Ortho-deuterium Raman laser using the S0(2) rotationaltransition in the mid-infrared region

Based on a calculation for the Raman gain coefficient of the S₀(2) transition in ortho-D₂, we have demonstrated the generation of first Stokes waves in the 15-16-μm spectral region. Use of ortho-D enriched by a catalytic converter enabled us to realize efficient conversion at room temperature. Stokes energies as high as 400 mJ were obtained     

Herpes viruses--herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, EB virus, cytomegalovirus

Herpes simplex encephalitis is the commonest viral encephalitis among individuals, and the mortality has been markedly decreased by the use of vidarabine and acyclovir. Early diagnoses and immediate treatment are essential for favorable prognoses. Neuro-imagings, such as MRI and SPECT, and PCR technique for detection of HSV-DNA in CSF, are useful for early diagnoses, without requiring brain biopsy. Varicella and herpes zoster viruses are complicated, only rarely, with neurological manifestations, such as meningoencephalitis, myelitis, or peripheral neuropathy. Acyclovir is mostly effective in these cases. Neurological complications of Epstein-Barr virus infections are variable, including meningitis, cerebellar ataxia, cranial neuropathy, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Their prognoses are generally good. Cytomegalovirus encephalitis is one of the common complications in AIDS patients. Its clinical diagnosis is difficult and the prognosis is considered to be poor.     

A hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian approach for thickness, correspondence, and gridding of annular tissues.

We present a novel approach to efficiently compute thickness, correspondence, and gridding of tissues between two simply connected boundaries. The solution of Laplace's equation within the tissue region provides a harmonic function whose gradient flow determines the correspondence trajectories going from one boundary to the other. The proposed method uses and expands upon two recently introduced techniques in order to compute thickness and correspondences based on these trajectories. Pairs of partial differential equations are efficiently computed within an Eulerian framework and combined with a Lagrangian approach so that correspondences trajectories are partially constructed when necessary. Examples are presented in order to compare the performance of this method with those of the pure Lagrangian and pure Eulerian approaches. Results show that the proposed technique takes advantage of both the speed of the Eulerian approach and the accuracy of the Lagrangian approach.     

Analyzing fault and severity in pedestrian–motor vehicle accidents in China

The number of pedestrian–motor vehicle accidents and pedestrian deaths in China surged in recent years. However, a large scale empirical research on pedestrian traffic crashes in China is lacking. In this study, we identify significant risk factors associated with fault and severity in pedestrian–motor vehicle accidents. Risk factors in several different dimensions, including pedestrian, driver, vehicle, road and environmental factors, are considered. We analyze 6967 pedestrian traffic accident reports for the period 2006–2010 in Guangdong Province, China. These data, obtained from the Guangdong Provincial Security Department, are extracted from the Traffic Management Sector-Specific Incident Case Data Report. Pedestrian traffic crashes have a unique inevitability and particular high risk, due to pedestrians’ fragility, slow movement and lack of lighting equipment. The empirical analysis of the present study has the following policy implications. First, traffic crashes in which pedestrians are at fault are more likely to cause serious injuries or death, suggesting that relevant agencies should pay attention to measures that prevent pedestrians from violating traffic rules. Second, both the attention to elderly pedestrians, male and experienced drivers, the penalty to drunk driving, speeding, driving without a driver's license and other violation behaviors should be strengthened. Third, vehicle safety inspections and safety training sessions for truck drivers should be reinforced. Fourth, improving the road conditions and road lighting at night are important measures in reducing the probability of accident casualties. Fifth, specific road safety campaigns in rural areas, and education programs especially for young children and teens should be developed and promoted. Moreover, we reveal a country-specific factor, hukou, which has significant effect on the severity in pedestrian accidents due to the discrepancy in the level of social insurance/security, suggesting that equal social security level among urban and rural people should be set up. In addition, establishing a comprehensive liability distribution system for non-urban areas and roadways will be conducive to both pedestrians’ and drivers’ voluntary compliance with traffic rules.     

Micro-organisms and manganese cycling in a seasonally stratified freshwater dam

This work describes investigations into the role that biotic and abiotic mechanisms play in the manganese redox cycle in a freshwater dam over a twelve month period. Enzymatic control of manganese oxidation was taking place with a temperature optimum of approx. 30°C. Manganese oxidation was only significant above about 19°C. The temperature and season play vital roles in determining the extent to which abiotic and microbial mechanisms contribute to manganese oxidation. Results showed that microbial catalysis is overwhelmingly responsible for manganese oxidation in the lower epilimnion from November to May. Significant abiotic catalysis (up to 25%) can occur in late summer/autumn when the water temperature is greatest. Mn(II) oxidation, pseudo-first order rate constants to 1.12 × 10²² M⁻⁴ · d⁻¹ were measured while poisoned sample experiments confirmed the role of biological mediation. In winter, biological control could not occur because of the lower temperature of the water column. The measurement of “x” in MnO_x showed that higher manganese oxidation states were expected when the manganese oxidation rate was at a maximum and therefore when microbial activity was greatest. Direct microbial reduction of MnO_x in the water column was of much less significance. However, indirect reduction may have taken place through the reaction of MnO_x with sulfide. The results of this work have important implications for the design and operation of artificial destratification units for the control of manganese speciation.     

Serial MRI, SPECT and 1H-MRS findings in a case of herpes simplex encephalitis

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a progressive eye disorder associated with Graves' hyperthyroidism, which is generally considered to have an autoimmune etiology. Eye muscle membrane proteins of 64 kd are good markers of ophthalmopathy in patients with thyroid autoimmunity. The 64-kd protein is now shown from a partial sequence to be the flavoprotein subunit (Fp) of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase. Hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease is increasing in incidence among urban black female Africans, possibly because of exposure to environmental risk factors such as increased dietary iodine ingestion and stress. Ophthalmopathy is frequently observed in this clinical context, but its association with serum autoantibodies reactive with Fp has not been examined. We studied 19 black South African patients with Graves' disease during the course of prolonged antithyroid drug administration, of whom 10 had congestive ophthalmopathy, but no clinical evidence for eye muscle damage at the onset. Anti-Fp antibodies were detected in 2 of these patients, as well as in 2 of the 9 patients who did not have overt eye disease. Additionally, the antibodies became positive in 3 patients with ophthalmopathy in whom tests were negative initially, remained positive in 1 patient throughout the study period and became negative in 1 patient with positive tests initially. Ophthalmopathy did not develop in any of the 9 patients who lacked this complication on presentation. The reasons why we failed to demonstrate a close relationship between anti-Fp antibodies and the eye muscle component of ophthalmopathy are unclear although one possibility is that ocular myopathy is an uncommon manifestation in African thyrotoxic patients compared with those of Caucasian origin. The relationship between anti-Fp antibodies and eye muscle inflammation in patients with thyroid autoimmunity of different ethnic origins and environmental settings, needs to be addressed in a large prospective study.