Development of a Capillary Electrophoresis-Based Heteroduplex Tracking Assay To Measure In-Host Genetic Diversity of Initial and Recurrent Plasmodium vivax Infections in Cambodia

A heteroduplex tracking assay used to genotype Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 was adapted to a capillary electrophoresis format, obviating the need for radiolabeled probes and allowing its use in settings where malaria is endemic. This new assay achieved good allelic discrimination and detected high multiplicities of infection in 63 P. vivax infections in Cambodia. More than half of the recurrent parasitemias sampled displayed identical or highly related genotypes compared to the initial genotype, suggesting that they represented relapses

Direct observation of normal modes in coupled oscillators

We propose a simple and inexpensive method to directly observe each normal mode of a system of coupled oscillators, as well as to measure its corresponding frequency, without performing Fourier analysis or using expensive apparatus. The method consists of applying a frequency dependent force to the system and using the resonance to excite each mode separately. The frequency of the excited mode is determined by measuring the resonance frequency of the system. We found that the measurednormal mode frequencies of coupled oscillators exhibiting two and three normal modes are in very good agreement with the theoretical estimates. The method is suitable for undergraduate students with an elementary knowledge of differential equations

An update to the fatty acid profiles of bovine retail milk in the United Kingdom: implications for nutrition in different age and gender groups

This study investigated the effect of UK dairy production system, month, and their interaction, on retail milk fatty acid (FA) profile throughout the year. Milk samples (n=120) from four conventional (CON), four organic (ORG) and two free-range (FR) brands were collected monthly. ORG milk had more nutritionally-desirable polyunsaturated FA, including rumenic acid and the omega-3 PUFA α-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids, and less of the nutritionally-undesirable palmitic acid. Milk FA profile was similar between FR and CON, but FR milk had less SFA and/or palmitic acid, and/or greater α-linolenic and rumenic acids in certain months within the peak-grazing season. According to the measured milk FA profiles and UK milk fat intakes, milk and dairy products contribute around one-third of the maximum recommended saturated FA intake. A small increased intake of beneficial PUFA may be expected by consuming ORG milk but human health implications from such differences are unknown

Injuries Following Implementation of a Progressive Load Carriage Program in United States Marine Corps Training

PURPOSE: The overall physical demands placed on recruits completing United States Marine Corps (USMC) training is high and comes concomitantly with high rates of injuries. Load carriage with heavy loads is of particular concern. However, load carriage conditioning, if optimised, can reduce injury risk. METHODS: Retrospective injury data of recruits completing training informed this study. Data were drawn from recruits completing an original load carriage (OLC) program (n=2,363) and those completing a modified load carriage (LCMOD) program (n=681). Musculoskeletal injury data were drawn from the USMC San Diego sports medicine injury database. A population estimate of the OLC:LCMOD relative risk ratio (RR) was calculated. RESULTS: The proportion of injuries sustained by the LCMOD cohort (n=268; 39%) was notably lower than that sustained by the OLC cohort (n=1,372; 58%). The reoccurrence rate *f injury for LCMOD soldiers compared to the OLC was 0.68 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.75). The leading nature of injury (i.e., sprains and strains) was consistent between both cohorts (OLC: n=396; 29% vs. LCMOD: n=66; 25%). Inflammation (n=172; 13%) and fractures (n=144; 11%) were next most common for OLC recruits; while pain (n=58; 22%) and medial tibial stress syndrome (n=18; 8%) were next most common for LCMOD recruits. While stress reactions were proportionally higher in LCMOD (n=17; 6%) when compared to OLC (n=4; 0.3%), stress fractures were proportionality lower (LCMOD: n=9; 3% vs. OLC: n=114; 8%). Pre-existing / chronic injuries were higher in LCMOD (+5%) while new overuse injuries were lower (-7%). Totalling 65% (OLC) and 70% (LCMOD) of reported injuries the knee, lower leg, ankle, and foot were the top 4 bodily sites of injuries, although there were variations in the orders of presentations (See Table 1 for top 10 bodily sites). RELEVANCE: Careful periodisation and planning of a load carriage program can reduce injuries without reducing training outcomes

Book Review Panel: When Souls Had Wings: Pre-mortal Existence in Western Thought

On October 13, 2011, BYU Studies sponsored a program reviewing Terryl Givens’s important Oxford book on the idea of the premortal existence of souls in various lines of Western philosophy and religion. Because this first volume of its kind covers literature from so many different civilizations, the editors of BYU Studies saw no way to do this book justice without involving a panel of reviewers from several disciplines. After portions of Robert Fuller’s forthcoming review in Church History were read, the program proceeded with reviews, responses, and open discussion

Pharmacogenetics and clinical gastroenterology

AbstractMany drugs exhibit variable efficacy and toxicity. Pharmacogenetics explores the genetic underpinnings of variable drug response. Pharmacogenetic testing is beginning to enter the clinic and will have a significant impact on the practice of clinical gastroenterology. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase screening, which will likely become routine for thiopurine recipients, illustrates the promise and limitations of pharmacogenetics. Testing for variation in other drug metabolism pathways may also become important. Pharmacogenetics will complement but not replace traditional methods for choosing drugs and for selecting dosing regimens for narrow-therapeutic-index drugs

Physical Health Problems Among People With Severe Mental Illnesses: Race, Gender, and Implications for Practice

BACKGROUND: Individuals with severe mental illnesses experience high rates of chronic health conditions; however, the extent to which risk of chronic physical health problems varies by race and gender among these individuals is understudied. AIMS: This study examines variations in health problems by race and gender among individuals with severe mental illnesses. METHOD: Administrative data, which included blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values, were obtained from 603 individuals with serious mental illnesses who received integrated health and behavioral health services from a large mental health agency in the Midwest. Bivariate and multivariate statistical models were used to examine variation in physical health problems by race and gender. RESULTS: Compared with men, women with severe mental illnesses were more likely to have BMI levels indicating obesity or morbid obesity (p < .001). Compared with White participants, Black participants were less likely to have high HbA1c levels (p < .001) but were more likely to have high blood pressure (p < .001). Among race and gender groups, Black women were more likely to have high BMI (p < .05), Black men were more likely to have high blood pressure (p < .001), and White men were more likely to have high HbA1c levels (p < .01) when holding constant all other variables. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence that types and severity of physical health problems among individuals with severe mental illnesses varies by race and gender. Replication of these results and more research is needed to ensure that health-related education and integrated health and behavioral health interventions meet the needs of individuals with serious mental illnesses

Gender differences in injuries sustained during United States Marine Corps training

Aim: To investigate gender-specific differences in injuries in United States Marine Corps (USMC) trainees.Design: Retrospective cohort study.Method: Point-of-care injury data for USMC recruits (females=94; males=681) completing training were drawn from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego sports medicine injury database and analysed descriptively. The male: female incidence rate ratio (IRR) was calculated.Results: Male trainees suffered more injuries (male=268; 39%; female n=22; 23%; IRR=1.68 (95% CI 1.33 to 2.1)). Sprains and strains were the leading nature of injury (female=41%; male=25%) followed by pain(female=23%; male=22%). The leading type of injury was ‘new overuse injuries’ for both genders (54% each). Female trainees experienced more acute injuries (36% versus 26%). While female (55%) and male (58%)rates of ‘moderate’ injuries were similar, female trainees experienced more ‘mild’ injuries (36% versus 25%). The knee (female=27%: male=23%) and lower leg (female=23%: male=21%) were the leading injury sites. All injuries were to the lower limbs in female trainees; male trainees also reported injuries to the upper limb (12%) and trunk (8%).Conclusion: Female trainees experienced fewer injuries than male trainees, with more being mild. Both genders had similar natures of injuries in similar body sites except that male trainees reported some upper body and trunk injuries.</div

A strategy to seal exploratory boreholes in unsaturated tuff; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

This report presents a strategy for sealing exploratory boreholes associated with the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Over 500 existing and proposed boreholes have been considered in the development of this strategy, ranging from shallow (penetrating into alluvium only) to deep (penetrating into the groundwater table). Among the comprehensive list of recommendations are the following: Those boreholes within the potential repository boundary and penetrating through the potential repository horizon are the most significant boreholes from a performance standpoint and should be sealed. Shallow boreholes are comparatively insignificant and require only nominal sealing. The primary areas in which to place seals are away from high-temperature zones at a distance from the potential repository horizon in the Paintbrush nonwelded tuff and the upper portion of the Topopah Spring Member and in the tuffaceous beds of the Calico Hills Unit. Seals should be placed prior to waste emplacement. Performance goals for borehole seals both above and below the potential repository are proposed. Detailed construction information on the boreholes that could be used for future design specifications is provided along with a description of the environmental setting, i.e., the geology, hydrology, and the in situ and thermal stress states. A borehole classification scheme based on the condition of the borehole wall in different tuffaceous units is also proposed. In addition, calculations are presented to assess the significance of the boreholes acting as preferential pathways for the release of radionuclides. Design calculations are presented to answer the concerns of when, where, and how to seal. As part of the strategy development, available technologies to seal exploratory boreholes (including casing removal, borehole wall reconditioning, and seal emplacement) are reviewed