The projected increase in the use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) motivates the development of methods to manage consumer exposure to mercury and its environmental release at the end of lamp life. This work characterizes the time-resolved release of mercury vapor from broken CFLs and from underlying substrates after removal of glass fragments to simulate cleanup. In new lamps, mercury vapor is released gradually in amounts that reach 1.3 mg or 30% of the total lamp inventory after four days. Similar time profiles but smaller amounts are released from spent lamps or from underlying substrates. Nanoscale formulations of S, Se, Cu, Ni, Zn, Ag, and WS2 are evaluated for capture of Hg vapor under these conditions and compared to conventional microscale formulations. Adsorption capacities range over 7 orders of magnitude, from 0.005 (Zn micropowder) to 188 000 microg/g (unstabilized nano-Se), depending on sorbent chemistry and particle size. Nanosynthesis offers clear advantages for most sorbent chemistries. Unstabilized nano-selenium in two forms (dry powder and impregnated cloth) was successfully used in a proof-of-principle test for the in situ, real-time suppression of Hg vapor escape following CFL fracture.

Adult bedbugs, Cimex lectularius, were exposed for 24 h (25 degrees C) to filter paper treated with various dilutions of the technical grade of nine insecticides dissolved in acetone to determine the concentration-response relationships. The order of toxicity, from most to least based on the LC50's was: dichlorvos, pirimiphos methyl, lambda-cyhalothrin, bendiocarb, permethrin, malathion, carbaryl, tetrachlorvinphos, and fenvalerate. The residual toxicities of commercial formulations of six of the chemicals diluted with water and applied to wood, cardboard, cloth and galvanized metal, were determined by exposing adult bedbugs at 3, 7 and 12 weeks after treatment. The formulation of bendiocarb (FICAM 76% W) had little residual activity on all surfaces at 12 weeks after treatment. The formulation of carbaryl (SEVIN 21.5% L) was toxic to bedbugs on all surfaces at 12 weeks after treatment, but required high concentrations on wood, cardboard, and cloth. The formulation of pirimiphos methyl (ACTELLIC 57% EC) had no residual activity on any of the surfaces at 12 weeks after treatment. The formulation of tetrachlorovinphos (RABON 50% W) had residual activity for 12 weeks on all surfaces except metal. The formulation of permethrin (ATROBAN 11% EC) had residual activity on only metal and wood while the formulation of lambda-cyhalothrin (KARATE 13.1% EC) had residual activity 12 weeks on all surfaces.

A 5-yr study to evaluate the influence of annual and biennial prescribed burning in March on the abundance of Amblyomma americanum (L.) was conducted on Oconee Wildlife Management Area in the Piedmont physiographic region of Georgia. Tick abundance on plots embedded in larger burned and unburned areas were monitored with cloth drags and CO2-baited cloth panels monthly during March through September from 1987 through 1991. Annual and biennial prescribed burning from 1988 to 1991 significantly reduced the abundance of larvae, nymphs, and adults but did not alter their seasonal trends of abundance. Annual burning more consistently suppressed all life stages than biennial burning. The magnitude of tick suppression tended to increase with successive burns, especially with the annual burning regime. The order of vulnerability to direct incineration appeared to be overwintered larvae>> adults>> nymphs; however, only overwintered larvae were highly vulnerable. Consistent reductions in larvae during June-September following burning were associated with reduced litter depths and presumably lowered habitat suitability. During years of fire omission, the abundance of larvae on biennially burned plots increased to levels equal to or exceeding those on unburned plots. Based on cloth drag sampling, mean percentage control during 1988-1991 for larvae, nymphs, and adults, respectively, was 80, 75, and 70% on annually burned plots and 48, 73, and 65% on biennially burned plots. Frequent late-winter prescribed burning, which is commonly used to achieve wildlife habitat management objectives, could be an effective and economical component of an integrated A. americanum control program in habitats ecologically suited to regimes of frequent fire.

Mosquito-borne diseases are a major public health issue in nearly all tropical and subtropical countries, making vector control imperative. The mosquito trapping box is one type of mosquito traps that is popular in some areas because it is affordable, environmentally friendly, and easy to produce. This research investigated whether the effectiveness of the mosquito trapping box could be increased through the addition of various physical factors, including a wooden frame, black cotton cloth, a fan, carbon dioxide (CO2), and heat, by testing a range of box designs in the Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand, between December 2016 and January 2017. We found that trapping boxes constructed with Pinus kesiya wood caught more mosquitoes than those constructed with two other types of wood or aluminum. We also found that mosquito trapping boxes were more effective when more factors were added, although these differences were only significant for black cotton cloth and CO2. These findings will guide the future development of mosquito trapping boxes for effective mosquito control in other areas, helping to reduce the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases.

Stretchable fiber and yarn triboelectric nanogenerator are sought for such applications as wearable sensing system such as cloth communication devices, electronic textiles, and robotic sensory skin. Unfortunately, previously reported triboelectric fiber and yarn are difficult to have stretchable property. We introduce here a new type of stretchable and weavable triboelectric fibers with microdiameter dimensions. The stretchable triboelectric fibers can be reversibly stretched up to 50% in tensile direction while generating voltage output proportional to the applied tensile strain. The reversible distance change induced by the Poisson's ratio difference between the core fiber (silver-coated nylon/polyurethane) and the shell (wrinkled polyvinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene/carbon nanotube layer) during tensile deformation is the key working principle for electrical generation. Owing to exceptional structural stability, the stretchable triboelectric fibers show high performance retention after 10,000 times repeated stretching/releasing cycle. Furthermore, the stretchable triboelectric fibers are mechanically strong to be woven into a commercial textile for textile based sensors, which can detect magnitude as well as direction of the motion.

Grid sampling (one sample per 0.40 ha) in 12 cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fields for stink bugs and boll injury caused by stink bug feeding was conducted in 2007 and 2008 in South Carolina and Georgia. The main species collected using the beat cloth method were the green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say) (69%); brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say) (18%); and the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (14%), respectively. The inverted distance weighted interpolation method and Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs analyses showed spatial variability in both boll injury and stink bug densities. Four of five fields with field-average boll injury exceeding 15% had a combination of either soybean or peanut adjacent to the cotton field of interest. The Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs index of dispersion for stink bug densities and boll injury averaged over the season indicated significant aggregation at the 5% error rate in only one and four analyses (combinations of fields, species, and life stages) of a total of 54 in 2007 and 2008, respectively. By sampling date, overall indices of dispersion for boll injury data indicated significant aggregation in four of the 63 date-field combinations at the 5% error rate. Across years, overall indices of spatial association between boll injury and stink bug densities were significant in 17 of 69 analyses, with positive associations detected in seven of 12 fields; these data suggest that spatial distribution of stink bugs in cotton fields does not always coincide with boll injury.

BACKGROUND

Because hepatocyte transplantation has been considered to be an attractive method to treat acute liver failure (ALF), efficient recovery of hepatocytes and maintenance of differentiated hepatocyte functions is of extreme importance. We here report the usefulness of an antiapoptotic pentapeptide V5, composed of Val-Pro-Met-Leu-Lys, in the monkey hepatocyte cultures.

METHODS

We evaluated albumin production, metabolizing abilities of ammonia, lidocaine, and diazepam of monkey hepatocytes cultured with V5. The protein expression of apoptosis-associated molecules was analyzed using power blot analysis. An unwoven cloth inoculated with V5-treated monkey hepatocytes was transplanted on the surface of the spleen of both SCID mice and Balb/c mice suffering from ALF induced by 90% hepatectomy.

RESULTS

When 100 microM V5 was utilized, ammonia-, lidocaine- and diazepam- metabolizing capacities and albumin production ability were significantly increased in V5-treated monkey hepatocytes. Such hepatocytes showed decreased Annexin V binding and increased the expression of anti-apoptotic and/or cytoprotective molecules, including Ku70, NF-kappaB, IKAP, hILP/XIAP, IkappaB, and CAS. Transplantation of the cloth containing the monkey hepatocytes significantly improved blood levels of glucose and ammonia and encephalopathy score and prolonged the survival of the mice with ALF.

CONCLUSIONS

The present work clearly demonstrates the usefulness of V5 for maintaining the functions of monkey hepatocytes in tissue culture.

We have screened approximately 10,000 colonies of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells immobilized on polyester cloth for mutants defective in [14C]ethanolamine incorporation into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable phospholipids. In mutant 29, discovered in this way, the activities of enzymes involved in the CDP-ethanolamine pathway were normal; however, the intracellular pool of phosphorylethanolamine was elevated, being more than 10-fold that in the parental CHO-K1 cells. These results suggested that the reduced incorporation of [14C]ethanolamine into phosphatidylethanolamine in mutant 29 was due to dilution of phosphoryl-[14C]ethanolamine with the increased amount of cellular phosphorylethanolamine. Interestingly, the rate of incorporation of serine into phosphatidylserine and the content of phosphatidylserine in mutant 29 cells were increased 3-fold and 1.5-fold, respectively, compared with the parent cells. The overproduction of phosphorylethanolamine in mutant 29 cells was ascribed to the elevated level of phosphatidylserine biosynthesis, because ethanolamine is produced as a reaction product on the conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylserine, which is catalyzed by phospholipid-serine base-exchange enzymes. Using both intact cells and the particulate fraction of a cell extract, phosphatidylserine biosynthesis in CHO-K1 cells was shown to be inhibited by phosphatidylserine itself, whereas that in mutant 29 cells was greatly resistant to the inhibition, compared with the parental cells. As a conclusion, it may be assumed that mutant 29 cells have a lesion in the regulation of phosphatidylserine biosynthesis by serine-exchange enzyme activity, which results in the overproduction of phosphatidylserine and phosphorylethanolamine as well.

BACKGROUND

Conventional approaches of making a flexible circuit are generally complex, environment unfriendly, time and energy consuming, and thus expensive. Here, we describe for the first time the method of using high-performance GaIn(10)-based electrical ink, a significantly neglected room temperature liquid metal, as both electrical conductors and interconnects, for directly writing flexible electronics via a rather easy going and cost effective way.

METHODS

The new generation electric ink was made and its wettability with various materials was modified to be easily written on a group of either soft or rigid substrates such as epoxy resin board, glass, plastic, silica gel, paper, cotton, textiles, cloth and fiber etc. Conceptual experiments were performed to demonstrate and evaluate the capability of directly writing the electrical circuits via the invented metal ink. Mechanisms involved were interpreted through a series of fundamental measurements.

RESULTS

The electrical resistivity of the fluid like GaIn(10)-based material was measured as 34.5 µΩ·cm at 297 K by four point probe method and increased with addition of the oxygen quantity, which indicates it as an excellent metal ink. The conductive line can be written with features that are approximately 10 µm thick. Several functional devices such as a light emitting diode (LED) array showing designed lighting patterns and electrical fan were made to work by directly writing the liquid metal on the specific flexible substrates. And satisfactory performances were obtained.

CONCLUSIONS

The present method opens the way to directly and quickly writing flexible electronics which can be as simple as signing a name or drawing a picture on the paper. The unique merit of the GaIn(10)-based liquid metal ink lies in its low melting temperature, well controlled wettability, high electrical conductivity and good biocompability. The new electronics writing strategy and basic principle has generalized purpose and can be extended to more industrial areas, even daily life.

The production of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) from lactose by Aspergillus oryzae beta-galactosidase immobilized on cotton cloth was studied. A novel method of enzyme immobilization involving PEI-enzyme aggregate formation and growth of aggregates on individual fibrils of cotton cloth leading to multilayer immobilization of the enzyme was developed. A large amount of enzyme was immobilized (250 mg/g support) with about 90-95% efficiency. A maximum GOS production of 25-26% (w/w) was achieved at near 50% lactose conversion from 400 g/L of lactose at pH 4.5 and 40 degrees C. Tri- and tetrasaccharides were the major types of GOS formed, accounting for about 70% and 25% of the total GOS produced in the reactions, respectively. Temperature and pH affected not only the reaction rate but also GOS yield to some extend. A reaction pH of 6.0 increased GOS yield by as much as 10% compared with that of pH 4.5 while decreased the reaction rate of immobilized enzyme. The cotton cloth as the support matrix for enzyme immobilization did not affect the GOS formation characteristics of the enzyme under the same reaction conditions, suggesting diffusion limitation was negligible in the packed bed reactor and the enzyme carrier. Increase in the thermal stability of PEI-immobilized enzyme was also observed. The half-life for the immobilized enzyme on cotton cloth was close to 1 year at 40 degrees C and 21 days at 50 degrees C. Stable, continuous operation in a plug-flow reactor was demonstrated for about 3 days without any apparent problem. A maximum GOS production of 26% (w/w) of total sugars was attained at 50% lactose conversion with a feed containing 400 g/L of lactose at pH 4.5 and 40 degrees C. The corresponding reactor productivity was 6 kg/L/h, which is several-hundred-fold higher than those previously reported.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy of traditional double latex gloving with that of a highly cut-resistant polyester/stainless steel wire weave glove (PSSWWG) over a single latex inner glove for the prevention of perforation of the inner latex glove.

METHODS

The primary surgeon and first assistant were involved in a prospective randomized study. Group I consisted of twenty-five procedures in which double latex gloves were used. Group II consisted of twenty-five procedures in which a PSSWWG liner was worn over an inner latex glove. All inner gloves were tested for perforations; all gloves exchanged that were presumed to have a perforation were noted and also tested. The type and length of the procedure were recorded. The dominant hand was recorded for all participants, along with their comments on the PSSWWG liner's performance.

METHODS

Orthopaedic Trauma Service, Hospital for Special Surgery. New York.

METHODS

Major operative cases, November 1996 to February 1997.

METHODS

Inner latex glove perforations.

RESULTS

With the use of PSSWWG liners, the percentage of inner gloves found with a perforation dropped from 19 percent in the double latex group to 15 percent in the PSSWWG liner group (not statistically significant, p = 0.4). Two thirds of the perforations were in the primary surgeon's gloves, located in either the index finger or thumb. Nearly 80 percent of all perforations went unrecognized in both groups. Ninety-five percent of all perforations were in gloves that had been in use for more than 120 minutes (statistically significant, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The particular cut-resistant glove studied (Sceptor) did not significantly reduce the rate of inner glove perforations. Other studies with different cut-resistant glove types and protocols have proven the liners effective. We would still recommend using outer cloth or cut-resistant type gloves when bone fragments are being manipulated or when using sharp implants or saws. At a minimum, surgical gloves should be changed every two hours.

For centuries, the Guinea worm parasite (Dracunculus medinensis) has caused disabling misery, infecting people who drink stagnant water contaminated with the worm's larvae. In 2012, there were 542 cases of Guinea worm reported globally, of which 521 (96.1%) were reported in South Sudan. Protracted civil wars, an inadequate workforce, neglect of potable water provision programs, suboptimal Guinea worm surveillance and case containment, and fragmented health systems account for many of the structural and operational factors encumbering South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication efforts. This article reviews the impacts of six established Guinea worm control strategies in South Sudan: (1) surveillance to determine actual caseload distribution and trends in response to control measures; (2) educating community members from whom worms are emerging to avoid immersing affected parts in sources of drinking water; (3) filtering potentially contaminated drinking water using cloth filters or filtered drinking straws; (4) treating potentially contaminated surface water with the copepod larvicide temephos (Abate); (5) providing safe drinking water from boreholes or hand-dug wells; and (6) containment of transmission through voluntary isolation of each patient to prevent contamination of drinking water sources, provision of first aid, and manual extraction of the worm. Surveillance, community education, potable water provision, and case containment remain weak facets of the program. Abate pesticide is not a viable option for Guinea worm control in South Sudan. In light of current case detection and containment trends, as well as capacity building efforts for Guinea worm eradication, South Sudan is more likely to eradicate Guinea worm by 2020, rather than by 2015. The author highlights areas in which substantial improvements are required in South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication program, and suggests improvement strategies.

We used Y-plant, a computer-based model of crown architecture, to examine the implications of leaf reorientation resulting from petiole bending in Psychotria limonensis (Rubiaceae) seedlings. During this reorientation process, bending of the petioles of lower leaves that are potentially self-shaded by the upper leaves rotates the lamina around the stem's orthotropic axis so that self-shading is reduced. Simulations of daily light capture and assimilation revealed a 66% increase in daily C gain due to reorientation of the leaves as compared to simulations where the leaves remained in their characteristic opposite decussate pattern set by the phyllotaxy. This was due to enhanced carbon (C) gain of the lower leaves because of the reduction of shading by upper developing leaves in the same vertical plane. The light signal for this movement was experimentally examined by placing leaf-shaped filters above already fully expanded leaves and following the resulting shade-avoiding movements. The filters were either neutral density shade cloth that reduced the photon flux density (PFD) but did not alter the red to far red ratio (R:FR) or a film that reduced the PFD equivalently but also reduced the R:FR. Leaf reorientation was much more rapid and complete under the low R:FR as compared to the high R:FR indicating involvement of a phytochrome photosensory system that detected the presence of a shading leaf. Plants in gaps were found to lack a reorientation response indicating that the reorientation is specific to the shaded understory environment.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are able to directly convert about 50 to 90% of energy from oxidation of organic matters in waste to electricity and have great potential application in broad fields such as wastewater treatment. Unfortunately, the power density of the MFCs at present is significantly lower than the theoretical value because of technical limitations including low bacteria loading capacity and difficult electron transfer between the bacteria and the electrode. We reported a three-dimensional (3D) graphene aerogel (GA) decorated with platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) as an efficient freestanding anode for MFCs. The 3D GA/Pt-based anode has a continuous 3D macroporous structure that is favorable for microorganism immobilization and efficient electrolyte transport. Moreover, GA scaffold is homogenously decorated with Pt NPs to further enhance extracellular charge transfer between the bacteria and the anode. The MFCs constructed with 3D GA/Pt-based anode generate a remarkable maximum power density of 1460 mW/m(2), 5.3 times higher than that based on carbon cloth (273 mW/m(2)). It deserves to be stressed that 1460 mW/m(2) obtained from the GA/Pt anode shows the superior performance among all the reported MFCs inoculated with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Moreover, as a demonstration of the real application, the MFC equipped with the freestanding GA/Pt anode has been successfully applied in driving timer for the first time, which opens the avenue toward the real application of the MFCs.

Collection records for the adult black legged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, in Indiana for the period 1991-1994 are presented and a new, established population of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected I. scapularis is described. The number of I. scapularis adults collected in Indiana increased progressively from 19 in 1991 to>> 200 in 1994, and the number of Indiana counties reporting at least 1 adult increased from 13 to 29. Also, during this period, 4 countries in northwestern Indiana yielded>> 10 specimens each, and B. burgdorferi-infected ticks were collected in 2 of these counties. An established population of I. scapularis, as evidenced by the presence of questing larvae, nymphs, and adults, was discovered in Jasper County in 1993. Twelve of 39 adults (31%) and 4 of 44 nymphs (9%) collected with cloth drags were infected with B. burgdorferi. Three of 49 (6%) white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus, collected from the site were also infected with B. burgdorferi. We believe that this focus was established at least 8 yr ago, and that a tick originating from this focus was responsible for a case of Lyme disease reported from this county in 1985.

BACKGROUND

RTIs/STIs present a huge burden of disease, adversely impact reproductive health, and cause suffering for both men and women with consequences more devastating and widespread among women. These infections often go undiagnosed and untreated.

OBJECTIVE

1) To identify the most common reported symptoms of RTI/STI among married women aged 15-44 years in an urban population of Ludhiana. 2) To identify important risk factors associated with symptoms of RTI/STI in the study population.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out among married women aged 15-44 years in an urban area in Ludhiana, using the WHO-Syndromic Approach for diagnosis and management of RTIs/STIs. The sample consisted of 260 eligible women obtained by systematic random sampling, from amongst those residing in the population served by one MPHW (F).

RESULTS

The prevalence of symptoms suggestive of RTIs/STIs in the study population was found to be 17.3%. The most common symptoms reported by the women sufferers were urinary (dysuria 57.8%, frequent urination 53.3%), followed by dyspareunia (26.7%), unusual vaginal discharge (24.4%) and vaginal itching (22.2%). Age 35-44 years, gravidity >4, education high school/above, joint families, history of abortion, and using ordinary cloth during menstruation were found to be significant risk factors. 64.4% of those with symptoms were untreated, 68.7% of those treated reported partial relief, most of those treated preferred private doctors, and the partners were not treated.

Four patients had signs of primary bioprosthetic dysfunction within the fourth postoperative year after mitral valve replacement with an Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft; they represent approximately 9% of patients with Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft mitral valves followed up for more than 3 years at our institution. Pathological investigation showed severe incompetence of all explanted valves due to cusp tears and lacerations. Histologic study of the pericardial tissue disclosed mild to moderate collagen degeneration, without infection or calcification. Neoendothelial formation on the Dacron cloth of the sewing ring was either absent or minimal. The high incidence of valvular incompetence prompted us to try to establish a correlation between the in vivo and in vitro modes of failure of the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft. For this purpose, 10 unimplanted Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft valves were tested in a fatigue test system. Severe fatigue-induced lesions occurred in this group after an average of 29.09 +/- 17.26 X 10(6) cycles; initial failure could be recognized in six of them after an average of 16.94 +/- 20.12 X 10(6) cycles. Valves tested in the fatigue test system showed tears and lacerations similar to those noted in the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenografts obtained from the four patients (which were assumed to have functioned for more than 100 X 10(6) cycles in each case). Correlation between results of the fatigue testing and our clinical experience enabled us to recognize four types of tears which may occur in the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft. The results of this investigation showed the following: (1) Primary tissue failure of the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft may occur suddenly. (2) A classification of tears occurring in Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft valves is useful since the clinical presentation of patients may differ according to type and location of the lesion. (3) In the manufacture of pericardial valves, particular care must be observed in selection of the tissue and in the frame design. (4) Improvement of the quality control is one of the clues to enhance durability of the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft.

BACKGROUND

While environmental and situational cues influence food intake, it is not always clear how they do so. We examine whether participants consume more when an eating occasion is associated with meal cues than with snack cues. We expect their perception of the type of eating occasion to mediate the amount of food they eat. In addition, we expect the effect of those cues on food intake to be strongest among those who are hungry.

METHODS

One-hundred and twenty-two undergraduates (75 men, 47 women; mean BMI = 22.8, SD = 3.38) were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions in which they were offered foods such as quesadillas and chicken wings in an environment that was associated with either meal cues (ceramic plates, glasses, silverware, and cloth napkins at a table), or snack cues (paper plates and napkins, plastic cups, and no utensils). After participants finished eating, they were asked to complete a questionnaire that assessed their hunger, satiety, perception of the foods, and included demographic and anthropometric questions. In addition, participants' total food intake was recorded.

RESULTS

Participants who were in the presence of meal-related cues ate 27.9% more calories than those surrounded with snack cues (416 versus 532 calories). The amount participants ate was partially mediated by whether they perceived the eating occasion to be a meal or a snack. In addition, the effect of the environmental cues on intake was most pronounced among participants who were hungry.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrated that environmental and situational cues associated with an eating occasion could influence overall food intake. People were more likely to eat foods when they were associated with meal cues. Importantly, the present study reveals that the effect of these cues is uniquely intertwined with cognition and motivation. First, people were more likely to eat ambiguous foods when they perceived them as a meal rather than a snack. Second, the effect of the environmental cues on intake was only observed among those who were hungry.

To characterize the epidemiology of dysentery (defined as bloody diarrhoea) in Burundi, we reviewed national surveillance data and conducted a household cluster survey including two case--control studies: one at the household, the other at the individual level. We estimated that community incidences for dysentery (per 1000 residents) in Kibuye Sector were 15.3 and 27.3, and that dysentery accounted for 6% and 12% of all deaths, in 1991 and 1992, respectively. Factors associated (P < or = 0.05) with contracting dysentery were being female, using a cloth rag after defecation, a history of recent weight loss, and not washing hands before preparing food. The attributable risk, at the household level, of not washing hands before preparing food was 30%. Secondary household transmission accounted for at most 11% of dysentery cases. This study suggests that Shigella dysenteriae type 1 may be one of the leading causes of preventable mortality in Burundi and other African countries where effective antimicrobial agents are no longer affordable. Since hands were the most important mode of transmission of S. dysenteriae in this study, community-based interventions aimed at increasing hand washing with soap and water, particularly after defecation and before food preparation, may be effective for controlling dysentery epidemics caused by S. dysenteriae type 1 in Africa.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants growing in pots of flooded soil were exposed to a (15)N(2)-enriched atmosphere for 3 to 13 days in a gas-tight chamber. The floodwater and soil surface were shaded with a black cloth to reduce the activity of phototrophic N(2)-fixing micro-organisms. The highest (15)N enrichments were consistently observed in the roots, although the total quantity of (15)N incorporated into the soil was much greater. The rate of (15)N incorporation into roots was much higher at the heading than at the tillering stage of growth. Definite enrichments were also found in the basal node and in the lower outer leaf sheath fractions after 3 days of exposure at the heading stage. Thirteen days was the shortest time period in which definite (15)N enrichment was observed in the leaves and panicle. When plants were exposed to (15)N(2) for 13 days just before heading and then allowed to mature in a normal atmosphere, 11.3% of the total (15)N in the system was found in the panicles, 2.3% in the roots, and 80.7% in the subsurface soil. These results provide direct evidence of heterotrophic N(2) fixation associated with rice roots and the flooded soil and demonstrate that part of the newly fixed N is available to the plant.

Callicarpenal (13, 14, 15, 16-tetranor-3-cleroden-12-al) and intermedeol [(4S,5S,7R,10S)-eudesm-11-en-4-ol], isolated from American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana (Lamiaceae), were evaluated in laboratory bioassays for repellent activity against host-seeking nymphs of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, and lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum. A strip of organdy cloth treated with test solution was doubly wrapped (treatment on outer layer) around the middle phalanx of a forefinger and ticks released on the fingertip. Callicarpenal and intermedeol, at 155 nmole/cm(2) cloth repelled 98 and 96% of I. scapularis nymphs, respectively. Dose response tests with I. scapularis nymphs showed no difference in repellency among callicarpenal, intermedeol and Deet (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), however, SS220 ((1S,2'S)-2-methylpiperidinyl-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxamide) was significantly more repellent than the other compounds. Callicarpenal, at 155 nmole/cm(2 )cloth, repelled 100 and 53.3% of I. scapularis nymphs at 3 and 4 h, respectively, after the cloth was treated, whereas intermedeol repelled 72.5% of I. scapularis nymphs 3 h after treatment. In comparison with the results obtained with I. scapularis, callicarpenal, intermedeol, Deet and SS220 were less effective against A. americanum. Only intermedeol and SS220 repelled significantly more A. americanum than ethanol controls at 155 nmole compound/cm(2) cloth. At 1,240 nmole/cm(2 )cloth, callicarpenal and intermedeol repelled 20 and 40% of A. americanum nymphs.

A 2-yr study was conducted in a northwestern Florida state park and recreation area to determine tick species composition, seasonal abundance, and spatial distribution. Risk of tick attachment to park visitors was also assessed relative to tick abundance from several habitats. Tick collections consisted of weekly cloth drag samples obtained from ground and emergent vegetation along a deer trail, a walking trail located in a 3-mo-old control burned area of forest, a nonburned walking trail, picnic area, and campsites. Sampling was conducted from February 1994 through February 1996. Ticks collected during the study were as follows in descending order of abundance: Ixodes scapularis Say, Amblyomma americanum (L.), A. maculatum Koch, and Dermacentor variabilis (Say). Significantly more (<0.05) adult ticks were recovered from vegetation compared with ground samples only for I. scapularis. Adult questing I. scapularis were collected from October through May (peak December). A. americanum adults were collected from March through August (peak May). Adult A. maculatum were collected during August and September and adult D. variabilis were collected July and August. Larval and nymphal stages of questing A. americanum were collected from June through November (peak July) and February through October (peak September), respectively. A. maculatum nymphs were collected from February through April, June, and September (peak March). No nymphs of I. scapularis were collected. Only four larvae of D. variabilis were collected during the study, all during February 1995. No I. scapularis or A. maculatum larvae were collected from vegetation or ground drags. The greatest risk for tick attachment was in campsites where approximately 60% of all adult and nymphal host-seeking ticks were collected. The next greatest risk area was the walking trail located in the control burned area where an additional 28% of ticks were obtained.

Highly ordered three-dimensional α-Fe2O3@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays with enhanced specific areal capacity and rate performance are fabricated by a simple and cost-effective electrodeposition method. The α-Fe2O3@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays provide a large reaction surface area, fast ion and electron transfer, and good structure stability, which all are beneficial for improving the electrochemical performance. Here, high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) are designed using α-Fe2O3@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays as anode and PANI nanorods grown on carbon cloth as cathode, and they display a high volumetric capacitance of 2.02 mF/cm3 based on the volume of device, a high energy density of 0.35 mWh/cm3 at a power density of 120.51 mW/cm3, and very good cycling stability with capacitance retention of 95.77% after 10,000 cycles. These findings will promote the application of α-Fe2O3@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays as advanced negative electrodes for ASCs.