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Quasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs) are responsible for approximately a quarter of all tornado events in the United States, but no field campaigns have focused specifically on collecting data to understand QLCS tornadogenesis. The Propagation, Evolution, and Rotation in Linear Storms (PERiLS) project was the first observational study of tornadoes associated with QLCSs ever undertaken. Participants were drawn from more than 10 universities, laboratories, and institutes, with over 100 students participating in field activities. The PERiLS field phases spanned 2 years, late winters and early springs of 2022 and 2023, to increase the probability of intercepting significant tornadic QLCS events in a range of large-scale and local environments. The field phases of PERiLS collected data in nine tornadic and nontornadic QLCSs with unprecedented detail and diversity of measurements. The design and execution of the PERiLS field phase and preliminary data and ongoing analyses are shown. KEYWORDS: Severe storms; Squall lines; Tornadoes; Mesoscale processes; Storm environments; Mesoscale forecasting, 1. Introduction Over the past 10 years, ~1400 tornadoes occurred annually in the United States, of which roughly 15%-25% are spawned by quasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs) (e.g., Trapp et al. [...]

Circoviruses are an emerging group of DNA viruses with largely unknown pathogenicity in humans (2,2). The best-studied circovirus is porcine circovirus 2, which causes hepatitis in pigs, among other diseases [...]

The evolving Great Power Competition among the primary players in the global power system greatly challenges our nation's ability to deter aggression on a global scale (The White House, 2022). [...]

Elizabethkingia spp. are widely distributed environmental bacteria and opportunistic pathogens that can cause sepsis and meningitis, particularly in neonates (2,2). At least 3 phenotypically similar species (E. anophelis, E. meningoseptica, [...]

Babesiosis is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa from the genus Babesia. First reported in 1957 (1), babesiosis is now described worldwide. Babesia infecting humans come from 4 clades (2): 3 clades [...]

Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are causes of foodborne enteric infection worldwide (1). Campylobacter spp. are among the most frequent pathogens identified in diarrheal samples from persons in Africa, particularly [...]

In the United States, melioidosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei (1,2). In melioidosis-endemic areas, the bacterium causes pneumonia and fatal bacteremia with diverse mortality rates that [...]

This article investigates how comedians use satire and parody to expose the antisemitism that underpins Holocaust denial. Its argument is twofold: first, that as public intellectuals, comedians have the capacity to help steer how audiences understand the significance of the Holocaust and the dangers of Holocaust denial; and second, that by examining comedy over a span of time, we can see how denial has become a global phenomenon. Exploring the work of Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, Nathan Fielder and Sacha Baron Cohen, the article shows that a multifaceted approach is required to counteract Holocaust denial, and misinformation more generally, and comedians can be a potent weapon in our arsenal. Keywords: Holocaust; memory; denial; antisemitism; comedy; humor, INTRODUCTION Since the turn of the new century, Holocaust denial has proven nimble and persistent. While it has struggled to maintain its relevance in its more traditional forums, its proliferation [...]

Robert Nozick's starting point is an individualist anarchist one. His state of nature is like Murray Rothbard's anarchism. Nozick says: More to the point, especially for deciding what goals one [...]

Robert Nozick and his Harvard colleague John Rawls were giants of twentieth-century political philosophy. While no one comes close to Rawls in terms of citations or influence, no one comes [...]

Although employment and compensation in the nonprofit sector have been subjects of research for decades, no consensus exists regarding how the wages and benefits of nonprofit workers differ from those [...]

Tabletop exercises examining weather-related hazards are not uncommon but are often built around somewhat generic scenarios that only touch on the meteorological communication environment at a very shallow level. A recent exercise in central Oklahoma sought to change that. A local emergency manager, personnel from a National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office, and a severe weather researcher with a background in exercise design and facilitation worked together to create and deliver a realistic severe weather simulation. Exercise participants were exposed to detailed forecast information via NWSChat--a dedicated communication tool used to connect NWS forecasters, emergency managers, and media members for real-time information sharing. NWS forecasters were able to both actively play in the exercise due to the use of NWSChat and observe how local decision-makers interpreted and utilized the impact-based decision support service (IDSS) graphics and short-term forecast updates. The collaborative approach of developing a detailed scenario with numerous real- world IDSS graphics, along with the use of NWSChat for real-time delivery, resulted in overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants. The local emergency management office identified numerous areas for improvement in communicating real-time forecast information across their jurisdiction, along with gaps in current plans and resources. Meanwhile, the NWS forecast office had the opportunity to experiment with using the new NWSChat platform in a high- impact severe weather environment before a real-world event took place. Forecasters also gained insight into current IDSS graphic interpretation, noting areas for improved messaging to end users, such as adding storm motion to existing severe weather graphics. KEYWORDS: Communications/ decision making; Emergency preparedness; Emergency response, 1. Introduction Tabletop exercises are an important tool for emergency managers to ensure jurisdictional readiness for future incidents. These exercises often involve multiple agencies or stakeholders representing various parts of [...]

PURPOSE HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) may increase rates of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) through risk compensation (eg, an increase in condomless sex or number of partners); however, longitudinal studies exploring the time-dependent nature of PrEP uptake and bacterial STIs are limited. We used marginal structural models to estimate the effect of PrEP uptake on STI incidence. METHODS We analyzed data from the iCruise study, an online longitudinal study of 535 Ontarian GBM from July 2017 to April 2018, to estimate the effects of PrEP uptake on incidence of self-reported bacterial STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) collected with 12 weekly diaries. The incidence rate was calculated as the number of infections per 100 person-months, with evaluation of the STIs overall and individually. We used marginal structural models to account for time-varying confounding and quantitative bias analysis to evaluate the sensitivity of estimates to nondifferential outcome misclassification. RESULTS Participating GBM were followed up for a total of 1,623.5 person-months. Overall, 70 participants (13.1%) took PrEP during the study period. Relative to no uptake, PrEP uptake was associated with an increased incidence rate of gonorrhea (incidence rate ratio = 4.00; 95% CI, 1.67-9.58), but not of chlamydia or syphilis, and not of any bacterial STI overall. Accounting for misclassification, the median incidence rate ratio for gonorrhea was 2.36 (95% simulation interval, 1.08-5.06). CONCLUSIONS We observed an increased incidence rate of gonorrhea associated with PrEP uptake among Ontarian GBM that was robust to misclassification. Although our findings support current guidelines for integrating gonorrhea screening with PrEP services, additional research should consider the long-term impact of PrEP among this population. Key words: bacterial sexually transmitted infections; STIs; pre-exposure prophylaxis; PrEP; HIV; gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men; sexual and gender minorities; health risk behaviors; prevention; marginal structural models; quantitative bias analysis; risk compensation; vulnerable populations Submitted September 25, 2023; submitted, revised, June 6, 2024; accepted June 7, 2024., https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.3152 Annals Early Access article INTRODUCTION Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, have increased since 2010, with cases of gonorrhea and syphilis commonly reported among men [...]

Music is a tool physical education (PE) teachers can use to help motivate students to greater physical activity (PA) rates during class activities. Music research in the PE context has found music to increase PA rates in the junior high school context (Brewer et al., 2016), that music increases the enjoyment of the PE experience for students (Barney et al., 2016) and can serve as a distraction during certain workouts (Higginson et al., 2019). This study aimed to examine the effects of music on physical activity rates (steps taken and time in activity) via pedometers of junior high school students in basketball gameplay. For this study, 270 junior high school students (157 males and 113 females) from eight intact seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade classes participated. The male and female participants attended different schools. Generally, it was found that the female participants were more active than their male counterparts when music was playing. These results and others illustrate music's effect on junior high school student PA rates., Introduction Music can be a powerful tool for increasing a person's physical activity. For example, college students' who listened to their personal music devices perceived that they worked harder and [...]

Oncocytic follicular cell-derived thyroid neoplasms, formerly known as Hurthle cell tumors, are characterized by expansile nodular growths of thyroid follicular epithelium displaying abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. The topic of oncocytic [...], * Context.--Oncocytic thyroid tumors displaying a papillary growth pattern are rare and may cause diagnostic problems. Objective.--To examine the clinicopathologic features of a series of 32 follicular cell-derived tumors composed of cells with oncocytic cytoplasm and displaying papillary architecture. Design.--Thirty-two cases were collected and studied to assess clinicopathologic features, including immunohistochemical and molecular testing for BRAF V600E. Results.--The patients were 26 women and 6 men, aged 17 to 77 years. The nodules ranged from 0.3 to 6.0 cm. Eighteen cases showed features of oncocytic hyperplastic nodules and were identified against a background of thyroid follicular nodular disease; 4 cases showed features of oncocytic follicular adenoma; and 10 cases corresponded to carcinomas with oncocytic and papillary features. Nuclear features of papillary thyroid carcinoma were absent or exceedingly rare. All cases were negative for HBME-1 and cytokeratin 19 (CK19) and wild type for BRAF V600E. Follow-up in 25 patients showed that all patients with hyperplastic nodules and oncocytic follicular adenomas were alive and well and free of disease from 7 to 20 years. One patient with oncocytic follicular carcinoma showed metastases and died of tumor at 16 months; 2 patients with carcinoma had metastases and recurrence at 6 and 7 years; and 5 patients with invasive tumors were free of disease from 5 to 10 years. Conclusions.--Oncocytic thyroid tumors with papillary features can span a spectrum from benign hyperplastic, to encapsulated neoplastic, to invasive malignant lesions. Owing to their papillary features, it is important not to confuse them for other types of thyroid tumors, such as oncocytic papillary thyroid carcinoma. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2024;148:997-1006; doi: 10.5858/arpa.2023-0309-OA)

1 Leishmaniasis is a heterogeneous group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies (1). The 3 typical clinical presentations [...]

Environmental health is practiced primarily at the local level; however, many of the skills held by environmental health practitioners (EHPs) are transferable globally. There is currently a shortage of EHPs in many parts of the world and formally recognizing the transferability of skills and knowledge within the profession might encourage people to consider environmental health as a profession, helping to address the shortage. To facilitate this transferability, our global community of practice has mapped the environmental health practice requirements of the U.S., UK, and Australia to enable comparison of each one to the others and demonstrate the level of similarity in practice requirements. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between the various professional bodies that oversee environmental health practice, which would allow qualified EHPs to practice in any of these countries. This flexibility would benefit the profession, professional practice, and individuals. MOUs are a way to recognize the similarities and differences between practices in these countries and provide pathways to address differences when they exist, such as via short courses and work experience. We present data to illustrate our argument that there is much overlap in the practice of EHPs. We see our research as a first step to engage with professional bodies in other countries and to facilitate MOUs between many countries, both to raise the profile of environmental health globally and to provide an attractive pathway for people to consider environmental health as a profession. Keywords: cross-country recognition, environmental health practice, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Introduction Environmental health is a multifaceted discipline, and practitioner skill sets include assessment of risk, interpretation of legislation, implementation of policy, and application of regulatory tools (Friis, 2018; Frumkin, 2016). [...]

Histoplasmosis is an endemic fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. In immunocompetent persons, histoplasmosis is often asymptomatic or localized to the pulmonary system. However, in immunocompromised persons, histoplasmosis can manifest [...]