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Abstract Most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) initially respond to chemotherapy, but relapse is common and treatment is often limited by chemotherapy-related toxicity. Bortezomib, is a highly selective proteasome inhibitor with anti-NHL activity; it is currently FDA approved for second-line treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Bortezomib exerts its activity in part through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also by the induction of apoptosis. We previously validated CD22 as a potential target in treating NHL and have shown that the anti-CD22 ligand blocking antibody, HB22.7, has significant independent lymphomacidal properties in NHL xenograft models. We sought to determine whether or not these agents would work synergistically to enhance cytotoxicity. Our results indicate that treatment of NHL cell lines with HB22.7 six hours prior to bortezomib significantly diminished cell viability. These effects were not seen when the agents were administered alone or when bortezomib was administered prior to HB22.7. Additionally, HB22.7 treatment prior to bortezomib increased apoptosis in part through enhanced ROS generation. Finally, in a mouse xenograft model, administration of HB22.7 followed 24 hours later by bortezomib resulted in 23% smaller tumor volumes and 20% enhanced survival compared to treatment with the reverse sequence. Despite the increased efficacy of HB22.7 treatment followed by bortezomib, there was no corresponding decrease in peripheral blood cell counts, indicating no increase in toxicity. Our results suggest that pre-treatment with HB22.7 increases bortezomib cytotoxicity, in part through increased reactive oxygen species and apoptosis, and that this sequential treatment combination has robust efficacy in vivo.

Abstract: Particle export from the upper waters of the oligotrophic ocean may play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Mesoscale eddies have been hypothesized to inject new nutrients into oligotrophic surface waters, thereby increasing new production and particle export in otherwise nutrient deficient regimes. The E-Flux Program was a large multidisciplinary project designed to investigate the physical, biological and biogeochemical characteristics of cold-core cyclonic eddies that form in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. There, we investigated particle dynamics using 210Pb–210Po disequilibrium. Seawater samples for 210Pb and 210Po were collected both within (IN) and outside (OUT) of two cyclones, Noah and Opal, at different stages of their evolution as well as from the eddy generation region. Particulate carbon (PC), particulate nitrogen (PN) and biogenic silica (bSiO2) export fluxes were determined using water-column PC, PN, and bSiO2 inventories and the residence times of 210Po. PC and PN fluxes at 150m ranged from 1.58±0.10 to 1.71±0.16mmolCm−2 d−1 and 0.22±0.02 to 0.30±0.02mmolNm−2 d−1 within Cyclones Opal and Noah. PC and PN fluxes at OUT stations sampled during both cruises were of similar magnitudes, 1.69±0.16 to 1.67±0.16mmolCm−2 d−1 and 0.30±0.03 to 0.26±0.03mmolNm−2 d−1. The bSiO2 fluxes within Cyclone Opal were 0.157±0.010mmolSim−2 d−1 versus 0.025±0.002mmolSim−2 d−1 at OUT stations. These results of minimal PC and PN export, but significant eddy-induced bSiO2 fluxes, agree very well with other studies that used a variety of direct and indirect methods. Thus, our results suggest that using elemental inventories and residence times of 210Po is another independent and robust method for determining particle export and should be investigated more fully. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Arctic food webs are being impacted by borealisation and environmental change. To quantify the impact of these multiple forcings, it is crucial to accurately determine the temporal change in key ecosystem metrics, such as trophic position of top predators. Here, we measured stable nitrogen isotopes (δ 15 N) in amino acids in harp seal teeth from across the North Atlantic spanning a period of 60 years to robustly assess multi-decadal trends in harp seal trophic position, accounting for changes in δ 15 N at the base of the food web. We reveal long-term variations in trophic position of harp seals which are likely to reflect fluctuations in prey availability, specifically fish- or invertebrate-dominated diets. We show that the temporal trends in harp seal trophic position differ between the Northwest Atlantic, Greenland Sea and Barents Sea, suggesting divergent changes in each local ecosystem. Our results provide invaluable data for population dynamic and ecotoxicology studies., (© 2023 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Utilisation of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) by marine microbes as an alternative phosphorus (P) source when phosphate is scarce can help sustain non-Redfieldian carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus ratios and efficient ocean carbon export. However, global spatial patterns and rates of microbial DOP utilisation are poorly investigated. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is an important enzyme group that facilitates the remineralisation of DOP to phosphate and thus its activity is a good proxy for DOP-utilisation, particularly in P-stressed regions. We present a Global Alkaline Phosphatase Activity Dataset (GAPAD) with 4083 measurements collected from 79 published manuscripts and one database. Measurements are organised into four groups based on substrate and further subdivided into seven size fractions based on filtration pore size. The dataset is globally distributed and covers major oceanic regions, with most measurements collected in the upper 20 m of low-latitude oceanic regions during summer since 1997. This dataset can help support future studies assessing global ocean P supply from DOP utilisation and provide a useful data reference for both field investigations and modelling activities., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men have expressed the acceptability of patient portals as tools for supporting HIV prevention behaviors, including facilitating disclosure of HIV and other sexually transmitted infection (STI/HIV) laboratory test results to sex partners. However, these studies, in which Black or African American sexual minority men were undersampled, failed to determine the relationship of reported history of discussing HIV results with sex partners and anticipated willingness to disclose web-based STI/HIV test results using a patient portal., Objective: Among a sample of predominantly Black sexual minority men, this study aimed to (1) determine preferences for patient portal use for HIV prevention and (2) test the associations between reported history of discussing HIV results and anticipated willingness to disclose web-based STI/HIV test results with most recent main and nonmain partners using patient portals., Methods: Data come from audio-computer self-assisted interview survey data collected during the 3-month visit of a longitudinal cohort study. Univariate analysis assessed patient portal preferences by measuring the valuation rankings of several portal features. Multiple Poisson regression models with robust error variance determined the associations between history of discussing HIV results and willingness to disclose those results using web-based portals by partner type, and to examine criterion validity of the enhancing dyadic communication (EDC) scale to anticipated willingness., Results: Of the 245 participants, 71% (n=174) were Black and 22% (n=53) were White. Most participants indicated a willingness to share web-based STI/HIV test results with their most recent main partner. Slightly fewer, nonetheless a majority, indicated a willingness to share web-based test results with their most recent nonmain partner. All but 2 patient portal features were valued as high or moderately high priority by >80% of participants. Specifically, tools to help manage HIV (n=183, 75%) and information about pre- and postexposure prophylaxis (both 71%, n=173 and n=175, respectively) were the top-valuated features to include in patient portals for HIV prevention. Discussing HIV test results was significantly associated with increased prevalence of willingness to disclose web-based test results with main (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.46, 95% CI 1.21-1.75) and nonmain partners (aPR 1.54, 95% CI 1.23-1.93)., Conclusions: Our findings indicate what features Black sexual minority men envision may be included in the patient portal's design to optimize HIV prevention, further supporting the criterion validity of the EDC scale. Efforts should be made to support Black sexual minority men's willingness to disclose STI/HIV testing history and status with partners overall as it is associated significantly with a willingness to disclose testing results digitally via patient portals. Future studies should consider discussion behaviors regarding past HIV test results with partners when tailoring interventions that leverage patient portals in disclosure events., (©Kevon-Mark P Jackman, Carla Tilchin, Jessica Wagner, Ryan E Flinn, Maria Trent, Carl Latkin, Sebastian Ruhs, Errol L Fields, Matthew M Hamill, Carlos Mahaffey, Adena Greenbaum, Jacky M Jennings. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 24.02.2023.)

Marine nitrogen fixation is a major source of new nitrogen to the ocean, which interacts with climate driven changes to physical nutrient supply to regulate the response of ocean primary production in the oligotrophic tropical ocean. Warming and changes in nutrient supply may alter the ecological niche of nitrogen-fixing organisms, or 'diazotrophs', however, impacts of warming on diazotroph physiology may also be important. Lab-based studies reveal that warming increases the nitrogen fixation-specific elemental use efficiency (EUE) of two prevalent marine diazotrophs, Crocosphaera and Trichodesmium, thus reducing their requirements for the limiting nutrients iron and phosphorus. Here, we coupled a new diazotroph model based upon observed diazotroph energetics of growth and resource limitation to a state-of-the-art global model of phytoplankton physiology and ocean biogeochemistry. Our model is able to address the integrated response of nitrogen fixation by Trichodesmium and Crocosphaera to warming under the IPCC high emission RCP8.5 scenario for the first time. Our results project a global decline in nitrogen fixation over the coming century. However, the regional response of nitrogen fixation to climate change is modulated by the diazotroph-specific thermal performance curves and EUE, particularly in the Pacific Ocean, which shapes global trends. Spatially, the response of both diazotrophs is similar with expansion towards higher latitudes and reduced rates of nitrogen fixation in the lower latitudes. Overall, 95%-97% of the nitrogen fixation climate signal can be attributed to the combined effect of temperature on the niche and physiology of marine diazotrophs, with decreases being associated with a reduced niche and increases resulting due to a combination of expanding niche and temperature driven changes to EUE. Climate change impacts on both the niche and physiology of marine diazotrophs interact to shape patterns of marine nitrogen fixation, which will have important implications for ocean productivity in the future., (© 2022 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The carbon cycle is a key regulator of Earth's climate. On geological time-scales, our understanding of particulate organic matter (POM), an important upper ocean carbon pool that fuels ecosystems and an integrated part of the carbon cycle, is limited. Here we investigate the relationship of planktonic foraminifera-bound organic carbon isotopes (δ 13 C org-pforam ) with δ 13 C org of POM (δ 13 C org-POM ). We compare δ 13 C org-pforam of several planktonic foraminifera species from plankton nets and recent sediment cores with δ 13 C org-POM on a N-S Atlantic Ocean transect. Our results indicate that δ 13 C org-pforam of planktonic foraminifera are remarkably similar to δ 13 C org-POM . Application of our method on a glacial sample furthermore provided a δ 13 C org-pforam value similar to glacial δ 13 C org-POM predictions. We thus show that δ 13 C org-pforam is a promising proxy to reconstruct environmental conditions in the upper ocean, providing a route to isolate past variations in δ 13 C org-POM and better understanding of the evolution of the carbon cycle over geological time-scales., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To explore the psychological factors that impacted RNs during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Survey response data were collected from 151 respondents across 25 states and various healthcare system settings., Results: RNs in clinical settings had slightly more emotional stress than those in academia. Concerns ranged from personal health and family considerations to large-scale sociopolitical issues., Conclusions: RNs in all settings experienced at least some emotional stress during the early stages of the pandemic. However, in a majority of respondents, none of the stressors individually or in combination were so great as to encourage departure from the profession., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Multiple environmental forcings, such as warming and changes in ocean circulation and nutrient supply, are affecting the base of Arctic marine ecosystems, with cascading effects on the entire food web through bottom-up control. Stable nitrogen isotopes (δ 15 N) can be used to detect and unravel the impact of these forcings on this unique ecosystem, if the many processes that affect the δ 15 N values are constrained. Combining unique 60-year records from compound specific δ 15 N biomarkers on harp seal teeth alongside state-of-the-art ocean modelling, we observed a significant decline in the δ 15 N values at the base of the Barents Sea food web from 1951 to 2012. This strong and persistent decadal trend emerges due to the combination of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Atlantic, increased northward transport of Atlantic water through Arctic gateways and local feedbacks from increasing Arctic primary production. Our results suggest that the Arctic ecosystem has been responding to anthropogenically induced local and remote drivers, linked to changing ocean biology, chemistry and physics, for at least 60 years. Accounting for these trends in δ 15 N values at the base of the food web is essential to accurately detect ecosystem restructuring in this rapidly changing environment., (© 2022 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Climate change is altering nutrient cycling within the Arctic Ocean, having knock-on effects to Arctic ecosystems. Primary production in the Arctic is principally nitrogen-limited, particularly in the western Pacific-dominated regions where denitrification exacerbates nitrogen loss. The nutrient status of the eastern Eurasian Arctic remains under debate. In the Barents Sea, primary production has increased by 88% since 1998. To support this rapid increase in productivity, either the standing stock of nutrients has been depleted, or the external nutrient supply has increased. Atlantic water inflow, enhanced mixing, benthic nitrogen cycling, and land-ocean interaction have the potential to alter the nutrient supply through addition, dilution or removal. Here we use new datasets from the Changing Arctic Ocean program alongside historical datasets to assess how nitrate and phosphate concentrations may be changing in response to these processes. We highlight how nutrient dynamics may continue to change, why this is important for regional and international policy-making and suggest relevant research priorities for the future., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Nitrogen stable isotopes (δ 15 N) are used to study food web and foraging dynamics due to the step-wise enrichment of tissues with increasing trophic level, but they rely on the isoscape baseline that varies markedly in the Arctic due to the interplay between Atlantic- and Pacific-origin waters. Using a hierarchy of simulations with a state-of-the-art ocean-biogeochemical model, we demonstrate that the canonical isotopic gradient of 2-3‰ between the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic Ocean has grown to 3-4‰ and will continue to expand under a high emissions climate change scenario by the end of the twenty-first century. δ 15 N increases in the Pacific-influenced high Arctic due to increased primary production, while Atlantic sector decreases result from the integrated effects of Atlantic inflow and anthropogenic inputs. While these trends will complicate longitudinal food web studies using δ 15 N, they may aid those focussed on movement as the Arctic isoscape becomes more regionally distinct., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The open ocean nitrogen cycle is being altered by increases in anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen deposition and climate change. How the nitrogen cycle responds will determine long-term trends in net primary production (NPP) in the nitrogen-limited low latitude ocean, but is poorly constrained by uncertainty in how the source-sink balance will evolve. Here we show that intensifying nitrogen limitation of phytoplankton, associated with near-term reductions in NPP, causes detectable declines in nitrogen isotopes (δ 15 N) and constitutes the primary perturbation of the 21 st century nitrogen cycle. Model experiments show that ~75% of the low latitude twilight zone develops anomalously low δ 15 N by 2060, predominantly due to the effects of climate change that alter ocean circulation, with implications for the nitrogen source-sink balance. Our results highlight that δ 15 N changes in the low latitude twilight zone may provide a useful constraint on emerging changes to nitrogen limitation and NPP over the 21 st century., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: College students residing in rural areas of the United States have limited access to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening programs; yet, have increased rates of infection., Methods: Students (N = 326), attending a state university located within a rural community, completed an online survey containing open-ended questions that gauged their perceptions and experiences with HIV/STI testing, amenability to at-home testing technology, and preferences for obtaining at-home testing kits. Inductive coding was used to create themes for each open-ended question., Results: Students encounter a number of perceived barriers to accessing clinical HIV/STI testing venues including cost, utilization of parents' medical insurance, and stigma. Students desired screening paradigms that allow for a greater sense of privacy and the ability to be empowered through self-sampling methods. This includes the use of at-home testing kits, which could be accessed via mail, campus, or the local community. Although students were overwhelmingly amenable to using at-home testing, students discussed concerns with potential user error that could impact testing accuracy., Conclusions: Study findings suggest the importance of developing less clinically oriented systems of HIV/STI screening, which allow students to choose from an array of screening options. Removing perceived barriers, notably access and privacy concerns, to HIV/STI testing by leveraging at-home testing is one potential method to increase screening uptake among this at-risk population., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest and Sources of Funding: None declared., (Copyright © 2021 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association. All rights reserved.)

Unprecedented quantities of heat are entering the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait, particularly during summer months. Though some heat is lost to the atmosphere during autumn cooling, a significant fraction of the incoming warm, salty water subducts (dives beneath) below a cooler fresher layer of near-surface water, subsequently extending hundreds of kilometers into the Beaufort Gyre. Upward turbulent mixing of these sub-surface pockets of heat is likely accelerating sea ice melt in the region. This Pacific-origin water brings both heat and unique biogeochemical properties, contributing to a changing Arctic ecosystem. However, our ability to understand or forecast the role of this incoming water mass has been hampered by lack of understanding of the physical processes controlling subduction and evolution of this this warm water. Crucially, the processes seen here occur at small horizontal scales not resolved by regional forecast models or climate simulations; new parameterizations must be developed that accurately represent the physics. Here we present novel high resolution observations showing the detailed process of subduction and initial evolution of warm Pacific-origin water in the southern Beaufort Gyre.

The Arctic is undergoing unprecedented environmental change. Rapid warming, decline in sea ice extent, increase in riverine input, ocean acidification and changes in primary productivity are creating a crucible for multiple concurrent environmental stressors, with unknown consequences for the entire arctic ecosystem. Here, we synthesized 30 years of data on the stable carbon isotope (δ 13 C) signatures in dissolved inorganic carbon (δ 13 C-DIC; 1977-2014), marine and riverine particulate organic carbon (δ 13 C-POC; 1986-2013) and tissues of marine mammals in the Arctic. δ 13 C values in consumers can change as a result of environmentally driven variation in the δ 13 C values at the base of the food web or alteration in the trophic structure, thus providing a method to assess the sensitivity of food webs to environmental change. Our synthesis reveals a spatially heterogeneous and temporally evolving δ 13 C baseline, with spatial gradients in the δ 13 C-POC values between arctic shelves and arctic basins likely driven by differences in productivity and riverine and coastal influence. We report a decline in δ 13 C-DIC values (-0.011‰ per year) in the Arctic, reflecting increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the Arctic Ocean (i.e. Suess effect), which is larger than predicted. The larger decline in δ 13 C-POC values and δ 13 C in arctic marine mammals reflects the anthropogenic CO 2 signal as well as the influence of a changing arctic environment. Combining the influence of changing sea ice conditions and isotopic fractionation by phytoplankton, we explain the decadal decline in δ 13 C-POC values in the Arctic Ocean and partially explain the δ 13 C values in marine mammals with consideration of time-varying integration of δ 13 C values. The response of the arctic ecosystem to ongoing environmental change is stronger than we would predict theoretically, which has tremendous implications for the study of food webs in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean., (© 2019 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

There are inconsistent findings regarding the rates of nonmedical prescription drug use (NMPDU) among Black Americans. The majority of previous studies used pharmaceutical names of drugs and relied on national data that excludes incarcerated populations, in which Black men are overrepresented. Therefore, the current study aimed to describe pre-incarceration rates of NMPDU among Black men in prison using culturally relevant alternative drug names. We recruited 208 incarcerated (adult age 18 or older) Black men nearing community reentry to urban counties from four state prisons in Kentucky. Results indicated the majority of participants engaged in lifetime NMPDU. The most commonly endorsed class of prescription drug was, "Other Sedatives, Hypnotics, and Tranquilizers" and the most commonly endorsed specific prescription drugs were "Syrup," Lortab/Hydrocodone, and Xanax. There were significant age differences in the number of days that drugs were used in the year prior to incarceration. The current study contributes to the dearth of literature on NMPDU among Black Americans. These findings have implications for disease transmission, overdose risk, and culturally relevant data collection methods and interventions aimed at reducing NMPDU among Black men.

The Influenza Research Database (IRD) is a U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-sponsored Bioinformatics Resource Center dedicated to providing bioinformatics support for influenza virus research. IRD facilitates the research and development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics against influenza virus by providing a comprehensive collection of influenza-related data integrated from various sources, a growing suite of analysis and visualization tools for data mining and hypothesis generation, personal workbench spaces for data storage and sharing, and active user community support. Here, we describe the recent improvements in IRD including the use of cloud and high performance computing resources, analysis and visualization of user-provided sequence data with associated metadata, predictions of novel variant proteins, annotations of phenotype-associated sequence markers and their predicted phenotypic effects, hemagglutinin (HA) clade classifications, an automated tool for HA subtype numbering conversion, linkouts to disease event data and the addition of host factor and antiviral drug components. All data and tools are freely available without restriction from the IRD website at https://www.fludb.org., (© The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

With over 700,000 people on average released from prison each year to communities, greater attention is warranted on the experiences and needs of those who are parents and seeking to develop healthy relationships with their children and families. This study seeks to explore the experiences of African American fathers in reentry. Qualitative data from 16 African American men enrolled in a fellowship program for fathers were collected from a focus group and analyzed for common themes and using standpoint theory. Four themes emerged that focused on fathers' commitment toward healthy and successful reintegration postincarceration: redemption, employment, health care, and social support. Focus group participants actively strive to develop and rebuild healthy relationships with their children through seeking gainful employment and through bonding with like-minded peers. Barriers in accessing health care are also discussed. Research findings may inform future programs and policies related to supporting fathers and their children in reentry., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Dynamin 1 is a large neuron-specific GTPase involved in the endocytosis and recycling of pre-synaptic membranes and synaptic vesicles. Mutations in the gene encoding dynamin 1 (DNM1) underlie two epileptic encephalopathy syndromes, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Infantile Spasms. Mice homozygous for the Dnm1 "fitful" mutation, a non-synonymous coding variant in an alternatively spliced exon of Dnm1 (exon 10a; isoform designation: Dnm1a(Ftfl)) have an epileptic encephalopathy-like disorder including lethal early onset seizures, locomotor and neurosensory deficits. Although fitful heterozygotes have milder recurrent seizures later in life, suggesting an additive or semi-dominant mechanism, the molecular etiology must also consider the fact that Dnm1a(Ftfl) exerts a dominant negative effect on endocytosis in vitro. Another complication is that the fitful mutation induces alterations in the relative abundance of Dnm1 splice variants; mutants have a downregulation of Dnm1a and an upregulation of Dnm1b, changes which may contribute to the epileptic pathology. To examine whether Dnm1a loss of function, Dnm1a(Ftfl) dominance or compensation by Dnm1b is the most critical for severe seizures, we studied alternate isoform-specific mutant mice. Mice lacking Dnm1 exon 10a or Dnm1 exon 10b have neither spontaneous seizures nor other overt abnormalities, suggesting that in normal conditions the major role of each isoform is redundant. However, in the presence of Dnm1a(Ftfl) only exon 10a deleted mice experience severe seizures. These results reveal functional differences between Dnm1a and Dnm1b isoforms in the presence of a challenge, i.e. toxic Dnm1(Ftfl), while reinforcing its effect explicitly in this model of severe pediatric epilepsy., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Australia's tropical waters represent predicted 'hotspots' for nitrogen (N2) fixation based on empirical and modelled data. However, the identity, activity and ecology of diazotrophs within this region are virtually unknown. By coupling DNA and cDNA sequencing of nitrogenase genes (nifH) with size-fractionated N2 fixation rate measurements, we elucidated diazotroph dynamics across the shelf region of the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) and oceanic Coral Sea during Austral spring and winter. During spring, Trichodesmium dominated ATS assemblages, comprising 60% of nifH DNA sequences, while Candidatus Atelocyanobacterium thalassa (UCYN-A) comprised 42% in the Coral Sea. In contrast, during winter the relative abundance of heterotrophic unicellular diazotrophs (δ-proteobacteria and γ-24774A11) increased in both regions, concomitant with a marked decline in UCYN-A sequences, whereby this clade effectively disappeared in the Coral Sea. Conservative estimates of N2 fixation rates ranged from <1 to 91 nmol l(-1) day(-1), and size fractionation indicated that unicellular organisms dominated N2 fixation during both spring and winter, but average unicellular rates were up to 10-fold higher in winter than in spring. Relative abundances of UCYN-A1 and γ-24774A11 nifH transcripts negatively correlated to silicate and phosphate, suggesting an affinity for oligotrophy. Our results indicate that Australia's tropical waters are indeed hotspots for N2 fixation and that regional physicochemical characteristics drive differential contributions of cyanobacterial and heterotrophic phylotypes to N2 fixation.

The rates of illicit drug use among African American women are increasing, yet African American women are least likely to participate in treatment for substance use disorders when compared to women of other racial groups. The current study examined family history of substance use, perceived family support, and John Henryism Active Coping (JHAC) as correlates to seeking treatment for substance abuse. The underlying theoretical frame of JHAC (James et al., 1983) suggests that despite limited resources and psychosocial stressors, African Americans believe that hard work and self-determination are necessary to cope with adversities. The current study is a secondary data analyses of 206 drug-using African American women (N=104 urban community women with no criminal justice involvement and N=102 women living in the community on supervised probation) from urban cities in a southern state. It was expected that African American women with a family history of substance abuse, higher levels of perceived family support, and more active coping skills would be more likely to have participated in substance abuse treatment. Step-wise logistic regression results reveal that women on probation, had children, and had a family history of substance abuse were significantly more likely to report participating in substance abuse treatment. Perceived family support and active coping were significant negative correlates of participating in treatment. Implication of results suggests coping with psychosocial stressors using a self-determined and persistent coping strategy may be problematic for drug-using women with limited resources., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Black women are disproportionately incarcerated and experience worse health outcomes compared with White and Hispanic women. This systematic literature review aims to identify the major psychosocial determinants of health and service utilization among incarcerated Black women. The ecological model for health behavior was used to frame the literature presented and explain how individual, interpersonal, and societal factors affect health. Nineteen articles met inclusion criteria for this review. Psychosocial factors were identified at each level, including mental health problems (individual); sexual behavior (interpersonal); and dysfunctional/negative relationships (community). The factors interact in a dynamic relationship that influences the health and service utilization of Black women. Future research should examine within-group differences to highlight the unique needs and culture within the Black community in the context of psychosocial determinants. This synthesis of relevant studies can serve to inform change in correctional policies, practices, and help reduce health disparities.

Objective: To quantify the benefits of automating specimen extraction in terms of specimen-preparation times and labor usage., Methods: We used workflow modeling and time-motion studies to compare manual and automated solid-phase extraction methods to prepare specimens for a mass spectrometry-based vitamin D assay. We processed 20 batches, that included 5 to 90 specimens each, with both methods in parallel and randomly over a 4-week period. Technologist discomfort/fatigue was subjectively measured., Results: Batch preparation time, per-specimen processing time, and labor requirements were significantly lower for all batch sizes on the Tecan Freedom EVO 150 robotic liquid-handling system (EVO). Technologist fatigue was significant when batch sizes reached 60 specimens. Cycle times were more uniform on the EVO. Automation provided as many as 85 minutes of useable technologist idle time for the 90-specimen batch., Conclusions: Automated specimen preparation should be considered when batch sizes reach 35 to 40 specimens per day., (Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).)

The social determinants unique to African-American men's health contribute to limited access and utilization of health and mental health care services and can have a deleterious effect on their overall health and well-being. There is a need to examine the complex issues concerning African-American men's help-seeking behaviors relative to mental health concerns. Current research estimates that African-American men are approximately 30% more likely to report having a mental illness compared to non-Hispanic Whites and are less likely to receive proper diagnosis and treatment. There is an extensive body of research that supports the view that women are more likely to seek help for psychological problems than African-American men. This review explores the psychosocial, environmental and socio-cultural factors that influence mental health help-seeking behavior among African-American men and explains the urgency to engage various stakeholders to pursue effective behavioral strategies. Research literature concerning the relationships between social determinants of health and their mental health help-seeking behaviors is reviewed and discussed in this paper. The article illustrates the need for mental health providers and researchers to establish feasible, culturally competent prevention and intervention strategies to increase help seeking behavior among African-American men, thereby contributing to the reduction of mental health disparities.

The atmospheric and deep sea reservoirs of carbon dioxide are linked via physical, chemical, and biological processes. The last of these include photosynthesis, particle settling, and organic matter remineralization, and are collectively termed the "biological carbon pump." Herein, we present results from a 13-y (1992-2004) sediment trap experiment conducted in the permanently oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre that document a large, rapid, and predictable summertime (July 15-August 15) pulse in particulate matter export to the deep sea (4,000 m). Peak daily fluxes of particulate matter during the summer export pulse (SEP) average 408, 283, 24.1, 1.1, and 67.5 μmol·m(-2)·d(-1) for total carbon, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus (PP), and biogenic silica, respectively. The SEP is approximately threefold greater than mean wintertime particle fluxes and fuels more efficient carbon sequestration because of low remineralization during downward transit that leads to elevated total carbon/PP and organic carbon/PP particle stoichiometry (371:1 and 250:1, respectively). Our long-term observations suggest that seasonal changes in the microbial assemblage, namely, summertime increases in the biomass and productivity of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in association with diatoms, are the main cause of the prominent SEP. The recurrent SEP is enigmatic because it is focused in time despite the absence of any obvious predictable stimulus or habitat condition. We hypothesize that changes in day length (photoperiodism) may be an important environmental cue to initiate aggregation and subsequent export of organic matter to the deep sea.

ABSTRACT Many trigger point therapies, such as deep pressure massage and injection, are painful. Thermal ultrasound might be a comfortable procedure used to soften trigger points. Our objective was to compare thermal ultrasound with sham ultrasound in the ability to soften trigger points with pretest/posttest repeated-measures design for depth of tissue in a massage therapy clinic. Twenty-six patients with latent trigger points in their upper trapezius muscles were studied. Independent variables were treatments; dependent variables were tissue depth. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the treatment or sham group. The study was single-blinded; the investigator taking the measurements was blinded to which group the subjects were in, and the clinician treating with ultrasound was blinded to the measurements. Each trigger point in the treatment group received 3 MHz ultrasound at the following parameters: 1.4 W/cm(2), 5 min, circular motion, 2x the size of the 7 cm(2) soundhead. The ultrasound was not turned on for the sham group. This procedure was repeated one week later. Trigger point depth was measured with a pressure algometer before and immediately after each treatment. A 2 x 2 x 2 repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze depth (mm). The immediate effects were as follows: The mean depth value for the sham group was an increase of 0.64+/-0.33 mm; the treatment group's mean increase was 2.65+/-0.33 mm (F(1,24)=19.01; p=0.01). The residual effects were as follows: The two treatments over the course of the 2 weeks also showed that the trigger points of the ultrasound groups got softer with an increase in depth of 2.09+/-0.82 mm compared to -0.93+/-0.82 mm of the sham group (F(1,24)=6.81; p<0.01). Thermal ultrasound over latent trigger points is comfortable and can decrease stiffness of a trigger point.

Mesoscale eddies may play a critical role in ocean biogeochemistry by increasing nutrient supply, primary production, and efficiency of the biological pump, that is, the ratio of carbon export to primary production in otherwise nutrient-deficient waters. We examined a diatom bloom within a cold-core cyclonic eddy off Hawaii. Eddy primary production, community biomass, and size composition were markedly enhanced but had little effect on the carbon export ratio. Instead, the system functioned as a selective silica pump. Strong trophic coupling and inefficient organic export may be general characteristics of community perturbation responses in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Numerous studies have shown associations between smoking and depression, but the generalizability of the relationship across ethnic groups remains unknown. The present study assessed the association between depression and smoking intention and experimentation among adolescents from four ethnic groups in the Los Angeles area-Chinese/Chinese American, Latino/Hispanic, Persian/Iranian, and White. Over 800 7th graders in the Los Angeles area completed measures of depressive symptoms, experimentation with smoking, intention to smoke, and sociodemographic covariates. Chinese/Chinese American students had the lowest levels of depressive symptoms, whereas Latinos/Hispanics had the highest levels. Latinos/Hispanics also were the most likely to intend to smoke in the next year and were the most likely to have started experimenting with cigarette smoking. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with intention to smoke even after controlling for language use acculturation, socioeconomic status, gender, and ethnicity. The association between depressive symptoms and intention to smoke did not vary significantly across ethnic groups. These results indicate that the association between depressive symptoms and adolescent smoking generalizes across diverse ethnic groups.

The mouse mutation fidget arose spontaneously in a heterogeneous albino stock. This mutant mouse is characterized by a side-to-side head-shaking and circling behaviour, due to reduced or absent semicircular canals. Fidget mice also have small eyes, associated with cell-cycle delay and insufficient growth of the retinal neural epithelium, and lower penetrance skeletal abnormalities, including pelvic girdle dysgenesis, skull bone fusions and polydactyly. By positional cloning, we found the gene mutated in fidget mice, fidgetin (Fign), which encodes a new member of the 'meiotic' or subfamily-7 (SF7; ref. 7) group of ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA proteins). We also discovered two closely related mammalian genes. AAA proteins are molecular chaperones that facilitate a variety of functions, including membrane fusion, proteolysis, peroxisome biogenesis, endosome sorting and meiotic spindle formation, but functions for the SF7 AAA proteins are largely unknown. Fidgetin is the first mutant AAA protein found in a mammalian developmental mutant, thus defining a new role for these proteins in embryonic development.

The nmd mouse mutation causes progressive degeneration of spinal motor neurons and muscle atrophy. We identified the mutated gene as the putative transcriptional activator and ATPase/DNA helicase previously described as Smbp2, Rip1, Gf1, or Catf1. Mutations were found in two alleles-a single amino acid deletion in nmdJ and a splice donor mutation in nmd2J. The selective vulnerability of motor neurons is striking in view of the widespread expression of this gene, although the pattern of degeneration may reflect a specific threshold since neither allele is null. In addition, the severity of the nmd phenotype is attenuated in a semidominant fashion by a major genetic locus on chromosome (Chr) 13. The identification of the nmd gene and mapping of a major suppressor provide new opportunities for understanding mechanisms of motor neuron degeneration.

Stargazer mice have spike-wave seizures characteristic of absence epilepsy, with accompanying defects in the cerebellum and inner ear. We describe here a novel gene, Cacng2, whose expression is disrupted in two stargazer alleles. It encodes a 36-kD protein (stargazin) with structural similarity to the gamma subunit of skeletal muscle voltage-gated calcium (Ca2+) channels. Stargazin is brain-specific and, like other neuronal Ca2+-channel subunits, is enriched in synaptic plasma membranes. In vitro, stargazin increases steady-state inactivation of alpha1 class A Ca2+ channels. The anticipated effect in stargazer mutants, inappropriate Ca2+ entry, may contribute to their more pronounced seizure phenotype compared with other mouse absence models with Ca2+-channel defects. The discovery that the stargazer gene encodes a gamma subunit completes the identification of the major subunit types for neuronal Ca2+ channels, namely alpha1, alpha2delta, beta and gamma, providing a new opportunity to understand how these channels function in the mammalian brain and how they may be targeted in the treatment of neuroexcitability disorders.

Zfy1 and Zfy2 are homologous zinc finger genes on the mouse Y Chromosome. To ask whether these genes are properly classified as members of the ZFY family, we have characterized and compared their genomic organization to that of mouse Zfx, human ZFX, and human ZFY. We show that Zfy1 has 11 exons distributed across at least 56 kb, and Zfy2 has a minimum of 9 exons distributed across at least 52 kb. The Zfy2 locus contains regions similar in size and sequence to all 11 exons of Zfy1, plus an additional 5' UTR exon. All splice sites conform to the GT-AG rule. There are two instances of additional AG dinucleotides immediately 5' of 3' splice sites. Zfy1 and Zfy2 are homologous to other ZFY family members within the coding region, but the untranslated regions show no sequence similarity. Within the coding region, there is conservation of exon length and splice sites, with each splice preceding the second nucleotide of a codon. We conclude that Zfy1 and Zfy2 are indeed members of the ZFY family, which has evolved from a single common ancestral gene.