Climate Variability and Ross River Virus Transmission in Townsville Region, Australia 1985 to 1996

Background How climate variability affects the transmission of infectious diseases at a regional level remains unclear. In this paper, we assessed the impact of climate variation on the Ross River virus (RRv) transmission in the Townsville region, Queensland, north-east Australia. Methods Population-based information was obtained on monthly variations in RRv cases, climatic factors, sea level, and population growth between 1985 and 1996. Cross-correlations were computed for a series of associations between climate variables (rainfall, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity and high tide) and the monthly incidence of RRv disease over a range of time lags. The impact of climate variability on RRv transmission was assessed using the seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model. Results There were significant correlations of the monthly incidence of RRv to rainfall, maximum temperature, minimum temperature and relative humidity, all at a lag of 2 months, and high tide in the current month. The results of SARIMA models show that monthly average rainfall (β=0.0012, p=0.04) and high tide (β=0.0262, p=0.01) were significantly associated with RRv transmission, although temperature and relative humidity did not seem to have played an important role in the Townsville region. Conclusions Rainfall, and high tide were likely to be key determinants of RRv transmission in the Townsville region

Using Geological Implications of a Physical Libration to Constrain Enceladus' Libration State

Observations of Enceladus' south pole revealed large rifts in the crust, called "tiger stripes", which exhibit higher temperatures than the surrounding terrain and are likely sources of observed eruptions. Tidal stress may periodically open the tiger stripe rifts, controlling the timing and location of eruptions. Moreover, shear motion along rifts may produce the heat to drive eruptions

Leptospirosis followed by Kawasaki-like disease: case report from an adult Swiss patient and review of the literature

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis that mostly occurs in children, but rare cases in adults have been reported. We describe the case of a 43-year-old Swiss male who developed symptoms compatible with KD 7 weeks after leptospirosis, which was presumably acquired after swimming in a creek in the Swiss Alps. We performed a literature review and identified 10 other cases (all in children), in which Kawasaki-like disease was diagnosed in the context of leptospirosis. Outcome was favourable in most cases, including our patient. This exceptional case demonstrates both the possibility of autochthonous cases of leptospirosis in Switzerland as well as a possible association of leptospirosis with Kawasaki-like disease

Geological Implications of a Physical Libration on Enceladus

Given the non-spherical shape of Enceladus (Thomas et al., 2007), the satellite will experience gravitational torques that will cause it to physically librate as it orbits Saturn. Physical libration would produce a diurnal oscillation in the longitude of Enceladus tidal bulge which, could have a profound effect on the diurnal stresses experienced by the surface of the satellite. Although Cassini ISS has placed an observational upper limit on Enceladus libration amplitude of F < 1.5deg (Porco et al., 2006), smaller amplitudes can still have geologically significant consequences. Here we present the first detailed description of how physical libration affects tidal stresses and how those stresses then might affect geological processes including crack formation and propagation, south polar eruption activity, and tidal heating. Our goal is to provide a framework for testing the hypothesis that geologic features on Enceladus are produced by tidal stresses from diurnal physical and optical librations of the satellite

Variation in plasma oxidative status and testosterone level in relation to egg-eviction effort and age of brood-parasitic common cuckoo nestlings

To avoid competition for parental care, brood-parasitic Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestlings evict all of the host's eggs and nestlings within a few days after hatching. Little is known about the physiological effects of eviction behavior on the cuckoo nestling's oxidative balance or about age-related variation in plasma oxidative status and testosterone level of developing birds. We examined whether the cuckoo nestling's plasma oxidative status was related to prior effort in eviction and quantified variation in the level of reactive oxygen metabolites, of nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity, and of testosterone concentration in plasma at various phases of the cuckoo's development. Levels of both reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant capacity were greater in older than in younger nestlings, suggesting that younger nestlings effectively counterbalance their increased production of free radicals, whereas, near fledging, levels of reactive oxygen metabolites increase despite improved antioxidant capacity. Possibly, overall energy expenditure increases with age and elevates the production of reactive oxygen species to a rate higher than what the antioxidant system could eliminate. Plasma testosterone level was the highest at nestlings' intermediate phase of growth. High levels of testosterone may be required during the period of fastest growth, and when the growth rate levels off near fledging, testosterone levels may also decline. Cuckoo chicks that evicted more host eggs from steeper nests had higher plasma levels of reactive oxygen metabolites shortly after the eviction period, suggesting that eviction is costly in terms of an increased level of oxidative stress. Para evitar la competencia por el cuidado parental, los polluelos parásitos de nidada de Cuculus canorus desalojan todos los huevos y los polluelos del hospedador a los pocos días después de la eclosión. Se sabe poco sobre los efectos fisiológicos del comportamiento de desalojo en el balance oxidativo de los polluelos de C. canorus o sobre la variación en el estatus oxidativo del plasma y el nivel de testosterona relacionado con la edad de las aves en desarrollo. Examinamos si el estatus oxidativo del plasma de los polluelos de C. canorus se relacionaba con un esfuerzo previo de desalojo y cuantificamos la variación en el nivel de metabolitos reactivos de oxígeno, la capacidad antioxidante no enzimática y la concentración de testosterona en el plasma en varias fases del desarrollo de C. canorus. Tanto los niveles de metabolitos reactivos de oxígeno como la capacidad antioxidante fueron superiores en los polluelos de mayor edad que en los más jóvenes, lo que sugiere que los polluelos de menor edad contrarrestan eficazmente el aumento de la producción de radicales libres, mientras que, cuando se apróximan al abandono del nido, los niveles de metabolitos reactivos de oxígeno aumentan a pesar de una mejora en la capacidad antioxidante. Posiblemente, el gasto total de energía se incrementa con la edad, elevándose la producción de formas reactivas de oxígeno a una tasa mayor de la que el sistema antioxidante puede eliminar. El nivel de testosterona en el plasma fue máximo en la fase intermedia del crecimiento de los polluelos. Pueden requerirse altos niveles de testosterona durante el período de mayor crecimiento y, cuando la tasa de crecimiento se estabiliza cerca del abandono del nido, los niveles de testosterona también podrián disminuir. Los polluelos de C. canorus que desalojaron más huevos del hospedador en nidos con una estructura más empinada tuvieron niveles de plasma de metabolitos reactivos de oxígeno en plasma más altos poco después del período de desalojo, sugiriendo que el desalojo es costoso en términos de un incremento en el nivel de estrés oxidativo

Kariesprävalenz von Schülern in 16 Zürcher Landgemeinden in den Jahren 1992 bis 2000

Standardized dental examinations of schoolchildren were regularly carried out since 1964 in 16 rural communities of the Canton of Zurich. In 1964, there were no 14-year-old schoolchildren free from caries; in the Nineties about half of the 14-year-olds had a caries-free permanent dentition (DMFT = 0). From the year 1992 to 2000, the caries prevalence (DMFT) of 14-year-olds decreased once again, by 31%. The pit and fissure caries prevalence (DFS) of 12- and 14-year-olds decreased by 28% and 37%, respectively. In 2000, the mean DMFT-value of the 12- and 14-year-old schoolchildren was 0.90 and 1.27 respectively. In 1964, only few 7-year-old schoolchildren were caries-free; in the Nineties about half of the 7-year-olds had a primary dentition without caries. From the year 1992 to 2000, caries prevalence (dmft) in 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds increased by 64%, 22% and 31%. In 2000, the mean dmft-value of all 7-year-old schoolchildren was 2.45. The Swiss schoolchildren had 1.79 dmft; the schoolchildren from former Yugoslavia and from Albania had 6.89 dmft and those of other nations had 3.37 dmft. Possible reasons for the continuous caries decrease in the permanent dentition and the increase in the primary dentition are discussed. Additional measures in order to improve the situation in the primary dentition are proposed

Galileo photometry of Apollo landing sites

As of December 1992, the Galileo spacecraft performed its second and final flyby (EM2), of the Earth-Moon system, during which it acquired Solid State Imaging (SSI) camera images of the lunar surface suitable for photometric analysis using Hapke's, photometric model. These images, together with those from the first flyby (EM1) in December 1989, provide observations of all of the Apollo landing sites over a wide range of photometric geometries and at eight broadband filter wavelengths ranging from 0.41 micron to 0.99 micron. We have completed a preliminary photometric analysis of Apollo landing sites visible in EM1 images and developed a new strategy for a more complete analysis of the combined EM1 and EM2 data sets in conjunction with telescopic observations and spectrogoniometric measurements of returned lunar samples. No existing single data set, whether from spacecraft flyby, telescopic observation, or laboratory analysis of returned samples, describes completely the light scattering behavior of a particular location on the Moon at all angles of incidence (i), emission (e), and phase angles (a). Earthbased telescopic observations of particular lunar sites provide good coverage of incidence nad phase angles, but their range in emission angle is limited to only a few degrees because of the Moon's synchronous rotation. Spacecraft flyby observations from Galileo are now available for specific lunar features at many photometric geometries unobtainable from Earth; however, this data set lacks coverage at very small phase angles (a less than 13 deg) important for distinguishing the well-known 'opposition effect'. Spectrogoniometric measurements from returned lunar samples can provide photometric coverage at almost any geometry; however, mechanical properties of prepared particulate laboratory samples, such as particle compaction and macroscopic roughness, likely differ from those on the lunar surface. In this study, we have developed methods for the simultaneous analysis of all three types of data: we combine Galileo and telescopic observations to obtain the most complete coverage with photometric geometry, and use spectrogoniometric observations of lunar soils to help distinguish the photometric effects of macroscopic roughness from those caused by particle phase function behavior (i.e., the directional scattering properties of regolith particles)

Prevenção da obesidade infantil: uma abordagem com gestantes e suas famílias

Trata-se de um relato de experiência de uma intervenção, que objetivou promover praticas saudáveis de alimentação na primeira infância. Foi realizada no ambulatório de uma maternidade em Santa Catarina. A intervenção foi realizada com 60 famílias, enquanto os mesmos aguardavam as consultas agendadas. Esta atividade demonstrou o desconhecimento das famílias a respeito do real valor nutricional dos alimentos, refletindo a falta de políticas promotoras da saúde.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.35700/ca.2020.ano7n12.p85-89.2688