Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background: The arrival of the big-data era provides us with a chance to elaborate the spectrum and epidemiological characteristics of infectious diseases in children and adolescents aged 0–18 years in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era. Methods: We collected data on infectious diseases in 891,981 participants from the Cheeloo Lifespan Electronic Health Research Data-library. The incidence density of each infection was calculated and stratified by age and region. The annual percentage change (APC) in incidence was estimated by logarithmic linear regression. Results: A total of 18,183 cases of 78 infections were diagnosed, with an overall incidence density of 626.33 per 100,000 person-years (PY). Of these, 6825 cases of 50 non-notifiable infectious diseases were identified. Children aged 1–3 years had the highest incidence of infections. The overall incidence revealed a significant increasing trend from 2013 to 2017 (APC = 36.9%, p < 0.05). Hand, foot, and mouth disease, pneumonia, and influenza were the three most common diseases. The incidence of pneumonia, rubella, scarlet fever, zoster, molluscum contagiosum, and syphilis increased significantly during the study period (all p < 0.05). Taian, Binzhou, and Weihai had the highest incidence of all other cities. The incidence of gastrointestinal infections increased markedly in the eastern coastal regions. Conclusions: More stress should be placed on a number of non-notifiable infectious diseases with a high burden and a significant increasing trend. Age-based and regional targeting efforts are needed to prevent and contain infectious diseases among children and adolescents.

Background Parasite traits associated with transmission success, such as the number of infective stages released from the host, are expected to be optimized by natural selection. However, in the trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni , a key transmission trait, i.e. the number of cercariae larvae shed from infected Biomphalaria spp. snails, varies significantly within and between different parasite populations and selection experiments demonstrate that this variation has a strong genetic basis. In this study, we compared the transmission strategies of two laboratory schistosome population and their consequences for their snail host. Methods We infected inbred Biomphalaria glabrata snails using two S. mansoni parasite populations (SmBRE and SmLE), both isolated from Brazil and maintained in the laboratory for decades. We compared life history traits of these two parasite populations by quantifying sporocyst growth within infected snails (assayed using qPCR), output of cercaria larvae and impact on snail host physiological response (i.e. hemoglobin rate, laccase-like activity) and survival. Results We identified striking differences in virulence and transmission between the two studied parasite populations. SmBRE (low shedder (LS) parasite population) sheds very low numbers of cercariae and causes minimal impact on the snail physiological response (i.e. laccase-like activity, hemoglobin rate and snail survival). In contrast, SmLE (high shedder (HS) parasite population) sheds 8-fold more cercariae (mean ± SE cercariae per shedding: 284 ± 19 vs 2352 ± 113), causes high snail mortality and has strong impact on snail physiology. We found that HS sporocysts grow more rapidly inside the snail host, comprising up to 60% of cells within infected snails, compared to LS sporocysts, which comprised up to 31%. Cercarial production is strongly correlated to the number of S. mansoni sporocyst cells present within the snail host tissue, although the proportion of sporocyst cells alone does not explain the low cercarial shedding of SmBRE. Conclusions We demonstrated the existence of alternative transmission strategies in the S. mansoni parasite consistent with trade-offs between parasite transmission and host survival: a “boom-bust” strategy characterized by high virulence, high transmission and short duration infections and a “slow and steady” strategy with low virulence, low transmission but long duration of snail host infections.

In this article, we present a simple agent which learns an internal representation of space without a priori knowledge of its environment, body, or sensors. The learned environment is seen as an internal space representation. This representation is isomorphic to the group of transformations applied to the environment. The model solves certain theoretical and practical issues encountered in previous work in sensorimotor contingency theory. Considering the mathematical description of the internal representation, analysis of its properties and simulations, we prove that this internal representation is equivalent to knowledge of space.

Colo Solutions will host Heritage Communications' network equipment and World Talknet digital telephony switching platform, and will also provide connectivity to multiple network carriers, enabling the expansion of Heritage Communications' WorldWide Network. Heritage Communications is building a WorldWide Network comprised of private circuits, various International Operating Agreements and global partnerships with communications industry leaders. The company's WorldWide network offers carriers reliability, signal quality, fast call set-up times, and competitive rates. Heritage Communications partners with U.S. and International Leaders in Operator Services/ Directory Assistance, Competitive Local Access Providers, National PTTs, International Carriers, Internet Backbone Providers and emerging nations seeking reliable International Telecommunications Services.

Colo Solutions(tm), the leader in providing Carrier-Neutral Colocation(tm) facilities for next generation Service Providers in prime telecom locations of tier-2 and tier-3 metropolitan cities, today announced it has opened facilities in Cleveland, OH, Louisville, KY, and Pittsburgh, PA. These three centers are part of the continued expansion of the Colo Solutions network of secure, reliable, cost-effective carrier-neutral colocation facilities offering a suite of telecommunications services for customers that require carrier choices to support bandwidth intensive applications. Colo Solutions also announced that 2nd Century Communications, an open network application service provider, executed agreements to lease additional colocation space in Louisville, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh to house their network equipment and enable greater carrier connectivity. Colo Solutions has worked closely with 2nd Century in other targeted metropolitan business districts to provide carrier-neutral colocation services. 2nd Century utilizes Colo Solutions' facilities for the deployment of their comprehensive technology services in prime high-tech locations.

OpenCon Communication Systems is a privately-held company founded in 1991, located in Piscataway, New Jersey, with a long and successful record in developing state-of-the-art telecom solutions for the global market. The OCCS portfolio of products includes the OCCS Billing Mediation Platform, a flexible data mediation engine for the telecommunications industry, and the OCCS TMN Gateway, a flexible TMN protocol mediation solution that interfaces new protocols such as CORBA and IDL with legacy protocols, such as TL1. OCCS solutions also include a GR-303 solution, a complete end-to-end Digital Loop Carrier to Digital Switch interface, as well as SONET/SDH DCC solutions providing the management interface to SONET and SDH equipment. For more information about OCCS and its entire solution suite, visit the company's Web site at www.opencon.com.

CLECexpo Fall 2000 hosted numerous educational conference sessions and conference attendees had high praise. \"The trends in the CLEC arena are nicely summarized at this show and the look at the future ahead is compelling,\" stated Linda Lukaszka, Lucent Technologies Sales Director. \"The quality of the the CLECexpo conference cuts to the chase, there's not a lot of sales hype.\" George Pfenenger, veteran conference attendee and president and CEO of Columbia, MO- based Socket Communications, an ISP evolving into a CLEC, concurred. \"The CLEC Access to Cable/Telephony was topical as it covered the ever-changing FCC laws. I could have spent three hours listening to this informative session and I attend many shows.\" CLECexpo Fall 2000 brought together key players and vendors that serve the burgeoning competitive communications market, including Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs). CLECexpo Spring 2001 takes place on February 21-23, 2001 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY. The show will be co- located with ASPCON (Application Service Providers Conference) and Internet World Wireless.

OpenCon's CDRViewer (TM) is a standard Windows-based application that displays CDR files using an intuitive interface. The CDRViewer (TM) uses OpenCon's metadata translation technology to describe EMI, BAF, and other CDR data formats. The CDRViewer (TM) can display raw CDR records in a hierarchical structure that illustrates each record in the file by displaying the field names, contents, size, and data type. Users can also use the CDRViewer (TM) to view the metadata (data type definition and the file and record layout).

The Heartbeat of the Net(TM), Symmetricom, Inc. (NASDAQ:SYMM) is the leading provider of network enhancement solutions to telecommunications and access network service providers and original equipment manufacturers. With synchronization and timing solutions installed in the communications networks of more than 70 countries around the world, as well as network access products that extend the reach and performance of today's high-speed data networks, Symmetricom's sync solutions help the world's service providers improve quality, reduce operational costs and reduce network downtime. For more information, please visit the Symmetricom web site at http://www.symmetricom.com.

Company: Adesta Communications Booth: 110 Contact: Teresa Lauver E-mail: info@adestagroup.com Web: www.adestacommunications.com For more than a decade, Adesta Communications (formerly MFS Network technologies) has led the systems integration industry as a premier project development and construction management company. Adesta has supervised the design and implementation of more than a million miles of fiber networks in more than 70 metropolitan areas. We have worked with several state agencies to develop their rights of way, leasing the excess capacity on a non-discriminatory basis to CLECs, ISPs and ICPs. Currently, we have dark fiber and duct available throughout Colorado, Utah, California, Illinois, New Jersey and out to the trans-atlantic cable landings. Company: Avail Networks, Inc. Booth: 125 Contact: David Kamm Phone: 734-332-5585 E-mail: dkamm@availnetworks.com Web: www.availnetworks.com Avail Networks designs, develops, and markets next-generation multi-service access systems with robust QoS for integrated data, voice, and video services. Avail's FronteraTM product family - based on a flexible, compact platform with high-performance ATM switching and IP routing capabilities - includes Integrated Concentration Devices (ICDs) and complementary IADs. Avail's Frontera ICD is the first product in the market to integrate VoDSL IAD, DSLAM, IP router, and ATM edge switching functions into a single customer-located platform. Avail's Frontera IAD and ICD products allow Integrated Communications Providers to profitably serve single and multi-subscriber environments with cost-effective bundled communications solutions. Company: Billing Concepts Booth: 511 Contact: Paul Gehri Phone: 210-949-7000 Web: www.billingconcepts.com Billing Concepts offers a variety of Revenue Support Solutions to rapidly expanding communications companies including: an application service provider (ASP)-based outsource billing solution, LEC bill processing and information management services, Directory Assistance and Operator Services. Our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions are designed for communications service providers as well as other consumer based industries and include Inbound Customer Care, eCare and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) services. Our software subsidiary, Aptis, Inc., develops, licenses and supports software for billing and customer care systems for Internet, data and network service providers as well as integrated communications providers (ICPs) of virtually any size. Company: BridgePoint International Booth: 727 Contact: Norinn Tan Phone: 514-878-1555 E-mail: norinn.tan@bpe.net Web: www.bpe.net BridgePoint International is an emerging leader in the development and delivery of central office outsourcing services through neutral telehousing facilities, International Voice & Data Switching, Internet Network Management Services and technical support. BridgePoint's service offerings further include two developed under strategic alliances concluded with Ericsson and Cisco Systems, both leaders in telecommunication equipment solutions. The Company currently operates co-location centers in New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, and expects to open 28 more worldwide over the next two years. BridgePoint's mission is to provide the telecommunications and Internet industry with flexible, secure and cost-effective networking solutions. Products & Services include Co-location; Virtual Gateway Switching (Switch Partitioning); Global Internet Exchange (Internet Peering); Technical Support 24/7. Company: Carrier Access Booth: 223 Contact: Brad Chittim Phone: 303-442-5455 E-mail: bchittim@carrieraccess.com Web: www.carrieraccess.com Carrier Access is a leading provider of broadband access solutions that meet the rapidly changing needs of service providers today. With products that span the spectrum of the network, Carrier Access is leading a revolutionary change in the industry.