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Wet markets have been implicated in multiple zoonotic outbreaks, including COVID-19. They are also a conduit for legal and illegal trade in wildlife, which threatens thousands of species. Yet wet markets supply food to millions of people around the world, and differ drastically in their physical composition, the goods they sell, and the subsequent risks they pose. As such, policy makers need to know how to target their actions to efficiently safeguard human health and biodiversity without depriving people of ready access to food. Here, we propose a taxonomy of wet markets, oriented around the presence of live or dead animals, and whether those animals are domesticated or wild (either captive-reared or wild-caught). We assess the dimensions and levels of risk that different types of wet markets pose to people and to biodiversity. We identify six key risk factors of wet markets that can affect human health: (1) presence of high disease-risk animal taxa, (2) presence of live animals, (3) hygiene conditions, (4) market size, (5) animal density and interspecies mixing, and (6) the length and breadth of animal supply chains. We also identify key factors informing risk to biodiversity. Finally, we recommend targeted, risk-adjusted policies to more efficiently and humanely address the dangers posed by wet markets.

Aircraft can hold large numbers of persons in close proximity for long periods, which can increase the risk for transmission of infectious disease.* Current CDC guidelines recommend against travel for persons who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, and a January 2021 CDC order requires masking for all persons while on airplanes.†,§ Research suggests that seating proximity on aircraft is associated with increased risk for infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (1,2). However, studies quantifying the benefit of specific distancing strategies to prevent transmission, such as keeping aircraft cabin middle seats vacant, are limited. Using bacteriophage MS2 virus as a surrogate for airborne SARS-CoV-2, CDC and Kansas State University (KSU) modeled the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 exposure and aircraft seating proximity, including full occupancy and vacant middle seat occupancy scenarios. Compared with exposures in full occupancy scenarios, relative exposure in vacant middle seat scenarios was reduced by 23% to 57% depending upon the modeling approach. A 23% exposure reduction was observed for a single passenger who was in the same row and two seats away from the SARS-COV-2 source, rather than in an adjacent middle seat. When quantifying exposure reduction to a full 120-passenger cabin rather than to a single person, exposure reductions ranging from 35.0% to 39.4% were predicted. A 57% exposure reduction was observed under the vacant middle seat condition in a scenario involving a three-row section that contained a mix of SARS-CoV-2 sources and other passengers. Based on this laboratory model, a vacant middle seat reduces risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from nearby passengers. These data suggest that increasing physical distance between passengers and lowering passenger density could help reduce potential COVID-19 exposures during air travel. Physical distancing of airplane passengers, including through policies such as middle seat vacancy, could provide additional reductions in SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a commodity polymer widely used in a variety of applications. Due to the complexity of its molecular structure, which includes molecular weight distribution and randomly distributed long-chain branching, its rheological behavior is varied. In the present work, a mathematical model is used to predict molecular and rheological properties of LDPE produced in a high-pressure tubular reactor under different operating conditions. The agreement between flow curve predictions and experimental data is very good, demonstrating the potential of this model as a predictive tool for industrial producers.

Serologic testing of residual blood samples from 812 children from a hospital in New Orleans, LA, between March and May 2020, demonstrated a SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence of 6.8% based on S and N protein IgG; Black and Hispanic children, and children living in zip codes with lower household incomes were over-represented.

BACKGROUND: Circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA may represent a more reliable indicator of infection than nasal RNA, but quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) lacks diagnostic sensitivity for blood samples. METHODS: A CRISPR-augmented RT-PCR assay that sensitively detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA was employed to analyze viral RNA kinetics in longitudinal plasma samples from nonhuman primates (NHPs) after virus exposure; to evaluate the utility of blood SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis in adults cases confirmed by nasal/nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR results; and to identify suspected COVID-19 cases in pediatric and at-risk adult populations with negative nasal swab RT-qPCR results. All blood samples were analyzed by RT-qPCR to allow direct comparisons. RESULTS: CRISPR-augmented RT-PCR consistently detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the plasma of experimentally infected NHPs from 1 to 28 days after infection, and these increases preceded and correlated with rectal swab viral RNA increases. In a patient cohort (n = 159), this blood-based assay demonstrated 91.2% diagnostic sensitivity and 99.2% diagnostic specificity versus a comparator RT-qPCR nasal/nasopharyngeal test, whereas RT-qPCR exhibited 44.1% diagnostic sensitivity and 100% specificity for the same blood samples. This CRISPR-augmented RT-PCR assay also accurately identified patients with COVID-19 using one or more negative nasal swab RT-qPCR results. CONCLUSION: Results of this study indicate that sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in blood by CRISPR-augmented RT-PCR permits accurate COVID-19 diagnosis, and can detect COVID-19 cases with transient or negative nasal swab RT-qPCR results, suggesting that this approach could improve COVID-19 diagnosis and the evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 infection clearance, and predict the severity of infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT04358211. FUNDING: Department of Defense, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Center for Research Resources.

Balanced fusion and fission are key for the proper function and physiology of mitochondria1,2. Remodelling of the mitochondrial inner membrane is mediated by the dynamin-like protein mitochondrial genome maintenance 1 (Mgm1) in fungi or the related protein optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) in animals3–5. Mgm1 is required for the preservation of mitochondrial DNA in yeast6, whereas mutations in the OPA1 gene in humans are a common cause of autosomal dominant optic atrophy—a genetic disorder that affects the optic nerve7,8. Mgm1 and OPA1 are present in mitochondria as a membrane-integral long form and a short form that is soluble in the intermembrane space. Yeast strains that express temperature-sensitive mutants of Mgm19,10 or mammalian cells that lack OPA1 display fragmented mitochondria11,12, which suggests that Mgm1 and OPA1 have an important role in inner-membrane fusion. Consistently, only the mitochondrial outer membrane—not the inner membrane—fuses in the absence of functional Mgm113. Mgm1 and OPA1 have also been shown to maintain proper cristae architecture10,14; for example, OPA1 prevents the release of pro-apoptotic factors by tightening crista junctions15. Finally, the short form of OPA1 localizes to mitochondrial constriction sites, where it presumably promotes mitochondrial fission16. How Mgm1 and OPA1 perform their diverse functions in membrane fusion, scission and cristae organization is at present unknown. Here we present crystal and electron cryo-tomography structures of Mgm1 from Chaetomium thermophilum. Mgm1 consists of a GTPase (G) domain, a bundle signalling element domain, a stalk, and a paddle domain that contains a membrane-binding site. Biochemical and cell-based experiments demonstrate that the Mgm1 stalk mediates the assembly of bent tetramers into helical filaments. Electron cryo-tomography studies of Mgm1-decorated lipid tubes and fluorescence microscopy experiments on reconstituted membrane tubes indicate how the tetramers assemble on positively or negatively curved membranes. Our findings convey how Mgm1 and OPA1 filaments dynamically remodel the mitochondrial inner membrane. Crystal and electron cryo-tomography structures of Mgm1 from Chaetomium thermophilum reveal that Mgm1 forms bent tetramers, which further assemble into helical filaments on both positively and negatively curved membranes.

BACKGROUND: The current neuroblastoma (NBL) staging system employs image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) to assess numerous anatomic features, but the impact of IDRFs on surgical and oncologic outcomes is unclear. METHODS: The Vanderbilt Cancer Registry identified children treated for NBL from 2002 to 2017. Tumor volume (TV) and IDRFs were measured radiographically at diagnosis and before resection. Perioperative and oncologic outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: At diagnosis of 106 NBL, 61% were IDRF positive. MYCN-amplified and undifferentiated NBL had more IDRFs than nonamplified and more differentiated tumors (p = 0.001 and p = 0.01). Of 86 NBLs resected, 43% were IDRF positive, which associated with higher stage, risk, and TV (each p < 0.001). The presence of IDRF at resection was also associated with increased blood loss (p < 0.001), longer operating times (p < 0.001), greater incidence of intraoperative complications (p = 0.03), more frequent ICU admissions postoperatively (p < 0.001), and longer hospital stays (p < 0.001). IDRF negative and positive tumors did not have significantly different rates of gross total resection (p = 0.2). Five-year relapse-free and overall survival was similar for IDRF negative and positive NBL (p = 0.9 and p = 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: IDRFs at diagnosis were associated with larger, less differentiated, advanced stage, and higher risk NBL and at resection with increased operative difficulty and perioperative morbidity. However, the frequency of gross total resection and patient survival after resection were not associated with the presence of IDRFs. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Droplet-combustion experiments with normal-alkane fuels, carried out onboard the International Space Station, have shown that, after radiative extinction of a droplet burning with an ordinary hot flame, often quasi-steady burning is initiated and sustained by a chemical-kinetic mechanism associated with cool flames. This second, cool-flame combustion stage occurs in a partial-burning regime in which both fuel and oxygen leak through a reaction zone that is controlled by the low-temperature chemistry of cool flames. This second stage persists for an appreciable period of time, after which it is terminated by cool-flame extinction, often at a measurable non-zero droplet diameter. This extinction diameter depends on the fuel and on the composition of the ambient atmosphere. Experiments involving large fuel droplets of different initial diameters indicate that the value of this cool-flame extinction diameter may vary with the initial droplet diameter and with the ignition energy imparted by the hot-wire igniters, even though the cool flame lies well within the region described as the inner quasi-steady zone, where flame structures are independent of initial conditions. These observations imply that the effective ambient atmosphere during the second stage likely depends on the previous combustion history. In the present contribution, evaluations are reported concerning possible influences of the ignition process, of the first-stage hot-flame combustion, and of prior cool-flame combustion on the effective atmosphere in which the second-stage combustion and extinction occur. It is concluded that analysis of influences of fuel leakage and condensation may be needed.

Background: Despite the paucity of evidence supporting chemotherapy in the treatment of node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer measuring

Nitrate is an abundant nutrient and electron acceptor throughout Earth’s biosphere. Virtually all nitrate in nature is produced by the oxidation of nitrite by the nitrite oxidoreductase (NXR) multiprotein complex. NXR is a crucial enzyme in the global biological nitrogen cycle, and is found in nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (including comammox organisms), which generate the bulk of the nitrate in the environment, and in anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria which produce half of the dinitrogen gas in our atmosphere. However, despite its central role in biology and decades of intense study, no structural information on NXR is available. Here, we present a structural and biochemical analysis of the NXR from the anammox bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis, integrating X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron tomography, helical reconstruction cryo-electron microscopy, interaction and reconstitution studies and enzyme kinetics. We find that NXR catalyses both nitrite oxidation and nitrate reduction, and show that in the cell, NXR is arranged in tubules several hundred nanometres long. We reveal the tubule architecture and show that tubule formation is induced by a previously unidentified, haem-containing subunit, NXR-T. The results also reveal unexpected features in the active site of the enzyme, an unusual cofactor coordination in the protein’s electron transport chain, and elucidate the electron transfer pathways within the complex., The oxidoreductase (NXR) multiprotein complex is a key enzyme in the nitrogen cycle. A detailed structural and biochemical characterization of NXR from the anammox bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis shows that this complex is a filament-forming protein that catalysers both nitrite oxidation and nitrate reduction, and elucidates the mechanisms governing complex assembly and function.

Cryo-electron tomography combined with subtomogram averaging (StA) has yielded high-resolution structures of macromolecules in their native context. However, high-resolution StA is not commonplace due to beam-induced sample drift, images with poor signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), challenges in CTF correction, and limited particle number. Here we address these issues by collecting tilt series with a higher electron dose at the zero-degree tilt. Particles of interest are then located within reconstructed tomograms, processed by conventional StA, and then re-extracted from the high-dose images in 2D. Single particle analysis tools are then applied to refine the 2D particle alignment and generate a reconstruction. Use of our hybrid StA (hStA) workflow improved the resolution for tobacco mosaic virus from 7.2 to 4.4 Å and for the ion channel RyR1 in crowded native membranes from 12.9 to 9.1 Å. These resolution gains make hStA a promising approach for other StA projects aimed at achieving subnanometer resolution., Combining cryo-electron tomography with subtomogram averaging (StA) allows the in situ structure determination of proteins and protein complexes. Here, the authors present the hybrid StA (hStA) workflow that combines the advantages of single particle cryo-EM and StA and consists of a tomographic data collection scheme and a data processing workflow and they demonstrate how hStA can improve the resolution using two examples: the ion channel RyR1 and tobacco mosaic virus.

BACKGROUNDChildren (≤18 years) account for ∼20% of the US population but currently represent METHODSDuring the March 18th-May 15th 2020 Louisiana Stay At Home Order, 1690 blood samples from 812 individuals from a Children’s Hospital were tested for antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein. Demographics, COVID-19 testing, and clinical presentation abstracted from medical records were compared with local COVID-19 cases.RESULTSIn total, 62 subjects (7.6%) were found to be seropositive. The median age was 11 years with 50.4% female. The presenting complaint of seropositive patients was chronic illness (43.5%). Only 18.2% had a previous positive COVID-19 PCR or antibody test. Seropositivity was significantly associated with parish (counties), race, and residence in a low-income area. Importantly, seropositivity was linearly correlated with cumulative COVID-19 case number for all ages by parish.CONCLUSIONIn a large retrospective study, the seropositivity prevalence for SARS-CoV-2 in children in Louisiana during the mandated Stay At Home Order was 7.6%. Residence location, race, and lower socioeconomic factors were linked to more frequent seropositivity in children and correlated to regional COVID-19 case rates. Thus, a significant number of children in Louisiana had SARS-CoV-2 infections that went undetected and unreported and may have contributed to virus transmission.

Cryo electron tomography (cryo-ET) combined with subtomogram averaging (StA) enables structural determination of macromolecules in their native context. A few structures were reported by StA at resolution higher than 4.5 Å, however all of these are from viral structural proteins or vesicle coats. Reaching high resolution for a broader range of samples is uncommon due to beam-induced sample drift, poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of images, challenges in CTF correction, limited number of particles. Here we propose a strategy to address these issues, which consists of a tomographic data collection scheme and a processing workflow. Tilt series are collected with higher electron dose at zero-degree tilt in order to increase SNR. Next, after performing StA conventionally, we extract 2D projections of the particles of interest from the higher SNR images and use the single particle analysis tools to refine the particle alignment and generate a reconstruction. We benchmarked our proposedhybrid StA (hStA)workflow and improved the resolution for tobacco mosaic virus from 7.2 to 5.2 Å and the resolution for the ion channel RyR1 in crowded native membranes from 12.9 to 9.1 Å. We demonstrate thathStAcan improve the resolution obtained by conventional StA and promises to be a useful tool for StA projects aiming at subnanometer resolution or higher.

Millimeter-size fuel droplets burning in microgravity show substantial thermal expansion at earlier times in their burning history. Here, we develop a simple model that accounts for thermal expansion of the liquid fuel and compare it against experimental measurements. The results show that excellent agreement with measured droplet-diameter histories throughout the hot-flame period of combustion is obtained when the effect of thermal expansion is included.

Experimental observations are presented concerning radiative extinction of large n-alkane droplets in diluent-substituted environments at moderately varied pressures in microgravity onboard the International Space Station. The fuels considered are n-heptane, n-octane, and n-decane with carbon dioxide, helium, and xenon used as inerts, replacing nitrogen as diluents at varying amounts. It is shown that a simple scaling analysis, based on the assumptions that radiative extinction occurs when the flame temperature drops to a critical value and that the radiative heat loss rate is a fraction of the heat-release rate at the flame, is able to correlate the measured droplet diameter at extinction as a function of its initial diameter and of the ambient gas-mixture properties.

BACKGROUND: Embryonal tumors arise typically in infants and young children and are often massive at presentation. Operative resection is a cornerstone in the multimodal treatment of embryonal tumors but potentially disrupts therapeutic timelines. When used appropriately, minimally invasive surgery can minimize treatment delays. The oncologic integrity and safety attainable with minimally invasive resection of embryonal tumors, however, remains controversial. METHODS: Query of the Vanderbilt Cancer Registry identified all children treated for intracavitary, embryonal tumors during a 15-year period. Tumors were assessed radiographically to measure volume (mL) and image-defined risk factors (neuroblastic tumors only) at time of diagnosis, and at preresection and postresection. Patient and tumor characteristics, perioperative details, and oncologic outcomes were compared between minimally invasive surgery and open resection of tumors of comparable size. RESULTS: A total of 202 patients were treated for 206 intracavitary embryonal tumors, of which 178 were resected either open (n = 152, 85%) or with minimally invasive surgery (n = 26, 15%). The 5-year, relapse-free, and overall survival were not significantly different after minimally invasive surgery or open resection of tumors having a volume less than 100 mL, corresponding to the largest resected with minimally invasive surgery (P = .249 and P = .124, respectively). No difference in margin status or lymph node sampling between the 2 operative approaches was detected (p = .333 and p = .070, respectively). Advantages associated with minimally invasive surgery were decreased blood loss (P < .001), decreased operating time (P = .002), and shorter hospital stay (P < .001). Characteristically, minimally invasive surgery was used for smaller volume and earlier stage neuroblastic tumors without image-defined risk factors. CONCLUSION: When selected appropriately, minimally invasive resection of pediatric embryonal tumors, particularly neuroblastic tumors, provides acceptable oncologic integrity. Large tumor volume, small patient size, and image-defined risk factors may limit the broader applicability of minimally invasive surgery.

Objectives To estimate birth prevalence of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) in HIV-exposed uninfected children born in the current era of combination antiretroviral therapy and describe cCMV-related neurodevelopmental and hearing outcomes. Study design The Surveillance Monitoring for ART Toxicities cohort study follows HIV-exposed uninfected children at 22 sites in the US and Puerto Rico. Birth cCMV prevalence was estimated in a subset of participants who had blood pellets collected within three weeks of birth and underwent ≥1 of 6 assessments evaluating cognitive and language development including an audiologic examination between 1 and 5 years of age. Detection of CMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction testing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was used to diagnose cCMV. Proportions of suboptimal assessment scores were compared by cCMV status using Fisher exact test. Results Mothers of 895 eligible HIV-exposed uninfected children delivered between 2007 and 2015. Most (90%) were on combination antiretroviral therapy, 88% had an HIV viral load of ≤400 copies/mL, and 93% had CD4 cell counts of ≥200 cells/μL. Eight infants were diagnosed with cCMV, yielding an estimated prevalence of 0.89% (95% CI, 0.39%-1.75%). After adjusting for a sensitivity of 70%-75% for the testing method, projected prevalence was 1.2%-1.3%. No differences were observed in cognitive, language and hearing assessments by cCMV status. Conclusions Although birth cCMV prevalence in HIV-exposed uninfected children born to women with well-controlled HIV is trending down compared with earlier combination antiretroviral therapy-era estimates, it is above the 0.4% reported for the general US population. HIV-exposed uninfected children remain at increased risk for cCMV.

Droplet combustion experiments carried out onboard the International Space Station, using pure fuels and fuel mixtures, have shown that quasi-steady burning can be sustained by a non-traditional flame configuration, namely a “cool flame” burning in the “partial-burning” regime where both fuel and oxygen leak through the low-temperature-controlled flame-sheet. Recent experiments involving large, bi-component fuel ( n -decane and hexanol, 50/50 by volume) droplets at elevated pressures show that the visible, hot flame becomes extremely weak while the burning rate remains relatively high, suggesting the possible simultaneous presence of “cool” and “hot” flames of roughly equal importance. The radiant output from these bi-component droplets is relatively high and cannot be accounted for only by the presence of a visible hot flame. In this analysis we explore the theoretical possibility of a dual-flame structure, where one flame lies close to the droplet surface, called the “cool flame”, and the other farther away from the droplet surface, termed the “hot flame”. A Burke-Schumann analysis of this dual structure seems to indicate that such flame structures are possible over a limited range of initial conditions. These theoretical results can be compared against available experimental data for pure and bi-component fuel droplet combustion to test how realistic the model may be.

Droplet combustion experiments carried out in the International Space Station using n-alkane fuels have shown that large droplets, when ignited, first burn with visible hot flames and then extinguish, only to be followed later by quasi-steady cool-flame combustion. In a few of these experiments, some of the nitrogen in the nitrogen-oxygen ambient-gas mixture was replaced by helium, carbon dioxide, or xenon, for n-heptane, n-octane, n-decane, or n-dodecane droplets. Different diluents were observed to exert remarkably different influences on the cool-flame combustion. These initially unexpected differences are summarized here, with explanations offered for their causes. In particular, a simplified theoretical description of cool-flame-supported droplet combustion is employed to predict burning-rate constants and droplet diameters at cool-flame extinction, resulting in good agreement with much of the experimental data but disagreement with certain measurements, for reasons that are explained. The comparisons underscore the important influence of the diluent, especially on the Lewis numbers of cool-flame intermediate species derived from the fuel vapor.

A drug of abuse, Foxy or Methoxy Foxy gained popularity among recreational users as an alternative to MDMA (Ecstasy). Considerable research into the consequences of MDMA use is available, yet much remains unknown about the neurobiological consequences of Foxy use. In addition, research into the long-term neuropsychological repercussions associated with these two compounds remains incomplete. The goal of the present research was to explore the effects of MDMA or Foxy on cognitive processes associated with adolescent exposure considered over much of the lifespan. Here we investigated whether the reported effects following adolescent exposure resolved in early adulthood or continued throughout life. The protocol involved repeated doses of either MDMA or Foxy during the period defined as mid-adolescence (postnatal days 34 - 46) in rats, followed by the use of four series of learning and memory tasks repeated at different points in the rodent lifespan. At four time points in adulthood, the animals were trained and tested on a on a series of spatial and non-spatial memory tasks designed to assess the impact and severity of Foxy and MDMA. Oddly, MDMA-treated rats were impaired on a step down passive avoidance task. The performance of the drug-treated rats was markedly inferior to that of the control animals on more demanding water maze tasks, with some results suggesting a lack of flexibility in adapting to changing task demands. MDMA rats were the most impaired. While some persistent cognitive deficits were found, no significant group differences in serotonin or dopamine levels were found in any of the measured regions of the brain changes, cortical or subcortical. These results provide evidence for compromised neurocognition that continues long after drug exposure in the absence of any discernable changes in neurotransmitter levels. Several possible physiological and neurochemical mechanisms associated with these compounds requiring further study are also outlined.

Differential triangular flow, v 3 ( p T ) , of negative pions is measured at s NN = 17.3 GeV around midrapidity by the CERES/NA45 experiment at CERN in central PbAu collisions in the range 0–30% with a mean centrality of 5.5%. This is the first measurement as a function of transverse momentum of the triangular flow at SPS energies. The p T range extends from about 0.05 GeV/ c to more than 2 GeV/ c . The triangular flow magnitude, corrected for the HBT effects, is smaller by a factor of about 2 than the one measured by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC and the ALICE experiment at the LHC. Within the analyzed range of central collisions no significant centrality dependence is observed. The data are found to be well described by a viscous hydrodynamic calculation combined with an UrQMD cascade model for the late stages.

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the leading cause of nongenetic congenital hearing loss in much of the world and a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Infected babies can be born to women who are seropositive and seronegative prior to pregnancy, and the incidence is approximately 0.6%-0.7% in the United States. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and hearing loss can be delayed in onset and progressive. Methods: We reviewed the literature to summarize the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and future directions of cCMV. Results: The best way to diagnose the infection is with polymerase chain reaction of urine or saliva within 3 weeks after birth, followed by a repeat confirmatory test if positive. Moderately to severely symptomatic neonates should be treated for 6 months with valganciclovir, and some practitioners also choose to treat infants who have isolated hearing loss only. Treatment is not recommended for asymptomatic infants. All infected infants should be screened for hearing loss and neurodevelopmental sequelae. Universal and targeted screening may be cost effective. Currently, no vaccine is commercially available, although multiple candidates are under study. Conclusion: Congenitally acquired cytomegalovirus is found in all communities around the world with a disease burden that is greater than many other well-known diseases. Advances are being made in prevention and treatment; however, improved awareness of the disease among clinicians and patients is needed.

The purpose of this study was to determine if receipt of chemotherapy was associated with utilization of the 21-gene recurrence score assay (RS assay) or with recurrence score (RS) in eligible patients. Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), we identified female patients eligible for RS assay based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines: age 18–70, ER-positive and HER2-negative early-stage breast cancer diagnosed during 2010–2013. We excluded patients not meeting testing guidelines. Inclusion required result of RS in patients who underwent RS assay and status for receipt of chemotherapy. Multivariable logistic regression models and propensity matched analysis were used to determine associations between RS assay and RS with receipt of chemotherapy. Among 129,765 patients who were eligible, 74,778 underwent RS assay and had results available. Of these, 59.5 % (44,505) had low-risk, 32.0 % (23,920) had intermediate-risk, and 8.5 % (6353) had high-risk RS. Patients with intermediate- and high-risk RS were more likely to receive chemotherapy [OR 12.9 (CI 12.2–13.6), p

Background Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) is expressed by 50% to 80% of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). Agonism of ERβ has antiproliferative effects in TNBC cells expressing ERβ. This phase 2 study evaluated single-agent high-dose estradiol in patients with advanced TNBC. Patients and Methods Adult women with measurable advanced TNBC were treated with estradiol 10 mg oral 3 times daily provided continuously for 28-day cycles. A Simon optimal 2-stage design was used. The primary end point was objective response (OR). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), clinical benefit (CB), and safety. OR, CB, and PFS by ERβ status were also examined. Results Seventeen evaluable women were enrolled. Median age was 58 years (range, 34-90 years); the median number of prior systemic therapies was 2 (range, 0-6). One patient had a confirmed partial response (OR rate, 5.9%) and remained on the study for > 24 weeks. Three patients had stable disease, with one lasting more than 16 weeks. ERβ expression was detected in 77% (13 patients). The CB rate at 16 weeks was 15% (2 of 13) in ERβ-positive patients and 0% (0 of 4) in ERβ-negative patients ( P = 1). PFS was poor (median, 1.9 months) and not statistically significantly different between ERβ-positive versus -negative patients. No new adverse events from estradiol were identified. The study closed after the first stage as a result of limited responses in these unselected patients. Conclusion In unselected TNBC, high-dose estradiol has limited efficacy. However, further evaluation of ERβ selective agonists in TNBC selected by ERβ expression may be warranted.

Purpose: This study assesses the effectiveness of a single institution’s breast cancer survivorship program on patient perceptions, quality of life (QOL), and compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for follow-up. Methods: Sampled patients completed all their breast cancer treatment at a single tertiary center. Surveys designed to evaluate QOL were obtained, and retrospective medical record review was conducted to assess NCCN compliance. Survivorship clinic (SC) attendees and nonattendees were matched for age and disease stage for comparison of the outcomes (QOL, NCCN compliance, and overall effectiveness). Results: SC patients (n = 63) tended to perceive their concerns in various categories to be addressed more adequately than did nonattendees (n = 54), with significant differences in the areas of practical concerns (P = .03) and late-term adverse effects (P = .03). There was a significant difference in compliance with three NCCN guidelines (history and physical every 3 to 6 months, annual mammography, and a pelvic examination if on tamoxifen) between survivorship attendees and nonattendees (P < .001, P = .02, and P < .001, respectively). Women who attended an SC used other survivorship support resources more often. Conclusion: Survivorship programs can be time and resource consuming, but our study is one of the first to show that a survivorship program effectively changes patient behavior in important ways. Patients who attended an SC were more likely to be compliant with NCCN-recommended follow-up and to use other survivorship resources and felt their concerns were better addressed. These measures can be used to help us improve our survivorship services and by other institutions to measure the quality and effectiveness of their programs.

A simplified model for droplet combustion in the partial-burning regime is applied to the cool-flame regime observed in droplet-burning experiments performed in the International Space Station with normal-alkanes fuels resulting in expressions for the quasi-steady droplet burning rate and for the flame standoff ratio. The simplified predictions are found to produce reasonable agreement with the experimentally measured values of burning-rate constants but not with their apparent dependencies on pressure or on the initial droplet diameter. Good agreement is found, however, with newly measured and numerically calculated flame standoff ratios in this droplet combustion supported by cool flames.

In response to engineering needs of measuring moderate or large strains in metallic structures’ progress in resistance strain gages, technology resulted in widening the measurement range of this type of sensors to a range of 10–15%. For precision strain measurement applications, especially when a considerable number of measurement points are involved, single strain gage sensors are commonly used in quarter Wheatstone bridge configurations. Extension of measurement range to moderate strains requires taking into account inherent nonlinearities in signal transfer functions of the elements present in measurement chain. This work discusses in detail the most important ones, that is resistive gage sensor and quarter bridge measurement configuration nonlinearities to indicate that they are of the same order for moderate strains. Quite straightforward, shunt calibration procedure, taking into account these nonlinearities, is delivered or proposed enabling elimination of systematic errors. Thus, optimum accuracy of strain measurements matching the characteristics of components of strain measurement system can be conveniently achieved upon following simple steps. Inverse hyperbolic tangent—\( \epsilon \)Ln =tanh−1(2 ∙e0/Eex)—linking scalar logarithmic strain and bridge reduced output voltage is shown to be a transfer function of strain measurement system with gage sensor in quarter bridge configuration for moderate or large strains.

A teacher preparation institution critically reviewed current programs and began moving toward a clinically based model. One focuses on Middle Grades/Secondary Math and Science, another focuses on Secondary English Language Arts, and a pilot project focuses on Elementary with a minor in either English/Language Arts or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Keywords: teacher education, clinical practice, and clinical teacher preparation

Past studies indicate delays in adoption of consensus-based guideline updates. In June 2016, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network changed its guidelines from routine testing to omission of ordering complete blood cell count (CBC) and liver function tests (LFT) in patients with early breast cancer. In response, we developed an implementation strategy to discontinue our historical practice of routine ordering of these tests in asymptomatic patients.The ordering of CBC and LFT for clinical stage I-IIIA breast cancer patients was audited in 2016. In June 2016, we utilized the levers of the National Quality Strategy implementation methodology to enact a system-wide change to omit routine ordering. To measure the plan's effectiveness, guideline compliance for ordering was tracked continually.Of 92 patients with early stage cancer in 2016, the overall rate of compliance with guidelines for ordering a CBC and LFT was 82% (88/107) and 87% (93/107), respectively. Segregated by the pre- and post-guideline change time period, the compliance rates for ordering a CBC and LFT were 78% and 87% (In contrast to historical reports of delays in adoption of new evidence-based guideline changes, we were able to quickly change provider practice during the transition from routine ordering to omission of ordering screening blood tests in newly diagnosed patients with early breast cancer.

Recent droplet-combustion experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS) have revealed that large n-alkane droplets, following radiative extinction of the visible flame, can continue to burn quasi-steadily in a low-temperature regime, characterized by negative-temperature-coefficient (NTC) chemistry. In this study we report experimental observations of n-heptane, n-octane, and n-decane droplets of varying initial size burning in oxygen/nitrogen, oxygen/nitrogen/carbon dioxide, and oxygen/nitrogen/helium environments at pressures from 0.5 to 1.0 atm, with oxygen concentrations from 14% to 25% by volume. These large n-alkane droplets exhibited radiative extinction of the hot flame, followed by quasi-steady low-temperature burning, which terminated with diffusive extinction accompanied by the formation of a vapor cloud, while small droplets did not exhibit radiative extinction but instead burned to completion or disruptively extinguished. Results for droplet burning rates in both the hot-flame and cool-flame regimes, as well as droplet extinction diameters at the end of each stage, are presented. The cool-flame extinction diameters for all three n-alkanes are shown to follow a similar trend as functions of the oxygen concentration, predicted here from a simplified theoretical model that is based on the reaction-rate parameters for the oxygen molecule addition to the alkyl radical and for ketohydroperoxide decomposition.

The results of comparative examinations of mechanical behaviour during fatigue loads and microstructure assessment before and after fatigue tests were presented. Composites of aluminium matrix and SiC reinforcement manufactured using the KoBo method were investigated. The combinations of two kinds of fatigue damage mechanisms were observed. The first one governed by cyclic plasticity and related to inelastic strain amplitude changes and the second one expressed in a form of ratcheting based on changes in mean inelastic strain. The higher SiC content the less influence of the fatigue damage mechanisms on material behaviour was observed. Attempts have been made to evaluate an appropriate fatigue damage parameter. However, it still needs further improvements.

This paper presents a transient model of internal catalytic combustion suitable for isolated channels and monolith reactors. Due to time-scales in the problem, the model considers a quasi-steady gas phase with a transient solid. The gas is described by axially varying bulk temperature and species. The gas includes lateral diffusion via transfer coefficients and the specification of a gas-phase species concentration at the wall; axial diffusion is neglected. The solid phase is a thermally thin shell with axially varying temperature, surface species, and surface species concentrations. The solid includes axial heat conduction and external heat loss by convection and radiation. The combustion process utilizes detailed gas and surface reaction models. The gas-phase model becomes a system of stiff ordinary differential equations with respect to axial position; the upstream (inlet) boundary conditions are specified and the axially varying solid properties are parameters in integration. The solid phase discretizes into a system of stiff ordinary differential-algebraic equations with respect to time. The time evolution of the system comes from alternating integrations of the quasi-steady gas phase and transient solid. The model is compared to two experimental cases using CO fuel: (1) steady-state conversion in an isothermal platinum tube and (2) transient propagation of a catalytic reaction inside a small platinum tube and includes external tube temperature measurements. This work presents sensitivity studies on important parameters including internal transfer coefficients, catalytic surface site density, external heat-loss, and others. Under mass-transfer limited conditions, global transfer coefficients are adequate to predict fuel conversion. Near light-off, the model predictions improve for the first case after adjusting the surface kinetics such that the net rate of CO adsorption increases compared to O 2 . For the second case, predictions of transient propagation speeds are good for equivalence ratios near unity and greater but require adjustment of external heat loss or kinetics to match under lean conditions.

Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer can be improved by increasing dose density. We tested the feasibility of delivering dose-dense docetaxel-cyclophosphamide (TC) in a single-arm phase II trial of 42 patients via the Wisconsin Oncology Network. Treatment was safe, tolerable, and most patients completed therapy as plan- ned. Thus, this commonly used regimen can be delivered in 8 weeks. Introduction: Dose-dense therapies have had a major effect on reducing toxicity and improving outcomes in breast cancer. A combination of TC every 3 weeks has emerged as a common chemotherapy regimen used for treatment of node-negative or lower-risk node-positive breast cancer. We tested whether it is feasible to deliver TC on a dose- dense schedule, with therapy completed within 10 weeks. Patients and Methods: We enrolled women with early stage breast cancer on a single-arm phase II study of adjuvant dose-dense TC through a regional oncology network. All women completed primary surgery before accrual, and subsequent therapy with TC was deemed appropriate by the treating physician. Planned treatment was docetaxel 75 mg/m 2 plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m 2 every 2 weeks for 4 cycles with subcutaneous pegfilgrastim 6 mg administered 24 to 48 hours after the administration of each chemotherapy cycle. Results: Of 42 women enrolled, 41 were evaluable using prespecified criteria. Of these, 37 (90.2%) completed therapy within 10 weeks and 34 (83%) completed therapy at 8 weeks without dose modification. Rates of neuropathy were similar to that reported previously. The rate of neutropenic fever was low (2.5%). Rash and plantar-palmar erythrodythesia were common and reached grade 3 in 4 subjects (9.8%). Conclusion: Dose-dense TC is feasible with tolerability profiles similar to standard TC and a low likelihood of neutropenic fever. This study supports further clinical development of this 8-week adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

Background: Dose-dense therapies have had a major impact on reducing toxicity and improving outcomes in breast cancer. A combination of docetaxel plus cyclophosphamide (TC) every 3 weeks has emerged as a common chemotherapy regimen used for treatment of node-negative or lower-risk node-positive breast cancer. We tested whether it is feasible to deliver TC on a dose-dense schedule. Patients and Methods: We enrolled women with early stage breast cancer on a single-arm phase II study of adjuvant dose-dense TC (ddTC) through a regional oncology network (WON). All women completed primary surgery; subsequent therapy with TC was deemed appropriate by the treating physician. Planned treatment was docetaxel 75 mg/m2 plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 every 2 weeks for 4 cycles with subcutaneous pegfilgrastim 6 mg administered 24-48 hours after the administration of each chemotherapy cycle. The primary endpoint was feasibility of administering therapy within 10 weeks. A Simon Optimal 2-Stage design was employed for the study design. Results: Of 42 women enrolled, 41 were evaluable by prespecified criteria. Median age was 54 (28-73). Most subjects had node negative (73%) or hormone receptor positive (71%) tumors. Of the 41 subjects, 37 (90.2%) completed therapy within 10 weeks and 34 (83%) completed therapy at 8 weeks without dose modification. Rates of grade 2 neuropathy were similar to that reported previously (15%) and there were no cases of grade 3 or higher neuropathy. The rate of neutropenic fever was low (2.5%). Rash and plantar/palmar erythrodythesia were common and reached grade 3 in four subjects (9.8%). Conclusion: Dose-dense TC is feasible with tolerability profiles similar to standard TC and a low likelihood of neutropenic fever. This study supports further clinical development of this 8-week adjuvant chemotherapy regimen. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-12-10.

Background: Sialophorin is a transmembrane sialoglycoprotein. Normally, the molecule is only produced by white blood cells where it regulates functions such as intercellular adhesion, intracellular signalling, apoptosis, migration and proliferation. Methods: Normal breast tissue and primary breast tumours were analysed by immunohistochemistry for sialophorin expression. The sialophorin-positive breast cancer cell line MCF7 was engineered to stably express either non-targeted or sialophorin-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA). Assays were then performed in vitro to assess apoptosis, intracellular adhesion, transendothelial migration and cytotoxicity. An orthotopic mouse model assayed ability to produce tumours in vivo. Results: Normal breast epithelial cells exhibit expression of the N-terminal domain of sialophorin in the cytoplasm but not the nucleus. The majority of these normal cells are also negative for expression of the C-terminal domain. In contrast, malignant breast epithelial cells exhibit N-terminal expression both in the cytoplasm and nucleus and the majority express the C-terminus in the nucleus. Using differential patterns of intracellular expression of the N and C termini of sialophorin, we define six subtypes of breast cancer that are independent of histological and receptor status classification. Targeting sialophorin with siRNA resulted in the MCF7 breast cancer cell line exhibiting increased homotypic adhesion, decreased transendothelial migration, increased susceptibility to apoptosis, increased vulnerability to lysis by natural killer cells and decreased ability to produce tumours in mice. Conclusion: Our results indicate that intracellular patterns of sialophorin expression define a new molecular classification of breast cancer and that sialophorin represents a novel therapeutic target.

Airflow is a critical factor that influences air quality, airborne contaminant distribution, and disease transmission in commercial airliner cabins. The general aircraft-cabin air-contaminant transport effect model seeks to build exposure-spatial relationships between contaminant sources and receptors, quantify the uncertainty, and provide a platform for incorporation of data from a variety of studies. Knowledge of infection risk to flight crews and passengers is needed to form a coherent response to an unfolding epidemic, and infection risk may have an airborne pathogen exposure component. The general aircraf-tcabin air-contaminant transport effect model was applied to datasets from the University of Illinois and Kansas State University and also to case study information from a flight with probable severe acute respiratory syndrome transmission. Data were fit to regression curves, where the dependent variable was contaminant concentration (normalized for source strength and ventilation rate), and the independent variable was distance between source and measurement locations. The data-driven model showed exposure to viable small droplets and post-evaporation nuclei at a source distance of several rows in a mock-up of a twin-aisle airliner with seven seats per row. Similar behavior was observed in tracer gas, particle experiments, and flight infection data for severe acute respiratory syndrome. The study supports the airborne pathway as part of the matrix of possible disease transmission modes in aircraft cabins.

Network noise invariants are introduced that lead to improved noise characterization and a complete theory of linear noisy two-ports. Minimum power-added noise temperature and minimum cold load temperature are identified as network noise invariants under lossless embedding. Associated invariant equations provide explicit relations between all known and new network invariants. From these equations, an invariant under lossless embedding is identified that defines network noise-gain coupling in the most basic terms of noise correlation, minimum noise temperature, and complex nonreciprocal gain. A noise correlation parameter q is formally introduced that is invariant to lossless input and/or output transformation. Conditions and bounds are established, and it is shown that q ≈ 2 for low-noise active devices. An exact expression for the q parameter of a minimum noise cascade network is given in terms of constituent device invariants. From a systems point of view, the cascade q parameter represents source impedance noise sensitivity. A lower bound on cascade q is determined by device invariants minimum power-added noise temperature and minimum cold load temperature. It is shown that the cascade q lower bound is realized by simultaneous noise and power match.

Two grades of structural steel were subjected to fully reversible, constant stress amplitude cyclic loading. The local strain response of the material was measured and recorded during the test, with the applied testing technique enabling the monitoring of hysteresis loop variation for the narrowest cross-section of the hourglass specimen. Changes in hysteresis loop width, representing the local inelastic response of the material, were recorded in order to monitor the density of structural imperfections. Material ratcheting behaviour was observed as changes in the mean strain for selected load cycles. Ratcheting was attributed to local deformation of the material in the vicinity of imperfections such as voids or inclusions, as well as deformation induced by the propagation of microcracks. Definitions of a damage indicator parameter and damage parameter were proposed. The fatigue behaviour of the two investigated grades of steel was finally illustrated in the form of damage curves for different stress amplitudes and for undamaged and fatigue pre-damaged material.

Background The prevalence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) at birth is 0.5%–1% in the United States. Most cCMV newborns are asymptomatic at birth with 10%–15% subsequently developing sequelae, such as hearing loss. Higher cCMV prevalence (2.5%–11.4%) is reported in infants born to HIV-infected women, associated with maternal immune suppression and lack of antiretroviral therapy (ART), with few studies addressing neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes in their offspring. We report birth prevalence of cCMV in a cohort of HIV-exposed, uninfected infants (HEU) born to women on combination ART with well-controlled HIV and describe ND outcomes through age 5 years. Methods The Surveillance Monitoring for ART Toxicities (SMARTT) study is an ongoing NICHD-funded observational multi-centered cohort study (United States and Puerto Rico) of growth and development of HEU children that commenced in 2007. As of August 1, 2017, participants with stored blood pellets collected ≤3 weeks after birth and at least 1 ND assessment ≥1 year of age had pellets tested by DNA PCR to establish cCMV. Comparisons of ND outcomes (defined in figure) at ages 1, 2, and 5 by cCMV status were made using Wilcoxon and Fisher’s Exact tests. Results Of 895 children meeting study criteria (55% black; 32% white; 40% Latino), 8 had cCMV, yielding a birth prevalence of 0.89% (95% CI 0.39–1.75%). All were asymptomatic and similar to CMV-uninfected infants in gestational age and anthropometric measurements at birth. The last HIV viral load prior to delivery was undetectable in 88% of women. The last available CD4% was Conclusion Birth prevalence of cCMV in HEU children born within the last decade approaches national US prevalence. Preschool HEU children with asymptomatic cCMV at birth did not show poorer language, hearing, and developmental outcomes compared with CMV-uninfected HEU children. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Ecological restoration increases, but evaluation of restoration efforts is inadequate because reliable performance indicators are lacking. As plants are important actors in ecological restoration, we suggest that they be used as metres, i.e. phytometers, of restoration success. Phytometer plants are transplanted to different conditions to integrate measures of the prevailing conditions. We analysed 109 studies for the use of phytometers and especially their applicability to evaluate ecological restoration. Most studies employed single species and life-stages and focused on habitat conditions and environmental impacts. Most experiments were conducted on grasslands in moist temperate regions. Growth was the dominant response variable, in long-term studies often combined with reproductive output and plant survival. Only five studies specifically evaluated ecological restoration, implying that its potential is not yet realised. We found phytometers promising in evaluating restoration outcomes given that they are easy to measure, can provide rapid results, and serve as integrative indicators of environmental conditions with the ability of covering many aspects of plant life and ecosystem processes. To evaluate restoration success with high resolution and generality, we suggest a combination of different phytometer species, life-forms and life-stages, and experimental periods >1 year to reduce effects of transplantation and between-year variation and to account for time lags in ecological processes and changes after restoration.

At the dawn of the Space Age, the design of early rocket and spacecraft systems presented significant challenges because of the low-gravity environment of space. Motivated by these challenges, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) pioneered the development of low-gravity facilities—including drop towers, sounding rockets, zero-gravity (zero-g) aircraft, and most importantly, space-based facilities—to advance microgravity research to further the nation’s space exploration efforts. These efforts resulted in improved spacecraft system designs and practices in areas as diverse as fluid handling and spacecraft fire safety. At the same time, researchers realized that the microgravity environment allows the study of fundamental combustion and fluid physics problems, without the complication of buoyancy-induced convection. Microgravity testing enabled advancements in areas of technological and ecological importance in terrestrial applications such as global a...

Experimental observations of anomalous combustion of n-heptane droplets burning in microgravity are reported. Following ignition, a relatively large n-heptane droplet first undergoes radiative extinction, that is, the visible flame ceases to exist because of radiant energy loss. But the droplet continues to experience vigorous vaporization for an extended period according to a quasi-steady droplet-burning law, ending in a secondary extinction at a finite droplet diameter, after which a vapor cloud rapidly appears surrounding the droplet. We hypothesize that the second-stage vaporization is sustained by low-temperature, soot-free, “cool-flame” chemical heat release. Measured droplet burning rates and extinction diameters are used to extract an effective heat release, overall activation energy, and pre-exponential factor for this low-temperature chemistry, and the values of the resulting parameters are found to be closer to those of “cool-flame” overall reaction-rate parameters, found in the literature, than to corresponding hot-flame parameters.

We examined the efficacy of olanzapine for the prevention of nausea and vomiting in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.In a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial, we compared olanzapine with placebo, in combination with dexamethasone, aprepitant or fosaprepitant, and a 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3-receptor antagonist, in patients with no previous chemotherapy who were receiving cisplatin (≥70 mg per square meter of body-surface area) or cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin. The doses of the three concomitant drugs administered before and after chemotherapy were similar in the two groups. The two groups received either 10 mg of olanzapine orally or matching placebo daily on days 1 through 4. Nausea prevention was the primary end point; a complete response (no emesis and no use of rescue medication) was a secondary end point.In the analysis, we included 380 patients who could be evaluated (192 assigned to olanzapine, and 188 to placebo). The proportion of patients with no chemotherapy-induced nausea was significantly greater with olanzapine than with placebo in the first 24 hours after chemotherapy (74% vs. 45%, P=0.002), the period from 25 to 120 hours after chemotherapy (42% vs. 25%, P=0.002), and the overall 120-hour period (37% vs. 22%, P=0.002). The complete-response rate was also significantly increased with olanzapine during the three periods: 86% versus 65% (P0.001), 67% versus 52% (P=0.007), and 64% versus 41% (P0.001), respectively. Although there were no grade 5 toxic effects, some patients receiving olanzapine had increased sedation (severe in 5%) on day 2.Olanzapine, as compared with placebo, significantly improved nausea prevention, as well as the complete-response rate, among previously untreated patients who were receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02116530.).

A consolidation of powders using the KOBO method at elevated temperature was elaborated for production of Al/SiC metal matrix composite (MMC). The observations of the mean strain and inelastic strain range during the force controlled high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests identified the ratcheting mechanism combined with mechanism characterized by cyclic plasticity. Damage parameters were calculated on the basis of strain signal acquisition during fatigue tests. Fatigue properties, creep resistance and lifetime of Al/SiC MMC were gradually improved with the increase of the SiC particles content. The microstructural observations of the material before and after tests were also performed.