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Rhesus cytomegalovirus-based (RhCMV-based) vaccine vectors induce immune responses that protect ~60% of rhesus macaques (RMs) from SIVmac239 challenge. This efficacy depends on induction of effector memory-based (EM-biased) CD8+ T cells recognizing SIV peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex-E (MHC-E) instead of MHC-Ia. The phenotype, durability, and efficacy of RhCMV/SIV-elicited cellular immune responses were maintained when vector spread was severely reduced by deleting the antihost intrinsic immunity factor phosphoprotein 71 (pp71). Here, we examined the impact of an even more stringent attenuation strategy on vector-induced immune protection against SIV. Fusion of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) degradation domain to Rh108, the orthologue of the essential human CMV (HCMV) late gene transcription factor UL79, generated RhCMV/SIV vectors that conditionally replicate only when the FK506 analog Shield-1 is present. Despite lacking in vivo dissemination and reduced innate and B cell responses to vaccination, Rh108-deficient 68-1 RhCMV/SIV vectors elicited high-frequency, durable, EM-biased, SIV-specific T cell responses in RhCMV-seropositive RMs at doses of ≥ 1 × 106 PFU. Strikingly, elicited CD8+ T cells exclusively targeted MHC-Ia-restricted epitopes and failed to protect against SIVmac239 challenge. Thus, Rh108-dependent late gene expression is required for both induction of MHC-E-restricted T cells and protection against SIV.

In order to uptake of electric vehicles (EV) into last mile delivery, we recommend the deployment of a combination of novel and existing policies to both encourage widespread EV uptake and discourage the use of diesel-based freight through zero emission delivery zones and purchase subsidies. Our research is composed of three methods: Interviews, Quantitative Modeling, and Quantitative Modeling. The interviews and quantitative analysis revealed that the burden on delivery companies is greater than the social benefits such as GHG reductions due to the large investment in EVs. The effectiveness of the policy combination was also confirmed. Using the three criteria of Political Feasibility, Efficiency, and Equity, we evaluated the policies using the Criteria-Alternative Matrix and concluded that the voluntary ZEDZ is the most effective stand-alone policy. Since no one pollutant reducing policy can meet all criteria effectively we recommend packaging various policies together. Our model demonstrates that a combination of policies produce the highest results in decreasing costs and pollutant levels, particularly a combination of purchase subsidies and mandated ZEDZ. To better improve equity scores, we recommend cities consider adding purchase subsidies of freight electric vehicles to a ZEDZ program to offset costs businesses would incur, particularly small businesses transitioning to electric vehicle fleets. Mandated ZEDZ would add additional burdens on small businesses since these companies don’t have the capital to transform fleets.

The authors describe an undergraduate economics elective focused on the Great Recession and the recession resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. They have taught the course with great success at both liberal arts colleges and research universities and at all levels of the curriculum ranging from a first-year seminar to an upper-level elective. They present a roadmap for instructors interested in offering the class. Although intermediate macroeconomics is assumed as a prerequisite, the authors discuss how they have adapted the class for students with different backgrounds. The course is divided into seven units: the housing bubble and asset pricing, housing policy and history, propagation and panic, monetary policy, fiscal policy, aftermath and international perspectives, and the macroeconomics of COVID-19. Sample assignments and readings are both provided.

We describe changes in the comprehensiveness of services delivered by family physicians in 4 Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia) during the periods 1999-2000 and 2017-2018 and explore if changes differ by years in practice. We measured comprehensiveness using province-wide billing data across 7 settings (home, long-term care, emergency department, hospital, obstetrics, surgical assistance, anesthesiology) and 7 service areas (pre/postnatal care, Papanicolaou [Pap] testing, mental health, substance use, cancer care, minor surgery, palliative home visits). Comprehensiveness declined in all provinces, with greater changes in number of service settings than service areas. Decreases were no greater among new-to-practice physicians. Key words: comprehensive health care; scope of practice; primary care; family medicine; cohort effect; Canada https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2945, INTRODUCTION Declining comprehensiveness of family physician practice has been documented across multiple jurisdictions, (1-8) with accompanying speculation that this is driven by lack of interest or inadequate training among more [...]

Sc0.18Al0.82N/GaN with state-of-the-art x-ray diffraction figures of merit grown by metal modulated epitaxy under metal-rich conditions and a low substrate temperature of 400 °C is demonstrated to have improved crystalline order [250 arc sec for the (0002) reflection and 469 arc sec for the (10 1 ¯ 5)] compared to a previous state-of-the-art sample grown at a more conventional temperature of 650 °C. While both samples show a columnar structure, the higher substrate temperature sample has a good symmetric rocking curve (RC) of 229 arc sec, but unlike the lower temperature sample, the RC of the (10 1 ¯ 5) asymmetric reflection could not be measured, indicating a more columnar structure common among ScAlN films. Local lattice constant maps (LLCMs) from 4D-STEM depict abrupt strain relaxation within ∼2 nm from the ScAlN/GaN interface for the sample grown at Tsub = 400 °C. Since these LLCMs suggest a lattice mismatch in the a-lattice constant, and since the films show a sudden roughening, the composition for lattice match to GaN may be less than the accepted 18%–20% Sc, consistent with the average GaN lattice match from lattice constant values reported in the literature of 12%. Compared to traditional III-Nitrides, ScAlN films have substantially more screw and mixed-type threading dislocations, suggesting substantial shear forces that result in significant twist and distortion leading to orthorhombic diffraction patterns as viewed from plan-view TEM in the Tsub = 650 °C sample. These results offer the possibility of ScAlN integration into low-thermal-budget processes including CMOS but further indicate that structural understanding of ScAlN remains lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we share the details of Dickinson College's journey to establish a data analytics major. Designed to provide students with the technical proficiency required to become a data scientist, Dickinson's data analytics major also incorporates values of a liberal arts education, including interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, thoughtful analysis, effective communication, and ethical considerations. We describe how sustained collaboration, a detailed plan to engage the campus community, partnerships with alumni, and support from senior leaders were essential to this achievement. We also discuss the challenges and successes encountered before and after the approval of the major. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Administrative staff in primary care undertake numerous tasks to support patient care delivery. Although their roles are often overlooked, administrative staff are essential to the coordination and operations of primary care clinics. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced additional clinical and administrative tasks, including transitioning to virtual appointments and triaging patients for urgency, changing typical workflows. In Canada, existing pandemic plans for primary care did not account for these administrative tasks, nor the support that family physicians would require to continue to provide patient access to primary care. This research seeks to describe and understand the perceptions and experiences of family physicians of their administrative staff roles in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help inform future pandemic planning. Methods: We present findings from a qualitative case study across four regions in Canada: Vancouver Coastal health region in British Columbia, Ontario Health West region, the province of Nova Scotia, and the Eastern Health region of Newfoundland and Labrador. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with family physicians (n = 68) across the four regions and thematically analysed the data. Results: We identified five salient themes in the data, including (1) applying public health guidelines, (2) educating patients on COVID-19 and COVID-19 services, (3) re-organizing patient visits, (4) maintaining adequate staffing, and (5) recognizing administrative staff contributions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, family physicians took on numerous additional roles to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus with the support of their administrative staff. Family physicians emphasized the challenges of maintaining adequate staffing, and the importance of administrative staff in enabling the provision of primary care. Conclusions: Existing pandemic plans do not account for increased administrative roles taken on by primary care administrative staff. Pandemic plans must include guidance for the roles taken on by primary care administrative staff, such as clinical tasks, as they will continue to play an important role in pandemic recovery. Supporting administrative staff would enhance primary care providers' ability to manage care during pandemics, facilitate resilience, and decrease provider and administrative burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Youth with lower limb deficiency (LLD) may be at increased risk for mental health difficulties. However, guidelines around psychosocial screening are not well established. Objective: To describe the implementation and results of a mental health screening process in a multidisciplinary prosthetics clinic. Design: Survey. Setting: Outpatient specialty care clinic located within a children's hospital. Patients: All patients ages 0–18 years with LLD seen at a monthly multidisciplinary prosthetics clinic between September 2019 and January 2023 (n = 75). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcomes Measures: Quality of life was measured by the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric proxy survey. Psychological functioning was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: Descriptive statistics were used to determine the proportion of patients who endorsed clinically significant concerns. Of the 75 clinic visits during the study time frame, the psychosocial screeners were completed at 38 (51%). A total of 25 unique patients completed the screeners; 12 patients completed the screener more than once. The most commonly endorsed concerns on the PROMIS were issues with physical mobility (65%) and upper extremity function (40%). The SDQ revealed that a majority (62.5%) of the screened patients had an overall score above the clinical cutoff, indicating psychosocial distress in more than one area. The most commonly reported mental health concern was peer problems (62.5%). Post hoc analysis of repeat screenings indicated that most problems identified during the first screening persisted at follow‐up screenings. Conclusions: Clinically significant psychological concerns were common among the sample, indicating the need to address this aspect of patients' well‐being. Preliminary data on repeat screenings suggest that clinically significant concerns may not self‐resolve. Routine psychosocial screening is critical for early identification of mental health problems and timely referral to evidence‐based psychological interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economics has become increasingly empirical and, alongside this shift, has come more demand for improved transparency and reproducibility in empirical economic research. In this article, we distribute a survey to almost 1500 economics faculty from the top 161 liberal arts colleges with an economics major (according to U.S. News & World Report) in the United States to determine the prevalence of teaching reproducible methods in undergraduate economics, summarize the most-common methods of instruction, and determine the intended student learning objectives. We find that of the economics faculty at liberal arts colleges who teach these reproducible methods, most do so in advanced upper-level (42%) and basic econometrics (31%) courses. Those faculty report teaching reproducibility using the following methods: transparent coding (85%), organizational skills (78%), and producing replication documentation (47%) through individual research projects (82%), homework assignments (55%), and/or workshops (33%). We conclude with some qualitative text analysis to shed light on the intended learning objectives and find that research skills (59%) and the importance of reproducibility (37%) are the most common reasons cited for teaching these methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]