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Justina P Tavana,1,* Matthew Rosene,2,* Nick O Jensen,2 Perry G Ridge,1 John SK Kauwe,1,3 Celeste M Karch2,4 1Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; 2Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA; 3Department of Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; 4Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is mainly a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder. Substantial efforts have been made to solve the complex genetic architecture of AD as a means to identify therapeutic targets. Unfortunately, to date, no disease-altering therapeutics have been developed. As therapeutics are likely to be most effective in the early stages of disease (ie, before the onset of symptoms), a recent focus of AD research has been the identification of protective factors that prevent disease. One example is the discovery of a rare variant in the 3'-UTR of RAB10 that is protective for AD. Here, we review the possible genetic, molecular, and functional role of RAB10 in AD and potential therapeutic approaches to target RAB10. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, RAB10, retromer, APP, resilience, GTPase

Abstract Few aerobic hyperthermophilic microorganisms degrade polysaccharides. Here, we describe the genome-enabled enrichment and optical tweezer-based isolation of an aerobic polysaccharide-degrading hyperthermophile, Fervidibacter sacchari, previously ascribed to candidate phylum Fervidibacteria. F. sacchari uses polysaccharides and monosaccharides for growth at 65–87.5 °C and expresses 191 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) according to RNA-Seq and proteomics, including 31 with unusual glycoside hydrolase domains (GH109, GH177, GH179). Fluorescence in-situ hybridization and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry confirmed rapid assimilation of 13C-starch in spring sediments. Purified GHs were optimally active at 80–100 °C on ten different polysaccharides. Finally, we propose reassigning Fervidibacteria as a class within phylum Armatimonadota, along with 18 other species, and show that a high number and diversity of CAZymes is a hallmark of the phylum, in both aerobic and anaerobic lineages. Our study establishes Fervidibacteria as hyperthermophilic polysaccharide degraders in terrestrial geothermal springs and suggests a broad role for Armatimonadota in polysaccharide catabolism.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a large, dynamic reservoir composed of a complex mixture of plant- and microbe-derived compounds with a wide distribution of cycling timescales and mechanisms. The distinct residence times of individual carbon components within this reservoir depend on a combination of factors, including compound reactivity, mineral association, and climate conditions. To better constrain SOC dynamics, bulk radiocarbon measurements are commonly used to trace biosphere inputs into soils and to estimate timescales of SOC cycling. However, understanding the mechanisms driving the persistence of organic compounds in bulk soil requires analyses of SOC pools that can be linked to plant sources and microbial transformation processes. Here, we adapt approaches, previously developed for marine sediments, to isolate organic compound classes from soils for radiocarbon (14C) analysis. We apply these methods to a soil profile from an annual grassland in Hopland, California (USA), to assess changes in SOC persistence with depth (down to 1 m). We measured the radiocarbon values of water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC), total lipid extracts (TLEs), total hydrolyzable amino acids (AAs), and an acid-insoluble (AI) fraction from bulk and physically separated size fractions (< 2 mm, 2 mm–63 µm, and < 63 µm). Our results show that Δ14C values of bulk soil, size fractions, and extracted compound classes became more depleted with depth, and individual SOC components have distinct age–depth distributions that suggest distinguishable cycling rates. We found that AAs and TLEs cycle faster than the bulk soils and the AI fraction. The AI was the most 14C-depleted fraction, indicating that it is the most chemically inert in this soil. Our approach enables the isolation and measurement of SOC fractions that separate functionally distinct SOC pools that can cycle relatively quickly (e.g., plant and microbial residues) from more passive or inert SOC pools (associated with minerals or petrogenic) from bulk soils and soil physical fractions. With the effort to move beyond SOC bulk analysis, we find that compound class 14C analysis can improve our understanding of SOC cycling and disentangle the physical and chemical factors driving OC cycling rates and persistence.

Abstract This study investigated the local, remote, and contralateral effects of a four-week intrinsic foot muscle exercise intervention in recreationally active participants on foot parameters, flexibility, and performance of the posterior chain (PC). Twenty-eight healthy participants (12f, 16m) were randomly assigned to a control group or performed 2 × 6 min of foot exercises twice daily unilaterally at least five days/week for four weeks. At baseline (M1), after the intervention (M2), and after a four-week wash-out period (M3), we assessed bilateral Foot Posture Index-6, medial longitudinal arch mobility, single-leg stance balance, range of motion (ROM) (first metatarsophalangeal joint and ankle), and flexibility and performance of the PC. The FPI-6 score changes over time differed significantly between groups for both legs, improving by 26% in the trained- (p

Abstract Soil microbiomes are heterogeneous, complex microbial communities. Metagenomic analysis is generating vast amounts of data, creating immense challenges in sequence assembly and analysis. Although advances in technology have resulted in the ability to easily collect large amounts of sequence data, soil samples containing thousands of unique taxa are often poorly characterized. These challenges reduce the usefulness of genome-resolved metagenomic (GRM) analysis seen in other fields of microbiology, such as the creation of high quality metagenomic assembled genomes and the adoption of genome scale modeling approaches. The absence of these resources restricts the scale of future research, limiting hypothesis generation and the predictive modeling of microbial communities. Creating publicly available databases of soil MAGs, similar to databases produced for other microbiomes, has the potential to transform scientific insights about soil microbiomes without requiring the computational resources and domain expertise for assembly and binning.

Abstract Maternal medication use may expose the developing fetus through placental transfer or the infant through lactational transfer. Because pregnant and lactating individuals have been historically excluded from early drug development trials, there is often limited to no human data available to inform pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety in these populations at the time of drug approval. We describe the known mechanisms of placental or lactational transfer of IgG‐based therapeutic proteins and use clinical examples to highlight the potential for fetal or infant exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Placental transfer of IgG‐based therapeutic proteins may result in systemic exposure to the developing fetus. A lactational transfer may be associated with local gastrointestinal (GI) exposure in the infant and may also result in systemic exposure, although data are very limited as proteins have shown instability in the GI tract. Understanding of PK and pharmacodynamic (PD) effects of IgG‐based therapeutic proteins in infants exposed in utero as well as the potential exposure through human milk and its clinical implications is critical for developing treatment strategies for pregnant or lactating individuals. We share the current knowledge gaps and considerations for future evaluations to inform PK, PD, and the safety of IgG‐based therapeutic proteins for safe use during pregnancy and lactation. With the increasing use of IgG‐based therapeutic proteins in treating chronic diseases during pregnancy and lactation, there is a need to improve the quantity and quality of data to inform the safe use in pregnant and lactating individuals.

Abstract Background Two million people in the UK are living with or beyond cancer and a third of them report poor quality of life (QoL) due to problems such as fatigue, fear of cancer recurrence, and concerns about returning to work. We aimed to develop and evaluate an intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), suited to address the concerns of cancer survivors and in improving their QoL. We also recognise the importance of exercise and vocational activity on QoL and therefore will integrate options for physical activity and return to work/vocational support, thus ACT Plus (+). Methods We will conduct a multi-centre, pragmatic, theory driven, randomised controlled trial. We will assess whether ACT+ including usual aftercare (intervention) is more effective and cost-effective than usual aftercare alone (control). The primary outcome is QoL of participants living with or beyond cancer measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: General scale (FACT-G) at 52 weeks. We will recruit 344 participants identified from secondary care sites who have completed hospital-based treatment for cancer with curative intent, with low QoL (determined by the FACT-G) and randomise with an allocation ratio of 1:1 to the intervention or control. The intervention (ACT+) will be delivered by NHS Talking Therapies, specialist services, and cancer charities. The intervention consists of up to eight sessions at weekly or fortnightly intervals using different modalities of delivery to suit individual needs, i.e. face-to-face sessions, over the phone or skype. Discussion To date, there have been no robust trials reporting both clinical and cost-effectiveness of an ACT based intervention for people with low QoL after curative cancer treatment in the UK. We will provide high quality evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding ACT+ to usual aftercare provided by the NHS. If shown to be effective and cost-effective then commissioners, providers and cancer charities will know how to improve QoL in cancer survivors and their families. Trial registration ISRCTN: ISRCTN67900293 . Registered on 09 December 2019. All items from the World Health Organization Trial Registration Data Set for this protocol can be found in Additional file 2 Table S1.

Introduction:. Unmatched orthopaedic surgery applicants often pursue research fellowships to strengthen their residency applications. The aims of this study were to (1) report the trend of the number of orthopaedic research fellowships offered online between 2019 and 2024, (2) describe the characteristics of research fellowships available to unmatched applicants, and (3) assess the quality of support received by unmatched applicants who complete research fellowships. Methods:. An online orthopaedic forum was retrospectively reviewed to identify job postings for medical student research fellowships in the 2019 to 2020 and 2024 to 2025 academic years. Information regarding expected mentorship and funding described in these postings was collected. Surveys were administered electronically to assess the funding received and perceived levels of mentor advocacy among unmatched orthopaedic applicants who had completed research fellowships between 2022 and 2024. Results:. The number of orthopaedic research fellowships offered online increased by 165% (54-143) between 2019 and 2024, corresponding with a rate of 18 new fellowships offered per year. For the 2024 to 2025 academic year, 80 fellowships (56%) were available to unmatched applicants. The minority of online postings for these positions described support in the match (49%), the specific amount of funding offered (36%), a successful match track record for prior fellows (20%), and contact information of current or prior fellows (11%). The average amount of publicly offered funding was $32,537 (range, $18,000 to $65,000). Among 31 unmatched applicants who responded, the average amount of funding received was $38,180 ± 11,719. Most respondents rated advocacy from research fellowship mentors as high (53%) or moderate (40%), met with their mentors weekly or biweekly (63%), and received feedback on their residency applications (83%). Conclusion:. Over the past 5 years, the number of orthopaedic research fellowships available to unmatched applicants has more than doubled. Although perceived advocacy was rated highly by most unmatched research fellows, fewer than half of the online postings for these positions provided details regarding financial compensation and support during the match cycle. Improvements in transparency related to fellowship characteristics are warranted to assist unmatched orthopaedic applicants in making informed decisions when pursuing research years between match cycles. Level of Evidence:. N/A.

The mental health impacts of HIV have evolved significantly over the last four decades, in parallel with changes in the virus's overall health consequences. This study charts transformation in narratives about mental health problems associated with HIV over the course of the epidemic, as outlined by people with HIV (40%), professional carers (45%) and activists (25%) in the UK. In particular, our study examines evolving mental health impacts and changing service provision during three key periods: The early days of the epidemic; after the introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1996; and in more recent times as HIV came to be regarded as a chronic manageable condition. Fifty-three participants were recruited: Male (68%), female (32%), White (90%), African/Afro Caribbean (6%) and South Asian (4%). Results indicate that despite important changes in the severity and nature of the mental health impacts of HIV, there were persistent challenges, related to the long-term mental health consequences of HIV among earlier generations of people with HIV. There were additional challenges associated with: ageing with HIV; the development of sexual dysfunction; and the possibility of neurocognitive impairment. The organization of mental health care for people with HIV moved from specialist teams to general practice, presenting challenges of mainstreaming care. The commissioning and delivery of mental health services need to be sensitive to the ever-changing social contexts and the potential for ‘left behind’ people living with HIV, despite the overall ‘naturalisation’ of HIV.

Background Our purpose was to evaluate a custom reverse total shoulder arthroplasty glenoid baseplate for severe glenoid deficiency, emphasizing the challenges with this approach, including short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes and complications. Methods This was a single-institution, retrospective series of 29 patients between January 2017 and December 2022 for whom a custom glenoid component was created for extensive glenoid bone loss. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at intervals for up to 5 years. All received preoperative physical examinations, plain radiographs, and computed tomography (CT). Intra- and postoperative complications are reported. Results Of 29 patients, delays resulted in only undergoing surgery, and in three of those, the implant did not match the glenoid. For those three, the time from CT scan to implantation averaged 7.6 months (range, 6.1–10.7 months), compared with 5.5 months (range, 2–8.6 months) for those whose implants fit. In patients with at least 2-year follow-up (n=9), no failures occurred. Significant improvements were observed in all patient-reported outcome measures in those nine patients (American Shoulder and Elbow Score, P6 months) from CT scan to device implantation resulted in bone loss that rendered the implants unusable. Satisfactory short-term radiographic and clinical follow-up can be achieved with a well-fitting device. Level of evidenceIII.

BackgroundThe rapid evolution of conversational and generative artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the increased deployment of AI tools in healthcare settings. While these conversational AI tools promise efficiency and expanded access to healthcare services, there are growing concerns ethically, practically and in terms of inclusivity. This study aimed to identify activities which reduce bias in conversational AI and make their designs and implementation more equitable.MethodsA qualitative research approach was employed to develop an analytical framework based on the content analysis of 17 guidelines about AI use in clinical settings. A stakeholder consultation was subsequently conducted with a total of 33 ethnically diverse community members, AI designers, industry experts and relevant health professionals to further develop a roadmap for equitable design and implementation of conversational AI in healthcare. Framework analysis was conducted on the interview data.ResultsA 10-stage roadmap was developed to outline activities relevant to equitable conversational AI design and implementation phases: 1) Conception and planning, 2) Diversity and collaboration, 3) Preliminary research, 4) Co-production, 5) Safety measures, 6) Preliminary testing, 7) Healthcare integration, 8) Service evaluation and auditing, 9) Maintenance, and 10) Termination.DiscussionWe have made specific recommendations to increase conversational AI's equity as part of healthcare services. These emphasise the importance of a collaborative approach and the involvement of patient groups in navigating the rapid evolution of conversational AI technologies. Further research must assess the impact of recommended activities on chatbots' fairness and their ability to reduce health inequalities.

The effective transition from pediatric to adult care for individuals with chronic medical conditions should address the medical, psychosocial and educational needs of the cohort. The views and experiences of service users and their families are an integral component of service development. This study sought to evaluate the current provision of transition services from pediatric immunology services to adult immunology services for patients with a diagnosis of an inborn error of immunity at St. James’s Hospital, Dublin. We gathered patient perspectives on the experience of the transition process using a structured survey. In addition, we adopted a micro-costing technique to estimate the cost of implementing the current standard of care for these patients. Results of a micro-costing analysis suggest that the most significant component of cost in assessing these patients is on laboratory investigation, an area where there is likely significant duplication between pediatric and adult care. Perspectives from patients suggested that the transition period went well for the majority of the cohort and that they felt ready to move to adult services, but the transition was not without complications in areas such as self-advocacy and medication management. The transition process may benefit from enhanced communication and collaboration between pediatric and adult services.

Since Israel’s founding, being a “Jewish state” has been central to its self-representation. However, Israel has struggled to identify what that means. This article examines the strength of Jewish nationalism in Jewish Israeli public opinion. It draws on a recent survey of 200 Jewish Israelis for a qualitative and quantitative investigation of public responses to religious nationalist statements. These findings offer a utilizable survey short scale for measuring Jewish nationalism and to understand how Jewish Israelis are interpreting these statements. This study is a necessary step to empirically evaluating religious nationalism in the “Jewish state”.

Background This interview study forms part of a mixed methods process evaluation of the Survivors’ Rehabilitation Evaluation after Cancer (SURECAN) trial to understand the experiences of participants (who are living with and beyond cancer) in receiving a form of acceptance and commitment therapy, and therapists providing the intervention. SURECAN is a multi-centre, pragmatic, individual participant randomised controlled trial of an intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy supplemented by support for return to meaningful work and/or physical activity (ACT+). This qualitative study addresses the ways in which participants believe they benefit from ACT+ (or not), and how the ACT+ intervention might best be implemented into routine National Health Service (NHS) care. Methods The study investigates experiences of ACT+ by different participants to understand how we can optimise the ACT+ intervention and its delivery (assuming the intervention is successful). We will conduct individual interviews with participants who have taken part in the active arm of the SURECAN trial to understand their experiences of engaging with and receiving ACT+, their perceptions of the impact of the therapy, and relevant contextual factors influencing these experiences. In particular, we will focus on comparing our interview findings between those trial participants who improved and those who failed to improve (or worsened), in terms of quality of life following ACT+. Additionally, we will conduct individual interviews with therapists who have delivered ACT+ as part of the SURECAN trial, to understand their experiences of delivering ACT+. Conclusions Consistent with other qualitative protocols, this protocol is not registered. Instead, it is shared as a means of documenting ahead of time, how we are endeavouring to understand the ways in which a newly trialled talking therapy is received by patients and therapists, and how (if successful) it might be incorporated into the NHS.

Abstract Background Aortopathies are a group of disorders characterized by aneurysms, dilation, and tortuosity of the aorta. Because of the phenotypic overlap and genetic heterogeneity of diseases featuring aortopathy, molecular testing is often required for timely and correct diagnosis of affected individuals. In this setting next generation sequencing (NGS) offers several advantages over traditional molecular techniques. Methods The purpose of our study was to compare NGS enrichment methods for a clinical assay targeting the nine genes known to be associated with aortopathy. RainDance emulsion PCR and SureSelect RNA-bait hybridization capture enrichment methods were directly compared by enriching DNA from eight samples. Enriched samples were barcoded, pooled, and sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform. Depth of coverage, consistency of coverage across samples, and the overlap of variants identified were assessed. This data was also compared to whole-exome sequencing data from ten individuals. Results Read depth was greater and less variable among samples that had been enriched using the RNA-bait hybridization capture enrichment method. In addition, samples enriched by hybridization capture had fewer exons with mean coverage less than 10, reducing the need for followup Sanger sequencing. Variants sets produced were 77% concordant, with both techniques yielding similar numbers of discordant variants. Conclusions When comparing the design flexibility, performance, and cost of the targeted enrichment methods to whole-exome sequencing, the RNA-bait hybridization capture enrichment gene panel offers the better solution for interrogating the aortopathy genes in a clinical laboratory setting.

We present the ‘Language of Mechanisation’ datasets with examples of re-use in visualisations and analysis. These reusable CSV files, published on the British Library’s Research Repository, contain automatically-transcribed text from 19th century British newspaper articles. Volunteers on the Zooniverse crowdsourcing platform took part in tasks that asked ‘How did the word x change over time and place?’ They annotated articles with pre-selected meanings (senses) for the words coach, car, trolley and bike. The datasets can support scholarship on a range of historical and linguistic research areas, including research on crowdsourcing and online volunteering behaviours, data processing and data visualisations methodologies.

The timely delivery of critical messages in real-time environments is an increasing requirement for industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks. Similar to wired time-sensitive networking (TSN) techniques, which bifurcate traffic flows based on priority, the proposed wireless method aims to ensure that critical traffic arrives rapidly across multiple hops to enable numerous IIoT use cases. IIoT architectures are migrating toward wirelessly connected edges, creating a desire to extend TSN-like functionality to a wireless format. Existing protocols possess inherent challenges to achieving this prioritized low-latency communication, ranging from rigidly scheduled time division transmissions, scalability/jitter of carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA) protocols, and encryption-induced latency. This paper presents a hardware-validated low-latency technique built upon receiver-assigned code division multiple access (RA-CDMA) techniques to implement a secure wireless TSN-like extension suitable for the IIoT. Results from our hardware prototype, constructed on the IntelFPGA Arria 10 platform, show that (sub-)millisecond single-hop latencies can be achieved for each of the available message types, ranging from 12 bits up to 224 bits of payload. By achieving one-way transmission of under 1 ms, a reliable wireless TSN extension with comparable timelines to 802.1Q and/or 5G is achievable and proven in concept through our hardware prototype.

Abstract Neodymium (Nd) isotope ratios are potentially valuable for paleo‐ocean circulation reconstructions because they trace water‐mass transport and mixing in the present‐day oceans. Moreover, the Atlantic and Pacific global end‐member Nd‐isotope values can be constrained through time, and at in‐between sites their proportions vary with past climate changes. However, an important source of uncertainty about Nd‐isotopes' applicability for paleo‐circulation studies arises from the inability to constrain past Nd‐concentrations of the end‐members. Here we address this “paleo‐[Nd] problem” through a Bayesian analysis. Results show that even large variability in end‐member Nd‐concentrations over the Pleistocene is unlikely to significantly impact their concentration ratio, therefore end‐member concentration changes likely have only small impacts on Nd‐isotope ratios at in‐between locations. The results support their applicability to reconstruct past Atlantic paleo‐circulation. In addition, a Nd‐isotope mass balance for Antarctic Bottom Water shows that its present‐day Nd‐isotope values are consistent with the input from its sources.

(1) Background. There is interest in the role community organisations can play to support healthy ageing and the integration of health and social care. This study explored the contribution community organisations can make to this goal through the Leeds (UK) Neighbourhood Networks (LNNs), a novel example of community-based support. (2) Methods. An observational study of 148 LNN beneficiaries compared to the Leeds population aged 64 and over (n = 143,418) using the Leeds Data Model, and an analytical resource developed to support care planning. Measures included demographic characteristics, Electronic Frailty Index (EFI), the number of long-term health conditions (LTCs), and public health management cohort categorisation. (3) Results. LNN’s are primarily focussed on older people who are fit (44 percent) or experiencing the onset of LTCs (27 percent) and/or mild frailty (41 percent). However, they also support smaller numbers of people with moderate/severe frailty (15 percent) and five or more long-term conditions (19 percent). (4) Conclusions. Community organisations are well placed to support the ambitions of integrated care by providing support for older people with mild to moderate health and care needs. They also have the capacity to support older people with more severe needs if resourced to do so.

Background:. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 2021 orthopaedic surgery residency match outcomes. Because in-person away rotations and interviews were canceled during the 2020 to 2021 application cycle, we hypothesized that applicants would match at their home program at a higher rate in 2021 than in previous years. Methods:. We queried allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency websites and social media accounts for names of residents and medical school information for cohorts matching from 2017 through 2021. To assess availability of and participation in virtual away rotations, we administered a survey to Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency programs. The primary outcome was the annual proportion of applicants matching at the program affiliated with their medical school (“home program”). Subgroup analyses were stratified by Doximity reputation ranking and availability of a virtual away rotation. Results:. We identified 2,632 residents who matched between 2017 and 2020 and 698 residents who matched in 2021. Overall home program match rate and likelihood of home matching were higher in 2021 compared with 2017 to 2020 (28% vs. 20%; odds ratio [OR] = 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-1.82, p < 0.001). The increase in the home match rate at programs ranked in the top 30 (27% vs. 20%, p = 0.034) was similar to the increase at programs ranked outside the top 30 (28% vs. 20%, p < 0.001). Of the 66 (48%) programs that responded to the survey, 16 (24%) offered a virtual away rotation. Programs with a higher Doximity ranking were more likely than lower-ranked programs to offer a virtual away rotation (OR = 6.75, 95% CI 1.95-23.4, p = 0.003). Home match rates did not differ significantly between programs that offered a virtual away rotation and those that did not (26% vs. 32%, p = 0.271). Conclusions:. A higher proportion of orthopaedic surgery residency applicants matched at their home program in 2021 compared with previous years. Limitations on in-person activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to this rise. Level of Evidence:. N/A.

Moments where children encounter problems in their chosen activities represent potentially generative sites for learning, particularly when supportive adults are present to scaffold the learning process. Scholars of autonomy support study these dyadic problem-solving processes in defined tasks, and describe specific types of parental support that have implications for children’s future competence as independent learners. In two exploratory case studies, we expand on the study of autonomy support by examining dyadic problem solving in naturalistic, outdoor family play. We apply a situated method of interaction analysis to perform a detailed, micro-longitudinal decomposition of two extended problem-solving arcs, identifying the specific contributions of parents and children. In doing so, we apply additional lenses of problem-solving, debugging, play-based learning, and intergenerational learning to develop a more comprehensive understanding of endogenous, dyadic problem solving. Our findings suggest the presence of inherent tradeoffs between various potential goals and time horizons for children’s learning and raise actionable considerations for both future research and practice in collaborative learning spaces.

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes a wide spectrum of disease severity. Identifying the immunological characteristics of severe disease and the risk factors for their development are important in the management of COVID-19. This study aimed to identify and rank clinical and immunological features associated with progression to severe COVID-19 in order to investigate an immunological signature of severe disease. One hundred and eight patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR were recruited. Routine clinical and laboratory markers were measured, as well as myeloid and lymphoid whole-blood immunophenotyping and measurement of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and soluble CD25. All analysis was carried out in a routine hospital diagnostic laboratory. Univariate analysis demonstrated that severe disease was most strongly associated with elevated CRP and IL-6, loss of DLA-DR expression on monocytes and CD10 expression on neutrophils. Unbiased machine learning demonstrated that these four features were strongly associated with severe disease, with an average prediction score for severe disease of 0.925. These results demonstrate that these four markers could be used to identify patients developing severe COVID-19 and allow timely delivery of therapeutics.

The roundjaw bonefish, Albula glossodonta, is the most widespread albulid in the Indo-Pacific and is vulnerable to extinction. We assembled the genome of a roundjaw bonefish from Hawai‘i, USA, which will be instrumental for effective transboundary management and conservation when paired with population genomics datasets. The 1.05 gigabase pair (Gbp) contig-level assembly had a 4.75 megabase pair (Mbp) NG50 and a maximum contig length of 28.2 Mbp. Scaffolding yielded an LG50 of 20 and an NG50 of 14.49 Mbp, with the longest scaffold reaching 42.29 Mbp. The genome comprised 6.5% repetitive elements and was annotated with 28.3 K protein-coding genes. We then evaluated population genetic connectivity between six atolls in the Western Indian Ocean with 38,355 SNP loci across 66 A. glossodonta individuals. We discerned shallow population structure and observed genetic homogeneity between atolls in Seychelles and reduced gene flow between Seychelles and Mauritius. The South Equatorial Current might be the limiting mechanism of this reduced gene flow. The genome assembly will be useful for addressing taxonomic uncertainties of bonefishes globally.

Some people experience prolonged symptoms following an acute COVID-19 infection including fatigue, chest pain and breathlessness, headache and cognitive impairment. When symptoms persist for over 12 weeks following the initial infection, and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis, the term post-COVID-19 syndrome is used, or the patient-defined term of Long Covid. Understanding the lived experiences of Long Covid is crucial to supporting its management. However, research on patient experiences of Long Covid is currently not ethnically diverse enough. The study aim is to explore the lived experience of Long Covid, using qualitative interviews and art-based methods, among people from ethnically diverse backgrounds (in the UK), to better understand wider systems of support and healthcare support needs. Co-created artwork will be used to build on the interview findings. A purposive sampling strategy will be used to gain diverse experiences of Long Covid, sampling by demographics, geographic locations and experiences of Long Covid. Individuals (aged >18 years) from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, who self-report Long Covid symptoms, will be invited to take part in a semi-structured interview. Interviews will be analysed thematically. A sub-sample of participants will be invited to co-create visual artwork to further explore shared narratives of Long Covid, enhance storytelling and increase understanding about the condition. A patient advisory group, representing diversity in ethnicity and experiences of Long Covid, will inform all research stages. Stakeholder workshops with healthcare professionals and persons, systems or networks important to people’s management of Long Covid, will advise on the integration of findings to inform management of Long Covid. The study will use patient narratives from people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, to raise awareness of Long Covid and help inform management of Long Covid and how wider social systems and networks may inform better healthcare service access and experiences.

Constructed wetlands have been used for decades in agricultural settings to remediate nutrients and other agrichemicals from irrigation runoff and drainage; however, little is known about the presence and distribution of Phytophthora species within irrigation runoff water being treated in constructed wetlands. Therefore, we collected plant samples from within vegetated runoff collection channels and treatment stages of two constructed wetland systems receiving irrigation runoff at a commercial plant nursery in Cairo, GA, to determine if roots of wetland plants were infested by species of Phytophthora. Samples were collected 12 times, at 1- to 2-month intervals, over a 19-month period, from Mar. 2011 through Sept. 2012. The sample period covered all four seasons of the year, so we could determine if the association of Phytophthora species with roots of specific plant species varied with season. Approximately 340 samples from 14 wetland plant species were collected, and 22 isolates of Phytophthora species were recovered. Phytophthora species were typically isolated from plants in channels receiving runoff water directly from plant production areas; Phytophthora species were not detected on plants where water leaves the nursery. No seasonal patterns were observed in plant infestation or presence of species of Phytophthora. In fact, Phytophthora species were rarely found to be associated with the roots of the wetland plants collected; species of Phytophthora were found infesting roots of only 6.5% of the 336 plants sampled. Species of Phytophthora were not found to be associated with the roots of golden canna (Canna flaccida), lamp rush (Juncus effusus var. solutus), duckweed (Lemna valdiviana), or sedges (Carex sp.) during the study period. The exotic invasive plant species marsh dayflower [Murdannia keisak (33% of samples infested)] and alligatorweed [Alternanthera philoxeroides (15% of samples infested)] were found to have the first and third highest, respectively, incidences of infestation, with smooth beggartick (Bidens laevis) having the second highest incidence of samples infested (22%). Management of invasive species in drainage canals and constructed wetland systems may be critical because of their potential propensity toward infestation by Phytophthora species. Plant species recommended for further investigation for use in constructed wetlands to remediate irrigation runoff include golden canna, marsh pennywort (Hydrocotyle umbellata), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), and broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia). The results from this study provide an important first look at the associations between species of Phytophthora and wetland plants in constructed wetland systems treating irrigation runoff and will serve to further optimize the design of constructed wetlands and other vegetation-based treatment technologies for the removal of plant pathogens from irrigation runoff.

Abstract Background Plant chloroplasts and mitochondria utilize nuclear encoded proteins to replicate their DNA. These proteins are purposely built for replication in the organelle environment and are distinct from those involved in replication of the nuclear genome. These organelle-localized proteins have ancestral roots in bacterial and bacteriophage genes, supporting the endosymbiotic theory of their origin. We examined the interactions between three of these proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana: a DNA helicase-primase similar to bacteriophage T7 gp4 protein and animal mitochondrial Twinkle, and two DNA polymerases, Pol1A and Pol1B. We used a three-pronged approach to analyze the interactions, including Yeast-two-hybrid analysis, Direct Coupling Analysis (DCA), and thermophoresis. Results Yeast-two-hybrid analysis reveals residues 120–295 of Twinkle as the minimal region that can still interact with Pol1A or Pol1B. This region is a part of the primase domain of the protein and slightly overlaps the zinc-finger and RNA polymerase subdomains located within. Additionally, we observed that Arabidopsis Twinkle interacts much more strongly with Pol1A versus Pol1B. Thermophoresis also confirms that the primase domain of Twinkle has higher binding affinity than any other region of the protein. Direct-Coupling-Analysis identified specific residues in Twinkle and the DNA polymerases critical to positive interaction between the two proteins. Conclusions The interaction of Twinkle with Pol1A or Pol1B mimics the minimal DNA replisomes of T7 phage and those present in mammalian mitochondria. However, while T7 and mammals absolutely require their homolog of Twinkle DNA helicase-primase, Arabidopsis Twinkle mutants are seemingly unaffected by this loss. This implies that while Arabidopsis mitochondria mimic minimal replisomes from T7 and mammalian mitochondria, there is an extra level of redundancy specific to loss of Twinkle function.

Abstract Background The human genome contains “dark” gene regions that cannot be adequately assembled or aligned using standard short-read sequencing technologies, preventing researchers from identifying mutations within these gene regions that may be relevant to human disease. Here, we identify regions with few mappable reads that we call dark by depth, and others that have ambiguous alignment, called camouflaged. We assess how well long-read or linked-read technologies resolve these regions. Results Based on standard whole-genome Illumina sequencing data, we identify 36,794 dark regions in 6054 gene bodies from pathways important to human health, development, and reproduction. Of these gene bodies, 8.7% are completely dark and 35.2% are ≥ 5% dark. We identify dark regions that are present in protein-coding exons across 748 genes. Linked-read or long-read sequencing technologies from 10x Genomics, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies reduce dark protein-coding regions to approximately 50.5%, 35.6%, and 9.6%, respectively. We present an algorithm to resolve most camouflaged regions and apply it to the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project. We rescue a rare ten-nucleotide frameshift deletion in CR1, a top Alzheimer’s disease gene, found in disease cases but not in controls. Conclusions While we could not formally assess the association of the CR1 frameshift mutation with Alzheimer’s disease due to insufficient sample-size, we believe it merits investigating in a larger cohort. There remain thousands of potentially important genomic regions overlooked by short-read sequencing that are largely resolved by long-read technologies.

Recent industry trends toward more complex and interconnected systems have increased the demand for more reliable pressure sensors. By integrating a microactuator with a pressure sensor, the sensor can self-calibrate, eliminating the complexities and costs associated with traditional sensor calibration methods to ensure reliability. The present work is focused on furthering understanding and improving the thermal performance of a thermopneumatic actuated self-calibrating pressure sensor. A transient numerical model was developed in ANSYS and was calibrated using experimental testing data. The numerical model provided insights into the sensor’s performance not previously observed in experimental testing. Furthermore, the model was utilized for two design studies. First, it was found that a substrate with low thermal conductivity and high thermal diffusivity is ideal for both the sensor’s efficiency and a faster transient response time. The second design study showed that decreasing the size of the sealed reference cavity lowers power consumption and transient response time. The study also showed that reducing the cavity base dimension has a greater effect on lowering power consumption and response time. Overall, the present work increases understanding of the self-calibrating pressure sensor and provides insight into potential design improvements, moving closer to optimized self-calibrating pressure sensors.

Working in high consequence yet low frequency, events Australian fire service Incident Controllers are required to make critical decisions with limited information in time-poor environments, whilst balancing competing priorities and pressures, to successfully solve dynamic large-scale disaster situations involving dozens of personnel within the Incident Management Team, including of front-line responders from multiple jurisdictions. They must also do this within the boundaries of public and political expectations, industrial agreements, and the legal requirement to maintain a safe workplace for all workers, inclusive of volunteers. In addition to these operational objectives, fire services must also provide realistic training to prepare frontline staff, whilst satisfying legislative requirements to provide a safe workplace under legislation that does not distinguish between emergency services and routine business contexts. In order to explore this challenge, in this article we review the different safety standards expected through industrial and legal lenses, and contextualize the results to the firefighting environment in Australia. Whilst an academic argument may be presented that firefighting is a reasonably unique workplace which exposes workers to a higher level of harm than many other workplaces, and that certain levels of firefighter injury and even fatality are acceptable, no exception or distinction is provided for the firefighting context within the relevant safety legislation. Until such time that fire services adopt the legal interpretations and applications and develop true safety management systems as opposed to relying on “dynamic risk assessment” as a defendable position, the ability of fire services and individual Incident Controllers to demonstrate they have managed risk as so far as reasonably practicable will remain ultimately problematic from a legal perspective.

Intraocular anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies are the front-line treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME); however, treatment response varies widely. This study aimed to identify genetic determinants associated with anti-VEGF treatment response in DME. We performed a genome-wide association study on 220 Australian patients with DME treated with anti-VEGF therapy, genotyped on the Illumina Global Screening Array, and imputed to the Haplotype Reference Consortium panel. The primary outcome measures were changes in central macular thickness (CMT in microns) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA in ETDRS letters) after 12 months. Association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes and DME outcomes were evaluated by linear regression, adjusting for the first three principal components, age, baseline CMT/BCVA, duration of diabetic retinopathy, and HbA1c. Two loci reached genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10−8) for association with increased CMT: a single SNP on chromosome 6 near CASC15 (rs78466540, p = 1.16 × 10−9) and a locus on chromosome 12 near RP11-116D17.1 (top SNP rs11614480, p = 2.69 × 10−8). Four loci were significantly associated with reduction in BCVA: two loci on chromosome 11, downstream of NTM (top SNP rs148980760, p = 5.30 × 10−9) and intronic in RP11-744N12.3 (top SNP rs57801753, p = 1.71 × 10−8); one near PGAM1P1 on chromosome 5 (rs187876551, p = 1.52 × 10−8); and one near TBC1D32 on chromosome 6 (rs118074968, p = 4.94 × 10−8). In silico investigations of each locus identified multiple expression quantitative trait loci and potentially relevant candidate genes warranting further analysis. Thus, we identified multiple genetic loci predicting treatment outcomes for anti-VEGF therapies in DME. This work may potentially lead to managing DME using personalized treatment approaches.

I offer new arguments for an unorthodox reading of J. L. Mackie’s Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, one on which Mackie does not think all substantive moral claims are false, but allows that a proper subset of them are true. Further, those that are true should be understood in terms of a “hybrid theory”. The proposed reading is one on which Mackie is a conceptual pruner, arguing that we should prune away error-ridden moral claims but hold onto those already free of error. This reading is very different from the standard ones found in the literature. I build on recent work by Moberger and argue that this reading is better corroborated by close attention to the way in which Mackie argues at length that terms like “good” and “ought” are systematically context-sensitive, as well as by considerable additional textual evidence. This reading, however, faces an important challenge—to explain in what sense, if any, morality retains its “normativity” on the proposed reading. I argue that this challenge can be met, at least given some of Mackie’s further assumptions about the nature of rationality.

The Every Student Succeeds Act provides an opportunity for policymakers and researchers to revisit what is known about effective teacher evaluation practices to make better-informed decisions moving forward. Principals—responsible for implementing new teacher evaluation reforms and accommodating the demands to spend more time observing and providing feedback to teachers—are overworked. They have little time to provide high-quality feedback, and may lack important content-based expertise. With these considerations in mind, we explore the role of peer observation and feedback as a vehicle to move beyond high-stakes evaluation and re-center efforts on instructional improvement. Our systematic review of extant literature (n = 38 documents, 92% peer-reviewed empirical articles) indicates that peer observation and feedback is a promising practice for instructional improvement, but one that lacks sufficient evidence. Policy, thus, can encourage innovation and research around this practice so that peer observation and feedback models can be piloted and the most effective established, as well as strategies to tackle the biggest barriers schools, particularly U.S. schools face in implementing such a practice—time.

Abstract Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive scarring of the lung parenchyma, leading to respiratory failure and death. High resolution computed tomography of the chest is often diagnostic for IPF, but its cost and the risk of radiation exposure limit its use as a screening tool even in patients at high risk for the disease. In patients with lung cancer, investigators have detected transcriptional signatures of disease in airway and nasal epithelial cells distal to the site of disease that are clinically useful as screening tools. Here we assessed the feasibility of distinguishing patients with IPF from age-matched controls through transcriptomic profiling of nasal epithelial curettage samples, which can be safely and repeatedly sampled over the course of a patient’s illness. We recruited 10 patients with IPF and 23 age-matched healthy control subjects. Using 3′ messenger RNA sequencing (mRNA-seq), we identified 224 differentially expressed genes, most of which were upregulated in patients with IPF compared with controls. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed upregulation of pathways related to immune response and inflammatory signaling in IPF patients compared with controls. These findings support the concept that fibrosis is associated with upregulation of inflammatory pathways across the respiratory epithelium with possible implications for disease detection and pathobiology.

Background. Neuropathic complications from diabetes mellitus affect multiple nerve types and may manifest in gait. However, gait compensations are still poorly understood, as narrow analyses and lack of speed controls have contributed to conflicting or equivocal results. Purpose. To evaluate gait mechanics and energetics in diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy. Methods. Instrumented gait analysis was performed on 14 participants with diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy and 14 matched controls, walking at 1.0 m/s. A full-body model with a multisegment foot was used to calculate inverse dynamics and analyze sagittal plane metrics and time series waveforms across stance phase. Results. Alterations included increased hip and knee flexion in early stance followed by a prolonged hip extension moment in midstance. Late stance ankle dorsiflexion and power absorption were increased, and final push-off was delayed and truncated. Conclusion. A neuropathic diabetic gait shares important similarities to a mild crouch gait with weakness/dysfunction in the foot and ankle. This study highlights two main compensation mechanisms that have been overlooked in previous literature. First, increased triceps surae stretch in terminal stance may be used to increase proprioception and/or energy storage, while a prolonged hip extension moment in midstance compensates for a limited push-off. These result in an overall workload shift from distal to proximal joints. Clinical assessment, monitoring, and treatment of neuropathy may benefit by focusing on these specific functional alterations.

Human bed bug infestations have undergone a recent global resurgence. The human antiparasitic drug ivermectin has been proposed as a strategy to help control bed bug infestations, but in vivo data are lacking. We allowed separate populations of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., to feed once on a rabbit before and after it was injected subcutaneously with 0.3 mg/kg of ivermectin, and bed bug morbidity and mortality were recorded. Ivermectin levels in the rabbit were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Ivermectin blood levels of ∼2 ng/mL caused reductions in bed bug fecundity, and levels of >8 ng/mL caused bed bug death and long-term morbidity including reductions in refeeding, mobility, reproduction, and molting. Gut bacterial cultures from the fed bed bugs showed that ivermectin altered the bed bug gut microbiome.

Competitive figure skaters often suffer from overuse injuries, which may be due to the high impact forces endured during jump repetitions performed in practice and competition. However, to date, forces during on-ice figure skating have not been quantified due to technological limitations. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal calibration procedure for a previously developed instrumented figure skating blade (IceSense). Initial calibration was performed by collecting data from the blade while 11 skaters performed off-ice jumps, landing on a force plate in the lab. However, mean peak force measurements from the blade were greater than the desired error threshold of ±10%. Therefore, we designed a series of controlled experiments which included measuring forces from a load cell rigidly attached to the top of the blade concurrently with strain data from the strain gauges on the blade. Forces were applied to the blade by adding weight to a drop tower or by manually applying force in a quasi-static manner. Both methods showed similar accuracy, though using the drop tower allowed precise standardization. Therefore, calibration was performed using the weighted drop method. This calibration was applied to strain gauge data from out-of-sample drop trials, resulting in acceptable estimates of peak force (less than 10% error). Using this calibration, we collected data on one figure skater and present results from an exemplar on-ice double flip jump. Using the IceSense device to quantify on-ice forces in a research setting may help inform training, technique, and equipment design.

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: The arch has been referred to as the core of the foot. The arch’s structure, movement, and integrity during running gait largely depends on the function of intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles. There are many injuries that can be associated with a dysfunctional medial longitudinal arch. Improving the strength of the foot muscles could help improve arch function during running. The purpose of this study was to compare changes in arch deformation after eight weeks in a foot strengthening exercise group (FS), a group walking in minimalist shoes (MSW), and a control group (C). Methods: 24 healthy runners (average of 15-30 miles/week, no experience with minimalist footwear) were randomly assigned to FS (n=9), MSW (n=7) or C (n=8). FS subjects followed a series of progressive exercises designed to strengthen the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles. MSW subjects walked in minimal footwear, increasing from 2,500 to 7,000 steps/day over an 8 wk period. All runners maintained their pre-study mileage in conventional running shoes throughout the 8-week study Three-dimensional motion analysis data was collected at the beginning of the study and after week 8. Passive-reflective markers were placed according to the Oxford Foot Model. Subjects ran at a self-selected pace on a treadmill while data were collected for at least 10 strides. Peak midfoot angles were extracted and averaged within each trial. Group means at week 0 and week 8 were compared using paired t-tests with alpha set at 0.05. Results: While all groups experienced a decrease in midfoot angle, only the FS group experienced a significant change (see table). These results suggest that the foot exercise intervention resulted in more arch control during running than the progressive walking in minimal shoes. Greater changes may have been found if the subjects progressively ran in the minimal shoes which would have placed greater demands on the arch musculature. Conclusion: Based on these data, it seems possible for patients to reduce the amount of arch deformation during running by using targeted foot exercises. This could help with patients who have overuse injuries associated with increased arch deformation. These results also suggest that foot strengthening may be an effective way to prepare for minimal footwear running.

Polygenic scores (or genetic risk scores) quantify the aggregate of small effects from many common genetic loci that have been associated with a trait through genome-wide association. Polygenic scores were first used successfully in schizophrenia and have since been applied to multiple phenotypes including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and height. Because human height is an easily-measured and complex polygenic trait, polygenic height scores provide exciting insights into the predictability of aggregate common variant effect on the phenotype. Shawn Bradley is an extremely tall former professional basketball player from Brigham Young University and the National Basketball Association (NBA), measuring 2.29 meters (7′6″, 99.99999th percentile for height) tall, with no known medical conditions. Here, we present a case where a rare combination of common SNPs in one individual results in an extremely high polygenic height score that is correlated with an extreme phenotype. While polygenic scores are not clinically significant in the average case, our findings suggest that for extreme phenotypes, polygenic scores may be more successful for the prediction of individuals.

Many genes have been suggested as candidate genes for keratoconus based on their function, their proximity to associated polymorphisms or due to the identification of putative causative variants within the gene. However, very few of these genes have been assessed for rare variation in keratoconus more broadly. In contrast, VSX1 and SOD1 have been widely assessed, however, the vast majority of studies have been small and the findings conflicting. In a cohort of Australians of European descent, consisting of 385 keratoconus cases and 396 controls, we screened 21 keratoconus candidate genes: BANP, CAST, COL4A3, COL4A4, COL5A1, FOXO1, FNDC3B, HGF, IL1A, IL1B, ILRN, IMMP2L, MPDZ, NFIB, RAB3GAP1, RAD51, RXRA, SLC4A11, SOD1, TF and VSX1. The candidate genes were sequenced in these individuals by either whole exome sequencing or targeted gene sequencing. Variants were filtered to identify rare (minor allele frequency

To advance the understanding of microbial interactions, it is becoming increasingly important to resolve the individual metabolic contributions of microorganisms in complex communities. Organisms from biofilms can be especially difficult to separate, image and analyze, and methods to address these limitations are needed. High resolution imaging secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) generates single cell isotopic composition measurements, and can be used to quantify incorporation and exchange of an isotopically labeled substrate among individual organisms. Here, incorporation of cyanobacterial extracellular organic matter (EOM) by members of a cyanobacterial mixed species biofilm is used as a model to illustrate this method. Incorporation of stable isotope labeled (15N and 13C) EOM by two groups, cyanobacteria and associated heterotrophic microbes, are quantified. Methods for generating, preparing, and analyzing samples for quantifying uptake of stable isotope-labeled EOM in the biofilm are described.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem disease with a range of abdominal manifestations including those involving the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. Recent advances in management of the respiratory complications of the disease has led to a greater life expectancy in patients with CF. Subsequently, there is increasing focus on the impact of abdominal disease on quality of life and survival. Liver cirrhosis is the most important extrapulmonary cause of death in CF, yet significant challenges remain in the diagnosis of CF related liver disease. The capacity to predict those patients at risk of developing cirrhosis remains a significant challenge. We review representative abdominal imaging findings in patients with CF selected from the records of two academic health centres, with a view to increasing familiarity with the abdominal manifestations of the disease. We review their presentation and expected imaging findings, with a focus on the challenges facing diagnosis of the hepatic manifestations of the disease. An increased familiarity with these abdominal manifestations will facilitate timely diagnosis and management, which is paramount to further improving outcomes for patients with cystic fibrosis.

The exchange kinetics and thermodynamics of amines for ammonia in small (1–2 nm diameter) ammonium bisulfate and ammonium nitrate clusters were investigated using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Ammonium salt clusters were reacted with amine gas at constant pressure to determine the kinetics of exchange. The reverse reactions, where aminium salt clusters reacted with ammonia gas, were also studied, and no substitution of ammonia for amine was observed. Gibbs free energy changes for these substitutions were determined to be highly exothermic, −7 kJ/mol or more negative in all cases. Uptake coefficients (reaction probabilities) were found to be near unity, implying that complete exchange of ammonia in small clusters by amine would be expected to occur within several seconds to minutes in the ambient atmosphere. These results suggest that if salt clusters are a component of the sub-3 nm cluster pool, they are likely to be aminium salts rather than ammonium salts, even if they were initially formed as ammonium salts.

Sexual harassment has been widely studied in the workforce, but the factors that contribute to hostile educational environments for women have received less attention. The present study focuses on male dominance, gender harassment, gender threats, masculinity, and their influences on creating a hostile environment for women in academia. One hundred and forty-two male participants from a private university in the Southwestern United States self-reported their masculinity, completed a group task with a female confederate leader serving as a gender threat in half the conditions, and had their subsequent affect, perceptions of leadership effectiveness, and behavioral aggression measured. Men from male-dominated majors and men who had received a gender threat did not differ from men from gender-equivalent majors and men who had not received a gender threat on affect, perceptions of leadership effectiveness, or behavioral aggression (ps > 0.201, ηp2s ≤ 0.007). However, post-hoc analyses revealed that as masculinity increased among men from male-dominated majors under gender threat, they became significantly more behaviorally aggressive (b = 5.92, p = 0.003) and perceived their female leader as less effective (b = −0.83, p = 0.076). Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Learning games such as role-play (which we refer to as “simulated interaction rituals”) are commonly used as social tools to develop trainee health practitioners. However, the effect of such rituals on individual and group participant emotions has not been carefully studied. Using a heuristic approach, we explore the experiences of complementary therapy practitioner trainees (and their trainers) participating in a personal development course. Ten trainees and two tutors were interviewed, observational notes taken, and a secondary qualitative analysis undertaken. Participants and tutors described a medley of disparate emotional and moral responses to group rituals, conceptualized in this article as “jumbled emotions.” Such emotions required disentangling, and both trainees and staff perceived participating in unfamiliar rituals “with relative strangers” as challenging. Front of stage effects are frequently processed “backstage,” as rituals threaten social embarrassment and confusion. Concerns around emotional triggers, authenticity, and outcomes of rituals arise at the time, yet trainees can find ways to work through these issues in time.

Continuous learning of object affordances in a cognitive robot is a challenging problem, the solution to which arguably requires a developmental approach. In this paper, we describe scenarios where robotic systems interact with household objects by pushing them using robot arms while observing the scene with cameras, and which must incrementally learn, without external supervision, both the effect classes that emerge from these interactions as well as a discriminative model for predicting them from object properties. We formalize the scenario as a multi-view learning problem where data co-occur over two separate data views over time, and we present an online learning framework that uses a self-supervised form of learning vector quantization to build the discriminative model. In various experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in comparison with related supervised methods using data from experiments performed using two different robotic platforms.

This article argues that if the learning area Life Orientation is to give substance to the recommendations of the James Report (2000) values will have to be imaginatively apprehended and reinterpreted in each life situation. This article explores ways of using language and literature study to give imaginative access to xenophobia, a key social problem in South Africa (and beyond) and so taking Life Orientation beyond the letter of the lay to honouring its ‘spirit, purport and objects’ (Constitution 39.(2)). The three literary works used in this case are Judges 12 (New International Bible), Snow Falling on Cedars (David Guterson) and Welcome to our Hillbrow (Phaswane Mpe).

The issue of which English should be privileged in South Africa has been hotly debated This article argues against the binary thinking that has fuelled this debate. It contends that standard English should be taught since it is the proper or appropriate choice in particular contexts. Competence in standard English would extend and enhance learners' repertoires. However, unless the richly textured variety of "other" Englishes is accommodated in the classroom, there is a strong danger of what Phillipson (1992) terms linguicism. The article argues that a possible means of exploring the richly textured varieties in use in South Africa would be to focus on the choice of accent in radio advertisements. Some suggestions are outlined as to how a critical awareness of the persuasive effict of particular accents in particular contexts can be developed Finally, a plea is made for stylistic experimentation to be honoured in South African classrooms as a further means of exploring the language resources in South Africa. Die debat random die soort Engels wat in Suid-Afrika bevoordeel behoort te word is nog steeds aan die gang. In hierdie artikel word daar aangevoer dat dit die gevolg is van die binere denke oor hierdie saak Daar word beweer dat Standaard-Engels onderrig behoort te word aangesien dit die maak van 'n korrekte of geskikte keuse in bepaalde kontekste behels. Vaardigheid in Standaard-Engels salleerders se repertoire uitbrei en versterk Dit beteken egter nie dat die ryk tekstuurverskeidenheid van die "ander" soorte Engels in die k/askamer buite rekening gelaat mag word nie. Indien dit sou gebeur, bestaan die gevaar van wat Phil/ipson (1992) "linguisisme" noem. Volgens die artikel is die bestudering van radioadvertensies, met die fokus op die keuse van k/em, 'n moontlike manier om die ryk tekstuurverskeidenheid van Engels wat in Suid-Afrika gebruik word te ondersoek Bepaalde voorstelle word aan die hand gedoen oor hoe 'n kritiese bewustheid ontwikkel kan word ten opsigte van die vasstelling van die oorredende uitwerking wat 'n bepaalde aksentuering binne bepaalde kontekste kan he. Ten s/otte word 'n pleidooi gelewer ten gunste van eksperimentasie met sty/ in Suid-Afrikaanse k/askamers as 'n verdere wyse waarop bronne vir taal in Suid-Afrika ondersoek kan word