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Data taken during the final shallow-site run of the first tower of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) detectors have been reanalyzed with improved sensitivity to small energy depositions. Four ∼224g germanium and two ∼105g silicon detectors were operated at the Stanford Underground Facility (SUF) between December 2001 and June 2002, yielding 118 live days of raw exposure. Three of the germanium and both silicon detectors were analyzed with a new low-threshold technique, making it possible to lower the germanium and silicon analysis thresholds down to the actual trigger thresholds of ∼1 and ∼2keV, respectively. Limits on the spin-independent cross section for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) to elastically scatter from nuclei based on these data exclude interesting parameter space for WIMPs with masses below 9GeV/c2. Under standard halo assumptions, these data partially exclude parameter space favored by interpretations of the DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT experiments' data as WIMP signals, and exclude new parameter space for WIMP masses between 3 and 4GeV/c2. © 2010 The American Physical Society.

Modern GWAS studies use an enormous sample size and ultra-high density SNP genotypes. These conditions reduce the mapping resolution of marginal association tests-the method most often used in GWAS. Multi-locus Bayesian Variable Selection (BVS) offers a one-stop solution for powerful and precise mapping of risk variants and polygenic risk score (PRS) prediction. We show (with an extensive simulation) that multi-locus BVS methods can achieve high power with a low false discovery rate and a much better mapping resolution than marginal association tests. We demonstrate the performance of BVS for mapping and PRS prediction using data from blood biomarkers from the UK-Biobank (~300,000 samples and ~5.5 million SNPs). The article is accompanied by open-source R-software that implement the methods used in the study and scales to biobank-sized data., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Long lasting permethrin-impregnated (LLPI) clothing can retain permethrin and repel ticks for up to three months and without exceeding EPA-approved safe levels; however, little is known about longer term effects of wearing LLPI clothing. Here, permethrin content was measured in new forester pants soon after initial impregnation (Insect Shield) and again one year later after being repeatedly worn by foresters in the field. Urine samples were collected from foresters for biomonitoring of permethrin metabolites at multiple time intervals (pre-use, one-month, three-to-four-months, and one-year post-use). Lethality against nymphal Ixodes scapularis Say was measured in clothing after one year of wear by foresters. Furthermore, to test potential variability in permethrin impregnation of different batches of clothing, separate sets of clothing were anonymously sent to Insect Shield for permethrin treatment over a period of three months and permethrin was quantified. Results demonstrated 33% of participants' pants had no measurable permethrin after one year of wear and permethrin content and tick mortality varied significantly between clothing. Only two of the participants' clothing resulted in ≥ 30% tick mortality after one year of wear. Significant differences were observed in 3-PBA and trans-DCCA, but not cis-DCCA metabolites in participants over the four measured time points and were higher than general United States population levels. This study provides practical information on the safety (measured by urinary metabolites) over time of LLPI clothing. It also provides snapshots (pre-washing and after one year of wear) of effectiveness of LLPI clothing as personal protective equipment against ticks for outdoor workers., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Vector-borne diseases are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA. Effective, convenient prevention methods are needed. Long-lasting permethrin-impregnated (LLPI) clothing can prevent tick bites, however, additional information is needed on the real-world effectiveness and safety of this preventative measure., Methods: In this pilot study, we recruited state and county park employees from North Carolina to wear LLPI uniforms for three months during the summer of 2016. We collected spot urine samples for biomonitoring of permethrin metabolites at one week, one month and three months after first use of the LLPI uniform. Following three months of wear, we collected pants and socks and analyzed them for permethrin content and mortality to ticks and mosquitoes., Results: Thirteen park employees were included in the analysis. Bioactive amounts of permethrin remained in all clothing swatches tested, although there was great variability. Tick mortality was high, with 78% of pant and 88% of sock swatches having mean knockdown percentages ≥ 85%. In contrast, mosquito mortality was low. Over the study period, the absorbed dosage of permethrin averaged < 4 μg/kg/d of body weight based on measurements of three metabolites., Conclusions: LLPI clothing retained permethrin and bioactivity against ticks after three months of use in real-world conditions. The estimated absorbed dosage of permethrin was well below the U.S. EPA level of concern, suggesting that LLPI clothing can be used safely by outdoor workers for tick bite prevention.

Gene expression is controlled at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels including decoding of messenger RNA (mRNA) into polypeptides via ribosome-mediated translation. Translational regulation has been intensively studied in the model dicot plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and in this study, we assessed the translational status [proportion of steady-state mRNA associated with ribosomes] of mRNAs by Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification followed by mRNA-sequencing (TRAP-seq) in rice (Oryza sativa), a model monocot plant and the most important food crop. A survey of three tissues found that most transcribed rice genes are translated whereas few transposable elements are associated with ribosomes. Genes with short and GC-rich coding regions are overrepresented in ribosome-associated mRNAs, suggesting that the GC-richness characteristic of coding sequences in grasses may be an adaptation that favors efficient translation. Transcripts with retained introns and extended 5' untranslated regions are underrepresented on ribosomes, and rice genes belonging to different evolutionary lineages exhibited differential enrichment on the ribosomes that was associated with GC content. Genes involved in photosynthesis and stress responses are preferentially associated with ribosomes, whereas genes in epigenetic regulation pathways are the least enriched on ribosomes. Such variation is more dramatic in rice than that in Arabidopsis and is correlated with the wide variation of GC content of transcripts in rice. Taken together, variation in the translation status of individual transcripts reflects important mechanisms of gene regulation, which may have a role in evolution and diversification., (Copyright © 2017 Zhao et al.)

Although the entropy of a given signal-type waveform is technically zero, it is nonetheless desirable to use entropic measures to quantify the associated information. Several such prescriptions have been advanced in the literature but none are generally successful. Here, we report that the Fourier-conjugated 'total entropy' associated with quantum-mechanical probabilistic amplitude functions (PAFs) is a meaningful measure of information in non-probabilistic real waveforms, with either the waveform itself or its (normalized) analytic representation acting in the role of the PAF. Detailed numerical calculations are presented for both adaptations, showing the expected informatic behaviours in a variety of rudimentary scenarios. Particularly noteworthy are the sensitivity to the degree of randomness in a sequence of pulses and potential for detection of weak signals.

Tick-borne diseases cause substantial morbidity throughout the United States, and North Carolina has a high incidence of spotted fever rickettsioses and ehrlichiosis, with sporadic cases of Lyme disease. The occupational risk of tick-borne infections among outdoor workers is high, particularly those working on publicly managed lands. This study identified incident tick-borne infections and examined seroconversion risk factors among a cohort of North Carolina outdoor workers. Workers from the North Carolina State Divisions of Forestry, Parks and Recreation, and Wildlife (n = 159) were followed for 2 years in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of long-lasting permethrin-impregnated clothing. Antibody titers against Rickettsia parkeri, Rickettsia rickettsii, "Rickettsia amblyommii," and Ehrlichia chaffeensis were measured at baseline (n = 130), after 1 year (n = 82), and after 2 years (n = 73). Titers against Borrelia burgdorferi were measured at baseline and after 2 years (n = 90). Baseline seroprevalence, defined as indirect immunofluorescence antibody titers of 1/128 or greater, was R. parkeri (24%), R. rickettsii (19%), "R. amblyommii" (12%), and E. chaffeensis (4%). Incident infection was defined as a fourfold increase in titer over a 1-year period. There were 40 total seroconversions to at least one pathogen, including R. parkeri (n = 19), "R. amblyommii" (n = 14), R. rickettsii (n = 9), and E. chaffeensis (n = 8). There were no subjects whose sera were reactive to B. burgdorferi C6 antigen. Thirty-eight of the 40 incident infections were subclinical. The overall risk of infection by any pathogen during the study period was 0.26, and the risk among the NC Division of Forest Resources workers was 1.73 times that of workers in other divisions (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 2.92). The risk of infection was lower in subjects wearing permethrin-impregnated clothing, but not significantly (risk ratio = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.47, 1.39). In summary, outdoor workers in North Carolina are at high risk of incident tick-borne infections, most of which appear to be asymptomatic.

This paper investigates the potential of negative stiffness suspensions for enhanced vehicle vibration isolation. By analyzing and improving traditional control algorithms, we propose and experimentally validate novel skyhook, groundhook, and hybrid control strategies for suspensions with negative stiffness characteristics. We establish pavement models, incorporate negative stiffness into suspension modeling, and develop a performance evaluation index. Our research identifies shortcomings of classical semi-active control algorithms and introduces a new band selector to combine improved control methods. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed semi-active suspension control strategy based on negative stiffness effectively reduces body vibration and enhances vehicle ride performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tick-transmitted rickettsial diseases, such as ehrlichiosis and spotted fever rickettsiosis, are significant sources of morbidity and mortality in the southern United States. Because of their exposure in tick-infested woodlands, outdoor workers experience an increased risk of infection with tick-borne pathogens. As part of a double blind randomized-controlled field trial of the effectiveness of permethrin-treated clothing in preventing tick bites, we identified tick species removed from the skin of outdoor workers in North Carolina and tested the ticks for Rickettsiales pathogens., Methods: Ticks submitted by study participants from April-September 2011 and 2012 were identified to species and life stage, and preliminarily screened for the genus Rickettsia by nested PCR targeting the 17-kDa protein gene. Rickettsia were further identified to species by PCR amplification of 23S-5S intergenic spacer (IGS) fragments combined with reverse line blot hybridization with species-specific probes and through cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of 23S-5S amplicons. Ticks were examined for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma by nested PCR directed at the gltA, antigen-expressing gene containing a variable number of tandem repeats, 16S rRNA, and groESL genes., Results: The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) accounted for 95.0 and 92.9% of ticks submitted in 2011 (n = 423) and 2012 (n = 451), respectively. Specimens of American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) and black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) were also identified. In both years of our study, 60.9% of ticks tested positive for 17-kDa. "Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii", identified in all four tick species, accounted for 90.2% (416/461) of the 23S-5S-positive samples and 52.9% (416/787) of all samples tested. Nucleotide sequence analysis of Rickettsia-specific 23S-5S IGS, ompA and gltA gene fragments indicated that ticks, principally A. americanum, contained novel species of Rickettsia. Other Rickettsiales, including Ehrlichia ewingii, E. chaffeensis, Ehrlichia sp. (Panola Mountain), and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, were infrequently identified, principally in A. americanum., Conclusions: We conclude that in North Carolina, the most common rickettsial exposure is to R. amblyommii carried by A. americanum. Other Rickettsiales bacteria, including novel species of Rickettsia, were less frequently detected in A. americanum but are relevant to public health nevertheless.

Since the turn of the 21st century, genome-wide association study (GWAS) have successfully identified genetic signals associated with a myriad of common complex traits and diseases. As we transition from establishing robust genetic associations with diverse phenotypes, the central challenge is now focused on characterizing the underlying functional mechanisms driving these signals. Previous GWAS efforts have revealed multiple variants, each conferring relatively subtle susceptibility, collectively contributing to the pathogenesis of various common diseases. Such variants can further exhibit associations with multiple other traits and differ across ancestries, plus disentangling causal variants from non-causal due to linkage disequilibrium complexities can lead to challenges in drawing direct biological conclusions. Combined with cellular context considerations, such challenges can reduce the capacity to definitively elucidate the biological significance of GWAS signals, limiting the potential to define mechanistic insights. This review will detail current and anticipated approaches for functional interpretation of GWAS signals, both in terms of characterizing the underlying causal variants and the corresponding effector genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Immigrant women in many high-income countries including Sweden, report unmet need of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and face worse pregnancy outcomes and higher risk of unintended pregnancies. Postpartum contraceptive services are often inadequate to meet their needs. Co-design has shown to reduce health inequities, yet little is known about using this method for postpartum contraceptive service development and even less in collaborating with immigrant populations. The aim of this paper is to describe the co-design process and the strategies that were developed to help develop tailored and acceptable postpartum contraceptive services for immigrant women in Sweden. Methods: The paper describes a co-design process that took place during 2022–2023, including the cyclical digital consultations with Arabic and Somali speaking immigrant women, midwives and researchers, as well as the outputs from the process. The theoretical framework for the co-design process was the ‘Double Diamond’ Design Process Model. Data analysis included qualitative content analysis. Results: The co-design process led to the joint development of intervention materials and strategies to improve postpartum contraceptive services. Specifically, the process revealed ideas on how to improve contraceptive counseling within three pre-identified areas of change: improve physical access to contraceptive services; improved communication strategies using visual aids and information charts; and empowerment strategies that focus on reflective practice without assumptions about what a group of women might expect. We found that participants contributed actively to the process with ideas and suggestions, and that the co-design process facilitated positive reflections on ongoing counseling practices. Conclusion: The co-design process resulted in the successful and participative development of innovative tools and activities to improve contraceptive counseling services. This approach is original because it involves both immigrant women, often left behind, and midwives delivering the services. Whilst this interplay allowed for careful refinement of services and tools by using an iterative process, it also facilitated reflective midwifery practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ehrlichiosis is a potentially fatal tick-borne disease that can progress to involve the central nervous system (CNS) (i.e., neuro-ehrlichiosis), particularly in cases where diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Despite a six-fold national increase in the incidence of ehrlichiosis over the past 20 years, recent data on the prevalence and manifestations of neuro-ehrlichiosis are lacking. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients tested for ehrlichiosis at University of North Carolina Health facilities between 2018 and 2021 and identified patients who met epidemiological criteria for ehrlichiosis as established by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We estimated the prevalence of neurological symptoms and described the spectrum of neurological manifestations in acute ehrlichiosis, documenting select patient cases in more detail in a case series. Results: Out of 55 patients with confirmed or probable ehrlichiosis, five patients (9.1%) had neurologic symptoms, which is notably lower than previous estimates. Neurological presentations were highly variable and included confusion, amnesia, seizures, focal neurological deficits mimicking ischemic vascular events, and an isolated cranial nerve palsy, though all patients had unremarkable neuroimaging at time of presentation. All but one patient had risk factors for severe ehrlichiosis (i.e., older age, immunosuppression). Conclusions: Neuro-ehrlichiosis may lack unifying patterns in clinical presentation that would otherwise aid in diagnosis. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for neuro-ehrlichiosis in patients with acute febrile illness, diverse neurological symptoms, and negative neuroimaging in lone star tick endemic regions. Key points: Ehrlichiosis can progress to involve the central nervous system but may present without unifying patterns of neurological symptoms. Increased awareness of the broad spectrum of clinical presentations in neuro-ehrlichiosis is imperative to facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) pose a rapidly growing threat to public health. The incidence of TBDs is on the rise, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors beyond demographic considerations. This brief report combines a preliminary review of the literature with geographical case mapping to identify the various factors influencing TBD risk. The report highlights the vulnerability of outdoor workers, the importance of outdoor activities, and the role of education in adopting preventive behaviors. Pet ownership and interactions with animals are also associated with an increased risk. The state of Illinois is used as a case study for this report, revealing regional variations in TBD incidence, and linking them to agricultural practices, forested areas, and park accessibility. These findings inform recommendations for targeted prevention strategies, emphasizing the need for detailed geographical data to enhance public health efforts in curbing TBD incidence and risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) relies on two fundamental pillars: effective mobilization and efficient collection through apheresis to attain the optimal graft dose. These cornerstones pave the way for enhanced patient outcomes. The primary challenges encountered by the clinical unit and collection facility within a transplant program encompass augmenting mobilization efficiency to optimize the harvest of target cell populations, implementing robust monitoring and predictive strategies for mobilization, streamlining the apheresis procedure to minimize collection duration while ensuring adequate yield, prioritizing patient comfort by reducing the overall collection time, guaranteeing the quality and purity of stem cell products to optimize graft function and transplant success, and facilitating seamless coordination between diverse entities involved in the HSCT process. In this review, we aim to address key questions and provide insights into the critical aspects of mobilizing and collecting hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Loss of proteasome function, proteinopathy, and proteotoxicity may cause neurodegeneration across the human lifespan in several forms of brain injury and disease. Drugs that activate brain proteasomes in vivo could thus have a broad therapeutic impact in neurology. Methods: Using pigs, a clinically relevant large animal with a functionally compartmental gyrencephalic cerebral cortex, we evaluated the localization and biochemical activity of brain proteasomes and tested the ability of small molecules to activate brain proteasomes. Results: By Western blotting, proteasome protein subunit PSMB5 and PSMA3 levels were similar in different pig brain regions. Immunohistochemistry for PSMB5 showed localization in the cytoplasm (diffuse and particulate) and nucleus (cytoplasm < nucleus). Some PSMB5 immunoreactivity was colocalized with mitochondrial (voltage-gated anion channel and cyclophilin D) and cell death (Aven) proteins in the neuronal soma and neuropil in the neocortex of pig and human brains. In the nucleus, PSMB5 immunoreactivity was diffuse, particulate, and clustered, including perinucleolar decorations. By fluorogenic assay, proteasome chymotrypsin-like activities (CTL) in crude tissue soluble fractions were generally similar within eight different pig brain regions. Proteasome CTL activity in the hippocampus was correlated with activity in nasal mucosa biopsies. In pilot analyses of subcellular fractions of pig cerebral cortex, proteasome CTL activity was highest in the cytosol and then ~50% lower in nuclear fractions; ~15-20% of total CTL activity was in pure mitochondrial fractions. With in-gel activity assay, 26S-singly and -doubly capped proteasomes were the dominant forms in the pig cerebral cortex. With a novel in situ histochemical activity assay, MG132-inhibitable proteasome CTL activity was localized to the neuropil, as a mosaic, and to cell bodies, nuclei, and centrosome-like perinuclear satellites. In piglets treated intravenously with pyrazolone derivative and chlorpromazine over 24 h, brain proteasome CTL activity was modestly increased. Discussion: This study shows that the proteasome in the pig brain has relative regional uniformity, prominent nuclear and perinuclear presence with catalytic activity, a mitochondrial association with activity, 26S-single cap dominance, and indications from small molecule systemic administration of pyrazolone derivative and chlorpromazine that brain proteasome function appears safely activable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important technique for the quantitative analysis of dam deformation state is to establish safety monitoring models using deformation monitoring data. To address the shortcomings of conventional monitoring models, such as difficulty in selecting influencing factors and poor ability to resist the interference of outliers, this paper develops a structural safety monitoring model that can realize adaptive identification of various types of outliers in dam deformation monitoring data. The Bayesian model selection (BMS) method is first introduced to select the explanatory variables with a significant impact on the modeling process. On this basis, robust regression analysis of dam deformation monitoring data is performed by using the least trimmed squares (LTS) estimation. In particular, the recovery of clean data and the regression learning are conducted jointly. Furthermore, the double wedge plot is proposed, a graphical display which indicates outliers and potential level shifts. The engineering example demonstrates that, compared with the widely used multiple linear regression (MLR) model based on least squares (LS) fitting, the robust regression model based on BMS-LTS can not only effectively determine the key influencing factors but also adaptively identify various types of outliers in the regression. This study improves the significance of regression and increases the accuracy of prediction; thus, it has good applicability in anomaly detection of dam monitoring data and quantitative analysis of dam safety behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Asian longhorned tick (ALHT), Haemaphysalis longicornis, is an invasive pest that threatens domestic livestock. Normally found in Asia and the Pacific islands, where it is a vector of human disease, this tick was reported for the first time in the United States in 2017. In this study, we collected H. longicornis ticks of different developmental stages and used bacterial 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to examine their microbiome. We identified numerous bacterial taxa, with Coxiella, Sphingomonas, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonadaceae, Actinomycetales, and Sphingobium as the most prevalent in the bacterial community. We documented a remarkable turnover in bacterial assemblage between life stages. These findings reveal important associations between life stages and their bacterial community and provide important insights to guide future research. Ticks are one of the most important vectors of human and animal disease worldwide. In addition to pathogens, ticks carry a diverse microbiota of symbiotic and commensal microorganisms. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to survey the microbiomes of Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) at different life stages collected from field populations in North Carolina (NC), USA. Sequence analyses were performed using QIIME2 with the DADA2 plugin and taxonomic assignments using the Greengenes database. Following quality filtering and rarefaction, the bacterial DNA sequences were assigned to 4795 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) in 105 ticks. A core microbiome of H. longicornis was conserved across all ticks analyzed, and included bacterial taxa: Coxiella, Sphingomonas, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonadaceae, Actinomycetales, and Sphingobium. Less abundant bacterial taxa, including Rickettsia and Aeromonas, were also identified in some ticks. We discovered some ASVs that are associated with human and animal infections among the identified bacteria. Alpha diversity metrics revealed significant differences in bacterial diversity between life stages. Beta diversity metrics also revealed that bacterial communities across the three life stages were significantly different, suggesting dramatic changes in the microbiome as ticks mature. Based on these results, additional investigation is necessary to determine the significance of the Haemaphysalis longicornis microbiome for animal and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tandemly organized rRNA genes are a typical example of a multigene family, where individual members evolve co-ordinately within—but independently between—species due to gene conversion and unequal crossing over. More frequently, in eukaryotic species with an interspecies hybrid origin, expression of unhomogenized rRNA genes from one progenitor is epigenetically silenced because of nucleolus dominance, and distinct rRNA genes may lose functionality and evolve faster. Interestingly, we obtained unusual ribosomal gene sequences from Oryza species that showed great diversity and did not appear in the present rice genomic sequence. The diversity of rDNA sequences indicated that the homogenization in rice is incomplete and explains the introgression of distinct rRNA gene families into ancestral rice genomes before speciation and continent separation. The divergent large subunit (LSU) ribosomal genes are expressed, some of them differentially, depending on the N fertilization of plants. Detection of differential transcripts of the rRNA genes suggested that rRNA gene families are not functionally equivalent. Phylogenetic analysis assigned Oryza species branching order to monocots, and monocot lineages probably have the same ecological origin by molecular clock calculation. Therefore, our results suggested that the geographical distances of continent-separation cause barriers to the gene flow and homogenization among Oryza species which requires further explanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) is the largest group of Rickettsia species of clinical and veterinary importance emerging worldwide. Historically, SFGR cases were linked to Rickettsia rickettsii, the causal agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever; however, recently discovered species Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia amblyommatis have been shown to cause a wide range of clinical symptoms. The role of R. amblyommatis in SFGR eco-epidemiology and the possible public health implications remain unknown. Methods: This study evaluated statewide tick surveillance and land-use classification data to define the eco-epidemiological relationships between R. amblyommatis and R. parkeri among questing and feeding ticks collected across South Carolina between 2021 and 2022. Questing ticks from state parks and feeding ticks from animal shelters were evaluated for R. parkeri and R. amblyommatis using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) on pooled samples. A Bayesian multivariable logistic regression model for pool testing data was used to assess associations between R. parkeri or R. amblyommatis infection and land-use classification variables among questing ticks. The Spearman correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between the two tested pathogens. Results: The infection prevalence for R. amblyommatis was 24.8% (23.4–26.3%) among questing ticks, and 39.5% (37.4–42.0%) among feeding ticks; conversely, for R. parkeri it was 19.0% (17.6–20.5%) among questing ticks and 22.4% (20.3–24.5%) among feeding ticks. A negative, refractory correlation was found between the species, with ticks significantly more likely to contain one or the other pathogen, but not both simultaneously. The Bayesian analysis revealed that R. amblyommatis infection was positively associated with deciduous, evergreen, and mixed forests, and negatively associated with hay and pasture fields, and emergent herbaceous wetlands. Rickettsia parkeri infection was positively associated with deciduous, mixed, and evergreen forests, herbaceous vegetation, cultivated cropland, woody wetlands, and emergent herbaceous wetlands, and negatively associated with hay and pasture fields. Conclusions: This is the first study to evaluate the eco-epidemiological factors driving tick pathogenicity in South Carolina. The negative interactions between SFGR species suggest the possible inhibition between the two pathogens tested, which could have important public health implications. Moreover, land-use classification factors revealed environments associated with tick pathogenicity, highlighting the need for tick vector control in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While maternal at-risk drinking is associated with children's emotional and behavioral problems, there is a paucity of research that properly accounts for genetic confounding and gene–environment interplay. Therefore, it remains uncertain what mechanisms underlie these associations. We assess the moderation of associations between maternal at-risk drinking and childhood emotional and behavioral problems by common genetic variants linked to environmental sensitivity (genotype-by-environment [G × E] interaction) while accounting for shared genetic risk between mothers and offspring (GE correlation). Methods: We use data from 109 727 children born to 90 873 mothers enrolled in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study. Women self-reported alcohol consumption and reported emotional and behavioral problems when children were 1.5/3/5 years old. We included child polygenic scores (PGSs) for traits linked to environmental sensitivity as moderators. Results: Associations between maternal drinking and child emotional (β 1 = 0.04 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03–0.05]) and behavioral (β 1 = 0.07 [0.06–0.08]) outcomes attenuated after controlling for measured confounders and were almost zero when we accounted for unmeasured confounding (emotional: β 1 = 0.01 [0.00–0.02]; behavioral: β 1 = 0.01 [0.00–0.02]). We observed no moderation of these adjusted exposure effects by any of the PGS. Conclusions: The lack of strong evidence for G × E interaction may indicate that the mechanism is not implicated in this kind of intergenerational association. It may also reflect insufficient power or the relatively benign nature of the exposure in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oregon expanded Emergency Medicaid coverage to 60 days of postpartum care in 2018, facilitating ongoing care for conditions such as gestational diabetes. We linked Medicaid claims and birth certificates from 2010 to 2019 in Oregon and South Carolina, which did not expand postpartum care. We used a difference-in-difference design to measure the effects of postpartum care coverage among Emergency Medicaid recipients with gestational diabetes. Primary outcomes were receipt of recommended glucose tolerance testing and new diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. Our sample included 2,270 live births among a predominantly multiparous, Latina population. Postpartum coverage was associated with a significant increase in receipt of a recommended glucose tolerance test (23.1 percentage points, 95% CI 16.9–29.3) and in diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes (4.6 percentage points, 95% CI 3.3–65.9). Expansion of postpartum coverage increased recommended screenings and care among Emergency Medicaid enrollees with pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case study investigates mission readiness as a form of church mobilization involving participants and the investigator constructing a framework of ministry practices for analysis. The participants were from a local church interested in improving ministry practices for social engagement. I collaborated with a local church using a self-assessment tool I developed for church mobilization readiness assessments. The input following the assessment results was based on critical realism epistemology and ontology. Best practices of mission readiness served as a basis for facilitating participants using critical realism methodology in workshops. The workshops included participants using triangulation and thought operations. The question for the study was: how do congregations assign practical theological meaning in assessing their performance in mission readiness for church mobilization? The results demonstrate how a critical realism methodology helps transform and improve ministry practices. Critical realism thought operation methods were appropriate for practical theological analysis in church mobilization. Participants contributed additional action items for the framework. This article includes mapping tables with summary descriptions of elements of the framework. The mapping tables highlight transformation points to illustrate the results of participants' self-assessments and planning activities to improve elements of mission readiness. Further study may help investigators demonstrate how the framework is helpful beyond the limited use of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid advancements in high-throughput biological techniques have facilitated the generation of highdimensional omics datasets, which have provided a solid foundation for precision medicine and prognosis prediction. Nonetheless, the problem of missing heritability persists. To solve this problem, it is essential to explain the genetic structure of disease incidence risk and prognosis by incorporating interactions. The development of the Bayesian theory has provided new approaches for developing models for interaction identification and estimation. Several Bayesian models have been developed to improve the accuracy of model and identify the main effect, gene-environment (G×E) and gene-gene (G×G) interactions. Studies based on singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are significant for the exploration of rare and common variants. Models based on the effect heredity principle and group-based models are relatively flexible and do not require strict constraints when dealing with the hierarchical structure between the main effect and interactions (M-I). These models have a good interpretability of biological mechanisms. Machine learningbased Bayesian approaches are highly competitive in improving prediction accuracy. These models provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the occurrence and progression of complex diseases, identify more reliable biomarkers, and develop higher predictive accuracy. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of these Bayesian approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation and exploration of the general fiscal field with emphasis on "direct taxation" through the analysis of the published scientific literature, looking at the conceptual, intellectual, and collaborative structure while highlighting the future research directions is aiming to visualize the prevailing knowledge structure in order to help the future researchers and research clusters. A sample of 557 documents was extract from the Web of Science platform for the 1954 - 2022-time range and a bibliometric analysis was applied as a quantitative technique to investigate the scientific literature. The main questions for which this study could offer an answer are: Are there emerging subfields or topics within direct taxations research? Which authors have made significant contributions to the study of direct taxation? But what are the most influential and frequently cited publications? How has the research on direct taxations evolved over time in terms of publication trends? Is there any geographical concentration of research in this area? Which collaborative partnerships are standing out? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decades of genetic association testing in human cohorts have provided important insights into the genetic architecture and biological underpinnings of complex traits and diseases. However, for certain traits, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for common SNPs are approaching signal saturation, which underscores the need to explore other types of genetic variation to understand the genetic basis of traits and diseases. Copy number variation (CNV) is an important source of heritability that is well known to functionally affect human traits. Recent technological and computational advances enable the large-scale, genome-wide evaluation of CNVs, with implications for downstream applications such as polygenic risk scoring and drug target identification. Here, we review the current state of CNV-GWAS, discuss current limitations in resource infrastructure that need to be overcome to enable the wider uptake of CNV-GWAS results, highlight emerging opportunities and suggest guidelines and standards for future GWAS for genetic variation beyond SNPs at scale., (© 2024. Springer Nature Limited.)

Designing novel materials is greatly dependent on understanding the design principles, physical mechanisms, and modeling methods of material microstructures, requiring experienced designers with expertise and several rounds of trial and error. Although recent advances in deep generative networks have enabled the inverse design of material microstructures, most studies involve property-conditional generation and focus on a specific type of structure, resulting in limited generation diversity and poor human-computer interaction. In this study, a pioneering text-to-microstructure deep generative network (Txt2Microstruct-Net) is proposed that enables the generation of 3D material microstructures directly from text prompts without additional optimization procedures. The Txt2Microstruct-Net model is trained on a large microstructure-caption paired dataset that is extensible using the algorithms provided. Moreover, the model is sufficiently flexible to generate different geometric representations, such as voxels and point clouds. The model's performance is also demonstrated in the inverse design of material microstructures and metamaterials. It has promising potential for interactive microstructure design when associated with large language models and could be a user-friendly tool for material design and discovery., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Gene expression can be highly plastic in response to environmental variation. However, we know little about how expression plasticity is shaped by natural selection and evolves in wild and domesticated species. We used genotypic selection analysis to characterize selection on drought-induced plasticity of over 7,500 leaf transcripts of 118 rice accessions (genotypes) from different environmental conditions grown in a field experiment. Gene expression plasticity was neutral for most gradually plastic transcripts, but transcripts with discrete patterns of expression showed stronger selection on expression plasticity. Whether plasticity was adaptive and co-gradient or maladaptive and counter-gradient varied among varietal groups. No transcripts that experienced selection for plasticity across environments showed selection against plasticity within environments, indicating a lack of evidence for costs of adaptive plasticity that may constrain its evolution. Selection on expression plasticity was influenced by degree of plasticity, transcript length and gene body methylation. We observed positive selection on plasticity of co-expression modules containing transcripts involved in photosynthesis, translation and responsiveness to abiotic stress. Taken together, these results indicate that patterns of selection on expression plasticity were context-dependent and likely associated with environmental conditions of varietal groups, but that the evolution of adaptive plasticity would likely not be constrained by opposing patterns of selection on plasticity within compared to across environments. These results offer a genome-wide view of patterns of selection and ecological constraints on gene expression plasticity and provide insights into the interplay between plastic and evolutionary responses to drought at the molecular level., (© 2024 The Author(s). Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT) is increasingly used to treat hematological malignancies. A key requisite for ASCT is mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells into peripheral blood, where they are collected by apheresis and stored for later transplantation. However, success is often hindered by poor mobilization due to factors including prior treatments. The combination of G-CSF and GPC-100, a small molecule antagonist of CXCR4, showed potential in a multiple myeloma clinical trial for sufficient and rapid collection of CD34+ stem cells, compared to the historical results from the standards of care, G-CSF alone or G-CSF with plerixafor, also a CXCR4 antagonist. In the present study, we show that GPC-100 has high affinity towards the chemokine receptor CXCR4, and it potently inhibits β-arrestin recruitment, calcium flux and cell migration mediated by its ligand CXCL12. Proximity Ligation Assay revealed that in native cell systems with endogenous receptor expression, CXCR4 co-localizes with the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR). Co-treatment with CXCL12 and the β2AR agonist epinephrine synergistically increases β-arrestin recruitment to CXCR4 and calcium flux. This increase is blocked by the co-treatment with GPC-100 and propranolol, a non-selective beta-adrenergic blocker, indicating a functional synergy. In mice, GPC-100 mobilized more white blood cells into peripheral blood compared to plerixafor. GPC-100 induced mobilization was further amplified by propranolol pretreatment and was comparable to mobilization by G-CSF. Addition of propranolol to the G-CSF and GPC-100 combination resulted in greater stem cell mobilization than the G-CSF and plerixafor combination. Together, our studies suggest that the combination of GPC-100 and propranolol is a novel strategy for stem cell mobilization and support the current clinical trial in multiple myeloma registered as NCT05561751 at www.clinicaltrials.gov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexities of translational strategies make this stage of implementing genetic information one of the most challenging to comprehend and, simultaneously, perhaps the most engaging. It is evident that this diverse range of strategies results not only from a long evolutionary history, but is also of paramount importance for refining gene expression and metabolic modulation. This notion is particularly accurate for organisms that predominantly exhibit biochemical and physiological reactions with a lack of behavioural ones. Plants are a group of organisms that exhibit such features. Addressing unfavourable environmental conditions plays a pivotal role in plant physiology. This is particularly evident with the changing conditions of global warming and the irrevocable loss or depletion of natural ecosystems. In conceptual terms, the plant response to abiotic stress comprises a set of elaborate and intricate strategies. This is influenced by a range of abiotic factors that cause stressful conditions, and molecular genetic mechanisms that fine-tune metabolic pathways allowing the plant organism to overcome non-standard and non-optimal conditions. This review aims to focus on the current state of the art in the field of translational regulation in plants under abiotic stress conditions. Different regulatory elements and patterns are being assessed chronologically. We deem it important to focus on significant high-performance techniques for studying the genetic information dynamics during the translation phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is a member of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) superfamily and is specific for CXC chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12, also known as SDF-1), which makes CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. CXCR4 interacts with its ligand, triggering downstream signaling pathways that influence cell proliferation chemotaxis, migration, and gene expression. The interaction also regulates physiological processes, including hematopoiesis, organogenesis, and tissue repair. Multiple evidence revealed that CXCL12/CXCR4 axis is implicated in several pathways involved in carcinogenesis and plays a key role in tumor growth, survival, angiogenesis, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Several CXCR4-targeting compounds have been discovered and used for preclinical and clinical cancer therapy, most of which have shown promising anti-tumor activity. In this review, we summarized the physiological signaling of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis and described the role of this axis in tumor progression, and focused on the potential therapeutic options and strategies to block CXCR4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online crowdsourcing platforms have made it increasingly easy to perform evaluations of algorithm outputs with survey questions like "which image is better, A or B?", leading to their proliferation in vision and graphics research papers. Results of these studies are often used as quantitative evidence in support of a paper's contributions. On the one hand we argue that, when conducted hastily as an afterthought, such studies lead to an increase of uninformative, and, potentially, misleading conclusions. On the other hand, in these same communities, user research is underutilized in driving project direction and forecasting user needs and reception. We call for increased attention to both the design and reporting of user studies in computer vision and graphics papers towards (1) improved replicability and (2) improved project direction. Together with this call, we offer an overview of methodologies from user experience research (UXR), human-computer interaction (HCI), and applied perception to increase exposure to the available methodologies and best practices. We discuss foundational user research methods (e.g., needfinding) that are presently underutilized in computer vision and graphics research, but can provide valuable project direction. We provide further pointers to the literature for readers interested in exploring other UXR methodologies. Finally, we describe broader open issues and recommendations for the research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic activities and global climate change increase the risk of Chromolaena odorata invasion and habitat expansion. To predict its global distribution and habitat suitability under climate change, a random forest (RF) model was employed. The RF model, utilizing default parameters, analyzed species presence data and background information. The model revealed that the current spatial distribution of C. odorata covers 7,892,447 km2. Predictions for 2061– 2080 indicate expansion of suitable habitat (42.59 and 46.30%), reduction of suitable habit (12.92 and 12.20%), and preservation of suitable habitat (87.08 and 87.80%) under the SSP (Shared Socio-economic Pathway) 2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively, in comparison to the present distribution. Currently, C. odorata is predominantly found in South America, with limited presence in other continents. However, the data suggest that climate change will elevate the global invasion risk of C. odorata worldwide, particularly in Oceania, Africa, and Australia. Countries such as Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Lesotho, which currently have unsuitable habitats, are predicted to have highly suitable habitats with climate change, supporting the idea that global habitat expansion for C. odorata will occur due to climate change. This study indicates that proper management of C. odorata is crucial during the early invasion phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross‐linked polymer gels have been commonly utilized in the hydraulic fracturing process for stimulating oil and gas production; however, their weak thermal stability still impedes their more broadly use. Here we report doubly cross‐linked polymer gel consists of a high‐viscosity friction reducer (HVFR), poly‐(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid‐co‐2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propane‐sulfonic acid), and crosslinkers zirconium ion (Zr4+) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The mixture solution of HVFR/Zr4+/PEI can be gelled spontaneously via heating to form double cross‐linked polymer gel due to the formation of physical and chemical crosslinks. The electrostatic interactions of Zr4+ and carboxylate moieties from HVFR to form first physically cross‐linked network at low temperature; the transamidation reaction between amide groups of HVFR and primary amines of PEI to generate second chemically cross‐linked network at high temperature. More significantly, the physical and chemical crosslinks can work synergistically to improve thermal stability of double cross‐linked polymer gel as compared to single cross‐linked polymer gel counterparts, which is capable of reaching fluid service temperatures up to 190°C. The double cross‐linked polymer gel features delayed crosslinking performance, the physically cross‐linked reaction of HVFR and Zr4+ occurs at approximately 52°C, while the onset of chemical crosslink of HVFR and PEI can be tuned from 154 to 180°C. Moreover, double cross‐linked polymer gel provides a high viscosity at ultra‐high temperatures, with remarkable heat‐ and shear‐resistance as well as proppant carrying capacity in hydrofracking process. The double cross‐linked polymer gel also can be completely broken with no apparent residues. This double cross‐linked polymer gel may provide a new approach for polymer gels used in ultra‐high‐temperature reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immigrant women's challenges in realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are exacerbated by the lack of knowledge regarding how to tailor post-partum contraceptive services to their needs. Therefore, the overall aim of the IMPROVE-it project is to promote equity in SRHR through improvement of contraceptive services with and for immigrant women, and, thus, to strengthen women's possibility to choose and initiate effective contraceptive methods post-partum. Methods: This Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC) on contraceptive services and use will combine a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) with a process evaluation. The cRCT will be conducted at 28 maternal health clinics (MHCs) in Sweden, that are the clusters and unit of randomization, and include women attending regular post-partum visits within 16 weeks post birth. Utilizing the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model, the study's intervention strategies include learning sessions, action periods, and workshops informed by joint learning, co-design, and evidence-based practices. The primary outcome, women's choice of an effective contraceptive method within 16 weeks after giving birth, will be measured using the Swedish Pregnancy Register (SPR). Secondary outcomes regarding women's experiences of contraceptive counselling, use and satisfaction of chosen contraceptive method will be evaluated using questionnaires completed by participating women at enrolment, 6 and 12 months post enrolment. The outcomes including readiness, motivation, competence and confidence will be measured through project documentation and questionnaires. The project's primary outcome involving women's choice of contraceptive method will be estimated by using a logistic regression analysis. A multivariate analysis will be performed to control for age, sociodemographic characteristics, and reproductive history. The process evaluation will be conducted using recordings from learning sessions, questionnaires aimed at participating midwives, intervention checklists and project documents. Discussion: The intervention's co-design activities will meaningfully include immigrants in implementation research and allow midwives to have a direct, immediate impact on improving patient care. This study will also provide evidence as to what extent, how and why the QIC was effective in post-partum contraceptive services. Trial registration: NCT05521646, August 30, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]