Search

We determined if a microbial inoculant could improve the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage subjected to various challenges during storage that included an air stress challenge and low packing density. In Experiment 1, whole-plant corn was untreated (CTR) or treated (INO, Lactobacillus buchneri 40788 and Pediococcus pentosaceus 12455. Five individually replicated 7.5-L silos, at a density of 240 kg of dry matter (DM)/m3, for each treatment were kept sealed (NAS) for 19 wk, air stressed early (ES, 3 h/wk for wk 1-9), or air stressed late during storage (LS, 3 h/wk for wk 10-19). Inoculation increased the number of agar-culturable lactic acid bacteria regardless of air stress status, but it did not affect the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Early, but not late air stress, resulted in silages with a higher relative abundance of Acetobacter when compared with NAS. Silages treated with INO had greater concentrations of acetic acid than CTR. Numbers of yeasts were lowest for INO regardless of air stress and CTR-LS had the most yeasts among all treatments. Silages that were not air stressed had a higher relative abundance of Candida tropicalis than air stressed silages. Monascus purpureus was detected in ES and LS but not in NAS, and its relative abundance was numerically higher in CTR-ES than in INO-ES and statistically higher in CTR-LS compared with INO-LS. Early air stress numerically reduced aerobic stability compared with NAS, and there was a statistical tendency for lower stability in LS compared with NAS. Inoculation improved aerobic stability regardless of when the air stress occurred. In Experiment 2, corn silage was prepared with the same primary treatments of CTR and INO but was packed at a low (LD; 180 kg of DM/m3) or a normal (ND; 240 kg of DM/m3) density and sealed (NAS) or air stressed (AS; 24 h on d 28, 42, and 89) for 92 d of storage. The concentration of acetic acid was greater in INO compared with CTR and in AS compared with NAS. Numbers of yeasts were lower in NAS compared with AS regardless of inoculation and they were lower in INO-AS compared with CTR-AS. Treatment with INO improved aerobic stability but the improvement was better in NAS versus AS and better in ND versus LD. Overall, our experiments corroborate past findings showing that INO markedly improves the aerobic stability of corn silage but they are the first to show that improvement can be sustained even when the silage was exposed to regular air stresses and when packed at a low density.

Paleozoic rocks occur in seven wells in the Hopedale Basin, offshore Labrador (Hopedale E-33, South Hopedale L-39, Tyrk P-100, Gudrid H-55, Roberval K-92, Indian Harbour M-52, and Freydis B-87), where they represent erosional remnants primarily associated with Cretaceous syn-rift half grabens. Previous palynological studies have reported a range of ages for the Paleozoic in these wells, including Ordovician, Devonian, Carboniferous, and undifferentiated Paleozoic. Palynological analyses in the present study confirm that recovery is limited, primarily due to the predominance of lithologies that hinder palynomorph preservation, specifically dolostones. Palynomorphs (predominantly acritarchs and chitinozoans) have been analyzed from new and archived samples from the seven wells and have, for the first time, produced consistent age determinations for the Paleozoic strata in all wells: palynomorph assemblages considered in place indicate a Middle to Late Ordovician age. Thermal maturity was determined from Ordovician acritarchs and leiospheres observed in the Gudrid H-55, Roberval K-92, Indian Harbour M-52, and Freydis B-87 wells, with thermal alteration indices (TAI) ranging from approximately 5+ to 6+ (dry gas). Carboniferous miospores are present from Paleozoic strata in the southern Hopedale Basin wells, where their TAI values range from 3+ to 4. These miospores are interpreted as contaminants introduced into the samples via cavings or as drilling mud contamination. The data presented here provides new biostratigraphic constraints for the Paleozoic of the Hopedale Basin (Middle to Late Ordovician), facilitates the correlation of the Paleozoic intervals in these wells, and enables the consideration of Labrador margin Lower Paleozoic strata in regional studies as well as in paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions.

Deposition and fuel retention profiles in low power hydrogen L-mode plasmas and neon (Ne) seeded ITER DT burning plasmas have been investigated. Two different Ne seeded plasma backgrounds with varying sub-divertor neutral pressures but the same Ne impurity concentration are considered, representing high recycling and partially detached divertor solutions. The 2D SOLPS numerical grid does not extend all the way to the wall surfaces so that an extrapolation of the plasma background is required and is performed using a second simulation stage in which the far scrape-off layer (SOL) region is numerically gridded and plasma transport solved on the extended grid using the OSM (a 1D simplified Braginski code) approach [1] . The plasma conditions chosen for this far SOL region strongly influence the results. The hydrogenic flux is calculated from the electronic density and ion flow, the latter of which has an assumed distribution. Depending on the main-SOL plasma flow parameters and far-SOL density, fuel retention is driven by deposition on the first wall (when parallel flow through the main-SOL is switched off), or by deposition on the divertor (parallel flow through the main-SOL is switched on). When retention is dominated by deposition on the first wall, there is slightly more retention in the partially detached case compared to a high recycling scenario. In the low power cases, there is insignificant deposition and fuel retention.

Tokamak plasmas with vertically elongated cross-sections are unstable due to vertical displacements. Feedback stabilization of the ITER plasma current centre will be performed using the speed of its vertical displacements, dZ/dt, as input. Inevitable noise in the diagnostic signal for dZ/dt leads to “noisy” components in the feedback voltage and current in the stabilizing coils. This leads to noisy components in the vertical position of the plasma current centre and the divertor strike points. For burning plasma conditions on ITER, these strike point displacements may be a concern for thermal fatigue at the water cooling interface of the tungsten monoblocks constituting the divertor targets. A study is presented here in which this concern is examined for the first time. The baseline 15 MA scenario (fusion power of 500 MW with a 500 s flattop and fusion power gain, QDT = 10) is simulated with the DINA code, assuming low frequency noise in the dZ/dt diagnostic signal. The noise has uniform spectrum with a given root mean square (RMS) value ( =0.6 ms−1 or 0.2 ms−1) in the frequency band (0, 1 kHz). The results of these DINA simulations are combined with dissipative divertor plasma solutions obtained with the SOLPS-ITER plasma boundary code to provide a time dependent divertor target heat flux density profile. The latter is then imposed on a finite element model of the target monoblocks to assess the temporal evolution of the 3D temperature field in the block, including the Cu-W and Cu-CuCrZr joints at the cooling interface. These joints represent the points of the Cu and CuCrZr materials that see the largest temperature changes and are thus at greatest risk of failure. To evaluate an acceptance criterion on the non-cyclic and non-uniform thermal loads at the joints, an approach is developed which combines a Rainflow counting technique with Palmgren-Miner’s rule for fatigue accumulation. Analysis of the temperature evolution at the Cu-W joint shows that the RMS value of noise ∼0.6 ms−1 is unacceptable from the point of view of thermal fatigue for the expected total exposure time under burning plasma conditions that the first ITER divertor must survive. The lower value ( ∼0.2 ms−1) is found to be acceptable. A subsequent parametric study concludes that ≲ 0.44 ms−1 is just consistent with fatigue lifetime for the prescribed divertor power flux density profile, but should be kept lower than this to allow for some margin. Regarding the monoblock surface temperature, the natural power spreading caused by the separatrix movements is found to be beneficial from the point of view of recrystallization. For the level of noise in the dZ/dt diagnostic required to stay below joint fatigue limits, the average surface temperature on the most loaded monoblocks is reduced by ∼100 °C compared to the case with stationary strike points and the amount of time spent at this temperature at any one block by over 80 %.

Background & Aim Chimeric-Antigen-Receptor T(CAR-T) cells have shown impressive clinical outcomes for hematologic malignancies and are also being actively investigated as a potential treatment for solid tumors. With the benefit of reduced cost of goods, improved product quality and reduce sterility concerns, a closed and automated manufacturing process is one of the major focuses in process development for CAR-T cell manufacturing. Closed processing platforms for early stages of the manufacturing process, such as cell selection and cell expansion, are available, for example the CliniMACS Prodigyâ. However, there is a lack of a ready-to-implement systems for the final formulation steps due to the need to utilize cryopreservation medias that typically contain DMSO. Methods, Results & Conclusion Based on the performance parameters provided by vendors, we have analyzed three different cell wash/formulation systems (Sepax C-ProO from GE, LOVOO from Fresenius Kabi, and Roteaâ from Thermo Fisher) that are commercially available, for their versatility, flexibility, and costs. We demonstrated the potential to successfully close the process utilizing those systems, and to generate cell product with similar quality compared to the existing open process involving centrifugation.

On the eve of component procurement, this paper discusses the present physics basis for the first ITER tungsten (W) divertor, beginning with a reminder of the key elements defining the overall design, and outlining relevant aspects of the Research Plan accompanying the new “staged approach” to ITER nuclear operations which fixes the overall divertor lifetime constraint. The principal focus is on the main design driver, steady state power fluxes in the DT phases, obtained from simulations using the 2-D SOLPS-4.3 and SOLPS-ITER plasma boundary codes, assuming the use of the low Z seeding impurities nitrogen (N) and neon (Ne). A new perspective on the simulation database is adopted, concentrating purely on the divertor physics aspects rather than on the core-edge integration, which has been studied extensively in the course of the divertor design evolution and is published elsewhere. Emphasis is placed on factors which may increase the peak steady state loads: divertor target shaping for component misalignment protection, the influence of fluid drifts, and the consequences of narrow scrape-off layer heat flux channels. All tend to push the divertor into an operating space at higher sub-divertor neutral pressure in order to remain at power flux densities acceptable for the target material. However, a revised criterion for the maximum tolerable loads based on avoidance of W recrystallization, sets an upper limit potentially ∼50% higher than the previously accepted value of ∼10 MW m−2, a consequence both of the choice of material and the finalized component design. Although the simulation database is currently restricted to the 2-D toroidally symmetric situation, considerable progress is now also being made using the EMC3-Eirene 3-D code suite for the assessment of power loading in the presence of magnetic perturbations for ELM control. Some new results for low input power corresponding to the early H-mode operation phases are reported, showing that even if realistic plasma screening is taken into account, significant asymmetric divertor heat fluxes may arise far from the unperturbed strike point. The issue of tolerable limits for transient heat pulses is an open and key question. A new scaling for ELM power deposition has shown that whilst there may be more latitude for operation at higher current without ELM control, the ultimate limit is likely to be set more by material fatigue under large numbers of sub-threshold melting events. Keywords: ITER, Tungsten, Divertor, Heat fluxes, SOLPS

Purpose: Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) is the most common cause of non-glaucomatous optic nerve head (ONH) injury among older adults. AION results from a sudden ischemic insult to the proximal portion of the optic nerve, typically leading to visual impairment. Here, we present an experimental model of photodynamically induced ONH injury that can be used to study neuroprotective modalities. Methods: Intraperitoneal injection of mesoporphyrin IX was followed by photodynamic treatment of the ONH in one eye of Brown-Norway rats; the fellow eye received the reverse sequence as a sham control. Fluorescein angiography (FA), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and visual evoked potential (VEP) recordings were performed at different time points following laser treatment. Immunohistochemistry was used to monitor apoptotic cell death (TUNEL) and macrophage infiltration (CD68). Cytokine levels were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: FA showed early hyperfluorescence and late leakage of the ONH, while SD-OCT revealed optic nerve edema. No leakage or other abnormalities were detected in control eyes. VEPs were significantly reduced in amplitude and showed prolonged responses compared to sham eyes. The number of apoptotic retinal ganglion cells was elevated one day after laser treatment (13.77 ± 4.49, p < 0.01) and peaked on day 7 (57.22 ± 11.34, p < 0.01). ONH macrophage infiltration also peaked on day 7 (101.8 ± 9.8, p < 0.05). ELISAs performed showed upregulation of macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 on days 3 and 1, respectively. Conclusions: Photodynamic treatment of the ONH after administration of mesoporphyrin IX leads to macroscopic, histologic, and physiologic evidence of ONH injury. Given the long half-life of mesoporphyrin IX and the ease of intraperitoneal injections, this new model of photodynamically induced ONH injury may be a useful tool for studying optic nerve injury and possible neuroprotective treatments. © 2016 Taylor & Francis.

During two studies, effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on plasma and milk IGF's in cows adapted to summer (S; 12 cows) or winter (W; 12 cows) conditions were evaluated. Each study consisted of on-farm periods (30 days) followed by climatology chamber periods (CC; 30 days). Cows were given daily injections of rbST, Sometribove, USAN (25mg/day; 6 cows each study) or saline (control; 6 cows each study). During on-farm periods, blood and milk (am and pm) samples were collected once weekly. During CC periods, blood samples were collected every 2 days and milk samples (am and pm) were collected daily. Plasma IGF-I and IGF-II were increased in cows treated with rbST. A pronounced seasonal pattern in basal and rbST-stimulated plasma IGF-I but not IGF-II was detected. Higher basal and rbST-stimulated plasma IGF-I concentrations in S occurred despite large decreases in feed intake and energy balance. Milk IGF-I and IGF-II was not affected by rbST treatment or season. Although milk IGF-I and IGF-II concentrations were unaffected by rbST treatment, total IGF-output increased due to increased milk yield. The observed seasonal patterns in plasma IGF-I may be indicative of seasonal differences in the coupling of the somatotropin-IGF axis. In particular, we failed to detect an uncoupling of the somatotropin-IGF-I axis in S despite an induced negative energy balance during thermal stress.

The feeding behaviour of insects is a difficult ecological interaction to study. To date, entomologists have used biochemical and molecular techniques to identify the meals of predatory insects. We present here a molecular approach to identifying the DNA of plant species in the insect gut using the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase gene large subunit (rbcL). A reference collection of 23 plant species from the southern Jordan Valley, Israel, was genetically characterized and employed. Insects belonging to eight different families were collected in the field along with the plants upon which they were found. After collection and prior to analysis, these insects were isolated on the plants they were found upon in the laboratory. This was to ensure that the insects had only one plant meal in their gut, as multiple plant meals would require additional techniques like cloning. A blind study was performed, genetically confirming plant DNA to species level from the processed gut contents of the insects. All reference plant species could be differentiated using a 157 bp long fragment of the rbcL gene. Plant DNA was identifiable, and the meal of the respective insect was accurately determined in each case. Analyses using experimentally fed crickets, Gryllodes hebraeus, determined that plant DNA was still detectable by PCR up to 12 h post-ingestion. This research proposes the application of molecular techniques for the identification of herbivorous insect feeding behaviour to increase understanding of plant–insect interactions.

Silicone rubber has received attention as an alternative to polyvinyltoluene in applications in which the scintillator is exposed to high doses of radiation because of the increased resistance of the rubber to the formation of blue-absorbing color centers. Work by Bowen, et al., and Harmon, et al., has demonstrated their properties under gamma/X-ray irradiation, and Bell, et al. have shown their response to thermal neutrons. This last work, however, provides an example of a silicone in which both the boron and the scintillator are contained in the rubber as solutes, a formulation which leads to the precipitation of solids and sublimation of the boron component. In the present work we describe a scintillator in which the boron is chemically bonded to the siloxane and so avoids the problem of precipitation and loss of boron to sublimation. Material containing up to 18% boron, by weight, was prepared, mounted on photomultipliers, and exposed to both neutron and gamma fluxes. Pulse height spectra showing the neutron and photon response were obtained, and although the light output was found to be much poorer than from samples in which boron was dissolved, the higher boron concentrations enabled essentially 100% neutron absorption in only a few millimeters of rubber.

Monoclonal antibody hepatocyte paraffin 1 (Hep Par 1) is reported to be highly specific and sensitive for hepatocellular tumours of humans and dogs. However, in a previous study we observed immunoreactivity for Hep Par 1 in an intestinal adenocarcinoma metastatic to the liver. In this paper, we examined normal intestine and 57 canine intestinal tumours including adenocarcinomas of the small and large intestine, colonorectal polyps, mucinous carcinomas, stromal tumours, leiomyosarcomas, fibrosarcoma, plasmacytomas, and osteosarcoma for immunoreactivity for Hep Par 1. Normal intestinal epithelial cells were strongly labelled, particularly at the base of crypts. However, epithelial cells in small intestinal neoplasms had variable reactivity for Hep Par 1. In contrast, normal colonic epithelium was seldom labelled, but hyperplastic or neoplastic colonic epithelium was usually reactive to Hep Par 1. Five of seven small intestinal adenocarcinomas, two of three large intestinal adenocarcinomas, two of three mucinous adenocarcinomas, and all (29) rectal polyps were positive for Hep Par 1. The staining was diffuse, granular and cytoplasmic. The only non-epithelial tumours positive for Hep Par 1 were two of four leiomyosarcomas. Hep Par 1 can be used to differentiate hepatocellular from biliary neoplasms but its value in differentiating metastatic tumours to the liver is questionable due to the reactivity of Hep Par 1 in many intestinal tumours.

A study was carried out to measure the growth and germinal tissue responses of young bull calf whose testicles were exposed to different levels of high energy, pulsed beams (X rays). Treatments (absorbed doses) were 0, 1530, 1980, 3060, or 6300 rads. Body weights were measured monthly for 10 mo; testosterone concentrations were measured in mo 2 and 5. At the end of the study, scrotal circumferences were measured, and testes were removed and weighed. Sections of testes were taken, processed, and evaluated for effects on germinal epithelium. Treatments did not affect body weights or weight gains. Testosterone concentrations at mo 5 generally decreased with increased energy dose. Testicular weights were not different among treatments; generally, scrotal circumferences decreased and germinal tissue degeneration increased as the absorbed dose was increased.

Daily parathyroid hormone (PTH) injections that transiently increase plasma PTH levels within the physiological range increase bone mass in osteopenic, ovariectomized (ovx) rats. This study tested the hypothesis that repeated transient decreases in plasma PTH levels from normal, induced by the daily oral administration of the calcimimetic NPS R-568, would induce an anabolic effect in bone of ovx rats with established osteopenia and/or prevent the rapid bone loss that occurs following ovx. In the reversal study, NPS R-568 was administered orally (10 or 100 micromol/kg) for 30 days to 14-month-old retired breeder rats that were ovx 5 months earlier. NPS R-568 treatment did not increase bone formation rate (BFR) or cancellous bone area (B.Ar) in the proximal tibial metaphysis, or bone mineral density (BMD), at any femoral site. In the prevention study, 3-month-old virgin rats were ovx and given NPS R-568 for the following 28 days. The 10 micromol/kg dose prevented the increase in osteoclast number and 42% of the loss of B.Ar, without affecting the elevated osteoblast populations or BFR. Surprisingly, the 100 micromol/kg dose had fewer protective effects, despite preventing the increase in BFR in both cancellous and cortical bone. Detailed analysis of cancellous bone showed that tendency for a dose-related protection of true cancellous bone occurred, but, while the 10 micromol/kg dose prevented 88% of the loss of calcified cartilage seen in control ovx rats, the 100 micromol/kg dose increased that loss by a further 31%. The mechanism underlying these disparate effects of NPS R-568 on calcified cartilage accumulation in the tibial metaphysis is unclear, but may be related to the different effects that the two doses have on plasma Ca(2+) levels. In conclusion, transient increases in PTH levels above basal, and not simple oscillations in hormone levels below normal, appear necessary for the anabolic properties of endogenous PTH to be manifested in the bones of osteopenic ovx rats.

Cross section ratios for deep-inelastic scattering from 14N and 3He with respect to 2H have been measured by the HERMES experiment at DESY using a 27.5 GeV positron beam. The data cover a range in the Bjorken scaling variable x between 0.013 and 0.65, while the negative squared four-momentum transfer Q^2 varies from 0.5 to 15 GeV^2. The data are compared to measurements performed by NMC, E665, and SLAC on 4He and 12C, and are found to be different for x < 0.06 and Q^2 < 1.5 GeV^2. The observed difference is attributed to an A-dependence of the ratio R = sigma_L / sigma_T of longitudinal to transverse deep-inelastic scattering cross sections at low x and low Q^2.

A measurement of the proton spin structure function g1p(x,Q^2) in deep-inelastic scattering is presented. The data were taken with the 27.6 GeV longitudinally polarised positron beam at HERA incident on a longitudinally polarised pure hydrogen gas target internal to the storage ring. The kinematic range is 0.021, Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, RevTeX latex

This paper describes the development of an intelligent process-control system for the production of fiber-reinforced organic polymeric composites. The composite material consists of a polymer matrix (polyamide resin F174) and high-modulus quartz-fiber reinforcement. This composite material has good mechanical properties at high temperatures, and possesses a low dielectric constant, making it suitable for applications in missile radomes. The problem is that the raw materials are chemically reactive, and the process-control system must enable adaptation to variations in the temperature-time exposure of the raw materials and/or variations which may occur in the materials received from different suppliers. The uniqueness of the control system lies in that it is self-directing, and relies on information derived from sensors (laser fiber-optic probes and dielectric sensors) placed within the material. In addition, a materials-transformation model based on the chemical kinetics of the polymerization process calculates a number of key polymer parameters, such as degree of imidization, degree of cure, molecular weight distribution, and polydispersity ratio in situ. The collective ability to collect high-quality sensor information, to run sophisticated but robust process models in real time, to make complex decisions using artificial intelligence (AI), and to implement these decisions for controlling the structure of the actual material being processed represents a significant breakthrough in materials and process capability in this field. The focus of this work, measuring and controlling the physical and chemical properties of the material, rather than the physical attributes of the processing machinery, is an important paradigm shift.

The HERMES experiment is collecting data on inclusive and semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering of polarised positrons from polarised targets of H, D, and He. These data give information on the spin structure of the nucleon. This paper describes the forward angle spectrometer built for this purpose. The spectrometer includes numerous tracking chambers (micro-strip gas chambers, drift and proportional chambers) in front of and behind a 1.3 T.m magnetic field, as well as an extensive set of detectors for particle identification (a lead-glass calorimeter, a pre-shower detector, a transition radiation detector, and a threshold Cherenkov detector). Two of the main features of the spectrometer are its good acceptance and identification of both positrons and hadrons, in particular pions. These characteristics, together with the purity of the targets, are allowing HERMES to make unique contributions to the understanding of how the spins of the quarks contribute to the spin of the nucleon., 37 pages, 32 figures, 4 tables

Results are reported from the HERMES experiment at HERA on a measurement of the neutron spin structure function g1n(x, Q2) in deep inelastic scattering using 27.5 GeV longitudinally polarized positrons incident on a polarized 3He internal gas target. The data cover the kinematic range 0.023

International audience; ObjectivesInfluenza seasonality remains poorly studied in Equatorial regions. Here we assessed the seasonal characteristics and environmental drivers of influenza epidemics in French Guiana, where influenza surveillance was established in 2006.MethodsSentinel GPs monitored weekly incidence of Influenza-like illnesses (ILI) from January 2006 through December 2010 and collected nasopharyngeal specimens from patients for virological confirmation. Times series analysis was used to investigate relationship between ILI and climatic parameters (rainfall and specific humidity).ResultsBased on 1533 viruses identified during the study period, we observed marked seasonality in the circulation of influenza virus in the pre-pandemic period, followed by year-round activity in the post-pandemic period, with a peak in the rainy season. ILI incidence showed seasonal autoregressive variation based on ARIMA analysis. Multivariate dynamic regression revealed that a 1 mm increase of rainfall resulted in an increase of 0.33% in ILI incidence one week later, adjusting for specific humidity (SH). Conversely, an increase of 1 g/kg of SH resulted in a decrease of 11% in ILI incidence 3 weeks later, adjusting for rainfall.ConclusionsIncreased rainfall and low levels of specific humidity favour influenza transmission in French Guiana.

Domestic and international air-flights.To estimate the risk of tuberculosis (TB) transmission aboard aircraft.A contact investigation of passengers and crew from two flights was conducted following identification of a fellow passenger with pulmonary TB. Immediate post-exposure and follow-up tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) were obtained.Of 120 contacts, 86 (72%) had a negative TST (5 mm); 29 (24%) a positive TST (or = 5 mm), and 5 (4%) a TST conversion. Of the 29 persons with a positive TST, 27 had other identified risk factors for TB. Risk factors for positive TST included non-US birth (Relative Risk (RR) 9.7 P0.01) or history of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination (RR undefined; P0.01). Risk was not associated with specific aircraft or seat relative to the index case for US-born contacts. All five TST converters were born in countries where BCG vaccine is routinely given.The positive TST reactions and conversions suggest boosting from BCG vaccination or prior exposure in TB-endemic countries. Since two positive contacts had no other identified risk factor, TB transmission on board the aircraft could not be excluded. Contact investigation of exposed aircraft passengers should be considered on a case-by-case basis, with consideration of the infectiousness of the ill passenger and the flight circumstances.

Androgens are associated with the greater skeletal mass and size in men compared with women and have been used as anabolic agents promoting skeletal growth and mineral accretion in both sexes, but specific effects on growth and bone formation in the female skeleton are not well understood. The effects of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) alone, and in combination with 17 beta-estradiol on bone and bone growth were studied in female ovariectomized (OVX) rats with established osteopenia. Eight weeks after OVX, rats were given 0.1 mg 17 beta-estradiol and/or 2.5 mg or 10 mg DHT administered by controlled-release pellets for 2 months. Body weights decreased with estrogen treatment but increased with DHT. Bone mineral density increased with the highest dose of DHT relative to OVX controls and the estrogen treated group. Dry and ashed bone weights and ash/dry weight ratios increased in the estrogen and DHT treated animals compared to the baseline OVX controls. Total bone calcium was greater with DHT and estrogen combined with DHT. The percent of calcium in the ash increased in all DHT treated groups. When normalized to final body weight, the total femur calcium content was significantly increased in the estrogen and estrogen with DHT groups, but not in the DHT groups compared with the baseline OVX and OVX control groups. The periosteal bone formation rates were increased with the high dose DHT alone and combined with estrogen. OVX rats had increased endochondral bone elongation rates relative to controls but this was decreased with estrogen treatment. DHT combined with estrogen increased endochondral growth rates relative to the estrogen treated group. Trabecular bone volume was decreased in all OVX groups relative to the base line group, but there were no significant effects observed with any treatments. Cancellous bone formation rates were suppressed with estrogen treatment but were partially reversed when combined with DHT. DHT treatments also increased most cancellous bone formation indices over OVX controls. While estrogen is known to preserve skeletal mass by reducing bone turnover, DHT increased skeletal mass by promoting bone growth and formation with concomitant increases in total body mass. DHT had greater effects on cortical bone and partially mitigated the suppressive effects of estrogen on bone growth and formation in the female skeleton.

A “self-consistent” polycrystalline model is used to simulate irradiation growth of Zircaloy-2 samples irradiated at about 330 K. The predictions of the model are compared with experimental measurements obtained from specimens irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho Falls. Three types of material are studied here, i.e. annealed, cold worked in tension and cold worked by rolling. In general, the growth rate attains a steady state value after it goes through a transient that depends on the initial state of the material. The transient growth behaviour is explained in terms of the evolution of intergranular residual stresses that are present in the sample, and in terms of the dislocation structure. From this study, information regarding irradiation creep and growth mechanisms occurring at the single crystal level is obtained.

Background Increasing our knowledge of past influenza pandemic patterns in different regions of the world is crucial to guide preparedness plans against future influenza pandemics. Here, we undertook extensive archival collection efforts from three representative cities of Peru—Lima in the central coast, Iquitos in the northeastern Amazon region, Ica in the southern coast—to characterize the temporal, age and geographic patterns of the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic in this country. Materials and methods We analyzed historical documents describing the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic in Peru and retrieved individual mortality records from local provincial archives for quantitative analysis. We applied seasonal excess mortality models to daily and monthly respiratory mortality rates for 1917–1920 and quantified transmissibility estimates based on the daily growth rate in respiratory deaths. Results A total of 52,739 individual mortality records were inspected from local provincial archives. We found evidence for an initial mild pandemic wave during July–September 1918 in Lima, identified a synchronized severe pandemic wave of respiratory mortality in all three locations during November 1918–February 1919, and a severe pandemic wave during January 1920–March 1920 in Lima and July–October 1920 in Ica. There was no recrudescent pandemic wave in 1920 in Iquitos. Remarkably, Lima experienced the brunt of the 1918–1920 excess mortality impact during the 1920 recrudescent wave, with all age groups experiencing an increase in all cause excess mortality from 1918–1919 to 1920. Middle age groups experienced the highest excess mortality impact, relative to baseline levels, in the 1918–1919 and 1920 pandemic waves. Cumulative excess mortality rates for the 1918–1920 pandemic period were higher in Iquitos (2.9%) than Lima (1.6%). The mean reproduction number for Lima was estimated in the range 1.3–1.5. Conclusions We identified synchronized pandemic waves of intense excess respiratory mortality during November 1918–February 1919 in Lima, Iquitos, Ica, followed by asynchronous recrudescent waves in 1920. Cumulative data from quantitative studies of the 1918 influenza pandemic in Latin American settings have confirmed the high mortality impact associated with this pandemic. Further historical studies in lesser studied regions of Latin America, Africa, and Asia are warranted for a full understanding of the global impact of the 1918 pandemic virus.

Two studies were designed to examine the pharmacokinetic and galactopoietic potency of three molecular variants of recombinant-derived bovine GH (rbGH): [Met1, Leu127]-bGH, [Ala1, Val127]-bGH and [Ala1, Val127, His133]-bGH. Histidine substitution for arginine at residue 133 of rbGH was shown to impart thrombin resistance. In a Latin square design, nine lactating Holstein cows received a 25 mg rbGH bolus infusion via the jugular vein followed by frequent blood sampling over the next 12 h. The serum GH concentration data were found to fit to a two-compartment open model. Neither primary nor secondary kinetic parameter estimates differed significantly (P>0·05) among the three rbGH variants. Thus, the disposition of GH concentration at time t was described by the equation C(t)=(1295·5 μg/l) (e−(0·11/min)(t)) + (317·3 μg/l)(e−(0·03/min)(t)). Overall averages were: area under the curve=27·1 mg · min per 1, clearance=0·15 litres/min per 100 kg and volume of distribution of the central compartment =2·59 litres/100 kg. The t1/2 for the two compartments averaged 8·2 and 29·1 min. In the second study, 36 lactating Holstein cows received i.m. injections of one of four oil-based formulation treatments: control vehicle or 500 mg of one of the three rbGH variants every 14 days for 42 days. Average and maximum serum GH concentrations and area under the curve estimates were increased by approximately 3–6 μg/l, 5–15 μg/l and 40–90 μg · day per 1 respectively. Ala1, Val127 rbGH treatments elicited greater blood GH concentrations than [Met1, Leu127]-bGH when administered in an oil-based formulation. Blood GH responses did not directly translate into milk response differences, possibly due to differences in biopotency or receptor availability. Thrombin resistance resulting from substitution of histidine at position 127 of rbGH did not affect blood GH pharmacokinetic parameters or milk response over other rbGH variants. Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 139, 441–450

In order to characterize reservoir and hydraulic fracture properties using well performance data in shale gas reservoirs, it is essential to apply an appropriate workflow and advanced modeling techniques. The workflow should begin with a review of the well data followed by the use of analytical methods to identify different types of well behavior and to form hypotheses about the various production mechanisms at work. Numerical modeling can then proceed, first with scoping models and then with detailed numerical models to conduct production forecasting and completion optimization sensitivities. A useful tool for this detailed modeling is finite-element simulation which places a large number of closely-spaced nodes near the hydraulic fractures. This extremely fine-scale gridding captures high-resolution pressure transients that dominate well behavior during the first few years of production. The results of this work provide key insights into reservoir and fracture properties, and can be used to optimize production forecasts, well placements, lateral lengths, and completion techniques.

Eighty-two lactating Holstein cows in their first, second, or third lactation received either one, three, or five concurrent i.m. injections of a unit dose (.6 g) of zinc methionyl bST (sometribove) or five doses of the vehicle. Injections were given at 14-d intervals from 60 ± 3 d postpartum until the end of lactation or necropsy. Thirty-eight animals were continued on treatment for a 2nd yr Sometribove did not affect the incidence of ketosis, milk fever, tetany, or pneumonia. Digestive disorders, primarily cows going off feed, were increased by bST during yr 1 only. The incidence of lameness was increased by bST in some time frames because of an increase in the 3.0-g bST group. Lameness was not associated with treatment-specific histopathologic changes or with abnormalities in cartilage or bone. Reproductive health generally was unaffected by treatment, but delayed conception and increased incidence of abortion were noted, Incidence of cystic ovaries was unaffected by bST. Pregnancy rates were decreased during the 100-d breeding interval of yr 1 but not during the 215-d interval of yr 2. The incidence of clinical mastitis was increased by bST, primarily at the 3.0-g dose. During the 2-yr study, 0, 3, 3, and 2 cows died or became moribund on 0, .6, 1.8, and 3.0 g of bST, respectively. Health issues identified for further evaluation included lameness and clinical mastitis for the 3.0-g group and early removal from the herd and decreased reproductive performance for all bST groups. Bovine somatotropin caused no treatment-specific toxic effects in dairy cows even at 3.0 g every 14 d.

Daily injection of ovine and bovine somatotropin (oST and bST, respectively) has been shown to improve performance and carcass quality of finishing lambs. To evaluate responses to continuously released bST and porcine ST (pST), which have 99 and 91% sequence homology with oST, respectively, finishing lambs were implanted with 2-wk Alzet pumps containing bST or pST, which was released at rates of 2 or 4 mg/d. Six-week growth rate and feed efficiency responses to bST were greater than those to pST (P less than .05). Overall feed efficiency was improved 15% and growth rate was increased 16% in lambs treated with 4 mg/d of bST compared with control lambs and neither trait was affected in pST-treated lambs. Performance responses were reflected by changes in circulating glucose, blood urea nitrogen, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations. Scatchard analysis of sera with relative binding of greater than 30% revealed that average binding capacities and affinities of pST-treated lambs were 7.0 mg/liter and 6.0 x 10(9) liters/mol, respectively, and of bST-treated lambs were .8 mg/liter and 1.3 x 10(9) liters/mol, respectively. In addition, lambs with high-capacity pST antibodies had lower 6-wk IGF-I concentrations than those of controls, suggesting that these antibodies may have been attenuating responsiveness to pST. It is concluded that continuously released bST, but not pST, improves performance of finishing lambs.

Because cancellous bone loss occurs following ovariectomy (OVX) in rats, this has become a popular model to explore therapeutic modalities for postmenopausal bone loss in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine intestinal calcium absorption in situ and organ-, tissue-, envelope-, and site-specific changes in osseous tissues at six weeks after OVX in rats using chemical, biochemical, absorptiometric, microradiographic, and morphometric methods. There were no changes in intestinal absorption of calcium, but duodenal weight per length was significantly increased in the OVX animals compared with age-matched, sham-operated controls. There was an increase in wet bone weight, but decreases in ash/dry bone weight, total bone Ca, and Ca per ash weight in the OVX animals. There were significant decreases in the OVX animals in metaphyseal bone mineral content, as determined by photon absorptiometry and metaphyseal cancellous bone volume. The perimeter to area ratio of the metaphyseal cancellous bone in the OVX animals was increased compared with controls. Endochondral growth rates were increased in the OVX animals, attributable to an increased growth plate hypertrophic cell size and rate of chondrocyte proliferation. In the OVX animals there was an increase in modeling in the formation mode of the periosteal surface at the tibio-fibular junction. Increased periosteal modeling in the formation mode was also observed in the body of the mandible, suggesting that the changes in periosteal bone formation are not strictly coupled with changes in endochondral growth. There was an increase in modeling in the resorption mode of the endocortical surface at the tibio-fibular junction in the OVX animals. There was increased bone turnover in the OVX animals compared with controls on the endosteal surface, as indicated by increases in both formation and resorption indices, including an increase in the osteoclast population. In the long bones, OVX results in larger bones due to increases in endochondral growth and modeling in the formation mode at the periosteal surfaces, with a loss of cancellous bone and total bone calcium due to increased resorption on the endocortical surfaces and turnover (increased formation and resorption) on endosteal surfaces. This study emphasizes that osseous tissue changes following OVX in rats are tissue-specific, envelop-specific, and site-specific.

Eight pregnant Holstein cows were given weekly injections of 15 g of recombinant bST over a 2-wk period for a total dose of 30 g to determine signs of acute toxicity. Cows were monitored intensively throughout the study, and samples were taken for analyses of hormones, metabolites, chemistries, hematology, and urine analytes. Animal health throughout the study was generally excellent. Mean rectal temperatures were significantly higher in treated cows (38.7 vs. 39.2 degrees C). Least squares means for 3.5% FCM production were 15.9 and 23.0 kg/d, and net energy intakes were 29.4 and 26.9 Mcal/d for control and treated cows, respectively. Somatotropin concentrations reached more than 250 ng/ml on d 10 and remained above 200 ng/ml. Insulin and glucose concentrations were also increased but returned toward baseline values. Free fatty acid concentrations were higher in treated cows, but beta-hydroxybutyrate was not affected. Most hematological measurements were unaffected except for a reduction in erythrocyte number in treated cows and decreases in hematocrit and hemoglobin, but values were within clinically normal ranges. Although cows received in 2 wk a dose that was equivalent to the amount administered during more than 2 yr of continuous use, no signs of acute toxicity to bST were observed.

The utility of PET and PET/CT in research and diagnosis of cancer, cardiac and neurological disorders has been widely demonstrated. Phantoms with well defined geometries that accurately model radiolabeled tracer concentrations and photon attenuation coefficients are suited for characterization of imaging systems, but not as well suited for evaluating methods sensitive to detailed anatomical structure, such as algorithms for monitoring tumor response. An ideal phantom would have the shape and activity distribution of a realistic tumor and would be useful in evaluation of automated image analysis systems. Such a phantom, imaged at sites involved in clinical trials, would be valuable for evaluating consistency and accuracy. We have developed a method of creating such phantoms by incorporating radioactive tracer as dye for a cellulose powder based rapid prototyping system. This allows us to create phantoms with spatial resolution limited only by the stereolithography printer system (slice thickness is 0.18 mm, printing resolution is 600 dpi). We have evaluated the method by printing several small phantoms with 18F and measuring activity in a gamma counter. The relative standard deviation of the activity of multiple identical phantoms was 2%. Activity in unlabeled parts was less than 2% of adjacent labeled regions. We have created and printed realistic phantoms based on the SPL human brain atlas [1,2], the Paxinos & Watson rat brain atlas [3] and from PET/CT images of human lung nodules, showing that this is a practical method for making complex radioactive phantoms that model real anatomy. We are proceeding with further development to allow us to produce phantoms with multiple activity concentrations, tunable photon attenuation coefficients and long lived isotopes.

We propose a non-iterative method called Local Regression FBP (LR-FBP) for emission tomographic image reconstruction with resolution recovery. The method processes the sinogram volume data by running a two-dimensional local regression (LR) algorithm over the image projections - this has the effect of improving data signal-to-noise-ratios (SNR) as it fits the image projections thus reducing noise. Resolution recovery is then performed on the fit sinogram and the Filtered Back Projection (FBP) reconstruction using a ramp filter is then applied. The simulation studies presented show that LR-FBP gives lower bias and improved resolution compared to conventional FBP. Imaging studies using the IndyPET-III Small Animal PET scanner and the Siemens/CTI Biograph-16 PET/CT scanner show qualitative improvements in image resolution and contrast, as well as possible quantitative improvements in contrast recovery.