Memorial University of Newfoundland

About: Memorial University of Newfoundland is a education organization based out in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 13818 authors who have published 27785 publications receiving 743594 citations. The organization is also known as: Memorial University & Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Origins of the Earth’s Diffuse Auroral Precipitation

Abstract: The Earth’s diffuse auroral precipitation provides the major source of energy input into the nightside upper atmosphere and acts as an essential linkage of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Resonant wave-particle interactions play a dominant role in the scattering of injected plasma sheet electrons, leading to the diffuse auroral precipitation. We review the recent advances in understanding the origin of the diffuse aurora and in quantifying the exact roles of various magnetospheric waves in producing the global distribution of diffuse auroral precipitation and its variability with the geomagnetic activity. Combined scattering by upper-and lower-band chorus accounts for the most intense inner magnetospheric electron diffuse auroral precipitation on the nightside. Dayside chorus can be responsible for the weaker dayside electron diffuse auroral precipitation. Pulsating auroras, the dynamic auroral structures embedded in the diffuse aurora, can be mainly caused by modulation of the excitation of lower band chorus due to macroscopic density variations in the magnetosphere. Electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves are an important or even dominant cause for the nightside electron diffuse auroral precipitation beyond ${\sim}8R_{e}$ and can also contribute to the occurrence of the pulsating aurora at high $L$ -shells. Scattering by electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves could quite possibly be the leading candidate responsible for the ion precipitation (especially the reversed-type events of the energy-latitude dispersion) in the regions of the central plasma sheet and ring current. We conclude the review with a summary of current understanding, outstanding questions, and a number of suggestions for future research.

Goat-Associated Q Fever: A New Disease in Newfoundland

Abstract: In the spring of 1999 in rural Newfoundland, abortions in goats were associated with illness in goat workers. An epidemiologic investigation and a serologic survey were conducted in April 1999 to determine the number of infections, nature of illness, and risk factors for infection. Thirty-seven percent of the outbreak cohort had antibody titers to phase II Coxiella burnetii antigen >1:64, suggesting recent infection. The predominant clinical manifestation of Q fever was an acute febrile illness. Independent risk factors for infection included contact with goat placenta, smoking tobacco, and eating cheese made from pasteurized goat milk. This outbreak raises questions about management of such outbreaks, interprovincial sale and movement of domestic ungulates, and the need for discussion between public health practitioners and the dairy industry on control of this highly infectious organism.

Amino acid metabolism in the Zucker diabetic fatty rat: effects of insulin resistance and of type 2 diabetes.

Abstract: We investigated amino acid metabolism in the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF Gmi fa/fa) rat during the prediabetic insulin-resistant stage and the frank type 2 diabetic stage. Amino acids were measured ...

Pain in children with cerebral palsy: common triggers and expressive behaviors

Abstract: To obtain parents' identification and description of the behaviors, health care procedures and daily living situations associated with pain in children with cerebral palsy (CP), surveys were sent to parents of children with CP recruited via a clinic case list and a parents' newsletter. Forty-three parents completed the survey. Results indicated that children's ability to communicate pain verbally did not influence whether or not their parent reported observing pain. Most children (67%) were reported to have displayed pain within the month prior to rating. All pain behaviors on the Non-Communicating Children's Pain Checklist (Dev Med Child Neurol 40 (1998) 340) were endorsed by some parents, and few additional pain behaviors were identified, suggesting that this instrument adequately samples the pain behavior of children with CP. Assisted stretching was the daily living activity most frequently identified as painful by parents (93% of those reporting pain), and the one with the highest mean pain intensity. Needle injection (40%) was the medical and nursing procedure most frequently identified by parents as painful for their children. Range of motion manipulation was the therapy most frequently identified as painful by parents (58%), and the one with the highest mean intensity. Parents are able to observe pain in their children with CP regardless of the child's verbal fluency. Knowledge of behaviors and painful situations identified by parents can facilitate management of pain in children with CP.

Mutation Analysis of Patients with Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome: A Frameshift Hot Spot in the HPS Gene and Apparent Locus Heterogeneity

Abstract: Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder in which oculocutaneous albinism, bleeding, and lysosomal ceroid storage result from defects of multiple cytoplasmic organelles-melanosomes, platelet-dense granules, and lysosomes. As reported elsewhere, we mapped the human HPS gene to chromosome segment 10q23, positionally cloned the gene, and identified three pathologic mutations of the gene, in patients from Puerto Rico, Japan, and Europe. Here, we describe mutation analysis of 44 unrelated Puerto Rican and 24 unrelated non-Puerto Rican HPS patients. A 16-bp frameshift duplication, the result of an apparent founder effect, is nearly ubiquitous among Puerto Rican patients. A frameshift at codon 322 may be the most frequent HPS mutation in Europeans. We also describe six novel HPS mutations: a 5' splice-junction mutation of IVS5, three frameshifts, a nonsense mutation, and a one-codon in-frame deletion. These mutations define an apparent frameshift hot spot at codons 321-322. Overall, however, we detected mutations in the HPS gene in only about half of non-Puerto Rican patients, and we present evidence that suggests locus heterogeneity for HPS.