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BACKGROUND: The services of Healthcare and Social Assistance (HCSA) workers are needed by society around the clock. As a result, these workers are exposed to shift work and long work hours. The combination of demanding work schedules and other hazards in the HCSA work environment increases the health and safety risks to these workers, as well as to their patients/clients and the public. METHODS: This paper has three aims: (1) provide an overview of the burden of shift work, long hours, and related sleep and fatigue problems in this sector; (2) suggest research priorities that would improve these ; and (3) discuss potential positive impacts of addressing these research priorities for the health and safety of workers and the public. The authors used a modified Delphi approach to anonymously rank-order priorities for improving HCSA worker health and safety and public safety. Input was also obtained from attendees at the 2019 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Work Hours, Sleep, and Fatigue Forum. RESULTS: The highest rated research priorities were developing better designs for work schedules, and improving the HCSA culture and leadership approaches to shift work and long work hours. Additional priorities are identified. CONCLUSION: Research in these priority areas has the potential to benefit HCSA workers as well as their patients/clients, employers, and society.

Recent studies defined a potentially important role of the microbiome in modulating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and responses to therapies. We hypothesized that antibiotic usage may predict outcomes in patients with PDAC. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of patients with resectable or metastatic PDAC seen at MD Anderson Cancer from 2003 to 2017. Demographic, chemotherapy regimen and antibiotic use, duration, type, and reason for indication were recorded. A total of 580 patients with PDAC were studied, 342 resected and 238 metastatic patients, selected retrospectively from our database. Antibiotic use, for longer than 48 hrs, was detected in 209 resected patients (61%) and 195 metastatic ones (62%). On resectable patients, we did not find differences in overall survival (OS) or progression‐free survival (PFS), based on antibiotic intake. However, in the metastatic cohort, antibiotic consumption was associated with a significantly longer OS (13.3 months vs. 9.0 months, HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34–0.7, p = 0.0001) and PFS (4.4 months vs. 2 months, HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34–0.68, p =, We have analyzed the effect of antibiotics’ intake on two cohorts of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, resectable, and metastatic. We have found that on the metastatic cohort, antibiotics use was significantly associated with better outcomes, particularly, on patients that received gemcitabine based‐chemotherapy as the first line.

Increasingly, land managers have attempted to use extreme prescribed fire as a method to address woody plant encroachment in savanna ecosystems. The effect that these fires have on herbaceous vegetation is poorly understood. We experimentally examined immediate (, We experimentally examined the immediate (

Primary non-function (PNF) in the early post-LT period in children leads to prolonged hospitalization, high graft loss, and significant mortality. However, there is a paucity of data available on the natural history of children relisted for LT due to PNF, including those who recover graft function and survive with their original allograft.We interrogated the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database for pediatric LT recipients who were relisted with a primary diagnosis of PNF from 2000 to 2020. Patients21-year-old and multiple organ transplants were excluded. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were employed to identify risk factors for early re-transplantation (within 30 days of relisting) and mortality after adjusting for baseline clinical characteristics.One hundred and eight patients were relisted for LT for PNF during the study period. Twenty-five patients survived beyond 30 days from relisting with their original LT, 76 underwent early re-transplantation, and 7 did not survive. Having a high-risk EBV mismatch (OR 2.03, 95% CI 0.66-6.27) and an elevated donor serum creatinine (OR: 2.19, 95% CI 0.54-8.84) were associated with increased odds of a patient requiring early re-transplantation. Donor characteristics including age, final total bilirubin, final AST/ALT, and final serum sodium, as well as vasopressor use prior to procurement, were not associated with increased odds of early re-transplantation (p 0.05). Operative characteristics including allograft type and cold-ischemia time were also not associated with early re-transplantation (p 0.05). Patients undergoing early re-transplantation showed a trend toward improved 1-year graft survival (69% vs 55%, p = 0.24). On multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling, early re-transplantation was associated with reduced risk of overall patient mortality compared to those who survived with their original LT (HR 0.27, 95% CI 0.12-0.67).Early re-transplantation for PNF is associated with improved patient survival compared with patients who survive with their original LT.

Fire has transformative effects on soil biological, chemical, and physical properties in terrestrial ecosystems around the world. While methods for estimating fire characteristics and associated effects aboveground have progressed in recent decades, there remain major challenges in characterizing soil heating and associated effects belowground. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for understanding how fire influences soil carbon storage, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem recovery. In this paper, we present a novel framework for characterizing belowground heating and effects. The framework includes (1) an open-source model to estimate fire-driven soil heating, cooling, and the biotic effects of heating across depths and over time (Soil Heating in Fire model; SheFire) and (2) a simple field method for recording soil temperatures at multiple depths using self-contained temperature sensor and data loggers (i.e., iButtons), installed along a wooden stake inserted into the soil (i.e., an iStake). The iStake overcomes many logistical challenges associated with obtaining temperature profiles using thermocouples. Heating measurements provide inputs to the SheFire model, and modeled soil heating can then be used to derive ecosystem response functions, such as heating effects on microorganisms and tissues. To validate SheFire estimates, we conducted a burn table experiment using iStakes to record temperatures that were in turn used to fit the SheFire model. We then compared SheFire predicted temperatures against measured temperatures at other soil depths. To benchmark iStake measurements against those recorded by thermocouples, we co-located both types of sensors in the burn table experiment. We found that SheFire demonstrated skill in interpolating and extrapolating soil temperatures, with the largest errors occurring at the shallowest depths. We also found that iButton sensors are comparable to thermocouples for recording soil temperatures during fires. Finally, we present a case study using iStakes and SheFire to estimate in situ soil heating during a prescribed fire and demonstrate how observed heating regimes would influence seed and tree root vascular cambium survival at different soil depths. This measurement-modeling framework provides a cutting-edge approach for describing soil temperature regimes (i.e., soil heating) through a soil profile and predicting biological responses.

Augmented renal clearance (ARC, creatinine clearance > 130 mL/minute) makes difficult achievement of effective concentrations of renally cleared antibiotics in critically ill patients. This study examined the synergistic killing and resistance suppression for meropenem-ciprofloxacin combination dosage regimens against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates within the context of ARC. Clinically relevant meropenem and ciprofloxacin concentrations, alone and in combinations, were studied against three clinical isolates with a range of susceptibilities to each of the antibiotics. Isolate Pa1280 was susceptible to both meropenem and ciprofloxacin, Pa1284 had intermediate susceptibility to meropenem and was susceptible to ciprofloxacin, and CR380 was resistant to meropenem and had intermediate susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. Initially, isolates were studied in 72-hour static-concentration time-kill (SCTK) studies. Subsequently, the pharmacokinetic profiles expected in patients with ARC receiving dosage regimens, including at the highest approved daily doses (meropenem 6 g daily divided and administered as 0.5-hour infusions every 8 hours, or as a continuous infusion; ciprofloxacin 0.4 g as 1-hour infusions every 8 hours), were examined in a dynamic hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM) over 7-10 days. In both SCTK and HFIM, combination regimens were generally synergistic and suppressed growth of less-susceptible subpopulations, these effects being smaller for isolate CR380. The time-courses of total and less-susceptible bacterial populations in the HFIM were well-described by mechanism-based models, which enabled conduct of Monte Carlo simulations to predict likely effectiveness of approved dosage regimens at different creatinine clearances. Optimized meropenem-ciprofloxacin combination dosage regimens may be a viable consideration for P. aeruginosa infections in critically ill patients with ARC.

OBJECTIVES Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) can cause a significant mass effect in the fetal thorax, displacing the heart into the opposite hemithorax. In left-sided CDH (L-CDH), this is associated with smaller left-sided cardiac structures and reduced left-ventricular cardiac output (LVCO). The effect of these physiologic changes on cerebral blood flow is not well understood. We sought to describe the middle cerebral artery (MCA) pulsatility index (PI), a measure of cerebrovascular impedance, in fetuses with L-CDH and those with right-sided CDH (R-CDH) compared with unaffected fetuses, and the relationship between MCA-PI and LVCO. We hypothesized that MCA-PI would be lower in fetuses with L-CDH and similar in those with R-CDH compared to controls, and that MCA-PI would be correlated with LVCO. METHODS We identified all fetuses with CDH evaluated at The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA from 2011 to 2018. Fetal echocardiograms and ultrasound scans were reviewed. Umbilical artery and MCA Doppler examinations were assessed to calculate pulsatility indices. Ventricular outputs were calculated using Doppler-derived stroke volume and fetal heart rate. Lung-to-head ratio (LHR), estimated fetal weight, biparietal diameter (BPD) and head circumference (HC) were obtained from fetal sonograms. Measurements in fetuses with CDH, according to the side of the defect, were compared with those in unaffected, gestational age-matched controls. A subset of CDH survivors had available data on neurodevelopmental outcome, as assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rd edition. RESULTS A total of 64 fetuses with CDH (L-CDH, n = 53; R-CDH, n = 11) comprised the study groups, with 27 unaffected fetuses serving as controls. Mean gestational age at evaluation was similar between the three groups. Compared to controls, fetuses with L-CDH had significantly lower LVCO expressed as a percentage of combined cardiac output (CCO) (32%; 95% CI, 29-35% vs 38%; 95% CI, 33-42%; P = 0.04) and lower MCA-PI Z-score (-1.3; 95% CI, -1.7 to -1.0 vs 0.08; 95% CI, -0.5 to 0.6; P

Background Gemcitabine (GEM) plus nab‐paclitaxel (NabP) (GEM 1000 mg/m2 IV over 30 minutes + NabP 125 mg/m2 IV given days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days) is one of the two standard of care combination therapies for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our cancer center has utilized GEM‐NabP given every two‐weeks due to tolerability and patient convenience. Here, we review the safety and efficacy of this modified regimen. Methods Metastatic PDAC patients (pts) who initiated front‐line or second‐line GEM‐NabP during 2013‐2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Primary objective was overall survival. Secondary objectives were disease control rate, progression‐free survival, and the incidence of dose delays and/or adjustments. Results From a total of 235 patients, 140 pts received GEM‐NabP front‐line while 95 pts received GEM‐NabP second‐line. Median dosing was 600 mg/m2 at fixed‐dose rate for GEM and 125 mg/m2 for NabP given predominantly (~90%) every two‐weeks. Eastern Cooperative Group performance status of 0 and 1 pts had front‐line OS of 12.7 and 9.6 months and when given second‐line had OS of 8 months and 7.3 months, respectively. ECOG 0 and 1 pts had front‐line progression‐free survival (PFS) of 5.3 months and 2.8 months and second‐line PFS was 3.5 months and 2.4 months, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated with limited dose modifications. Conclusion Our analysis revealed safety with every two‐week low dose GEM‐NabP while maintaining efficacy. Patient schedule convenience should factor into metastatic incurable malignancies. We suggest the use of every two‐week GEM‐NabP particularly in patients desiring a modified schedule., Our real‐world data, outside the context of a clinical trial, suggests that every two‐week Gem‐NabP can be administered safely without compromising efficacy in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In particular, the alternate (bi‐weekly) dosing regimen showed low rates of grades 3 and 4 toxicities and no treatment‐related deaths. This regimen is better tolerated than weekly Gem‐NabP, is convenient, and allows similar palliative benefits to patients with metastatic PDAC.

Over the past 20 years, the use of non‐invasive hair snare surveys in wildlife research and management has become more prevalent. While these tools have been used to answer important research questions, these techniques often fail to gather information on elusive carnivores, such as bobcats (Lynx rufus). Due to the limited success of previous bobcat studies using hair snares which required active rubbing, this technique has largely fallen out of use, in favor of camera trapping. The goal of our study was to construct a novel, passive bobcat hair snare that could be deployed regardless of terrain or vegetation features, which would be effective for use in capture–recapture population estimation at a large spatial scale. This new hair snare was deployed in 1500 10‐km2 cells across West Virginia (USA) between two sampling seasons (2015–2016). Collected hair samples were analyzed with newly developed mitochondrial DNA primers specifically for felids and qPCR to determine species of origin, with enough sensitivity to identify samples as small as two bobcat hairs. Over the two years of the study, a total of 378 bobcat detections were recorded from 42,000 trap nights of sampling, for an overall rate of 0.9 detections/100 trap nights—nearly 2–6 times greater than any previous bobcat hair snare study. While the overall number of recaptured animals was low (n = 9), continued development of this platform should increase its usefulness in capture–recapture studies., Gathering large‐scale population information on elusive carnivores, like bobcats, can be difficult. We developed a novel hair snare to non‐invasively sample bobcats for use in capture–recapture studies at a large spatial scale. In addition, we designed felid‐ and bobcat‐specific qPCR primers to assist in determining the species of origin of collected hair samples.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is associated with poor clinical outcomes that could be improved with targeted interventions. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a multicomponent delirium care pathway implemented across seven specialty nonintensive care units is associated with reduced hospital length of stay (LOS). Secondary objectives were reductions in total direct cost, odds of 30-day hospital readmission, and rates of safety attendant and restraint use. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 22,708 hospitalized patients (11,018 preintervention) aged ≥50 years encompassing seven nonintensive care units: neurosciences, medicine, cardiology, general and specialty surgery, hematology-oncology, and transplant. The multicomponent delirium care pathway included a nurse-administered delirium risk assessment at admission, nurse-administered delirium screening scale every shift, and a multicomponent delirium intervention. The primary study outcome was LOS for all units combined and the medicine unit separately. Secondary outcomes included total direct cost, odds of 30-day hospital readmission, and rates of safety attendant and restraint use. RESULTS: Adjusted mean LOS for all units combined decreased by 2% post intervention (proportional change, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P = .0087). Medicine unit adjusted LOS decreased by 9% (proportional change, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99; P = .028). For all units combined, adjusted odds of 30-day readmission decreased by 14% (odds ratio [OR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80-0.93; P = .0002). Medicine unit adjusted cost decreased by 7% (proportional change, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.96; P = .0002). CONCLUSION: This multicomponent hospital-wide delirium care pathway intervention is associated with reduced hospital LOS, especially for patients on the medicine unit. Odds of 30-day readmission decreased throughout the entire cohort.

BACKGROUND Very preterm (VPT

Faced with the challenge of rapidly screening a huge expanse of frontier exploration acreage, often characterized by sparse vintage data, it is our experience that a combination of appropriate air‐ and ground‐based geophysical techniques contributes positively to the exploration value chain. Airborne gravity gradiometry in conjunction with conventional gravity and magnetic data, as well as geological knowledge, add significant value to the screening process. This combination can subsequently assist in optimizing the location of the more time‐consuming and expensive seismic programme. In addition, analysis and inversion of passive seismic data have also proven useful in providing depth to basement estimates, and results derived from all the techniques investigated have been consistent within several study areas. Following initial tests, where the data were independently analysed and cross‐checked for consistency (including comparisons with active source seismic data and well data, when available), the company now routinely adopts the integration of these techniques in our frontier exploration acreage to support sedimentary basin delineation and mapping. This allows the optimal positioning and focussing of the higher spend and higher footprint programmes, such as active reflection seismic.

Background In adults, the time of day for LT does not affect post-transplant outcomes. Whether this is true or not in children is unknown. In this study, we aimed to evaluate if weekend and weeknight liver transplants are associated with worse patient and graft survival in children. Methods We interrogated the UNOS database for outcomes of pediatric liver transplants that occurred between 1988 and 2018. We excluded liver transplants in patients >17 years as well as all multiple organ transplants. We compared weeknight and weekday, as well as weekend transplant operations. We used Cox proportional hazard ratios to determine patient and graft survival by 7, 30, 90, and 365 days post-transplant after controlling for confounding factors. Results In total, 12,610 pediatric liver transplants were included in the analysis. A total of 4590 transplants occurred during weekdays, 3671 transplants occurred during weeknights, and 4349 occurred during weekends. After controlling for confounding variables, 1-year patient survival was not associated with worse outcomes if the transplant occurred on the weeknight (HR 0.94, 95%CI 0.74-1.21) or weekend (HR 0.95, 95%CI 0.75-1.20) compared to the weekday. One-year graft survival was also not associated with worse outcomes if the transplant occurred on the weeknight (HR 0.91, 95%CI 0.76-1.09) or weekend (HR 0.91, 95%CI 0.77-1.09) compared to the weekday. Conclusion Weekday, weeknight, and weekend procedures resulted in similar 1-year survival rates. Pediatric patient and graft survival outcomes are not affected by the time or day of surgery.

Professor Sarah Bridle, Principle Investigator for the STFC Food Network+, describes the launch of the Network and its ambitions to apply the skills and facilities of the Science and Technology Facilities Council to tackling the challenges facing food supply.

The Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is currently threatening the citrus industry by transmitting the causative agent Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) of huanglongbing. Multiplication of CLas in haemolymph of D. citri indicates that it contains the necessary nutrients for CLas. Although many studies examine D. citri, the haemolymph composition of this dangerous pest remains to be investigated. In the present study, the haemolymph of D. citri is collected using a nanolitre syringe after the removal of one of its forelegs. The haemolymph is either derivatized with methyl chloroformate (MCF) or trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatizing reagent and analyzed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Nineteen amino acids, two organic acids and seven fatty acids are detected in the haemolymph after MCF derivatization. More metabolites are detected after TMS derivatization. Sugars are the most abundant metabolites in the haemolymph. Glucose and fructose are the main monosaccharides. Trehalose and sucrose are the major disaccharides. Furthermore, three inositol isomers (myo-inositol, scyllo-inositol and chiro-inositol) are detected in the haemolymph. Organic acids are found in low amounts, whereas phosphoric acid is found at a higher concentration. Twenty-four nucleotides and sugar nucleotides, including ATP, ADP and AMP, are detected using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography. Adenine nucleotides are the most abundant nucleotides followed by uridine and guanosine. The adenylate energy charge for the haemolymph is 0.77. Our results show that many metabolites found in the citrus phloem sap are also found in the haemolymph of D. citri.

Graphocephala atropunctata or the blue-green sharpshooter (BGSS) has been long recognized as the principal native vector of Xylella fastidiosa in coastal, wine-grape-growing areas of California. X. fastidiosa is the causative agent of Pierce's disease of grapevine and of numerous other leaf-scorching diseases of agronomically important plants. X. fastidiosa has been shown to colonize the cibarium and precibarium (anterior foregut) of sharpshooters, where it may encounter other naturally occurring bacterial species. Here, deep 16S rRNA sequencing was used to survey the microbiota associated with the BGSS anterior foregut. DNA was extracted from dissected cibaria and precibaria; a portion of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq technology. An average of approximately 32 000 sequence reads per insect was obtained. Agrobacterium was the most common genus detected; additional sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA gene further identified this as Agrobacterium tumefaciens or A. fabrum. A number of additional plant-associated bacterial genera were also detected (Pseudomonas and Ensifer), along with genera known to be associated with insects (Baumannia), and soil (Stenotrophomonas, Caulobacter, Delftia, Achromobacter, Acinetobacter and Novosphingobium). Approximately half of the genera reported here have been previously reported to be prevalent in the cibarium and precibarium of glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS; Homalodisca vitripennis). Many of these cibarium- and precibarium-associated genera likely interact with X. fastidiosa.

In ecosystems with alternative stable states, restoration success can be thought of as overcoming the resilience of an undesirable state to promote an alternative state that yields greater ecosystem services. Since greater resilience of undesirable states translates into reduced restoration potential, quantifying differences in resilience can enhance restoration planning. In the context of shrub-encroached rangeland restoration, shrubland resilience is the capacity of a woody vegetated state to absorb management interventions designed to produce a more desirable grass-dominated state, and remain within its current regime. Therefore, differences in the resilience of a state can be quantified in a relative sense by measuring whether a state switches to an alternate state following perturbation or remains in its current stability domain. Here we designed an experimental manipulation to assess the contribution of soils to differences in the relative resilience of a shrub-invaded state. In this large-scale experiment, we repeated perturbations across a gradient of soil textures to inform restoration practitioners of differences in the relative resilience of shrubland occurring on different soil types to common rangeland restoration practices. On each soil type, we compared the relative ability of the shrubland state to withstand chemical and mechanical brush control treatments, commonly employed in this study region, to untreated controls. While the shrubland community composition did not differ prior to the study, its capacity to absorb and recover from brush removal treatments depended on soil type. Shrubland resilience to chemical and mechanical brush removal was highest on coarse soils. On these soils, brush removal temporarily restored grassland dominance, but woody plants quickly regained pretreatment levels of dominance. However, shrublands on fine soils did not recover following treatments, continuing to be grass-dominated for the duration of the study. This study highlights a simple approach for prioritizing restoration actions by mapping the locations of different soil attributes that support shrub-dominated states with differing levels of resilience to brush control. This experimental approach provides a basis for operationalizing resilience in restoration and prioritizing management actions across a range of environmental conditions, which is critical given the economic constraints associated with broad-scale mechanical and chemical interventions for rangeland restoration.

Peptide self-assembly is fast evolving into a powerful method for the development of bio-inspired nanomaterials with great potential for many applications, but it remains challenging to control the self-assembling processes and nanostrucutres because of the intricate interplay of various non-covalent interactions. A group of 28-residue α-helical peptides is designed including NN, NK, and HH that display distinct hierarchical events. The key of the design lies in the incorporation of two asparagine (Asn) or histidine (His) residues at the a positions of the second and fourth heptads, which allow one sequence to pack into homodimers with sticky ends through specific interhelical Asn-Asn or metal complexation interactions, followed by their longitudinal association into ordered nanofibers. This is in contrast to classical self-assembling helical peptide systems consisting of two complementary peptides. The collaborative roles played by the four main non-covalent interactions, including hydrogen-bonding, hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic interactions, and metal ion coordination, are well demonstrated during the hierarchical self-assembling processes of these peptides. Different nanostructures, for example, long and short nanofibers, thin and thick fibers, uniform metal ion-entrapped nanofibers, and polydisperse globular stacks, can be prepared by harnessing these interactions at different levels of hierarchy.

Over the past several years, child advocates have been increasingly concerned about the rights of youth involved in the juvenile justice system. A recent article by the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange highlights juvenile detainees' inadequate access to legal counsel as one example, and many advocates stress the importance of juveniles' legal rights, noting a trend toward a more punitive and less rehabilitative focus of the juvenile court (Grisso & Quinlan, 2005). Some sanctions may even result in adult criminal records with long-term impacts on school, employment, and housing options that juveniles struggle to understand. Overall, children and adolescents under age 16 do not demonstrate the same capacities as their adult counterparts to understand and participate in the legal process (Grisso et al., 2003). As a result, the number of youth participating in legal proceedings without adequate understanding of the legal process or of the long-term consequences remains unclear.

The authors examined the effects of the Student Success Skills program on executive functioning, feelings of connectedness, and academic achievement of a sample of 193 middle school students in a predominantly Hispanic and economically challenged school district in the southwestern United States. Using multilevel regression analyses in a two-level randomized design, the authors found treatment effects for multiple executive functioning scales, feelings of connectedness to classmates, and mathematics and reading achievement.

We report a small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and rheology study of cellulose derivative polyelectrolyte sodium carboxymethyl cellulose with a degree of substitution of 1.2. Using SANS, we establish that this polymer is molecularly dissolved in water with a locally stiff conformation with a stretching parameter[Formula: see text]. We determine the cross sectional radius of the chain ([Formula: see text] 3.4 A) and the scaling of the correlation length with concentration (ξ = 296 c (-1/2)A for c in g/L) is found to remain unchanged from the semidilute to concentrated crossover as identified by rheology. Viscosity measurements are found to be in qualitative agreement with scaling theory predictions for flexible polyelectrolytes exhibiting semidilute unentangled and entangled regimes, followed by what appears to be a crossover to neutral polymer concentration dependence of viscosity at high concentrations. Yet those higher concentrations, in the concentrated regime defined by rheology, still exhibit a peak in the scattering function that indicates a correlation length that continues to scale as[Formula: see text]. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 492-501.

In the primitive mammal echidna, the initial 2–3 generations of skin appendages produced from birth forms spines and only later true hairs appear. Microscopy on preserved museum specimens reveals that the morphogenesis of spines and hairs is similar but that a larger dermal papilla is formed in spines. The growing shaft comprises a medulla surrounded by a cortex and by an external cuticle. A thick inner root sheath made of cornified cells surrounds the growing shaft inside the spine canal that eventually exits with a pointed tip. Hairs develop later with the same modality of spines but have a smaller papilla and give rise to a fur coat among spines. Therefore the integument of developing echidnas initially produces spines from large dermal papillae but the reduction in size of the papillae later determines the formation of hairs. Although the morphogenesis of spines and hairs can represent a case of specialization in this species, the primitive mammalian characteristics of echidnas has also inspired new speculations on the evolution of the mammalian hair from mammalian-like reptiles with a spiny coat. The resemblance in the morphogenesis between spines and hairs has suggested some hypothesis on hair evolution, in particular that hairs might be derived from the reduction of protective large spines present in ancient mammalian-like reptiles possibly derived from the reduction of pre-existing pointed scales. The hypothesis suggests that spines became reduced and internalized in the skin forming hairs. Anat Rec, 298:761–770, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Allometry has been used to demonstrate a power-law scaling relationship in the brain of premature born infants. Forty-nine preterm infants underwent neonatal MRI scans and neurodevelopmental testing at age 2. Measures of cortical surface area and total cerebral volume demonstrated a power-law scaling relationship (α = 1.27). No associations were identified between these measures and investigated clinical variables. Term equivalent cortical surface area and total cerebral volume measures and scaling exponents were not related to outcome. These findings confirm a previously reported allometric scaling relationship in the preterm brain, and suggest that scaling is not a sensitive indicator of aberrant cortical maturation.

Background Circadian rhythm disturbances in adults with cancer are associated with fatigue, time to relapse, and death. This study of circadian activity rhythms (CAR) of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on continuation chemotherapy aimed to describe CAR before and after starting dexamethasone, and to determine whether fatigue was associated with less robust CAR. Procedure This was a secondary analysis of data from a multi-institutional study in which children with ALL aged 5–18 years wore an actigraph for 10 consecutive 24-hour periods, five before and five during dexamethasone therapy. CAR parameters measured by actigraphy were calculated for each 5-day period, including peak activity, MESOR, amplitude, acrophase, and circadian quotient. Fatigue was measured on study days 2, 5, 7, and 10 by parent-report and self-report for children ≥7 years. Results Eighty-two children qualified for CAR analysis, and 87 for analysis of daily peak activity patterns and fatigue. Mean age was 8.8 ± 3.3 years. Peak activity, MESOR, and amplitude significantly decreased during dexamethasone therapy. Children on high-dose dexamethasone (8 or 12 mg/m2/d) had significantly higher (better, or more robust) values of several CAR parameters than those on low-dose (6 mg/m2/d). There was a significant trend of decreasing daily pattern of peak activity during dexamethasone therapy only. Fatigue increased across the study and was associated with decreasing CAR peak activity, MESOR, and amplitude. Conclusions Dexamethasone initiation was associated with a decrease in several CAR parameters, and a significant decrease in the trend of daily peak activity. Fatigue was associated with less robust CAR. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:1986–1991. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Objective To evaluate the influence of major cross-match on transfusion efficacy based on the change in PCV following packed red blood cell (pRBC) administration in cats. Design Retrospective study from January 2000 to December 2010. Setting University Teaching Hospital. Animals Two hundred nine cats received 233 type-specific pRBC transfusions as treatment for anemia. Forty-three transfusions were cross-match compatible and 190 were not screened with cross-match. Interventions Pretransfusion major cross-match. Measurements and Main Results Signalment, body weight, dosage of pRBC transfusion, pretransfusion PCV, posttransfusion PCV, IV fluid volumes administered between the measurement of the pretransfusion PCV and posttransfusion PCV, time delay between pretransfusion PCV measurement and transfusion administration, time between administration of transfusion and posttransfusion PCV measurement, and major cross-match testing data were extracted from the medical records of cats receiving pRBC transfusions and were evaluated for their influence on posttransfusion PCV scaled to dose of pRBC administered. The mean pretransfusion PCV was significantly lower for cross-match compatible transfusions (13.7 ± 4.2%) compared to noncross-matched transfusions (16.1 ± 4.5%; independent samples t-test, P < 0.0001). The PCV increase posttransfusion scaled by dose was significantly greater for cross-match compatible transfusions (1.02 ± 0.51%/mL/kg) than for noncross-matched transfusions (0.74 ± 0.65%/mL/kg; independent samples t-test, P = 0.0093). Of age, dose of pRBCs, cross-match status, reason for transfusion, pretransfusion PCV, and dose of IV fluids administered between the pretransfusion and posttransfusion PCV, only pRBC dose, cross-match status, and pretransfusion PCV were independent predictors of change in PCV with transfusion on multiple regression analysis (coefficient = 0.507, P < 0.0001; coefficient = 1.64, P = 0.041; coefficient = –0.235, P = 0.0009, respectively). Conclusions In this retrospective study, administration of type-specific, cross-match compatible pRBC transfusions resulted in significantly greater increases in the posttransfusion PCV when compared to administration of typed, noncross-matched pRBCs. Future prospective studies evaluating the effect of cross-match on transfusion efficacy in cats are warranted.

AIM: Falling is the leading cause of injury-related deaths in older adults, and a loss of balance is often the precursor to a fall. However, little is known about the rate at which balance declines with age. The objective of the present study was to determine whether there is an age-associated decline in static (SB) and/or dynamic (DB) balance in community-dwelling older women. METHOD: SB and DB were determined in 971 older women. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to determine test-retest reliability. Sway velocity was used to measure SB standing on a platform and foam with eyes open and closed. DB was characterized by limits of stability (LOS) that measured end-point excursion (EXE) and maximum excursion (MXE) of the body's center of pressure. RESULTS: ICC for EXE and MXE for the LOS test were excellent (EPE = 0.96, MXE = 0.96). ICC for SB tests, except for the eyes open firm surface condition (ICC = 0.10), showed a high level of reproducibility (ICC = 0.88 and 0.90). Relationships existed between age and SB (r = 0.31, P Language: en

Summary Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt) is a human colonic symbiont that degrades many different complex carbohydrates (glycans), the identities and amounts of which are likely to change frequently and abruptly from meal-to-meal. To understand how this organism reacts to dynamic growth conditions, we challenged it with a series of different glycan mixtures and measured responses involved in glycan catabolism. Our results demonstrate that individual Bt cells can simultaneously respond to multiple glycans and that responses to new glycans are extremely rapid. The presence of alternative carbohydrates does not alter response kinetics, but reduces expression of some glycan utilization genes as well as the cell's sensitivity to glycans that are present in lower concentration. Growth in a mixture containing 12 different glycans revealed that Bt preferentially uses some before others. This metabolic hierarchy is not changed by prior exposure to lower priority glycans because re-introducing high priority substrates late in culture re-initiates repression of genes involved in degrading those with lower priority. At least some carbohydrate prioritization effects occur at the level of monosaccharide recognition. Our results provide insight into how a bacterial glycan generalist modifies its responses in dynamic glycan environments and provide essential knowledge to interpret related metabolic behaviour in vivo.

Keywords Climate change; Climatic variability; Dieback; Flash drought; Grazing;Juniperus; Legacy effect; Rangelands; Scale; State transition; Vegetation change; Woody encroachment Abstract Questions: How do recent patterns of drought-induced woody plant mortality in Texas semi-arid savanna compare to the extended drought of the 1950s? Does the relative composition of the woody plant community shift ubiquitously across the landscape following woody plant mortality and dieback or are shifts dependent on differences among species, soils, land use and plant demography?

Summary 1. Restoration priorities are typically established without quantitative information on how to overcome the thresholds that preclude successful restoration of desirable ecosystem properties and services. We seek to demonstrate that quantifying ecological thresholds and incorporating them into management-oriented frameworks provide a more comprehensive perspective on how the threshold concept can be applied to achieve restoration goals. 2. As an example, restoration actions have been largely unsuccessful when based on prevailing ecological knowledge of fire-based thresholds in nonresprouting Juniperus woodland. We build on previous threshold-based research and link well-established models from applied fire physics with a widely applied ecological positive feedback model of woody plant encroachment to introduce a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism influencing fire intensity and juniper mortality. 3. Our coupling of physical and ecological fire models revealed a critical knowledge gap, a lack of a quantitative estimate on the critical surface fire intensity required to cause mortality of Juniperus ashei trees, which limits the linking of scientific knowledge from these two disciplines. 4. To quantify the relationship between fire intensity and J. ashei mortality, we input data from a previous experiment into Byram’s fireline intensity model. This critical surface fire intensity–mortality threshold was estimated to be Is > 160 kJ m � 1 s � 1 . This value establishes a specific threshold that managers should target when attempting to use restoration to collapse J. ashei woodlands. 5. Synthesis and applications. For scientific information associated with the threshold concept to be useful to practitioners, specific information is needed that demonstrates how to use restoration activities to overcome thresholds and collapse the current, degraded state in favour of a more desired ecological state. With this in mind, we present a broadly applicable decision support model within a state and transition framework that identifies the ecological states where the surface fire intensity–mortality threshold is most likely to meet restoration objectives and provides examples of how fuel properties that drive fire intensity should be targeted in restoration to surpass this threshold.

Background Uncertainty remains about the rate of specific psychiatric disorders and associated predictive factors for very preterm (VPT) children. The aims of this study were to document rates of psychiatric disorders in VPT children aged 7 years compared with term born children, and to examine potential predictive factors for psychiatric diagnoses in VPT children.

A series of comb polymers consisting of a methacrylate backbone and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) side chains was synthesized by a combination of cationic ring-opening polymerization and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) studies revealed a transition from an ellipsoidal to a cylindrical conformation in D2O around a backbone degree of polymerization of 30. Comb-shaped PEtOx has lowered Tg values but a similar elution behavior in liquid chromatography under critical conditions in comparison to its linear analog was observed. The lower critical solution temperature behavior of the polymers was investigated by turbidimetry, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and SANS revealing decreasing Tcp in aqueous solution with increasing molar mass, the presence of very few aggregated structures below Tcp, a contraction of the macromolecules at temperatures 5 °C above Tcp but no severe conformational change of the cylindrical structure. In addition, the phase diagram including cloud point and coexistence curve was developed showing an LCST of 75 °C of the binary mixture poly[oligo(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)methacrylate]/water. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013

Certain autoimmune diseases as well as asthma have increased in recent decades, particularly in developed countries. The hygiene hypothesis has been the prevailing model to account for this increase; however, epidemiology studies also support the contribution of diet and obesity to inflammatory diseases. Diet affects the composition of the gut microbiota, and recent studies have identified various molecules and mechanisms that connect diet, the gut microbiota, and immune responses. Herein, we discuss the effects of microbial metabolites, such as short chain fatty acids, on epithelial integrity as well as immune cell function. We propose that dysbiosis contributes to compromised epithelial integrity and disrupted immune tolerance. In addition, dietary molecules affect the function of immune cells directly, particularly through lipid G-protein coupled receptors such as GPR43.

The application of agricultural biosolids to land is likely to increase on farms as pressures intensify to manage nutrients and carbon, especially with regard to slurry. Although much work has been carried out in this area, it has tended to focus on specific aspects of the application-use cycle, without a coherent framework and notably the role of soil biology has been little studied in this context, or considered appropriately in the development and application of slurry management systems. In this review article we present a hypothesis that the configuration of the soil microbial community is determined by the history of long-term inputs to which the community has been subjected and that the resultant configuration determines the instantaneous responses of the associated soil to the presence of slurries, and posit a set of critical questions which would effectively test this.

 Premise of the study: Invasive plants often display genetically determined variation in patterns of growth and resource allocation between native and introduced genotypes, as well as among genotypes within different regions of the introduced range. We examined patterns of genetic variation within and among native and introduced populations of the tetraploid Chinese tallow tree ( Triadica sebifera , Euphorbiaceae) to determine whether nonselective evolutionary processes or the introduction history could contribute to previously observed phenotypic differences between native and introduced populations as well as among introduced populations.  Methods: We used six microsatellite markers to study 12 native populations in China, 51 introduced populations in the southeastern USA, and one introduced population in Australia.  Key results: Genetic diversity was greater within and among native populations than introduced populations. Within the southeastern USA, populations in Georgia and South Carolina differed substantially in their genetic composition and had greater genetic diversity than the rest of the southeastern USA. Greater genetic similarity between some populations in the native range and introduced range indicate a common provenance for Georgia and South Carolina populations that could have come from any of several western or southern Chinese populations and a different provenance for other southeastern USA populations and the Australian population, which were most similar to more northeastern Chinese populations.  Conclusions: Differences among introduced populations in potentially adaptive traits (e.g., herbivore tolerance, herbivore resistance, growth rates) may result in part from the introduction history, in particular from differences present among source populations in the native range.

The importance of the agricultural sector in the economic development process is well known. Improvements in agricultural productivity are often found to spill into other areas of a developing economy, potentially improving the standards of living of urban and rural workers alike. Given the importance of this sector, accurate measures of total factor productivity (TFP) across countries can be helpful in identifying conditions, institutions or policies that promote agricultural development. In this article, we estimate TFP growth in agriculture for a panel of 39 sub-Saharan African countries from 1961 to 2007. We also develop a set of development outcome measures theoretically consistent with strong agricultural performance to serve as external validation of our results. We find that three estimation methods (stochastic frontier, generalised maximum entropy, and Bayesian efficiency) generate relative rankings that are consistent with the development outcome measures, providing external validation of the methods. However, the data envelopment analysis approach performs poorly in this regard.

The synthesis and microwave-assisted polymeriza- tion of a series of chiral 2-oxazolines with varying alkyl pend- ant groups, namely R-2-ethyl-4-ethyl-2-oxazoline (R-EtEtOx), R- 2-butyl-4-ethyl-2-oxazoline (R-BuEtOx), R-2-octyl-4-ethyl-2-oxa- zoline, 2-nonyl-4-ethyl-2-oxazoline, and R-2-undecyl-4-ethyl-2- oxazoline (R-UndeEtOx), are reported. A kinetic investigation of the polymerization of R-EtEtOx revealed a living polymerization mechanism. The poly(2-oxazoline)s containing an ethyl, butyl, and octyl pendant group form similar chiral structures accord- ing to circular dichroism measurements. When the pendant group is further elongated, the chiral structure becomes more flexible in trifluoroethanol and the thermal response in hexa- fluoroisopropanol (HFIP) significantly changes. The short-range structure of poly-R-BuEtOx dissolved in HFIP is thermorespon- sive in a complex way, due to HFIP hydrogen bonding to the polymeric amide groups, whereas the long-range structure determined from small angle neutron scattering is insensitive to temperature demonstrating that only the local secondary structure changes with temperature. In addition, the chiral structure of poly-R-UndeEtOx depends on the polarity of the solvent. The short-range structure becomes more flexible in polar solvents, most likely due to interactions with the amide groups disturbing the secondary structure. In contrast, the long-range structural transition from an ellipsoid in the apolar n-hexane to a rod structure in the polar n-butanol is ascribed to better solvation of the long aliphatic side chains. V C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 49: 2790-2801, 2011

Aim We present an integrated approach for predicting future range expansion of an invasive species (Chinese tallow tree) that incorporates statistical forecasting and analytical techniques within a spatially explicit, agent-based, simulation framework. Location East Texas and Louisiana, USA. Methods We drew upon extensive field data from the US Forest Service and the US Geological Survey to calculate spread rate from 2003 to 2008 and to parameterize logistic regression models estimating habitat quality for Chinese tallow within individual habitat cells. We applied the regression analyses to represent population spread rate as a function of habitat quality, integrated this function into a logistic model representing local spread, and coupled this model with a dispersal model based on a lognormal kernel within the simulation framework. We simulated invasions beginning in 2003 based on several different dispersal velocities and compared the resulting spatial patterns to those observed in 2008 using cross Mantel’s tests. We then used the best dispersal velocity to predict range expansion to the year 2023. Results Chinese tallow invasion is more likely in low and flat areas adjacent to water bodies and roads, and less likely in mature forest stands and in pine plantations where artificial regeneration by planting seedlings is used. Forecasted invasions resulted in a distribution that extended from the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana northward and westward as much as 300 km, representing approximately 1.58 million ha. Main conclusions Our new approach of calculating time series projections of annual range expansion should assist land managers and restoration practitioners plan proactive management strategies and treatments. Also, as field sampling continues on the national array of FIA plots, these new data can be incorporated easily into the present model, as well as being used to develop and/or improve models of other invasive plant species.

Dronedarone is an antiarrhythmic agent recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the reduction of cardiovascular-related hospitalizations in patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. The drug is a derivative of amiodarone and has been modified to reduce the organ toxicities frequently encountered with amiodarone. Dronedarone exerts its antiarrhythmic effects through multichannel blockade of the sodium, potassium, and calcium channels and also possesses antiadrenergic activity, thereby exhibiting pharmacologic effects of all four Vaughan Williams classes of antiarrhythmics. The efficacy of dronedarone for the maintenance of sinus rhythm, ventricular rate control, and reduction in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations has been demonstrated in several randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Although a high rate of gastrointestinal events (e.g., nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) has been associated with dronedarone, more serious adverse events such as thyroid, liver, or pulmonary toxicities have not been observed. Because of a possible increase in mortality, dronedarone should be avoided in patients with New York Heart Association class IV or II-III heart failure with a recent decompensation. Given the efficacy and safety data currently available, dronedarone represents a reasonable alternative for maintenance of sinus rhythm in appropriately selected patients.

Background and purpose: Antidepressants, which raise the CNS concentrations of 5-HT and noradrenaline, are frequently used in the treatment of chronic pain; however, it is not known if increasing CNS noradrenaline levels alone is sufficient for efficacy, in part resulting from a lack of small molecules with sufficient selectivity.

This study provides a long-term assessment of economic education by examining an individual's decision to have a bank account. Using the results of a nationwide telephone survey, high school courses in economics and business reduced the probability that an adult was unbanked, ceteris paribus. In addition, adults who demonstrated a higher level of understanding of basic economic concepts were less likely to be unbanked. The results indicated that an individual's understanding of the economic system was as important as formal coursework in explaining access to basic financial services.

In forested stream ecosystems of the north and eastern United States, larvae of the aquatic crane fly Tipula abdominalis are important shredders of leaf litter detritus. T. abdominalis larvae harbor a dense and diverse microbial community in their hindgut that may aide in the degradation of lignocellulose. In this study, the activities of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes were demonstrated from hindgut extracts and from bacterial isolatesusingmodelsugarsubstrates.Oneofthebacterialisolateswasfurthercharacterized as a member of the family Microbacteriaceae. Taxonomic position of the isolate within this family was determined by a polyphasic approach, as is commonly employed for the separation of genera within the family Microbacteriaceae. The bacterial isolate is Gram- type positive, motile, non-sporulating, and rod-shaped. The G + C content of the DNA is 64.9 mol%. The cell wall contains B2γ type peptidoglycan, D- and L-diaminobutyric acid as the diamino acid, and rhamnose as the predominant sugar. The predominant fatty acids are 12-methyltetradecanoic acid (ai-C15:0) and 14-methylhexadecanoic acid (ai-C17:0). The isolate forms a distinct lineage within the family Microbacteriaceae, as determined by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. We propose the name Crocebacterium ilecola gen. nov., sp. nov., to accommodate this bacterial isolate. The type species is T202 T (ATCC BAA-1359; GenBank Accession DQ826511).

Controlling the diameters of nanotubes represents a major challenge in nanostructures self-assembled from templating molecules. Here, two series of bolaform hexapeptides are designed, with Set I consisting of Ac-KI4 K-NH2 , Ac-KI3 NleK-NH2 , Ac-KI3 LK-NH2 and Ac-KI3 TleK-NH2 , and Set II consisting of Ac-KI3 VK-NH2 , Ac-KI2 V2 K-NH2 , Ac-KIV3 K-NH2 and Ac-KV4 K-NH2 . In Set I, substitution for Ile in the C-terminal alters its side-chain branching, but the hydrophobicity is retained. In Set II, the substitution of Val for Ile leads to the decrease of hydrophobicity, but the side-chain β-branching is retained. The peptide bolaphiles tend to form long nanotubes, with the tube shell being composed of a peptide monolayer. Variation in core side-chain branching and hydrophobicity causes a steady shift of peptide nanotube diameters from more than one hundred to several nanometers, thereby achieving a reliable control over the underlying molecular self-assembling processes. Given the structural and functional roles of peptide tubes with varying dimensions in nature and in technological applications, this study exemplifies the predictive templating of nanostructures from short peptide self-assembly.