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The first limits on the prompt emission from the long gamma-ray burst (GRB) 130427A in the >100 GeV energy band are reported. GRB 130427A was the most powerful burst ever detected with a redshift z ≲ 0.5 and featured the longest lasting emission above 100 MeV. The energy spectrum extends at least up to 95 GeV, clearly in the range observable by the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory, a new extensive air shower detector currently under construction in central Mexico. The burst occurred under unfavorable observation conditions, low in the sky and when HAWC was running 10% of the final detector. Based on the observed light curve at MeV-GeV energies, eight different time periods have been searched for prompt and delayed emission from this GRB. In all cases, no statistically significant excess of counts has been found and upper limits have been placed. It is shown that a similar GRB close to zenith would be easily detected by the full HAWC detector, which will be completed soon. The detection rate of the full HAWC detector may be as high as one to two GRBs per year. A detection could provide important information regarding the high energy processes at work and the observation of a possible cut-off beyond the Fermi Large Area Telescope energy range could be the signature of gamma-ray absorption, either in the GRB or along the line of sight due to the extragalactic background light.

The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory is sensitive to gamma rays and charged cosmic rays at TeV energies. The detector is still under construction, but data acquisition with the partially deployed detector started in 2013. An analysis of the cosmic-ray arrival direction distribution based on 4.9 × 1010 events recorded between 2013 June and 2014 February shows anisotropy at the 10-4 level on angular scales of about 10°. The HAWC cosmic-ray sky map exhibits three regions of significantly enhanced cosmic-ray flux; two of these regions were first reported by the Milagro experiment. A third region coincides with an excess recently reported by the ARGO-YBJ experiment. An angular power spectrum analysis of the sky shows that all terms up to l = 15 contribute significantly to the excesses.

Blunt traumatic injury to the chest or abdomen can produce injury to the aorta, which can compromise perfusion to the lower spinal cord. This report presents the case of a seat belt-restrained driver who sustained blunt abdominal trauma and progressive paraplegia. The trauma produced an acute occlusion of the abdominal aorta associated with an L4 Chance fracture and multiple bowel injuries. The Chance fracture occurred two levels below the aortic occlusion. The significant aortic atherosclerosis changes in this patient could have triggered the complete occlusion two levels above the fracture. An aortic injury associated with a vertebral fracture represents a severe and potentially lethal condition. Lower limb ischemia in the setting of a blunt abdominal injury could lead to a high diagnostic suspicion of abdominal aortic injury. Treatment of the vascular injury should be performed without delay to prevent or reduce permanent neurological deficits and ischemic injuries., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, De Jesus et al.)

Breast milk (BM) is a constantly changing fluid that represents the primary source of nutrition for newborns. It is widely recognized that breastfeeding provides benefits for both the child and the mother, including a lower risk of ovarian and breast cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus, decreased blood pressure, and more. In infants, breastfeeding has been correlated with a lower risk of infectious diseases, obesity, lower blood pressure, and decreased incidence of respiratory infections, diabetes, and asthma. Various factors, such as the baby's sex, the health status of the mother and child, the mother's diet, and the mode of delivery, can affect the composition of breast milk. This review focuses on the biological impact of the nutrients in BM on the development and functionality of vital organs to promote the benefit of health.

Mistakes in chromosome segregation leading to aneuploidy are the primary cause of miscarriages in humans. Excluding sex chromosomes, viable aneuploidies in humans include trisomies of chromosomes 21, 18, or 13, which cause Down, Edwards, or Patau syndromes, respectively. While individuals with trisomy 18 or 13 die soon after birth, people with Down syndrome live to adulthood but have intellectual disabilities and are prone to multiple diseases. At the cellular level, mistakes in the segregation of a single chromosome leading to a cell losing a chromosome are lethal. In contrast, the cell that gains a chromosome can survive. Several studies support the hypothesis that gaining an extra copy of a chromosome causes gene-specific phenotypes and phenotypes independent of the identity of the genes encoded within that chromosome. The latter, referred to as aneuploidy-associated phenotypes, are the focus of this review. Among the conserved aneuploidy-associated phenotypes observed in yeast and human cells are lower viability, increased gene expression, increased protein synthesis and turnover, abnormal nuclear morphology, and altered metabolism. Notably, abnormal nuclear morphology of aneuploid cells is associated with increased metabolic demand for de novo synthesis of sphingolipids. These findings reveal important insights into the possible pathological role of aneuploidy in Down syndrome. Despite the adverse effects on cell physiology, aneuploidy is a hallmark of cancer cells. Understanding how aneuploidy affects cell physiology can reveal insights into the selective pressure that aneuploid cancer cells must overcome to support unlimited proliferation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Sphingolipids play important signaling and structural roles in cells. Here, we find that during de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis, a toxic metabolite is formed with critical implications for cancer cell survival. The enzyme catalyzing the first step in this pathway, serine palmitoyltransferase complex (SPT), is upregulated in breast and other cancers. SPT is dispensable for cancer cell proliferation, as sphingolipids can be salvaged from the environment. However, SPT activity introduces a liability as its product, 3-ketodihydrosphingosine (3KDS), is toxic and requires clearance via the downstream enzyme 3-ketodihydrosphingosine reductase (KDSR). In cancer cells, but not normal cells, targeting KDSR induces toxic 3KDS accumulation leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction and loss of proteostasis. Furthermore, the antitumor effect of KDSR disruption can be enhanced by increasing metabolic input (via high-fat diet) to allow greater 3KDS production. Thus, de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis entails a detoxification requirement in cancer cells that can be therapeutically exploited., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests M.E.S., N.L., and D.K. are authors on a patent application on targeting KDSR in cancer therapy, which is filed by University of Massachusetts Medical School., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Obesity is an excessive accumulation of fat that exacerbates the metabolic and inflammatory processes. Studies associate these processes with conditions and dysregulation in the intestinal tract, increased concentrations of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in the blood, differences in the abundance of intestinal microbiota, and the production of secondary metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids. β-Caryophyllene (BCP) is a natural sesquiterpene with anti-inflammatory properties and with the potential purpose of fighting metabolic diseases. A diet-induced obesity model was performed in 16-week-old C57BL/6 mice administered with BCP [50 mg/kg]. A reduction in the expression of Claudin-1 was observed in the group with a high-fat diet (HFD), which was caused by the administration of BCP; besides BCP, the phyla Akkermansia and Bacteroidetes decreased between the groups with a standard diet (STD) vs. HFD. Nevertheless, the use of BCP in the STD increased the expression of these phyla with respect to fatty acids; a similar effect was observed, in the HFD group that had a decreasing concentration that was restored with the use of BCP. The levels of endotoxemia and serum leptin increased in the HFD group, while in the HFD + BCP group, similar values were found to those of the STD group, attributing the ability to reduce these in conditions of obesity.

Introduction: A child's critical illness is a stressful event for the entire family, causing significant emotional distress among parents and changes to family functioning. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has abruptly caused modifications in visitation policies of Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) in many countries. We hypothesized that caregivers with no or severely restricted access to PICUs would demonstrate increased psychological distress as compared to those who had limitless access (LA) to PICUs., Methods: Sociodemographic variables, levels of psychological distress, ratings of family functioning, and ability to cope with stressful events were collected with an online survey in a group of caregivers after their child's hospitalization. Ratings of psychological distress were compared between caregivers with no/severely restricted (NA) and with LA to PICUs., Results: Measures of depression, anxiety, and global severity index (GSI) of psychological distress were significantly higher in NA caregivers as compared to LA. Among demographic characteristics of the sample, only gender influenced the severity of psychological symptoms: women showed an increased score on levels of somatization, depression, anxiety, and GSI. Avoidant coping style positively correlated with measures of depression. Univariate General Linear Model (GLM) analyses of the effects of sex, age, visitation policies of PICUs, and score of avoidant coping strategies on measures of psychological distress confirmed a significant univariate effect of no access to PICUs on parents' psychopathological scores., Conclusion: Restrictions imposed on visitation policies in PICU during the pandemic negatively impacted families' psychological wellbeing. A balance between the safety of patients, families, and health care professionals and meeting the needs of families is of utmost importance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Camporesi, Abecasis, Torres, Zoia, Izzo, Ferrario and Melloni.)

Multiteam systems (MTSs) are complex organizational forms comprising interdependent teams that work towards their own proximal goals within and across teams to also accomplish a shared superordinate goal. MTSs operate within high-stakes, dangerous contexts with high consequences for suboptimal performance. We answer calls for nuanced exploration and cross-context comparison of MTSs "in the wild" by leveraging the MTS action sub-phase behavioral taxonomy to determine where and how MTS failures occur. To our knowledge, this is the first study to also examine how key MTS attributes (boundary status, goal type) influence MTS processes and performance. We conducted historiometric analysis on 40 cases of failed MTS performance across various contexts (e.g., emergency response, commercial transportation, military, and business) to uncover patterns of within- and between-team behaviors of failing MTSs, resulting in four themes. First, component teams of failing MTSs over-engaged in within-team alignment behaviors (vs. between-team behaviors) by enacting acting, monitoring, and recalibrating behaviors more often within than between teams. Second, failing MTSs over-focused on acting behaviors (vs. monitoring or recalibrating) and tended to not fully enact the action sub-phase cycle. Third and fourth, boundary status and goal type exacerbated these behavioral patterns, as external and physical MTSs were less likely to enact sufficient between-team behaviors or fully enact the action sub-phase cycle compared to internal and intellectual MTSs. We propose entrainment as a mechanism for facilitating MTS performance wherein specific, cyclical behavioral patterns enacted by teams align to facilitate goal achievement via three multilevel behavioral cycles (i.e., acting-focused, alignment-focused, and adjustment-focused). We argue that the degree to which these cycles are aligned both between teams and with the overarching MTS goal determines whether and how an MTS fails. Our findings add nuance beyond single-context MTS studies by showing that the identified behavioral patterns hold both across contexts and almost all types of MTS action-phase behaviors. We show that these patterns vary by MTS boundary status and goal type. Our findings inform MTS training best practices, which should be structured to integrate all component teams and tailored to both MTS attributes (i.e., boundary status, goal type) and situation type (e.g., contingency planning)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Campbell, Torres, Zaccaro, Zhou, Hedrick, Wallace, Luning and Zakzewski.)

"Curing" and "healing" are terms frequently used in health care, yet what is actually meant by each? This article asserts that curing pertains exclusively to the corporal while healing is multidimensional-embracing the whole person. Drawing insights from the gospel healing story of the Haemorrhoissa, better known as the bleeding woman or the woman with the issue of blood(Mt 9:20-22; Mk 5:24-34; Lk 8:42-48), this article demonstrates that imitating Christ and partaking in His ministerial mission of healing the sick, demands assisting in the healing process as it expresses authentic Christian love through the patient care provided., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Simulation-based training (SBT) is often evaluated based on the transfer of specific knowledge and skills. In contrast, the degree to which reflective practice is inculcated by SBT is rarely considered. Because reflection is a pillar of adult learning theories, we sought to examine the degree to which participation in SBT was associated with increased reflective practice., Method: Eighty one healthcare professionals completed a survey which included the number of SBTs they participated in during the past two years, content- and administrative-related features of those SBTs, and a key aspect of reflective practice (i.e., self-appraisal)., Results: The number of SBTs healthcare professionals participated in during the past two years was positively associated with reflective self-appraisal. This relationship was not moderated by the inclusion of reflection components in SBTs nor by the voluntary/mandatory nature of participation in SBTs. Furthermore, the facilitator was ranked as the most important feature of the overall learning experience in SBTs. Also, no significant differences were found between the number of technical skills-based and non-technical skills-based SBTs., Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the importance (of evaluating) SBTs for facilitating reflective learning mindsets that healthcare practitioners can apply beyond the specific skills trained by SBTs.

Background: One critical factor in effective implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in nursing is an organizational context that facilitates and supports implementation efforts. Measuring implementation climate can add useful insights on the extent to which the organizational context supports EBP implementation., Aims: This study cross-validates and examines the psychometric properties of the Implementation Climate Scale (ICS), which measures nurses' perceptions of their unit's climate for EBP implementation., Methods: This study analyzed ICS data from two cross-sectional studies, including 203 nurses from California and 301 nurses from Florida. Analyses included evaluation of internal consistency, multilevel aggregation statistics, and confirmatory factor analyses., Results: The 18-item ICS demonstrated comparable psychometric properties to the original measure development paper in both samples. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the scale's factor structure in both samples., Linking Evidence to Practice: The ICS is a pragmatic measure that can be used to assess unit implementation climate in nursing contexts. Results from the ICS from nurses and nurse leaders can provide insights into implementation-specific barriers and facilitators within the organizational context., (© 2021 Sigma Theta Tau International.)

An extra copy of chromosome 21 causes Down syndrome, the most common genetic disease in humans. The mechanisms contributing to aneuploidy-related pathologies in this syndrome, independent of the identity of the triplicated genes, are not well defined. To characterize aneuploidy-driven phenotypes in trisomy 21 cells, we performed global transcriptome, proteome, and phenotypic analyses of primary human fibroblasts from individuals with Patau (trisomy 13), Edwards (trisomy 18), or Down syndromes. On average, mRNA and protein levels were increased by 1.5-fold in all trisomies, with a subset of proteins enriched for subunits of macromolecular complexes showing signs of posttranscriptional regulation. These results support the lack of evidence for widespread dosage compensation or dysregulation of chromosomal domains in human autosomes. Furthermore, we show that several aneuploidy-associated phenotypes are present in trisomy 21 cells, including lower viability and increased dependency on serine-driven lipid synthesis. Our studies establish a critical role of aneuploidy, independent of triplicated gene identity, in driving cellular defects associated with trisomy 21., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.)

Purpose: Clinician turnover in mental health settings impacts service quality, including availability and delivery of evidence-based practices. Leadership is associated with organizational climate, team functioning and clinician turnover intentions (TI). This study examines leader-member exchange (LMX), reflecting the relationship between a supervisor and each supervisee, using mean team LMX, dispersion of individual clinician ratings compared to team members (i.e. relative LMX) and team level variability (i.e. LMX differentiation), in relation to organizational climate and clinician TI., Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from 363 clinicians, nested in children's mental health agency workgroups, providing county-contracted outpatient services to youth and families. A moderated mediation path analysis examined cross-level associations of leader-member exchange with organizational climate and turnover intentions., Findings: Lower relative LMX and greater LMX differentiation were associated with higher clinician TI. Higher team-level demoralizing climate also predicted higher TI. These findings indicate that poorer LMX and more variability in LMX at the team level are related to clinician TI., Originality/value: This study describes both team- and clinician-level factors on clinician TI. Few studies have examined LMX in mental health, and fewer still have examined relative LMX and LMX differentiation associations with organizational climate and TI. These findings highlight the importance of leader-follower relationships and organizational climate and their associations with clinician TIs. Mental health service systems and organizations can address these issues through fostering more positive supervisor-supervisee relationships., (© Emerald Publishing Limited.)

The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of two software systems used to measure the pharyngeal airway space three-dimensionally. A sample of 40 cone beam computed tomography images from adult patients was taken from a database. The cone beam computed tomography images were analysed by InVivoDental and Dolphin 3D software systems by two calibrated examiners. Three nasopharynx and oropharynx prototypes were used as a reference standard to validate the software systems. The volume, minimum area and minimum area localization were the measurements tested. Measurements were compared using a paired t-test; correlated using Pearson's correlation and linear regression. Bland-Altman analysis was also used. We found significant differences in the oropharynx volume (P=0.002) and nasopharynx minimum area localization (P=0.009). The Dolphin 3D software presented higher-volume values than the ones found in the prototype, while the InVivoDental software presented lower values. Strong (r>0.7; P>0.001) or very strong (r>0.9; P>0.001) correlations were observed between the software systems. Bland-Altman analysis found good agreement between prototypes and the software systems. The measurements obtained from the Dolphin 3D and InVivoDental software systems are both reliable, strongly correlated, but should not be assumed as equal. Dolphin 3D software overestimates the nasopharynx and oropharynx volumes, while the InVivoDental software underestimates them., (Copyright © 2019 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The organizational context in which substance use disorder treatment (SUDT) evidence-based practices (EBPs) are implemented plays a critical role in successful implementation. Employee behaviors that go above and beyond typical job requirements to support EBP implementation have been suggested to facilitate the likelihood of overall implementation success. The current study explored the psychometric properties of the Implementation Citizenship Behavior Scale (ICBS) within SUDT settings. Utilizing a sample of 322 direct service providers and 60 of their respective supervisors from three SUDT agencies, results from a confirmatory factor analysis and construct validity analysis support the use of the ICBS in the SUDT context. Validation of the ICBS provides a useful, pragmatic tool for both researchers and practitioners to assess employee citizenship behavior to support EBP implementation. The ICBS can provide critical insights into how providers respond to organizational context that may facilitate EBP implementation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Frontline nurse managers influence the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP); however, there is a need for valid and reliable instruments to measure their leadership behaviors for EBP implementation in acute care settings., Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) in acute care settings using two unique nurse samples., Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of ILS data obtained through two distinct multisite cross-sectional studies. Sample 1 included 200 registered nurses from one large Californian health system. Sample 2 was 284 registered nurses from seven Midwest and Northeast U.S. hospitals. Two separate studies by different research teams collected responses using written and electronic questionnaires. We analyzed each sample independently. Descriptive statistics described individual item, total, and subscale scores. We analyzed validity using confirmatory factor analysis and within-unit agreement (awg). We evaluated factorial invariance using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses and evaluating change in chi-square and comparative fit index values. We evaluated reliability using Cronbach's alpha., Results: Confirmatory factor analyses in both samples provided strong support for first- and second-order factor structure of the ILS. The factor structure did not differ between the two samples. Across both samples, internal consistency reliability was strong (Cronbach's alpha: 0.91-0.98), as was within-unit agreement (awg: 0.70-0.80)., Linking Evidence to Action: Frontline manager implementation leadership is a critical contextual factor influencing EBP implementation. This study provides strong evidence supporting the validity and reliability of the ILS to measure implementation leadership behaviors of nursing frontline managers in acute care. The ILS can help clinicians, researchers, and leaders in nursing contexts assess frontline manager implementation leadership, deliver interventions to target areas needing improvement, and improve implementation of EBP., (© 2019 Sigma Theta Tau International.)

The main purpose of this research was to examine the construct validity of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) in order to determine whether it is able to adequately discriminate between symptoms of depression and anxiety in the Hispanic population in Puerto Rico. This study has an instrumental design. A total of 1073 Hispanics participated in this psychometric study. The results showed that the DASS-21 has serious psychometric deficiencies, especially related to the construct validity, as well as convergent and discriminatory validity. In addition, it was shown that DASS-21 do not replicate the three-dimensional structure of the original instrument in the Hispanic community. Finally, it was confirmed that the DASS-21 have difficulty in properly identifying and discriminating between symptoms associated with depression and anxiety in a Hispanic population.

The purpose of this online study was to develop an explicative model regarding the origin of infidelity-related behaviors on social networks for Hispanic women. We propose that sexual satisfaction and emotional intimacy have a direct impact on the satisfaction of couple relationships, and an indirect impact in the development of infidelity-related behaviors on social networks. To investigate this proposal, we used a non-probabilistic sample of 341 Hispanic women living in Puerto Rico. Statistical analyses confirmed that satisfaction and ambivalence in couple relationship completely mediate the association between sexual satisfaction and infidelity-related behaviors on social networks, as well as the relationship between emotional intimacy and infidelity-related behaviors on social networks. Overall, women who practice infidelity-related behaviors on social networks showed less sexual satisfaction, less emotional intimacy, less relationship satisfaction, and greater ambivalence. Our results provide theoretical and empirical evidence on how infidelity-related behaviors on social networks develop in couple relationships, and these results could help to inform possible forms of prevention and intervention.

An abnormal number of chromosomes, or aneuploidy, accounts for most spontaneous abortions, causes developmental defects, and is associated with aging and cancer. The molecular mechanisms by which aneuploidy disrupts cellular function remain largely unknown. Here, we show that aneuploidy disrupts the morphology of the nucleus. Mutations that increase the levels of long-chain bases suppress nuclear abnormalities of aneuploid yeast independent of karyotype identity. Quantitative lipidomics indicates that long-chain bases are integral components of the nuclear membrane in yeast. Cells isolated from patients with Down syndrome also show that abnormal nuclear morphologies and increases in long-chain bases not only suppress these abnormalities but also improve their fitness. We obtained similar results with cells isolated from patients with Patau or Edward syndrome, indicating that increases in long-chain bases improve the fitness of aneuploid cells in yeast and humans. Targeting lipid biosynthesis pathways represents an important strategy to suppress nuclear abnormalities in aneuploidy-associated diseases., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: One critical factor in the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) in substance use disorder treatment organizations is an inner organizational context that clearly supports implementation efforts. The Implementation Climate Scale (ICS) has been developed to allow researchers and organizations to assess climate for EBP implementation in health and allied health service organizations. The ICS consists of 18 items and measures six dimensions of implementation climate: focus on EBP, educational support for EBP, recognition for EBP, rewards for EBP, selection for EBP, and selection for openness. The ICS was initially developed in a mental health context; thus, the goal of this study was to provide initial validation of the ICS in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings., Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the psychometric functioning of the ICS using survey data from 326 providers in 65 teams in SUD treatment programs. Cronbach's alpha was examined to assess internal consistency of the ICS, and individual and team level construct-based validity was examined by comparing its correlations with service climate, molar climate, and organizational change., Results: We found evidence for the reliability, factor structure, and validity of the ICS in SUD services. The psychometric functioning of the ICS in SUD treatment settings was comparable to that found in mental health contexts., Conclusions: The ICS is a brief and pragmatic tool for researchers to better understand a critical antecedent for implementation effectiveness in SUD treatment and for organizational leaders in SUD treatment organizations to evaluate the extent to which providers perceive that their organization supports EBP implementation.

An overview about the presence of arsenic (As) in groundwaters of Argentina, made by a transdisciplinary group of experts is presented. Aspects on As occurrence, effects of As on human health, regulations regarding the maximum allowable amount of As in drinking water as well as bottled water, and analytical techniques for As determination are presented. The most affected region in Argentina is the Chaco-Pampean plain, covering around 10 million km 2 , where approximately 88% of 86 groundwater samples collected in 2007 exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value. In the Salí river basin, As concentrations ranged from 11.4 to 1660 μg/L, with 100% of the samples above the WHO guideline value. In the Argentine Altiplano (Puna) and Subandean valleys, 61% of 62 samples collected from surface and groundwaters exceeded the WHO limit. Thus, it can be estimated that, at present, the population at risk in Argentina reaches around four million people. Pathologies derived from the chronic consumption of As, the metabolism of As in the human body and the effects of the different As chemical forms, gathered under the name HACRE (hidroarsenicismo crónico regional endémico in Spanish, for chronic regional endemic hydroarsenicism) are described. Regarding the regulations, the 10 μg/L limit recommended by the WHO and the United States Environmental Protection Agency has been incorporated in the Argentine Food Code, but the application is still on hold. In addition, there is disparity regarding the maximal admitted values in several provinces. Considerations about the As concentrations in bottled water are also presented. A survey indicates that there are several Argentine laboratories with the suitable equipment for As determination at 10 μg/L, although 66% of them are concentrated in Buenos Aires City, and in the Santa Fe, Córdoba and Buenos Aires provinces. Conclusions and recommendations of this first part are provided., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Negative posttraumatic cognitions lead to the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. There is a need for a brief measure to assess these cognitions. Participants were administered the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) and measures of mental health symptomatology. These data were used to develop a brief version of the PTCI (PTCI-9) in 223 male and female veterans, which was then examined in a sample of 117 female civilians. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated an acceptable fit in both samples. The PTCI-9 total and subscale scores showed strong internal consistencies (Cronbach's αs = .80-.87) and strong correlations with the PTCI in veterans ( rs = .90-.96) and civilians ( rs = .91-.96). Measurement invariance testing demonstrated partial invariance between the two samples. The PTCI-9 significantly correlated with measures of PTSD, depression, and quality of life. These findings demonstrate that the PTCI-9 is a reliable and valid measure of posttraumatic cognitions that can reduce patient and provider burden.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the decision of surgical management for bone lesions of the maxillofacial region. It is a retrospective cross-sectional observational study that includes a sample of panoramic radiography (PR) and CBCT from patients with some type of bone lesion in the maxillofacial region. PR and CBCT images were evaluated by three previously assessed examiners, specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Each image was evaluated randomly, and a surgical procedure was suggested, initially in PR and then in CBCT. The obtained results were submitted to the McNemar test to evaluate the frequencies of changes in the surgical management between the first and the second evaluation in PR and CBCT, and intra-examiner and inter-examiner agreements were analyzed by the Cohen's kappa test. The level of significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05). Intra-examiner agreement increases when CBCT is used. Inter-examiner agreement was low, independently of the evaluated exam, which shows that the choice of treatment plan is examiner-dependent and not exam-dependent. CBCT increases the certainty of the professional in the evaluation of the bone lesions of the maxillofacial region; however, it does not change the indication of the treatment type., (Copyright © 2018 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In Cuba, health research is based on the priorities of national scientific policy, derived from the health status of the population. The objective of this article is to describe the characteristics of the System of Science and Technological Innovation and how the results of its research benefit the health of the population groups. To this end, research related to the generation of products and technologies, diabetes, dengue and disability was selected. This system follows a methodology outlined by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and has 37 research entities. It is organized into programs and projects that favor basic and applied research, with a multidisciplinary and intersectoral approach; these programs and projects are funded mostly by the State and are organized in self-contained cycles, i.e., the same entity is responsible for the entire process, from research to marketing, including market studies and post-marketing surveillance. The selected research shows an alignment between the research, the generalization of the results and its effect in improving health and universal access to health in the population. Positive results were obtained in diagnostic methods, preventive and therapeutic vaccines, warning signs for the prognosis and treatment of dengue, prevention of congenital malformations, and policies and programs that have benefited people with disabilities and their families. The will of the State to develop and fund scientific research, intersectoral action, the definition of research priorities, and the systematic training and attention to human resources have been key factors for the fulfillment of the objectives of the system., Competing Interests: Conflicto de intereses. Ninguno. El Dr. V. Gustavo Sierra González trabaja para BioCubaFarma.

Background: Despite our progress in understanding the organizational context for implementation and specifically the role of leadership in implementation, its role in sustainment has received little attention. This paper took a mixed-method approach to examine leadership during the sustainment phase of the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework. Utilizing the Implementation Leadership Scale as a foundation, we sought to develop a short, practical measure of sustainment leadership that can be used for both applied and research purposes., Methods: Data for this study were collected as a part of a larger mixed-method study of evidence-based intervention, SafeCare®, sustainment. Quantitative data were collected from 157 providers using web-based surveys. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of the Sustainment Leadership Scale (SLS). Qualitative data were collected from 95 providers who participated in one of 15 focus groups. A framework approach guided qualitative data analysis. Mixed-method integration was also utilized to examine convergence of quantitative and qualitative findings., Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the a priori higher order factor structure of the SLS with subscales indicating a single higher order sustainment leadership factor. The SLS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Qualitative analyses offered support for the dimensions of sustainment leadership captured by the quantitative measure, in addition to uncovering a fifth possible factor, available leadership., Conclusions: This study found qualitative and quantitative support for the pragmatic SLS measure. The SLS can be used for assessing leadership of first-level leaders to understand how staff perceive leadership during sustainment and to suggest areas where leaders could direct more attention in order to increase the likelihood that EBIs are institutionalized into the normal functioning of the organization.

Although often discussed, there is a lack of empirical research on the role of leadership in the management and delivery of health services. The implementation leadership scale (ILS) assesses the degree to which leaders are knowledgeable, proactive, perseverant, and supportive during evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the ILS for leaders' self-ratings using a sample of mental health clinic supervisors (N = 119). Supervisors (i.e., leaders) completed surveys including self-ratings of their implementation leadership. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, and validity of the ILS were evaluated. The ILS factor structure was supported in the sample of supervisors. Results demonstrated internal consistency reliability and validity. Cronbach alpha's ranged from 0.92 to 0.96 for the ILS subscales and 0.95 for the ILS overall scale. The factor structure replication and reliability of the ILS in a sample of supervisors demonstrates its applicability with employees across organizational levels.

Introduction: Obesity is an epidemic nowadays and this fact conditions results in orthopaedic surgery. Very few studies evaluates if obesity is a risk factor for reverse shoulder arthroplasty. The aim of this study is to confirm if there are differences with regard to the outcomes in patients undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty according to their body mass index (BMI)., Materials and Methods: A total of 35 patients were enrolled in the study. Then divided into subpopulations according to their BMI and analyzed twice. First analysis set a division 30 of BMI and second set it in 35. ASES score, major complications, length of the hospital stay, radiolucent lines in components as well as scapular notching were assessed., Results: No major complications were described in our patients. No differences were found related to hospital stay, radiolucent lines or scapular notching. However, in the second analysis (BMI < 35 and ≥ 35) statistical differences were found regarding ASES score. Poorer functional outcomes were described in the type-II obese and morbidly obese population., Conclusion: Functional outcomes of reverse shoulder arthroplasty are worse in patients with a BMI over 35.

Aneuploidy disrupts cellular homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological responses and adaptation to aneuploidy are not well understood. Deciphering these mechanisms is important because aneuploidy is associated with diseases, including intellectual disability and cancer. Although tumors and mammalian aneuploid cells, including several cancer cell lines, show altered levels of sphingolipids, the role of sphingolipids in aneuploidy remains unknown. Here, we show that ceramides and long-chain bases, sphingolipid molecules that slow proliferation and promote survival, are increased by aneuploidy. Sphingolipid levels are tightly linked to serine synthesis, and inhibiting either serine or sphingolipid synthesis can specifically impair the fitness of aneuploid cells. Remarkably, the fitness of aneuploid cells improves or deteriorates upon genetically decreasing or increasing ceramides, respectively. Combined targeting of serine and sphingolipid synthesis could be exploited to specifically target cancer cells, the vast majority of which are aneuploid., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background. The present study aimed to screen the knowledge and attitudes of dentists toward the use of informed consent forms prior to procedures involving operative dentistry. Methods. A research tool containing questions (questionnaire) regarding the use of informed consent forms was developed. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions structured to screen the current practice in operative dentistry towards the use of informed consent forms. Results. The questionnaires were distributed among 731 dentists, of which 179 returned them with answers. Sixty-seven dentists reported not using informed consent forms. The main reasons for not using informed consent forms were: having a complete dental record signed by the patient (67.2%) and having a good relation with patients (43.6%). The dentists who reported using informed consent forms revealed that they obtained them from other dentists and made their own modifications (35.9%). Few dentists revealed contacting lawyers (1.7%) and experts in legal dentistry (0.9%) for the development of their informed consent forms. Conclusion. A high number of dentists working in the field of operative dentistry behave according to the ethical standards in the clinical practice, becoming unprotected against ethical and legal actions.

Obesity is an established risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Despite recent identification of metabolic alterations in this lethal malignancy, the metabolic dependencies of obesity-associated PDA remain unknown. Here we show that obesity-driven PDA exhibits accelerated growth and a striking transcriptional enrichment for pathways regulating nitrogen metabolism. We find that the mitochondrial form of arginase (ARG2), which hydrolyzes arginine into ornithine and urea, is induced upon obesity, and silencing or loss of ARG2 markedly suppresses PDA. In vivo infusion of 15 N-glutamine in obese mouse models of PDA demonstrates enhanced nitrogen flux into the urea cycle and infusion of 15 N-arginine shows that Arg2 loss causes significant ammonia accumulation that results from the shunting of arginine catabolism into alternative nitrogen repositories. Furthermore, analysis of PDA patient tumors indicates that ARG2 levels correlate with body mass index (BMI). The specific dependency of PDA on ARG2 rather than the principal hepatic enzyme ARG1 opens a therapeutic window for obesity-associated pancreatic cancer.Obesity is an established risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Here the authors show that obesity induces the expression of the mitochondrial form of arginase ARG2 in PDA and that ARG2 silencing or loss results in ammonia accumulation and suppression of obesity-driven PDA tumor growth.

As underdeveloped nations continue to industrialize and world population continues to increase, the need for energy, natural resources, and goods will lead to ever increasing inorganic contaminants, such as heavy metals, in various waste streams that can have damaging effects on plant life, wildlife, and human health. This work is focused on the evaluation of the potential of Nannochloropsis salina to be integrated with contaminated water sources for the concurrent production of a biofuel feedstock while providing an environmental service through bioremediation. Individual contaminants (As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Ni, Hg, Se, and Zn) at various concentrations ranging from a low concentration (1X) to higher concentrations (10X, and 40X) found in contaminated systems (mine tailings, wastewater treatment plants, produced water) were introduced into growth media. Biological growth experimentation was performed in triplicate at the various contaminant concentrations and at 3 different light intensities. Results show that baseline concentrations of each contaminant slightly decreased biomass growth to between 89% and 99% of the control with the exception of Ni which dramatically reduced growth. Increased contaminant concentrations resulted in progressively lower growth rates for all contaminants tested. Lipid analysis shows most baseline contaminant concentrations slightly decrease or have minimal effects on lipid content at all light levels. Trace contaminant analysis on the biomass showed Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, and Zn were sorbed by the microalgae with minimal contaminants remaining in the growth media illustrating the effectiveness of microalgae to bioremediate these contaminants when levels are sufficiently low to not detrimentally impact productivity. The microalgae biomass was less efficient at sorption of As, Cr, Ni, and Se., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Foetal midbrain progenitors have been shown to survive, give rise to different classes of dopamine neurons and integrate into the host brain alleviating Parkinsonian symptoms following transplantation in patients and animal models of the disease. Dopamine neuron subpopulations in the midbrain, namely A9 and A10, can be identified anatomically based on cell morphology and ascending axonal projections. G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channel Girk2 and the calcium binding protein Calbindin are the two best available histochemical markers currently used to label (with some overlap) A9- and A10-like dopamine neuron subtypes, respectively, in tyrosine hydroxylase expressing neurons both in the midbrain and grafts. Both classes of dopamine neurons survive in grafts in the striatum and extend axonal projections to their normal dorsal and ventral striatal targets depending on phenotype. Nevertheless, grafts transplanted into the dorsal striatum, which is an A9 input nucleus, are enriched for dopamine neurons that express Girk2. It remains to be elucidated whether different transplantation sites favour the differential survival and/or development of concordant dopamine neuron subtypes within the grafts. Here we used rat foetal midbrain progenitors at two developmental stages corresponding to a peak in either A9 or A10 neurogenesis and examined their commitment to respective dopaminergic phenotypes by grafting cells into different forebrain regions that contain targets of either nigral A9 dopamine innervation (dorsal striatum), ventral tegmental area A10 dopamine innervation (nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex), or only sparse dopamine but rich noradrenaline innervation (hippocampus). We demonstrate that young (embryonic day, E12), but not older (E14), mesencephalic tissue and the transplant environment influence survival and functional integration of specific subtypes of dopamine neurons into the host brain. We also show that irrespective of donor age A9-like, Girk2-expressing neurons are more responsive to environmental cues in adopting a dopaminergic phenotype during differentiation post-grafting. These novel findings suggest that dopamine progenitors use targets of A9/A10 innervation in the transplantation site to complete maturation and the efficacy of foetal cell replacement therapy in patients may be improved by deriving midbrain tissue at earlier developmental stages than in current practice., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Short and valid instruments for measuring factors facilitating or hindering implementation efforts are called for. This article describes (1) the adaptation of a shorter version of the Evidence-based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS-50 items), and (2) the psychometric properties of the shortened version in both US and Norwegian data., Methods: The US participants were mental health service providers (N = 418) recruited from clinics providing mental health services in San Diego County, California. The Norwegian participants were psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and psychology students (N = 838) recruited from the Norwegian Psychological Association and the Norwegian Nurses Organization. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach was used., Results: The reduction resulted in 36 items named EBPAS-36, and the original 12 factor model was maintained. The EBPAS-36 had acceptable model fit, as indicated by a low degree of misspecification errors in both the US (RMSEA = .045 (CI 90% .040-.049); SRMR = .05) and the Norwegian data (RMSEA = .052 (CI 90% .047-.056, SRMR = .07). Incremental model fit was fair in the US (CFI = .93, TLI = .91) and in the Norwegian samples (CFI = .91, TLI = .89). The internal consistency (Cronbach's α) in the US and the Norwegian samples were good for the total EBPAS-36 score (.79 and .86, respectively) and were ranged from adequate to excellent for the subscales (US .60-.91 and Norway .61-.92)., Conclusions: The EBPAS-36 has adequate psychometric properties both in US and Norwegian samples, hence indicating cross-cultural validity. It is a brief, pragmatic, and more user-friendly instrument than the EBPAS-50, yet maintains a broad scope by retaining the original 12 measurement domains.

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation represents a strategic change in organizations that requires effective leadership and alignment of leadership and organizational support across organizational levels. As such, there is a need for combining leadership development with organizational strategies to support organizational climate conducive to EBP implementation. The leadership and organizational change for implementation (LOCI) intervention includes leadership training for workgroup leaders, ongoing implementation leadership coaching, 360° assessment, and strategic planning with top and middle management regarding how they can support workgroup leaders in developing a positive EBP implementation climate., Methods: This test of the LOCI intervention will take place in conjunction with the implementation of motivational interviewing (MI) in 60 substance use disorder treatment programs in California, USA. Participants will include agency executives, 60 program leaders, and approximately 360 treatment staff. LOCI will be tested using a multiple cohort, cluster randomized trial that randomizes workgroups (i.e., programs) within agency to either LOCI or a webinar leadership training control condition in three consecutive cohorts. The LOCI intervention is 12 months, and the webinar control intervention takes place in months 1, 5, and 8, for each cohort. Web-based surveys of staff and supervisors will be used to collect data on leadership, implementation climate, provider attitudes, and citizenship. Audio recordings of counseling sessions will be coded for MI fidelity. The unit of analysis will be the workgroup, randomized by site within agency and with care taken that co-located workgroups are assigned to the same condition to avoid contamination. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) will be used to analyze the data to account for the nested data structure., Discussion: LOCI has been developed to be a feasible and effective approach for organizations to create a positive climate and fertile context for EBP implementation. The approach seeks to cultivate and sustain both effective general and implementation leadership as well as organizational strategies and support that will remain after the study has ended. Development of a positive implementation climate for MI should result in more positive service provider attitudes and behaviors related to the use of MI and, ultimately, higher fidelity in the use of MI., Trial Registration: This study is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT03042832 ), 2 February 2017, retrospectively registered.

Objectives: Discrepancies, or perceptual distance, between leaders' self-ratings and followers' ratings of the leader are common but usually go unrecognized. Research on discrepancies is limited, but there is evidence that discrepancies are associated with organizational context. This study examined the association of leader-follower discrepancies in Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) ratings of mental health clinic leaders and the association of those discrepancies with organizational climate for involvement and performance feedback. Both involvement and performance feedback are important for evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation in mental health., Methods: A total of 593 individuals-supervisors (leaders, N=80) and clinical service providers (followers, N=513)-completed surveys that included ratings of implementation leadership and organizational climate. Polynomial regression and response surface analyses were conducted to examine the associations of discrepancies in leader-follower ILS ratings with organizational involvement climate and performance feedback climate, aspects of climate likely to support EBP implementation., Results: Both involvement climate and performance feedback climate were highest where leaders rated themselves low on the ILS and their followers rated those leaders high on the ILS ("humble leaders")., Conclusions: Teams with "humble leaders" showed more positive organizational climate for involvement and for performance feedback, contextual factors important during EBP implementation and sustainment. Discrepancy in leader and follower ratings of implementation leadership should be a consideration in understanding and improving leadership and organizational climate for mental health services and for EBP implementation and sustainment in mental health and other allied health settings.

If evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are not sustained, investments are wasted and public health impact is limited. Leadership has been suggested as a key determinant of implementation and sustainment; however, little empirical work has examined this factor. This mixed-methods study framed using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) conceptual framework examines leadership in both the outer service system context and inner organizational context in eleven system-wide implementations of the same EBI across two U.S. states and 87 counties. Quantitative data at the outer context (i.e., system) and inner context (i.e., team) levels demonstrated that leadership predicted future sustainment and differentiated between sites with full, partial, or no sustainment. In the outer context positive sustainment leadership was characterized as establishing a project's mission and vision, early and continued planning for sustainment, realistic project plans, and having alternative strategies for project survival. Inner context frontline transformational leadership predicted sustainment while passive-avoidant leadership predicted non-sustainment. Qualitative results found that sustainment was associated with outer context leadership characterized by engagement in ongoing supportive EBI championing, marketing to stakeholders; persevering in these activities; taking action to institutionalize the EBI with funding, contracting, and system improvement plans; and fostering ongoing collaboration between stakeholders at state and county, and community stakeholder levels. For frontline leadership the most important activities included championing the EBI and providing practical support for service providers. There was both convergence and expansion that identified unique contributions of the quantitative and qualitative methods. Greater attention to leadership in both the outer system and inner organizational contexts is warranted to enhance EBI implementation and sustainment.

Mammalian X-linked gene expression is highly regulated as female cells contain two and male one X chromosome (X). To adjust the X gene dosage between genders, female mouse preimplantation embryos undergo an imprinted form of X chromosome inactivation (iXCI) that requires both Rlim (also known as Rnf12) and the long non-coding RNA Xist . Moreover, it is thought that gene expression from the single active X is upregulated to correct for bi-allelic autosomal (A) gene expression. We have combined mouse genetics with RNA-seq on single mouse embryos to investigate functions of Rlim on the temporal regulation of iXCI and Xist . Our results reveal crucial roles of Rlim for the maintenance of high Xist RNA levels, Xist clouds and X-silencing in female embryos at blastocyst stages, while initial Xist expression appears Rlim -independent. We find further that X/A upregulation is initiated in early male and female preimplantation embryos., Competing Interests: AR: Senior editor, eLife. The other authors declare that no competing interests exist.

There have been recent calls for pragmatic measures to assess factors that influence evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation processes and outcomes. The Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) is a brief and efficient measure that can be used for research or organizational development purposes to assess leader behaviors and actions that actively support effective EBP implementation. The ILS was developed and validated in mental health settings. This study validates the ILS factor structure with providers in alcohol and other drug (AOD) use treatment agencies. Participants were 323 service providers working in 72 workgroups from three AOD use treatment agencies. Confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analyses were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the ILS. Convergent and discriminant validity were also assessed. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated good fit to the hypothesized first and second order factor structure. Internal consistency reliability was excellent. Convergent and discriminant validity was supported. The ILS psychometric characteristics, reliability, and validity were supported in AOD use treatment agencies. The ILS is a brief and pragmatic measure that can be used for research and practice to assess leadership for EBP implementation in AOD use treatment agencies., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) is a brief, pragmatic, and efficient measure that can be used for research or organizational development to assess leader behaviors and actions that actively support effective implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). The ILS was originally validated with mental health clinicians. This study validates the ILS factor structure with providers in community-based organizations (CBOs) providing child welfare services. Participants were 214 service providers working in 12 CBOs that provide child welfare services. All participants completed the ILS, reporting on their immediate supervisor. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the factor structure of the ILS. Internal consistency reliability and measurement invariance were also examined. Confirmatory factor analyses showed acceptable fit to the hypothesized first- and second-order factor structure. Internal consistency reliability was strong and there was partial measurement invariance for the first-order factor structure when comparing child welfare and mental health samples. The results support the use of the ILS to assess leadership for implementation of EBPs in child welfare organizations., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

Background: Patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) display cognitive and neuropsychiatric dysfunctions, especially with disease progression. Although these impairments have been reported to impact more heavily upon a patient's quality of life than any motor dysfunctions, there are currently no interventions capable of adequately targeting these non-motor deficits., Objectives: Utilizing a rodent model of PD, we investigated whether cell replacement therapy, using intrastriatal transplants of human-derived ventral mesencephalic (hVM) grafts, could alleviate cognitive and neuropsychiatric, as well as motor, dysfunctions., Methods: Rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions to the medial forebrain bundle were tested on a complex operant task that dissociates motivational, visuospatial and motor impairments sensitive to the loss of dopamine. A subset of lesioned rats received intrastriatal hVM grafts of ~9 weeks gestation. Post-graft, rats underwent repeated drug-induced rotation tests and were tested on two versions of the complex operant task, before post-mortem analysis of the hVM tissue grafts., Results: Post-graft behavioural testing revealed that hVM grafts improved non-motor aspects of task performance, specifically visuospatial function and motivational processing, as well as alleviating motor dysfunctions., Conclusions: We report the first evidence of human VM cell grafts alleviating both non-motor and motor dysfunctions in an animal model of PD. This intervention, therefore, is the first to improve cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms long-term in a model of PD., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Previous studies of laboratory strains of budding yeast had shown that when gene copy number is altered experimentally, RNA levels generally scale accordingly. This is true when the copy number of individual genes or entire chromosomes is altered. In a recent study, Hose et al. (2015) reported that this tight correlation between gene copy number and RNA levels is not observed in recently isolated wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae variants. To understand the origins of this proposed difference in gene expression regulation between natural variants and laboratory strains of S. cerevisiae, we evaluated the karyotype and gene expression studies performed by Hose et al. on wild S. cerevisiae strains. In contrast to the results of Hose et al., our reexamination of their data revealed a tight correlation between gene copy number and gene expression. We conclude that widespread dosage compensation occurs neither in laboratory strains nor in natural variants of S. cerevisiae.

There is increasing emphasis on the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in child welfare settings and growing recognition of the importance of the organizational environment, and the organization's climate in particular, for how employees perceive and support EBP implementation. Recently, Ehrhart, Aarons, and Farahnak (2014) reported on the development and validation of a measure of EBP implementation climate, the Implementation Climate Scale (ICS), in a sample of mental health clinicians. The ICS consists of 18 items and measures six critical dimensions of implementation climate: focus on EBP, educational support for EBP, recognition for EBP, rewards for EBP, selection or EBP, and selection for openness. The goal of the current study is to extend this work by providing evidence for the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the ICS in a sample of child welfare service providers. Survey data were collected from 215 child welfare providers across three states, 12 organizations, and 43 teams. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good fit to the six-factor model and the alpha reliabilities for the overall measure and its subscales was acceptable. In addition, there was general support for the invariance of the factor structure across the child welfare and mental health sectors. In conclusion, this study provides evidence for the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the ICS measure for use in child welfare service organizations., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Huntington's disease (HD) is a debilitating, genetically inherited neurodegenerative disorder that results in early loss of medium spiny neurons from the striatum and subsequent degeneration of cortical and other subcortical brain regions. Behavioral changes manifest as a range of motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric impairments. It has been established that replacement of the degenerated medium spiny neurons with rat-derived fetal whole ganglionic eminence (rWGE) tissue can alleviate motor and cognitive deficits in preclinical rodent models of HD. However, clinical application of this cell replacement therapy requires the use of human-derived (hWGE), not rWGE, tissue. Despite this, little is currently known about the functional efficacy of hWGE. The aim of this study was to directly compare the ability of the gold standard rWGE grafts, against the clinically relevant hWGE grafts, on a range of behavioral tests of motor function. Lister hooded rats either remained as unoperated controls or received unilateral excitotoxic lesions of the lateral neostriatum. Subsets of lesioned rats then received transplants of either rWGE or hWGE primary fetal tissue into the lateral striatum. All rats were tested postlesion and postgraft on the following tests of motor function: staircase test, apomorphine-induced rotation, cylinder test, adjusting steps test, and vibrissae-evoked touch test. At 21 weeks postgraft, brain tissue was taken for histological analysis. The results revealed comparable improvements in apomorphine-induced rotational bias and the vibrissae test, despite larger graft volumes in the hWGE cohort. hWGE grafts, but not rWGE grafts, stabilized behavioral performance on the adjusting steps test. These results have implications for clinical application of cell replacement therapies, as well as providing a foundation for the development of stem cell-derived cell therapy products.

Acute exposure to morphine after a traumatic event reduces trauma related symptoms in humans and conditioned fear expression in male rats. We aimed to determine whether acute administration of morphine alters consolidation of fear learning and extinction. Male and female rats in proestrus and metaestrus (high and low ovarian hormones respectively) underwent fear conditioning and received saline or morphine (2.5 mg/kg s.c.). The next day they underwent extinction. Results showed increased freezing during extinction only in the morphine metaestrus group while morphine did not affect males or proestrus females. Recall of extinction was similar on all groups. On a second experiment, a subset of rats conditioned during metaestrus was administered morphine prior to extinction producing no effects. We then measured mu opioid receptor (MOR) expression in the amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG) at the end of extinction (day 2). In males and proestrus females, morphine caused an increase in MOR in the amygdala but no in the PAG. In metaestrus females, morphine did not change MOR expression in either structure. These data suggests that ovarian hormones may interact with MORs in the amygdala to transiently alter memory consolidation. Morphine given after trauma to females with low ovarian hormones might increase the recall of fear responses, making recovery harder.

The Muller F element (4.2 Mb, ~80 protein-coding genes) is an unusual autosome of Drosophila melanogaster; it is mostly heterochromatic with a low recombination rate. To investigate how these properties impact the evolution of repeats and genes, we manually improved the sequence and annotated the genes on the D. erecta, D. mojavensis, and D. grimshawi F elements and euchromatic domains from the Muller D element. We find that F elements have greater transposon density (25-50%) than euchromatic reference regions (3-11%). Among the F elements, D. grimshawi has the lowest transposon density (particularly DINE-1: 2% vs. 11-27%). F element genes have larger coding spans, more coding exons, larger introns, and lower codon bias. Comparison of the Effective Number of Codons with the Codon Adaptation Index shows that, in contrast to the other species, codon bias in D. grimshawi F element genes can be attributed primarily to selection instead of mutational biases, suggesting that density and types of transposons affect the degree of local heterochromatin formation. F element genes have lower estimated DNA melting temperatures than D element genes, potentially facilitating transcription through heterochromatin. Most F element genes (~90%) have remained on that element, but the F element has smaller syntenic blocks than genome averages (3.4-3.6 vs. 8.4-8.8 genes per block), indicating greater rates of inversion despite lower rates of recombination. Overall, the F element has maintained characteristics that are distinct from other autosomes in the Drosophila lineage, illuminating the constraints imposed by a heterochromatic milieu., (Copyright © 2015 Leung et al.)

Introduction: About 500,000 species of fungi have been described to-date, although an estimated between 1 - 1.5 million species may occur. They have a wide distribution in nature, contributing to the decomposition of organic matter and playing a part in the biogeochemical cycles of major nutrients. A small number are considered pathogens of animals and plants. There is ample historical evidence that certain types of allergies are associated with fungi; exposure to fungal allergens occurs in both outdoor and indoor spaces. Many indoor allergens are the same as those found outside buildings, entering through windows and doors, ventilation systems, or through cracks or other fissures in the walls., Objective: To determine the diversity and abundance of fungal spores inside four churches in the metropolitan area of Monterrey city in Mexico., Materials and Methods: The study was carried out from July 2009 - January 2010 using a Hirst type volumetric collector (Burkard Manufacturing Co Ltd)., Results: A total of 31,629 spores from 54 taxa were registered in the four churches. The building that showed the highest amount of spores was the Santa Catarina Mártir Church with 12,766 spores, followed by Cristo Rey with 7,155 and Nuestra Señora del Roble with 6,887. Regularly high concentrations of spores were recorded from 14:00 - 20:00 hours. The highest concentration value was observed at the church of Santa Catarina Mártir at 16:00 hours with 1153 spores/m 3 air., Conclusions: The most abundant spores in the four churches studied corresponded to Cladosporium, the Aspergillus/Penicillium complex, Coprinus, Ganoderma, Curvularia and Ustilago.

With the use of cell replacement therapies as a realistic prospect for conditions such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, the logistics of the delivery of cell suspensions to deep brain targets is a topic for consideration. Because of the large cannulae required for such procedures, we need to consider the behavior of cell suspensions within the cannulae if we are to ensure that the injected cells are distributed as intended within the target tissue. We have investigated the behavior of primary embryonic cell suspensions of neural tissue, in cannulae of different diameters, using a protocol designed to mimic the handling and injection of cells during clinical application. Internal cannula diameter had a large effect on the distribution of cells during their dispensation from the syringe. In vertical or near vertical cannulae, cells settled toward the tip of the needle, and were dispensed unevenly, with the majority of cells emerging in the first 10-20% of the injectate. In horizontal or near-horizontal cannulae, we observed the opposite effect, such that few cells were dispensed in the first 80% of the injectate, and the majority emerged in the final 10-20%. Use of a glass cannula showed that the results obtained using the horizontal cannula were caused by settling and adherence of the cells on the side of the cannulae, such that during dispensation, the overlying, cell-free solution was dispensed first, prior to the emergence of the cells. We show that the behavior of cells in such cannulae is affected by the cannula diameter, and by the material of the cannula itself. In horizontal cannulae, uneven expulsion of cells from the needle can be ameliorated by regular rotation of the cannula during the procedure. We discuss the potential impact of these observations on the translation of cell therapies to the clinic.

The porcelain laminate replaces the visible portion of enamel with a ceramic, which is attached to the dental surface. To enhance cosmetic results, a preliminary color matching procedure is performed prior to cementing the veneers. This procedure can be performed using water, water-soluble gel, or try-in paste. The different shades of cement and try-in pastes are intended to obtain better color and esthetics of the final restoration. This study sought to evaluate the shade of ceramic veneers produced by different try-in materials. Forty bovine teeth and 40 ceramic discs (0.6 mm thick) were prepared. The samples were divided into 4 groups (n = 10). For Group 1 samples, no material was used between the tooth and the ceramic, Group 2 interposed samples with water, Group 3 used a water-soluble gel, and Group 4 used try-in paste (value 0). The color was measured with a spectrophotometer, obtaining L*, a*, and b* values to calculate the color difference (ΔE*). The data were subjected to normality tests and 1-way ANOVA. No significant statistical differences were found among the groups, indicating that the different try-in materials had similar effects on the color of the ceramic laminates.