In addition, a small group of noncleft patients with constricted maxillas was treated with bone-borne palatal distraction without a corticotomy (n = 4). The mean amount of distraction in all patients was 14.1 mm, with a follow-up period of 19 months (range, 8-30 months). The average increase in intermolar distance was 8.4 mm, intercanine distance increased by an average of 9.5 mm, and palate surface areas were increased by a mean of 28.9 mm2. Relapse was between 4% and 7%, and all patients underwent subsequent alveolar bone grafting. In addition, the noncleft patients successfully underwent bone-borne palatal distraction without a corticotomy, with a 4% to 5% relapse. Rapid palatal expansion using a bone-borne distraction device in cleft patients with transverse maxillary hypoplasia who have failed nonsurgical orthodontic expansion provides adequate expansion necessary for alveolar bone grafting and stable results.

Estimation of external dose by car-borne survey in Kerala, India.

PubMed

Hosoda, Masahiro; Tokonami, Shinji; Omori, Yasutaka; Sahoo, Sarata Kumar; Akiba, Suminori; Sorimachi, Atsuyuki; Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Nair, Raghu Ram; Jayalekshmi, Padmavathy Amma; Sebastian, Paul; Iwaoka, Kazuki; Akata, Naofumi; Kudo, Hiromi

2015-01-01

A car-borne survey was carried out in Kerala, India to estimate external dose. Measurements were made with a 3-in × 3-in NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer from September 23 to 27, 2013. The routes were selected from 12 Panchayats in Karunagappally Taluk which were classified into high level, mid-level and low level high background radiation (HBR) areas. A heterogeneous distribution of air kerma rates was seen in the dose rate distribution map. The maximum air kerma rate, 2.1 μGy/h, was observed on a beach sand surface. 232Th activity concentration for the beach sand was higher than that for soil and grass surfaces, and the range of activity concentration was estimated to be 0.7-2.3 kBq/kg. The contribution of 232Th to air kerma rate was over 70% at the measurement points with values larger than 0.34 μGy/h. The maximum value of the annual effective dose in Karunagappally Taluk was observed around coastal areas, and it was estimated to be 13 mSv/y. More than 30% of all the annual effective doses obtained in this survey exceeded 1 mSv/y.

[Study on a new prevention and control model on soil-borne parasitic diseases in rural areas of China].

PubMed

Li, Xue-Ming; Chen, Ying-Dan; Xu, Long-Qi; Zhou, Chang-Hai; Ou-Yang, Yi; Lin, Rui; Yang, Fang-Fang; Zhang, Xiao-Juan; Wang, Ge; Liu, Teng; Wang, Jing

2011-12-01

To explore a new prevention and control model on soil-borne parasitic diseases in rural areas of China. Eight provinces and autonomous regions were selected in China as demonstration areas implementing integrated control on soil-borne parasitic diseases. The integrated control measures included authority organization and harmonization, health education, deworming, and environment modification. After three years, the infection rates of soil-borne parasitic diseases were significantly decreased in these areas. There were three safe guard and organization modes, three health education modes, four mass worming medication modes, and two modes of water, toilet and environment changes. The work in the various demonstration areas was summarized which pointed out a new model with efficiency and local characteristics on soil-borne parasitic disease prevention and control.

Prevalence and Relative Risk of Cronobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes Associated with the Body Surfaces and Guts of Individual Filth Flies

PubMed Central

Pearson, Rachel E. Goeriz; Miller, Amy K.; Ziobro, George C.

2012-01-01

Although flies are important vectors of food-borne pathogens, there is little information to accurately assess the food-related health risk of the presence of individual flies, especially in urban areas. This study quantifies the prevalence and the relative risk of food-borne pathogens associated with the body surfaces and guts of individual wild flies. One hundred flies were collected from the dumpsters of 10 randomly selected urban restaurants. Flies were identified using taxonomic keys before being individually dissected. Cronobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes were detected using the PCR-based BAX system Q7. Positive samples were confirmed by culture on specific media and through PCR amplification and sequencing or ribotyping. Among collected flies were the housefly, Musca domestica (47%), the blowflies, Lucilia cuprina (33%) and Lucilia sericata (14%), and others (6%). Cronobacter species were detected in 14% of flies, including C. sakazakii, C. turicensis, and C. universalis, leading to the proposal of flies as a natural reservoir of this food-borne pathogen. Six percent of flies carried Salmonella enterica, including the serovars Poona, Hadar, Schwarzengrund, Senftenberg, and Brackenridge. L. monocytogenes was detected in 3% of flies. Overall, the prevalence of food-borne pathogens was three times greater in the guts than on the body surfaces of the flies. The relative risk of flies carrying any of the three pathogens was associated with the type of pathogen, the body part of the fly, and the ambient temperature. These data enhance the ability to predict the microbiological risk associated with the presence of individual flies in food and food facilities. PMID:22941079

A finite element study on the effects of midsymphyseal distraction osteogenesis on the mandible and articular disc.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Nam; Cha, Bong-Kuen; Choi, Dong-Soon; Jang, Insan; Yi, Yang-Jin; Jost-Brinkmann, Paul-Georg

2012-05-01

To evaluate the biomechanical effect of midsymphyseal distraction osteogenesis with three types of distractors on the mandible and articular disc using a three-dimensional finite element model analysis. A virtual model of the mandible was produced from computed tomography scan images of a healthy 27-year-old man. On the finite element model of the mandible, expansion of the bone-borne, tooth-borne, and hybrid type distractors were simulated with the jaw-closing muscles. The displacement and stress distribution of the mandible and articular disc were analyzed. With the bone-borne appliance the alveolar process area was displaced more than the basal bone area. The tooth-borne appliance displaced the mandibular body in a parallel manner and showed high level of the von Mises stress in the alveolar process and the ramal region as well as in the condylar neck area. The hybrid type showed medium amount of displacement and stress distribution compared with the bone-borne and tooth-borne type. At the articular disc the compressive stress was concentrated in the anteromedial and posterolateral area, and it was highest in the tooth-borne distractor, followed by hybrid appliance and bone-borne appliance. The tooth-borne distractor produced more parallel bony widening in the midsymphyseal area and larger expansion in the molar region; however, it induced higher stress concentration on the articular disc than the hybrid appliance and bone-borne appliance. Whether any long-term side effects on the temporomandibular joint are anticipated, especially in tooth-borne distractor, remains to be investigated.

Thermal Imaging of Subsurface Coal Fires by means of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the Autonomous Province Xinjiang, PRC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasterling, Margarete; Schloemer, Stefan; Fischer, Christian; Ehrler, Christoph

2010-05-01

Spontaneous combustion of coal and resulting coal fires lead to very high temperatures in the subsurface. To a large amount the heat is transferred to the surface by convective and conductive transport inducing a more or less pronounced thermal anomaly. During the past decade satellite-based infrared-imaging (ASTER, MODIS) was the method of choice for coal fire detection on a local and regional scale. However, the resolution is by far too low for a detailed analysis of single coal fires which is essential prerequisite for corrective measures (i.e. fire fighting) and calculation of carbon dioxide emission based on a complex correlation between energy release and CO2 generation. Consequently, within the framework of the Sino-German research project "Innovative Technologies for Exploration, Extinction and Monitoring of Coal Fires in Northern China", a new concept was developed and successfully tested. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was equipped with a lightweight camera for thermografic (resolution 160 by 120 pixel, dynamic range -20 to 250°C) and for visual imaging. The UAV designed as an octocopter is able to hover at GPS controlled waypoints during predefined flight missions. The application of a UAV has several advantages. Compared to point measurements on the ground the thermal imagery quickly provides the spatial distribution of the temperature anomaly with a much better resolution. Areas otherwise not accessible (due to topography, fire induced cracks, etc.) can easily be investigated. The results of areal surveys on two coal fires in Xinjiang are presented. Georeferenced thermal and visual images were mosaicked together and analyzed. UAV-born data do well compared to temperatures measured directly on the ground and cover large areas in detail. However, measuring surface temperature alone is not sufficient. Simultaneous measurements made at the surface and in roughly 15cm depth proved substantial temperature gradients in the upper soil. Thus the temperature measured at the surface underestimates the energy emitted by the subsurface coal fire. In addition, surface temperature is strongly influenced by solar radiation and the prevailing ambient conditions (wind, temperature, humidity). As a consequence there is no simple correlation between surface and subsurface soil temperature. Efforts have been made to set up a coupled energy transport and energy balance model for the near surface considering thermal conduction, solar irradiation, thermal radiative energy and ambient temperature so far. The model can help to validate space-born and UAV-born thermal imagery and link surface to subsurface temperature but depends on in-situ measurements for input parameter determination and calibration. Results obtained so far strongly necessitate the integration of different data sources (in-situ / remote; point / area; local / medium scale) to obtain a reliable energy release estimation which is then used for coal fire characterization.

São Paulo urban heat islands have a higher incidence of dengue than other urban areas.

PubMed

Araujo, Ricardo Vieira; Albertini, Marcos Roberto; Costa-da-Silva, André Luis; Suesdek, Lincoln; Franceschi, Nathália Cristina Soares; Bastos, Nancy Marçal; Katz, Gizelda; Cardoso, Vivian Ailt; Castro, Bronislawa Ciotek; Capurro, Margareth Lara; Allegro, Vera Lúcia Anacleto Cardoso

2015-01-01

Urban heat islands are characterized by high land surface temperature, low humidity, and poor vegetation, and considered to favor the transmission of the mosquito-borne dengue fever that is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. We analyzed the recorded dengue incidence in Sao Paulo city, Brazil, in 2010-2011, in terms of multiple environmental and socioeconomic variables. Geographical information systems, thermal remote sensing images, and census data were used to classify city areas according to land surface temperature, vegetation cover, population density, socioeconomic status, and housing standards. Of the 7415 dengue cases, a majority (93.1%) mapped to areas with land surface temperature >28°C. The dengue incidence rate (cases per 100,000 inhabitants) was low (3.2 cases) in high vegetation cover areas, but high (72.3 cases) in low vegetation cover areas where the land surface temperature was 29±2°C. Interestingly, a multiple cluster analysis phenogram showed more dengue cases clustered in areas of land surface temperature >32°C, than in areas characterized as low socioeconomic zones, high population density areas, or slum-like areas. In laboratory experiments, A. aegypti mosquito larval development, blood feeding, and oviposition associated positively with temperatures of 28-32°C, indicating these temperatures to be favorable for dengue transmission. Thus, among all the variables studied, dengue incidence was most affected by the temperature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Cerebellar Growth Impairment Characterizes School-Aged Children Born Preterm without Perinatal Brain Lesions.

PubMed

Pieterman, K; White, T J; van den Bosch, G E; Niessen, W J; Reiss, I K M; Tibboel, D; Hoebeek, F E; Dudink, J

2018-05-01

Infants born preterm are commonly diagnosed with structural brain lesions known to affect long-term neurodevelopment negatively. Yet, the effects of preterm birth on brain development in the absence of intracranial lesions remain to be studied in detail. In this study, we aim to quantify long term consequences of preterm birth on brain development in this specific group. Neonatal cranial sonography and follow-up T1-weighted MR imaging and DTI were performed to evaluate whether the anatomic characteristics of the cerebrum and cerebellum in a cohort of school-aged children (6-12 years of age) were related to gestational age at birth in children free of brain lesions in the perinatal period. In the cohort consisting of 36 preterm (28-37 weeks' gestational age) and 66 term-born infants, T1-weighted MR imaging and DTI at 6-12 years revealed a reduction of cerebellar white matter volume (β = 0.387, P < .001), altered fractional anisotropy of cerebellar white matter (β = -0.236, P = .02), and a reduction of cerebellar gray and white matter surface area (β = 0.337, P < .001; β = 0.375, P < .001, respectively) in relation to birth age. Such relations were not observed for the cerebral cortex or white matter volume, surface area, or diffusion quantities. The results of our study show that perinatal influences that are not primarily neurologic are still able to disturb long-term neurodevelopment, particularly of the developing cerebellum. Including the cerebellum in future neuroprotective strategies seems therefore essential. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Surface engineering of nanoparticles in suspension for particle based bio-sensing

PubMed Central

Sen, Tapas; Bruce, Ian J.

2012-01-01

Surface activation of nanoparticles in suspension using amino organosilane has been carried out via strict control of a particle surface ad-layer of water using a simple but efficient protocol ‘Tri-phasic Reverse Emulsion’ (TPRE). This approach produced thin and ordered layers of particle surface functional groups which allowed the efficient conjugation of biomolecules. When used in bio-sensing applications, the resultant conjugates were highly efficient in the hybrid capture of complementary oligonucleotides and the detection of food borne microorganism. TPRE overcomes a number of fundamental problems associated with the surface modification of particles in aqueous suspension viz. particle aggregation, density and organization of resultant surface functional groups by controlling surface condensation of the aminosilane. The approach has potential for application in areas as diverse as nanomedicine, to food technology and industrial catalysis. PMID:22872809

Monitoring of the mercury mining site Almadén implementing remote sensing technologies.

PubMed

Schmid, Thomas; Rico, Celia; Rodríguez-Rastrero, Manuel; José Sierra, María; Javier Díaz-Puente, Fco; Pelayo, Marta; Millán, Rocio

2013-08-01

The Almadén area in Spain has a long history of mercury mining with prolonged human-induced activities that are related to mineral extraction and metallurgical processes before the closure of the mines and a more recent post period dominated by projects that reclaim the mine dumps and tailings and recuperating the entire mining area. Furthermore, socio-economic alternatives such as crop cultivation, livestock breeding and tourism are increasing in the area. Up till now, only scattered information on these activities is available from specific studies. However, improved acquisition systems using satellite borne data in the last decades opens up new possibilities to periodically study an area of interest. Therefore, comparing the influence of these activities on the environment and monitoring their impact on the ecosystem vastly improves decision making for the public policy makers to implement appropriate land management measures and control environmental degradation. The objective of this work is to monitor environmental changes affected by human-induced activities within the Almadén area occurring before, during and after the mine closure over a period of nearly three decades. To achieve this, data from numerous sources at different spatial scales and time periods are implemented into a methodology based on advanced remote sensing techniques. This includes field spectroradiometry measurements, laboratory analyses and satellite borne data of different surface covers to detect land cover and use changes throughout the mining area. Finally, monitoring results show that the distribution of areas affected by mercury mining is rapidly diminishing since activities ceased and that rehabilitated mining areas form a new landscape. This refers to mine tailings that have been sealed and revegetated as well as an open pit mine that has been converted to an "artificial" lake surface. Implementing a methodology based on remote sensing techniques that integrate data from several sources at different scales greatly improves the regional characterization and monitoring of an area dominated by mercury mining activities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temperature-mediated phase transformation, pore geometry and pore hysteresis transformation of borohydride derived in-born porous zirconium hydroxide nanopowders

PubMed Central

Nayak, Nadiya B.; Nayak, Bibhuti B.

2016-01-01

Development of in-born porous nature of zirconium hydroxide nanopowders through a facile hydrogen (H2) gas-bubbles assisted borohydride synthesis route using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and novel information on the temperature-mediated phase transformation, pore geometry as well as pore hysteresis transformation of in-born porous zirconium hydroxide nanopowders with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherm and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images are the main theme of this research work. Without any surfactants or pore forming agents, the borohydride derived amorphous nature of porous powders was stable up to 500 °C and then the seed crystals start to develop within the loose amorphous matrix and trapping the inter-particulate voids, which led to develop the porous nature of tetragonal zirconium oxide at 600 °C and further sustain this porous nature as well as tetragonal phase of zirconium oxide up to 800 °C. The novel hydrogen (H2) gas-bubbles assisted borohydride synthesis route led to develop thermally stable porous zirconium hydroxide/oxide nanopowders with an adequate pore size, pore volume, and surface area and thus these porous materials are further suggested for promising use in different areas of applications. PMID:27198738

Surveying glacier bedrock topography with a helicopter-borne dual-polarization ground-penetrating radar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langhammer, L.; Rabenstein, L.; Schmid, L.; Bauder, A.; Schaer, P.; Maurer, H.

2017-12-01

Glacier mass estimations are crucial for future run-off projections in the Swiss Alps. Traditionally, ice thickness modeling approaches and ground-based radar transects have been the tools of choice for estimating glacier volume in high mountain areas, but these methods either contain high uncertainties or are logistically expensive and offer mostly only sparse subsurface information. We have developed a helicopter-borne dual-polarization ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system, which enhances operational feasibility in rough, high-elevation terrain and increases the data output per acquisition campaign significantly. Our system employs a prototype pulseEKKO device with two broadside 25-MHz antenna pairs fixed to a helicopter-towed wooden frame. Additionally attached to the system are a laser altimeter for measuring the flight height above ground, three GPS receivers for accurate positioning and a GoPro camera for obtaining visual images of the surface. Previous investigations have shown the significant impact of the antenna dipole orientation on the detectability of the bedrock reflection. For optimal results, the dipoles of the GPR should be aligned parallel to the strike direction of the surrounding mountain walls. In areas with a generally unknown bedrock topography, such as saddle areas or diverging zones, a dual-polarization system is particularly useful. This could be demonstrated with helicopter-borne GPR profiles acquired on more than 25 glaciers in the Swiss Alps. We observed significant differences in ice-bedrock interface visibility depending on the orientation of the antennas.

Toward Large-Area Sub-Arcsecond X-Ray Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

ODell, Stephen L.; Aldcroft, Thomas L.; Allured, Ryan; Atkins, Carolyn; Burrows, David N.; Cao, Jian; Chalifoux, Brandon D.; Chan, Kai-Wing; Cotroneo, Vincenzo; Elsner, Ronald F.;

Calculation of Protein Heat Capacity from Replica-Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations with Different Implicit Solvent Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-30

rigorous Poisson-based methods generally apply a Lee-Richards mo- lecular surface.9 This surface is considered the de facto description for continuum...definition and calculation of the Born radii. To evaluate the Born radii, two approximations are invoked. The first is the Coulomb field approximation (CFA...energy term, and depending on the particular GB formulation, higher-order non- Coulomb correction terms may be added to the Born radii to account for the

Air pollution with relation to agronomic crops. V. Oxidant stipple of grape

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richards, B.L.; Middleton, J.T.; Hewitt, W.B.

1958-01-01

Small, brown to black, discrete, punctate lesions occur on the upper leaf surface of grape grown in areas polluted by air-borne oxidants. The lesions are typically restricted to the palisade layer and may be easily distinguished from other grape disorders because of their stippled appearance. The disease can be incited in grape by fumigation with ozone. Toxic ozone leaves occur in the polluted air mass above the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas where oxidant stipple is found. Stipple has not yet been seen in the grape producing areas in the Coachella, Napa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin valleys of California.more » 4 references, 3 figures.« less

Using the Space-Borne NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) to Determine The Frozen and Thawed Seasons of a Boreal Landscape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frolking, S.; McDonald, K. C.; Kimball, J. S.; Way, J. B.; Zimmermann, R.; Running, S. W.

1998-01-01

We hypothesize that the strong sensitivity of radar backscatter to surface dielectric properties, and hence to the phase (solid or liquid) of any water near the surface, should make space-borne radar observations a powerful tool for large-scale spatial monitoring of the freeze/thaw state of the land surface, and thus ecosystem growing season length.

Microbiological and physicochemical factors affecting Aspergillus section Flavi incidence in Cavendish banana (Musa cavendishii) chips production in Southern Philippines.

PubMed

Sales, A C; Azanza, P V; Yoshizawa, T

2005-01-01

Microbiological and physicochemical factors affecting the incidence of Aspergillus section Flavi in dried Cavendish banana (Musa cavendishii) chips production in Southern Philippines were examined. The average counts of Aspergillus section Flavi (AFC) in fresh and dried Cavendish bananas from 10 production batches of the Philippine Agro-Industrial Development Cooperative in Davao del Norte, Southern Philippines were 1.2 x 10(2) and 1.6 x 10(2) cfu/g, respectively. Isolates from both samples were identified to be Aspergillus flavus based on spore type and conidial structure of isolates. An increasing trend in the AFC of Cavendish bananas was observed during dried banana chips processing. Variability in the AFC between production batches was attributed to differences in aerobic and fungal populations and physicochemical characteristics of the fruits, peel damage of the raw materials, concentration of AFC in the air and food-contact surfaces of the production area, and temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions of the environment during production and storage. Physicochemical characteristics of Cavendish bananas from the receipt of raw materials up to the first day of drying were within the reported range of values allowing growth and toxin production by aflatoxigenic fungi. Air-borne AFC varied depending on the section of the production area examined. The close proximity of the waste disposal area from the production operation to the preparation, drying and storage areas suggests that cross-contamination, probably air-borne or insect-borne was a likely occurrence. The hands of workers were also identified as AFC sources. Results of this study highlight the need for the development of strategies to control aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin contamination in Philippine dried Cavendish bananas.

Sensing of contaminants in potable water using TiO{sub 2} functional film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akshatha, N.; Poonia, Monika; Gupta, R. K., E-mail: raj@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in

2016-04-13

The piezoelectric based quartz crystal microbalance is employed for sensing contaminants in potable water. A spin coated thin layer of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles was formed at the sensing area of a 5 MHz AT-cut quartz wafer. The thin film of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles forms a mesoporous functional layer for the trapping of water borne contaminants. The morphology of the thin film of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles was studied using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The surface morphology of the TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles reveals the mesoporous structures indicating large number of defects and porous sites. Such film was employed for the detectionmore » of water borne contaminants by detecting the piezoelectric response from a quartz crystal microbalance. We found the film to be very sensitive to the contaminants. The minimum detection limit was found to be 330 ppb. The effect of surface recharging was also studied by altering the physical conditions so that the film can be used for repetitive usage.« less

A rapid and repeatable method to deposit bioaerosols on material surfaces.

PubMed

Calfee, M Worth; Lee, Sang Don; Ryan, Shawn P

2013-03-01

A simple method for repeatably inoculating surfaces with a precise quantity of aerosolized spores was developed. Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the variability of the method within and between experiments, the spatial distribution of spore deposition, the applicability of the method to complex surface types, and the relationship between material surface roughness and spore recoveries. Surface concentrations, as estimated by recoveries from wetted-wipe sampling, were between 5×10(3) and 1.5×10(4)CFUcm(-2) across the entire area (930cm(2)) inoculated. Between-test variability (Cv) in spore recoveries was 40%, 81%, 66%, and 20% for stainless steel, concrete, wood, and drywall, respectively. Within-test variability was lower, and did not exceed 33%, 47%, 52%, and 20% for these materials. The data demonstrate that this method is repeatable, is effective at depositing spores across a target surface area, and can be used to dose complex materials such as concrete, wood, and drywall. In addition, the data demonstrate that surface sampling recoveries vary by material type, and this variability can partially be explained by the material surface roughness index. This deposition method was developed for use in biological agent detection, sampling, and decontamination studies, however, is potentially beneficial to any scientific discipline that investigates surfaces containing aerosol-borne particles. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Dog ownership, abundance and potential for bat-borne rabies spillover in Chile.

PubMed

Astorga, F; Escobar, L E; Poo-Muñoz, D A; Medina-Vogel, G

2015-03-01

Rabies is a viral infectious disease that affects all mammals, including humans. Factors associated with the incidence of rabies include the presence and density of susceptible hosts and potential reservoirs. Currently, Chile is declared free of canine-related rabies, but there is an overpopulation of dogs within the country and an emergence of rabies in bats. Our objectives are to determine potential areas for bat-borne rabies spillover into dog populations expressed as a risk map, and to explore some key features of dog ownership, abundance, and management in Chile. For the risk map, our variables included a dog density surface (dog/km(2)) and a distribution model of bat-borne rabies presence. From literature review, we obtained dog data from 112 municipalities, which represent 33% of the total municipalities (339). At country level, based on previous studies the median human per dog ratio was 4.8, with 64% of houses containing at least one dog, and a median of 0.9 dog per house. We estimate a national median of 5.3 dog/km(2), and a median of 3680 dogs by municipality, from which we estimate a total population of 3.5×10(6) owned dogs. The antirabies vaccination presented a median of 21% of dogs by municipality, and 29% are unrestricted to some degree. Human per dog ratio have a significant (but weak) negative association with human density. Unrestricted dogs have a negative association with human density and income, and a positive association with the number of dogs per house. Considering dog density by municipality, and areas of potential bat-borne rabies occurrence, we found that 163 (∼48%) of Chilean municipalities are at risk of rabies spillover from bats to dogs. Risk areas are concentrated in urban settlements, including Santiago, Chile's capital. To validate the risk map, we included cases of rabies in dogs from the last 27 years; all fell within high-risk areas of our map, confirming the assertive risk prediction. Our results suggest that the use of dog population parameters may be informative to determine risk areas for bat-rabies spillover events. In addition, we confirm that dog abundance is a neglected and emerging public health concern in Chile, particularly within urban areas, which deserves prompt intervention. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Assessment on transient sound radiation of a vibrating steel bridge due to traffic loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, He; Xie, Xu; Jiang, Jiqing; Yamashita, Mikio

2015-02-01

Structure-borne noise induced by vehicle-bridge coupling vibration is harmful to human health and living environment. Investigating the sound pressure level and the radiation mechanism of structure-borne noise is of great significance for the assessment of environmental noise pollution and noise control. In this paper, the transient noise induced by vehicle-bridge coupling vibration is investigated by employing the hybrid finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM). The effect of local vibration of the bridge deck is taken into account and the sound responses of the structure-borne noise in time domain is obtained. The precision of the proposed method is validated by comparing numerical results to the on-site measurements of a steel girder-plate bridge in service. It implies that the sound pressure level and its distribution in both time and frequency domains may be predicted by the hybrid approach of FEM-BEM with satisfactory accuracy. Numerical results indicate that the vibrating steel bridge radiates high-level noise because of its extreme flexibility and large surface area for sound radiation. The impact effects of the vehicle on the sound pressure when leaving the bridge are observed. The shape of the contour lines in the area around the bridge deck could be explained by the mode shapes of the bridge. The moving speed of the vehicle only affects the sound pressure components with frequencies lower than 10 Hz.

Associations between intrapartum death and piglet, placental, and umbilical characteristics.

PubMed

Rootwelt, V; Reksen, O; Farstad, W; Framstad, T

2012-12-01

Intrapartum death in multiparous gestations in sows (Sus scrofa) is often caused by hypoxia. There is little information in the literature on the assessment of the placenta in relation to intrapartum death in piglets. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the placental area and weight upon piglet birth characteristics and intrapartum death. Litters from 26 Landrace-Yorkshire sows were monitored during farrowing and the status of each piglet was recorded, including blood parameters of piglets and their umbilical veins. Of 413 piglets born, 6.5% were stillborn. Blood concentrations of glucose, lactate, and CO(2) partial pressure were increased in the stillborn piglets (P < 0.05) and corresponding umbilical veins (P < 0.01) vs. live-born piglets, whereas pH and base excess were decreased (P < 0.001). Time from onset of parturition until birth was increased for piglets born dead vs. live (P < 0.001). Mean birth weight for piglets born dead was not different from live-born piglets (P = 0.631), whereas mean body mass index was reduced (P < 0.001). Mean placental area and placental weight belonging to stillborn piglets were not different from live-born piglets (P = 0.662 and P = 0.253, respectively). Blood concentrations of lactate, hemoglobin, and hematocrit recorded in all piglets pooled were associated with placental area (P < 0.05), but not with placental weight (P > 0.2). Piglet BW was positively correlated with placental area and placental weight (P < 0.001). The risk of being born dead increased with increasing birth order group, and broken umbilical cords explained 71% of the stillbirths (P = 0.001). We conclude that placental area and placental weight are both positively associated with piglet birth weight, but not with the probability of being born dead. Placental area was a better predictor of piglet vitality than placental weight. Because umbilical cord rupture and prolonged birth time were associated with being born dead, umbilical cord rupture and placental detachment seem to be probable causes of intrapartum death.

On the relationship between head circumference, brain size, prenatal long-chain PUFA/5-methyltetrahydrofolate supplementation and cognitive abilities during childhood.

PubMed

Catena, Andrés; Martínez-Zaldívar, Cristina; Diaz-Piedra, Carolina; Torres-Espínola, Francisco J; Brandi, Pilar; Pérez-García, Miguel; Decsi, Tamás; Koletzko, Berthold; Campoy, Cristina

2017-03-29

Head circumference in infants has been reported to predict brain size, total grey matter volume (GMV) and neurocognitive development. However, it is unknown whether it has predictive value on regional and subcortical brain volumes. We aimed to explore the relationship between several head circumference measurements since birth and distributions of GMV and subcortical volumes at later childhood. We examined seventy-four, Caucasian, singleton, term-born infants born to mothers randomised to receive fish oil and/or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or placebo prenatal supplementation. We assessed head circumference at birth and at 4 and 10 years of age and cognitive abilities at 7 years of age. We obtained brain MRI at 10 years of age, on which we performed voxel-based morphometry, cortical surface extraction and subcortical segmentation. Analyses were controlled for sex, age, height, weight, family status, laterality and total intracranial volume. Prenatal supplementation did not affect head circumference at any age, cognitive abilities or total brain volumes. Head circumference at 4 years presented the highest correlation with total GMV, white matter volume and brain surface area, and was also strongly associated with GMV of frontal, temporal and occipital areas, as well as with caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus volumes. As relationships between brain volumes in childhood and several outcomes extend into adulthood, we have found that ages between 0 and 4 years as the optimal time for brain growth; postnatal factors might have the most relevant impact on structural maturation of certain cortical areas and subcortical nuclei, independent of prenatal supplementation.

How well can regional fluxes be derived from smaller-scale estimates?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Kathleen E.; Fitzjarrald, David R.; Ritter, John A.

1992-01-01

Regional surface fluxes are essential lower boundary conditions for large scale numerical weather and climate models and are the elements of global budgets of important trace gases. Surface properties affecting the exchange of heat, moisture, momentum and trace gases vary with length scales from one meter to hundreds of km. A classical difficulty is that fluxes have been measured directly only at points or along lines. The process of scaling up observations limited in space and/or time to represent larger areas was done by assigning properties to surface classes and combining estimated or calculated fluxes using an area weighted average. It is not clear that a simple area weighted average is sufficient to produce the large scale from the small scale, chiefly due to the effect of internal boundary layers, nor is it known how important the uncertainty is to large scale model outcomes. Simultaneous aircraft and tower data obtained in the relatively simple terrain of the western Alaska tundra were used to determine the extent to which surface type variation can be related to fluxes of heat, moisture, and other properties. Surface type was classified as lake or land with aircraft borne infrared thermometer, and flight level heat and moisture fluxes were related to surface type. The magnitude and variety of sampling errors inherent in eddy correlation flux estimation place limits on how well any flux can be known even in simple geometries.

Structure-borne sound from magnetic resonance imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ungar, Eric E.; Zapfe, Jeffrey A.

2003-10-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems are known to produce a considerable amount of audible noise. The recent tendency to install such systems on above-grade floors has led to increasing concerns about structure-borne noise transmission from the MRI to adjacent occupied areas. This paper presents the results of a study in which structure-borne noise forces produced by two operational MRI systems were determined via measurement of the floor vibrations induced by the systems and of the impedance of their supporting floors. Forces with known spectra were applied to the floors of planned MRI suites in a hospital extension and the corresponding noise in adjacent areas was measured. Similarly, airborne noise was introduced in the planned suites and the related noise in adjacent areas was measured. The results then were scaled to correspond to the measured MRI forces and airborne noise. It was found that in areas below the planned MRI installations structure-borne noise would predominate, unless it is mitigated. Structure-borne noise isolation of MRI systems, whose environments must meet stringent vibration criteria, is discussed briefly.

Strong Control of Salts on Near Surface Liquid Water Content in a High Polar Desert Indicated by Near Surface Resistivity Mapping with a Helicopter-Borne TEM Sensor, Lower Taylor Valley, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foley, N.; Tulaczyk, S. M.; Auken, E.; Mikucki, J.; Myers, K. F.; Dugan, H.; Doran, P. T.; Virginia, R. A.

2016-12-01

Closed depressions in the Lower Taylor Valley (McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica) have near surface (top 5m) electrical resistivity that is lower by about an order of magnitude than the resistivity of nearby slopes and ridges (100s of ohm-m vs. 1000s). We interpret this spatial pattern as being due to long term concentration of salts carried by liquid water and/or deliquescent vapor fronts. High concentration of salts in the top decimeters to meters beneath the surface may prolong the existence and abundance of liquid water in this otherwise very cold and dry high polar desert. Due to its connections with life and chemical transport, liquid water is a much studied feature in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. This setting can be used as an analogue for similar features on the surface of Mars, where liquid water tracks have been observed and are believed to be controlled by eutectic brines. Our study demonstrates the utility of mapping at a regional scale via helicopter-borne Transient EM. Airborne EM covers more ground and can measure deeper than surface-based measurements, at the expense of resolution. This allows creating valley-scale datasets which could not feasibly be collected on the ground. Our remote measurements complement physical samples that indicate that soluble salts concentrate in certain areas of surface soil where water moves ions and is later removed by evaporation or sublimation. In areas where we measured low resistivity, the integrated liquid water fraction in the top 5m may be a few to several percent by volume, equivalent to a few or several dozens of cm of water layer thickness. This estimate assumes that the interstitial waters have very low resistivity, comparable to seawater or hypersaline brines at freezing (0.2-0.35 ohm-m). If soil water was considerably fresher than this, liquid water content would have to reach dozens of percent throughout the top 5m for bulk resistivities to drop to 100s of ohm-m. We consider the latter case to be unlikely as the thermally defined active layer in this region with mean annual temperature close to -20C and short summer season is as thin as dozens of cm. The areas with high near-surface resistivities have either a comparable fraction of water but with much higher resistivity or have briny interstitial water at much lower volume concentrations (<1% in top 5m). We favor the former explanation. Closed depressions in the Lake Fryxell basin (McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica) have near surface (top 5m) electrical resistivity that is lower by almost an order of magnitude than nearby slopes and ridges. We interpret this spatial pattern as being due to long term concentration of salts carried by liquid water and deliquescent vapor fronts. Highly hygroscopic salts may prolong the existence and abundance of liquid water in the near surface in this otherwise very cold and dry high polar desert. In areas with low measured resistivity, the liquid water fraction in the top 5m may be a few percent by volume. Due to its connections with life and chemical transport, liquid water is a much studied feature in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. This setting can be used as an analogue for similar features on the surface of Mars, where liquid water tracks have been observed and are believed to be controlled by eutectic brines. Our study demonstrates the utility of mapping at a regional scale via helicopter-borne Time Domain EM. Airborne EM covers more ground and can measure deeper than surface-based measurements, at the expense of resolution. This allows creating valley-scale datasets which could not feasibly be collected on the ground. Our remote measurements complement physical samples that indicate that soluble salts concentrate in certain areas of surface soil where water moves ions and is later removed by evaporation or sublimation.

Correlation of Windspeed and Antarctic Surface Roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockham, Mark; Anita Collaboration

2015-04-01

When electromagnetic waves interact with a media interface the transmitted and reflected portions of the incoming wave depend on the incident angle of the wave and wavelength (as well as the material properties of the media). The roughness of the surface of Antarctica affects the radio frequency signals received by airborne experiments, such as the balloon-borne experiment ANITA (ANtarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna) which observes the reflected radio waves from cosmic ray-induced extensive air showers (EAS). Roughness of a given scale can cause decoherence of the reflected signal and is an important effect to understand when estimating the amplitude of the incoming wave based on the reflected wave. It is challenging to get a survey of surface roughness over many of the areas that these experiments are likely to pass over. Correlating historical wind speed records with statistical roughness as observed by the backscatter of satellite [Rémy F, Parouty S. Remote Sensing. 2009] and airborne experiments operating at different frequencies can possibly be used to predict time-dependent surface roughness with surface wind speed as the input. These correlations will be presented for a variety of areas on the Antarctic ice shelf. NASA Grant NNX11AC47G.

Flight paths of seabirds soaring over the ocean surface enable measurement of fine-scale wind speed and direction.

PubMed

Yonehara, Yoshinari; Goto, Yusuke; Yoda, Ken; Watanuki, Yutaka; Young, Lindsay C; Weimerskirch, Henri; Bost, Charles-André; Sato, Katsufumi

2016-08-09

Ocean surface winds are an essential factor in understanding the physical interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean. Surface winds measured by satellite scatterometers and buoys cover most of the global ocean; however, there are still spatial and temporal gaps and finer-scale variations of wind that may be overlooked, particularly in coastal areas. Here, we show that flight paths of soaring seabirds can be used to estimate fine-scale (every 5 min, ∼5 km) ocean surface winds. Fine-scale global positioning system (GPS) positional data revealed that soaring seabirds flew tortuously and ground speed fluctuated presumably due to tail winds and head winds. Taking advantage of the ground speed difference in relation to flight direction, we reliably estimated wind speed and direction experienced by the birds. These bird-based wind velocities were significantly correlated with wind velocities estimated by satellite-borne scatterometers. Furthermore, extensive travel distances and flight duration of the seabirds enabled a wide range of high-resolution wind observations, especially in coastal areas. Our study suggests that seabirds provide a platform from which to measure ocean surface winds, potentially complementing conventional wind measurements by covering spatial and temporal measurement gaps.

Flight paths of seabirds soaring over the ocean surface enable measurement of fine-scale wind speed and direction

PubMed Central

Yonehara, Yoshinari; Goto, Yusuke; Yoda, Ken; Watanuki, Yutaka; Young, Lindsay C.; Weimerskirch, Henri; Bost, Charles-André; Sato, Katsufumi

2016-01-01

Ocean surface winds are an essential factor in understanding the physical interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean. Surface winds measured by satellite scatterometers and buoys cover most of the global ocean; however, there are still spatial and temporal gaps and finer-scale variations of wind that may be overlooked, particularly in coastal areas. Here, we show that flight paths of soaring seabirds can be used to estimate fine-scale (every 5 min, ∼5 km) ocean surface winds. Fine-scale global positioning system (GPS) positional data revealed that soaring seabirds flew tortuously and ground speed fluctuated presumably due to tail winds and head winds. Taking advantage of the ground speed difference in relation to flight direction, we reliably estimated wind speed and direction experienced by the birds. These bird-based wind velocities were significantly correlated with wind velocities estimated by satellite-borne scatterometers. Furthermore, extensive travel distances and flight duration of the seabirds enabled a wide range of high-resolution wind observations, especially in coastal areas. Our study suggests that seabirds provide a platform from which to measure ocean surface winds, potentially complementing conventional wind measurements by covering spatial and temporal measurement gaps. PMID:27457932

Development and Validation of Remote Sensing-Based Surface Inundation Products for Vector-Borne Disease Risk in East Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, K.; McDonald, K. C.; Ceccato, P.; Schroeder, R.; Podest, E.

2014-12-01

The potential impact of climate variability and change on the spread of infectious disease is of increasingly critical concern to public health. Newly-available remote sensing datasets may be combined with predictive modeling to develop new capabilities to mitigate risks of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, and rift valley fever. We have developed improved remote sensing-based products for monitoring water bodies and inundation dynamics that have potential utility for improving risk forecasts of vector-borne disease epidemics. These products include daily and seasonal surface inundation based on the global mappings of inundated area fraction derived at the 25-km scale from active and passive microwave instruments ERS, QuikSCAT, ASCAT, and SSM/I data - the Satellite Water Microwave Product Series (SWAMPS). Focusing on the East African region, we present validation of this product using multi-temporal classification of inundated areas in this region derived from high resolution PALSAR (100m) and Landsat (30m) observations. We assess historical occurrence of malaria in the east African country of Eritrea with respect to the time series SWAMPS datasets, and we aim to construct a framework for use of these new datasets to improve prediction of future malaria risk in this region. This work is supported through funding from the NASA Applied Sciences Program, the NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program, and the NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) Program. This study is also supported and monitored by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under Grant - CREST Grant # NA11SEC4810004. The statements contained within the manuscript/research article are not the opinions of the funding agency or the U.S. government, but reflect the authors' opinions. This work was conducted in part under the framework of the ALOS Kyoto and Carbon Initiative. ALOS PALSAR data were provided by JAXA EORC.

Post-tsunami helicopter-borne electromagnetics and surface hydrology along the coasts of Aceh, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, U.; Ploethner, D.; Siemon, B.; Roettger, B.; Rehli, H.

2005-12-01

The earthquake and the tsunami-event on December 26th, 2004, caused the loss of life of more than 120,000 people, the missing and injuring of more than 110,000 people and the destruction of about 80% of all private houses, basic infrastructure and public facilities in the coastal region in the Province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The tsunami waves caused large scale coastal salt water intrusions and destroyed thousands of shallow drinking water wells. This presentation documents a project between the Indonesian and German governments that is dedicated to re-install the public life and to secure the future health and wealth of the people that suffered from the consequences of the catastrophe. The focal point is the water assessement in coastal areas of Aceh about six months after the tsunami. The aim of the project of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is to assist the Directorate General for Geology and Mineral Resources (DGGMR), the National De-velopment Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) and the Executive Agency for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Aceh and Nias (BRR) in their efforts to plan and realize a sustainable reconstruction of community infrastructure (like freshwater supply) by providing geophysical, hydrogeological, geological and topographic data that will serve as a base for spatial planning. The main activities comprise an airborne geophysical survey and a hydrogeological reconnaissance survey. The target areas are: Banda Aceh (Aceh Besar), Calang (Aceh Raya), and Meulaboh (Aceh Barat). The helicopter-borne survey was conducted by the airborne group of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) from August to November 2005. The BGR helicopter-borne geophysical system includes five-frequency electromagnetics (HEM), magnetics (MAG) and gamma-ray spectrometry (SCI). The electromagnetic system provides information about the distribution of electrical conductivity in the earth down to a maximum depth of 150 m. The presentation will give first results and interpretations of the airborne and surface water assessments.

Conceptual study of Earth observation missions with a space-borne laser scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Takashi; Sato, Yohei; Yamakawa, Shiro

2017-11-01

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has started a conceptual study of earth observation missions with a space-borne laser scanner (GLS, as Global Laser Scanner). Laser scanners are systems which transmit intense pulsed laser light to the ground from an airplane or a satellite, receive the scattered light, and measure the distance to the surface from the round-trip delay time of the pulse. With scanning mechanisms, GLS can obtain high-accuracy three-dimensional (3D) information from all over the world. High-accuracy 3D information is quite useful in various areas. Currently, following applications are considered. 1. Observation of tree heights to estimate the biomass quantity. 2. Making the global elevation map with high resolution. 3. Observation of ice-sheets. This paper aims at reporting the present state of our conceptual study of the GLS. A prospective performance of the GLS for earth observation missions mentioned above.

English/Russian terminology on radiometric calibration of space-borne optoelectronic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Privalsky, V.; Zakharenkov, V.; Humpherys, T.; Sapritsky, V.; Datla, R.

The efficient use of data acquired through exo-atmospheric observations of the Earth within the framework of existing and newly planned programs requires a unique understanding of respective terms and definitions. Yet, the last large-scale document on the subject - The International Electrotechnical Vocabulary - had been published 18 years ago. This lack of a proper document, which would reflect the changes that had occurred in the area since that time, is especially detrimental to the developing international efforts aimed at global observations of the Earth from space such as the Global Earth Observations Program proposed by the U.S.A. at the 2003 WMO Congress. To cover this gap at least partially, a bi-lingual explanatory dictionary of terms and definitions in the area of radiometric calibration of space-borne IR sensors is developed. The objectives are to produce a uniform terminology for the global space-borne observations of the Earth, establish a unique understanding of terms and definitions by the radiometric communities, including a correspondence between the Russian and American terms and definitions, and to develop a formal English/Russian reference dictionary for use by scientists and engineers involved in radiometric observations of the Earth from space. The dictionary includes close to 400 items covering basic concepts of geometric, wave and corpuscular optics, remote sensing technologies, and ground-based calibration as well as more detailed treatment of terms and definitions in the areas of radiometric quantities, symbols and units, optical phenomena and optical properties of objects and media, and radiometric systems and their properties. The dictionary contains six chapters: Basic Concepts, Quantities, Symbols, and Units, Optical phenomena, Optical characteristics of surfaces and media, Components of Radiometric Systems, Characteristics of radiometric system components, plus English/Russian and Russian/Inglish indices.

Issues of the presence of parasitic protozoa in surface waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawrylik, Eliza

2018-02-01

Parasitic protozoa are very numerous organisms in the environment that play an important role in the spread of water-borne diseases. Water-borne epidemics caused by parasitic protozoa are noted throughout the world. Within these organisms, intestinal protozoa of the genera Cryptosporidium and Giardia are ones of the most serious health hazards for humans. This paper focuses on the problem of the presence of parasitic protozoa in surface waters. Characteristics of the most frequently recognized pathogens responsible for water-borne outbreaks were described, as well as sources of contamination and surface waters contamination due to protozoa of the genus Cryptosporidium and Giardia were presented. The methods of destroying the cysts and oocysts of parasitic protozoa used nowadays in the world were also presented in a review.

Air trapping and airflow obstruction in newborn cystic fibrosis piglets.

PubMed

Adam, Ryan J; Michalski, Andrew S; Bauer, Christian; Abou Alaiwa, Mahmoud H; Gross, Thomas J; Awadalla, Maged S; Bouzek, Drake C; Gansemer, Nicholas D; Taft, Peter J; Hoegger, Mark J; Diwakar, Amit; Ochs, Matthias; Reinhardt, Joseph M; Hoffman, Eric A; Beichel, Reinhard R; Meyerholz, David K; Stoltz, David A

2013-12-15

Air trapping and airflow obstruction are being increasingly identified in infants with cystic fibrosis. These findings are commonly attributed to airway infection, inflammation, and mucus buildup. To learn if air trapping and airflow obstruction are present before the onset of airway infection and inflammation in cystic fibrosis. On the day they are born, piglets with cystic fibrosis lack airway infection and inflammation. Therefore, we used newborn wild-type piglets and piglets with cystic fibrosis to assess air trapping, airway size, and lung volume with inspiratory and expiratory X-ray computed tomography scans. Micro-computed tomography scanning was used to assess more distal airway sizes. Airway resistance was determined with a mechanical ventilator. Mean linear intercept and alveolar surface area were determined using stereologic methods. On the day they were born, piglets with cystic fibrosis exhibited air trapping more frequently than wild-type piglets (75% vs. 12.5%, respectively). Moreover, newborn piglets with cystic fibrosis had increased airway resistance that was accompanied by luminal size reduction in the trachea, mainstem bronchi, and proximal airways. In contrast, mean linear intercept length, alveolar surface area, and lung volume were similar between both genotypes. The presence of air trapping, airflow obstruction, and airway size reduction in newborn piglets with cystic fibrosis before the onset of airway infection, inflammation, and mucus accumulation indicates that cystic fibrosis impacts airway development. Our findings suggest that early airflow obstruction and air trapping in infants with cystic fibrosis might, in part, be caused by congenital airway abnormalities.

Geomorphological mapping of ice-free areas using polarimetric RADARSAT-2 data on Fildes Peninsula and Ardley Island, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, T.; López-Martínez, J.; Guillaso, S.; Serrano, E.; D'Hondt, O.; Koch, M.; Nieto, A.; O'Neill, T.; Mink, S.; Durán, J. J.; Maestro, A.

2017-09-01

Satellite-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has been used for characterizing and mapping in two relevant ice-free areas in the South Shetland Islands. The objective has been to identify and characterize land surface covers that mainly include periglacial and glacial landforms, using fully polarimetric SAR C band RADARSAT-2 data, on Fildes Peninsula that forms part of King George Island, and Ardley Island. Polarimetric parameters obtained from the SAR data, a selection of field based training and validation sites and a supervised classification approach, using the support vector machine were chosen to determine the spatial distribution of the different landforms. Eight periglacial and glacial landforms were characterized according to their scattering mechanisms using a set of 48 polarimetric parameters. The mapping of the most representative surface covers included colluvial deposits, stone fields and pavements, patterned ground, glacial till and rock outcrops, lakes and glacier ice. The overall accuracy of the results was estimated at 81%, a significant value when mapping areas that are within isolated regions where access is limited. Periglacial surface covers such as stone fields and pavements occupy 25% and patterned ground over 20% of the ice-free areas. These are results that form the basis for an extensive monitoring of the ice-free areas throughout the northern Antarctic Peninsula region.

The role of viable airborne microorganisms deposition in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahav, E.; Paytan, A.; Herut, B.

2016-02-01

Rahav Eyal1*, Paytan Adina2, Herut Barak1[1] Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel [2] Institute of Marine Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA 95064. * Presenting author A high diversity of bacteria, fungi and virus are carried by atmospheric dust and deposit into the ocean. The oligotrophic southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) is known to receive relatively high amounts of atmospheric dust, thereby potentially be impacted by transport of air-borne microorganisms of diverse biogeographic origin. In this study, we characterized the genetic fingerprinting of microorganisms attached to dust in representative samples collected between 2006-2012 during storm events in the SEMS. Statistical analysis showed that dust of common origin was clustered together based on its genetic signature. Thus, microorganisms picked up in diverse geographical areas can interact differently with ambient populations. Further, microcosm dust addition experiments with surface SEMS filtered (0.2 µm) and killed (autoclaved) seawater showed that airborne microorganisms originated in dust collected in the SEMS significantly enhanced system's bacterial productivity, introduced new species and altered the abundance and activity of ambient surface microbial populations. Our results demonstrate that dust-borne microorganisms may play a significant role in the SEMS ecology.

Characterizing tuberculosis genotype clusters along the United States-Mexico border.

PubMed

Baker, B J; Moonan, P K

2014-03-01

We examined the growth of tuberculosis (TB) genotype clusters during 2005-2010 in the United States, categorized by country of origin and ethnicity of the index case and geographic proximity to the US-Mexico border at the time of TB diagnosis. Nationwide, 38.9% of cases subsequent to Mexico-born index cases were US-born. Among clusters following US-born Hispanic and US-born non-Hispanic index cases, respectively 29.2% and 5.3% of subsequent cluster members were Mexico-born. In border areas, the majority of subsequent cases were Mexico-born following US-born Hispanic (56.4%) and US-born non-Hispanic (55.6%) index cases. These findings suggest that TB transmission commonly occurs between US-born and Mexico-born persons. Along the US-Mexico border, prioritizing TB genotype clusters following US-born index cases for investigation may prevent subsequent cases among both US-born and Mexico-born persons.

Tracking fine-scale seasonal evolution of surface water extent in Central Alaska and the Canadian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooley, S. W.; Smith, L. C.; Pitcher, L. H.; Pavelsky, T.; Topp, S.

2017-12-01

Quantifying spatial and temporal variability in surface water storage at high latitudes is critical for assessing environmental sensitivity to climate change. Traditionally the tradeoff between high spatial and high temporal resolution space-borne optical imagery has limited the ability to track fine-scale changes in surface water extent. However, the recent launch of hundreds of earth-imaging CubeSats by commercial satellite companies such as Planet opens up new possibilities for monitoring surface water from space. In this study we present a comparison of seasonal evolution of surface water extent in two study areas with differing geologic, hydrologic and permafrost regimes, namely, the Yukon Flats in Central Alaska and the Canadian Shield north of Yellowknife, N.W.T. Using near-daily 3m Planet CubeSat imagery, we track individual lake surface area from break-up to freeze-up during summer 2017 and quantify the spatial and temporal variability in inundation extent. We validate our water delineation method and inundation extent time series using WorldView imagery, coincident in situ lake shoreline mapping and pressure transducer data for 19 lakes in the Northwest Territories and Alaska collected during the NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) 2017 field campaign. The results of this analysis demonstrate the value of CubeSat imagery for dynamic surface water research particularly at high latitudes and illuminate fine-scale drivers of cold regions surface water extent.

Detailed Distribution Map of Absorbed Dose Rate in Air in Tokatsu Area of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, Constructed by Car-Borne Survey 4 Years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident.

PubMed

Inoue, Kazumasa; Arai, Moeko; Fujisawa, Makoto; Saito, Kyouko; Fukushi, Masahiro

2017-01-01

A car-borne survey was carried out in the northwestern, or Tokatsu, area of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, to make a detailed distribution map of absorbed dose rate in air four years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. This area was chosen because it was the most heavily radionuclide contaminated part of Chiba Prefecture and it neighbors metropolitan Tokyo. Measurements were performed using a 3-in × 3-in NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer in June 2015. The survey route covered the whole Tokatsu area which includes six cities. A heterogeneous distribution of absorbed dose rate in air was observed on the dose distribution map. Especially, higher absorbed dose rates in air exceeding 80 nGy h-1 were observed along national roads constructed using high porosity asphalt, whereas lower absorbed dose rates in air were observed along local roads constructed using low porosity asphalt. The difference between these asphalt types resulted in a heterogeneous dose distribution in the Tokatsu area. The mean of the contribution ratio of artificial radionuclides to absorbed dose rate in air measured 4 years after the accident was 29% (9-50%) in the Tokatsu area. The maximum absorbed dose rate in air, 201 nGy h-1 was observed at Kashiwa City. Radiocesium was deposited in the upper 1 cm surface layer of the high porosity asphalt which was collected in Kashiwa City and the environmental half-life of the absorbed dose rate in air was estimated to be 1.7 years.

New baseline environmental assessment of mosquito ecology in northern Haiti during increased urbanization

PubMed Central

Archer, Reginald S.; Alimi, Temitope O.; Arheart, Kristopher K.; Impoinvil, Daniel E.; Oscar, Roland; Fuller, Douglas O.; Qualls, Whitney A.

2015-01-01

The catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, led to the large-scale displacement of over 2.3 million people, resulting in rapid and unplanned urbanization in northern Haiti. This study evaluated the impact of this unplanned urbanization on mosquito ecology and vector-borne diseases by assessing land use and change patterns. Land-use classification and change detection were carried out on remotely sensed images of the area for 2010 and 2013. Change detection identified areas that went from agricultural, forest, or bare-land pre-earthquake to newly developed and urbanized areas post-earthquake. Areas to be sampled for mosquito larvae were subsequently identified. Mosquito collections comprised five genera and ten species, with the most abundant species being Culex quinquefasciatus 35% (304/876), Aedes albopictus 27% (238/876), and Aedes aegypti 20% (174/876). All three species were more prevalent in urbanized and newly urbanized areas. Anopheles albimanus, the predominate malaria vector, accounted for less than 1% (8/876) of the collection. A set of spectral indices derived from the recently launched Landsat 8 satellite was used as covariates in a species distribution model. The indices were used to produce probability surfaces maps depicting the likelihood of presence of the three most abundant species within 30 m pixels. Our findings suggest that the rapid urbanization following the 2010 earthquake has increased the amount of area with suitable habitats for urban mosquitoes, likely influencing mosquito ecology and posing a major risk of introducing and establishing emerging vector-borne diseases. PMID:26047183

Estimating surface fluxes over middle and upper streams of the Heihe River Basin with ASTER imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, W.; Ma, Y.; Hu, Z.; Su, B.; Wang, J.; Ishikawa, H.

2009-06-01

Surface fluxes are important boundary conditions for climatological modeling and the Asian monsoon system. Recent availability of high-resolution, multi-band imagery from the ASTER (Advanced Space-borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) sensor has enabled us to estimate surface fluxes to bridge the gap between local scale flux measurements using micrometeorological instruments and regional scale land-atmosphere exchanges of water and heat fluxes that are fundamental for the understanding of the water cycle in the Asian monsoon system. A Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) method based on ASTER data and field observations has been proposed and tested for deriving net radiation flux (Rn), soil heat flux (G0), sensible heat flux (H) and latent heat flux (λ E) over heterogeneous land surface in this paper. As a case study, the methodology was applied to the experimental area of the WATER (Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research), located at the mid-to-upstream sections of the Heihe River, northwest China. The ASTER data of 3 May and 4 June in 2008 was used in this paper for the case of mid-to-upstream sections of the Heihe River Basin. To validate the proposed methodology, the ground-measured land surface heat fluxes (net radiation flux (Rn), soil heat flux (G0), sensible heat flux (H) and latent heat flux (λ E)) were compared to the ASTER derived values. The results show that the derived surface variables and land surface heat fluxes in different months over the study area are in good accordance with the land surface status. It is therefore concluded that the proposed methodology is successful for the retrieval of land surface heat fluxes using the ASTER data and filed observation over the study area.

Relationship between synoptic scale weather systems and column averaged atmospheric CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naja, M.; Yaremchuk, A.; Onishi, R.; Maksyutov, S.; Inoue, G.

2005-12-01

Analysis of the atmospheric CO2 observations with transport models contributes to the understanding of the geographical distributions of CO2 sources and sinks. Space-borne sensors could be advantageous for CO2 measurements as they can provide wider spatial and temporal coverage. Inversion studies have suggested requirement of better than 1% precision for the space-borne observations. Since sources and sinks are inferred from spatial and temporal gradients in CO2, the space-borne observations must have no significant geographically varying biases. To study the dynamical biases in column CO2 due to possible correlation between clouds and atmospheric CO2 at synoptic scale, we have made simulations of CO2 (1988-2003) using NIES tracer transport model. Model resolution is 2.5o x 2.5o in horizontal and it has 15 vertical sigma-layers. Fluxes for (1) fossil fuels, (2) terrestrial biosphere (CASA NEP), (3) the oceans, and (4) inverse model derived monthly regional fluxes from 11 land and 11 ocean regions are used. SVD truncation is used to filter out noise in the inverse model flux time series. Model reproduces fairly well CO2 global trend and observed time series at monitoring sites around the globe. Lower column CO2 concentration is simulated inside cyclonic systems in summer over North hemispheric continental areas. Surface pressure is used as a proxy for dynamics and it is demonstrated that anomalies in column averaged CO2 has fairly good correlation with the anomalies in surface pressure. Positive correlation, as high as 0.7, has been estimated over parts of Siberia and N. America in summer time. Our explanation is based on that the low-pressure system is associated the upward motion, which leads to lower column CO2 values over these regions due to lifting of CO2-depleted summertime PBL air, and higher column CO2 over source areas. A sensitivity study without inverse model fluxes shows same correlation. The low-pressure systems' induced negative biases are 0.4-0.6 ppmv in summer over Siberia. Therefore it is essential to consider this bias due to covariance with vertical motion, while analyzing the column CO2 from space-borne observations together with in-situ observations, because most optical observations are not available under cloudy conditions typical for the low-pressure system.

Using the Gravity Model to Estimate the Spatial Spread of Vector-Borne Diseases

PubMed Central

Barrios, José Miguel; Verstraeten, Willem W.; Maes, Piet; Aerts, Jean-Marie; Farifteh, Jamshid; Coppin, Pol

2012-01-01

The gravity models are commonly used spatial interaction models. They have been widely applied in a large set of domains dealing with interactions amongst spatial entities. The spread of vector-borne diseases is also related to the intensity of interaction between spatial entities, namely, the physical habitat of pathogens’ vectors and/or hosts, and urban areas, thus humans. This study implements the concept behind gravity models in the spatial spread of two vector-borne diseases, nephropathia epidemica and Lyme borreliosis, based on current knowledge on the transmission mechanism of these diseases. Two sources of information on vegetated systems were tested: the CORINE land cover map and MODIS NDVI. The size of vegetated areas near urban centers and a local indicator of occupation-related exposure were found significant predictors of disease risk. Both the land cover map and the space-borne dataset were suited yet not equivalent input sources to locate and measure vegetated areas of importance for disease spread. The overall results point at the compatibility of the gravity model concept and the spatial spread of vector-borne diseases. PMID:23202882

Using the gravity model to estimate the spatial spread of vector-borne diseases.

PubMed

Barrios, José Miguel; Verstraeten, Willem W; Maes, Piet; Aerts, Jean-Marie; Farifteh, Jamshid; Coppin, Pol

2012-11-30

The gravity models are commonly used spatial interaction models. They have been widely applied in a large set of domains dealing with interactions amongst spatial entities. The spread of vector-borne diseases is also related to the intensity of interaction between spatial entities, namely, the physical habitat of pathogens’ vectors and/or hosts, and urban areas, thus humans. This study implements the concept behind gravity models in the spatial spread of two vector-borne diseases, nephropathia epidemica and Lyme borreliosis, based on current knowledge on the transmission mechanism of these diseases. Two sources of information on vegetated systems were tested: the CORINE land cover map and MODIS NDVI. The size of vegetated areas near urban centers and a local indicator of occupation-related exposure were found significant predictors of disease risk. Both the land cover map and the space-borne dataset were suited yet not equivalent input sources to locate and measure vegetated areas of importance for disease spread. The overall results point at the compatibility of the gravity model concept and the spatial spread of vector-borne diseases.

Balloon-Borne Measurements of CLO, NO and O3 in a Volcanic Cloud: An Analysis of Heterogeneous Chemistry between 20 and 30 KM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dessler, A. E.; Stimpfle, R. M.; Daube, B. C.; Salawitch, R. J.; Weinstock, E. M.; Judah, D. M.; Burley, J. D.; Munger, J. W.; Wofsy, S. C.; Anderson, J. G.;

Automated detection of ice cliffs within supraglacial debris cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herreid, Sam; Pellicciotti, Francesca

2018-05-01

Ice cliffs within a supraglacial debris cover have been identified as a source for high ablation relative to the surrounding debris-covered area. Due to their small relative size and steep orientation, ice cliffs are difficult to detect using nadir-looking space borne sensors. The method presented here uses surface slopes calculated from digital elevation model (DEM) data to map ice cliff geometry and produce an ice cliff probability map. Surface slope thresholds, which can be sensitive to geographic location and/or data quality, are selected automatically. The method also attempts to include area at the (often narrowing) ends of ice cliffs which could otherwise be neglected due to signal saturation in surface slope data. The method was calibrated in the eastern Alaska Range, Alaska, USA, against a control ice cliff dataset derived from high-resolution visible and thermal data. Using the same input parameter set that performed best in Alaska, the method was tested against ice cliffs manually mapped in the Khumbu Himal, Nepal. Our results suggest the method can accommodate different glaciological settings and different DEM data sources without a data intensive (high-resolution, multi-data source) recalibration.

Issues in Diversity Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Generation X born between1965 to 1980, and Generational Y or Millennial born after 1980). A review of the literature shows a number of differing...1964), Generation X (born 1965 to 1980), and Millennials or Generation Y (born after 1980). From the military perspective, there are significant...diversity is one of the currently prominent areas of diversity. Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y ( Millennials ) each have their own

Toward Large-Area Sub-Arcsecond X-Ray Telescopes II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Dell, Stephen L.; Allured, Ryan; Ames, Andrew O.; Biskach, Michael P.; Broadway David M.; Bruni, Ricardo J.; Burrows, David; Cao, Jian; Chalifoux, Brandon D.; Chan, Kai-Wing;

Infrared thermal imaging as a method to evaluate heat loss in newborn lambs.

PubMed

Labeur, L; Villiers, G; Small, A H; Hinch, G N; Schmoelzl, S

2017-12-01

Thermal imaging technology has been identified as a potential method for non-invasive study of thermogenesis in the neonatal lamb. In comparison to measurement of the core body temperature, infrared thermography may observe thermal loss and thermogenesis linked to subcutaneous brown fat depots. This study aimed to identify a suitable method to measure heat loss in the neonatal lamb under a cold challenge. During late pregnancy (day 125), ewes were subjected to either shearing (n=15) or mock handling (sham-shorn for 2min mimicking the shearing movements) (n=15). Previous studies have shown an increase in brown adipose tissue deposition in lambs born to ewes shorn during pregnancy and we hypothesized that the shearing treatment would impact thermoregulatory capacities in newborn lambs. Lambs born to control ewes (n=14; CONTROL) and shorn ewes (n=13; SHORN) were subjected to a cold challenge of 1h duration at 4h after birth. During the cold challenge, thermography images were taken every 10min, from above, at a fixed distance from the dorsal midline. On each image, four fixed-size areas were identified (shoulder, mid loin, hips and rump) and the average and maximum temperatures of each recorded. In all lambs, body surface temperature decreased over time. Overall the SHORN lambs appeared to maintain body surface temperature better than CONTROL lambs, while CONTROL lambs appeared to have higher core temperature. At 30min post cold challenge SHORN lambs tended to have higher body surface temperatures than lambs (P=0.0474). Both average and maximum temperatures were highest at the hips. Average temperature was lowest at the shoulder (P<0.05), while maximum temperatures were lowest at both shoulder and rump (P<0.005). These results indicate that lambs born to shorn ewes maintained their radiated body surface temperature better than CONTROL lambs. In conjunction with core temperature changes under cold challenge, this insight will allow us to understand whether increased body surface temperature contributes to increased overall heat loss or whether increased body surface temperature is indeed a mechanism contributing to maintenance of core body temperature under cold challenge conditions. This study has confirmed the utility of infrared thermography images to capture and identify different levels of thermoregulatory capacity in newborn lambs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long term SAR interferometry monitoring for assessing changing levels of slope instability hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasowski, J.; Ferretti, A.

The population growth with increasing impact of man on the environment and urbanisation of areas susceptible to slope failures coupled with the ongoing change in climate patterns will require a shift in the approaches to landslide hazard reduction Indeed there is evidence that landslide activity and related socio-economic loss are increasing in both rich and less developed countries throughout the world Because of this and because the urbanisation of hillside and mountain slopes prone to failure will likely continue in the future the protection of new and pre-existing developed areas via traditional engineering stabilisation works and in situ monitoring is not considered economically feasible Furthermore in most cases the ground control systems are installed post-factum and for short term monitoring and hence their role in preventing disasters is limited Considering the global dimension of the slope instability problem a sustainable road to landslide hazard reduction seems to be via exploitation of EO systems with focus on early detection long term monitoring and early warning Thanks to the wide-area coverage regular schedule and improving resolution of space-borne sensors the EO can foster the auspicious shift from a culture of repair to a culture of awarness and prevention Under this scenario the space-borne synthetic aperture radar differential interferometry DInSAR is attractive because of its capability to provide both wide-area and spatially dense information on surface displacements Since the presence of movements represents a direct evidence of

Projecting Individualized Absolute Invasive Breast Cancer Risk in US Hispanic Women

PubMed Central

John, Esther M.; Slattery, Martha L.; Gomez, Scarlett Lin; Yu, Mandi; LaCroix, Andrea Z.; Pee, David; Chlebowski, Rowan T.; Hines, Lisa M.; Thompson, Cynthia A.; Gail, Mitchell H.

2017-01-01

Background: There is no model to estimate absolute invasive breast cancer risk for Hispanic women. Methods: The San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study (SFBCS) provided data on Hispanic breast cancer case patients (533 US-born, 553 foreign-born) and control participants (464 US-born, 947 foreign-born). These data yielded estimates of relative risk (RR) and attributable risk (AR) separately for US-born and foreign-born women. Nativity-specific absolute risks were estimated by combining RR and AR information with nativity-specific invasive breast cancer incidence and competing mortality rates from the California Cancer Registry and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program to develop the Hispanic risk model (HRM). In independent data, we assessed model calibration through observed/expected (O/E) ratios, and we estimated discriminatory accuracy with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) statistic. Results: The US-born HRM included age at first full-term pregnancy, biopsy for benign breast disease, and family history of breast cancer; the foreign-born HRM also included age at menarche. The HRM estimated lower risks than the National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT) for US-born Hispanic women, but higher risks in foreign-born women. In independent data from the Women’s Health Initiative, the HRM was well calibrated for US-born women (observed/expected [O/E] ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81 to 1.40), but seemed to overestimate risk in foreign-born women (O/E ratio = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.41 to 1.07). The AUC was 0.564 (95% CI = 0.485 to 0.644) for US-born and 0.625 (95% CI = 0.487 to 0.764) for foreign-born women. Conclusions: The HRM is the first absolute risk model that is based entirely on data specific to Hispanic women by nativity. Further studies in Hispanic women are warranted to evaluate its validity. PMID:28003316

Foreign-Born Latinos Living in Rural Areas are more likely to Experience Health Care Discrimination: Results from Proyecto de Salud para Latinos.

PubMed

López-Cevallos, Daniel F; Harvey, S Marie

2016-08-01

Health care discrimination is increasingly considered a significant barrier to accessing health services among minority populations, including Latinos. However, little is known about the role of immigration status. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between immigration status and perceived health care discrimination among Latinos living in rural areas. Interviews were conducted among 349 young-adult Latinos (ages 18 to 25) living in rural Oregon, as part of Proyecto de Salud para Latinos. Over a third of participants experienced health care discrimination (39.5 %). Discrimination was higher among foreign-born (44.9 %) rather than US-born Latinos (31.9 %). Multivariate results showed that foreign-born Latinos were significantly more likely to experience health care discrimination, even after controlling for other relevant factors (OR = 2.10, 95 % CI 1.16-3.82). This study provides evidence that health care discrimination is prevalent among young-adult Latinos living in rural areas, particularly the foreign-born. Effective approaches towards reducing discrimination in health care settings should take into consideration the need to reform our broken immigration system.

A Guide to Airborne, Impact, and Structure Borne Noise--Control in Multifamily Dwellings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berendt, Raymond D.; And Others

The control of noise on buildings is discussed extensively in this document, incorporating a broad range of criteria appropriate for isolating air borne, impact, and structure-borne noise associated with residential construction. Subject areas include--(1) noise types, sources, and transmission, (2) general principles of noise control, (3)…

Detailed Distribution Map of Absorbed Dose Rate in Air in Tokatsu Area of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, Constructed by Car-Borne Survey 4 Years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

PubMed Central

Inoue, Kazumasa; Arai, Moeko; Fujisawa, Makoto; Saito, Kyouko; Fukushi, Masahiro

2017-01-01

A car-borne survey was carried out in the northwestern, or Tokatsu, area of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, to make a detailed distribution map of absorbed dose rate in air four years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. This area was chosen because it was the most heavily radionuclide contaminated part of Chiba Prefecture and it neighbors metropolitan Tokyo. Measurements were performed using a 3-in × 3-in NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer in June 2015. The survey route covered the whole Tokatsu area which includes six cities. A heterogeneous distribution of absorbed dose rate in air was observed on the dose distribution map. Especially, higher absorbed dose rates in air exceeding 80 nGy h-1 were observed along national roads constructed using high porosity asphalt, whereas lower absorbed dose rates in air were observed along local roads constructed using low porosity asphalt. The difference between these asphalt types resulted in a heterogeneous dose distribution in the Tokatsu area. The mean of the contribution ratio of artificial radionuclides to absorbed dose rate in air measured 4 years after the accident was 29% (9–50%) in the Tokatsu area. The maximum absorbed dose rate in air, 201 nGy h-1 was observed at Kashiwa City. Radiocesium was deposited in the upper 1 cm surface layer of the high porosity asphalt which was collected in Kashiwa City and the environmental half-life of the absorbed dose rate in air was estimated to be 1.7 years. PMID:28129382

Commonly used disinfectants fail to eradicate Salmonella enterica biofilms from food contact surface materials.

PubMed

Corcoran, M; Morris, D; De Lappe, N; O'Connor, J; Lalor, P; Dockery, P; Cormican, M

2014-02-01

Salmonellosis is the second most common cause of food-borne illness worldwide. Contamination of surfaces in food processing environments may result in biofilm formation with a risk of food contamination. Effective decontamination of biofilm-contaminated surfaces is challenging. Using the CDC biofilm reactor, the activities of sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, and benzalkonium chloride were examined against an early (48-h) and relatively mature (168-h) Salmonella biofilm. All 3 agents result in reduction in viable counts of Salmonella; however, only sodium hydroxide resulted in eradication of the early biofilm. None of the agents achieved eradication of mature biofilm, even at the 90-min contact time. Studies of activity of chemical disinfection against biofilm should include assessment of activity against mature biofilm. The difficulty of eradication of established Salmonella biofilm serves to emphasize the priority of preventing access of Salmonella to postcook areas of food production facilities.

From submarine to lacustrine groundwater discharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewandowski, Jörg; Meinikmann, Karin; Pöschke, Franziska; Nützmann, Gunnar; Rosenberry, Donald O.

2017-01-01

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and its role in marine nutrient cycling are well known since the last decade. The freshwater equivalent, lacustrine groundwater discharge (LGD), is often still disregarded, although first reports of LGD are more than 50 years old. We identify nine different reasons why groundwater has long been disregarded in both freshwater and marine environments such as invisibility of groundwater discharge, the size of the interface and its difficult accessibility. Although there are some fundamental differences in the hydrology of SGD and LGD, caused primarily by seawater recirculation that occurs only in cases of SGD, there are also a lot of similarities such as a focusing of discharge to near-shore areas. Nutrient concentrations in groundwater near the groundwater–surface water interface might be anthropogenically enriched. Due to spatial heterogeneity of aquifer characteristics and biogeochemical processes, the quantification of groundwater-borne nutrient loads is challenging. Both nitrogen and phosphorus might be mobile in near-shore aquifers and in a lot of case studies large groundwater-borne nutrient loads have been reported.

A monolithic deformable mirror with latchable mechanical actuation (LATCHAMAN) for space-borne telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enya, Keigo; Kataza, Hirokazu; Fukushima, Mitsuhiro; Mitsui, Kenji; Okada, Norio; Iwashita, Hikaru; Haze, Kanae; Takahashi, Aoi; Kotani, Takayuki; Yamamuro, Tomoyasu; Kobayashi, Hitomi

2014-09-01

We present the concept, design, fabrication, and evaluation of a new deformable mirror (DM), which is latchable, compact, and designed to be applicable for cryogenic environments. The main body of a prototype DM was fabricated from a monolithic cuboid of aluminum using wire electrical discharge machining (EDM). A flexible structure was constructed inside the block by 3-dimensionally crossed hollowing using the EDM. The prototype has 6 × 6 channels, and its volume is 27 mm × 27 mm × 30 mm. The mirror was formed on the surface of the aluminum block using a highprecision NC lathe. The surface figure of the mirror was evaluated and 34 nm rms was obtained. The evaluated surface roughness for the center and off-center areas of the mirror was 9.2 nm rms and 7.6 nm rms, respectively Screws set at the back of the block deform the mirror via springs and the internal flexible structure. We present our first demonstration of deformation of the mirror carried out at ambient temperature. The relationship between the displacement of the screws and the deformation of the mirror was evaluated. Consequently, a linear relationship was confirmed, and no significant hysteresis was found. The application of such mirrors to telescopes used for various different objectives is discussed. We conclude that a DM based on our concept can be used for wavefront correction of space-borne telescopes, especially in the infrared wavelength region.

New Approach for Monitoring Seismic and Volcanic Activities Using Microwave Radiometer Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, Takashi; Takano, Tadashi

Interferograms formed from the data of satellite-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) enable us to detect slight land-surface deformations related to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Currently, however, we cannot determine when land-surface deformations occurred with high time resolution since the time lag between two scenes of SAR used to form interferograms is longer than the recurrent period of the satellite carrying it (several tens of days). In order to solve this problem, we are investigating new approach to monitor seismic and vol-canic activities with higher time resolution from satellite-borne sensor data, and now focusing on a satellite-borne microwave radiometer. It is less subject to clouds and rainfalls over the ground than an infrared spectrometer, so more suitable to observe an emission from land sur-faces. With this advantage, we can expect that thermal microwave energy by increasing land surface temperatures is detected before a volcanic eruption. Additionally, laboratory experi-ments recently confirmed that rocks emit microwave energy when fractured. This microwave energy may result from micro discharges in the destruction of materials, or fragment motions with charged surfaces of materials. We first extrapolated the microwave signal power gener-ated by rock failures in an earthquake from the experimental results and concluded that the microwave signals generated by rock failures near the land surface are strong enough to be detected by a satellite-borne radiometer. Accordingly, microwave energy generated by rock failures associated with a seismic activity is likely to be detected as well. However, a satellite-borne microwave radiometer has a serious problem that its spatial res-olution is too coarse compared to SAR or an infrared spectrometer. In order to raise the possibility of detection, a new methodology to compensate the coarse spatial resolution is es-sential. Therefore, we investigated and developed an analysis method to detect local and faint changes from the data of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth-Observation System (AMSR-E) aboard the Aqua satellite, and then an algorithm to evaluate microwave energy from land surfaces. Finally, using this algorithm, we have detected characteristic microwave signals emitted from land surfaces in association with some large earthquakes which occurred in Morocco (2004), Sumatra (2007) and Wenchuan (2008) and some large volcanic eruptions which occurred at Reventador in Ecuador (2002) and Chaiten in Chile (2008). In this presentation, the results of these case studies are presented.

Past epochs of significantly higher pressure atmospheres on Pluto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, S. A.; Binzel, R. P.; Earle, A. M.; Singer, K. N.; Young, L. A.; Weaver, H. A.; Olkin, C. B.; Ennico, K.; Moore, J. M.; McKinnon, W. B.; Spencer, J. R.; New Horizons Geology; Geophysics; Atmospheres Teams

2017-05-01

Pluto is known to have undergone thousands of cycles of obliquity change and polar precession. These variations have a large and corresponding impact on the total average solar insolation reaching various places on Pluto's surface as a function of time. Such changes could produce dramatic increases in surface pressure and may explain certain features observed by New Horizons on Pluto's surface, including some that indicate the possibility of surface paleo-liquids. This paper is the first to discuss multiple lines of geomorphological evidence consistent with higher pressure epochs in Pluto's geologic past, and it also the first to provide a mechanism for potentially producing the requisite high pressure conditions needed for an environment that could support liquids on Pluto. The presence of such liquids and such conditions, if borne out by future work, would fundamentally affect our view of Pluto's past climate, volatile transport, and geological evolution. This paper motivates future, more detailed climate modeling and geologic interpretation efforts in this area.

Recent weather extremes and impact agricultural production and vector-borne disease patterns

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We document significant worldwide weather anomalies that affected agriculture and vector-borne disease outbreaks during the 2010-2012 period. We utilized 2000-2012 vegetation index and land surface temperature data from NASA’s satellite-based Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to ...

Surface singularities in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity.

PubMed

Pani, Paolo; Sotiriou, Thomas P

2012-12-21

Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity was recently proposed as an alternative to general relativity that offers a resolution of spacetime singularities. The theory differs from Einstein's gravity only inside matter due to nondynamical degrees of freedom, and it is compatible with all current observations. We show that the theory is reminiscent of Palatini f(R) gravity and that it shares the same pathologies, such as curvature singularities at the surface of polytropic stars and unacceptable Newtonian limit. This casts serious doubt on its viability.

Risk of encountering ticks and tick-borne pathogens in a rapidly growing metropolitan area in the U.S. Great Plains.

PubMed

Noden, Bruce H; Loss, Scott R; Maichak, Courtney; Williams, Faithful

2017-01-01

The prevalence of tick-borne diseases has increased dramatically in many urban areas of the U.S., yet little is known about the ecology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in relation to characteristics of North American urban and suburban landscapes. This study aimed to begin identification of the risk of encountering ticks and tick-borne pathogens within a rapidly expanding metropolitan area in the U.S. Great Plains region. Ten sites across Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were selected for tick sampling based on presence of tick habitat and level of urbanization intensity. Sampling was conducted using CO 2 traps and flagging in June, July and October 2015. A total of 552 ticks were collected from eight of the ten sampled greenspaces. The majority of ticks collected in summer were Amblyomma americanum (N=534 (97.8%)), followed by Dermacentor variabilis (N=10 (1.8%)) and Amblyomma maculatum (N=2 (0.3%)). Ixodes scapularis adult females (N=4) and nymphal A. americanum (N=2) were also collected in October 2015. Tick species diversity was highest in sites with >15% of the surrounding landscape composed of undeveloped land. Rickettsia sp. (including R. amblyommii and 'Candidatus R. andeanae'), Ehrlichia chaffeensis and/or E. ewingii were detected in tick pools from all eight sites where ticks were found. Our data suggest that the risk of encountering ticks and tick-borne pathogens exists throughout the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and that tick populations are likely influenced by urbanization intensity. Continued research is needed to clarify the full range of abiotic and biotic features of urban landscapes that influence the risk of encountering ticks and transmitting tick-borne diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Interior near-field acoustical holography in flight.

PubMed

Williams, E G; Houston, B H; Herdic, P C; Raveendra, S T; Gardner, B

2000-10-01

In this paper boundary element methods (BEM) are mated with near-field acoustical holography (NAH) in order to determine the normal velocity over a large area of a fuselage of a turboprop airplane from a measurement of the pressure (hologram) on a concentric surface in the interior of the aircraft. This work represents the first time NAH has been applied in situ, in-flight. The normal fuselage velocity was successfully reconstructed at the blade passage frequency (BPF) of the propeller and its first two harmonics. This reconstructed velocity reveals structure-borne and airborne sound-transmission paths from the engine to the interior space.

Capturing and modelling high-complex alluvial topography with UAS-borne laser scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandlburger, Gottfried; Wieser, Martin; Pfennigbauer, Martin

2015-04-01

Due to fluvial activity alluvial forests are zones of highest complexity and relief energy. Alluvial forests are dominated by new and pristine channels in consequence of current and historic flood events. Apart from topographic features, the vegetation structure is typically very complex featuring, both, dense under story as well as high trees. Furthermore, deadwood and debris carried from upstream during periods of high discharge within the river channel are deposited in these areas. Therefore, precise modelling of the micro relief of alluvial forests using standard tools like Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) is hardly feasible. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), in turn, is very time consuming for capturing larger areas as many scan positions are necessary for obtaining complete coverage due to view occlusions in the forest. In the recent past, the technological development of Unmanned Arial Systems (UAS) has reached a level that light-weight survey-grade laser scanners can be operated from these platforms. For capturing alluvial topography this could bridge the gap between ALS and TLS in terms of providing a very detailed description of the topography and the vegetation structure due to the achievable very high point density of >100 points per m2. In our contribution we demonstrate the feasibility to apply UAS-borne laser scanning for capturing and modelling the complex topography of the study area Neubacher Au, an alluvial forest at the pre-alpine River Pielach (Lower Austria). The area was captured with Riegl's VUX-1 compact time-of-flight laser scanner mounted on a RiCopter (X-8 array octocopter). The scanner features an effective scan rate of 500 kHz and was flown in 50-100 m above ground. At this flying height the laser footprint is 25-50 mm allowing mapping of very small surface details. Furthermore, online waveform processing of the backscattered laser energy enables the retrieval of multiple targets for single laser shots resulting in a dense point cloud of, both, the ground surface and the alluvial vegetation. From the acquired point cloud the following products could be derived: (i) a very high resolution Digital Terrain Model (10 cm raster), (ii) a high resolution model of the water surface of the River Pielach (especially useful for validation of topo-bathymetry LiDAR data) and (iii) a detailed description of the complex vegetation structure.

Effects of landscape anthropization on mosquito community composition and abundance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraguti, Martina; Martínez-de La Puente, Josué; Roiz, David; Ruiz, Santiago; Soriguer, Ramón; Figuerola, Jordi

2016-07-01

Anthropogenic landscape transformation has an important effect on vector-borne pathogen transmission. However, the effects of urbanization on mosquito communities are still only poorly known. Here, we evaluate how land-use characteristics are related to the abundance and community composition of mosquitoes in an area with endemic circulation of numerous mosquito-borne pathogens. We collected 340 829 female mosquitoes belonging to 13 species at 45 localities spatially grouped in 15 trios formed by 1 urban, 1 rural and 1 natural area. Mosquito abundance and species richness were greater in natural and rural areas than in urban areas. Environmental factors including land use, vegetation and hydrological characteristics were related to mosquito abundance and community composition. Given the differing competences of each species in pathogen transmission, these results provide valuable information on the transmission potential of mosquito-borne pathogens that will be of great use in public and animal health management by allowing, for instance, the identification of the priority areas for pathogen surveillance and vector control.

Effects of landscape anthropization on mosquito community composition and abundance

PubMed Central

Ferraguti, Martina; Martínez-de la Puente, Josué; Roiz, David; Ruiz, Santiago; Soriguer, Ramón; Figuerola, Jordi

2016-01-01

Anthropogenic landscape transformation has an important effect on vector-borne pathogen transmission. However, the effects of urbanization on mosquito communities are still only poorly known. Here, we evaluate how land-use characteristics are related to the abundance and community composition of mosquitoes in an area with endemic circulation of numerous mosquito-borne pathogens. We collected 340 829 female mosquitoes belonging to 13 species at 45 localities spatially grouped in 15 trios formed by 1 urban, 1 rural and 1 natural area. Mosquito abundance and species richness were greater in natural and rural areas than in urban areas. Environmental factors including land use, vegetation and hydrological characteristics were related to mosquito abundance and community composition. Given the differing competences of each species in pathogen transmission, these results provide valuable information on the transmission potential of mosquito-borne pathogens that will be of great use in public and animal health management by allowing, for instance, the identification of the priority areas for pathogen surveillance and vector control. PMID:27373794

Development of reaction-sintered SiC mirror for space-borne optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yui, Yukari Y.; Kimura, Toshiyoshi; Tange, Yoshio

2017-11-01

We are developing high-strength reaction-sintered silicon carbide (RS-SiC) mirror as one of the new promising candidates for large-diameter space-borne optics. In order to observe earth surface or atmosphere with high spatial resolution from geostationary orbit, larger diameter primary mirrors of 1-2 m are required. One of the difficult problems to be solved to realize such optical system is to obtain as flat mirror surface as possible that ensures imaging performance in infrared - visible - ultraviolet wavelength region. This means that homogeneous nano-order surface flatness/roughness is required for the mirror. The high-strength RS-SiC developed and manufactured by TOSHIBA is one of the most excellent and feasible candidates for such purpose. Small RS-SiC plane sample mirrors have been manufactured and basic physical parameters and optical performances of them have been measured. We show the current state of the art of the RS-SiC mirror and the feasibility of a large-diameter RS-SiC mirror for space-borne optics.

Point prevalence survey for tick-borne pathogens in military working dogs, shelter animals, and pet populations in northern Colombia.

PubMed

McCown, M E; Alleman, A; Sayler, K A; Chandrashekar, R; Thatcher, B; Tyrrell, P; Stillman, B; Beall, M; Barbet, A F

2014-01-01

Based on the high tick-borne pathogen results from a 2011 surveillance study in three Colombian cities, an in-depth point prevalence survey was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of tick-borne pathogens at a specific point in time in 70 working dogs, 101 shelter dogs, and 47 client-owned dogs in Barranquilla, Colombia. Of the 218 serum samples, 163 (74%) were positive for Ehrlichia canis and 116 (53%) for Anaplasma platys. Exposure to tick-borne pathogens was highest in shelter and working dogs where more than 90% of the samples were seropositive or positive on polymerase chain reaction for one or more organisms as compared to 51% in client-owned animals. Surveillance for exposure to tick-borne pathogens provides vital information necessary to protect and conserve the health of local humans and animals, deployed military service members, and working dogs in various parts of the world. This study and resultant data demonstrate the value of following a broad-based surveillance study with a more specific, focused analysis in an area of concern. This area?s high levels of exposure warrant emphasis by medical planners and advisors on precautionary measures for military dogs, Special Operations Forces personnel, and the local public. 2014.

Physics at the surface of a star in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyeong-Chan

2014-03-01

We study phenomena happening at the surface of a star in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity. The star is made of particles, which are effectively described by a polytropic fluid. The EiBI theory was known to have a pathology that singularities happen at a star surface. We suggest that the gravitational backreaction on the particles cures the problem. Strong tidal forces near the (surface) singularity modify the effective equation of state of the particles or make the surface be unstable depending on its matter contents. The geodesic deviation equations take after Hooke's law, where its frequency squared is proportional to the scalar curvature at the surface. For a positive curvature, a particle collides with a probing wall more often and increases the pressure. With the increased pressure, the surface is no longer singular. For a negative curvature, the matters around the surface experience repulsions with infinite accelerations. Therefore, the EiBI gravity is saved from the pathology of a surface singularity.

Efficacy and effectiveness of infant vaccination against chronic hepatitis B in the Gambia Hepatitis Intervention Study (1986-90) and in the nationwide immunisation program.

PubMed

Peto, Thomas J; Mendy, Maimuma E; Lowe, Yamundow; Webb, Emily L; Whittle, Hilton C; Hall, Andrew J

2014-01-07

Gambian infants were not routinely vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV) before 1986. During 1986-90 the Gambia Hepatitis Intervention Study (GHIS) allocated 125,000 infants, by area, to vaccination or not and thereafter all infants were offered the vaccine through the nationwide immunisation programme. We report HBV serology from samples of GHIS vaccinees and unvaccinated controls, and from children born later. During 2007-08, 2670 young adults born during the GHIS (1986-90) were recruited from 80 randomly selected villages and four townships. Only 28% (753/2670) could be definitively linked to their infant HBV vaccination records (255 fully vaccinated, 23 partially vaccinated [1-2 doses], 475 not vaccinated). All were tested for current HBV infection (HBV surface antigen [HBsAg]) and, if HBsAg-negative, evidence of past infection (HBV core-protein antibody [anti-HBc]). HBsAg-positive samples (each with two age- and sex-matched HBsAg-negative samples) underwent liver function tests. In addition, 4613 children born since nationwide vaccination (in 1990-2007) were tested for HBsAg. Statistical analyses ignore clustering. Comparing fully vaccinated vs unvaccinated GHIS participants, current HBV infection was 0.8% (2/255) vs 12.4% (59/475), p < 0.0001, suggesting 94% (95% CI 77-99%) vaccine efficacy. Among unvaccinated individuals, the prevalence was higher in males (p = 0.015) and in rural areas (p = 0.009), but adjustment for this did not affect estimated vaccine efficacy. Comparing fully vaccinated vs unvaccinated participants, anti-HBc was 27.4% (70/255) vs 56.0% (267/475), p < 0.00001. Chronic active hepatitis was not common: the proportion of HBsAg-positive subjects with abnormal liver function tests (ALT > 2 ULN) was 4.1%, compared with 0.2% in those HBsAg-negative. The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus was low (0.5%, 13/2592). In children born after the end of GHIS, HBsAg prevalence has remained low; 1.4% (15/1103) in those born between 1990-97, and 0.3% (9/35150) in those born between 1998-2007. Infant HBV vaccination achieves substantial protection against chronic carriage in early adulthood, even though approximately a quarter of vaccinated young adults have been infected. This protection persists past the potential onset of sexual activity, reinforcing previous GHIS findings of protection during childhood and suggesting no need for a booster dose. Nationwide infant HBV vaccination is controlling chronic infection remarkably effectively.

Foreign-Born Women Faculty Work Roles and Productivity at Research Universities in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mamiseishvili, Ketevan

2010-01-01

Using the data from the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) survey, the study examined foreign-born women faculty members' work roles and productivity in the areas of teaching, research, and service in comparison with their US-born counterparts at research universities in the US. The findings provided some evidence to suggest…

Assessment of changes of vector borne diseases with wetland characteristics using multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Sheela, A M; Sarun, S; Justus, J; Vineetha, P; Sheeja, R V

2015-04-01

Vector borne diseases are a threat to human health. Little attention has been paid to the prevention of these diseases. We attempted to identify the significant wetland characteristics associated with the spread of chikungunya, dengue fever and malaria in Kerala, a tropical region of South West India using multivariate analyses (hierarchical cluster analysis, factor analysis and multiple regression). High/medium turbid coastal lagoons and inland water-logged wetlands with aquatic vegetation have significant effect on the incidence of chikungunya while dengue influenced by high turbid coastal beaches and malaria by medium turbid coastal beaches. The high turbidity in water is due to the urban waste discharge namely sewage, sullage and garbage from the densely populated cities and towns. The large extent of wetland is low land area favours the occurrence of vector borne diseases. Hence the provision of pollution control measures at source including soil erosion control measures is vital. The identification of vulnerable zones favouring the vector borne diseases will help the authorities to control pollution especially from urban areas and prevent these vector borne diseases. Future research should cover land use cover changes, climatic factors, seasonal variations in weather and pollution factors favouring the occurrence of vector borne diseases.

Maternal nationality and developmental delays in young children: Analysis of the data from the national registry in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tseng, Yen-Cheng; Guo, How-Ran; Lai, Der-Chung

2016-01-01

With globalization, transnational marriages become more and more common around the world. Children born to immigrant mothers might be more likely to have developmental delays, but studies on this topic are limited and with inconsistent results. To determine whether children born to immigrant mothers are more likely to have developmental delays. We analyzed the data from the national registry of children with developmental delays from 2009 to 2013 and compared the incidence of developmental delays between children born to immigrant mothers and native mothers. We also performed stratified analyses by age, sex, and geographic area. From 2009 to 2013, 78,946 new cases of developmental delays under 6 years of age were registered, including 5619 (7.1%) born to immigrant mothers. The incidence was higher in children born to native mothers in every year with rate ratios ranging from 1.32 to 1.48, and the differences reached statistical significance even after stratification by age, sex, and geographic area. Children born to immigrant mothers had lower incidence of developmental delays in Taiwan. The result may help reduce the discrimination of foreign spouses and their children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Projecting Individualized Absolute Invasive Breast Cancer Risk in US Hispanic Women.

PubMed

Banegas, Matthew P; John, Esther M; Slattery, Martha L; Gomez, Scarlett Lin; Yu, Mandi; LaCroix, Andrea Z; Pee, David; Chlebowski, Rowan T; Hines, Lisa M; Thompson, Cynthia A; Gail, Mitchell H

2017-02-01

There is no model to estimate absolute invasive breast cancer risk for Hispanic women. The San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study (SFBCS) provided data on Hispanic breast cancer case patients (533 US-born, 553 foreign-born) and control participants (464 US-born, 947 foreign-born). These data yielded estimates of relative risk (RR) and attributable risk (AR) separately for US-born and foreign-born women. Nativity-specific absolute risks were estimated by combining RR and AR information with nativity-specific invasive breast cancer incidence and competing mortality rates from the California Cancer Registry and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program to develop the Hispanic risk model (HRM). In independent data, we assessed model calibration through observed/expected (O/E) ratios, and we estimated discriminatory accuracy with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) statistic. The US-born HRM included age at first full-term pregnancy, biopsy for benign breast disease, and family history of breast cancer; the foreign-born HRM also included age at menarche. The HRM estimated lower risks than the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT) for US-born Hispanic women, but higher risks in foreign-born women. In independent data from the Women's Health Initiative, the HRM was well calibrated for US-born women (observed/expected [O/E] ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81 to 1.40), but seemed to overestimate risk in foreign-born women (O/E ratio = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.41 to 1.07). The AUC was 0.564 (95% CI = 0.485 to 0.644) for US-born and 0.625 (95% CI = 0.487 to 0.764) for foreign-born women. The HRM is the first absolute risk model that is based entirely on data specific to Hispanic women by nativity. Further studies in Hispanic women are warranted to evaluate its validity. Published by Oxford University Press 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Mobile zoned/exponential LAF screen: a new concept in ultra-clean air technology for additional operating room ventilation.

PubMed

Friberg, B; Lindgren, M; Karlsson, C; Bergström, A; Friberg, S

2002-04-01

A mobile screen (0.5 x 0.4 m) producing ultra-clean exponential LAF (air-flow central zone 0.6 m/s and peripheral zone 0.4 m/s) was investigated as an addition to conventional turbulent/mixing operating room ventilation. The evaluation was performed during strictly standardized sham operations reflecting conditions during major surgery. The study consisted of a pilot experiment designed to give high counts of sedimenting aerobic colony forming units (cfu). In a second main study, recording dust particles, air-borne and sedimenting aerobic cfu, the screen was associated with optimal operating room clothing. In the pilot experiment the use of the screen resulted in a substantial reduction of sedimenting bacteria from 3835-4940 to 0-390 cfu/m(2)/h. In the main study, the use of the additional LAF reduced the surface contamination from 416-329 to 7-78 cfu/m(2)/h up to 1.6 m from the screen (P=0.001-0.0001). Measured in the wound area the screen reduced the air counts of bacteria from 9-14 to 0.2-0.4 cfu/m(3) (P=0.008-0.0001) and a marked reduction of air-borne dust particles was recorded (P=0.007-0.009). In conclusion, the additional mobile LAF screen reduced the counts of aerobic air-borne and sedimenting bacteria-carrying particles as well as dust particles to the levels gained with complete ultra-clean LAF room ventilation. Thus, the screen might prove a valuable addition to operating room ventilation as well as in other areas where asepsis is essential. Copyright 2002 The Hospital Infection Society.

Tick-Borne Transmission of Two Genetically Distinct Anaplasma marginale Strains following Superinfection of the Mammalian Reservoir Host

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Strain superinfection affects the dynamics of epidemiological spread of pathogens through a host population. Superinfection has recently been shown to occur for genetically distinct strains of the tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma marginale that encode distinctly different surface protein variants. Supe...

Vector-borne diseases of small companion animals in Namibia: Literature review, knowledge gaps and opportunity for a One Health approach.

PubMed

Noden, Bruce H; Soni, Minty

2015-11-06

Namibia has a rich history in veterinary health but little is known about the vector-borne diseases that affect companion dogs and cats. The aim of this review is to summarise the existing published and available unpublished literature, put it into a wider geographical context, and explore some significant knowledge gaps. To date, only two filarial pathogens (Dirofilaria repens and Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides) and three tick-borne pathogens (Babesia canis vogeli, Hepatozoon canis and Ehrlichia canis) have been reported. Most studies have focused solely on dogs and cats in the urban Windhoek and surrounding areas, with almost nothing reported in rural farming areas, in either the populous northern regions or the low-income urban areas where animal owners have limited access to veterinary services. With the development of several biomedical training programmes in the country, there is now an excellent opportunity to address zoonotic vector-borne diseases through a One Health approach so as to assess the risks to small companion animals as well as diseases of public health importance.

Lung parenchyma at maturity is influenced by postnatal growth but not by moderate preterm birth in sheep.

PubMed

Maritz, Gert; Probyn, Megan; De Matteo, Robert; Snibson, Ken; Harding, Richard

2008-01-01

We have recently shown that moderate preterm birth, in the absence of respiratory support, altered the structure of lung parenchyma in young lambs, but the long-term effects are unknown. To determine whether structural changes persist to maturity, and whether postnatal growth affects lung structure at maturity in sheep. At approximately 1.2 years after birth, lung parenchyma of sheep born 14 days before term (n = 7) was stereologically compared with that of controls born at term (n = 8, term approx. 146 days). Preterm birth per se had no significant effect on lung volume, alveolar number and size, and thicknesses of the alveolar walls and blood-gas barrier. After combining the preterm and term groups, we examined the effects of postnatal growth rates on lung parenchyma. Slower-growing sheep (SG; n = 7: 4 preterm, 3 term) were compared with faster-growing sheep (FG; n = 8: 3 preterm, 5 term). At approximately 1.2 years, the right lung volume, relative to body weight, was significantly lower in SG than FG sheep (p < 0.05) and alveolar number was significantly lower by approximately 44%. The total alveolar internal surface area of the right lung of SG sheep was 38% smaller than in FG sheep; it was also significantly lower when related to both lung and body weight. Our data suggest that moderate preterm birth does not cause persistent alterations in lung parenchyma. However, slow postnatal growth in low-birth-weight sheep results in smaller lungs with fewer alveoli and a lower alveolar surface area relative to body weight. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Global Distribution of Outbreaks of Water-Associated Infectious Diseases

PubMed Central

Yang, Kun; LeJeune, Jeffrey; Alsdorf, Doug; Lu, Bo; Shum, C. K.; Liang, Song

2012-01-01

Background Water plays an important role in the transmission of many infectious diseases, which pose a great burden on global public health. However, the global distribution of these water-associated infectious diseases and underlying factors remain largely unexplored. Methods and Findings Based on the Global Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Network (GIDEON), a global database including water-associated pathogens and diseases was developed. In this study, reported outbreak events associated with corresponding water-associated infectious diseases from 1991 to 2008 were extracted from the database. The location of each reported outbreak event was identified and geocoded into a GIS database. Also collected in the GIS database included geo-referenced socio-environmental information including population density (2000), annual accumulated temperature, surface water area, and average annual precipitation. Poisson models with Bayesian inference were developed to explore the association between these socio-environmental factors and distribution of the reported outbreak events. Based on model predictions a global relative risk map was generated. A total of 1,428 reported outbreak events were retrieved from the database. The analysis suggested that outbreaks of water-associated diseases are significantly correlated with socio-environmental factors. Population density is a significant risk factor for all categories of reported outbreaks of water-associated diseases; water-related diseases (e.g., vector-borne diseases) are associated with accumulated temperature; water-washed diseases (e.g., conjunctivitis) are inversely related to surface water area; both water-borne and water-related diseases are inversely related to average annual rainfall. Based on the model predictions, “hotspots” of risks for all categories of water-associated diseases were explored. Conclusions At the global scale, water-associated infectious diseases are significantly correlated with socio-environmental factors, impacting all regions which are affected disproportionately by different categories of water-associated infectious diseases. PMID:22348158

Assessing the performance of the MM/PBSA and MM/GBSA methods. 1. The accuracy of binding free energy calculations based on molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Hou, Tingjun; Wang, Junmei; Li, Youyong; Wang, Wei

2011-01-24

The Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) and the Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA) methods calculate binding free energies for macromolecules by combining molecular mechanics calculations and continuum solvation models. To systematically evaluate the performance of these methods, we report here an extensive study of 59 ligands interacting with six different proteins. First, we explored the effects of the length of the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, ranging from 400 to 4800 ps, and the solute dielectric constant (1, 2, or 4) on the binding free energies predicted by MM/PBSA. The following three important conclusions could be observed: (1) MD simulation length has an obvious impact on the predictions, and longer MD simulation is not always necessary to achieve better predictions. (2) The predictions are quite sensitive to the solute dielectric constant, and this parameter should be carefully determined according to the characteristics of the protein/ligand binding interface. (3) Conformational entropy often show large fluctuations in MD trajectories, and a large number of snapshots are necessary to achieve stable predictions. Next, we evaluated the accuracy of the binding free energies calculated by three Generalized Born (GB) models. We found that the GB model developed by Onufriev and Case was the most successful model in ranking the binding affinities of the studied inhibitors. Finally, we evaluated the performance of MM/GBSA and MM/PBSA in predicting binding free energies. Our results showed that MM/PBSA performed better in calculating absolute, but not necessarily relative, binding free energies than MM/GBSA. Considering its computational efficiency, MM/GBSA can serve as a powerful tool in drug design, where correct ranking of inhibitors is often emphasized.

Correlation of TBE Incidence with Red Deer and Roe Deer Abundance in Slovenia

PubMed Central

Knap, Nataša; Avšič-Županc, Tatjana

2013-01-01

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a virus infection which sometimes causes human disease. The TBE virus is found in ticks and certain vertebrate tick hosts in restricted endemic localities termed TBE foci. The formation of natural foci is a combination of several factors: the vectors, a suitable and numerous enough number of hosts and in a habitat with suitable vegetation and climate. The present study investigated the influence of deer on the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis. We were able to obtain data from deer culls. Using this data, the abundance of deer was estimated and temporal and spatial analysis was performed. The abundance of deer has increased in the past decades, as well as the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis. Temporal analysis confirmed a correlation between red deer abundance and tick-borne encephalitis occurrence. Additionally, spatial analysis established, that in areas with high incidence of tick-borne encephalitis red deer density is higher, compared to areas with no or few human cases of tick-borne encephalitis. However, such correlation could not be confirmed between roe deer density and the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis. This is presumably due to roe deer density being above a certain threshold so that availability of tick reproduction hosts has no apparent effect on ticks' host finding and consequently may not be possible to correlate with incidence of human TBE. PMID:23776668

Accuracy assessment of TanDEM-X IDEM using airborne LiDAR on the area of Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woroszkiewicz, Małgorzata; Ewiak, Ireneusz; Lulkowska, Paulina

2017-06-01

The TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X) mission launched in 2010 is another programme - after the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in 2000 - that uses space-borne radar interferometry to build a global digital surface model. This article presents the accuracy assessment of the TanDEM-X intermediate Digital Elevation Model (IDEM) provided by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) under the project "Accuracy assessment of a Digital Elevation Model based on TanDEM-X data" for the southwestern territory of Poland. The study area included: open terrain, urban terrain and forested terrain. Based on a set of 17,498 reference points acquired by airborne laser scanning, the mean errors of average heights and standard deviations were calculated for areas with a terrain slope below 2 degrees, between 2 and 6 degrees and above 6 degrees. The absolute accuracy of the IDEM data for the analysed area, expressed as a root mean square error (Total RMSE), was 0.77 m.

[Surfactant surface activity and ultrastructural changes in the type-II alveolocytes of fetal and neonatal lungs in experimental inflammation of the maternal lungs].

PubMed

Zagorul'ko, A K; Fat, L F; Safronova, L G; Kobozev, G V; Gorelik, N I

1989-06-01

The lungs of 19 guinea pigs, born from 8 females in which acute and chronic pneumonia had been modelled by transtracheal introduction of sterile fishing-line were investigated. It was established, that in guinea pigs, born in females with acute and chronic pneumonia, the functional immaturity of pneumocytes of the 2-nd type took place. The functional immaturity of pneumocytes of the 2-nd type results in suppression of the surface active characteristics of surfactant.

Development of a generalized algorithm of satellite remote sensing using multi-wavelength and multi-pixel information (MWP method) for aerosol properties by satellite-borne imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, M.; Nakajima, T.; Morimoto, S.; Takenaka, H.

2014-12-01

We have developed a new satellite remote sensing algorithm to retrieve the aerosol optical characteristics using multi-wavelength and multi-pixel information of satellite imagers (MWP method). In this algorithm, the inversion method is a combination of maximum a posteriori (MAP) method (Rodgers, 2000) and the Phillips-Twomey method (Phillips, 1962; Twomey, 1963) as a smoothing constraint for the state vector. Furthermore, with the progress of computing technique, this method has being combined with the direct radiation transfer calculation numerically solved by each iteration step of the non-linear inverse problem, without using LUT (Look Up Table) with several constraints.Retrieved parameters in our algorithm are aerosol optical properties, such as aerosol optical thickness (AOT) of fine and coarse mode particles, a volume soot fraction in fine mode particles, and ground surface albedo of each observed wavelength. We simultaneously retrieve all the parameters that characterize pixels in each of horizontal sub-domains consisting the target area. Then we successively apply the retrieval method to all the sub-domains in the target area.We conducted numerical tests for the retrieval of aerosol properties and ground surface albedo for GOSAT/CAI imager data to test the algorithm for the land area. The result of the experiment showed that AOTs of fine mode and coarse mode, soot fraction and ground surface albedo are successfully retrieved within expected accuracy. We discuss the accuracy of the algorithm for various land surface types. Then, we applied this algorithm to GOSAT/CAI imager data, and we compared retrieved and surface-observed AOTs at the CAI pixel closest to an AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) or SKYNET site in each region. Comparison at several sites in urban area indicated that AOTs retrieved by our method are in agreement with surface-observed AOT within ±0.066.Our future work is to extend the algorithm for analysis of AGEOS-II/GLI and GCOM/C-SGLI data.

Translating ecology, physiology, biochemistry and population genetics research to meet the challenge of tick and tick-borne diseases in North America

PubMed Central

Esteve-Gassent, Maria D.; Castro-Arellano, Ivan; Feria-Arroyo, Teresa P.; Patino, Ramiro; Li, Andrew Y.; Medina, Raul F.; Pérez de León, Adalberto A.; Rodríguez-Vivas, Roger Iván

2016-01-01

Emerging and re-emerging tick-borne diseases threaten public health and the wellbeing of domestic animals and wildlife globally. The adoption of an evolutionary ecology framework aimed to diminish the impact of tick-borne diseases needs to be part of strategies to protect human and animal populations. We present a review of current knowledge on the adaptation of ticks to their environment, and the impact that global change could have on their geographic distribution in North America. Environmental pressures will affect tick population genetics by selecting genotypes able to withstand new and changing environments and by altering the connectivity and isolation of several tick populations. Research in these areas is particularly lacking in the southern US and most of Mexico with knowledge gaps on the ecology of these diseases, including a void in the identity of reservoir hosts for several tick-borne pathogens. Additionally, the way in which anthropogenic changes to landscapes may influence tick-borne disease ecology remains to be fully understood. Enhanced knowledge in these areas is needed in order to implement effective and sustainable integrated tick management strategies. We propose to refocus ecology studies with emphasis on metacommunity-based approaches to enable a holistic perspective addressing whole pathogen and host assemblages. Network analyses could be used to develop mechanistic models involving multi host-pathogen communities. An increase in our understanding of the ecology of tick-borne diseases across their geographic distribution will aid in the design of effective area-wide tick control strategies aimed to diminish the burden of pathogens transmitted by ticks. PMID:27062414

Runoff delay exerts a strong control on the field-scale removal of manure-borne fecal bacteria with runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The microbial safety of surface waters is an ongoing issue which is threatened by the transport of manure-borne bacteria to water sources used for irrigation or recreation. Predictive modeling has become an effective tool to forecast the microbial quality of water duringprecipitation events, however...

Flynn Creek Impact Structure: New Insights from Breccias, Melt Features, Shatter Cones, and Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evenick, J. C.; Lee, P.; Deane, B.

2004-01-01

The Flynn Creek impact structure is located in Tennessee, USA (36 deg.17 min.N, 85 deg.40 min.W). The structure was first mapped as a crypto-volcanic by Wilson and Born in 1936 [1]. Although they did not properly identify the stratigraphy within the crater or the causal mechanism, they did correctly define the horizontal extent of the crater. More detailed surface and subsurface research by Roddy (1979) accurately described the crater as being an impact structure with a diameter of 3.8 km. It formed around 360 Ma, which corresponds to the interval between the deposition of the Nashville Group and the Chattanooga Shale. Although there is limited rock outcrop in the area, there are exposed surface faults, folds, and large outcrops of impact breccia within the crater.

Potential-Energy Surfaces, the Born-Oppenheimer Approximations, and the Franck-Condon Principle: Back to the Roots.

PubMed

Mustroph, Heinz

2016-09-05

The concept of a potential-energy surface (PES) is central to our understanding of spectroscopy, photochemistry, and chemical kinetics. However, the terminology used in connection with the basic approximations is variously, and somewhat confusingly, represented with such phrases as "adiabatic", "Born-Oppenheimer", or "Born-Oppenheimer adiabatic" approximation. Concerning the closely relevant and important Franck-Condon principle (FCP), the IUPAC definition differentiates between a classical and quantum mechanical formulation. Consequently, in many publications we find terms such as "Franck-Condon (excited) state", or a vertical transition to the "Franck-Condon point" with the "Franck-Condon geometry" that relaxes to the excited-state equilibrium geometry. The Born-Oppenheimer approximation and the "classical" model of the Franck-Condon principle are typical examples of misused terms and lax interpretations of the original theories. In this essay, we revisit the original publications of pioneers of the PES concept and the FCP to help stimulate a lively discussion and clearer thinking around these important concepts. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The occurrence of Ixodes ricinus ticks and important tick-borne pathogens in areas with high tick-borne encephalitis prevalence in different altitudinal levels of the Czech Republic Part I. Ixodes ricinus ticks and tick-borne encephalitis virus.

PubMed

Daniel, M; Danielová, V; Kříž, B; Růžek, D; Fialová, A; Malý, M; Materna, J; Pejčoch, M; Erhart, J

The aim of the three-year study (2011-2013) was to monitor population density of Ixodes ricinus ticks and its infection rate with the tick-borne encephalitis virus in areas with a high incidence of tick-borne encephalitis as reported in the previous decade 2001-2010. Such a comprehensive and long-term study based on existing epidemiolo-gical findings has not previously been conducted in Europe. In the areas of the Ústí nad Labem Region, Olomouc Region, South Bohemian Region, and Highlands Region, 600 m2 plots were selected in the local optimal I. ricinus habitats where tick flagging was performed every year in the spring-summer and autumn seasons of the questing activity. In total, 18,721 I. ricinus ticks (1448 females, 1425 males, and 15,848 nymphs) were collected and investigated. The results have shown that the differences in the infection rate of I. ricinus observed between regions are driven by variation in the density of the local I. ricinus populations which is influenced by the characteris-tics of the whole local biocenosis. The overall prevalence estimate of TBE virus in Ixodes ricinus ticks at the altitudes below 600 m a.s.l. was 0.096 % (95% CI 0.055-0.156) for nymphs, and 0.477 % (95% CI 0.272-0.773) for adults. The dynamics of the seasonal variation in I. ricinus populations, depending primarily on the climatic factors, are behind the interyear differences in the infection rate of ticks and, consequently, in the epidemiological situation of tick-borne encephalitis. The nymph to adult ratio was 5.5 on average but showed great interregional variability (from 10.3 in the Ústí nad Labem Region to 1.8 in the Highlands Region). It might be used in the future as one of the indicators of the composition of the local I. ricinus population and of the level of the circulation of tick-borne pathogens in zoonotic sphere and also for use in the health risk assessment in a given area. Despite the permanent expansion of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in higher altitudes the high risk limit for human infection with tick-borne encephalitis is 600 m a.s.l. in the Czech Republic.

fMRI: blood oxygen level-dependent activation during a working memory-selective attention task in children born extremely preterm.

PubMed

Griffiths, Silja Torvik; Gundersen, Hilde; Neto, Emanuel; Elgen, Irene; Markestad, Trond; Aukland, Stein M; Hugdahl, Kenneth

2013-08-01

Extremely preterm (EPT)/extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) children attaining school age and adolescence often have problems with executive functions such as working memory and selective attention. Our aim was to investigate a hypothesized difference in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activation during a selective attention-working memory task in EPT/ELBW children as compared with term-born controls. A regional cohort of 28 EPT/ELBW children and 28 term-born controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning at 11 y of age while performing a combined Stroop n-back task. Group differences in BOLD activation were analyzed with Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 analysis software package, and reaction times (RTs) and response accuracy (RA) were compared in a multifactorial ANOVA test. The BOLD activation pattern in the preterm group involved the same areas (cingulate, prefrontal, and parietal cortexes), but all areas displayed significantly less activation than those in the control group, particularly when the cognitive load was increased. The RA results corresponded with the activation data in that the preterm group had significantly fewer correct responses. No group difference was found regarding RTs. Children born EPT/ELBW displayed reduced working memory and selective attention capacity as compared with term-born controls. These impairments had neuronal correlates with reduced BOLD activation in areas responsible for online stimulus monitoring, working memory, and cognitive control.

Unmanned aerial vehicle observations of water surface elevation and bathymetry in the cenotes and lagoons of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandini, Filippo; Lopez-Tamayo, Alejandro; Merediz-Alonso, Gonzalo; Olesen, Daniel; Jakobsen, Jakob; Wang, Sheng; Garcia, Monica; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter

2018-04-01

Observations of water surface elevation (WSE) and bathymetry of the lagoons and cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula (YP) in southeast Mexico are of hydrogeological interest. Observations of WSE (orthometric water height above mean sea level, amsl) are required to inform hydrological models, to estimate hydraulic gradients and groundwater flow directions. Measurements of bathymetry and water depth (elevation of the water surface above the bed of the water body) improve current knowledge on how lagoons and cenotes connect through the complicated submerged cave systems and the diffuse flow in the rock matrix. A novel approach is described that uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor WSE and bathymetry of the inland water bodies on the YP. UAV-borne WSE observations were retrieved using a radar and a global navigation satellite system on-board a multi-copter platform. Water depth was measured using a tethered floating sonar controlled by the UAV. This sonar provides depth measurements also in deep and turbid water. Bathymetry (wet-bed elevation amsl) can be computed by subtracting water depth from WSE. Accuracy of the WSE measurements is better than 5-7 cm and accuracy of the water depth measurements is estimated to be 3.8% of the actual water depth. The technology provided accurate measurements of WSE and bathymetry in both wetlands (lagoons) and cenotes. UAV-borne technology is shown to be a more flexible and lower cost alternative to manned aircrafts. UAVs allow monitoring of remote areas located in the jungle of the YP, which are difficult to access by human operators.

Steps of the tick-borne encephalitis virus replication cycle that affect neuropathogenesis.

PubMed

Mandl, Christian W

2005-08-01

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an important human pathogen that causes severe neurological illness in large areas of Europe and Asia. The neuropathogenesis of this disease agent is determined by its capacity to enter the central nervous system (CNS) after peripheral inoculation ("neuroinvasiveness") and its ability to replicate and cause damage within the CNS ("neurovirulence"). TBEV is a small, enveloped flavivirus with an unsegmented, positive-stranded RNA genome. Mutations affecting various steps of its natural replication cycle were shown to influence its neuropathogenic properties. This review describes experimental approaches and summarizes results on molecular determinants of neurovirulence and neuroinvasiveness that have been identified for this virus. It focuses on molecular mechanisms of three particular steps of the viral life cycle that have been studied in some detail for TBEV and two closely related tick-borne flaviviruses (Louping ill virus (LIV) and Langat virus (LGTV)), namely (i) the envelope protein E and its role in viral attachment to the cell surface, (ii) the 3'-noncoding region of the genome and its importance for viral RNA replication, and (iii) the capsid protein C and its role in the assembly process of infectious virus particles. Mutations affecting each of these three molecular targets significantly influence neuropathogenesis of TBEV, particularly its neuroinvasiveness. The understanding of molecular determinants of TBEV neuropathogenesis is relevant for vaccine development, also against other flaviviruses.

Molecular identification of tick-borne pathogens in asymptomatic individuals with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Welc-Falęciak, Renata; Kowalska, Justyna D; Bednarska, Małgorzata; Szatan, Magdalena; Pawełczyk, Agnieszka

2018-05-18

The studies on the occurrence and diversity of tick-borne infections in HIV-infected individuals have been few, and the subject has been relatively neglected when compared with other common infections associated with HIV. In HIV-positive patients in whom a serological diagnostics is complicated due to reduced positive predictive value, a method where the microorganism is detected directly is of great value. Therefore, we performed a molecular study to ascertain the prevalence and incidence of tick-borne infections in HIV-infected persons in Poland, an endemic area for Ixodes ricinus ticks. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood of tested patients. Detection of tick-borne pathogens was performed by amplification and sequencing of different loci. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses of obtained nucleotide sequences were performed. Serum samples were analyzed for antibodies against tick-borne pathogens by using commercial tests in all patients. Among 148 studied blood samples from HIV-infected patients, two cases (1.4%) of infection with tick-borne pathogen were reported. No symptoms of tick-borne infection were observed in these cases. In one case a patient was infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum - the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and in the other with Borrelia garinii. Our study revealed the first case of HIV positive patient infected with A. phagocytophilum. Asymptomatic tick-borne infection can occur in HIV-positive patients. The detailed history of tick bites, especially in endemic tick areas, should be considered as part of anamnesis in routine clinical care of HIV-positive patients.

The influences of land use and land cover on climate; an analysis of the Washington-Baltimore area that couples remote sensing with numerical simulation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pease, R.W.; Jenner, C.B.; Lewis, J.E.

1980-01-01

The Sun drives the atmospheric heat engine by warming the terrestrial surface which in turn warms the atmosphere above. Climate, therefore, is significantly controlled by complex interaction of energy flows near and at the terrestrial surface. When man alters this delicate energy balance by his use of the land, he may alter his climatic environment as well. Land use climatology has emerged as a discipline in which these energy interactions are studied; first, by viewing the spatial distributions of their surface manifestations, and second, by analyzing the energy exchange processes involved. Two new tools for accomplishing this study are presented: one that can interpret surface energy exchange processes from space, and another that can simulate the complex of energy transfers by a numerical simulation model. Use of a satellite-borne multispectral scanner as an imaging radiometer was made feasible by devising a gray-window model that corrects measurements made in space for the effects of the atmosphere in the optical path. The simulation model is a combination of mathematical models of energy transfer processes at or near the surface. Integration of these two analytical approaches was applied to the Washington-Baltimore area to coincide with the August 5, 1973, Skylab 3 overpass which provided data for constructing maps of the energy characteristics of the Earth's surface. The use of the two techniques provides insights into the relationship of climate to land use and land cover and in predicting alterations of climate that may result from alterations of the land surface.

Road work on memory lane--functional and structural alterations to the learning and memory circuit in adults born very preterm.

PubMed

Salvan, Piergiorgio; Froudist Walsh, Seán; Allin, Matthew P G; Walshe, Muriel; Murray, Robin M; Bhattacharyya, Sagnik; McGuire, Philip K; Williams, Steven C R; Nosarti, Chiara

2014-11-15

Very preterm (VPT) birth is considered a risk factor not only for neurological impairment, but also for reduced function in several cognitive domains in childhood and later in life. Individuals who were born VPT are more likely to demonstrate learning and memory difficulties compared to term-born controls. These problems contribute to more VPT-born children repeating grades and underachieving in school. This, in turn, affects their prospects in adult life. Here we aimed to 1) study how the VPT-born adult brain functionally recruited specific areas during learning, i.e. encoding and recall across four repeated blocks of verbal stimuli, and to investigate how these patterns of activation differed from term-born subjects; and 2) probe the microstructural differences of white-matter tracts connecting these areas to other parts of the learning and memory network. To investigate these functional-structural relationships we analyzed functional and diffusion-weighted MRI. Functional-MRI and a verbal paired associate learning (VPAL) task were used to extract Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) activity in 21 VPT-born adults (<33 weeks of gestation) (mean age: 19.68 years ± 0.85; IQ: 99.86 ± 11.20) and 10 term-born controls (mean age: 19.87 years ± 2.04; IQ: 108.9 ± 13.18). Areas in which differences in functional activation were observed between groups were used as seed regions for tractography. Fractional anisotropy (FA) of the tract-skeleton was then compared between groups on a voxel-wise basis. Results of functional MRI analysis showed a significantly different pattern of activation between groups during encoding in right anterior cingulate-caudate body, and during retrieval in left thalamus, hippocampus and parts of left posterior parahippocampal gyrus. The number of correctly recalled word pairs did not statistically differ between individuals who were born VPT and controls. The VPT-born group was found to have reduced FA in tracts passing through the thalamic/hippocampal region that was differently activated during the recall condition, with the hippocampal fornix, inferior longitudinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus particularly affected. Young adults who were born very preterm display a strikingly different pattern of activation during the process of learning in key structures of the learning and memory network, including anterior cingulate and caudate body during encoding and thalamus/parahippocampal gyrus during cued recall. Altered activation in thalamus/parahippocampal gyrus may be explained by reduced connections between these areas and the hippocampus, which may be a direct consequence of neonatal hypoxic/ischemic injury. These results could reflect the effect of adaptive plastic processes associated with high-order cognitive functions, at least when the cognitive load remains relatively low, as ex-preterm young adults displayed unimpaired performance in completing the verbal paired associate learning task. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular dynamics approach to probe PKCβII-ligand interactions and influence of crystal water molecules on these interactions.

PubMed

Grewal, Baljinder K; Bhat, Jyotsna; Sobhia, Masilamani Elizabeth

2015-01-01

PKCβII is a potential target for therapeutic intervention against pandemic diabetic complications. Present study probes the molecular interactions of PKCβII with its clinically important ligands, viz. ruboxistaurin, enzastaurin and co-crystallized ligand, 2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl-BIM-1. The essentials of PKCβII-ligand interaction, crystal water-induced alterations in these interactions and key interacting flexible residues are analyzed. Computational methodologies, viz. molecular docking and molecular simulation coupled with molecular mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area and generalized born surface area (MM-PB[GB]SA) are employed. The structural changes in the presence and absence of crystal water molecules in PKCβII ATP binding site residues, and its interaction with bound ligand, are identified. Difference in interaction of selective and nonselective ligand with ATP binding site residues of PKCβII is reported. The study showed that the nonbonding interactions contribute significantly in PKCβII-ligand binding and presence of crystal water molecules affects the interactions. The findings of present work may integrate the new aspects in the drug design process of PKCβII inhibitors.

Binding free energy calculations between bovine β-lactoglobulin and four fatty acids using the MMGBSA method.

PubMed

Bello, Martiniano

2014-10-01

The bovine dairy protein β-lactoglobulin (βlg) is a promiscuous protein that has the ability to bind several hydrophobic ligands. In this study, based on known experimental data, the dynamic interaction mechanism between bovine βlg and four fatty acids was investigated by a protocol combining molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MMGBSA) binding free energy calculations. Energetic analyses revealed binding free energy trends that corroborated known experimental findings; larger ligand size corresponded to greater binding affinity. Finally, binding free energy decomposition provided detailed information about the key residues stabilizing the complex. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using two detectors concurrently to monitor ambient dose equivalent rates in vehicle surveys of radiocesium contaminated land.

PubMed

Takeishi, Minoru; Shibamichi, Masaru; Malins, Alex; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Murakami, Mitsuhiro; Saegusa, Jun; Yoneya, Masayuki

2017-10-01

In response to the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), vehicle-borne monitoring was used to map radiation levels for radiological protection of the public. By convention measurements from vehicle-borne surveys are converted to the ambient dose equivalent rate at 1 m height in the absence of the vehicle. This allows for comparison with results from other types of survey, including surveys with hand-held or airborne instruments. To improve the accuracy of the converted results from vehicle-borne surveys, we investigated combining measurements from two detectors mounted on the vehicle at different heights above the ground. A dual-detector setup was added to a JAEA monitoring car and compared against hand-held survey meter measurements in Fukushima Prefecture. The results obtained by combining measurements from two detectors were within ±20% of the hand-held reference measurements. The mean absolute percentage deviation from the reference measurements was 7.2%. The combined results from the two detectors were more accurate than those from either the roof-mounted detector, or the detector inside the vehicle, taken alone. One issue with vehicle-borne surveys is that ambient dose equivalent rates above roads are not necessarily representative of adjacent areas. This is because radiocesium is often deficient on asphalt surfaces, as it is easily scrubbed off by rain, wind and vehicle tires. To tackle this issue, we investigated mounting heights for vehicle-borne detectors using Monte Carlo gamma-ray simulations. When radiocesium is deficient on a road compared to the adjacent land, mounting detectors high on vehicles yields results closer to the values adjacent to the road. The ratio of ambient dose equivalent rates reported by detectors mounted at different heights in a dual-detector setup indicates whether radiocesium is deficient on the road compared to the adjacent land. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular survey on zoonotic tick-borne bacteria and chlamydiae in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica).

PubMed

Ebani, Valentina Virginia; Bertelloni, Fabrizio; Mani, Paolo

2016-04-01

To determine the presence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) from urban areas. Spleen samples from 84 feral pigeons, found dead with traumatic injuries in urban areas, were examined by PCR to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., and Chlamydophila spp. Twenty (23.8%) pigeons were infected by tick-borne agents, in particular 2 (2.38%) animals resulted positive for Bartonella spp., 5 (5.95%) for C. burnetii, 5 (5.95%) for Rickettsia spp., 13 (15.47%) for B. burgdorferi sensu lato. All birds scored negative for A. phagocytophilum. Moreover, 17 (20.23%) pigeons were positive for Chlamydophila spp. and among them 10 (11.9%) for Chlamydophila psittaci. Mixed infections by two or three agents were detected in 8 (9.52%) animals. Feral pigeons living in urban and periurban areas are a hazard for the human health as source of several pathogens. The obtained results confirm pigeons as reservoirs of chlamydial agents and suggest that they may be involved in the epidemiology of zoonotic tick-borne infections too. Copyright © 2016 Hainan Medical College. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A population of gamma-ray millisecond pulsars seen with the Fermi Large Area Telescope.

PubMed

Abdo, A A; Ackermann, M; Ajello, M; Atwood, W B; Axelsson, M; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Barbiellini, G; Baring, M G; Bastieri, D; Baughman, B M; Bechtol, K; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Bignami, G F; Blandford, R D; Bloom, E D; Bonamente, E; Borgland, A W; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Burnett, T H; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Camilo, F; Caraveo, P A; Carlson, P; Casandjian, J M; Cecchi, C; Celik, O; Charles, E; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C C; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cognard, I; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Cominsky, L R; Conrad, J; Corbet, R; Cutini, S; Dermer, C D; Desvignes, G; de Angelis, A; de Luca, A; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; Dormody, M; do Couto e Silva, E; Drell, P S; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Edmonds, Y; Farnier, C; Favuzzi, C; Fegan, S J; Focke, W B; Frailis, M; Freire, P C C; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giebels, B; Giglietto, N; Giordano, F; Glanzman, T; Godfrey, G; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M H; Grove, J E; Guillemot, L; Guiriec, S; Hanabata, Y; Harding, A K; Hayashida, M; Hays, E; Hobbs, G; Hughes, R E; Jóhannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, R P; Johnson, T J; Johnson, W N; Johnston, S; Kamae, T; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kawai, N; Kerr, M; Knödlseder, J; Kocian, M L; Kramer, M; Kuss, M; Lande, J; Latronico, L; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lott, B; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, P; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Manchester, R N; Marelli, M; Mazziotta, M N; McConville, W; McEnery, J E; McLaughlin, M A; Meurer, C; Michelson, P F; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohsugi, T; Omodei, N; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Paneque, D; Panetta, J H; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Piron, F; Porter, T A; Rainò, S; Rando, R; Ransom, S M; Ray, P S; Razzano, M; Rea, N; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, T; Ritz, S; Rochester, L S; Rodriguez, A Y; Romani, R W; Roth, M; Ryde, F; Sadrozinski, H F W; Sanchez, D; Sander, A; Saz Parkinson, P M; Scargle, J D; Schalk, T L; Sgrò, C; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Stappers, B W; Starck, J L; Striani, E; Strickman, M S; Suson, D J; Tajima, H; Takahashi, H; Tanaka, T; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Theureau, G; Thompson, D J; Thorsett, S E; Tibaldo, L; Torres, D F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Uchiyama, Y; Usher, T L; Van Etten, A; Vasileiou, V; Venter, C; Vilchez, N; Vitale, V; Waite, A P; Wallace, E; Wang, P; Watters, K; Webb, N; Weltevrede, P; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Ylinen, T; Ziegler, M

2009-08-14

Pulsars are born with subsecond spin periods and slow by electromagnetic braking for several tens of millions of years, when detectable radiation ceases. A second life can occur for neutron stars in binary systems. They can acquire mass and angular momentum from their companions, to be spun up to millisecond periods and begin radiating again. We searched Fermi Large Area Telescope data for pulsations from all known millisecond pulsars (MSPs) outside of globular clusters, using rotation parameters from radio telescopes. Strong gamma-ray pulsations were detected for eight MSPs. The gamma-ray pulse profiles and spectral properties resemble those of young gamma-ray pulsars. The basic emission mechanism seems to be the same for MSPs and young pulsars, with the emission originating in regions far from the neutron star surface.

Calibration of passive remote observing optical and microwave instrumentation; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 3-5, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guenther, Bruce W. (Editor)

1991-01-01

Various papers on the calibration of passive remote observing optical and microwave instrumentation are presented. Individual topics addressed include: on-board calibration device for a wide field-of-view instrument, calibration for the medium-resolution imaging spectrometer, cryogenic radiometers and intensity-stabilized lasers for EOS radiometric calibrations, radiometric stability of the Shuttle-borne solar backscatter ultraviolet spectrometer, ratioing radiometer for use with a solar diffuser, requirements of a solar diffuser and measurements of some candidate materials, reflectance stability analysis of Spectralon diffuse calibration panels, stray light effects on calibrations using a solar diffuser, radiometric calibration of SPOT 23 HRVs, surface and aerosol models for use in radiative transfer codes. Also addressed are: calibrated intercepts for solar radiometers used in remote sensor calibration, radiometric calibration of an airborne multispectral scanner, in-flight calibration of a helicopter-mounted Daedalus multispectral scanner, technique for improving the calibration of large-area sphere sources, remote colorimetry and its applications, spatial sampling errors for a satellite-borne scanning radiometer, calibration of EOS multispectral imaging sensors and solar irradiance variability.

Runoff delay exerts a strong control on the field-scale removal of manure-borne fecal bacteria with runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The microbial safety of surface waters is an ongoing issue which is threatened by the transport of manure-borne bacteria to water sources used for irrigation or recreation. Predictive modeling has become an effective tool to forecast the microbial quality of water during precipitation events, howeve...

Determination of monthly mean humidity in the atmospheric surface layer over oceans from satellite data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, W. T.; Niiler, P. P.

1984-01-01

A simple statistical technique is described to determine monthly mean marine surface-layer humidity, which is essential in the specification of surface latent heat flux, from total water vapor in the atmospheric column measured by space-borne sensors. Good correlation between the two quantities was found in examining the humidity soundings from radiosonde reports of mid-ocean island stations and weather ships. The relation agrees with that obtained from satellite (Seasat) data and ship reports averaged over 2 deg areas and a 92-day period in the North Atlantic and in the tropical Pacific. The results demonstrate that, by using a local regression in the tropical Pacific, total water vapor can be used to determine monthly mean surface layer humidity to an accuracy of 0.4 g/kg. With a global regression, determination to an accuracy of 0.8 g/kg is possible. These accuracies correspond to approximately 10 to 20 W/sq m in the determination of latent heat flux with the bulk parameterization method, provided that other required parameters are known.

[The impact of experience in bearing child on the body mass index and obesity in women].

PubMed

Lai, Jian-qiang; Yin, Shi-an

2009-02-01

To analyze the relations of body mass index(BMI)and obese prevalence in differently aged women and explore the effective strategy for preventing obesity among adult Chinese women. This study was based on the data from 2002 National Nutrition and Health Survey. The method of multi-steps cluster sampling was adopted. Total subjects including unmarried women (n = 2474), married women without the experience of childbearing (n = 10,816), and married and bearing-child women (n = 4103), were 17,393. In urban areas, the average body weights of unmarried, married and without childbearing experience, and the married with born-child were (53.7 +/- 9.0) kg, (57.6 +/- 9.4) kg and (54.5 +/- 8.5) kg respectively; the body weights of unmarried, married and without childbearing experience were significantly higher than that of the married with born-child women (t = 12.25, P < 0.001; t = 8.32, P < 0.001); the BMIs of unmarried, married without childbearing experience, and the married with born-child women were (21.1 +/- 3.3) kg/m(2), (22.8 +/- 3.4) kg/m(2) and (22.0 +/- 2.9) kg/m(2) respectively; the BMIs of married without childbearing experience and married with born-child women were significantly higher than that of unmarried women (t = 14.88, P < 0.001; t = 5.76, P < 0.001). In the rural areas, the body weights of unmarried, married without childbearing experience, and the married with born-child women were (52.3 +/- 7.8) kg, (55.3 +/- 8.6) kg and (52.8 +/- 8.1) kg respectively; the body weights of unmarried, the married with born-child women were significantly higher than that of married without childbearing experience (t = 11.67, P < 0.001; t = 14.15, P < 0.001); the BMIs of unmarried, married without childbearing experience, and the married with born-child women were (21.2 +/- 2.8) kg/m(2), (22.5 +/- 3.1) kg/m(2), and (21.8 +/- 3.0) kg/m(2) respectively; the BMIs of married and the married with born-child were significantly higher than that of unmarried women (t = 13.80, P < 0.001; t = 5.34, P < 0.001). In urban areas, the rate of low body weight of unmarried women (18.1%) was higher than that of married without childbearing experience and married with born-child group (7.3% vs. 9.1%; comparing with married without childbearing experience: chi(2) = 113.69, P < 0.001; comparing with married with born-child: chi(2) = 29.65, P < 0.001); the prevalence of overweight and obesity (32.7%) in married without childbearing was significantly higher than that of unmarried women (14.4%) (chi(2) = 28.257, P < 0.001). In rural areas, the rate of low body weight of unmarried women (12.4%) was higher than that of married without childbearing group (6.7%, chi(2) = 50.040, P < 0.001); however, the prevalence of overweight (22.4%) in the married without childbearing was significantly higher than that of unmarried women (12.3%) (chi(2) = 69.119, P < 0.001) and the married with born-child women (15.4%) (chi(2) = 69.866, P < 0.001). The prevalence of overweight and obesity of the married with born-child women was decreasing with extending time of postpartum in urban and rural areas. Weight retention of married with born-child women was one of the most important factors leading to the obesity in the adulthood. However, more attentions should be paid to the changing trend of body weight in the married without childbearing experience.

Health outcomes for children born to teen mothers in Cape Town, South Africa1

PubMed Central

Ardington, Cally; Leibbrandt, Murray

2014-01-01

This paper analyzes whether children born to teen mothers in Cape Town, South Africa are disadvantaged in terms of their health outcomes because their mother is a teen. Exploiting the longitudinal nature of the Cape Area Panel Study, we assess whether observable differences between teen mothers and slightly older mothers can explain why first-born children of teen mothers appear disadvantaged. Our balanced regressions indicate that observed characteristics cannot explain the full extent of disadvantage of being born to a teen mother, with children born to teen mothers continuing to have significantly worse child health outcomes, especially among coloured children. In particular, children born to teens are more likely to be underweight at birth and to be stunted with the disadvantage for coloured children four times the size for African children. PMID:26052156

Lightweight dew-/frost-point hygrometer based on a surface-acoustic-wave sensor for balloon-borne atmospheric water vapor profile sounding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansford, Graeme M.; Freshwater, Ray A.; Eden, Louise; Turnbull, Katharine F. V.; Hadaway, David E.; Ostanin, Victor P.; Jones, Roderic L.

2006-01-01

The design of a very lightweight dew-/frost-point hygrometer for balloon-borne atmospheric water vapor profiling is described. The instrument is based on a surface-acoustic-wave sensor. The low instrument weight is a key feature, allowing flights on meteorological balloons which brings many more flight opportunities. The hygrometer shows consistently good performance in the troposphere and while water vapor measurements near the tropopause and in the stratosphere are possible with the current instrument, the long-time response in these regions hampers realistic measurements. The excellent intrinsic sensitivity of the surface-acoustic-wave sensor should permit considerable improvement in the hygrometer performance in the very dry regions of the atmosphere.

TRANSLATING ECOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND POPULATION GENETICS RESEARCH TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF TICK AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES IN NORTH AMERICA.

PubMed

Esteve-Gassent, Maria D; Castro-Arellano, Ivan; Feria-Arroyo, Teresa P; Patino, Ramiro; Li, Andrew Y; Medina, Raul F; de León, Adalberto A Pérez; Rodríguez-Vivas, Roger Iván

2016-05-01

Emerging and re-emerging tick-borne diseases threaten public health and the wellbeing of domestic animals and wildlife globally. The adoption of an evolutionary ecology framework aimed to diminish the impact of tick-borne diseases needs to be part of strategies to protect human and animal populations. We present a review of current knowledge on the adaptation of ticks to their environment, and the impact that global change could have on their geographic distribution in North America. Environmental pressures will affect tick population genetics by selecting genotypes able to withstand new and changing environments and by altering the connectivity and isolation of several tick populations. Research in these areas is particularly lacking in the southern United States and most of Mexico with knowledge gaps on the ecology of these diseases, including a void in the identity of reservoir hosts for several tick-borne pathogens. Additionally, the way in which anthropogenic changes to landscapes may influence tick-borne disease ecology remains to be fully understood. Enhanced knowledge in these areas is needed in order to implement effective and sustainable integrated tick management strategies. We propose to refocus ecology studies with emphasis on metacommunity-based approaches to enable a holistic perspective addressing whole pathogen and host assemblages. Network analyses could be used to develop mechanistic models involving multihost-pathogen communities. An increase in our understanding of the ecology of tick-borne diseases across their geographic distribution will aid in the design of effective area-wide tick control strategies aimed to diminish the burden of pathogens transmitted by ticks. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens of dogs along an elevational and land-use gradient in Chiriquí province, Panamá.

PubMed

Ferrell, A Michelle; Brinkerhoff, R Jory; Bernal, Juan; Bermúdez, Sergio E

2017-04-01

Systematic acarological surveys are useful tools in assessing risk to tick-borne infections, especially in areas where consistent clinical surveillance for tick-borne disease is lacking. Our goal was to identify environmental predictors of tick burdens on dogs and tick-borne infectious agents in dog-derived ticks in the Chiriquí Province of western Panama to draw inferences about spatio-temporal variation in human risk to tick-borne diseases. We used a model-selection approach to test the relative importance of elevation, human population size, vegetative cover, and change in landuse on patterns of tick parasitism on dogs. We collected 2074 ticks, representing four species (Rhipicephalus sanguineus, R. microplus, Amblyomma ovale, and Ixodes boliviensis) from 355 dogs. Tick prevalence ranged from 0 to 74% among the sites we sampled, and abundance ranged from 0 to 20.4 ticks per dog with R. sanguineus s.l. being the most commonly detected tick species (97% of all ticks sampled). Whereas elevation was the best single determinant of tick prevalence and abundance on dogs, the top models also included predictor variables describing vegetation cover and landuse change. Specifically, low-elevation areas associated with decreasing vegetative cover were associated with highest tick occurrence on dogs, potentially because of the affinity of R. sanguineus for human dwellings. Although we found low prevalence of tick-borne pathogen genera (two Rickettsia-positive ticks, no R. rickettsia or Ehrlichia spp.) in our study, all of the tick species we collected from dogs are known vectors of zoonotic pathogens. In areas where epidemiological surveillance infrastructure is limited, field-based assessments of acarological risk can be useful and cost-effective tools in efforts to identify high-risk environments for tick-transmitted pathogens.

Expression of terrain and surface geology in high-resolution helicopter-borne gravity gradient (AGG) data: examples from Great Sand Dunes National Park, Rio Grande Rift, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drenth, Benjamin J.

2013-01-01

Airborne gravity gradient (AGG) data are rapidly becoming standard components of geophysical mapping programs, due to their advantages in cost, access, and resolution advantages over measurements of the gravity field on the ground. Unlike conventional techniques that measure the gravity field, AGG methods measure derivatives of the gravity field. This means that effects of terrain and near-surface geology are amplified in AGG data, and that proper terrain corrections are critically important for AGG data processing. However, terrain corrections require reasonable estimates of density for the rocks and sediments that make up the terrain. A recommended philosophical approach is to use the terrain and surface geology, with their strong expression in AGG data, to the interpreter’s advantage. An example of such an approach is presented here for an area with very difficult ground access and little ground gravity data. Nettleton-style profiling is used with AGG data to estimate the densities of the sand dunefield and adjacent Precambrian rocks from the area of Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado. Processing of the AGG data using the density estimate for the dunefield allows buried structures, including a hypothesized buried basement bench, to be mapped beneath the sand dunes.

Proving the antimicrobial spectrum of an amphoteric surfactant-sol-gel coating: a food-borne pathogen study.

PubMed

Copello, G J; Teves, S; Degrossi, J; D'Aquino, M; Desimone, M F; Díaz, L E

2008-09-01

An antimicrobial coating was evaluated in this work for its antimicrobial efficacy against common food-borne pathogens. Dodecyl-di(aminoethyl)-glycine, an organic disinfectant, was immobilized in a silicon oxide matrix to generate thin films over surfaces by means of the sol-gel process. Tetraethoxysilane was used as the polymeric precursor. No alteration of optical transparency on the covered surfaces was observed. Topographic images obtained with atomic force microscopy showed a homogeneous film with no additional roughness added by the polymer to the surface. The attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectral data showed the presence of dodecyl-di(aminoethyl)-glycine in the silicon oxide network after a normal cleaning procedure. The antimicrobial efficacy test was performed by exposing coated slides to suspensions of common food-borne pathogens: Escherichia coli, Staphyloccocus aureus, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhi, S. cholerasuiss, Listeria innocua and L. monocytogenes. The coating activity was not only bacteriostatic but also bactericidal. The percent reduction of viable microorganism exposure over 24 h to the coated surface ranged between 99.5%, for the more resistant gram-positive bacteria, and over 99.999%, for most gram-negative bacteria. The silicon matrix itself did not account for any reduction of viable microbial, even more an increase was observed.

Distorted-wave methods for electron capture in ion-atom collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burgdoerfer, J.; Taulbjerg, K.

1986-05-01

Distorted-wave methods for electron capture are discussed with emphasis on the surface term in the T matrix and on the properties of the associated integral equations. The surface term is generally nonvanishing if the distorted waves are sufficiently accurate to include parts of the considered physical process. Two examples are considered in detail. If distorted waves of the strong-potential Born-approximation (SPB) type are employed the surface term supplies the first-Born-approximation part of the T matrix. The surface term is shown to vanish in the continuum-distorted-wave (CDW) method. The integral kernel is in either case free of the dangerous disconnected termsmore » discussed by Greider and Dodd but the CDW theory is peculiar in the sense that its first-order approximation (CDW1) excludes a specific on-shell portion of the double-scattering term that is closely connected with the classical Thomas process. The latter is described by the second-order term in the CDW series. The distorted-wave Born approximation with SPB waves is shown to be free of divergences. In the limit of asymmetric collisions the DWB suggests a modification of the SPB approximation to avoid the divergence problem recently identified by Dewangan and Eichler.« less

Women Are More Susceptible to Caries but Individuals Born with Clefts Are Not

PubMed Central

Jindal, Aditi; McMeans, Michelle; Narayanan, Somnya; Rose, Erin K.; Jain, Shilpa; Marazita, Mary L.; Menezes, Renato; Letra, Ariadne; Carvalho, Flavia M.; Brandon, Carla A.; Resick, Judith M.; Mereb, Juan C.; Poletta, Fernando A.; Lopez-Camelo, Jorge S.; Castilla, Eduardo E.; Orioli, Iêda M.; Vieira, Alexandre R.

2011-01-01

The identification of individuals at a higher risk of developing caries is of great interest. Isolated forms of cleft lip and palate are among the most common craniofacial congenital anomalies in humans. Historically, several reports suggest that individuals born with clefts have a higher risk for caries. Caries continues to be the most common infectious noncontagious disease worldwide and a great burden to any health system. The identification of individuals of higher susceptibility to caries is of great interest. In this paper, we assessed caries experience of 1,593 individuals from three distinct populations. The study included individuals born with clefts, their unaffected relatives, and unrelated unaffected controls that were recruited from areas with similar cultural pressures and limited access to dental care. DMFT/dmft scores were obtained, and caries experience rates were compared among the three groups in each geographic area. Individuals born with clefts did not present higher caries experience in comparison to their unaffected relatives or unrelated unaffected controls. Women tend to present higher caries rates in comparison to men. Our work provides strong evidence that individuals born with clefts are not at higher risk to caries; however, women tend to have more severe caries experience. PMID:21747859

Borrelia Diversity and Co-infection with Other Tick Borne Pathogens in Ticks.

PubMed

Raileanu, Cristian; Moutailler, Sara; Pavel, Ionuţ; Porea, Daniela; Mihalca, Andrei D; Savuta, Gheorghe; Vayssier-Taussat, Muriel

2017-01-01

Identifying Borrelia burgdorferi as the causative agent of Lyme disease in 1981 was a watershed moment in understanding the major impact that tick-borne zoonoses can have on public health worldwide, particularly in Europe and the USA. The medical importance of tick-borne diseases has long since been acknowledged, yet little is known regarding the occurrence of emerging tick-borne pathogens such as Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., " Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis", and tick-borne encephalitis virus in questing ticks in Romania, a gateway into Europe. The objective of our study was to identify the infection and co-infection rates of different Borrelia genospecies along with other tick-borne pathogens in questing ticks collected from three geographically distinct areas in eastern Romania. We collected 557 questing adult and nymph ticks of three different species (534 Ixodes ricinus , 19 Haemaphysalis punctata , and 4 Dermacentor reticulatus ) from three areas in Romania. We analyzed ticks individually for the presence of eight different Borrelia genospecies with high-throughput real-time PCR. Ticks with Borrelia were then tested for possible co-infections with A. phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., " Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis", and tick-borne encephalitis virus. Borrelia spp. was detected in I. ricinus ticks from all sampling areas, with global prevalence rates of 25.8%. All eight Borrelia genospecies were detected in I. ricinus ticks: Borrelia garinii (14.8%), B. afzelii (8.8%), B. valaisiana (5.1%), B. lusitaniae (4.9%), B. miyamotoi (0.9%), B. burgdorferi s.s (0.4%), and B. bissettii (0.2%). Regarding pathogen co-infection 64.5% of infected I. ricinus were positive for more than one pathogen. Associations between different Borrelia genospecies were detected in 9.7% of ticks, and 6.9% of I. ricinus ticks tested positive for co-infection of Borrelia spp. with other tick-borne pathogens. The most common association was between B. garinii and B. afzelii (4.3%), followed by B. garinii and B. lusitaniae (3.0%). The most frequent dual co-infections were between Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp., (1.3%), and between Borrelia spp. and " Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis" (1.3%). The diversity of tick-borne pathogens detected in this study and the frequency of co-infections should influence all infection risk evaluations following a tick bite.

Borrelia Diversity and Co-infection with Other Tick Borne Pathogens in Ticks

PubMed Central

Raileanu, Cristian; Moutailler, Sara; Pavel, Ionuţ; Porea, Daniela; Mihalca, Andrei D.; Savuta, Gheorghe; Vayssier-Taussat, Muriel

2017-01-01

Identifying Borrelia burgdorferi as the causative agent of Lyme disease in 1981 was a watershed moment in understanding the major impact that tick-borne zoonoses can have on public health worldwide, particularly in Europe and the USA. The medical importance of tick-borne diseases has long since been acknowledged, yet little is known regarding the occurrence of emerging tick-borne pathogens such as Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis”, and tick-borne encephalitis virus in questing ticks in Romania, a gateway into Europe. The objective of our study was to identify the infection and co-infection rates of different Borrelia genospecies along with other tick-borne pathogens in questing ticks collected from three geographically distinct areas in eastern Romania. We collected 557 questing adult and nymph ticks of three different species (534 Ixodes ricinus, 19 Haemaphysalis punctata, and 4 Dermacentor reticulatus) from three areas in Romania. We analyzed ticks individually for the presence of eight different Borrelia genospecies with high-throughput real-time PCR. Ticks with Borrelia were then tested for possible co-infections with A. phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis”, and tick-borne encephalitis virus. Borrelia spp. was detected in I. ricinus ticks from all sampling areas, with global prevalence rates of 25.8%. All eight Borrelia genospecies were detected in I. ricinus ticks: Borrelia garinii (14.8%), B. afzelii (8.8%), B. valaisiana (5.1%), B. lusitaniae (4.9%), B. miyamotoi (0.9%), B. burgdorferi s.s (0.4%), and B. bissettii (0.2%). Regarding pathogen co-infection 64.5% of infected I. ricinus were positive for more than one pathogen. Associations between different Borrelia genospecies were detected in 9.7% of ticks, and 6.9% of I. ricinus ticks tested positive for co-infection of Borrelia spp. with other tick-borne pathogens. The most common association was between B. garinii and B. afzelii (4.3%), followed by B. garinii and B. lusitaniae (3.0%). The most frequent dual co-infections were between Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp., (1.3%), and between Borrelia spp. and “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis” (1.3%). The diversity of tick-borne pathogens detected in this study and the frequency of co-infections should influence all infection risk evaluations following a tick bite. PMID:28261565

The influence of a land-lake surface discontinuity on the convective boundary layer flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Daniel; Bange, Jens; Lang, Andreas

2013-04-01

The current work addresses the effects of surface discontinuities into the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) with free convection using data collected during the STINHO 2002 and LITFASS 2003 experimental campaigns. These field experiments were performed during two consecutive summers in the area of Branderburg, Germany, over a heterogeneous area located around the Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg (MOL) of the German Weather Service (DWD). The terrain can be considered flat with areas of pine forests and agricultural fields, where lakes and villages are irregularly distributed to form a heterogeneous landscape representative of central Europe. Specific measurements collected by the helicopter-borne turbulence probe Helipod were selected to focus on the water-land surface transition over lake Scharnuetzel, a small-scale lake of 10 km x 2 km length scale. Four flights with a similar pattern were performed, with heights that range from 70 to 900 m above ground level (a.g.l.), in order to characterise the vertical extent of the surface discontinuity influence to the turbulent flow. The concepts of blending height and internal boundary layer (IBL) have been applied to the experimental data as a theoretical background. In general, the presence of the lake is reflected in the statistical second-order moments of the time series collected below 100 m a.g.l., specially for those time series related with the potential temperature. However, none of the parametrizations found in the literature related with the blending height or IBL seem to be appropriate for this special case, where a small-scale lake is the responsible of the surface heterogeneity. An analysis of the downstream propagation of the IBL depth shows that it depends on (i) the air stability downwind of the surface discontinuity and (ii) the wind speed in the surface layer. These preliminary results should be confirmed with the performance of new experiments.

The allure of new immigrant destinations and the Great Recession in the United States.

PubMed

Ellis, Mark; Wright, Richard; Townley, Matthew

2014-01-01

In the 1990s, the immigrant population in the United States dispersed to non-traditional settlement locations (what have become known as "new immigrant destinations"). This paper examines whether the allure of new destinations persisted in the 2000s with a particular focus on the internal migration of the foreign born during the recent deep recessionary period and its aftermath. Three specific questions motivate the analysis. First, are immigrants, much like the US-born population, becoming less migratory within the country over time? Second, is immigrant dispersal from traditional gateways via internal migration continuing despite considerable economic contraction in many new destination metropolitan areas? Third, is immigration from aboard a substitute for what appears to be declining immigrant internal migration to new destinations? The findings reveal a close correlation between the declining internal migration propensity of the US-born and immigrants in the last two decades. We also observe parallels between the geographies of migration of native- and foreign-born populations with both groups moving to similar metropolitan areas in the 1990s. This redistributive association, however, weakened in the subsequent decade as new destination metropolitan areas lost their appeal for both groups, especially immigrants. There is no evidence to suggest that immigration from abroad is substituting for the decline in immigrant redistribution through internal migration to new destinations. Across destination types the relationship between immigration from abroad and the internal migration of the foreign born remained the same before, during, and after the Great Recession.

Hydrophobic potential of mean force as a solvation function for protein structure prediction.

PubMed

Lin, Matthew S; Fawzi, Nicolas Lux; Head-Gordon, Teresa

2007-06-01

We have developed a solvation function that combines a Generalized Born model for polarization of protein charge by the high dielectric solvent, with a hydrophobic potential of mean force (HPMF) as a model for hydrophobic interaction, to aid in the discrimination of native structures from other misfolded states in protein structure prediction. We find that our energy function outperforms other reported scoring functions in terms of correct native ranking for 91% of proteins and low Z scores for a variety of decoy sets, including the challenging Rosetta decoys. This work shows that the stabilizing effect of hydrophobic exposure to aqueous solvent that defines the HPMF hydration physics is an apparent improvement over solvent-accessible surface area models that penalize hydrophobic exposure. Decoys generated by thermal sampling around the native-state basin reveal a potentially important role for side-chain entropy in the future development of even more accurate free energy surfaces.

Surface displacement based shape analysis of central brain structures in preterm-born children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garg, Amanmeet; Grunau, Ruth E.; Popuri, Karteek; Miller, Steven; Bjornson, Bruce; Poskitt, Kenneth J.; Beg, Mirza Faisal

2016-03-01

Many studies using T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data have found associations between changes in global metrics (e.g. volume) of brain structures and preterm birth. In this work, we use the surface displacement feature extracted from the deformations of the surface models of the third ventricle, fourth ventricle and brainstem to capture the variation in shape in these structures at 8 years of age that may be due to differences in the trajectory of brain development as a result of very preterm birth (24-32 weeks gestation). Understanding the spatial patterns of shape alterations in these structures in children who were born very preterm as compared to those who were born at full term may lead to better insights into mechanisms of differing brain development between these two groups. The T1 MRI data for the brain was acquired from children born full term (FT, n=14, 8 males) and preterm (PT, n=51, 22 males) at age 8-years. Accurate segmentation labels for these structures were obtained via a multi-template fusion based segmentation method. A high dimensional non-rigid registration algorithm was utilized to register the target segmentation labels to a set of segmentation labels defined on an average-template. The surface displacement data for the brainstem and the third ventricle were found to be significantly different (p < 0.05) between the PT and FT groups. Further, spatially localized clusters with inward and outward deformation were found to be associated with lower gestational age. The results from this study present a shape analysis method for pediatric MRI data and reveal shape changes that may be due to preterm birth.

Design considerations for a space-borne ocean surface laser altimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plotkin, H. H.

1972-01-01

Design procedures for using laser ranging systems in spacecraft to reflect ocean surface pulses vertically and measure spacecraft altitude with high precision are examined. Operating principles and performance experience of a prototype system are given.

Childhood leukaemia in areas with different radon levels: a spatial and temporal analysis using GIS.

PubMed

Kohli, S; Noorlind Brage, H; Löfman, O

2000-11-01

To evaluate the relation between exposure to ground radon levels and leukaemia among children using existing population and disease registers. Ecological correlation study. The county of Ostergötland in Sweden. Every child born in the county between 1979 and 1992 was mapped to the property centroid coordinates by linking addresses in the population and property registers. Population maps were overlaid with radon maps and exposure at birth and each subsequent year was quantified as high, normal, low or unknown. This was analysed with data from the tumour registry. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated using the age and sex specific rates for Sweden for the year 1995. 90 malignancies occurred among 53 146 children (498 887 person years) who formed the study population. SMRs for acute lymphatic leukaemia (ALL) among children born in high, normal and low risk areas were 1.43, 1.17 and 0.25 respectively. The relative risk for the normal risk group and high risk group as compared with the low risk group was 4.64 (95% CI 1.29, 28.26) and 5. 67 (95% CI 1.06, 42.27). The association between ALL and continued residence at normal or high risk areas showed a similar trend. No association between radon risk levels and any other malignancy was seen. Children born in and staying at areas where the risk from ground radon has been classified as low are less likely to develop ALL than those born in areas classified as normal and high risk.

Surface energy fluxes and their representation in CMIP5 models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, M.

2016-12-01

Energy fluxes at the Earth surface play a key role in the determination of surface climate and in the coupling of atmosphere, land and ocean components. Unlike their counterparts at the top of atmosphere (TOA), surface fluxes cannot be directly measured from satellites, but have to be inferred from the space-born observations using additional models to account for atmospheric perturbations, or from the limited number of surface observations. Uncertainties in the energy fluxes at the surface have therefore traditionally been larger than at the TOA, and have limited our knowledge on the distribution of the energy flows within the climate system. Accordingly, current climate models still largely differ in their representation of surface and atmospheric energy fluxes. Since the mid-1990s, accurate flux measurements became increasingly available from surface networks such as BSRN, which allow to better constrain the surface energy fluxes. There is, however, still a lack of flux measurements particularly over oceans. Further, the larger-scale representativeness of the station records needs to be assessed to judge their suitability as anchor sites for gridded flux products inferred from satellites, reanalyses and climate models. In addition, historic records need to be carefully quality-checked and homogeneized. In parallel, satellite-derived products of surface fluxes profit from the great advancement in space-born observations since the turn of the millennium, and from improved validation capabilities with surface observations. Ultimately, it is the combination of surface and space-born observations, reanalyses and modeling approaches that will advance our knowledge on the distribution of the surface energy fluxes. Uncertainties remain in the determination of surface albedo, skin temperatures and the partitioning of surface net radiation into the sensible and latent heat. Climate models over generations up to present day (CMIP5) tend to overestimate the downward shortwave and underestimate the downward longwave radiation. A challenge also remains the consistent representation of the global energy and water cycles. Yet it is shown that those climate models with a realistic surface radiation balance also simulate global precipitation amounts within the uncertainty range of observational estimates.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esfahani, M. Nasr; Yilmaz, M.; Sonne, M. R.

The trend towards nanomechanical resonator sensors with increasing sensitivity raises the need to address challenges encountered in the modeling of their mechanical behavior. Selecting the best approach in mechanical response modeling amongst the various potential computational solid mechanics methods is subject to controversy. A guideline for the selection of the appropriate approach for a specific set of geometry and mechanical properties is needed. In this study, geometrical limitations in frequency response modeling of flexural nanomechanical resonators are investigated. Deviation of Euler and Timoshenko beam theories from numerical techniques including finite element modeling and Surface Cauchy-Born technique are studied. The resultsmore » provide a limit beyond which surface energy contribution dominates the mechanical behavior. Using the Surface Cauchy-Born technique as the reference, a maximum error on the order of 50 % is reported for high-aspect ratio resonators.« less

The Influence Analysis of the Rainfall Meteorological Conditions on the Operation of the Balloon Borne Radar in Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qiong; Geng, Fangzhi

2018-03-01

Based on the characteristics of complex terrain and different seasons’ weather in Qinghai Tibet Plateau, through statistic the daily rainfall that from 2002 to 2012, nearly 11 years, by Bomi meteorological station, Bomi area rainfall forecast model is established, and which can provide the basis forecasting for dangerous weather warning system on the balloon borne radar in the next step, to protect the balloon borne radar equipment’s safety work and combat effectiveness.

Placental malaria and the risk of malaria in infants in a high malaria transmission area in ghana: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Asante, Kwaku Poku; Owusu-Agyei, Seth; Cairns, Matthew; Dodoo, Daniel; Boamah, Ellen Abrafi; Gyasi, Richard; Adjei, George; Gyan, Ben; Agyeman-Budu, Akua; Dodoo, Theophilus; Mahama, Emmanuel; Amoako, Nicholas; Dosoo, David Kwame; Koram, Kwadwo; Greenwood, Brian; Chandramohan, Daniel

2013-11-01

Whether the risk of malaria is increased in infants born to mothers who experience malaria during pregnancy is uncertain.  We investigated malaria incidence among an infant cohort born to 355 primigravidae and 1500 multigravidae with or without placental malaria (PM) in a high malaria transmission area of Ghana. PM was assessed using placental histology. The incidence of all episodes of malaria parasitemia or clinical malaria was very similar among 3 groups of infants: those born to multigravidae without PM, multigravidae with PM, and primigravidae with PM. Infants born to primigravidae without PM experienced a lower incidence of malaria parasitemia or clinical malaria than the other 3 groups: adjusted hazard ratio, 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], .48-.86, P < .01) and 0.60 (95% CI, .43-.84, P < .01), respectively. The incidence of malaria parasitemia or clinical malaria was about 2 times higher in most poor infants compared to least poor infants. There was no suggestion that exposure to PM directly increased incidence of malaria among infants of multigravidae. In our study area, absence of placental malaria in primigravidae is a marker of low exposure, and this probably explains the lower incidence of malaria-related outcomes among infants of PM-negative primigravidae.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus in dogs - is this an issue?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The last review on Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in dogs was published almost ten years ago. Since then, this zoonotic tick-borne arbovirus has been geographically spreading and emerging in many regions in Eurasia and continues to do so. Dogs become readily infected with TBE virus but they are accidental hosts not capable to further spread the virus. They seroconvert upon infection but they seem to be much more resistant to the clinical disease than humans. Apart from their use as sentinels in endemic areas, however, an increasing number of case reports appeared during the last decade thus mirroring the rising public health concerns. Owing to the increased mobility of people travelling to endemic areas with their companion dogs, this consequently leads to problems in recognizing and diagnosing this severe infection in a yet non-endemic area, simply because the veterinarians are not considering TBE. This situation warrants an update on the epidemiology, clinical presentation and possible preventions of TBE in the dog. PMID:21489255

Leptin increases growth of primary ossification centers in fetal mice

PubMed Central

Bertoni, Laura; Ferretti, Marzia; Cavani, Francesco; Zavatti, Manuela; Resca, Elisa; Benelli, Augusta; Palumbo, Carla

2009-01-01

The effect of peripheral leptin on fetal primary ossification centers during the early phases of bone histogenesis was investigated by administration of leptin to pregnant mice. Fourteen pregnant mice were divided into two groups. The treated pregnant group was subcutaneously injected in the intrascapular region with supraphysiologic doses (2 mg kg−1) of leptin (Vinci Biochem, Firenze, Italy) in a volume of 0.1 mL per 10 g body weight, at the 7th, 9th and 11th day of gestation. The control group was treated with physiological solution in the same manner and same times as the treated group. The new-born mice were killed 1 day after birth and the primary ossification centers were stained with Alizarin Red S after diaphanizing the soft tissues in 1% potassium hydroxide. The development of both endochondral and intramembranous ossification centers was morphometrically analysed in long bones. The results showed that the ossification centers of mice born by mothers treated with leptin grow more rapidly in both length and cross-sectional area compared with mice born by the untreated mothers. As the development of long bones depends on endochondral ossification occurring at proximal and distal epiphyseal plates as well as on intramembranous ossification along the periosteal surface, it appears that leptin activates the differentiation and proliferation of both chondrocytes and osteoblasts. The role of leptin as a growth factor of cartilage and bone is discussed in the light of the data reported in the literature. PMID:19682137

GPU-enabled molecular dynamics simulations of ankyrin kinase complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautam, Vertika; Chong, Wei Lim; Wisitponchai, Tanchanok; Nimmanpipug, Piyarat; Zain, Sharifuddin M.; Rahman, Noorsaadah Abd.; Tayapiwatana, Chatchai; Lee, Vannajan Sanghiran

2014-10-01

The ankyrin repeat (AR) protein can be used as a versatile scaffold for protein-protein interactions. It has been found that the heterotrimeric complex between integrin-linked kinase (ILK), PINCH, and parvin is an essential signaling platform, serving as a convergence point for integrin and growth-factor signaling and regulating cell adhesion, spreading, and migration. Using ILK-AR with high affinity for the PINCH1 as our model system, we explored a structure-based computational protocol to probe and characterize binding affinity hot spots at protein-protein interfaces. In this study, the long time scale dynamics simulations with GPU accelerated molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in AMBER12 have been performed to locate the hot spots of protein-protein interaction by the analysis of the Molecular Mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area/Generalized Born Solvent Area (MM-PBSA/GBSA) of the MD trajectories. Our calculations suggest good binding affinity of the complex and also the residues critical in the binding.

A comparison of airborne GEMS/SAR with satellite-borne Seasat/SAR radar imagery - The value of archived multiple data sets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, Bradford C.; Dellwig, Louis F.

1988-01-01

In a study concerning the value of using radar imagery from systems with diverse parameters, X-band images of the Northern Louisiana Salt dome area generated by the airborne Goodyear electronic mapping system (GEMS) are analyzed in conjunction with imagery generated by the satelliteborne Seasat/SAR. The GEMS operated with an incidence angle of 75 to 85 deg and a resolution of 12 m, whereas the Seasat/SAR operated with an incidence angle of 23 deg and a resolution of 25 m. It is found that otherwise unattainable data on land management activities, improved delineation of the drainage net, better definition of surface roughness in cleared areas, and swamp identification, became accessible when adjustments for the time lapse between the two missions were made and supporting ground data concerning the physical and vegetative characteristics of the terrain were acquired.

Measurement of air dose rates over a wide area around the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant through a series of car-borne surveys.

PubMed

Andoh, Masaki; Nakahara, Yukio; Tsuda, Shuichi; Yoshida, Tadayoshi; Matsuda, Norihiro; Takahashi, Fumiaki; Mikami, Satoshi; Kinouchi, Nobuyuki; Sato, Tetsuro; Tanigaki, Minoru; Takamiya, Koichi; Sato, Nobuhiro; Okumura, Ryo; Uchihori, Yukio; Saito, Kimiaki

2015-01-01

A series of car-borne surveys using the Kyoto University RAdiation MApping (KURAMA) and KURAMA-II survey systems has been conducted over a wide area in eastern Japan since June 2011 to evaluate the distribution of air dose rates around the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant and to evaluate the time-dependent trend of decrease in air dose rates. An automated data processing system for the KURAMA-II system was established, which enabled rapid analysis of large amounts of data obtained using about 100 KURAMA-II units. The initial data used for evaluating the migration status of radioactive cesium were obtained in the first survey, followed by other car-borne surveys conducted over more extensive and wider measurement ranges. By comparing the measured air dose rates obtained in each survey (until December 2012), the decreasing trend of air dose rates measured through car-borne surveys was found to be more pronounced than those expected on the basis of the physical decay of radioactive cesium and of the air dose rates measured using NaI (Tl) survey meters in the areas surrounding the roadways. In addition, it was found that the extent of decrease in air dose rates depended on land use, wherein it decreased faster for land used as building sites than for forested areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combining terrestrial, air-, and space-borne remote sensing for permafrost thaw subsidence change detection in Arctic Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Günther, F.; Grosse, G.; Ulrich, M.; Nitze, I.; Sachs, T.; Jones, B. M.

2017-12-01

The unique feature of permafrost in the Arctic is the presence of a large amount of ice below the earth surface. Thermal degradation and subsequent permafrost destabilization causes thaw subsidence and thermokarst development. Because these processes are difficult to detect due to the lack of timely and accurate elevation datasets they have received not much attention, despite their potentially global significance through the permafrost carbon feedback. Thanks to remote sensing pioneering works in Alaska and Siberia, widespread thaw subsidence has been documented and is increasingly perceived as a potentially widespread permafrost landscape response to contemporary climate change. Clearly, however, detailed local inventories are required to calibrate regional long and short-term assessments for measuring surface deformation due to permafrost thaw. The objective of our study is to analyze time series of repeat terrestrial, air-, and space borne laser scanning (rLiDAR) for quantification of land surface lowering due to permafrost thaw, which is poorly resolved in terms of recent landscape development in the Arctic. Our work aims at finding commonalities and differences of change or no change on ground-ice-rich primary surfaces that are preserved as uplands, which cover 15 to 20% of the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. Our approach focuses on quantifying modern thaw subsidence and thermokarst rates with high spatial resolution data over several decades as well as high temporal resolution data of inter-annual intervals. Multi-annual measurements of rLiDAR over Arctic Alaska have been made by aircraft in 2016 and in 2015+2017 through on-site surveys during field expeditions. These in situ data serve as a basis for large scale surface change assessments using time series of photogrammetrically derived elevation data from very high resolution historical aerial photographs and modern satellite imagery. The synergistic data fusion approach enhances permafrost degradation monitoring and better resolves surface deformation associated with thaw subsidence. The novel datasets also provide insights into previously unrecognized patterns of rapid permafrost thaw and related interconnections.

Detecting Surface Changes from an Underground Explosion in Granite Using Unmanned Aerial System Photogrammetry

DOE PAGES

Schultz-Fellenz, Emily S.; Coppersmith, Ryan T.; Sussman, Aviva J.; ...

2017-08-19

Efficient detection and high-fidelity quantification of surface changes resulting from underground activities are important national and global security efforts. In this investigation, a team performed field-based topographic characterization by gathering high-quality photographs at very low altitudes from an unmanned aerial system (UAS)-borne camera platform. The data collection occurred shortly before and after a controlled underground chemical explosion as part of the United States Department of Energy’s Source Physics Experiments (SPE-5) series. The high-resolution overlapping photographs were used to create 3D photogrammetric models of the site, which then served to map changes in the landscape down to 1-cm-scale. Separate models weremore » created for two areas, herein referred to as the test table grid region and the nearfield grid region. The test table grid includes the region within ~40 m from surface ground zero, with photographs collected at a flight altitude of 8.5 m above ground level (AGL). The near-field grid area covered a broader area, 90–130 m from surface ground zero, and collected at a flight altitude of 22 m AGL. The photographs, processed using Agisoft Photoscan® in conjunction with 125 surveyed ground control point targets, yielded a 6-mm pixel-size digital elevation model (DEM) for the test table grid region. This provided the ≤3 cm resolution in the topographic data to map in fine detail a suite of features related to the underground explosion: uplift, subsidence, surface fractures, and morphological change detection. The near-field grid region data collection resulted in a 2-cm pixel-size DEM, enabling mapping of a broader range of features related to the explosion, including: uplift and subsidence, rock fall, and slope sloughing. This study represents one of the first works to constrain, both temporally and spatially, explosion-related surface damage using a UAS photogrammetric platform; these data will help to advance the science of underground explosion detection.« less

Detecting Surface Changes from an Underground Explosion in Granite Using Unmanned Aerial System Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz-Fellenz, Emily S.; Coppersmith, Ryan T.; Sussman, Aviva J.; Swanson, Erika M.; Cooley, James A.

2017-08-01

Efficient detection and high-fidelity quantification of surface changes resulting from underground activities are important national and global security efforts. In this investigation, a team performed field-based topographic characterization by gathering high-quality photographs at very low altitudes from an unmanned aerial system (UAS)-borne camera platform. The data collection occurred shortly before and after a controlled underground chemical explosion as part of the United States Department of Energy's Source Physics Experiments (SPE-5) series. The high-resolution overlapping photographs were used to create 3D photogrammetric models of the site, which then served to map changes in the landscape down to 1-cm-scale. Separate models were created for two areas, herein referred to as the test table grid region and the nearfield grid region. The test table grid includes the region within 40 m from surface ground zero, with photographs collected at a flight altitude of 8.5 m above ground level (AGL). The near-field grid area covered a broader area, 90-130 m from surface ground zero, and collected at a flight altitude of 22 m AGL. The photographs, processed using Agisoft Photoscan® in conjunction with 125 surveyed ground control point targets, yielded a 6-mm pixel-size digital elevation model (DEM) for the test table grid region. This provided the ≤3 cm resolution in the topographic data to map in fine detail a suite of features related to the underground explosion: uplift, subsidence, surface fractures, and morphological change detection. The near-field grid region data collection resulted in a 2-cm pixel-size DEM, enabling mapping of a broader range of features related to the explosion, including: uplift and subsidence, rock fall, and slope sloughing. This study represents one of the first works to constrain, both temporally and spatially, explosion-related surface damage using a UAS photogrammetric platform; these data will help to advance the science of underground explosion detection.

Detecting Surface Changes from an Underground Explosion in Granite Using Unmanned Aerial System Photogrammetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schultz-Fellenz, Emily S.; Coppersmith, Ryan T.; Sussman, Aviva J.

Efficient detection and high-fidelity quantification of surface changes resulting from underground activities are important national and global security efforts. In this investigation, a team performed field-based topographic characterization by gathering high-quality photographs at very low altitudes from an unmanned aerial system (UAS)-borne camera platform. The data collection occurred shortly before and after a controlled underground chemical explosion as part of the United States Department of Energy’s Source Physics Experiments (SPE-5) series. The high-resolution overlapping photographs were used to create 3D photogrammetric models of the site, which then served to map changes in the landscape down to 1-cm-scale. Separate models weremore » created for two areas, herein referred to as the test table grid region and the nearfield grid region. The test table grid includes the region within ~40 m from surface ground zero, with photographs collected at a flight altitude of 8.5 m above ground level (AGL). The near-field grid area covered a broader area, 90–130 m from surface ground zero, and collected at a flight altitude of 22 m AGL. The photographs, processed using Agisoft Photoscan® in conjunction with 125 surveyed ground control point targets, yielded a 6-mm pixel-size digital elevation model (DEM) for the test table grid region. This provided the ≤3 cm resolution in the topographic data to map in fine detail a suite of features related to the underground explosion: uplift, subsidence, surface fractures, and morphological change detection. The near-field grid region data collection resulted in a 2-cm pixel-size DEM, enabling mapping of a broader range of features related to the explosion, including: uplift and subsidence, rock fall, and slope sloughing. This study represents one of the first works to constrain, both temporally and spatially, explosion-related surface damage using a UAS photogrammetric platform; these data will help to advance the science of underground explosion detection.« less

The CEOS-Land Surface Imaging Constellation Portal for GEOSS: A resource for land surface imaging system information and data access

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holm, Thomas; Gallo, Kevin P.; Bailey, Bryan

2010-01-01

The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites is an international group that coordinates civil space-borne observations of the Earth, and provides the space component of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS). The CEOS Virtual Constellations concept was implemented in an effort to engage and coordinate disparate Earth observing programs of CEOS member agencies and ultimately facilitate their contribution in supplying the space-based observations required to satisfy the requirements of the GEOSS. The CEOS initially established Study Teams for four prototype constellations that included precipitation, land surface imaging, ocean surface topography, and atmospheric composition. The basic mission of the Land Surface Imaging (LSI) Constellation [1] is to promote the efficient, effective, and comprehensive collection, distribution, and application of space-acquired image data of the global land surface, especially to meet societal needs of the global population, such as those addressed by the nine Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) of agriculture, biodiversity, climate, disasters, ecosystems, energy, health, water, and weather. The LSI Constellation Portal is the result of an effort to address important goals within the LSI Constellation mission and provide resources to assist in planning for future space missions that might further contribute to meeting those goals.

Bluues: a program for the analysis of the electrostatic properties of proteins based on generalized Born radii

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation and its linear approximation have been widely used to describe biomolecular electrostatics. Generalized Born (GB) models offer a convenient computational approximation for the more fundamental approach based on the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, and allows estimation of pairwise contributions to electrostatic effects in the molecular context. Results We have implemented in a single program most common analyses of the electrostatic properties of proteins. The program first computes generalized Born radii, via a surface integral and then it uses generalized Born radii (using a finite radius test particle) to perform electrostic analyses. In particular the ouput of the program entails, depending on user's requirement: 1) the generalized Born radius of each atom; 2) the electrostatic solvation free energy; 3) the electrostatic forces on each atom (currently in a dvelopmental stage); 4) the pH-dependent properties (total charge and pH-dependent free energy of folding in the pH range -2 to 18; 5) the pKa of all ionizable groups; 6) the electrostatic potential at the surface of the molecule; 7) the electrostatic potential in a volume surrounding the molecule; Conclusions Although at the expense of limited flexibility the program provides most common analyses with requirement of a single input file in PQR format. The results obtained are comparable to those obtained using state-of-the-art Poisson-Boltzmann solvers. A Linux executable with example input and output files is provided as supplementary material. PMID:22536964

Survey of spatial distribution of vector-borne disease in neighborhood dogs in southern Brazil.

PubMed

Constantino, Caroline; de Paula, Edson Ferraz Evaristo; Brandão, Ana Pérola Drulla; Ferreira, Fernando; Vieira, Rafael Felipe da Costa; Biondo, Alexander Welker

2017-01-01

Neighborhood dogs may act as reservoirs and disseminators of vector-borne diseases in urban areas. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to ascertain the health status and the vector-borne pathogens infecting dogs living in public areas with high levels of human movement in the city of Curitiba, southern Brazil. Blood samples from 21 neighborhood dogs that were found in nine of 22 bus stations and two public parks were subjected to a complete blood cell (CBC) count, serum biochemical profiling, a commercial rapid ELISA test and a commercial real-time PCR panel of vector-borne diseases. The CBC count and serum biochemical profiling were within the normal range for dogs and only 1/21 (4.7%) of the dogs was seroreactive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. The commercial real-time PCR panel showed that 7/21 (33.3%) of the dogs had Mycoplasma haemocanis infection, 9/21 (42.8%) had ' Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' and 4/21 (19.0%) had both. No statistical association between infected by the agents found here and abnormalities in physical examinations, laboratory tests or ectoparasite presence was found ( p > 0.05). In conclusion, neighborhood dogs showed low prevalence of vector-borne diseases and satisfactory wellbeing, and dogs can be used as sentinels for disease exposure.

Regional growth and atlasing of the developing human brain

PubMed Central

Makropoulos, Antonios; Aljabar, Paul; Wright, Robert; Hüning, Britta; Merchant, Nazakat; Arichi, Tomoki; Tusor, Nora; Hajnal, Joseph V.; Edwards, A. David; Counsell, Serena J.; Rueckert, Daniel

2016-01-01

Detailed morphometric analysis of the neonatal brain is required to characterise brain development and define neuroimaging biomarkers related to impaired brain growth. Accurate automatic segmentation of neonatal brain MRI is a prerequisite to analyse large datasets. We have previously presented an accurate and robust automatic segmentation technique for parcellating the neonatal brain into multiple cortical and subcortical regions. In this study, we further extend our segmentation method to detect cortical sulci and provide a detailed delineation of the cortical ribbon. These detailed segmentations are used to build a 4-dimensional spatio-temporal structural atlas of the brain for 82 cortical and subcortical structures throughout this developmental period. We employ the algorithm to segment an extensive database of 420 MR images of the developing brain, from 27 to 45 weeks post-menstrual age at imaging. Regional volumetric and cortical surface measurements are derived and used to investigate brain growth and development during this critical period and to assess the impact of immaturity at birth. Whole brain volume, the absolute volume of all structures studied, cortical curvature and cortical surface area increased with increasing age at scan. Relative volumes of cortical grey matter, cerebellum and cerebrospinal fluid increased with age at scan, while relative volumes of white matter, ventricles, brainstem and basal ganglia and thalami decreased. Preterm infants at term had smaller whole brain volumes, reduced regional white matter and cortical and subcortical grey matter volumes, and reduced cortical surface area compared with term born controls, while ventricular volume was greater in the preterm group. Increasing prematurity at birth was associated with a reduction in total and regional white matter, cortical and subcortical grey matter volume, an increase in ventricular volume, and reduced cortical surface area. PMID:26499811

Regional growth and atlasing of the developing human brain.

PubMed

Makropoulos, Antonios; Aljabar, Paul; Wright, Robert; Hüning, Britta; Merchant, Nazakat; Arichi, Tomoki; Tusor, Nora; Hajnal, Joseph V; Edwards, A David; Counsell, Serena J; Rueckert, Daniel

2016-01-15

Detailed morphometric analysis of the neonatal brain is required to characterise brain development and define neuroimaging biomarkers related to impaired brain growth. Accurate automatic segmentation of neonatal brain MRI is a prerequisite to analyse large datasets. We have previously presented an accurate and robust automatic segmentation technique for parcellating the neonatal brain into multiple cortical and subcortical regions. In this study, we further extend our segmentation method to detect cortical sulci and provide a detailed delineation of the cortical ribbon. These detailed segmentations are used to build a 4-dimensional spatio-temporal structural atlas of the brain for 82 cortical and subcortical structures throughout this developmental period. We employ the algorithm to segment an extensive database of 420 MR images of the developing brain, from 27 to 45weeks post-menstrual age at imaging. Regional volumetric and cortical surface measurements are derived and used to investigate brain growth and development during this critical period and to assess the impact of immaturity at birth. Whole brain volume, the absolute volume of all structures studied, cortical curvature and cortical surface area increased with increasing age at scan. Relative volumes of cortical grey matter, cerebellum and cerebrospinal fluid increased with age at scan, while relative volumes of white matter, ventricles, brainstem and basal ganglia and thalami decreased. Preterm infants at term had smaller whole brain volumes, reduced regional white matter and cortical and subcortical grey matter volumes, and reduced cortical surface area compared with term born controls, while ventricular volume was greater in the preterm group. Increasing prematurity at birth was associated with a reduction in total and regional white matter, cortical and subcortical grey matter volume, an increase in ventricular volume, and reduced cortical surface area. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High magnetic susceptibility granodiorite as a source of surface magnetic anomalies in the King George Island, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kon, S.; Nakamura, N.; Funaki, M.; Sakanaka, S.

2012-12-01

Change in plate motion produces convergence of the two oceanic lithospheres and the formation of volcanic island arcs above the subducted older and thicker plate. The association of calc-alkaline diorites to tonalites and granodiorites (ACG) is typical plutonic rocks of the volcanic arcs. In the many island arcs that surround the Pacific Ocean, ACG generally forms shallow level plutons and is closely associated with volcanic rocks. The Japan Arc setting had occurred the emplacement of the highly magnetic granitoid along the fore-arc basin before back-arc spreading at middle Miocene, showing a linear positive magnetic anomaly. Similar magnetic anomalies have also been exhibited along the Circum-Pacific Belt. Along East Antarctica, it is well known that the South Shetland Islands have been formed by back-arc spreading related to the subduction along the South Shetland trench during the late Cretaceous and middle Miocene. Moreover, geology in the South Shetland Islands consists of lava flows with subordinate pyroclastic deposits, intrusive dykes-sills, granitic plutons, displaying a typical subduction-related calc-alkaline volcanic association. However, there is little report on the presence of fore-arc granitoid. Here we report the distribution and structure of the granitic plutons around Marian Cove in the King George Island, South Shetland, East Antarctica by surface geological survey and magnetic anisotropic studies. Then we compare the distribution of granitic plutons with surface magnetic anomalies through our ship-borne and foot-borne magnetic surveys. The granitic plutons are distributed only shallow around the Marian cove in the King George Island, and the plutons had been intruded in the Sejong formation with pyroclastic deposits and basaltic/rhyoritic lavas, suggesting the post back-arc spreading. We sampled 8 plutons, 12 basaltic lavas and 6 andestic dykes, all located within four kilometer radius from the Korean Antarctic research station (King Sejong station) in the western side of King George Island. The plutonic rocks of diorite and granodiorite show high values of bulk magnetic susceptibility of c.a. 0.01-0.4 SI, appearing to be the source of positive magnetic anomaly. We also revealed the preferred petrofabric lineation directions at the sites using anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS). The AMS showed the plutonic rocks represent the vertical intrusion from the deep seated magma. Our optical microscope observation verified the maximum AMS orientation is parallel to the preferred alignment of framework-forming plagioclase, suggesting the alignment of euhedral magnetite grains along the long-axes of plagioclases. Our ship-borne and foot-borne surveys of geomagnetic filed anomaly agree well with the distribution of the plutonic rocks, revealing the possible origin of surface magnetic anomaly. These suggests that the plutons in this area may be included ACG, and this magnetic surveys is proposed to infer the availability to find out the presence of granitoid.

Downscaling Land Surface Temperature in Complex Regions by Using Multiple Scale Factors with Adaptive Thresholds

PubMed Central

Yang, Yingbao; Li, Xiaolong; Pan, Xin; Zhang, Yong; Cao, Chen

2017-01-01

Many downscaling algorithms have been proposed to address the issue of coarse-resolution land surface temperature (LST) derived from available satellite-borne sensors. However, few studies have focused on improving LST downscaling in urban areas with several mixed surface types. In this study, LST was downscaled by a multiple linear regression model between LST and multiple scale factors in mixed areas with three or four surface types. The correlation coefficients (CCs) between LST and the scale factors were used to assess the importance of the scale factors within a moving window. CC thresholds determined which factors participated in the fitting of the regression equation. The proposed downscaling approach, which involves an adaptive selection of the scale factors, was evaluated using the LST derived from four Landsat 8 thermal imageries of Nanjing City in different seasons. Results of the visual and quantitative analyses show that the proposed approach achieves relatively satisfactory downscaling results on 11 August, with coefficient of determination and root-mean-square error of 0.87 and 1.13 °C, respectively. Relative to other approaches, our approach shows the similar accuracy and the availability in all seasons. The best (worst) availability occurred in the region of vegetation (water). Thus, the approach is an efficient and reliable LST downscaling method. Future tasks include reliable LST downscaling in challenging regions and the application of our model in middle and low spatial resolutions. PMID:28368301

Preterm birth and maternal responsiveness during childhood are associated with brain morphology in adolescence.

PubMed

Frye, Richard E; Malmberg, Benjamin; Swank, Paul; Smith, Karen; Landry, Susan

2010-09-01

Although supportive parenting has been shown to have positive effects on development, the neurobiological basis of supportive parenting has not been investigated. Thirty-three adolescents were systemically selected from a longitudinal study on child development based on maternal responsiveness during childhood, a measure of supportive parenting, and whether they were born term or preterm. We analyzed the effect of preterm birth on hemispheric and regional (frontal, temporal, parietal) cortical thickness and surface area using mixed-model analysis while also considering the effect of brain hemisphere (left vs. right). We then determined whether these factors were moderated by maternal responsiveness during childhood. Preterm birth was associated with regional and hemispheric differences in cortical thickness and surface area. Maternal responsiveness during childhood moderated hemispheric cortical thickness. Adolescence with mothers that were inconsistently responsive during childhood demonstrated greater overall cortical thickness and greater asymmetry in cortical thickness during adolescence as compared to adolescence with mothers who were consistently responsive or unresponsive during childhood. Maternal responsiveness and preterm birth did not interact. These data suggest that changes in brain morphology associated with preterm birth continue into adolescence and support the notion that the style of maternal-child interactions during childhood influence brain development into adolescence.

Mass-Mobility Characterization of Flame-made ZrO2 Aerosols: Primary Particle Diameter & Extent of Aggregation

PubMed Central

Eggersdorfer, M.L.; Gröhn, A.J.; Sorensen, C.M.; McMurry, P.H.; Pratsinis, S.E.

2013-01-01

Gas-borne nanoparticles undergoing coagulation and sintering form irregular or fractal-like structures affecting their transport, light scattering, effective surface area and density. Here, zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles are generated by scalable spray combustion, and their mobility diameter and mass are obtained nearly in-situ by differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and aerosol particle mass (APM) measurements. Using these data, the density of ZrO2 and a power law between mobility and primary particle diameters, the structure of fractal-like particles is determined (mass-mobility exponent, prefactor and average number and surface area mean diameter of primary particles, dva). The dva determined by DMA-APM measurements and this power law is in good agreement with the dva obtained by ex-situ nitrogen adsorption and microscopic analysis. Using this combination of measurements and above power law, the effect of flame spray process parameters (e.g. precursor solution and oxygen flow rate as well as zirconium concentration) on fractal-like particle structure characteristics is investigated in detail. This reveals that predominantly agglomerates (physically-bonded particles) and aggregates (chemically- or sinter-bonded particles) of nanoparticles are formed at low and high particle concentrations, respectively. PMID:22959835

Evaluation of SAGE II and Balloon-Borne Stratospheric Aerosol Measurements: Evaluation of Aerosol Measurements from SAGE II, HALOE, and Balloonborne Optical Particle Counters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hervig, Mark; Deshler, Terry; Moddrea, G. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Stratospheric aerosol measurements from the University of Wyoming balloonborne optical particle counters (OPCs), the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II, and the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) were compared in the period 1982-2000, when measurements were available. The OPCs measure aerosol size distributions, and HALOE multiwavelength (2.45-5.26 micrometers) extinction measurements can be used to retrieve aerosol size distributions. Aerosol extinctions at the SAGE II wavelengths (0.386-1.02 micrometers) were computed from these size distributions and compared to SAGE II measurements. In addition, surface areas derived from all three experiments were compared. While the overall impression from these results is encouraging, the agreement can change with latitude, altitude, time, and parameter. In the broadest sense, these comparisons fall into two categories: high aerosol loading (volcanic periods) and low aerosol loading (background periods and altitudes above 25 km). When the aerosol amount was low, SAGE II and HALOE extinctions were higher than the OPC estimates, while the SAGE II surface areas were lower than HALOE and the OPCS. Under high loading conditions all three instruments mutually agree to within 50%.

Using ship-borne GNSS data for geoid model validation at the Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordman, Maaria; Kuokkanen, Jaakko; Bilker-Koivula, Mirjam; Koivula, Hannu; Häkli, Pasi; Lahtinen, Sonja

2017-04-01

We present a study of geoid model validation using ship-borne GNSS data on the Bothnian Bay of the Baltic Sea. In autumn 2015 a dedicated gravity survey took place in the Bothnian Bay on board of the surveying vessel Airisto as a part of the FAMOS (Finalising surveys for the Baltic motorways of the sea) Freja project, which is supported by the European Commission with the Connecting Europe Facility. The gravity data was collected to test older existing gravity data in the area and to contribute to a new improved geoid model for the Baltic Sea. The raw GNSS and IMU data of the vessel were recorded in order to study the possibilities for validating geoid models at sea. In order to derive geoid heights from GNSS-measurements at sea, the GNSS measurements must first be reduced to sea level. The instant sea level, also called sea surface height, must then be modelled and removed in order to get the GNSS positions at the zero height. In theory, the resulting GNSS heights are the geoid heights, giving the distance between the ellipsoid and the geoid surface. There were altogether 46 lines measured during the campaign on the area. The 1 Hz GNSS-IMU observations were post-processed using the Applanix POSPac MMS 7.1 software. Different processing options were tested and the Single Base -solution was found to be the best strategy. There were some issues with the quality of the data and cycle slips and thus, 37 of the lines were of adequate quality for the geoid validation. The final coordinates were transferred to the coordinate systems related to the geoid models used. Translation of the processed heights to sea level was performed taking the pitch and roll effects of the vessel into account. Also the effects of static and dynamic draft (squat) were applied. For the reduction from sea surface to geoid surface, the sea surface heights were derived from tide gauge data and also from a physical model for the Baltic Sea. The residual errors between the GNSS-derived geoid heights and geoid heights from geoid models were as low as 2 mm on some lines. When the overall mean is taken from the mean of all lines, the lowest value of 2.1 cm, was achieved using a physical model for the sea surface and comparing with the NKG2015 geoid model. The NKG2015 model together with the tide gauge sea surface yield 3.1 cm. Comparing with Finnish geoid model gave 3.7 and 4.7 cm for the physical model and tide gauge surfaces, respectively. The mean standard deviations were below 5 cm, when the data was filtered with a 10 min. moving average. Thus, it can be said that with high quality GNSS solution and enough information on the coordinate systems, vessel movements and the sea surface heights, geoid heights can be recovered from GNSS observations at sea.

Differences in the cancer burden among foreign-born and US-born Arab Americans living in metropolitan Detroit.

PubMed

Khan, Fatima; Ruterbusch, Julie J; Gomez, Scarlett L; Schwartz, Kendra

2013-11-01

Migrant studies often provide clues for cancer etiology. We estimated the cancer burden among Arab Americans (ArA) by immigrant status in the metropolitan Detroit area, home to one of the highest concentrations of ArA in USA. A validated name algorithm was used to identify ArA cancer cases diagnosed 1990-2009 in the Detroit SEER database. Recorded birthplace was supplemented with imputation of nativity using birthdate and social security number. Age-adjusted, gender-specific proportional incidence ratios and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated comparing all ArA, foreign-born ArA, and US-born ArA, to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Foreign-born ArA males had higher proportions of multiple myeloma, leukemia, kidney, liver, stomach, and bladder cancer than NHW, while bladder cancer and leukemia were higher among US-born ArA males. For ArA women, gall bladder and thyroid cancers were proportionally higher among both foreign- and US-born compared with NHW. Stomach cancer was proportionally higher only among foreign-born women. Cancer proportional incidence patterns among ArA show some similarity to other migrant groups, with higher proportional incidences of stomach and liver cancers among foreign-born than US-born. Other patterns, such as tobacco-related cancers among ArA men and gall bladder and thyroid cancers among ArA women, will require more investigation of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors.

Childhood leukaemia in areas with different radon levels: a spatial and temporal analysis using GIS

PubMed Central

Kohli, S; Noorlind, B; Lofman, O

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES—To evaluate the relation between exposure to ground radon levels and leukaemia among children using existing population and disease registers.
DESIGN—Ecological correlation study.
SETTING—The county of Östergötland in Sweden.
METHODS—Every child born in the county between 1979 and 1992 was mapped to the property centroid coordinates by linking addresses in the population and property registers. Population maps were overlaid with radon maps and exposure at birth and each subsequent year was quantified as high, normal, low or unknown. This was analysed with data from the tumour registry. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated using the age and sex specific rates for Sweden for the year 1995.
RESULTS—90 malignancies occurred among 53 146 children (498 887 person years) who formed the study population. SMRs for acute lymphatic leukaemia (ALL) among children born in high, normal and low risk areas were 1.43, 1.17 and 0.25 respectively. The relative risk for the normal risk group and high risk group as compared with the low risk group was 4.64 (95% CI 1.29, 28.26) and 5.67 (95% CI 1.06, 42.27). The association between ALL and continued residence at normal or high risk areas showed a similar trend. No association between radon risk levels and any other malignancy was seen.
CONCLUSION—Children born in and staying at areas where the risk from ground radon has been classified as low are less likely to develop ALL than those born in areas classified as normal and high risk.


Keywords: leukaemia; cancer; radon; ionising radiation; Geographic Information Systems PMID:11027195

[Infestation status Aedes albopictus and related mosquito-borne infectious disease risk in central urban area in Shanghai].

PubMed

Gao, Q; Xiong, C L; Zhou, Y B; Cao, H; Jiang, Q W

2016-05-01

To evaluate Aedes albopictus infestation status in the central urban area of Shanghai, and analyze the related epidemic risk of mosquito-borne infectious disease. Consecutive mosquito surveillance was conducted in the green lands and residential areas in the central urban area of Shanghai during 2012-2014, the Aedes albopictus density and its seasonal fluctuation were observed; the sequence of Aedes albopictus in Shanghai was aligned with that in other epidemic area abroad, and the susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to mosquito-borne virus and endemic risk were analyzed. No Aedes aegypti was found in the central urban area of Shanghai. As predominant species in both the residential area and the green lands, the proportion of Aedes albopictus in the residential area was significantly higher than that in the green lands(78.53% vs. 19.99%, χ(2) =15 525.168, P<0.001), and so was the density(11.91, 42.02 pcs/day · site in the residential area vs. 3.65, 2.18, 2.73 pcs/day · site in the green lands, all P value <0.001). In 2014, the density reached 42.02 pcs/day · site and the proportion reached 94.69% in the residential areas. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the genetic distance between Aedes albopictus in Shanghai and Aedes albopictus in Africa was quite far. No Aedes aegypti was found in Shanghai and its surrounding areas, while Aedes albopictus infestation in the central urban area of Shanghai was serious. Strict measures should be taken to reduce the Aedes albopictus density for the effective control Zika virus spread.

Mapping Daily Evapotranspiration based on Spatiotemporal Fusion of ASTER and MODIS Images over Irrigated Agricultural Areas in the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, C.; LI, Y.

2017-12-01

Continuous monitoring of daily evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial for allocating and managing water resources in irrigated agricultural areas in arid regions. In this study, continuous daily ET at a 90-m spatial resolution was estimated using the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) by fusing Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images with high temporal resolution and Advanced Space-borne Thermal Emission Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) images with high spatial resolution. The spatiotemporal characteristics of these sensors were obtained using the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM). The performance of this approach was validated over a heterogeneous oasis-desert region covered by cropland, residential, woodland, water, Gobi desert, sandy desert, desert steppe, and wetland areas using in situ observations from automatic meteorological systems (AMS) and eddy covariance (EC) systems in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in Northwest China. The error introduced during the data fusion process based on STARFM is within an acceptable range for predicted LST at a 90-m spatial resolution. The surface energy fluxes estimated using SEBS based on predicted remotely sensed data that combined the spatiotemporal characteristics of MODIS and ASTER agree well with the surface energy fluxes observed using EC systems for all land cover types, especially for vegetated area with MAP values range from 9% to 15%, which are less than the uncertainty (18%) of the observed in this study area. Time series of daily ET modelled from SEBS were compared to that modelled from PT-JPL (one of Satellite-based Priestley-Taylor ET model) and observations from EC systems. SEBS performed generally better than PT-JPL for vegetated area, especially irrigated cropland with bias, RMSE, and MAP values of 0.29 mm/d, 0.75 mm/d, 13% at maize site, -0.33 mm/d, 0.81 mm/d, and 14% at vegetable sites.

Horizon structure of rotating Einstein-Born-Infeld black holes and shadow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atamurotov, Farruh; Ghosh, Sushant G.; Ahmedov, Bobomurat

2016-05-01

We investigate the horizon structure of the rotating Einstein-Born-Infeld solution which goes over to the Einstein-Maxwell's Kerr-Newman solution as the Born-Infeld parameter goes to infinity (β → ∞). We find that for a given β , mass M, and charge Q, there exist a critical spinning parameter aE and rHE, which corresponds to an extremal Einstein-Born-Infeld black hole with degenerate horizons, and aE decreases and rHE increases with increase of the Born-Infeld parameter β , while a

Recent Weather Extremes and Impacts on Agricultural Production and Vector-Borne Disease Outbreak Patterns

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-21

funding from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service towards the Global Agricultural Monitoring project, DoD Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center’s...Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (AFHSC/GEIS) under the Human Febrile and Vector -Borne Illnesses (FVBI) Program and USDA ...outbreaks during the 2010?2012 period. We utilized 2000?2012 vegetation index and land surface temperature data from NASA ?s satellitebased Moderate

Mapping of local argon impingement on a virtual surface: an insight for gas injection during FEBID

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanzenboeck, H. D.; Hochleitner, G.; Mika, J.; Shawrav, M. M.; Gavagnin, M.; Bertagnolli, E.

2014-12-01

During the last decades, focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) has become a successful approach for direct-write fabrication of nanodevices. Such a deposition technique relies on the precursor supply to the sample surface which is typically accomplished by a gas injection system using a tube-shaped injector nozzle. This precursor injection strategy implies a position-dependent concentration gradient on the surface, which affects the geometry and chemistry of the final nanodeposit. Although simulations already proposed the local distribution of nozzle-borne gas molecules impinging on the surface, this isolated step in the FEBID process has never been experimentally measured yet. This work experimentally investigates the local distribution of impinging gas molecules on the sample plane, isolating the direct impingement component from surface diffusion or precursor depletion by deposition. The experimental setup used in this work maps and quantifies the local impinging rate of argon gas over the sample plane. This setup simulates the identical conditions for a precursor molecule during FEBID. Argon gas was locally collected with a sniffer tube, which is directly connected to a residual gas analyzer for quantification. The measured distribution of impinging gas molecules showed a strong position dependence. Indeed, a 300-µm shift of the deposition area to a position further away from the impingement center spot resulted in a 50 % decrease in the precursor impinging rate on the surface area. With the same parameters, the precursor distribution was also simulated by a Monte Carlo software by Friedli and Utke and showed a good correlation between the empirical and the simulated precursor distribution. The results hereby presented underline the importance of controlling the local precursor flux conditions in order to obtain reproducible and comparable deposition results in FEBID.

Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Infections Among Urban Homeless and Marginalized People in the United States and Europe, 1990-2014.

PubMed

Leibler, Jessica H; Zakhour, Christine M; Gadhoke, Preety; Gaeta, Jessie M

2016-07-01

In high-income countries, homeless individuals in urban areas often live in crowded conditions with limited sanitation and personal hygiene. The environment of homelessness in high-income countries may result in intensified exposure to ectoparasites and urban wildlife, which can transmit infections. To date, there have been no systematic evaluations of the published literature to assess vector-borne and zoonotic disease risk to these populations. The primary objectives of this study were to identify diversity, prevalence, and risk factors for vector-borne and zoonotic infections among people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty in urban areas of high-income countries. We conducted a systematic review and narrative synthesis of published epidemiologic studies of zoonotic and vector-borne infections among urban homeless and very poor people in the United States and Europe from 1990 to 2014. Thirty-one observational studies and 14 case studies were identified (n = 45). Seroprevalence to the human louse-borne pathogen Bartonella quintana (seroprevalence range: 0-37.5%) was identified most frequently, with clinical disease specifically observed among HIV-positive individuals. Seropositivity to Bartonella henselae (range: 0-10.3%) and Rickettsia akari (range: 0-16.2%) was noted in multiple studies. Serological evidence of exposure to Rickettsia typhi, Rickettsia prowazekii, Bartonella elizabethae, West Nile virus, Borellia recurrentis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Wohlfartiimonas chitiniclastica, Seoul hantavirus (SEOV), and Leptospira species was also identified in published studies, with SEOV associated with chronic renal disease later in life. HIV infection, injection drug use, and heavy drinking were noted across multiple studies as risk factors for infection with vector-borne and zoonotic pathogens. B. quintana was the most frequently reported vector-borne infection identified in our article. Delousing efforts and active surveillance among HIV-positive individuals, who are at elevated risk of complication from B. quintana infection, are advised to reduce morbidity. Given documented exposure to rodent-borne zoonoses among urban homeless and marginalized people, reducing human contact with rodents remains an important public health priority.

Simulation of the shape and size of casein micelles in a film state.

PubMed

Gebhardt, Ronald; Kulozik, Ulrich

2014-04-01

Size fractionated casein micelles (CMs) form homogeneous films in which they are densely packed. The lateral size of CMs in films can be well resolved by surface-sensitive methods, but the estimation of their heights is still a challenge. We show that height information can be obtained from scattering patterns of GISAXS experiments on highly ordered casein films. We use an elastic scattering approach within the distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) to simulate for the first time the two-dimensional intensity distribution of a GISAXS experiment of the CM near their critical angle. The model which fits the GISAXS data best considers an ellipsoidal form factor for the CM and an arrangement on a hexagonal lattice. Our results indicate that during film formation the spherical solution structure of CMs becomes compressed in the direction perpendicular to the film surface. In the film state, the micelles assume an oblate ellipsoidal shape with an aspect ratio of 1.9. Hence, their surface and contact area to the surrounding increases. As a result, the density of κ-casein on the micellar surface decreases, which could influence the functional properties of coatings and films.

Climate change and the emergence of vector-borne diseases in Europe: case study of dengue fever.

PubMed

Bouzid, Maha; Colón-González, Felipe J; Lung, Tobias; Lake, Iain R; Hunter, Paul R

2014-08-22

Dengue fever is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease worldwide. Dengue transmission is critically dependent on climatic factors and there is much concern as to whether climate change would spread the disease to areas currently unaffected. The occurrence of autochthonous infections in Croatia and France in 2010 has raised concerns about a potential re-emergence of dengue in Europe. The objective of this study is to estimate dengue risk in Europe under climate change scenarios. We used a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) to estimate dengue fever risk as a function of climatic variables (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation, humidity) and socioeconomic factors (population density, urbanisation, GDP per capita and population size), under contemporary conditions (1985-2007) in Mexico. We then used our model estimates to project dengue incidence under baseline conditions (1961-1990) and three climate change scenarios: short-term 2011-2040, medium-term 2041-2070 and long-term 2071-2100 across Europe. The model was used to calculate average number of yearly dengue cases at a spatial resolution of 10 × 10 km grid covering all land surface of the currently 27 EU member states. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to model dengue fever risk in Europe in terms of disease occurrence rather than mosquito presence. The results were presented using Geographical Information System (GIS) and allowed identification of areas at high risk. Dengue fever hot spots were clustered around the coastal areas of the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas and the Po Valley in northern Italy. This risk assessment study is likely to be a valuable tool assisting effective and targeted adaptation responses to reduce the likely increased burden of dengue fever in a warmer world.

Assessing the Utility of Uav-Borne Hyperspectral Image and Photogrammetry Derived 3d Data for Wetland Species Distribution Quick Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Q. S.; Wong, F. K. K.; Fung, T.

2017-08-01

Lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) loaded with novel sensors offers a low cost and minimum risk solution for data acquisition in complex environment. This study assessed the performance of UAV-based hyperspectral image and digital surface model (DSM) derived from photogrammetric point clouds for 13 species classification in wetland area of Hong Kong. Multiple feature reduction methods and different classifiers were compared. The best result was obtained when transformed components from minimum noise fraction (MNF) and DSM were combined in support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Wavelength regions at chlorophyll absorption green peak, red, red edge and Oxygen absorption at near infrared were identified for better species discrimination. In addition, input of DSM data reduces overestimation of low plant species and misclassification due to the shadow effect and inter-species morphological variation. This study establishes a framework for quick survey and update on wetland environment using UAV system. The findings indicate that the utility of UAV-borne hyperspectral and derived tree height information provides a solid foundation for further researches such as biological invasion monitoring and bio-parameters modelling in wetland.

Strontium-90 in deciduous teeth as a factor in early childhood cancer.

PubMed

Gould, J M; Sternglass, E J; Sherman, J D; Brown, J; McDonnell, W; Mangano, J J

2000-01-01

Strontium-90 concentrations in deciduous (baby) teeth of 515 children born mainly after the end of worldwide atmospheric nuclear bomb tests in 1980 are found to equal the concentrations in children born during atmospheric tests in the late 1950s. Recent Sr-90 concentrations in the New York-New Jersey-Long Island metropolitan area have exceeded the expected downward trend seen in both baby teeth and adult bone after the 1963 ban on atmospheric testing. Sharp rises and declines are also seen in Miami, Florida. In Suffolk County, Long Island, Sr-90 concentrations in baby teeth were significantly correlated with cancer incidence for children 0 to 4 years of age. A similar correlation of childhood malignancies with the rise and decline of Sr-90 in deciduous teeth occurred during the peak years of fallout in the 1950s and 1960s. Independent support for the relation between nuclear releases and childhood cancer is provided by a significant correlation with total alpha and beta activities in local surface water in Suffolk County. These results strongly support a major role of nuclear reactor releases in the increase of cancer and other immune-system-related disorders in young American children since the early 1980s.

Use of a spacecraft borne altimeter for determining the mean sea surface and the geopotential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, W. D.; Bryan, J. W.

1972-01-01

An experiment is proposed to test a first generation spacecraft-borne radar altimeter's capability to measure the topography of the sea surface. The initial radar altimeter will have an instrumental error of one meter and an overall accuracy to two to five meters. This instrument will thus improve the accuracy of the geoid from the present 10 to 20 meters to better than 5 meters. In order to detect storm surges, tidal forces, and ocean currents, an altimeter with an overall accuracy of at least ?1 meter will be required. The overall accuracy of the initial radar altimeter will thus primarily provide geodetic information and possible oceanographic information such as sea state.

Curved crystals for high-resolution focusing of X and gamma rays through a Laue lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidi, Vincenzo; Bellucci, Valerio; Camattari, Riccardo; Neri, Ilaria

2013-08-01

Crystals with curved diffracting planes have been investigated as high-efficiency optical components for the realization of a Laue lens for satellite-borne experiments in astrophysics. At Sensor and Semiconductor Laboratory (Ferrara, Italy) a research and development plan to implement Si and Ge curved crystals by surface grooving technique has been undertaken. The method of surface grooving allows obtaining Si and Ge curved crystals with self-standing curvature, i.e., with no need for external bending device, which is a mandatory issue in satellite-borne experiments. Si and Ge grooved crystals have been characterized by X-ray diffraction at ESRF and ILL to prove their functionality for a high-reflectivity Laue lens.

A quasi-global approach to improve day-time satellite surface soil moisture anomalies through land surface temperature input

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Passive microwave observations from various space borne sensors have been linked to soil moisture of the Earth’s surface layer. The new generation passive microwave sensors are dedicated to retrieving this variable and make observations in the single, theoretically optimal L-band frequency (1-2 GHz)...

Gaps in the prevention of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus between recommendations and routine practices in a highly endemic region: a provincial population-based study in China.

PubMed

Hu, Yali; Zhang, Shu; Luo, Chao; Liu, Qilan; Zhou, Yi-Hua

2012-09-17

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in China; perinatal transmission is the main source of chronic HBV infection. Simultaneous administration of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective to prevent perinatal transmission of HBV; however, the effectiveness also depends on full adherence to the recommended protocols in daily practice. In the present investigation, we aimed to identify gaps in immunoprophylaxis of perinatal transmission of HBV between recommendations and routine practices in Jiangsu Province, China. Totally 626 children from 6 cities and 8 rural areas across Jiangsu Province, China, born from February 2003 to December 2004, were enrolled; 298 were born to mothers with positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 328 were born to HBsAg-negative mothers. Immunoprophylactic measures against hepatitis B were retrospectively reviewed for about half of the children by checking medical records or vaccination cards and the vaccine status was validated for most of children. Of 298 children born to HBV carrier mothers, 11 (3.7%) were HBsAg positive, while none of 328 children born to non-carrier mothers was HBsAg positive (P < 0.01). The rates of anti-HBs ≥ 10 mIU/ml in children of carrier and non-carrier mothers were 69.5% and 69.2% respectively (P = 0.95). The hepatitis B vaccine coverage in two groups was 100% and 99.4% respectively (P = 0.50), but 15.1% of HBV-exposed infants did not receive the timely birth dose. Prenatal HBsAg screening was performed only in 156 (52.3%) of the carrier mothers. Consequently, only 112 (37.6%) of HBV-exposed infants received HBIG after birth. Furthermore, of the 11 HBV-infected children, only one received both HBIG and hepatitis B vaccine timely, seven missed HBIG, two received delayed vaccination, and one missed HBIG and received delayed vaccination. There are substantial gaps in the prevention of perinatal HBV infection between the recommendations and routine practices in China, which highlights the importance of full adherence to the recommendations to eliminate perinatal HBV infection in the endemic regions.

Ixodes ricinus and Its Transmitted Pathogens in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in Europe: New Hazards and Relevance for Public Health

PubMed Central

Rizzoli, Annapaola; Silaghi, Cornelia; Obiegala, Anna; Rudolf, Ivo; Hubálek, Zdeněk; Földvári, Gábor; Plantard, Olivier; Vayssier-Taussat, Muriel; Bonnet, Sarah; Špitalská, Eva; Kazimírová, Mária

2014-01-01

Tick-borne diseases represent major public and animal health issues worldwide. Ixodes ricinus, primarily associated with deciduous and mixed forests, is the principal vector of causative agents of viral, bacterial, and protozoan zoonotic diseases in Europe. Recently, abundant tick populations have been observed in European urban green areas, which are of public health relevance due to the exposure of humans and domesticated animals to potentially infected ticks. In urban habitats, small and medium-sized mammals, birds, companion animals (dogs and cats), and larger mammals (roe deer and wild boar) play a role in maintenance of tick populations and as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens. Presence of ticks infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus and high prevalence of ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., causing Lyme borreliosis, have been reported from urbanized areas in Europe. Emerging pathogens, including bacteria of the order Rickettsiales (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis,” Rickettsia helvetica, and R. monacensis), Borrelia miyamotoi, and protozoans (Babesia divergens, B. venatorum, and B. microti) have also been detected in urban tick populations. Understanding the ecology of ticks and their associations with hosts in a European urbanized environment is crucial to quantify parameters necessary for risk pre-assessment and identification of public health strategies for control and prevention of tick-borne diseases. PMID:25520947

Ocean Processes Revealing by Seasonal Dynamics of Surface Chlorophyll Concentration (by Satellite Data)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shevyrnogov, Anatoly; Vysotskaya, Galina

Continuous monitoring of phytopigment concentrations in the ocean by space-borne methods makes possible to estimate ecological condition of biocenoses in critical areas. Unlike land vege-tation, hydrological processes largely determine phytoplankton dynamics, which may be either recurrent or random. The types of chlorophyll concentration dynamics can manifest as zones quasistationary by seasonal chlorophyll dynamics, perennial variations of phytopigment con-centrations, anomalous variations, etc., that makes possible revealing of hydrological structure of the ocean. While large-scale and frequently occurring phenomena have been much studied, the seldom-occurring changes of small size may be of interest for analysis of long-term processes and rare natural variations. Along with this, the ability to reflect consequences of anthropoge-nous impact or natural ecological disasters on the ocean biota makes the anomalous variations ecologically essential. Civilization aspiring for steady development and preservation of the bio-sphere, must have the knowledge of spatial distribution, seasonal dynamics and anomalies of the primary production process on the planet. In the papers of the authors (Shevyrnogov A.P., Vysotskaya G.S., Gitelzon J.I. Quasistationary areas of chlorophyll concentration in the world ocean as observed satellite data. Adv. Space Res. Vol. 18, No. 7, pp. 129-132, 1996) existence of zones, which are quasi-stationary with similar seasonal dynamics of chlorophyll concentration at surface layer of ocean, was shown. Results were obtained on the base of pro-cessing of time series of satellite images SeaWiFS. It was shown that fronts and frontal zones coincide with dividing lines between quasi-stationary areas, especially in areas of large oceanic streams. Biota of surface oceanic layer is more stable in comparison with quickly changing sur-face temperature. It gives a possibility to circumvent influence of high-frequency component (for example, a diurnal cycle) in investigation of dynamics of spatial distribution of surface streams. In addition, an analyses of nonstable ocean productivity phenomena, stood out time series of satellite images, showed existence of areas with different types of instability in the all Global ocean. They are observed as adjacent nonstationary zones of different size, which are associated by different ways with known oceanic phenomena. It is evident that dynamics of a spatial distribution of biological productivity can give an additional knowledge of complicated picture of surface oceanic layer hydrology.

A Stochastic Tick-Borne Disease Model: Exploring the Probability of Pathogen Persistence.

PubMed

Maliyoni, Milliward; Chirove, Faraimunashe; Gaff, Holly D; Govinder, Keshlan S

2017-09-01

We formulate and analyse a stochastic epidemic model for the transmission dynamics of a tick-borne disease in a single population using a continuous-time Markov chain approach. The stochastic model is based on an existing deterministic metapopulation tick-borne disease model. We compare the disease dynamics of the deterministic and stochastic models in order to determine the effect of randomness in tick-borne disease dynamics. The probability of disease extinction and that of a major outbreak are computed and approximated using the multitype Galton-Watson branching process and numerical simulations, respectively. Analytical and numerical results show some significant differences in model predictions between the stochastic and deterministic models. In particular, we find that a disease outbreak is more likely if the disease is introduced by infected deer as opposed to infected ticks. These insights demonstrate the importance of host movement in the expansion of tick-borne diseases into new geographic areas.

Behaviors Related to Mosquito-Borne Diseases among Different Ethnic Minority Groups along the China-Laos Border Areas.

PubMed

Wu, Chao; Guo, Xiaofang; Zhao, Jun; Lv, Quan; Li, Hongbin; McNeil, Edward B; Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi; Zhou, Hongning

2017-10-15

Background : In China, mosquito-borne diseases are most common in the sub-tropical area of Yunnan province. The objective of this study was to examine behaviors related to mosquito-borne diseases in different ethnic minority groups and different socioeconomic groups of people living in this region. Methods : A stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique with probability proportional to size was used in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan. Twelve villages were used to recruit adult (≥18 years old) and eight schools were used for children (<18 years old). A questionnaire on behaviors and environment variables related to mosquito-borne diseases was devised. Results : Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) grouped 20 behaviors into three domains, namely, environmental condition, bed net use behaviors, and repellent use behaviors, respectively. The Han ethnicity had the lowest odds of rearing pigs, their odds being significantly lower than those of Yi and Yao. For bed net use, Dai and other ethnic minority groups were less likely to use bed nets compared to Yi and Yao. The odds of repellent use in the Han ethnicity was lower than in Yi, but higher than in Dai. The Dai group was the most likely ethnicity to use repellents. Farmers were at a higher risk for pig rearing and not using repellents. Education of less than primary school held the lowest odds of pig rearing. Those with low income were at a higher risk for not using bed nets and repellent except in pig rearing. Those with a small family size were at a lower risk for pig rearing. Conclusion : Different ethnic and socioeconomic groups in the study areas require different specific emphases for the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases.

Behaviors Related to Mosquito-Borne Diseases among Different Ethnic Minority Groups along the China-Laos Border Areas

PubMed Central

Wu, Chao; Guo, Xiaofang; Zhao, Jun; Lv, Quan; Li, Hongbin; McNeil, Edward B.; Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi; Zhou, Hongning

2017-01-01

Background: In China, mosquito-borne diseases are most common in the sub-tropical area of Yunnan province. The objective of this study was to examine behaviors related to mosquito-borne diseases in different ethnic minority groups and different socioeconomic groups of people living in this region. Methods: A stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique with probability proportional to size was used in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan. Twelve villages were used to recruit adults (≥18 years old) and eight schools were used for children (<18 years old). A questionnaire on behaviors and environment variables related to mosquito-borne diseases was devised. Results: Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) grouped 20 behaviors into three domains, namely, environmental condition, bed net use behaviors, and repellent use behaviors, respectively. The Han ethnicity had the lowest odds of rearing pigs, their odds being significantly lower than those of Yi and Yao. For bed net use, Dai and other ethnic minority groups were less likely to use bed nets compared to Yi and Yao. The odds of repellent use in the Han ethnicity was lower than in Yi, but higher than in Dai. The Dai group was the most likely ethnicity to use repellents. Farmers were at a higher risk for pig rearing and not using repellents. Education of less than primary school held the lowest odds of pig rearing. Those with low income were at a higher risk for not using bed nets and repellent except in pig rearing. Those with a small family size were at a lower risk for pig rearing. Conclusion: Different ethnic and socioeconomic groups in the study areas require different specific emphases for the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases. PMID:29036937

Undocumented Migration and the Residential Segregation of Mexicans in New Destinations1

PubMed Central

Hall, Matthew; Stringfield, Jonathan

2014-01-01

This study uses data from the 2000 Census and 2005–2009 American Community Survey to examine the impact of undocumented Mexican migration to new destinations on residential segregation between Mexican immigrants and native-born whites and native-born blacks. We find that Mexican-white and Mexican-black segregation is higher in new Mexican gateways than in established areas and that, for Mexican-immigrant segregation from whites, this heightened level of residential segregation in new destinations can be explained by the high presence of unauthorized Mexican immigrants living there which tends to bolster segregation between the two groups. By contrast, Mexican-immigrant segregation from native-born blacks tends to be lower in areas with larger undocumented populations, a pattern that is especially true in new destinations. Neither of these opposing effects of legal status on Mexican-immigrant segregation can be explained by compositional differences in assimilation (English ability and earnings) between documented and undocumented immigrants nor by structural variation in metropolitan areas, suggesting a unique association between legal status and segregation. PMID:24913945

Retrospective study on temporal and regional variations of methylmercury concentrations in preserved umbilical cords collected from inhabitants of the Minamata area, Japan.

PubMed

Sakamoto, Mineshi; Murata, Katsuyuki; Tsuruta, Kazuhito; Miyamoto, Kenichiro; Akagi, Hirokatsu

2010-09-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the historical time-course changes and regional distribution of methylmercury concentrations in preserved umbilical cords collected from Minamata-area inhabitants born between 1947 and 1989. The data from Miyazaki, Tottori, Akita, Tsushima (Nagasaki), Fukuoka and Tokyo were used as controls. A total of 325 data were analyzed to estimate the temporal and spatial distribution of methylmercury among inhabitants born in the Minamata area. Elevated methylmercury concentrations (>or=1 microg/g) were mainly observed in inhabitants born between 1947 and 1968. That peak coincided with the peak of acetaldehyde production in Minamata. The methylmercury concentrations started to decrease in keeping with the decline of acetaldehyde production, which ceased in 1968, and thereafter the methylmercury levels gradually decreased to the control levels. Elevated methylmercury concentrations were first observed in the districts of Minamata, followed by Izumi, Tsunagi and Ashikita, indicating the time-course-dependent regional distributions of methylmercury pollution. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tick infestations and tick-borne diseases in Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

PubMed

Norval, R A

1979-12-01

The distribution of tick species in Zimbabwe Rhodesia is significantly influenced by land utilization practices. The most commonly occurring species in the over-grazed tribal areas is Boophilus decoloratus. By contrast, well-managed commercial farms and ranches support a wide range of tick species, the most important of which is Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Until recently tick-borne diseases of cattle were efficiently controlled through dipping. The low incidence of disease was an important factor contributing to over-grazing in tribal areas. Between 1973 and 1978 political unrest resulted in a collapse of the dipping service in tribal areas. Populations of B. decoloratus built up and outbreaks of babesiosis and anaplasmosis occurred, normally between one and three years after the cessation of dipping. Reduced grazing pressure after the initial disease waves resulted in increased grass cover, allowing species such as R. appendiculatus and Amblyomma hebraeum to become re-established. Outbreaks of theileriosis and heartwater usually followed, decimating the already depleted herds. The heavy cattle mortality resulted from lack of immunity to tick-borne diseases, as a result of efficient disease control through dipping in previous years.

Correspondence Between Aberrant Intrinsic Network Connectivity and Gray-Matter Volume in the Ventral Brain of Preterm Born Adults.

PubMed

Bäuml, Josef G; Daamen, Marcel; Meng, Chun; Neitzel, Julia; Scheef, Lukas; Jaekel, Julia; Busch, Barbara; Baumann, Nicole; Bartmann, Peter; Wolke, Dieter; Boecker, Henning; Wohlschläger, Afra M; Sorg, Christian

2015-11-01

Widespread brain changes are present in preterm born infants, adolescents, and even adults. While neurobiological models of prematurity facilitate powerful explanations for the adverse effects of preterm birth on the developing brain at microscale, convincing linking principles at large-scale level to explain the widespread nature of brain changes are still missing. We investigated effects of preterm birth on the brain's large-scale intrinsic networks and their relation to brain structure in preterm born adults. In 95 preterm and 83 full-term born adults, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging at-rest was used to analyze both voxel-based morphometry and spatial patterns of functional connectivity in ongoing blood oxygenation level-dependent activity. Differences in intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) were found in cortical and subcortical networks. Structural differences were located in subcortical, temporal, and cingulate areas. Critically, for preterm born adults, iFC-network differences were overlapping and correlating with aberrant regional gray-matter (GM) volume specifically in subcortical and temporal areas. Overlapping changes were predicted by prematurity and in particular by neonatal medical complications. These results provide evidence that preterm birth has long-lasting effects on functional connectivity of intrinsic networks, and these changes are specifically related to structural alterations in ventral brain GM. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Using Geographical Information Systems to Explore Disparities in Preterm Birth Rates Among Foreign-born and U.S.-born Black Mothers

PubMed Central

Bloch, Joan Rosen

2012-01-01

Objective To examine spatial patterns of neighborhood contextual factors of stress with preterm birth (PTB) and nativity (foreign-born and U.S.-born) among Black mothers. Design Descriptive geographic-spatial research. Setting & Participants Births to Philadelphia residents during 2003–2005 in the context of Philadelphia residential neighborhoods (N = 350) were studied. Methods All data were aggregated to neighborhood levels (census tracts). Maps were created to assess geographic-spatial patterns. A geographic information system (GIS) database was created that imported geo-coded data on births, crime (assaults with guns and domestic abuse), poverty, race, and nativity (foreign-born vs. U.S.-born). Results Clear visual patterns of “bad” neighborhoods emerged and were significantly associated with higher prevalence of PTB for foreign-born Black and U.S.-born Black mothers (p < .0001). Conclusions This study demonstrated how GIS visually clarified important spatial patterns of adverse living conditions and PTB prevalence. Nurses can use GIS to better understand living environments of mothers and their families and to target interventions in geographical areas with the greatest service needs. Further research on individual and contextual factors is warranted to address the observed health disparities among the heterogeneous groups of foreign-born Black mothers. Despite limitations of aggregate data, it is clear that where mothers live matters. This has important implications for nursing practice and policy. PMID:22273411

Extremely Preterm-Born Infants Demonstrate Different Facial Recognition Processes at 6-10 Months of Corrected Age.

PubMed

Frie, Jakob; Padilla, Nelly; Ådén, Ulrika; Lagercrantz, Hugo; Bartocci, Marco

2016-05-01

To compare cortical hemodynamic responses to known and unknown facial stimuli between infants born extremely preterm and term-born infants, and to correlate the responses of the extremely preterm-born infants to regional cortical volumes at term-equivalent age. We compared 27 infants born extremely preterm (<28 gestational weeks) with 26 term-born infants. Corrected age and chronological age at testing were between 6 and 10 months, respectively. Both groups were exposed to a gray background, their mother's face, and an unknown face. Cerebral regional concentrations of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin were measured with near-infrared spectroscopy. In the preterm group, we also performed structural brain magnetic resonance imaging and correlated regional cortical volumes to hemodynamic responses. The preterm-born infants demonstrated different cortical face recognition processes than the term-born infants. They had a significantly smaller hemodynamic response in the right frontotemporal areas while watching their mother's face (0.13 μmol/L vs 0.63 μmol/L; P < .001). We also found a negative correlation between the magnitude of the oxygenated hemoglobin increase in the right frontotemporal cortex and regional gray matter volume in the left fusiform gyrus and amygdala (voxels, 25; r = 0.86; P < .005). At 6-10 months corrected age, the preterm-born infants demonstrated a different pattern in the maturation of their cortical face recognition process compared with term-born infants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface hydrophobic modification of polyurethanes by diaryl carbene chemistry: Synthesis and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Pengfei; Wang, Yongqing; Lu, Ling; Yu, Xi; Liu, Lian

2018-03-01

Dodecyl diaryl diazomethane was firstly synthesized from 4,4-dihydroxybenzophenone and 1-bromododecane by a series of reaction steps. Then water-borne polyurethane films with different amount of DMPA were prepared, as well as a type of solvent-borne polyurethane film for comparison. Finally, all these polyurethane films were modified by dodecyl diaryl diazomethane. The dodecyl diaryl carbene was generated from dodecyl diaryl diazomethane by strong solar light, which was very convenient to insert into the Xsbnd H bonds (X = C, N) on the surface of polyurethane films. The contact angle test was used to characterize these films and depict the surface property. DSC analysis and tensile test were used to investigate the physical properties of polyurethane films before and after modification. It was suggested that the hydrophobic modification protocol with carbene insertion was very useful and convenient to prepare water-proof coatings outdoors under direct solar-light exposure.

Derivation of atmospheric extinction profiles and wind speed over the ocean from a satellite-borne lidar.

PubMed

Weinman, J A

1988-10-01

A simulated analysis is presented that shows that returns from a single-frequency space-borne lidar can be combined with data from conventional visible satellite imagery to yield profiles of aerosol extinction coefficients and the wind speed at the ocean surface. The optical thickness of the aerosols in the atmosphere can be derived from visible imagery. That measurement of the total optical thickness can constrain the solution to the lidar equation to yield a robust estimate of the extinction profile. The specular reflection of the lidar beam from the ocean can be used to determine the wind speed at the sea surface once the transmission of the atmosphere is known. The impact on the retrieved aerosol profiles and surface wind speed produced by errors in the input parameters and noise in the lidar measurements is also considered.

Fructose 1,6-Bisphosphate aldolase, a novel immunogenic surface protein on Listeria species

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous food-borne pathogen, and its presence in food or production facilities highlights the importance of surveillance. Increased understanding of the surface exposed antigens on Listeria would provide potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In the present work...

Phenomenological Study of Interaction between Solar Acoustic Waves and Sunspots from Measured Scattered Wavefunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ming-Hsu; Chou, Dean-Yi; Zhao, Hui; Liang, Zhi-Chao

2012-08-01

The solar acoustic waves around a sunspot are modified because of the interaction with the sunspot. The interaction can be viewed as that the sunspot, excited by the incident wave, generates the scattered wave, and the scattered wave is added to the incident wave to form the total wave around the sunspot. We define an interaction parameter, which could be complex, describing the interaction between the acoustic waves and the sunspot. The scattered wavefunction on the surface can be expressed as a two-dimensional integral of the product of the Green's function, the wavefunction, and the two-dimensional interaction parameter over the sunspot area for the Born approximation of different orders. We assume a simple model for the two-dimensional interaction parameter distribution: its absolute value is axisymmetric with a Gaussian distribution and its phase is a constant. The measured scattered wavefunctions of various modes for NOAAs 11084 and 11092 are fitted to the theoretical scattered wavefunctions to determine the three model parameters, magnitude, Gaussian radius, and phase, for the Born approximation of different orders. The three model parameters converge to some values at high-order Born approximations. The result of the first-order Born approximation is significantly different from the convergent value in some cases. The rate of convergence depends on the sunspot size and wavelength. It converges more rapidly for the smaller sunspot and longer wavelength. The magnitude increases with mode frequency and degree for each radial order. The Gaussian radius is insensitive to frequency and degree. The spatial range of the interaction parameter is greater than that of the continuum intensity deficit, but smaller than that of the acoustic power deficit of the sunspot. The phase versus phase speed falls into a small range. This suggests that the phase could be a function phase speed. NOAAs 11084 and 11092 have a similar magnitude and phase, although the ratio of their sizes is 0.75.

Dynamic behaviour of natural oil droplets through the water column in deep-water environment: the case of the Lower Congo Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jatiault, R.; Dhont, D.; Loncke, L.; Durrieu De Madron, X.; Dubucq, D.; Channelliere, C.; Bourrin, F.

2017-12-01

Key words: Hydrocarbon seepage, Oil Slick, Lower Congo Basin, Underwater deflection, Deep-water Pockmark, Ascent speedThe space-borne imagery provides a significant means to locate active oil seeps and to estimate the expelled volume in the marine environment. The analysis of numerous overlapping satellite images revealed an abundant volume of 4400 m3 of oil naturally reaching the sea surface per year, expelled from more than a hundred seep sites through the Lower Congo Basin. The active seepage area is located in the distal compressional province of the basin where salt napes and squeezed diapirs. The integration of current data was used to link accurately sea surface manifestations of natural oil leakages with active fluid flow features on the seafloor. A mooring with ADCPs (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers) distributed throughout the water column provided an efficient calibration tool to evaluate the horizontal deflection of oil droplets. Using a Eulerian propagation model that considered a range of probable ascent speeds, we estimated the oil migration pathways through the water column using two different approaches. The first approach consisted in simulating the backwards trajectory of oil droplets using sea surface oil slicks locations and concomitant current measurements. The second method analyzed the spatial spreading of the surfacing signatures of natural oil slicks based on 21 years of satellite observations. The location of the surfacing points of oil droplets at the sea surface is restricted to a circle of 2.5 km radius around the release point at the seafloor. Both approaches provided a range of ascent speeds of oil droplets between 3 to 8 cm.s-1. The low deflection values validate the near-vertical links between the average surfacing area of oil slicks at the sea surface with specific seafloor disturbances (i.e. pockmarks or mounds) known to expel fluids.

A Controlled Trial of a Novel Primary Prevention Program for Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Illnesses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daltroy, Lawren H.; Phillips, Charlotte; Lew, Robert; Wright, Elizabeth; Shadick, Nancy A.; Liang, Matthew H.

2007-01-01

To evaluate a theory-based educational program to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses (TBI), a randomized controlled trial of an educational program was delivered to ferry passengers traveling to an endemic area in southeastern Massachusetts. Rates of TBI and precautionary and tick check behaviors were measured over three summers…

Differential Associations between Domains of Sibling Conflict and Adolescent Emotional Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campione-Barr, Nicole; Greer, Kelly Bassett; Kruse, Anna

2013-01-01

Issues of equality and fairness and invasion of the personal domain, 2 previously identified topic areas of adolescent sibling conflict (N. Campione-Barr & J. G. Smetana, 2010), were examined in 145 dyads ("M" [subscript first-born] = 14.97, "SD" = 1.69 years; "M" [subscript second-born] = 12.20,…

Tick-borne Encephalitis Associated with Consumption of Raw Goat Milk, Slovenia, 2012

PubMed Central

Hudopisk, Neda; Korva, Miša; Janet, Evgen; Simetinger, Marjana; Grgič-Vitek, Marta; Gubenšek, Jakob; Natek, Vladimir; Kraigher, Alenka; Strle, Franc

2013-01-01

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) developed in 3 persons in Slovenia who drank raw milk; a fourth person, who had been vaccinated against TBE, remained healthy. TBE virus RNA was detected in serum and milk of the source goat. Persons in TBE-endemic areas should be encouraged to drink only boiled/pasteurized milk and to be vaccinated. PMID:23697658

Systems and methods for locating and imaging proppant in an induced fracture

DOEpatents

Aldridge, David F.; Bartel, Lewis C.

2016-02-02

Born Scattering Inversion (BSI) systems and methods are disclosed. A BSI system may be incorporated in a well system for accessing natural gas, oil and geothermal reserves in a geologic formation beneath the surface of the Earth. The BSI system may be used to generate a three-dimensional image of a proppant-filled hydraulically-induced fracture in the geologic formation. The BSI system may include computing equipment and sensors for measuring electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the fracture before and after the fracture is generated, adjusting the parameters of a first Born approximation model of a scattered component of the surface electromagnetic fields using the measured electromagnetic fields, and generating the image of the proppant-filled fracture using the adjusted parameters.

Recent Weather Extremes and Impacts on Agricultural Production and Vector-Borne Disease Outbreak Patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anyamba, Assaf; Small, Jennifer L.; Britch, Seth C.; Tucker, Compton J.; Pak, Edwin W.; Reynolds, Curt A.; Crutchfield, James; Linthicum, Kenneth J.

2014-01-01

We document significant worldwide weather anomalies that affected agriculture and vector-borne disease outbreaks during the 2010-2012 period. We utilized 2000-2012 vegetation index and land surface temperature data from NASA's satellite-based Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to map the magnitude and extent of these anomalies for diverse regions including the continental United States, Russia, East Africa, Southern Africa, and Australia. We demonstrate that shifts in temperature and/or precipitation have significant impacts on vegetation patterns with attendant consequences for agriculture and public health. Weather extremes resulted in excessive rainfall and flooding as well as severe drought, which caused,10 to 80% variation in major agricultural commodity production (including wheat, corn, cotton, sorghum) and created exceptional conditions for extensive mosquito-borne disease outbreaks of dengue, Rift Valley fever, Murray Valley encephalitis, and West Nile virus disease. Analysis of MODIS data provided a standardized method for quantifying the extreme weather anomalies observed during this period. Assessments of land surface conditions from satellite-based systems such as MODIS can be a valuable tool in national, regional, and global weather impact determinations.

Recent weather extremes and impacts on agricultural production and vector-borne disease outbreak patterns.

PubMed

Anyamba, Assaf; Small, Jennifer L; Britch, Seth C; Tucker, Compton J; Pak, Edwin W; Reynolds, Curt A; Crutchfield, James; Linthicum, Kenneth J

2014-01-01

We document significant worldwide weather anomalies that affected agriculture and vector-borne disease outbreaks during the 2010-2012 period. We utilized 2000-2012 vegetation index and land surface temperature data from NASA's satellite-based Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to map the magnitude and extent of these anomalies for diverse regions including the continental United States, Russia, East Africa, Southern Africa, and Australia. We demonstrate that shifts in temperature and/or precipitation have significant impacts on vegetation patterns with attendant consequences for agriculture and public health. Weather extremes resulted in excessive rainfall and flooding as well as severe drought, which caused ∼10 to 80% variation in major agricultural commodity production (including wheat, corn, cotton, sorghum) and created exceptional conditions for extensive mosquito-borne disease outbreaks of dengue, Rift Valley fever, Murray Valley encephalitis, and West Nile virus disease. Analysis of MODIS data provided a standardized method for quantifying the extreme weather anomalies observed during this period. Assessments of land surface conditions from satellite-based systems such as MODIS can be a valuable tool in national, regional, and global weather impact determinations.

Combined active and passive microwave remote sensing of vegetated surfaces at l-band

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In previous work the distorted Born approximation (DBA) of volume scattering was combined with the numerical solutions of Maxwell equations (NMM3D) for a rough surface to calculate the radar backscattering coefficient for the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. The model results were valida...

[Evolution of hospital concept in Italy].

PubMed

Grosso, G; Contarino, F; Biondi, M; Mistretta, A

2009-01-01

Hospital building trade was born before the origin of Healthcare System and followed the complex development of healthcare during all the past years to present day. At the beginning of 700's, when infective pathology was predominant and hygienic conditions was parameter of quality, pavilions structure took place. These hospitals required wide land to be built on, with a high surface area to volume ratio and a horizontal development. There were about 1200-1500 sleeping accommodations in large rooms (ward) where patients were split up. The typical pavilions structure were used until half 900's when it was replaced with a new concept of building trade, the mono-polibloc. They were buildings with vertical development that minimized horizontal distances and operating costs. Every floor has confinement and service rooms and represent a single and autonomous operating unit. Nowadays hospitals building trade point to use the flat-tower model that enhance the distinction between confinement area (with a vertical development-monobloc) and diagnosis, care and services area (with a horizontal development-flat). The challenge we willface in the future is to convert healthcare buildings to other uses like trading centres and services areas, to improve structures' flexibility, to better include them in the context of the urban and natural setting.

Elevation as a proxy for mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in the Americas.

PubMed

Watts, Alexander G; Miniota, Jennifer; Joseph, Heather A; Brady, Oliver J; Kraemer, Moritz U G; Grills, Ardath W; Morrison, Stephanie; Esposito, Douglas H; Nicolucci, Adriano; German, Matthew; Creatore, Maria I; Nelson, Bradley; Johansson, Michael A; Brunette, Gary; Hay, Simon I; Khan, Kamran; Cetron, Marty

2017-01-01

When Zika virus (ZIKV) first began its spread from Brazil to other parts of the Americas, national-level travel notices were issued, carrying with them significant economic consequences to affected countries. Although regions of some affected countries were likely unsuitable for mosquito-borne transmission of ZIKV, the absence of high quality, timely surveillance data made it difficult to confidently demarcate infection risk at a sub-national level. In the absence of reliable data on ZIKV activity, a pragmatic approach was needed to identify subnational geographic areas where the risk of ZIKV infection via mosquitoes was expected to be negligible. To address this urgent need, we evaluated elevation as a proxy for mosquito-borne ZIKV transmission. For sixteen countries with local ZIKV transmission in the Americas, we analyzed (i) modelled occurrence of the primary vector for ZIKV, Aedes aegypti, (ii) human population counts, and (iii) reported historical dengue cases, specifically across 100-meter elevation levels between 1,500m and 2,500m. Specifically, we quantified land area, population size, and the number of observed dengue cases above each elevation level to identify a threshold where the predicted risks of encountering Ae. aegypti become negligible. Above 1,600m, less than 1% of each country's total land area was predicted to have Ae. aegypti occurrence. Above 1,900m, less than 1% of each country's resident population lived in areas where Ae. aegypti was predicted to occur. Across all 16 countries, 1.1% of historical dengue cases were reported above 2,000m. These results suggest low potential for mosquito-borne ZIKV transmission above 2,000m in the Americas. Although elevation is a crude predictor of environmental suitability for ZIKV transmission, its constancy made it a pragmatic input for policy decision-making during this public health emergency.

Microevolution of Anthrax from a Young Ancestor (M.A.Y.A.) Suggests a Soil-Borne Life Cycle of Bacillus anthracis

PubMed Central

Braun, Peter; Grass, Gregor; Aceti, Angela; Serrecchia, Luigina; Affuso, Alessia; Marino, Leonardo; Grimaldi, Stefania; Pagano, Stefania; Hanczaruk, Matthias; Georgi, Enrico; Northoff, Bernd; Schöler, Anne; Schloter, Michael; Antwerpen, Markus; Fasanella, Antonio

2015-01-01

During an anthrax outbreak at the Pollino National Park (Basilicata, Italy) in 2004, diseased cattle were buried and from these anthrax-foci Bacillus anthracis endospores still diffuse to the surface resulting in local accumulations. Recent data suggest that B. anthracis multiplies in soil outside the animal-host body. This notion is supported by the frequent isolation of B. anthracis from soil lacking one or both virulence plasmids. Such strains represent an evolutionary dead end, as they are likely no longer able to successfully infect new hosts. This loss of virulence plasmids is explained most simply by postulating a soil-borne life cycle of the pathogen. To test this hypothesis we investigated possible microevolution at two natural anthrax foci from the 2004 outbreak. If valid, then genotypes of strains isolated from near the surface at these foci should be on a different evolutionary trajectory from those below residing in deeper-laying horizons close to the carcass. Thus, the genetic diversity of B. anthracis isolates was compared conducting Progressive Hierarchical Resolving Assays using Nucleic Acids (PHRANA) and next generation Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). PHRANA was not discriminatory enough to resolve the fine genetic relationships between the isolates. Conversely, WGS of nine isolates from near-surface and nine from near-carcass revealed five isolate specific SNPs, four of which were found only in different near-surface isolates. In support of our hypothesis, one surface-isolate lacked plasmid pXO1 and also harbored one of the unique SNPs. Taken together, our results suggest a limited soil-borne life cycle of B. anthracis. PMID:26266934

Threats or violence from patients was associated with turnover intention among foreign-born GPs - a comparison of four workplace factors associated with attitudes of wanting to quit one's job as a GP.

PubMed

Eneroth, Mari; Gustafsson Sendén, Marie; Schenck Gustafsson, Karin; Wall, Maja; Fridner, Ann

2017-06-01

General practitioners (GPs) are crucial in medical healthcare, but there is currently a shortage of GPs in Sweden and elsewhere. Recruitment of GPs from abroad is essential, but foreign-born physicians face difficulties at work that may be related to turnover intention, i.e. wanting to quit one's job. The study aims to explore the reasons to why foreign-born GPs may intend to quit their job. Survey data were used to compare four work-related factors that can be associated with turnover intentions; patient-related stress, threats or violence from patients, control of work pace, and empowering leadership, among native-born and foreign-born GPs. These work-related factors were subsequently examined in relation to turnover intention among the foreign-born GPs by means of linear hierarchical regression analyses. The questionnaire consisted of items from the QPS Nordic and items constructed by the authors. A primary care setting in a central area of Sweden. Native-born (n = 208) and foreign-born GPs (n = 73). Turnover intention was more common among foreign-born GPs (19.2% compared with 14.9%), as was the experience of threats or violence from patients (22% compared with 3% of the native-born GPs). Threats or violence was also associated with increased turnover intention. Control of work pace and an empowering leadership was associated with reduced turnover intention. The organisations need to recognise that foreign-born GPs may face increased rates of threats and/or violence from patients, which may ultimately cause job turnover and be harmful to the exposed individual.

Threats or violence from patients was associated with turnover intention among foreign-born GPs – a comparison of four workplace factors associated with attitudes of wanting to quit one’s job as a GP

PubMed Central

Eneroth, Mari; Gustafsson Sendén, Marie; Schenck Gustafsson, Karin; Wall, Maja; Fridner, Ann

2017-01-01

Objective General practitioners (GPs) are crucial in medical healthcare, but there is currently a shortage of GPs in Sweden and elsewhere. Recruitment of GPs from abroad is essential, but foreign-born physicians face difficulties at work that may be related to turnover intention, i.e. wanting to quit one’s job. The study aims to explore the reasons to why foreign-born GPs may intend to quit their job. Design Survey data were used to compare four work-related factors that can be associated with turnover intentions; patient-related stress, threats or violence from patients, control of work pace, and empowering leadership, among native-born and foreign-born GPs. These work-related factors were subsequently examined in relation to turnover intention among the foreign-born GPs by means of linear hierarchical regression analyses. The questionnaire consisted of items from the QPS Nordic and items constructed by the authors. Setting A primary care setting in a central area of Sweden. Subjects Native-born (n = 208) and foreign-born GPs (n = 73). Results Turnover intention was more common among foreign-born GPs (19.2% compared with 14.9%), as was the experience of threats or violence from patients (22% compared with 3% of the native-born GPs). Threats or violence was also associated with increased turnover intention. Control of work pace and an empowering leadership was associated with reduced turnover intention. Practice implications The organisations need to recognise that foreign-born GPs may face increased rates of threats and/or violence from patients, which may ultimately cause job turnover and be harmful to the exposed individual. PMID:28587508

Using geographical information systems to explore disparities in preterm birth rates among foreign-born and U.S.-born Black mothers.

PubMed

Bloch, Joan Rosen

2011-01-01

To examine spatial patterns of neighborhood contextual factors of stress with preterm birth (PTB) and nativity (foreign-born and U.S.-born) among Black mothers. Descriptive geographic-spatial research. Births to Philadelphia residents during 2003-2005 in the context of Philadelphia residential neighborhoods (N = 350) were studied. All data were aggregated to neighborhood levels (census tracts). Maps were created to assess geographic-spatial patterns. A geographic information system (GIS) database was created that imported geo-coded data on births, crime (assaults with guns and domestic abuse), poverty, race, and nativity (foreign-born vs. U.S.-born). Clear visual patterns of "bad" neighborhoods emerged and were significantly associated with higher prevalence of PTB for foreign-born Black and U.S.-born Black mothers (p < .0001). This study demonstrated how GIS visually clarified important spatial patterns of adverse living conditions and PTB prevalence. Nurses can use GIS to better understand living environments of mothers and their families and to target interventions in geographical areas with the greatest service needs. Further research on individual and contextual factors is warranted to address the observed health disparities among the heterogeneous groups of foreign-born Black mothers. Despite limitations of aggregate data, it is clear that where mothers live matters. This has important implications for nursing practice and policy. © 2011 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in continental and insular Greece

PubMed Central

Diakou, Anastasia; Di Cesare, Angela; Accettura, Paolo Matteo; Barros, Luciano; Iorio, Raffaella; Paoletti, Barbara; Frangipane di Regalbono, Antonio; Halos, Lénaïg; Beugnet, Frederic; Traversa, Donato

2017-01-01

This survey investigated the distribution of various intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in four regions of Greece. A total number of one hundred and fifty cats living in three Islands (Crete, Mykonos and Skopelos) and in Athens municipality was established as a realistic aim to be accomplished in the study areas. All cats were examined with different microscopic, serological and molecular assays aiming at evaluating the occurrence of intestinal parasites, and exposure to or presence of vector-borne infections. A total of 135 cats (90%) was positive for one or more parasites and/or pathogens transmitted by ectoparasites. Forty-four (29.3%) cats were positive for one single infection, while 91 (60.7%) for more than one pathogen. A high number of (n. 53) multiple infections caused by feline intestinal and vector-borne agents including at least one zoonotic pathogen was detected. Among them, the most frequently recorded helminths were roundworms (Toxocara cati, 24%) and Dipylidium caninum (2%), while a high number of examined animals (58.8%) had seroreaction for Bartonella spp., followed by Rickettsia spp. (43.2%) and Leishmania infantum (6.1%). DNA-based assays revealed the zoonotic arthropod-borne organisms Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, Rickettsia spp., and L. infantum. These results show that free-ranging cats living in areas of Greece under examination may be exposed to a plethora of internal parasites and vector-borne pathogens, some of them potentially able to infect humans. Therefore, epidemiological vigilance and appropriate control measures are crucial for the prevention and control of these infections and to minimize the risk of infection for people. PMID:28141857

Intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in continental and insular Greece.

PubMed

Diakou, Anastasia; Di Cesare, Angela; Accettura, Paolo Matteo; Barros, Luciano; Iorio, Raffaella; Paoletti, Barbara; Frangipane di Regalbono, Antonio; Halos, Lénaïg; Beugnet, Frederic; Traversa, Donato

2017-01-01

This survey investigated the distribution of various intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in four regions of Greece. A total number of one hundred and fifty cats living in three Islands (Crete, Mykonos and Skopelos) and in Athens municipality was established as a realistic aim to be accomplished in the study areas. All cats were examined with different microscopic, serological and molecular assays aiming at evaluating the occurrence of intestinal parasites, and exposure to or presence of vector-borne infections. A total of 135 cats (90%) was positive for one or more parasites and/or pathogens transmitted by ectoparasites. Forty-four (29.3%) cats were positive for one single infection, while 91 (60.7%) for more than one pathogen. A high number of (n. 53) multiple infections caused by feline intestinal and vector-borne agents including at least one zoonotic pathogen was detected. Among them, the most frequently recorded helminths were roundworms (Toxocara cati, 24%) and Dipylidium caninum (2%), while a high number of examined animals (58.8%) had seroreaction for Bartonella spp., followed by Rickettsia spp. (43.2%) and Leishmania infantum (6.1%). DNA-based assays revealed the zoonotic arthropod-borne organisms Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, Rickettsia spp., and L. infantum. These results show that free-ranging cats living in areas of Greece under examination may be exposed to a plethora of internal parasites and vector-borne pathogens, some of them potentially able to infect humans. Therefore, epidemiological vigilance and appropriate control measures are crucial for the prevention and control of these infections and to minimize the risk of infection for people.

Imported Amoebic Liver Abscess in France

PubMed Central

Cordel, Hugues; Prendki, Virginie; Madec, Yoann; Houze, Sandrine; Paris, Luc; Bourée, Patrice; Caumes, Eric; Matheron, Sophie; Bouchaud, Olivier

2013-01-01

Background Worldwide, amoebic liver abscess (ALA) can be found in individuals in non-endemic areas, especially in foreign-born travelers. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of ALA in patients admitted to French hospitals between 2002 and 2006. We compared imported ALA cases in European and foreign-born patients and assessed the factors associated with abscess size using a logistic regression model. Results We investigated 90 ALA cases. Patient median age was 41. The male:female ratio was 3.5∶1. We were able to determine the origin for 75 patients: 38 were European-born and 37 foreign-born. With respect to clinical characteristics, no significant difference was observed between European and foreign-born patients except a longer lag time between the return to France after traveling abroad and the onset of symptoms for foreign-born. Factors associated with an abscess size of more than 69 mm were being male (OR = 11.25, p<0.01), aged more than 41 years old (OR = 3.63, p = 0.02) and being an immigrant (OR = 11.56, p = 0.03). Percutaneous aspiration was not based on initial abscess size but was carried out significantly more often on patients who were admitted to surgical units (OR = 10, p<0.01). The median time to abscess disappearance for 24 ALA was 7.5 months. Conclusions/Significance In this study on imported ALA was one of the largest worldwide in terms of the number of cases included males, older patients and foreign-born patients presented with larger abscesses, suggesting that hormonal and immunological factors may be involved in ALA physiopathology. The long lag time before developing ALA after returning to a non-endemic area must be highlighted to clinicians so that they will consider Entamoeba histolytica as a possible pathogen of liver abscesses more often. PMID:23951372

MosquitoMap and the Mal-area calculator: new web tools to relate mosquito species distribution with vector borne disease

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Mosquitoes are important vectors of diseases but, in spite of various mosquito faunistic surveys globally, there is a need for a spatial online database of mosquito collection data and distribution summaries. Such a resource could provide entomologists with the results of previous mosquito surveys, and vector disease control workers, preventative medicine practitioners, and health planners with information relating mosquito distribution to vector-borne disease risk. Results A web application called MosquitoMap was constructed comprising mosquito collection point data stored in an ArcGIS 9.3 Server/SQL geodatabase that includes administrative area and vector species x country lookup tables. In addition to the layer containing mosquito collection points, other map layers were made available including environmental, and vector and pathogen/disease distribution layers. An application within MosquitoMap called the Mal-area calculator (MAC) was constructed to quantify the area of overlap, for any area of interest, of vector, human, and disease distribution models. Data standards for mosquito records were developed for MosquitoMap. Conclusion MosquitoMap is a public domain web resource that maps and compares georeferenced mosquito collection points to other spatial information, in a geographical information system setting. The MAC quantifies the Mal-area, i.e. the area where it is theoretically possible for vector-borne disease transmission to occur, thus providing a useful decision tool where other disease information is limited. The Mal-area approach emphasizes the independent but cumulative contribution to disease risk of the vector species predicted present. MosquitoMap adds value to, and makes accessible, the results of past collecting efforts, as well as providing a template for other arthropod spatial databases. PMID:20167090

MosquitoMap and the Mal-area calculator: new web tools to relate mosquito species distribution with vector borne disease.

PubMed

Foley, Desmond H; Wilkerson, Richard C; Birney, Ian; Harrison, Stanley; Christensen, Jamie; Rueda, Leopoldo M

2010-02-18

Mosquitoes are important vectors of diseases but, in spite of various mosquito faunistic surveys globally, there is a need for a spatial online database of mosquito collection data and distribution summaries. Such a resource could provide entomologists with the results of previous mosquito surveys, and vector disease control workers, preventative medicine practitioners, and health planners with information relating mosquito distribution to vector-borne disease risk. A web application called MosquitoMap was constructed comprising mosquito collection point data stored in an ArcGIS 9.3 Server/SQL geodatabase that includes administrative area and vector species x country lookup tables. In addition to the layer containing mosquito collection points, other map layers were made available including environmental, and vector and pathogen/disease distribution layers. An application within MosquitoMap called the Mal-area calculator (MAC) was constructed to quantify the area of overlap, for any area of interest, of vector, human, and disease distribution models. Data standards for mosquito records were developed for MosquitoMap. MosquitoMap is a public domain web resource that maps and compares georeferenced mosquito collection points to other spatial information, in a geographical information system setting. The MAC quantifies the Mal-area, i.e. the area where it is theoretically possible for vector-borne disease transmission to occur, thus providing a useful decision tool where other disease information is limited. The Mal-area approach emphasizes the independent but cumulative contribution to disease risk of the vector species predicted present. MosquitoMap adds value to, and makes accessible, the results of past collecting efforts, as well as providing a template for other arthropod spatial databases.

Two Cases of Severe Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Rituximab-Treated Patients in Germany: Implications for Diagnosis and Prevention.

PubMed

Steininger, Philipp A; Bobinger, Tobias; Dietrich, Wenke; Lee, De-Hyung; Knott, Michael; Bogdan, Christian; Korn, Klaus; Lang, Roland

2017-01-01

Rituximab (RTX) has become a standard therapy for certain B cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases. We report 2 RTX-treated patients who developed severe tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection. The inability to generate new antibody responses renders RTX-treated patients susceptible to TBEV, impedes laboratory diagnosis, and necessitates preventive vaccination in endemic areas.

Arab American Parents' Perceptions of Their Children's Experience in the USA: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Jamal

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine Arab American parents' perceptions of difficulties their children experience in the USA. Both Arab American children born outside the USA who later moved to the country and children born in the USA to Arab parents were examined. Fifty Arab American families were interviewed in two areas in the State of…

Calvin Beale's Legacy for Rural Demography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, David L.; Elo, Irma T.

2011-01-01

Calvin Lunsford Beale was born in Washington, DC, on June 6, 1923, and passed away at age 85 on September 2, 2008. He was a city boy born and bred, and while he "never wanted to live in a rural area" he became one of the most astute observers of rural America in the latter half of the twentieth century. Calvin spent the majority of his…

The changing food outlet distributions and local contextual factors in the United States.

PubMed

Chen, Hsin-Jen; Wang, Youfa

2014-01-16

Little is known about the dynamics of the food outlet distributions associated with local contextual factors in the U.S. This study examines the changes in food stores/services at the 5-digit Zip Code Tabulated Area (ZCTA5) level in the U.S., and assesses contextual factors associated with the changes. Data from 27,878 ZCTA5s in the contiguous United States without an extreme change in the number of 6 types of food stores/services (supermarkets, small-size grocery stores, convenience stores, fresh/specialty food markets, carry-out restaurants, and full-service restaurants) were used. ZCTA5s' contextual factors were from the 2000 Census. Numbers of food stores/services were derived from the Census Business Pattern databases. Linear regression models assessed contextual factors' influences (racial/ethnic compositions, poverty rate, urbanization level, and foreign-born population%) on 1-year changes in food stores/services during 2000-2001, adjusted for population size, total business change, and census regions. Small-size grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets increased more and convenience stores decreased more in Hispanic-predominant than other areas. Among supermarket-free places, new supermarkets were less likely to be introduced into black-predominant than white-predominant areas (odds ratio (OR) = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.30-0.92). However, among areas without the following type of store at baseline, supermarket (OR = 0.48 (0.33-0.70)), small-size grocery stores (OR = 1.32 (1.08-1.62)), and fresh/specialty food markets (OR = 0.70 (0.53-0.92)) were less likely to be introduced into areas of low foreign-born population than into areas of high foreign-born population. Higher poverty rate was associated with a greater decrease in supermarket, a less decrease in small-size grocery stores, and a less increase in carry-out restaurants (all p for trends <0.001). Urban areas experienced more increases in full-service and carry-out restaurants than suburban areas. Local area characteristics affect 1-year changes in food environment in the U.S. Hispanic population was associated with more food stores/services capable of supplying fresh food items. Black-predominant and poverty-afflicted areas had a greater decrease in supermarkets. Full-service and carry-out restaurants increased more in urban than suburban areas. Foreign-born population density was associated with introduction of grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets into the areas.

The changing food outlet distributions and local contextual factors in the United States

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Little is known about the dynamics of the food outlet distributions associated with local contextual factors in the U.S. This study examines the changes in food stores/services at the 5-digit Zip Code Tabulated Area (ZCTA5) level in the U.S., and assesses contextual factors associated with the changes. Methods Data from 27,878 ZCTA5s in the contiguous United States without an extreme change in the number of 6 types of food stores/services (supermarkets, small-size grocery stores, convenience stores, fresh/specialty food markets, carry-out restaurants, and full-service restaurants) were used. ZCTA5s’ contextual factors were from the 2000 Census. Numbers of food stores/services were derived from the Census Business Pattern databases. Linear regression models assessed contextual factors’ influences (racial/ethnic compositions, poverty rate, urbanization level, and foreign-born population%) on 1-year changes in food stores/services during 2000–2001, adjusted for population size, total business change, and census regions. Results Small-size grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets increased more and convenience stores decreased more in Hispanic-predominant than other areas. Among supermarket-free places, new supermarkets were less likely to be introduced into black-predominant than white-predominant areas (odds ratio (OR) = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.30-0.92). However, among areas without the following type of store at baseline, supermarket (OR = 0.48 (0.33-0.70)), small-size grocery stores (OR = 1.32 (1.08-1.62)), and fresh/specialty food markets (OR = 0.70 (0.53-0.92)) were less likely to be introduced into areas of low foreign-born population than into areas of high foreign-born population. Higher poverty rate was associated with a greater decrease in supermarket, a less decrease in small-size grocery stores, and a less increase in carry-out restaurants (all p for trends <0.001). Urban areas experienced more increases in full-service and carry-out restaurants than suburban areas. Conclusions Local area characteristics affect 1-year changes in food environment in the U.S. Hispanic population was associated with more food stores/services capable of supplying fresh food items. Black-predominant and poverty-afflicted areas had a greater decrease in supermarkets. Full-service and carry-out restaurants increased more in urban than suburban areas. Foreign-born population density was associated with introduction of grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets into the areas. PMID:24433323

Arthropod-borne bacterial diseases in pregnancy.

PubMed

Dotters-Katz, Sarah K; Kuller, Jeffrey; Heine, R Phillips

2013-09-01

Arthropod-borne bacterial diseases affect more than 25,000 Americans every year and thousands more around the world. These infections present a diagnostic dilemma for clinicians because they mimic many other pathologic conditions and are often low on or absent from the differential diagnosis list. Diagnosis is particularly challenging during pregnancy, as these infections may mimic common pregnancy-specific conditions, such as typical and atypical preeclampsia, or symptoms of pregnancy itself. Concerns regarding the safety in pregnancy of some indicated antibiotics add a therapeutic challenge for the prescriber, requiring knowledge of alternative therapeutic options for many arthropod-borne bacterial diseases. Physicians, especially those in endemic areas, must keep this class of infections in mind, particularly when the presentation does not appear classic for more commonly seen conditions. This article discusses presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common of these arthropod-borne bacterial diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick-borne relapsing fever, typhus, plague, cat-scratch disease, and Carrión disease.

Effects of rainbow trout fry of a metals-contaminated diet of benthic invertebrates from the Clark Fork River, Montana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woodward, D.F.; Brumbaugh, W.G.; DeLonay, A.J.

1994-01-01

The upper Clark Fork River in northwestern Montana has received mining wastes from the Butte and Anaconda areas since 1880. These wastes have contaminated areas of the river bed and floodplain with tailings and heavy metal sludge, resulting in elevated concentration of metals in surface water, sediments, and biota. Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were exposed immediately after hatching for 91 d to cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in water at concentrations simulating those in Clark Fork River. From exogenous feeding (21 d posthatch) through 91 d, fry were also fed benthic invertebrates from the Clark Fork River that contained elevatedmore » concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, and lead. Evaluations of different combinations of diet and water exposure indicated diet-borne metals were more important than water-borne metals - at the concentrations we tested - in reducing survival and growth of rainbow trout. Whole-body metal concentrations ([mu]g/g, wet weight) at 91 d in fish fed Clark Fork invertebrates without exposure to Clark Fork water were arsenic, 1.4; cadmium, 0.16; and copper, 6.7. These were similar to concentrations found in Clark Fork River fishes. Livers from fish on the high-metals diets exhibited degenerative changes and generally lacked glycogen vacuolation. Indigenous Clark Fork River invertebrates provide a concentrated source of metals for accumulation into young fishes, and probably were the cause of decreased survival and growth of age-0 rainbow trout in our laboratory exposures. 30 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.« less

A differential equation for the Generalized Born radii.

PubMed

Fogolari, Federico; Corazza, Alessandra; Esposito, Gennaro

2013-06-28

The Generalized Born (GB) model offers a convenient way of representing electrostatics in complex macromolecules like proteins or nucleic acids. The computation of atomic GB radii is currently performed by different non-local approaches involving volume or surface integrals. Here we obtain a non-linear second-order partial differential equation for the Generalized Born radius, which may be solved using local iterative algorithms. The equation is derived under the assumption that the usual GB approximation to the reaction field obeys Laplace's equation. The equation admits as particular solutions the correct GB radii for the sphere and the plane. The tests performed on a set of 55 different proteins show an overall agreement with other reference GB models and "perfect" Poisson-Boltzmann based values.

Effects of fluoridated drinking water on dental caries in Australian adults.

PubMed

Slade, G D; Sanders, A E; Do, L; Roberts-Thomson, K; Spencer, A J

2013-04-01

Systematic reviews produce conflicting conclusions regarding dental caries-preventive effects of water fluoridation in adults. The authors investigated the relationship using data from the nationally representative 2004-2006 Australian National Survey of Adult Oral Health. Effects were compared between the pre-fluoridation cohort born before 1960 (n = 2,270) and the cohort born between 1960 and 1990 (n = 1,509), when widespread implementation of fluoridation increased population coverage from < 1% to 67%. Residential history questionnaires determined the percentage of each person's lifetime exposed to fluoridated water. Examiners recorded decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF-Teeth) and decayed and filled tooth surfaces (DF-Surfaces). Socio-demographic and preventive dental behaviors were included in multivariable least-squares regression models adjusted for potential confounding. In fully adjusted models, > 75% of lifetime exposure to fluoridation relative to < 25% of lifetime exposure was associated with 11% and 10% fewer DMF-Teeth in the pre-1960 (p < .0001) and 1960-1990 cohorts (p = .018), respectively. Corresponding reductions in DF-Surfaces were 30% (p < .001) and 21% (p < .001). Findings for intermediate fluoridation exposure suggested a dose-response relationship. Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses accounting for missing data. In this nationally representative sample of Australian adults, caries-preventive effects of water fluoridation were at least as great in adults born before widespread implementation of fluoridation as after widespread implementation of fluoridation.

Water quality functions of riparian forest buffers in Chesapeake bay watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowrance, R.; Altier, L.S.; Newbold, J.D.; Schnabel, R.R.; Groffman, P.M.; Denver, J.M.; Correll, D.L.; Gilliam, J.W.; Robinson, J.L.; Brinsfield, R.B.; Staver, K.W.; Lucas, W.; Todd, A.H.

1997-01-01

Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, USA, have agreed to reduce nutrient loadings to Chesapeake Bay by 40% by the year 2000. This requires control of nonpoint sources of nutrients much of which comes from agriculture. Riparian forest buffer systems (RFBS) provide effective control of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in some types of agricultural watersheds. Control of NPS pollution is dependent on the type of pollutant and the hydrologic connection between pollution sources, the RFBS, and the stream. Water quality improvements are most likely in areas of where most of the excess precipitation moves across, in, or near the root zone of the RFBS. In areas such as the Inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont watersheds with thin soils RFBS should retain 50%-90% of the total loading of nitrate in shallow groundwater sediment in surface runoff and total N in born surface runoff and groundwater. Retention of phosphorus is generally much less. In regions with deeper soils and/or greater regional groundwater recharge (such as parts of the Piedmont and the Valley and Ridge), RFBS water quality improvements are probably much less. The expected levels of pollutant control by RFBS are identified for each of nine physiographic provinces of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Issues related to of establishment sustainability, and management are also discussed.

Birth Order and Vocational Preference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Robert M.; Lynch, Janet

1980-01-01

The relationship between vocational preferences of adolescents and their birth order was examined. Firstborns were found to be overrepresented in the conventional and enterprising areas; later borns were found to be overrepresented in the social and investigative areas. (Author/GK)

A geographical information system-based multicriteria evaluation to map areas at risk for Rift Valley fever vector-borne transmission in Italy.

PubMed

Tran, A; Ippoliti, C; Balenghien, T; Conte, A; Gely, M; Calistri, P; Goffredo, M; Baldet, T; Chevalier, V

2013-11-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a severe mosquito-borne disease that is caused by a Phlebovirus (Bunyaviridae) and affects domestic ruminants and humans. Recently, its distribution widened, threatening Europe. The probability of the introduction and large-scale spread of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in Europe is low, but localized RVF outbreaks may occur in areas where populations of ruminants and potential vectors are present. In this study, we assumed the introduction of the virus into Italy and focused on the risk of vector-borne transmission of RVFV to three main European potential hosts (cattle, sheep and goats). Five main potential mosquito vectors belonging to the Culex and Aedes genera that are present in Italy were identified in a literature review. We first modelled the geographical distribution of these five species based on expert knowledge and using land cover as a proxy of mosquito presence. The mosquito distribution maps were compared with field mosquito collections from Italy to validate the model. Next, the risk of RVFV transmission was modelled using a multicriteria evaluation (MCE) approach, integrating expert knowledge and the results of a literature review on host sensitivity and vector competence, feeding behaviour and abundance. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the robustness of the results with respect to expert choices. The resulting maps include (i) five maps of the vector distribution, (ii) a map of suitable areas for vector-borne transmission of RVFV and (iii) a map of the risk of RVFV vector-borne transmission to sensitive hosts given a viral introduction. Good agreement was found between the modelled presence probability and the observed presence or absence of each vector species. The resulting RVF risk map highlighted strong spatial heterogeneity and could be used to target surveillance. In conclusion, the geographical information system (GIS)-based MCE served as a valuable framework and a flexible tool for mapping the areas at risk of a pathogen that is currently absent from a region. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Sensitivity of Pseudomonas fluorescens to gamma irradiation following surface inoculations on romaine lettuce and baby spinach

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Irradiation of fresh fruits and vegetables is a post-harvest intervention measure often used to inactivate pathogenic food-borne microbes. We evaluated the sensitivity of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains (2-79, Q8R1, Q287) to gamma irradiation following surface inoculations on romaine lettuce and spi...

Transcriptomic analysis of swarm motility phenotype of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mutant defective in periplasmic glucan synthesis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Movement of food-borne pathogens on moist surfaces enables them to migrate towards more favorable niches and facilitate their survival for extended periods of time. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mutants defective in OPG synthesis are unable to exhibit motility on moist surfaces (swarming) ...

Next generation extended Lagrangian first principles molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niklasson, Anders M. N.

2017-08-01

Extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics [A. M. N. Niklasson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 123004 (2008)] is formulated for general Hohenberg-Kohn density-functional theory and compared with the extended Lagrangian framework of first principles molecular dynamics by Car and Parrinello [Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 2471 (1985)]. It is shown how extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics overcomes several shortcomings of regular, direct Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, while improving or maintaining important features of Car-Parrinello simulations. The accuracy of the electronic degrees of freedom in extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, with respect to the exact Born-Oppenheimer solution, is of second-order in the size of the integration time step and of fourth order in the potential energy surface. Improved stability over recent formulations of extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics is achieved by generalizing the theory to finite temperature ensembles, using fractional occupation numbers in the calculation of the inner-product kernel of the extended harmonic oscillator that appears as a preconditioner in the electronic equations of motion. Material systems that normally exhibit slow self-consistent field convergence can be simulated using integration time steps of the same order as in direct Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, but without the requirement of an iterative, non-linear electronic ground-state optimization prior to the force evaluations and without a systematic drift in the total energy. In combination with proposed low-rank and on the fly updates of the kernel, this formulation provides an efficient and general framework for quantum-based Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations.

Next generation extended Lagrangian first principles molecular dynamics.

PubMed

Niklasson, Anders M N

2017-08-07

Extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics [A. M. N. Niklasson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 123004 (2008)] is formulated for general Hohenberg-Kohn density-functional theory and compared with the extended Lagrangian framework of first principles molecular dynamics by Car and Parrinello [Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 2471 (1985)]. It is shown how extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics overcomes several shortcomings of regular, direct Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, while improving or maintaining important features of Car-Parrinello simulations. The accuracy of the electronic degrees of freedom in extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, with respect to the exact Born-Oppenheimer solution, is of second-order in the size of the integration time step and of fourth order in the potential energy surface. Improved stability over recent formulations of extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics is achieved by generalizing the theory to finite temperature ensembles, using fractional occupation numbers in the calculation of the inner-product kernel of the extended harmonic oscillator that appears as a preconditioner in the electronic equations of motion. Material systems that normally exhibit slow self-consistent field convergence can be simulated using integration time steps of the same order as in direct Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, but without the requirement of an iterative, non-linear electronic ground-state optimization prior to the force evaluations and without a systematic drift in the total energy. In combination with proposed low-rank and on the fly updates of the kernel, this formulation provides an efficient and general framework for quantum-based Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations.

Relation Between Lightning Activity of Summer and Winter Thunderclouds and Surface Electric Field Variation, Japan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michimoto, K.; Shimura, T.; Suzuki, T.

1999-01-01

In winter, active convective clouds frequently form along the coastline of the Hokuriku district, in association with strong advection of Siberian air masses over the Sea of Japan. On the other hand, in summer, many thunderclouds form in the Kanto region in the afternoon every day. Summer and winter thunderclouds were investigated by field works, operation of the C- and X-band weather radars and a car-borne fieldmill. The investigation found a very close relation between the temporal variation of 3-dimensional radar echo and surface electric field magnitude detected by a car-borne fieldmill in the case of summer thunderclouds and winter convective clouds or thunderclouds. The study probed the close relation among radar echoes, quantity of thunderclouds and surface electric field magnitude in the summer and winter seasons. We think that summer thundercloud activity can basically be equated with winter thundercloud lightning activity, except that the magnitude of surface electric field under summer thunderclouds in the case of the Kanto region cannot be equated with that under winter thunderclouds in the case of the Hokuriku district in winter.

Background migration: the Irish (and other strangers) in mid-Victorian Hertfordshire.

PubMed

Solar, Peter M; Smith, Malcolm T

2009-01-01

Relatively few Irish had settled in Hertfordshire by the time of the 1851 census. Those that did were older, more skilled, less residentially segregated, and more likely to be married to a local person than were the Irish-born in London and other large cities in Britain. The Irish-born in Hertfordshire were also less skilled and less intermarried than were county residents born in Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire. All of these migrant groups were very rare in rural areas of the county and very few of the migrants were involved in agriculture, despite the passage of large numbers of Irish harvesters through the county each year.

Association between brain activation (fMRI), cognition and school performance in extremely preterm and term born children.

PubMed

Griffiths, Silja Torvik; Aukland, Stein Magnus; Markestad, Trond; Eide, Geir Egil; Elgen, Irene; Craven, Alexander R; Hugdahl, Kenneth

2014-10-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate a possible association between brain activation in functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, cognition and school performance in extremely preterm children and term born controls. Twenty eight preterm and 28 term born children were scanned while performing a working memory/selective attention task, and school results from national standardized tests were collected. Brain activation maps reflected difference in cognitive skills but not in school performance. Differences in brain activation were found between children born preterm and at term, and between high and low performers in cognitive tests. However, the differences were located in different brain areas. The implication may be that lack of cognitive skills does not alone explain low performance due to prematurity. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in samples of raw milk taken randomly from cows, goats and sheep in eastern Poland.

PubMed

Cisak, Ewa; Wójcik-Fatla, Angelina; Zając, Violetta; Sroka, Jacek; Buczek, Alicja; Dutkiewicz, Jacek

2010-01-01

A total of 119 unpasteurized milk samples taken from 63 cows, 29 goats and 27 sheep bred on 8 farms situated on the territory of the Lublin province (eastern Poland), an area of risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), were examined for the presence of RNA of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) by the nested RT-PCR method. Milk samples were also tested for the presence of anti-TBEV antibodies by ELISA test. By RT-PCR, the greatest prevalence of TBE virus was found in the milk of sheep (22.2%), followed by milk of goats (20.7%) and cows (11.1%). By ELISA, the greatest prevalence of anti- TBEV antibodies was found also in the milk of sheep (14.8%), followed by milk of cows (3.2%) and goats (0%). The results suggest a potential risk of infection with TBEV by drinking raw milk on endemic areas of TBE, and indicate a need for milk pasteurization before consumption.

Wild birds and urban ecology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2005-2010.

PubMed

Hamer, Sarah A; Goldberg, Tony L; Kitron, Uriel D; Brawn, Jeffrey D; Anderson, Tavis K; Loss, Scott R; Walker, Edward D; Hamer, Gabriel L

2012-10-01

Bird-facilitated introduction of ticks and associated pathogens is postulated to promote invasion of tick-borne zoonotic diseases into urban areas. Results of a longitudinal study conducted in suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA, during 2005-2010 show that 1.6% of 6,180 wild birds captured in mist nets harbored ticks. Tick species in order of abundance were Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes dentatus, and I. scapularis, but 2 neotropical tick species of the genus Amblyomma were sampled during the spring migration. I. scapularis ticks were absent at the beginning of the study but constituted the majority of ticks by study end and were found predominantly on birds captured in areas designated as urban green spaces. Of 120 ticks, 5 were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, spanning 3 ribotypes, but none were infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Results allow inferences about propagule pressure for introduction of tick-borne diseases and emphasize the large sample sizes required to estimate this pressure.

Wild Birds and Urban Ecology of Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2005–2010

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Tony L.; Kitron, Uriel D.; Brawn, Jeffrey D.; Anderson, Tavis K.; Loss, Scott R.; Walker, Edward D.; Hamer, Gabriel L.

2012-01-01

Bird-facilitated introduction of ticks and associated pathogens is postulated to promote invasion of tick-borne zoonotic diseases into urban areas. Results of a longitudinal study conducted in suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA, during 2005–2010 show that 1.6% of 6,180 wild birds captured in mist nets harbored ticks. Tick species in order of abundance were Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes dentatus, and I. scapularis, but 2 neotropical tick species of the genus Amblyomma were sampled during the spring migration. I. scapularis ticks were absent at the beginning of the study but constituted the majority of ticks by study end and were found predominantly on birds captured in areas designated as urban green spaces. Of 120 ticks, 5 were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, spanning 3 ribotypes, but none were infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Results allow inferences about propagule pressure for introduction of tick-borne diseases and emphasize the large sample sizes required to estimate this pressure. PMID:23017244

NEIGHBORHOOD IMMIGRATION AND NATIVE OUT-MIGRATION

PubMed Central

Crowder, Kyle; Hall, Matthew; Tolnay, Stewart E.

2011-01-01

This study combines data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics with data from four censuses to examine the effects of foreign-born populations in the immediate neighborhood of residence and surrounding neighborhoods on the residential mobility decisions of native-born black and white householders. We find that the likelihood of out-mobility for native householders is significantly and positively associated with the relative size of, and increases in, the immigrant population in the neighborhood. Consistent with theoretical arguments related to the distance dependence of mobility, large concentrations of immigrants in surrounding areas reduce native out-mobility, presumably by reducing the attractiveness of the most likely mobility destinations. A sizable share of local immigration effects can be explained by the mobility-related characteristics of native-born individuals living in immigrant-populated areas, but the racial composition of the neighborhood (for native whites) and local housing market conditions (for native blacks) also are important mediating factors. The implications of these patterns for processes of neighborhood change and broader patterns of residential segregation are discussed. PMID:21731082

Seasonal dynamics of surface chlorophyll concentration and sea surface temperature, as indicator of hydrological structure of the ocean (by satellite data)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shevyrnogov, Anatoly; Vysotskaya, Galina

Continuous monitoring of phytopigment concentrations and sea surface temperature in the ocean by space-borne methods makes possible to estimate ecological condition of biocenoses in critical areas. Unlike land vegetation, hydrological processes largely determine phytoplank-ton dynamics, which may be either recurrent or random. The types of chlorophyll concentration dynamics and sea surface temperature can manifest as zones quasistationary by seasonal dynamics, quasistationary areas (QSA). In the papers of the authors (A. Shevyrnogov, G. Vysotskaya, E. Shevyrnogov, A study of the stationary and the anomalous in the ocean surface chlorophyll distribution by satellite data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 25, No.7-8, pp. 1383-1387, April 2004 & A. P. Shevyrnogov, G. S. Vysotskaya, J. I. Gitelson, Quasistationary areas of chlorophyll concentra-tion in the world ocean as observed satellite data Advances in Space Research, Volume 18, Issue 7, Pages 129-132, 1996) existence of zones, which are quasi-stationary with similar seasonal dynamics of chlorophyll concentration at surface layer of ocean, was shown. Results were obtained on the base of processing of time series of satellite images SeaWiFS. It was shown that fronts and frontal zones coincide with dividing lines between quasi-stationary are-as, especially in areas of large oceanic streams. To study the dynamics of the ocean for the period from 1985 through 2012 we used data on the temperature of the surface layer of the ocean and chlorophyll concentration (AVHRR, SeaWiFS and MODIS). Biota of surface oceanic layer is more stable in comparison with quickly changing surface tem-perature. It gives a possibility to circumvent influence of high-frequency component (for exam-ple, a diurnal cycle) in investigation of dynamics of spatial distribution of surface streams. In addition, an analyses of nonstable ocean productivity phenomena, stood out time series of satellite images, showed existence of areas with different types of instability in the all Global ocean. They are observed as adjacent nonstationary zones of different size, which are associ-ated by different ways with known oceanic phenomena. It is evident that dynamics of a spatial distribution of biological productivity can give an additional knowledge of complicated picture of surface oceanic layer hydrology. In this study we demonstrate different origin of appearance of quasistationary zones in the ocean. We can see that the border between quasi¬stationary zones is an indicator of the front between the Labrador Current and Gulfstream, other example of revealed pheno¬menon is a qua-sistationary area around of the British Isles that correlates with the relief of the oceanic bottom. Considering that the QSA maps are calculated almost for all surface of the Global ocean, not all QSA can be explained especially of small size. Although some small QSA are interesting. Also local QSA near estuaries of large rivers and large industrial centers, that can be result of a human impact. In sum satellite data is a powerful instrument for investigation of dynamic oceanic processes, their stability and unstability. The result of such study can be used for monitoring of long-term changes and their correlation of with climate dynamics.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity and hepatitis B surface antigenemia (HBSAG) among blood donors in Benin city, Edo state, Nigeria.

PubMed

Umolu, Patience Idia; Okoror, Lawrence Ehis; Orhue, Philip

2005-03-01

Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis B virus are blood borne pathogens that can be transmitted through blood transfusion and could pose a huge problem in areas where mechanisms of ensuring blood safety are suspect. This study became necessary in a population where most of the blood for transfusion is from commercial blood donors. A total of 130 donors comprising 120 commercial donors and 10 voluntary donors were tested for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B surface antigen in Benin city using Immunocomb HIV - 1 and 2 Biospot kit and Quimica Clinica Aplicada direct latex agglutination method respectively. Thirteen (10%) samples were HIV seropositive and 7(5.8%) were HBsAg positive. The age bracket 18 - 25years had the highest numbers of donors and also had the highest number of HBsAg positive cases (7.8%) while the age group 29 - 38years had highest number of HIV seropositive cases. High prevalence of HIV antibodies and Hepatitis B surface antigen was found among commercial blood donors. Appropriate and compulsory screening of blood donors using sensitive methods, must be ensured to prevent post transfusion hepatitis and HIV.

Soil water content spatial pattern estimated by thermal inertia from air-borne sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppola, Antonio; Basile, Angelo; Esposito, Marco; Menenti, Massimo; Buonanno, Maurizio

2010-05-01

Remote sensing of soil water content from air- or space-borne platforms offer the possibility to provide large spatial coverage and temporal continuity. The water content can be actually monitored in a thin soil layer, usually up to a depth of 0.05m below the soil surface. To the contrary, difficulties arise in the estimation of the water content storage along the soil profile and its spatial (horizontal) distribution, which are closely connected to soil hydraulic properties and their spatial distribution. A promising approach for estimating soil water contents profiles is the integration of remote sensing of surface water content and hydrological modeling. A major goal of the scientific group is to develop a practical and robust procedure for estimating water contents throughout the soil profile from surface water content. As a first step, in this work, we will show some preliminary results from aircraft images analysis and their validation by field campaigns data. The data extracted from the airborne sensors provided the opportunity of retrieving land surface temperatures with a very high spatial resolution. The surface water content pattern, as deduced by the thermal inertia estimations, was compared to the surface water contents maps measured in situ by time domain reflectometry-based probes.

Effects of Nativity, Length of Residence, and County-Level Foreign-Born Density on Mental Health Among Older Adults in the U.S

PubMed Central

Choi, Sunha; Kim, Giyeon

2016-01-01

Using the 2004–2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data that are linked to county-level data from the Area Health Resources Files, this study examined whether the healthy immigrant effect applies to mental health of foreign-born older adults. Additionally, testing a protective ethnic density effect on older foreign-born individuals’ mental health, this study examined how the percentage of foreign-born population in the county affected the relationship between older adults’ immigration status (U.S.-nativity and length of residence in the U.S.) and their mental health status. The sample included 29,011 individuals (level-1) from 920 counties (level-2) across 50 states and D.C. Using the Mental Component Summary of the Short-Form 12, the Kessler Index (K-6), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), U.S.-born individuals (n = 24,225), earlier immigrants (≥15 years in the U.S.; n = 3866), and recent immigrants (<15 years in the U.S.; n = 920) were compared. The results indicate that recent immigrants showed worse mental health on all three measures compared with U.S.-born individuals and on the K-6 and PHQ-2 compared with earlier immigrants. Higher county-level foreign-born densities were associated with worse mental health status of individuals. However, the significant interactions found in the full conditional multilevel models indicated that the high foreign-born density functioned as a risk factor for worse mental health only among recent immigrants but not among the U.S.-born. In conclusion, the results revealed the vulnerability of older recent immigrants, especially those living in the counties with high foreign-born densities. PMID:26910461

Effects of Nativity, Length of Residence, and County-Level Foreign-Born Density on Mental Health Among Older Adults in the U.S.

PubMed

Choi, Sunha; Kim, Giyeon; Lee, Sungkyu

2016-12-01

Using the 2004-2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data that are linked to county-level data from the Area Health Resources Files, this study examined whether the healthy immigrant effect applies to mental health of foreign-born older adults. Additionally, testing a protective ethnic density effect on older foreign-born individuals' mental health, this study examined how the percentage of foreign-born population in the county affected the relationship between older adults' immigration status (U.S.-nativity and length of residence in the U.S.) and their mental health status. The sample included 29,011 individuals (level-1) from 920 counties (level-2) across 50 states and D.C. Using the Mental Component Summary of the Short-Form 12, the Kessler Index (K-6), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), U.S.-born individuals (n = 24,225), earlier immigrants (≥15 years in the U.S.; n = 3866), and recent immigrants (<15 years in the U.S.; n = 920) were compared. The results indicate that recent immigrants showed worse mental health on all three measures compared with U.S.-born individuals and on the K-6 and PHQ-2 compared with earlier immigrants. Higher county-level foreign-born densities were associated with worse mental health status of individuals. However, the significant interactions found in the full conditional multilevel models indicated that the high foreign-born density functioned as a risk factor for worse mental health only among recent immigrants but not among the U.S.-born. In conclusion, the results revealed the vulnerability of older recent immigrants, especially those living in the counties with high foreign-born densities.

Effects of tick control by acaricide self-treatement of white-tailed deer on host-seeking tick infection prevalence and entomologic risk for Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We evaluated the effects of tick control by acaricide self-treatment of white-tailed deer on the infection prevalence and entomologic risk for three I. scapularis-borne bacteria in host-seeking ticks. Ticks were collected from vegetation in areas treated with the ‘4-Poster’ device and from control a...

An experimental study of microwave scattering from rain- and wind-roughened seas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bliven, L. F.; Giovanangeli, J.-P.

1993-01-01

This paper investigates radar cross-section (RCS) characteristics of rain- and wind-roughened sea-surfaces. We conducted experiments in laboratory wind-wave tanks using artificial rain. The study includes light rain rates, light wind speeds, and combinations of these. A 36 Ghz scatterometer was operated at 30 deg incidence angle and with vertical polarization. RCS data were obtained not only with the scatterometer pointing up-wind but also as a function of azimuthal angle. We use a scatterometer rain and wind model SRWM-1, which relates the total average RCS in storms to the sum of the average RCS due to rain plus the average RCS due to wind. Implications of the study for operational monitoring of wind in rainy oceanic areas by satellite-borne instruments is discussed.

Babesia canis and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) co-infection in a sled dog.

PubMed

Bajer, Anna; Rodo, Anna; Bednarska, Malgorzata; Mierzejewska, Ewa; Welc-Falęciak, Renata

2013-01-01

Sporting dogs, including sled dogs, are particularly prone to tick-borne infection either due to training/racing in forest areas or through visits to endemic areas. The aim was to present tick-borne infections in a 6-dog racing team after a race in Estonia. On the 4th day after return to Poland, the first dog presented with babesiosis symptoms and was diagnosed and treated accordingly. Next morning, the dog showed neurological symptoms and was diagnosed with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Diagnosis was confirmed by a high level of IgG antibodies (922 IU/ml), detected in serum 3 months later. The second dog presented with babesiosis symptoms on the 7th day after return. Babesia DNA was extracted from blood, amplified and sequenced to answer the question of whether the dogs became infected during the race in Estonia or in Poland. Sequencing of a fragment of Babesia 18S rDNA revealed that these two isolates were identical to one another and closely related to the B. canis sequence originally isolated from the dog and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in Poland. Thus, this is the first confirmed case of B.canis and TBEV co-infection and first confirmed case of TBE in a dog in Poland.

Temporal Data Fusion Approaches to Remote Sensing-Based Wetland Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, Joshua S. M.

This thesis investigates the ecology of wetlands and associated classification in prairie and boreal environments of Alberta, Canada, using remote sensing technology to enhance classification of wetlands in the province. Objectives of the thesis are divided into two case studies, 1) examining how satellite borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), optical (RapidEye & SPOT) can be used to evaluate surface water trends in a prairie pothole environment (Shepard Slough); and 2) investigating a data fusion methodology combining SAR, optical and Lidar data to characterize wetland vegetation and surface water attributes in a boreal environment (Utikuma Regional Study Area (URSA)). Surface water extent and hydroperiod products were derived from SAR data, and validated using optical imagery with high accuracies (76-97% overall) for both case studies. High resolution Lidar Digital Elevation Models (DEM), Digital Surface Models (DSM), and Canopy Height Model (CHM) products provided the means for data fusion to extract riparian vegetation communities and surface water; producing model accuracies of (R2 0.90) for URSA, and RMSE of 0.2m to 0.7m at Shepard Slough when compared to field and optical validation data. Integration of Alberta and Canadian wetland classifications systems used to classify and determine economic value of wetlands into the methodology produced thematic maps relevant for policy and decision makers for potential wetland monitoring and policy development.

Economic effects of immigrants on native and foreign-born workers: complementarity, substitutability, and other channels of influence.

PubMed

Greenwood, M J; Hunt, G L

1995-04-01

The authors use Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) data constructed from 1980 census microdata files and other sources to estimate a structural model of native/foreign-born labor demand and labor supply which distinguishes the effects upon real wages of each type of labor and on the employment of natives. The authors specify, econometrically estimate, and simulate the structural model which incorporates not only a production structure channel through which immigrants influence area real wages and employment, but also demand and native labor supply channels. It is noted that while these are not the only channels through which immigrants may affect native workers, the model nonetheless constitutes a step in the direction of a general equilibrium approach. In the production structure channel, immigrants and natives are found to be substitutes in production. Immigration lowers foreign-born wage rates and leads to lower wages for natives. The negative effects of the production channel usually are ameliorated through the demand channel. Further, immigrants add to local demand through their earnings and potentially through non-labor income, while also lowering unit costs and local prices which enhances real incomes and potentially net exports, and thus the demands for local output and area labor. The author discusses findings of interest from the simulation results based upon an analysis of all areas.

Seasonal Response and Characterization of a Scree Slope and Active Debris Flow Catchment Using Multiple Geophysical Techniques: The case of the Meretschibach Catchment, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fankhauser, Kerstin; Guzman, Daisy R. Lucas; Oggier, Nicole; Maurer, Hansruedi; Springman, Sarah M.

2015-04-01

Various types of mass movements cause extensive natural hazards in populated mountain regions. They need to be quantified, and possibly predicted, for implementing effective mitigation and protection measures. The Meretschibach catchment in the Valais area, Switzerland, is a source region for such events. Various forms of instabilities occur on the steep slopes. They manifest themselves in form of smaller rock falls and rock slides on the open scree slopes. Moreover, large sediment volumes of channelized stream deposits can evolve into debris flows, with a substantial run-out along the Meretschibach. Geophysical methods, such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) have been proven to be powerful tools for characterizing mass movements and slope instabilities. They complement other remote sensing techniques and in-situ geotechnical experiments. Ground-based and helicopter-borne GPR measurements were carried out at the Meretschibach test site, to determine the depth to the bedrock. The results indicate that the bedrock is generally shallow, ranging from a few centimetres to about 5 metres vertically below the surface. A particularly interesting aspect of the GPR investigations was the observation that bedrock depth could be resolved by both, ground-based and helicopter-borne GPR data. Ground-based GPR surveying proved to be extremely challenging on the steep slopes, and some areas were even inaccessible due to safety concerns. It is therefore encouraging for future projects that helicopter-borne GPR acquisition offers a promising alternative. The spatial distribution of the soil moisture content and the temporal variations were determined with repeated ERT measurements. The resulting tomograms allowed a conductive soil layer and more resistive bedrock to be distinguished clearly. The ERT results were in good agreement with in-situ geotechnical measurements in a nearby test pit, and the depth of the soil-bedrock interface was broadly consistent with the GPR results. A comparison of tomograms obtained during the relatively dry month of June 2014, with those acquired after heavy rainfall in July 2014, showed significant changes of the shallow subsurface resistivities. These changes could be attributed in a quantitative fashion to variations of the soil water Saturation.

The Use of Solar Heating and Heat Cured Polymers for Lunar Surface Stabilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hintze, Paul; Curran, Jerry; Back, Reddy

2008-01-01

Dust ejecta can affect visibility during a lunar landing, erode nearby coated surfaces and get into mechanical assemblies of in-place infrastructure. Regolith erosion was observed at many of the Apollo landing sites. This problem needs to be addressed at the beginning of the lunar base missions, as the amount of infrastructure susceptible to problems will increase with each landing. Protecting infrastructure from dust and debris is a crucial step in its long term functionality. A proposed way to mitigate these hazards is to build a lunar launch pad. Other areas of a lunar habitat will also need surface stabilization methods to help mitigate dust hazards. Roads would prevent dust from being lifted during movement and dust free zones might be required for certain areas critical to crew safety or to critical science missions. Work at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is investigating methods of stabilizing the lunar regolith including: sintering the regolith into a solid and using heat or UV cured polymers to stabilize the surface. Sintering, a method in which powders are heated until fusing into solids, has been proposed as one way of building a Lunar launch/landing pad. A solar concentrator has been built and used in the field to sinter JSC-1 Lunar stimulant. Polymer palliatives are used by the military to build helicopter landing pads and roads in dusty and sandy areas. Those polymers are dispersed in a solvent (water), making them unsuitable for lunar use. Commercially available, solvent free, polymer powders are being investigated to determine their viability to work in the same way as the solvent borne terrestrial analog. This presentation will describe the ongoing work at KSC in this field. Results from field testing will be presented. Physical testing results, including compression and abrasion, of field and laboratory prepared samples will be presented.

Hematological Changes Associated with Theileria orientalis Infection in Korean Indigenous Cattle

PubMed Central

Kim, Suhee; Yu, Do-Hyeon; Kang, Sung-Woo; Chae, Jeong-Byoung; Choi, Kyoung-Seong; Kim, Hyeon-Cheol; Park, Bae-Keun; Chae, Joon-Seok; Park, Jinho

2017-01-01

Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P<0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P<0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P<0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P<0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection. PMID:29103263

Does rural or urban residence make a difference to neonatal outcome in premature birth? A regional study in Australia.

PubMed

Abdel-Latif, M E; Bajuk, B; Oei, J; Vincent, T; Sutton, L; Lui, K

2006-07-01

Patients living in rural areas may be at a disadvantage in accessing tertiary health care. To test the hypothesis that very premature infants born to mothers residing in rural areas have poorer outcomes than those residing in urban areas in the state of New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) despite a coordinated referral and transport system. "Rural" or "urban" status was based on the location of maternal residence. Perinatal characteristics, major morbidity and case mix adjusted mortality were compared between 1879 rural and 6775 urban infants <32 weeks gestational age, born in 1992-2002 and admitted to all 10 neonatal intensive care units in NSW and ACT. Rural mothers were more likely to be teenaged, indigenous, and to have had a previous premature birth, prolonged ruptured membrane, and antenatal corticosteroid. Urban mothers were more likely to have had assisted conception and a caesarean section. More urban (93% v 83%) infants were born in a tertiary obstetric hospital. Infants of rural residence had a higher mortality (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 1.48, p = 0.005). This trend was consistently seen in all subgroups and significantly for the tertiary hospital born population and the 30-31 weeks gestation subgroup. Regional birth data in this gestational age range also showed a higher stillbirth rate among rural infants (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.32, p<0.001). Premature births from rural mothers have a higher risk of stillbirth and mortality in neonatal intensive care than urban infants.

Hematological Changes Associated with Theileria orientalis Infection in Korean Indigenous Cattle.

PubMed

Kim, Suhee; Yu, Do-Hyeon; Kang, Sung-Woo; Chae, Jeong-Byoung; Choi, Kyoung-Seong; Kim, Hyeon-Cheol; Park, Bae-Keun; Chae, Joon-Seok; Park, Jinho

2017-10-01

Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P<0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P<0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P<0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P<0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection.

Neighbourhood socioeconomic status and maternal factors at birth as moderators of the association between birth characteristics and school attainment: a population study of children attending government schools in Western Australia.

PubMed

Malacova, E; Li, J; Blair, E; Mattes, E; de Klerk, N; Stanley, F

2009-10-01

This article investigates whether reading and writing skills among children of equivalent perinatal characteristics differ by neighbourhood socioeconomic status and maternal factors. Notifications of births for all non-Aboriginal singletons born in 1990-7 in Western Australia subsequently attending government primary schools were linked to the State literacy tests in grade three and with information on socioeconomic status of the school and the residential area. Using multilevel modelling, the associations between birth characteristics (gestational age, intrauterine growth, birth order and Apgar score at 5 minutes) and literacy attainment in grade three were examined in models that included socioeconomic and demographic factors of the child, mother and community. Higher percentages of optimal head circumference and birth length and term birth were positively and independently associated with literacy scores. A higher percentage of optimal birth weight was associated with higher reading scores especially for children born to mothers residing in educationally advantaged areas. First birth was positively associated with reading and writing attainment: this association was stronger for children born to single mothers and additional advantage in writing was also associated with first birth in children living in disadvantaged areas. These findings suggest that having suboptimal growth in utero or an older sibling at birth increases vulnerability to poor literacy attainment especially among children born to single mothers or those in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. These data provide evidence for advocating lifestyles compatible with optimum fetal growth and socioeconomic conditions conducive to healthy lifestyles, particularly during pregnancy.

Non-adiabatic effects in thermochemistry, spectroscopy and kinetics: the general importance of all three Born-Oppenheimer breakdown corrections.

PubMed

Reimers, Jeffrey R; McKemmish, Laura K; McKenzie, Ross H; Hush, Noel S

2015-10-14

Using a simple model Hamiltonian, the three correction terms for Born-Oppenheimer (BO) breakdown, the adiabatic diagonal correction (DC), the first-derivative momentum non-adiabatic correction (FD), and the second-derivative kinetic-energy non-adiabatic correction (SD), are shown to all contribute to thermodynamic and spectroscopic properties as well as to thermal non-diabatic chemical reaction rates. While DC often accounts for >80% of thermodynamic and spectroscopic property changes, the commonly used practice of including only the FD correction in kinetics calculations is rarely found to be adequate. For electron-transfer reactions not in the inverted region, the common physical picture that diabatic processes occur because of surface hopping at the transition state is proven inadequate as the DC acts first to block access, increasing the transition state energy by (ℏω)(2)λ/16J(2) (where λ is the reorganization energy, J the electronic coupling and ω the vibration frequency). However, the rate constant in the weakly-coupled Golden-Rule limit is identified as being only inversely proportional to this change rather than exponentially damped, owing to the effects of tunneling and surface hopping. Such weakly-coupled long-range electron-transfer processes should therefore not be described as "non-adiabatic" processes as they are easily described by Born-Huang ground-state adiabatic surfaces made by adding the DC to the BO surfaces; instead, they should be called just "non-Born-Oppenheimer" processes. The model system studied consists of two diabatic harmonic potential-energy surfaces coupled linearly through a single vibration, the "two-site Holstein model". Analytical expressions are derived for the BO breakdown terms, and the model is solved over a large parameter space focusing on both the lowest-energy spectroscopic transitions and the quantum dynamics of coherent-state wavepackets. BO breakdown is investigated pertinent to: ammonia inversion, aromaticity in benzene, the Creutz-Taube ion, the bacterial photosynthetic reaction centre, BNB, the molecular conductor Alq3, and inverted-region charge recombination in a ferrocene-porphyrin-fullerene triad photosynthetic model compound. Throughout, the fundamental nature of BO breakdown is linked to the properties of the cusp catastrophe: the cusp diameter is shown to determine the magnitudes of all couplings, numerical basis-set and trajectory-integration requirements, and to determine the transmission coefficient κ used to understand deviations from transition-state theory.

Combined observations of Arctic sea ice with near-coincident colocated X-band, C-band, and L-band SAR satellite remote sensing and helicopter-borne measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansson, A. M.; King, J. A.; Doulgeris, A. P.; Gerland, S.; Singha, S.; Spreen, G.; Busche, T.

2017-01-01

In this study, we compare colocated near-coincident X-, C-, and L-band fully polarimetry SAR satellite images with helicopter-borne ice thickness measurements acquired during the Norwegian Young sea ICE 2015 (N-ICE2015) expedition in the region of the Arctic Ocean north of Svalbard in April 2015. The air-borne surveys provide near-coincident snow plus ice thickness, surface roughness data, and photographs. This unique data set allows us to investigate how the different frequencies can complement one another for sea ice studies, but also to raise awareness of limitations. X-band and L-band satellite scenes were shown to be a useful complement to the standard SAR frequency for sea ice monitoring (C-band) for lead ice and newly formed sea ice identification. This may be in part be due to the frequency but also the high spatial resolution of these sensors. We found a relatively low correlation between snow plus ice thickness and surface roughness. Therefore, in our dataset ice thickness cannot directly be observed by SAR which has important implications for operational ice charting based on automatic segmentation.

Recent Weather Extremes and Impacts on Agricultural Production and Vector-Borne Disease Outbreak Patterns

PubMed Central

Anyamba, Assaf; Small, Jennifer L.; Britch, Seth C.; Tucker, Compton J.; Pak, Edwin W.; Reynolds, Curt A.; Crutchfield, James; Linthicum, Kenneth J.

2014-01-01

We document significant worldwide weather anomalies that affected agriculture and vector-borne disease outbreaks during the 2010–2012 period. We utilized 2000–2012 vegetation index and land surface temperature data from NASA's satellite-based Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to map the magnitude and extent of these anomalies for diverse regions including the continental United States, Russia, East Africa, Southern Africa, and Australia. We demonstrate that shifts in temperature and/or precipitation have significant impacts on vegetation patterns with attendant consequences for agriculture and public health. Weather extremes resulted in excessive rainfall and flooding as well as severe drought, which caused ∼10 to 80% variation in major agricultural commodity production (including wheat, corn, cotton, sorghum) and created exceptional conditions for extensive mosquito-borne disease outbreaks of dengue, Rift Valley fever, Murray Valley encephalitis, and West Nile virus disease. Analysis of MODIS data provided a standardized method for quantifying the extreme weather anomalies observed during this period. Assessments of land surface conditions from satellite-based systems such as MODIS can be a valuable tool in national, regional, and global weather impact determinations. PMID:24658301

Noise test-corrugated rails Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority : letter report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-12-31

Noise and ground-borne vibration level measurements were made on a section of the Huntington subway route of the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA). Measurements were made before, in between, and after a WMATA sponsored rail grind...

Combined active and passive microwave remote sensing of soil moisture for vegetated surfaces at L-band

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The distorted Born approximation (DBA) combined with the numerical solutions of Maxwell equations (NMM3D) has been used for the radar backscattering model for the SMAP mission. The models for vegetated surfaces such as wheat, grass, soybean and corn have been validated with the Soil Moisture Active ...

Culinary delights and travel? A review of zoonotic cestodiases and metacestodiases.

PubMed

Ito, Akira; Budke, Christine M

2014-01-01

Due to increased globalization, food-borne parasitic infections are becoming more prevalent worldwide, including in countries where these parasites and parasitic diseases had previously been well controlled or eradicated. Improved sanitation, health education, and establishment of appropriate food safety mechanisms can go a long way towards the control of many these infections. However, food-borne parasitic infections are still common diseases in developing countries, especially in rural areas. As many of today's travelers are looking to explore more distant locations and partake in the local cuisine, they may be at greater risk of acquiring a food-borne parasitic infection, including those caused by a number of adult and larval tapeworms. This review discusses fish and meat-borne tapeworms and zoonotic metacestodiases of public health importance to both developing and developed countries, with a focus on infection prevention in travelers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies Used by Foreign-Born Family Therapists to Connect Across Cultural Differences: A Thematic Analysis.

PubMed

Niño, Alba; Kissil, Karni; Davey, Maureen P

2016-01-01

With the growing diversity in the United States among both clinicians and clients, many therapeutic encounters are cross-cultural, requiring providers to connect across cultural differences. Foreign-born therapists have many areas of differences to work through. Thus, exploring how foreign-born family therapists in the United States connect to their clients can uncover helpful strategies that all therapists can use to establish stronger cross-cultural therapeutic connections. A thematic analysis was conducted to understand strategies 13 foreign-born therapists used during therapeutic encounters. Four themes were identified: making therapy a human-to-human connection, dealing with stereotypes, what really matters, and flexibility. Findings suggest that developing a deep therapeutic connection using emotional attunement and human-to-human engagement is crucial for successful cross-cultural therapy. Clinical and training implications are provided. © 2015 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Effect of vegetated filter strips on transport and deposition rates of Escherichia coli in overland flow in the eastern escarpments of the Mau Forest, Njoro River Watershed, Kenya

PubMed Central

Onyando, J. O.; Moturi, W. N.; Muia, A. W.; Ombui, P.; Shivoga, W. A.; Roegner, A. F.

2016-01-01

The fate and transport of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in lotic waters through vegetated filter strips (VFSs) was evaluated in a field model pasture, utilizing VFSMOD Windows along with direct pathogen testing. This study assessed effects of VFS on transport and deposition rates of E. coli in lotic overland flow waters. The VFS measured 44 m long by 40 m wide, covering an area of 1584 m2 and land slope of 15 %. Cowpat was applied onto the model pasture and washed by overland flow into the VFS. The 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glucuronide substrate confirmed the identity of E. coli prior to cowpat application and after isolating them from soil using centrifugation and membrane filtration techniques. Napier grass root system recorded the highest recovery rates of E. coli at 99.9 % along the length of VFS III. This efficiency reduced significantly (p < 0.05; df = 29) to 95 % in Kikuyu grass and 75 % in Couch grass–Buffer grass. The data demonstrated similarity in transport of manure-borne E. coli and organic carbon (OC) through all the simulated VFS. These results indicated that OC could be used as a true natural tracer of manure-borne E. coli, a pollution indicator organism of lentic and lotic surface waters provided the OC release kinetics from cowpat were similar to that of E. coli kinetics. Thus, efficient filtering to reduce E. coli concentrations and load in overland flows requires managing combined grass species, agro-pastoral systems models and dispersed or preferential flows to enhance surface water quality standards. PMID:28393102

Characterization of a commercialized SERS-active substrate and its application to the identification of intact Bacillus endospores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Troy A.; Le, Dianna M.

2007-06-01

Surface-enhanced-Raman-spectroscopy (SERS) can be made an attractive approach for the identification of Raman-active compounds and biological materials (i.e., toxins, viruses, or intact bacterial cells or spores) through development of reproducible, spatially uniform SERS-active substrates. Recently, reproducible (from substrate to substrate), spatially homogeneous (over large areas) SERS-active substrates have been commercialized and are now available in the marketplace. Scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution, tapping-mode atomic force microscopy have been used to analyze these novel plasmonic surfaces for topographical consistency. Additionally, we have assessed, by wavelength-tunable microreflectance spectrometry, the spatial distribution of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) across a single substrate surface as well as the LSPR λMAX variance from substrate to substrate. These analyses reveal that these surfaces are topologically uniform with small LSPR variance from substrate to substrate. Further, we have utilized these patterned surfaces to acquire SERS spectral signatures of four intact, genetically distinct Bacillus spore species cultivated under identical growth conditions. Salient spectral signature features make it possible to discriminate among these genetically distinct spores. Additionally, partial least squares, a multivariate calibration method, has been used to develop personal-computer-borne algorithms useful for classification of unknown spore samples based solely on SERS spectral signatures. To our knowledge, this is the first report detailing application of these commercially available SERS-active substrates to identification of intact Bacillus spores.

The effect of changes in agricultural practices on the density of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks.

PubMed

Mierzejewska, Ewa J; Alsarraf, Mohammed; Behnke, Jerzy M; Bajer, Anna

2015-07-30

The impact of agricultural practices/ activities on the environment has been falling in many areas of Europe due to the widespread exodus of inhabitants from rural areas. The associated abandonment of agricultural lands has enabled a wide range of wild animals to prosper in the countryside, including birds, ungulates and large carnivores. One consequence has been the increase in ticks and associated tick-borne diseases which now constitute a greater threat for public health than earlier. The aim of the present study was to compare tick densities in different habitats (pasture, meadow, fallow land, post-fire areas) to assess the impact of different agricultural practices on tick densities in vicinities close to human habitation. Between September 2011 and June 2014, 2985 Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were collected by conventional dragging, in the Mazowieckie (Mazovia) and Warmińsko-Mazurskie (Masuria) regions of Poland. In each region, 3 study sites were selected, each situated near surface water sources (i.e., ponds or canals). At each site, three neighboring habitats of surface area 150-600 m(2) were dragged: one on a cattle/horse pasture; the second on meadow; the third on fallow land (abandoned field or meadow), at least twice during each spring and autumn. Additionally, four post-fire areas (one in 2013 and three in 2014) were identified in the Mazowieckie region, and dragging was conducted there in spring and autumn, including in each case a 'control area' comprising intact unburned fallow land situated in close vicinity to the burned areas. Eight hundred D. reticulatus ticks were collected and the densities were compared by multifactorial ANOVA. The highest tick densities were recorded on the fallow lands, and the lowest - on the grazed pastures. Tick densities were up to 10 × times higher on the control sites compared to neighboring post-fire sites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization and Detection of Vector-borne Diseases in Endemic Transmission Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-18

research in her laboratory and for introducing me to her many collaborators and friends all over the world. Thanks to all present and former members of...Luckhart at the University of California Davis for feedback on my dissertation research and manuscripts. Second, I would like to thank Dr. Jon...and mortality due to vector-borne diseases globally. The research described in this dissertation aims to improve detection methods for both the vector

Review of the trends and causes of food borne outbreaks in Malaysia from 1988 to 1997.

PubMed

Meftahuddin, T

2002-03-01

This paper examines the trend and possible contributing factors for the occurrence of the food borne diseases outbreaks in Malaysia. These diseases mainly are cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, dysentery and food poisoning. The outbreaks still occur sporadically in certain high risk areas throughout the country. The incidence rate of all the other three major food borne diseases steadily declined from the year 1988 to 1997 except for food poisoning and cholera. Statistic of food poisoning from the year 1996 to 1997 showed that 66.5% of the outbreak occurred in schools whereas only 0.4% originated from the contaminated food sold at various public food outlets. The school age group is always more affected than the general population. Amongst the contributing factors identified are related to unhygienic food handling practices followed by inadequate safe water supply and poor environmental sanitation. A multisectoral approach between Ministry of Health and other government agencies or private agents needs to be undertaken in the management of the food borne diseases in order to curb the incidences of food borne diseases in Malaysia.

Goats as sentinel hosts for the detection of tick-borne encephalitis risk areas in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland.

PubMed

Rieille, Nadia; Klaus, Christine; Hoffmann, Donata; Péter, Olivier; Voordouw, Maarten J

2017-07-11

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an important tick-borne disease in Europe. Detection of the TBE virus (TBEV) in local populations of Ixodes ricinus ticks is the most reliable proof that a given area is at risk for TBE, but this approach is time-consuming and expensive. A cheaper and simpler approach is to use immunology-based methods to screen vertebrate hosts for TBEV-specific antibodies and subsequently test the tick populations at locations with seropositive animals. The purpose of the present study was to use goats as sentinel animals to identify new risk areas for TBE in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. A total of 4114 individual goat sera were screened for TBEV-specific antibodies using immunological methods. According to our ELISA assay, 175 goat sera reacted strongly with TBEV antigen, resulting in a seroprevalence rate of 4.3%. The serum neutralization test confirmed that 70 of the 173 ELISA-positive sera had neutralizing antibodies against TBEV. Most of the 26 seropositive goat flocks were detected in the known risk areas in the canton of Valais, with some spread into the connecting valley of Saas and to the east of the town of Brig. One seropositive site was 60 km to the west of the known TBEV-endemic area. At two of the three locations where goats were seropositive, the local tick populations also tested positive for TBEV. The combined approach of screening vertebrate hosts for TBEV-specific antibodies followed by testing the local tick population for TBEV allowed us to detect two new TBEV foci in the canton of Valais. The present study showed that goats are useful sentinel animals for the detection of new TBEV risk areas.

On the use of RADARSAT-1 for monitoring malaria risk in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, S. G.; Thomson, M. C.; Pultz, T.; Mbogo, C. M.; Regens, J. L.; Swalm, C.; Githure, J.; Yan, G.; Gu, W.; Beier, J. C.

2002-01-01

The incidence and spread of vector-borne infectious diseases are increasing concerns in many parts of the world. Earth obervation techniques provide a recognised means for monitoring and mapping disease risk as well as correlating environmental indicators with various disease vectors. Because the areas most impacted by vector-borne disease are remote and not easily monitored using traditional, labor intensive survey techniques, high spatial and temporal coverage provided by spaceborne sensors allows for the investigation of large areas in a timely manner. However, since the majority of infectious diseases occur in tropical areas, one of the main barriers to earth observation techniques is persistent cloud-cover. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology offers a solution to this problem by providing all-weather, day and night imaging capability. Based on SAR's sensitivity to target moisture conditions, sensors such as RADARSAT-1 can be readily used to map wetland and swampy areas that are conducive to functioning as aquatic larval habitats. Irrigation patterns, deforestation practises and the effects of local flooding can be monitored using SAR imagery, and related to potential disease vector abundance and proximity to populated areas. This paper discusses the contribution of C-band radar remote sensing technology to monitoring and mapping malaria. Preliminary results using RADARSAT-1 for identifying areas of high mosquito (Anopheles gambiae s.l.) abundance along the Kenya coast will be discussed. The authors consider the potential of RADARSAT-1 data based on SAR sensor characteristics and the preliminary results obtained. Further potential of spaceborne SAR data for monitoring vector-borne disease is discussed with respect to future advanced SAR sensors such as RADARSAT-2.

Tick-borne encephalitis: A review of epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and management

PubMed Central

Bogovic, Petra; Strle, Franc

2015-01-01

Tick-borne encephalitis is an infection of central nervous system caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus transmitted to humans predominantly by tick bites. During the last few decades the incidence of the disease has been increasing and poses a growing health problem in almost all endemic European and Asian countries. Most cases occur during the highest period of tick activity, in Central Europe mainly from April to November. Tick-borne encephalitis is more common in adults than in children. Clinical spectrum of the disease ranges from mild meningitis to severe meningoencephalitis with or without paralysis. Rare clinical manifestations are an abortive form of the disease and a chronic progressive form. A post-encephalitic syndrome, causing long-lasting morbidity that often affects the quality of life develops in up to 50% of patients after acute tick-borne encephalitis. Clinical course and outcome vary by subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (the disease caused by the European subtype has milder course and better outcome than the disease caused by Siberian and Far-Easter subtypes), age of patients (increasing age is associated with less favorable outcome), and host genetic factors. Since clinical features and laboratory results of blood and cerebrospinal fluid are nonspecific, the diagnosis must be confirmed by microbiologic findings. The routine laboratory confirmation of the tick-borne encephalitis virus infection is based mainly on the detection of specific IgM and IgG antibodies in serum (and cerebrospinal fluid), usually by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. There is no specific antiviral treatment for tick-borne encephalitis. Vaccination can effectively prevent the disease and is indicated for persons living in or visiting tick-borne encephalitis endemic areas. PMID:25984517

The Effect of Seed-borne Mycoflora from Sorghum and Foxtail Millet Seeds on Germination and Disease Transmission.

PubMed

Yago, Jonar I; Roh, Jae-Hwan; Bae, Soon-do; Yoon, Young-Nam; Kim, Hyun-Ju; Nam, Min-Hee

2011-09-01

The seed-borne mycoflora of sorghum and foxtail millet collected from different growing areas in South Korea were isolated and taxonomically identified using dry inspection, standard blotter and the agar plate method. We investigated the in vitro and in vivo germination rates of disinfected and non-disinfected seeds of sorghum and foxtail millet using sterilized and unsterilized soil. The percent recovery of seed-borne mycoflora from the seed components of sorghum and foxtail millet seeds was determined and an infection experiment using the dominant species was evaluated for seedling emergence and mortality. A higher number of seed-borne fungi was observed in sorghum compared to that of foxtail millet. Eighteen fungal genera with 34 fungal species were identified from the seeds of sorghum and 13 genera with 22 species were identified from the seeds of foxtail millet. Five dominant species such as Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium moniliforme and Phoma sp. were recorded as seed-borne mycoflora in sorghum and 4 dominant species (Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium moniliforme) were observed in foxtail millet. The in vitro and in vivo germination rates were higher using disinfected seeds and sterilized soil. More seed-borne fungi were recovered from the pericarp compared to the endosperm and seed embryo. The percent recovery of seed-borne fungi ranged from 2.22% to 60.0%, and Alternaria alternata, Curvularia lunata and 4 species of Fusarium were isolated from the endosperm and embryo of sorghum and foxtail millet. Inoculation of the dominant seed-borne fungi showed considerable mortality of seedlings. All the transmitted seed-borne fungi might well be a primary source of infection of sorghum and foxtail millet crops.

Another Mexican birthweight paradox? The role of residential enclaves and neighborhood poverty in the birthweight of Mexican-origin infants.

PubMed

Osypuk, Theresa L; Bates, Lisa M; Acevedo-Garcia, Dolores

2010-02-01

Examining whether contextual factors influence the birth outcomes of Mexican-origin infants in the US may contribute to assessing rival explanations for the so-called Mexican health paradox. We examined whether birthweight among infants born to Mexican-origin women in the US was associated with Mexican residential enclaves and exposure to neighborhood poverty, and whether these associations were modified by nativity (i.e. mother's place of birth). We calculated metropolitan indices of neighborhood exposure to Mexican-origin population and poverty for the Mexican-origin population, and merged with individual-level, year 2000 natality data (n=490,332). We distinguished between neighborhood exposure to US-born Mexican-origin population (i.e. ethnic enclaves) and neighborhood exposure to foreign-born (i.e. Mexico-born) Mexican-origin population (i.e. immigrant enclaves). We used 2-level hierarchical linear regression models adjusting for individual, metropolitan, and regional covariates and stratified by nativity. We found that living in metropolitan areas with high residential segregation of US-born Mexican-origin residents (i.e. high prevalence of ethnic enclaves) was associated with lower birthweight for infants of US-born Mexican-origin mothers before and after covariate adjustment. When simultaneously adjusting for exposure to ethnic and immigrant enclaves, the latter became positively associated with birthweight and the negative effect of the former increased, among US-born mothers. We found no contextual birthweight associations for mothers born in Mexico in adjusted models. Our findings highlight a differential effect of context by nativity, and the potential health effects of ethnic enclaves, which are possibly a marker of downward assimilation, among US-born Mexican-origin women. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Seed-borne Mycoflora from Sorghum and Foxtail Millet Seeds on Germination and Disease Transmission

PubMed Central

Yago, Jonar I.; Bae, Soon-do; Yoon, Young-Nam; Kim, Hyun-Ju; Nam, Min-hee

2011-01-01

The seed-borne mycoflora of sorghum and foxtail millet collected from different growing areas in South Korea were isolated and taxonomically identified using dry inspection, standard blotter and the agar plate method. We investigated the in vitro and in vivo germination rates of disinfected and non-disinfected seeds of sorghum and foxtail millet using sterilized and unsterilized soil. The percent recovery of seed-borne mycoflora from the seed components of sorghum and foxtail millet seeds was determined and an infection experiment using the dominant species was evaluated for seedling emergence and mortality. A higher number of seed-borne fungi was observed in sorghum compared to that of foxtail millet. Eighteen fungal genera with 34 fungal species were identified from the seeds of sorghum and 13 genera with 22 species were identified from the seeds of foxtail millet. Five dominant species such as Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium moniliforme and Phoma sp. were recorded as seed-borne mycoflora in sorghum and 4 dominant species (Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium moniliforme) were observed in foxtail millet. The in vitro and in vivo germination rates were higher using disinfected seeds and sterilized soil. More seed-borne fungi were recovered from the pericarp compared to the endosperm and seed embryo. The percent recovery of seed-borne fungi ranged from 2.22% to 60.0%, and Alternaria alternata, Curvularia lunata and 4 species of Fusarium were isolated from the endosperm and embryo of sorghum and foxtail millet. Inoculation of the dominant seed-borne fungi showed considerable mortality of seedlings. All the transmitted seed-borne fungi might well be a primary source of infection of sorghum and foxtail millet crops. PMID:22783105

Maternal Filarial Infection Influences the Development of Regulatory T Cells in Children from Infancy to Early Childhood.

PubMed

Bal, Madhusmita; Ranjit, Manoranjan; Achary, K Gopinath; Satapathy, Ashok K

2016-11-01

Children born from filarial infected mothers are comparatively more susceptible to filarial infection than the children born to uninfected mothers. But the mechanism of such increased susceptibility to infection in early childhood is not exactly known. Several studies have shown the association of active filarial infection with T cell hypo-responsiveness which is mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs). Since the Tregs develop in the thymus from CD4+ CD25hi thymocytes at an early stage of the human fetus, it can be hypothesized that the maternal infection during pregnancy affects the development of Tregs in children at birth as well as early childhood. Hence the present study was designed to test the hypothesis by selecting a cohort of pregnant mothers and children born to them subsequently in a filarial endemic area of Odisha, India. A total number of 49 pregnant mothers and children born to them subsequently have been followed up (mean duration 4.4 years) in an area where the microfilariae (Mf) rate has come down to <1% after institution of 10 rounds of annual mass drug administration (MDA). The infection status of mother, cord and children were assessed through detection of microfilariae (Mf) and circulating filarial antigen (CFA). Expression of Tregs cells were measured by flow cytometry. The levels of IL-10 were evaluated by using commercially available ELISA kit. A significantly high level of IL-10 and Tregs have been observed in children born to infected mother compared to children of uninfected mother at the time of birth as well as during early childhood. Moreover a positive correlation between Tregs and IL-10 has been observed among the children born to infected mother. From these observations we predict that early priming of the fetal immune system by filarial antigens modulate the development of Tregs, which ultimately scale up the production of IL-10 in neonates and creates a milieu for high rate of acquisition of infection in children born to infected mothers. The mechanism of susceptibility and implication of the results in global elimination programme of filariasis has been discussed.

Maternal Filarial Infection Influences the Development of Regulatory T Cells in Children from Infancy to Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Bal, Madhusmita; Ranjit, Manoranjan; Achary, K. Gopinath; Satapathy, Ashok K.

2016-01-01

Background Children born from filarial infected mothers are comparatively more susceptible to filarial infection than the children born to uninfected mothers. But the mechanism of such increased susceptibility to infection in early childhood is not exactly known. Several studies have shown the association of active filarial infection with T cell hypo-responsiveness which is mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs). Since the Tregs develop in the thymus from CD4+ CD25hi thymocytes at an early stage of the human fetus, it can be hypothesized that the maternal infection during pregnancy affects the development of Tregs in children at birth as well as early childhood. Hence the present study was designed to test the hypothesis by selecting a cohort of pregnant mothers and children born to them subsequently in a filarial endemic area of Odisha, India. Methodology and Principal finding A total number of 49 pregnant mothers and children born to them subsequently have been followed up (mean duration 4.4 years) in an area where the microfilariae (Mf) rate has come down to <1% after institution of 10 rounds of annual mass drug administration (MDA). The infection status of mother, cord and children were assessed through detection of microfilariae (Mf) and circulating filarial antigen (CFA). Expression of Tregs cells were measured by flow cytometry. The levels of IL-10 were evaluated by using commercially available ELISA kit. A significantly high level of IL-10 and Tregs have been observed in children born to infected mother compared to children of uninfected mother at the time of birth as well as during early childhood. Moreover a positive correlation between Tregs and IL-10 has been observed among the children born to infected mother. Significance From these observations we predict that early priming of the fetal immune system by filarial antigens modulate the development of Tregs, which ultimately scale up the production of IL-10 in neonates and creates a milieu for high rate of acquisition of infection in children born to infected mothers. The mechanism of susceptibility and implication of the results in global elimination programme of filariasis has been discussed. PMID:27861499

Elevation as a proxy for mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in the Americas

PubMed Central

Miniota, Jennifer; Joseph, Heather A.; Brady, Oliver J.; Kraemer, Moritz U. G.; Grills, Ardath W.; Morrison, Stephanie; Esposito, Douglas H.; Nicolucci, Adriano; German, Matthew; Creatore, Maria I.; Nelson, Bradley; Johansson, Michael A.; Brunette, Gary; Hay, Simon I.

2017-01-01

Introduction When Zika virus (ZIKV) first began its spread from Brazil to other parts of the Americas, national-level travel notices were issued, carrying with them significant economic consequences to affected countries. Although regions of some affected countries were likely unsuitable for mosquito-borne transmission of ZIKV, the absence of high quality, timely surveillance data made it difficult to confidently demarcate infection risk at a sub-national level. In the absence of reliable data on ZIKV activity, a pragmatic approach was needed to identify subnational geographic areas where the risk of ZIKV infection via mosquitoes was expected to be negligible. To address this urgent need, we evaluated elevation as a proxy for mosquito-borne ZIKV transmission. Methods For sixteen countries with local ZIKV transmission in the Americas, we analyzed (i) modelled occurrence of the primary vector for ZIKV, Aedes aegypti, (ii) human population counts, and (iii) reported historical dengue cases, specifically across 100-meter elevation levels between 1,500m and 2,500m. Specifically, we quantified land area, population size, and the number of observed dengue cases above each elevation level to identify a threshold where the predicted risks of encountering Ae. aegypti become negligible. Results Above 1,600m, less than 1% of each country’s total land area was predicted to have Ae. aegypti occurrence. Above 1,900m, less than 1% of each country’s resident population lived in areas where Ae. aegypti was predicted to occur. Across all 16 countries, 1.1% of historical dengue cases were reported above 2,000m. Discussion These results suggest low potential for mosquito-borne ZIKV transmission above 2,000m in the Americas. Although elevation is a crude predictor of environmental suitability for ZIKV transmission, its constancy made it a pragmatic input for policy decision-making during this public health emergency. PMID:28542540

Surveillance of vector-borne diseases in Germany: trends and challenges in the view of disease emergence and climate change.

PubMed

Jansen, Andreas; Frank, Christina; Koch, Judith; Stark, Klaus

2008-12-01

The changing epidemiology of vector-borne diseases represents a growing threat to human health. Contemporary surveillance systems have to adapt to these changes. We describe temporal trends and geographic origins of vector-borne diseases in Germany with regard to strengths of existing disease surveillance and to areas marked for improvement. We focused on hantavirus infection (endemic in Germany), chikungunya fever (recently emerging in Europe) and dengue fever (imported from tropical regions), representing important subgroups of vector-borne infections. Routine surveillance data on demographics, origin of infection and the date of reporting were analysed. From 2001 through 2007, 3,005 symptomatic hantavirus infections, and 85 cases of chikungunya fever were reported, similarly 1,048 cases of dengue fever in 2002 through 2007. The geographic origin of hantavirus infection was reported for 95.5% of all cases (dengue virus, 98.4%; chikungunya virus, 100%). Hantavirus infections were acquired in Germany in 97.6% of cases (n = 2800). In 2007, there was a marked increase of hantavirus cases, mainly in areas known to be endemic for hantavirus. In 2006, imported cases of chikungunya fever primarily returned from several islands of the Indian Ocean, while the majority of imported cases in 2007 came from India. The reported number of dengue fever cases have increased since 2004. Thailand contributed the largest proportion of cases (17-43% in individual years), followed by India, Brazil and Indonesia. Surveillance of notifiable vector-borne diseases in Germany is able to timely detect spatial and temporal changes of autochthonous an imported infections. Geographic and temporal data obtained by routine surveillance served as a basis for public health recommendations. In addition to surveillance of vector-borne infections in humans, nationwide monitoring programs and inventory techniques for emerging and reemerging vectors and for wildlife disease are warranted.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases, Finland.

PubMed

Zöldi, Viktor; Turunen, Topi; Lyytikäinen, Outi; Sane, Jussi

2017-10-01

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and Lyme borreliosis (LB) are endemic in Finland, with tens and thousands of cases, respectively, reported annually. We performed a field survey to investigate people's knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks, tick-borne diseases, and prevention strategies. The KAP were assessed using a pre-validated anonymous questionnaire consisting of 39 questions and statements. On two consecutive days in July 2016, convenience sampling was used in the cities of Parainen and Kotka, located in high-risk areas of tick-borne diseases, particularly of TBE. In attitudes and practices sections, each question was scored and analysed with ordered logistic regression model. In total, 101 individuals responded. The TBE vaccination rate among respondents was 40%. The best known preventive measures were having vaccination against TBE (88%), and wearing long sleeves and pants against ticks (81%). Two-thirds incorrectly identified the ring-like rash as a symptom of TBE. Of all respondents, 78% could not exclude that TBE can be treated with antibiotics; 55% that vaccine protects against LB; and 46% that it protects against ticks. The minority (14%) believed tick repellents to be effective. Among preventive behaviour, the quick removal of an attached tick was most frequently applied (97%). Repellents were used by 21% when visiting tick-infested areas. Significant associations were found between the vaccination status and having a correct belief that the vaccine protects against TBE (P<0.001) but not against ticks (P<0.05), or LB (P<0.001). KAP is a quick and easy tool to get a rough estimation on people's awareness regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases. We identified gaps in knowledge and misbeliefs. Our results can be used in public health communication tools on tick-borne diseases, especially those on intervention strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Birth and death in cities in the developing world.

PubMed

1995-06-01

City dwellers in Sub-Saharan Africa have increased roughly 600% in the last 35 years. Throughout the developing world, cities have expanded at a rate that has far outpaced rural population growth. Extensive data document lower fertility and mortality rates in cities than in rural regions. But slums, shantytowns, and squatters' settlements proliferate in many large cities. Martin Brockerhoff studies the reproductive and health consequences of urban growth, with an emphasis on maternal and child health. Brockerhoff reports that child mortality rates in large cities are highest among children born to mothers who recently migrated from rural areas or who live in low-quality housing. Children born in large cities have about a 30% higher risk of dying before they reach the age of 5 than those born in smaller cities. Despite this, children born to migrant mothers who have lived in a city for about a year have much better survival chances than children born in rural areas to nonmigrant mothers and children born to migrant mothers before or shortly after migration. Migration in developing countries as a whole has saved millions of children's lives. The apparent benefits experienced in the 1980s may not occur in the future, as cities continue to grow and municipal governments confront an overwhelming need for housing, jobs, and services. Another benefit is that fertility rates in African cities fell by about 1 birth per woman as a result of female migration from villages to towns in the 1980s and early 1990s. There will be an increasing need for donors and governments to concentrate family planning, reproductive health, child survival, and social services in cities, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, because there child mortality decline has been unexpectedly slow, overall fertility decline is not yet apparent in most countries, and levels of migration to cities are anticipated to remain high.

Modeling the surface cross-contamination of Salmonella spp. on ready-to-eat meat via a slicing operation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Food pathogen cross-contamination occurring in the home or at retail food service or the production site is a major factor contributing to food-borne illness. Studies on Salmonella spp. surface transfer on ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meat and the slicer used for slicing RTE products are needed to ensur...

Role of major surface structures of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in initial attachment to biotic and abiotic surfaces

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infection by human pathogens through fresh, minimally processed produce and solid plant-derived foods is a major concern of U.S. and global food industry and public health services. The enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a frequent and potent food borne pathogen that causes severe disease...

50 CFR 260.98 - Premises.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... which may result in the contamination of food including, but not limited to, the following: (a) Strong... may constitute a source of contamination in areas where food is exposed; (d) Inadequately drained areas that may contribute contamination to food products through seepage or foot-borne filth and by...

Can I relate? A review and guide for nurse managers in leading generations.

PubMed

Christensen, Scott S; Wilson, Barbara L; Edelman, Linda S

2018-01-30

The purpose of this review is to help the nurse leader develop an understanding of the five generations currently in the health care workforce by providing defining characteristics, general behaviours, and strategies for the nurse manager to employ for each generational cohort. Generations are groups of people born during the same 15-20 year time period who share similar experiences before adulthood, which shape long-term behaviours. Key descriptors and characteristics are provided. The current generational cohorts in the health care workforce are Traditionalists (born between 1922 and 1945), baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979), millennials (born between 1980 and 1995), and Generation Z (born after 1995). Health care teams often comprise members of three or more generations. Intergenerational differences in team members can result in challenges; however, different perspectives provided by multiple generations can be used advantageously to strengthen the team's efficiency and outcomes. There are strengths in each generation. Key differences can be harnessed to build stronger teams through comprehensive communication strategies, customized reward systems, and workplace flexibility. Examples are provided for each area. Managers can use intergenerational differences to create a rich environment that bridges generational differences and fosters workforce cohesion. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Challenges in predicting climate and environmental effects on vector-borne disease episystems in a changing world.

PubMed

Tabachnick, W J

2010-03-15

Vector-borne pathogens cause enormous suffering to humans and animals. Many are expanding their range into new areas. Dengue, West Nile and Chikungunya have recently caused substantial human epidemics. Arthropod-borne animal diseases like Bluetongue, Rift Valley fever and African horse sickness pose substantial threats to livestock economies around the world. Climate change can impact the vector-borne disease epidemiology. Changes in climate will influence arthropod vectors, their life cycles and life histories, resulting in changes in both vector and pathogen distribution and changes in the ability of arthropods to transmit pathogens. Climate can affect the way pathogens interact with both the arthropod vector and the human or animal host. Predicting and mitigating the effects of future changes in the environment like climate change on the complex arthropod-pathogen-host epidemiological cycle requires understanding of a variety of complex mechanisms from the molecular to the population level. Although there has been substantial progress on many fronts the challenges to effectively understand and mitigate the impact of potential changes in the environment on vector-borne pathogens are formidable and at an early stage of development. The challenges will be explored using several arthropod-borne pathogen systems as illustration, and potential avenues to meet the challenges will be presented.

Major emerging vector-borne zoonotic diseases of public health importance in Canada

PubMed Central

Kulkarni, Manisha A; Berrang-Ford, Lea; Buck, Peter A; Drebot, Michael A; Lindsay, L Robbin; Ogden, Nicholas H

2015-01-01

In Canada, the emergence of vector-borne diseases may occur via international movement and subsequent establishment of vectors and pathogens, or via northward spread from endemic areas in the USA. Re-emergence of endemic vector-borne diseases may occur due to climate-driven changes to their geographic range and ecology. Lyme disease, West Nile virus (WNV), and other vector-borne diseases were identified as priority emerging non-enteric zoonoses in Canada in a prioritization exercise conducted by public health stakeholders in 2013. We review and present the state of knowledge on the public health importance of these high priority emerging vector-borne diseases in Canada. Lyme disease is emerging in Canada due to range expansion of the tick vector, which also signals concern for the emergence of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus. WNV has been established in Canada since 2001, with epidemics of varying intensity in following years linked to climatic drivers. Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, snowshoe hare virus, and Cache Valley virus are other mosquito-borne viruses endemic to Canada with the potential for human health impact. Increased surveillance for emerging pathogens and vectors and coordinated efforts among sectors and jurisdictions will aid in early detection and timely public health response. PMID:26954882

Major emerging vector-borne zoonotic diseases of public health importance in Canada.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Manisha A; Berrang-Ford, Lea; Buck, Peter A; Drebot, Michael A; Lindsay, L Robbin; Ogden, Nicholas H

2015-06-10

In Canada, the emergence of vector-borne diseases may occur via international movement and subsequent establishment of vectors and pathogens, or via northward spread from endemic areas in the USA. Re-emergence of endemic vector-borne diseases may occur due to climate-driven changes to their geographic range and ecology. Lyme disease, West Nile virus (WNV), and other vector-borne diseases were identified as priority emerging non-enteric zoonoses in Canada in a prioritization exercise conducted by public health stakeholders in 2013. We review and present the state of knowledge on the public health importance of these high priority emerging vector-borne diseases in Canada. Lyme disease is emerging in Canada due to range expansion of the tick vector, which also signals concern for the emergence of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus. WNV has been established in Canada since 2001, with epidemics of varying intensity in following years linked to climatic drivers. Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, snowshoe hare virus, and Cache Valley virus are other mosquito-borne viruses endemic to Canada with the potential for human health impact. Increased surveillance for emerging pathogens and vectors and coordinated efforts among sectors and jurisdictions will aid in early detection and timely public health response.

The Hispanic Americans baseline alcohol survey (HABLAS): DUI rates, birthplace, and acculturation across Hispanic national groups.

PubMed

Caetano, Raul; Ramisetty-Mikler, Suhasini; Rodriguez, Lori A

2008-03-01

This article examines the association between birthplace, acculturation, and self-reported driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), 12-month and lifetime DUI arrest rates among Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and South/Central Americans in the U.S. population. Using a multistage cluster sample design, 5,224 adults (18 years of age or older) were interviewed from households in five metropolitan areas of the United States: Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. Birthplace was not associated with DUI, 12-month DUI arrest rates, or lifetime DUI arrest rates. Mexican Americans in the medium- and high-acculturation groups were more likely to engage in DUI. A higher proportion of U.S.-born than foreign-born respondents as well as those in the high-acculturation group, irrespective of national origin, reported having been stopped by police when driving. U.S.-born Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and South/Central Americans thought they could consume a higher mean number of drinks before their driving is impaired compared with those who are foreign born. There are considerable differences in DUI-related behavior across Hispanic national groups. U.S.-born Hispanics and those born abroad, but not those at different levels of acculturation, have equal risk of involvement with DUI.

Genetic assessment of a summer chum salmon metapopulation in recovery

PubMed Central

Small, Maureen P; Johnson, Thom H; Bowman, Cherril; Martinez, Edith

2014-01-01

Programs to rebuild imperiled wild fish populations often include hatchery-born fish derived from wild populations to supplement natural spawner abundance. These programs require monitoring to determine their demographic, biological, and genetic effects. In 1990s in Washington State, the Summer Chum Salmon Conservation Initiative developed a recovery program for the threatened Hood Canal summer chum salmon Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) (the metapopulation) that used in-river spawners (wild fish) for each respective supplementation broodstock in six tributaries. Returning spawners (wild-born and hatchery-born) composed subsequent broodstocks, and tributary-specific supplementation was limited to three generations. We assessed impacts of the programs on neutral genetic diversity in this metapopulation using 16 microsatellite loci and a thirty-year dataset spanning before and after supplementation, roughly eight generations. Following supplementation, differentiation among subpopulations decreased (but not significantly) and isolation by distance patterns remained unchanged. There was no decline in genetic diversity in wild-born fish, but hatchery-born fish sampled in the same spawning areas had significantly lower genetic diversity and unequal family representation. Despite potential for negative effects from supplementation programs, few were detected in wild-born fish. We hypothesize that chum salmon natural history makes them less vulnerable to negative impacts from hatchery supplementation. PMID:24567747

Declining Prevalence of Disease Vectors Under Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escobar, Luis E.; Romero-Alvarez, Daniel; Leon, Renato; Lepe-Lopez, Manuel A.; Craft, Meggan E.; Borbor-Cordova, Mercy J.; Svenning, Jens-Christian

2016-12-01

More than half of the world population is at risk of vector-borne diseases including dengue fever, chikungunya, zika, yellow fever, leishmaniasis, chagas disease, and malaria, with highest incidences in tropical regions. In Ecuador, vector-borne diseases are present from coastal and Amazonian regions to the Andes Mountains; however, a detailed characterization of the distribution of their vectors has never been carried out. We estimate the distribution of 14 vectors of the above vector-borne diseases under present-day and future climates. Our results consistently suggest that climate warming is likely threatening some vector species with extinction, locally or completely. These results suggest that climate change could reduce the burden of specific vector species. Other vector species are likely to shift and constrain their geographic range to the highlands in Ecuador potentially affecting novel areas and populations. These forecasts show the need for development of early prevention strategies for vector species currently absent in areas projected as suitable under future climate conditions. Informed interventions could reduce the risk of human exposure to vector species with distributional shifts, in response to current and future climate changes. Based on the mixed effects of future climate on human exposure to disease vectors, we argue that research on vector-borne diseases should be cross-scale and include climatic, demographic, and landscape factors, as well as forces facilitating disease transmission at fine scales.

An advisory statement from the Pediatric Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation.

PubMed

Kattwinkel, J; Niermeyer, S; Nadkarni, V; Tibballs, J; Phillips, B; Zideman, D; Van Reempts, P; Osmond, M

1999-04-01

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), with representation from North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and South America, was formed in 1992 to provide a forum for liaison between resuscitation organizations in the developed world. This consensus document on resuscitation extends previously published ILCOR advisory statements on resuscitation to address the unique and changing physiology of the newly born infant within the first few hours after birth and the techniques for providing advanced life support. After careful review of the international resuscitation literature and after discussion of key and controversial issues, consensus was reached on almost all aspects of neonatal resuscitation, and areas of controversy and high priority for additional research were delineated. Consensus on resuscitation for the newly born infant included the following principles: Common or controversial medications (epinephrine, volume expansion, naloxone, bicarbonate), special resuscitation circumstances affecting care of the newly born, continuing care of the newly born after resuscitation, and ethical considerations for initiation and discontinuation of resuscitation are discussed. There was agreement that insufficient data exist to recommend changes to current guidelines regarding the use of 21% versus 100% oxygen, neuroprotective interventions such as cerebral hypothermia, use of a laryngeal mask versus endotracheal tube, and use of high-dose epinephrine. Areas of controversy are identified, as is the need for additional research to improve the scientific justification of each component of current and future resuscitation guidelines.

Pokémon Go and Exposure to Mosquito-Borne Diseases: How Not to Catch ‘Em All

PubMed Central

Oidtman, Rachel J.; Christofferson, Rebecca C.; ten Bosch, Quirine A.; Espana, Guido; Kraemer, Moritz U. G.; Tatem, Andrew; Barker, Christopher M.; Perkins, T. Alex

2016-01-01

Pokémon Go is a new game that encourages players to venture outdoors and interact with others in the pursuit of virtual Pokémon characters. With more time spent outdoors overall and in sometimes large congregations, Pokémon Go players could inadvertently elevate their risk of exposure to mosquito-borne diseases when playing in certain areas at certain times of year. Here, we make an initial assessment of the possible scope of this concern in the continental United States, which experiences its highest seasonal transmission of West Nile, Zika, and other viruses during summer and early fall. In particular, we propose that the times of day when many disease-relevant mosquito species are most likely to engage in blood feeding coincide with times of day when Pokémon Go activity is likely to be high, and we note that locations serving as hubs of Pokémon Go activity may in some cases overlap with areas where these mosquitoes are actively engaged in blood feeding. Although the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the continental U.S. is low overall and is unlikely to be impacted significantly by Pokémon Go, it is nonetheless important for Pokémon Go players and others who spend time outdoors engaging in activities such as barbecues and gardening to be aware of these ongoing risks and to take appropriate preventative measures in light of the potential for outdoor activity to modify individual-level risk of exposure. As Pokémon Go and other augmented reality games become available in other parts of the world, similar risks should be assessed in a manner that is consistent with the local epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases in those areas. PMID:28042515

Pokémon Go and Exposure to Mosquito-Borne Diseases: How Not to Catch 'Em All.

PubMed

Oidtman, Rachel J; Christofferson, Rebecca C; Ten Bosch, Quirine A; Espana, Guido; Kraemer, Moritz U G; Tatem, Andrew; Barker, Christopher M; Perkins, T Alex

2016-11-15

Pokémon Go is a new game that encourages players to venture outdoors and interact with others in the pursuit of virtual Pokémon characters. With more time spent outdoors overall and in sometimes large congregations, Pokémon Go players could inadvertently elevate their risk of exposure to mosquito-borne diseases when playing in certain areas at certain times of year. Here, we make an initial assessment of the possible scope of this concern in the continental United States, which experiences its highest seasonal transmission of West Nile, Zika, and other viruses during summer and early fall. In particular, we propose that the times of day when many disease-relevant mosquito species are most likely to engage in blood feeding coincide with times of day when Pokémon Go activity is likely to be high, and we note that locations serving as hubs of Pokémon Go activity may in some cases overlap with areas where these mosquitoes are actively engaged in blood feeding. Although the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the continental U.S. is low overall and is unlikely to be impacted significantly by Pokémon Go , it is nonetheless important for Pokémon Go players and others who spend time outdoors engaging in activities such as barbecues and gardening to be aware of these ongoing risks and to take appropriate preventative measures in light of the potential for outdoor activity to modify individual-level risk of exposure. As Pokémon Go and other augmented reality games become available in other parts of the world, similar risks should be assessed in a manner that is consistent with the local epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases in those areas.

Does rural or urban residence make a difference to neonatal outcome in premature birth? A regional study in Australia

PubMed Central

Abdel‐Latif, M E; Bajuk, B; Oei, J; Vincent, T; Sutton, L; Lui, K

2006-01-01

Background Patients living in rural areas may be at a disadvantage in accessing tertiary health care. Aim To test the hypothesis that very premature infants born to mothers residing in rural areas have poorer outcomes than those residing in urban areas in the state of New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) despite a coordinated referral and transport system. Methods “Rural” or “urban” status was based on the location of maternal residence. Perinatal characteristics, major morbidity and case mix adjusted mortality were compared between 1879 rural and 6775 urban infants <32 weeks gestational age, born in 1992–2002 and admitted to all 10 neonatal intensive care units in NSW and ACT. Results Rural mothers were more likely to be teenaged, indigenous, and to have had a previous premature birth, prolonged ruptured membrane, and antenatal corticosteroid. Urban mothers were more likely to have had assisted conception and a caesarean section. More urban (93% v 83%) infants were born in a tertiary obstetric hospital. Infants of rural residence had a higher mortality (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 1.48, p  =  0.005). This trend was consistently seen in all subgroups and significantly for the tertiary hospital born population and the 30–31 weeks gestation subgroup. Regional birth data in this gestational age range also showed a higher stillbirth rate among rural infants (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.32, p<0.001). Conclusions Premature births from rural mothers have a higher risk of stillbirth and mortality in neonatal intensive care than urban infants. PMID:16428354

Altered Network Oscillations and Functional Connectivity Dynamics in Children Born Very Preterm.

PubMed

Moiseev, Alexander; Doesburg, Sam M; Herdman, Anthony T; Ribary, Urs; Grunau, Ruth E

2015-09-01

Structural brain connections develop atypically in very preterm children, and altered functional connectivity is also evident in fMRI studies. Such alterations in brain network connectivity are associated with cognitive difficulties in this population. Little is known, however, about electrophysiological interactions among specific brain networks in children born very preterm. In the present study, we recorded magnetoencephalography while very preterm children and full-term controls performed a visual short-term memory task. Regions expressing task-dependent activity changes were identified using beamformer analysis, and inter-regional phase synchrony was calculated. Very preterm children expressed altered regional recruitment in distributed networks of brain areas, across standard physiological frequency ranges including the theta, alpha, beta and gamma bands. Reduced oscillatory synchrony was observed among task-activated brain regions in very preterm children, particularly for connections involving areas critical for executive abilities, including middle frontal gyrus. These findings suggest that inability to recruit neurophysiological activity and interactions in distributed networks including frontal regions may contribute to difficulties in cognitive development in children born very preterm.

Remote Sensing Proxies for Vector-borne Disease Risk Assessment (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anyamba, A.

2010-12-01

The spread of re-emerging vector-borne diseases such Rift Valley fever (RVF) and Chikungunya (CHIK) is a major issue of global public health concern. This combined with a variable climate regime has opened an avenue for satellite remote sensing to contribute towards a comprehensive understanding of some of the drivers influencing such vector-borne disease outbreaks. Satellite derived measurements such as vegetation indices, rainfall estimates, and land-surface temperature; can be used to infer the complex mosaic of factors that influence ecology and habitat suitability, emergence and population dynamics of disease vectors. However, there are still some gaps in application including appropriate temporal resolution of remote sensing measurements, the complexity of the virus-vector-disease-ecology system and human components that contribute to disease risk that need to be addressed. Geographic Distribution of Recent Rift Valley fever oubreaks

Develop and Test a Solvent Accessible Surface Area-Based Model in Conformational Entropy Calculations

PubMed Central

Wang, Junmei; Hou, Tingjun

2012-01-01

It is of great interest in modern drug design to accurately calculate the free energies of protein-ligand or nucleic acid-ligand binding. MM-PBSA (Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area) and MM-GBSA (Molecular Mechanics-Generalized Born Surface Area) have gained popularity in this field. For both methods, the conformational entropy, which is usually calculated through normal mode analysis (NMA), is needed to calculate the absolute binding free energies. Unfortunately, NMA is computationally demanding and becomes a bottleneck of the MM-PB/GBSA-NMA methods. In this work, we have developed a fast approach to estimate the conformational entropy based upon solvent accessible surface area calculations. In our approach, the conformational entropy of a molecule, S, can be obtained by summing up the contributions of all atoms, no matter they are buried or exposed. Each atom has two types of surface areas, solvent accessible surface area (SAS) and buried SAS (BSAS). The two types of surface areas are weighted to estimate the contribution of an atom to S. Atoms having the same atom type share the same weight and a general parameter k is applied to balance the contributions of the two types of surface areas. This entropy model was parameterized using a large set of small molecules for which their conformational entropies were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G* level taking the solvent effect into account. The weighted solvent accessible surface area (WSAS) model was extensively evaluated in three tests. For the convenience, TS, the product of temperature T and conformational entropy S, were calculated in those tests. T was always set to 298.15 K through the text. First of all, good correlations were achieved between WSAS TS and NMA TS for 44 protein or nucleic acid systems sampled with molecular dynamics simulations (10 snapshots were collected for post-entropy calculations): the mean correlation coefficient squares (R2) was 0.56. As to the 20 complexes, the TS changes upon binding, TΔS, were also calculated and the mean R2 was 0.67 between NMA and WSAS. In the second test, TS were calculated for 12 proteins decoy sets (each set has 31 conformations) generated by the Rosetta software package. Again, good correlations were achieved for all decoy sets: the mean, maximum, minimum of R2 were 0.73, 0.89 and 0.55, respectively. Finally, binding free energies were calculated for 6 protein systems (the numbers of inhibitors range from 4 to 18) using four scoring functions. Compared to the measured binding free energies, the mean R2 of the six protein systems were 0.51, 0.47, 0.40 and 0.43 for MM-GBSA-WSAS, MM-GBSA-NMA, MM-PBSA-WSAS and MM-PBSA-NMA, respectively. The mean RMS errors of prediction were 1.19, 1.24, 1.41, 1.29 kcal/mol for the four scoring functions, correspondingly. Therefore, the two scoring functions employing WSAS achieved a comparable prediction performance to that of the scoring functions using NMA. It should be emphasized that no minimization was performed prior to the WSAS calculation in the last test. Although WSAS is not as rigorous as physical models such as quasi-harmonic analysis and thermodynamic integration (TI), it is computationally very efficient as only surface area calculation is involved and no structural minimization is required. Moreover, WSAS has achieved a comparable performance to normal mode analysis. We expect that this model could find its applications in the fields like high throughput screening (HTS), molecular docking and rational protein design. In those fields, efficiency is crucial since there are a large number of compounds, docking poses or protein models to be evaluated. A list of acronyms and abbreviations used in this work is provided for quick reference. PMID:22497310

On the Mass of Atoms in Molecules: Beyond the Born-Oppenheimer Approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherrer, Arne; Agostini, Federica; Sebastiani, Daniel; Gross, E. K. U.; Vuilleumier, Rodolphe

2017-07-01

Describing the dynamics of nuclei in molecules requires a potential energy surface, which is traditionally provided by the Born-Oppenheimer or adiabatic approximation. However, we also need to assign masses to the nuclei. There, the Born-Oppenheimer picture does not account for the inertia of the electrons, and only bare nuclear masses are considered. Nowadays, experimental accuracy challenges the theoretical predictions of rotational and vibrational spectra and requires the participation of electrons in the internal motion of the molecule. More than 80 years after the original work of Born and Oppenheimer, this issue has still not been solved, in general. Here, we present a theoretical and numerical framework to address this problem in a general and rigorous way. Starting from the exact factorization of the electron-nuclear wave function, we include electronic effects beyond the Born-Oppenheimer regime in a perturbative way via position-dependent corrections to the bare nuclear masses. This maintains an adiabaticlike point of view: The nuclear degrees of freedom feel the presence of the electrons via a single potential energy surface, whereas the inertia of electrons is accounted for and the total mass of the system is recovered. This constitutes a general framework for describing the mass acquired by slow degrees of freedom due to the inertia of light, bounded particles; thus, it is applicable not only in electron-nuclear systems but in light-heavy nuclei or ions as well. We illustrate this idea with a model of proton transfer, where the light particle is the proton and the heavy particles are the oxygen atoms to which the proton is bounded. Inclusion of the light-particle inertia allows us to gain orders of magnitude in accuracy. The electron-nuclear perspective is adopted, instead, to calculate position-dependent mass corrections using density functional theory for a few polyatomic molecules at their equilibrium geometry. These data can serve as input for the computation of high-precision molecular spectra.

Molecular dynamics study of biodegradation of azo dyes via their interactions with AzrC azoreductase.

PubMed

Haghshenas, Hamed; Kay, Maryam; Dehghanian, Fariba; Tavakol, Hossein

2016-01-01

Azo dyes are one of the most important class of dyes, which have been widely used in industries. Because of the environmental pollution of azo dyes, many studies have been performed to study their biodegradation using bacterial systems. In present work, the AzrC of mesophilic gram-positive Bacillus sp. B29 has been considered to study its interaction with five common azo dyes (orange G, acid red 88, Sudan I, orange I, and methyl red). The molecular dynamics simulations have been employed to study the interaction between AzrC and azo dyes. The trajectory was confirmed using root mean square deviation and the root mean square fluctuation analyses. Then, the hydrogen bond and alanine scanning analyses were performed to reveal active site residues. Phe105 (A), Phe125 (B), Phe172 (B), and Pro132 (B) have been found as the most important hydrophobic residues whereas Asn104 (A), Tyr127 (B), and Asn187 (A) have key role in making hydrogen bond. The results of molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area and molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area calculations proved that the hydrophobic azo dyes like Acid red 88 binds more tightly to the AzrC protein. The calculated data suggested MR A 121 (B) I as a potential candidate for improving the AzrC-MR interactions.

A quantitative synthesis of the role of birds in carrying ticks and tick-borne pathogens in North America.

PubMed

Loss, Scott R; Noden, Bruce H; Hamer, Gabriel L; Hamer, Sarah A

2016-12-01

Birds play a central role in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens. They expand tick populations and pathogens across vast distances and serve as reservoirs that maintain and amplify transmission locally. Research into the role of birds for supporting ticks and tick-borne pathogens has largely been descriptive and focused in small areas. To expand inference beyond these studies, we conducted a quantitative review at the scale of North America to identify avian life history correlates of tick infestation and pathogen prevalence, calculate species-level indices of importance for carrying ticks, and identify research gaps limiting understanding of tick-borne pathogen transmission. Across studies, 78 of 162 bird species harbored ticks, yielding an infestation prevalence of 1981 of 38,929 birds (5.1 %). Avian foraging and migratory strategies interacted to influence infestation. Ground-foraging species, especially non-migratory ground foragers, were disproportionately likely to have high prevalence and intensity of tick infestation. Studies largely focused on Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, and non-migratory ground foragers were especially likely to carry B. burgdorferi-infected ticks, a finding that highlights the potential importance of resident birds in local pathogen transmission. Based on infestation indices, all "super-carrier" bird species were passerines. Vast interior areas of North America, many bird and tick species, and most tick-borne pathogens, remain understudied, and research is needed to address these gaps. More studies are needed that quantify tick host preferences, host competence, and spatiotemporal variation in pathogen prevalence and vector and host abundance. This information is crucial for predicting pathogen transmission dynamics under future global change.

Design of the health examination survey on early childhood physical growth in the Great East Japan Earthquake affected areas.

PubMed

Matsubara, Hiroko; Ishikuro, Mami; Kikuya, Masahiro; Chida, Shoichi; Hosoya, Mitsuaki; Ono, Atsushi; Kato, Noriko; Yokoya, Susumu; Tanaka, Toshiaki; Isojima, Tsuyoshi; Yamagata, Zentaro; Tanaka, Soichiro; Kuriyama, Shinichi; Kure, Shigeo

2017-03-01

To investigate the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on preschool children's physical growth in the disaster-affected areas, the three medical universities in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures conducted a health examination survey on early childhood physical growth. The survey was conducted over a 3-year period to acquire data on children who were born in different years. Our targets were as follows: 1) children who were born between March 1, 2007 and August 31, 2007 and experienced the disaster at 43-48 months of age, 2) children who were born between March 1, 2009 and August 31, 2009 and experienced the disaster at 19-24 months of age, and 3) children who were born between June 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011 and were under 10 months of age or not born yet when the disaster occurred. We collected their health examination data from local governments in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures. We also collected data from Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata Prefectures to use as a control group. The survey items included birth information, anthropometric measurements, and methods of nutrition during infancy. Eighty municipalities from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures and 21 from the control prefectures participated in the survey. As a result, we established three retrospective cohorts consisting of 13,886, 15,474, and 32,202 preschool children. The large datasets acquired for the present survey will provide valuable epidemiological evidence that should shed light on preschool children's physical growth in relation to the disaster. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Superplumes and single plumes: their magmatic trails on moving lithospheric plates.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puchkov, Victor

2017-04-01

Single plumes and superplumes have, in principle, the same nature and source: they are thought to be upward-directed mantle convective flows, heated and fluid-enriched. They are born in LLSVP (Large low-shear-velocity provinces), otherwise called superswells, situated within the D? layer. They represent a paleomagnetically supported "reference frame for movements in and on the Earth" [Torsvik et al., 2014]. Arriving to asthenosphere and then lithosphere, they induce melting, which results in magmatism of various kinds and volume at the earth's surface. However these two types of plumes are very different in details. Superwells generate at the earth's surface Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) with the volumes of erupted and intruded magmatic rocks varying between 0.1 and 10 ? km3 and areas between 0.1 to 10 ? km^2. They are characterized by short impulses of activity, usually from 0.5 to several Ma; in case of several impulses, their general duration may grow to 20 Ma, and very rare- more than 40 [Ernst, 2014]. The main magmatic component of the eruptive parts of LIPs are flood basalts of typical chemistry connected with dolerite dikes, representing their plumbing system; alkaline basalts, carbonatites, kimberlites may be present as subsidiary phases; in the upper parts of the sections continental LIPs include rhyolites and granites. In continents, the plateaus of flood volcanos are combined with volcanos of active rift systems. In the oceans, the LIPs form vast volcanic plateaus; the thickness of their crust is greater than normal by several times. According to seismic data, the crust of the plateaus may consist of three parts (from below): underplated basites, pre-plume crust and basalt eruptions. As for single plumes, they are born predominantly at the periphery of LLSVPs and form single volcanos or their small clusters, OIB type (LREE-enriched), arranged in regular "time-progressive volcanic chains". Author [Puchkov, 2009] compiled an upgraded version of their distribution in the world. The last years gave an additional information which supports previous conclusions concerning the vectors of recent plate movements, induced from both the volcanic chains and space geodesy [Altamimi et al., 2016], which are in a good accordance. Therefore time-progressive volcanic chains are trails of single plumes at the earth's surface. Superplume trails are more problematic. The superswells spawn superplumes periodically, with interruptions, from different active parts of them. Therefore they form dashed, irregular, split trails (if any). There are two antipodal superswells (African, or Tuzo, and Pacific, or Jason). Their trails are preserved differently. LIPs of the Jason superswell were superimposed predominately on the oceanic crust and therefore Early Mesozoic and older Jason LIPS are mainly subducted or accreted and are present in ophiolites. As for Tuzo-born, they are traced through pre-, post-Pangean and probably -Rodinian continents [Kuzmin et al., 2011, 2013; Puchkov, 2016], though some oceanic areas are also affected. The trails of plumes of both types are locally interrupted by superimposed spreading oceanic basins (gaps). Supported by RSF grant 16-17-10192.

3D tumor measurement in cone-beam CT breast imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zikuan; Ning, Ruola

2004-05-01

Cone-beam CT breast imaging provides a digital volume representation of a breast. With a digital breast volume, the immediate task is to extract the breast tissue information, especially for suspicious tumors, preferably in an automatic manner or with minimal user interaction. This paper reports a program for three-dimensional breast tissue analysis. It consists of volumetric segmentation (by globally thresholding), subsegmentation (connection-based separation), and volumetric component measurement (volume, surface, shape, and other geometrical specifications). A combination scheme of multi-thresholding and binary volume morphology is proposed to fast determine the surface gradients, which may be interpreted as the surface evolution (outward growth or inward shrinkage) for a tumor volume. This scheme is also used to optimize the volumetric segmentation. With a binary volume, we decompose the foreground into components according to spatial connectedness. Since this decomposition procedure is performed after volumetric segmentation, it is called subsegmentation. The subsegmentation brings the convenience for component visualization and measurement, in the whole support space, without interference from others. Upon the tumor component identification, we measure the following specifications: volume, surface area, roundness, elongation, aspect, star-shapedness, and location (centroid). A 3D morphological operation is used to extract the cluster shell and, by delineating the corresponding volume from the grayscale volume, to measure the shell stiffness. This 3D tissue measurement is demonstrated with a tumor-borne breast specimen (a surgical part).

Microwave Limb Sounder/El Nino Watch - 1997 Research Data Reveal Clues about El Nino's Influence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This image displays wind measurements taken by the satellite-borne NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) during the last 10 days of May 1997, showing the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere at the onset of the 1997-98 El Nino condition. The data have helped scientists confirm that the event began as an unusual weakening of the trade winds that preceded an increase in sea surface temperatures. The arrows represent wind speed and direction while the colors indicate sea surface temperature. The sea surface temperatures were measured by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, a joint mission of NASA and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The trade winds normally blow from east to west, but the small arrows in the center of the image show the winds have changed direction and are blowing in the opposite direction. The areas shown in red are above normal sea surface temperatures -- along the equator, off the west coast of the U.S., and along the west coast of Mexico. This image also shows an unusual low pressure system with cyclonic (counterclockwise) circulation near the western North American coast. NSCAT also observed that winds associated with this circulation pattern branched off from the equator, bypassed Hawaii, and brought heat and moisture from the tropical ocean towards San Francisco, in what is often called the 'pineapple express.'

Visuospatial perception in children born preterm with no major neurological disorders.

PubMed

Butcher, Phillipa R; Bouma, Anke; Stremmelaar, Elisabeth F; Bos, Arend F; Smithson, Michael; Van Braeckel, Koenraad N J A

2012-11-01

Many investigations have found deficits in visuospatial perception in children born preterm, however, it is not clear whether the deficits are specific to visuospatial perception or the consequences of deficits in other functional areas, which often accompany preterm birth. This study investigated whether children born preterm show a specific deficit in visuospatial perception. Fifty-six 7- to 11-year-old preterm born children (gestational age <34 weeks) without cerebral palsy and 51 age-matched, full-term children completed four computerized tasks tapping different levels and types of visuospatial perception. Accuracy and speed of responses were recorded. Task formats were designed to reduce demands on attentional deployment. Measures of intelligence and parental education were included in the analysis. Children born preterm performed less accurately and/or less rapidly on all tasks. Their poorer performance did not reflect differences in speed-accuracy trade-off. Parental education and IQ, both significantly lower in the preterm children, contributed positively to performance on all tasks. IQ mediated the association between preterm birth and visuospatial performance on the most cognitively demanding task. Children born preterm performed more poorly than full-term controls on four visuospatial perceptual tasks. Although intelligence and parental education were also associated with performance, preterm birth contributed independently of these factors on three of four tasks. Many children born preterm are thus multiply disadvantaged on visuospatial tasks: the lower IQ scores and parental educational levels frequently found in this group increase the deficit associated with preterm birth. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the envelope gene of the Vasilchenko strain of TBE virus; comparison with other flaviviruses.

PubMed

Gritsun, T S; Frolova, T V; Pogodina, V V; Lashkevich, V A; Venugopal, K; Gould, E A

1993-02-01

A strain of tick-borne encephalitis virus known as Vasilchenko (Vs) exhibits relatively low virulence characteristics in monkeys, Syrian hamsters and humans. The gene encoding the envelope glycoprotein of this virus was cloned and sequenced. Alignment of the sequence with those of other known tick-borne flaviviruses and identification of the recognised amino acid genetic marker EHLPTA confirmed its identity as a member of the TBE complex. However, Vs virus was distinguishable from eastern and western tick-borne serotypes by the presence of the sequence AQQ at amino acid positions 232-234 and also by the presence of other specific amino acid substitutions which may be genetic markers for these viruses and could determine their pathogenetic characteristics. When compared with other tick-borne flaviviruses, Vs virus had 12 unique amino acid substitutions including an additional potential glycosylation site at position (315-317). The Vs virus strain shared closest nucleotide and amino acid homology (84.5% and 95.5% respectively) with western and far eastern strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus. Comparison with the far eastern serotype of tick-borne encephalitis virus, by cross-immunoelectrophoresis of Vs virions and PAGE analysis of the extracted virion proteins, revealed differences in surface charge and virus stability that may account for the different virulence characteristics of Vs virus. These results support and enlarge upon previous data obtained from molecular and serological analysis.

Nonequilibrium Green's functions and atom-surface dynamics: Simple views from a simple model system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boström, E.; Hopjan, M.; Kartsev, A.; Verdozzi, C.; Almbladh, C.-O.

2016-03-01

We employ Non-equilibrium Green's functions (NEGF) to describe the real-time dynamics of an adsorbate-surface model system exposed to ultrafast laser pulses. For a finite number of electronic orbitals, the system is solved exactly and within different levels of approximation. Specifically i) the full exact quantum mechanical solution for electron and nuclear degrees of freedom is used to benchmark ii) the Ehrenfest approximation (EA) for the nuclei, with the electron dynamics still treated exactly. Then, using the EA, electronic correlations are treated with NEGF within iii) 2nd Born and with iv) a recently introduced hybrid scheme, which mixes 2nd Born self-energies with non-perturbative, local exchange- correlation potentials of Density Functional Theory (DFT). Finally, the effect of a semi-infinite substrate is considered: we observe that a macroscopic number of de-excitation channels can hinder desorption. While very preliminary in character and based on a simple and rather specific model system, our results clearly illustrate the large potential of NEGF to investigate atomic desorption, and more generally, the non equilibrium dynamics of material surfaces subject to ultrafast laser fields.

Flood Inundation Mapping and Management using RISAT-1 derived Flood Inundation Areas, Cartosat-1 DEM and a River Flow Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuldeep, K.; Garg, P. K.; Garg, R. D.

2017-12-01

The frequent occurrence of repeated flood events in many regions of the world causing damage to human life and property has augmented the need for effective flood risk management. Microwave satellite data is becoming an indispensable asset for monitoring of many environmental and climatic applications as numerous space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors are offering the data with high spatial resolutions and multi-polarization capabilities. The implementation and execution of Flood mapping, monitoring and management applications has become easier with the availability of SAR data which has obvious advantages over optical data due to its all weather, day and night capabilities. In this study, the exploitation of the SAR dataset for hydraulic modelling and disaster management has been highlighted using feature extraction techniques for water area identification and water level extraction within the floodplain. The availability of high precision digital elevation model generated from the Cartosat-1 stereo pairs has enhanced the capability of retrieving the water depth maps by incorporating the SAR derived flood extent maps. This paper illustrates the flood event on June 2013 in Yamuna River, Haryana, India. The water surface profile computed by combining the topographic data with the RISAT-1 data accurately reflects the true water line. Water levels that were computed by carrying out the modelling using hydraulic model in HECRAS also suggest that the water surface profiles provided by the combined use of topographic data and SAR accurately reflect the true water line. The proposed approach has also been found better in extraction of inundation within vegetated areas.

Factors associated with four atypical cases of congenital syphilis in England, 2016 to 2017: an ecological analysis.

PubMed

Furegato, Martina; Fifer, Helen; Mohammed, Hamish; Simms, Ian; Vanta, Paul; Webb, Sharon; Foster, Kirsty; Kingston, Margaret; Charlett, André; Vishram, Bhavita; Reynolds, Claire; Gill, Noel; Hughes, Gwenda

2017-12-01

Four isolated cases of congenital syphilis born to mothers who screened syphilis negative in the first trimester were identified between March 2016 and January 2017 compared with three cases between 2010 and 2015. The mothers were United Kingdom-born and had no syphilis risk factors. Cases occurred in areas with recent increases in sexually-transmitted syphilis among women and men who have sex with men, some behaviourally bisexual, which may have facilitated bridging between sexual networks.

Factors associated with four atypical cases of congenital syphilis in England, 2016 to 2017: an ecological analysis

PubMed Central

Furegato, Martina; Fifer, Helen; Mohammed, Hamish; Simms, Ian; Vanta, Paul; Webb, Sharon; Foster, Kirsty; Kingston, Margaret; Charlett, André; Vishram, Bhavita; Reynolds, Claire; Gill, Noel; Hughes, Gwenda

2017-01-01

Four isolated cases of congenital syphilis born to mothers who screened syphilis negative in the first trimester were identified between March 2016 and January 2017 compared with three cases between 2010 and 2015. The mothers were United Kingdom-born and had no syphilis risk factors. Cases occurred in areas with recent increases in sexually-transmitted syphilis among women and men who have sex with men, some behaviourally bisexual, which may have facilitated bridging between sexual networks. PMID:29233254

BRNBOX v.1.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aldridge, David F.

Program BRNBOX conducts a systematic search through a pre-defined 3D volume of candidate sub-surface Born scattering points in order to identify the particular point that minimizes the misfit between predicted (i.e., calculated) and observed electromagnetic (EM) data. This global minimum misfit point is interpreted as the location where electrically conductive proppant is injected into a sub-surface petroleum reservoir in a hydraulic fracturing experiment.

Recent accumulation rates of an alpine glacier derived from firn cores and repeated helicopter-borne GPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sold, L.; Huss, M.; Eichler, A.; Schwikowski, M.; Hoelzle, M.

2014-08-01

The spatial representation of accumulation measurements is a major limitation for current glacier mass balance monitoring approaches. Here, we present a new method for estimating annual accumulation rates on a temperate alpine glacier based on the interpretation of internal reflection horizons (IRH) in helicopter-borne ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data. For each individual GPR measurement, the signal traveltime is combined with a simple model for firn densification and refreezing of meltwater. The model is calibrated at locations where GPR profiles intersect in two subsequent years and the densification can be tracked over time. Two 10.5 m long firn cores provide a reference for the density and chronology of firn layers. Thereby, IRH correspond to density maxima, but not exclusively to former summer glacier surfaces. From GPR profiles across the accumulation area, we obtain spatial distributions of water equivalent for at least four annual firn layers, reaching a mean density of 0.74 g cm-3. Refreezing accounts for 9% of the density increase over time and depth. The strongest limitation to our method is the dependence on layer chronology assumptions. The uncertainties inherent to the modelling approach itself are in the same order of conventional point measurements in snow pits. We show that GPR can be used to complement existing mass balance monitoring programs on temperate alpine glaciers, but also to retrospectively extend newly initiated time series.

Development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Crop-Growth Monitoring System.

PubMed

Ni, Jun; Yao, Lili; Zhang, Jingchao; Cao, Weixing; Zhu, Yan; Tai, Xiuxiang

2017-03-03

In view of the demand for a low-cost, high-throughput method for the continuous acquisition of crop growth information, this study describes a crop-growth monitoring system which uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as an operating platform. The system is capable of real-time online acquisition of various major indexes, e.g., the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the crop canopy, ratio vegetation index (RVI), leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA), leaf area index (LAI), and leaf dry weight (LDW). By carrying out three-dimensional numerical simulations based on computational fluid dynamics, spatial distributions were obtained for the UAV down-wash flow fields on the surface of the crop canopy. Based on the flow-field characteristics and geometrical dimensions, a UAV-borne crop-growth sensor was designed. Our field experiments show that the monitoring system has good dynamic stability and measurement accuracy over the range of operating altitudes of the sensor. The linear fitting determination coefficients (R²) for the output RVI value with respect to LNA, LAI, and LDW are 0.63, 0.69, and 0.66, respectively, and the Root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) are 1.42, 1.02 and 3.09, respectively. The equivalent figures for the output NDVI value are 0.60, 0.65, and 0.62 (LNA, LAI, and LDW, respectively) and the RMSEs are 1.44, 1.01 and 3.01, respectively.

Development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Crop-Growth Monitoring System

PubMed Central

Ni, Jun; Yao, Lili; Zhang, Jingchao; Cao, Weixing; Zhu, Yan; Tai, Xiuxiang

2017-01-01

In view of the demand for a low-cost, high-throughput method for the continuous acquisition of crop growth information, this study describes a crop-growth monitoring system which uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as an operating platform. The system is capable of real-time online acquisition of various major indexes, e.g., the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the crop canopy, ratio vegetation index (RVI), leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA), leaf area index (LAI), and leaf dry weight (LDW). By carrying out three-dimensional numerical simulations based on computational fluid dynamics, spatial distributions were obtained for the UAV down-wash flow fields on the surface of the crop canopy. Based on the flow-field characteristics and geometrical dimensions, a UAV-borne crop-growth sensor was designed. Our field experiments show that the monitoring system has good dynamic stability and measurement accuracy over the range of operating altitudes of the sensor. The linear fitting determination coefficients (R2) for the output RVI value with respect to LNA, LAI, and LDW are 0.63, 0.69, and 0.66, respectively, and the Root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) are 1.42, 1.02 and 3.09, respectively. The equivalent figures for the output NDVI value are 0.60, 0.65, and 0.62 (LNA, LAI, and LDW, respectively) and the RMSEs are 1.44, 1.01 and 3.01, respectively. PMID:28273815

Monitoring and assessing the effects from Metro networks construction on the urban acoustic environment: The Athens Metro Line 3 Extension.

PubMed

Vogiatzis, Konstantinos; Zafiropoulou, Vassiliki; Mouzakis, Haralampos

2018-10-15

The Line 3 Extension from Aghia Marina to Piraeus constitutes one of the most significant construction projects in full development in Athens Greater area. For the management and abatement of the air borne noise generated from surface, and/or underground construction activities, relevant machinery operation, and trucks movements at open worksites and the tunnel, a continuous monthly noise and vibration monitoring program is enforced in order to assess any potential intrusion of the acoustic environment. On basis of measured 24 hour L eq noise levels, both L den and L night EU indices were assessed along with vibration velocity for every worksite and tunnel construction activity. The existing environmental noise background generated mainly from road traffic was assessed in order to evaluate potential effects on both air borne noise from construction activities. This comprehensive monitoring program aims to protect the inhabitants in the vicinity of worksites and the tunnel surrounding from construction noise and vibration processing and evaluating all necessary mitigation measures. Especially, for the protection of sensitive receptors, this program may serve as a tool ensuring a successful management of both noise and vibration levels emitted from open air construction activities and (Tunnel Boring Machine) TBM or hammer/pilling operation by implementing mitigation measures where necessary. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aerostat-lofted instrument and sampling method for determination of emissions from open area sources

EPA Science Inventory

An aerostat-borne instrument and sampling method was developed to characterize air samples from area sources, such as emissions from open burning. The 10 kg battery-powered instrument system, termed "the Flyer," is lofted with a helium-filled aerostat of 4 m nominal diameter and ...

Field evaluations of topical arthropod repellents in North, Central, and South America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recently, vector-borne diseases have been resurging in endemic areas and expanding their geographic range into non-endemic areas. This creates a major public health concern as naïve populations are exposed to pathogens that cause these diseases. Personal topical repellents, recommended by the CDC an...

Wave Geometry: a Plurality of Singularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berry, M. V.

Five interconnected wave singularities are discussed: phase monopoles, at eigenvalue degeneracies in parameter space, where the 2-form generating the geomeeic phase is singular, phase dislocations, at zeros of complex wavefunctions in position space, where different wavefronts (surfaces of constant phase) meet; caustics, that is envelopes (foci) of families of classical paths or geometrical rays, where real rays are born violently and which are complementary to dislocations; Stokes sets, at which a complex ray is born gently where it is maximally dominated by another ray; and complex degeneracies, which are the sources of adiabatic quantum transtions in analytic Hamiltonians.

3D near-to-surface conductivity reconstruction by inversion of VETEM data using the distorted Born iterative method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, G.L.; Chew, W.C.; Cui, T.J.; Aydiner, A.A.; Wright, D.L.; Smith, D.V.

2004-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) subsurface imaging by using inversion of data obtained from the very early time electromagnetic system (VETEM) was discussed. The study was carried out by using the distorted Born iterative method to match the internal nonlinear property of the 3D inversion problem. The forward solver was based on the total-current formulation bi-conjugate gradient-fast Fourier transform (BCCG-FFT). It was found that the selection of regularization parameter follow a heuristic rule as used in the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm so that the iteration is stable.

Multi-Annual Data Products on Turbulent Heat Fluxes at the Local and Continental Scale Using AATSR and FY-2 Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menenti, M.; Ghafarian, H.; Tang, B.; Faivre, R.; Colin, J.; Jia, L.; Roupios, L.

2013-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of studies carried in the framework of the Dragon 2 Program - Project 5322 Key Eco-Hydrological Parameters Retrieval and Land Data Assimilation System Development in a Typical Inland River Basin of Chinas Arid Region. The investigations were focused on monitoring the fluxes of energy and water at the land-atmosphere interface across a range of spatial scales, using multi-spectral radiometric data collected by space-borne imaging radiometers. At the local scale a new approach to parameterize heat and vapour fluxes was developed and applied using Computational Fluid Dynamics to describe state and dynamics of the boundary layer over the heterogeneous and 3D structured land surface. An airborne scanning LIDAR was used to capture in detail surface geometry. Over the large area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau a land-atmospheric model was used to characterize the atmospheric Planetary Boundary Layer. The effect of land surface heterogeneity and structure on the exchange of heat and water was captured using the bi-angular observations of brightness temperature provided by the AATSR imaging radiometer. The heat and water flux densities were calculated hourly with Feng-Yun C, D and E VISSR data over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the headwaters of main rivers around it.

Fusion of SAR and Optical Imagery for Studying the Eco-Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases in Tropical Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catry, Thibault; Li, Zhichao; Roux, Emmanuel; Herreteau, Vincent; Revillion, Christophe; Dessay, Nadine

2016-08-01

Vector-borne diseases like malaria represent a major public health issue worldwide. Other mosquito-borne diseases affect more and more countries and people, with effects on health which are not all identified yet. Recent developments in the field of remote-sensing allow to consider overriding the existing limits of studying such diseases in tropical regions, where cloud and vegetation cover often prevent to identify and characterize environmental features.We highlight the potential of SAR-optical fusion for the mapping of land cover, the identification of wetlands, and the monitoring of environmental changes in different habitats related to vector-borne diseases in the French Guiana - Brazil cross-border area. This study is the foundation of a landscape-based model of malaria transmission risk. Environmental factors, together with epidemiological, socio-economic, behavioral, demographics, and entomological ones, contribute to assess risks related to such pathologies and support disease control and decision-making by local public health actors.

Immigrants Equilibrate Local Labor Markets: Evidence from the Great Recession*

PubMed Central

Cadena, Brian C.; Kovak, Brian K.

2016-01-01

This paper demonstrates that low-skilled Mexican-born immigrants’ location choices in the U.S. respond strongly to changes in local labor demand, and that this geographic elasticity helps equalize spatial differences in labor market outcomes for low-skilled native workers, who are much less responsive. We leverage the substantial geographic variation in employment losses that occurred during Great Recession, and our results confirm the standard finding that high-skilled populations are quite geographically responsive to employment opportunities while low-skilled populations are much less so. However, low-skilled immigrants, especially those from Mexico, respond even more strongly than high-skilled native-born workers. Moreover, we show that natives living in metro areas with a substantial Mexican-born population are insulated from the effects of local labor demand shocks compared to those in places with few Mexicans. The reallocation of the Mexican-born workforce reduced the incidence of local demand shocks on low-skilled natives’ employment outcomes by more than 50 percent. PMID:27551329

Zoonotic intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in Italian shelter and kennel dogs.

PubMed

Traversa, Donato; Di Cesare, Angela; Simonato, Giulia; Cassini, Rudi; Merola, Carmine; Diakou, Anastasia; Halos, Lénaïg; Beugnet, Frederic; Frangipane di Regalbono, Antonio

2017-04-01

This study investigated the presence of zoonotic parasites and vector-borne pathogens in dogs housed in kennels and shelters from four sites of Italy. A total of 150 adoptable dogs was examined with different microscopic, serological and molecular methods. Overall 129 dogs (86%) were positive for one or more parasites and/or pathogens transmitted by ectoparasites. Forty-eight (32%) were positive for one infection, while 81 (54%) for more than one pathogen. The most common zoonotic helminths recorded were hookworms, roundworms and Capillaria aerophila, followed by mosquito-borne Dirofilaria spp. and Dipylidium caninum. One hundred and thirteen (77.9%), 6 (4.1%) and 2 (1.4%) dogs were positive for Rickettsia spp., Leishmania infantum and Anaplasma spp., respectively. The results show that dogs living in rescue facilities from the studied areas may be infected by many zoonotic internal parasites and vector-borne pathogens, and that control measures should be implemented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle in Hokkaido, Japan, between September 2001 and December 2006.

PubMed

Kadohira, M; Stevenson, M A; Kanayama, T; Morris, R S

2008-12-13

Between October 2001 and December 2006 an estimated total of 6 million cattle in Japan were tested for BSE, with 31 returning a positive result. Exploratory mapping, the space-time scan statistic, and ordinal logistic regression have been used to describe the epidemiology of the 24 cases identified in the prefecture of Hokkaido, and to quantify the risk factors for the disease. Two birth cohort groups were affected: cattle born during a period of seven months in 1996, and cattle born between 1999 and 2001. The descriptive spatial analyses showed that eight of the 10 cases born in 1996 were born in areas with a relatively high density of dairy farms in the east of Hokkaido, but that the 14 later cases were more widely distributed throughout the prefecture, with equal numbers of cases in the east and the west. These findings provide indirect evidence of a single localised contamination of the cattle feed supply in 1996, and recycling of the infection after 1999.

Cognitive performance among cohorts of children exposed to a waste disposal site containing heavy metals in Chile

PubMed Central

Burgos, Soledad; Tenorio, Marcela; Zapata, Pamela; Cáceres, Dante D.; Klarian, José; Alvarez, Nancy; Oviedo, Renato; Toro-Campos, Rosario; Claudio, Luz; Iglesias, Verónica

2017-01-01

Between 1984-1998, people living in Arica were involuntarily exposed to metal-containing waste stored in the urban area. The study aims to determine whether children who lived near the waste disposal site during early childhood experienced negative effects on their cognitive development. The cognitive performance was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The exposure variable was defined by the year of birth in three categories: (1) Pre-remediation (born before 1999); (2) During-remediation (born between 1999-2003); and (3) Post-remediation (born after 2003). In the crude analysis a difference of 10 points in the IQ average was observed between the group born in the pre (81.9 points) and post remediation period (91.1 points). The difference between both groups was five times higher as compared to children of similar age and socioeconomic status in other cities of Chile. This result could be related with a period of high potential for exposure to this contaminated site. PMID:28245674

Distribution of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne arboviruses in Yunnan Province near the China-Myanmar-Laos border.

PubMed

Wang, Jinglin; Zhang, Hailin; Sun, Xiaohong; Fu, Shihong; Wang, Huanqin; Feng, Yun; Wang, Huanyu; Tang, Qing; Liang, Guo-Dong

2011-05-01

Economic development and increased tourism in the southern region of Yunnan Province in China, adjacent to several countries in Southeast Asia, has increased the likelihood of import and export of vectors and vector-borne diseases. We report the results of surveillance of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne arboviruses along the border of China-Myanmar-Laos in 2005 and 2006, and information associating several arboviruses with infections and possibly disease in local human populations. Seventeen mosquito species representing four genera were obtained, and 14 strains of mosquito-borne viruses representing six viruses in five genera were isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus. In addition, IgM against Japanese encephalitis virus, Sindbis virus, Yunnan orbivirus and novel Banna virus was detected in acute-phase serum samples obtained from hospitalized patients with fever and encephalitis near the areas where the viruses were isolated. This investigation suggests that Japanese encephalitis virus, Sindbis virus, and lesser-known arboviruses circulate and may be infecting humans in the China-Myanmar-Laos border region.

Disease Risk in a Dynamic Environment: The Spread of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Minnesota, USA

PubMed Central

Robinson, Stacie J.; Neitzel, David F.; Moen, Ronald A.; Craft, Meggan E.; Hamilton, Karin E.; Johnson, Lucinda B.; Mulla, David J.; Munderloh, Ulrike G.; Redig, Patrick T.; Smith, Kirk E.; Turner, Clarence L.; Umber, Jamie K.; Pelican, Katharine M.

2015-01-01

As humans and climate change alter the landscape, novel disease risk scenarios emerge. Understanding the complexities of pathogen emergence and subsequent spread as shaped by landscape heterogeneity is crucial to understanding disease emergence, pinpointing high-risk areas, and mitigating emerging disease threats in a dynamic environment. Tick-borne diseases present an important public health concern and incidence of many of these diseases are increasing in the United States. The complex epidemiology of tick-borne diseases includes strong ties with environmental factors that influence host availability, vector abundance, and pathogen transmission. Here, we used 16 years of case data from the Minnesota Department of Health to report spatial and temporal trends in Lyme disease (LD), human anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. We then used a spatial regression framework to evaluate the impact of landscape and climate factors on the spread of LD. Finally, we use the fitted model, and landscape and climate datasets projected under varying climate change scenarios, to predict future changes in tick-borne pathogen risk. Both forested habitat and temperature were important drivers of LD spread in Minnesota. Dramatic changes in future temperature regimes and forest communities predict rising risk of tick-borne disease. PMID:25281302

Awareness of tick-borne disease and compliance with using tick preventive products of dog owners in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Boost, Maureen V; Tung, Choi-Yin; Ip, Claudia Hoi-Ki; Man, July Fung-Oi; Hui, Toni Wing-Tung; Leung, Candy Fung-Yee; Mak, Maggie Yuen-Wa; Yuen, Queeny; O'Donoghue, Margaret M

2017-02-01

Tick-borne disease in dogs is common in South-east Asia and includes babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. These diseases can be largely prevented by compliant use of tick preventive products. This study investigated knowledge of ticks and tick-borne disease and use of tick preventive agents by a large sample of dog owners in Hong Kong. A total of 492 valid questionnaires were completed by owners attending veterinary practices, approached by researchers at common dog-walking areas, or targeted via local social media sites for pet owners. A high proportion of respondents were aware of tick-borne disease (79%) and this correlated well with use of preventive products. However, 18% of owners did not use any protection, mainly due to lack of knowledge of the risk of disease. Targeted advice stressing the importance of tick protection use and frequent follow-up at veterinary clinics could help reduce the risk of tick-borne disease. It would be beneficial if veterinarians provided training of frontline staff at the clinics to ensure they provide essential information to clients in an easily understandable format. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Management of ticks and tick-borne diseases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ginsberg, H.S.; Stafford, K.C.; Goodman, J.L.; Dennis, D.T.; Sonenshine, D .E.

2005-01-01

The mainstays of tick management and protection from tick-borne diseases have traditionally been personal precautions and the application of acaricides. These techniques maintain their value, and current innovations hold considerable promise for future improvement in effective targeting of materials for tick control. Furthermore, an explosion of research in the past few decades has resulted in the development and expansion of several novel and potentially valuable approaches to tick control, including vaccination against tick-borne pathogen transmission and against tick attachment, host management, use of natural enemies (especially entomopathogenic fungi), and pheromone-based techniques. The situations that require tick management are diverse, and occur under varied ecological conditions. Therefore, the likelihood of finding a single ?magic bullet? for tick management is low. In practical terms, the approach to tick management or to management of tick-borne disease must be tailored to the specific conditions at hand. One area that needs increased attention is the decision-making process in applying IPM to tick control. Further development of novel tick control measures, and increased efficiency in their integration and application to achieve desired goals, holds great promise for effective future management of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Disease risk in a dynamic environment: the spread of tick-borne pathogens in Minnesota, USA.

PubMed

Robinson, Stacie J; Neitzel, David F; Moen, Ronald A; Craft, Meggan E; Hamilton, Karin E; Johnson, Lucinda B; Mulla, David J; Munderloh, Ulrike G; Redig, Patrick T; Smith, Kirk E; Turner, Clarence L; Umber, Jamie K; Pelican, Katharine M

2015-03-01

As humans and climate change alter the landscape, novel disease risk scenarios emerge. Understanding the complexities of pathogen emergence and subsequent spread as shaped by landscape heterogeneity is crucial to understanding disease emergence, pinpointing high-risk areas, and mitigating emerging disease threats in a dynamic environment. Tick-borne diseases present an important public health concern and incidence of many of these diseases are increasing in the United States. The complex epidemiology of tick-borne diseases includes strong ties with environmental factors that influence host availability, vector abundance, and pathogen transmission. Here, we used 16 years of case data from the Minnesota Department of Health to report spatial and temporal trends in Lyme disease (LD), human anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. We then used a spatial regression framework to evaluate the impact of landscape and climate factors on the spread of LD. Finally, we use the fitted model, and landscape and climate datasets projected under varying climate change scenarios, to predict future changes in tick-borne pathogen risk. Both forested habitat and temperature were important drivers of LD spread in Minnesota. Dramatic changes in future temperature regimes and forest communities predict rising risk of tick-borne disease.

The Willingness to Pay for Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encephalitis and Implications for Public Health Policy: Evidence from Sweden.

PubMed

Slunge, Daniel

2015-01-01

The increasing incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Sweden and several other European countries has sparked a discussion about the need for a public vaccination strategy. However, TBE vaccination coverage is incomplete and there is little knowledge about the factors influencing vaccination behavior. Based on a survey of 1,500 randomly selected respondents in Sweden, we estimate vaccination coverage in areas with different TBE risk levels and analyze the role of vaccine price and other factors influencing the demand for vaccination. First, we find that the average rate of TBE vaccination in Sweden is 33% in TBE risk areas and 18% elsewhere. Income, age and risk-related factors such as incidence of TBE in the area of residence, frequency of visits to areas with TBE risk, and experience with tick bites are positively associated with demand for TBE vaccine. Next, using contingent valuation methodology, we estimate the willingness to pay for TBE vaccination among the unvaccinated respondents and the effect of a possible subsidy. Among the unvaccinated respondents in TBE risk areas, we estimate the mean willingness to pay for the recommended three doses of TBE vaccine to be 465 SEK (approximately 46 euros or 40% of the current market price). We project that a subsidy making TBE vaccines free of charge could increase the vaccination rate in TBE risk areas to around 78%, with a larger effect on low-income households, whose current vaccination rate is only 15% in risk areas. However, price is not the only factor affecting demand. We find significant effects on vaccination behavior associated with trust in vaccine recommendations, perceptions about tick bite-related health risks and knowledge about ticks and tick-borne diseases. Hence, increasing knowledge and trust, as well as ease of access to vaccinations, can also be important measures for public health agencies that want to increase the vaccination rate.

The Willingness to Pay for Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encephalitis and Implications for Public Health Policy: Evidence from Sweden

PubMed Central

Slunge, Daniel

2015-01-01

The increasing incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Sweden and several other European countries has sparked a discussion about the need for a public vaccination strategy. However, TBE vaccination coverage is incomplete and there is little knowledge about the factors influencing vaccination behavior. Based on a survey of 1,500 randomly selected respondents in Sweden, we estimate vaccination coverage in areas with different TBE risk levels and analyze the role of vaccine price and other factors influencing the demand for vaccination. First, we find that the average rate of TBE vaccination in Sweden is 33% in TBE risk areas and 18% elsewhere. Income, age and risk-related factors such as incidence of TBE in the area of residence, frequency of visits to areas with TBE risk, and experience with tick bites are positively associated with demand for TBE vaccine. Next, using contingent valuation methodology, we estimate the willingness to pay for TBE vaccination among the unvaccinated respondents and the effect of a possible subsidy. Among the unvaccinated respondents in TBE risk areas, we estimate the mean willingness to pay for the recommended three doses of TBE vaccine to be 465 SEK (approximately 46 euros or 40% of the current market price). We project that a subsidy making TBE vaccines free of charge could increase the vaccination rate in TBE risk areas to around 78%, with a larger effect on low-income households, whose current vaccination rate is only 15% in risk areas. However, price is not the only factor affecting demand. We find significant effects on vaccination behavior associated with trust in vaccine recommendations, perceptions about tick bite-related health risks and knowledge about ticks and tick-borne diseases. Hence, increasing knowledge and trust, as well as ease of access to vaccinations, can also be important measures for public health agencies that want to increase the vaccination rate. PMID:26641491

Is there a difference in cognitive development between preschool singletons and twins born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection or in vitro fertilization?*

PubMed Central

Xing, Lan-feng; Qian, Yu-li; Chen, Lu-ting; Zhang, Fan-hong; Xu, Xin-fen; Qu, Fan; Zhu, Yi-min

2014-01-01

Objective: To explore whether there exist differences in cognitive development between singletons and twins born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Methods: A total of 566 children were recruited for the study, including 388 children (singletons, n=175; twins, n=213) born after IVF and 178 children (singletons, n=87; twins, n=91) born after ICSI. The cognitive development was assessed using the Chinese-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (C-WISC). Results: For all pre-term offspring, all the intelligence quotient (IQ) items between singletons and twins showed no significant differences no matter if they were born after IVF or ICSI. There was a significant difference in the cognitive development of IVF-conceived full-term singletons and twins. The twins born after IVF obtained significantly lower scores than the singletons in verbal IQ (containing information, picture & vocabulary, arithmetic, picture completion, comprehension, and language), performance IQ (containing maze, visual analysis, object assembly, and performance), and full scale IQ (P<0.05). The cognitive development of full-term singletons and twins born after ICSI did not show any significant differences. There was no significant difference between the parents of the singletons and twins in their characteristics where data were collected, including the age of the mothers, the current employment status, the educational backgrounds, and areas of residence. There were also no consistent differences in the duration of pregnancy, sex composition of the children, age, and height between singletons and twins at the time of our study although there existed significant differences between the two groups in the sex composition of the full-term children born after ICSI (P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared to the full-term singletons born after IVF, the full-term twins have lower cognitive development. The cognitive development of full-term singletons and twins born after ICSI did not show any significant differences. For all pre-term offspring, singletons and twins born after IVF or ICSI, the results of the cognitive development showed no significant differences. PMID:24390744

Is there a difference in cognitive development between preschool singletons and twins born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection or in vitro fertilization?

PubMed

Xing, Lan-feng; Qian, Yu-li; Chen, Lu-ting; Zhang, Fan-hong; Xu, Xin-fen; Qu, Fan; Zhu, Yi-min

2014-01-01

To explore whether there exist differences in cognitive development between singletons and twins born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A total of 566 children were recruited for the study, including 388 children (singletons, n=175; twins, n=213) born after IVF and 178 children (singletons, n=87; twins, n=91) born after ICSI. The cognitive development was assessed using the Chinese-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (C-WISC). For all pre-term offspring, all the intelligence quotient (IQ) items between singletons and twins showed no significant differences no matter if they were born after IVF or ICSI. There was a significant difference in the cognitive development of IVF-conceived full-term singletons and twins. The twins born after IVF obtained significantly lower scores than the singletons in verbal IQ (containing information, picture & vocabulary, arithmetic, picture completion, comprehension, and language), performance IQ (containing maze, visual analysis, object assembly, and performance), and full scale IQ (P<0.05). The cognitive development of full-term singletons and twins born after ICSI did not show any significant differences. There was no significant difference between the parents of the singletons and twins in their characteristics where data were collected, including the age of the mothers, the current employment status, the educational backgrounds, and areas of residence. There were also no consistent differences in the duration of pregnancy, sex composition of the children, age, and height between singletons and twins at the time of our study although there existed significant differences between the two groups in the sex composition of the full-term children born after ICSI (P<0.05). Compared to the full-term singletons born after IVF, the full-term twins have lower cognitive development. The cognitive development of full-term singletons and twins born after ICSI did not show any significant differences. For all pre-term offspring, singletons and twins born after IVF or ICSI, the results of the cognitive development showed no significant differences.

SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE US-MEXICO BORDER: THE ROLE OF IMMIGRATION

PubMed Central

Borges, Guilherme; Zamora, Beatriz; García, José; Orozco, Ricardo; Cherpitel, Cheryl J.; Zemore, Sarah E.; Breslau, Joshua

2014-01-01

Home to about 15 million people, the US-Mexico border area has suffered stresses from increased border security efforts and a costly drug war in Mexico. Whether immigration patterns add to increasing levels of anxiety for the Mexican population and the Mexican-origin individuals living in the US-Mexico border and near the border is unknown. We used the US-Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC), a cross-sectional survey (2011–2013) of individuals living in border and non-border cities of the US (n=2,336) and Mexico (n=2,460). In Mexico respondents were asked if they ever migrated to the US or have a family member living in the US (328) or not (2,124), while in the US respondents were asked if they were born in Mexico (697), born in the US with no US-born parents (second generation, 702) or born in the US with at least one US-born parent (third generation, 932). The prevalence and risk factors for symptoms of anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (>=10) were obtained. Mexicans with no migrant experience had a prevalence of anxiety and adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) within the last month of 6.7% (PR=reference), followed by Mexicans with migration experience of 13.1% (PR=1.8), Mexican-born respondents living in the US of 17.3% (PR=2.6), US born Mexican-Americans of 2nd generation of 18.6% (PR=3.3) and finally US born 3rd+ generation of 25.9% (PR=3.8). Results help to identify regions and migration patterns at high risk for anxiety and may help to unravel causal mechanisms that underlie this risk. PMID:25543519

Symptoms of anxiety on both sides of the US-Mexico border: the role of immigration.

PubMed

Borges, Guilherme; Zamora, Beatriz; García, José; Orozco, Ricardo; Cherpitel, Cheryl J; Zemore, Sarah E; Breslau, Joshua

2015-02-01

Home to about 15 million people, the US-Mexico border area has suffered stresses from increased border security efforts and a costly drug war in Mexico. Whether immigration patterns add to increasing levels of anxiety for the Mexican population and the Mexican-origin individuals living in the US-Mexico border and near the border is unknown. We used the US-Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC), a cross-sectional survey (2011-2013) of individuals living in border and non-border cities of the US (n = 2336) and Mexico (n = 2460). In Mexico respondents were asked if they ever migrated to the US or have a family member living in the US (328) or not (2124), while in the US respondents were asked if they were born in Mexico (697), born in the US with no US-born parents (second generation, 702) or born in the US with at least one US-born parent (third generation, 932). The prevalence and risk factors for symptoms of anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (>=10) were obtained. Mexicans with no migrant experience had a prevalence of anxiety and adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) within the last month of 6.7% (PR = reference), followed by Mexicans with migration experience of 13.1% (PR = 1.8), Mexican-born respondents living in the US of 17.3% (PR = 2.6), US born Mexican-Americans of 2nd generation of 18.6% (PR = 3.3) and finally US born 3rd + generation of 25.9% (PR = 3.8). Results help to identify regions and migration patterns at high risk for anxiety and may help to unravel causal mechanisms that underlie this risk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A mid-latitude balloon-borne observation of total odd nitrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kondo, Y.; Aimedieu, P.; Matthews, W. A.; Sheldon, W. R.; Benbrook, J. R.

1990-01-01

A balloon-borne instrument to measure total odd nitrogen NO(y) has been developed. A converter which enables catalytic conversion of NO(y) into nitric oxide on a heated gold surface is combined with a chemiluminescence detector. The conversion efficiency for NO2 was measured to be close to 100 percent at pressures between 60 and 7 mb. The major source of errors in the balloon-borne measurements are the uncertainties in the estimates of the sample flow rate and the zero level of the instrument. The NO(y) concentration was measured at altitudes between 12 and 28 km with a precision of about 25 percent on a balloon experiment conducted at latitude 44 deg N in June 1989. The NO(y) concentration has been measured to be 1.5 + or - 0.4, 3 + or - 0.7, 10 + or - 3, and 14 + or - 4 ppbv at altitudes of 17, 20, 25, and 28 km, respectively.

Nucleation of platelets with blood-borne pathogens on Kupffer cells precedes other innate immunity and contributes to bacterial clearance.

PubMed

Wong, Connie H Y; Jenne, Craig N; Petri, Björn; Chrobok, Navina L; Kubes, Paul

2013-08-01

Through the use of intravital imaging of the liver, we demonstrate a collaborative role for platelets with Kupffer cells (KCs) in eradicating blood-borne bacterial infection. Under basal conditions, platelets, via the platelet-adhesion receptor GPIb, formed transient 'touch-and-go' interactions with von Willebrand factor (vWF) constitutively expressed on KCs. Bacteria such as Bacillus cereus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were rapidly caught by KCs and triggered platelets to switch from 'touch-and-go' adhesion to sustained GPIIb-mediated adhesion on the KC surface to encase the bacterium. Infected GPIbα-deficient mice had more endothelial and KC damage than did their wild-type counterparts, which led to more fluid leakage, substantial polycythemia and rapid mortality. Our study identifies a previously unknown surveillance mechanism by which platelets survey macrophages that rapidly converts to a critical host response to blood-borne bacteria.

Diagonal Born-Oppenheimer correction for coupled-cluster wave-functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamasundar, K. R.

2018-06-01

We examine how geometry-dependent normalisation freedom of electronic wave-functions affects extraction of a meaningful diagonal Born-Oppenheimer correction (DBOC) to the ground-state Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface (PES). By viewing this freedom as a kind of gauge-freedom, it is shown that DBOC and the resulting associated mass-dependent adiabatic PES are gauge-invariant quantities. A sum-over-states (SOS) formula for DBOC which explicitly exhibits this invariance is derived. A biorthogonal formulation suitable for DBOC computations using standard unnormalised coupled-cluster (CC) wave-functions is presented. This is shown to lead to a biorthogonal version of SOS formula with similar properties. On this basis, different computational schemes for evaluating DBOC using approximate CC wave-functions are derived. One of this agrees with the formula used in the current literature. The connection to adiabatic-to-diabatic transformations in non-adiabatic dynamics is explored and complications arising from biorthogonal nature of CC theory are identified.

Spatial analysis of vector-borne infectious diseases and ecological indicators using GIS and remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anh, N. K.; Liou, Y. A.

2017-12-01

Ecological and climate indicators play a vital role in defining patterns of human activities and behaviors, such as seasonal features, migration, winter-summer lifestyles, which in turn might be associated with vector-borne disease habitats and transmission risks. Remote sensing has been instrumental in deriving environmental variables and indicators. GIS is shown to be a powerful tool in spatiotemporal visualization and distribution of vector-borne diseases and for analysis of associations between environmental conditions and characteristics of vector-borne habitats. Vietnam is in the sub-tropical climate zone with high humidity and abundant precipitation, while the distribution of precipitation is uneven leading to frequently annual occurrence of drought and flood disasters. Moreover, urban heat island effect is significantly enhanced in urbanized areas in recent years. The increase in the frequency and magnitude of severity of weather extremes that are potentially linked to climate change and anthropogenic processes have highlighted the demand of research into health risk assessment and adaptive capacity. This research focuses on the analysis of physical features of environmental indicators and its association with vector-borne diseases as well as adaptive capacity. The study illustrates how remotely sensed data has been utilized in geohealth applications, surveillance, and health risk mapping. In addition, promising possibilities of allowing disease early-warning systems with citizen participation platform will be proposed. Keywords: Vector-borne diseases; environmental indicators; remote sensing; GIS; Vietnam.

Reproductive history and involvement in pregnancy and childbirth of fathers of babies born to teenage mothers in Stockholm, Sweden.

PubMed

Ekeus, Cecilia; Christensson, Kyllike

2003-06-01

to describe and compare sexual and reproductive history as well as reactions to the pregnancy and attendance in antenatal care, family classes and childbirth of fathers of babies born to teenage mothers and fathers of babies born to average aged mothers. a descriptive comparative study using a structured questionnaire for data collection. eleven postnatal wards at the five obstetric and gynaecological departments in the Stockholm area. 132 fathers of babies born to primiparous teenage mothers (Group A) and the same number of fathers of babies born to primiparous women aged between 25-29 years (Group B) who were present in the postnatal wards. 43 of Group A compared to 17% of the Group B fathers had their first intercourse before 15 years of age. This early sexual debut was related to other health hazard, such as use of illicit drugs and cigarette smoking. The majority of the pregnancies in Group A were unplanned but most fathers reacted positively to the pregnancy and participated in the antenatal care. In contrast, only half of these fathers attended family classes. fathers of babies born to teenage mothers differed from fathers of babies to older mothers regarding reproductive background as well as involvement during pregnancy. The findings of this study challenge midwives to organise clinical practice in order to meet the specific needs of this group.

Fine-scale habitat use of reintroduced black-footed ferrets on prairie dog colonies in New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chipault, Jennifer G.; Biggins, Dean E.; Detling, James K.; Long, Dustin H.; Reich, Robin M.

2012-01-01

Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are among the most endangered animals in North America. Reintroductions of captive-born ferrets onto prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) colonies are crucial to the conservation of the species. In September 2007, captive-born ferrets were released on a black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colony at the Vermejo Park Ranch, New Mexico. Ferret kits experimentally released in areas of comparatively low and high prairie dog burrow densities were located via spotlight surveys. Some maturing ferret kits were subsequently translocated to areas of low and high burrow densities on nearby prairie dog colonies. For 2 months, fine-scale habitat use was quantified by mapping all burrow openings within a 30-m radius of each ferret location. Spatial statistics accounted for autocorrelation in the burrow densities in areas used by ferrets. It was hypothesized that ferrets would select areas of high burrow densities within colonies; however, burrow densities in areas used by ferrets were generally similar to the available burrow densities. Because ferrets used areas with burrow densities similar to densities available at the colony level and because of the potential energetic benefits for ferrets using areas with high burrow densities, releasing ferrets on colonies with high burrow densities might increase reintroduction success.

Surveillance should be strengthened to improve epidemiological understandings of mosquito-borne Barmah Forest virus infection.

PubMed

Ehlkes, Lutz; Eastwood, Keith; Webb, Cameron; Durrheim, David

2012-07-01

Barmah Forest virus (BFV) is a mosquito-borne virus causing epidemic polyarthritis in Australia. This study used case follow-up of cases from the surveillance system to demonstrate that routinely collected BFV notification data were an unreliable indicator of the true location of exposure. BFV notifications from June 2001 to May 2011 were extracted from the New South Wales (NSW) Notifiable Conditions Information Management System to study case distribution. Disease cluster analysis was performed using spatial scan statistics. Exposure history data were collected from cases notified in 2010 and 2011 to accurately determine travel to high-risk areas. Cluster analysis using address data identified an area of increased BFV disease incidence in the mid-north coast of NSW contiguous with estuarine wetlands. When travel to this area was investigated, 96.7% (29/30) cases reported having visited coastal regions within four weeks of developing symptoms. Along the central NSW coastline, extensive wetlands occur in close proximity to populated areas. These wetlands provide ideal breeding habitats for a range of mosquito species implicated in the transmission of BFV. This is the first study to fully assess case exposure with findings suggesting that sporadic cases of BFV in people living further away from the coast do not reflect alternative exposure sites but are likely to result from travel to coastal regions. Spatial analysis by case address alone may lead to inaccurate understandings of the true distribution of arboviral diseases. Subsequently, this information has important implications for the collection of mosquito-borne disease surveillance information and public health response strategies.

A comparison of UV surface brightness and HI surface densities for spiral galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Federman, S. R.; Strom, C.

1990-01-01

Shaya and Federman (1987) suggested that the ambient ultraviolet flux at 1000 A permeating a spiral galaxy controls the neutral hydrogen (HI) surface density in the galaxy. They found that the atomic envelopes surrounding small molecular clouds, because of their great number, provide the major contribution to the HI surface density over the stellar disk. The increase in HI surface density with later Hubble types was ascribed to the stronger UV fields from more high-mass stars in later Hubble types. These hypotheses are based on the observations of nearby diffuse interstellar clouds, which show a sharp atomic-to-molecular transition (Savage et al. 1977), and on the theoretical framework introduced by Federman, Glassgold, and Kwan (1979). Atomic envelopes around interstellar clouds in the solar neighborhood arise when a steady state is reached between photodissociation of H2 and the formation of H2 on grains. The photodissociation process involves photons with wavelengths between 912 A and 1108 A. Shaya and Federman used H-alpha flux as an approximate measure for the far UV flux and made their comparisons based on averages over Hubble type. Here, researchers compare, on an individual basis, UV data obtained with space-borne and balloon-borne instruments for galaxies with measurements of HI surface density (Warmels 1988a, b). The comparisons substantiate the conclusion of Shaya and Federman that the far UV field controls the HI content of spiral galaxies.

A social systems model of nursing home use.

PubMed Central

Wolf, R S

1978-01-01

Causal modeling (path analysis) was applied to data from the 39 mental health catchment areas of Massachusetts to analyze the effects of sociocultural and health-resource variables on long-term-care utilization. The variables chosen explained 53 percent of the variance of long-term-care use by persons 60 and older: 41 percent was explained by the sociocultural variables and 12 percent by the health-resource variables. With data adjusted for age, the major determinant of long-term-care use was ethnicity: less long-term care was used in areas with more persons who were foreign-born or had a foreign-born parent. The effects of other health resources (supply of primary care physicians and use of mental and general (short-term) hospitals) were small and negative. PMID:418027

The ESCOMPTE program: an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cros, B.; Durand, P.; Cachier, H.; Drobinski, Ph.; Fréjafon, E.; Kottmeier, C.; Perros, P. E.; Peuch, V.-H.; Ponche, J.-L.; Robin, D.; Saı̈d, F.; Toupance, G.; Wortham, H.

2004-01-01

In this paper, the "Expérience sur Site pour COntraindre les Modèles de Pollution atmosphérique et de Transport d'Emissions" (ESCOMPTE) program is presented. The ESCOMPTE program is used to produce a relevant set of data for testing and evaluating regional pollution models. It includes high-resolution (in space and time) atmospheric emission inventories and field experiments, and covers an area of 120×120 km, centered over the Marseilles-Berre area in the southeast of France during Summer 2001. This region presents a high occurrence of photochemical pollution events, which result from numerous industrial and urban sources of primary pollutants. From the dynamical characteristics of the area, sea-breeze circulation and channeling effects due to terrain features highly influence the location of the pollutant plumes. ESCOMPTE will provide a highly documented framework for dynamics and chemistry studies. Campaign strategies and experimental set up are described. During the planning phase, existing modeling results helped defining the experimental design. The campaign involved surface measurement networks, remote sensing, ship-borne, balloon-borne, and airplane measurements. Mean standard meteorological parameters and turbulent fluxes, ozone, ozone precursors, photochemically active trace gases, and aerosols were measured. Five intensive observation periods (IOPs) were documented using a wide spectrum of instruments, involving aircraft (7) (one of them equipped with a Doppler lidar, the others for in situ meteorological and chemical measurements), constant volume balloons (33), ozone lidars (5), wind profilers (15 sodars and radars), Doppler scanning lidar (1), radiosonde systems (at 4 locations), instrumented ships (2). In addition to the air quality networks from environmental agencies, 15 supplementary ground stations equipped for chemistry and/or meteorology and/or surface flux measurements, were operational. All instruments were calibrated and compared during a Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) week, at the very beginning of the campaign. Fifteen days were intensively documented during five IOPs, referenced as 1, 2a, 2b, 3, and 4. High pollution levels were encountered during sea-breeze conditions observed during IOPs 2b and 3, whereas IOPs 2a and 4 corresponded to moderate wind, and channeled plume regimes. In addition, hourly emissions inventories for all IOPs were established to complete data sets and to finalize the ESCOMPTE database (EDB). Two other projects were associated to ESCOMPTE: urban boundary layer (UBL) and tropospheric water vapor content by GPS tomography (GPS/H 2O). They took advantage of the scientific environment provided by ESCOMPTE.

Pubertally born neurons and glia are functionally integrated into limbic and hypothalamic circuits of the male Syrian hamster.

PubMed

Mohr, Margaret A; Sisk, Cheryl L

2013-03-19

During puberty, the brain goes through extensive remodeling, involving the addition of new neurons and glia to brain regions beyond the canonical neurogenic regions (i.e., dentate gyrus and olfactory bulb), including limbic and hypothalamic cell groups associated with sex-typical behavior. Whether these pubertally born cells become functionally integrated into neural circuits remains unknown. To address this question, we gave male Syrian hamsters daily injections of the cell birthdate marker bromodeoxyuridine throughout puberty (postnatal day 28-49). Half of the animals were housed in enriched environments with access to a running wheel to determine whether enrichment increased the survival of pubertally born cells compared with the control environment. At 4 wk after the last BrdU injection, animals were allowed to interact with a receptive female and were then killed 1 h later. Triple-label immunofluorescence for BrdU, the mature neuron marker neuronal nuclear antigen, and the astrocytic marker glial fibrillary acidic protein revealed that a proportion of pubertally born cells in the medial preoptic area, arcuate nucleus, and medial amygdala differentiate into either mature neurons or astrocytes. Double-label immunofluorescence for BrdU and the protein Fos revealed that a subset of pubertally born cells in these regions is activated during sociosexual behavior, indicative of their functional incorporation into neural circuits. Enrichment affected the survival and activation of pubertally born cells in a brain region-specific manner. These results demonstrate that pubertally born cells located outside of the traditional neurogenic regions differentiate into neurons and glia and become functionally incorporated into neural circuits that subserve sex-typical behaviors.

A Description of a Family of Heron Quadrilaterals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sastry, K. R. S.

2005-01-01

Mathematical historians place Heron in the first century. Right-angled triangles with integer sides and area had been determined before Heron, but he discovered such a "non" right-angled triangle, viz 13, 14, 15; 84. In view of this, triangles with integer sides and area are named "Heron triangles." The Indian mathematician Brahmagupta, born in…

Hearing Conservation in Schools [and] Safety and Health Legislation: Are You in Compliance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasaway, Donald C.; Kirk, Albert S.

1995-01-01

Because potentially hazardous noises abound in schools, especially in technical areas, this article describes ways to identify problems and help students and employees protect their hearing. Also looks at legislated requirements for blood-borne pathogens, laboratory safety, hazardous waste disposal, personal protective equipment, and other areas.…

Design and Development of VHF Antennas for Space Borne Signal of Opportunity Receivers for Cubesat Platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshpande, Manohar; Piepmeier, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

Design and Development of VHF Antennas for Space Borne Signal of Opportunity Receivers for Cubesat Platforms. Space borne microwave remote sensors at VHF/UHF frequencies are important instruments to observe reflective properties of land surfaces through thick and heavy forestation on a global scale. One of the most cost effective ways of measuring land reflectivity at VHF/UHF frequencies is to use signals transmitted by existing communication satellites (operating at VHF/UHF band) as a signal of opportunity (SoOp) signal and passive receivers integrated with airborne/space borne platforms operating in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). One of the critical components of the passive receiver is two antennas (one to receive only direct signal and other to receive only reflected signal) which need to have ideally high (>30dB) isolation. However, because of small size of host platforms and broad beam width of dipole antennas, achieving adequate isolation between two channels is a challenging problem and need to be solved for successful implementation of space borne SoOp technology for remote sensing. In this presentation a novel enabling VHF antenna technology for Cubesat platforms is presented to receive direct as well as reflected signal with needed isolation. The novel scheme also allows enhancing the gain of individual channels by factor of 2 without use of reflecting ground plane

An accurate and affordable test for the rapid diagnosis of sickle cell disease could revolutionize the outlook for affected children born in resource-limited settings.

PubMed

Williams, Thomas N

2015-09-23

Each year, at least 280,000 children are born with sickle cell disease (SCD) in resource-limited settings. For cost, logistic and political reasons, the availability of SCD testing is limited in such settings and consequently 50-90 % of affected children die undiagnosed before their fifth birthday. The recent development of a point of care method for the diagnosis of SCD - the Sickle SCAN™ device - could afford such children the prompt access to appropriate services that has transformed the outlook for affected children in resource-rich areas. In research published in BMC Medicine, Kanter and colleagues describe a small but carefully conducted study involving 208 children and adults, in which they found that by using Sickle SCAN™ it was possible to diagnose the common forms of SCD with 99 % sensitivity and 99 % specificity, in under 5 minutes. If repeatable both in newborn babies and under real-life conditions, and if marketed at an affordable price, Sickle SCAN™ could revolutionize the survival prospects for children born with SCD in resource-limited areas.Please see related article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0473-6.

Stability of a Tick-Borne Flavivirus in Milk.

PubMed

Offerdahl, Danielle K; Clancy, Niall G; Bloom, Marshall E

2016-01-01

The tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFV) occur worldwide and the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) members of the group often cause severe, debilitating neurological disease in humans. Although the primary route of infection is through the bite of an infected tick, alimentary infection through the consumption of TBEV-contaminated dairy products is also well-documented and is responsible for some disease in endemic areas. Experimental infection of goats, cattle, and sheep with TBEV shows that the virus can be excreted in the milk of infected animals. Additionally, the virus remains infectious after exposure to low pH levels, similar to those found in the stomach. To evaluate the survival of virus in milk, we studied the stability of the BSL-2 TBFV, Langat virus, in unpasteurized goat milk over time and after different thermal treatments. Virus was stable in milk maintained under refrigeration conditions; however, there was a marked reduction in virus titer after incubation at room temperature. High temperature, short time pasteurization protocols completely inactivated the virus. Interestingly, simulation of a typical thermal regime utilized for cheese did not completely inactivate the virus in milk. These findings stress the importance of proper milk handling and pasteurization processes in areas endemic for TBEV.

Stability of a Tick-Borne Flavivirus in Milk

PubMed Central

Offerdahl, Danielle K.; Clancy, Niall G.; Bloom, Marshall E.

2016-01-01

The tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFV) occur worldwide and the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) members of the group often cause severe, debilitating neurological disease in humans. Although the primary route of infection is through the bite of an infected tick, alimentary infection through the consumption of TBEV-contaminated dairy products is also well-documented and is responsible for some disease in endemic areas. Experimental infection of goats, cattle, and sheep with TBEV shows that the virus can be excreted in the milk of infected animals. Additionally, the virus remains infectious after exposure to low pH levels, similar to those found in the stomach. To evaluate the survival of virus in milk, we studied the stability of the BSL-2 TBFV, Langat virus, in unpasteurized goat milk over time and after different thermal treatments. Virus was stable in milk maintained under refrigeration conditions; however, there was a marked reduction in virus titer after incubation at room temperature. High temperature, short time pasteurization protocols completely inactivated the virus. Interestingly, simulation of a typical thermal regime utilized for cheese did not completely inactivate the virus in milk. These findings stress the importance of proper milk handling and pasteurization processes in areas endemic for TBEV. PMID:27243000

Arthropod-borne diseases in Italy: from a neglected matter to an emerging health problem.

PubMed

Romi, Roberto

2010-01-01

In medical entomology, "Arthropod Borne Diseases", or "Vector Borne Diseases" (VBD) are intended as a group of human and animal infections caused by different pathogen organisms (protozoa, helminths, bacteria and viruses) transmitted by the bite of a bloodsucking insect or arachnid. It is commonly known that the infectious diseases transmitted by Arthropods are mainly affecting tropical and subtropical countries, nevertheless some of them were or are still common also in the northern hemisphere, where they are usually maintained under control. VBD still represent some of the most important public health problems in the endemic areas but are becoming source of concern for developed countries too. Since the last decades of the past century, a number of VBD has been spreading geographically, being recorded for the first time in areas outside their original range. This phenomenon is strictly related to the peculiar epidemiological characteristics of these diseases, that are considered the most susceptible to climatic, environmental and socioeconomic changes. This article is a short overview of the VBD endemic and emerging in Italy. The possibility that some exotic vectors and/or pathogens could be introduced and become established in Italy is also discussed.

Remote Sensing Contributions to Prediction and Risk Assessment of Natural Disasters Caused by Large Scale Rift Valley Fever Outbreaks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anyamba, Assaf; Linthicum, Kenneth J.; Small, Jennifer; Britch, S. C.; Tucker, C. J.

2012-01-01

Remotely sensed vegetation measurements for the last 30 years combined with other climate data sets such as rainfall and sea surface temperatures have come to play an important role in the study of the ecology of arthropod-borne diseases. We show that epidemics and epizootics of previously unpredictable Rift Valley fever are directly influenced by large scale flooding associated with the El Ni o/Southern Oscillation. This flooding affects the ecology of disease transmitting arthropod vectors through vegetation development and other bioclimatic factors. This information is now utilized to monitor, model, and map areas of potential Rift Valley fever outbreaks and is used as an early warning system for risk reduction of outbreaks to human and animal health, trade, and associated economic impacts. The continuation of such satellite measurements is critical to anticipating, preventing, and managing disease epidemics and epizootics and other climate-related disasters.

Environmental reservoirs and mechanisms of persistence of Vibrio cholerae

PubMed Central

Lutz, Carla; Erken, Martina; Noorian, Parisa; Sun, Shuyang; McDougald, Diane

2013-01-01

It is now well accepted that Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the water-borne disease cholera, is acquired from environmental sources where it persists between outbreaks of the disease. Recent advances in molecular technology have demonstrated that this bacterium can be detected in areas where it has not previously been isolated, indicating a much broader, global distribution of this bacterium outside of endemic regions. The environmental persistence of V. cholerae in the aquatic environment can be attributed to multiple intra- and interspecific strategies such as responsive gene regulation and biofilm formation on biotic and abiotic surfaces, as well as interactions with a multitude of other organisms. This review will discuss some of the mechanisms that enable the persistence of this bacterium in the environment. In particular, we will discuss how V. cholerae can survive stressors such as starvation, temperature, and salinity fluctuations as well as how the organism persists under constant predation by heterotrophic protists. PMID:24379807

Balance of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

For several decades, measurements of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet showed it to be retreating rapidly. But new data derived from satellite-borne radar sensors show the ice sheet to be growing. Changing Antarctic ice sheets remains an area of high scientific interest, particularly in light of recent global warming concerns. These new findings are significant because scientists estimate that sea level would rise 5-6 meters (16-20 feet) if the ice sheet collapsed into the sea. Do these new measurements signal the end of the ice sheet's 10,000-year retreat? Or, are these new satellite data simply much more accurate than the sparse ice core and surface measurements that produced the previous estimates? Another possibility is that the ice accumulation may simply indicate that the ice sheet naturally expands and retreats in regular cycles. Cryologists will grapple with these questions, and many others, as they examine the new data. The image above depicts the region of West Antarctica where scientists measured ice speed. The fast-moving central ice streams are shown in red. Slower tributaries feeding the ice streams are shown in blue. Green areas depict slow-moving, stable areas. Thick black lines depict the areas that collect snowfall to feed their respective ice streams. Reference: Ian Joughin and Slawek Tulaczyk Science Jan 18 2002: 476-480. Image courtesy RADARSAT Antarctic Mapping Project

UAS-Borne Photogrammetry for Surface Topographic Characterization: A Ground-Truth Baseline for Future Change Detection and Refinement of Scaled Remotely-Sensed Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppersmith, R.; Schultz-Fellenz, E. S.; Sussman, A. J.; Vigil, S.; Dzur, R.; Norskog, K.; Kelley, R.; Miller, L.

2015-12-01

While long-term objectives of monitoring and verification regimes include remote characterization and discrimination of surficial geologic and topographic features at sites of interest, ground truth data is required to advance development of remote sensing techniques. Increasingly, it is desirable for these ground-based or ground-proximal characterization methodologies to be as nimble, efficient, non-invasive, and non-destructive as their higher-altitude airborne counterparts while ideally providing superior resolution. For this study, the area of interest is an alluvial site at the Nevada National Security Site intended for use in the Source Physics Experiment's (Snelson et al., 2013) second phase. Ground-truth surface topographic characterization was performed using a DJI Inspire 1 unmanned aerial system (UAS), at very low altitude (< 5-30m AGL). 2D photographs captured by the standard UAS camera payload were imported into Agisoft Photoscan to create three-dimensional point clouds. Within the area of interest, careful installation of surveyed ground control fiducial markers supplied necessary targets for field collection, and information for model georectification. The resulting model includes a Digital Elevation Model derived from 2D imagery. It is anticipated that this flexible and versatile characterization process will provide point cloud data resolution equivalent to a purely ground-based LiDAR scanning deployment (e.g., 1-2cm horizontal and vertical resolution; e.g., Sussman et al., 2012; Schultz-Fellenz et al., 2013). In addition to drastically increasing time efficiency in the field, the UAS method also allows for more complete coverage of the study area when compared to ground-based LiDAR. Comparison and integration of these data with conventionally-acquired airborne LiDAR data from a higher-altitude (~ 450m) platform will aid significantly in the refinement of technologies and detection capabilities of remote optical systems to identify and detect surface geologic and topographic signatures of interest. This work includes a preliminary comparison of surface signatures detected from varying standoff distances to assess current sensor performance and benefits.

A spatially explicit metapopulation model and cattle trade analysis suggests key determinants for the recurrent circulation of rift valley Fever virus in a pilot area of madagascar highlands.

PubMed

Nicolas, Gaëlle; Chevalier, Véronique; Tantely, Luciano Michaël; Fontenille, Didier; Durand, Benoît

2014-12-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that causes high morbidity and mortality in ruminants. In 2008-2009, a RVF outbreak affected the whole Madagascar island, including the Anjozorobe district located in Madagascar highlands. An entomological survey showed the absence of Aedes among the potential RVF virus (RVFV) vector species identified in this area, and an overall low abundance of mosquitoes due to unfavorable climatic conditions during winter. No serological nor virological sign of infection was observed in wild terrestrial mammals of the area, suggesting an absence of wild RVF virus (RVFV) reservoir. However, a three years serological and virological follow-up in cattle showed a recurrent RVFV circulation. The objective of this study was to understand the key determinants of this unexpected recurrent transmission. To achieve this goal, a spatial deterministic discrete-time metapopulation model combined with cattle trade network was designed and parameterized to reproduce the local conditions using observational data collected in the area. Three scenarios that could explain the RVFV recurrent circulation in the area were analyzed: (i) RVFV overwintering thanks to a direct transmission between cattle when viraemic cows calve, vectors being absent during the winter, (ii) a low level vector-based circulation during winter thanks to a residual vector population, without direct transmission between cattle, (iii) combination of both above mentioned mechanisms. Multi-model inference methods resulted in a model incorporating both a low level RVFV winter vector-borne transmission and a direct transmission between animals when viraemic cows calve. Predictions satisfactorily reproduced field observations, 84% of cattle infections being attributed to vector-borne transmission, and 16% to direct transmission. These results appeared robust according to the sensitivity analysis. Interweaving between agricultural works in rice fields, seasonality of vector proliferation, and cattle exchange practices could be a key element for understanding RVFV circulation in this area of Madagascar highlands.

Capybaras and ticks in the urban areas of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil: ecological aspects for the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases.

PubMed

Queirogas, V L; Del Claro, K; Nascimento, A R T; Szabó, M P J

2012-05-01

In Brazil capybara, the biggest existing rodent species, and associated tick species, Amblyomma cajennense and Amblyomma dubitatum, are undergoing an unplanned host and parasite population expansion in both urban and rural areas. However, scientific information about such issue, particularly in urban areas, is scanty. Such rodent and ticks are associated in some municipalities, particularly in southeastern Brazil, with the transmission of the highly lethal Rickettsia rickettsia caused spotted-fever. In this study ecological aspects related to the establishment and expansion of capybaras and ticks in urban areas of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, Brazil were evaluated. For this purpose, capybara and tick abundance in four urban areas and an ecological reserve was determined. Abundance of capybaras varied between areas and over the sampling period and these differences were related to human activities. A positive correlation was found between capybara and tick abundance, however, the tick species had an uneven distribution within the municipality and environmental factors rather than host availability were blamed for such. On the whole these observations show that capybara populations in urban areas are associated to high environmental infestation of ticks and the increased risk of bites and of pathogen transmission to humans. At the same time the uneven distribution of tick species might implicate in an unequal risk of tick-borne diseases within the same urban area.

A study of methods to predict and measure the transmission of sound through the walls of light aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernhard, R. J.; Bolton, J. S.; Gardner, B.; Mickol, J.; Mollo, C.; Bruer, C.

1986-01-01

Progress was made in the following areas: development of a numerical/empirical noise source identification procedure using bondary element techniques; identification of structure-borne noise paths using structural intensity and finite element methods; development of a design optimization numerical procedure to be used to study active noise control in three-dimensional geometries; measurement of dynamic properties of acoustical foams and incorporation of these properties in models governing three-dimensional wave propagation in foams; and structure-borne sound path identification by use of the Wigner distribution.

The Challenges and Advances in Diagnosis of Vector-Borne Diseases: Where Do We Stand?

PubMed

Kuleš, Josipa; Potocnakova, Lenka; Bhide, Katarina; Tomassone, Laura; Fuehrer, Hans-Peter; Horvatić, Anita; Galan, Asier; Guillemin, Nicolas; Nižić, Petra; Mrljak, Vladimir; Bhide, Mangesh

2017-05-01

Vector-borne diseases (VBD) are of major importance to human and animal health. In recent years, VBD have been emerging or re-emerging in many geographical areas, alarming new disease threats and economic losses. The precise diagnosis of many of these diseases still remains a major challenge because of the lack of comprehensive data available on accurate and reliable diagnostic methods. Here, we conducted a systematic and in-depth review of the former, current, and upcoming techniques employed for the diagnosis of VBD.

Design VHF Antennas for Space Borne Receivers for SmallSats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshpande, Manohar

2017-01-01

Space borne microwave remote sensors at VHF/UHF frequencies are important instruments to observe reflective properties of land surfaces through thick and heavy forestation on a global scale. One of the most cost effective ways of measuring land reflectivity at VHF/UHF frequencies is to use signals transmitted by existing communication satellites (operating at VHF/UHF band) as a signal of opportunity (SoOp) signal and passive receivers integrated with airborne/space borne platforms operating in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). One of the critical components of the passive receiver is two antennas (one to receive only direct signal and other to receive only reflected signal) which need to have ideally high (>30dB) isolation. However, because of small size of host platforms and broad beam width of dipole antennas, achieving adequate isolation between two channels is a challenging problem and need to be solved for successful implementation of space borne SoOp technology for remote sensing. In this presentation a novel enabling VHF antenna technology for Cubesat platforms is presented to receive direct as well as reflected signal with needed isolation. The novel scheme also allows enhancing the gain of individual channels by factor of 2 without use of reflecting ground plane.

Obliquity-controlled soil moisture fluctuations recorded in Saharan dust deposits on Lanzarote (Canary Islands) during the last 180 ka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Suchodoletz, H.; Oberhänsli, H.; Hambach, U.; Zöller, L.; Fuchs, M.; Faust, D.

2009-04-01

On Lanzarote (Canary Islands), dust-borne sediments trapped in valleys dammed by volcanic material were investigated in order to reveal environmental changes during the Late Quaternary. Clay content and frequency dependent magnetic susceptibility are used as proxies of pedogenesis and trace back changes of palaeo-soil moisture during the last 180 ka, showing a pattern of generally enhanced soil moisture during glacials and stadials and more arid conditions during warm periods. These results are compared with proxies from local palaeoclimate studies, showing that there is a positive correlation with proxies of trade wind strength off NW Africa and sea surface temperatures in the NE-Atlantic, and an inverse correlation with the extent of mediterranean vegetation. Possible causes for the observed pattern include a glacial enhancement of precipitation from westerly cyclones, an occasional influence of the African summer monsoon and a relative humidity change triggered by fluctuating air temperatures. Although no clear differentiation between the influences of these factors is possible yet, it is clear that the first and the last one must have dominated during most of the time. These results are the first quasi continuous terrestrial data testifying to environmental changes in the NW African coastal area for the last 180 ka, and complement the abundant data derived from marine cores of the region. The results from this study demonstrate a dominant influence of high latitude dynamics in this area intermediated by North Atlantic sea surface temperatures. This influence is supported by a negative correlation of our proxies with the orbital obliquity cycle, including a time lag of about 10 ka similar to that recorded from North Atlantic sea surface temperatures.

Do Supernovae Make or Kill Pulsars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geppert, U.; Page, D.; Zannias, T.

1998-12-01

The effect of post core-collapse accretion on the magnetic field (MF) of a new born neutron star (NS) is considered. If this accretion is hypercritical than any initially in the NS matter frozen in MF will be submerged beneath the accreted matter. If the accreted matter is non magnetized, NS produced by SN in which hypercritical accretion occured are born with weak surface MF. This mechanism may contribute to the deficit of observed PSR in SNR and may also explain the discrepancy between the estimated PSR birthrate and type Ib + II SN rates. The dependence of the re-diffusion of the submerged MF on the fall-back accretion is discussed too.

A survey of light-scattering techniques used in the remote monitoring of atmospheric aerosols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deirmendjian, D.

1980-01-01

A critical survey of the literature on the use of light-scattering mechanisms in the remote monitoring of atmospheric aerosols, their geographical and spatial distribution, and temporal variations was undertaken to aid in the choice of future operational systems, both ground based and air or space borne. An evaluation, mainly qualitative and subjective, of various techniques and systems is carried out. No single system is found to be adequate for operational purposes. A combination of earth surface and space-borne systems based mainly on passive techniques involving solar radiation with active (lidar) systems to provide auxiliary or backup information is tentatively recommended.

The capability of satellite borne remote sensors to measure stratospheric trace constituents. Volume 2: Ozone and aerosol related missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keitz, E. L.

1978-01-01

Stratospheric trace constituent measurement requirements are separated into two somewhat overlapping areas. In the first area, it is assumed that the only problem of interest is ozone; its chemistry chain, environmental effects and measurement requirements. In like manner, in the second area it is assumed that the only problem of interest is stratospheric aerosols; their chemistry, effects and measurement requirements.

International linkage of two food-borne hepatitis A clusters through traceback of mussels, the Netherlands, 2012.

PubMed

Boxman, Ingeborg L A; Verhoef, Linda; Vennema, Harry; Ngui, Siew-Lin; Friesema, Ingrid H M; Whiteside, Chris; Lees, David; Koopmans, Marion

2016-01-01

This report describes an outbreak investigation starting with two closely related suspected food-borne clusters of Dutch hepatitis A cases, nine primary cases in total, with an unknown source in the Netherlands. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) genotype IA sequences of both clusters were highly similar (459/460 nt) and were not reported earlier. Food questionnaires and a case-control study revealed an association with consumption of mussels. Analysis of mussel supply chains identified the most likely production area. International enquiries led to identification of a cluster of patients near this production area with identical HAV sequences with onsets predating the first Dutch cluster of cases. The most likely source for this cluster was a case who returned from an endemic area in Central America, and a subsequent household cluster from which treated domestic sewage was discharged into the suspected mussel production area. Notably, mussels from this area were also consumed by a separate case in the United Kingdom sharing an identical strain with the second Dutch cluster. In conclusion, a small number of patients in a non-endemic area led to geographically dispersed hepatitis A outbreaks with food as vehicle. This link would have gone unnoticed without sequence analyses and international collaboration.

Immigrant residential segregation in U.S. metropolitan areas, 1990-2000.

PubMed

Iceland, John; Scopilliti, Melissa

2008-02-01

This paper examines the extent of spatial assimilation among immigrants of different racial and ethnic origins. We use restricted data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses to calculate the levels of dissimilarity by race and Hispanic origin, nativity, and year of entry, and then run multivariate models to examine these relationships. The findings provide broad support for spatial assimilation theory. Foreign-born Hispanics, Asians, and blacks are more segregated from native-born non-Hispanic whites than are the U.S.-born of these groups. The patterns for Hispanics and Asians can be explained by the average characteristics of the foreign-born that are generally associated with higher levels of segregation, such as lower levels of income, English language ability, and home ownership. We also find that immigrants who have been in the United States for longer periods are generally less segregated than new arrivals, and once again, much of this difference can be attributed to the characteristics of immigrants. However, patterns also vary across groups. Levels of segregation are much higher for black immigrants than for Asian, Hispanic, and white immigrants. In addition, because black immigrants are, on average, of higher socioeconomic status than native-born blacks, such characteristics do not help explain their very high levels of segregation.

Aligning US health and immigration policy to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis.

PubMed

Blewett, L A; Marmor, S; Pintor, J K; Boudreaux, M

2014-04-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health issue, claiming 1.4 million lives worldwide in 2011. Using data from the 2009-2010 National Health Interview Survey, we examine variation in 'having heard of TB' (HTB) by global region of birth and health insurance status. Cross-sectional analysis with bivariate comparisons and multivariate logistic regression to evaluate how adults differed in reported HTB, controlling for global region of birth. HTB rates ranged from 63.4% of adults born in Asia to 88.6% born in Europe. Uninsured immigrants had the lowest rate of HTB, ranging from a low of 50.1% of uninsured adults born in Asia to 77.6% born in Europe and 90.8% of US-born uninsured adults. Longer length of time in the United States (>5 years) was significantly associated with increased likelihood of HTB, as did being of Asian race/ethnicity and being male. Those with private health insurance coverage had the highest rates of HTB. To reduce persistent TB, public health program directors and policy makers must 1) recognize the variation in HTB by global region of birth and prioritize areas with the lowest HTB rates, and 2) reduce barriers to health insurance coverage by eliminating the 5-year ban for public program coverage for new immigrants.

Occurrence and distribution of tomato seed-borne mycoflora in Saudi Arabia and its correlation with the climatic variables

PubMed Central

Al-Askar, Abdulaziz A; Ghoneem, Khalid M; Rashad, Younes M; Abdulkhair, Waleed M; Hafez, Elsayed E; Shabana, Yasser M; Baka, Zakaria A

2014-01-01

One hundred samples of tomato seeds were collected in 2011 and 2012 from tomato-cultivated fields in Saudi Arabia and screened for their seed-borne mycoflora. A total of 30 genera and 57 species of fungi were recovered from the collected seed samples using agar plate and deep-freezing blotter methods. The two methods differed as regards the frequency of recovered seed-borne fungi. Seven fungi among those recovered from tomato seeds, which are known as plant pathogens, were tested for their pathogenicity and transmission on tomato seedlings. The recovery rate of these pathogens gradually decreased from root up to the upper stem, and did not reach to the stem apex. The distribution of tomato seed-borne fungi was also investigated throughout Saudi Arabia. In this concern, Al-Madena governorate recorded the highest incidence of fungal flora associated with tomato seeds. The impact of meteorological variables on the distribution of tomato seed-borne mycoflora was explored using the ordination technique (canonical correspondence analysis). Among all climatic factors, relative humidity was the most influential variable in this regard. Our findings may provide a valuable contribution to our understanding of future global disease change and may be used also to predict disease occurrence and fungal transfer to new uninfected areas. PMID:24964218

The Darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Trends, Drivers and Projections (1981-2100)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedesco, Marco; Doherty, Sarah; Fettweis, Xavier; Alexander, Patrick; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; Stroeve, Julienne

2016-01-01

The surface energy balance and meltwater production of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) are modulated by snow and ice albedo through the amount of absorbed solar radiation. Here we show, using space-borne multispectral data collected during the 3 decades from 1981 to 2012, that summertime surface albedo over the GrIS decreased at a statistically significant (99 %) rate of 0.02 decade(sup -1) between 1996 and 2012. Over the same period, albedo modelled by the Modele Atmospherique Regionale (MAR) also shows a decrease, though at a lower rate (approximately -0.01 decade(sup -1)) than that obtained from space-borne data. We suggest that the discrepancy between modelled and measured albedo trends can be explained by the absence in the model of processes associated with the presence of light-absorbing impurities. The negative trend in observed albedo is confined to the regions of the GrIS that undergo melting in summer, with the dry snow zone showing no trend. The period 1981-1996 also showed no statistically significant trend over the whole GrIS. Analysis of MAR outputs indicates that the observed albedo decrease is attributable to the combined effects of increased near-surface air temperatures, which enhanced melt and promoted growth in snow grain size and the expansion of bare ice areas, and to trends in light-absorbing impurities (LAI) on the snow and ice surfaces. Neither aerosol models nor in situ and remote sensing observations indicate increasing trends in LAI in the atmosphere over Greenland. Similarly, an analysis of the number of fires and BC emissions from fires points to the absence of trends for such quantities. This suggests that the apparent increase of LAI in snow and ice might be related to the exposure of a "dark band" of dirty ice and to increased consolidation of LAI at the surface with melt, not to increased aerosol deposition. Albedo projections through to the end of the century under different warming scenarios consistently point to continued darkening, with albedo anomalies averaged over the whole ice sheet lower by 0.08 in 2100 than in 2000, driven solely by a warming climate. Future darkening is likely underestimated because of known underestimates in modelled melting (as seen in hindcasts) and because the model albedo scheme does not currently include the effects of LAI, which have a positive feedback on albedo decline through increased melting, grain growth, and darkening.

The burden of tick-borne diseases in the Altai region of Russia.

PubMed

Dedkov, V G; Simonova, E G; Beshlebova, O V; Safonova, M V; Stukolova, O A; Verigina, E V; Savinov, G V; Karaseva, I P; Blinova, E A; Granitov, V M; Arsenjeva, I V; Shipulin, G A

2017-08-01

This article presents the results of a comprehensive survey of the burden of tick-borne infectious diseases (TBIDs) in the Altai region of Russia. Official data for TBID incidence were analyzed and 201 samples from patients with suspected TBID were studied. Furthermore, questing ticks and ticks recovered from humans were examined to estimate prevalence of TBID-causative agents. The Altai region was determined to have a heightened risk for TBIDs in Russia. The most epidemiologically significant tick-borne illness in this area is spotted fever group rickettsiosis, while nationally in Russia, the leading TBID is Lyme borreliosis. The prevalence of mixed infection was 12.4% among the studied cases. Additionally, the prevalence of poorly studied pathogens - Kemerovo virus (KEMV) and Rickettsia tarasevichiae - in ticks from the Altai region was determined. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Increased organ donations from people born outside Spain.

PubMed

Frutos, M A; Mansilla, J J; Ruiz, P; Guerrero, F; Lebrón, M; Ortuño, R; Daga, D; Carballo, M

2008-11-01

Organs donated from persons born outside Spain are becoming increasingly numerous. These persons now account for 26.1% of all donors in the "Malaga sector," an area of tourism with a high percentage of immigrants. Acceptance to donation among persons from Europe and South America is similar to that of Spanish persons but lower among those born in Africa. We must recognize the great help that cultural mediators provided not only by assistance with the language barrier but also by generating confidence among families and understanding their emotions, feelings, and traditions, mainly during interviews with families from different social and cultural miliere. To be efficient, the interpreters or cultural mediators need to have received specific training in the organ donation process and to be involved and convinced that organ donation and transplantation is the best solution for severe health problems.

Models for the effects of host movement in vector-borne disease systems.

PubMed

Cosner, Chris

2015-12-01

Host and/or vector movement patterns have been shown to have significant effects in both empirical studies and mathematical models of vector-borne diseases. The processes of economic development and globalization seem likely to make host movement even more important in the future. This article is a brief survey of some of the approaches that have been used to study the effects of host movement in analytic mathematical models for vector-borne diseases. It describes the formulation and interpretation of various types of spatial models and describes a few of the conclusions that can be drawn from them. It is not intended to be comprehensive but rather to provide sufficient background material and references to the literature to serve as an entry point into this area of research for interested readers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emergency department management of mosquito-borne illness: malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus.

PubMed

Caraballo, Hector; King, Kevin

2014-05-01

Up to 700 million people are infected and more than a million die each year from mosquito-borne illness. While the vast majority of cases occur in endemic tropical and subtropical regions, international travel and migration patterns have increased their prevalence in North America. This review discusses the diagnosis and treatment of the 3 most common mosquito-borne illnesses seen in the United States: Plasmodium falciparum malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus. With no pathognomonic findings, it is critical that emergency clinicians in nonendemic areas maintain a high index of suspicion, conduct a thorough history/travel history, and interpret indirect findings to initiate prompt and appropriate treatment. This review gathers the best evidence from international public health resources, surveillance studies, guidelines, and academic research to give emergency clinicians tools to combat these potentially lethal infections.

Cavity Born-Oppenheimer Approximation for Correlated Electron-Nuclear-Photon Systems.

PubMed

Flick, Johannes; Appel, Heiko; Ruggenthaler, Michael; Rubio, Angel

2017-04-11

In this work, we illustrate the recently introduced concept of the cavity Born-Oppenheimer approximation [ Flick et al. PNAS 2017 , 10.1073/pnas.1615509114 ] for correlated electron-nuclear-photon problems in detail. We demonstrate how an expansion in terms of conditional electronic and photon-nuclear wave functions accurately describes eigenstates of strongly correlated light-matter systems. For a GaAs quantum ring model in resonance with a photon mode we highlight how the ground-state electronic potential-energy surface changes the usual harmonic potential of the free photon mode to a dressed mode with a double-well structure. This change is accompanied by a splitting of the electronic ground-state density. For a model where the photon mode is in resonance with a vibrational transition, we observe in the excited-state electronic potential-energy surface a splitting from a single minimum to a double minimum. Furthermore, for a time-dependent setup, we show how the dynamics in correlated light-matter systems can be understood in terms of population transfer between potential energy surfaces. This work at the interface of quantum chemistry and quantum optics paves the way for the full ab initio description of matter-photon systems.

Mercury accumulation in the surface layers of mountain soils: a case study from the Karkonosze Mountains, Poland.

PubMed

Szopka, Katarzyna; Karczewska, Anna; Kabała, Cezary

2011-06-01

The study was aimed to examine total concentrations and pools of Hg in surface layers of soils in the Karkonosze Mountains, dependent on soil properties and site locality. Soil samples were collected from a litter layer and the layers 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, at 68 sites belonging to the net of a monitoring system, in two separate areas, and in three altitudinal zones: below 900 m, 900-1100 m, and over 1100 m. Air-borne pollution was the major source of mercury in soils. Hg has accumulated mainly in the litter (where its concentrations were the highest), and in the layer 0-10 cm. Hg concentrations in all samples were in the range 0.04-0.97 mg kg(-1), with mean values 0.38, 0.28, and 0.14 mg kg(-1) for litter and the layers 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, respectively. The highest Hg concentrations in the litter layer were found in the intermediate altitudinal zone, whereas Hg concentrations in the layer 0-10 cm increased with increasing altitude. Soil quality standard for protected areas (0.50 mg kg(-1)) was exceeded in a few sites. The pools of Hg accumulated in soils were in the range: 0.8-84.8 mg m(-2), with a mean value of 16.5 mg m(-2), and they correlated strongly with the pools of stored organic matter. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Airborne EM, Lithology and in-situ Data Used for Quantizing Groundwater Salinity in Zeeland (NL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, U.; Siemon, B.; van Baaren, E.; Dabekaussen, W.; Delsman, J. R.; Karaoulis, M.; Gunnink, J.; Pauw, P.; Vermaas, T.

2017-12-01

In a setting of predominantly saline surface waters in Zeeland, the Netherlands, the only available shallow fresh groundwater is present in the form of freshwater lenses floating on top of the saline groundwater. This fresh water is vital for agricultural, industrial, ecological, water conservation and drinking water functions. An essential first step for managing the usable water properly is to know the present spatial fresh-brackish-saline groundwater distribution. As traditional salinity monitoring is labor-intensive, airborne electromagnetics, which is fast and can cover large areas in short time, is an efficient alternative. A consortium of BGR, Deltares and TNO conducted FRESHEM Zeeland (FREsh Salt groundwater distribution by Helicopter ElectroMagnetic survey in the Province of Zeeland) in 2014-17. An area of more than 2000 square km was surveyed using BGR's helicopter-borne geophysical system totaling to about 9,600 line-km. The HEM data, after inversion to 2.5 Million resistivity-depth models for each of the three 1D inversion procedures applied (Marquardt single site, smooth and sharp laterally constrained inversion), served as base-line information for further interpretation. A probabilistic Monte Carlo approach combines HEM resistivities, 3D lithology model data (GeoTOP), laboratory results (formation factor and surface conductivity) and local in-situ groundwater measurements for the translation of resistivity to Chloride concentration. The resulting 3D voxel model enables stakeholders to implement spatial Chloride concentration in their groundwater models.

Seasonal thaw settlement at drained thermokarst lake basins, Arctic Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, Lin; Schaefer, Kevin; Gusmeroli, Alessio; Grosse, Guido; Jones, Benjamin M.; Zhang, Tinjun; Parsekian, Andrew; Zebker, Howard

2014-01-01

Drained thermokarst lake basins (DTLBs) are ubiquitous landforms on Arctic tundra lowland. Their dynamic states are seldom investigated, despite their importance for landscape stability, hydrology, nutrient fluxes, and carbon cycling. Here we report results based on high-resolution Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements using space-borne data for a study area located on the North Slope of Alaska near Prudhoe Bay, where we focus on the seasonal thaw settlement within DTLBs, averaged between 2006 and 2010. The majority (14) of the 18 DTLBs in the study area exhibited seasonal thaw settlement of 3–4 cm. However, four of the DTLBs examined exceeded 4 cm of thaw settlement, with one basin experiencing up to 12 cm. Combining the InSAR observations with the in situ active layer thickness measured using ground penetrating radar and mechanical probing, we calculated thaw strain, an index of thaw settlement strength along a transect across the basin that underwent large thaw settlement. We found thaw strains of 10–35% at the basin center, suggesting the seasonal melting of ground ice as a possible mechanism for the large settlement. These findings emphasize the dynamic nature of permafrost landforms, demonstrate the capability of the InSAR technique to remotely monitor surface deformation of individual DTLBs, and illustrate the combination of ground-based and remote sensing observations to estimate thaw strain. Our study highlights the need for better description of the spatial heterogeneity of landscape-scale processes for regional assessment of surface dynamics on Arctic coastal lowlands.

Remote Sensing of Snow Cover. Section; Snow Extent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Frei, Allan; Drey, Stephen J.

2012-01-01

Snow was easily identified in the first image obtained from the Television Infrared Operational Satellite-1 (TIROS-1) weather satellite in 1960 because the high albedo of snow presents a good contrast with most other natural surfaces. Subsequently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began to map snow using satellite-borne instruments in 1966. Snow plays an important role in the Earth s energy balance, causing more solar radiation to be reflected back into space as compared to most snow-free surfaces. Seasonal snow cover also provides a critical water resource through meltwater emanating from rivers that originate from high-mountain areas such as the Tibetan Plateau. Meltwater from mountain snow packs flows to some of the world s most densely-populated areas such as Southeast Asia, benefiting over 1 billion people (Immerzeel et al., 2010). In this section, we provide a brief overview of the remote sensing of snow cover using visible and near-infrared (VNIR) and passive-microwave (PM) data. Snow can be mapped using the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum, even in darkness and through cloud cover, but at a coarser spatial resolution than when using VNIR data. Fusing VNIR and PM algorithms to produce a blended product offers synergistic benefits. Snow-water equivalent (SWE), snow extent, and melt onset are important parameters for climate models and for the initialization of atmospheric forecasts at daily and seasonal time scales. Snowmelt data are also needed as input to hydrological models to improve flood control and irrigation management.

Key binding and susceptibility of NS3/4A serine protease inhibitors against hepatitis C virus.

PubMed

Meeprasert, Arthitaya; Hannongbua, Supot; Rungrotmongkol, Thanyada

2014-04-28

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes an infectious disease that manifests itself as liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and can lead to the development of liver cancer. Its NS3/4A serine protease is a potent target for drug design and development since it is responsible for cleavage of the scissile peptide bonds in the polyprotein important for the HCV life cycle. Herein, the ligand-target interactions and the binding free energy of the four current NS3/4A inhibitors (boceprevir, telaprevir, danoprevir, and BI201335) were investigated by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations with three different initial atomic velocities. The per-residue free energy decomposition suggests that the key residues involved in inhibitor binding were residues 41-43, 57, 81, 136-139, 155-159, and 168 in the NS3 domain. The van der Waals interactions yielded the main driving force for inhibitor binding at the protease active site for the cleavage reaction. In addition, the highest number of hydrogen bonds was formed at the reactive P1 site of the four studied inhibitors. Although the hydrogen bond patterns of these inhibitors were different, their P3 site was most likely to be recognized by the A157 backbone. Both molecular mechanic (MM)/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area and MM/generalized Born surface area approaches predicted the relative binding affinities of the four inhibitors in a somewhat similar trend to their experimentally derived biological activities.

Studies of the mechanism of selectivity of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) bidentate inhibitors using molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations.

PubMed

Fang, Lei; Zhang, Huai; Cui, Wei; Ji, Mingjun

2008-10-01

Bidentate inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) are considered as a group of ideal inhibitors with high binding potential and high selectivity in treating type II diabetes. In this paper, the binding models of five bidentate inhibitors to PTP1B, TCPTP, and SHP-2 were investigated and compared by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy calculations. The binding free energies were computed using the Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) methodology. The calculation results show that the predicted free energies of the complexes are well consistent with the experimental data. The Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA) free energy decomposition analysis indicates that the residues ARG24, ARG254, and GLN262 in the second binding site of PTP1B are essential for the high selectivity of inhibitors. Furthermore, the residue PHE182 close to the active site is also important for the selectivity and the binding affinity of the inhibitors. According to our analysis, it can be concluded that in most cases the polarity of the portion of the inhibitor that binds to the second binding site of the protein is positive to the affinity of the inhibitors while negative to the selectivity of the inhibitors. We expect that the information we obtained here can help to develop potential PTP1B inhibitors with more promising specificity.

Tearing the terroir: Details and implications of surface rupture and deformation from the 24 August 2014 M6.0 South Napa earthquake, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeLong, Stephen B.; Donnellan, Andrea; Ponti, Daniel J.; Rubin, Ron S.; Lienkaemper, James J.; Prentice, Carol S.; Dawson, Timothy E.; Seitz, Gordon G.; Schwartz, David P.; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Rosa, Carla M.; Pickering, Alexandra J; Parker, Jay W.

2016-01-01

The Mw 6.0 South Napa earthquake of 24 August 2014 caused slip on several active fault strands within the West Napa Fault Zone (WNFZ). Field mapping identified 12.5 km of surface rupture. These field observations, near-field geodesy and space geodesy, together provide evidence for more than ~30 km of surface deformation with a relatively complex distribution across a number of subparallel lineaments. Along a ~7 km section north of the epicenter, the surface rupture is confined to a single trace that cuts alluvial deposits, reoccupying a low-slope scarp. The rupture continued northward onto at least four other traces through subparallel ridges and valleys. Postseismic slip exceeded coseismic slip along much of the southern part of the main rupture trace with total slip 1 year postevent approaching 0.5 m at locations where only a few centimeters were measured the day of the earthquake. Analysis of airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar data provides slip distributions along fault traces, indicates connectivity and extent of secondary traces, and confirms that postseismic slip only occurred on the main trace of the fault, perhaps indicating secondary structures ruptured as coseismic triggered slip. Previous mapping identified the WNFZ as a zone of distributed faulting, and this was generally borne out by the complex 2014 rupture pattern. Implications for hazard analysis in similar settings include the need to consider the possibility of complex surface rupture in areas of complex topography, especially where multiple potentially Quaternary-active fault strands can be mapped.

Evaluation of a Sexual Abuse Prevention Workshop in a Multicultural, Impoverished Urban Area

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daigneault, Isabelle; Hebert, Martine; McDuff, Pierre; Frappier, Jean-Yves

2012-01-01

Participants in the ESPACE sexual abuse prevention workshop were in grades 1 through 4 and attended three Montreal, Canada, public schools in low socioeconomic areas. The sample was culturally diverse, with half born outside of Canada. An evaluation was conducted to explore the effects associated with participating in the workshop and the effects…

Technology, Learning, and Change: Community Development Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Anne H.

2004-01-01

Bordering on North Carolina, the Dan River region of Southside Virginia is a largely rural area south of the state capitol, Richmond, and 135 miles east of Virginia Tech's main residential campus in Blacksburg. The structural problems evident today in this expanse of wooded areas, fields, small cities, and towns were born, in large measure, of the…

50 CFR 32.36 - Kentucky.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... two youths; on big game hunts, the adult may supervise no more than one youth. 13. All persons born... possess only approved nontoxic shot (see § 32.2(k)) while hunting small game. 6. You may hunt coyote only... Environmental Education and Recreation Area (EERA). i. The EERA is a day-use area only. ii. We only allow one...

A hierarchical network approach for modeling Rift Valley fever epidemics with applications in North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease which causes high morbidity and mortality in livestock. In the event Rift Valley fever virus is introduced to the United States or other non-endemic areas, understanding the potential patterns of spread and the areas at risk based on disease...

Clustering of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from foreign-born patients in Korea.

PubMed

Jeon, Christie Y; Kang, Heeyoon; Kim, Mihye; Murray, Megan B; Kim, Heejin; Cho, Eun Hee; Park, Young Kil

2011-12-01

Information on drug resistance and transmission patterns of tuberculosis (TB) in foreign-born patients is lacking in Asia where immigration is increasing. We examined the drug-resistance profiles of 288 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from foreign-born patients in South Korea, and assessed for potential transmission in the host country by analysing their IS6110 genotypes, as well as those of 4780 strains from native Korean TB patients. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB was 9.7% and 42% among new and previously treated patients, respectively. Chinese nationality was associated with MDR TB (OR(China)=3.0, 95% CI 1.1-9.3). Of the 288 strains, 51 (17.7%) formed 31 clusters, of which 22 were identical to strains from native Koreans. A number of strains belonged to the K family, subtypes known to occur endemically in Korea. MDR TB was common, and clustering patterns showed potential cross-cultural transmission among foreign-born TB patients. Further molecular epidemiological studies of all isolates in the area are needed to determine the extent of international TB transmission in Asia. © 2011 SGM

Emerging Tick-Borne Viruses in the Twenty-First Century

PubMed Central

Mansfield, Karen L.; Jizhou, Lv; Phipps, L. Paul; Johnson, Nicholas

2017-01-01

Ticks, as a group, are second only to mosquitoes as vectors of pathogens to humans and are the primary vector for pathogens of livestock, companion animals, and wildlife. The role of ticks in the transmission of viruses has been known for over 100 years and yet new pathogenic viruses are still being detected and known viruses are continually spreading to new geographic locations. Partly as a result of their novelty, tick-virus interactions are at an early stage in understanding. For some viruses, even the principal tick-vector is not known. It is likely that tick-borne viruses will continue to emerge and challenge public and veterinary health long into the twenty-first century. However, studies focusing on tick saliva, a critical component of tick feeding, virus transmission, and a target for control of ticks and tick-borne diseases, point toward solutions to emerging viruses. The aim of this review is to describe some currently emerging tick-borne diseases, their causative viruses, and to discuss research on virus-tick interactions. Through focus on this area, future protein targets for intervention and vaccine development may be identified. PMID:28744449

Update on Tick-Borne Bacterial Diseases in Travelers.

PubMed

Eldin, Carole; Parola, Philippe

2018-05-22

Ticks are the second most important vectors of infectious diseases after mosquitoes worldwide. The growth of international tourism including in rural and remote places increasingly exposes travelers to tick bite. Our aim was to review the main tick-borne infectious diseases reported in travelers in the past 5 years. In recent years, tick-borne bacterial diseases have emerged in travelers including spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses, borrelioses, and diseases caused by bacteria of the Anaplasmataceae family. African tick-bite fever, due to Rickettsia africae, is the most frequent agent reported in travelers returned from Sub-Saharan areas. Other SFG agents are increasingly reported in travelers, and clinicians should be aware of them. Lyme disease can be misdiagnosed in Southern countries. Organisms causing tick-borne relapsing fever are neglected pathogens worldwide, and reports in travelers have allowed the description of new species. Infections due to Anaplasmataceae bacteria are more rarely described in travelers, but a new species of Neoehrlichia has recently been detected in a traveler. The treatment of these infections relies on doxycycline, and travelers should be informed before the trip about prevention measures against tick bites.

The "Learning Through Play" project. Importance of interdisciplinary work among children born prematurely and their family groups in an area of high socio-environmental risk.

PubMed

Tobar, Flor L; Lencina, Manuel J

2017-12-01

Several socio-environmental risk factors causea large number of children born prematurely, and without neurological disorders, to have low scores in their development, particularly in the cognitive and socio-emotional skills areas, thus evidencing a potential future risk. Strengthening bonds with the family and caregivers is critical for their adequate development. This article reports on the experience of an interdisciplinary team from Hospital Eva Perón de Tucumán, who designed a program called "Learning Through Play"for the promotion of child development and aimed at parents of preterm infants seen at the Follow-up Outpatient Clinic and the Department of Social Services, with the collaboration of the Department of Nutrition. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

Tick-borne encephalitis.

PubMed

Dumpis, U; Crook, D; Oksi, J

1999-04-01

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a zoonotic arbovirus infection endemic to Russia and Eastern and Central Europe. Despite being a common and serious life-threatening disease for which a mass vaccination program was implemented in Austria, there is only limited reference to this disease in the English-language literature. TBE is transmitted to humans usually by the bite of a tick (either Ixodes persulcatus or Ixodes ricinus); occasionally, cases occur following consumption of infected unpasteurized milk. Transmission is seasonal and occurs in spring and summer, particularly in rural areas favored by the vector. TBE is a serious cause of acute central nervous system disease, which may result in death or long-term neurological sequelae. Effective vaccines are available in a few countries. The risk for travelers of acquiring TBE is increasing with the recent rise in tourism to areas of endemicity during spring and summer.

Pre-travel advice concerning vector-borne diseases received by travelers prior to visiting Cuzco, Peru.

PubMed

Mejia, Christian R; Centeno, Emperatriz; Cruz, Briggitte; Cvetkovic-Vega, Aleksandar; Delgado, Edison; Rodriguez-Morales, Alfonso J

2016-01-01

Peru is an increasingly popular tourist destination that poses a risk to travelers due to endemic vector-borne diseases (VBDs). The objective of our study was to determine which factors are associated with receiving pre-travel advice (PTA) for VBDs among travelers visiting Cuzco, Peru. A cross-sectional secondary analysis based on data from a survey among travelers departing Cuzco at Alejandro Velazco Astete International Airport during the period January-March 2012 was conducted. From the 1819 travelers included in the original study, 1717 were included in secondary data analysis. Of these participants, 42.2% received PTA and 2.9% were informed about vector-borne diseases, including yellow fever (1.8%), malaria (1.6%) and dengue fever (0.1%). Receiving information on VBDs was associated with visiting areas endemic to yellow fever and dengue fever in Peru. The only disease travelers received specific recommendations for before visiting an endemic area for was yellow fever. Only 1 in 30 tourists received information on VBD prevention; few of those who traveled to an endemic area were warned about specific risks for infectious diseases prior to their trip. These important findings show that most tourists who travel to Peru do not receive PTA for the prevention of infectious and VBD, which can affect not only the travelers but their countries of origin as well. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gibbon (Hylobates lar) reintroduction success in Phuket, Thailand, and its conservation benefits.

PubMed

Osterberg, Petra; Samphanthamit, Phamon; Maprang, Owart; Punnadee, Suwit; Brockelman, Warren Y

2015-05-01

We summarize the results from a long-term gibbon reintroduction project in Phuket, Thailand, and evaluate its benefits to conservation. Between October 2002 and November 2012, eight breeding families of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) were returned to the wild in Khao Phra Thaew non-hunting area (KPT). Wild gibbons were extirpated from Phuket Island by the early 1980s, but the illegal wildlife trade has continued to bring young gibbons from elsewhere to the island's popular tourist areas as pets and photo props. The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP) has rescued and rehabilitated confiscated and donated captive gibbons since 1992 and aims to repopulate the island's last sizable forest area. Following unsuccessful early attempts at translocation in the 1990s, GRP has now developed specific methods for gibbon reintroduction that have led to the establishment of a small independent, reproducing population of captive-raised and wild-born gibbons on Phuket. Eleven infants have been born wild within the reintroduced population, including a second generation wild-born gibbon in September 2012. Benefits of the GRP project include restoration of the gibbon population on Phuket, rescue of illegally kept gibbons, public education, training of personnel in gibbon conservation work, and gaining experience which may prove useful in saving more severely threatened species. It is unlikely that gibbon (and other large primate) translocations will make a significant contribution to conservation of the species as a whole, and primate translocation projects should not be judged solely by this criterion. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Utility of Japanese encephalitis virus subgenomic replicon-based single-round infectious particles as antigens in neutralization tests for Zika virus and three other flaviviruses.

PubMed

Yamanaka, Atsushi; Moi, Meng Ling; Takasaki, Tomohiko; Kurane, Ichiro; Matsuda, Mami; Suzuki, Ryosuke; Konishi, Eiji

2017-05-01

The introduction of a foreign virus into an area may cause an outbreak, as with the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas. Preparedness for handling a viral outbreak involves the development of tests for the serodiagnosis of foreign virus infections. We previously established a gene-based technology to generate some flaviviral antigens useful for functional antibody assays. The technology utilizes a Japanese encephalitis virus subgenomic replicon to generate single-round infectious particles (SRIPs) that possess designed surface antigens. In the present study, we successfully expanded the capacity of SRIPs to four human-pathogenic mosquito-borne flaviviruses that could potentially be introduced from endemic to non-endemic countries: ZIKV, Sepik virus, Wesselsbron virus, and Usutu virus. Flavivirus-crossreactive monoclonal antibodies dose-dependently neutralized these SRIPs. ZIKV-SRIPs also produced antibody-dose-dependent neutralization curves equivalent to those shown by authentic ZIKV particles using sera from a Zika fever patient. The faithful expression of designed surface antigens on SRIPs will allow their use in neutralization tests to diagnose foreign flaviviral infections. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health challenges of young travelers visiting friends and relatives compared with those traveling for other purposes.

PubMed

Han, Pauline; Yanni, Emad; Jentes, Emily S; Hamer, Davidson H; Chen, Lin H; Wilson, Mary E; Macleod, William B; Ooi, Winnie W; Kogelman, Laura; Karchmer, Adolf W; Barnett, Elizabeth D

2012-09-01

The study objective was to assess differences in demographics and travel health challenges between youths ≤18 years old traveling internationally to visit friends and relatives (VFRs) compared with those traveling for other purposes (non-VFR). The Boston Area Travel Medicine Network consists of 5 clinics collecting anonymous data from international pretravel consultations. Data on all travelers ≤18 years of age seen between January 2008 and July 2010 were used. VFRs were compared with non-VFRs on demographics, primary language, trip characteristics, travel vaccinations administered, malaria prophylaxis and antidiarrheal medications prescribed. Thirty-five percent (610/1731) listed VFR as their purpose of travel. Almost half of VFRs were <5 (46%) years old compared with <5% of non-VFRs. Thirty percent of US-born VFRs with foreign-born parents were ≤2 years compared with 4% of foreign-born VFR children and 3% of US-born VFRs with US-born parents. More VFRs than non-VFRs planned travel to countries that were yellow fever holoendemic, had malaria risk and were high-risk for typhoid (44% versus 20%, 39% versus 12%, 25% versus 15%, P < 0.01). VFRs were less likely than non-VFRs to be prescribed atovaquone-proguanil (adjusted prevalence ratio = 0.57, confidence interval = 0.44-0.72) and to have had an antidiarrheal medication prescribed (adjusted prevalence ratio = 0.68, confidence interval = 0.60-0.75). To reduce travel-related morbidity, healthcare providers should be prepared to give travel advice to parents of VFR infants and children, particularly those US-born VFRs with foreign-born parents, regarding antimalarial and antidiarrheal medications and preventing yellow fever, malaria and typhoid.

[Behavioral characteristics of the only child vs first-born and children with siblings].

PubMed

Tavares, Marcelo B; Fuchs, Felipe Costa; Diligenti, Felipe; de Abreu, José Ricardo Pinto; Rohde, Luis Augusto; Fuchs, Sandra Costa

2004-03-01

To assess the impact of being an only child on characteristics of parental and peer relationships, school achievement, social and sexual behavior. In the total, 360 adolescents identified at third year of high school were sampled from a private school from Porto Alegre in 2000 and 2001. Fifteen to nineteen years old male and female were selected in a cross-sectional study. Assessment of demographic data, education of the parents, birth order (only child, first born and non-first born children), cigarette smoking, alcoholic beverages consumption, illicit drug use, school achievement, social and sexual behavior were gathered with a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire, anonymously fulfilled at the classroom. This study encompassed 8% of only children, 35% first-born, and 57% non-first born adolescents of a socioeconomic homogeneous sample. Social behavior, parents and peer relationships, sports participation, smoking and illicit drug were not associated with birth order. Only children were less likely to report an episode of alcohol intoxication (39%) than first-born (68.9%; p=0.03) and adolescents with siblings (72.3%; p<0.001). Only children had high school achievement than adolescents with siblings (p=0.03). Sexual behavior distinguished only children due to younger age at first sexual intercourse and lower rate of heterosexual self-identification, which persisted even after adjustment for confounding variables in comparison with non first-born adolescents (p=0.038). Our findings suggest that the status of being only child is not associated with a poor outcome in several areas of the development. The impact of the presence of siblings in the development of sexual identification should be further explored.

Urbanization factors associated with childhood asthma and prematurity: a population-based analysis aged from 0 to 5 years in Taiwan by using Cox regression within a hospital cluster model.

PubMed

Lin, Sheng-Chieh; Lin, Hui-Wen

2015-04-01

Childhood asthma and premature birth are both common; however, no studies have reported urbanization association between asthma and prematurity and the duration of prematurity affect asthma development. We use Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) to explore association between asthma and prematurity among children by using a population-based analysis. This is a retrospective cohort study with registration data derived from Taiwan LHID. We evaluated prematurely born infants and children aged <5 years (n = 532) and age-matched control patients (n = 60505) using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis within a hospital cluster model. Of the 61 037 examinees, 14 012 experienced asthma during the 5-year follow-up, including 161 (72.26 per 1000 person-years) infants and children born prematurely and 13 851 (40.27 per 1000 person-years) controls. The hazard ratio for asthma during 5-year follow-up period was 1.95 (95% confidence interval = 1.67-2.28) among children born prematurely. Boys born prematurely aged 0-2 years were associated with higher asthma rates compared with girls in non-premature and premature groups. Living in urban areas, those born prematurely were associated with higher rates of asthma compared with non-prematurity. Those born prematurely lived in northern region had higher asthma hazard ratio than other regions. Our analyses indicated that sex, age, urbanization level, and geographic region are significantly associated with prematurity and asthma. Based on cumulative asthma-free survival curve generated using the Kaplan-Meier method, infants born prematurely should be closely monitored to see if they would develop asthma until the age of 6 years.

Cervical cancer screening in Middle Eastern and Asian migrants to Australia: a record linkage study.

PubMed

Aminisani, Nayyereh; Armstrong, Bruce K; Canfell, Karen

2012-12-01

Australia's organized cervical screening program recommends two-yearly screening for women aged 18-69 years and reminder letters are sent at 27 months. Cervical screening registers hold comprehensive information on screening, but not country of birth. A linkage study was performed in order to assess cervical screening behavior in migrants. To assess screening participation, we linked year 2000 records for 12,541 Middle Eastern/Asian-born women 20-54 years of age, and an age and area matched random sample of 12,143 Australian-born women in the New South Wales (NSW) Midwives Data Collection (MDC), which records country of birth, to screening register records. Screening behavior after 2000 was assessed in women without a recorded prior cervical abnormality. The odds ratios for being screened at least once within a 3 year period, with reference to Australian-born women and adjusted for age, parity, socioeconomic status and smoking, were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.97) and 0.74 (95% CI: 0.70-0.79) in women born in the Middle East and Asia, respectively. Screening increased with increasing socioeconomic status (SES), absence of smoking and greater parity in Australian-born women but little, if at all, in migrant women. In a sensitivity analysis in which hospital admitted patients were the source of population samples, some patterns were sufficiently different to suggest that selection for illness can affect the strength and direction of associations in linked data. Migrant women from Asian and Middle-eastern countries are less likely than Australian-born women to participate in cervical screening at the recommended interval. Their likelihood of screening is also less related to socioeconomic status, smoking and parity than that in Australian-born women. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal hypothyroidism in the perinatal period and childhood asthma in the offspring.

PubMed

Liu, X; Andersen, S L; Olsen, J; Agerbo, E; Schlünssen, V; Dharmage, S C; Munk-Olsen, T

2018-04-01

There is increasing interest in the possible link between maternal hypothyroidism in the perinatal period and childhood asthma risk. We explored this in this study while accounting for the timing of hypothyroidism diagnosis. Further, we evaluated whether the risk was moderated by thyroid hormone treatment during pregnancy. We conducted a population-based cohort study using Danish national registers. All live-born singletons in Denmark from 1998 to 2007 were identified. Maternal hypothyroidism and asthma in the children were defined by data from the Patient Register and Prescription Registry. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of asthma among children born to hypothyroid mothers versus children born to mothers with no recorded thyroid dysfunction using Poisson regression models. Of 595 669 children, 3524 children were born to mothers with hypothyroidism diagnosed before delivery and 4664 diagnosed after delivery. Overall, 48 990 children received treatment for asthma. The IRRs of asthma was 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.30) and 1.12 (95% CI: 1.02-1.24) for children born to mothers with hypothyroidism diagnosed before and after delivery, compared to children born to mothers with no thyroid dysfunction. The highest risk was observed among children born to mothers with hypothyroidism diagnosed before delivery who did not receive thyroid hormone treatment during pregnancy (IRR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.80). Our findings suggest that maternal hypothyroidism, especially when it is untreated, increases childhood asthma risk. Early detection and appropriate treatment of hypothyroidism in pregnant women may be an area for possible prevention of childhood asthma. © 2017 EAACI and John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Decreased Bone Mineral Density in Adults Born with Very Low Birth Weight: A Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Hovi, Petteri; Andersson, Sture; Järvenpää, Anna-Liisa; Eriksson, Johan G.; Strang-Karlsson, Sonja; Kajantie, Eero; Mäkitie, Outi

2009-01-01

Background Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW, <1,500 g) infants have compromised bone mass accrual during childhood, but it is unclear whether this results in subnormal peak bone mass and increased risk of impaired skeletal health in adulthood. We hypothesized that VLBW is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in adulthood. Methods and Findings The Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults is a multidisciplinary cohort study representative of all VLBW births within the larger Helsinki area from 1978 to 1985. This study evaluated skeletal health in 144 such participants (all born preterm, mean gestational age 29.3 wk, birth weight 1,127 g, birth weight Z score 1.3), and in 139 comparison participants born at term, matched for sex, age, and birth hospital. BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at age 18.5 to 27.1 y. Adults born with VLBW had, in comparison to participants born at term, a 0.51-unit (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28–0.75) lower lumbar spine Z score and a 0.56-unit (95% CI 0.34–0.78) lower femoral neck Z score for areal BMD. These differences remained statistically significant after adjustment for the VLBW adults' shorter height and lower self-reported exercise intensity. Conclusions Young adults born with VLBW, when studied close to the age of peak bone mass, have significantly lower BMD than do their term-born peers. This suggests that compromised childhood bone mass accrual in preterm VLBW children translates into increased risk for osteoporosis in adulthood, warranting vigilance in osteoporosis prevention. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:19707270

Influence of soil structure on contaminant leaching from injected slurry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Animal manure application to agricultural land provides beneficial organic matter and nutrients but can spread harmful contaminants to the environment. Contamination of fresh produce, surface water and shallow groundwater with the manure-borne pollutants can be a critical concern. Leaching and persi...

Reduction of salmonella on valencia oranges by cold plasma treatment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Orange juice has been the source of recurrent food borne illness outbreaks, primarily associated with Salmonella. There is a need for antimicrobial interventions which can effectively eliminate pathogens from fruit surfaces and reduce the risk of cross-contamination during peeling and processing. To...

Thinness at birth in a northern industrial town.

PubMed

Law, C M; Barker, D J; Richardson, W W; Shiell, A W; Grime, L P; Armand-Smith, N G; Cruddas, A M

1993-08-01

To determine whether babies in an area of Britain with unusually high perinatal mortality have different patterns of fetal growth to those born elsewhere in the country. Measurement of body size in newborn babies. Burnley (perinatal mortality in 1988 15.9/1000 total births) and Salisbury (perinatal mortality 10.8/1000 total births), England. Subjects comprised 1544 babies born in Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale Health District, and 1025 babies born in Salisbury Health District. Birthweight, length, head, arm and abdominal circumferences, and placental weight were determined. Compared with babies born in Salisbury, Burnley babies had lower mean birthweight (difference 116 g, 95% confidence interval (CI) 77,154), smaller head circumferences (difference 0.3 cm, 95% CI 0.2, 0.4), and were thinner as measured by arm circumference (difference 0.3 cm, 95% CI 0.3, 0.4), abdominal circumference (difference 0.5 cm, 95% CI 0.4, 0.6) and ponderal index (difference 0.8 kg/m3, 95% CI 0.6, 1.0). The ratio of placental weight to birthweight was higher in Burnley (difference 0.6%, 95% CI 0.4, 0.9). These differences were found in boys and girls and did not depend on differences in duration of gestation or on the different ethnic mix of the two districts. Mothers in Burnley were younger, shorter in stature, had had more children, were of lower social class, and more of them smoked during pregnancy than mothers in Salisbury. These differences did not explain the greater thinness of their babies. Babies born in Burnley, an area with high perinatal mortality, are thin. The reason is unknown. Poor maternal nutrition is suspected because Burnley babies have a higher ratio of placental weight to birthweight. The greater thinness at birth of Burnley babies could have long term consequences, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease.

Novel Rickettsia and emergent tick-borne pathogens: A molecular survey of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya.

PubMed

Mwamuye, Micky M; Kariuki, Edward; Omondi, David; Kabii, James; Odongo, David; Masiga, Daniel; Villinger, Jandouwe

2017-02-01

Ticks are important vectors of emerging and re-emerging zoonoses, the majority of which originate from wildlife. In recent times, this has become a global public health concern that necessitates surveillance of both known and unknown tick-borne pathogens likely to be future disease threats, as well as their tick vectors. We carried out a survey of the diversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Kenya's Shimba Hills National Reserve (SHNR), an area with intensified human-livestock-wildlife interactions, where we collected 4297 questing ticks (209 adult ticks, 586 nymphs and 3502 larvae). We identified four tick species of two genera (Amblyomma eburneum, Amblyomma tholloni, Rhipicephalus maculatus and a novel Rhipicephalus sp.) based on both morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of 16S rRNA, internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS 2) and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) genes. We pooled the ticks (3-8 adults, 8-15 nymphs or 30 larvae) depending on species and life-cycle stages, and screened for bacterial, arboviral and protozoal pathogens using PCR with high-resolution melting analysis and sequencing of unique melt profiles. We report the first molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a novel Rickettsia-like and Ehrlichia-like species, in Rh. maculatus ticks. We also detected Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Coxiella sp., Rickettsia africae and Theileria velifera in Am. eburneum ticks for the first time. Our findings demonstrate previously unidentified tick-pathogen relationships and a unique tick diversity in the SHNR that may contribute to livestock, and possibly human, morbidity in the region. This study highlights the importance of routine surveillance in similar areas to elucidate disease transmission dynamics, as a critical component to inform the development of better tick-borne disease diagnosis, prevention and control measures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Comparative performance of public and private sector delivery of BCG vaccination: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Wagner, Zachary; Szilagyi, Peter G; Sood, Neeraj

2014-07-31

The private sector is an important source of health care in the developing world. However, there is limited evidence on how private providers compare to public providers, particularly for preventive services such as immunizations. We used data from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to assess public-private differences in Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine delivery. We used demographic and health surveys from 102,629 children aged 0-59 months from 29 countries across SSA to measure differences in BCG status for children born at private versus public health facilities (BCG is recommended at birth). We used a probit model to estimate public-private differences in BCG delivery, while controlling for key confounders. Next, we estimated how differences in BCG status evolved over time for children born at private versus public facilities. Finally, we estimated heterogeneity in public-private differences based on wealth and rural-urban residency. We found that children born at a private facility were 7.1 percentage points less likely to receive BCG vaccine in the same month as birth than children born at a public facility (95% CI 6.3-8.0; p<0.001). Most of this difference was driven by for-profit private providers (as opposed to NGOs) where the BCG provision rate was 10.0 percentage points less than public providers (95% CI 9.0-11.2; p<0.001) compared to only 2.4 percentage points for NGOs (95% CI 1.0-3. 8; p<0.01). Moreover, children born at private for-profit facilities remained less likely to be vaccinated up to 59 months after birth. Finally, public-private differences were more pronounced for poorer children and children in rural areas. The for-profit private sector performed substantially worse than the public sector in providing BCG vaccine to newborns, resulting in a longer duration of vulnerability to tuberculosis. This disparity was greater for poorer children and children in rural areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional differences in the blood-brain-barrier of the subfornical organs of rats and ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).

PubMed

Schmid, H A

1995-01-01

Recently published electrophysiological data investigated the effect of blood borne and brain intrinsic substances on the activity of neurons in the duck subfornical organ (SFO). This study defines histologically the region in the duck SFO, where blood borne substances can possibly influence neuronal activity. Intravenous injection of Evans blue, a dye which labels brain structures devoid of a blood brain barrier (BBB), resulted in diffuse labelling of the duck SFO from the anterior commissure to the end of the organ in rostrocaudal extension. In addition, specifically labelled neurons could be observed just rostral to the diffuse Evans blue labelling and in an area dorsomedial to the large central blood vessel. The majority of the somata of these heavily stained neurons were located inside the BBB, whereas in the areas with diffuse Evans blue labelling, thus being outside the BBB, labelled cells were rarely observed. Intravenous injection of Evans blue in rats resulted similarly in diffuse labelling of the parenchyma of the medial and caudal part of the SFO, with only a few, but heavily stained cells with fusiform somata. The rostral region of the rat SFO, which is known to have a functional BBB, shows hardly any diffuse labelling, but there the majority of neurons show strong Evans blue fluorescence. It is concluded that the heavily labelled somata inside the BBB have axonal or dendritic projections to BBB-free areas, where they can take up the dye. This study gives a functional description of the extension of the SFO areas without a BBB of rats and ducks. It is concluded that blood borne agents can affect those SFO neurons which have their somata located outside the BBB as well as those located inside the BBB which have terminals projecting to BBB free regions.

South Melea Planum, By The Dawn's Early Light

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

MOC 'sees' by the dawn's early light! This picture was taken over the high southern polar latitudes during the first week of May 1999. The area shown is currently in southern winter darkness. Because sunlight is scattered over the horizon by aerosols--dust and ice particles--suspended in the atmosphere, sufficient light reaches regions within a few degrees of the terminator (the line dividing night and day) to be visible to the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) when the maximum exposure settings are used.

This picture shows a polygonally-patterned surface on southern Malea Planum. At the time the picture was taken, the sun was more than 4.5o below the northern horizon. The scene covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide, with the illumination from the top of the picture.

In this frame, the surface appears a relatively uniform gray. At the time the picture was acquired, the surface was covered with south polar wintertime frost. The highly reflective frost, in fact, may have contributed to the increased visibility of this surface.

This 'twilight imaging' technique for viewing Mars can only work near the terminator; thus in early May only regions between about 67oS and 74oS were visible in twilight images in the southern hemisphere, and a similar narrow latitude range could be imaged in the northern hemisphere. MOC cannot 'see' in the total darkness of full-borne night.

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

Allergen sensitisation among chronic respiratory diseases in urban and rural areas of the south of Viet Nam.

PubMed

Chu, H T; Godin, I; Phuong, N T; Nguyen, L H; Hiep, T T M; Michel, O

2018-02-01

To evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for allergen sensitisation among patients with chronic respiratory disease (CRD) in southern Viet Nam. An environmental questionnaire and skin prick tests for airborne and food allergens were administered to patients with CRD, defined as individuals with respiratory symptoms and lung function defects. Of 610 CRD patients, 56% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 31% were asthma patients; 80% were males. The most frequent sensitisers were dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae 22%, Blomia tropicalis 19%, D. pteronyssinus 18%) and cockroach droppings (13%). Among study participants, 37% were from rural settings and 36% from urban areas, whereas 27% had migrated from rural to urban areas. Compared with people from rural areas, being born in an urban area was a risk factor for sensitisation to mites (OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.11-2.20, P < 0.02). In multivariate analysis, place of birth remained a risk factor for mite sensitisation. Compared with the native urban population, the risk of mite sensitisation was not significantly different among patients born in rural areas and those migrating to urban areas. Dust mites and cockroach droppings were the most frequent allergens among people with CRD in the south of Viet Nam. Compared with the urban population, being native to a rural area was protective against mite sensitisation, but this effect ceased to be significant after migration from rural to urban areas.

The Australian methane budget: Interpreting surface and train-borne measurements using a chemistry transport model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraser, Annemarie; Chan Miller, Christopher; Palmer, Paul I.; Deutscher, Nicholas M.; Jones, Nicholas B.; Griffith, David W. T.

2011-10-01

We investigate the Australian methane budget from 2005-2008 using the GEOS-Chem 3D chemistry transport model, focusing on the relative contribution of emissions from different sectors and the influence of long-range transport. To evaluate the model, we use in situ surface measurements of methane, methane dry air column average (XCH4) from ground-based Fourier transform spectrometers (FTSs), and train-borne surface concentration measurements from an in situ FTS along the north-south continental transect. We use gravity anomaly data from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment to describe the spatial and temporal distribution of wetland emissions and scale it to a prior emission estimate, which better describes observed atmospheric methane variability at tropical latitudes. The clean air sites of Cape Ferguson and Cape Grim are the least affected by local emissions, while Wollongong, located in the populated southeast with regional coal mining, samples the most locally polluted air masses (2.5% of the total air mass versus <1% at other sites). Averaged annually, the largest single source above background of methane at Darwin is long-range transport, mainly from Southeast Asia, accounting for ˜25% of the change in surface concentration above background. At Cape Ferguson and Cape Grim, emissions from ruminant animals are the largest source of methane above background, at approximately 20% and 30%, respectively, of the surface concentration. At Wollongong, emissions from coal mining are the largest source above background representing 60% of the surface concentration. The train data provide an effective way of observing transitions between urban, desert, and tropical landscapes.

Risk of Allergic Rhinitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis, and Eczema in Children Born to Mothers with Gum Inflammation during Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Vivian Chia-Rong; Liu, Chin-Chen; Hsiao, Yu-Chen; Wu, Trong-Neng

2016-01-01

Purpose Despite links between maternal and child health status, evidence on the association between gum infection in pregnant mothers and childhood allergies is scarce. We aim to evaluate the risk of developing allergy in children born to periodontal mothers in a nationwide study. Methods We conducted a 9-year population-based, retrospective cohort study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance database. A study cohort of 42,217 newborns born to mothers with periodontal disease during pregnancy was identified in 2001 and matched with 42,334 babies born to mothers without any infection (control) by mother’s age at delivery and baby sex. With a follow-up period from 2001 to 2010, we observed the incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), and eczema in these children. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed with premature deaths as competing risk for the estimation of allergic disease risks. Results Nine-year cumulative incidences were the highest among children born to periodontal mothers; they reached 46.8%, 24.2%, and 40.4% (vs. 39.5%, 18.3% and 34.8% in control) for AR, AC, and eczema, respectively. Our results showed moderately increased risks for the allergies in children born to periodontal mothers relative to their matched non-inflammatory control (adjusted HRs: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15–1.20; 1.27, 1.24–1.31; 1.14, 1.12–1.17, respectively). Because the impact of food consumption and living environment cannot be considered using insurance data, we attempted to control it by adjusting for parental income and mother’s residential area. Conclusions Overall cumulative incidence and risks of children born to periodontal mothers for AR, AC, and eczema are significantly higher than those born to non-inflammatory mothers. Gum infection in women during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for allergic diseases in children, thus its intergenerational consequences should be considered in gestational care. PMID:27224053

Risk of Allergic Rhinitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis, and Eczema in Children Born to Mothers with Gum Inflammation during Pregnancy.

PubMed

Hsieh, Vivian Chia-Rong; Liu, Chin-Chen; Hsiao, Yu-Chen; Wu, Trong-Neng

2016-01-01

Despite links between maternal and child health status, evidence on the association between gum infection in pregnant mothers and childhood allergies is scarce. We aim to evaluate the risk of developing allergy in children born to periodontal mothers in a nationwide study. We conducted a 9-year population-based, retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. A study cohort of 42,217 newborns born to mothers with periodontal disease during pregnancy was identified in 2001 and matched with 42,334 babies born to mothers without any infection (control) by mother's age at delivery and baby sex. With a follow-up period from 2001 to 2010, we observed the incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), and eczema in these children. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed with premature deaths as competing risk for the estimation of allergic disease risks. Nine-year cumulative incidences were the highest among children born to periodontal mothers; they reached 46.8%, 24.2%, and 40.4% (vs. 39.5%, 18.3% and 34.8% in control) for AR, AC, and eczema, respectively. Our results showed moderately increased risks for the allergies in children born to periodontal mothers relative to their matched non-inflammatory control (adjusted HRs: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15-1.20; 1.27, 1.24-1.31; 1.14, 1.12-1.17, respectively). Because the impact of food consumption and living environment cannot be considered using insurance data, we attempted to control it by adjusting for parental income and mother's residential area. Overall cumulative incidence and risks of children born to periodontal mothers for AR, AC, and eczema are significantly higher than those born to non-inflammatory mothers. Gum infection in women during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for allergic diseases in children, thus its intergenerational consequences should be considered in gestational care.

Unsupervised SBAS-DInSAR Processing of Space-borne SAR data for Earth Surface Displacement Time Series Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casu, F.; de Luca, C.; Lanari, R.; Manunta, M.; Zinno, I.

2016-12-01

During the last 25 years, the Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) has played an important role for understanding the Earth's surface deformation and its dynamics. In particular, the large collections of SAR data acquired by a number of space-borne missions (ERS, ENVISAT, ALOS, RADARSAT, TerraSAR-X, COSMO-SkyMed) have pushed toward the development of advanced DInSAR techniques for monitoring the temporal evolution of the ground displacements with an high spatial density. Moreover, the advent of the Copernicus Sentinel-1 (S1) constellation is providing a further increase in the SAR data flow available to the Earth science community, due to its characteristics of global coverage strategy and free and open access data policy. Therefore, managing and storing such a huge amount of data, processing it in an effcient way and maximizing the available archives exploitation are becoming high priority issues. In this work we present some recent advances in the DInSAR field for dealing with the effective exploitation of the present and future SAR data archives. In particular, an efficient parallel SBAS implementation (namely P-SBAS) that takes benefit from high performance computing is proposed. Then, the P-SBAS migration to the emerging Cloud Computing paradigm is shown, together with extensive tests carried out in the Amazon's Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2) infrastructure. Finally, the integration of the P-SBAS processing chain within the ESA Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP), for setting up operational on-demand and systematic web tools, open to every user, aimed at automatically processing stacks of SAR data for the generation of SBAS displacement time series, is also illustrated. A number of experimental results obtained by using the ERS, ENVISAT and S1 data in areas characterized by volcanic, seismic and anthropogenic phenomena will be shown. This work is partially supported by: the DPC-CNR agreement, the EPOS-IP project and the ESA GEP project.

Analysing Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD)-borne Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in a karstic aquifer, Co. Galway, Ireland.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Tara; Rocha, Carlos

2014-05-01

Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) constitutes an "invisible" link between land and sea, transporting allochthonous and autochthonous dissolved organic matter (DOM), nutrients and metals to the ocean via the subterranean estuary. The latter acts as a powerful bioreactor where groundwater, in transit from land to sea, mixes with seawater leading to active modulation of both DOM content and chemical makeup of SGD. DOM in freshwater systems is a key component of the global carbon cycle. Climate change may hence increase the concentration of allochthonous carbon entering the oceans as terrestrial DOC is released from soils at higher temperatures, and transported via SGD. Presently, little is known about the effects of SGD-borne DOM on coastal carbon cycling. SGD therefore represents a dynamic reservoir and analysis is critical to forecast future environmental management programmes, both on a local and global scale. Labile DOM plays a crucial role in microbial remineralisation processes, and as it breaks down it contributes to the groundwater nutrient pool. Locally, this could add to eutrophication. However, if refractory carbon is present, it will be recalcitrant to mineralisation in transit and at the subterranean estuary. This putative additional input will thus imply the contribution of SGD to oceanic carbon storage. This study is focused on Kinvara Bay (Galway, western Ireland), the focal point for waters discharging from the Gort-Kinvara karstic aquifer. This aquifer represents the ideal study location for evaluation of SGD contribution to the coastal DOM pool, as SGD is focused in the bay, surface drainage is very limited, and groundwater travels across a large catchment area with a short residence time, minimising DOM modification in transit. DOM samples collected in the field have been analysed using Three-Dimensional Excitation Emission Matrix Fluorescence (3D-EEMF) and High Temperature Catalytic Oxidation. PARAFAC is subsequently used as a tool to elucidate the types, sources (marine vs terrigeneous) and fractional composition of DOM, both in SGD plumes and in surface waters.

Improved gravity anomaly fields from retracked multimission satellite radar altimetry observations over the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaki, M.; Forootan, E.; Sharifi, M. A.; Awange, J.; Kuhn, M.

2015-09-01

Satellite radar altimetry observations are used to derive short wavelength gravity anomaly fields over the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, where in situ and ship-borne gravity measurements have limited spatial coverage. In this study the retracking algorithm `Extrema Retracking' (ExtR) was employed to improve sea surface height (SSH) measurements that are highly biased in the study regions due to land contaminations in the footprints of the satellite altimetry observations. ExtR was applied to the waveforms sampled by the five satellite radar altimetry missions: TOPEX/POSEIDON, JASON-1, JASON-2, GFO and ERS-1. Along-track slopes have been estimated from the improved SSH measurements and used in an iterative process to estimate deflections of the vertical, and subsequently, the desired gravity anomalies. The main steps of the gravity anomaly computations involve estimating improved SSH using the ExtR technique, computing deflections of the vertical from interpolated SSHs on a regular grid using a biharmonic spline interpolation and finally estimating gridded gravity anomalies. A remove-compute-restore algorithm, based on the fast Fourier transform, has been applied to convert deflections of the vertical into gravity anomalies. Finally, spline interpolation has been used to estimate regular gravity anomaly grids over the two study regions. Results were evaluated by comparing the estimated altimetry-derived gravity anomalies (with and without implementing the ExtR algorithm) with ship-borne free air gravity anomaly observations, and free air gravity anomalies from the Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM2008). The comparison indicates a range of 3-5 mGal in the residuals, which were computed by taking the differences between the retracked altimetry-derived gravity anomaly and the ship-borne data. The comparison of retracked data with ship-borne data indicates a range in the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) between approximately 1.8 and 4.4 mGal and a bias between 0.4062 and 2.1413 mGal over different areas. Also a maximum RMSE of 4.4069 mGal, with a mean value of 0.7615 mGal was obtained in the residuals. An average improvement of 5.2746 mGal in the RMSE of the altimetry-derived gravity anomalies corresponding to 89.9 per cent was obtained after applying the ExtR post-processing.

Identification of candidate transmission-blocking antigen genes in Theileria annulata and related vector-borne apicomplexan parasites.

PubMed

Lempereur, Laetitia; Larcombe, Stephen D; Durrani, Zeeshan; Karagenc, Tulin; Bilgic, Huseyin Bilgin; Bakirci, Serkan; Hacilarlioglu, Selin; Kinnaird, Jane; Thompson, Joanne; Weir, William; Shiels, Brian

2017-06-05

Vector-borne apicomplexan parasites are a major cause of mortality and morbidity to humans and livestock globally. The most important disease syndromes caused by these parasites are malaria, babesiosis and theileriosis. Strategies for control often target parasite stages in the mammalian host that cause disease, but this can result in reservoir infections that promote pathogen transmission and generate economic loss. Optimal control strategies should protect against clinical disease, block transmission and be applicable across related genera of parasites. We have used bioinformatics and transcriptomics to screen for transmission-blocking candidate antigens in the tick-borne apicomplexan parasite, Theileria annulata. A number of candidate antigen genes were identified which encoded amino acid domains that are conserved across vector-borne Apicomplexa (Babesia, Plasmodium and Theileria), including the Pfs48/45 6-cys domain and a novel cysteine-rich domain. Expression profiling confirmed that selected candidate genes are expressed by life cycle stages within infected ticks. Additionally, putative B cell epitopes were identified in the T. annulata gene sequences encoding the 6-cys and cysteine rich domains, in a gene encoding a putative papain-family cysteine peptidase, with similarity to the Plasmodium SERA family, and the gene encoding the T. annulata major merozoite/piroplasm surface antigen, Tams1. Candidate genes were identified that encode proteins with similarity to known transmission blocking candidates in related parasites, while one is a novel candidate conserved across vector-borne apicomplexans and has a potential role in the sexual phase of the life cycle. The results indicate that a 'One Health' approach could be utilised to develop a transmission-blocking strategy effective against vector-borne apicomplexan parasites of animals and humans.

Selected Essential Oils as Antifungal Agents Against Antibiotic-Resistant Candida spp.: In Vitro Study on Clinical and Food-Borne Isolates.

PubMed

Rajkowska, Katarzyna; Kunicka-Styczyńska, Alina; Maroszyńska, Marta

2017-01-01

Candida spp. cause significant health problems, inducing various types of superficial and deep-seated mycoses in humans. As a result of the increasing antibiotic resistance among pathogenic yeasts, the interest in alternative agents of antifungal activity is growing. This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils (EOs) against Candida clinical and food-borne strains, including antibiotic-resistant isolates, in relation to yeast cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH). Candida strains showed different range of susceptibility to tea tree, thyme, peppermint, and clove oils, and peppermint oil demonstrated the lowest anticandidal activity with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.03-8.0% v/v. MIC values for thyme and clove oils ranged from 0.03% to 0.25% v/v, and for tea tree oil-from 0.12% to 2.0% v/v. The exception was Candida tropicalis food-borne strain, the growth of which was inhibited after application of EOs at concentration of 8% v/v. Due to diverse yeast susceptibility to EOs, isolates were divided into five clusters in a principal component analysis model, each containing both clinical and food-borne strains. Hydrophobic properties of yeast were also diversified, and 37% of clinical and 50% of food-borne strains exhibited high hydrophobicity. The study indicates high homology of clinical and food-borne Candida isolates in relation to their susceptibility to anticandidal agents and hydrophobic properties. The susceptibility of yeasts to EOs could be partially related to their CSH. High antifungal activity of examined EOs, also against antibiotic-resistant isolates, indicates their usefulness as agents preventing the development of Candida strains of different origin.

Ultrasound guided fluorescence molecular tomography with improved quantification by an attenuation compensated born-normalization and in vivo preclinical study of cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Baoqiang; Berti, Romain; Abran, Maxime

2014-05-15

Ultrasound imaging, having the advantages of low-cost and non-invasiveness over MRI and X-ray CT, was reported by several studies as an adequate complement to fluorescence molecular tomography with the perspective of improving localization and quantification of fluorescent molecular targets in vivo. Based on the previous work, an improved dual-modality Fluorescence-Ultrasound imaging system was developed and then validated in imaging study with preclinical tumor model. Ultrasound imaging and a profilometer were used to obtain the anatomical prior information and 3D surface, separately, to precisely extract the tissue boundary on both sides of sample in order to achieve improved fluorescence reconstruction. Furthermore,more » a pattern-based fluorescence reconstruction on the detection side was incorporated to enable dimensional reduction of the dataset while keeping the useful information for reconstruction. Due to its putative role in the current imaging geometry and the chosen reconstruction technique, we developed an attenuation compensated Born-normalization method to reduce the attenuation effects and cancel off experimental factors when collecting quantitative fluorescence datasets over large area. Results of both simulation and phantom study demonstrated that fluorescent targets could be recovered accurately and quantitatively using this reconstruction mechanism. Finally, in vivo experiment confirms that the imaging system associated with the proposed image reconstruction approach was able to extract both functional and anatomical information, thereby improving quantification and localization of molecular targets.« less

Performance of lightweight large C/SiC mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yui, Yukari Y.; Goto, Ken; Kaneda, Hidehiro; Katayama, Haruyoshi; Kotani, Masaki; Miyamoto, Masashi; Naitoh, Masataka; Nakagawa, Takao; Saruwatari, Hideki; Suganuma, Masahiro; Sugita, Hiroyuki; Tange, Yoshio; Utsunomiya, Shin; Yamamoto, Yasuji; Yamawaki, Toshihiko

2017-11-01

Very lightweight mirror will be required in the near future for both astronomical and earth science/observation missions. Silicon carbide is becoming one of the major materials applied especially to large and/or light space-borne optics, such as Herschel, GAIA, and SPICA. On the other hand, the technology of highly accurate optical measurement of large telescopes, especially in visible wavelength or cryogenic circumstances is also indispensable to realize such space-borne telescopes and hence the successful missions. We have manufactured a very lightweight Φ=800mm mirror made of carbon reinforced silicon carbide composite that can be used to evaluate the homogeneity of the mirror substrate and to master and establish the ground testing method and techniques by assembling it as the primary mirror into an optical system. All other parts of the optics model are also made of the same material as the primary mirror. The composite material was assumed to be homogeneous from the mechanical tests of samples cut out from the various areas of the 800mm mirror green-body and the cryogenic optical measurement of the mirror surface deformation of a 160mm sample mirror that is also made from the same green-body as the 800mm mirror. The circumstance and condition of the optical testing facility has been confirmed to be capable for the highly precise optical measurements of large optical systems of horizontal light axis configuration. Stitching measurement method and the algorithm for analysis of the measurement is also under study.

Comparison of MM/GBSA calculations based on explicit and implicit solvent simulations.

PubMed

Godschalk, Frithjof; Genheden, Samuel; Söderhjelm, Pär; Ryde, Ulf

2013-05-28

Molecular mechanics with generalised Born and surface area solvation (MM/GBSA) is a popular method to calculate the free energy of the binding of ligands to proteins. It involves molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with an explicit solvent of the protein-ligand complex to give a set of snapshots for which energies are calculated with an implicit solvent. This change in the solvation method (explicit → implicit) would strictly require that the energies are reweighted with the implicit-solvent energies, which is normally not done. In this paper we calculate MM/GBSA energies with two generalised Born models for snapshots generated by the same methods or by explicit-solvent simulations for five synthetic N-acetyllactosamine derivatives binding to galectin-3. We show that the resulting energies are very different both in absolute and relative terms, showing that the change in the solvent model is far from innocent and that standard MM/GBSA is not a consistent method. The ensembles generated with the various solvent models are quite different with root-mean-square deviations of 1.2-1.4 Å. The ensembles can be converted to each other by performing short MD simulations with the new method, but the convergence is slow, showing mean absolute differences in the calculated energies of 6-7 kJ mol(-1) after 2 ps simulations. Minimisations show even slower convergence and there are strong indications that the energies obtained from minimised structures are different from those obtained by MD.

Ultra-smooth finishing of aspheric surfaces using CAST technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, John; Young, Kevin

2014-06-01

Growing applications for astronomical ground-based adaptive systems and air-born telescope systems demand complex optical surface designs combined with ultra-smooth finishing. The use of more sophisticated and accurate optics, especially aspheric ones, allows for shorter optical trains with smaller sizes and a reduced number of components. This in turn reduces fabrication and alignment time and costs. These aspheric components include the following: steep surfaces with large aspheric departures; more complex surface feature designs like stand-alone off-axis-parabola (OAP) and free form optics that combine surface complexity with a requirement for ultra-high smoothness, as well as special optic materials such as lightweight silicon carbide (SiC) for air-born systems. Various fabrication technologies for finishing ultra-smooth aspheric surfaces are progressing to meet these growing and demanding challenges, especially Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) and ion-milling. These methods have demonstrated some good success as well as a certain level of limitations. Amongst them, computer-controlled asphere surface-finishing technology (CAST), developed by Precision Asphere Inc. (PAI), plays an important role in a cost effective manufacturing environment and has successfully delivered numerous products for the applications mentioned above. One of the most recent successes is the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), the world's most powerful planet-hunting instrument, with critical aspheric components (seven OAPs and free form optics) made using CAST technology. GPI showed off its first images in a press release on January 7, 2014 . This paper reviews features of today's technologies in handling the ultra-smooth aspheric optics, especially the capabilities of CAST on these challenging products. As examples, three groups of aspheres deployed in astronomical optics systems, both polished and finished using CAST, will be discussed in detail.

How do animals use substrate-borne vibrations as an information source?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Peggy S. M.

2009-12-01

Animal communication is a dynamic field that promotes cross-disciplinary study of the complex mechanisms of sending and receiving signals, the neurobiology of signal detection and processing, and the behaviors of animals creating and responding to encoded messages. Alongside visual signals, songs, or pheromones exists another major communication channel that has been rather neglected until recent decades: substrate-borne vibration. Vibrations carried in the substrate are considered to provide a very old and apparently ubiquitous communication channel that is used alone or in combination with other information channels in multimodal signaling. The substrate could be ‘the ground’, or a plant leaf or stem, or the surface of water, or a spider’s web, or a honeybee’s honeycomb. Animals moving on these substrates typically create incidental vibrations that can alert others to their presence. They also may use behaviors to create vibrational waves that are employed in the contexts of mate location and identification, courtship and mating, maternal care and sibling interactions, predation, predator avoidance, foraging, and general recruitment of family members to work. In fact, animals use substrate-borne vibrations to signal in the same contexts that they use vision, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. Study of vibrational communication across animal taxa provides more than just a more complete story. Communication through substrate-borne vibration has its own constraints and opportunities not found in other signaling modalities. Here, I review the state of our understanding of information acquisition via substrate-borne vibrations with special attention to the most recent literature.

HYPGEO - A collaboration between geophysics and remote sensing for mineral exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Uwe; Frei, Michaela; Petersen, Hauke; Papenfuß, Anne; Ibs-von Seht, Malte; Stolz, Ronny; Queitsch, Matthias; Buchholz, Peter; Siemon, Bernhard

2017-04-01

The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) aims to promote and design application oriented, generic techniques for the detection and 3D-characterisation of mineral deposits. Most newly developed mineral mining structures are still exploiting near surface sources. Since exploration and exploitation of mineral resources are increasingly under public review concerning environmental issues and social acceptance, non-invasive methods using satellites, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles are preferred techniques within this investigation. Therefore, a data combination of helicopter-borne gamma ray spectrometry, hyperspectral imagery and full tensor gradient magnetometry is being evaluated. Test areas are open pit mining structures in Aznalcollar and Tharsis within the Pyrite Belt of southern Spain. First test flights using gamma-ray spectrometry and gradient magnetometry using SQUID-based sensors have been performed. Hyperspectral imagery has been applied on ground. Rock and core samples from the mines have been taken or investigated for further analysis. The basic idea is to combine surface triggered signals from gamma-ray spectrometry and hyperspectral imagery to enhance the detection of shallow mineralisation structures. In order to investigate whether these structures are connected with near-surface ore veins, gradient magnetometry was applied to model subsurface formations. To verify that good correlations between the applied methods are given, open pit mining structures were chosen, where the mineral content and the local to regional geology is well known.

Role of the Yersinia pestis plasminogen activator in the incidence of distinct septicemic and bubonic forms of flea-borne plague.

PubMed

Sebbane, Florent; Jarrett, Clayton O; Gardner, Donald; Long, Daniel; Hinnebusch, B Joseph

2006-04-04

Yersinia pestis is transmitted by fleas and causes bubonic plague, characterized by severe local lymphadenitis that progresses rapidly to systemic infection and life-threatening septicemia. Here, we show that although flea-borne transmission usually leads to bubonic plague in mice, it can also lead to primary septicemic plague. However, intradermal injection of Y. pestis, commonly used to mimic transmission by fleabite, leads only to bubonic plague. A Y. pestis strain lacking the plasmid-encoded cell-surface plasminogen activator, which is avirulent by intradermal or s.c. injection, was able to cause fatal primary septicemic plague at low incidence, but not bubonic plague, when transmitted by fleas. The results clarify a long-standing uncertainty about the etiology of primary septicemic plague and support an evolutionary scenario in which plague first emerged as a flea-borne septicemic disease of limited transmissibility. Subsequent acquisition of the plasminogen activator gene by horizontal transfer enabled the bubonic form of disease and increased the potential for epidemic spread.

Targeted surface expression of an exogenous antigen in stably transfected babesia bovis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Babesia bovis is a tick-borne intraerythocytic protozoan responsible for acute disease in cattle which can be controlled by vaccination with attenuated B. bovis strains. Emerging B. bovis transfection technologies may increase the usefulness of these live vaccines. Here we propose using transfected ...

Non-Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics of the spin-forbidden reaction O(3P) + CO(X 1Σ+) → CO2(tilde X{}^1Σ _g^ +)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasper, Ahren W.; Dawes, Richard

2013-10-01

The lowest-energy singlet (1 1A') and two lowest-energy triplet (1 3A' and 1 3A″) electronic states of CO2 are characterized using dynamically weighted multireference configuration interaction (dw-MRCI+Q) electronic structure theory calculations extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. Global analytic representations of the dw-MRCI+Q/CBS singlet and triplet surfaces and of their CASSCF/aug-cc-pVQZ spin-orbit coupling surfaces are obtained via the interpolated moving least squares (IMLS) semiautomated surface fitting method. The spin-forbidden kinetics of the title reaction is calculated using the coupled IMLS surfaces and coherent switches with decay of mixing non-Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. The calculated spin-forbidden association rate coefficient (corresponding to the high pressure limit of the rate coefficient) is 7-35 times larger at 1000-5000 K than the rate coefficient used in many detailed chemical models of combustion. A dynamical analysis of the multistate trajectories is presented. The trajectory calculations reveal direct (nonstatistical) and indirect (statistical) spin-forbidden reaction mechanisms and may be used to test the suitability of transition-state-theory-like statistical methods for spin-forbidden kinetics. Specifically, we consider the appropriateness of the "double passage" approximation, of assuming statistical distributions of seam crossings, and of applications of the unified statistical model for spin-forbidden reactions.

Satisfaction with emergency obstetric and new born care services among clients using public health facilities in Jimma Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia; a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Kumsa, Alemayehu; Tura, Gurmessa; Nigusse, Aderajew; Kebede, Getahun

2016-04-25

The 2005 report of United Nations Millennium Project of Transforming Health Systems for women and children concluded that universal access to Emergency Obstetric and New born Care could reduce maternal deaths by 74%. Even though some studies investigated quality of Emergency Obstetric and New born Care in different parts of the world, there is scarcity of data regarding this issue in Ethiopia, particularly in Jimma zone. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess satisfaction with Emergency Obstetric and new born Care services among clients using public health facilities in Jimma zone, Southwest Ethiopia. A facility-based cross sectional study was conducted in Jimma Zone from April 01-30, 2014. The data were collected by interviewing 403 clients, who gave birth in the past 12 months prior to data collection in 34 randomly selected public health facilities. The collected data were entered by using Epi-info version 3.5.4 and analysed using SPSS version 20.0. Linear regression analysis was done to ascertain the association between covariates and the outcome variable, and finally the results were presented using frequency distribution tables, graphs and texts. The overall mean client satisfaction with Emergency Obstetric and New born Care services in this study was 79.4%; 95% CI (75%, 83%). The result of linear regression analysis revealed that a unit decrease in satisfaction to availability of drugs and equipment, decreased overall clients' satisfaction by 0.23 unit 95% CI (0.15, 0.31). The level of clients' satisfaction with Emergency Obstetric and New born Care services was low in the study area. Factors such as availability of essential equipment and drugs, health workers' communication, health care provided, and attitude of health workers had positive association with client satisfaction with Emergency Obstetric and New born Care services. This in turn could affect utilization of Emergency Obstetric and New born Care services and play a role in contribution to maternal and new born mortality. Therefore, the efforts of health facilities leaders and health care providers towards improvement of quality of care could contribute more for better maternal satisfaction.

Emerging Vector-Borne Diseases – Incidence through Vectors

PubMed Central

Savić, Sara; Vidić, Branka; Grgić, Zivoslav; Potkonjak, Aleksandar; Spasojevic, Ljubica

2014-01-01

Vector-borne diseases use to be a major public health concern only in tropical and subtropical areas, but today they are an emerging threat for the continental and developed countries also. Nowadays, in intercontinental countries, there is a struggle with emerging diseases, which have found their way to appear through vectors. Vector-borne zoonotic diseases occur when vectors, animal hosts, climate conditions, pathogens, and susceptible human population exist at the same time, at the same place. Global climate change is predicted to lead to an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases and disease outbreaks. It could affect the range and population of pathogens, host and vectors, transmission season, etc. Reliable surveillance for diseases that are most likely to emerge is required. Canine vector-borne diseases represent a complex group of diseases including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, bartonellosis, borreliosis, dirofilariosis, ehrlichiosis, and leishmaniosis. Some of these diseases cause serious clinical symptoms in dogs and some of them have a zoonotic potential with an effect to public health. It is expected from veterinarians in coordination with medical doctors to play a fundamental role at primarily prevention and then treatment of vector-borne diseases in dogs. The One Health concept has to be integrated into the struggle against emerging diseases. During a 4-year period, from 2009 to 2013, a total number of 551 dog samples were analyzed for vector-borne diseases (borreliosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, dirofilariosis, and leishmaniasis) in routine laboratory work. The analysis was done by serological tests – ELISA for borreliosis, dirofilariosis, and leishmaniasis, modified Knott test for dirofilariosis, and blood smear for babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. This number of samples represented 75% of total number of samples that were sent for analysis for different diseases in dogs. Annually, on average more then half of the samples brought to the laboratory to analysis for different infectious diseases are analyzed for vector-borne diseases. In the region of Vojvodina (northern part of Serbia), the following vector-borne infectious diseases have been found in dogs so far borreliosis, babesiosis, dirofilariosis, leishmaniasis, and anaplasmosis. PMID:25520951

Emerging Vector-Borne Diseases - Incidence through Vectors.

PubMed

Savić, Sara; Vidić, Branka; Grgić, Zivoslav; Potkonjak, Aleksandar; Spasojevic, Ljubica

2014-01-01

Vector-borne diseases use to be a major public health concern only in tropical and subtropical areas, but today they are an emerging threat for the continental and developed countries also. Nowadays, in intercontinental countries, there is a struggle with emerging diseases, which have found their way to appear through vectors. Vector-borne zoonotic diseases occur when vectors, animal hosts, climate conditions, pathogens, and susceptible human population exist at the same time, at the same place. Global climate change is predicted to lead to an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases and disease outbreaks. It could affect the range and population of pathogens, host and vectors, transmission season, etc. Reliable surveillance for diseases that are most likely to emerge is required. Canine vector-borne diseases represent a complex group of diseases including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, bartonellosis, borreliosis, dirofilariosis, ehrlichiosis, and leishmaniosis. Some of these diseases cause serious clinical symptoms in dogs and some of them have a zoonotic potential with an effect to public health. It is expected from veterinarians in coordination with medical doctors to play a fundamental role at primarily prevention and then treatment of vector-borne diseases in dogs. The One Health concept has to be integrated into the struggle against emerging diseases. During a 4-year period, from 2009 to 2013, a total number of 551 dog samples were analyzed for vector-borne diseases (borreliosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, dirofilariosis, and leishmaniasis) in routine laboratory work. The analysis was done by serological tests - ELISA for borreliosis, dirofilariosis, and leishmaniasis, modified Knott test for dirofilariosis, and blood smear for babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. This number of samples represented 75% of total number of samples that were sent for analysis for different diseases in dogs. Annually, on average more then half of the samples brought to the laboratory to analysis for different infectious diseases are analyzed for vector-borne diseases. In the region of Vojvodina (northern part of Serbia), the following vector-borne infectious diseases have been found in dogs so far borreliosis, babesiosis, dirofilariosis, leishmaniasis, and anaplasmosis.

Recent Immigrant Settlement in the Nonmetropolitan United States: Evidence from Internal Census Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donato, Katharine M.; Tolbert, Charles M., II; Nucci, Alfred; Kawano, Yukio

2007-01-01

In the 1990s, studies have documented widespread growth of immigrants in U.S. communities not known as common destinations in the past. This trend has fueled population growth in some nonmetropolitan areas and offset population decline in other areas. In this paper, we examine the implications of recent foreign born in-migration for rural America.…

Historic Archaeology of the Johnson (41DN248) and Jones (41DN250) Farmsteads in the Ray Roberts Lake Area: 1850-1950

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-08-15

Carroll Jones, his wife Ruth Manerva " Amanda " Wisdom, and their children in the mid-1850’. Jackson Carroll Jones was born in Tennessee in 1822 and was 4 the...It was settled by Jackson Carroll Jones, a farmer born in Tennessee, and his wife Amanda Wisdom Jones. In 1860, seven people lived in the log dwelling...built at the Jones Farm, including Jackson and Amanda Jones and four of their children, and Ruth Wisdom (14-years old). In 1881, 18 people resided in

Climate Change in the US: Potential Consequences for Human Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.

2001-01-01

The U.S. National Assessment identified five major areas of consequences of climate change in the United States: temperature-related illnesses and deaths, health effects related to extreme weather events, air pollution-related health effects, water- and food-borne diseases, and insect-, tick-, and rodent-borne diseases. The U.S. National Assessment final conclusions about these potential health effects will be described. In addition, a summary of some of the new tools for studying human health aspects of climate change as well as environment-health linkages through remotely sensed data and observations will be provided.

Characterization of air pollution in Mexico City by remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grutter, Michel; Arellano, Josue; Bezanilla, Alejandro; Friedrich, Martina; Plaza, Eddy; Rivera, Claudia; Stremme, Wolfgang

2014-05-01

Megacities, like the Mexico City Metropolitan Area, are home to a large fraction of the population of the world and a consequence is that they are one of the biggest sources of contaminants and greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere. The pollution is visible form space through remote sensing instruments, however, satellite observations like those with NADIR viewing geometries have decreased sensitivity near the Earth's surface and the analytical algorithms are in generally optimized to detect pollution plumes in the free troposphere or above. Ground-based observations are thus necessary in order to reduce uncertainties from satellite products. As we will show, Mexico City and its surroundings is well characterized by ground-based remote sensing measurements like from two stations with solar-absorption FTIR spectrometers and a newly formed network of MAX-DOAS and LIDAR instruments. Examples will be provided of how the evolution of the mixing-layer height is characterized and the vertical column densities and profiles of gases in and outside the urban area are continuously monitored. The combination of ground-based and space-borne measurements are used to improve the current knowledge in the spatial and temporal distribution of key pollutants from this megacity.

Empirical quantification of lacustrine groundwater discharge - different methods and their limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinikmann, K.; Nützmann, G.; Lewandowski, J.

2015-03-01

Groundwater discharge into lakes (lacustrine groundwater discharge, LGD) can be an important driver of lake eutrophication. Its quantification is difficult for several reasons, and thus often neglected in water and nutrient budgets of lakes. In the present case several methods were applied to determine the expansion of the subsurface catchment, to reveal areas of main LGD and to identify the variability of LGD intensity. Size and shape of the subsurface catchment served as a prerequisite in order to calculate long-term groundwater recharge and thus the overall amount of LGD. Isotopic composition of near-shore groundwater was investigated to validate the quality of catchment delineation in near-shore areas. Heat as a natural tracer for groundwater-surface water interactions was used to find spatial variations of LGD intensity. Via an analytical solution of the heat transport equation, LGD rates were calculated from temperature profiles of the lake bed. The method has some uncertainties, as can be found from the results of two measurement campaigns in different years. The present study reveals that a combination of several different methods is required for a reliable identification and quantification of LGD and groundwater-borne nutrient loads.

Adiposity and height of adult Hmong refugees: relationship with war-related early malnutrition and later migration.

PubMed

Clarkin, Patrick F

2008-01-01

This study investigated whether historical proxies for poor nutrition early in life were associated with differences in body composition and height among adult Hmong refugees. Life history and anthropometric data were collected from a sample of 279 Hmong aged 18-51 years who were born in Laos or Thailand and resettled in French Guiana or the United States following the Second Indochina War. Overall, 30.5% were born in a war zone in Laos, while 38.8% were displaced as infants; these individuals were presumed to have experienced malnutrition in the perinatal and infant periods, respectively. Resettlement in urban areas in the US was utilized as a proxy for greater exposure to excessive energy balance, compared with Hmong who resettled in rural areas in French Guiana. In multiple linear regression models, being displaced in infancy was negatively associated with height after controlling for confounders, while being born in a war zone was associated with higher adiposity and centralized body fat distribution. Resettlement in the US was associated with a higher centralization of subcutaneous fat, but not overall adiposity. These findings may be of interest to the study of the developmental origins of obesity, in a population that has undergone early malnutrition followed by migration and rapid nutritional transition.

Viral Interference and Persistence in Mosquito-Borne Flaviviruses.

PubMed

Salas-Benito, Juan Santiago; De Nova-Ocampo, Mónica

2015-01-01

Mosquito-borne flaviviruses are important pathogens for humans, and the detection of two or more flaviviruses cocirculating in the same geographic area has often been reported. However, the epidemiological impact remains to be determined. Mosquito-borne flaviviruses are primarily transmitted through Aedes and Culex mosquitoes; these viruses establish a life-long or persistent infection without apparent pathological effects. This establishment requires a balance between virus replication and the antiviral host response. Viral interference is a phenomenon whereby one virus inhibits the replication of other viruses, and this condition is frequently associated with persistent infections. Viral interference and persistent infection are determined by several factors, such as defective interfering particles, competition for cellular factors required for translation/replication, and the host antiviral response. The interaction between two flaviviruses typically results in viral interference, indicating that these viruses share common features during the replicative cycle in the vector. The potential mechanisms involved in these processes are reviewed here.

Range expansion of the Bluetongue vector, Culicoides imicola, in continental France likely due to rare wind-transport events.

PubMed

Jacquet, Stéphanie; Huber, Karine; Pagès, Nonito; Talavera, Sandra; Burgin, Laura E; Carpenter, Simon; Sanders, Christopher; Dicko, Ahmadou H; Djerbal, Mouloud; Goffredo, Maria; Lhor, Youssef; Lucientes, Javier; Miranda-Chueca, Miguel A; Pereira Da Fonseca, Isabel; Ramilo, David W; Setier-Rio, Marie-Laure; Bouyer, Jérémy; Chevillon, Christine; Balenghien, Thomas; Guis, Hélène; Garros, Claire

2016-06-06

The role of the northward expansion of Culicoides imicola Kieffer in recent and unprecedented outbreaks of Culicoides-borne arboviruses in southern Europe has been a significant point of contention. We combined entomological surveys, movement simulations of air-borne particles, and population genetics to reconstruct the chain of events that led to a newly colonized French area nestled at the northern foot of the Pyrenees. Simulating the movement of air-borne particles evidenced frequent wind-transport events allowing, within at most 36 hours, the immigration of midges from north-eastern Spain and Balearic Islands, and, as rare events, their immigration from Corsica. Completing the puzzle, population genetic analyses discriminated Corsica as the origin of the new population and identified two successive colonization events within west-Mediterranean basin. Our findings are of considerable importance when trying to understand the invasion of new territories by expanding species.

Differentiating snail intermediate hosts of Schistosoma spp. using molecular approaches: fundamental to successful integrated control mechanism in Africa.

PubMed

Abe, Eniola Michael; Guan, Wei; Guo, Yun-Hai; Kassegne, Kokouvi; Qin, Zhi-Qiang; Xu, Jing; Chen, Jun-Hu; Ekpo, Uwem Friday; Li, Shi-Zhu; Zhou, Xiao-Nong

2018-03-26

Snail intermediate hosts play active roles in the transmission of snail-borne trematode infections in Africa. A good knowledge of snail-borne diseases epidemiology particularly snail intermediate host populations would provide the necessary impetus to complementing existing control strategy. This review highlights the importance of molecular approaches in differentiating snail hosts population structure and the need to provide adequate information on snail host populations by updating snail hosts genome database for Africa, in order to equip different stakeholders with adequate information on the ecology of snail intermediate hosts and their roles in the transmission of different diseases. Also, we identify the gaps and areas where there is need for urgent intervention to facilitate effective integrated control of schistosomiasis and other snail-borne trematode infections. Prioritizing snail studies, especially snail differentiation using molecular tools will boost disease surveillance and also enhance efficient schistosomaisis control programme in Africa.

Satellite, environmental, and medical information applied to epidemiological monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Donald R.; Legters, Llewellyn J.

1991-01-01

Improved communications and space-science technologies, such as remote sensing, offer hope of new, more holistic approaches to combating many arthropod-borne disease problems. The promise offered by these technologies has surfaced at a time when global and national efforts at disease control are in decline. Indeed, these programs seem to be losing ground against the arthropod-borne diseases just as rapidly as we seem to be moving forward in technological development. Given these circumstances, we can only hope that remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technologies can be pressed into service to help target the temporal and spatial application of control measures and to help in developing new control strategies.

Mapping Climate Change Vulnerabilities to Infectious Diseases in Europe

PubMed Central

Suk, Jonathan E.; Estevez, Virginia; Ebi, Kristie L.; Lindgren, Elisabet

2011-01-01

Background: The incidence, outbreak frequency, and distribution of many infectious diseases are generally expected to change as a consequence of climate change, yet there is limited regional information available to guide decision making. Objective: We surveyed government officials designated as Competent Bodies for Scientific Advice concerning infectious diseases to examine the degree to which they are concerned about potential effects of climate change on infectious diseases, as well as their perceptions of institutional capacities in their respective countries. Methods: In 2007 and 2009/2010, national infectious disease experts from 30 European Economic Area countries were surveyed about recent and projected infectious disease patterns in relation to climate change in their countries and the national capacity to cope with them. Results: A large majority of respondents agreed that climate change would affect vector-borne (86% of country representatives), food-borne (70%), water-borne (68%), and rodent-borne (68%) diseases in their countries. In addition, most indicated that institutional improvements are needed for ongoing surveillance programs (83%), collaboration with the veterinary sector (69%), management of animal disease outbreaks (66%), national monitoring and control of climate-sensitive infectious diseases (64%), health services during an infectious disease outbreak (61%), and diagnostic support during an epidemic (54%). Conclusions: Expert responses were generally consistent with the peer-reviewed literature regarding the relationship between climate change and vector- and water-borne diseases, but were less so for food-borne diseases. Shortcomings in institutional capacity to manage climate change vulnerability, identified in this assessment, should be addressed in impact, vulnerability, and adaptation assessments. PMID:22113877

General Information about Mosquitoes

MedlinePlus

... they can use without posing unreasonable risk to human health and the environment. State and local government agencies play a critical role in protecting public health from mosquito-borne ... use of pesticides for mosquito control is appropriate for their area. ...

Tick-borne diseases and autoimmunity: A comprehensive review.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Yhojan; Rojas, Manuel; Gershwin, M Eric; Anaya, Juan-Manuel

2018-03-01

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are emerging and reemerging diseases transmitted by ticks, which portray wide heterogeneity and global distribution. TBDs may present acute clinical pictures that resemble those of autoimmune diseases (i.e., musculoskeletal symptoms, cutaneous involvement, neurologic impairment, renal failure, etc.), and in some cases infection is considered a triggering factor for autoimmunity (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroid disease, vasculitides). The clinician should consider TBDs among the differential diagnoses when approaching autoimmune-like signs in areas of tick infestation. Epidemiological setting (e.g., endemic areas, seasons) and an accurate diagnostic approach (i.e., clinical history, physical examination and laboratory tests) are necessary to confirm TBDs. Further, control and prevention of TBDs is warranted. Research in the fields of ticks microbiome and vaccination (i.e., wildlife and humans) are ahead to control vector transmission and bacterial infection. This review offers a comprehensive update on TBDs and their relationship with autoimmunity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surveillance of Zika virus infection in the EU/EEA, June 2015 to January 2017.

PubMed

Spiteri, G; Sudre, B; Septfons, A; Beauté, J

2017-10-01

Surveillance of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) was implemented in 2016 in response to the large outbreak reported in the Americas in 2015 associated with an increased number of infants born with microcephaly. Between June 2015 and January 2017, 21 EU/EEA countries reported 2,133 confirmed cases of ZIKV infection, of whom 106 were pregnant women. Cases infected in the Caribbean constituted 71% of reported cases. Almost all cases (99%) were most probably infected by mosquito bite during travel outside continental Europe, while only 1% were transmitted sexually. Considering that 584 imported cases were reported between May and October 2016 among residents of areas with established presence of Aedes albopictus , the absence of autochthonous vector-borne cases suggests that Ae. albopictus is not an efficient vector for ZIKV infection.

A Web-GIS Procedure Based on Satellite Multi-Spectral and Airborne LIDAR Data to Map the Road blockage Due to seismic Damages of Built-Up Urban Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costanzo, Antonio; Montuori, Antonio; Silva, Juan Pablo; Silvestri, Malvina; Musacchio, Massimo; Buongiorno, Maria Fabrizia; Stramondo, Salvatore

2016-08-01

In this work, a web-GIS procedure to map the risk of road blockage in urban environments through the combined use of space-borne and airborne remote sensing sensors is presented. The methodology concerns (1) the provision of a geo-database through the integration of space-borne multispectral images and airborne LiDAR data products; (2) the modeling of building vulnerability, based on the corresponding 3D geometry and construction time information; (3) the GIS-based mapping of road closure due to seismic- related building collapses based on the building characteristic height and the width of the road. Experimental results, gathered for the Cosenza urban area, allow demonstrating the benefits of both the proposed approach and the GIS-based integration of multi-platforms remote sensing sensors and techniques for seismic road assessment purposes.

An advanced scanning method for space-borne hyper-spectral imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yue-ming; Lang, Jun-Wei; Wang, Jian-Yu; Jiang, Zi-Qing

2011-08-01

Space-borne hyper-spectral imagery is an important means for the studies and applications of earth science. High cost efficiency could be acquired by optimized system design. In this paper, an advanced scanning method is proposed, which contributes to implement both high temporal and spatial resolution imaging system. Revisit frequency and effective working time of space-borne hyper-spectral imagers could be greatly improved by adopting two-axis scanning system if spatial resolution and radiometric accuracy are not harshly demanded. In order to avoid the quality degradation caused by image rotation, an idea of two-axis rotation has been presented based on the analysis and simulation of two-dimensional scanning motion path and features. Further improvement of the imagers' detection ability under the conditions of small solar altitude angle and low surface reflectance can be realized by the Ground Motion Compensation on pitch axis. The structure and control performance are also described. An intelligent integration technology of two-dimensional scanning and image motion compensation is elaborated in this paper. With this technology, sun-synchronous hyper-spectral imagers are able to pay quick visit to hot spots, acquiring both high spatial and temporal resolution hyper-spectral images, which enables rapid response of emergencies. The result has reference value for developing operational space-borne hyper-spectral imagers.

Electrostatic Solvation Energy for Two Oppositely Charged Ions in a Solvated Protein System: Salt Bridges Can Stabilize Proteins

PubMed Central

Gong, Haipeng; Freed, Karl F.

2010-01-01

Abstract Born-type electrostatic continuum methods have been an indispensable ingredient in a variety of implicit-solvent methods that reduce computational effort by orders of magnitude compared to explicit-solvent MD simulations and thus enable treatment using larger systems and/or longer times. An analysis of the limitations and failures of the Born approaches serves as a guide for fundamental improvements without diminishing the importance of prior works. One of the major limitations of the Born theory is the lack of a liquidlike description of the response of solvent dipoles to the electrostatic field of the solute and the changes therein, a feature contained in the continuum Langevin-Debye (LD) model applied here to investigate how Coulombic interactions depend on the location of charges relative to the protein/water boundary. This physically more realistic LD model is applied to study the stability of salt bridges. When compared head to head using the same (independently measurable) physical parameters (radii, dielectric constants, etc.), the LD model is in good agreement with observations, whereas the Born model is grossly in error. Our calculations also suggest that a salt bridge on the protein's surface can be stabilizing when the charge separation is ≤4 Å. PMID:20141761

Impaired language abilities and white matter abnormalities in children born very preterm and/or very low birth weight

PubMed Central

Reidy, Natalie; Morgan, Angela; Thompson, Deanne K; Inder, Terrie E.; Doyle, Lex W; Anderson, Peter J

2012-01-01

Objectives To investigate language abilities in children born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks’ gestational age (GA)) or very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) at 7 years of age and compare their performances with children born at term, and to determine whether group differences could be explained by cerebral white matter abnormality on neonatal MRI. Study design A cohort of 198 children born <30 weeks’ GA and/or <1250 g, and 70 term controls were examined. White matter abnormalities were rated quantitatively on brain MRI at term-equivalent age. Language was assessed at age 7 years using standardized language tests. Differences between groups were tested in the five language sub-domains of phonological awareness, semantics, grammar, discourse, and pragmatics. A mediation effect was tested between birth group, white matter abnormality, and language sub-domains. Results The VPT/VLBW group performed significantly worse than controls on all language sub-domains (all p <.001). White matter abnormality mediated the effect of group differences on phonological awareness, and partly mediated this effect for semantics, grammar and discourse. White matter abnormality was not significantly associated with pragmatics (p = .13). Conclusions Language is an important area of concern in children born VPT/VLBW. Neonatal white matter abnormality is an important predictor of outcome; however, different language abilities are differentially associated with neonatal white matter abnormality. PMID:23158026

Relatively low prevalence of Babesia microti and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes scapularis ticks collected in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

PubMed

Edwards, Marten J; Barbalato, Laura A; Makkapati, Amulya; Pham, Katerina D; Bugbee, Louise M

2015-09-01

Several human pathogens are transmitted by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. These include the spirochetes that cause Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) which is endemic to the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Emerging and currently rare tick-borne diseases have been of increasing concern in this region, including tick-borne relapsing fever (caused by Borrelia miyamotoi), human granulocytic anaplasmosis (caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum), and human babesiosis (caused by Babesia microti). Real-time PCR assays and in some instances, conventional PCR followed by DNA sequencing, were used to screen 423 DNA samples that were prepared from questing adult and nymph stage I. scapularis ticks for infection with four tick-borne human pathogens. B. burgdorferi was detected in 23.2% of the sampled ticks, while B. miyamotoi, B. microti and a human variant of A. phagocytophilum were detected in less than 0.5% of the ticks. Our results are consistent with those expected in a region where Lyme disease is prevalent and human cases of tick-borne relapsing fever, babesiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis are not currently widespread. It is expected that this study will serve as a baseline for future studies of tick-borne pathogens in an area that is in close proximity to regions of high endemicity for Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis and human babesiosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Spontaneous calcium transients in the immature adult-born neurons of the olfactory bulb.

PubMed

Maslyukov, Anatoliy; Li, Kaizhen; Su, Xin; Kovalchuk, Yury; Garaschuk, Olga

2018-06-06

Spontaneous neuronal activity and concomitant intracellular Ca 2+ signaling are abundant during early perinatal development and are well known for their key role in neuronal proliferation, migration, differentiation and wiring. However, much less is known about the in vivo patterns of spontaneous Ca 2+ signaling in immature adult-born cells. Here, by using two-photon Ca 2+ imaging, we analyzed spontaneous in vivo Ca 2+ signaling in adult-born juxtaglomerular cells of the mouse olfactory bulb over the time period of 5 weeks, from the day of their arrival in the glomerular layer till their stable integration into the preexisting neural network. We show that spontaneous Ca 2+ transients are ubiquitously present in adult-born cells right after their arrival, require activation of voltage-gated Na + channels and are little sensitive to isoflurane anesthesia. Interestingly, several parameters of this spontaneous activity, such as the area under the curve, the time spent in the active state as well as the fraction of continuously active cells show a bell-shaped dependence on cell's age, all peaking in 3-4 weeks old cells. This data firmly document the in vivo presence of spontaneous Ca 2+ signaling during the layer-specific maturation of adult-born neurons in the olfactory bulb and motivate further analyses of the functional role(s) of this activity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing dependencies of E. coli, Salmonella, and Enterococci survival on temperature in surface waters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microbial water quality is attracting substantial attention due to the documented role of produce in microbial food contamination, shellfish industry concerns, and recreation disruptions. In particular, irrigated produce accounted for nearly half of all food-borne illnesses in the USA from 1998 to 2...

Subdominant outer membrane antigens in anaplasma marginale: conservation, antigenicity, and protective capacity using recombinant protein

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Anaplasma marginale is a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen of cattle with a worldwide distribution. Currently a safe and efficacious vaccine is unavailable. Outer membrane protein (OMP) extracts or a well- defined surface protein complex reproducibly induce protective immunity. However, there are seve...

30 CFR 817.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 817.89 Section 817.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

30 CFR 816.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 816.89 Section 816.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

30 CFR 817.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 817.89 Section 817.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

30 CFR 816.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 816.89 Section 816.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

30 CFR 817.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 817.89 Section 817.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

30 CFR 816.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 816.89 Section 816.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

30 CFR 817.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 817.89 Section 817.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

30 CFR 816.89 - Disposal of noncoal mine wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Disposal of noncoal mine wastes. 816.89 Section 816.89 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... underground water. Wastes shall be routinely compacted and covered to prevent combustion and wind-borne waste...

A Predictive Model Has Identified Tick-Borne Encephalitis High-Risk Areas in Regions Where No Cases Were Reported Previously, Poland, 1999–2012

PubMed Central

Rubikowska, Barbara; Bratkowski, Jakub; Ustrnul, Zbigniew; Vanwambeke, Sophie O.

2018-01-01

During 1999–2012, 77% of the cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were recorded in two out of 16 Polish provinces. However, historical data, mostly from national serosurveys, suggest that the disease could be undetected in many areas. The aim of this study was to identify which routinely-measured meteorological, environmental, and socio-economic factors are associated to TBE human risk across Poland, with a particular focus on areas reporting few cases, but where serosurveys suggest higher incidence. We fitted a zero-inflated Poisson model using data on TBE incidence recorded in 108 NUTS-5 administrative units in high-risk areas over the period 1999–2012. Subsequently we applied the best fitting model to all Polish municipalities. Keeping the remaining variables constant, the predicted rate increased with the increase of air temperature over the previous 10–20 days, precipitation over the previous 20–30 days, in forestation, forest edge density, forest road density, and unemployment. The predicted rate decreased with increasing distance from forests. The map of predicted rates was consistent with the established risk areas. It predicted, however, high rates in provinces considered TBE-free. We recommend raising awareness among physicians working in the predicted high-risk areas and considering routine use of household animal surveys for risk mapping. PMID:29617333

A Predictive Model Has Identified Tick-Borne Encephalitis High-Risk Areas in Regions Where No Cases Were Reported Previously, Poland, 1999-2012.

PubMed

Stefanoff, Pawel; Rubikowska, Barbara; Bratkowski, Jakub; Ustrnul, Zbigniew; Vanwambeke, Sophie O; Rosinska, Magdalena

2018-04-04

During 1999–2012, 77% of the cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were recorded in two out of 16 Polish provinces. However, historical data, mostly from national serosurveys, suggest that the disease could be undetected in many areas. The aim of this study was to identify which routinely-measured meteorological, environmental, and socio-economic factors are associated to TBE human risk across Poland, with a particular focus on areas reporting few cases, but where serosurveys suggest higher incidence. We fitted a zero-inflated Poisson model using data on TBE incidence recorded in 108 NUTS-5 administrative units in high-risk areas over the period 1999–2012. Subsequently we applied the best fitting model to all Polish municipalities. Keeping the remaining variables constant, the predicted rate increased with the increase of air temperature over the previous 10–20 days, precipitation over the previous 20–30 days, in forestation, forest edge density, forest road density, and unemployment. The predicted rate decreased with increasing distance from forests. The map of predicted rates was consistent with the established risk areas. It predicted, however, high rates in provinces considered TBE-free. We recommend raising awareness among physicians working in the predicted high-risk areas and considering routine use of household animal surveys for risk mapping.

Parturition in gilts: duration of farrowing, birth intervals and placenta expulsion in relation to maternal, piglet and placental traits.

PubMed

van Rens, Birgitte T T M; van der Lende, Tette

2004-07-01

Large White x Meishan F2 crossbred gilts (n = 57) were observed continuously during farrowing while the placentae of their offspring were labeled in order to examine the duration of farrowing and placenta expulsion in relation to maternal-, piglet- and placental traits and the duration of birth interval in relation to birth weight, birth order and placental traits. Independently from each other, litter size, gestation length and offspring directed aggression significantly (P 0.05) affected duration of farrowing. An increase in litter size was associated with an increase of duration of farrowing and an increase in gestation length was associated with a decrease of duration of farrowing. Aggressive gilts took longer to farrow, compared to non-aggressive ones. After taking into account litter size, gestation length and offspring directed aggression, placental thickness (i.e., placental weight corrected for placental surface area) was significantly (P < 0.05) related to duration of farrowing, i.e., litters with on average thicker placentae took longer to farrow. The latter effect is the result of the fact that individual placental thickness significantly (P < 0.01) affected individual birth interval, independent of birth weight. The piglet has to break its own membranes to be able to start its journey through the uterus towards the birth channel. Apparently, a thicker placenta offers more resistance and thus prolongs the process of birth. Independent of placental thickness, birth interval significantly (P < 0.01) decreased with an increase in birth order (first born to last born). The high variation of birth intervals for the last born piglets, caused a slight increase in average birth interval for the latter piglets. Litters with on average more areolae per placenta took significantly (P < 0.001) less time to be born than litters with on average less areolae per placenta (independent of total number of piglets born and other placental traits), while birth intervals within litters were not affected by this trait. Thus, these results are probably due to a gilt trait rather than a piglet trait. Since the number of areolae represent the number of uterine glands present, the gilt trait might be uterine development. Duration of placenta expulsion significantly (P < 0.01) increased with an increase of duration of farrowing. Furthermore, the first placenta was expelled significantly (P < 0.01) earlier relative to last piglet when duration of farrowing was protracted, while there was no relation of the time interval between first placenta and last piglet and the duration of placenta expulsion. In conclusion, the most important finding of this study is that placental thickness rather than birth weight appears to play an important role in the duration of birth intervals and as a result, of duration of parturition in gilts.

The risk of vector-borne infections in sled dogs associated with existing and new endemic areas in Poland: Part 1: A population study on sled dogs during the racing season.

PubMed

Bajer, Anna; Mierzejewska, Ewa J; Rodo, Anna; Bednarska, Malgorzata; Kowalec, Maciej; Welc-Falęciak, Renata

2014-05-28

The achievements of sled dogs in competitions depend both on their training and on their health. Vector-borne infections may lead to anaemia, affect joints or heart muscle or even cause death. Between December 2009 and October 2010, one hundred and twenty six individual blood samples were collected from 26 sled dog kennels situated in different regions of Poland. The majority of samples were taken during the racing season (winter 2009/10). The prevalences of 3 vector-borne infections- including 2 'old pathogens' Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia canis, and 'new pathogen' Hepatozoon canis-were estimated in sled dogs using PCR and nested PCR. Additionally, 25 serum samples originating from a subset of 3 kennels situated in a tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) endemic area (Mazowiecki region), were tested for antibodies against the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Because of the recently reported occurrence of Dirofilaria repens in Central Poland and that of fatal cases of unknown aetiology in two of the kennels, blood samples collected from dogs at these kennels in 2010 and in February-May 2013 and from two unaffected kennels were checked for evidence of presence of this parasite. Babesia canis DNA was detected in 11 sled dogs (4 with clinical babesiosis, 7 asymptomatic; 8.7%) inhabiting mainly endemic regions of Poland (9/11 cases). Three serum samples originating from one location tested positive for TBEV antibodies (total seroprevalence: 3/25=12%, local seroprevalence: 3/12=25%). The risk of TBEV infection was associated with previous B. canis infections. Dirofilaria repens DNA was detected in 15 dogs (44%). Prevalence was especially high in two sled dog kennels situated near Grodzisk Mazowiecki (50-57%). No blood samples tested positive for A. phagocytophilum or H. canis DNA. The present study has established that the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in working sled dogs is significant in the endemic regions and has justified the important role of surveillance of reservoir hosts in the epidemiology of TBE. Our results emphasize the need for regular monitoring for the presence of D. repens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of a tick-borne disease manual increases accuracy of tick identification among primary care providers in Lyme disease endemic areas.

PubMed

Butler, Amber D; Carlson, Meredith L; Nelson, Christina A

2017-02-01

Given the high incidence of tick bites and tick-borne diseases in the United States, it is important for primary care providers to recognize common ticks and the pathogens they may transmit. If a patient has removed and saved an attached tick, identifying the tick helps guide clinical management and determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis for Lyme disease is appropriate. To investigate providers' ability to recognize common ticks and the pathogens they may transmit, we asked 76 primary care providers from Lyme disease endemic areas to identify the common name or genus of preserved ticks found in their area. At baseline, 10.5%, 46.1%, and 57.9% of participants correctly identified an adult female blacklegged tick (engorged), dog tick, and lone star tick, respectively. Less than half of participants identified the three pathogens most frequently transmitted by blacklegged ticks. Use of a reference manual with tick photographs and drawings substantially improved identification of ticks and associated pathogens and therefore should be encouraged in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Testing blood donors for Chagas disease in the Paris area, France: first results after 18 months of screening.

PubMed

El Ghouzzi, Marie-Hélène; Boiret, Elisabeth; Wind, Françoise; Brochard, Claudine; Fittere, Sébastien; Paris, Luc; Mazier, Dominique; Sansonetti, Nicole; Bierling, Philippe

2010-03-01

Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America (LA). Currently 10 million people are infected despite World Health Organization efforts aimed at preventing domestic transmission. However, with the migration of infected asymptomatic individuals to nonendemic countries, transmission of Chagas disease by transfusion may become a worldwide problem. The observation that the number of cases of Chagas disease has increased over the past 10 years in French Guiana, together with the results of a previous hospital-based study in the Paris area, confirms the transmission of Chagas disease from patients coming from LA. For these reasons, the French authorities stopped the collection of blood in French Guiana in 2005 and began screening blood donors in the French Caribbean islands and, in 2007, in continental France. Data on birth place, mother's birth place, and travel in LA were recorded for at-risk donors. These subjects were tested using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Of the 312,458 individuals who gave blood in the Paris area during an 18-month period, 30,837 were tested. Of these, 972 were born in LA, three of whom were positive for the two ELISAs and immunofluorescence tests. The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi-positive donors was 9.7 in 100,000 tested donors, but 0.31% among donors born in LA. Serology tests gave discrepant results in 1.02% of the samples. The efficiency of blood donor screening programs could be improved by screening only blood donors who were born in LA or who have traveled in LA for extended periods, using a single enzyme immunoassay.

Measurement of ambient dose equivalent rates by walk survey around Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant using KURAMA-II until 2016.

PubMed

Andoh, Masaki; Yamamoto, Hideaki; Kanno, Takashi; Saito, Kimiaki

2018-05-17

Ambient dose equivalent rates in various environments related to human lives were measured by walk surveys using the KURAMA-II systems from 2013 to 2016 within an 80-km radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. The dose rate of the locations where the walk survey was performed decreased to about 38% of its initial value in the 42 months from June 2013 to the December 2016, which was beyond that attributable to the physical decay of radiocaesium. The ecological half-life of the slow decreasing component was evaluated to be 4.1 ± 0.2 y. The air dose rates decreased depending on the level of the evacuation areas, and the decrease in the dose rates was slightly larger in populated areas where humans are active. The dose rates as measured by walk surveys exhibited a good correlation with those by car-borne surveys, suggesting that car-borne survey data are reflecting the air dose rates in living environments surrounding roads. The comparison of walk survey data with car-borne survey data indicated that the air dose rate varies largely even within a 100 m square area, and the variation is enhanced by human activities. The dose rates measured by the walk surveys were estimated to be medial of those along roads and those of undisturbed flat ground, and they were found to be decreasing quickly compared with the air dose rate from the flat ground fixed-point measurements. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Vehicle for carrying an object of interest

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W.T.; Ferrante, T.A.

1998-10-13

A vehicle for carrying an object of interest across a supporting surface including a frame having opposite first and second ends; a first pair of wheels fixedly mounted on the first end of the frame; a second pair of wheels pivotally mounted on the second end of the frame; and a pair of motors borne by the frame, each motor disposed in driving relation relative to one of the pairs of wheels, the motors propelling the vehicle across the supporting surface. 8 figs.

Joint services electronics program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flynn, George W.; Osgood, Richard M., Jr.

1988-05-01

Several milestones have been reached in GaAs research. The first active GaAs device, a 1 micrometer channel width MESFET, has been made at Columbia. This device is a basic building block in the GaAs CCD program. GaAs surface studies have also born fruit. UV light has been found to oxidize rapidly the surface of GaAs in an UHV environment containing traces of water vapor and O2. The mechanism appears to be related to the generation of hot photocarriers.

Vehicle for carrying an object of interest

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W. Thor; Ferrante, Todd A.

1998-01-01

A vehicle for carrying an object of interest across a supporting surface including a frame having opposite first and second ends; a first pair of wheels fixedly mounted on the first end of the frame; a second pair of wheels pivotally mounted on the second end of the frame; and a pair of motors borne by the frame, each motor disposed in driving relation relative to one of the pairs of wheels, the motors propelling the vehicle across the supporting surface.

Small-area estimation of the probability of toxocariasis in New York City based on sociodemographic neighborhood composition.

PubMed

Walsh, Michael G; Haseeb, M A

2014-01-01

Toxocariasis is increasingly recognized as an important neglected infection of poverty (NIP) in developed countries, and may constitute the most important NIP in the United States (US) given its association with chronic sequelae such as asthma and poor cognitive development. Its potential public health burden notwithstanding, toxocariasis surveillance is minimal throughout the US and so the true burden of disease remains uncertain in many areas. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted a representative serologic survey of toxocariasis to estimate the prevalence of infection in diverse US subpopulations across different regions of the country. Using the NHANES III surveillance data, the current study applied the predicted probabilities of toxocariasis to the sociodemographic composition of New York census tracts to estimate the local probability of infection across the city. The predicted probability of toxocariasis ranged from 6% among US-born Latino women with a university education to 57% among immigrant men with less than a high school education. The predicted probability of toxocariasis exhibited marked spatial variation across the city, with particularly high infection probabilities in large sections of Queens, and smaller, more concentrated areas of Brooklyn and northern Manhattan. This investigation is the first attempt at small-area estimation of the probability surface of toxocariasis in a major US city. While this study does not define toxocariasis risk directly, it does provide a much needed tool to aid the development of toxocariasis surveillance in New York City.

Small-Area Estimation of the Probability of Toxocariasis in New York City Based on Sociodemographic Neighborhood Composition

PubMed Central

Walsh, Michael G.; Haseeb, M. A.

2014-01-01

Toxocariasis is increasingly recognized as an important neglected infection of poverty (NIP) in developed countries, and may constitute the most important NIP in the United States (US) given its association with chronic sequelae such as asthma and poor cognitive development. Its potential public health burden notwithstanding, toxocariasis surveillance is minimal throughout the US and so the true burden of disease remains uncertain in many areas. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted a representative serologic survey of toxocariasis to estimate the prevalence of infection in diverse US subpopulations across different regions of the country. Using the NHANES III surveillance data, the current study applied the predicted probabilities of toxocariasis to the sociodemographic composition of New York census tracts to estimate the local probability of infection across the city. The predicted probability of toxocariasis ranged from 6% among US-born Latino women with a university education to 57% among immigrant men with less than a high school education. The predicted probability of toxocariasis exhibited marked spatial variation across the city, with particularly high infection probabilities in large sections of Queens, and smaller, more concentrated areas of Brooklyn and northern Manhattan. This investigation is the first attempt at small-area estimation of the probability surface of toxocariasis in a major US city. While this study does not define toxocariasis risk directly, it does provide a much needed tool to aid the development of toxocariasis surveillance in New York City. PMID:24918785

Aplanatic Two-Surface Systems: The Optics Of Our Grandfathers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krautter, Martin

1986-10-01

Karl Schwarzschild (1873 - 1916)1 has set up the 2-mirror systems as a 2-parameter mani-fold. He constructed them for primary aplanatism with conic section surfaces, and for finite aplanatism with numerically determined surfaces of revolution. Developing from the still older 2-paraboloid telescopes, conceived by Marin Mersenne, the systems since designed fill three domains of existence. The grazing incidence systems too (the Wolter-Schwarz-schild systems) have their loci on this map. Martin Linnemann (born 1880), student of Karl Schwarzschild, designed the first lenses, made aplanatic with two general surfaces of revolution2. For later authors remained only to vary image scale to non-zero values, and to adapt the design method to computer use.

[Endemic level of congenital Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the areas of maternal residence and the development of congenital Chagas disease in Bolivia].

PubMed

Torrico, Faustino; Alonso-Vega, Cristina; Suarez, Eduardo; Rodríguez, Patricia; Torrico, Mary-Cruz; Dramaix, Michele; Truyens, Carine; Carlier, Yves

2005-01-01

In Bolivia, the prevalence of infection by T. cruzi in women in fertile age can vary between 20 and 60%. The present study made in the Maternity Germin Urquidi of Cochabamba - Bolivia, it has demonstrated, that 19.9% of the mothers who go to this hospitable center to be taken care of in the childbirth, they are carrying of the infection and that 4,6% of them, they are going to transmit, by transplacentaria route, the infection to its babies. Of the 71 children born with congenital Chagas, only 47,8 % present/display some type of alteration or of development(Apgar to 1 minute low, BPN, prematuridad, pathological dismadurez) or signs (SDR, hepatomegalia, esplenomegalia, neurological signs, cardiomegalia, anasarca, petequias). When investigating the effect of the differences in the vectorial density (low, medium and high) of the zone of maternal residence, on the transmission of the infection of the mother infected to the fetus, we concluded that the rate of transmission of the congenital infection of T. cruzi is not modified by the level of endemicidad of the zone of maternal residence. By another infected new born sides whose mothers reside in zones of high endemicidad present/display, most frequently and of significant way, Apgar to 1 minute < to 7, low weight when being born and prematuridad or an association of these alterations with respiratory syndrome of distress or anasarca, when one compares them with new born of resident mothers in the zones of loss or medium endemicidad, mortality in this group is greater. These results suggest calls to account it of the mothers, in areas of high endemicidad, she is associate with a serious increase in the risk of Disease of newborn severe and mortal congenital Chagas in.

Hunting, Food Preparation, and Consumption of Rodents in Lao PDR

PubMed Central

Suwannarong, Kanokwan; Chapman, Robert S.; Lantican, Cecile; Michaelides, Tula; Zimicki, Susan

2015-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 29 villages of Khamkeuth District in Bolikhamxay Province in the Lao PDR during March to May 2013. The study aimed to determine the characteristics associated with rodent consumption and related behaviors among different ethnic groups, ages, and genders. Five-hundred-eighty-four (584) males and females from 18-50 years of age participated in this study. Half of them were Hmong (292, 50%) while 152 respondents were Lao-Tai (26%) or other ethnic groups (140, 24%). Most of the respondents (79.5%) had farming as their main occupation. Prevalences of the studied outcomes were high: 39.9 for hunting or capturing rodents in the previous year, 77.7% for preparing rodents as food, and 86.3% for rodent consumption. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that likelihood of these types of rodent contact was more consistently associated with behavioral factors (gathering things from the forest and elsewhere, cultivation-related activities, and taking measures to prevent rodent-borne disease) than with socio-demographic, environmental, or cultural factors. The strongest associations were observed for gathering things; these associations were consistently positive and statistically significant. Although this study did not directly assess rodent-borne zoonosis risk, we believe that study findings raise concern that such risk may be substantial in the study area and other similar areas. Further epidemiological studies on the association between rodent-borne disease infection and rodent hunting, preparation for food, and consumption are recommended. Moreover, further studies are needed on the association between these potential exposure factors (i.e., rodent hunting, preparation for food, and consumption) and rodent-borne infections, especially among ethnic groups like the Hmong in Lao PDR and those in neighboring countries with similar socio-demographic, environmental, behavioral and cultural contexts. PMID:26196134

Does Neighborhood Risk Explain Racial Disparities in Low Birth Weight among Infants Born to Adolescent Mothers?

PubMed Central

Nichols, Tracy R.; Rulison, Kelly L.; Aronson, Robert E.; Brown-Jeffy, Shelly L.; Morrison, Sharon D.

2015-01-01

Study objective To test associations and interactions between racial identification, neighborhood risk, and low birth weight disparities between infants born to African-American and White adolescent mothers. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Birth cases were geocoded and linked to census-tract information from the 2010 United States Census and the 2007-2011 American Community Survey. A “neighborhood risk” index was created through principal component analysis, and mothers were grouped into three neighborhood risk levels (low, medium, high). Multilevel models with cross-level interactions were used to identify variation in racial differences in low birth weight outcomes across neighborhood risk levels when controlling for maternal demographics and pregnancy behaviors (smoking, prenatal care use). Setting North Carolina, United States. Participants 7,923 cases of singleton infants born to non-Hispanic African-American and White adolescent mothers from the North Carolina State Center of Health Statistics for 2011. Main outcome measures Low birth weight. Results African-American mothers were significantly more likely to have infants of low birth weight than White mothers in this sample [OR 1.89, CI (1.53, 2.34)]. Mothers that resided in areas of high neighborhood risk were significantly more likely to have infants of low birth weight than mothers residing in areas of low neighborhood risk [OR 1.55, 95% CI (1.25, 1.93)]. Even when controlling for confounding factors, racial disparities in low birth weight odds did not significantly vary by neighborhood risk level. Conclusions Racial disparities can remain in low birth weight odds among infants born to adolescent mothers when controlling for maternal characteristics, pregnancy behaviors, and neighborhood risk. PMID:26307240

Hunting, Food Preparation, and Consumption of Rodents in Lao PDR.

PubMed

Suwannarong, Kanokwan; Chapman, Robert S; Lantican, Cecile; Michaelides, Tula; Zimicki, Susan

2015-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 29 villages of Khamkeuth District in Bolikhamxay Province in the Lao PDR during March to May 2013. The study aimed to determine the characteristics associated with rodent consumption and related behaviors among different ethnic groups, ages, and genders. Five-hundred-eighty-four (584) males and females from 18-50 years of age participated in this study. Half of them were Hmong (292, 50%) while 152 respondents were Lao-Tai (26%) or other ethnic groups (140, 24%). Most of the respondents (79.5%) had farming as their main occupation. Prevalences of the studied outcomes were high: 39.9 for hunting or capturing rodents in the previous year, 77.7% for preparing rodents as food, and 86.3% for rodent consumption. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that likelihood of these types of rodent contact was more consistently associated with behavioral factors (gathering things from the forest and elsewhere, cultivation-related activities, and taking measures to prevent rodent-borne disease) than with socio-demographic, environmental, or cultural factors. The strongest associations were observed for gathering things; these associations were consistently positive and statistically significant. Although this study did not directly assess rodent-borne zoonosis risk, we believe that study findings raise concern that such risk may be substantial in the study area and other similar areas. Further epidemiological studies on the association between rodent-borne disease infection and rodent hunting, preparation for food, and consumption are recommended. Moreover, further studies are needed on the association between these potential exposure factors (i.e., rodent hunting, preparation for food, and consumption) and rodent-borne infections, especially among ethnic groups like the Hmong in Lao PDR and those in neighboring countries with similar socio-demographic, environmental, behavioral and cultural contexts.

[Sero-epidemiologic investigation on tick-borne diseases of humans and domestic animals in Zhejiang province].

PubMed

Chai, Cheng-liang; Lu, Qun-ying; Sun, Ji-min; Jiang, Li-ping; Ling, Feng; Zhang, Li-juan; Zheng, Shou-gui; Zhang, Hong; Ge, Jun-hua

2010-10-01

To investigate the seroprevalence of tick-borne diseases in humans and domestic animals from rural areas of Zhejiang province. Anji county, Jindong district and Tiantai county were selected for samples collection according to their geographic locations and historical prevalence of tick-borne diseases. Blood samples of humans and domestic animals were collected in the three sites. An indirect immuno-fluorescent antibody test was used to determine the presence of IgG antibodies of Rickettsiae heilongjiangii, Orientia tsutsugamushi, R. typhi, Anaplasma phagocytosis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Bartonella, R. hainan and Coxiella burnetii in these samples. Six hundred and eighty-three blood samples including 579 from humans and 104 from domestic animals (53 from cattles and 51 from sheep) were collected from the three sites. Antibody positive rates of Orientia tsutsugamushi, R. typhi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Coxiella burnetii were significantly different between these sites. IgG from all the 8 pathogens were detected in samples from humans. It was found that the sero-prevalence rates of R. typhi, Bartonella and C. burnetii (20.7%, 10.9%, 5.5%) of adults were higher than those of other Rickettsiae under investigation. The seroprevalence of R. typhi increased along with age. IgG from the 7 pathogens were detected in samples from domestic animals except for Anaplasma phagocytosis. The sero-prevalence rates of R. typhi, Bartonella and R. hainan (69.2%, 51.0%, 22.1%) of adults were higher than those of other Rickettsiae investigated. Tick-borne diseases did spread widely in humans and domestic animals from different rural areas of Zhejiang province. The sero-prevalence rates of R. typhi, B. henselae, R. hainan and C. burnetii were higher than that from other pathogens.

EAN consensus review on prevention, diagnosis and management of tick-borne encephalitis.

PubMed

Taba, P; Schmutzhard, E; Forsberg, P; Lutsar, I; Ljøstad, U; Mygland, Å; Levchenko, I; Strle, F; Steiner, I

2017-10-01

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and transmitted by ticks, with a variety of clinical manifestations. The incidence of TBE in Europe is increasing due to an extended season of the infection and the enlargement of endemic areas. Our objectives are to provide recommendations on the prevention, diagnosis and management of TBE, based on evidence or consensus decisions. For systematic evaluation, the literature was searched from 1970 to 2015 (including early online publications of 2016), and recommendations were based on evidence or consensus decisions of the Task Force when evidence-based data were not available. Vaccination against TBE is recommended for all age groups above 1 year in highly endemic areas (≥5 cases/100 000/year), but also for individuals at risk in areas with a lower incidence. Travellers to endemic areas should be vaccinated if their visits will include extensive outdoor activities. Post-exposure prophylaxis after a tick bite is not recommended. A case of TBE is defined by the presence of clinical signs of meningitis, meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis (>5 × 10 6 cells/l) and the presence of specific TBEV serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies, CSF IgM antibodies or TBEV IgG seroconversion. TBEV-specific polymerase chain reaction in blood is diagnostic in the first viremic phase but it is not sensitive in the second phase of TBE with clinical manifestations of CNS inflammation. Lumbar puncture should be performed in all patients with suspected CNS infection unless there are contraindications. Imaging of the brain and spinal cord has a low sensitivity and a low specificity, but it is useful for differential diagnosis. No effective antiviral or immunomodulating therapy is available for TBE; therefore the treatment is symptomatic. Patients with a potentially life threatening meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis should be admitted to an intensive care unit. In the case of brain oedema, analgosedation should be deepened; osmotherapy and corticosteroids are not routinely recommended. If intracranial pressure is increased, therapeutic hypothermia or decompressive craniectomy might be considered. Seizures should be treated as any other symptomatic epileptic seizures. Tick-borne encephalitis is a viral CNS infection that may result in long-term neurological sequelae. Since its incidence in Europe is increasing due to broadening of endemic areas and prolongation of the tick activity season, the health burden of TBE is enlarging. There is no effective antiviral treatment for TBE, but the disease may be effectively prevented by vaccination. © 2017 EAN.

Is there a 'Scottish effect' for mortality? Prospective observational study of census linkage studies.

PubMed

Popham, Frank; Boyle, Paul J

2011-09-01

Scotland's mortality rate is higher than England and Wales' and this difference cannot be explained by differences in area-level socio-economic deprivation. However, studies of this 'Scottish effect' have not adjusted for individual-level measures of socio-economic position nor accounted for country of birth; important as Scottish born living in England and Wales also have high mortality risk. Data sets (1991-2001 and 2001-2007) were obtained from the Scottish Longitudinal Study and the Office for National Statistics England and Wales Longitudinal Study that both link census records to subsequent mortality. Analysis was limited to those aged 35-74 at baseline with people followed to emigration, death or end of follow-up. Those born in Scotland living in either England and Wales or Scotland had a higher mortality rate than the English born living in England and Wales that was not fully attenuated by adjustment for car access and housing tenure. Adjusting for household-level differences in socio-economic deprivation does not fully explain the Scottish excess mortality that is seen for those born in Scotland whether living in England and Wales or Scotland. Taking a life course approach may reveal the cause of the 'Scottish effect'.

Influences of population size and density on birthplace effects.

PubMed

Hancock, David J; Coutinho, Patrícia; Côté, Jean; Mesquita, Isabel

2018-01-01

Contextual influences on talent development (e.g., birthplace effects) have become a topic of interest for sport scientists. Birthplace effects occur when being born in a certain city size leads to participation or performance advantages, typically for those born in smaller or mid-sized cities. The purpose of this study was to investigate birthplace effects in Portuguese volleyball players by analysing city size, as well as population density - an important but infrequently used variable. Participants included 4062 volleyball players (M age  = 33), 53.2% of whom were men. Using Portuguese national census data from 1981, we compared participants (within each sex) across five population categories. In addition, we used ANOVAs to study expertise and population density. Results indicated that men and women athletes born in districts of 200,000-399,999 were 2.4 times more likely to attain elite volleyball status, while all other districts decreased the odds of expert development. For men, being born in high-density areas resulted in less chance of achieving expertise, whereas there were no differences for women. The results suggest that athletes' infrastructure and social structure play an important role in talent development, and that these structures are influenced by total population and population density, respectively.

The Impact of the Assimilation of Aquarius Sea Surface Salinity Data in the GEOS Ocean Data Assimilation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vernieres, Guillaume Rene Jean; Kovach, Robin M.; Keppenne, Christian L.; Akella, Santharam; Brucker, Ludovic; Dinnat, Emmanuel Phillippe

2014-01-01

Ocean salinity and temperature differences drive thermohaline circulations. These properties also play a key role in the ocean-atmosphere coupling. With the availability of L-band space-borne observations, it becomes possible to provide global scale sea surface salinity (SSS) distribution. This study analyzes globally the along-track (Level 2) Aquarius SSS retrievals obtained using both passive and active L-band observations. Aquarius alongtrack retrieved SSS are assimilated into the ocean data assimilation component of Version 5 of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-5) assimilation and forecast model. We present a methodology to correct the large biases and errors apparent in Version 2.0 of the Aquarius SSS retrieval algorithm and map the observed Aquarius SSS retrieval into the ocean models bulk salinity in the topmost layer. The impact of the assimilation of the corrected SSS on the salinity analysis is evaluated by comparisons with insitu salinity observations from Argo. The results show a significant reduction of the global biases and RMS of observations-minus-forecast differences at in-situ locations. The most striking results are found in the tropics and southern latitudes. Our results highlight the complementary role and problems that arise during the assimilation of salinity information from in-situ (Argo) and space-borne surface (SSS) observations

Grid-Based Surface Generalized Born Model for Calculation of Electrostatic Binding Free Energies.

PubMed

Forouzesh, Negin; Izadi, Saeed; Onufriev, Alexey V

2017-10-23

Fast and accurate calculation of solvation free energies is central to many applications, such as rational drug design. In this study, we present a grid-based molecular surface implementation of "R6" flavor of the generalized Born (GB) implicit solvent model, named GBNSR6. The speed, accuracy relative to numerical Poisson-Boltzmann treatment, and sensitivity to grid surface parameters are tested on a set of 15 small protein-ligand complexes and a set of biomolecules in the range of 268 to 25099 atoms. Our results demonstrate that the proposed model provides a relatively successful compromise between the speed and accuracy of computing polar components of the solvation free energies (ΔG pol ) and binding free energies (ΔΔG pol ). The model tolerates a relatively coarse grid size h = 0.5 Å, where the grid artifact error in computing ΔΔG pol remains in the range of k B T ∼ 0.6 kcal/mol. The estimated ΔΔG pol s are well correlated (r 2 = 0.97) with the numerical Poisson-Boltzmann reference, while showing virtually no systematic bias and RMSE = 1.43 kcal/mol. The grid-based GBNSR6 model is available in Amber (AmberTools) package of molecular simulation programs.

Ground-based SMART-COMMIT Measurements for Studying Aerosol and Cloud Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsay, Si-Chee

2008-01-01

From radiometric principles, it is expected that the retrieved properties of extensive aerosols and clouds from reflected/emitted measurements by satellite (and/or aircraft) should be consistent with those retrieved from transmitted/emitted radiance observed at the surface. Although space-borne remote sensing observations cover large spatial domain, they are often plagued by contamination of surface signatures. Thus, ground-based in-situ and remote-sensing measurements, where signals come directly from atmospheric constituents, the sun, and/or the Earth-atmosphere interactions, provide additional information content for comparisons that confirm quantitatively the usefulness of the integrated surface, aircraft, and satellite data sets. The development and deployment of SMARTCOMMIT (Surface-sensing Measurements for Atmospheric Radiative Transfer - Chemical, Optical & Microphysical Measurements of In-situ Troposphere) mobile facilities are aimed for the optimal utilization of collocated ground-based observations as constraints to yield higher fidelity satellite retrievals and to determine any sampling bias due to target conditions. To quantify the energetics of the surface-atmosphere system and the atmospheric processes, SMART-COMMIT instruments fall into three categories: flux radiometer, radiance sensor and in-situ probe. In this paper, we will demonstrate the capability of SMART-COMMIT in recent field campaigns (e.g., CRYSTAL-FACE, UAE 2, BASEASIA, NAMMA) that were designed and executed to study the compelling variability in temporal scale of both anthropogenic and natural aerosols (e.g., biomass-burning smoke, airborne dust) and cirrus clouds. We envision robust approaches in which well-collocated ground-based measurements and space-borne observations will greatly advance our knowledge of extensive aerosols and clouds.

A global map of suitability for coastal Vibrio cholerae under current and future climate conditions.

PubMed

Escobar, Luis E; Ryan, Sadie J; Stewart-Ibarra, Anna M; Finkelstein, Julia L; King, Christine A; Qiao, Huijie; Polhemus, Mark E

2015-09-01

Vibrio cholerae is a globally distributed water-borne pathogen that causes severe diarrheal disease and mortality, with current outbreaks as part of the seventh pandemic. Further understanding of the role of environmental factors in potential pathogen distribution and corresponding V. cholerae disease transmission over time and space is urgently needed to target surveillance of cholera and other climate and water-sensitive diseases. We used an ecological niche model (ENM) to identify environmental variables associated with V. cholerae presence in marine environments, to project a global model of V. cholerae distribution in ocean waters under current and future climate scenarios. We generated an ENM using published reports of V. cholerae in seawater and freely available remotely sensed imagery. Models indicated that factors associated with V. cholerae presence included chlorophyll-a, pH, and sea surface temperature (SST), with chlorophyll-a demonstrating the greatest explanatory power from variables selected for model calibration. We identified specific geographic areas for potential V. cholerae distribution. Coastal Bangladesh, where cholera is endemic, was found to be environmentally similar to coastal areas in Latin America. In a conservative climate change scenario, we observed a predicted increase in areas with environmental conditions suitable for V. cholerae. Findings highlight the potential for vulnerability maps to inform cholera surveillance, early warning systems, and disease prevention and control. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stokes drift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Bremer, T. S.; Breivik, Ø.

2017-12-01

During its periodic motion, a particle floating at the free surface of a water wave experiences a net drift velocity in the direction of wave propagation, known as the Stokes drift (Stokes 1847 Trans. Camb. Philos. Soc. 8, 441-455). More generally, the Stokes drift velocity is the difference between the average Lagrangian flow velocity of a fluid parcel and the average Eulerian flow velocity of the fluid. This paper reviews progress in fundamental and applied research on the induced mean flow associated with surface gravity waves since the first description of the Stokes drift, now 170 years ago. After briefly reviewing the fundamental physical processes, most of which have been established for decades, the review addresses progress in laboratory and field observations of the Stokes drift. Despite more than a century of experimental studies, laboratory studies of the mean circulation set up by waves in a laboratory flume remain somewhat contentious. In the field, rapid advances are expected due to increasingly small and cheap sensors and transmitters, making widespread use of small surface-following drifters possible. We also discuss remote sensing of the Stokes drift from high-frequency radar. Finally, the paper discusses the three main areas of application of the Stokes drift: in the coastal zone, in Eulerian models of the upper ocean layer and in the modelling of tracer transport, such as oil and plastic pollution. Future climate models will probably involve full coupling of ocean and atmosphere systems, in which the wave model provides consistent forcing on the ocean surface boundary layer. Together with the advent of new space-borne instruments that can measure surface Stokes drift, such models hold the promise of quantifying the impact of wave effects on the global atmosphere-ocean system and hopefully contribute to improved climate projections. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nonlinear water waves'.

Spin-polarized surface resonances accompanying topological surface state formation

PubMed Central

Jozwiak, Chris; Sobota, Jonathan A.; Gotlieb, Kenneth; Kemper, Alexander F.; Rotundu, Costel R.; Birgeneau, Robert J.; Hussain, Zahid; Lee, Dung-Hai; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Lanzara, Alessandra

2016-01-01

Topological insulators host spin-polarized surface states born out of the energetic inversion of bulk bands driven by the spin-orbit interaction. Here we discover previously unidentified consequences of band-inversion on the surface electronic structure of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. By performing simultaneous spin, time, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we map the spin-polarized unoccupied electronic structure and identify a surface resonance which is distinct from the topological surface state, yet shares a similar spin-orbital texture with opposite orientation. Its momentum dependence and spin texture imply an intimate connection with the topological surface state. Calculations show these two distinct states can emerge from trivial Rashba-like states that change topology through the spin-orbit-induced band inversion. This work thus provides a compelling view of the coevolution of surface states through a topological phase transition, enabled by the unique capability of directly measuring the spin-polarized unoccupied band structure. PMID:27739428

Insights into the Functions of M-T Hook Structure in HIV Fusion Inhibitor Using Molecular Modeling.

PubMed

Tan, Jianjun; Yuan, Hongling; Li, Chunhua; Zhang, Xiaoyi; Wang, Cunxin

2016-04-01

HIV-1 membrane fusion plays an important role in the process that HIV-1 entries host cells. As a treatment strategy targeting HIV-1 entry process, fusion inhibitors have been proposed. Nevertheless, development of a short peptide possessing high anti-HIV potency is considered a daunting challenge. He et al. found that two residues, Met626 and Thr627, located the upstream of the C-terminal heptad repeat of the gp41, formed a unique hook-like structure (M-T hook) that can dramatically improve the binding stability and anti-HIV activity of the inhibitors. In this work, we explored the molecular mechanism why M-T hook structure could improve the anti-HIV activity of inhibitors. Firstly, molecular dynamic simulation was used to obtain information on the time evolution between gp41 and ligands. Secondly, based on the simulations, molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) and molecular mechanics Generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) methods were used to calculate the binding free energies. The binding free energy of the ligand with M-T hook was considerably higher than the other without M-T. Further studies showed that the hydrophobic interactions made the dominant contribution to the binding free energy. The numbers of Hydrogen bonds between gp41 and the ligand with M-T hook structure were more than the other. These findings should provide insights into the inhibition mechanism of the short peptide fusion inhibitors and be useful for the rational design of novel fusion inhibitors in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioaccessibility of PAHs and PAH derivatives in a fuel soot assessed by an in vitro digestive model with absorptive sink: Effects of aging the soot in a soil-water mixture.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanyan; Pignatello, Joseph J; Tao, Shu

2018-02-15

Aging soot in soil under neutral aqueous condition for 30days significantly (p<0.05) reduced the apparent gastrointestinal bioaccessibility (B app ) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and PAH derivatives (d-PAHs) natively present in a composite fuel soot sample. B app was determined under fasting conditions by a previously developed in vitro digestive model that includes silicone sheet as a third phase absorptive sink in the small intestinal stage. Redistribution of contaminants from soot to soil, determined in independent experiments, was too small to affect B app . Prior uptake by soot of a commercial humic acid representing dissolved soil organic matter had no impact on B app . We identified two causes for the reduction in B app by soil and found they were approximately additive. One is an aging time-independent "matrix effect" attributable to competitive sorption by the soil of labile contaminant that is desorbed from the soot during the digestion test. The other is the dissolution of soluble substances from the soot during the aging process that increases soot surface area and nanoporosity. The increased surface area and nanoporosity drive contaminants from labile to nonlabile states in the soot and decrease the desorption into the digestive fluid, the former contributing most to the reduction in B app . The present study shows that mixing of raw soot with soil has important effects, both aging and non-aging, on the bioaccessibility of soot-borne contaminants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 71.44 - Disinsection of aircraft.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... current list of approved insecticides and sources may be obtained from the Division of Quarantine, Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333. ... area that is infected with insect-borne communicable disease and the aircraft is suspected of harboring...

42 CFR 71.44 - Disinsection of aircraft.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... current list of approved insecticides and sources may be obtained from the Division of Quarantine, Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333. ... area that is infected with insect-borne communicable disease and the aircraft is suspected of harboring...

42 CFR 71.44 - Disinsection of aircraft.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... current list of approved insecticides and sources may be obtained from the Division of Quarantine, Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333. ... area that is infected with insect-borne communicable disease and the aircraft is suspected of harboring...

42 CFR 71.44 - Disinsection of aircraft.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... current list of approved insecticides and sources may be obtained from the Division of Quarantine, Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333. ... area that is infected with insect-borne communicable disease and the aircraft is suspected of harboring...

42 CFR 71.44 - Disinsection of aircraft.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... current list of approved insecticides and sources may be obtained from the Division of Quarantine, Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333. ... area that is infected with insect-borne communicable disease and the aircraft is suspected of harboring...

Hiatal Hernia

MedlinePlus

... happens. But a hiatal hernia might be caused by: Age-related changes in your diaphragm Injury to the area, for example, after trauma or certain types of surgery Being born with an unusually large hiatus Persistent and intense pressure on the surrounding muscles, such as while coughing , ...

Molecular Clouds, Star Formation and Galactic Structure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scoville, Nick; Young, Judith S.

1984-01-01

Radio observations show that the gigantic clouds of molecules where stars are born are distributed in various ways in spiral galaxies, perhaps accounting for the variation in their optical appearance. Research studies and findings in this area are reported and discussed. (JN)

Hospital emergency department utilisation rates among the immigrant population in Barcelona, Spain

PubMed Central

Buron, Andrea; Cots, Francesc; Garcia, Oscar; Vall, Oriol; Castells, Xavier

2008-01-01

Background The recent increase in the number of immigrants of Barcelona represents a challenge for the public healthcare system, the emergency department being the most used healthcare service by this group. However, utilisation rates in our environment have not yet been studied. We aimed to compare emergency department utilisation rates between Spanish-born and foreign-born residents in a public hospital of Barcelona. Methods The study population included all adults residing in the area of study and visiting the emergency department of Hospital del Mar in 2004. The emergency care episodes were selected from the Emergency Department register, and the population figures from the Statistics Department of Barcelona. Emergency care episodes were classified into five large clinical categories. Adjusted rate ratios (RR) of utilisation among foreign-born vs. Spanish-born residents were assessed through negative binomial regression. Results The overall utilisation rate was 382 emergency contacts per 1,000 persons-years. The RR for foreign-born versus Spanish-born residents was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.52; 0.74%). The RR was also significantly below one in surgery (0.51, 95% CI: 0.42; 0.63), traumatology (0.47, 95% CI: 0.38; 0.59), medicine (0.48, 95% CI: 0.38; 0.59) and psychiatry (0.42, 95% CI: 0.18; 0.97). No differences were found in utilisation of gynaecology and minor emergency services. Conclusion The overall lower utilisation rates obtained for foreign-born residents is consistent with previous studies and is probably due to the "healthy immigrant effect". Thus, the population increase due to immigration does not translate directly into a corresponding increase in the number of emergency contacts. The lack of differences in minor and gynaecological emergency care supports the hypothesis that immigrants overcome certain barriers by using the emergency department to access to health services. The issue of healthcare barriers should therefore be addressed, especially among immigrants. PMID:18315871

The extreme ultraviolet spectrograph: A radial groove grating, sounding rocket-borne, astronomical instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkinson, Erik; Green, James C.; Cash, Webster

1993-01-01

The design, calibration, and sounding rocket flight performance of a novel spectrograph suitable for moderate-resolution EUV spectroscopy are presented. The sounding rocket-borne instrument uses a radial groove grating to maintain a high system efficiency while controlling the aberrations induced when doing spectroscopy in a converging beam. The instrument has a resolution of approximately 2 A across the 200-330 A bandpass with an average effective area of 2 sq cm. The instrument, called the Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph, acquired the first EUV spectra in this wavelength region of the hot white dwarf G191-B2B and the late-type star Capella.

CE: Lyme Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

PubMed

Patton, Susan Kane; Phillips, Bailey

2018-04-01

: Lyme disease is recognized as the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Surveillance data indicate both increasing numbers of Lyme disease cases and geographic expansion of areas where the causative spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, can be found. With prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment in the acute stage, most patients will recover fully. Without treatment, however, the infecting pathogen remains within the body, often producing long-term complications, including musculoskeletal, neurologic, and cardiovascular effects. The authors describe early and late manifestations of Lyme disease, the appropriate use of diagnostic tests, the recommended treatment, and strategies for preventing tick-borne diseases nurses can share with patients.

Optimizing fumigation efficiency by doubling drip line number and using low permeability film in raised-bed production systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Southern California strawberries are planted in raised-beds covered by polyethylene (PE) film and typically are irrigated with two drip lines placed near the bed surface. To control soil-borne pests, fumigants are commonly applied through the drip lines prior to transplanting strawberries, but effic...

Use of a portable hyperspectral imaging system for monitoring the efficacy of sanitation procedures in produce processing plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cleaning and sanitation of production surfaces and equipment plays a critical role in lowering the risk of food borne illness associated with consumption of fresh-cut produce. Visual observation and sampling methods including ATP tests and cell culturing are commonly used to monitor the effectivenes...

Mode of delivery and risk of intracranial haemorrhage in newborns with severe haemophilia A: a multicentre study in Gulf region.

PubMed

Nazir, H F; Al Lawati, T; Beshlawi, I; AlSharidah, S; Elshinawy, M; Alkasim, F; Khanani, M F; Tarawa, A; Al Subhi, T; Alrawas, A; Al Riyami, W; Al Kindi, S; Al Saadi, K; Al-Lamki, S; Wali, Y

2016-05-01

The optimum mode of delivery in a known carrier of a haemophilia A is still an issue of debate. This study was conducted to report a multicentre experience in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on the incidence of intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) in newborns with severe haemophilia A delivered by different modalities. We have conducted a retrospective/prospective multicentre cohort study including a total of seven hospitals distributed in four GCC countries between 1998 and Jan 2015. A total of 163 patient with severe haemophilia A (factor VIII <1%) were enrolled in this study, age ranged between 2 weeks to 18 years. Most of the patients were born by spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) (131, 80.4%), whereas 26 patients (16%) were born by CS and only six patients were born by instrumental delivery (3.7%), five of them by vacuum and one was delivered using forceps. Five out of 163 patients developed ICH during the first 2 weeks of life (3.1%). Two of them were born by SVD (2/131; 1.5%) and two were born by instrumental delivery (2/6; 33.3%). Only one patient among those who were born by caesarean section developed ICH (1/26; 3.8%). Assisted vaginal delivery was associated with a significant risk of ICH, in comparison to SVD and CS (P = 0.0093). Normal vaginal delivery is still considered a safe journey through the birth canal for haemophilic newborns particularly in this area of the world. Larger prospective studies might be needed to define an evidence-based optimal mode of delivery for the haemophilia carrier expecting an affected child. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.