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The process of manually scoring actigraphy data can be subjective with few studies utilizing and reporting clear actigraphy scoring guidelines. Clinical populations often have challenges with accurately and consistently completing sleep diaries which support actigraphy scoring.

AbstractIntroduction:Systemic ventricular end-diastolic pressure is an important haemodynamic variable in adult patients with Fontan circulation. Risk factors associated with elevated end-diastolic pressure have not been clearly identified in this population.Methods:All patients > 18 years with Fontan circulation who underwent cardiac catheterisation at our centre between 1/08 and 3/19 were included. Relevant patient variables were extracted. Univariate and multivariate general linear models were analysed to identify variables associated with end-diastolic pressure.Results:Forty-two patients were included. Median age was 24.0 years (20.9–29.0) with a body mass index of 23.7 kg/m2(21.5–29.7). 10 (23.8%) patients had a systemic right ventricle. The median (Interquartile range) and mean pulmonary artery pressure were 11.0 mmHg (9.0–12.0) and 16.0 mmHg (13.0–18.0), respectively. On univariate analysis, end-diastolic pressure was positively associated with body mass index (p < 0.01), age > 25 years (p = 0.04), symptoms of heart failure (p < 0.01), systemic ventricular systolic pressure (p = 0.03), pulmonary artery mean pressure (p < 0.01), and taking diuretics (p < 0.01) or sildenafil (p < 0.01). End-diastolic pressure was negatively associated with aortic saturation (p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, end-diastolic pressure was positively associated with age ≥ 25 years (p < 0.01), and body mass index (p = 0.04).Conclusions:In a cohort of adult patients with Fontan circulation undergoing catheterisation, end-diastolic pressure was positively associated with age ≥ 25 years and body mass index on multivariate analysis. Maintaining a healthy body mass index may offer haemodynamic benefit in adults with Fontan physiology.

AbstractSleep disturbances are common among previously deployed Veterans. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has shown promise for Veterans but may not optimally target nocturnal vigilance. The objective of our study was to develop and conducted a pilot evaluation of a brief behavioral intervention that included cognitive exercises intended to reduce the impact of vigilant thoughts and behaviors on sleep. Participants were 40 Veterans who had been deployed to combat zones or hazardous duty areas with mean age 40, and the majority were male, African American, and screened positively for PTSD. Participants were assigned to the study intervention or an educational control at a 2:1 ratio. Participants were assessed at baseline and 1-week after the intervention and those who received the study intervention were re-assessed 3-months later. Improved sleep efficiency, ratings of “feeling rested,” and reduced insomnia severity were seen in the post-treatment week but did not differ between groups. At 3-months, improvements were sustained in the 14 retained participants of the study-intervention, They continued to engage in vigilance reducing exercises. There was further improvement in “feeling rested.” Brief interventions and cognitive exercises to reduce vigilance warrant further evaluation for deployment-related insomnia.

Biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are recommended for radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, otherwise known as ankylosing spondylitis, when conventional therapies are not effective. We report efficacy and safety data on ixekizumab, a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin-17A (IL-17A), in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis who have not previously been treated with bDMARDs.

After exposure to traumatic stress, women are at greater risk than men for developing symptoms of some psychiatric disorders, including insomnia and nightmares. Sleep disturbance is one of the most refractory symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Women were included in a few studies that examined efficacy of psychological or pharmacologic interventions for trauma-related sleep disturbances. Studies demonstrated preliminary evidence for efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, imagery rehearsal therapy, and combinations of these techniques in treating insomnia and nightmares in trauma-exposed women. Prazosin as an adjunct to ongoing treatment is a potentially efficacious strategy for treating trauma-related nightmares in women.

The article focuses on the 20th annual Chocolate Festival in Aiken, South Carolina, in October 2008. It notes that the festival aims to generate funds for St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School. The festival features the products of 2007 winners of the Chocolate Challenge who include John Martone, Joan LaBone and Elizabeth Tucker. It also highlights the activities of the festival including carnival games, book sales and music and dance performances.

Statutory microbiological test results were collected from British meat plants over a 4-year period from June 2002 to May 2006. A total of 49,074 carcass test results from 19,409 cattle, 14,706 sheep, and 14,959 pig swabs and 95,179 environmental test results from surface swabs were obtained. These test results were donated by 94 slaughterhouses, which process about two thirds of the British national annual throughput of cattle, sheep, and pig carcasses. The data were collectively analyzed to determine any historical trends for numbers of total aerobes and Enterobacteriaceae. Significant reductions were observed in the numbers of indicator organisms on carcasses for all three species between 2002 and 2006. Reductions were also observed for numbers of aerobes on environmental and food contact surfaces. There were seasonal differences in bacterial numbers isolated from carcasses. Cattle and sheep carcasses had significantly higher numbers of total aerobes and Enterobacteriaceaein late summer and early autumn, whereas numbers of total aerobes on pig carcasses were higher in winter. Bacterial numbers on environmental surfaces were not influenced by the month that the swab samples were collected. Possible reasons for the observed reductions in bacterial numbers on carcasses and surfaces and the implications for carcass testing for process control purposes are discussed.

Carcasses along slaughter lines were exposed to normal slaughterhouse air or ultraclean air provided from a unit fitted with a HEPA filter. In cattle slaughterhouses, aerobic viable counts were measured by sponging the brisket at the end of the line to determine whether the slaughterhouse air had led to contamination of the carcasses. Furthermore, a replica cattle carcass with settle plates attached was exposed to similar conditions. The greatest contamination of the plates occurred at the hide puller (P< 0.01). The use of ultraclean air reduced the deposition of organisms onto settle plates (P< 0.01). The airborne route contributed to contamination in cattle slaughterhouses, but other vectors were more important. Further study of contamination of the brisket, at the time that it was first exposed, showed that knives transfer contamination from the hide. The use of ultraclean air at this position showed that the airborne route was a contributor to contamination (P< 0.1), but it was not the greatest vector. In lamb slaughterhouses, the highest counts on settle plates were found at the fleece puller (P< 0.05). The highest counts on the lamb carcasses were found on the brisket exposed from the start of the line to just after the fleece puller (P< 0.05). There was no clear relationship between the measured counts and the concentration of organisms in the air, indicating that the airborne route in lamb slaughterhouses contributes less to carcass contamination than do the surface contacts.

A comparison of wet-dry swabbing and surface tissue excision of carcasses by coring was undertaken. Samples from 1,352 bovine, 188 ovine, and 176 porcine carcasses were collected from 70 separate visits to commercial slaughterhouses operating under normal conditions. The mean total aerobic viable bacterial counts (TVCs) for all species sampled by excision was 5.36 log units, which was significantly greater than the 4.35 log units measured for swabbing. Poorly correlated linear relationships between swab- and excision-derived bacterial numbers from near-adjacent carcasses were observed for all three animal species. R2values for least squares regressions for bovine, ovine, and porcine carcasses were 0.09, 0.27, and 0.21, respectively. The reasons why it was not possible to calculate a factor that allowed the interconversion of bacterial numbers between samples collected by each sampling method were investigated. Uncertainty associated with laboratory analyses was a contributing factor because the geometric relative standard deviations measured for TVCs were 0.174 and 0.414 for excision and swabbing, respectively. Uneven distribution of bacteria at identical sampling sites on near-adjacent carcasses on processing lines was also a contributory factor. The implications of these findings for process control verification were investigated by intensive sampling for 13 weeks in three commercial slaughterhouses. As many as 4 log units of difference in TVCs were observed in duplicate samples collected within a narrow timeframe from near-adjacent carcasses on the processing line. We conclude that it might not be appropriate to institute corrective actions in slaughterhouses on the basis of a single week's test results.

Gynogenesis is a form of parthenogenesis in which eggs require sperm for fertilization but develop to adulthood without the contribution of paternal genome information, which happens naturally in some species. In Xenopus, gynogenetic diploid animals can be made experimentally. In mutagenesis strategies that only generate one allele of a recessive mutation, as might occur during gene editing, gynogenesis can be used to quickly reveal a recessive phenotype in eggs carrying a recessive mutation, thereby skipping one generation normally required to screen by conventional genetics. Xenopusoocytes do not complete meiosis until shortly after fertilization, and the second polar body is retained in fertilized eggs. Using ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated sperm, fertilization can be triggered without a genetic paternal contribution. Upon applying cold shock at the proper time to such embryos, ejection of the second polar body can be suppressed and both maternal sister chromatids are retained, leading to the development of gynogenetic diploid embryos. Because the genome of the resultant animals consists of recombined sister chromatids because of crossover events during meiosis, it is not completely homozygous throughout the whole genome. Nevertheless, the genome is homozygous at some loci proximal to the centromere that are unlikely to undergo recombination during meiosis and homozygous at reduced frequency if mutations are farther from the centromere, but still generally at a scorable level. Therefore, this technique is useful for rapid screening phenotypes of recessive mutations in such regions. We describe here a step-by-step protocol to achieve cold shock-mediated gynogenesis in Xenopus tropicalis.

As a ubiquitin sensor and a signal-transducing adaptor, p62 is crucial for NF-κB activation, which involves the ubiquitin machinery in diverse contexts. However, whether p62 is required for EBV LMP1 activation of NF-κB is an open question.

This study surveyed preschool children who accompanied their mothers to a battered women's shelter. Elevated rates of behavior problems and social competence difficulties were observed. White males appeared more impaired than any other gender/ethnic combination. In addition, a number of other risk factors for later educational and psychosocial difficulties were present. Survey results suggest that this is an underserved population that the field of early childhood special education should address.

To many of us, life in a rural community means a healthy, pollution-free environment--clean streets, fresh air, and safe drinking water. Thoughts of chemical contamination seem out of place in such pleasant surroundings. But the flowered meadows and rippling creeks, which attract so many retirees and big-city dropouts, may hide an environmental nightmare. The truth is communities of all sizes--and the water systems that serve them--are vulnerable to contamination. This article happens to focus on one small rural system located near Centralia, Washington, and what happened when they found extremely high levels of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in their drinking water.

The progressive intellectual, behavioral and functional deterioration characteristic of Alzheimer's Disease, ultimatelv necessitates institutionalization. Not only do families of these patients experience intense feelings of grief, anger, and sadness but additionally must cope with the enormous formerly-shared stresses of legal problems, economic management and family negotiations. There is a need for knowledge about the disease process, opportunity to ventilate feelings and concerns, and guidance in the decisionmaking process with regards to the level of medical intervention at the time of a life-threatening illness. A model for periodic family conferences with the long term care multidisciplinary treatment team, to meet the unique needs of family members of institutionalized Alzheimer's Disease patients is described.

The article offers information on painter Jim Harrison in Aiken, South Carolina. It notes that Harrison portrays rural community in his watercolor-style paintings. Harrison cites that watercolor style promotes visual appeal to artists. Moreover, Harrison believes that good painting is 90 percent looking and 10 percent doing.

Reports on HopeSpring's 'The Way of the Shaman' workshop in South Carolina. Founders of HopeSpring; Workshop instructors from the Omega Institute.

Semiochemistry—Flavors and Pheromones. Edited by T. E. Acree and D. M. Soderlund. (Walter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York, 1985), pp. 289. DM 160. ISBN 3-11-010120-3.Economic Microbiology, Volume 8. Food Microbiology. Edited by A. H. Rose (Academic Press, Orlando, Florida, USA, 1983), pp. xii + 298. $54 (£34). ISBN 0-12-596558-3.Diet-Related Diseases—The Modern Epidemic. By Stephen Seely, David L. J. Freed, Gerald A. Silverstone and Vicky Rippere. (Avi Publishing Co., Inc., Westport, Connecticut, 1985), pp. 272. £9.95. ISBN 0-87055-503-0.

The article reports on the staging of the traveling art exhibition titled "The Connection," in South Carolina and Barbados from December 2007 to October 2008. The exhibition features 75 pieces of artworks that highlight the connection between Barbados and South Carolina in areas such as African-American heritage, architecture and agriculture.

The article explains that Edgefield, South Carolina's cultural property are tourist attractions in the holidays. The Heritage Holidays tourism initiative promotes the Open House tour of dwellings, a visit to the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor Region 2 Discover Center museum, a poetry reading by Laurel Blossom, and a Christmas parade with a tree lighting ceremony in the evening.

Focuses on the reopening of Dorn Gold Mine for visitors in South Carolina. Effort of the rejuvenation of the town; Formation of Willington on the Way, a nonprofit organization; Significance of the community for the economy of the state. INSET: If You're Going.....

Focuses on the history of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Barnwell, South Carolina. Description of the gothic architecture of the church; Accounts on the resolution to form an Episcopal church; Costs for the building construction.

Features the historical family home Redcliffe and Silver Bluff Audubon Center & Sanctuary in Aiken, South Carolina. Emphasis on the origin of the Hammond family legacy; Political interests of James Henry Hammond; Efforts of the educational center to teach the public about the nature and woods management.

Describes sites of interest for tourists in Aiken, South Carolina. Information on the historic value of the Hitchcock Woods; Legacy of the Hopeland Gardens as a Winter Colony during the Civil War.

The number of backflow incidents nationwide seems likely to increase, but often it isn't clear who is responsible, or liable, in backflow situations. This article discusses the reality of backflow incidents causing illness or injury, whether a federal mandate addressing cross‐connections is needed, and what a mandate should include.