Use of Remote Sensing/Geographical Information Systems (RS/GIS) to Identify the Distributional Limits of Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs) and Their Association to Prevalence of Intestinal Infection in School-Age Children in Four Rural Communities in Boaco, Nicaragua

STHs can infect all members of a population but school-age children living in poverty are at greater risk. Infection can be controlled with drug treatment, health education and sanitation. Helminth control programs often lack resources and reliable information to identify areas of highest risk to guide interventions and to monitor progress. Objectives: To use RS/GIS to identify the environmental variables that correlate with the ecology of STHs and with the prevalence of STH infections. Methods: Geo-referenced in situ prevalence data will be overlaid over an ecological map derived from the RS environmental data using ESRI s ArcGIS 9.3. Prevalence data and RS environmental data matching at the same geographical location will be analyzed for correlation and those RS environmental variables that better correlate with prevalence data will be included in a multivariate regression model. Temperature, vegetation, and distance to bodies of water will be inferred using data from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, and Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhance Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) satellite sensors onboard Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 respectively. Elevation will be estimated with data from The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Prevalence and intensity of infections will be determined by parasitological survey (Kato Katz) of children enrolled in rural schools in Boaco, Nicaragua, in the communities of El Roblar, Cumaica Norte, Malacatoya 1, and Malacatoya 2). Expected Results: Associations between RS environmental data and prevalence in situ data will be determined and their applications to public health will be discussed. Discussion/Conclusions: The use of RS/GIS data to predict the prevalence of STH infections could be useful for helminth control programs, providing improved geographical guidance of interventions while increasing cost-effectiveness. Learning Objectives: (1) To identify the RS environmental variables that can help predict the prevalence of STH infections. (2) To understand potential applications of RS/GIS to national helminth control programs. (3) To asses the applicability of RS/GIS to control STH infections

H atom yields in the radiolysis of water

Experimental measurements of molecular hydrogen including the use of isotopic techniques are combined with track model calculations to determine H atom yields in the radiolysis of water. The production of H atoms in the radiolysis of water is relatively small, but is important for fundamental considerations. H atoms are formed by the decay of excited states of water at the sub-picosecond timescale and by hydrated electron reactions during the diffusion-kinetic evolution of the ion track up to microseconds. The competition between H atom loss by combination reactions and its formation by reactions of the hydrated electron makes prediction of the H atom kinetics very difficult. H atom yields determined by subtraction of total molecular hydrogen production in neat water from that observed in the formate solutions is found to agree well with the more direct measurement of HD using deuterated formate as a scavenger. H atom yields are found to decrease with the evolution of the radiation track and decrease with increasing LET. Monte Carlo track model calculations are used to analyze the measured experimental yields and to elucidate the underlying H atom kinetics in the radiolysis of water. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd

Cyclocreatine, an anticancer and neuroprotective agent. Spectroscopic, structural and theoretical study

The structural, spectroscopic and theoretical study of cyclocreatine (1-carboxymethyl-2-iminoimidazolidine, CyCre) has been performed prompted by the biological relevance of the molecule and its potential role as a ligand in biometalic compounds. The crystal structure of CyCre has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The compound crystallizes as a zwitterion in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c. The crystal is further stabilized by a network of N-H center dot center dot center dot O bonds. Infrared and Raman spectra of the solid, electronic spectra of aqueous solutions at different pH values and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra have been recorded and analyzed. Band assignments were accomplished with the help of theoretical calculations. Optimized molecular geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies and molecular electrostatic potentials were calculated using methods based on the density functional theory. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET)CONICETNational University of La Plata, ArgentinaNational University of La Plata, ArgentinaFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP of Brazi

An approach to personalized cell therapy in chronic complete paraplegia: The Puerta de Hierro phase I/II clinical trial

AbstractBackground aimsCell transplantation in patients suffering spinal cord injury (SCI) is in its initial stages, but currently there is confusion about the results because of the disparity in the techniques used, the route of administration, and the criteria for selecting patients.MethodsWe conducted a clinical trial involving 12 patients with complete and chronic paraplegia (average time of chronicity, 13.86 years; SD, 9.36). The characteristics of SCI in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated for a personalized local administration of expanded autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) supported in autologous plasma, with the number of MSCs ranging from 100 × 106 to 230 × 106. An additional 30 × 106 MSCs were administered 3 months later by lumbar puncture into the subarachnoid space. Outcomes were evaluated at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after surgery through clinical, urodynamic, neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies.ResultsCell transplantation is a safe procedure. All patients experienced improvement, primarily in sensitivity and sphincter control. Infralesional motor activity, according to clinical and neurophysiological studies, was obtained by more than 50% of the patients. Decreases in spasms and spasticity, and improved sexual function were also common findings. Clinical improvement seems to be dose-dependent but was not influenced by the chronicity of the SCI.ConclusionPersonalized cell therapy with MSCs is safe and leads to clear improvements in clinical aspects and quality of life for patients with complete and chronically established paraplegia

Forum: Did “America First” Construct America Irrelevant?

AbstractDid “America First” construct America irrelevant? Answering this question has been the subject of much debate in the popular press, the policy community, and scholarly circles. That asked, it is worth remembering that scholars and policymakers have long argued that one of the most enduring and important aspects of the US role in the world is American structural power. Perhaps nowhere has the Trump administration's approach to world affairs been more notable in perhaps diminishing US structural power than in withdrawing from multilateral forums. On an individual level of analysis, however, Trump's ever-changing, whiplash style of leadership made allies and adversaries less certain about American actions, intentions, and the direction of future policy trajectories. These issues point to the possibility that such impacts were more about Trump being Trump and less about a decline in American structural power. Only time will tell whether President Biden is able to rebuild from that structural wreckage. With these ideas in mind, the forum editors asked scholars representing diverse voices and perspectives to provide varying analyses of America First, specifically in light of the emergence of multiple global challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic to racial reckoning through the climate crisis and more. As you will see, each author brings a decidedly different lens to the questions we pose below and also generates divergent analyses of the present and the future.</jats:p

Forum:Did "america First" Construct America Irrelevant?

Did "America First"construct America irrelevant? Answering this question has been the subject of much debate in the popular press, the policy community, and scholarly circles. That asked, it is worth remembering that scholars and policymakers have long argued that one of the most enduring and important aspects of the US role in the world is American structural power. Perhaps nowhere has the Trump administration's approach to world affairs been more notable in perhaps diminishing US structural power than in withdrawing from multilateral forums. On an individual level of analysis, however, Trump's ever-changing, whiplash style of leadership made allies and adversaries less certain about American actions, intentions, and the direction of future policy trajectories. These issues point to the possibility that such impacts were more about Trump being Trump and less about a decline in American structural power. Only time will tell whether President Biden is able to rebuild from that structural wreckage. With these ideas in mind, the forum editors asked scholars representing diverse voices and perspectives to provide varying analyses of America First, specifically in light of the emergence of multiple global challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic to racial reckoning through the climate crisis and more. As you will see, each author brings a decidedly different lens to the questions we pose below and also generates divergent analyses of the present and the future. </p

Misconduct and Risk Climate in Banking: Development of a Multidimensional Measurement Scale

Santander Financial Institute (SANFI) [2/2015-2017]; Banco Santander - University of Cantabria (Official Bulletin of Cantabria) [236