) a swarm at Strandline Lake, which continued for several years (1996-1999); and (5) deformation of Mt. Peulik (inflation begins after October

Abstract In the fall of 1996 the Alaska Volcano Observatory recorded an unprecedented level of seismic and volcanic activity. The following were observed: (1) a swarm at Iliamna Volcano (August 1996 to mid-1997); (2) an eruption at Pavlof Volcano (September 1996 to December 1996; (3) a swarm at Martin/Mageik volcanoes (October 1996); (4) a swarm at Strandline Lake, which continued for several years (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999); and (5) deformation of Mt. Peulik (inflation begins after October 1996 and ends in fall 1998), based on interpretation of interferometric synthetic aperture radar data. The number of monitored volcanic areas in 1996 was thirteen. We conducted two formal statistical tests to determine the likelihood of four of these events occurring randomly in the same time interval. The tests are based on different conceptual probabilistic models (classical and Bayesian) that embrace a wide range of realistic tectonic models. The first test considered only the areas in which swarms or eruptions occurred (7 of 13 if Strandline Lake is included; 6 of 12 otherwise), by comparing the real catalog with 10,000 synthetic catalogs under the assumption that the sites are independent. The second method is a hierarchical Bayesian model in which the probability of a swarm at each of the 13 (or 12) areas is different but the parent population is the same. We found that the likelihood of the swarms and eruption occurring nearly simultaneously by chance alone is small for a wide range of probabilistic schemes and, consequently, for different tectonic scenarios. Therefore, we conclude that the events may be related to a single process. We speculate that a widespread deformation pulse or strain transient occurred, mainly in the east half of the arc, and may be the most likely candidate for causing such nearly simultaneous events

Permanent Draft Genome sequence for Frankia sp. strain CcI49, a Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterium Isolated from Casuarina cunninghamiana that Infects Elaeagnaceae

Frankia sp. strain CcI49 was isolated from Casuarina cunninghamiana nodules. However the strain was unable to re-infect Casuarina, but was able to infect other actinorhizal plants including Elaeagnaceae. Here, we report the 9.8-Mbp draft genome sequence of Frankia sp. strain CcI49 with a G+C content of 70.5 % and 7,441 candidate protein-encoding genes. Analysis of the genome revealed the presence of a bph operon involved in the degradation of biphenyls and polychlorinated biphenyls

Innovative Interstellar Explorer: Radioisotope Propulsion to the Interstellar Medium

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77355/1/AIAA-2005-4272-245.pd

Linkage to HIV Care and Antiretroviral Therapy in Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been scaled-up rapidly in Africa. Programme reports typically focus on loss to follow-up and mortality among patients receiving ART. However, little is known about linkage and retention in care of individuals prior to starting ART. METHODOLOGY: Data on adult residents from a periurban community in Cape Town were collected at a primary care clinic and hospital. HIV testing registers, CD4 count results provided by the National Health Laboratory System and ART registers were linked. A random sample (n = 885) was drawn from adults testing HIV positive through antenatal care, sexual transmitted disease and voluntary testing and counseling services between January 2004 and March 2009. All adults (n = 103) testing HIV positive through TB services during the same time period were also included in the study. Linkage to HIV care was defined as attending for a CD4 count measurement within 6 months of HIV diagnosis. Linkage to ART care was defined as initiating ART within 6 months of HIV diagnosis in individuals with a CD4 count ≤200 cells/µl taken within 6 months of HIV diagnosis. FINDINGS: Only 62.6% of individuals attended for a CD4 count measurement within 6 months of testing HIV positive. Individuals testing through sexually transmitted infection services had the best (84.1%) and individuals testing on their own initiative (53.5%) the worst linkage to HIV care. One third of individuals with timely CD4 counts were eligible for ART and 66.7% of those were successfully linked to ART care. Linkage to ART care was highest among antenatal care clients. Among individuals not yet eligible for ART only 46.3% had a repeat CD4 count. Linkage to HIV care improved in patients tested in more recent calendar period. CONCLUSION: Linkage to HIV and ART care was low in this poor peri-urban community despite free services available within close proximity. More efforts are needed to link VCT scale-up to subsequent care

Predictors of low cervical cancer screening among immigrant women in Ontario, Canada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Disparities in cervical cancer screening are known to exist in Ontario, Canada for foreign-born women. The relative importance of various barriers to screening may vary across ethnic groups. This study aimed to determine how predictors of low cervical cancer screening, reflective of sociodemographics, the health care system, and migration, varied by region of origin for Ontario's immigrant women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a validated billing code algorithm, we determined the proportion of women who were not screened during the three-year period of 2006-2008 among 455 864 identified immigrant women living in Ontario's urban centres. We created eight identical multivariate Poisson models, stratified by eight regions of origin for immigrant women. In these models, we adjusted for various sociodemographic, health care-related and migration-related variables. We then used the resulting adjusted relative risks to calculate population-attributable fractions for each variable by region of origin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Region of origin was not a significant source of effect modification for lack of recent cervical cancer screening. Certain variables were significantly associated with lack of screening across all or nearly all world regions. These consisted of not being in the 35-49 year age group, residence in the lowest-income neighbourhoods, not being in a primary care patient enrolment model, a provider from the same region, and not having a female provider. For all women, the highest population-attributable risk was seen for not having a female provider, with values ranging from 16.8% [95% CI 14.6-19.1%] among women from the Middle East and North Africa to 27.4% [95% CI 26.2-28.6%] for women from East Asia and the Pacific.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To increase screening rates across immigrant groups, efforts should be made to ensure that women have access to a regular source of primary care, and ideally access to a female health professional. Efforts should also be made to increase the enrolment of immigrant women in new primary care patient enrolment models.</p

Reduced Lentivirus Susceptibility in Sheep with TMEM154 Mutations

Visna/Maedi, or ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP) as it is known in the United States, is an incurable slow-acting disease of sheep caused by persistent lentivirus infection. This disease affects multiple tissues, including those of the respiratory and central nervous systems. Our aim was to identify ovine genetic risk factors for lentivirus infection. Sixty-nine matched pairs of infected cases and uninfected controls were identified among 736 naturally exposed sheep older than five years of age. These pairs were used in a genome-wide association study with 50,614 markers. A single SNP was identified in the ovine transmembrane protein (TMEM154) that exceeded genome-wide significance (unadjusted p-value 3×10−9). Sanger sequencing of the ovine TMEM154 coding region identified six missense and two frameshift deletion mutations in the predicted signal peptide and extracellular domain. Two TMEM154 haplotypes encoding glutamate (E) at position 35 were associated with infection while a third haplotype with lysine (K) at position 35 was not. Haplotypes encoding full-length E35 isoforms were analyzed together as genetic risk factors in a multi-breed, matched case-control design, with 61 pairs of 4-year-old ewes. The odds of infection for ewes with one copy of a full-length TMEM154 E35 allele were 28 times greater than the odds for those without (p-value<0.0001, 95% CI 5–1,100). In a combined analysis of nine cohorts with 2,705 sheep from Nebraska, Idaho, and Iowa, the relative risk of infection was 2.85 times greater for sheep with a full-length TMEM154 E35 allele (p-value<0.0001, 95% CI 2.36–3.43). Although rare, some sheep were homozygous for TMEM154 deletion mutations and remained uninfected despite a lifetime of significant exposure. Together, these findings indicate that TMEM154 may play a central role in ovine lentivirus infection and removing sheep with the most susceptible genotypes may help eradicate OPP and protect flocks from reinfection

Volcanic Seismicity

Volcano seismology is the study of earthquakes of volcanic origin as well as of velocity structure, attenuation, and other physical properties of the Earth materials that affect the passage of seismic waves at volcanoes. Volcanic earthquakes may be defined as earthquakes that occur at or near volcanoes, generally within 15 km, or that are related to volcanic processes. Volcanoes are places where heat and mobile fluids are concentrated, so the number of earthquakes per unit time is high when compared with normal crust. Most volcanic earthquakes take place at shallower depths (1–9 km) than tectonic earthquakes on typical faults (generally to depths of about 15 km in the crust; as deep as 700 km in subduction zones). Volcanic events also differ in their patterns of occurrence: they often occur in swarms, which are groups of many small events with similar magnitudes and locations. This is in contrast to the typical mainshock–aftershock sequences characteristic of tectonic earthquakes. Volcanoes produce different types of earthquakes that are thought to represent different physical processes

Eruption Characteristics and Cycles at Pavlof Volcano, Alaska, and Their Relation to Regional Earthquake Activity

Pavlof Volcano (55° 25′N, 161° 54′W) exhibits two eruption styles: magmatic eruptions of one-to-two-days duration, and phreatic-phreatomagmatic activity lasting several days to two months. Thirty-four eruptions have occurred in historic times; of these the largest are Volcano Explosivity Index=3. Nine magmatic and 13 phreatomagmatic eruptions occurred between 1973–1983. All the magmatic eruptions occurred in the fall, between Sept. 9–Nov. 20. Four magmatic eruptions occurred during November 11–15, but in four different years. A 3-year-long period of eruptive activity between 1973–1976 bears striking resemblance to a period of activity between 1980–1983. No locatable shallow earthquakes (\u3c50 \u3ekm) have occurred within 30 km of Pavlof since 1973, which is quite unusual for an active island-arc volcano. Shallow events in the adjacent are segments have focal mechanisms with P-axes perpendicular to the arc (and parallel to plate convergence). Deep earthquakes (\u3e 100 km) are clustered beneath Pavlof and several other volcanoes. Their T-axes show downdip tension within the slab. Deep teleseisms (\u3e 160 km) mostly occurred between 1977–1979 when the volcano was not erupting. Catalogued volcanic activity throughout the Alaska/Aleutian arc shows a weak tendency to increase around the time of great (M \u3e 7.8) earthquakes