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A-Ching Chao,1,2 Tsong-Hai Lee,3 Luther C Pettigrew,4 Yousef Hannawi,5 Hung-Yu Huang,6 Nai-Fang Chi,7,8 Lung Chan,9,10 Po-Lin Chen,11 Thomas Devlin12,13 1Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 2College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 3Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 4Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA; 5Division of Cerebrovascular Diseases and Neurocritical Care, Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA; 6Department of Neurology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 7School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; 8Division of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 9Department of Neurology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 10Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 11Division of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 12CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute, Chattanooga, TN, USA; 13Department of Neurology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USACorrespondence: Thomas Devlin, Chattanooga Center for Neurological Research, 725 Glenwood Drive, Suite 880-A, Chattanooga, TN, 37404, USA, Email devlinmdphd@gmail.comPurpose: Odatroltide (LT3001), a novel small synthetic peptide molecule designed to recanalize occluded blood vessels and reduce reperfusion injury, is safe and efficacious in multiple embolic stroke animal models. This study aimed to investigate the safety and tolerability of intravenous administration of odatroltide in patients with acute ischemic stroke within 24 hours of onset.Patients and Methods: Patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS 4– 30) who were untreated with intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular thrombectomy were randomized (2:1) to receive a single dose of odatroltide (0.025 mg/kg) or placebo within 24 hours of stroke symptom onset. The primary safety outcome was symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) occurrence within 36 hours.Results: Twenty-four patients were enrolled and randomized; of these 16 and 8 received intravenous odatroltide infusion and placebo, respectively. sICH did not occur in both groups, and other safety measures were comparable between the groups. The rate of excellent functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 0– 1, at 90 days) was 21% and 14% in the odatroltide and placebo groups, respectively. Furthermore, 47% and 14% of patients in the odatroltide and placebo groups, respectively, showed major neurological improvement (NIHSS improvement ≥ 4 points from baseline to 30 days). Among the 9 odatroltide-treated patients with baseline NIHSS ≥ 6, 78% showed major neurological improvement.Conclusion: Compared with placebo, treatment with intravenous odatroltide within 24 hours following onset of ischemic stroke appears to be safe and may be associated with better neurological and functional outcomes. However, the efficacy and safety of odatroltide requires further confirmation in the next phase of clinical trials.Clinical Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04091945.Keywords: LT3001, ischemic stroke, rtPA

IntroductionClimate change poses one of the most pervasive threats to the planet today. Intervention is required to promote pro-environmental behaviors among individuals to curb its effects. Borrowing several constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior, we designed and evaluated a campaign, delivered primarily through Instagram, to shift sustainability-related cognitions and behaviors among university students.MethodsAn online survey was distributed to undergraduate students at a Northern California university and collected responses from 1,552 participants.ResultsComparing students who self-reported exposure to the campaign with those who were not exposed, students who observed the campaign materials had more knowledge about (p

Beneficial rhizobacteria were isolated from two different compartments of oil palm roots; the rhizosphere or rhizoplane and the inner root tissues. The root samples were collected from oil palm plantation at Felda Lepar 9, Temerloh Pahang (Block 17, Square 6) (soil pH 4.30; 10:25 0.01M CaCl2). Identification of the isolates was conducted by classical biochemical and physiological tests. Acetylene Reduction Assay (ARA) test was also conducted to quantify the ability of the isolates to fix atmospheric N2. Twenty-nine strains of rhizobacteria were isolated from root samples and were maintained aerobically on N-free solid media. Seven of the isolates were identified as Gram negative while the rest were Gram positive. The isolates were successfully identified as Paenibacillus durus (formerly P. azotofixans), Paenibacillus polymyxa, Azospirillum lipoferum, Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Acetobacter diazotrophicus. The N2 fixation capacities of the isolates ranged from 7.0 x 10-12 to 1.0 x 10-8 mol C2H4/cfu/hour.

Organic aerosols generated from the smoldering combustion of wood critically impact air quality and health for billions of people worldwide; yet, the links between the chemical components and the optical or biological effects of woodsmoke aerosol (WSA) are still poorly understood. In this work, an untargeted analysis of the molecular composition of smoldering WSA, generated in a controlled environment from nine types of heartwood fuels (African mahogany, birch, cherry, maple, pine, poplar, red oak, redwood, and walnut), identified several hundred compounds using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) and nano-electrospray high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) with tandem multistage mass spectrometry (MSn). The effects of WSA on cell toxicity as well as gene expression dependent on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and estrogen receptor (ER) were characterized with cellular assays, and the visible mass absorption coefficients (MACvis) of WSA were measured with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The WSAs studied in this work have significant levels of biological and toxicological activity, with exposure levels in both an outdoor and indoor environment similar to or greater than those of other toxicants. A correlation between the HRMS molecular composition and aerosol properties found that phenolic compounds from the oxidative decomposition of lignin are the main drivers of aerosol effects, while the cellulose decomposition products play a secondary role; e.g., levoglucosan is anticorrelated with multiple effects. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are not expected to form at the combustion temperature in this work, nor were they observed above the detection limit; thus, biological and optical properties of the smoldering WSA are not attributed to PAHs. Syringyl compounds tend to correlate with cell toxicity, while the more conjugated molecules (including several compounds assigned to dimers) have higher AhR activity and MACvis. The negative correlation between cell toxicity and AhR activity suggests that the toxicity of smoldering WSA to cells is not mediated by the AhR. Both mass-normalized biological outcomes have a statistically significant dependence on the degree of combustion of the wood. In addition, our observations support the fact that the visible light absorption of WSA is at least partially due to charge transfer effects in aerosols, as previously suggested. Finally, MACvis has no correlation with toxicity or receptor signaling, suggesting that key chromophores in this work are not biologically active on the endpoints tested.

The current discourse around Open Science has tended to focus on the creation of new technological platforms and tools to facilitate sharing and reuse of a wide range of research outputs. There is an assumption that once these new tools are in place, researchers-and at times, members of the general public-will be able to participate in the creation of scientific knowledge in more accessible and efficient ways. While many of these new tools have indeed assisted in the ease of collaboration through online spaces and mechanisms, the narrowness of how infrastructure is imagined by open science practitioners tends to put the use of technology ahead of the issues that people are actually trying to solve and fails to acknowledge the systemic constraints that exist within and between some communities. Drawing on an analytical framework grounded in Black feminist intersectionality (Noble 2016), this paper highlights the need for more inclusive knowledge infrastructures, particularly in the context of sustainable development. Three case studies from the Open and Collaborative Science in Development Network (OCSDNet), are outlined in order to illustrate the importance of moving beyond a definition of infrastructure as merely a technical or physical entity. These cases, arising from research conducted in South Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean, demonstrate how more sustainable and nuanced forms of collaboration and participation may be enabled through broader understandings of knowledge infrastructures. This paper further argues that leveraging the feminist concept of intersectionality when conceptualizing the development of knowledge infrastructures could be one way to move from narrow assumptions about standardized knowledge “users” towards more inclusive reimaginings of how knowledges can be produced and shared via networked technologies.

Introduction: Climate change poses one of the most pervasive threats to the planet today. Intervention is required to promote pro-environmental behaviors among individuals to curb its effects. Borrowing several constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior, we designed and evaluated a campaign, delivered primarily through Instagram, to shift sustainability-related cognitions and behaviors among university students. Methods: An online survey was distributed to undergraduate students at a Northern California university and collected responses from 1,552 participants. Results: Comparing students who self-reported exposure to the campaign with those who were not exposed, students who observed the campaign materials had more knowledge about (p < .001), greater perceived social norms about (p < .001), and greater intentions to perform sustainable behaviors (p < .001). There were also increases in sustainable behaviors during the campaign, compared to the previous academic term. Discussion: Implementing campaigns inspired by behavior change theories may be one viable strategy to increase individual sustainable behaviors for climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPolicies protecting children from exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) may help prevent SHS-related negative health outcomes in children and discourage them from intending to smoke in the future. In this study, we assess the impact of California's 2007 smoke-free vehicle law on changes in middle and high school students' reported exposure to smoking in cars. Secondary aims included assessing the association of student-reported exposure to smoking in vehicles and lifetime asthma diagnosis and future intentions to smoke.MethodsPopulation-weighted data from the California Student Tobacco Survey and the National Youth Tobacco Survey were used to evaluate California and national trends, respectively. Weighted logistic regression models using California Student Tobacco Survey 2011 data assessed the association between the number of days of exposure to smoking in cars and student-reported lifetime asthma diagnosis as well as intention to smoke in the future.ResultsThe proportion of California students reporting exposure to smoking in cars in the last 7 days declined

Many cigarette smokers make multiple attempts to quit before they are successful. Implicit theories of smoking (ITS)-beliefs about whether smoking behavior is something that is changeable (incremental belief) or fixed (entity belief)-may play a role in quitting. Four iterations of the cross-sectional, nationally-representative Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were used in logistic regression analyses to examine how smokers' ITS relates to (1) attempts to quit in the past 12 months; (2) considering quitting in the next 6 months; and (3) the interaction between ITS and past quit attempts on considering quitting. Greater incremental beliefs were not significantly associated with having tried to quit in the past year ([beta] = .27, p = .055); however, greater incremental beliefs were associated with greater likelihood of considering quitting in the next 6 months ([beta] = .22, p = .04). Past quit attempts did not moderate the association between ITS and considering quitting ([beta] = .59, p = .10). Results suggest that incremental beliefs are associated with increased intentions to quit., Author(s): Chan L. Thai [sup.1] , Elise L. Rice [sup.2] , Jennifer M. Taber [sup.3] , Annette R. Kaufman [sup.4] , William M. P. Klein [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.263156.5, [...]

Death is an inevitable event that marks the end of one's life. Whether it is one's own life or the life of someone else that ends, the loss undoubtedly elicits [...]

Mobility technologies, including wheelchairs, prostheses, joint replacements, assistive devices, and therapeutic exercise equipment help millions of people participate in desired life activities. Yet, these technologies are not yet fully transformative because many desired activities cannot be pursued or are difficult to pursue for the millions of individuals with mobility related impairments. This WTEC study, initiated and funded by the National Science Foundation, was designed to gather information on European innovations and trends in technology that might lead to greater mobility for a wider range of people. What might these transformative technologies be and how might they arise? Based on visits to leading mobility technology research labs in western Europe, the WTEC panel identified eight major trends in mobility technology research. This commentary summarizes these trends, which are then described in detail in companion papers appearing in this special issue.

Loss of physical mobility makes maximal participation in desired activities more difficult and in the worst case fully prevents participation. This paper surveys recent work in assistive technology to improve mobility for persons with a disability, drawing on examples observed during a tour of academic and industrial research sites in Europe. The underlying theme of this recent work is a more seamless integration of the capabilities of the user and the assistive technology. This improved integration spans diverse technologies, including powered wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, functional electrical stimulation, and wearable exoskeletons. Improved integration is being accomplished in three ways: 1) improving the assistive technology mechanics; 2) improving the user-technology physical interface; and 3) sharing of control between the user and the technology. We provide an overview of these improvements in user-technology integration and discuss whether such improvements have the potential to be transformative for people with mobility impairments. © 2012 Cowan et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

In the second half of 2008 China's highly industrialized Pearl River Delta (PRD) region was hard-hit by the financial crisis (FC). This study reports volatile organic compounds measured in the PRD during November-December in both 2007 before the FC and 2008 after the FC. While total mixing ratios of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) on average were only about 7% lower from 40.2 ppbv in 2007 to 37.5 ppbv in 2008, their ozone formation potentials (OFPs) dropped about 30%, resulting from about 55% plummet of aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) against a greater than 20% increase of total alkanes/alkenes. The elevated alkanes and alkenes in 2008 could be explained by greater emissions from vehicle exhausts and LPG combustion due to rapid increase of vehicle numbers and LPG consumption; the drop of AHs could be explained by reduced emissions from industries using AH-containing solvents due to the influence of the FC, as indicated by much lower ratios of toluene to benzene and of xylenes/ trichloroethylene/tetrachloroethylene to carbon monoxide (CO) in 2008. Source apportionment by positive matrix factorization (PMF) also revealed much less contribution of industry solvents to total anthropogenic NMHCs and particularly to toluene and xylenes in 2008 than in 2007. Based on PMF reconstructed source contributions, calculated OFPs by industrial emissions were responsible for 40.8% in 2007 in contrast to 18.4% in 2008. Further investigation into local industry output statistics suggested that the plummet of AHs in 2008 should be attributed to small enterprises, which contributed largely to ambient AHs due to their huge numbers and non-existent emission treatment, but were much more influenced by the FC. © 2012. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.