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Genotype-phenotype correlations add value to the management of families with hereditary hearing loss (HL), where age-related typical audiograms (ARTAs) are generated from cross-sectional regression equations and used to predict the audiogram phenotype across the lifespan. A seven-generation kindred with autosomal dominant sensorineural HL (ADSNHL) was recruited and a novel pathogenic variant in POU4F3 (c.37del) was identified by combining linkage analysis with whole exome sequencing (WES). POU4F3 is noted for large intrafamilial variation including the age of onset of HL, audiogram configuration and presence of vestibular impairment. Sequential audiograms and longitudinal analyses reveal highly variable audiogram features among POU4F3 (c.37del) carriers, limiting the utility of ARTAs for clinical prognosis and management of HL. Furthermore, a comparison of ARTAs against three previously published families (1 Israeli Jewish, 2 Dutch) reveals significant interfamilial differences, with earlier onset and slower deterioration. This is the first published report of a North American family with ADSNHL due to POU4F3, the first report of the pathogenic c.37del variant, and the first study to conduct longitudinal analysis, extending the phenotypic spectrum of DFNA15.

The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) is a series of upgrades for the Keck II Adaptive Optics (AO) system and the NIRSPEC spectrograph to enable diffraction-limited, high-resolution ($R>30,000$) spectroscopy of exoplanets and low-mass companions in the K and L bands. Phase I consisted of single-mode fiber injection/extraction units (FIU/FEU) used in conjunction with an H-band pyramid wavefront sensor. Phase II, deployed and commissioned in 2022, adds a 1000-actuator deformable mirror, beam-shaping optics, a vortex coronagraph, and other upgrades to the FIU/FEU. The use of single-mode fibers provides a gain in stellar rejection, a substantial reduction in sky background, and an extremely stable line-spread function on the spectrograph. In this paper we present the results of extensive system-level laboratory testing and characterization showing the instrument's Phase II throughput, stability, repeatability, and other key performance metrics prior to delivery and during installation at Keck. We also demonstrate the capabilities of the various observing modes enabled by the new system modules using internal test light sources. Finally, we show preliminary results of on-sky tests performed in the first few months of Phase II commissioning along with the next steps for the instrument. Once commissioning of Phase II is complete, KPIC will continue to characterize exoplanets at an unprecedented spectral resolution, thereby growing its already successful track record of 23 detected exoplanets and brown dwarfs from Phase I. Using the new vortex fiber nulling (VFN) mode, Phase II will also be able to search for exoplanets at small angular separations less than 45 milliarcseconds which conventional coronagraphs cannot reach., 13 pages; 6 figures; to appear in Proceedings of the SPIE, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX, Vol. 12184

Direct imaging studies have mainly used low-resolution spectroscopy ($R\sim20-100$) to study the atmospheres of giant exoplanets and brown dwarf companions, but the presence of clouds has often led to degeneracies in the retrieved atmospheric abundances (e.g. C/O, metallicity). This precludes clear insights into the formation mechanisms of these companions. The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) uses adaptive optics and single-mode fibers to transport light into NIRSPEC ($R\sim35,000$ in $K$ band), and aims to address these challenges with high-resolution spectroscopy. Using an atmospheric retrieval framework based on petitRADTRANS, we analyze KPIC high-resolution spectrum ($2.29-2.49~\mu$m) and archival low-resolution spectrum ($1-2.2~\mu$m) of the benchmark brown dwarf HD 4747 B ($m=67.2\pm1.8~M_{\rm{Jup}}$, $a=10.0\pm0.2$ au, $T_{\rm eff}\approx1400$ K). We find that our measured C/O and metallicity for the companion from the KPIC high-resolution spectrum agree with that of its host star within $1-2\sigma$. The retrieved parameters from the $K$ band high-resolution spectrum are also independent of our choice of cloud model. In contrast, the retrieved parameters from the low-resolution spectrum are highly sensitive to our chosen cloud model. Finally, we detect CO, H$_2$O, and CH$_4$ (volume mixing ratio of log(CH$_4$)=$-4.82\pm0.23$) in this L/T transition companion with the KPIC data. The relative molecular abundances allow us to constrain the degree of chemical disequilibrium in the atmosphere of HD 4747 B, and infer a vertical diffusion coefficient that is at the upper limit predicted from mixing length theory., Comment: 33 pages, 16 figures, Accepted to ApJ

Recently we showed that Retinal degeneration protein 3 (RD3) is constitutively expressed in healthy adult and fetal tissues beyond retina and, its gradient expression from high to low in ganglioneuroma, ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma (NB). Crucially, our sequential in vitro and in vivo studies identified that RD3 regulates NB progression and metastasis, and its loss prompts the evolution of therapy defying progressive disease (PD). Here we investigated the prognostic significance of RD3 in NB, its predictive benefit and, its association to clinical outcomes. RNA-Seq data mining (4 independent study cohorts, total n = 1013) indicated that high RD3 can predict good NB prognosis. RD3 expression (immunohistochemistry) gauged in our NB patient cohort (n = 100) showed a positive correlation with longer overall survival (OS, P = 1.0E-04) and relapse-free survival (RFS, P = 2.1E-02). Similarly, high RD3 correlated with longer OS (P = 1.2E-03) and RFS (P = 2.1-02) in children presented with high-risk NB (HR-NB), irrespective of MYCN amplification status (MYCN amplified, P = 1.4E-02; non-amplified, P = 5.5E-03) and patient age (2Y age, P = 1.0E-04) groups. Significantly, we observed a gradient loss of RD3 with NB progression, from stage 1 through stage 4 disease. Consistently, RD3 loss was substantial in metastatic disease when compared to the primary neuroblastomas, and this loss associated with poor OS in patients presented with metastatic disease (P = 4.0E-02). More importantly, RD3 is significantly lost in therapy resistant progressive NB and corroborated significantly (P = 9.5E-03) with the poor progression free survival. Multivariate analysis identified RD3 as an independent (P = 4.4E-02) prognostic factor for NB. These results demonstrate that RD3-loss can forecast poor prognosis in NB, and further imply that assessing RD3 loss could serve as the good predictor for therapy response and/or PD evolution. Together, these data identify a novel prognostic and predictive factor for neuroblastoma. Funding: This work was partially or in full, funded by Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, OCAST-HR19-045; National Institutes of Health, NIH-P20GM103639 and Department of Defense DoD-CA210339 Citation Format: Dinesh Babu Somasundaram, Zhongxin Yu, Ashley Baker, Natarajan Aravindan. Novel prognostic and predictive biomarker for neuroblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4517.

Our recent investigations unveiled the transcriptional and translational loss of Retinal degeneration Protein 3 in neuroblastomas (NB) when compared to the healthy adult and fetal tissues. Further, our preclinical studies with patient derived cellular systems and mouse model of high-risk NB (HR-NB) demonstrated that RD3 loss orchestrates disease progression. More importantly, we defined the therapy pressure driven acquired loss of RD3 in neuroblastomas, its crucial function in the evolution of progressive disease (PD), and further defined the prognostic and predictive significance of RD3 loss in NB. In this study, we investigated the use of RNAScope as a sensitive and specific method for the evaluation of spatiotemporal RD3 transcriptional loss in NB. We investigated the expression of RD3 mRNA in FFPE NB (n = 100) tissues utilizing RNAScope with custom archived RD3 specific probes comparing it with the matched RD3 protein (IHC) expression patterns. With positive (PPIB) and negative (DapB) controls in place, our results displayed definite and specific RD3 mRNA expression in NB. We observed a statistically significant association of RD3 mRNA loss to the disease progression and poor clinical outcomes. Further, we observed significant correlation to the loss of RD3 transcription to the evolution of progressive disease. More importantly, the expression gradients of RD3 mRNA observed with RNAScope assay (compared in terms of no treatment vs progressive disease, primary vs metastatic disease, relapsed vs no relapse, favorable to unfavorable disease) illustrate the concordance with the RD3 IHC outcomes. Our results provide a reference basis for better RD3 mRNA readouts in NB, and more importantly identify the technically sound, adaptable (high throughput/single event, manual/automatic) RNAScope in situ hybridization assay as an alternate approach to detect spatiotemporal expression of RD3 mRNA. Together, the results provide a new, descriptive, and efficient platform, RNAScope for assessing spatiotemporal RD3 mRNA expression that could better inform disease prognosis and therapy response in children with NB. Funding: This work was partially or in full, funded by Department of Defense DoD-CA210339 and Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, OCAST-HR19-045. Citation Format: Dinesh Babu Somasundaram, Sheeja Aravindan, Zhongxin Yu, Ashley Baker, Natarajan Aravindan. RNAScope in situ hybridization as a novel approach for the spatiotemporal assessment of RD3 mRNA expression in neuroblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6722.

PURPOSE: Cancer clinical trials offices (CTOs) support the investigation of cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment at cancer centers across North America. CTOs are a centralized resource for clinical trial conduct and typically use research staff with expertise in four functional areas of clinical research: finance, regulatory, clinical, and data operations. To our knowledge, there are no publicly available benchmark data sets that characterize the size, cost, volume, and efficiency of these offices, nor whether the metrics differ by National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) steering committee developed a survey to address this knowledge gap. METHODS: An 11-question survey that addressed CTO budget, accrual and trial volume, full-time equivalents (FTEs), staff turnover, and activation timelines was developed by the AACI CRI steering committee and sent to 92 academic cancer research centers in North America (n = 90 in the United States; n = 2 in Canada), with 79 respondents completing the survey (86% completion rate). RESULTS: The number of FTE employees working in the CTOs ranged from 4.5 to 811 (median, 104). The median number of analytic cases (ie, newly diagnosed or received first course of treatment) reported by the main center was 3,856. Annual CTO budgets ranged from $250,000 to $23,900,000 (median, $8.2 million). The median trial activation time, based on 61 centers, was 167 days. The median number of accruals per center was 480 (range, 5-6,271) and median number of trials per center was 282 (range, 31-1,833). Budget and FTE ranges varied by NCI designation. CONCLUSION: The response rate to the survey was high. These data will allow cancer centers to evaluate their CTO infrastructure, funding, portfolio, and/or accrual goals as compared with peers. A wide range in each of the outcomes was noted, in keeping with the wide variation in size and scope of cancer center CTOs across the United States and Canada. These variations may warrant additional investigation.

Background Undergoing cardiac surgery often result in perioperative loss of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Although participation rates in Australia is low, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been demonstrated to improve patient HRQOL in cardiac patients. Literature is unclear regarding the role of CR and HRQOL in the cardiac surgery (CS) patient population. Methods A prospective non-randomised study was conducted on eligible cardiac surgery patients between December 2009 and March 2015. HRQOL was assessed using the Short Form 12 at baseline and post-operatively at 30 days and 180 days. CR participation was recorded and barriers to CR uptake was assessed using the Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrolment Obstacles (CREO) scale. Results At 180 days, 107 patients participated in CR and 111 did not participate in CR. A significant improvement from baseline mental and physical HRQOL was observed in both groups at 30 days and 180 days (p p p Conclusion Literature has shown that CR may improve numerous health outcomes in cardiac and CS patients, however CR uptake in Australia is low. Mental and Physical QOL is demonstrated to improve following CS, however further research is required to delineate the role of CR and QOL in CS patients. The CREO tool utilised in this study identified numerous potentially modifiable barriers to CR uptake. Specific strategies related to the survey are suggested to improve awareness, uptake, and adherence to CR, including advocacy of home-based and telehealth services.

Cluster of differentiation 73 (CD73), a cell surface enzyme that catalyzes adenosine monophosphate (AMP) breakdown to adenosine, is differentially expressed in cancers and has prognostic significance. We investigated its expression profile in neuroblastoma (NB), its association with NB clinical outcomes, and its influence in the regulation of cancer stem cells' (CSCs) stemness maintenance. RNA-Seq data mining (22 independent study cohorts, total n = 3836) indicated that high CD73 can predict good NB prognosis. CD73 expression (immunohistochemistry) gauged in an NB patient cohort (n = 87) showed a positive correlation with longer overall survival (OS, P = 0.0239) and relapse-free survival (RFS, P = 0.0242). Similarly, high CD73 correlated with longer OS and RFS in advanced disease stages, MYCN non-amplified (MYCN-na), and Stage-4-MYCN-na subsets. Despite no definite association in children 2 years old (2Y), high CD73 correlated with longer OS (P = 0.0294) and RFS (P = 0.0315) in children 2Y. Consistently, high CD73 was associated with better OS in MYCN-na, high-risk, and stage-4 subsets of children 2Y. Multivariate analysis identified CD73 as an independent (P = 0.001) prognostic factor for NB. Silencing CD73 in patient-derived (stage 4, progressive disease) CHLA-171 and CHLA-172 cells revealed cell-line-independent activation of 58 CSC stemness maintenance molecules (QPCR profiling). Overexpressing CD73 in CHLA-20 and CHLA-90 cells with low CD73 and silencing in CHLA-171 and CHLA-172 cells with high CD73 showed that CD73 regulates epithelial to mesenchymal transition (E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin, Vimentin), stemness maintenance (Sox2, Nanog, Oct3/4), self-renewal capacity (Notch), and differentiation inhibition (leukemia inhibitory factor, LIF) proteins (confocal-immunofluorescence). These results demonstrate that high CD73 can predict good prognosis in NB, and further suggest that CD73 regulates stemness maintenance in cells that defy clinical therapy.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently present with impairments in motor skills (e.g., limb coordination, handwriting and balance), which are observed across the lifespan but remain largely untreated. Many adults with ASD may thus experience adverse motor outcomes in aging, when physical decline naturally occurs. The ‘hand knob’ of the sensorimotor cortex is an area that is critical for motor control of the fingers and hands. However, this region has received little attention in ASD research, especially in adults after midlife. The hand knob area of the precentral (PrChand) and postcentral (PoChand) gyri was semi-manually delineated in 49 right-handed adults (25 ASD, 24 typical comparison [TC] participants, aged 41-70 years). Using multimodal (T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and resting-state functional) MRI, we examined the morphology, ipsilateral connectivity and laterality of these regions. Correlations between hand knob measures with motor skills and autism symptoms, and between structural and functional connectivity measures were also investigated. The right PrChand volume was greater, and typical leftward laterality of PrChand and PoChand volume was lower in the ASD than the TC group. Furthermore, we observed increased mean diffusivity of the right PoC-PrChand u-fibers in the ASD group. In the ASD group, right PoC-PrChand u-fiber volume was negatively associated with current autism severity, and positively associated with right PoC-PrChand functional connectivity (FC). Correlations of hand knob measures were observed with manual dexterity and coordination skills but did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Our findings suggest decreased morphological laterality and u-fiber connectivity of the sensorimotor network involved in hand function in middle-aged adults with ASD. The altered morphology may relate to atypical functional asymmetries found in ASD earlier in life, but additionally, could reflect an overreliance on right hemisphere motor circuits over time. The right PoC-PrChand u-fibers may underlie compensatory self-regulation of unwanted core motor behaviors seen in ASD.

Abstract: Since 1996, the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) has held an annual case competition for college and university students. By 2016, a total of 1,132 students had participated. An online questionnaire was sent to 768 participants with available email addresses; eight additional participants entered the study after viewing an online posting. The questionnaire was completed by 112 former participants (response rate: 14%). Findings suggest that participating in the case competition was a positive experience that led to an appreciation of evaluation, increased teamwork skills, and provided stronger résumés. Some indicated that participating influenced their choice of evaluation as a focus for their career.

10048 Background: Marked improvements in outcomes for children with cancer and robust cohort studies with longitudinal follow-up inform evidence-based guidelines for survivors at risk for late cardiomyopathy. Clinical informatics tools to integrate data from multiple sources have the potential to catalyze population health management. Methods: The Oklahoma Childhood Cancer Survivor cohort was constructed from an institutional cancer registry of survivors diagnosed between 2005 and 2014 (n=382). Data elements (cumulative anthracycline, cumulative chest-directed radiotherapy, alkylator, and platinum exposures) were extracted from Passport for Care (PFC) to implement previously validated late cardiovascular risk prediction modeling from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) for cardiomyopathy. Risk groups were compared to the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Long-Term Follow-up Guidelines. Standard query language facilitated extraction of echocardiogram data from the electronic health record to determine adherence, defined as an echocardiogram within 27 months and 63 months from the last day of therapy for high and moderate risk survivors, respectively. Results: Sixty-nine percent (n=264) of survivors from the cancer registry were documented in PFC, of whom 29%, 56%, and 15% were classified as low, moderate, high risk, respectively, based on the CCSS late cardiomyopathy risk calculator. Concordance was modest for high and moderate risk groups (Kappa = 0.42 and 0.46, respectively) and good for the low risk group (Kappa = 0.77) compared to COG risk groups. There was excellent adherence to echocardiogram guidelines with 93% and 81% of moderate and high-risk survivors, respectively. There were significant differences based on risk group (p=0.02) and age at diagnosis (p

As the US transitions from volume- to value-based cancer care, many cancer centers and community groups have joined to share resources to deliver measurable, high-quality cancer care and clinical research with the associated high patient satisfaction, provider satisfaction, and practice health at optimal costs that are the hallmarks of value-based care. Multidisciplinary oncology care pathways are essential components of value-based care and their payment metrics. Oncology pathways are evidence-based, standardized but personalizable care plans to guide cancer care. Pathways have been developed and studied for the major medical, surgical, radiation, and supportive oncology disciplines to support decision-making, streamline care, and optimize outcomes. Implementing multidisciplinary oncology pathways can facilitate comprehensive care plans for each cancer patient throughout their cancer journey and across large multisite delivery systems. Outcomes from the delivered pathway-based care can then be evaluated against individual and population benchmarks. The complexity of adoption, implementation, and assessment of multidisciplinary oncology pathways, however, presents many challenges. We review the development and components of value-based cancer care and detail City of Hope’s (COH) academic and community-team-based approaches for implementing multidisciplinary pathways. We also describe supportive components with available results towards enterprise-wide value-based care delivery.

The Keck Planet Finder (KPF) is a fiber-fed, high-resolution, high-stability spectrometer in development at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory for the W.M. Keck Observatory. KPF is designed to characterize exoplanets via Doppler spectroscopy with a goal of a single measurement precision of 0.3 m s-1 or better, however its resolution and stability will enable a wide variety of astrophysical pursuits. Here we provide post-preliminary design review design updates for several subsystems, including: the main spectrometer, the fabrication of the Zerodur optical bench; the data reduction pipeline; fiber agitator; fiber cable design; fiber scrambler; VPH testing results and the exposure meter.

A benchmark brown dwarf (BD) is a BD whose properties (e.g., mass and chemical composition) are precisely and independently measured. Benchmark BDs are valuable in testing theoretical evolutionary tracks, spectral synthesis, and atmospheric retrievals for sub-stellar objects. Here, we report results of atmospheric retrieval on a synthetic spectrum and a benchmark BD -- HR 7672~B -- with \petit. First, we test the retrieval framework on a synthetic PHOENIX BT-Settl spectrum with a solar composition. We show that the retrieved C and O abundances are consistent with solar values, but the retrieved C/O is overestimated by 0.13-0.18, which is $\sim$4 times higher than the formal error bar. Second, we perform retrieval on HR 7672~B using high spectral resolution data (R=35,000) from the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) and near infrared photometry. We retrieve [C/H], [O/H], and C/O to be $-0.24\pm0.05$, $-0.19\pm0.04$, and $0.52\pm0.02$. These values are consistent with those of HR 7672~A within 1.5-$\sigma$. As such, HR 7672~B is among only a few benchmark BDs (along with Gl 570~D and HD 3651~B) that have been demonstrated to have consistent elemental abundances with their primary stars. Our work provides a practical procedure of testing and performing atmospheric retrieval, and sheds light on potential systematics of future retrievals using high- and low-resolution data., Comment: 29 pages, 17 figures, 5 tables, resubmitted to AAS journals after first revision

Cyclic neutropenia has been rarely associated with chronic inflammation and development of reactive AA amyloidosis. We report a family with cyclic neutropenia with associated renal and thyroid amyloid. A 12-year-old female presented with thyromegaly, recurrent aphthous ulcers, severe neutropenia, and renal failure. Renal and thyroid biopsies revealed abundant amyloid deposition. Presence of a heterozygous ELANE c.358 A>T gene mutation p.I120F variant with autosomal dominant inheritance confirmed the diagnosis of cyclic neutropenia. The patient's father also had neutropenia and amyloidosis with renal failure. We started filgrastim to attenuate neutropenia and thereby reduce chronic inflammation and minimize further amyloid deposition.

Nurses play a crucial role in the implementation of restrictive practices such as seclusion and restraint. Restrictive practices have been widely recognized as harmful practices and efforts to reduce their use have been in place for several years. While some reductions have been achieved, more information and insight into the perspectives and experiences of front-line mental health nursing staff is required if further changes are to be realized. Sixty-five respondents participated in an online survey to investigate Australian mental health nurses' personal experiences and opinions regarding restrictive practices. Analysis revealed restrictive practices as a complex, contested and challenging area of practice. Analysis of data revealed five main ways that restrictive practices were framed by respondents. These were as follows: as a response to fear; to maintain safety for all; a legacy of time and place; the last resort; and, a powerful source of occupational distress. In addition, findings revealed the need to support staff involved in restrictive practices. This need could be satisfied through the implementation of procedures to address post-restrictive distress at all levels of the organization. Ensuring an optimal work environment that includes appropriate staffing, availability of supportive education and structured routine debriefing of all episodes of restrictive practice is critical in achieving further reductions in seclusion and restraint.

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHSe) can compound an already challenging set of health problems for youth with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Exposure to electronic cigarettes may also impact SCD symptomology and respiratory functioning. This study built on these previous findings by a) utilizing two objective measures of SHSe, salivary cotinine and exhaled carbon monoxide and b) examining the association of SHSe with emergency department utilization, physician-reported sickle cell crises, and pulmonary functioning. Caregivers (N=31 dyads; M(age)=37.6 years; SD=8.5 years) of youth with SCD (M(age)=9.0 years; SD=4.5 years) completed self-report measures of tobacco/nicotine use. Youth provided a saliva sample to assess cotinine levels, and performed pulmonary function tests. Dyads provided breath samples for measurement of eCO. A chart review was conducted to obtain medical history and utilization. Majority of youth (88%) were exposed to SHS via salivary cotinine. Interestingly, no significant associations were observed between youth cotinine levels and emergency department utilization, physician-reported sickle cell crises, or pulmonary functioning. Present findings indicate a need to assess for SHSe using objective assessment measures. Future research should investigate which specific factors contribute to increase SHSe/SHVe in youth with SCD.

In this paper, we demonstrate the value of implementing a Trauma-Informed Model of Care in a Community Acute Mental Health Team by providing brief intensive treatment (comprising risk interventions, brief counselling, collaborative formulation and pharmacological treatment). The team utilised the Conversational Model (CM), a psychotherapeutic approach for complex trauma. Key features of the CM are described in this paper using a clinical case study. The addition of the Conversational Model approach to practice has enabled better understandings of consumers' capacities and ways to then engage, converse, and intervene. The implementation of this intervention has led to a greater sense of self-efficacy amongst clinicians, who can now articulate a clear counselling model of care.

Using the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC), we obtained high-resolution (R$\sim$35,000) $K$-band spectra of the four planets orbiting HR 8799. We clearly detected \water{} and CO in the atmospheres of HR 8799 c, d, and e, and tentatively detected a combination of CO and \water{} in b. These are the most challenging directly imaged exoplanets that have been observed at high spectral resolution to date when considering both their angular separations and flux ratios. We developed a forward modeling framework that allows us to jointly fit the spectra of the planets and the diffracted starlight simultaneously in a likelihood-based approach and obtained posterior probabilities on their effective temperatures, surface gravities, radial velocities, and spins. We measured $v\sin(i)$ values of $10.1^{+2.8}_{-2.7}$~km/s for HR 8799 d and $15.0^{+2.3}_{-2.6}$~km/s for HR 8799 e, and placed an upper limit of $< 14$~km/s of HR 8799 c. Under two different assumptions of their obliquities, we found tentative evidence that rotation velocity is anti-correlated with companion mass, which could indicate that magnetic braking with a circumplanetary disk at early times is less efficient at spinning down lower mass planets., 31 pages, 12 figures, Accepted to AJ

Hypertension (HTN) is the most prevalent condition observed in primary health care. Hypertension shows complex etiology, and neuroinflammation, overactive sympathetic drive, and the microbiome are each associated with the disease. To obtain mechanistic perspective into neurogenic HTN, we first constructed a framework for transcriptional regulators of the disease using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. This approach yielded a core group of 178 transcripts that are prevalent in studies of HTN, including leptin and neuropeptide Y. We then conducted a meta-analysis for transcriptome data generated in brain tissue from HTN studies. Eight expression studies were reanalyzed, in which transcriptomics was conducted in hypertensive animal models [spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and high blood pressure (BPH/2J) Schlager mice] (140 microarrays). Most strikingly, a gut-brain connection was a dominant theme in both rodent models of HTN. The transcriptomic data in the rat CNS converged on processes that included gastrointestinal motility and appetite, among others. In the mouse model, pathways converged on gastrointestinal transit. Thus, our data provide a powerful review of current molecular evidence of the interplay between gut and brain in HTN. Analyses of meta-genome data also suggested that transcriptome networks related to natriuresis, thermoregulation, reproduction (lactation and pregnancy), and vasoconstriction were associated to HTN, supporting physiological observations in independent studies by others. Lastly, we present novel transcriptome networks that may contribute to a neurogenic origin of HTN. Using this framework, new therapeutic targets can be proposed and investigated in treatment strategies.

The black carrot dye is a mixture of cyanidin molecules, the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of which shows a highly overlapped aromatic region. In this study, the (1)H NMR (800 MHz) aromatic chemical shifts of the mixture were fully assigned by overlaying them with the characterized (1)H NMR chemical shifts of the separated compounds. The latter were isolated using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and their chemical shifts were identified using (1)H and two-dimensional (2D) correlation spectroscopy (COSY) NMR spectroscopy. The stability of the black carrot mixture to heat exposure was investigated at pH 3.6, 6.8, and 8.0 by heat-treating aqueous solutions at 100 °C and the powdered material at 180 °C. From integration of high-resolution (1)H NMR spectra, it was possible to follow the relative degradation of each compound, offering advantages over the commonly used ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) and HPLC approaches. UV/vis spectroscopy and CIE color measurements were used to determine thermally induced color changes, under normal cooking conditions.

IntroductionA two-year collaborative project between professors in the department of Black studies, the department of global studies, and the Center for Black Studies Research at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), culminated in a research trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in June 2015. The research collaborative aimed to develop a conceptual and inclusive framework for short-term and long-term development prospects in the earthquake-devastated community of Carrefour-Feuilles. The research trip included a two-day workshop that brought UCSB scholars to this specific community in Haiti to engage with community leaders and residents, Haitian faculty and students, grassroots organizations, governmental agencies, and international nongovernmental organizations working in Carrefour-Feuilles.The research project, titled "The Haiti Sustainable Development Research Collaborative: The Carrefour-Feuilles Neighborhood Redevelopment Project," consisted of three professors from global studies and Black studies, three graduate students, five undergraduates, and two videographers, one of whom recently completed a master's degree in the UCSB global studies program. Together, we spent seven days in Haiti hoping not only to reach our research goals but to also to provide the five undergraduates with an educational opportunity to broaden their historical and sociocultural understandings of Haiti and its development in an increasingly globalized world.Their reflections, provided below, offer valuable insights on the undergraduates' first experiences in a non-Western developing country; they also uncover the fruitful complexities of translating textbook knowledge into real-world understandings of both local and global issues. The students-Unique Vance, Mariah Boyd, Sean Tanabe, Ashley Baker, and Andrew Neiman-each completed a course and research project in Spring 2015 with Nadege T. Clitandre, an assistant professor of global studies who has close ties to the community of Carrefour-Feuilles. She and Claudine Michel, professor of Black studies, co-led the trip with the assistance of Philip McCarty, a lecturer in global studies and anthropologist with experience in field research in countries outside the United States.Together with reflections offered by N. Pierre, Jamella Gow, and Nikita Carney, doctoral students who focus on Haiti and the broader Caribbean, this short essay provides insight into the preliminary processes of building a partnership between a large US research university and a community in Port-au-Prince, as well as the experience of engaging with leaders and other members of the community of Carrefour-Feuilles. In this piece, we provide personal and critical reflections developed in the field and also a commentary on the value of cross-cultural research and academic exchange between students from different countries. We share these reflections in the hopes of generating more interest in this fruitful collaboration between the Center for Black Studies Research and the department of global studies.N. PierrePhD Candidate; History, New York University; Visiting Researcher, UCSB Center for Buck Studies ResearchThe Center for Black Studies Research and the global studies department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, secured funding for the Haiti Sustainable Development Research Collaborative. The essential kernel of the trip was to conduct a needs assessment brief to function as guide for the redevelopment of a neighborhood in Carrefour-Feuilles, Port-au-Prince.There were five major objectives: 1) investigate current NGO strategies pertinent to reconstruction; 2) assess the effectiveness of aid toward longterm infrastructure development; 3) examine the role of local leaders in relation to their constituents and foreign NGOs; 4) develop a plan of action for local community members to recover their collective history; and 5) which resonated with me most, develop research questions and theoretical frameworks that would enable community members to participate in the reconstruction of their hometowns. …

We examine the z = 0 group-integrated stellar and cold baryonic (stars + cold atomic gas) mass functions (group SMF and CBMF) and the baryonic collapse efficiency (group cold baryonic to dark matter halo mass ratio) using the RESOLVE and ECO survey galaxy group catalogs and a galform semi-analytic model (SAM) mock catalog. The group SMF and CBMF fall off more steeply at high masses and rise with a shallower low-mass slope than the theoretical halo mass function (HMF). The transition occurs at group-integrated cold baryonic mass M_coldbary ~ 10^11 Msun. The SAM, however, has significantly fewer groups at the transition mass ~ 10^11 Msun and a steeper low-mass slope than the data, suggesting that feedback is too weak in low-mass halos and conversely too strong near the transition mass. Using literature prescriptions to include hot halo gas and potential unobservable galaxy gas produces a group BMF with slope similar to the HMF even below the transition mass. Its normalization is lower by a factor of ~2, in agreement with estimates of warm-hot gas making up the remaining difference. We compute baryonic collapse efficiency with the halo mass calculated two ways, via halo abundance matching (HAM) and via dynamics (extended all the way to three-galaxy groups using stacking). Using HAM, we find that baryonic collapse efficiencies reach a flat maximum for groups across the halo mass range of M_halo ~ 10^11.4-12 Msun, which we label "nascent groups." Using dynamics, however, we find greater scatter in baryonic collapse efficiencies, likely indicating variation in group hot-to-cold baryon ratios. Similarly, we see higher scatter in baryonic collapse efficiencies in the SAM when using its true groups and their group halo masses as opposed to friends-of-friends groups and HAM masses., Comment: 23 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited illness that is accompanied by lifelong medical complications. There are several genotypes of SCD, with varying medical complications, including increased susceptibility to infection, painful vasoocclusive episodes, priapism, and osteonecrosis. Coping with a potentially debilitating chronic illness yields numerous challenges, although many individuals with SCD establish successful coping strategies and manage their illnesses in an adaptive manner. Management of lifelong illness poses potential difficulties to all family members, including those who do not directly have the illness.

We present the HI mass inventory for the RESOLVE survey, a volume-limited, multi-wavelength census of >1500 z=0 galaxies spanning diverse environments and complete in baryonic mass down to dwarfs of 10^9 Msun. This first 21cm data release provides robust detections or strong upper limits (1.4M_HI < 5 to 10% of stellar mass M_stars) for 94% of RESOLVE. We examine global atomic gas-to-stellar mass ratios (G/S) in relation to galaxy environment using several metrics: group dark matter halo mass M_h , central/satellite designation, relative mass density of the cosmic web, and distance to nearest massive group. We find that at fixed M_stars, satellites have decreasing G/S with increasing M_h starting clearly at M_h = 10^12 Msun, suggesting the presence of starvation and/or stripping mechanisms associated with halo gas heating in intermediate-mass groups. The analogous relationship for centrals is uncertain because halo abundance matching builds in relationships between central G/S, stellar mass, and halo mass, which depend on the integrated group property used as a proxy for halo mass (stellar or baryonic mass). On larger scales G/S trends are less sensitive to the abundance matching method. At fixed M_h < 10^12 Msun, the fraction of gas-poor centrals increases with large-scale structure density. In overdense regions, we identify a rare population of gas-poor centrals in low-mass (M_h < 10^11.4 Msun) halos primarily located within 1.5 times the virial radius of more massive (M_h > 10^12 Msun) halos, suggesting that gas stripping and/or starvation may be induced by interactions with larger halos or the surrounding cosmic web. We find that the detailed relationship between G/S and environment varies when we examine different subvolumes of RESOLVE independently, which we suggest may be a signature of assembly bias., 24 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ, data tables available at http://resolve.astro.unc.edu/pages/database.php