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Coccidioides is the fungal causative agent of Valley fever, a primarily pulmonary disease caused by inhalation of fungal arthroconidia, or spores. Although Coccidioides has been an established pathogen for 120 years and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of infections per year, little is known about when and where infectious Coccidioides arthroconidia are present within the ambient air in endemic regions. Long-term air sampling programs provide a means to investigate these characteristics across space and time. Here we present data from > 18 months of collections from 11 air sampling sites across the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area. Overall, prevalence was highly variable across space and time with no obvious spatial or temporal correlations. Several high prevalence periods were identified at select sites, with no obvious spatial or temporal associations. Comparing these data with weather and environmental factor data, wind gusts and temperature were positively associated with Coccidioides detection, while soil moisture was negatively associated with Coccidioides detection. These results provide critical insights into the frequency and distribution of airborne arthroconidia and the associated risk of inhalation and potential disease that is present across space and time in a highly endemic locale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining adequate planter downforce is critical for achieving timely and uniform crop emergence across the field. On-farm research studies were conducted in different regions across South Georgia, USA to investigate the effect of planter downforce in varying soil textures. Six fields were planted in cotton with four different growers from 2017 to 2019. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) was mapped in each field to characterize areas of varying soil textures into low, medium and high soil EC zones. For each field, the downforce treatments consisted of a grower-preferred downforce along with a relatively lower and higher downforce dependent on prevalent field conditions and the downforce system available on the grower's planter. Results varied from field to field depending on soil texture variability or the type of downforce system. In three out of six fields, emergence was delayed and reduced in areas of high soil EC (heavy textured soils) whereas soil EC or downforce did not affect crop emergence in two fields. In one field, increasing planter downforce from the grower preferred value of 555 N to 1110 N improved crop emergence in heavy textured soils. In some cases, it was noted that even the highest downforce (1110 N) was not sufficient to place seeds at the desired seeding depth in the heavy textured soils. More on-farm studies are required to thoroughly understand planter downforce response in varying field conditions that exist during planting. Future studies should consider better quantification of in-field soil variability and changes in planter downforce during field operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, ticks and tick-borne diseases have expanded their ranges and impact across the US. With this spread, it has become vital to monitor vector and disease distributions, as these shifts have public health implications. Typically, tick-borne disease surveillance (e.g., Lyme disease) is passive and relies on case reports, while disease risk is calculated using active surveillance, where researchers collect ticks from the environment. Case reports provide the basis for estimating the number of cases; however, they provide minimal information on vector population or pathogen dynamics. Active surveillance monitors ticks and sylvatic pathogens at local scales, but it is resource-intensive. As a result, data are often sparse and aggregated across time and space to increase statistical power to model or identify range changes. Engaging public participation in surveillance efforts allows spatially and temporally diverse samples to be collected with minimal effort. These citizen-driven tick collections have the potential to provide a powerful tool for tracking vector and pathogen changes. We used MaxEnt species distribution models to predict the current and future distribution of Ixodes pacificus across the Western US through the use of a nationwide citizen science tick collection program. Here, we present niche models produced through citizen science tick collections over two years. Despite obvious limitations with citizen science collections, the models are consistent with previously-predicted species ranges in California that utilized more than thirty years of traditional surveillance data. Additionally, citizen science allows for an expanded understanding of I. pacificus distribution in Oregon and Washington. With the potential for rapid environmental changes instigated by a burgeoning human population and rapid climate change, the development of tools, concepts, and methodologies that provide rapid, current, and accurate assessment of important ecological qualities will be invaluable for monitoring and predicting disease across time and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Detecting very minor (< 1%) subpopulations using next-generation sequencing is a critical need for multiple applications, including the detection of drug resistant pathogens and somatic variant detection in oncology. A recently available sequencing approach termed 'sequencing by binding (SBB)' claims to have higher base calling accuracy data "out of the box." This paper evaluates the utility of using SBB for the detection of ultra-rare drug resistant subpopulations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) using a targeted amplicon assay and compares the performance of SBB to single molecule overlapping reads (SMOR) error corrected sequencing by synthesis (SBS) data. Results: SBS displayed an elevated error rate when compared to SMOR error-corrected SBS and SBB techniques. SMOR error-corrected SBS and SBB technologies performed similarly within the linear range studies and error rate studies. Conclusions: With lower sequencing error rates within SBB sequencing, this technique looks promising for both targeted and unbiased whole genome sequencing, leading to the identification of minor (< 1%) subpopulations without the need for error correction methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick-borne pathogens are increasing their range and incidence in North America as a consequence of numerous factors including improvements in diagnostics and diagnosis, range expansion of primary vectors, changes in human behavior, and an increasing understanding of the diversity of species of pathogens that cause human disease. Public health agencies have access to human incidence data on notifiable diseases e.g., Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, and often local pathogen prevalence in vector populations. However, data on exposure to vectors and pathogens can be difficult to determine e.g., if disease does not occur. We report on an investigation of exposure to ticks and tick-borne bacteria, conducted at a national scale, using citizen science participation. 16,080 ticks were submitted between January 2016 and August 2017, and screened for B. burgdorferi, B. miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. These data corroborate entomologic investigations of tick distributions in North America, but also identify patterns of local disease risk and tick contact with humans throughout the year in numerous species of ticks and associated pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common yet largely untested assumption in the theory of animal movements is that increased rates and a wider range of movements, such as occurs during breeding, make animals more vulnerable to mortality. We examined mortality among 34 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) wearing GPS collars during the autumn breeding season of 2006 and 2007 in a heavily hunted, forest-agricultural landscape of central New York state. We evaluated whether individuals having higher rates of movement incurred higher rates of mortality and whether mortality risk was higher when deer were in less familiar areas. We used a Cox proportional hazards model to analyze how mortality risk changes with movement rates measured over 3 time periods: < 1 day, up to 2 weeks prior to death, and 3-4 weeks prior to death. Overall, deer increased their movement rates as autumn progressed, males more so than females. However, deer that died moved at a slower rate relative to surviving deer up to 2 weeks prior to death (β = -2.22 ± 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.91 to -0.51) and a slower rate on their day of death compared to deer that survived (β = -1.77 ± 0.73; 95% CI = -3.19 to -0.33). Site familiarity was not significantly related to mortality risk. Deer were equally likely to die within their 50% core use area as elsewhere within their autumn home range. We hypothesize that increased sociality associated with breeding may make animals more vulnerable to harvest mortality. Our findings contradict general assumptions about the influences of movement behavior on mortality risk, suggesting that patterns may be sensitive to the spatiotemporal context of the movement analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the laser-induced pressure-wave and the barocaloric effect captured by an infrared detector during thermal diffusivity measurements. Very fast (<1 ms) and negative transients during laser flash measurements were captured using the infrared detector on thin, high thermal conductivity samples. The standard thermal diffusivity analysis only focuses on the longer time scale thermal transient measured from the back-surface due to heat conduction. Previously, these negative transients or spikes were filtered out and ignored as noise or anomaly from the instrument. This study confirmed that the initial negative signal was indeed a temperature drop induced by the laser pulse. The laser pulse induced instantaneous volume expansion and the associated cooling in the specimen can be explained by the barocaloric effect. The initial cooling (<100 _s) is also known as the thermoelastic effect in which a negative temperature change is generated when the material is elastically deformed by volume expansion. A subsequent temperature oscillation in the sample was observed and only lasted about 1 ms. The pressure-wave induced thermal signal was systematically studied and analyzed. The underlying physics of photon-mechanical-thermal energy conversions and the potential of using this signal to study barocaloric effects in solids are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:Consumption of high-fat diet exerts adverse effects on learning and memory formation, which is linked to impaired hippocampal function. Activation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) signalling ameliorates detrimental effects of obesity-diabetes on cognitive function; however, mechanisms underlying these beneficial actions remain unclear. This study examined effects of daily subcutaneous treatment with GLP-1 mimetic, Liraglutide, on synaptic plasticity, hippocampal gene expression and metabolic control in adult obese diabetic (ob/ob) mice.Results:Long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by area CA1 was completely abolished in ob/ob mice compared with lean controls. Deleterious effects on LTP were rescued (P<0.001) with Liraglutide. Indeed, Liraglutide-treated mice exhibited superior LTP profile compared with lean controls (P<0.01). Expression of hippocampal brain-derived neurotropic factor and neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor-type 2 were not significantly different, but synaptophysin and Mash1 were decreased in ob/ob mice. Treatment with Liraglutide over 21 days increased expression of Mash1 in ob/ob mice (2.0-fold; P<0.01). These changes were associated with significantly reduced plasma glucose (21% reduction; P<0.05) and markedly improved plasma insulin concentrations (2.1- to 3.3-fold; P<0.05 to P<0.01). Liraglutide also significantly reduced the glycaemic excursion following an intraperitonal glucose load (area under curve (AUC) values: 22%; P<0.05) and markedly enhanced the insulin response to glucose (AUC values: 1.6-fold; P<0.05). O2 consumption, CO2 production, respiratory exchange ratio and energy expenditure were not altered by Liraglutide therapy. On day 21, accumulated food intake (32% reduction; P<0.05) and number of feeding bouts (32% reduction; P<0.05) were significantly reduced but simple energy restriction was not responsible for the beneficial actions of Liraglutide.Conclusion:Liraglutide elicits beneficial effects on metabolic control and synaptic plasticity in mice with severe obesity and insulin resistance mediated in part through increased expression of Mash1 believed to improve hippocampal neurogenesis and cell survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-α titanium alloys are used at higher temperatures than any other class of titanium alloys. As a consequence of thermal exposure, these components may develop locally elevated oxygen concentrations at the exposed surface which can negatively impact ductility and resistance to fatigue crack initiation. In this work, monotonic and fatigue fracture mechanisms of Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo-0.1Si samples exposed to laboratory air at 650 °C for 420 h were identified by means of a combination of quantitative tilt fractography, metallographic sectioning, and electron backscatter diffraction. These mechanisms were compared and contrasted with those operative during similar tests performed on material is the as-received condition with uniform oxygen content. While faceted fracture was not observed during quasi-static loading of virgin material, locally elevated concentrations of oxygen near the surfaces of exposed samples were shown to change the fracture mode from ductile, microvoid coalescence to brittle facet formation and grain boundary separation at stresses below the macroscopic yield point. Similar features and an increased propensity for facet formation were observed during cyclic loading of exposed samples. The effects of this time-dependent degradation on monotonic and cyclic properties were discussed in the context of the effect of oxygen on crack initiation and propagation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. Factor X (FX) deficiency is a rare coagulopathy due to congenital deficiency (Stuart-Prower disease) or in association with primary amyloidosis. Acquired and isolated FX deficiency occurring in the absence of a plasma cell dyscrasia has only been infrequently described. After recently diagnosing and treating a case of acquired, isolated FX deficiency, we embarked upon a review of the literature to help guide clinicians who may face this clinical situation. The literature was reviewed to identify cases of isolated, acquired FX deficiency unrelated to congenital deficiency, use of vitamin K antagonists, or amyloidosis. There were 34 cases of acquired FX deficiency identified, occurring in association with malignancy, drug exposure and infection. The majority of described cases (38%) were preceded by a non-specific respiratory viral illness. The initial presentation was variable, ranging from no bleeding to life-threatening haemorrhage. Twenty per cent of patients had musculoskeletal bleeding resembling patients with haemophilia. Both the prothrombin time and the activated partial thromboplastin time were markedly prolonged in nearly all patients. In 26% of patients, a specific FX inhibitor was identified. Numerous therapies have been utilized in patients with acquired FX deficiency including high-dose glucocorticoids, plasma exchange with fresh frozen plasma and intravenous immunoglobulin. In 18% of patients, the coagulopathy resolved spontaneously. All patients achieved a complete recovery. Acquired factor X deficiency is a rare disorder, commonly associated with a preceding viral illness and a circulating FX inhibitor. Although multiple treatment modalities have been described with variable success, in many cases, it is a self-limited condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For prevention of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) infections in infancy, protein-conjugated capsular polysaccharide vaccines provide serotype-specific, antibody-mediated immunity but do not cover all of the 90+ capsule serotypes. Therefore, microbiologists have sought protective noncapsular antigens common to all strains. Alternatively, we investigated killed cells of a non-capsulated strain, which expose many such common antigens. Given to mice intranasally. this vaccine elicits antibody-independent. C04+ T lymphocyte-dependent accelerated clearance of pneumococci of various serotypes from the nasopharynx mediated by the cytokine IL-17A. Such immunity may reproduce the natural resistance that develops in infants before capsular antibodies arise. Given by injection, the killed cell vaccine induces bifunctional immunity: plasma antibodies protective against fatal pneumonia challenge, as well as IL-17A-mediated nasopharyngeal clearance. Human testing of this inexpensive candidate vaccine by intramuscular injection is planned. Bacterial cellular vaccines are complex—a challenge for reproducibility. However, when several known protective antigens were deleted, the killed pneumococcal vaccine was still protective. This antigenic redundancy may prevent vaccine escape variants by recombinational loss, which is frequent in pneumococcus. Biochemically defined immunogens with bifunctional activity have also been devised. These immunogens are three-component conjugates in which cell wall teichoic acid (a common antigen capable of T cell activation) is coupled to a genetic fusion of two common pneumococcal proteins: a protective surface antigen and a derivative of pneumolysin, which provides TLR4 agonist activity and induces antitoxic immunity. Such constructs induce accelerated clearance when given intranasally and induce both immune mechanisms when injected. The defined composition permits analysis of structure-function activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the average number of coin tosses needed before a particular sequence of heads and tails first turns up? This problem is solved in our paper, starting with doubles; a tail, followed by a head, turns up on average after only four tosses, while six tosses are needed for two successive heads. The method is extended to encompass the triples head-tail-tail and head-head-tail, but head-tail-head and head-head-head are surprisingly more recalcitrant. However, the general case is finally solved by using a new algorithm, even for relatively long strings. It is shown that the average number of tosses is always an even integer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-calorie diet has been shown to impair learning ability and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in rodents. This study examined effects of daily treatment with the glucagon-like peptide-1 mimetic, exendin-4, on cognitive function and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in a model of diet-induced obesity, which exhibits compromised cognitive performance. Mice fed a high-fat diet were treated with exendin-4 (25 nmol kg−1 bodyweight; twice daily) or saline vehicle (0.9% (w/v) NaCl) over 21 days. In addition to improving metabolic control, exendin-4-treated mice exhibited a marked increase in recognition index highlighting improved learning and memory. High-fat diet resulted in the elimination of in vivo electrophysiological long-term potentiation, which was rescued following exendin-4 treatment. This study shows that exendin-4 therapy improves cognitive function and ameliorates impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity in dietary-induced obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Federal regulations have given states the option to implement alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) as part of their accountability systems for a small group of students with disabilities, a number of states have made decisions about whether or not to develop and implement such an assessment. State-level directors of assessment and directors of special education were surveyed about their state's decisions on implementing AA-MAS. Improvements in accessibility and appropriateness were reasons given for choosing to implement an AA-MAS, whereas lack of resources and guidance were identified as barriers. This article presents the findings from a survey on 22 states' decisions concerning implementation of AA-MAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Viral load has been commonly used to investigate SARS-CoV-2 viral dynamics, yet the majority of investigations fail to account for inter-assay variation and variation in sample collection. • A retrospective analysis of nasopharyngeal samples showed significant variation in human target concentrations across time within individual and across individuals, emphasizing the need to consider normalization of viral concentration to the amount of human DNA present. • Comparison of viral concentration to normalized viral load indicated that samples with the same viral concentration can have up to a 100-fold difference in normalized viral load. The 2020 pandemic has transformed the world and elicited thousands of studies to better understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Viral load has been a common measure to monitor treatment therapies and associate viral dynamics with patient outcomes; however, methods associated with viral load have varied across studies. These variations have the potential to sacrifice the accuracy of findings as they often do not account for inter-assay variation or variation across samples. In a retrospective study of nasopharyngeal samples, we found a significant amount of variation within the DNA and RNA targets; for example, across time within a single patient, there was an average of a 32-fold change. Further, we explore the impacts of host normalization on 94 clinical samples using the TGen Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 assay, finding that without host normalization samples with the same viral concentration can have up to 100-fold variation in the viral load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a spatially explicit microclimate/biophysical approach to examine the potential distribution of the Po'ouli on Maui to find either new habitats to search for existence or refine search efforts in previously occupied areas. We used specific physiological and behavioral ecology bird data, and Po'ouli morphological and spectral data obtained from museum specimens to address ecological and conservation-related questions about the Po'ouli that are otherwise very difficult to quantify. Laboratory and field tested microclimate and biophysical--behavioral animal computer models were integrated with remote sensing technologies. To show that the generic microclimate and endotherm models can predict metabolic and water loss requirements of Hawaiian Honeycreepers, we used the 2 species with known physiological properties, the Hawaiian Amakihi, Hernignathus virens, and the Hawaiian Anianiau, Hernignathus parvus. Predictions were within experimental measurement error of the laboratory measurements. Then using field rather than laboratory conditions as input data, we predict the field distribution of the Amakihi on Maul as the first spatial test of the models applied to birds. Results are consistent with Amakihi field distribution data. Fossils show that the Po'ouli once lived on Maul at low elevations in dry/mesic habitats on a likely diet of native tree snails and insects. The arrival of lethal mosquito-borne avian malaria in Hawaii exterminated low elevation Po'ouli forcing a population shift to mountain rainforests and possibly a snail diet instead of insects. To explore the maximum consequences of such a diet shift we assumed exclusive diets of snails versus insects at both low and high elevations. Snail diets require ∼4 times higher foraging rates than do insect diets, making a predominantly snail diet an unlikely prospect for the Po'ouli. Landscape scale simulations suggest that a snail diet would force a Po'ouli distribution inconsistent with observations. A predominantly insect diet is consistent with distribution observations. We show that as local environmental conditions change across the landscape in space and diurnal/seasonal time it is possible to quantify animal physiological and behavioral consequences of those variations in their local environment. This enables quantification of the requisite spatial and temporal distribution and amount or availability of resources that may affect species' potential for survival, growth, reproduction and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conventional push-rod dilatometer is modified in order to accurately correlate the measured density to the predicted sample temperature of alloys in the phase-change regime. This new configuration makes use of a standard furnace assembly; however, the specimen is now symmetrically encased in a well-instrumented, graphite cylindrical shell. The combination of system geometry and high-conductivity sample holder material promotes the development of a simplified heat transfer model. The solution of this model properly correlates the measured density to that of the actual sample temperature based on using remote, sample-holder temperature measurements. Preliminary results using aluminum A356 provide insight into the proposed configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Natural fatigue crack formation and growth were studied in notched Al–Cu alloy coupons through high-resolution SEM fractography. The experiments were conducted under programmed loading conditions designed to induce microscopic marking of the crack formation and growth process under varying stress ratio and closure-free crack tip conditions. Control experiments were performed by switching between an air and vacuum environment. In air, varying the stress ratio from 0.74 down to 0.64 retards crack growth by up to a factor of five. This ‘closure-free’ stress ratio history effect totally disappears in vacuum, suggesting a significant environmental influence on stress ratio and its history. Crack-tip stress state appears to moderate environmental action, revealing a potential mechanism sensitive to residual stress. Consequently, crack closure, residual stress and crack front and plane orientation are identified as major load interaction mechanisms whose synergistic action controls fatigue under variable amplitude loading. The study also appears to suggest that as a consequence of the crack seeking the path of least resistance, load-sequence sensitive crack plane and front orientation may only induce retardation effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Fractures from tests on 2014-T6511 and 2024-T3 test coupons under specially designed programmed loading reveal voids with distinct fatigue markings. These ‘fatigue voids’ appear to form as a consequence of the separation of noncoherent secondary particulates from the matrix in early fatigue. The process of their formation is through the initiation, growth and coalescence of multiple interfacial cracks around the particulate. Such voids become visible on the fatigue fracture surface if and when the crack front advances through them. In vacuum, each fatigue void is the potential initiator of an embedded penny-shaped crack. The one closest to the specimen surface is likely to become the dominant crack, indicating that fatigue voids appear to be the likely origins of the dominant crack in vacuum. In air, the dominant crack forms at the notch surface and grows much faster, giving less opportunity for multiple internal cracks to spawn off from the innumerable internal fatigue-voids. Thus in air, fatigue voids do not appear to affect the fatigue process at low and intermediate growth rates. At high crack growth rates involving considerable crack tip shear, slip planes with particulate concentration offer the path of least resistance. This explains the increasing density of fatigue voids with growth rate. Very high growth rates signal the onset of a quasi-static crack growth component that manifests itself through growing clusters of microvoid coalescence associated with static fracture. Fatigue voids are likely to form in other Al-alloys with secondary noncoherent particulates. They have nothing in common with microvoids associated with ductile fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a case of dermatitis herpetiformis and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in a 69-year-old man. Medical history of the patient; Results of a skin biopsy of a lesion; Information on ultraviolet phototherapy induced bullous dermatoses; Association between dermatitis herpetiformis and coeliac disease with both non-Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphomas.

We report a 32-year-old man who presented with a 2-year history of unexplained weight loss and symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon. Clinical examination and investigations were consistent with a diagnosis of acquired partial lipodystrophy (Barraquer–Simons disease). This patient also exhibited an associated cutaneous vasculitis and peripheral perniotic changes. He had normal renal function and glucose tolerance and no immunological abnormality has been detected in his serum to date. The absence of C3-nephritic factor in the presence of overt lipodystrophy suggests that there may be another factor or immunological mediator responsible for the subcutaneous changes seen in patients with lipodystrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the functional imperfect estrogen-responsive element in the 5'-promoter region of the human cathepsin D gene. Analysis of downstream regions of the promoter; Retarded band in a gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay.

The successful commercial application of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi depends on understanding which factors restrict their distribution. The aim of this study was to identify the particular soil properties which caused distinct populations of VA mycorrhizal fungi to occur at two adjacent sites in a semi-arid. Mediterranean environment in Western Australia. From a series of experiments it was concluded that, when inoculated into the soil in which they did not occur naturally (i) the fungi infected fewer roots and produced fewer spores than in their soil of origin, and (ii) fewer spores of the dominant fungi (Site I: Acaulospora laevis Gerd. & Trappe: Site II: Glomus sp. (WUM 2)and Glomus sp. (WUM 3) germinated, and they produced shorter germ tubes than in their soil of origin. From two subsequent experiments studying the effect of adjusting the pH of either the soil or an extracted soil solution used as germinating media, it was concluded that soil pH is likely to be important in limiting the distribution of A. laevis and Glomus sp. (WUM 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine whether the commercial inoculation of particular species of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi into soils is likely to be limited by their sensitivity to soil pH. The distribution and abundance of VA mycorrhizal fungi in the Merredin district of Western Australia was examined in relation to soil properties (pH, clay content, organic carbon content, extractable phosphorus). Acaulospora laetis was restricted to soils of low pH whereas Glomus sp. WUM 3 occurred only in soils of high pH. In this study soil pH was not strongly correlated with any of the other soil properties measured. It was concluded that the pH sensitivity of these fungi must be taken into account in the development of commercial inoculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While report of animal bites contaminating wounds is reported commonly, direct wound contamination with squirrel flesh has never been reported in the literature. The patient suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound that drove squirrel flesh and buck shot deep within his right buttock. This case outlines his hospital course and wound treatment. The patient was treated with ten days of broad spectrum antibiotics, extensive debridement of the wound in the operating room, and further treatment of the wound with a vacuum dressing system. While squirrel tissue and buckshot had to be removed from the wound on day six of the hospital stay, the patient remained afebrile without signs or symptoms of systemic illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 66-year-old female patient who was presented with a dry cough, shortness of breath and violaceous nodules and plaques on her face, trunk, and limbs. Information about a florid granulomatous inflammatory reaction of noncaseating naked granulomata on skin biopy as well as the use of oral Fumaderm for the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis is presented.

Background: Tick-borne disease is the result of spillover of pathogens into the human population. Traditionally, literature has focused on characterization of tick-borne disease pathogens and ticks in their sylvatic cycles. A limited amount of research has focused on human-tick exposure in this system, especially in the Northeastern United States. Human-tick interactions are crucial to consider when assessing the risk of tick-borne disease since a tick bite is required for spillover to occur. Methods: Citizen scientists collected ticks from the Northeastern US through a free nationwide program. Submitted ticks were identified to species, stage, and sex. Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, were tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and hard-tick relapsing fever Borrelia. Seasonality of exposure and the citizen science activity during tick exposure was recorded by the citizen scientist. A negative binomial model was fit to predict county level CDC Lyme disease cases in 2016 using citizen science Ixodes scapularis submissions, state, and county population as predictor variables. Results: A total of 3740 submissions, comprising 4261 ticks, were submitted from the Northeastern US and were reported to be parasitizing humans. Of the three species submitted, blacklegged ticks were the most prevalent followed by American dog ticks and lone star ticks. Submissions peaked in May with the majority of exposure occurring during every-day activities. The most common pathogen in blacklegged ticks was B. burgdorferi s.l. followed by hard-tick relapsing fever Borrelia. Negative binomial model performance was best in New England states followed by Middle Atlantic states. Conclusions: Citizen science provides a low-cost and effective methodology for describing the seasonality and characteristics of human-tick exposure. In the Northeastern US, everyday activities were identified as a major mechanism for tick exposure, supporting the role of peri-domestic exposure in tick-borne disease. Citizen science provides a method for broad pathogen and tick surveillance, which is highly related to human disease, allowing for inferences to be made about the epidemiology of tick-borne disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current planting technology possesses the ability to increase crop productivity and improve field efficiency by precisely metering and placing crop seeds. Planter performance depends on determining and utilizing optimal settings for different planting variables such as seed depth, down pressure, and seed metering unit. The evolution of "Big Data" in agriculture today brings focus on the need for quality as-planted and yield mapping data. Therefore, an investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of current planting technology for accurate placement of seeds while understanding the accuracy of as-planted data. Two studies consisting of two different setups on a 6-row, John Deere planter for seeding of maize (Zea mays L.) were conducted. The first study aimed at assessing planter performance at 2 depth settings (25 and 51 mm) and four different down pressure settings (varying from none to high), while the second study focused on evaluating planter performance during variable-rate seeding with treatments consisting of two seed metering units (John Deere Standard and Precision Planting's eSet setups) with five different seeding rates and four ground speed treatments which provided a combination of 20 different meter speeds. Field data collection consisted of measuring plant emergence, plant population and seed depth whereas plant spacing, plant population after emergence along with distance and location for rate changes within the field were also recorded for the variable-rate seeding study. Results indicated that both depth setting and downforce affected final seeding depth. Measured seed depth was significantly different from the target depth even though time was spent adjusting the units to achieve the desired prior to planting. Crop emergence did not vary significantly for the different depth and downforce settings except for target depth in Field 1. Results from the variable-rate study indicated that seeding rate changes were accomplished within a quick response time (< 1 s) at all ground speeds regardless of magnitude of rate change. Data showed that planter performance in terms of emergence and plant spacing CV was comparable for most of the meter speeds (17.4–33.5 rpm) among the two seed meters utilized in the study. Plant spacing CV increased with an increase in meter speed, however no significant differences existed among meter speeds in the range of 17.4–33.5 rpm. Results implied that correct seed metering unit setup is very critical to obtain expected performance of today's planting technology. A concerning find was that the quality of as-applied maps from the commercial variable-rate display was not reflective of the actual planter performance in the field. The study recommended that operators need to ensure the correct planter and display setups in order to achieve needed seed placement performance to support variable-rate seeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spontaneous polarization (Ps) and spontaneous strains (xi) in mechanically unclamped and surface charge compensated PbTiO3 nanocrystals were determined as a function of particle size in the range <150 nm by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray powder diffraction, respectively. Significant deviations from bulk order parameters (P,xi) have been observed as the particle size decreased below ∼100 nm. The critical size (rc) below which the ferroelectric tetragonal phase transforms to the paraelectric cubic phase was determined as ∼15 nm. The depression in transition temperature with particle size is 14 °C at 28 nm. No change in the order of m3m→4mm ferrodistortive phase transition is observed. A simple analysis showed that ΔHtr/(kBT)∼103 at 25 °C for r=16 nm, indicating that the stabilization of the cubic phase at rc cannot be linked to an instability in dipolar ordering due to thermal agitations. Comparison of the spontaneous volumetric strains with the strain induced by surface stress indicated that the effect of surface stress on ferroelectric phase stability was negligible. Anomalies in electrostrictive properties were determined for r→rc. The observed size dependence of PS is attributed to the reduced extent of long-range dipole–dipole interactions that arise due to the changes in bonding characteristics of ions with decreasing particle size in the perovskite lattice, in conformity with a recent study by Tsunekawa et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (16), 4340 (2000)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we report on the thermal properties of the ternary carbide Nb[sub 2]SnC. Its heat capacity, c[sub p], is 75 J/mol K at ambient temperatures and increases to approx. 115 J/mol K at 1300 K. Analysis of c[sub p] measurements in the 4-15 K temperature range yields a Debye temperature of 324 K and a density of states at the Fermi level of 2.66 (eV unit cell)-1. At room temperature, the thermal conductivity is 17 W/m K and it increases to approx. 31 W/m K at 1500 K. At temperatures greater than 600 K, roughly 85% of the heat is transported by electronic defects (i.e., electrons and/or holes). The thermal properties of Nb[sub 2]SnC are quite comparable to those of near-stoichiometric NbC[sub x]. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of topical breast milk in the treatment of ulceration in infantile haemangioma (IH). It mentions the medical condition of a seven-week-old girl and an 11-week-old girl with ulcerated IH in the left buttock and right axilla, respectively. It states that the temporal link between fresh breastmilk application and healing shows a direct therapeutic response.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to a letter about two incidents of copper poisoning in sheep.

A letter to the editor is presented about the complication of generalized pustular psoriasis, a rare and potentially life threatening complication of psoriasis.

A case study is presented in which a 23-year-old Nigerian man with pearly penile papules or angiofibromas around the coronal rim of his glans penis, a condition that was resolved with cryotherapy. This successful treatment method left no scarring, no dysfunction and no postinflammatory pigmentary changes.

Opinion. Relates an experience encountered by a medical student while she was a patient with cardiovascular disease. Details on the types of treatment which the patient received; Revelation of some of the patient's close to death experiences; How she got through the ordeals.

Presents an article reflecting on the role of a physician in time of war.

The detailed study of radioactive nuclei has resulted in opportunities for addressing many open questions in low-energy nuclear physics. For over three decades, the TwinSol separator at the University of Notre Dame has produced high-quality in-flight radioactive beams at low-energy for light isotopes that have been used in experiments aimed at nuclear structure, astrophysics, and fundamental symmetries studies. We have recently upgraded the TwinSol separator by adding additional elements: a dipole magnet, and a third solenoid. This new TriSol separator will improve the quality and purity of future radioactive beams. This improvement will enable the use of heavier beams and address beam contamination that has hindered past experiments. The current status of TriSol and its science program will be presented along with the role the TriSol program plays in the current landscape of nuclear physics user facilities. The TriSol program includes plans for studies of 11C(p , p)11C reaction for investigating the nature of the first stars, 14O(α , p)17F and its influence on reaction networks in X-ray bursts, the measurement of fusion reactions on Ne isotopes important for pycnonuclear reactions, precision half-life measurements for fundamental symmetries studies, and the use of TriSol as a magnetic spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which aimed to correlate serum glycol acid levels with clinical severity and outcome in ethylene glycol poisoning and determine whether glycolic acid levels are predictive of renal failure and need for hemodialysis. Methodology used in the study; Results and conclusion.

Presents an abstract of the research paper `2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) as an antiestrogen in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells: Inhibition of estrogen-induced heat shock protein 27 gene expression,' presented by W. Porter, R. Duan and S. Safe at the annual meeting of the Gulf Coast chapter of the Society of Toxicology on November 18-19, 1994.

Presents an abstract of the paper `Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on expression of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in MCF-7 cells,' presented by K. Schrope, W. Porter and S. Safe at the annual meeting of the Gulf Coast chapter of the Society of Toxicology on November 18-19, 1994.

Presents an abstract of the paper `Inhibition of estrogen-induced c-Fos protooncogene mRNA levels by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell,' presented by R. Duan, W. Porter and S. Safe at the annual meeting of the Gulf Coast chapter of the Society of Toxicology on November 18-19, 1994.

Within the mammary gland, functional synthesis of milk is performed by its epithelial (alveolar) cells. The availability of a stable mammary epithelial cell line is essential for biochemical studies to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for nutritional regulation of lactation. Therefore, porcine mammary epithelial cells (PMEC) were isolated from mammary glands of a 9-mo-old nonpregnant and nonlactating gilt and cultured to establish a nonimmortalized cell line. These cells were characterized by expression of cytokeratin-18 (an intermediate filament specific for epithelial cells), β-casein (a specific marker for mammary epithelial cells), and α-lactalbumin. In culture, the PMEC doubled in number every 24 h and maintained a cobblestone morphology, typical for cultured epithelial cells, for at least 15 passages. Addition of 0.2 to 2 μg/mL prolactin to culture medium for 3 d induced the production of β-casein and α-lactalbumin by PMEC in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, we have successfully developed a useful PMEC line for future studies of cellular and molecular regulation of milk synthesis by mammary epithelial cells of the sow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]