Human Echinococcosis Mortality in the United States, 1990–2007

Human echinococcosis is a parasitic disease that affects an estimated 2–3 million people and results in an annual monetary loss of over $750,000,000 worldwide. It results in the development of life threatening tissue cysts, primarily in the liver and lung, following accidental ingestion of eggs in infected dog, fox or wild canine feces. Echinococcus parasites have a complex, two-host lifecycle (such as in dogs and sheep) in which humans are an aberrant, dead-end host. The vast majority of cases of human echinococcosis occur outside of the United States (US); however, cases within the US do occur. In this study, the authors examined death certificate data of US residents from 1990–2007 in which echinococcosis was listed as one of the diagnoses at death. The analysis demonstrated 41 echinococcosis-related deaths over the 18-year study period with foreign-born persons accounting for the majority of the deaths. This study helps quantify echinococcosis deaths among US residents and adds further support to the importance of funding echinococcosis prevention research

Fuzzy branch‐and‐bound algorithm with owa operators in the case of consumer decision making

The ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator is one of the most used techniques in the operator’s aggregation procedure. This paper proposes a new assignment algorithm by using the OWA operator and different extensions of it in the Branch‐and‐bound algorithm. The process is based on the use of the ordered weighted average distance operator (OWAD) and the induced OWAD operator (IOWAD). We present it as the Branch‐and‐bound algorithm with the OWAD operator (BBAOWAD) and the Branch‐and‐bound algorithm with the IOWAD operator (BBAIOWAD). The main advantage of this approach is that we can obtain more detailed information by obtaining a parameterized family of aggregation operators. The application of the new algorithm is developed in a consumer decision‐making model in the city of Barcelona regarding the selection of groceries by districts that best suit their needs. We rely on the opinion of local commerce experts in the city. The key advantage of this approach is that we can consider different sources of information independent of each other

Debris Disks: Probing Planet Formation

Debris disks are the dust disks found around ~20% of nearby main sequence stars in far-IR surveys. They can be considered as descendants of protoplanetary disks or components of planetary systems, providing valuable information on circumstellar disk evolution and the outcome of planet formation. The debris disk population can be explained by the steady collisional erosion of planetesimal belts; population models constrain where (10-100au) and in what quantity (>1Mearth) planetesimals (>10km in size) typically form in protoplanetary disks. Gas is now seen long into the debris disk phase. Some of this is secondary implying planetesimals have a Solar System comet-like composition, but some systems may retain primordial gas. Ongoing planet formation processes are invoked for some debris disks, such as the continued growth of dwarf planets in an unstirred disk, or the growth of terrestrial planets through giant impacts. Planets imprint structure on debris disks in many ways; images of gaps, clumps, warps, eccentricities and other disk asymmetries, are readily explained by planets at >>5au. Hot dust in the region planets are commonly found (<5au) is seen for a growing number of stars. This dust usually originates in an outer belt (e.g., from exocomets), although an asteroid belt or recent collision is sometimes inferred.Comment: Invited review, accepted for publication in the 'Handbook of Exoplanets', eds. H.J. Deeg and J.A. Belmonte, Springer (2018

Chronic joint disease caused by persistent Chikungunya virus infection is controlled by the adaptive immune response

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a reemerging mosquito-borne pathogen that causes incapacitating disease in humans characterized by intense joint pain that can persist for weeks, months, or even years. Although there is some evidence of persistent CHIKV infection in humans suffering from chronic rheumatologic disease symptoms, little is known about chronic disease pathogenesis, and no specific therapies exist for acute or chronic CHIKV disease. To investigate mechanisms of chronic CHIKV-induced disease, we utilized a mouse model and defined the duration of CHIKV infection in tissues and the associated histopathological changes. Although CHIKV RNA was readily detectable in a variety of tissues very early after infection, CHIKV RNA persisted specifically in joint-associated tissues for at least 16 weeks. Inoculation of Rag1(−/−) mice, which lack T and B cells, resulted in higher viral levels in a variety of tissues, suggesting that adaptive immunity controls the tissue specificity and persistence of CHIKV infection. The presence of CHIKV RNA in tissues of wild-type and Rag1(−/−) mice was associated with histopathological evidence of synovitis, arthritis, and tendonitis; thus, CHIKV-induced persistent arthritis is not mediated primarily by adaptive immune responses. Finally, we show that prophylactic administration of CHIKV-specific monoclonal antibodies prevented the establishment of CHIKV persistence, whereas therapeutic administration had tissue-specific efficacy. These findings suggest that chronic musculoskeletal tissue pathology is caused by persistent CHIKV infection and controlled by adaptive immune responses. Our results have significant implications for the development of strategies to mitigate the disease burden associated with CHIKV infection in humans

Vivid visual mental imagery in the absence of the primary visual cortex

The role of the primary visual cortex in visual mental imagery has provided significant debate in the imagery literature. Functional neuroimaging studies show considerable variation depending on task and technique. Patient studies can be difficult to interpret due to the diverse nature of cortical damage. The type of cortical damage in patient SBR is exceedingly rare as it is restricted to the gray matter of the calcarine sulcus. In this study, we show that in spite of his near-complete cortical blindness, SBR exhibits vivid visual mental imagery both behaviorally and when measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. The pattern of cortical activation to visual mental imagery in SBR is indistinguishable from individual sighted subjects, in contrast to the visual perceptual responses, which are greatly attenuated

Morteros macroporosos para asentamiento y revestimiento.

The envelope of a building is responsible for its physical protection against external agents, including humidity and temperature. Thus, the present work seeks to evaluate the effect of air entraining admixtures (AEA) in mortars for laying and coating to improve their physical and thermal performances. The AEA generates macropores, interrupting the system of canaliculi that allows the capillary absorption of water. The AEA used is based on biodegradable surfactant molecules of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sodium Sulfonate. Results compare physical tests (water absorption, capillary coefficient, specific gravity, and mechanical strength), and thermal evaluation (thermal conductivity and specific heat) from two mortars mixtures with varying levels of AEA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the pore system were also analysed. All mixtures studied presented higher workability and cohesion, reduced thermal conductivity, decreased specific heat, and a reduction in the effects of water absorption, capillary elevation and specific gravity (density). In this sense, the durability of mortars to humidity effect is potentially improved, along with several other properties. Therefore, this work seeks to contribute to the quality of built environments, as well as to promote the technological development of cement-based composites.Los cerramientos de un edificio son responsables de su protecci?n f?sica contra agentes externos, incluida la humedad y la temperatura. Por lo tanto, el presente trabajo busca evaluar el efecto de los aditivos inclusores de aire (AEA) en los morteros para asentamiento y revestimiento para mejorar 30 sus rendimientos f?sicos y t?rmicos. Los AEA generan macroporos, interrumpiendo el sistema de canal?culos que permiten la absorci?n capilar del agua. El AEA utilizado se basa en mol?culas de un surfactante biodegradables - alquil benceno sulfonato de sodio lineal. Los resultados comparan pruebas f?sicas (absorci?n de agua, coeficiente capilar, masa espec?fica y resistencia mec?nica) y evaluaci?n t?rmica (conductividad t?rmica y calor espec?fico) de dos mezclas de morteros con niveles variables de AEA. Tambi?n se analiz? la microscop?a electr?nica de barrido (SEM) del sistema de poros. Todas las mezclas estudiadas presentaron mayor trabajabilidad y cohesi?n, reducci?n de la conductividad t?rmica, disminuci?n del calor espec?fico y reducci?n de los efectos de la absorci?n de agua, elevaci?n del capilar y gravedad espec?fica (densidad). En este sentido, la durabilidad de los morteros al efecto de la humedad es potencialmente mejorada, junto con varias otras propiedades. Por lo tanto, este trabajo busca contribuir a la calidad de los entornos construidos, as? como a promover el desarrollo tecnol?gico de compuestos de matriz cementicia

Human and Canine Echinococcosis Infection in Informal, Unlicensed Abattoirs in Lima, Peru

Echinococcus granulosus infections are a major public health problem in livestock-raising regions around the world. The life cycle of this tapeworm is sustained between dogs (definitive host, canine echinococcosis), and herbivores (intermediary host, cystic hydatid disease). Humans may also develop cystic hydatid disease. Echinococcosis is endemic in rural areas of Peru; nevertheless, its presence or the extension of the problem in urban areas is basically unknown. Migration into Lima, an 8-million habitant's metropolis, creates peripheral areas where animals brought from endemic areas are slaughtered without veterinary supervision. We identified eight informal, unlicensed abattoirs in a peripheral district of Lima and performed a cross-sectional study in to assess the prevalence of canine echinococcosis, evaluated by coproELISA followed by PCR evaluation and arecoline purge. Eight of 22 dogs (36%) were positive to coproELISA, and four (18%) were confirmed to be infected with E. granulosus tapeworms either by PCR or direct observation (purge). Later evaluation of the human population living in these abattoirs using abdominal ultrasound, chest X-rays and serology, found 3 out of 32 (9.3%) subjects with echinococcal cysts in the liver (two viable, one calcified), one of whom had also lung involvement and a strongly positive antibody response. Autochthonous transmission of E. granulosus is present in Lima. Informal, unlicensed abattoirs may be sources of infection to neighbouring people in this urban environment

The International Deep Brain Stimulation Registry and Database for Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome: How Does It Work?

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disease characterized by a combination of motor and vocal tics. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), already widely utilized for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, is an emerging therapy for select and severe cases of TS that are resistant to medication and behavioral therapy. Over the last two decades, DBS has been used experimentally to manage severe TS cases. The results of case reports and small case series have been variable but in general positive. The reported interventions have, however, been variable, and there remain non-standardized selection criteria, various brain targets, differences in hardware, as well as variability in the programming parameters utilized. DBS centers perform only a handful of TS DBS cases each year, making large-scale outcomes difficult to study and to interpret. These limitations, coupled with the variable effect of surgery, and the overall small numbers of TS patients with DBS worldwide, have delayed regulatory agency approval (e.g., FDA and equivalent agencies around the world). The Tourette Association of America, in response to the worldwide need for a more organized and collaborative effort, launched an international TS DBS registry and database. The main goal of the project has been to share data, uncover best practices, improve outcomes, and to provide critical information to regulatory agencies. The international registry and database has improved the communication and collaboration among TS DBS centers worldwide. In this paper we will review some of the key operation details for the international TS DBS database and registry