The importance of climatic factors and outliers in predicting regional monthly campylobacteriosis risk in Georgia, USA

Incidence of Campylobacter infection exhibits a strong seasonal component and regional variations in temperate climate zones. Forecasting the risk of infection regionally may provide clues to identify sources of transmission affected by temperature and precipitation. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess temporal patterns and differences in campylobacteriosis risk among nine climatic divisions of Georgia, USA, (2) compare univariate forecasting models that analyze campylobacteriosis risk over time with those that incorporate temperature and/or precipitation, and (3) investigate alternatives to supposedly random walk series and non-random occurrences that could be outliers. Temporal patterns of campylobacteriosis risk in Georgia were visually and statistically assessed. Univariate and multivariable forecasting models were used to predict the risk of campylobacteriosis and the coefficient of determination (R 2) was used for evaluating training (1999–2007) and holdout (2008) samples. Statistical control charting and rolling holdout periods were investigated to better understand the effect of outliers and improve forecasts. State and division level campylobacteriosis risk exhibited seasonal patterns with peaks occurring between June and August, and there were significant associations between campylobacteriosis risk, precipitation, and temperature. State and combined division forecasts were better than divisions alone, and models that included climate variables were comparable to univariate models. While rolling holdout techniques did not improve predictive ability, control charting identified high-risk time periods that require further investigation. These findings are important in (1) determining how climatic factors affect environmental sources and reservoirs of Campylobacter spp. and (2) identifying regional spikes in the risk of human Campylobacter infection and their underlying causes

Ferroelectric Stirling-Cycle Refrigerator

A Stirling-cycle refrigerator has a three-pump configuration and pumping sequence, in which one pump serves as a compressor. one pump serves as an expander, and one pump serves as a displacer. The pumps are ferroelectrically actuated diaphragm pumps which are coordinated by synchronizing the ferroelectric-actuator voltages in such a way that the net effect of the displacer is to reduce the deleterious effect of dead space; that is, to circulate a greater fraction of the working fluid through the heat exchangers than would be possible by use of the compressor and expander alone. In addition. the displacer can be controlled separately to make the flow of working fluid in the heat exchangers turbulent (to increase the rate of transfer of heat at the cost of greater resistance to flow) or laminar (to decrease the resistance to flow at the cost of a lower heat-transfer rate)

Wavefront Sensing of X-Ray Telescopes

Phase Retrieval analysis of off-axis or defocused focal-plane data from telescope optics has been proven effective in understanding misalignments and optical aberrations in normal incidence telescopes. The approach is used, e.g., in commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) segmented primary mirror. There is a similar need for evaluating low-order figure errors of grazing incidence mirrors and nested telescope assemblies. When implemented in these systems, phase retrieval does not depend on normal incidence access to each mirror (shell) surface and, therefore, provides an effective means for evaluating nested x-ray telescopes during integration and test. We have applied a well-known phase retrieval algorithm to grazing incidence telescopes. The algorithm uses the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization procedure to perform a non-linear least-squares fit of the telescope Point Spread Function (PSF). The algorithm can also retrieve low order figure errors at visible wavelengths where optical diffraction is the dominant defect in the PSF. In this paper we will present the analytical approach and its implementation for grazing incidence mirrors of the International X-Ray Observatory (IXO). We analyze the effects of low order axial surface errors individually, and in combination on the system PSF at 633 nanometers. We demonstrate via modeling that the wavefront sensing algorithm can recover axial errors (of the grazing incidence mirrors) to a small fraction of the known axial figure errors using simulated PSFs as input data to the algorithm

Grazing Endophyte Infested Tall Fescue and Changes in Bovine Blood Components and Gain

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is utilized on more than 15 million ha of pasture in the eastern USA and over 80% of the plants in this area are infested with the endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum. Tall fescue toxicosis results from consumption of the infested (E+) grass host and is an important problem that causes considerable economic loss to producers. However, the agronomic attributes of tall fescue make it an attractive forage because of its ability to withstand cool temperatures, drought, poor soil conditions and intensive defoliation. There is need to understand mechanisms of animal physiology that are affected by the alkaloids produced by the endophyte/grass association. Blood serum samples were collected from steers (Bos taurus) grazing either E+ or endophyte free (E-) tall fescue in spring and summer during three consecutive years and were related to animal performance. Consistent and significant changes associated with E+ tall fescue were noted for daily gain, prolactin, albumin/globulin ratio, alanine aminotransferase, cholesterol, creatinine, globulin, total bilirubin, total serum protein, copper, red blood cells, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and eosinophils. Thus, repeatable changes that occur in serum biochemical and blood cellular values of cattle grazing E+ tall fescue were identified and will aid in understanding the pathogenesis of the toxicosis

Some Considerations for Precision Metrology of Thin X-Ray Mirrors

Determination of the shape of very thin x-ray mirrors employed in spaced-based telescopes continues to be challenging. The mirrors shapes are not readily deduced to the required accuracy because the mount induced distortions are often larger than the uncertainty tolerable for the mission metrology. In addition to static deformations, dynamic and thermal considerations are exacerbated for this class of mirrors. We report on the performance of one temporary mounting scheme for the thin glass mirrors for the Constellation-X mission and prospects for deducing their undistorted shapes

Pituitary Lesions, Obesity, and Mesenteric Lipomas in Insulin-Resistant Horses

The aim of the current study was to identify associations between pituitary lesions, body condition scores, and mesenteric lipomas in horses with insulin resistance. Necropsy examinations were performed following euthanasia in 30 adult horses designated as insulin resistant (n = 11) or insulin sensitive (n = 19). Insulin sensitivity was determined using the insulin-modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test and resting insulin concentrations. At necropsy, mesenteric lipomas were measured. The pituitary and adrenal glands, pancreas, and liver were evaluated histologically; pituitary glands were scored based on published criteria. Insulin-resistant horses had significantly higher pituitary scores (p = 0.0035) and body condition scores (p = 0.0001), even when adjusting for age, and a greater frequency of mesenteric lipomas (p = 0.014) and greater lipoma area (p = 0.0332) than insulin-sensitive horses. Regardless of insulin status, horses with pituitary scores ≥3 (diffuse hyperplasia; n = 25) had higher body condition scores (p = 0.0313) and a greater frequency of mesenteric lipomas (p \u3c 0.0002) than those with lower pituitary scores. High body condition score was not correlated to an increased frequency of mesenteric lipomas. Detection of higher pituitary scores in insulin-resistant horses suggested an association between insulin resistance and pituitary morphology. Horses in the insulin-resistant group and those with high pituitary scores had higher body condition scores and a greater frequency of mesenteric lipomas. These horses might be at increased risk for lipoma-associated colic

Piezoelectric loudspeaker

A piezoelectric loudspeaker suitable for midrange frequencies uses a dome shaped piezoelectric actuator to drive a speaker membrane directly. The dome shaped actuator is made from a reduced and internally biased oxygen wafer, and generates excursion of the apex of the dome in the order of 0.02 - 0.05 inches when a rated drive voltage of 350 V rms is applied between the convex and the concave surfaces of the dome shaped actuator. The load capacity exceeds 10 lbs. The edge of the rim of the dome shaped actuator must be free to rock when the dome height varies to ensure low distortion in the loudspeaker. This is achieved by mounting the rim of the dome shaped actuator on a support surface by prestress only. An exceptionally simple design uses a planar speaker membrane with the center part of one side pressed against the rim of a dome shaped actuator by prestress from a stretched latex surround member

High Displacement Solid State Ferroelectric Loudspeaker

A piezoelectric loudspeaker suitable for midrange frequencies uses a dome shaped piezoelectric actuator to a speaker membrane directly is discussed. The dome shaped actuator is made from a reduced and internally biased oxygen wafer, and generates excursion of the apex of the dome in the order of 0.02-0.05 inches when a rated drive voltage of 350 V rms is applied between the convex and the concave surface of the dome shaped actuator. The load capacity exceeds 10 lbs. The edge of the rim of the dome shaped actuator must be free to rock when the dome height varies to ensure low distortion in the loudspeaker. This is achieved by mounting the rim of the dome shaped actuator on a support surface by prestress only. An exceptionally simple design uses a planar speaker membrane with the center part of one side pressed against the rim of a dome shaped actuator by prestress from a stretched latex surround member