The Indwelling Spirit

https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/1537/thumbnail.jp

A fully integrated microfluidic device for point of care monitoring of antithrombotics

© 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry. The simplicity and efficiency of point of care diagnostics have revolutionised patient care. Current methods for measuring hypercoagulability often require trained technicians, large blood volumes, and result in long turnaround times. Standard testing for hypercoagulable disorders is performed in the central laboratory using automated coagulation analysers. However the trend is moving towards the development and implementation of point of care testing, as a result of the ever increasing number of patients on antithrombotic therapy. We present a novel microfluidic device and assay for monitoring the effect of two anticoagulants, unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). The assay is based on the anti-Xa assay principle but uses fluorescence detection. Our device is a disposable laminate microfluidic strip, fabricated from the cyclic polyolefin (COP), Zeonor®, which is extremely suitable for application to fluorescent device platforms. We present data on the execution of the anti-Xa assay in this microfluidic format, demonstrating that the assay can be used to measure both UFH and LMWH in human plasma samples from 0 to 1 U mL-1, with a rapid result obtained within 30-60 seconds

Anderson Localization, Non-linearity and Stable Genetic Diversity

In many models of genotypic evolution, the vector of genotype populations satisfies a system of linear ordinary differential equations. This system of equations models a competition between differential replication rates (fitness) and mutation. Mutation operates as a generalized diffusion process on genotype space. In the large time asymptotics, the replication term tends to produce a single dominant quasispecies, unless the mutation rate is too high, in which case the populations of different genotypes becomes de-localized. We introduce a more macroscopic picture of genotypic evolution wherein a random replication term in the linear model displays features analogous to Anderson localization. When coupled with non-linearities that limit the population of any given genotype, we obtain a model whose large time asymptotics display stable genotypic diversityComment: 25 pages, 8 Figure

The Large-scale J=3-2 and J=2-1 CO Emission from M17 and its Implications for Extragalactic CO Observations

We observed a 10x20 pc region of the molecular cloud M17 in the 12CO and 13CO J=3-2 and J=2-1 transitions to determine their global behavior and to assess the reliability of using ratios of CO line intensities integrated over an entire cloud to determine the physical conditions within the cloud. Both the 12CO/13CO J=2-1 and J=3-2 line ratios correlate with the 13CO integrated intensity, with smaller line ratios observed at locations with large integrated intensities. This correlation is likely due to variations in the column density from one position to another within M17. The 12CO and 13CO (J=3-2/J=2-1) line ratios show no significant variation from place to place within M17, even on the peak of the photon-dominated region. A Large Velocity Gradient analysis of globally averaged line ratios gives results in reasonable agreement with the results obtained for individual lines-of-sight through the cloud, which suggests that the typical physical conditions in a molecular cloud can be determined using CO line ratios integrated over the entire cloud. There appears to be a clear trend of increasing 12CO/13CO J=2-1 and J=3-2 line ratios as one moves from Galactic molecular cloud cores to entire Galactic molecular clouds to normal galaxies. The most likely explanation of the high line ratios for normal galaxies is a significant contribution to the CO emission by low column density material, such as diffuse molecular clouds or the outer envelopes of giant molecular clouds.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap

Family environment is associated with endemic Burkitt lymphoma: a population-based case-control study

Endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma (eBL) has been linked to Epstein-Barr virus and holoendemic Plasmodium falciparum malaria. These co-infections, however, are insufficient to explain the non-random occurrence of Endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma within Equatorial Africa. To explore whether this distribution could be explained by household characteristics and family environment, we conducted a case-control study using 41 hospitalized incident endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma cases and 91 healthy controls identified through a population-based multistage cluster-sampling scheme in Nyanza Province, Kenya. In a multivariate analysis, odds ratios associated with having one, two, and three or more younger siblings compared with none were 0.28 (90% CI: 0.09, 0.83), 0.59 (90% CI: 0.16, 2.23) and 0.15 (90% CI: 0.03, 0.67) respectively, suggesting that children with endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma were more likely than controls to be last-born. Children with endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma were also more likely to live in non-monogamous families (OR=3.12, 90% CI:1.19, 8.17) and to have at least one deceased parent (OR=3.38, 90% CI: 1.18, 9.64). Household characteristics, especially sibship relationships, may contribute to endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma and therefore warrant further study

CO J = 3-2 and J = 2-1 spectroscopy and mapping of ten high velocity molecular outflow sources

The authors have mapped high velocity outflows associated with the sources K3-50, CRL 2591, W3, S88, NGC 2264, NGC 2024, S140, G 35.2-0.74, NGC 1333 (HH 7-11), and NGC 1333 (IRAS 1) in the J = 2-1 and J = 3-2 transitions of CO. The line core and wing excitation properties are discussed in detail, and an approximate relation dv/dr ≅ 2.5×10-4n (H2)3/2km s-1 pc-1 determined, whereby most of the nebulae appear to depart considerably from the régime of free-fall collapse, or thermal, turbulent, and rotational stability

Intense physical activity is associated with cognitive performance in the elderly

Numerous studies have reported positive impacts of physical activity on cognitive function. However, the majority of these studies have utilised physical activity questionnaires or surveys, thus results may have been influenced by reporting biases. Through the objective measurement of routine levels of physical activity via actigraphy, we report a significant association between intensity, but not volume, of physical activity and cognitive functioning. A cohort of 217 participants (aged 60–89 years) wore an actigraphy unit for 7 consecutive days and underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The cohort was stratified into tertiles based on physical activity intensity. Compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of physical activity intensity, those in the highest tertile scored 9%, 9%, 6% and 21% higher on the digit span, digit symbol, Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) copy and Rey Figure Test 30-min recall test, respectively. Statistically, participants in the highest tertile of physical activity intensity performed significantly better on the following cognitive tasks: digit symbol, RCFT copy and verbal fluency test (all P<0.05). The results indicate that intensity rather than quantity of physical activity may be more important in the association between physical activity and cognitive function