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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, limited itemizers' state and local tax (SALT) deductions to $10,000 for tax years 2018 through 2025 (the SALT cap). However, federal [...]

INTRODUCTION Military working dogs (MWDs) are an important asset to the US military, serving as force multipliers on the battlefield and in the garrison environment. (1-3) These highly trained canines [...]

To determine 30-day mortality of endovascular aortic balloon control compared with open aortic cross clamp in open surgical repair (OSR) of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs).

Parasitoid wasps are exceptionally diverse and use specialized adaptations capable of manipulating the physiology and behaviour of host organisms1. In more than two centuries since the first records of Drosophila-parasitizing wasps, nearly 200 described and provisional parasitoid species of drosophilids have been identified2. These include endoparasitoids and ectoparasitoids, as well as species attacking larval and pupal hosts3. Despite a deep history of research attention and remarkable biodiversity, a wasp species that attacks and develops inside the adult stage of a fly host has not been described previously. Here we report the discovery of a wasp species that infects the adult stage of fruit flies in the genus Drosophila, including one of the most deeply studied model organisms in biology, Drosophila melanogaster. Notably, this wasp can be easily collected from backyard fly baits and has a broad geographic distribution throughout the eastern USA. We document its life history and unique host interactions, including egg-laying into and larval emergence from adult flies, and provide protocols to raise wasps from wild-caught host flies. Our results emphasize the need for ongoing research investment in insect biodiversity and systematics. As parasitoid research continues to uncover unusual biology and supports fundamental mechanistic insights into immunity4, metabolism5, ecology6, evolution7–9and behaviour10–12, we anticipate that this wasp’s association with the laboratory model organism, D.melanogaster, will provide new research opportunities across the life sciences.

Norovirus (NoV) is the predominant cause of foodborne illness globally; current detection methods are typically expensive, have inadequate sensitivities, and utilize biological receptors with poor stability. Therefore, accurate, cost-effective, and highly stable detection methods are needed to screen for NoV in foods. We developed molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) to detect NoV using a small target epitope (12 amino acids) with a solid-phase synthesis approach. The performance of three batches of nanoMIPs with varying monomer compositions (nanoMIP-1, -2, and -3) were compared both experimentally and computationally. Surface plasmon resonance examined nanoMIP binding affinity to norovirus virus-like particles (NoV-LPs), whereby nanoMIP-1 had the lowest KDvalue of 0.512 μM. This is significant, as traditional targets for generation of norovirus ligands previously reported were generated against drastically larger norovirus capsid segments that have limitations in ease of production. Further, an electrochemical sensor was developed by covalently attaching the nanoMIPs to glassy carbon electrodes. In agreement with our predictions from density functional theory simulations, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed a sensitive response toward NoV-LPs for nanoMIP batches tested; however, nanoMIP-1 was optimal, with an excellent detection limit of 3.4 pg/mL (1.9 × 105particles/mL). Due to its exceptional performance, nanoMIP-1 was immobilized to screen-printed electrodes and utilized within a thermal sensor, where it exhibited a low detection limit of 6.5 pg/mL (3.7 × 105particles/mL). Crucially, we demonstrated that nanoMIP-1 could detect NoV in real food samples (romaine lettuce) by using electrochemical and thermal sensors. Consequently, the study highlights the exceptional potential of nanoMIPs to replace traditional biological materials (e.g., antibodies) as sensitive, versatile, and highly stable receptors within NoV sensors.

We present a new integrated experimental and modeling effort that assesses the intrinsic sensitivity of energetic materials based on their reaction rates. The High Explosive Initiation Time (HEIT) experiment has been developed to provide a rapid assessment of the high-temperature reaction kinetics for the chemical decomposition of explosive materials. This effort is supported theoretically by quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations that depict how different explosives can have vastly different adiabatic induction times at the same temperature. In this work, the ranking of explosive initiation properties between the HEIT experiment and QMD simulations is identical for six different energetic materials, even though they contain a variety of functional groups. We have also determined that the Arrhenius kinetics obtained by QMD simulations for homogeneous explosions connect remarkably well with those obtained from much longer duration one-dimensional time-to-explosion (ODTX) measurements. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations have been developed to model the coupled heat transport and chemistry of the HEIT experiment to explicitly connect the experimental results with the Arrhenius rates for homogeneous explosions. These results confirm that ignition in the HEIT experiment is heterogeneous, where reactions start at the needle wall and propagate inward at a rate controlled by the thermal diffusivity and energy release. Overall, this work provides the first cohesive experimental and first-principles modeling effort to assess reaction kinetics of explosive chemical decomposition in the subshock regime and will be useful in predictive models needed for safety assessments.

Here I am, in my thirties, and I have to wear hearing aids. I have what's called bilateral low frequency hearing loss and tinnitus. I can hear fairly well during [...]

Continuous application of dairy manure to soils can lead to excessive phosphorus (P) accumulation (legacy P), which requires understanding for managing nutrient availability and leaching. This study was conducted in Kimberly, ID, where dairy manure or conventional fertilizer was applied to calcareous soil plots under continuous crop rotations for 8 years (2013–2020), followed by 2 years with no amendment. To understand legacy P behavior in the soils, total P, organic/inorganic P, and plant‐available Olsen bicarbonate P and Truog extraction measurements were made from surface and subsurface samples. Additionally, P in soluble and less soluble calcium phosphate (Ca‐P) minerals was estimated using selective extractions, and P desorption was measured in a flow‐through reactor. Manure amendments resulted in increased total soil P and plant‐available P, particularly in the initial 5 years. In the 0‐ to 30‐cm depth, 54%–65% of the soil P added from manure amendments was readily soluble by the Truog P test. Phosphorus released from the 2022 manure‐amended soil in the desorption experiments was about five times greater than the fertilizer‐amended soil, suggesting high leaching potential. After 8 years of manure amendment, subsurface Olsen‐P levels exceeded the 40 mg kg−1management threshold, suggesting P adsorption potential of the surface had become saturated, allowing for P leaching. In the manure‐amended surface soils, calcium phosphate minerals increased compared to the controls. Even after 2 years without manure amendment, soluble Ca‐P mineral phases persisted in the soils, which can be a long‐term source of P leaching. Repeated dairy manure application at 52 Mg ha−1rate led to soil legacy phosphorus (P) buildup in calcareous soils in southern Idaho.Manure‐amended soil P leached downward causing subsurface soil Olsen P levels to exceed the regulatory limit.Manure‐amended soil had about five times greater leachable P than conventional chemical fertilizer‐amended soil.P desorption from manure‐amended surface soil was slower compared to subsurface soil.Slow P release was correlated with poorly crystalline Ca‐P mineral phases in the soils. Continuous application of dairy manure to soils leads to excessive phosphorus (P) accumulation (legacy P), which can contribute to nutrient availability and leaching. This study characterized P pools and measured P availability in calcareous soils amended with either dairy manure or conventional fertilizer for 8 years, followed by 2 years with no amendment. Manure amendments resulted in increased total soil P and plant‐available P. In the 0‐ to 30‐cm depth, 54%–65% of the soil P added from manure amendments was readily available. After 8 years of manure amendment and 2 years of no amendment, P was five times more available to the soil solution than in controls with chemical fertilizer treatments, suggesting high plant availability and leaching potential in the manure‐amended soils.

Leadership of an integrated health system has become an increasingly complex undertaking today because of the many roles a leader must assume. These roles may become even more complex and [...]

Here I am, in my thirties, and I have to wear hearing aids. I have what's called bilateral low frequency hearing loss and tinnitus. I can hear fairly well during [...]

COVID-19 and other factors have damaged the financial foundations of healthcare delivery. We need a recovery plan, and some solutions are likely to involve still more forms of integration. This [...]

Over the last 25 years, I have been involved with designing and inspecting horizontal directional drills (HDD) for pipeline construction, attending numerous seminars, purchasing many texts and reading countless white [...]

A reprint of the article "Keeping Sight of Your Company’s Long-Term Vision," by Ron Ashkenas and Peter D. Moore is presented, which was published on HBR.org on April 8, 2022. It offers advice for management and executives on how to keep aligned with the long-term vision of one's employer. Topics discussed include taking part in a vision-based planning process, partaking in focused experimentation and investing in the training and education of employees.

THE GIANTS LAUGHED and sang as they waded into the dwarven armies gathered in the valley. Dozens of bodies were tossed across the battlefield with every kick, and clubs the [...]

Market-based primary care should be thought of as a 'system of systems,' and the focus should be on working to optimize its potential. As recently as 2000, when a new [...]

A recent study of healthcare markets across the United States conducted by HFMA, Leavitt Partners, and McManis Consulting, with the support of the Commonwealth Fund, looked at quantitative and qualitative [...]

For many, the term healthcare integration evokes an image of physicians and hospitals working closely together, with a common EHR, to minimize transaction costs and provide the best combination of [...]

The strength of healthcare integration comes in part from combining different perspectives, such as those of primary care physicians, specialists, clinical and administrative managers, and IT and finance professionals. The [...]

Abstract.Cyberaggression and cybervictimization have gained momentum as a research focus given associated mental health sequelae. To date, however, there remains little consensus on the conceptualization and measurement of these constructs. The purpose of this study was to explore construct validity evidence for the Cyber-Peer Experiences Questionnaire (C-PEQ), a novel measure that assesses experiences of cyberaggression and cybervictimization. Undergraduate participants (n= 735) completed an online survey including the C-PEQ and other theoretically related instruments. Confirmatory factor analysis did not provide support for the hypothesized two-factor model [MLM χ2(125) = 293.58, RMSEA = .06, CFI = .87, SRMR = .06]. The C-PEQ displayed evidence for internal consistency reliability. Evidence for convergent validity with theoretically similar constructs was mixed. Specific areas of model misspecification included items 1 and 2 on both subscales (altering social media friend lists). Future research may explore additional construct validity evidence of the C-PEQ in novel samples with these items removed.

Biological indicators are often used to evaluate the effect of management practices on soil health. However, determining which indicators can detect changes in soil health after implementation of conservation practices and how these indicators relate to plant growth in grass seed production systems remains unclear. The goal of this study was to explore the relationships between management practice history, soil health metrics, plant growth, and soil microbial communities in annual ryegrass grown under greenhouse conditions. Soils were collected from 12 annual ryegrass [Lolium multiflorum(L.) Husnot] fields managed under conventional (till/bale) or conservation (no‐till/full straw) management practices, with three silt loams and three silty clay loams collected for each practice. Annual ryegrass was grown for 5 months on each of the 12 soils in a greenhouse. Soils with a history of conservation management improved the majority of the carbon cycling‐related metrics for the silt loam soils. Management practices had no effect on seed yield, however, conservation management significantly improved aboveground biomass in silty clay loam soils. Contrasting management practices resulted in distinct microbial communities, making them sensitive indicators of changes in soil conditions. Soil health and plant metrics were positively associated with the microbial communities in soils under conservation management. Total C and organic matter were positively correlated to plant parameters in silt loams, while few indicators were correlated to plant metrics in silty clay loams. These results highlight the complex interplay between microbial communities, soil health, and plant growth and the importance of considering inherent soil properties like texture. The relationship between management practices and soil health and yield outcomes were influenced by soil texture.Biological soil health indicators and yield metrics were positively correlated in silt loam soils.Microbial communities were a sensitive indicator of changes in management practices.Microbial communities in no‐till were positively correlated to yield and soil health metrics.

Approximately 37% of US milk production occurs in semiarid regions, providing an opportunity to recycle manure nutrients through a variety of cropping systems. Accurate prediction of nitrogen (N) mineralization is critical to determine manure application suitability in intensive irrigated agriculture as many crops in the region have quality parameters that are sensitive to N. Research was conducted in southcentral Idaho to evaluate N mineralization via a buried bag methodology to develop a predictive N‐mineralization model. The study was arranged in a randomized complete block design with manure application rates of 18, 36, and 52 Mg·ha−1(dry weight basis) both annually and biennially with synthetic fertilizer and untreated check treatments. The crop rotation included small‐grain and broadleaf crops. In the final year of the study, preplant soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and NO3–N concentrations were positively linearly correlated with manure application rate. Nearly five times as much N was mineralized annually in the 0‐ to 30‐cm depth as compared to the 30‐ to 60‐cm depth. Increased rates of N mineralization for each kilogram of added N occurred in years when residue from broadleaf crops (slope = 0.17) was applied as compared to years with manure only application (slope = 0.07). Stepwise modeling determined that the most predictive model for seasonal N mineralization (R2= 0.79) included manure N, residue N, soil organic matter, and electrical conductivity. These results allow preplant N mineralization estimation and will prove critical for managing manure in semiarid regions for agronomic, economic, and environmentally sound crop production. Tools are needed to estimate nitrogen (N) mineralization from applications of dairy manure in semiarid irrigated soils.N mineralization was affected by manure application rate, timing, and broadleaf residue N.Average manure N mineralization was 27% and 18% of N applied in the first and second years, respectively, following application.The incorporation of broadleaf residue with manure increased N mineralized to 41% of N applied.The best predictors of N mineralization were soil organic matter, soil electrical conductivity, manure N, and broadleaf N residue.

ABSTRACT This paper aims at investigating the mechanisms of load-related top-down cracking (TDC) and developing a framework to predict the TDC initiation life for asphalt pavements. Firstly, a three-dimensional model [...]

Introduction: 10-year outcomes in patients living with HIV who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are unknown. Methods: 52 patients living with HIV were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Disease-free survival stratified by clinical, pathologic, and HIV characteristics were examined. Results: No difference in disease-free survival was observed based on prostate cancer treatment modality, CD4 count, or HIV viral load. Conclusions: Prostate cancer outcomes in patients living with HIV are favorable irrespective of treatment modality.

When economic theory begins to diverge from observed behavior, a new theory usually is just ahead. This situation seems to be occurring in healthcare economics now. If so, we will [...]

It's been more than 30 years since physician groups, hospitals and many health plans began forming integrated delivery systems (IDSs). For some (e.g., Kaiser Permanente and Geisinger), it has been [...]

Various soil health indicators that measure a chemically defined fraction of nitrogen (N) or a process related to N cycling have been proposed to quantify the potential to supply N to crops, a key soil function. We evaluated five N indicators (total soil N, autoclavable citrate extractable N, water‐extractable organic N, potentially mineralizable N, and N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase activity) at 124 sites with long‐term experiments across North America evaluating a variety of managements. We found that 59%–81% of the variation in N indicators was among sites, with indicator values decreasing with temperature and increasing with precipitation and clay content. The N indicators increased from 6%–39% in response to decreasing tillage, cover cropping, retaining residue, and applying organic sources of nutrients. Overall, increasing the quantity of organic inputs, whether from increased residue retention, cover cropping, or rotations with higher biomass, resulted in higher values of the N indicators. Although N indicators responded to management in similar ways, the analysis cost and availability of testing laboratories is highly variable. Further, given the strong relationships of the N indicators with carbon (C) indicators, measuring soil organic C along with 24‐h potential C mineralization could be used as a proxy for N supply instead of measuring potentially mineralizable N or any other N indicator directly. Nitrogen indicators of soil health vary predictably across North America with climate and soil texture.The response to soil health practices is similar across all indicators.There are strong correlations among nitrogen indicators, but also between carbon and nitrogen indicators.Soil organic carbon and 24‐h carbon mineralization potential can be used to capture nitrogen cycling.

Classic antitrust analysis suggests that any consolidation leads to market power, which leads to changes for buyers and sellers, which then changes prices. However, this high-level analysis is only marginally [...]

The question about whether to integrate was answered more than a decade ago. The questions now are, 'How do we take full advantage of integration?' and 'What do we integrate [...]

As the new post-virus realities unfold, health system leaders will begin a broad-based reassessment, which likely will require them to place a higher premium on flexibility. Healthcare systems are flexing [...]

The creative destruction of traditional care delivery models is underway--with big implications for patients, physicians, health systems, and policymakers. One thing has become clear from our recent discussions with leaders [...]

Globally, national stroke registries have been shown to improve the quality of patient care and outcomes. However, registry utilization and implementation vary by country. In the United States, stroke-specific performance measures must be met to achieve and maintain stroke center certification awarded by the state or nationally accredited certifying bodies. The 2 stroke registries available in the United States are the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry, which is voluntary, and the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry, funded competitively to states by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Compliance with stroke processes of care is variable, and quality improvement initiatives among organizations have been shown to have an impact on improving stroke care delivery. However, the effectiveness of interorganizational continuous quality improvement approaches, especially among competing institutions, to improving stroke care is ambiguous, and no uniform governance for successful interhospital collaboration has been identified. The purpose of this article is to review national initiatives focused on interorganizational collaboration to improve stroke care delivery with a focus on interhospital collaboration in the United States to improve stroke performance measures specific to stroke center certification. The state of Kentucky’s experience and utilization of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Breakthrough Series model with key strategies for success will be discussed to serve as a foundation and empower novice stroke leaders in learning health systems. The models may be adapted internationally for application to stroke-specific care process improvement locally, regionally, and nationally; among organizations within the same health system or competing systems; and among organizations with funding or without funding to improve stroke performance measures.

ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need to utilize existing and develop new intervention technologies for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation on surfaces and in the air. Ultraviolet (UV) technology has been shown to be an effective antimicrobial intervention. Here a study was conducted to determine the efficacy of commercially available UV and blue light-based devices for inactivating HCoV-229E, a surrogate of SARS-CoV-2. The results indicate that two UV devices designed for surface disinfection, with doses of 8.07 µJ/cm2for the 254 nm device and 20.61 µJ/cm2for the 275 nm device, were efficient in inactivating 4.94 logs of surface inoculated HCoV-229E. Additionally, a 222 nm UV device with intended ceiling-based operation was effective in inactivating 1.7 logs of the virus inoculated on surface, with a dose of 6 mJ/cm2. A ceiling-based device designed to emit blue light at 405 nm was found to produce 89% reduction in HCoV-229E inoculated on a surface for a dose of 78 J/cm2. Finally, the UV based 222 nm device was found to produce a 90% reduction in the concentration of airborne HCoV-229E, at a 55 µJ/cm2dose. These results are indicative of the great potential of using UV based technology for the control of SARS-CoV-2.Implications: An important avenue of arresting COVID-19 and future pandemics caused by infectious pathogens is through environmental disinfection. To this effect, the study presented here evaluates commercially available UV and blue light based antimicrobial devices for their ability to kill the human coronavirus HCoV-229E, a surrogate of SARS-CoV-2, on surfaces and in air. The results indicate that two handheld UV devices produced complete inactivation of surface viral inoculum and a UVC ceiling based device produced 1 log reduction in HCoV-229E in air. These results imply the efficacy of UV technology as an antimicrobial tool, especially for rapid disinfection of indoor air.

AbstractField studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of physical weed management of Palmer amaranth management in cucumber, peanut, and sweetpotato. Treatments were arranged in a 3 × 4 factorial in which the first factor included a treatment method of electrical, mechanical, or hand-roguing Palmer amaranth control and the second factor consisted of treatments applied when Palmer amaranth was approximately 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, or 1.2 m above the crop canopy. Four wk after treatment (WAT), the electrical applications controlled Palmer amaranth at least 27 percentage points more than the mechanical applications when applied at the 0.3- and 0.6-m timings. At the 0.9- and 1.2-m application timings 4 WAT, electrical and mechanical applications controlled Palmer amaranth by at most 87%. Though hand removal generally resulted in the greatest peanut pod count and total sweetpotato yield, mechanical and electrical control resulted in similar yield to the hand-rogued plots, depending on the treatment timing. With additional research to provide insight into the optimal applications, there is potential for electrical control and mechanical control to be used as alternatives to hand removal. Additional studies were conducted to determine the effects of electrical treatments on Palmer amaranth seed production and viability. Treatments consisted of electricity applied to Palmer amaranth at first visible inflorescence, 2 wk after first visible inflorescence (WAI) or 4 WAI. Treatments at varying reproductive maturities did not reduce the seed production immediately after treatment. However, after treatment, plants primarily died and ceased maturation, reducing seed production assessed at 4 WAI by 93% and 70% when treated at 0 and 2 WAI, respectively. Treatments did not have a negative effect on germination or seedling length.