Birth weight and early growth have been associated with later blood pressure. However, not all studies consistently find a significant reduction in blood pressure with an increase in birth weight. In addition, the relative importance of birth weight and of other lifestyle and environmental factors is often overlooked and the association is rarely studied in adolescents. We investigated early life predictors, including birth weight, of adolescent blood pressure in the Gateshead Millennium Study (GMS). The GMS is a cohort of 1029 individuals born in 1999–2000 in Gateshead in Northern England. Throughout infancy and early childhood, detailed information were collected, including birth weight and measures of height and weight. Assessments of 491 returning participants at age 12 years included measures of body mass and blood pressure. Linear regression and path analysis were used to determine predictors and their relative importance on blood pressure. Birth weight was not directly associated with blood pressure at the age of 12. However, after adjustment for contemporaneous body mass index (BMI), an inverse association of standardized birth weight on systolic blood pressure was significant. The relative importance of birth weight on later systolic blood pressure was smaller than other contemporaneous body measures (height and BMI). There was no independent association of birth weight on blood pressure seen in this adolescent population. Contemporaneous body measures have an important role to play. Lifestyle factors that influence body mass or size, such as diet and physical activity, where interventions are directed at early prevention of hypertension should be targeted.

We implemented a cross-sectional study in Tana River County, Kenya, a Rift Valley fever (RVF)-endemic area, to quantify the strength of association between RVF virus (RVFv) seroprevalences in livestock and humans, and their respective intra-cluster correlation coefficients (ICCs). The study involved 1932 livestock from 152 households and 552 humans from 170 households. Serum samples were collected and screened for anti-RVFv immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies using inhibition IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data collected were analysed using generalised linear mixed effects models, with herd/household and village being fitted as random variables. The overall RVFv seroprevalences in livestock and humans were 25.41% (95% confidence interval (CI) 23.49–27.42%) and 21.20% (17.86–24.85%), respectively. The presence of at least one seropositive animal in a household was associated with an increased odds of exposure in people of 2.23 (95% CI 1.03–4.84). The ICCs associated with RVF virus seroprevalence in livestock were 0.30 (95% CI 0.19–0.44) and 0.22 (95% CI 0.12–0.38) within and between herds, respectively. These findings suggest that there is a greater variability of RVF virus exposure between than within herds. We discuss ways of using these ICC estimates in observational surveys for RVF in endemic areas and postulate that the design of the sentinel herd surveillance should consider patterns of RVF clustering to enhance its effectiveness as an early warning system for RVF epidemics.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful tool for macromolecular to near-atomic resolution structure determination in the biological sciences. The specimen is maintained in a near-native environment within a thin film of vitreous ice and imaged in a transmission electron microscope. The images can then be processed by a number of computational methods to produce three-dimensional information. Recent advances in sample preparation, imaging, and data processing have led to tremendous growth in the field of cryo-EM by providing higher resolution structures and the ability to investigate macromolecules within the context of the cell. Here, we review developments in sample preparation methods and substrates, detectors, phase plates, and cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy that have contributed to this expansion. We also have included specific biological applications.

Improving compliance with hand hygiene is a cornerstone of infection prevention. However, data regarding practical methods for monitoring compliance are limited. We found that product use metrics have a moderate correlation with direct observation in ward settings and limited correlation in intensive care units.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:746–749

New simultaneous X-ray and radio observations of the archetypal mode-switching pulsar PSR B0943+10 have been carried out with XMM-Newton and the LOFAR, LWA and Arecibo radio telescopes in November 2014. They allowed us to better constrain the X-ray spectral and variability properties of this pulsar and to detect, for the first time, the X-ray pulsations also during the X-ray-fainter mode. The combined timing and spectral analysis indicates that unpulsed non-thermal emission, likely of magnetospheric origin, and pulsed thermal emission from a small polar cap are present during both radio modes and vary in a correlated way.

Invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections cause severe disease and death, especially in residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). In order to inform iGAS prevention, we compared the risk of iGAS in LTCF residents and community residents. We identified LTCF residents among cases of iGAS from national surveillance (2009–2010) using postcode matching, and cases of hospital-acquired infections via hospital admission records. We used Poisson regression to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR) and logistic regression to explore factors associated with case fatality rate (CFR). A total of 2741 laboratory-confirmed iGAS cases were matched to a hospital admission: 156 (6%) were defined as hospital-acquired. Out of the total cases, 96 (3·5%) were LTCF residents. Compared with community residents, LTCF residents over 75 years of age had a higher risk of iGAS infection (IRR = 1·7; 95% CI 1·3–2·1) and CFR (OR = 2·3; 95% CI 1·3–3·8). Amongst community-acquired cases, the risk of iGAS in LTCF residents between 75 and 84 years of age doubled (IRR = 2·7; 95% CI 1·8–3·9) compared with their community counterparts. The CFR among community-acquired cases was higher in LTCF residents than community residents (21% vs. 11%). Age remained associated with death in our final model. Our study showed that, even controlling for age, LTCF residents have a higher risk of acquiring and dying from iGAS. Whilst existing co-morbidities may explain this, it is reasonable to assume that the institutional setting may facilitate transmission. Therefore, cases in LTCF require prompt investigation together with a better understanding of factors contributing to the acquisition of infection.

We have mapped the nearby (z=0.018), active galaxy NGC 1275 (3C84) at 6 different epochs from 1981 to 1986 at 1.3 cm (22.3 GHz) with a global VLBI array of seven telescopes. We find a long-lived knot of emission separating from the brightest radio component with a projected velocity = 0.4 6±0.12 h−1 c. This knot moves through diffuse emission that also moves away from the main component with a slower projected velocity of 0.33±0.12 h−1 c. We show that the knot and diffuse emission result from two separate events that occurred around 1959 and 1968.

We are investigating complete samples of southern hemisphere flat spectrum extra-galactic radio sources drawn from the Parkes 2.7 GHz Survey (see Bolton et al. 1979 and references therein). These samples are being used for a variety of investigations, including a determination of the space distribution and luminosity function of radio QSOs, their radio size distribution, as well as the structures of the individual sources. Accurate positions are being determined, as well, in order to establish an extra-galactic position reference frame in the southern hemisphere.

Prenatal stress and prenatal nutrition each have demonstrable impact on fetal development, with implications for child neurodevelopment and behavior. However, few studies have examined their joint influences despite evidence of potential interactive effects. We examined associations among prenatal stress, prenatal antioxidant intakes, and child temperament in a sociodemographically diverse pregnancy cohort (N=137 mother–child dyads). In mid-pregnancy, mothers completed an assessment of recent negative life events as a measure of prenatal stress and an assessment of prenatal diet. When the children were 30 months of age, mothers completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire-Very Short form, which provides scores on child Negative Affectivity, Effortful Control, and Surgency/Extraversion. Linear regressions tested associations between maternal prenatal negative life events and child temperament, and effect modification by maternal prenatal antioxidant intakes (vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, zinc, selenium, β-carotene). Analyses revealed that increased maternal prenatal negative life events were associated with higher child Negative Affectivity (β=0.08, P=0.009) but not with child Effortful Control (β=−0.03, P=0.39) or Surgency/Extraversion (β=0.04, P=0.14). Prenatal intakes of zinc and selenium modified this effect: Maternal exposure to prenatal negative life events was associated with higher child Negative Affectivity in the presence of lower intakes of zinc and selenium. Modification effects approached significance for vitamins A and C. The results suggest that the combination of elevated stress exposures and lower antioxidant intakes in pregnancy increases the likelihood of heightened child temperamental negative affectivity. Increased antioxidant intakes during pregnancy may protect against influences of prenatal stress on child temperament.

Detailed mid- and far-infrared spectra have been recorded for authenticated samples of several clathrate hydrates with the two main structures, I and II, at temperatures between 150 and 4 K. The systems are complicated, yet a detailed analysis of the many interesting spectral features is required before reliable, detailed information can be obtained. Consequently only rather general conclusions can be drawn at present.

The mid-infrared spectra have been recorded for the structure I hydrates and deuterates of ethylene oxide, trimethylene oxide, and cyclopropane, and the structure II hydrate and deuterate of trimethylene oxide, all at 100 K. The OD stretching vibrations of isolated HDO molecules, v OD (HDO), and of the fully deuterated forms, v OD(D2O), have also been recorded for cyclopropane and trimethylene oxide structure I hydrates at 40 K, and the absorption by the guest molecules has been studied for all of the structure I hydrates at temperatures down to 40 K.

The absorption by the water molecules at 100 K is similar to that in ice, with frequencies that vary in the expected way with the lattice parameter and, hence, the hydrogen bond lengths. The shapes of the v OH(H2O)v OD(D2O), and v R(D2O) bands are essentially the same for structures I and II, while the v OD(D2O) band varies only slightly and depends more on the guest molecule than on the structure. The water absorption changed only slightly when the samples were cooled from 100 to 40 K.

The v OD(HDO) bands provide clear evidence that the distribution of hydrogen bond lengths in cyclopropane hydrate differs from those in ethylene oxide and trimethylene oxide structure I hydrates, even though powder X-ray methods indicate that the three hydrates are isostructural. The difference is attributed to an interaction between the hydrogen bonds and the dipole moment of the guest which is too irregular to be sensed by powder X-ray methods.

Some absorption bands of the guest molecules are visible in the spectra of structure I hydrates and, as expected, fewer are visible in the spectra of structure II hydrates, which have a higher water-to-guest ratio. For both structures more guest bands are visible in the spectra of deuterates since the D2O absorption is weaker than that of H2O. The guest bands are single in most cases, with half-widths of 1 to 5 cm-1 for ethylene oxide and cyclopropane and 5 to 15 cm-1 for trimethylene oxide in its deuterates of both structures. One band of ethylene oxide at 100 K and below is a doublet, and one degenerate and one non-degenerate vibration of cyclopropane yields a doublet at 40 K. This must mean that there are two non-equivalent positions for the guest molecule in the tetrakaidecahedral cage of the structure I hydrate at these temperatures.

Far infrared spectra have been recorded of the structure I hydrates of ethylene oxide, cyclopropane, trimethylene oxide, and xenon, and of the structure II hydrates of trimethylene oxide, cyclopropane, tetrahydrofuran, cyclobutanone, and 1,3-dioxolane, all at 4.3 K. The spectra of the hydrates and corresponding deuterates have enabled the absorption by the rotational vibrations of the guest molecules in the cage to be identified. The absorption above 100 cm-1 by the translational vibrations of the water molecules is significantly different for the two structures, but is rather insensitive to the guest molecule within one structure.

A careful search was made for evidence of the transition in trimethylene oxide structure I hydrate at which the guest molecules partly order, that was detected by Davidson from dielectric studies. No spectral changes due to the transition were detected.

Papers describing this work have been published in Canadian. Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 51, No. 8, 1973, p. 1159-68; Vol. 53, No. 1, 1975, p. 71-75; Vol. 55, No. 10, 1977, p. 1777-85. A further paper is accepted for publication in Journal of Chemical Physics and others arc in preparation.

Markarian 273 and Markarian 231 are ultra-luminous IR galaxies which show signs of merger activity. Their radio continuum and spectral line emission has been imaged on scales of tens of parsec using MERLIN. Mrk 273 and Mrk 231 are classed as Seyfert types 2 and 1 respectively. The distribution and velocity gradients shown by OH masers and HI absorption are consistent with material in a rotating disk or ring, with the axis at greater than 45° to the line of sight in Mrk 273, and at less than 45° to the line of sight in Mrk 231. We estimate the amount of mass enclosed and infer its distribution from irregularities in the maser morphologies and comparison with HI and radio continuum data.

Introduction: The suboptimal management of children’s pain in the emergency department (ED) is well described. Although surveys of physicians show improvements in providing analgesia, institutional audits suggest otherwise. One reason may be patient refusal. Our objectives were to determine the proportion of caregivers that offered analgesia prior to arrival to the ED, accept analgesia in the ED, and identify reasons for withholding analgesia. Our results will inform knowledge translation initiatives to improve analgesic provision to children. Methods: A novel survey was designed to test the hypothesis that a large proportion of caregivers withhold and refuse analgesia. Over a 16-week period across two Canadian paediatric EDs, we surveyed caregivers of children aged 4-17 years with an acutely painful condition (headache, otalgia, sore throat, abdominal pain, or musculoskeletal injury). The primary outcome was the proportion of caregivers who offered analgesia up to 24 hours prior to ED arrival and accepted analgesia in the ED. Results: The response rate was 568/707 (80.3%). The majority of caregivers were female (426/568, 75%), aged 36 years or older (434/568, 76.4%), and had a post-secondary education (448/561, 79.9%). Their children included 320 males and 248 females with a mean age of 10.6 years. Most (514/564, 91.1%) reported being “able to tell when their child was in pain”. On average, children rated their maximal pain at 7.4/10. A total of 382/561 (68.1%) caregivers did not offer any form of analgesia prior to arrival. Common reasons included lack of time (124/561, 22.1%), fear of masking signs and symptoms (74/561, 13.2%) or the seriousness of their child’s condition (72/561, 12.8%), and lack of analgesia at home (71/561, 12.7%). Analgesia was offered to 328/560 (58.6%) children in the ED and 283/328 (72.6%) caregivers accepted. The most common reason for not accepting analgesia was child refusal (20/45, 44.4%). Conclusion: Most caregivers do not offer analgesia to their child prior to arriving in the ED despite high levels of pain and an awareness of it. Despite high rates of acceptance of analgesia in the ED, misconceptions are common. Knowledge translation strategies should dispel caregiver misconceptions, and highlight the impact of pain on children and the importance of analgesia at home.

We present an overview of the survey for radio emission from active stars that has been in progress for the last six years using the observatories at Fleurs, Molonglo, Parkes and Tidbinbilla. The role of complementary optical observations at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, Mount Burnett, Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories and Mount Tamborine are also outlined. We describe the different types of star that have been included in our survey and discuss some of the problems in making the radio observations.

A sub-committee, consisting of Miss M. A. Blagg and Dr K. Müller, has been at work during the past twelve months on the preparation of a list of names and designations for the lunar formations. This work is practically complete but as it was received by the chairman as late as August 22 it has not been possible for him to do more than glance over it. This brief report by him is therefore merely a summary of their work and of the material which is ready for action by the Commission.