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Synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), are neurodegenerative disorders caused by the accumulation of misfolded alpha‐synuclein protein. Developing effective vaccines against synucleinopathies is challenging due to the difficulty of stimulating an immune‐specific response against alpha‐synuclein without causing harmful autoimmune reactions, selectively targeting only pathological forms of alpha‐synuclein. Previous attempts using linear peptides and epitopes without control of the antigen structure failed in clinical trials. The immune system was unable to distinguish between native alpha‐synuclein and its amyloid form. The prion domain of the fungal HET‐s protein was selected as a scaffold to introduce select epitopes from the surface of alpha‐synuclein fibrils. Four vaccine candidates were generated by introducing specific amino acid substitutions onto the surface of the scaffold protein. The approach successfully mimicked the stacking of the parallel in‐register beta‐sheet structure seen in alpha‐synuclein fibrils. All vaccine candidates induced substantial levels of IgG antibodies that recognized pathological alpha‐synuclein fibrils derived from a synucleinopathy mouse model. Furthermore, the antisera recognized pathological alpha‐synuclein aggregates in brain lysates from patients who died from DLB, MSA, or PD, but did not recognize linear alpha‐synuclein peptides. Our approach, based on the rational design of vaccines using the structure of alpha‐synuclein amyloid fibrils and strict control over the exposed antigen structure used for immunization, as well as the ability to mimic aggregated alpha‐synuclein, provides a promising avenue toward developing effective vaccines against alpha‐synuclein fibrils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space technology for small satellites has made significant progress in the academic and industrial fields, and an alternative focused on educational institutions is the CubeSat standard, created to promote various scientific projects of space exploration. In this context, a fundamental module of any satellite is the telemetry subsystem, which controls the communication with the Earth through electronic circuits dedicated to remote communication; also, the measurement and power supply modules are integrated into a CubeSat. Its construction costs range from USD 2500 to 55,000, with suppliers from Europe and the United States. This motivates the development of the present project, aimed at an academic–experimental CubeSat-1U prototype, to limit this technological dependence, focusing on the measurement generated by the acceleration sensors, angular velocity, magnetic fields, barometric pressure, temperature and ultraviolet light intensity, and the energization of each of them. For this, the main objective of the research is to identify the four basic subsystems of the CubeSat-1U: (a) energization subsystem, (b) sensing subsystem, (c) transmission and reception subsystem, and (d) control subsystem. To describe in detail the construction of (a) and (b), a set of diagrams is performed, defining their operation and its interaction. To explain the subsystem's construction, the components selection and integration are presented. As a result, the electrical measurements generated by the power system, the output of the sensors in laboratory conditions, and images of the developed circuits are presented, having as a contribution to the methodology of design, integration, and development of the four subsystems, the feasibility of construction and its implementation in an academic satellite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the effect of pill mill legislation on suicides and drug‐related suicides in the United States. Data Sources: We use state‐level restricted use mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System for the period 2000–2016, along with state level sociodemographic data from the US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics and opioid‐related state health policy data from publicly available sources for the analysis. Study Design: The analyses use a difference‐in‐differences regression approach. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: Publicly available secondary data were collected and merged with restricted use mortality data files from the National Vital Statistics System for the analysis. Principal Findings: Our results show that pill mill legislation is associated with an 8.5% (p < 0.01) reduction in the drug related suicide rate, a 4.9% (p < 0.05) reduction in suicides among females, and a 4.7% (p < 0.05) reduction in suicides among individuals between age 45 and 64 years. Conclusions: The findings indicate that pill mill legislation has been effective in reducing total suicides among females in the age group 45–64, and drug‐related suicides in the population resulting in 658 fewer drug‐related suicides for a given year if pill mill laws are adopted by every state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Care Act 2014 imposed new statutory duties on English local authorities in relation to family or informal carers and it broadened carers' statutory entitlements to assessment, care and support, irrespective of eligibility for local authority funding of the person they care for. Despite this legislative framework, local authorities appear to be translating the new legal obligation into practice in different ways. This paper draws on evidence from in‐depth interviews held during 2017–2018 with key stakeholders in three English local authorities to investigate whether and how local efforts meet the Act's intention of supporting carers. We explored local goals associated with supporting carers, local authorities' approaches to needs assessment and service provision as well as barriers and facilitators to adoption of the new legal obligations towards carers. The paper draws on Twigg, J., & Atkin, K. (1995), typology to explore perceptions of local stakeholders of the interaction between formal care system and carers post‐Care Act. The findings indicate that despite a clear Care Act emphasis on meeting carers' needs, when faced with financial constraints the formal care system approaches carers mainly as a resource and often supports carers to keep cared‐for people away from health and social care systems. Although replacement care is a vital element in the Care Act's ambitions to support carers, in sampled authorities, it was often newly being subject to needs thresholds and financial assessment of people they care for, leading to reported conflicts of interests between carers' needs and those of cared‐for‐people. The Care Act is nonetheless seen as having made progress in legitimising carers' needs as clients. Social care professionals increasingly emphasise the importance of meeting carers' needs and well‐being as valued and desirable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • SERS, confocal microscopy & TEM enabled precise analyses of HET-s(218–289) fibrils. • SERS & confocal imaging were performed in solution at ambient conditions. • Pronounced vibrational markers of fibrillar secondary structure were collected. • Distinct pH-depended variations of fibril characteristics were detected. • Mechanistic models that explain the SERS findings were proposed. Advances in precision medical diagnostics require accurate and sensitive characterization of pathogens. In particular, health conditions associated with protein misfolding require an identification of proteinaceous amyloid fibrils or their precursors. These pathogenic entities express specific molecular structures, which require ultra-sensitive, molecular-level detection methods. A potentially transformative technique termed nanoplasmonics employs electro-optical phenomena in the vicinity of specially engineered metal nanostructures. A signature application of nanoplasmonics exploits enhancement of inelastic scattering of light in specific locations near metallic nanostructures, known as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We applied SERS complemented with confocal microscopy imaging for ultra-sensitive, non-invasive, and label-free characterization of the fungal prion HET-s (218–289) as a model for β-sheet rich amyloid structures. This characterization employed Au-coated dielectric supports as plasmonic substrates. After confirming the formation of HET-s fibrils at both pH 7.5 and 2.8 using negative staining transmission electron microscopy, we subjected the fibril-containing solutions to multimodal analysis using confocal microscopy and SERS. The SERS spectral fingerprints from all HET-s samples expressed vibrational markers for β-structure, unstructured backbone, and aromatic side-chains. However, relative intensities of major SERS bands were pronouncedly different for the two pH levels. We have analyzed potential origins of the most pronounced SERS bands and proposed hypothetical mechanistic models that could explain the observed SERS fingerprints from HET-s fibrils grown at pH 7.5 and 2.8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paramo, plays an important role in our ecosystems as They balance the water resources and can retain substantial quantities of carbon. This research was carried out in the province of Tungurahua, specifically the Quero district. The aim is to develop a classification of the land use land cover (LULC) in the paramo using satellite imagery using several classifiers and determine which one obtains the best performance, for which three different approaches were applied: Pixel-Based Image Analysis (PBIA), Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA), and a Deep Neural Network (DNN). Various parameters were used, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Bare Soil Index (BSI), texture, altitude, and slope. Seven classes were used: paramo, pasture, crops, herbaceous vegetation, urban, shrubrainland, and forestry plantations. The data was obtained with the help of onsite technical experts, using geo-referencing and reference maps. Among the models used the highest-ranked was DNN with an overall precision of 87.43%, while for the paramo class specifically, GEOBIA reached a precision of 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current use of targeted therapy plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy for inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is based on data extrapolated from studies in non-IBC. We conducted a systematic review to determine whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus targeted therapy results in a higher pathologic complete response (pCR) rate than neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone in patients with IBC. Method and findings: This systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO register with registration number CRD42018089465. We searched MEDLINE & PubMed, EMBASE, and EBSCO from December 1998 through July 2020. All English-language clinical studies, both randomized and non-randomized, that evaluated neoadjuvant systemic treatment with or without targeted therapy before definitive surgery and reported the pCR results of IBC patients. First reviewer extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using the Risk of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool. Second reviewer confirmed the accuracy. Studies were divided into 3 groups according to systemic treatment: chemotherapy with targeted therapy, chemotherapy alone, and high-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem cell support (HSCS). Of 995 screened studies, 23 with 1,269 IBC patients met the inclusion criteria. For each of the 3 groups of studies, we computed a weighted average of the pCR rates across all studies with confidence interval (CI). The weighted averages (95% CIs) were as follows: chemotherapy with targeted therapy, 31.6% (26.4%-37.3%), chemotherapy alone, 13.0% (10.3%-16.2%), and high-dose chemotherapy with HSCS, 23.0% (18.7%-27.7%). The high pCR by targeted therapy group came from anti-HER2 therapy, 54.4% (44.3%-64.0%). Key limitations of this study included no randomized clinical studies that included only IBC patients. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus targeted therapy is more effective than neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone for IBC patients. These findings support current IBC standard practice in particular the use of anti-HER2 targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the associations between medical marijuana policies and opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits.Data Sources: We utilized quarterly rates of hospital discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's (HCUP) Fast Stats Database from 2005 to 2016 along with state-level sociodemographic data from US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics and opioid-related state health policy data from publicly available sources for the analysis.Study Design: Analyses were carried out using a difference-in-differences regression approach. We estimate heterogeneous effects of medical marijuana policies such as initial policy, presence of active dispensary, and home cultivation on opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to opioids.Data Collection/extraction Methods: Publicly available secondary data were collected, linked, and analyzed. Observations with missing values for explanatory variables were excluded from the analysis.Principal Findings: Regression results indicate that type of medical marijuana policy has varying effects on opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits. States that allow home cultivation of medical marijuana experienced significant positive associations with opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits, while no effect was observed with medical marijuana dispensaries. Moreover, recreational marijuana policies were positively associated with opioid-related hospitalizations.Conclusions: The findings indicate that the effects of medical marijuana policies on opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits vary depending on the type of medical marijuana policy. Our findings indicate that the implementation of home cultivation of marijuana is positively associated with hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to opioids, suggesting that easier access to marijuana among opioid users may result in adverse health conditions that need treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adherence, predictors, questionnaire, rheumatoid arthritis, Spain. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Cerebrovascular and coronary artery disease share risk factors. The aim was to study CHA2DS2-VASc score as predictor of stroke incidence and death in a sample of patients with sinus rhythm and stable ischemic heart disease (sIHD) during long-term follow-up. Methods: 1184 patients with sIHD and without atrial fibrillation were included in this single-centre prospective cohort study between February 2000 and January 2004. Stroke and death prediction abilities of CHA2DS2-VASc score in this population were investigated. Results: The median age was 66 (interquartile range (IQR), 60–73 years). The mean follow-up was 11.2 ± 10 years (maximum 17 years). Along this period, 137 patients (11.6% of the sample) suffered a stroke. The mean value of CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.04 ± 1.36, with CHA2DS2-VASc score ≤ 4 in 85.5% of the sample. Higher CHA2DS2-VASc score at baseline was associated with higher risk of suffering stroke (Hazard Ratio = 1.36, 95% CI 1.20–1.54, p < 0,001) and all-cause death during follow-up (Hazard Ratio = 1.49, 95% CI 1.40–1.58, p < 0,001). Conclusions: Higher CHA2DS2-VASc score values were associated with higher risk of stroke and all-cause mortality during long-term follow-up in this real-world sample of patients with sIHD in sinus rhythm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective examines the challenge posed by COVID-19 for social care services in England and describes responses to this challenge. People with social care needs experience increased risks of death and deteriorating physical and mental health with COVID-19. Social isolation introduced to reduce COVID-19 transmission may adversely affect well-being. While the need for social care rises, the ability of families and social care staff to provide support is reduced by illness and quarantine, implying reductions in staffing levels. Consequently, COVID-19 could seriously threaten care availability and quality. The government has sought volunteers to work in health and social care to help address the threat posed by staff shortages at a time of rising need, and the call has achieved an excellent response. The government has also removed some barriers to effective coordination between health and social care, while introducing measures to promote the financial viability of care providers. The pandemic presents unprecedented challenges that require well-co-coordinated responses across central and local government, health services, and non-government sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original algorithm that classified triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) into six subtypes has recently been revised. The revised algorithm (TNBCtype-IM) classifies TNBC into five subtypes and a modifier based on immunological (IM) signatures. The molecular signature may differ between cancer cells in vitro and their respective tumor xenografts. We identified cell lines with concordant molecular subtypes regardless of classification algorithm or analysis of cells in vitro or in vivo, to establish a panel of clinically relevant molecularly stable TNBC models for translational research. Gene expression data were used to classify TNBC cell lines using the original and the revised algorithms. Tumor xenografts were established from 17 cell lines and subjected to gene expression profiling with the original 2188-gene algorithm TNBCtype and the revised 101-gene algorithm TNBCtype-IM. A total of six cell lines (SUM149PT (BL2), HCC1806 (BL2), SUM149PT (BL2), BT549 (M), MDA-MB-453 (LAR), and HCC2157 (BL1)) maintained their subtype classification between in vitro and tumor xenograft analyses across both algorithms. For TNBC molecular classification–guided translational research, we recommend using these TNBC cell lines with stable molecular subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context.-- Complete digital pathology and whole slide imaging for routine histopathology diagnosis is currently in use in few laboratories worldwide. Granada University Hospitals, Spain, which comprises 4 hospitals, adopted full digital pathology for primary histopathology diagnosis in 2016. Objective.-- To describe the methodology adopted and the resulting experience at Granada University Hospitals in transitioning to full digital diagnosis. Design.-- All histopathology glass slides generated for routine diagnosis were digitized at x40 using the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution, which includes an ultrafast scanner and an image management system. All hematoxylin-eosin--stained preparations and immunohistochemistry and histochemistry slides were digitized. The existing sample-tracking software and image management system were integrated to allow data interchange through the Health Level 7 protocol. Results.-- Circa 160 000 specimens have been signed out using digital pathology for primary diagnosis. This comprises more than 800 000 digitized glass slides. The scanning error rate during the implementation phase was below 1.5%, and subsequent workflow optimization rendered this rate negligible. Since implementation, Granada University Hospitals pathologists have signed out 21% more cases per year on average. Conclusions.-- Digital pathology is an adequate medium for primary histopathology diagnosis. Successful digitization relies on existing sample tracking and integration of the information technology infrastructure. Rapid and reliable scanning at x40 equivalent was key to the transition to a fully digital workflow. Digital pathology resulted in efficiency gains in the preanalytical and analytical phases, and created the basis for computational pathology: the use of computer-assisted tools to aid diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assess if diet quality (DQ) differs among 3 lunch measures commonly used to assess DQ in early care and education (ECE) centers, which include what is listed on the menu, served, and consumed. This quantitative observational study measured DQ of food and beverage items listed on the menu, what children were served, and what they consumed during one lunch meal. Alabama ECE centers. ECE centers (n = 28) with attendance of ≥10 children ages 3 to 5 years and provided lunch daily. DQ measured through Healthy Eating Index–2015 (HEI) scores, which were calculated for the menu, served, and consumed lunch measures. Menu, served, and consumed HEI scores compared using either Kruskal-Wallis or ANOVA. Dunn Bonferroni or Duncan post hoc tests identified which group differed. Total HEI scores were significantly higher among menus, compared with served and consumed (P =.001). Served and consumed total HEI scores were not different. Menu DQ differed from both the served and consumed lunch measures. These findings support the need for nutrition education on the importance of menu adherence in ECE centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many governments have introduced or encouraged home‐care reablement schemes for older people at home with the aim of improving outcomes and reducing costs. We examined if such schemes have the potential to reduce costs from the perspective of the National Health Service (NHS) and Personal Social Services (PSS) in England. Our study was carried out to inform recommendations of a national guideline. Cost‐minimisation analysis was carried out using decision‐analytic Markov modelling. Home‐care reablement was compared with standard home care. Costs included those of the intervention, home care and hospital admission. Uncertainty was explored using univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Mean costs per person were £56,499 (95% confidence interval 55,690 to 57,307) in the reablement group, and £58,560 (95% confidence interval 57,800 to 59,319) in the standard care group. The mean difference was ‐£2,061 (95% confidence interval 1,933 to 2,129). The probability that home‐care reablement costs less than standard home care was 94.5% (95% confidence interval 93.1 to 95.9). In sensitivity analyses, this probability remained above 85% in all scenarios. Home‐care reablement can be a successful cost‐minimisation strategy for supporting some older people. More research is needed about the impact of home‐care reablement on health outcomes for different groups of older people; and the effects of different durations of reablement on outcomes and costs for different subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequential Hydrothermal Extraction (SeqHTE) provides a versatile platform to produce phytochemicals from potato peels. However, there is a lack of understanding of the SeqHTE reaction mechanisms and pathways. In this study, the chemistry of SeqHTE for the recovery of valuable bioactives from peels was investigated. The slightly more polar conditions of the first stage of SeqHTE favored the retrieval of free form polyphenols and extraction of polysaccharides and glycoalkaloids. In contrast, the second stage displayed preferential recovery of bound-type polyphenols and extraction of solanidine. The acid-catalyzed acyl bimolecular and the unimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction mechanisms were identified. Additionally, the kinetics indicated that the ideal conditions to enhance bioactive recovery while reducing degradation were a temperature range from 140 ℃ to 160 ℃ and 170–190 ℃ for the first and second stage, respectively. The results demonstrated that SeqHTE offers a suitable environment to break down the peels for the recovery of structurally diverse bioactives. [Display omitted] • SeqHTE allows the retrieval of bound-type compounds with improved functionality. • Reaction pathways and hydrolysis mechanisms were given at each stage of SeqHTE. • Maximum yields of polyphenols and glycoalkaloids were obtained by kinetic analysis. • Peel extracts can be used in food industry as the detoxification of glycoalkaloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Alignment residuals provide local estimates of the sample motion at the 3D fiducial positions. • Scattered data interpolation techniques can be applied to model the sample motion for the entire 3D space. • The motion model is then integrated in the tomographic reconstruction to yield motion-compensated tomograms. Abstract Recently, it has been shown that the resolution in cryo-tomography could be improved by considering the sample motion in tilt-series alignment and reconstruction, where a set of quadratic polynomials were used to model this motion. One requirement of this polynomial method is the optimization of a large number of parameters, which may limit its practical applicability. In this work, we propose an alternative method for modeling the sample motion. Starting from the standard fiducial-based tilt-series alignment, the method uses the alignment residual as local estimates of the sample motion at the 3D fiducial positions. Then, a scattered data interpolation technique characterized by its smoothness and a closed-form solution is applied to model the sample motion. The motion model is then integrated in the tomographic reconstruction. The new method improves the tomogram quality similar to the polynomial one, with the important advantage that the determination of the motion model is greatly simplified, thereby overcoming one of the major limitations of the polynomial model. Therefore, the new method is expected to make the beam-induced motion correction methodology more accessible to the cryoET community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Two-photon polymerization (TPP) has become one of the most popular techniques for stereolithography at very high resolutions. When printing relatively large structures at high resolutions, one of the main limiting factors is the printing time. The purpose of this paper is to present a new slicing algorithm to minimize printing times.Design/methodology/approach Typically, slicing algorithms used for TPP do not take into account the fact that TPP can print at a range of resolutions (i.e. with different heights and diameters) by varying parameters such as exposure time, laser power, photoresist properties and optical arrangements. This work presents multiresolution layered manufacturing (MLM), a novel slicing algorithm that processes 3D structures to separate parts manufacturable at low resolution from those that require a higher resolution.Findings MLM can significantly reduce the printing time of 3D structures at high resolutions. The maximum theoretical speed-up depends on the range of printing resolutions, but the effective speed-up also depends on the geometry of each 3D structure.Research limitations/implications MLM opens the possibility to significantly decrease printing times, potentially opening the use of TPP to new applications in many disciplines such as microfluidics, metamaterial research or wettability.Originality/value There are many instances of previous research on printing at several resolutions. However, in most cases, the toolpaths have to be manually arranged. In some cases, previous research also automates the generation of toolpaths, but they are limited in various ways. MLM is the first algorithm to comprehensively solve this problem for a wide range of true 3D structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of significant policy interest in improving the integration of health and social care services, little is known about the economics of coordination across the two sectors. We specify a Markov queuing model and use data collected from administrative records to estimate the link between two proxy indicators of across-sector complexity of discharge arrangements and post-operative length of stay in hospital for older people undergoing hip replacements. The results suggest that the number of local authorities involved in care planning and commissioning of social care services for discharges from a given hospital is significantly positively correlated with longer post-operative lengths of stay. A particularly strong effect is found between variability through time in the number of authorities involved in discharges from a given hospital and lengths of stay. The results suggest that improving information systems and joint assessment processes used during the discharge of patients with social care needs is likely to achieve significant efficiency gains in the health care system as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ocean sprawl is replacing natural substrates with artificial alternatives. We hypothesized that, after submersion, high occupancy, high mobility species colonize artificial substrates faster than low occupancy, low mobility species, a biodiversity divergence that will slowly fade out with time. Using quantitative visual census of species in 10 artificial and their adjacent natural substrates, we tested for the existence and temporal evolution of this divergence. Assigning species to one of three occupancy and one of three mobility categories, we found that artificial substrates increased the performance of high mobility, high occupancy species while decreased the performance of low occupancy species with medium and low mobility. This biodiversity divergence remained unchanged over the 50-year underwater timespan of the artificial substrates investigated. Our results suggest that proliferation of artificial substrates is building up a biodiversity loss driven by the least conspicuous and uncommon benthic and sessile species that is undermining coastal marine biodiversity. Highlights • Artificial and natural substrates seem to share common biodiversity. • Species occupancy and mobility are critical traits to detect differences. • High mobility, high occupancy species thrive in artificial substrates. • Medium and low mobility species with low occupancy thrive in natural substrates. • Biodiversity differences show no fade-out trend in over 50 years of submersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies electronic states of the NCO radical and its clusters with nonpolar solvents in a supersonic jet expansion. Fluorescence excitation and hole burning spectra of the radical; Effect of solvation on the radical energy levels and dynamics; Potential energy surface calculations.

Investigates the collisional behavior in specific vibronic states in the gas phase in the time-domain by means of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) on transitions within the system. Main features of the spectroscopy of the molecule; Vibrational relaxation of the triatomic open-shell species; Population histories of several excited states and their fit.

Summary: Background: Leptin resistance occurs with obesity, but it is unknown if individuals at risk for obesity develop leptin resistance prior to obesity. Objective: Investigate whether leptin resistance is independent of weight status in children at risk for obesity due to intrauterine exposure to maternal obesity or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: Mother–child dyads (N = 179) were grouped by maternal pregnancy weight and GDM status: (1) normal weight, no GDM; (2) overweight/obesity, no GDM; (3) overweight/obesity with GDM. Children (4–10 years) were further stratified by current body mass index (BMI) <85th or ≥85th percentile. Leptin resistance of children and mothers was calculated as fasting leptin/fat mass index. Two‐way ANOVA was used to assess whether leptin concentrations and leptin resistance differed by current weight status or in utero exposure group, after adjusting for race, sex and Tanner stage. Results: Children with a BMI ≥85th percentile had more leptin resistance than those with a BMI <85th percentile (p < 0.001), but leptin resistance did not differ by in utero exposure. Similarly, leptin resistance in women was associated with weight status and not prior GDM. Conclusions: Results suggest that leptin concentrations are associated with obesity but not risk for obesity based on in utero exposure to maternal obesity or GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence suggests that the beam-induced motion of the sample during tilt-series acquisition is a major resolution-limiting factor in electron cryo-tomography (cryoET). It causes suboptimal tilt-series alignment and thus deterioration of the reconstruction quality. Here we present a novel approach to tilt-series alignment and tomographic reconstruction that considers the beam-induced sample motion through the tilt-series. It extends the standard fiducial-based alignment approach in cryoET by introducing quadratic polynomials to model the sample motion. The model can be used during reconstruction to yield a motion-compensated tomogram. We evaluated our method on various datasets with different sample sizes. The results demonstrate that our method could be a useful tool to improve the quality of tomograms and the resolution in cryoET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were conducted to determine weed control and radish (Raphanus sativus) response to S-metolachlor on organic soil in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) using a dose-response bioassay. S-metolachlor was applied preemergence at 0.35, 0.7, 1.4, 2.8, 5.6, and 11.2 kg·ha-1. The rate of S-metolachlor required to provide 90% weed control (ED90) and result in 5% and 10% radish injury were determined by fitting a three-parameter log-logistic model. The ED90 values for common lambsquarters, spiny amaranth, and fall panicum control were 2.7, 1.6, and 1.2 kg·ha-1 of S-metolachlor, respectively, at 14 days after treatment (DAT). At 28 DAT, the ED90 values were 3.8, 1.9, and 1.5 kg·ha-1 of S-metolachlor, respectively. Injury on radish increased as S-metolachlor rates increased with maximum injury of 24% and 19% at 14 and 28 DAT, respectively. S-metolachlor at 2.1 and 3.1 kg·ha-1 at 14 DAT and 2.6 and 3.7 kg·haL1 at 28 DAT would result in 5% and 10% radish injury, respectively. Radish yield decreased with increasing rates of S-metolachlor. At the proposed S-metolachlor use rate of 1.4 kg·ha-1 for root crops, radish yield was 80% of the weed-free yield probably resulting from competition from common lambsquarters, which was controlled 74%. These results show that preemergence S-metolachlor would provide effective control of spiny amaranth and fall panicumin radish on organic soils of the EAA at the proposed use rate for root crops while about three times the proposed use rate would be required to provide effective common lambsquarters control. This implies that infestation of common lambsquarters on radish fields on organic soilswill not be effectively controlled by S-metolachlor at the proposed use rate resulting in yield reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A parametric analysis of a solar still with an inverted V-shaped glass condenser is presented. Results are based on a new mathematical model obtained from a lumped-parameter analysis of the still, with an approach that makes each glass plate of the condensing system sensitive to orientation and depicts its thermal differences. Numerical computations are made to evaluate productivity and temperature differences between the condensing plates as a function of condenser orientation, extinction coefficient, and thickness. From this study it was found a significant influence of incident solar radiation on the thermal performance of each condensing plate. Large extinction coefficients and thick glass plates increase absorption losses that result in an appreciable temperature difference. An extinction coefficient of 40 m-1 produces a temperature difference of 2.5 °C between both condensers. A glass thickness of 10 mm may increase this temperature difference up to 3.5 °C. With respect to the production, due to the still orientation, a difference of 8.7% was found for the condensing plates facing an east-west direction. The proposed model is able to reproduce the temperature and distillate production differences that arise between both condensers in good agreement with experimental data. The overall performance of the still, studied with this new approach, was also in accordance with the widely used traditional models for solar distillation. In addition, the condensing plates parameters of the still can be used to force a differential heating such that for the whole day the temperature of one condensing plate is always higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the factorial invariance and latent mean differences of the School Anxiety Inventory–Short Version across gender and age groups for 2,367 Spanish students, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years. Configural and measurement invariance were found across gender and age samples for all dimensions of the School Anxiety Inventory–Short Version. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesterol control is fundamental for prevention of cardiovascular disorders. In this work, the hypocholesterolemic activity of an aqueous Opuntia ficus-indica extract (AOE) was tested in triton-induced mice. The inhibitory activity on pancreatic lipase enzyme was evaluated in vitro by the same extract. Furthermore, polyphenol content of the extract was evaluated. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in three groups of mice by intraperitoneal administration of Triton WR-1339. After induction of hypercholesterolemia, the groups were treated with an AOE (500 mg/kg) and saline solution and the positive control group with orlistat, respectively. Cholesterol levels were measured 24 h later in peripheral blood. The levels of blood cholesterol after administration of AOE significantly decreased compared to negative control. The inhibitory activity of AOE on pancreatic lipase enzyme was evaluated at concentrations from 60 to 1000 μg/mL. The AOE inhibited the pancreatic lipase with an IC50 = 588.5 μg/mL. The AOE had a high content of polyphenolic compounds. These results show that AOE is able to prevent hypercholesterolemia by pancreatic lipase inhibition, in part due to its polyphenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and construction of a full-bridge flying capacitor multicell inverter (FCMI) composed of two legs is disclosed. Each leg consists of three switching cells. In order to control the power converter, a square wave signal switching technique has been used; the converter output frequency has increased at three times the switching frequency. Moreover, the system can be tuned by a variable inductor coupled with a high-voltage transformer allowing the FCMI to work under a resonance condition from 10- to 30-kHz frequency range. The goal of this converter is to generate a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure applied in environmental remediation and biological interaction studies. The proposed inverter has been tested with two different DBD reactors, one of them intended for the degradation of organic compound metacresol dissolved in water. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Satellite image classification is an important technique used in remote sensing for the computerized analysis and pattern recognition of satellite data, which facilitates the automated interpretation of a large amount of information. Today, there exist many types of classification algorithms, such as parallelepiped and minimum distance classifiers, but it is still necessary to improve their performance in terms of accuracy rate. On the other hand, over the last few decades, cellular automata have been used in remote sensing to implement processes related to simulations. Although there is little previous research of cellular automata related to satellite image classification, they offer many advantages that can improve the results of classical classification algorithms. This paper discusses the development of a new classification algorithm based on cellular automata which not only improves the classification accuracy rate in satellite images by using contextual techniques but also offers a hierarchical classification of pixels divided into levels of membership degree to each class and includes a spatial edge detection method of classes in the satellite image. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Autism is a development disorder that has increased in prevalence from 0.5 to 14.7 per 1,000 children over 1970-2010. Using annual wages and provider counts from the American Community Survey and information from 21 regional development centers in California, we estimate the labor demand for auxiliary health providers. We focus on this subset of providers because, unlike physicians and psychologists who can diagnose autism, these workers cannot induce their own demand. If the incidence of autism is increasing independently of other mental disorders, then the demand for auxiliary health providers should increase, leading to higher wages and labor supply. Otherwise, the increase in autism diagnosis is merely displacing other mental disorders. We find that a 100% increase in autism cases increases the wages of auxiliary health workers over non-autism health occupations by 8-11% and the number of providers by 9-14%. Furthermore, we find that one of every three new autism diagnoses is merely supplanting mental retardation diagnoses, but does not displace other mental disorders. These estimates suggest that at least part of the increase in autism diagnoses, about 50-65%, reflects an increase in the true prevalence of the disorder. ( JEL L11, J2, J3) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of mesoscale oceanic structures, such as upwellings or eddies, from satellite images has significance for marine environmental studies, coastal resource management, and ocean dynamics studies. Nevertheless, there is a lack of tools that allow us to retrieve automatically relevant mesoscale structures from large satellite image databases. This paper focuses on the development and validation of a content-based image retrieval system to classify and retrieve oceanic structures from satellite images. The images were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer sensor. The study area is about W2° - 21°, N19° - 45°. This system conducts labeling and retrieval of the most relevant and typical mesoscale oceanic structures, such as upwellings, eddies, and island wakes located in the Canary Islands area and in the Mediterranean and Cantabrian seas. Our work is based on several soft computing technologies such as fuzzy logic and neurofuzzy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a short-term analysis of the radio propagation channels within vegetation media at the most commonly used wireless network frequency bands: 2.4, 3.5, and 5.8 GHz. Fading effects underlying this short-term analysis would determine whether the radio channel could support a stable link or not. The configuration used in this study is a peer-to-peer system, where the transmitter and the receiver are located at low heights inside several vegetation media, including forests and meadows. The distribution function that best fits the received power was determined to be Weibull, and the evolution of its parameters was studied as the distance between transmitter and receiver increases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A dynamic model was developed to describe the oxidation of Cu in a large-scale Cu/CuO chemical looping process performed in adiabatic fixed-bed reactors at high pressure. An ideal plug flow pattern without axial dispersion or radial gradients and with negligible intra-particle concentrations and temperature gradients on the scale of millimeters were assumed. Cu oxidation is favoured at high pressure and therefore fast reaction rates and total oxygen conversion were achieved, even with low contents of oxygen in the feed (around 4–6%). Short breakthrough periods were achieved, which is highly favorable in operations carried out in alternative fixed-bed reactors. In order to maximize energy efficiency, the oxidation needs to be carried out at the highest allowable temperature, but CuO tends to decompose and agglomerate at relatively low temperatures (over 1223K). Also the high exothermicity of Cu oxidation can generate hot spots in the reaction front. The use of a large recycle of nitrogen (previously cooled down) so that it mixes with regulates the temperature in the reaction front. At these conditions, the gas–solid heat exchange front advances faster than the reaction front and the oxidized bed is finally left at a lower temperature (as the cooled N2 recycle), which is insufficient to initiate the subsequent reduction of CuO to Cu. Therefore, an additional stage is introduced to carry out a gas–solid heat exchange between the hot N2 rich recycled gas and the oxidized bed. The bed is then ready for the next reaction step that involves the exothermic reduction of CuO. Operating parameters, such as the recirculation ratio (content of O2 in the feed) and the proportion of Cu in the solid bed, which have a substantial effect on Cu oxidation and CO2 capture efficiency, were also evaluated. Recirculation ratios higher than 0.75 and inlet gas temperatures of around 423K limit the maximum temperature to reasonable values (generally below 1200K). A trade-off between the O2 content in the feed (4–6%) and the amount of Cu in the bed (20–33%) leads to high energy efficiencies in CLC processes and minimal CaCO3 calcination in the case of the Ca–Cu looping process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cannabigerol (CBG) is a minor non-psychoactive cannabinoid present in Cannabis sativa L. (C. sativa) at low levels (<1% per dry weight) that serves as the direct precursor to both cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Consequently, efforts to extract and purify CBG from C. sativa is both challenging and expensive. However, utilizing a novel yeast fermentation technology platform, minor cannabinoids such as CBG can be produced in a more sustainable, cost-effective, and timely process as compared to plant-based production. While CBD has been studied extensively, demonstrating several beneficial skin properties, there are a paucity of studies characterizing the activity of CBG in human skin. Therefore, our aim was to characterize and compare the in vitro activity profile of non-psychoactive CBG and CBD in skin and be the first group to test CBG clinically on human skin. Gene microarray analysis conducted using 3D human skin equivalents demonstrates that CBG regulates more genes than CBD, including several key skin targets. Human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) were exposed in culture to pro-inflammatory inducers to trigger cytokine production and oxidative stress. Results demonstrate that CBG and CBD reduce reactive oxygen species levels in HDFs better than vitamin C. Moreover, CBG inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine (Interleukin-1β, -6, -8, tumor necrosis factor α) release from several inflammatory inducers, such as ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), chemical, C. acnes, and in several instances does so more potently than CBD. A 20-subject vehicle-controlled clinical study was performed with 0.1% CBG serum and placebo applied topically for 2 weeks after sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-induced irritation. CBG serum showed statistically significant improvement above placebo for transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduction in the appearance of redness. Altogether, CBG's broad range of in vitro and clinical skin health-promoting activities demonstrates its strong potential as a safe, effective ingredient for topical use and suggests there are areas where it may be more effective than CBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TomoAlign: software to deal with the beam-induced sample motion and the contrast transfer function in cryoET. • Sample motion is modelled during fiducial-based tilt-series alignment. • CTF is determined per-tilt and per-particle based on the acquisition geometry and particles coordinates. • TomoAlign produces motion-corrected and CTF-corrected subtilt-series centered on the particles of interest. • TomoAlign directly interfaces with IMOD and Relion. TomoAlign is a software package that integrates tools to mitigate two important resolution limiting factors in cryoET, namely the beam-induced sample motion and the contrast transfer function (CTF) of the microscope. The package is especially focused on cryoET of thick specimens where fiducial markers are required for accurate tilt-series alignment and sample motion estimation. TomoAlign models the beam-induced sample motion undergone during the tilt-series acquisition. The motion models are used to produce motion-corrected subtilt-series centered on the particles of interest. In addition, the defocus of each particle at each tilt image is determined and can be corrected, resulting in motion-corrected and CTF-corrected subtilt-series from which the subtomograms can be computed. Alternatively, the CTF information can be passed on so that CTF correction can be carried out entirely within external packages like Relion. TomoAlign serves as a versatile tool that can streamline the cryoET workflow from initial alignment of tilt-series to final subtomogram averaging during in situ structure determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transplantation is notable for the degree to which resources are allocated via administrative rather than market mechanisms. However, non-monetary incentives still permeate the system. Using instrumental variable regression, we estimate the substitution patterns between cadaveric and living kidney donations in the United States from 1988 to 2008. On average, a decrease of two to five cadaveric donations causes living kidney donations to increase by one. Disaggregating living donors into blood-related and non-blood-related donors, the strongest effect is found among non-blood-related donors known to the organ recipient. A 1% increase of cadaveric donations decreases living donations from this group by 1.54%. ( JEL D62, D64, I1) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are commonly used for beam shaping in the far field. In the present work, we develop an algorithm for near-field beam shaping using a double DOE system with binary modulation, so that it can be easily implemented on a glass substrate. In a first stage, the first amplitude DOE is equal to the target intensity distribution and the second phase DOE is obtained using a simple and fast iterative technique. In order to improve the optical efficiency of the system, we also analyze the behavior of the algorithm when the first DOE is not equal to the target image, but a widened version of it. Several numerical simulations are obtained, and an analysis of tolerances is performed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Electron tomography (ET) allows 3D analysis of materials at nanometre and atomic scale. [•] Computing is of paramount importance for the processing and the analysis of ET data. [•] Different 2D views acquired from the sample are combined to yield the 3D volume. [•] The 3D volume is interpreted in terms of morphological and quantitative information. [•] The computational methods and emerging developments in ET are comprehensively reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of wireless networks is continuously increasing, as well as extending to new purposes and new environments, mainly outdoor oriented and some of them at vegetation media. Although there are multiple propagation studies at wireless network frequency bands within vegetation scenarios, most of them are focused on classical base station to mobile terminal configuration. The main aim of this research is to provide a propagation study for the three most commonly used wireless network frequencies: 2.4, 3.5 and 5.8 GHz in a peer to peer configured system, where both, the transmitter and the receiver are located at the same low heights, within vegetation media, including forests and meadows. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Biomedical innovation has become riskier, more expensive and more difficult to finance with traditional sources such as private and public equity. Here we propose a financial structure in which a large number of biomedical programs at various stages of development are funded by a single entity to substantially reduce the portfolio's risk. The portfolio entity can finance its activities by issuing debt, a critical advantage because a much larger pool of capital is available for investment in debt versus equity. By employing financial engineering techniques such as securitization, it can raise even greater amounts of more-patient capital. In a simulation using historical data for new molecular entities in oncology from 1990 to 2011, we find that megafunds of $5-15 billion may yield average investment returns of 8.9-11.4% for equity holders and 5-8% for 'research-backed obligation' holders, which are lower than typical venture-capital hurdle rates but attractive to pension funds, insurance companies and other large institutional investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electron tomography (ET) has emerged as a powerful technique to address fundamental questions in molecular and cellular biology. It makes possible visualization of the molecular architecture of complex viruses, organelles and cells at a resolution of a few nanometres. In the last decade ET has allowed major breakthroughs that have provided exciting insights into a wide range of biological processes. In ET the biological sample is imaged with an electron microscope, and a series of images is taken from the sample at different views. Prior to imaging, the sample has to be specially prepared to withstand the conditions within the microscope. Subsequently, those images are processed and combined to yield the three-dimensional reconstruction or tomogram. Afterwards, a number of computational steps are necessary to facilitate the interpretation of the tomogram, such as noise reduction, segmentation and analysis of subvolumes. As the computational demands are huge in some of the stages, high performance computing (HPC) techniques are used to make the problem affordable in reasonable time. This article intends to comprehensively review the methods, technologies and tools involved in the different computational stages behind structural studies by ET, from image acquisition to interpretation of tomograms. The HPC techniques usually employed to cope with the computational demands are also briefly described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]