Water Quality Monitoring and Constituent Load Estimation in the Upper White River Basin, 2009

The Arkansas Water Resources Center monitored water quality at seven sites in the Upper White River Basin during base flow conditions and storm events from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Water samples were collected manually with an alpha or Kemmerer style sampler and analyzed for nitrate‐nitrogen (NO₃‐N), sulfate (SO₄), chloride (Cl‐), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved ammonia (NH₃‐N), total N (TN), total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity. Physico‐chemical parameters were measured in field including pH, conductivity, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen concentration. The selected sites were all at established discharge monitoring stations maintained by the US Geological Survey, and constituent loads were determined using regression models between constituent concentrations, discharge, and seasonal factors to estimate daily loads, which were then summed to produce monthly, seasonal and annual load estimates. The constituent loads and annual flow‐weighted concentrations for the 2009 calendar year are summarized in the table below, using the data collected in this study. The regression models were applied throughout the calendar year discharge record to estimate constituent loads for individual sites

Early phonological and sociocognitive skills as predictors of later language and social communication outcomes

Background:  Previous studies of outcome for children with early language delay have focused on measures of early language as predictors of language outcome. This study investigates whether very early processing skills (VEPS) known to underpin language development will be better predictors of specific language and social communication outcomes than measures of language itself. Method:  Participants were 163 children referred to clinical services with concerns about language at 2;6–3;6 years and followed up at 4–5 years. Novel assessments of phonological and sociocognitive processing were administered at Time 1 (T1), together with a standardised test of receptive and expressive language, and parental report of expressive vocabulary. The language test was re-administered at Time 2 (T2), together with assessments of morphosyntax and parental reports of social communication. Results:  Intercorrelations at and between T1 and T2 were high, and dissociations were rare. Ordinal regressions were run, entering predictors singly and simultaneously. With the exception of the phonological task, every early measure on its own was significantly predictive of most outcomes, and receptive language was the strongest all-round predictor. Results of simultaneous entry, controlling for the effect of other predictors, showed that early language was the strongest predictor of general language outcome, but early phonology was the strongest predictor of a measure of morphosyntax, and early sociocognition the strongest predictor of social communication. Conclusions:  Language measures which draw on a wide range of skills were the strongest overall predictors of general language outcomes. However, our VEPS measures were stronger predictors of specific outcomes. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed

Cosmological distance indicators

We review three distance measurement techniques beyond the local universe: (1) gravitational lens time delays, (2) baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO), and (3) HI intensity mapping. We describe the principles and theory behind each method, the ingredients needed for measuring such distances, the current observational results, and future prospects. Time delays from strongly lensed quasars currently provide constraints on $H_0$ with < 4% uncertainty, and with 1% within reach from ongoing surveys and efforts. Recent exciting discoveries of strongly lensed supernovae hold great promise for time-delay cosmography. BAO features have been detected in redshift surveys up to z <~ 0.8 with galaxies and z ~ 2 with Ly-$\alpha$ forest, providing precise distance measurements and $H_0$ with < 2% uncertainty in flat $\Lambda$CDM. Future BAO surveys will probe the distance scale with percent-level precision. HI intensity mapping has great potential to map BAO distances at z ~ 0.8 and beyond with precisions of a few percent. The next years ahead will be exciting as various cosmological probes reach 1% uncertainty in determining $H_0$, to assess the current tension in $H_0$ measurements that could indicate new physics.Comment: Review article accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews (Springer), 45 pages, 10 figures. Chapter of a special collection resulting from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Ag

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and migration to Europe.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in low-incidence countries in Europe is more prevalent among migrants than the native population. The impact of the recent increase in migration to EU and EEA countries with a low incidence of TB (<20 cases per 100 000) on MDR-TB epidemiology is unclear. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on MDR-TB and migration identified through an expert panel and database search. A significant proportion of MDR-TB cases in migrants result from reactivation of latent infection. Refugees and asylum seekers may have a heightened risk of MDR-TB infection and worse outcomes. Although concerns have been raised around 'health tourists' migrating for MDR-TB treatment, numbers are probably small and data are lacking. Migrants experience significant barriers to testing and treatment for MDR-TB, exacerbated by increasingly restrictive health systems. Screening for latent MDR-TB is highly problematic because current tests cannot distinguish drug-resistant latent infection, and evidence-based guidance for treatment of latent infection in contacts of MDR patients is lacking. Although there is evidence that transmission of TB from migrants to the general population is low-it predominantly occurs within migrant communities-there is a human rights obligation to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of MDR-TB in migrants. Further research is needed into MDR-TB and migration, the impact of screening on detection or prevention, and the potential consequences of failing to treat and prevent MDR-TB among migrants in Europe. An evidence-base is urgently needed to inform guidelines for effective approaches for MDR-TB management in migrant populations in Europe

Ebola virus epidemiology, transmission, and evolution during seven months in Sierra Leone

The 2013-2015 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic is caused by the Makona variant of Ebola virus (EBOV). Early in the epidemic, genome sequencing provided insights into virus evolution and transmission and offered important information for outbreak response. Here, we analyze sequences from 232 patients sampled over 7 months in Sierra Leone, along with 86 previously released genomes from earlier in the epidemic. We confirm sustained human-to-human transmission within Sierra Leone and find no evidence for import or export of EBOV across national borders after its initial introduction. Using high-depth replicate sequencing, we observe both host-to-host transmission and recurrent emergence of intrahost genetic variants. We trace the increasing impact of purifying selection in suppressing the accumulation of nonsynonymous mutations over time. Finally, we note changes in the mucin-like domain of EBOV glycoprotein that merit further investigation. These findings clarify the movement of EBOV within the region and describe viral evolution during prolonged human-to-human transmission

Exatidão dos dados do sistema de vigilância epidemiológica da malária no estado do Amazonas

The Epidemiological Surveillance System for Malaria (SIVEP-Malaria) is the Brazilian governmental program that registers all information about compulsory reporting of detected cases of malaria by all medical units and medical practitioners. The objective of this study is to point out the main sources of errors in the SIVEP-Malaria database by applying a data cleaning method to assist researchers about the best way to use it and to report the problems to authorities. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of the data collected by the surveillance system and its accuracy. The SIVEP-Malaria data base used was for the state of Amazonas, Brazil, with data collected from 2003 to 2014. A data cleaning method was applied to the database to detect and remove erroneous records. It was observed that the collecting procedure of the database is not homogeneous among the municipalities and over the years. Some of the variables had different data collection periods, missing data, outliers and inconsistencies. Variables depending on the health agents showed a good quality but those that rely on patients were often inaccurate. We showed that a punctilious preprocessing is needed to produce statistically correct data from the SIVEP-Malaria data base. Fine spatial scale and multi-temporal analysis are of particular concern due to the local concentration of uncertainties and the data collecting seasonality observed. This assessment should help to enhance the quality of studies and the monitoring of the use of the SIVEP database.O Sistema de Vigilância Epidemiológica de Malária (SIVEP-Malária) é um programa governamental brasileiro que arquiva automaticamente todas as informações sobre casos de malária registrados em todas as unidades de saúde e consultórios medicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a qualidade dos dados coletados pelo sistema de vigilância e sua precisão. Foram utilizados os dados do SIVEP-Malária para o estado do Amazonas, Brasil, de 2003 a 2014. Um método de limpeza de dados foi aplicado para detectar e remover registros errôneos. Observamos que a coleta de dados não é homogênea entre os municipios e ao longo dos anos. Algumas variaveis tinham diferentes padrões de coleta, falta de dados, dados discrepantes e inconsistências. Dados que dependem do agente de saúde possuem boa qualidade mas aqueles que dependem dos pacientes são frequentemente imprecisos. Mostramos que um pre-processamento meticuloso é necessário para produzir dados estatisticamente corretos a partir do SIVEP-Malária. Analises em escala espacial detalhada ou multi-temporais são particularmente afetadas devido à concentração local de incertezas e a sazonalidade observada na coleta de dados. Esta avaliação deve auxiliar a melhorar os estudos e monitoramentos que fazem uso dos dados do SIVEP

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: A Catalog of >4000 Sunyaev–Zel’dovich Galaxy Clusters

We present a catalog of 4195 optically confirmed Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) selected galaxy clusters detected with signal-to-noise ratio >4 in 13,211 deg2 of sky surveyed by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). Cluster candidates were selected by applying a multifrequency matched filter to 98 and 150 GHz maps constructed from ACT observations obtained from 2008 to 2018 and confirmed using deep, wide-area optical surveys. The clusters span the redshift range 0.04 1 clusters, and a total of 868 systems are new discoveries. Assuming an SZ signal versus mass-scaling relation calibrated from X-ray observations, the sample has a 90% completeness mass limit of M500c > 3.8 × 1014 M⊙, evaluated at z = 0.5, for clusters detected at signal-to-noise ratio >5 in maps filtered at an angular scale of 2farcm4. The survey has a large overlap with deep optical weak-lensing surveys that are being used to calibrate the SZ signal mass-scaling relation, such as the Dark Energy Survey (4566 deg2), the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (469 deg2), and the Kilo Degree Survey (825 deg2). We highlight some noteworthy objects in the sample, including potentially projected systems, clusters with strong lensing features, clusters with active central galaxies or star formation, and systems of multiple clusters that may be physically associated. The cluster catalog will be a useful resource for future cosmological analyses and studying the evolution of the intracluster medium and galaxies in massive clusters over the past 10 Gyr

The Public Repository of Xenografts enables discovery and randomized phase II-like trials in mice

More than 90% of drugs with preclinical activity fail in human trials, largely due to insufficient efficacy. We hypothesized that adequately powered trials of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) in mice could efficiently define therapeutic activity across heterogeneous tumors. To address this hypothesis, we established a large, publicly available repository of well-characterized leukemia and lymphoma PDXs that undergo orthotopic engraftment, called the Public Repository of Xenografts (PRoXe). PRoXe includes all de-identified information relevant to the primary specimens and the PDXs derived from them. Using this repository, we demonstrate that large studies of acute leukemia PDXs that mimic human randomized clinical trials can characterize drug efficacy and generate transcriptional, functional, and proteomic biomarkers in both treatment-naive and relapsed/refractory disease

Psychology and aggression

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68264/2/10.1177_002200275900300301.pd