Search

This study investigates the dynamic interactions between physiological systems during competitive gaming, utilizing a Network Physiology approach. By examining the physiological responses of a gamer with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder playing a real-time strategy game, we explore the relationships and temporal lag effects between pupil dilation, skin temperature, and heart rate. Our findings highlight the interconnectedness of these physiological systems and demonstrate how different physiological states are associated with unique patterns of network interactions. The study employs the concept of Time Delay Stability towards a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics involved. This research contributes to the growing field of Network Physiology by offering new insights into the physiological underpinnings of competitive gaming, potentially informing targeted training and recovery protocols for eSports athletes.

Drawing from the 2015 Gucciardi et al.’s mental toughness (MT) framework, this study examines the association between grit and MT in US college students, while considering the moderating role of at least 75 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) based on recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine. We administered the Grit-S Scale and the Mental Toughness Index in two samples of a total of 340 US undergraduate student-athletes and graduate students. The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was employed to ensure internal validity, while statistical procedures including principal component analysis and regression models were utilized to analyze the collected data. A weighted component combining grit and the interaction between MVPA and grit significantly predicted MT, explaining 23% of its variability. Drawing from a specific conceptual framework, this study provides novel insights into the relationship between grit, engagement in at least 75 min of MVPA per week, and MT among US collegiate students. The findings support a positive association between grit, MVPA, and both MT and a specific component of MT, highlighting the significance of these factors in enhancing performance and suggesting potential implications for future research and practical applications in the field.

Here, the authors show in a cohort of people with HIV, COVID mRNA vaccination is followed by a transient boost in a particular profile of HIV-specific T-cell responses and a corresponding decrease in residual HIV RNA – suggesting productive immune engagement with infected cells.

Measurement(s) solvation structure Technology Type(s) quantum chemistry computational method • Molecular Dynamics

refellips is an open-source analysis package written in Python for modelling variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry data. The software is designed to be used in Jupyter notebook environments or simple Python scripts, facilitating reproducible research. The modular design of refellips means users can implement simple models (e.g., slabs) or create their own complex mathematical optical models to describe an interface. refellips can read a range of file types from common ellipsometers and utilises the suite of local and global minimisers offered by the scipy package to fit data. refellips allows for the batch processing of large ellipsometry datasets, e.g., from the spatial mapping of surfaces or time-series experiments. Furthermore, as refellips is part of the refnx family, its operation (e.g., model creation) is almost identical to that used by refnx for neutron and X-ray reflectometry analyses, permitting simultaneous co-refinement of ellipsometry, neutron, and X-ray reflectometry data for the first time. This enables superior characterisation of complex interfaces in condensed matter films and oxide surfaces.

Summary:. Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by an ulcerative lesion with a violaceous border. Most frequently, these lesions present in the lower extremity and are associated with underlying immune-mediated comorbidities. Infrequently, these lesions may present in the upper extremity, which presents difficult challenges for upper extremity surgeons as the lesions are frequently misdiagnosed as an infectious process. This often leads to inappropriate surgical debridement and antibiotic administration. Local trauma to the lesion can lead to a process of pathergy and worsening of the lesion. Here, we report on a case of cutaneous pyoderma gangrenosum affecting the dorsal hand, originally misidentified as an atypical infection with subsequent unsuccessful surgical debridement. After involvement of a multidisciplinary team, appropriate diagnosis was made, and treatment with local immunosuppressive agents achieved resolution of the lesion.

Consumption of water varies throughout the day due to the daily routines of the consumer. This pattern of daily water consumption is called the water demand profile. The initiatives to create these profiles are to improve hydraulic performance and to build energy conservation strategies for designed networks in Dubai. Therefore, the aim of the work presented here was to develop and analyze a domestic consumption profile for selected developments with socio-demographic factors including weekday/weekend variation, population, income, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the outbreak of COVID-19. Data from more than 7000 smart meters were collected while water meters of more than 350 residential flats were examined manually. Water demand profiles generated from the data showed weekdays have more predictable peaks (morning 6–8 am and evening 5–7 pm) than weekends. During Ramadan, peak hours shifted to 7–10 am followed by 3–4 pm during workdays while peaks for low-income areas were higher due to a stricter working routine. The COVID-19 crisis has led to significant rise in observed consumption, with over a 30% increase during the month of Ramadan. The observed results, if compared with further end-use studies on more factors affecting demand profiles, can help in generating both cost and energy efficient networks. HIGHLIGHTS The paper develops a consumption profile for the unique case of COVID-19 and Ramadan.; The paper links different socio-demographic factors to assess the position of water peak hours.; The paper observes and develops different consumption profile for different days of the week (weekday and weekend).; The paper produces a water profile for the first time in Dubai.; The paper shows how culture variations can affect the consumption pattern.;

Abstract Wearable sensors have the potential to enable measurement of sweat chloride outside the clinic. Here we assess the feasibility of mild exercise as an alternative to pilocarpine iontophoresis for sweat generation. The results from this proof-of-concept study suggest that mild exercise could be a feasible approach to obtain reliable measurements of sweat chloride concentration within 20–30 min using a wearable sensor.

Person-centered methodologies generally refer to those that take unobserved heterogeneity of populations into account. The use of person-centered methodologies has proliferated, which is likely due to a number of factors, such as methodological advances coupled with increased personal computing power and ease of software use. Using latent class analysis and its extension for longitudinal data, [latent transition analysis (LTA)], multiple underlying, homogeneous subgroups can be inferred from a set of categorical and/or continuous observed variables within a large heterogeneous data set. Such analyses allow researchers to statistically treat members of different subgroups separately, which may provide researchers with more power to detect effects of interest and closer alignment between statistical modeling and one’s guiding theory. For many educational and psychological settings, the hierarchical structure of organizational data must also be taken into account; for example, students (i.e., level-1 units) are nested within teacher/schools (i.e., level-2 units). Finally, multilevel LTA can be used to estimate the number of latent classes in each structured unit and the potential movement, or transitions, participants make between latent classes across time. The transitions/stability between latent classes across time can be treated as the outcome in and of itself, or the transitions/stability can be used as a correlate or predictor of some other, distal outcome. The purpose of the paper is to discuss multilevel LTA, provide considerations for its use, and demonstrate variance decomposition, which requires numerous steps. The variance decomposition steps are presented didactically along with a worked example based on analysis from the Social Rating Scale of ECLS-K.

Sport cultures transmit values for anticipated conduct. Recent events have resulted in injuries/deaths of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes, usually during off-season football training. Through media reports, strength and conditioning coaches (SCC) have been allegedly involved by incorporating military-style training (MST). Mental toughness (MT) has been associated with hypermasculine subcultures in sports. For the first time, perceptions of collegiate SCCs were chosen to contribute to the development of cultural best practices in sports, via a multiphase mixed-method design (Phase 1, n = 465; Phase 2, n = 72; Phase 3, n = 99). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected aiming to confirm and explore the use of MST in the NCAA, its connection to SCCs, its association with MT development, and the role of the media. MST is uncommon in the NCAA. MST takes place mostly during the off-season in the form of physical, in-scope protocols while football is the most common sport. MST promotes MT. The recent media backlash is considered unfounded. Cultures promoted by SCCs do not indicate conformity of student-athletes to unethical/unhealthy expectations. Future sport psychology research and practice should continue to prioritize culture, cultural identities, and physical and mental well-being.

Filipinos are fond of eating, and because of our orientation, we eat in groups, either with family or friends. With millennials being guests of restaurants, the researchers are irked to know their behavior upon ordering. Thus, this study aims to identify the group ordering behavior of Millennials in Casual-Dining Restaurants of Manila. The study utilized the Grounded Theory Method to address the research problem better. Findings from the survey revealed that Millennial food choice is affected by different factors. There are times that they conform to the group's food choice decision and there are times that they don’t. Some areas need further improvement in meeting guests’ needs and wants. Millennial ordering behavior and judgment in the group are dependent on who they are with, and how much time and money they have. Their behavior that they “wanted it all done now” is seen in their decision making, ordering process, service time and even in paying the bill. These factors have a considerable effect on ordering. It can either limit them or it can widen the range of their choices. Time is also an essential factor that determines the food choice of a millennial. Preferences can change under time pressure or constraints. Filipino Millennials are collectivist and aspect is noticeable in their behavior such as “pakikiramdam” “pakikisama” “pakikipagpalagayang loob” “pakikisangkot” “paggalang” and “pakikibagay” with their peers and family.

We report on rare earth element and neodymium isotopic compositions in a series of grain-size fractions separated from river suspended matter in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) and a nearby marine sediment core (MD03-2607) offshore south-eastern Australia. This source-to-sink approach was used to further investigate the extent to which sediment sorting may control the geochemistry of suspended loads in rivers, and to provide constraints on the source of the detrital sediment material exported to the ocean. Our results provide further compelling evidence that significant size-dependent geochemical decoupling can occur in river systems, accounting here for Nd isotopic (εNd) differences of up to eight epsilon-units between silt (>25 μm) and colloidal (0.2−0.006 μm; 0.006−0.003 μm) fractions. All suspended particulate samples from the River Murray watershed display a trend toward more radiogenic (higher εNd) Nd signatures with decreasing grain-size, in addition to differing REE signatures, which collectively point toward a preferential volcanogenic origin for the fine-grained inorganic particles transported by MDB rivers. Furthermore, we show that the same river-borne volcanogenic material dominates in the fine-grained detrital fractions extracted from core MD03-2607 at the south-eastern Australian margin; a finding corroborated by REE signatures in a series of copepod fecal pellet separates from the same core. Collectively, our results suggest that river sediment discharge is accompanied by preferential export of fine-grained volcanogenic particles to the ocean. This potential source of bioavailable trace metals and nutrients in ocean surface waters could impact marine productivity.

Cell therapy is poised to play a larger role in medicine, most notably for immuno-oncology. Despite the recent success of CAR-T therapeutics in the treatment of blood tumors and the rapid progress toward improved versions of both CAR- and TCR-Ts, important analytical aspects of preclinical development and manufacturing of engineered T cells remain immature. One limiting factor is the absence of robust multivariate assays to disentangle key parameters related to function of engineered effector cells, especially in the peptide-MHC (pMHC) target realm, the natural ligand for TCRs. Here we describe an imaging-based primary T cell assay that addresses several of these limitations. To our knowledge, this assay is the first quantitative, high-content assay that separates the key functional parameters of time- and antigen-dependent T cell proliferation from cytotoxicity. We show that the assay sheds light on relevant biology of CAR- and TCR-T cells, including response kinetics and the influence of effector:target ratio.

Recent tragic events and data from official NCAA reports suggest student-athletes' well-being is compromised by symptoms of mental health (MH) disorders. Self-compassion (SC) and mental toughness (MT) are two psychological constructs that have been shown effective against stressors associated with sports. The purpose of this study was to investigate SC, MT, and MH in a NCAA environment for the first time and provide practical suggestions for MH best practice No.4. In total, 542 student-athletes participated across Divisions (Mage = 19.84, SD = 1.7). Data were collected through Mental Toughness Index, Self-Compassion Scale, and Mental Health Continuum-Short Form. MT, SC (including mindfulness), and MH were positively correlated. Males scored higher than females on all three scales. No differences were found between divisions. SC partially mediated the MT-MH relationship, but moderation was not significant. Working towards NCAA MH best practice should include training athletes in both MT and SC skills (via mindfulness).

Exercise is an important performance trait in mammals and variation in aerobic capacity and/or substrate allocation during submaximal exercise may be important for survival at high altitude. Comparisons between lowland and highland populations is a fruitful approach to understanding the mechanisms for altitude differences in exercise performance. However, it has only been applied in very few highland species. The leaf-eared mice (LEM, genus Phyllotis) of South America are a promising taxon to uncover the pervasiveness of hypoxia tolerance mechanisms. Here we use lowland and highland populations of Andean and Lima LEM (P. andium and P. limatus), acclimated to common laboratory conditions, to determine exercise-induced maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2max), and submaximal exercise metabolism. Lowland and highland populations of both species showed no difference in V˙O2max running in either normoxia or hypoxia. When run at 75% of V˙O2max, highland Andean LEM had a greater reliance on carbohydrate oxidation to power exercise. In contrast, highland Lima LEM showed no difference in exercise fuel use compared to their lowland counterparts. The higher carbohydrate oxidation seen in highland Andean LEM was not explained by maximal activities of glycolytic enzymes in the gastrocnemius muscle, which were equivalent to lowlanders. This result is consistent with data on highland deer mouse populations and suggests changes in metabolic regulation may explain altitude differences in exercise performance.

The objective was to investigate the effects of blast chilling on pork quality in cuts from the Longissimus thoracic et lumborum (LM), Psoas major (PM), Semimembranosus (SM; both superficial [SMS] and deep [SMD] portions) and the Triceps brachii (TB). Forty carcasses (10 carcasses per replication) were split and sides were assigned to either blast chill (BC, –32°C for 90 min, followed by spray chill at 2°C for 22.5 h) or conventional chill (CC, spray chilled at 2°C for 24 h) regimens. The LM from BC sides had lower (P < 0.05) temperature at 2 h postmortem (CC 21.8°C, BC 9.7°C), 4 h (CC 13.3°C, 3.8°C BC), 22 h (CC 4.2°C, BC 1.4°C), and 30 h (CC 0.4°C, BC –0.2°C). The LM pH in BC sides was higher at 4 h (CC 6.09, BC 6.34), 22 h (CC 5.81, BC 5.89), and 30 h (CC 5.68, BC 5.74) postmortem. The BC resulted in higher (P < 0.05) 30 h postmortem pH in the SM compared to the CC regime (CC 5.68, BC 5.74). The BC sides had increased (P < 0.05) purge in the PM (CC 0.48%, BC 0.74%) and increased (P < 0.05) cook loss in chops from the LM (CC 22.37%, BC 24.24%). The PM from BC sides were more juicy (CC 7.50, BC 8.30), less chewy (CC 2.80, BC 2.10), and more tender (CC 7.90, BC 8.60). Chops from the LM of BC sides had greater Warner-Bratzler shear force (CC 2.00, BC 2.30). Color was affected in the SM with BC sides showing darker color score (CC 3.00, BC 3.20) and redder Hunter a value (CC 16.35, BC 16.02). Chilling treatment did not affect sarcomere length in the LM. Treatment did not affect postmortem proteolysis in any cut. The response to chilling regimen is different across different muscles which may be caused by location, rate of chilling, and fiber type.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in the sedentary behavior (SB) of young and middle-aged U.S. adults. Relationships between SB over a six-week period were examined using socio-demographic characteristics, TPB constructs, and a stress variable. Methods: Participants (n=45, mean age=31 years, 70% female, 83% White) completed surveys that included sociodemographic information, TPB constructs, and the Weekly Stress Inventory. Participants wore an activity monitor for six weeks and completed the stress inventory once weekly over the study period. A longitudinal model was estimated to determine the relationship between TPB constructs, socio-demographic characteristics, and stress level with SB across the six weeks.Results: Activity monitors revealed participants were sedentary for approximately 11 waking hours per day (SD=1.4). Bivariate analyses indicated a small effect between subjective norms and SB. Model fit indices modestly supported TPB constructs in explaining SB (i.e., a 2.3% reduction in person-level error variance); and a modest relationship between greater stress and less SB (i.e., additional 1.4% reduction in person-level error variance).Conclusions: Results cautiously support continued exploration of the TPB in SB research. Like most behaviors, the TPB alone may not fully explain SB. Future research should continue to explore theoretical determinants of SB, expand to include other theoretical models; and include diverse populations. More research is needed to understand the relationship between SB and stress. Practitioners are encouraged to consider both SB and stress in holistic efforts to improve the health of adults.

We have developed a method for transferring particles from a powder bed to a liquid droplet using an electric field. This process has been used to create liquid marbles with characteristics not normally found in those formed by direct contact methods such as rolling. It has also been used to manufacture hydrophilic particle-liquid aggregates and more complex layered aggregates incorporating both hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles. This article briefly outlines the electrostatic aggregation method itself, the materials used and structures formed thus far, and explores the rich fundamental physics and chemistry underpinning the process as they are understood at present.

Liquid-particle aggregates were formed electrostatically using pH-responsive poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEA)-coated polystyrene particles. This novel non-contact electrostatic method has been used to assess the particle stimulus-responsive wettability in detail. Video footage and fractal analysis were used in conjunction with a two-stage model to characterize the kinetics of transfer of particles to a water droplet surface, and internalization of particles by the droplet. While no stable liquid marbles were formed, metastable marbles were manufactured, whose duration of stability depended strongly on drop pH. Both transfer and internalization were markedly faster for droplets at low pH, where the particles were expected to be hydrophilic, than at high pH where they were expected to be hydrophobic. Increasing the driving electrical potential produced greater transfer and internalization times. Possible reasons for this are discussed.

Bi-factor confirmatory factor models have been influential in research on cognitive abilities because they often better fit the data than correlated factors and higher-order models. They also instantiate a perspective that differs from that offered by other models. Motivated by previous work that hypothesized an inherent statistical bias of fit indices favoring the bi-factor model, we compared the fit of correlated factors, higher-order, and bi-factor models via Monte Carlo methods. When data were sampled from a true bi-factor structure, each of the approximate fit indices was more likely than not to identify the bi-factor solution as the best fitting. When samples were selected from a true multiple correlated factors structure, approximate fit indices were more likely overall to identify the correlated factors solution as the best fitting. In contrast, when samples were generated from a true higher-order structure, approximate fit indices tended to identify the bi-factor solution as best fitting. There was extensive overlap of fit values across the models regardless of true structure. Although one model may fit a given dataset best relative to the other models, each of the models tended to fit the data well in absolute terms. Given this variability, models must also be judged on substantive and conceptual grounds.

The Flynn effect (FE) is the well-documented generational increase of mean IQ scores over time, but a methodological issue that has not received much attention in the FE literature is the heterogeneity in change patterns across time. Growth mixture models (GMMs) offer researchers a flexible latent variable framework for examining the potential heterogeneity of change patterns. The article presents: (1) a Monte Carlo investigation of the performance of the various measures of model fit for GMMs in data that resemble previous FE studies; and (2) an application of GMM to the National Intelligence Tests. The Monte Carlo study supported the use of the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and consistent Akaike information criterion (CAIC) for model selection. The GMM application study resulted in the identification of two classes of participants that had unique change patterns across three time periods. Our studies show that GMMs, when applied carefully, are likely to identify homogeneous subpopulations in FE studies, which may aid in further understanding of the FE.

Background: The pharmacist’s role in dispensing emergency contraception (EC) has become controversial due to the intersection of personal and professional ethics. Therefore, to examine the issue of EC availability, we surveyed a sample of West Texas pharmacists. West Texas is a religiously and politically conservative region where no methods of EC have been made available.Objective: to survey a sample of pharmacists in West Texas about their experience, beliefs, and knowledge of EC both before and after a presentation of the current literature about EC.Methods: We asked a convenience sample of 75 pharmacists about their experience, beliefs, and knowledge of EC both before and after a presentation of the current literature about EC.Results: Sixty-four (85%) pharmacists agreed to complete the study questionnaire. None carries EC in his/her pharmacy, and scientific understanding of EC was generally poor. Fourteen percent stated EC conflicts with their religious views, 17% considered it a method of abortion, 11% would not be willing to fill an EC prescription written by a doctor. 58% would be willing to offer EC over the counter. The presentation encouraged more to offer it over the counter, but in general did not significantly change their beliefs.Conclusion: Our sample of West Texas pharmacists demonstrated very little experience with, a general lack of knowledge about, and some personal and religious objections to EC.

BackgroundAmong people with HIV (PWH), sex differences in presentations of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) may be influenced by differences in coronary plaque parameters, immune/inflammatory biomarkers, or relationships therein.MethodsREPRIEVE, a primary ASCVD prevention trial, enrolled antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated PWH. At entry, a subset of US participants underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and immune phenotyping (n = 755 CTA; n = 725 CTA + immune). We characterized sex differences in coronary plaque and immune/inflammatory biomarkers and compared immune-plaque relationships by sex. Unless noted otherwise, analyses adjust for ASCVD risk score.ResultsThe primary analysis cohort included 631 males and 124 females. ASCVD risk was higher among males (median: 4.9% vs 2.1%), while obesity rates were higher among females (48% vs 21%). Prevalence of any plaque and of plaque with either ≥1 visible noncalcified portion or vulnerable features (NC/V-P) was lower among females overall and controlling for relevant risk factors (RR [95% CI] for any plaque: .67 [.50, .92]; RR for NC/V-P: .71 [.51, 1.00] [adjusted for ASCVD risk score and body mass index]). Females showed higher levels of IL-6, hs-CRP, and D-dimer and lower levels of Lp-PLA2 (P < .001 for all). Higher levels of Lp-PLA2, MCP-1, and oxLDL were associated with higher plaque (P < .02) and NC/V-P prevalence, with no differences by sex. Among females but not males, D-dimer was associated with higher prevalence of NC/V-P (interaction P = .055).ConclusionsAmong US PWH, females had a lower prevalence of plaque and NC/V-P, as well as differences in key immune/inflammatory biomarkers. Immune-plaque relationships differed by sex for D-dimer but not other tested parameters. Clinical Trial Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier: NCT0234429 (date of initial registration: 22 January 2015).

Phenotypic plasticity of skeletal muscle is relevant to swimming performance and metabolism in fishes, especially those that undergo extreme locomotory feats, such as seasonal migration. However, the influence of endurance exercise and the molecular mechanisms coordinating this remodelling are not well understood. The present study examines muscle metabolic remodelling associated with endurance exercise in fed rainbow trout as compared to migrating salmon. Trout were swum for 4 weeks at 1.5BL/s, a speed similar to that of migrating salmon and red and white muscles were sampled after each week. We quantified changes in key enzymes in aerobic and carbohydrate metabolism (citrate synthase (CS), β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HOAD), hexokinase (HK)) and changes in mRNA expression of major regulators of metabolic phenotype (AMPK, PPARs) and lipid (carnitine palmitoyltransferase, CPT I), protein (aspartate aminotransferase, AST) and carbohydrate (HK) oxidation pathways. After one week of swimming substantial increases were seen in AMPK and PPARα mRNA expression and of their downstream target genes, CPTI and HK in red muscle. However, significant changes in CS and HK activity occurred only after 4 weeks. In contrast, there were few changes in mRNA expression and enzyme activities in white muscle over the 4-weeks. Red muscle results mimic those found in migrating salmon suggesting a strong influence of exercise on red muscle phenotype. In white muscle, only changes in AMPK and PPAR expression were similar to that seen with migrating salmon. However, in contrast to exercise alone, in natural migration HK decreased while AST increased suggesting that white muscle plays a role in supplying fuel and intermediates possibly through tissue breakdown during prolonged fasting. Dissecting individual and potentially synergistic effects of multiple stressors will enable us to determine major drivers of the metabolic phenotype and their impacts on whole animal performance.

The last five to ten years has seen a renewed interest in the stability of teacher behavior and effectiveness. Data on teacher performance and teacher effectiveness are being used increasingly as the basis for decisions about continued employment, tenure and promotion, and financial bonuses. The purpose of this study is to explore the stability of both teacher performance and effectiveness by determining the extent to which performances and effectiveness of individual teachers fluctuate over time. The sample consisted of 132 teachers for whom both observational and state standardized test data were available for five consecutive years. Neither teacher performance nor effectiveness were highly stable over multiple years of the study. The observed relationship between teacher performance and teacher effectiveness was reasonably stable over time, but the magnitude of the relationship was quite small. Teacher performance was also likely to be inflated in low performing schools. We also discuss when different observed patterns may be acceptable based on the purpose for which the data are used.

Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) presents a severe problem for agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa. It is caused by several trypanosome species and current means of diagnosis are expensive and impractical for field use. Our aim was to discover antigens for the detection of antibodies to Trypanosoma congolense, one of the main causative agents of AAT. We took a proteomic approach to identify potential immunodiagnostic parasite protein antigens. One hundred and thirteen proteins were identified which were selectively recognized by infected cattle sera. These were assessed for likelihood of recombinant protein expression in E. coli and fifteen were successfully expressed and assessed for their immunodiagnostic potential by ELISA using pooled pre- and post-infection cattle sera. Three proteins, members of the invariant surface glycoprotein (ISG) family, performed favorably and were then assessed using individual cattle sera. One antigen, Tc38630, evaluated blind with 77 randomized cattle sera in an ELISA assay gave sensitivity and specificity performances of 87.2% and 97.4%, respectively. Cattle immunoreactivity to this antigen diminished significantly following drug-cure, a feature helpful for monitoring the efficacy of drug treatment.

Due to structural educational inequity, students who are first-generation, low-income, and certain students of color have lower graduate degree attainment compared to their peers. One national program, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, serves students from these groups to increase the number of students from these backgrounds who enroll in graduate school and obtain a doctoral degree. This study utilized federal data to examine graduate school enrollment rates for students from this program and understand variation among programs in students enrolling in graduate school. Results indicate that program funding and length of time funded do not statistically and significantly relate to graduate enrollment rates. Additionally, the program works better to help students who were able to graduate with an undergraduate degree. The article concludes with practical implications for those in higher education and limitations of the study.

BACKGROUND:Diagnosis of African animal trypanosomosis is vital to controlling this severe disease which hampers development across 10 million km(2) of Africa endemic to tsetse flies. Diagnosis at the point of treatment is currently dependent on parasite detection which is unreliable, and on clinical signs, which are common to several other prevalent bovine diseases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS:the repeat sequence of the GM6 antigen of Trypanosoma vivax (TvGM6), a flagellar-associated protein, was analysed from several isolates of T. vivax and found to be almost identical despite the fact that T. vivax is known to have high genetic variation. The TvGM6 repeat was recombinantly expressed in E. coli and purified. An indirect ELISA for bovine sera based on this antigen was developed. The TvGM6 indirect ELISA had a sensitivity of 91.4% (95% CI: 91.3 to 91.6) in the period following 10 days post experimental infection with T. vivax, which decreased ten-fold to 9.1% (95% CI: 7.3 to 10.9) one month post treatment. With field sera from cattle infected with T. vivax from two locations in East and West Africa, 91.5% (95% CI: 83.2 to 99.5) sensitivity and 91.3% (95% CI: 78.9 to 93.1) specificity was obtained for the TvGM6 ELISA using the whole trypanosome lysate ELISA as a reference. For heterologous T. congolense field infections, the TvGM6 ELISA had a sensitivity of 85.1% (95% CI: 76.8 to 94.4). CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE:this study is the first to analyse the GM6 antigen of T. vivax and the first to test the GM6 antigen on a large collection of sera from experimentally and naturally infected cattle. This study demonstrates that the TvGM6 is an excellent candidate antigen for the development of a point-of-treatment test for diagnosis of T. vivax, and to a lesser extent T. congolense, African animal trypanosomosis in cattle.

BackgroundThe incidence of anal cancer is substantially higher among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than in the general population. Similar to cervical cancer, anal cancer is preceded by high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Treatment for cervical HSIL reduces progression to cervical cancer; however, data from prospective studies of treatment for anal HSIL to prevent anal cancer are lacking.MethodsWe conducted a phase 3 trial at 25 U.S. sites. Persons living with HIV who were 35 years of age or older and who had biopsy-proven anal HSIL were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either HSIL treatment or active monitoring without treatment. Treatment included office-based ablative procedures, ablation or excision under anesthesia, or the administration of topical fluorouracil or imiquimod. The primary outcome was progression to anal cancer in a time-to-event analysis. Participants in the treatment group were treated until HSIL was completely resolved. All the participants underwent high-resolution anoscopy at least every 6 months; biopsy was also performed for suspected ongoing HSIL in the treatment group, annually in the active-monitoring group, or any time there was concern for cancer.ResultsOf 4459 participants who underwent randomization, 4446 (99.7%) were included in the analysis of the time to progression to cancer. With a median follow-up of 25.8 months, 9 cases were diagnosed in the treatment group (173 per 100,000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 90 to 332) and 21 cases in the active-monitoring group (402 per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI, 262 to 616). The rate of progression to anal cancer was lower in the treatment group than in the active-monitoring group by 57% (95% CI, 6 to 80; P = 0.03 by log-rank test).ConclusionsAmong participants with biopsy-proven anal HSIL, the risk of anal cancer was significantly lower with treatment for anal HSIL than with active monitoring. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02135419.).

Collective leadership is increasingly important because collective teacher efficacy, a subset of this type of leadership, is a significant factor in student learning. The purpose of this study is to provide evidence for the structural validity of a collective leadership instrument across public and private school settings using the multigroup factor analysis invariance framework for categorical indicators. The results supported invariance in factor structure, loadings, intercepts, and residual (co)variances and latent variances and covariances equality. Collective leadership development is theorized to play a central role in the effectiveness of both public and private schools alike so any instrument used to make decisions about collective leadership should be reflective of the pertinent constructs in general rather than the data being an artifact of the particular setting.