CONCURRENT AND CONCORDANT ORAL AND GENITAL HIGH RISK HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES POPULATION; RESULTS FROM NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY (NHANES)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted disease which infects various sites in the body including the genitals, oral cavity, and anal regions. Very little research has assessed the prevalence of concurrent and concordant high risk (HR) HPV oral and genital infections in the general United States population despite the fact that HR HPV oral pharyngeal cancers are on the rise in the US, particularly in men. To further our understanding of HR HPV concurrent and concordant infections we aim to estimate the prevalence of HR HPV concurrent and concordant infections in the U.S. population, and for men and women separately. The next aim is to determine via Monte Carlo simulations, whether HR HPV concurrent and concordant infections happen more than expected by chance, given the population marginal rates of oral and genital infections. Lastly, we characterize predictors of HR HPV concurrent and concordant infections. We use the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants included women from NHANES 2009-2014 and men from NHANES 2013-2014 who had valid HPV test results. Concurrent infections were identified in 116 (2.5%) individuals in the combined population (65 (4.0%) men and 51 (.76%) women). Simulations showed that the observed prevalence of concurrent infections exceeded the expected prevalence for the combined population, men, and women (1.13%, 4.0%, and .76%, respectively). Similarly, we identified concordant infections in 59 (.99%) of individuals (29 (1.5%) men and 30 (.47%) women). Simulations showed that the observed prevalence of concordant infections exceeded the expected prevalence for the combined population, men, and women (.15%, .26%, and .05% respectively). Our multivariable analysis for men showed marital status, lifetime number of sexual partners, lifetime number of oral sex partners, recent number of oral sex partners, marijuana use, and sexual orientation were all positively associated with HR HPV concurrent infection, and lifetime number of sex partners, recent number of sex partners, and sexual orientation were positively associated with HR concordant infections. Our multivariable analysis for womenshowednopredictorswereassociatedwithHRHPVconcurrentinfections, and cigarette use was positively associated with HR HPV concordant infections. Importantly, our analyses show that HR HPV infections between the oral and genital sites are not independent of one another. We further highlight several factors that are important predictors of HR HPV concurrent and concordant infections. These analyses show the importance of the HPV vaccine and suggest its continued recommendation, perhaps more adamantly in boys and men than previously suggested

CREATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SILICON NANOWIRE ELECTRON RATCHETS FOR USE AS GEOMETRIC DIODES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Ratcheting effects, like that of a socket wrench, convert a fluctuating, unbiased force into unidirectional motion. If these effects could be applied to electrons, it may unlock advances in high speed signal processing and energy harvesting. However, to create an electron ratchet, control over the geometry must be achieved on the order of the mean-free-path of the electron. This level of precision was achieved using vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth of nanowires (NW) followed by wet chemical dopant-selective etching. Modulation of the nanowire diameter created a cylindrical sawtooth geometry with broken inversion symmetry on a nanometer length scale. In a two-terminal device, the NW structures responded as a geometric diode that funnels electrons preferentially in one direction through specular reflection of quasi-ballistic electrons at the NW surface. This ratcheting effect manifests itself in an asymmetry in current when comparing forward and reverse bias currents. Generally it was shown that wires with deeper etching, leading to steeper funnel shapes, yielded higher asymmetries. With properly tuned surfaces, maximum asymmetries of >103 were achieved. To fully demonstrate the electron ratcheting mechanism the devices were measured with alternating current and showed charge rectification up to an instrument limited frequency of 40 GHz. Because the devices have ultra-low capacitance, their frequency response is believed to be ~1 THz and limited not by resistance-capacitance time, but by the electron flight time through the geometry. To gain insight through simulation, a finite-element model was created to measure the electrostatics of the device, but its neglect for ballistic transport of charges, means that it did not predict the experimental current asymmetry. An analytical model was created to measure the transmission probability of a particle through a diode shape and a Monte Carlo model was made to consider charge carrier scattering and semiconductor physics as particles transport through the geometry. Both models agree with experiment, providing further evidence for the ballistic nature of the electrons in the geometry. The findings presented in this work demonstrate the creation of the structurally-tunable NW geometric diodes that have applications in THz sensing, data processing, and energy harvesting.Doctor of Philosoph

The Double-Vision of Imagination : An Appraisal of Surface and Substance in the Fiction of Henry James

248 leaves. Advisor: Norman R. HaneThis study is concerned, primarily, with the faculty of the imagination, incidentally as a general concept, but chiefly in its application to the fictional and critical works of Henry James. A number of these works have been consulted with the intention of deriving, and subsequently illustrating, a coherent inquiry into "the creative intelligence" as it fulfills its roles as a source of inspiration and a learning aid for the author, and as an ingredient of theme through which James urges his characters toward self-discovery and a wide consciousness of the palpable and spiritual worlds outside themselves. Commensurate with this effort is the recognition (the implications of which are also shown) that the imagination, for James, was a double-chambered affair--one room containing the aesthetic "sense" and the other the capacity for a fine moral awareness--and that the "lucid reflector," the character most susceptible to enlightenment, must live simultaneously in both compartments. The first chapter introduces and begins to trace the development of this dipolar imagination within one novel in particular, The Portrait of a Lady. This initial segment, by enlisting a few philosophical assertions of Immanuel Kant, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and the psychologist, Carl G. Jung, also attempts to suggest the depth and breadth of the Jamesian purview of human nature and its potential for emotional and intellectual growth. The second chapter concentrates upon the aesthetic stem of the imagination and, with evidence gathered from five novels and one long story--The American, The Tragic Muse, Roderick Hudson, The Princess Casamassima, The Europeans and "The Aspern Papers"--examines the possible uses and limitations of an appreciation of beauty and a strong sense of form and order among external appearances. The third and final chapter incorporates analyses of six additional novels--The Sacred Fount, The Wings of the Dove, What Maisie Knew, The Spoils of Poynton, The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl--with the purpose of determining what constructive and/or destructive elements reside within the Jamesian characters who evince an operative familiarity with :"the moral sense." In conjunction with this investigation of the imagination's second chamber, an attempt is made to describe, through example and proposition, the causes and effects of the creative synthesis whereby Henry James, through his characters and through the painstaking exercise of his craft, unites the love of external beauty and formal harmony with a compassionate affirmation of inner meaning and human responsibility

RECEIPT AND STORAGE ISSUES AT THE TMI-2 IRRADIATED FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION

ABSTRACT In less than a year, up to 12 canisters of TMI-2 reactor fuel debris were loaded into each of 28 Dry Storage Containers (DSCs), and placed into interim storage at an Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility (ISFSI) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Draining and drying the canisters, loading and welding the DSCs, shipping the DSCs 25 miles, and storing in the ISFSI initially required up to 3 weeks per DSC. Significant time efficiencies were achieved during the early stages, reducing the time to less than one week per DSC. These efficiencies were achieved mostly in canister draining and drying and DSC lid welding, and despite several occurrences that had to be resolved before continuing work. The ISFSI has been operated without issue since, with the exception that license basis monitoring has indicated an unusual pattern of season-and position-dependent hydrogen generation. This paper discusses some of the innovations and storage experiences for the first ISFSI designed for the storage of severely defected fuel. INTRODUCTION In the mid-to late 1980s the TMI-2 debris was packaged, transported to the INEEL, and stored in a water pool. Approximately 340 canisters of debris were removed from water storage, dried four at a time in a separate furnace, packaged into 29 larger steel canisters, and transported to the ISFSI. The TMI-2 ISFSI was the second operated by DOE, the first being the Fort Saint Vrain ISFSI near Denver. Preparation and storage of the TMI-2 fuel presented special challenges. First, the TMI-2 was required to be stored in the ISFSI before May 2001 as part of an INEEL fuel consolidation plan. Only one of the 29 Dry Storage Containers (DSCs) had been stored prior to June 2000. Most of the TMI-2 fuel debris consists of beds of porous chunks, granules, powders, and partial rods and assemblies packed within canisters lined with lightweight concrete, making the debris very difficult to dry. The ISFSI was positioned approximately 25 miles from the water pool where the canisters were stored. Structural considerations limited transport during cold weather and ISFSI loading during high winds. Long, cold winters and high winds are common at the INEEL. This paper describes the means by which these challenges were met and the unplanned occurrences were managed during the shipments. Finally it describes interesting monitoring results from the stored fuel, which suggests that some of the original design assumptions dealing with radiolysis were not realistic

Using mlearning in the education of radiation science students

Radiation science is a highly visual field that is constantly evolving due to technological advances. Technology has significantly improved almost all aspects of the field over the past 10-15 years. These advances in technology have also played a significant role in the education of radiation science students didactically and clinically. The enormous increase in the capabilities of information technology provides the opportunity for educators to dramatically change their way of teaching.1 mLearning or mobile learning involves the use of mobile devices (i.e. personal digital assistants, smart phones, iPhones, iTouch, iPad, laptops and tablets) to enhance teaching and learning. The most significant advantage of mLearning is the mobility of the technology which allows for unlimited, immediate and continuous access to course materials. The goal of this initial research is to discuss the implementation of mobile learning, specifically through the use of the Apple iTouch, into the education of radiation science students

RANTES Secretion by Gene-Modified Tumor Cells Results in Loss of Tumorigenicity In Vivo: Role of Immune Cell Subpopulations

Overview summary Members of the chemokine superfamily mediate potent and selective chemoattraction of a variety of immune cell subsets, which is concentration dependent. This important and novel biologic activity raises the possibility of using chemokines as adjuvants in cancer vaccine strategies. We describe here the in vitro chemotactic capacity of RANTES for murine CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Moreover, murine fibrosarcoma cells transfected with the cDNA encoding RANTES and secreting high levels of this chemokine become nontumorigenic in immunocompetent mice. The antitumor effect of RANTES is dependent on inherent tumor immunogenicity and is mediated through the participation of host-derived T cells and macrophages. Thus, the general chemoattractant properties exhibited by RANTES in vitro appear to be relevant in an in vivo model. These data warrant further investigation of other distinct members of the chemokine superfamily for their potential use, either alone or in combination, in gene therapy approaches that employ tumor cells as immunogens.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63285/1/hum.1996.7.13-1545.pd

Effectiveness of an integrated agriculture, nutrition-specific, and nutrition-sensitive program on child growth in Western Kenya: a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Background: Stunting rates remain unacceptably high in many regions, including sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural programs have led to increased yields and household incomes but showed limited success in improving nutritional status. Objectives: We assessed whether linear growth could be improved through a potentially scalable, integrated program adding nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive components to an existing agricultural program. Methods: In this cluster-randomized controlled trial in rural Western Kenya, we randomized children aged 6–35 months from farming families to an agricultural intervention without (control group) or with a bundle of interventions (intervention group), including distribution of micronutrient powders (MNP), poultry to increase egg consumption, seeds of greens and onions, and soap and chlorine solution, as well as provision of monthly behavior change trainings. The primary outcome was the change in height-for-age z-score (HAZ) over 2 years of follow-up. We assessed safety through active morbidity and passive adverse event monitoring. We conducted an intention-to-treat analysis, followed by per-protocol and prespecified subgroup analyses. Results: From March to April 2018, we enrolled 1927 children from 126 clusters (control, 942 children in 63 clusters; intervention, 985 children in 63 clusters). Data on HAZ were available for 1672 (86.6%) children after 2 years. Adherence was >80% for use of MNP, chlorine, and greens and receipt of soap, and ∼40% for egg and red onion consumption. The intention-to-treat analysis indicated a greater change in HAZ over 2 years in the intervention group (adjusted effect size, 0.11; 95% CI: 0.02–0.19). We found a slightly stronger effect in the per-protocol analysis (adjusted effect size, 0.15; 95% CI: 0.06–0.24). Dietary diversity and consumption of iron-rich foods were improved in the intervention group, and reported instances of fever, lower respiratory tract infections, and diarrheal episodes were lower in the intervention group. Conclusions: This study found a modest improvement in linear growth, indicating the need for multiple, integrated interventions to achieve benefits. The trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03448484

Neonatal Erythema Multiforme: A Case Report

Erythema multiforme (EM) is an extremely rare condition in infancy. To the best of our knowledge, there have been only three cases of neonatal EM described in the literature, and no such cases have been reported in Korea. A preterm neonate born at 35 weeks and six days of gestation presented with multiple annular erythematous patches with a targetoid shape over his entire body at 36 days of age (corrected age of 7 days). He had no systemic symptoms except for transient mild fever. No triggering factor except for hepatitis B and BCG vaccination was found. Neutropenia was noted upon laboratory analysis. Skin biopsy specimens showed findings suggestive of erythema multiforme. The skin lesions improved rapidly upon administration of intravenous methylprednisolone; however, neutropenia continued for a much longer period. The significance of neutropenia with respect to the development of EM was not clarified. There has been no recurrence of skin lesions over a one-year follow-up period