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Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease with several modifiable lifestyle factors. The Extension 'Live well, Eat well, be Active with Diabetes' curriculum provides four 90-minute sessions teaching individuals to live well, eat well, and be active with diabetes. Fourteen Extension educators implemented and evaluated the curriculum with 107 participants. Participants reported the program helped them feel better able to take care of their health. We observed significant differences in participants' retrospective pre and post 'Live well,' 'Eat well' and 'be Active' total scores. Extension has a unique opportunity to educate individuals so they may better manage their diabetes.

Background: Academic challenges such as losing/not turning in assignments, misplacing materials, and inefficient studying are common in middle-school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability. Deficits in organization, planning, prioritizing, memory/materials management, and studying skills [i.e. academic executive functioning (EF) deficits] contribute to these challenges. Objectives: To assess the feasibility, satisfaction, and initial efficacy of the school-based version of the Achieving Independence and Mastery in School (AIMS) intervention in a proof-of-concept trial with 6 students with ASD. Methods: 6 middle-schoolers with ASD without ID participated in AIMS. Parents and teachers rated academic EFs and functioning. Results: Results suggest high feasibility, youth satisfaction, and improved EF skills and academic behaviors by parent and teacher report. Conclusion: These promising results support further intervention development and suggest that academic EF skills are malleable in students with ASD.

The educational services available for fully included middle schoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the general education setting in the United States are not well known. Even less is known about how the executive functioning (EF) deficits of such youth are addressed in the classroom. The current study sought to identify the challenges, including EF, that middle schoolers with ASD face, determine the services that they receive on their Individualized Education Program (IEP), and also explore specific strategies used to build EF skills at school. A convenience data sample was obtained from focus groups with educational personnel (n = 15), and qualitative analyses of IEPs were conducted in middle schoolers with ASD with EF deficits (n = 23). Results confirmed that social communication and EF challenges are common. Multiple services and accommodations were identified, although EF challenges were rarely targeted on IEPs. Factors that may facilitate the success of EF strategies in the classroom are discussed. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED618973.]

Background: Early sexual reproductive health (SRH) education is linked to a reduction in risky sexual behaviors. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are rising at alarming rates. Risky sexual behaviors, including initiation of sex before age 13, having more than four sexual partners, and lack of use of condoms, increase the chance of infection and cancer. Informing students about the link between risky behaviors and cancer is vital to reduce morbidity and mortality. Methods: A trend analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data between 2001 and 2019 was conducted. Results from four survey responses related to sexual risk behaviors among 9th to 12th grade in Mississippi students are compared with their US peers. Results: Between 2001 and 2019, favorable declines in 3 out of 4 sexual risk behaviors were observed. Declining prevalence was reported for "ever had sexual intercourse," "age of sexual initiation at age 13 or younger," and "having 4 or more sexual partners in their lifetime" are promising. However, fewer students report using condoms. The adjusted prevalence rates for Mississippi students in all 4 measures were higher than the national responses. Conclusions: Our analysis supports the need for early skill-based sex education to promote health. States with increased behavioral risk among students should consider trends in data to improve education and policy.

Two trials were conducted to determine interactive effects between lipid source (palm oil, PO versus soybean oil, SO) and emulsifier addition (none versus glycerol monolaurate-GML) on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of gross energy (GE) in broilers and growth performance in poults. In trial 1, 0.05 % GML addition had no impact on the ATTD of GE of SO but improved the ATTD of PO from 77.11 % to 88.21 % (interaction, P=0.03). Without GML addition, PO had a lower ATTD of GE (77.11 %) compared to SO (96.48 %) resulting in an AME of 7,259 versus 9,092 kcal/kg for PO and SO, respectively. In trial 2, the addition of 0.10 % GML reduced ADFI in poults fed diets containing 5 % PO compared to poults fed 0 or 0.05 % GML, while the addition of either 0.05 or 0.10 % GML reduced ADFI in poults fed diets containing 5 % SO compared to poults fed no GML (P=0.01). There was a similar response with ADG (P=0.01) where the addition of either 0.05 or 0.10 % GML reduced ADG in poults fed diets containing SO compared to poults fed no GML, while the addition of GML was largely without effect in poults fed diets containing PO. There was no interaction between lipid source and emulsifier addition on feed efficiency (P>0.10). Poults fed diets containing PO had a poorer feed efficiency compared to birds fed diets containing SO (P=0.01). The main effect of emulsifier was inconsistent in that poults fed the diets containing 0.10 % GML had the greatest feed efficiency compared to poults fed the diets containing 0.05 % GML, with poults fed diets containing no emulsifier being intermediate (P=0.10). In conclusion, addition of GML improved the ATTD of GE for PO but had no effect on the ATTD of GE for SO. This improvement in energy digestibility, did not however, translate to an improvement in poult performance. Broilers and poults fed diets containing SO had a greater feed efficiency compared to birds fed diets containing PO.

It has long been suspected by general relativists that physicists who do not specialize in general relativity (GR) believe that special relativity (SR) is incapable of modeling dynamics within accelerated reference frames. Consequently, many physicists may conclude that certain phenomena, such as time dilation due to acceleration, can only be described with GR. The fact of the matter is, as long as spacetime is flat, SR is fully capable of describing the dynamics of accelerated reference frames. In the classic textbook "Gravitation," the authors state that "special relativity was developed precisely to predict the physics of accelerated objects." To quote Sean Carroll in his textbook "Spacetime and Geometry," "The notion of "acceleration" in special relativity has a bad reputation, for no good reason." Finally, in a quote that drives the main point of this article home, the late general relativist Alfred Schild once said, "A good many believe that [the twin] paradox can only be resolved by the general theory of relativity. They find great comfort in this because they don't know any general relativity."

Abstract Background Transplant recipients have a 2‐ to 4‐fold increased risk of developing malignancies over the general population. Cancer is the second most common cause of death for recipients. The magnitude of the risk depends on the cancer type and increases in viral‐related malignancies. Skin cancer is the most common. However, data in most cancer registries is limited to cutaneous melanomas, thereby limiting the epidemiologic examination of cancer risk in non‐melanoma skin cancer. Our goal was to evaluate post‐kidney transplant cancer cases and sites in our population to guide screening recommendations. Methods Between 2009 and 2015, a retrospective study of adult kidney recipients transplanted at East Carolina University was conducted. The first cancer diagnosis after transplant through February 18, 2020, was captured and analyzed. Patient demographics, cancer sites, and histological diagnoses were analyzed and compared. p16 immunohistochemistry was used as a surrogate marker for high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Results Retrospectively, kidney transplant recipients were analyzed (N = 439), the majority were non‐Hispanic Black (NHB) individuals, 312 (71.1%), and 127 (28.9%) were non‐Hispanic White (NHW) individuals. Of these, 59 (13.4%) developed a posttransplant malignancy, with the majority on sun‐exposed skin found in NHW. NHB had all anogenital/mucosa skin cancers on non‐sun‐exposed skin. Of these detected in NHB, all were squamous cell carcinomas, with five out of six (83.3%) being positive for p16. Conclusions Posttransplant malignancy differed significantly by race, site, and potential source of etiology. The majority of malignancies are likely explained by acceleration of precursor lesions from prior exposure to ultraviolet rays or HPV.

Wild rodent communities represent ideal systems to study pathogens and parasites shared among sympatric species. Such studies are useful in the investigation of eco-epidemiological dynamics, improving disease management strategies and reducing zoonotic risk. The aim of this study was to investigate pathogen and parasites shared among rodent species (multi-host community) in West Wales in an area where human/wildlife disease risk was not previously assessed. West Wales is predominantly rural, with human settlements located alongside to grazing areas and semi-natural landscapes, creating a critical human-livestock-wildlife interface. Ground-dwelling wild rodent communities in Wales were live-trapped and biological samples – faeces and ectoparasites – collected and screened for a suite of pathogens and parasites that differ in types of transmission and ecology. Faecal samples were examined to detect Herpesvirus, Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium microti. Ticks and fleas were collected, identified to species based on morphology and genetic barcodes, and then screened for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Bartonella sp. All the pathogens and parasites screened pose a characteristic epidemiological challenge, such as variable level of generalism, unknown zoonotic potential, and lack of data. The results showed that the bank vole Myodes glareolus had the highest prevalence of all pathogens and parasites. Higher flea species diversity was detected than in previous studies, and at least two Bartonella species were found circulating, one of which has not previously been detected in the UK. These key findings offer new insights into the distribution of selected pathogen and parasites and subsequent zoonotic risk, and provide new baselines and perspectives for further eco-epidemiological research.

Abstract Background Mississippi (MS) has among the highest rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the United States, with disproportionately higher rates among Blacks compared to Whites. Here, we evaluate the prevalence of high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and abnormal cytology in a representative baseline sample from a diverse statewide cohort of individuals attending cervical screening in MS from the STRIDES Study (STudying Risk to Improve DisparitiES in cervical cancer). Methods We included individuals aged 21–65 years undergoing screening at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) from May to November 2018. We calculated age‐specific HPV prevalence, overall and by partial HPV16/18 genotyping, and abnormal cytology by race. Results A total of 6871 individuals (mean age 35.7 years) were included. HPV prevalence was 25.6% and higher in Blacks (28.0%) compared to Whites (22.4%). HPV prevalence was significantly higher in Blacks aged 21–24 years (50.2%) and 30–34 years (30.2%) compared to Whites in the same age groups (32.1% and 20.7%; p < 0.0001, respectively). The prevalence of high‐grade cytologic abnormalities, a cytologic sign of cervical precancer, peaked earlier in Blacks (ages 25–29) compared to Whites (35–39). For comparison, we also analyzed HPV prevalence data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2013–2016) and observed similar racial differences in HPV prevalence among women aged 21–24 years. Conclusions Our findings suggest that Blacks undergoing cervical cancer screening in MS have higher prevalence of other high‐risk 12 HPV types at younger ages and experience an earlier peak of high‐grade cytologic abnormalities compared to Whites.

Abstract Influenza H7N9 virus continues to cause infections in humans and represents a significant pandemic risk. During the most recent 5th epidemic wave in 2016/17 two distinct lineages with increased human infections and wider geographical spread emerged. In preparation for any future adaptations, broadly reactive antibodies against H7N9 are required for surveillance, therapy and prophylaxis. In this study we have isolated a panel of nanobodies (Nbs) with broad reactivity across H7 influenza strains, including H7N9 strains between 2013 and 2017. We also describe Nbs capable of distinguishing between the most recent high and low pathogenicity Yangtze River Delta lineage H7N9 strains. Nanobodies were classified into 5 distinct groups based on their epitope footprint determined using yeast display and mutational scanning. The epitope footprint of Nbs capable of distinguishing high pathogenic (HP) A/Guangdong/17SF003/2016 from low pathogenic (LP) A/Hong Kong/125/2017 (H7N9) were correlated to natural sequence divergence in the head domain at lysine 164. Several Nbs binding to the head domain were capable of viral neutralisation. The potency of one nanobody NB7-14 could be increased over 1000-fold to 113 pM by linking two Nbs together. Nbs specific for distinct epitopes on H7N9 may be useful for surveillance or therapy in human or veterinary settings.

Prokaryotes constitute the majority of sedimentary biomass, where they cycle organic carbon and regulate organic matter transformation. The microbes inhabiting sediment are diverse and the factors controlling microbial community composition are not fully understood. Here, we characterized the prokaryotic community using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in 24 stratigraphic layers within a 89 cm (dated to ~1900 years old) sediment core from an anchialine sinkhole in the Bahamas with a stratified water column and anoxic bottom water. The microbial community was dominated by members of the Alphaproteobacteria, Dehalococcoidia, Gammaproteobacteria, Bathyarchaeota, and Campylobacter classes. Most interestingly, subsurface microbial community structure could be correlated to previous evidence for timewise changes in the main source of organic matter that was supplied to the sediment accumulating during the last 2000 years, which itself was caused by regional terrestrial vegetation changes. The C:N ratio was correlated to the relative abundance of the microbial classes, and the microbial communities followed three previously determined time periods based on the source of organic matter, which suggests that the carbon source at time of deposition influences the resultant subsurface microbial community composition. These results show that carbon source is a driver of the microbial community composition inhabiting anoxic sediment, which could have implications for improving understanding of carbon cycling in coastal sedimentary basins.

Introdução: A batata-doce (Ipomoea batatas) é uma hortaliça que pertence à família Convolvulaceae, fonte de carboidratos, minerais e vitaminas, considerada uma excelente opção de alimento para praticantes de exercício físico. Objetivo: Avaliar o consumo de batata-doce por praticantes de musculação. Materiais e métodos: Trata-se de uma pesquisa transversal, descritiva com abordagem quantitativa, realizada em academias de Caxias-MA. A avaliação consumo foi realizada por meio de questionário com perguntas de múltipla escolha. A amostra foi composta de 98 entrevistados, frequentadores de academia, em que todos aceitaram participar do estudo de forma voluntária. A pesquisa foi aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética e Pesquisa-CEP do Centro Universitário de Ciências e Tecnologia do Maranhão-UNIFACEMA com parecer n° 2.492.652. Resultados e discussão: Quanto ao perfil dos avaliados, pode-se verificar que 68% dos praticantes de musculação eram mulheres, entre a faixa etária de 18 a 35 anos, 54% cursaram ensino superior, e apresentam de um a três anos de musculação. Em relação ao consumo de batata-doce, 89% afirmaram que consumiam, e que a forma de preparo mais comum foi cozida, no qual a batata foi usada principalmente em lanches, e 95% dos entrevistados observavam as condições deste alimento antes de comprar. Entre os fatores que influencia na compra da batata, 76% relataram o valor nutricional e 22% o hábito de consumo. Conclusão: Os praticantes de musculação avaliados apresentam o hábito de consumo de batata-doce, principalmente cozida e em lanches, e durante a compra consideravam o valor nutricional, como um componente determinante para aquisição.

The ability of dermatophytes to develop biofilms is possibly involved in therapeutic failure because biofilms impair drug effectiveness in the infected tissues. Research to find new drugs with antibiofilm activity against dermatophytes is crucial. In this way, riparins, a class of alkaloids that contain an amide group, are promising antifungal compounds. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal and antibiofilm activity of riparin III (RIP3) against Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis, and Nannizzia gypsea strains. We used ciclopirox (CPX) as a positive control. The effects of RIP3 on fungal growth were evaluated by the microdilution technique. The quantification of the biofilm biomass in vitro was assessed by crystal violet, and the biofilm viability was assessed by quantifying the CFU number. The ex vivo model was performed on human nail fragments, which were evaluated by visualization under light microscopy and by quantifying the CFU number (viability). Finally, we evaluated whether RIP3 inhibits sulfite production in T. rubrum. RIP3 inhibited the growth of T. rubrum and M. canis from 128 mg/L and N. gypsea from 256 mg/L. The results showed that RIP3 is a fungicide. Regarding antibiofilm activity, RIP3 inhibited biofilm formation and viability in vitro and ex vivo. Moreover, RIP3 inhibited the secretion of sulfite significantly and was more potent than CPX. In conclusion, the results indicate that RIP3 is a promising antifungal agent against biofilms of dermatophytes and might inhibit sulfite secretion, one relevant virulence factor.

Academic challenges such as losing/not turning in assignments, misplacing materials, and inefficient studying are common in middle-school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability. Deficits in organization, planning, prioritizing, memory/materials management, and studying skills [i.e. academic executive functioning (EF) deficits] contribute to these challenges. To assess the feasibility, satisfaction, and initial efficacy of the school-based version of the Achieving Independence and Mastery in School (AIMS) intervention in a proof-of-concept trial with 6 students with ASD. 6 middle-schoolers with ASD without ID participated in AIMS. Parents and teachers rated academic EFs and functioning. Results suggest high feasibility, youth satisfaction, and improved EF skills and academic behaviors by parent and teacher report. These promising results support further intervention development and suggest that academic EF skills are malleable in students with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the USA, approximately 45% of pregnancies are unintended. Accessing quality contraceptives can be a barrier for some individuals, especially low-income, uninsured, minority or younger women. These problems are exacerbated in rural areas{1}. Integrating contraceptive services into primary care is an approach to ensure that sexually active women receive access to contraceptives. This study documented how one rural Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) adapted to their culturally conservative environment by offering contraceptive counseling, comprehensive education on birth control, and access to contraceptive services directly through primary care. Methods: Twenty-one semi structured interviews were conducted and analyzed in Atlas.ti®. All women patients who had received contraceptive services through primary care in the previous 6 months were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. A sample of current and past board members were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. A sample of five primary care providers and nurses who interact with women receiving contraceptive services was invited to participate in a semi-structured, in-person interview. In addition, the executive director, the clinic manager, and the current and past medical directors were interviewed. A hybrid of inductive and deductive coding methods was used for theme generation. Results: Interviews helped to highlight some of the barriers to accessing contraceptives currently experienced by women in this rural area, and showcased how this FQHC is adapting their approach and their services to be able to meet patient needs. The following themes emerged: lack of knowledge about services offered, lack of knowledge about birth control, misinformation and misconceptions, education on birth control, and care model. Conclusion: The cultural context of Southwest Virginia, including the cultural conservatism and stigma associated with talking about sex, has a big impact on people's willingness to access contraceptive services. Stigma limits educational opportunities being offered in schools, therefore limiting people's knowledge about services and birth control methods. This FQHC has adapted to their surrounding culture by ensuring that every woman seeking primary care at the FQHC is screened for contraceptive need, offered contraceptive counseling and comprehensive contraceptive methods. This FQHC's integration of contraceptive services is a model that can be replicated by other FQHCs, by local health departments, and by private physicians.

Testing during the COVID-19 pandemic has been crucial to public health surveillance and clinical care. Supply chain constraints—spanning limitations in testing kits, reagents, pipet tips, and swabs availability—have challenged the ability to scale COVID-19 testing. During the early months, sample collection kits shortages constrained planned testing expansions. In response, the University of Vermont Medical Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Vermont Department of Health Laboratory, Aspenti Health, and providers across Vermont including 16 area hospitals partnered to surmount these barriers. The primary objectives were to increase supply availability and manage utilization. Within the first month of Vermont’s stay-at-home order, the University of Vermont Medical Center laboratory partnered with College of Medicine to create in-house collection kits, producing 5000 per week. University of Vermont Medical Center reassigned 4 phlebotomists, laboratory educators, and other laboratory staff, who had reduced workloads, to participate (requiring a total of 5.3-7.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) during the period of study). By August, automation at a local commercial laboratory produced 22,000 vials of media in one week (reducing the required personnel by 1.2 FTE). A multisite, cross-institutional approach was used to manage specimen collection kit utilization across Vermont. Hospital laboratory directors, managers, and providers agreed to order only as needed to avoid supply stockpiles and supported operational constraints through ongoing validations and kit assembly. Throughout this pandemic, Vermont has ranked highly in number of tests per million people, demonstrating the value of local collaboration to surmount obstacles during disease outbreaks and the importance of creative allocation of resources to address statewide needs.

Cross-subtype neutralizing single domain antibodies against influenza present new opportunities for immunoprophylaxis and pandemic preparedness. Their simple modular structure and single open reading frame format are highly amenable to gene therapy-mediated delivery. We have previously described R1a-B6, an alpaca-derived single domain antibody (nanobody), that is capable of potent cross-subtype neutralization in vitro of H1N1, H5N1, H2N2, and H9N2 influenza viruses, through binding to a highly conserved epitope in the influenza hemagglutinin stem region. To evaluate the potential of R1a-B6 for immunoprophylaxis, we have reformatted it as an Fc fusion for adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector delivery. Our findings demonstrate that a single intramuscular injection in mice of AAV encoding R1a-B6 fused to Fc fragments of different isotypes equipped either, with or without antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity, was able to drive sustained high-level expression (0.5–1.1 mg/mL) in sera with no evidence of reduction for up to 6 months. R1a-B6-Fc fusions of both isotypes gave complete protection against lethal challenge with both pandemic A/California/07/2009 (H1N1)pdm09 and avian influenza A/Vietnam/1194/2004 (H5N1). This data suggests that R1a-B6 is capable of cross-subtype protection and ADCC was not essential for R1a-B6 efficacy. Our findings demonstrate AAV delivery of cross-subtype neutralizing nanobodies may be an effective strategy to prevent influenza infection and provide long-term protection independent of a host induced immune response.

Peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) modifies peptidylarginine and converts it to peptidylcitrulline in the presence of elevated calcium. Protein modification can lead to severe changes in protein structure and function, and aberrant PAD activity is linked to human pathologies. While PAD homologs have been discovered in vertebrates-as well as in protozoa, fungi, and bacteria-none have been identified in Drosophila melanogaster, a simple and widely used animal model for human diseases. Here, we describe the development of a human PAD overexpression model in Drosophila. We established fly lines harboring human PAD2 or PAD4 transgenes for ectopic expression under control of the GAL4/UAS system. We show that ubiquitous or nervous system expression of PAD2 or PAD4 have minimal impact on fly lifespan, fecundity, and the response to acute heat stress. Although we did not detect citrullinated proteins in fly homogenates, fly-expressed PAD4-but not PAD2-was active in vitro upon Ca2+ supplementation. The transgenic fly lines may be valuable in future efforts to develop animal models of PAD-related disorders and for investigating the biochemistry and regulation of PAD function.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for effective prophylactic vaccination to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Intranasal vaccination is an attractive strategy to prevent COVID-19 as the nasal mucosa represents the first-line barrier to SARS-CoV-2 entry. The current intramuscular vaccines elicit systemic immunity but not necessarily high-level mucosal immunity. Here, we tested a single intranasal dose of our candidate adenovirus type 5-vectored vaccine encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (AdCOVID) in inbred, outbred, and transgenic mice. A single intranasal vaccination with AdCOVID elicited a strong and focused immune response against RBD through the induction of mucosal IgA in the respiratory tract, serum neutralizing antibodies, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with a Th1-like cytokine expression profile. A single AdCOVID dose resulted in immunity that was sustained for over six months. Moreover, a single intranasal dose completely protected K18-hACE2 mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge, preventing weight loss and mortality. These data show that AdCOVID promotes concomitant systemic and mucosal immunity and represents a promising vaccine candidate.

Genetic changes in the HECT ubiquitin ligase HUWE1 are associated with intellectual disability, but it remains unknown whether HUWE1 functions in post-mitotic neurons to affect circuit function. Using genetics, pharmacology, and electrophysiology, we show that EEL-1, the HUWE1 ortholog in C. elegans, preferentially regulates GABAergic presynaptic transmission. Decreasing or increasing EEL-1 function alters GABAergic transmission and the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance in the worm motor circuit, which leads to impaired locomotion and increased sensitivity to electroshock. Furthermore, multiple mutations associated with intellectual disability impair EEL-1 function. Although synaptic transmission defects did not result from abnormal synapse formation, sensitizing genetic backgrounds revealed that EEL-1 functions in the same pathway as the RING family ubiquitin ligase RPM-1 to regulate synapse formation and axon termination. These findings from a simple model circuit provide insight into the molecular mechanisms required to obtain E/I balance and could have implications for the link between HUWE1 and intellectual disability.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed the PRObability of Streamflow PERmanence (PROSPER) model, a GIS raster-based empirical model that provides streamflow permanence probabilities (probabilistic predictions) of a stream channel having year-round flow for any unregulated and minimally-impaired stream channel in the Pacific Northwest region, U.S. The model provides annual predictions for 2004–2016 at a 30-m spatial resolution based on monthly or annually updated values of climatic conditions and static physiographic variables associated with the upstream basin. Predictions correspond to any pixel on the channel network consistent with the medium resolution National Hydrography Dataset channel network stream grid. Total annual precipitation and percent forest cover were consistently the most important predictor variables among global and most subregional models, which had error rates between 17 and 22%. Probabilities were converted to wet and dry streamflow permanence classes with an associated confidence. Wet and dry classifications were used to derive descriptors that characterize the statistical and spatial distribution of streamflow permanence in three focal basins. Predicted dry channel segments account for 52–92% of the stream network across the three focal basins; streamflow permanence decreased during climatically drier years. Predictions are publicly available through the USGS StreamStats platform. Results demonstrate the utility of the PROSPER model as a tool for identifying areas that may be resilient or sensitive to drought conditions, allowing for management efforts that target protecting critical reaches. Importantly, PROSPER’s successful predictive performance can be improved with new datasets of streamflow permanence underscoring the importance of field observations. Keywords: Flow permanence, Intermittent, Ephemeral, Perennial, Non-perennial, Streams

Experts suggest that social work practitioners can improve their client service with a more thorough understanding of the impact of other animals on individuals and families. Studies indicate that some social work practitioners are including animals in their practices through assessment and interventions. Little is known about what factors contribute to this inclusion, especially because there is a lack of attention in social work education and research to animal-human relationships. This study used logistical regression to examine the impact of certain demographic, knowledge, and practice variables on the inclusion of animals in social work practice. Findings include that knowing other social workers who include animals in practice and primary client population served were significant for inclusion of animals in assessment, animal-assisted intervention, and treating clients for animal abuse or loss of an animal. Although practitioners' having a companion animal was positively related to including animals in interventions and treating clients for loss of an animal, contributing to animal welfare through volunteering at shelters or financially contributing to animal groups did not have an effect on inclusion of animals in practice. Implications for these and other findings are discussed, and recommendations for social work research, education, and practice are offered.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model organism for dissecting molecular mechanisms of neurological diseases. While hermaphrodite C. elegans contains only 302 neurons, the conserved homologous neurotransmitters, simpler neuronal circuitry, and fully mapped connectome make it an appealing model system for neurological research. Here we developed an assay to induce an electroconvulsive seizure in C. elegans which can be used as a behavioral method of analyzing potential anti-epileptic therapeutics and novel genes involved in seizure susceptibility. In this assay, worms are suspended in an aqueous solution as current is passed through the liquid. At the onset of the shock, worms will briefly paralyze and twitch, and shortly after regain normal sinusoidal locomotion. The time to locomotor recovery is used as a metric of recovery from a seizure which can be reduced or extended by incorporating drugs that alter neuronal and muscular excitability.

This article analyzes the advocacy efforts of civil societal actors in Uruguay who have sought to promote the rights of children. I discuss the strategies that members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) used to achieve a greater presence in debates leading to significant policy changes in the area of child protection. Child advocates achieved relatively high levels of political mobilization and influence throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The analysis focuses on their multi-year campaign to reform the Children’s Code of 1934, which culminated in the adoption of a new Code of Childhood and Adolescence in 2004. I argue that two variables help explain their participation in policy making: effective issue framing and successful alliance building.

This article describes the affordances of using clinical interviews with struggling mathematics learners to inform intervention and instruction. A case study of a fourth grade student, Danny, is presented to give an illustrative example of the complexity of the student's mathematical understandings in terms of place value. From the clinical interview, there were many skills where Danny exhibited relative strength. He was able to read numbers into the millions without pausing or making errors. He could count by ones, tens, fives, and hundreds, and count backward by fives. These relative strengths could be perceived as an understanding of place value. However, the clinical interview reveals a much deeper and nuanced report of Danny's place value conceptions, preconceptions and misconceptions. Implications for multidimensional assessments are discussed. (Contains 6 figures.)

Influenza B virus (IBV) circulates in the human population and causes considerable disease burden worldwide, each year. Current IBV vaccines can struggle to mount an effective cross-reactive immune response, as strains become mismatched, due to constant antigenic changes. Additional strategies which use monoclonal antibodies, with broad reactivity, are of considerable interest, both, as diagnostics and as immunotherapeutics. Alternatives to conventional monoclonal antibodies, such as single domain antibodies (NanobodiesTM) with well-documented advantages for applications in infectious disease, have been emerging. In this study we have isolated single domain antibodies (sdAbs), specific to IBV, using alpacas immunised with recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) from two representative viruses, B/Florida/04/2006 (B/Yamagata lineage) and B/Brisbane/60/2008 (B/Victoria lineage). Using phage display, we have isolated a panel of single domain antibodies (sdAbs), with both cross-reactive and lineage-specific binding. Several sdAbs recognise whole virus antigens, corresponding to influenza B strains included in vaccines spanning over 20 years, and were capable of neutralising IBV pseudotypes corresponding to prototype strains from both lineages. Lineage-specific sdAbs recognised the head domain, whereas, sdAbs identified as cross-reactive could be classified as either head binding or stem binding. Using yeast display, we were able to correlate lineage specificity with naturally occurring sequence divergence, at residue 122 in the highly variable 120 loop of the HA1 domain. The single domain antibodies described, might have applications in IBV diagnostics, vaccine potency testing and as immunotherapeutics.

Extensive research documents powerful relationships between humans and companion animals, and 62 percent of U. S. households report having a companion animal. Social workers are likely to work with individuals and families with companion animals; thus, the inclusion of such animals in both practice and research as a natural extension of social work with humans, and their challenges, coping mechanisms, and resiliency factors, seems called for. Yet there is little in the social work literature that identifies what social workers are doing in this area. Thus, this descriptive study sought to explore nationally what social work practitioners know and are doing in the area of the human and companion animal relationships. Findings include that social work practitioners appear to have basic knowledge of the negative and positive relationships between humans and companion animals. About one-third are including questions about companion and other animals in their intake assessments, and a little less than 25 percent are including companion and other animals in their intervention practice. The vast majority have had no special training or coursework to do so. Implications for these and other findings are discussed, and recommendations for social work research, education, and practice are offered.

Despite the fact that children in foster care are, perhaps, the most vulnerable children, healthcare for them has been lacking woefully for many years. A growing body of research has documented the need for such care as well as the failure of child welfare agencies to make major improvements in providing healthcare to foster children. Nonetheless, current efforts are being made to change this situation. This article reports on one effort to improve the provision and timeliness of health exams for children entering care. One rural and one urban county served as project treatment sites, with two additional rural and urban counties serving as control sites. The treatment sites achieved a statistically significant improvement in their rate of exam completion as compared to the control sites. The study finds that despite an existing policy for healthcare for children entering foster care, legislation mandating additional efforts, shortened time frames, and provision for judicial oversight are needed for improvement. (Contains 6 tables.)

Consider Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP) a misnomer, or least an understatement; satisfying its mandates demands a far greater than adequate effort. Established in the No Child Left Behind Act, AYP requires that districts and schools show a minimum, prescribed level of growth in student achievement, until the year 2013-2014, when every eligible public school student must pass state assessments in math and reading. However, schools struggling with AYP should look to the example of dozens of their counterparts around the country that have taken a personal approach to raising test scores. Instead of applying broad academic policies and inviting teachers to statewide conferences to learn about new teaching methods, these schools use data to gauge student progress at any point during the school year, and then use the information to customize curriculum and instructional programs. This article cites examples of schools who use data-driven strategies and personalized instruction to achieve higher test scores. Personalizing instruction has worked wonders at Adams 12 Five Star Schools (Colorado), where educators use their student information systems and assessment tools to drill down to a particular student's weaknesses, to evaluate teaching methods and curriculum, and to apply new skills and technologies to improve test scores. California's Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) offers another impressive example of the benefit of using individualized strategies. Elk Grove evaluates student data via a sophisticated student information system called SISWeb. Data is gathered and manually loaded into the system. SISWeb houses student test results, parent information, medical data, emergency contacts, any special education needs, and more. Minneapolis (Minnesota) Public School District uses a customized assessment solution in collaboration with the Northwest Evaluation Association (NEA), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all children learn. NEA provides research-based educational growth measures, professional training, and consulting services to improve teaching and learning. The two groups have collaborated over the past 10 years on the Northwest Achievement Levels Test to measure yearly growth in reading and mathematics. The Sacramento City Unified School District (California) houses California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) information in a home-built database that allows principals and teachers to sort data by class, test scores, subjects, and areas of deficiency. Principals and teachers can log into the database at any time from any computer to examine results for an entire class or for one student.