Baylisascaris procyonis: an emerging helminthic zoonosis.

Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm infection of raccoons, is emerging as an important helminthic zoonosis, principally affecting young children. Raccoons have increasingly become peridomestic animals living in close proximity to human residences. When B. procyonis eggs are ingested by a host other than a raccoon, migration of larvae through tissue, termed larval migrans, ensues. This larval infection can invade the brain and eye, causing severe disease and death. The prevalence of B. procyonis infection in raccoons is often high, and infected animals can shed enormous numbers of eggs in their feces. These eggs can survive in the environment for extended periods of time, and the infectious dose of B. procyonis is relatively low. Therefore, the risk for human exposure and infection may be greater than is currently recognized

A Nearly Scale Invariant Spectrum of Gravitational Radiation from Global Phase Transitions

Using a large N sigma model approximation we explicitly calculate the power spectrum of gravitational waves arising from a global phase transition in the early universe and we confirm that it is scale invariant, implying an observation of such a spectrum may not be a unique feature of inflation. Moreover, the predicted amplitude can be over 3 orders of magnitude larger than the naive dimensional estimate, implying that even a transition that occurs after inflation may dominate in Cosmic Microwave Background polarization or other gravity wave signals.Comment: 4 pages, PRL published versio

Care-seeking for diarrhoea in Southern Malawi : attitudes, practices and implications for diarrhoea control

This paper examined care-seeking behaviour and its associated risk factors when a family member had diarrhoea. Data was obtained from a survey conducted in Chikwawa, a district in Southern Malawi. Chikwawa is faced with a number of environmental and socioeconomic problems and currently diarrhoea morbidity in the district is estimated at 24.4% statistically higher than the national average at 17%. Using hierarchically built data from a survey of 1,403 households nested within 33 communities, a series of two level binary logistic regression models with Bayesian estimation were used to determine predictors of care-seeking behaviour. The results show that 68% of mothers used oral rehydration solutions (ORS) last time a child in their family had diarrhoea . However, when asked on the action they take when a member of their household has diarrhoea two thirds of the mothers said they visit a health facility. Most respondents (73%) mentioned distance and transport costs as the main obstacles to accessing their nearest health facility and the same proportion of respondents mentioned prolonged waiting time and absence of health workers as the main obstacles encountered at the health facilities. The main predictor variables when a member of the family had diarrhoea were maternal age, distance to the nearest health facility, school level, and relative wealth, household diarrhoea endemicity, and household size while the main predictor variables when a child had diarrhoea were existence of a village health committee (VHC), distance to the nearest health facility, and maternal age . Most households use ORS for the treatment of diarrhoea and village health committees and health surveillance assistants (HSAs) are important factors in this choice of treatment. Health education messages on the use and efficacy of ORS to ensure proper and prescribed handling are important. There is need for a comprehensive concept addressing several dimensions of management and proper coordination of delivery of resources and services; availability of adequate healthcare workers at all levels; affordability to accessibility of healthcare resources and services to all communities; acceptability and quality of care; intensification of health education messages on the use and management of ORS, and prompt and timely treatment of diarrhoeal illness

The pattern of variation between diarrhoea and malaria coexistence with corresponding risk factors in, Chikhwawa, Malawi : a bivariate multilevel analysis

Developing countries face a huge burden of infectious diseases, a number of which co-exist. This paper estimates the pattern and variation of malaria and diarrhea coexistence in Chikhwawa, a district in Southern Malawi using bivariate multilevel modelling with Bayesian estimation. A probit link was employed to examine hierarchically built data from a survey of individuals (n = 6,727) nested within households (n = 1,380) nested within communities (n = 33). Results show significant malaria [σ2ul = 0.901 (95% CI : 0.746,1.056) ] and diarrhea [σ2ul = 1.009  (95% CI : 0.860,1.158) ] variations with a strong correlation between them [ru(1,2) = 0.565 ] at household level. There are significant malaria [σ2v1 = 0.053 (95% CI : 0.018,0.088) ] and diarrhea [σ2v2 = 0.099 (95% CI : 0.030,0.168 ] variations at community level but with a small correlation [rv(1,2) = 0.124 ] between them. There is also significant correlation between malaria and diarrhea at individual level [re(1,2) 0.241]. These results suggest a close association between reported malaria-like illness and diarrheal illness especially at household and individual levels in Southern Malawi

Fixed Monthly versus Less Frequent Ranibizumab Dosing and Predictors of Visual Response in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose. To examine temporal patterns of visual acuity (VA) response to pooled 0.3 mg/0.5 mg ranibizumab treatment in patients with age-related macular degeneration and identify potential baseline predictors of response. Design. Retrospective analysis. Methods. Results from 1824 ranibizumab-treated patients receiving fixed monthly, quarterly, or as-needed dosing after three monthly loading doses in four phase III/IIIb trials (ANCHOR, MARINA, PIER, and SAILOR) were analyzed. Results. At month 3, 14.9% to 29.4% of patients had gained ≥15 letters. Not all patients achieved peak gains at month 3; many continued to have VA increases throughout treatment. After three monthly loading doses, continued monthly dosing resulted in further gains, as there were more delayed 15-letter responders at month 12 (14.7–16.1%) than with less frequent dosing (5.0–6.0%). Monthly dosing also resulted in more patients maintaining VA gains at later time points. Early 15-letter responders had lower baseline mean VA than delayed 15-letter responders in ANCHOR and MARINA; no other differences in baseline characteristics were noted. Conclusions. Although some patients have rapid improvements in VA, others do not experience peak VA until later during treatment. Continued monthly dosing resulted in a greater percentage of patients gaining ≥15 letters than with switching to less frequent dosing regimens

Baylisascaris procyonis: An Emerging Helminthic Zoonosis

Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm infection of raccoons, is emerging as an important helminthic zoonosis, principally affecting young children. Raccoons have increasingly become peridomestic animals living in close proximity to human residences. When B. procyonis eggs are ingested by a host other than a raccoon, migration of larvae through tissue, termed larval migrans, ensues. This larval infection can invade the brain and eye, causing severe disease and death. The prevalence of B. procyonis infection in raccoons is often high, and infected animals can shed enormous numbers of eggs in their feces. These eggs can survive in the environment for extended periods of time, and the infectious dose of B. procyonis is relatively low. Therefore, the risk for human exposure and infection may be greater than is currently recognized

The BeppoSAX X-ray view of reflection-dominated Seyfert Galaxies

We present new results from BeppoSAX observations of reflection-dominated Seyfert galaxies, and namely: 1) the Compton-thick Seyfert 2s NGC1068 and Circinus Galaxy; 2) the Seyfert 1 NGC4051, whose nucleus was observed on May 1998 to have switched off, leaving only a residual reflection component as an echo of its past activity. Our main focus in this paper is on the soft X-ray continuum properties and on the X-ray line spectroscopy.Comment: 6 Latex pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research, Proceedings of 32nd Sci. Ass. of COSPA

Kinematics of X-ray Emitting Components in Cassiopeia A

We present high-resolution X-ray proper motion measurements of Cassiopeia A using Chandra observations from 2000 and 2002. We separate the emission into four spectrally distinct classes: Si-dominated, Fe-dominated, low-energy-enhanced, and continuum-dominated. These classes also represent distinct spatial and kinematic components. The Si- and Fe-dominated classes are ejecta and have a mean expansion rate of 0.2%/yr. This is the same as for the forward shock filaments but less than the 0.3%/yr characteristic of optical ejecta. The low-energy-enhanced spectral class possibly illuminates a clumpy circumstellar component and has a mean expansion rate of 0.05%/yr. The continuum-dominated emission likely represents the forward shock and consists of diffuse circumstellar material which is seen as a circular ring around the periphery of the remnant as well as projected across the center.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, accepted to Ap

Spitzer Spectral Mapping of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

We present the global distribution of fine structure infrared line emission in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Spectrograph. We identify emission from ejecta materials in the interior, prior to their encounter with the reverse shock, as well as from the post-shock bright ring. The global electron density increases by >~100 at the shock to ~10^4 cm^-3, providing evidence for strong radiative cooling. There is also a dramatic change in ionization state at the shock, with the fading of emission from low ionization interior species like [SiII], giving way to [SIV] and, at even further distances, high-energy X-rays from hydrogenic silicon. Two compact, crescent-shaped clumps with highly enhanced neon abundance are arranged symmetrically around the central neutron star. These neon crescents are very closely aligned with the "kick" direction of the compact object from the remnant's expansion center, tracing a new axis of explosion asymmetry. They indicate that much of the apparent macroscopic elemental mixing may arise from different compositional layers of ejecta now passing through the reverse shock along different directions.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Ap