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The global pandemic sparked by the proliferation of the COVID-19 virus created an economic crisis of an unprecedented nature in the United States, particularly among small businesses. Many of these [...]

Objective Faith leaders often serve as health-related role models yet many struggle with obesity and self-care engagement. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine how the faith leader literature has defined self-care and examined obesity and obesity-related chronic disease.Data Source Studies were identified through database (eg, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO), backward, and grey literature (eg, dissertations) searches.Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria Studies published in English with participants who were 18 years or older and examined leaders across all faiths. Studies also included an examination of self-care behaviors among faith leaders within the context of obesity or obesity-related chronic diseases.Data Extraction/Synthesis Data synthesis was qualitative and informed by the six-step framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) as well as updated recommendations by Daudt et al (2013). Of the 418 studies identified and screened, 20 met the eligibility criteria.Results Studies were primarily cross-sectional and participants Christian faith-leaders in the US. Most studies did not define self-care or incorporate theory, but focused on vegetarian diets and physical activity engagement. Other self-care related behaviors (eg, sleep, days off), some unique to faith leaders (eg, sabbatical), were included but not systematically.Conclusions Research with more diverse faith leaders and that uses theory is needed to guide development of strategies for engaging this population in self-care to reduce obesity and related chronic diseases.

ABSTRACT: The law of preferential transfers permits the trustee of a bankruptcy estate to avoid transfers made by the debtor to a creditor on account of a prior debt in [...]

Purpose: Clergy have influence on the health of congregations and communities yet struggle with health behaviors. Interventions tailored to their occupation-specific demands and unique needs may provide a solution. Qualitative methods were used to identify opportunities and resources for the development of an effective obesity-related program for clergy.Approach: Ninety-minute focus groups were held with clergy (3 groups) and spouses (3 separate groups). Discussion explored: Program target(s); Opportunities and barriers that influence diet, physical activity, and stress-reduction practices; Empowering and culturally relevant health promotion strategies.Setting: All study activities took place in Memphis, TN.Participants: Eighteen clergy and fourteen spouses participated. All clergy were male, all spouses were female.Method: Previous research with clergy informed the interview guide and the PEN-3 framework aided in organizing the coding of clergy and spouse focus groups. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcripts analyzed using NVivo® 12.Results: Themes included: 1) Intervention targets—clergy, spouses, congregations; 2) Opportunities and barriers—making time, establishing boundaries, church traditions, individuals who support and hinder behavior change; 3) Intervention strategies—tools for healthy eating, goal setting, camaraderie, combining face-to-face with eHealth modalities.Conclusion: The relationship between clergy, spouse, and congregation make it important for obesity-related programs to target the unique needs of both clergy and spouses. Strategies should focus on healthy eating and personal connections no matter the modality used.

The Last Interglacial (129–116 thousand years ago (ka)) represents one of the warmest climate intervals of the past 800,000 years and the most recent time when sea level was metres higher than today. However, the timing and magnitude of the peak warmth varies between reconstructions, and the relative importance of individual sources that contribute to the elevated sea level (mass gain versus seawater expansion) during the Last Interglacial remains uncertain. Here we present the first mean ocean temperature record for this interval from noble gas measurements in ice cores and constrain the thermal expansion contribution to sea level. Mean ocean temperature reached its maximum value of 1.1 ± 0.3 °C warmer-than-modern values at the end of the penultimate deglaciation at 129 ka, which resulted in 0.7 ± 0.3 m of thermosteric sea-level rise relative to present level. However, this maximum in ocean heat content was a transient feature; mean ocean temperature decreased in the first several thousand years of the interglacial and achieved a stable, comparable-to-modern value by ~127 ka. The synchroneity of the peak in mean ocean temperature with proxy records of abrupt transitions in the oceanic and atmospheric circulation suggests that the mean ocean temperature maximum is related to the accumulation of heat in the ocean interior during the preceding period of reduced overturning circulation.

Purpose To examine associations between sociodemographic variables, social determinants of health (SDOHs) and diabetes using health needs assessment data.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Faith-based communities in the Mid-South U.S.Sample Of the 378 churches, 92 participated in the study (24% response rate); N= 828 church leaders and members completed the survey.Measure The Mid-South Congregational Health Survey assessed perceived health-related needs of congregations and the communities they serve.Analysis Generalized linear mixed modeling examined the associations between sociodemographic variables (age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational level), SDOHs (affordable healthcare, healthy food, employment), and diabetes.Results Individuals with less education had lower odds of reporting all SDOHs as health needs compared to individuals with more education (ORrange= .59-.63). Men had lower odds of reporting diabetes as a health need or concern compared to women (OR = .70; 95% CI = .50, .97). African Americans had greater odds of reporting diabetes as a health need compared to individuals in the ‘Other’ race/ethnicity category (OR = 3.91; 95% CI = 2.20, 6.94). Individuals who reported affordable healthcare (OR = 2.54; 95% CI = 1.73, 3.72), healthy food (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.55, 3.24), and employment (OR = 3.33; 95% CI = 2.29, 4.84) as health needs had greater odds of reporting diabetes as a health need compared to those who did not report these SDOHs as needs.Conclusions Future studies should evaluate strategies to merge healthcare and faith-based organizations’ efforts to address SDOHs impacting diabetes.

Noble gases in ice cores enable reconstructions of past mean ocean temperature. A recent result from the clathrate‐containing WAIS Divide Ice Core showed tight covariation between ocean and Antarctic temperatures throughout the last deglaciation, except for the Younger Dryas interval. In the beginning of this interval, oceans warmed at 2.5 °C/kyr—three times greater than estimates of modern warming. If valid, this challenges our understanding of the mechanisms controlling ocean heat uptake. Here we reconstruct mean ocean temperature with clathrate‐free ice samples from Taylor Glacier to test these findings. The two records agree in net temperature change over the Younger Dryas, but the Taylor Glacier record suggests sustained warming at the more modest rate of 1.1 ± 0.2°C/kyr. We explore mechanisms to explain differences between records and suggest that the noble gas content for the Younger Dryas interval of WAIS Divide may have been altered by a decimeter‐scale fractionation during bubble‐clathrate transformation. Oceans have taken up most of the additional heat trapped by greenhouse gases, mitigating the current rate of surface warming. In order to understand changes in ocean heat uptake over time, we use atmospheric noble gases measured in ice cores to estimate past ocean temperature change. This method works because the amount of noble gases dissolved in seawater changes with temperature. A recent ocean temperature reconstruction identified a 700‐year interval during the transition from the last ice age to the current warm period when oceans warmed three times faster than they are currently warming. This result challenged our understanding of how oceans warm as an ice age ends. We tested this finding with a new ice core record and found that ocean warming during this interval occurred at a rate that is comparable to today, which is more consistent with our understanding of ocean heat uptake. We suggest that the noble gas record in the original ice core was altered by a process that affects how atmospheric gases are distributed in ice and is unrelated to ocean temperature change. From these findings we suggest caution in interpreting noble gas records in ice cores where this process may occur. A new Younger Dryas mean ocean temperature record shows significantly slower ocean heat uptake, compared to a previous reconstructionNoble gases are subject to fractionation during clathrate formation in glacial ice and thus errors in reconstructed mean ocean temperatureMean ocean temperature and Antarctic temperature covary through the entirety of the last deglaciation

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Changes in atmospheric CO2on millennial‐to‐centennial timescales are key components of past climate variability during the last glacial and deglacial periods (70–10 ka), yet the sources and mechanisms responsible for the CO2fluctuations remain largely obscure. Here we report the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2during a key interval of the last glacial period at submillennial resolution, with coeval histories of atmospheric CO2, CH4, and N2O concentrations. The carbon isotope data suggest that the millennial‐scale CO2variability in Marine Isotope Stage 3 is driven largely by changes in the organic carbon cycle, most likely by sequestration of respired carbon in the deep ocean. Centennial‐scale CO2variations, distinguished by carbon isotope signatures, are associated with both abrupt hydrological change in the tropics (e.g., Heinrich events) and rapid increases in Northern Hemisphere temperature (Dansgaard‐Oeschger events). These events can be linked to modes of variability during the last deglaciation, thus suggesting that drivers of millennial and centennial CO2variability during both periods are intimately linked to abrupt climate variability. Ice cores provide unique records of variations in atmospheric CO2prior to the instrumental era. While it is clear that changes in atmospheric CO2played a significant role in driving past climate change, it is unclear what in turn drove changes in atmospheric CO2. Here we investigate enigmatic changes in atmospheric CO2levels during an interval of the last glacial period (~50,000 to 35,000 years ago) that are associated with abrupt changes in polar climate. To determine the sources and sinks for atmospheric CO2, we measured the stable isotopes of carbon in CO2and found that the primary source of carbon to the atmosphere was an organic carbon reservoir. Most likely, this carbon was sourced from a deep ocean reservoir that waxed and waned following changes in either the productivity of the surface ocean or stratification of the deep ocean. We also found that atmospheric CO2can change on the centennial timescale during abrupt climate transitions in the Northern Hemisphere. This observation adds to a growing body of evidence that abrupt changes in atmospheric CO2are an important component of past carbon cycle variability. A new ice core record of carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2suggests organic carbon sources controlled CO2during the last glacial periodThe millennial‐scale CO2variability is tentatively linked to variations in Southern Ocean carbon sourcesCentennial‐scale CO2variability during the last glacial period is associated with similarly abrupt changes during the deglaciation

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a pathogen that poses significant risks to human health. It is therefore critical to develop strategies to prevent influenza disease. Many loss-of-function screens have been performed to identify the host proteins required for viral infection. However, there has been no systematic screen to identify the host factors that, when overexpressed, are sufficient to prevent infection. In this study, we used CRISPR/dCas9 activation technology to perform a genome-wide overexpression screen to identify IAV restriction factors. The major hit from our screen, B4GALNT2, showed inhibitory activity against influenza viruses with an α2,3-linked sialic acid receptor preference. B4GALNT2 overexpression prevented the infection of every avian influenza virus strain tested, including the H5, H9, and H7 subtypes, which have previously caused disease in humans. Thus, we have used CRISPR/dCas9 activation technology to identify a factor that can abolish infection by avian influenza viruses.

Multiple coronaviruses have emerged independently in the past 20 years that cause lethal human diseases. Although vaccine development targeting these viruses has been accelerated substantially, there remain patients requiring treatment who cannot be vaccinated or who experience breakthrough infections. Understanding the common host factors necessary for the life cycles of coronaviruses may reveal conserved therapeutic targets. Here, we used the known substrate specificities of mammalian protein kinases to deconvolute the sequence of phosphorylation events mediated by three host protein kinase families (SRPK, GSK-3, and CK1) that coordinately phosphorylate a cluster of serine and threonine residues in the viral N protein, which is required for viral replication. We also showed that loss or inhibition of SRPK1/2, which we propose initiates the N protein phosphorylation cascade, compromised the viral replication cycle. Because these phosphorylation sites are highly conserved across coronaviruses, inhibitors of these protein kinases not only may have therapeutic potential against COVID-19 but also may be broadly useful against coronavirus-mediated diseases.

Beauchamp, Rhodes, and Nigg propose a tripartite framework necessary for increasing physical activity among elementary-aged children. This framework includes legislation to increase time spent in physical activity during the school day, an extension of the school day for physical activity, and supervision of this time by trained teachers. If implemented, this framework could significantly increase the amount of time elementary-aged children spend in physical activity. Extending the school day also has the potential to alleviate child care anxiety in low-resource households as well as have farther-reaching family and societal impacts.

ABSTRACTMycobacterium tuberculosispersistence within its human host requires mechanisms to resist the effector molecules of host immunity, which exert their bactericidal effects through damaging pathogen proteins, membranes, and DNA. Substantial evidence indicates that bacterial pathogens, including M. tuberculosis, require DNA repair systems to repair the DNA damage inflicted by the host during infection, but the role of double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair systems is unclear. Double-strand DNA breaks are the most cytotoxic form of DNA damage and must be repaired for chromosome replication to proceed. M. tuberculosiselaborates three genetically distinct DSB repair systems: homologous recombination (HR), nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), and single-strand annealing (SSA). NHEJ, which repairs DSBs in quiescent cells, may be particularly relevant to M. tuberculosislatency. However, very little information is available about the phenotype of DSB repair-deficient M. tuberculosisin animal models of infection. Here we tested M. tuberculosisstrains lacking NHEJ (a ?ku?ligDstrain), HR (a ?recAstrain), or both (a ?recA?kustrain) in C57BL/6J mice, C3HeB/FeJ mice, guinea pigs, and a mouse hollow-fiber model of infection. We found no difference in bacterial load, histopathology, or host mortality between wild-type and DSB repair mutant strains in any model of infection. These results suggest that the animal models tested do not inflict DSBs on the mycobacterial chromosome, that other repair pathways can compensate for the loss of NHEJ and HR, or that DSB repair is not required for M. tuberculosispathogenesis.

Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) is a rare consumptive coagulopathy characterized by profound thrombocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia occurring in association with the vascular tumors kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) and tufted angioma (TA). Treatment remains challenging without consensus on the optimal medical management. The authors compiled expert opinions regarding management to establish treatment recommendations. Twenty-seven vascular anomalies centers in the United States and Canada were surveyed using 2 representative cases of KHETA with and without KMP. Overall response rate was 92 (2527) with 88 completion (2427). Most sites (2325; 92) do not have a standard of practice for management. The most frequent initial therapy for KHEKMP was a combination of systemic corticosteroids and vincristine (VCR) (1224 centers; 50) followed by corticosteroids alone (29). Second-line treatments were VCR (38), rapamycin (21), and propranolol (21). Management of KHETA without KMP was variable; initial treatments included systemic corticosteroids (824; 33) alone or with VCR (924; 38), monitoring without medication (33), VCR (8), propranolol (8), aspirin (4), and rapamycin (4). This survey highlights certain trends in the management of KMP-associated tumors, without standard protocols and consensus.

IMPORTANCE Controversy exists regarding strategies for diagnosis and management of Spitz nevi, a type of melanocytic neoplasm that most often develops in children. OBJECTIVE To determine the beliefs, behaviors, and experiences of pediatric dermatologists with regard to Spitz nevi. DESIGN Anonymous web-based survey. SETTING Private and academic dermatology practices. PARTICIPANTS Respondents included 175 pediatric dermatologists from the United States and around the world, representing a 51.1% response rate (175 of 342). Analyses were limited to the 144 respondents whose practices included at least 50% children (younger than 18 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Assessment of the following with regard to Spitz nevi: frequency of diagnosis, general beliefs, techniques used for evaluation (eg, dermoscopy and biopsy), management strategies, and observed outcomes. RESULTS Collectively, respondents had seen approximately 20 000 Spitz nevi; 67.6% (96 of 142) had diagnosed at least 6 Spitz nevi yearly, whereas 90.1% (128 of 142) had diagnosed no more than 2 prepubertal melanomas in the past 5 years. Ninety-six percent of respondents (95.8%; 136 of 142) categorized typical Spitz nevi as benign. Eighty percent of respondents (79.6%; 113 of 142) used dermatoscopy, and 96.5% (137 of 142) avoided partial biopsies of Spitz nevi. In children with a suspected Spitz nevus, clinical follow-up was chosen by 49.3% (69 of 140) of respondents for a small, stable nonpigmented lesion and by 29.7% (41 of 138) for a pigmented lesion with a typical starburst pattern seen via dermatoscopy. Predictors of clinical follow-up of the latter lesion included believing that Spitz nevi are not melanoma precursors (P = .04). Forty-seven percent (62 of 132) of respondents had observed involution of Spitz nevi. No deaths had resulted from the approximately 10 000 Spitz nevi or atypical spitzoid neoplasms seen by the 91 respondents with academic or hospital-based practices. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The results of our survey support conservative management of Spitz nevi in children, with clinical follow-up representing an option for typical lesions. This represents an important difference from strategies used for management of these lesions in adults.

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureuspneumonia is a common, potentially life-threatening infection caused by this human pathogen. The only therapies available to treat S. aureuspneumonia are antibiotics, a modality that is jeopardized by the organism's remarkable ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance. S. aureusalpha-hemolysin is a pore-forming cytotoxin that is essential for the pathogenesis of pneumonia. Strains lacking this cytotoxin are avirulent in a murine model of pneumonia; likewise, vaccine-based strategies that antagonize the toxin afford protection against lethal disease. Disruption of the function of this toxin therefore provides a potent mechanism to prevent and/or treat S. aureuspneumonia. β-Cyclodextrin derivatives are small molecules with a sevenfold symmetry that mirrors the heptameric alpha-hemolysin. These compounds block the assembled alpha-hemolysin pore, compromising toxin function. We report that a modified β-cyclodextrin compound, IB201, prevents alpha-hemolysin-induced lysis of human alveolar epithelial cells. This protective effect does not result from the ability of the β-cyclodextrin to impair formation of the oligomeric alpha-hemolysin on the cell surface, supporting a role for this molecule in blockade of the lytic pore. An examination of IB201 in murine S. aureuspneumonia demonstrated that administration of this compound prevents and treats disease, protecting against mortality. Consistent with the vital importance of alpha-hemolysin in pneumonia caused by methicillin-sensitive and highly virulent methicillin-resistant S. aureusstrains, IB201 protects against lethal challenge with both types of isolates. These observations, coupled with a favorable safety profile of β-cyclodextrin compounds, provide a novel strategy that may be developed to combat S. aureuspneumonia.

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureuspneumonia is one of the most common invasive diseases caused by this human pathogen. S. aureusalpha-hemolysin, a pore-forming cytotoxin, is an essential virulence factor in the pathogenesis of pneumonia. Vaccine-based targeting of this toxin provides protection against lethal staphylococcal pneumonia in a murine model system, suggesting that a monoclonal antibody-based therapy may likewise prove to be efficacious for prevention and treatment of this disease. We report the generation of two distinct anti-alpha-hemolysin monoclonal antibodies that antagonize toxin activity, preventing human lung cell injury in vitro and protecting experimental animals against lethal S. aureuspneumonia. Each of these two monoclonal antibodies recognized an epitope within the first 50 amino acid residues of the mature toxin and blocked the formation of a stable alpha-hemolysin oligomer on the target cell surface. Active immunization with the first 50 amino acids of the toxin also conferred protection against S. aureuspneumonia. Together, these data reveal passive and active immunization strategies for prevention or therapy of staphylococcal pneumonia and highlight the potential role that a critical epitope may play in defining human susceptibility to this deadly disease.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a common weight loss operation. A 360-degree twisting of the Roux limb around its mesentery is a technical error at the time of surgery and an uncommon complication of gastric bypass surgery. Patients with a twisted Roux limb often present early in the postoperative period with nausea, vomiting, dysphagia, and abdominal pain. Surgical correction is necessary. Marginal ulcer formation, a well-documented complication of this operation, similarly presents with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dysphagia, and it is often treated medically. Left untreated, marginal ulcers are at risk of perforation, which is a surgical emergency. We describe a patient who presented five years postoperatively from a gastric bypass with pneumoperitoneum consistent with a perforated ulcer and a mesenteric swirl on computed tomography scan. Upon exploration, the patient had a perforated marginal ulcer at the gastrojejunostomy anastomosis and a 360-degree twist of the Roux limb around its mesentery. It is crucial to run the Roux limb before and after construction to prevent twisting and other defects. This case highlights the importance of noncontrast computed tomography scan in assessing nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass as complications are not uncommon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus infection causes diffuse alveolar damage leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The absence of ex vivomodels of human alveolar epithelium is hindering an understanding of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis. Here, we report a feeder-free, scalable, chemically defined, and modular alveolosphere culture system for the propagation and differentiation of human alveolar type 2 cells/pneumocytes derived from primary lung tissue. Cultured pneumocytes express the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme receptor type-2 (ACE2) and can be infected with virus. Transcriptome and histological analysis of infected alveolospheres mirror features of COVID-19 lungs, including emergence of interferon (IFN)-mediated inflammatory responses, loss of surfactant proteins, and apoptosis. Treatment of alveolospheres with IFNs recapitulates features of virus infection, including cell death. In contrast, alveolospheres pretreated with low-dose IFNs show a reduction in viral replication, suggesting the prophylactic effectiveness of IFNs against SARS-CoV-2. Human stem cell-based alveolospheres, thus, provide novel insights into COVID-19 pathogenesis and can serve as a model for understanding human respiratory diseases.

Ice core measurements of the concentration and stable isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) 74,000–59,000 years ago constrain marine and terrestrial emissions. The data include two major Dansgaard‐Oeschger (D‐O) events and the N2O decrease during global cooling at the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5a‐4 transition. The N2O increase associated with D‐O 19 (~73–71.5 ka) was driven by equal contributions from marine and terrestrial emissions. The N2O decrease during the transition into MIS 4 (~71.5–67.5 ka) was caused by gradual reductions of similar magnitude in both marine and terrestrial sources. A 50 ppb increase in N2O concentration at the end of MIS 4 was caused by gradual increases in marine and terrestrial emissions between ~64 and 61 ka, followed by an abrupt increase in marine emissions at the onset of D‐O 16/17 (59.5 ka). This suggests that the importance of marine versus terrestrial emissions in controlling millennial‐scale N2O fluctuations varied in time. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that is produced naturally in soils and oceans. An important unresolved question is the extent to which anthropogenic warming will stimulate additional emissions from these sources, further adding to the warming. Past variations in the abundance of nitrous oxide have been observed using ice core reconstructions, but the reasons for the variations are not well understood. Nitrous oxide produced in soils is isotopically distinct from nitrous oxide produced in oceans. New measurements of the isotopes of atmospheric nitrous oxide provide constraints on how marine and terrestrial sources must have changed, driving fluctuations in nitrous oxide concentration during two intervals of rapid warming and a prolonged period of global cooling. The reconstructed changes in nitrous oxide sources provide insights into relationships between marine and terrestrial ecosystems and climate. Stable isotopes of nitrous oxide constrain marine versus terrestrial production 74,000–59,000 years agoMarine and terrestrial sources varied similarly across Dansgaard‐Oeschger 19 and during the Marine Isotope Stage 5‐4 transitionMarine emissions dominated across Dansgaard‐Oeschger 16/17; thus, abrupt N2O increases were not all identical during the last glacial period

The continuous growth of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) is of concern for its potential role in global warming and future stratospheric ozone destruction. Climate feedbacks that enhance N2O emissions in response to global warming are not well understood, and past records of N2O from ice cores are not sufficiently well resolved to examine the underlying climate‐N2O feedbacks on societally relevant time scales. Here, we present a new high‐resolution and high‐precision N2O reconstruction obtained from the Greenland NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling) and the Antarctic Styx Glacier ice cores. Covering the N2O history of the past two millennia, our reconstruction shows a centennial‐scale variability of ~10 ppb. A pronounced minimum at ~600 CE coincides with the reorganizations of tropical hydroclimate and ocean productivity changes. Comparisons with proxy records suggest association of centennial‐ to millennial‐scale variations in N2O with changes in tropical and subtropical land hydrology and marine productivity. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse and ozone‐depleting gas. The growing level of N2O in the atmosphere is of global concern, and records of past N2O variations can provide an important context for understanding the links between N2O and climate change. In this study, we report new, high‐quality N2O records covering the last two millennia using ice cores obtained from Greenland and Antarctica. Our N2O records show rapid centennial‐scale changes in atmospheric N2O and confirm a pronounced minimum near 600 CE. Comparison with climate records suggests that hydroclimate change on land and changes in marine productivity contribute to centennial‐ to millennial‐scale N2O variations. We report records of N2O concentration for the last 2,000 yr from the Styx ice core in Antarctca and NEEM ice core in GreenlandThe data accurately reveal the timing and magnitude of N2O variations on centennial time scalesVariations in N2O are associated with changes in tropical and subtropical land hydrology and marine productivity

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Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a strong greenhouse gas whose mole fraction in the atmosphere has increased over the industrial period. We present a new set of isotope measurements of N2O in air extracted from ice cores covering the last 3,000 years. For the preindustrial (PI) atmosphere, we find an average N2O mole fraction of (267 ± 1) nmol/mol and average tropospheric N2O isotopic values of δ15NavPI= (9.5 ± 0.1)‰, δ18OPI= (47.1 ± 0.2)‰, δ15NαPI= (17.8 ± 0.4)‰, and δ15ΝβPI= (1.2 ± 0.4)‰. From PI to modern times all isotope signatures decreased with a total change of δ15Nav= (−2.7 ± 0.2)‰, δ18O = (−2.5 ± 0.4)‰, δ15Nα= (−2.0 ± 0.7)‰, and δ15Νβ(−3.5 ± 0.7)‰. Interestingly, the temporal evolution is not the same for δ15Navand δ18O. δ18O trends are relatively larger during the early part, and δ15Navtrends are larger during the late part of the industrial period, implying a decoupling of sources over the industrial period. Using a mass balance model, we determined the isotopic composition of the total average N2O source. Assuming that the total present source is the sum of a constant natural source and an increasing anthropogenic source, this anthropogenic source has an isotopic signature of δ15Navsource,anthrop= (−15.0 ± 2.6)‰, δ18Osource,anthrop= (30.0 ± 2.6)‰, δ15Nαsource,anthrop= (−4.5 ± 1.7)‰, and δ15Nβsource,anthrop= (−24.0 ± 8.4)‰. The 15N site preference of the source has increased since PI times, which is indicative of a relative shift from denitrification to nitrification sources, consistent with agricultural emissions playing a major role in the N2O increase. The isotopic composition of nitrous oxide in the preindustrial period was determined with high precisionThe isotopic composition of nitrous oxide changed during the transition to the industrial periodThe temporal evolution of δ15Navis different from that of δ18O implying a decoupling of sources over the industrial period

ABSTRACTInfluenza virus vaccine production is currently limited by the ability to grow circulating human strains in chicken eggs or in cell culture. To facilitate cost-effective growth, vaccine strains are serially passaged under production conditions, which frequently results in mutations of the major antigenic protein, the viral hemagglutinin (HA). Human vaccination with an antigenically drifted strain is known to contribute to poor vaccine efficacy. To address this problem, we developed a replication-competent influenza A virus (IAV) with an artificial genomic organization that allowed the incorporation of two independent and functional HA proteins with different growth requirements onto the same virion. Vaccination with these viruses induced protective immunity against both strains from which the HA proteins were derived, and the magnitude of the response was as high as or higher than vaccination with either of the monovalent parental strains alone. Dual-HA viruses also displayed remarkable antigenic stability; even when using an HA protein known to be highly unstable during growth in eggs, we observed high-titer virus amplification without a single adaptive mutation. Thus, the viral genomic design described in this work can be used to grow influenza virus vaccines to high titers without introducing antigenic mutations.IMPORTANCEInfluenza A virus (IAV) is a major public health threat, and vaccination is currently the best available strategy to prevent infection. While there have been many advances in influenza vaccine production, the fact that we cannot predict the growth characteristics of a given strain under vaccine production conditions a prioriintroduces fundamental uncertainty into the process. Clinically relevant IAV strains frequently grow poorly under vaccine conditions, and this poor growth can result in the delay of vaccine production or the exchange of the recommended strain for one with favorable growth properties. Even in strains that grow to high titers, adaptive mutations in the antigenic protein hemagglutinin (HA) that make it antigenically dissimilar to the circulating strain are common. The genomic restructuring of the influenza virus described in this work offers a solution to the problem of uncertain or unstable growth of IAV during vaccine production.

The article evaluates the nutrition shake, Ensure Plus and states that its a good substitute of Sincalide.

Ice core records show atmospheric methane mixing ratio and interpolar gradient varying with climate. Changes in wetland sources have been implicated as the basis for this observed variation in the record, but more recently, modeling studies suggest that changes in the CH4sink resulting from changes in sea surface temperature (SST) and emissions of other volatile organic carbon (VOC) compounds by vegetation must also be considered. We use the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) General Circulation Model (GCM) with the GISS Tropospheric Chemistry Model to study the response of the methane mixing ratio to source changes during the Holocene and also to a changing chemical sink during glacial‐interglacial transitions. We combine model results with ice core data to demonstrate a method that provides constraints on changes in northern and tropical methane sources. Results show that within the Holocene, changes in the atmospheric methane mixing ratio and latitudinal gradient are not linear with respect to changing methane emissions. Tropical and northern emissions varied from preindustrial levels by as much as 38% and 15%, respectively, within the Holocene. At glacial‐interglacial transitions the methane mixing ratio is sensitive to changes in both VOC and tropical methane emissions and the sensitivity also depends strongly on the assumed SST shift. Our findings suggest that changes in the ice core methane record are likely the result of changes in both the source and the sink. Changes in the sink become especially important when changes in methane mixing ratio and/or climate are large.

One and 2 applications of spray or granular formulations, or both, of 15 insecticides were made to grain sorghum (1st crop and “stubble crop”) for control of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.). All insecticides reduced the number of borers per stalk. The use of endrin, endosulfan, carbaryl, SD 7438 (S,S'-benzylidene bis-(O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithioate)), phosphamidon, carbophenothion, and methyl parathion resulted in greatest grain yields. Significantly fewer broken heads (caused by larvae bring in stalk near grain head) occurred in plots treated with 2 applications of 5D 7438. endrin, endosulfan, phosphamidon, and carbaryl.