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The intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondiiadapts to diverse host cell environments within a replicative compartment that is heavily decorated by secreted proteins. In attempts to identify novel parasite secreted proteins that influence host cell activity, we identified and characterized a trans-membrane dense granule protein dubbed GRA64 (TGME49_202620). We found that GRA64 is on the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) and is partially exposed to the host cell cytoplasm in both tachyzoite and bradyzoite parasitophorous vacuoles. Using co-immunoprecipitation and proximity-based biotinylation approaches, we demonstrate that GRA64 appears to interact with certain components of the host Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport (ESCRT). Genetic disruption of GRA64 does not affect acuteToxoplasmavirulence in mice nor encystation as observed via tissue cyst burdens in mice during chronic infection. However, ultrastructural analysis of Δgra64tissue cysts using electron tomography revealed enlarged vesicular structures underneath the cyst membrane, suggesting a role for GRA64 in organizing the recruitment of ESCRT proteins and subsequent intracystic vesicle formation. This study uncovers a novel host-parasite interaction that contributes to an emerging paradigm in which specific host ESCRT proteins are recruited to the limiting membranes (PVMs) of tachyzoite and bradyzoite vacuoles formed during acute and chronicToxoplasmainfection.IMPORTANCEToxoplasma gondiiis a widespread foodborne parasite that causes congenital disease and life-threatening complications in immune compromised individuals. Part of this parasite’s success lies in its ability to infect diverse organisms and host cells, as well as to persist as a latent infection within parasite constructed structures called tissue cysts. In this study, we characterized a protein secreted byT. gondiiinto its parasitophorous vacuole during intracellular infection, which we dub GRA64. On the vacuole, this protein is exposed to the host cell and interacts with specific host ESCRT proteins. Parasites lacking the GRA64 protein exhibit ultrastructural changes in tissue cysts during chronic infection. This study lays the foundation for future studies on the mechanics and consequences of host ESCRT-parasite protein interactions.

The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii adapts to diverse host cell environments within a replicative compartment that is heavily decorated by secreted proteins. In an attempt to identify novel parasite secreted proteins that influence host cell activity, we identified and characterized a transmembrane dense granule protein dubbed GRA64 (TGME49_202620). We found that GRA64 is on the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) and is partially exposed to the host cell cytoplasm in both tachyzoite and bradyzoite parasitophorous vacuoles. Using co-immunoprecipitation and proximity-based biotinylation approaches, we demonstrated that GRA64 appears to interact with components of the host endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT). Genetic disruption of GRA64 does not affect acute

The school-to-prison pipeline represents an educational environment that allows public schools to push many at-risk children out of school and into the juvenile justice or the adult criminal justice system. Consequently, this study explores the disproportionate rates of discipline when comparing Black and White female students in the national public-school system. Specifically, this research explored discipline outcomes for Black and White female students in kindergarten through 12th grade in five of the best academically performing states in the United States compared with five of the worse academically ranked states in the United States. Using the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) of 2013–2014 data, the exploration found Black female students were disproportionately suspended compared with White female students in both the high and low academically performing states. Similarly, Black female students experienced disproportionality rates (overrepresented) compared with White female students for school-related arrests. Overall, the disproportionality rates for Black female students suspended and arrested compared with White female students were higher in the academically higher ranked states.

Toxoplasma gondii is a master manipulator capable of effectively siphoning the resources from the host cell for its intracellular subsistence. However, the molecular underpinnings of how the parasite gains resources from its host remain largely unknown. Residing within a non-fusogenic parasitophorous vacuole, the parasite must acquire resources across the limiting membrane of its replicative niche, which is decorated with parasite proteins including those secreted from dense granules. We discovered a role for the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) machinery in host cytosolic protein uptake by T. gondii by disrupting host ESCRT function. We identified the transmembrane dense granule protein TgGRA14, which contains motifs homologous to the late domain motifs of HIV-1 Gag, as a candidate for the recruitment of the host ESCRT machinery to the PV membrane. Using an HIV virus-like particle (VLP) release assay, we found that the motif-containing portion of TgGRA14 is sufficient to substitute for HIV Gag late domain to mediate ESCRT-dependent VLP budding. We also show that TgGRA14 is proximal to and interacts with host ESCRT components and other dense granule proteins during infection. Furthermore, analysis of GRA14-deficient parasites revealed a marked reduction in ingestion of a host cytosolic protein compared to WT parasites. Thus, we propose a model in which T. gondii recruits the host ESCRT machinery to the PV where it can interact with TgGRA14 for the internalization of host cytosolic proteins across the PVM. These findings provide new insight into how T. gondii accesses contents of the host cytosol by exploiting a key pathway for vesicular budding and membrane scission.Author summaryIntracellular pathogens exploit their host to gain the resources necessary to sustain infection; however, precisely how the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii acquires essential nutrients from its host remains poorly understood. Previous work showed that T. gondii is capable of internalizing host derived cytosolic proteins and delivering them to its lysosome-like compartment for degradation. However, the mechanism by which the material is trafficked across the membrane delimiting the replicative vacuole in which the parasite resides remained unclear. Here, we report a role for the parasite effector protein TgGRA14 in the recruitment of the host ESCRT machinery for the uptake of host cytosolic proteins. Important human pathogens have developed strategies for exploiting the host ESCRT machinery for intracellular subsistence. Our study sheds lights on the strategy used by a eukaryotic pathogen in subverting the host ESCRT machinery for the internalization of resources from its host cells.

Concussion prevalence in sport is well recognized, so too is the challenge of clinical and return-to-play management for an injury with an inherent indeterminant time course of resolve. A clear, valid insight into the anticipated resolution time could assist in planning treatment intervention.This study implemented a supervised machine learning-based approach in modeling estimated symptom resolve time in high school athletes who incurred a concussion during sport activity.We examined the efficacy of 10 classification algorithms using machine learning for the prediction of symptom resolution time (within 7, 14, or 28 d), with a data set representing 3 yr of concussions suffered by high school student-athletes in football (most concussion incidents) and other contact sports.The most prevalent sport-related concussion reported symptom was headache (94.9%), followed by dizziness (74.3%) and difficulty concentrating (61.1%). For all three category thresholds of predicted symptom resolution time, single-factor ANOVA revealed statistically significant performance differences across the 10 classification models for all learners at a 95% confidence interval (P = 0.000). Naïve Bayes and Random Forest with either 100 or 500 trees were the top-performing learners with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve performance ranging between 0.656 and 0.742 (0.0-1.0 scale).Considering the limitations of these data specific to symptom presentation and resolve, supervised machine learning demonstrated efficacy, while warranting further exploration, in developing symptom-based prediction models for practical estimation of sport-related concussion recovery in enhancing clinical decision support.

Due to the inherent Philippine geography, there are still some areas in the country that are having difficulty in receiving medical aid for some diseases. This is true, especially for diabetes. Diabetic people living in remote areas have a hard time in acquiring and storing insulin because of the need to be refrigerated until it is ready to be used. The main goal of this study is to design, develop and fabricate a solar-powered portable refrigerator that will be able to attain the desired temperature for the storage of insulin. In the design, a thermoelectric refrigerator operating under the principle of Peltier effect was fabricated. The device was powered with solar energy through the use of 3.50-watt solar panels to charge a 12V 100Ah lead acid battery. The device was able to completely run on solar energy. The refrigerator maintains a temperature of 2 to 8 and has an average COP of 0.004. It is designed to cut off at 2 and cut in at 7.2. This is to lessen the power consumption of the device and to prolong battery life.

This article documents the results of a study examining the extent to which undergraduate social work students attained increased confidence in group work facilitation. Social work students partici...

Raquel Yokoda,1 Bolni M Nagalo,1 Brent Vernon,2 Rahmi Oklu,3 Hassan Albadawi,3 Thomas T DeLeon,1 Yumei Zhou,1 Jan B Egan,1 Dan G Duda,4 Mitesh J Borad1 1Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, 3Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Abstract: With the advancement of a growing number of oncolytic viruses (OVs) to clinical development, drug delivery is becoming an important barrier to overcome for optimal therapeutic benefits. Host immunity, tumor microenvironment and abnormal vascularity contribute to inefficient vector delivery. A number of novel approaches for enhanced OV delivery are under evaluation, including use of nanoparticles, immunomodulatory agents and complex viral–particle ligands along with manipulations of the tumor microenvironment. This field of OV delivery has quickly evolved to bioengineering of complex nanoparticles that could be deposited within the tumor using minimal invasive image-guided delivery. Some of the strategies include ultrasound (US)-mediated cavitation-enhanced extravasation, magnetic viral complexes delivery, image-guided infusions with focused US and targeting photodynamic virotherapy. In addition, strategies that modulate tumor microenvironment to decrease extracellular matrix deposition and increase viral propagation are being used to improve tumor penetration by OVs. Some involve modification of the viral genome to enhance their tumoral penetration potential. Here, we highlight the barriers to oncolytic viral delivery, and discuss the challenges to improving it and the perspectives of establishing new modes of active delivery to achieve enhanced oncolytic effects. Keywords: oncolytic viruses, oncolytic virotherapy, drug delivery systems, tumor microenvironment&nbsp

The lysosome-like vacuolar compartment (VAC) is a major site of proteolysis in the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Previous studies have shown that genetic ablation of a VAC-residing cysteine protease, cathepsin protease L (CPL), resulted in accumulation of undigested protein in the VAC and loss of parasite viability during the chronic stage of infection. However, since the maturation of another VAC localizing protease, cathepsin protease B (CPB), is dependent on CPL, it remained unknown whether these defects result directly from ablation of CPL or indirectly from a lack of CPB maturation. Likewise, although a previously described cathepsin D-like aspartyl protease 1 (ASP1) could also play a role in proteolysis, its definitive residence and function in the Toxoplasma endolysosomal system was not well defined. Here we demonstrate that CPB is not necessary for protein turnover in the VAC and that CPB deficient parasites have normal growth and viability in both the acute and chronic stages of infection. We also show that ASP1 depends on CPL for correct maturation and it resides in the T. gondii VAC where, similar to CPB, it plays a dispensable role in protein digestion. Taken together with previous work, our findings suggest that CPL is the dominant protease in a hierarchy of proteolytic enzymes within the VAC. This unusual lack of redundancy for CPL in T. gondii makes it a single exploitable target for disrupting chronic toxoplasmosis.

A multidisciplinary approach within sports neurology fills a critical role in the management of athletes with neurologic injury. This model promotes streamlined access to sports medicine providers who can offer high-quality multispecialty care in a collaborative manner, to provide optimal outcomes for athletes. This chapter highlights the rise of the multidisciplinary care approach in nonathletic healthcare settings and introduces the concept of the interdisciplinary sports medicine care model. Next, we review the roles of medical providers who are integral in effective management of sport-related concussion, followed by a discussion of the athletic healthcare teams that treat other sport-related neurologic injuries and athletes with pre-existing neurologic conditions. Finally, we note important educational, legal, and independent medical care issues in athletic healthcare settings, and summarize the applicability of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary care models to the subspecialty of sports neurology.

A multidisciplinary approach within sports neurology fills a critical role in the management of athletes with neurologic injury. This model promotes streamlined access to sports medicine providers who can offer high-quality multispecialty care in a collaborative manner, to provide optimal outcomes for athletes. This chapter highlights the rise of the multidisciplinary care approach in nonathletic healthcare settings and introduces the concept of the interdisciplinary sports medicine care model. Next, we review the roles of medical providers who are integral in effective management of sport-related concussion, followed by a discussion of the athletic healthcare teams that treat other sport-related neurologic injuries and athletes with pre-existing neurologic conditions. Finally, we note important educational, legal, and independent medical care issues in athletic healthcare settings, and summarize the applicability of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary care models to the subspecialty of sports neurology.

The approach to sports concussion diagnosis and management has been evolving at an unprecedented rate over the last several years. So much so, that committees at all level of sports have implemented concussion protocols and made adjustments to certain league rules in an effort to minimize the risk of head injury. With this newfound attention has come an even greater push by the scientific community to address the many questions that remain. The aim of this review article is to present the topic of sports concussion by means of discreet eras. It begins by introducing the very first mentions of concussion, dating back to ancient Greece, to present day, highlighting important periods along the way. It then goes on to review emerging scientific data, from biomarkers and serum studies, to imaging modalities, and brain networking. All of which will hopefully contribute to both the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to sports concussion.

American Indian/Alaskan Native children have disproportionately been placed into out-of-home care compared to White children in the child welfare system. What were the factors that child protective services (CPS) workers considered when deciding to remove a child from the home? Utilizing data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, this study examined out-of-home care factors for 2215 urban American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) and White children. In the urban sample, children from White families were younger and were more likely to be investigated for lack of supervision, while AI/AN families were investigated for physical neglect. In the placement regression models, urban AI/AN children came from homes where caregivers had greater alcohol, drug and mental health problems. Decisions by CPS workers to place AI/AN children may have been influenced by racial bias. A CPS system that acknowledges culture and race may reduce overrepresentation in placement. Efforts to work with AI/AN families prior to a child's removal may prove to be beneficial and less expensive.

Nationally representative child welfare data from October 1999 was utilized to compare American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) children to non-Indian children placed into out-of-home care. In comparison to non-Indian children, AI/AN children came from poorer homes, were more frequently placed into congregate care, and were less frequently placed into kinship care. AI/AN caregivers have greater mental health and alcohol abuse service needs compared with non-Indian caregivers. Knowledge of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) by child protective services (CPS) workers could increase cultural competence throughout the child welfare system. A CPS system more sensitized to cultural differences may reduce disproportionate child welfare outcomes that AI/AN children experience.

International audience; BACKGROUND: Apicomplexans contain only a core set of factors involved in vesicular traffic. Yet these obligate intracellular parasites evolved a set of unique secretory organelles (micronemes, rhoptries, and dense granules) that are required for invasion and modulation of the host cell. Apicomplexa replicate by budding from or within a single mother cell, and secretory organelles are synthesized de novo at the final stage of division. To date, the molecular basis for their biogenesis is unknown. RESULTS: We demonstrate that the apicomplexan dynamin-related protein B (DrpB) belongs to an alveolate specific family of dynamins that is expanded in ciliates. DrpB accumulates in a cytoplasmic region close to the Golgi that breaks up during replication and reforms after assembly of the daughter cells. Conditional ablation of DrpB function results in mature daughter parasites that are devoid of micronemes and rhoptries. In the absence of these organelles, invasion-related secretory proteins are mistargeted to the constitutive secretory pathway. Mutant parasites are able to replicate but are unable to escape from or invade into host cells. CONCLUSIONS: DrpB is the essential mechanoenzyme for the biogenesis of secretory organelles in Apicomplexa. We suggest that DrpB is required during replication to generate vesicles for the regulated secretory pathway that form the unique secretory organelles. Our study supports a role of an alveolate-specific dynamin that was required for the evolution of novel, secretory organelles. In the case of Apicomplexa, these organelles further evolved to enable a parasitic lifestyle.

In 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that Hispanics had become the largest U.S. minority group. Representing 14 percent of the population, more than forty million Hispanics currently live in the United States and are a growing source of charitable giving. This study uses a national probability sample (n = 3,261) to examine variables that may influence Hispanic charitable giving in the United States to private nonprofit organizations. Logistic regression analyses indicated that Hispanics were eight times more likely to donate to human service organizations when using payroll deduction. In addition, Hispanics who were solicited for a donation by telephone were twice as likely to make a donation to educational organizations as Hispanic donors not solicited by phone. Volunteerism was also a predictor of Hispanic charitable giving. U.S. demographic trends and this study's findings suggest that nonprofit leaders, including those responsible for fundraising in private nonprofit organizations, need to be aware of the opportunities for Hispanic charitable support.

This study utilized a national child welfare sample to explore the relationship between child and family characteristics, substantiated lack of supervision, and foster care placement outcomes. The sample comprised 418 cases of children receiving child protective services. Findings revealed a higher percentage of White children to be inadequately supervised compared with African American children; however, African American children were more likely to be placed in out-of-home care. The odds of being placed in foster care tripled (OR = 2.82, p < .05) for inadequately supervised African American children compared with White children.

Given the growing wealth of minority families in America, including that of African-American families, the potential for charitable donations from these households is much greater. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to examine those variables that may influence African-American charitable giving patterns. This study uses the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data to analyze the effects of multiple factors on the giving habits of African-Americans. Based on this study's findings, social workers employed as executive directors or fund-raisers in private nonprofit organizations may want to identify and cultivate individual African-American donors directly, instead of relying on United Way and other federated campaigns.

This paper uses data from the National Study of Protective, Preventive, and Reunification Services Delivered to Children and Their Families, 1994 to estimate the effects of several indicators of poverty and parental characteristics associated with substantiated physical neglect. Results suggest there is a high correlation between substantiated physical neglect and several indicators of poverty (i.e. AFDC, food stamps, Medicaid, unemployment, and WIC). After controlling for family characteristics in a logistic regression, those indicators of poverty were not found to be predictive of substantiated physical neglect. Only WIC recipients had an association, and they were less likely to have physical neglect substantiated. The two strongest predictors of physical neglect were related to primary caretakers who were twice as likely to have physical neglect substantiated if they had mental health or substance abuse problems.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis in animals and humans. At least 30% of the human population is infected. The infection can lead to lethal disease i...

Significant research indicates that student self-disclosure plays an important role in the learning experience and producing positive learning outcomes. Blogging is an increasingly popular web tool that can potentially aid educators by encouraging student self-disclosure. Both content analysis and focus groups were used to assess whether student self-disclosure reveals in descriptive, topical, and evaluative categories. The results indicate that blogging encourages student self-disclosure, and the implications of these findings are also discussed. Key Words: Blogging, Self-Disclosure, Education, Learning, and Internet Tools

Objective: Students will understand the communicative power of walking and how nonverbal communication relates to attitude development Courses: Public Speaking, Introduction to Communication Theory...

standings about our physical and biological world of which all humans are a part. We have failed to build the connections and understanding of the dependence and interdependence among life systems. How we use and protect the earth’s capacity to provide for humankind through informed personal, social, and political action will determine the future of all. The food, fiber, environment, and natural resources systems are ideal media for linking scientific and technical—physical, life, earth, and space technology—with empirical, personal, and social dimensions, while addressing the stated outcomes of an inquirybased and relevant science education program as outlined in the National Science Education Standards (NRC-NAS, 1996). Many persons associated with food and fiber systems reflect their endeavors as art (culinary, landscaping), science (animal science, crop science, forestry, soil science), or business (agri-business, forest products.) All learners depend on the biological and physical resources of our food, fiber, environment, and natural resources systems and exist within an environment affected by the systems. The largest sector of the world’s population (45.0%) derives their livelihood directly from food, fiber, natural resources, and environment (FAO, 1999), but less than 2.0% of the U.S. population is engaged in production and management of these resources. Thus, all the more reason to make food, fiber, natural resources, and environmental systems the context on which we build our education efforts to create social and personal relevance of science and technology in the community

Field studies were conducted during the 1997 and 1998 growing seasons to evaluate diclosulam alone and in combination with ethalfluralin for Eclipta prostrata , Ipomoea lacunosa , Panicum texanum , and Cyperus esculentus control. Diclosulam alone or in combination with ethalfluralin-applied preplant incorporated (PPI), preemergence (PRE), or postemergence (POST) at 0.009 to 0.024 kg ai/ha provided at least 93% season-long Eclipta control. Ethalfluralin, in combination with diclosulam-applied PPI at 0.016 or 0.024 kg ai/ha controlled C. esculentus at least 82% season-long. Ethalfluralin followed by diclosulam-applied POST at 0.016 or 0.024 kg/ha controlled at least 90% Ipomoea season long, while ethalfluralin followed by diclosulam-applied PPI or PRE at 0.024 kg/ha controlled 81%. Ethalfluralin in combination with diclosulam at 0.016 kg/ha or ethalfluralin followed by diclosulam at 0.016 or 0.024 kg/ha applied POST controlled greater than 80% P. texanum throughout the growing season. Diclosulam offers more effective Eclipta control than the commerical standards now being used.

Sarcocystis neurona, an apicomplexan parasite, is the primary causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Like other members of the Apicomplexa, S. neurona zoites possess secretory organelles that contain proteins necessary for host cell invasion and intracellular survival. From a collection of S. neurona expressed sequence tags, we identified a sequence encoding a putative microneme protein based on similarity to Toxoplasma gondii MIC10 (TgMIC10). Pairwise sequence alignments of SnMIC10 to TgMIC10 and NcMIC10 from Neospora caninum revealed approximately 33% identity to both orthologues. The open reading frame of the S. neurona gene encodes a 255 amino acid protein with a predicted 39-residue signal peptide. Like TgMIC10 and NcMIC10, SnMIC10 is predicted to be hydrophilic, highly alpha-helical in structure, and devoid of identifiable adhesive domains. Antibodies raised against recombinant SnMIC10 recognised a protein band with an apparent molecular weight of 24 kDa in Western blots of S. neurona merozoites, consistent with the size predicted for SnMIC10. In vitro secretion assays demonstrated that this protein is secreted by extracellular merozoites in a temperature-dependent manner. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis of SnMIC10 showed a polar labelling pattern, which is consistent with the apical position of the micronemes, and immunoelectron microscopy provided definitive localisation of the protein to these secretory organelles. Further analysis of SnMIC10 in intracellular parasites revealed that expression of this protein is temporally regulated during endopolygeny, supporting the view that micronemes are only needed during host cell invasion. Collectively, the data indicate that SnMIC10 is a microneme protein that is part of the excreted/secreted antigen fraction of S. neurona. Identification and characterisation of additional S. neurona microneme antigens and comparisons to orthologues in other Apicomplexa could provide further insight into the functions that these proteins serve during invasion of host cells.

The efficacy of biological controlobtained through releases of commerciallysupplied Trichogramma is influenced by bothabiotic conditions in the field during andfollowing release and an array of biologicalattributes of the released Trichogramma. Thisstudy was undertaken to assess the degree ofvariation that existed among commerciallysupplied Trichogramma in an array of biologicalparameters that potentially may influence thelevel of control that can be expected in aTrichogramma release program. Shipments ofTrichogramma were obtained from 12 commercialsuppliers of beneficial insects over a 2-yearperiod and the following parameters weremeasured: percentage of emergence duringshipping, total percentage of emergence,percentage of females, percentage ofbrachypterous females, percentage ofbrachypterous males, adult female longevity,and species composition. In addition, weestimated the percentage of macropterousfemales that had not emerged prior to the timethe shipment was received, based on the firstfour parameters. Results indicate a high levelof variation in each of these parameters amongsuppliers of Trichogramma and among shipmentsby individual suppliers. The proportion ofnon-emerged macropterous female wasps was lowfor all suppliers (range 2.5–27.7%). Thiswas primarily attributable to the highincidence of brachyptery among female wasps. However, variation among suppliers in theincidence of emergence during shipping and theproportion of female wasps in a shipment alsocontributed to the low proportion ofnon-emerged macropterous female wasps. Inaddition, in 11 of 24 shipments received duringthe 2-year study, the Trichogramma speciesdiffered from that specified by the shipper orthe shipment contained a mixture ofTrichogramma species.

Objective While the approach to concussion and post-concussion syndrome management remains largely clinical, significant advancements have been made in identifying potential biomarkers to aid in the diagnosis and management of head injures. One such potential biomarker is Brain Network Activation (BNA) analysis. BNA is a multi-channel, EEG-ERP based platform that involves algorithmic analysis to provide a network map of cortical activity and quantitative data during specific tasks. Design Case Series. Setting Outpatient, clinic-based. Participants Three (3) athletes. Outcome measures Analysis of the subject’s BNA performance yieldsa BNA score,which reflects the degree of similarity between the performance of the subject and the normative data. BNA scores are further placed into one of three subcategories: Working Memory and Attention (Target Stimuli), Automatic Attention Orienting (Novel Stimuli), and Sensory (Frequent Stimuli). Each subject underwent a BNA analysis while symptomatic, followed by repeat analyses once subjects were identified as clinically asymptomatic. Main results In each of the three studies, there were improvements in BNA scores identified in one, or several, subcategories. More importantly, improvements in BNA scores directly correlated with clinical improvement in the post-concussive setting. Conclusions Approach to concussion management, in both the short-term and long-term setting, remains largely clinical. Current research seeks a more objective means of assessing not only potential structural abnormalities following a concussion, but also an improved means of assessing a patient’s neurocognitive status. BNA has proven to be an effective, supportive tool in allowing clinicians and patients to objectify one’s progress following a concussive injury. Competing interests None.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Sports neurology is an emerging area of subspecialty. Neurologists and non-neurologists evaluating and managing individuals participating in sports will encounter emergencies that directly or indirectly involve the nervous system. Since the primary specialty of sports medicine physicians and other practitioners involved in the delivery of medical care to athletes in emergency situations varies significantly, experience in recognition and management of neurologic emergencies in sports will vary as well. This article provides a review of information and elements essential to neurologic emergencies in sports for the practicing neurologist, although content may be of benefit to readers of varying background and expertise. RECENT FINDINGS Both common neurologic emergencies and less common but noteworthy neurologic emergencies are reviewed in this article. Issues that are fairly unique to sports participation are highlighted in this review. General concepts and principles related to treatment of neurologic emergencies that are often encountered unrelated to sports (eg, recognition and treatment of status epilepticus, increased intracranial pressure) are discussed but are not the focus of this article. Neurologic emergencies can involve any region of the nervous system (eg, brain, spine/spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscles). In addition to neurologic emergencies that represent direct sports-related neurologic complications, indirect (systemic and generalized) sports-related emergencies with significant neurologic consequences can occur and are also discussed in this article. SUMMARY Neurologists and others involved in the care of athletes should consider neurologic emergencies in sports when planning and providing medical care.

The purpose of this study is to examine factors influencing U.S. charitable giving during the first full year of the Great Recession. Demand on the services of human service nonprofits typically escalates during periods of extreme economic downturn; thus donations to agencies serving the most vulnerable groups—the young, the old, and the frail—become increasingly important. The study sample consisted of 8690 U.S. respondents. Results indicate the growing importance of computer ownership and the continuing importance of combined purpose agencies in assisting the needy in hard times. Suggestions for both future research and nonprofit administrative practice regarding charitable giving are provided.

Field studies were conducted at Oxford, NC in 1997 and 1998 to evaluate tolerance of tobacco to pre-transplant (PRE-T) and postemergence (POST) applications of diclosulam. Tobacco injury w...

Field studies were conducted in 1996 and 1997 to evaluate response of eight peanut cultivars to diclosulam applied preplant incorporated at 36 g ai/ha in a weed-free environment. Peanut cultivars evaluated included ‘NC 12C’, ‘NC 7’, ‘VAC 92R’, ‘NC-V 11’, ‘NC 10C’, ‘AT VC 1’,‘NC 9’, and the experimental breeding line N90010E. Visible injury 3 wk after planting was less than 5% regardless of cultivar. No injury was observed at 21 d after planting. Diclosulam did not influence the incidence of early leaf spot, late leaf spot, southern stem rot, cylindrocladium black rot, or tomato spotted wilt virus. Diclosulam did not affect percentage of extra large kernels, sound mature kernels, other kernels, and yield. Nomenclature: Diclosulam; peanut, Arachis hypogaea L. NC 12C, NC 7, VAC 92R, NC-V 11, NC 10C, AT VC 1, NC 9, N90010E. Additional index words: Disease interaction, cylindrocladium black rot, Cylindrocladium crotalariae (Loos) Bell et Sobers, early leaf spot, Cercospora arachidicola Hori, late lea...

Field studies were conducted at five locations in North Carolina and Virginia during 1996 and 1997 to evaluate weed control, peanut (Arachis hypogaea) response, and peanut yield following diclosulam applied preplant incorporated (PPI) and in systems with commercial herbicide standards. All plots received a PPI treatment of ethalfluralin at 840 g ai/ha. Ethalfluralin plus diclosulam controlled entireleaf morningglory (Ipomoea hederaceavar.integriuscula), ivyleaf morningglory (I. hederacea), pitted morningglory (I. lacunosa), common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), eclipta (Eclipta prostrata), and prickly sida (Sida spinosa) as well as and frequently better than ethalfluralin PPI followed by (fb) acifluorfen plus bentazon postemergence (POST), paraquat plus bentazon early postemergence (EPOST) fb imazapic POST, or imazapic POST. Systems with ethalfluralin plus diclosulam PPI at 26 g ai/ha fb acifluorfen plus bentazon POST controlled a broader spectrum of weeds and yielded greater than systems of ethalfluralin PPI fb imazapic POST or ethalfluralin PPI fb acifluorfen plus bentazon POST. Peanut exhibited excellent tolerance to diclosulam PPI at 17, 26, or 35 g/ha.

Cloransulam-methyl applied postemergence (POST) following various preplant-incorporated (PPI) herbicides was evaluated in four experiments for weed control in North Carolina soybean over a 2-yr period at three locations. Acifluorfen plus bentazon or chlorimuron alone applied POST injured soybean more than cloransulam-methyl when following any soil-applied herbicide. When following trifluralin PPI, cloransulam-methyl controlled common ragweed, entireleaf morningglory, and pitted momingglory comparable to acifluorfen plus bentazon or chlorimuron. Common lambsquarters and prickly sida control was higher when acifluorfen plus bentazon was applied POST following trifluralin PPI compared to trifluralin PPI followed by cloransulam-methyl or chlorimuron. Acifluorfen plus bentazon or chlorimuron POST controlled yellow nutsedge and smooth pigweed more than cloransu- lam-methyl POST when following trifluralin PPI. When trifluralin was applied PPI in mixtures with chlorimuron plus metribuzin, flumetsulam, or imazaquin, control of most species was similar regardless of POST treatment used. Soybean treated with cloransulam-methyl yielded 250 kg/ha more than treat- ments with chlorimuron when these herbicides followed trifluralin plus flumetsulam or trifluralin plus imazaquin. Net returns with different herbicide systems followed trends similar to soybean yield. Nomenclature: Acifluorfen, 5-(2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoic acid; bentazon, 3-( l-methylethyl)-( 1H)-2, 1 ,3-benzothiadiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide; chlorimuron, 2-(((((4-chloro-6- methoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)amino)carbonyl)amino)sulfonyl)benzoic acid; cloransulam-methyl, 3-chloro- 2-(((5-ethoxy-7-fluoro(1,2,4)triazolo(1,5-c)pyrimidin-2yl)sulfonyl)amino)benzoic acid; flumetsulam, N-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-5-methyl(1,2,4)-triazolo(1,5-cx)pyrimidine-2-sulfonamide; imazaquin, 2-(4,5- dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-lH-imidazol-2-yl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid; metribu- zin, 4-amino-6-(1,1 -dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)- 1 ,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one; trifluralin, 2,6-dinitro- N,N-dipropyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzenamine; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. #3 CHEAL; common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. # AMBEL; entireleaf morningglory, Ipomoea hederacea var. integriuscula Gray # IPOHG; pitted morningglory, Ipomoea lacunosa L. # IPOLA; prickly sida, Sida spinosa L. # SIDSP; smooth pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L. # AMACH; yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L. # CYPES; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Additional index words: Economic analysis, Brachiaria platyphylla, AMACH, AMBEL, BRAPP, CHEAL, CYPES, IPOHG, IPOLA, SIDSP. Abbreviations: ALS, acetolactate synthase (EC 4.1.3.18); fb, followed by; POST, postemergence; PPI, preplant incorporated; PRE, preemergence; WAT, weeks after POST treatment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performed a reservoir diagnosis and developed low-cost recommendations to improve drinking water quality for the city of Nizhnii Tagil, Russia. Despite widespread regional pollution, water quality within the drinking water supply source can be summarized as generally good. Sampling and analysis efforts did not reveal appreciable amounts of hazardous chemicals or metals. The major water quality problem stems from an abundance of blue-green algae during the summer months, causing drinking water taste and odor problems and filter clogging at the water treatment plant. City water treatment officials also frequently experience difficulties with maintaining an effective disinfection residual in the distribution system because it spans more than 30 kilometers in length. Regrowth of microorganisms in the distribution system often causes coliform bacteria counts to exceed standards. The implementation of a watershed protection and management program, and the installation of a new disinfection system, to purify drinking water and to reduce bacterial growth in the distribution system should improve drinking water quality for the city residents.

The basic organisation of the endomembrane system is conserved in all eukaryotes and comparative genome analyses provides compelling evidence that the endomembrane system of the last common eukaryotic ancestor (LCEA) is complex with many genes required for regulated traffic being present. Although apicomplexan parasites, causative agents of severe human and animal diseases, appear to have only a basic set of trafficking factors such as Rab-GTPases, they evolved unique secretory organelles (micronemes, rhoptries and dense granules) that are sequentially secreted during invasion of the host cell. In order to define the secretory pathway of apicomplexans, we performed an overexpression screen of Rabs in Toxoplasma gondii and identified Rab5A and Rab5C as important regulators of traffic to micronemes and rhoptries. Intriguingly, we found that not all microneme proteins traffic depends on functional Rab5A and Rab5C, indicating the existence of redundant microneme targeting pathways. Using two-colour super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) we verified distinct localisations of independent microneme proteins and demonstrate that micronemal organelles are organised in distinct subsets or subcompartments. Our results suggest that apicomplexan parasites modify classical regulators of the endocytic system to carryout essential parasite-specific roles in the biogenesis of their unique secretory organelles., Author Summary Eukaryotic cells evolved a highly complex endomembrane system, consisting of secretory and endocytic organelles. In the case of apicomplexan parasites unique secretory organelles have evolved that are essential for the invasion of the host cell. Surprisingly these protozoans show a paucity of trafficking factors, such as Rabs and it appears that they lost several factors involved in endocytosis. Here, we demonstrate that Rab5A and Rab5C, normally involved in endocytic uptake, actually regulate secretion in Toxoplasma gondii, since functional ablation of Rab5A or Rab5C results in aberrant transport of proteins to specialised secretory organelles called micronemes and rhoptries. Furthermore, we demonstrate that independent transport routes to micronemes exist indicating that apicomplexans have remodelled Rab5-mediated vesicular traffic into a secretory system that is essential for host cell invasion.

To determine at what interval screening should be repeated to detect bladder cancer before it becomes muscle invasive 856 men who had 14 negative daily home tests for hematuria with a chemical reagent strip 9 months previously performed repeat tests. Of these men 50 (5.8 percent) had at least 1 positive test during the second 14-day screening period and 38 were evaluated, 15 of whom (39.5 percent) had significant urological pathological conditions, including 8 with malignancies. Bladder cancer was noted in 7 men, with no tumor invading the muscularis propria. The finding of 7 bladder cancers in 856 men (0.82 percent) who had a negative test 9 months previously indicates that bladder cancer has a brief preclinical duration and that testing must be repeated at least annually for screening to detect bladder cancer consistently before invasion occurs.

The Great Recession weakened U.S. families’ abilities to make charitable gifts. Although African Americans are generally especially hard hit by these types of economic crises, they have a long and distinctive history of volunteerism and mutual assistance. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine African American volunteering in nonprofit organizations in the aftermath of the 2008–2009 recession. Specifically, we examined race as well as other factors with the potential to influence volunteering in four categories of organizations: poverty organizations, senior service agencies, social action groups, and religious affiliated organizations. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data, this secondary analysis produced significant findings regarding volunteerism among African Americans in these community-based organizations.

Historically, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) children have been disproportionately represented in the foster care system. In this study, nationally representative child welfare data from October 1999 was used to compare urban AI/AN children to non-Indian children placed into out-of-home care. Compared to non-Indian children, urban AI/AN children were older, were more often male, came from poorer homes, and were more frequently placed into group homes/ residential placements. Urban AI/AN caregivers had a greater prevalence of alcohol abuse and mental health problems compared with non-Indian caregivers.

This position paper, adopted unanimously by the Department Heads Council whose members represent the heads of the 222 civil engineering programs listed in the ASCE Official Register 1992, shows that the delineation between civil engineering practice and the practice of civil technology is not clear. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) evaluates both engineering and technology programs, but the criteria are vastly different in four curriculum areas—mathematics and basic sciences, engineering (technical) science, design, and humanities/social sciences. Despite the major difference in the education of engineers and technologists, technologists can sit for the FE and PE exams in 41 states, and the American Society of Civil Engineers offers technologists membership at all society grades. This position paper argues that the present state of affairs does not serve to advance the safety and welfare of the public and urges ASCE to adopt the position advanced by the National Society of Pro...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed to amend federal regulations to require vadose zone monitoring at certain hazardous waste facilities. To support this proposal, EPA evaluated previous policy on vadose zone monitoring and examined advances in vadose zone monitoring technology. Changes in EPA vadose zone monitoring policy were driven by demonstrated advances in the available monitoring technology and improvements in understanding of vadose zone processes/When used under the appropriate conditions, currently available direct and indirect monitoring methods can effectively detect contamination that may leak from hazardous waste facilities into the vadose zone. Direct techniques examined include soil-core monitoring and soil-pore liquid monitoring. Indirect techniques examined include soil-gas monitoring, neutron moderation, complex resistivity, ground-penetrating radar, and electrical resistivity. Properly designed vadose zone monitoring networks can act as a complement to saturated zone monitoring networks at numerous hazardous waste facilities. At certain facilities, particularly those in arid climates where the saturated zone is relatively deep, effective vadose zone monitoring may allow a reduction in the scope of saturated zone monitoring programs.