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Background: Shame is a highly negative emotion frequently experienced by individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) as well as those with internalizing or externalizing psychopathology. However, few studies have examined whether shame is related to BPD above and beyond other psychopathology. Further, although feelings of shame peak during adolescence, coinciding with the onset of BPD, very few studies have examined the relationship between shame and BPD in adolescence. Therefore, the current study examined (1) whether levels of shame differ between adolescent psychiatric inpatients with and without BPD and (2) whether borderline personality pathology accounts for additional variance in the experience of shame above and beyond internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.Methods: Adolescent psychiatric inpatients (n = 184, 67% female, M age = 15.26) completed clinical interviews and self-report measures as well as self-report measures of three types of explicit shame: state-shame, shame-proneness, and trait-shame.Results: T-tests revealed that adolescents with BPD reported significantly higher levels of each type of explicit shame. In hierarchical regression models, borderline personality features explained significant additional variance in shame-proneness and trait-shame while controlling for age, gender, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.Limitations: Our sample was limited by a lack of demographic diversity and healthy control group, and the study did not examine relations with unique internalizing/externalizing disorders or features of BPD.Conclusions: Our findings contribute to growing evidence that shame is an important component of BPD, particularly during adolescence, and suggest that shame should be addressed in treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dressing is a fundamental independent living skill (ILS). Vision is an integrative sense which affords learning via sighted observation. Visual impairment (VI) denies/restricts access to learning via sight. As a result, children with VI and conditions where VI may be a component (e.g. Down syndrome (DS)) require structured, systematic support to develop ILS. The current study used a repeated-measures-intervention approach to examine the development of the ILS of dressing (ILSD) with novel intervention materials in young children. Participants (N = 27: age range 5;05–10;02 years) were drawn from three groups: VI (n = 9; age range 5;05–10;02 years); DS (n = 9; age range 5;05–10;00 years) and Typically Developing (TD) (n = 9; age range 6;05–8;00 years). The effectiveness of the intervention materials was measured over a period of 10 weeks. Clear and systematic verbal instruction combined with motor activities was useful in supporting ILSD. The assessment of the longer-term effectiveness was carried out at 1 and 3 months post-intervention. This paper reported that the novel intervention materials supported the development of ILSD in all three groups. The findings could form a model for future work regarding the development of ILS in other skill areas and generalised to other developmental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive kinetic study of a potential daytime nitrous acid (HONO) source reaction, the photoenhanced reduction reaction of the nitrogen dioxide (NO) on acidic humic acid (HA), was completed using a wetted-wall flow tube (WWFT) (Fickert et al.: J. Phys. Chem. A. 102, 10689, 1998) photoreactor integrated with a high sensitivity HONO analyser (Wall et al.: J. Atmos. Chem. 55, 31-54, 2006; Huang et al.: Atmos. Environ. 36, 2225-2235, 2002). The nature of this reaction, is of great interest since recently observed, unpredictably high HONO daytime concentrations demand its ordinarily proposed heterogeneous source to proceed 60 times more rapidly at noon than during the night (Kleffmann et al.: ChemPhysChem 8, 1137-1144, 2007). This study investigated the nature of the reduction reaction with simulated colloidal HA aqueous solutions characteristic of anaerobic environmental conditions, varying in acidity, concentration and composition. Typical urban NO levels were investigated. Increasing photoenhanced HONO production with weakening solution acidity was detected due to increased deprotonation of the carboxyl groups within the humic acid. It was deduced that the acidic HA substrate contains numerous feasible chromophoric sensitizer units capable of photochemically reducing NO to HONO, owing to its 'biofilm' (Donlan, 2002) function under UV exposure. The mechanism was found to be more effective for HA standards with higher levels of 'bioactivity' (refractivity). Using a complex mathematical model developed, incorporating both chemistry and diffusion, reaction probability datasets were produced from the experimental data, providing evidence that this is, indeed, an environmentally important daytime HONO surface source reaction. The parameters required to scale up the data of the photoreactor to that of a regional rural/urban scale were assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rangelander alfalfa grown from large, medium, and small size seed while subjected to saline rooting media was evaluated for plant emergence, height growth, and shoot biomass production. The experiment utilized Canada's Salinity Tolerance Testing Facility, featuring a controlled environment simulating field conditions. Test plants were grown in sand tanks flushed four times daily wit hydroponic solutions consisting of nutrients and salts dominated by sulfate anions targeting electrical conductivity (ECsol) treatments of 1.4 (nutrients only), 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 dS m-1. Seed averaging 1.30, 1.70 and 2.16 g per 1000 kernels, representing small, medium, and large sizes, respectively, averaged 58.5%, 65.4%, and 74.8% in cumulative emergence and early survival of the best attainable from saline substrates within the 8, 12, 18, and 24 dS m-1 treatments. The vegetative growth of crop plants derived from large seed appeared to be less affected by the salinity than those emerging from smaller seed, but this advantage failed to fully compensate for the negative impact of the salinity. Shoot biomass yields from the first harvest cut of the forage grown from large alfalfa seed exceeded yields from small seed by 9%, 31%, 30%, 107%, 154%, and 717% in the respective root zone ECsol treatment solutions; the medium seed compared to the small size showed a similar trend with respective extra forage yields of 7%, 30%, 5%, 29%, 56%, and 100%. Large see improved seedling emergence and survival in slightly an moderately saline media by 7%, crop height after emergence by 0.5% per day, and first-year forage production by 7% in comparison to the values obtained from the alfalfa grown from seed sown without size separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of the photodissociation constant for nitrous acid ( j HONO) were made at an urban site in Toronto, Canada, during the months of May–July 2005, using an optically thin actinometer. Operating details of the j HONO monitor are reported, along with laboratory tests. Measurements of j HONO were obtained for solar zenith angles ranging from 20–75∘, under clear and cloudy skies. Maximum error estimates on j HONO under clear skies range from 11% at sunrise, to 4% at solar noon, with a minimum detection limit of 5.7 × 10−4/sec for our actinometer. Measured clear-sky values of j HONO were compared with values calculated by a four-stream discrete ordinate radiative transfer (RT) model (ACD TUV version 4.1), and were found to be within better than 10% agreement for solar zenith angles < 65∘. For conditions of scattered cloud, enhancement and suppression of the j HONO values occurred by as much as 16%–70%, and 59%–80%, respectively. The integrated band area of the nπ∗ transition for gas-phase nitrous acid yields an oscillator strength, f = (1.06 ± 0.044)×10−3 (based on clear-sky data), 19.1% higher than the value reported by Bongartz et al. (1991). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the National Literacy Strategy was implemented in September 1998, Kate Wall was teaching at a junior school in the southwest of England. She became keenly aware of the effects it had on herself as a practitioner, her colleagues and the children identified with special educational needs (SEN) in her class. Now, as an educational researcher, she has had the opportunity to look at the policy changes in literacy education from a new perspective. In this article, looking at current research and commentaries on the National Literacy Strategy and using her own experiences and background, Kate asks how it affects teachers’ professionalism, their practice and perceptions on the inclusion of pupils with SEN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on issues related to hairy psoriasis. Use of topical calcipotriol in treating psoriasis; Symptoms of psoriasis; Involvement of small plaques in the trunks and limbs.

This epidemiological study analysed SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance and case notifications data to inform evidence-based public health action in NSW. We investigated measures of association between SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments detected in wastewater samples (n = 100) and case notifications (n = 1,367, as rates per 100,000 population) within wastewater catchment areas (n = 6); and evaluated the performance of wastewater testing as a population-level diagnostic tool. Furthermore, we modelled SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment detection in wastewater given the case notification rate using logistic regression. The odds of a viral detection in wastewater samples increased by a factor of 5.68 (95% CI: 1.51-32.1, P = 0.004) with rates of one or more notified cases within a catchment. The diagnostic specificity of wastewater viral detection results was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.69-0.97); the overall diagnostic sensitivity was 0.44 (95% CI: 0.33-0.56). The probability of a viral detection result in wastewater exceeded 50% (95% CI: 36-64%) once the case rate within a catchment exceeded 10.5. Observed results suggest that in a low prevalence setting, wastewater viral detections are a more reliable indicator of the presence of recent virus shedding cases in a catchment, than non-detect results are of the absence of cases in a catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital imagery and spectroscopy at Mars have identified a variety of deposits potentially consistent with volcanic tephra formed during explosive volcanic eruptions, and some of these deposits may have formed due to water‐ or ice‐magma interactions during phreatomagmatic eruptions. If this is the case, these deposits could serve as an additional record of past water on Mars. Previous work has demonstrated that phreatomagmatic tephra is characterized by much lower crystallinities than tephras from other types of eruptions. We hypothesize that crystallinity could be inferred remotely using spectroscopy; however, tephra spectral properties have not been directly linked to their mineralogy. Here, we use Mars analog tephra samples to investigate if eruption styles and the past presence of water during the eruption of possible volcanic deposits on Mars can be determined using orbital spectroscopy. Visible/near‐infrared (VNIR) reflectance and thermal infrared (TIR) emission spectra were collected of basaltic volcanic tephras sourced from a range of eruption styles and deposit types on Earth. Our research demonstrates that, TIR and VNIR data are both sufficient to detect increased glass abundances in volcanic deposits, potentially indicating volatile interactions during an eruption, and that glass‐poor tephras have distinct TIR properties that can be used to infer tephra type (e.g., ignimbrite vs. scoria). Combining VNIR and TIR orbital data for analysis based on our new laboratory spectral endmember library may allow a reevaluation of Martian volcanic and volatile histories using current and future planetary orbital and in situ spectral datasets. Plain Language Summary: Volcanism is a common process across the solar system. Eruptions can become explosive after interactions with water, and the search for current or past water is critical to planetary exploration. Collecting planetary samples to understand what types of eruptions created the volcanic rocks present is not always possible, so we investigate a method for determining volcanic eruption styles that could be completed from orbit. Spectrometers are common instruments on orbiters and can measure the reflection and emission of light from surface materials, including glass. Glass forms in volcanic eruptions when magma quickly cools before minerals can form. We demonstrated that, volcanic deposits from eruptions that were explosive due to interaction with water were glass‐rich and could be distinguished from deposits created in other types of eruptions using data similar to those collected by satellites at Mars. Alteration due to water in the local environment just after eruption is also detectable from orbit. Applying these results to existing or future satellite datasets will provide insight into volcanic eruption styles and environments on planets like Mars. Key Points: The presence of significant glass in volcanic tephras can indicate formation in an explosive phreatomagmatic eruptionVisible/near‐infrared (VNIR) and thermal‐infrared (TIR) spectroscopy can be used together to determine the eruption and cooling history of tephrasA combination of VNIR and TIR orbital spectral datasets would provide insight into the volcanic and volatile histories of Mars and other planets [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the research paper "Effect of an intervention to promote contraceptive uptake on incident pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial among HIV positive couples in Zambia," by K. Wall and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the research paper "Promotion of couples' voluntary HIV counseling and testing in Lusaka, Zambia by influence network leaders and agents," by K. Wall and colleagues is presented.

This cross-sectional study sought to determine factors associated with sterilization among HIV-positive US women. HIV-positive women aged 18–45 completed an Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview (ACASI) questionnaire. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression evaluated factors associated with sterilization. The median age of the 187 participants was 37, the majority had at least a high school education, and 88% were African American. Nearly a quarter (22%) of women had undergone sterilization at an average age of 25; of these women, 71% cited their HIV-positive status as an important factor in deciding to have a tubal ligation, 22% expressed desire for future children, 32% reported sterilization regret, and 20% reported feeling pressure to undergo sterilization. In multivariable analysis, factors significantly associated with sterilization included non-African American race, no desire for future pregnancy, having heard of any birth control methods making it harder to get pregnant in the future, belief that women should take a break from hormonal methods every few years, and having had a child born with HIV. While almost a quarter of this HIV-positive group was sterilized, many during the height of the early HIV epidemic, a large proportion of sterilized women expressed sterilization regret. Counseling messages for sterilized HIV-positive women should be sensitive to the fact that women may have regret regarding a decision that, in some cases, may historically have been part of provider recommendations to prevent vertical transmission of HIV. Improved knowledge about contraceptive options such as the IUD and implant is needed among HIV-positive women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the growing limitations on arable land, alfalfa (a widely cultivated, low-input forage) is now being selected to extend cultivation into saline lands for low-cost biofeedstock purposes. Here, minerals and transcriptome profiles were compared between two new salinity-tolerant North American alfalfa breeding populations and a more salinity-sensitive western Canadian alfalfa population grown under hydroponic saline conditions. All three populations accumulated two-fold higher sodium in roots than shoots as a function of increased electrical conductivity. At least 50% of differentially expressed genes ( p < 0.05) were down-regulated in the salt-sensitive population growing under high salinity, while expression remained unchanged in the saline-tolerant populations. In particular, most reduction in transcript levels in the salt-sensitive population was observed in genes specifying cell wall structural components, lipids, secondary metabolism, auxin and ethylene hormones, development, transport, signalling, heat shock, proteolysis, pathogenesis-response, abiotic stress, RNA processing, and protein metabolism. Transcript diversity for transcription factors, protein modification, and protein degradation genes was also more strongly affected in salt-tolerant CW064027 than in salt-tolerant Bridgeview and salt-sensitive Rangelander, while both saline-tolerant populations showed more substantial up-regulation in redox-related genes and B-ZIP transcripts. The report highlights the first use of bulked genotypes as replicated samples to compare the transcriptomes of obligate out-cross breeding populations in alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial pinnacles in ice-covered Lake Vanda, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, extend from the base of the ice to more than 50 m water depth. The distribution of microbial communities, their photosynthetic potential, and pinnacle morphology affects the local accumulation of biomass, which in turn shapes pinnacle morphology. This feedback, plus environmental stability, promotes the growth of elaborate microbial structures. In Lake Vanda, all mats sampled from greater than 10 m water depth contained pinnacles with a gradation in size from <1-mm-tall tufts to pinnacles that were centimeters tall. Small pinnacles were cuspate, whereas larger ones had variable morphology. The largest pinnacles were up to ~30 cm tall and had cylindrical bases and cuspate tops. Pinnacle biomass was dominated by cyanobacteria from the morphological and genomic groups Leptolyngbya, Phormidium, and Tychonema. The photosynthetic potential of these cyanobacterial communities was high to depths of several millimeters into the mat based on PAM fluorometry, and sufficient light for photosynthesis penetrated ~5 mm into pinnacles. The distribution of photosynthetic potential and its correlation to pinnacle morphology suggests a working model for pinnacle growth. First, small tufts initiate from random irregularities in prostrate mat. Some tufts grow into pinnacles over the course of ~3 years. As pinnacles increase in size and age, their interiors become colonized by a more diverse community of cyanobacteria with high photosynthetic potential. Biomass accumulation within this subsurface community causes pinnacles to swell, expanding laminae thickness and creating distinctive cylindrical bases and cuspate tops. This change in shape suggests that pinnacle morphology emerges from a specific distribution of biomass accumulation that depends on multiple microbial communities fixing carbon in different parts of pinnacles. Similarly, complex patterns of biomass accumulation may be reflected in the morphology of elaborate ancient stromatolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Effective contraceptive method use is important for HIV-positive women to meet fertility goals, prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce risk of vertical HIV transmission. Our objective was to evaluate factors associated with HIV-positive women's contraceptive method use at last coitus defined as more effective [Tier 1 and 2 methods (T1/2)] versus less effective [Tier 3 or no method (T3/none)] by the US Medical Eligibility Criteria for contraception use.Study Design: HIV-positive women, recruited from an HIV clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, between 2013 and 2014, completed a survey of demographic, clinical and reproductive health characteristics surrounding contraception. We examined the relationship between survey responses and contraceptive method use at last coitus using χ2 tests and multivariate logistic regression.Results: Thirty-one percent of this HIV-positive and predominantly African-American (90%) cohort reported usage of T1/2 methods. T1/2 methods use was higher among younger women [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=.90, p=.008] and those in noncommitted relationships (aOR =.32, p=.027). Only 21% reported dual method use at last intercourse. Fifty-three percent and 31% reported having heard of the intrauterine device and implant, respectively. Misconceptions about contraception were common.Conclusions: The use of T1/2 methods was more common in this cohort than in the general African-American population, but overall use and dual method use can still be improved, particularly among older women and those in noncommitted relationships.Implications: As this population had low awareness and usage of T1/2 methods and expressed many misconceptions, reoccurring contraceptive counseling may be helpful. Providers should address patient-level barriers, pregnancy intentions, and the importance of dual method and T1/2 method use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The TOPGEAR (Trial of Preoperative Therapy for Gastric and Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma) international phase III trial hypothesized that adding preoperative chemoradiation (CRT) to perioperative chemotherapy will improve survival in patients (pts) with gastric cancer. Owing to the complexity of gastric irradiation, a comprehensive radiation therapy quality assurance (RTQA) program was implemented. The objective of this report is to describe the RTQA methods and outcomes.Materials/methods: RTQA was undertaken in 'real time' prior to treatment for the first 5 pts randomized to CRT from each center. Once acceptable quality was achieved, RTQA was completed for one third of subsequent cases. RTQA consisted of evaluating the following parameters: 1) clinical target volume (CTV) and organ-at-risk (OAR) contouring; 2) RT planning parameters (CT simulation, dose prescription/planning technique, per-protocol planning constraints). Protocol violations between high- (defined as 20+ pts enrolled) and low-volume centers were compared using Fisher's exact test.Results: As of December 2020, 554 pts from 70 centers were enrolled. In total, 277 were randomized to receive RT and 196 (71%) were included for RTQA; of these, 57 (29%) and 139 (71%) were from high- and low-volume centers, respectively. The initial RTQA pass rate was 72% (n = 141). There was no significant difference in the initial pass rate between the high- and low-volume centers (79% vs 69%; P = 0.22) For the 55 cases requiring resubmission, detailed feedback was provided, and most cases had multiple protocol violations. At least one aspect of the CTV had to be adjusted in 49/55 (89%) cases with inadequate coverage of the duodenum down to the 3rd part most commonly seen (n = 28/55, 51%). Table 1 summarizes CTV contouring protocol violations. OARs were generally appropriately contoured with five (9%) cases requiring adjustment. Two cases failed RTQA due to treatment planning violations (kidney dose, lung dose) in absence of contouring (CTV, OAR) concerns. Following resubmission, 192 (98%) passed RTQA and four (2%) required a second resubmission.Conclusion: In a large multicenter trial RTQA is feasible and effective in achieving high quality RT treatment plans. Ongoing education and audits should be performed to ensure consistent quality of treatment plans over the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic therapies demonstrate significant clinical activity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplasia (MDS) and constitute an important new class of therapeutic agents. However hematological responses are not durable and disease relapse appears inevitable. Experimentally, leukemic stem/progenitor cells (LSC) propagate disease in animal models of AML and it has been postulated that their relative chemo-resistance contributes to disease relapse. We serially measured LSC numbers in patients with high-risk AML and MDS treated with 5'-azacitidine and sodium valproate (VAL-AZA). Fifteen out of seventy-nine patients achieved a complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) with VAL-AZA therapy. There was no significant reduction in the size of the LSC-containing population in non-responders. While the LSC-containing population was substantially reduced in all patients achieving a CR/CRi it was never eradicated and expansion of this population antedated morphological relapse. Similar studies were performed in seven patients with newly diagnosed AML treated with induction chemotherapy. Eradication of the LSC-containing population was observed in three patients all of whom achieved a durable CR in contrast to patients with resistant disease where LSC persistence was observed. LSC quantitation provides a novel biomarker of disease response and relapse in patients with AML treated with epigenetic therapies. New drugs that target this cellular population in vivo are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic therapies demonstrate significant clinical activity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplasia (MDS) and constitute an important new class of therapeutic agents. However hematological responses are not durable and disease relapse appears inevitable. Experimentally, leukemic stem/progenitor cells (LSC) propagate disease in animal models of AML and it has been postulated that their relative chemo-resistance contributes to disease relapse. We serially measured LSC numbers in patients with high-risk AML and MDS treated with 5'-azacitidine and sodium valproate (VAL-AZA). Fifteen out of seventy-nine patients achieved a complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) with VAL-AZA therapy. There was no significant reduction in the size of the LSC-containing population in non-responders. While the LSC-containing population was substantially reduced in all patients achieving a CR/CRi it was never eradicated and expansion of this population antedated morphological relapse. Similar studies were performed in seven patients with newly diagnosed AML treated with induction chemotherapy. Eradication of the LSC-containing population was observed in three patients all of whom achieved a durable CR in contrast to patients with resistant disease where LSC persistence was observed. LSC quantitation provides a novel biomarker of disease response and relapse in patients with AML treated with epigenetic therapies. New drugs that target this cellular population in vivo are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To systematically rate measures of care quality for very low birth weight infants for inclusion into Baby-MONITOR, a composite indicator of quality.Study Design:Modified Delphi expert panelist process including electronic surveys and telephone conferences. Panelists considered 28 standard neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) quality measures and rated each on a 9-point scale taking into account pre-defined measure characteristics. In addition, panelists grouped measures into six domains of quality. We selected measures by testing for rater agreement using an accepted method.Result:Of 28 measures considered, 13 had median ratings in the high range (7 to 9). Of these, 9 met the criteria for inclusion in the composite: antenatal steroids (median (interquartile range)) 9(0), timely retinopathy of prematurity exam 9(0), late onset sepsis 9(1), hypothermia on admission 8(1), pneumothorax 8(2), growth velocity 8(2), oxygen at 36 weeks postmenstrual age 7(2), any human milk feeding at discharge 7(2) and in-hospital mortality 7(2). Among the measures selected for the composite, the domains of quality most frequently represented included effectiveness (40%) and safety (30%).Conclusion:A panel of experts selected 9 of 28 routinely reported quality measures for inclusion in a composite indicator. Panelists also set an agenda for future research to close knowledge gaps for quality measures not selected for the Baby-MONITOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improved glycaemic control during pregnancy in mothers with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and gestational diabetes (GDM) has resulted in a marked reduction of perinatal mortality and morbidity, but the prevalence of macrosomia is usually high. Objective: We used non-invasive anthropometric methods to estimate the body composition and the thickness of the interventricular heart septum in 18 infants of mothers with well-controlled T1DM, 10 infants of mothers with GDM and 28 infants of healthy control mothers matched for gestational age and mode of delivery. Methods: Skinfold measurements were obtained with a Harpenden calliper within 48 h after delivery. Echocardiography was also performed to measure the thickness of the interventricular septum. Cord blood was sampled for assays of C-peptide, leptin and IGF-I. Results: The rates of macrosomia (gestational age-adjusted birth weight >2 standard deviation score, SDS) were 56 and 30% in infants of mothers with T1DM and GDM, respectively, compared to 10% in control infants. The body fat content was 40% (0.2 kg) higher and the interventricular heart septum thickness was increased by 20% in both groups of infants of diabetic mothers. We found no associations between maternal levels of HbA1c during pregnancy and body composition or interventricular heart septum thickness. Cord levels of C-peptide and leptin were significantly higher in infants of T1DM mothers than in control infants. Cord leptin level was associated with birth weight SDS and percent body fat in infants of T1DM mothers. IGF-I was associated with percent body fat in infants of GDM mothers and control mothers. A multiple-regression analysis showed that 50% of the variation in body weight SDS could be determined, with IGF-I, leptin and C-peptide as independent variables. Conclusion: Both fat mass and cardiac septal thickness are increased in newborn infants of women with T1DM and GDM in spite of efforts to achieve good glycaemic control during pregnancy. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive group B streptococcus (GBS) disease is a leading cause of neonatal death. There is no UK national screening programme for GBS in pregnancy, hence colonisation rates are unknown. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis is given during labour to colonised women to reduce neonatal GBS transmission and subsequent invasive infection. Data about prevalence of other haemolytic streptococci in pregnancy, including group A streptococcus (GAS), are uncommon despite increasing importance. This study investigated colonisation in 100 pregnant women using conventional culture methods; 19% had GBS. This suggests that GBS carriage is common in the UK. The role of other β-haemolytic streptococci remains undefined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A considerable increase of the photoinduced resistivity changes and the lifetime of these changes were found in the Bi0.4Ca0.6MnO3 thin films after depositing gold nanoparticles on the surface. A possible interpretation of this effect may be the enhancement of local electromagnetic field at the interface between the film and the metal nanoparticles due to the plasmon resonance, which may promote formation of larger volume of conducting phase producing larger magnitude and the lifetime of photoinduced resistivity changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulses of 193 nm radiation from an ArF laser with energies exceeding 0.5 J/cm2 have been shown to modify 40–60 nm thick layers of {100} and {110} oriented diamond surfaces. These layers exhibit highly anisotropic electrical and optical properties which have principal in-plane axes along the <110> directions. The minimum resistance is (4–10)×10-4 Ω cm, and minimum in the optical transmittance and maximum in the reflectance occur when the electric field vector of the incident polarized light is aligned along the low resistance direction. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that the modified layer primarily consists of unidentified graphite-like carbon phases embedded in diamond. The first-order electron diffraction spots correspond to lattice spacings of 0.123, 0.305, and 0.334 nm. The modified layer is stable at 1800 °C, forms ohmic contacts to type IIb diamond, and supports epitaxial diamond growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective As society becomes more interconnected with technology, it is important to examine how traditional "paper and pencil" administered neuropsychological tests can be utilized in digital electronic forms (e.g. computers, touch screen tablets, and smartphones). Literature has shown somewhat mixed outcomes for the validity of computerized tests. Gathering data electronically has been found to reduce human error in both test administration and in data collection itself. Digitizing carries benefits in the research field where electronic administration may make it possible to gather data on a larger scale numerically and geographically. However, in some conversions to digital versions of a task, changes may be made to the stimuli and procedure that might seemingly be benign, but could activate different cognitive responses, potentially compromising construct validity. This study examined the comparability of paper and electronic forms of the Stroop task, which is used widely and has been previously validated in paper form. Method Electronic Stroop tests were examined for concurrent validity with a paper version. Two touch-screen based apps were examined: BrainBaseline for the iPad and EncephalApp for smartphone. Young and older adults (n = 58) completed paper and an electronic version of the Stroop. Results Correlation analyses revealed a significant, but modest relationship between paper Stroop and the BrainBaseline version (r =.54; p =.001), while the EncephalApp correlation was non-significant (r =.44; p =.18). Conclusions These results need to be verified in a larger sample, but the implication is that some paper and electronic versions of cognitive tests are not necessarily interchangeable, and caution should be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1992, the Massachusetts Water Resource Association has organized a Fish Day to assess the health of winter flounder in Boston Harbor and nearby areas. This report describes the levels of metal contaminants and selected biomarkers in flounder from Fish Day, 1996. Mean age for males and females was 3.5 years, which is lower than the age reported for fish collected during previous efforts. Body weight1body length ratios were significantly higher in females versus males. Liver Cd, As, Zn, and Cu, and muscle As were all elevated relative to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designations for marine fish liver and muscle tissue in all animals from all sites. Male flounder from Boston Harbor had significantly higher liver Cd levels than female flounder from Cape Cod and Boston Harbor. Female flounder from Boston Harbor showed significantly less metallothionein (MT) protein and lowerliver metal levels than those from Cape Cod. Metallothioncin mRNA did not significantly differ between sites nor did MT protein or mRNA between males and females from Boston Harbor. Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1)-like and CYP1Al activities were significantly higher at optimal temperatures than activity measured at field temperatures. No differences between groups were observed for either parameter at ambient temperatures, but at optimal temperature(s), Boston Harbor females had significantly higher CYP2E1 -like and CYP1A1 activities than Boston Harbor males. A negative correlation was found between maximal CYP1A1 activity and age for the Boston Harbor fish and a positive correlationfor all fish between CYP2E1 -like activity at ambient temperature and percent liver lipid. No differences were observed for liver lipid and microsomal protein between any of the groups. Liver glycogen showed a sex-dependent difference for the Boston Harbor group with levels in females significantly higher than males. These differences in contaminant levels and biomarkers are discussed within the context of data [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]