Wideband Array Signal Processing with Real-Time Adaptive Interference Mitigation.

Wideband beamforming and interference cancellation for phased array antennas requires advances in signal processing algorithms, software, and specialized hardware platforms. A high-throughput array receiver has been developed that enables communication in radio frequency interference-rich environments with field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based frequency channelization and packetization. In this study, a real-time interference mitigation algorithm was implemented on graphics processing units (GPUs) contained in the data pipeline.

Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Isiro, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2012: Signs and Symptoms, Management and Outcomes.

Data collected during the 2012 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were analysed for clinical signs, symptoms and case fatality of EVD caused by Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), establishment of differential diagnoses, description of medical treatment and evaluation of the quality of clinical documentation. In a quantitative observational prospective study, global epidemiological data from 52 patients (34 patients within the community, 18 patients treated in the Ebola Treatment Centre) were entered anonymously into a database, subsequently matched and analysed. Relevant findings include an over-representation of females among community EVD cases (85.

Clinical manifestations and case management of Ebola haemorrhagic fever caused by a newly identified virus strain, Bundibugyo, Uganda, 2007-2008.

A confirmed Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) outbreak in Bundibugyo, Uganda, November 2007-February 2008, was caused by a putative new species (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). It included 93 putative cases, 56 laboratory-confirmed cases, and 37 deaths (CFR = 25%). Study objectives are to describe clinical manifestations and case management for 26 hospitalised laboratory-confirmed EHF patients.

Outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever among miners in Kamwenge and Ibanda Districts, Uganda, 2007.

Marburg hemorrhagic fever was detected among 4 miners in Ibanda District, Uganda, from June through September, 2007. Infection was likely acquired through exposure to bats or bat secretions in a mine in Kamwenge District, Uganda, and possibly human-to-human transmission between some patients. We describe the epidemiologic investigation and the health education response.

Filovirus hemorrhagic fever outbreak case management: a review of current and future treatment options.

Testing an innovative therapy for filovirus hemorrhagic fever (FHF) in an outbreak setting may be years away. Moreover, beyond anecdotal evidence, little is known about best practice for outbreak case management. Currently, Médecins Sans Frontières and others provide FHF patients with basic supportive treatment.

Factors associated with Marburg hemorrhagic fever: analysis of patient data from Uige, Angola.

Background: Reliable on-site polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF) is not always available. Therefore, clinicians triage patients on the basis of presenting symptoms and contact history. Using patient data collected in Uige, Angola, in 2005, we assessed the sensitivity and specificity of these factors to evaluate the validity of World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended case definitions for MHF.

Decreased peripheral health service utilisation during an outbreak of Marburg haemorrhagic fever, Uíge, Angola, 2005.

In 2005, a Marburg haemorrhagic fever (MHF) outbreak occurred in Uíge province, Angola, which had its epicentre in Uíge municipality. Concurrently, a health facility located a considerable distance from the outbreak's epicentre reported a drastic reduction in attendance, possibly due to a remote effect of the ongoing MHF outbreak. Health officials should devise strategies to ensure that communities far from a filovirus haemorrhagic fever epicentre are not adversely affected by interventions at the epicentre and, to the greatest extent possible, ensure that these peripheral communities receive essential medical care during an epidemic.

Inter-observer variation in paediatric clinical signs between different grades of staff examining children admitted to hospital in Tanzania.

Background And Objective: Children are often admitted to district hospitals in Africa without an adequate record of clinical examination, a problem that could be reduced by greater involvement of nurses in their assessment. We aimed to ascertain whether hospital nurses in a district hospital could conduct paediatric examinations as reliably as clinical staff, when provided with a short structured training session.

Methods: Hospital nurses (HN), hospital clinical officers (HCO) and research clinical officers (RCO) repeated examinations on children admitted to the paediatric ward shortly after the first examination by an RCO.

Treatment of Marburg and Ebola hemorrhagic fevers: a strategy for testing new drugs and vaccines under outbreak conditions.

The filoviruses, Marburg and Ebola, have the dubious distinction of being associated with some of the highest case-fatality rates of any known infectious disease--approaching 90% in many outbreaks. In recent years, laboratory research on the filoviruses has produced treatments and vaccines that are effective in laboratory animals and that could potentially drastically reduce case-fatality rates and curtail outbreaks in humans. However, there are significant challenges in clinical testing of these products and eventual delivery to populations in need.

The Medecins Sans Frontieres intervention in the Marburg hemorrhagic fever epidemic, Uige, Angola, 2005. II. lessons learned in the community.

From 27 March 2005 onwards, the independent humanitarian medical aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres, together with the World Health Organization, the Angolan Ministry of Health, and others, responded to the Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF) outbreak in Uige, Angola, to contain the epidemic and care for those infected. This response included community epidemiological surveillance, clinical assessment and isolation of patients with MHF, safe burials and disinfection, home-based risk reduction, peripheral health facility support, psychosocial support, and information and education campaigns. Lessons were learned during the implementation of each outbreak control component, and the subsequent modifications of protocols and strategies are discussed.

The Medecins Sans Frontieres intervention in the Marburg hemorrhagic fever epidemic, Uige, Angola, 2005. I. Lessons learned in the hospital.

When the epidemic of Marburg hemorrhagic fever occurred in Uige, Angola, during 2005, the international response included systems of case detection and isolation, community education, the burial of the dead, and disinfection. However, despite large investments of staff and money by the organizations involved, only a fraction of the reported number of cases were isolated, and many cases were detected only after death. This article describes the response of Medecins Sans Frontieres Spain within the provincial hospital in Uige, as well as the lessons they learned during the epidemic.

Marburg hemorrhagic fever in Durba and Watsa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: clinical documentation, features of illness, and treatment.

The objective of the present study was to describe day of onset and duration of symptoms of Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF), to summarize the treatments applied, and to assess the quality of clinical documentation. Surveillance and clinical records of 77 patients with MHF cases were reviewed. Initial symptoms included fever, headache, general pain, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia (median day of onset, day 1-2), followed by hemorrhagic manifestations (day 5-8+), and terminal symptoms included confusion, agitation, coma, anuria, and shock.

A clinical guide to viral haemorrhagic fevers: Ebola, Marburg and Lassa.

The viral haemorrhagic fevers are a group of diseases that share many clinical features. Ebola, Marburg and Lassa are diseases that cause a relatively small number of deaths globally, but pose special risks to medical staff due to the ease of transmission, and can have a profound impact to the communities they affect. This article gives a brief overview of diseases caused by the Ebola, Marburg and Lassa viruses.

Leydig cell-specific expression of DAX1 improves fertility of the Dax1-deficient mouse.

Dax1 is an orphan nuclear receptor expressed in both Leydig and Sertoli cells of the testis. Mutation of DAX1 in humans causes adrenal failure and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Targeted mutagenesis of Dax1 in mice reveals a primary gonadal defect characterized by overexpression of aromatase and cellular obstruction of the seminiferous tubules and efferent ductules, leading to germ cell death and infertility.

SF-1, DAX-1, and acd: molecular determinants of adrenocortical growth and steroidogenesis.

The formation of the adrenal cortex in humans is notable for the presence of two discrete zones, the fetal zone (FZ) which regresses soon after birth and the definitive zone (DZ) which gives rise to the classic steroidogenic zones of the adult cortex. Mice possess an analogous structure to the FZ referred to as the X-zone (XZ) which regresses at puberty in the male and during the first pregnancy in the female. Similar to the human FZ in X-linked Congenital Adrenal Hypoplasia caused by loss of function mutations in DAX-1 (Dosage-sensitive sex reversal-Adrenal hypoplasia congenita critical region on the X chromosome), the mouse XZ does not regress when DAX-1 is mutated.

Interaction between Dax-1 and steroidogenic factor-1 in vivo: increased adrenal responsiveness to ACTH in the absence of Dax-1.

Two nuclear receptors, dosage-sensitive sex reversal adrenal hypoplasia congenita, critical region on the X chromosome gene-1 (Dax-1) and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), are required for adrenal development and function. In vitro assays suggest that Dax-1 represses SF-1 mediated transcription. In this study, we generated SF-1(+/-): Dax-1(-/Y) mice to examine the role of Dax-1 in SF-1-dependent steroidogenesis in vivo.

Blockage of the rete testis and efferent ductules by ectopic Sertoli and Leydig cells causes infertility in Dax1-deficient male mice.

DAX-1, an X-linked member of the orphan nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors, plays a key role in sex determination and gonadal differentiation. Dax1-deficient male mice are infertile and have small testes despite normal serum levels of T and gonadotropins. Examination of Dax1-deficient testes reveals dilated seminiferous tubules and abnormal parameters of sperm fertilizing capability consistent with a possible obstruction in the testis.

Molecular and structural analysis of two novel StAR mutations in patients with lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Mutations in the gene encoding steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) cause lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia. We report a novel homozygous splice site mutation (IVS1 + 2T --> G) in STAR in two sisters (46XY, 46XX) who presented with primary adrenal insufficiency at birth and a novel homozygous R182H missense mutation in the putative lipid transfer domain of StAR in a phenotypic female (46XY) with adrenal failure and a parotid tumor. These cases highlight the importance of StAR-dependent steroidogenesis during fetal development and early infancy and of the critical functional role of R182 in cholesterol transport.

Aromatase (Cyp19) expression is up-regulated by targeted disruption of Dax1.

DAX-1 [dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) critical region on the X chromosome, gene 1] is an orphan nuclear receptor that represses transcription by steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), a factor that regulates expression of multiple steroidogenic enzymes and other genes involved in reproduction. Mutations in the human DAX1 gene (also known as AHC) cause the X-linked syndrome AHC, a disorder that is associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism also. Characterization of Dax1-deficient male mice revealed primary testicular defects that included Leydig cell hyperplasia (LCH) and progressive degeneration of the germinal epithelium, leading to infertility.

Sertoli cell-specific rescue of fertility, but not testicular pathology, in Dax1 (Ahch)-deficient male mice.

DAX1 is an orphan member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of transcription factors. Our recent characterization of Dax1 (Ahch)-deficient male mice revealed a primary testicular defect resulting in hypogonadism and sterility. The progressive degeneration of the germinal epithelium, independent of abnormal gonadotropin and testosterone production, suggested an intrinsic loss of Dax1 function in the Sertoli cells.

Reciprocal consomic strains to evaluate y chromosome effects.

We have previously demonstrated that the SHRSP Y chromosome contains a locus that contributes to hypertension in SHRSP/WKY F2 hybrids and that SHRSP exhibit an increased vulnerability to focal cerebral ischemia after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). This increased vulnerability is inherited as a codominant trait, and a putative role for the Y chromosome has been suggested in F1 hybrids. The objective of this study was to investigate further the role of Y chromosome in blood pressure (BP) regulation and in the vulnerability to cerebral ischemia.

Applicability of a "speed" congenic strategy to dissect blood pressure quantitative trait loci on rat chromosome 2.

The identification of any quantitative trait locus (QTL) via a genome scan is only the first step toward the ultimate goal of gene identification. The next step is the production of congenic strains by which the existence of a QTL may be verified and the implicated chromosomal region be reduced to a size applicable to positional cloning of the causal gene. We used a speed congenic breeding protocol previously verified in mice for 2 blood pressure QTLs on rat chromosome 2.

Genetic and gender influences on sensitivity to focal cerebral ischemia in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat.

We have investigated genetic transmission of increased sensitivity to focal cerebral ischemia and the influence of gender in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP). Halothane-anesthetized, 3- to 5-month-old male and female Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), SHRSP, and the first filial generation rats (F1 crosses 1 and 2) underwent distal (2 mm) permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by electrocoagulation. Infarct volume was measured by using hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections and image analysis 24 hours after ischemia and expressed as a percentage of the volume of the ipsilateral hemisphere.