Modeling the Impact and Costs of Semiannual Mass Drug Administration for Accelerated Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis

The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) has a target date of 2020. This program is progressing well in many countries. However, progress has been slow in some countries, and others have not yet started their mass drug administration (MDA) programs. Acceleration is needed. We studied how increasing MDA frequency from once to twice per year would affect program duration and costs by using computer simulation modeling and cost projections. We used the LYMFASIM simulation model to estimate how many annual or semiannual MDA rounds would be required to eliminate LF for Indian and West African scenarios with varied pre-control endemicity and coverage levels. Results were used to estimate total program costs assuming a target population of 100,000 eligibles, a 3% discount rate, and not counting the costs of donated drugs. A sensitivity analysis was done to investigate the robustness of these results with varied assumptions for key parameters. Model predictions suggested that semiannual MDA will require the same number of MDA rounds to achieve LF elimination as annual MDA in most scenarios. Thus semiannual MDA programs should achieve this goal in half of the time required for annual programs. Due to efficiency gains, total program costs for semiannual MDA programs are projected to be lower than those for annual MDA programs in most scenarios. A sensitivity analysis showed that this conclusion is robust. Semiannual MDA is likely to shorten the time and lower the cost required for LF elimination in countries where it can be implemented. This strategy may improve prospects for global elimination of LF by the target year 2020

NN Core Interactions and Differential Cross Sections from One Gluon Exchange

We derive nonstrange baryon-baryon scattering amplitudes in the nonrelativistic quark model using the ``quark Born diagram" formalism. This approach describes the scattering as a single interaction, here the one-gluon-exchange (OGE) spin-spin term followed by constituent interchange, with external nonrelativistic baryon wavefunctions attached to the scattering diagrams to incorporate higher-twist wavefunction effects. The short-range repulsive core in the NN interaction has previously been attributed to this spin-spin interaction in the literature; we find that these perturbative constituent-interchange diagrams do indeed predict repulsive interactions in all I,S channels of the nucleon-nucleon system, and we compare our results for the equivalent short-range potentials to the core potentials found by other authors using nonperturbative methods. We also apply our perturbative techniques to the N$\Delta$ and $\Delta\Delta$ systems: Some $\Delta\Delta$ channels are found to have attractive core potentials and may accommodate ``molecular" bound states near threshold. Finally we use our Born formalism to calculate the NN differential cross section, which we compare with experimental results for unpolarised proton-proton elastic scattering. We find that several familiar features of the experimental differential cross section are reproduced by our Born-order result.Comment: 27 pages, figures available from the authors, revtex, CEBAF-TH-93-04, MIT-CTP-2187, ORNL-CCIP-93-0

Role of friction in pattern formation in oscillated granular layers

Particles in granular flows are often modeled as frictionless (smooth) inelastic spheres; however, there exist no frictionless grains, just as there are no elastic grains. Our molecular dynamics simulations reveal that friction is essential for realistic modeling of vertically oscillated granular layers: simulations of frictionless particles yield patterns with an onset at a container acceleration about 30% smaller than that observed in experiments and simulations with friction. More importantly, even though square and hexagonal patterns form for a wide range of the oscillation parameters in experiments and in our simulations of frictional inelastic particles, only stripe patterns form in the simulations without friction, even if the inelasticity is increased to obtain as much dissipation as in frictional particles. We also consider the effect of particle friction on the shock wave that forms each time the granular layer strikes the container. While a shock wave still forms for frictionless particles, the height and time dependence of the hydrodynamic fields differ for the cases with and without friction.Comment: final version appeared in Phys. Rev.

Anomalous Hopping Exponents of Ultrathin Films of Metals

The temperature dependence of the resistance R(T) of ultrathin quench-condensed films of Ag, Bi, Pb and Pd has been investigated. In the most resistive films, R(T)=Roexp(To/T)^x, where x=0.75. Surprisingly, the exponent x was found to be constant for a wide range of Ro and To in all four materials, possibly implying a consistent underlying conduction mechanism. The results are discussed in terms of several different models of hopping conduction.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Weak Localization Effect in Superconductors by Radiation Damage

Large reductions of the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}$ and the accompanying loss of the thermal electrical resistivity (electron-phonon interaction) due to radiation damage have been observed for several A15 compounds, Chevrel phase and Ternary superconductors, and $\rm{NbSe_{2}}$ in the high fluence regime. We examine these behaviors based on the recent theory of weak localization effect in superconductors. We find a good fitting to the experimental data. In particular, weak localization correction to the phonon-mediated interaction is derived from the density correlation function. It is shown that weak localization has a strong influence on both the phonon-mediated interaction and the electron-phonon interaction, which leads to the universal correlation of $T_{c}$ and resistance ratio.Comment: 16 pages plus 3 figures, revtex, 76 references, For more information, Plesse see http://www.fen.bilkent.edu.tr/~yjki

A Phenomenological Analysis of Gluon Mass Effects in Inclusive Radiative Decays of the J/ψ\rm{J/\psi} and $\Upsilon

The shapes of the inclusive photon spectra in the processes \Jp \to \gamma X and \Up \to \gamma X have been analysed using all available experimental data. Relativistic, higher order QCD and gluon mass corrections were taken into account in the fitted functions. Only on including the gluon mass corrections, were consistent and acceptable fits obtained. Values of $0.721^{+0.016}_{-0.068}$ GeV and $1.18^{+0.09}_{-0.29}$ GeV were found for the effective gluon masses (corresponding to Born level diagrams) for the \Jp and \Up respectively. The width ratios \Gamma(V \to {\rm hadrons})/\Gamma(V \to \gamma+ {\rm hadrons}) V=\Jp, \Up were used to determine $\alpha_s(1.5 {\rm GeV})$ and $\alpha_s(4.9 {\rm GeV})$. Values consistent with the current world average $\alpha_s$ were obtained only when gluon mass correction factors, calculated using the fitted values of the effective gluon mass, were applied. A gluon mass $\simeq 1$ GeV, as suggested with these results, is consistent with previous analytical theoretical calculations and independent phenomenological estimates, as well as with a recent, more accurate, lattice calculation of the gluon propagator in the infra-red region.Comment: 50 pages, 11 figures, 15 table

Multifunctional Magnetic-fluorescent Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications

Nanotechnology is a fast-growing area, involving the fabrication and use of nano-sized materials and devices. Various nanocomposite materials play a number of important roles in modern science and technology. Magnetic and fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles are of particular importance due to their broad range of potential applications. It is expected that the combination of magnetic and fluorescent properties in one nanocomposite would enable the engineering of unique multifunctional nanoscale devices, which could be manipulated using external magnetic fields. The aim of this review is to present an overview of bimodal “two-in-one” magnetic-fluorescent nanocomposite materials which combine both magnetic and fluorescent properties in one entity, in particular those with potential applications in biotechnology and nanomedicine. There is a great necessity for the development of these multifunctional nanocomposites, but there are some difficulties and challenges to overcome in their fabrication such as quenching of the fluorescent entity by the magnetic core. Fluorescent-magnetic nanocomposites include a variety of materials including silica-based, dye-functionalised magnetic nanoparticles and quantum dots-magnetic nanoparticle composites. The classification and main synthesis strategies, along with approaches for the fabrication of fluorescent-magnetic nanocomposites, are considered. The current and potential biomedical uses, including biological imaging, cell tracking, magnetic bioseparation, nanomedicine and bio- and chemo-sensoring, of magnetic-fluorescent nanocomposites are also discussed

Forest Biodiversity Assessment in Peruvian Andean Montane Cloud Forest

Cloud forests are unusual and fragile habitats, being one of the least studied and least understood ecosystems. The tropical Andean dominion is considered one of the most significant places in the world as rega rds biological diversity, with a very high level of endemism. The biodiversity was analysed in an isolated remnant area of a tropical montane cloud forest known as the ?Bosque de Neblina de Cuyas?, in the North of the Peruvian Andean range. Composition, structure and dead wood were measured or estimated. The values obtained were compared with other cloud forests. The study revealed a high level of forest biodiversity, although the level of biodiversity differs from one area to another: in the inner areas, where human pressure is almost inexistent, the biodiversity values increase. The high species richness and the low dominance among species bear testimony to this montane cloud forest as a real enclave of biodiversity