Microdistribution and colonization of Simulium vittatum (Diptera: Simuliidae) larvae on natural and artificial substrates.

I conducted a field study of natural substrates (cobbles) in two streams to examine microhabitat selection by larvae through correlations of black fly Simulium vittatum Zetterstedt (Diptera: Simuliidae) density with measured abiotic quantities. Flow variables (Froude number) best explained larval densities whereas combined substrate surface qualities (evenness, amount of periphyton) were of secondary importance. Positive correlations were found between simuliid densities and those of theory taxa, especially chironomids (Diptera), suggesting co-occurrence. Laboratory experiments examined larval black fly responses to specific substrate characteristics (evenness, texture, periphyton). At low density (2-4 larvae/cm\sp2), larvae avoided smooth, even substrates. At high density (10+ larvae/cm\sp2), there was no apparent selection, except in the presence of periphyton. A field colonization experiment demonstrated that black flies colonize new habitat (ceramic tiles) quickly (within 24 h). Numbers subsequently decline with time due to habitat degradation as periphyton and other materials accrue. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Biological Sciences. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1992 .B434. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 31-04, page: 1654. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1992

Sensitivity of Volcanic Ash Dispersion Modelling to Input Grain Size Distribution Based on Hydromagmatic and Magmatic Deposits

The size distribution of volcanic ash is rarely measured in real time and Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) often rely on a default particle size distribution (PSD) to initialise their dispersion models when forecasting the movement of ash clouds. We conducted a sensitivity study to investigate the impact of PSD on model output and consider how best to apply default PSDs in operational dispersion modelling. Compiled grain size data confirm that, when considering particles likely to be in the distal ash cloud (< 125 µm diameter), magma composition and eruption size are the dominant controls on grain size distribution. Constraining the PSD is challenging but we find that the grain size of deposits from large hydromagmatic eruptions remains relatively constant with distance, suggesting that total (whole-deposit) grain size distributions (TGSDs) for these eruptions could be estimated from a few samples. We investigated the sensitivity of modelled ash mass loadings (in the air and on the ground) to input PSDs based on coarse to fine TGSDs from our dataset. We found clear differences between modelled mass loadings and the extent of the plume. Comparing TGSDs based on ground-only and ground-plus-satellite data for the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption, we found that basing input PSDs on TGSDs from deposits alone (likely missing the finest particles) led to lower modelled peak ash concentrations and a smaller plume

Survey of Special Collections and Archives in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Special collections and archives play a key role in the future of research libraries. However, significant challenges face institutions that wish to capitalize on that value, to leverage and make fully available the rich content in special collections in order to support research, teaching, and community engagement.This report, produced in collaboration by OCLC Research and RLUK, builds on the foundation established by Taking Our Pulse: The OCLC Research Survey of Special Collections and Archives, a report published in 2010 that provides a rigorous, evidence-based appraisal of the state of special collections in the US and Canada. The survey provides both evidence and a basis for action as part of the RLUK's Unique and Distinctive Collections workstrand  and OCLC Research's Mobilizing Unique Materials theme.This report provides institutional leaders, curators, special collections staff, and archivists both evidence and inspiration to plan for much needed and deserved transformation of special collections. Specifically, it contains twenty recommendations that the authors feel will have a positive impact toward addressing the issues identified. It also provides a backdrop for continued discussion, both within special collections and the larger library enterprise, for the role of special collections in an evolved information economy. These key findings and recommendations are highlighted in the report's executive summary, which has been published as a separate document for your reading convenience.Key findings:The top challenges for archives and special collections in the UK and Ireland are outreach, born-digital materials and space.Alignment of special collections with institutional missions and priorities is an ongoing challenge.The special collections sector is undergoing a major culture shift that mandates significant retraining and careful examination of priorities.Philanthropic support is limited, as are librarians' fundraising skills.Use of all types of special collections material has increased across the board.Users expect everything in libraries and archives to be digitized.One-third of archival collections are not discoverable in online catalogs.Management of born-digital archival materials remains in its infancy

Health and wellbeing of under-five year olds in New Zealand 2017

Dental caries has been identified by the New Zealand (NZ) Ministry of Health (MoH) as the country’s most prevalent chronic disease.1 Dental diseases of the oral cavity include, but are not limited to, dental caries, developmental defects of enamel and/or dentine, dental erosion and periodontal disease.2 Dental caries and periodontal disease are largely preventable and are currently considered significant global health burdens.2,3 Dental caries involves the pathological destruction of tooth tissue by acids produced by cariogenic bacteria, and the progression of this disease can lead to pain, difficulty with eating, sleeping, and concentrating.2 Dental caries is multifactorial, with contributing factors including not only the presence and number of cariogenic pathogens or dental anomalies, but also modifiable factors such as diet, poor oral hygiene, and drug and alcohol abuse. Periodontal diseases affect the gingival tissues (gums) and surrounding tooth-supporting structures, and are a major cause of tooth loss. Periodontal pathogens are primarily responsible for the presence of this disease, with a number of modifiable factors shown to contribute to its severity and progression.2,4 Many of the modifiable risk factors for both dental caries and periodontal disease are also implicated in other chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and they are also inextricably linked to socio-economic deprivation.5-7 Children are born without the bacteria that cause tooth decay; these are likely to be acquired from direct transfer via the saliva of their primary caregiver. If a primary caregiver has high amounts of untreated dental caries, then there is a much greater risk of cariogenic bacteria being passed to their child’s oral cavity, therefore placing them at greater risk of developing dental caries from an earlier age.8,9 Horizontal transmission of cariogenic bacteria between kindergarten children has also been demonstrated, and although the transmission rates are low, measures to disrupt this chain of infection from child to child are needed.10 Poor oral health impacts directly on many aspects of life, including nutrition, education, mental and physical well-being, and it has been directly linked to poor general health.2,3,11,12 Untreated dental caries can result in pain, acute and chronic infection. The appearance of untreated dental caries or lost teeth due to caries can be unsightly, resulting in stigmatisation, embarrassment, and low self-esteem. Both dental caries and periodontal disease cause halitosis (bad breath), impacting negatively on social and personal interactions, and potentially hindering employment opportunities.2 In 2016, the FDI World Dental Federation re-defined oral health as… “… multi-faceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort and disease of the craniofacial complex. Further attributes include that it is a fundamental component of health and physical and mental wellbeing. It exists along a continuum influenced by the values and attitudes of individuals and communities; [it] reflects the physiologic, social, and psychological attributes that are essential to quality of life; [it] is influenced by the individual’s changing experiences, perceptions, expectations and ability to adapt to circumstances”.7 This new definition was designed to reflect a move away from the traditional bio-medical model of oral health towards embracing a broader bio-psychosocial model that considers both the impact of oral health on quality of life, and wider social determinants of health.

Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy applied to study the trafficking of 8D3-coated gold nanoparticles at the blood-brain barrier

Due to the physical and physiological properties of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the transport of neurotherapeutics from blood to brain is still a pharmaceutical challenge. We previously conducted a series of experiments to explore the potential of the anti-transferrin receptor 8D3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to transport neurotherapeutics across the BBB. In that study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were coated with the 8D3 antibody and administered intravenously to mice. Transmission electron microscopy was used and a two-dimensional (2D) image analysis was performed to detect the AuNPs in the brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) and brain parenchyma. In the present work, we determined that serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) is a useful tool to study the transcytosis of these AuNPs across the BBB in three dimensions and we, therefore, applied it to gain more knowledge of their transcellular trafficking. The resulting 3D reconstructions provided additional information on the endocytic vesicles containing AuNPs and the endosomal processing that occurs inside BCECs. The passage from 2D to 3D analysis reinforced the trafficking model proposed in the 2D study, and revealed that the vesicles containing AuNPs are significantly larger and more complex than described in our 2D study. We also discuss tradeoffs of using this technique for our application, and conclude that together with other volume electron microscopy imaging techniques, SBF-SEM is a powerful approach that is worth of considering for studies of drug transport across the BBB

Oncogenic K-Ras segregates at spatially distinct plasma membrane signaling platforms according to its phosphorylation status

Activating mutations in the K-Ras small GTPase are extensively found in human tumors. Although these mutations induce the generation of a constitutively GTP-loaded, active form of K-Ras, phosphorylation at Ser181 within the C-terminal hypervariable region can modulate oncogenic K-Ras function without affecting the in vitro affinity for its effector Raf-1. In striking contrast, K-Ras phosphorylated at Ser181 shows increased interaction in cells with the active form of Raf-1 and with p110α, the catalytic subunit of PI 3-kinase. Because the majority of phosphorylated K-Ras is located at the plasma membrane, different localization within this membrane according to the phosphorylation status was explored. Density-gradient fractionation of the plasma membrane in the absence of detergents showed segregation of K-Ras mutants that carry a phosphomimetic or unphosphorylatable serine residue (S181D or S181A, respectively). Moreover, statistical analysis of immunoelectron microscopy showed that both phosphorylation mutants form distinct nanoclusters that do not overlap. Finally, induction of oncogenic K-Ras phosphorylation - by activation of protein kinase C (PKC) - increased its co-clustering with the phosphomimetic K-Ras mutant, whereas (when PKC is inhibited) non-phosphorylated oncogenic K-Ras clusters with the non-phosphorylatable K-Ras mutant. Most interestingly, PI 3-kinase (p110α) was found in phosphorylated K-Ras nanoclusters but not in non-phosphorylated K-Ras nanoclusters. In conclusion, our data provide - for the first time - evidence that PKC-dependent phosphorylation of oncogenic K-Ras induced its segregation in spatially distinct nanoclusters at the plasma membrane that, in turn, favor activation of Raf-1 and PI 3-kinase

AACP Basic Resources for Pharmacy Education

The AACP Basic Resources for Pharmacy Education is produced as a guide for those developing or maintaining the library collections that serve colleges and schools of pharmacy. The goal of the Basic Resources list is to make recommendations of books and other works to be included in pharmacy libraries, but not all titles are required to be purchased. Each pharmacy college has its own mission and its own program(s), and so each college’s library collection must reflect that mission and support the college’s program(s). Excellent library collections are built by knowledgeable librarians and drug information specialists using their professional judgment along with the expertise of the college’s faculty. The Basic Resources list should not be used as a benchmark and is not prescriptive but is instead a starting place for librarians who are building a new collection or maintaining an established one