We describe the design, construction, and performance of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey telescope located at Apache Point Observatory. The telescope is a modified two-corrector Ritchey-Chretien design ...with a 2.5 m, f/2.25 primary, a 1.08 m secondary, a Gascoigne astigmatism corrector, and one of a pair of interchangeable highly aspheric correctors near the focal plane, one for imaging and the other for spectroscopy. The final focal ratio is f/5. The telescope is instrumented by a wide-area, multiband CCD camera and a pair of fiber-fed double spectrographs. Novel features of the telescope include the following: (1) A 3° diameter (0.65 m) focal plane that has excellent image quality and small geometric distortions over a wide wavelength range (3000-10,600 A) in the imaging mode, and good image quality combined with very small lateral and longitudinal color errors in the spectroscopic mode. The unusual requirement of very low distortion is set by the demands of time-delay-and-integrate (TDI) imaging. (2) Very high precision motion to support open-loop TDI observations. (3) A unique wind baffle/enclosure construction to maximize image quality and minimize construction costs. The telescope had first light in 1998 May and began regular survey operations in 2000.
The transmission soil transmitted helminths (STH) occurs via ingestion of or contact with infective stages present in soil contaminated with human faeces. It follows therefore that efforts to reduce ...faecal contamination of the environment should help to reduce risk of parasite exposure and improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are seen as essential for the long-term, sustainable control of STH. However, the link between WASH and STH is not always supported by the available evidence from randomised controlled trials, which report mixed effects of WASH intervention on infection risk. This review critically summarises the available trial evidence and offers an interpretation of the observed heterogeneity in findings. The review also discusses the implications of findings for control programmes and highlights three main issues which merit further consideration: intervention design, exposure assessment, and intervention fidelity assessment.
A Tribute to Justice Thurgood Marshall Brennan, William J.; Carter, Robert L.; Coleman, William T. ...
Harvard law review,
11/1991, Volume:
105, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
A number of colleagues and friends of US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall join in honoring him in a special Harvard Law Review tribute. Fellow Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., ...remembers Marshall for his authoritative knowledge of the law and his voice of reason. Robert L. Carter of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, who formerly worked as Marshall's legal research assistant at the NAACP, remembers Marshall's work with that organization. Attorney William T. Coleman, Jr., remembers Marshall as transforming the Bill of Rights into bulwarks against unfairness, indecency, and incivility. Owen Fiss of Yale University relates that Marshall fought for what was right, even when the chances of success were minute and the hardhsips great. A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit praised Marshall's challenge of both institutional and individual racism. Martha Minow of Harvard University worked as a law clerk for Marshall and learned from him to pick her battles carefully.
Local and systemic factors that influence renal structure and function in aging are not well understood. The secretory protein C1q/TNF‐related protein 1 (CTRP1) regulates systemic metabolism and ...cardiovascular function. We provide evidence here that CTRP1 also modulates renal physiology in an age‐ and sex‐dependent manner. In mice lacking CTRP1, we observed significantly increased kidney weight and glomerular hypertrophy in aged male but not female or young mice. Although glomerular filtration rate, plasma renin and aldosterone levels, and renal response to water restriction did not differ between genotypes, CTRP1‐deficient male mice had elevated blood pressure. Echocardiogram and pulse wave velocity measurements indicated normal heart function and vascular stiffness in CTRP1‐deficient animals, and increased blood pressure was not due to greater salt retention. Paradoxically, CTRP1‐deficient mice had elevated urinary sodium and potassium excretion, partially resulting from reduced expression of genes involved in renal sodium and potassium reabsorption. Despite renal hypertrophy, markers of inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress were reduced in CTRP1‐deficient mice. RNA sequencing revealed alterations and enrichments of genes in metabolic processes in CTRP1‐deficient animals. These results highlight novel contributions of CTRP1 to aging‐associated changes in renal physiology.
North Carolina has added nucleic acid amplification testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to standard HIV antibody tests to detect persons with acute HIV infection who are viremic but ...antibody-negative.
To determine the effect of nucleic acid amplification testing on the yield and accuracy of HIV detection in public health practice, we conducted a 12-month observational study of methods for state-funded HIV testing. We compared the diagnostic performance of standard HIV antibody tests (i.e., enzyme immunoassay and Western blot analysis) with an algorithm whereby serum samples that yielded negative results on standard antibody tests were tested again with the use of nucleic acid amplification. A surveillance algorithm with repeated sensitive-less-sensitive enzyme immunoassay tests was also evaluated. HIV infection was defined as a confirmed positive result on a nucleic acid amplification test or as HIV antibody seroconversion.
Between November 1, 2002, and October 31, 2003, 109,250 persons at risk for HIV infection who had consented to HIV testing presented at state-funded sites. There were 606 HIV-positive results. Established infection, as identified by standard enzyme immunoassay or Western blot analysis, appeared in 583 participants; of these, 107 were identified, with the use of sensitive-less-sensitive enzyme immunoassay tests, as recent infections. A total of 23 acutely infected persons were identified only with the use of the nucleic acid amplification algorithm. With all detectable infections taken into account, the sensitivity of standard antibody testing was 0.962 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.944 to 0.976). There were two false positive results on nucleic acid amplification tests. The specificity and positive predictive value of the algorithm that included nucleic acid amplification testing were greater than 0.999 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.999 to >0.999) and 0.997 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.988 to >0.999), respectively. Of the 23 acute HIV infections, 16 were detected at sexually transmitted disease clinics. Emergency measures for HIV prevention protected 48 sex partners and one fetus from high-risk exposure to HIV.
The addition of nucleic acid amplification testing to an HIV testing algorithm significantly increases the identification of cases of infection without impairing the performance of diagnostic testing. The detection of highly contagious, acutely infected persons creates new opportunities for HIV surveillance and prevention.
Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a frequently recurring malignant neoplasm with metastatic potential that presents in older adults on the genital, perianal, and axillary skin. Extramammary Paget ...disease can precede or occur along with internal malignant neoplasms.
To develop recommendations for the care of adults with EMPD.
A systematic review of the literature on EMPD from January 1990 to September 18, 2019, was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Libraries. Analysis included 483 studies. A multidisciplinary expert panel evaluation of the findings led to the development of clinical care recommendations for EMPD.
The key findings were as follows: (1) Multiple skin biopsies, including those of any nodular areas, are critical for diagnosis. (2) Malignant neoplasm screening appropriate for age and anatomical site should be performed at baseline to distinguish between primary and secondary EMPD. (3) Routine use of sentinel lymph node biopsy or lymph node dissection is not recommended. (4) For intraepidermal EMPD, surgical and nonsurgical treatments may be used depending on patient and tumor characteristics, although cure rates may be superior with surgical approaches. For invasive EMPD, surgical resection with curative intent is preferred. (5) Patients with unresectable intraepidermal EMPD or patients who are medically unable to undergo surgery may receive nonsurgical treatments, including radiotherapy, imiquimod, photodynamic therapy, carbon dioxide laser therapy, or other modalities. (6) Distant metastatic disease may be treated with chemotherapy or individualized targeted approaches. (7) Close follow-up to monitor for recurrence is recommended for at least the first 5 years.
Clinical practice guidelines for EMPD provide guidance regarding recommended diagnostic approaches, differentiation between invasive and noninvasive disease, and use of surgical vs nonsurgical treatments. Prospective registries may further improve our understanding of the natural history of the disease in primary vs secondary EMPD, clarify features of high-risk tumors, and identify superior management approaches.
Several sodium channel blockers are used clinically to treat neuropathic pain. However, many patients fail to achieve adequate pain relief from these highly brain-penetrant drugs because of ...dose-limiting central nervous system side effects. Here, we describe the functional properties of trans-N-{2'-(aminosulfonyl)biphenyl-4-ylmethyl}-N-methyl-N'-4-(trifluoromethoxy)benzylcyclopentane-1,2-dicarboxamide (CDA54), a peripherally acting sodium channel blocker. In whole-cell electrophysiological assays, CDA54 blocked the inactivated states of hNa(V)1.7 and hNa(V)1.8, two channels of the peripheral nervous system implicated in nociceptive transmission, with affinities of 0.25 and 0.18 microM, respectively. CDA54 displayed similar affinities for the tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ current in small-diameter mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons. Peripheral nerve injury causes spontaneous electrical activity in normally silent sensory neurons. CDA54 inhibited these injury-induced spontaneous action potentials at concentrations 10-fold lower than those required to block normal A- and C-fiber conduction. Consistent with the selective inhibition of injury-induced firing, CDA54 (10 mg/kg p.o.) significantly reduced behavioral signs of neuropathic pain in two nerve injury models, whereas the same dose of CDA54 did not affect acute nociception or motor coordination. In anesthetized dogs, CDA54, at plasma concentrations of 6.7 microM, had no effect on cardiac electrophysiological parameters including conduction. Thus, the peripheral nerve sodium channel blocker CDA54 selectively inhibits sensory nerve signaling associated with neuropathic pain.
Plastics are one of the most widely and abundant substances in today's society. Worldwide the usage of low-density polyethylene bags create pollution on land and in the oceans, especially when they ...break down in macro and micro plastics. On all continents, governments try to establish solutions on how to fight plastic pollution form shopping bags by banning their use, implant fees for their usage and replace plastic bags with a more renewable material. Paper bags are a valid solution, especially when manufactured from recycled materials. It is estimated, that In the United States, enough material is available to cover the replacement of the 100 billion plastic bags uses yearly with 100% recycled paper bags.
The required investment is roughly 6 billion dollars for new paper machines and mills, creating up to 10,000 new jobs in states where the paper machines would be installed and operated.
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