Assessment of the Angolan (CHERRT) Mobile Laboratory Curriculum for Disaster and Pandemic Response

Introduction: As of April 5, 2020, the World Health Organization reported over one million confirmed cases and more than 62,000 confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths affecting 204 countries/ regions. The lack of COVID-19 testing capacity threatens the ability of both the United States (US) and low middle income countries (LMIC) to respond to this growing threat, The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness through participant self-assessment of a rapid response team (RRT) mobile laboratory curriculumMethods: We conducted a pre and post survey for the purpose of a process improvement assessment in Angola, involving 32 individuals. The survey was performed before and after a 14-day training workshop held in Luanda, Angola, in December 2019. A paired t-test was used to identify any significant change on six 7-point Likert scale questions with α< 0.05 (95% confidence interval).Results: All six of the questions –  1) “I feel confident managing a real laboratory sample test for Ebola or other highly contagious sample;” 2) “I feel safe working in the lab environment during a real scenario;” 3) “I feel as if I can appropriately manage a potentially highly contagious laboratory sample;” 4)“I feel that I can interpret a positive or negative sample during a suspected contagious outbreak;” 5) “I understand basic Biobubble/mobile laboratory concepts and procedures;” and 6) “I understand polymerase chain reaction (PCR) principles” – showed statistical significant change pre and post training. Additionally, the final two questions – “I can more effectively perform my role/position because of the training I received during this course;” and “This training was valuable”  – received high scores on the Likert scale.Conclusion: This Angolan RRT mobile laboratory training curriculum provides the nation of Angola with the confidence to rapidly respond and test at the national level a highly infectious contagion in the region and perform on-scene diagnostics. This mobile RRT laboratory provides a mobile and rapid diagnostic resource when epidemic/pandemic resource allocation may need to be prioritized based on confirmed disease prevalence

Review of Current Neuroimaging Studies of the Effects of Prenatal Drug Exposure: Brain Structure and Function

Neuroimaging tools have provided novel methods for understanding the impact of prenatal drug exposure on brain structure and function and its relation to development and behavior. Information gained from neuroimaging studies allows for the investigation of how prenatal drug exposure alters the typical developmental trajectory. The current prevalence and characteristics of prenatal drug exposure and its implications for vulnerable periods of brain development are reviewed. Structural and functional neuroimaging methods are introduced with examples of how study results from prenatal alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and tobacco exposure further our understanding of the neurodevelopment impact of prenatal drug exposure. Prenatal drug neuroimaging studies have advanced our understanding of mechanisms and functional deficits associated with prenatal drug exposure. Studies have identified brain circuits associated with the default mode network, inhibitory control, and working memory that show differences in function as a result of prenatal drug exposure. The information gained from studies of prenatal drug exposure on brain structure and function can be used to make connections between animal models and human studies of prenatal drug exposure, identify biomarkers of documented effects of prenatal drug exposure on behavior, and inform prevention and intervention programs for young children

Model-assisted measurements of suspension-feeding flow velocities

Author Posting. © Company of Biologists, 2017. This article is posted here by permission of Company of Biologists for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Experimental Biology 220 (2017): 2096-2107, doi:10.1242/jeb.147934.Benthic marine suspension feeders provide an important link between benthic and pelagic ecosystems. The strength of this link is determined by suspension-feeding rates. Many studies have measured suspension-feeding rates using indirect clearance-rate methods, which are based on the depletion of suspended particles. Direct methods that measure the flow of water itself are less common, but they can be more broadly applied because, unlike indirect methods, direct methods are not affected by properties of the cleared particles. We present pumping rates for three species of suspension feeders, the clams Mya arenaria and Mercenaria mercenaria and the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, measured using a direct method based on particle image velocimetry (PIV). Past uses of PIV in suspension-feeding studies have been limited by strong laser reflections that interfere with velocity measurements proximate to the siphon. We used a new approach based on fitting PIV-based velocity profile measurements to theoretical profiles from computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models, which allowed us to calculate inhalant siphon Reynolds numbers (Re). We used these inhalant Re and measurements of siphon diameters to calculate exhalant Re, pumping rates, and mean inlet and outlet velocities. For the three species studied, inhalant Re ranged from 8 to 520, and exhalant Re ranged from 15 to 1073. Volumetric pumping rates ranged from 1.7 to 7.4 l h−1 for M. arenaria, 0.3 to 3.6 l h−1 for M. mercenaria and 0.07 to 0.97 l h−1 for C. intestinalis. We also used CFD models based on measured pumping rates to calculate capture regions, which reveal the spatial extent of pumped water. Combining PIV data with CFD models may be a valuable approach for future suspension-feeding studies.This research is part of a collaborative project (National Science Foundation grant OCE-1260232 to P.A.J., and grant OCE-1260199 to J. Crimaldi, University of Colorado). Funding was also provided by NSF grant OIA-1355457 to Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine (D.C.B.).2018-05-3

Model-assisted measurements of suspension-feeding flow velocities

Benthic marine suspension feeders provide an important link between benthic and pelagic ecosystems. The strength of this link is determined by suspension-feeding rates. Many studies have measured suspension-feeding rates using indirect clearance-rate methods, which are based on the depletion of suspended particles. Direct methods that measure the flow of water itself are less common, but they can be more broadly applied because, unlike indirect methods, direct methods are not affected by properties of the cleared particles. We present pumping rates for three species of suspension feeders, the clams Mya arenaria and Mercenaria mercenaria and the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, measured using a direct method based on particle image velocimetry (PIV). Past uses of PIV in suspension-feeding studies have been limited by strong laser reflections that interfere with velocity measurements proximate to the siphon. We used a new approach based on fitting PIV-based velocity profile measurements to theoretical profiles from computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models, which allowed us to calculate inhalant siphon Reynolds numbers (Re). We used these inhalant Re and measurements of siphon diameters to calculate exhalant Re, pumping rates, and mean inlet and outlet velocities. For the three species studied, inhalant Re ranged from 8−520, and exhalant Re ranged from 15−1073. Volumetric pumping rates ranged from 1.7−7.4 l h−1 for Mya, 0.3−3.6 l h−1 for Mercenaria, and 0.07−0.97 l h−1 for Ciona. We also used CFD models based on measured pumping rates to calculate capture regions, which reveal the spatial extent of pumped water. Combining PIV data with CFD models may be a valuable approach for future suspension-feeding studies

Nurses\u27 Alumnae Association Bulletin, April 1959

Alumnae News Anniversary Class of /34 Article from Pennsylvania Nurse Committee Reports Current Events at Jefferson Greetings from the President Jefferson Story Lost Members Letter - Past President Marriages Necrology New Arrivals Notices Pictured - Student Nurses\u27 Residence Report of the School of Nursing and Nursing Services Staff Nurses Social Functions Student Activities Voluntary Service Year of Great Activity and Expansio

Concert recording 2019-11-18

[Track 1]. Boutade / Pierre Gabaye -- [Track 2]. Sonata for trumpet and piano, op. 51. III. Finale (Tocatta) / Flor Peeters -- [Track 3]. Concerto [Abridged] / Alexander Artunian -- [Track 4]. Sonata for trumpet and piano. I. Lento, Allegro molto / Eric Ewazen -- [Track 5]. Dance suite from Terpsichore . I. Ballet de Grenoville IV. La Bourre / Michael Praetorius edited and arranged by Allan Dean -- [Track 6]. Quintet no. 1, op. 5. I. Moderato / Victor Ewald -- [Track 7]. Sonata for horn, trumpet and trombone (1922). I. Allegro moderato [Track 8]. II. Andante [Track 9]. III. Rondeau / F. Poulenc

Terrestrial primary production for the conterminous United States derived from Landsat 30 m and MODIS 250 m

Terrestrial primary production is a fundamental ecological process and a crucial component in understanding the flow of energy through trophic levels. The global MODIS gross primary production (GPP) and net primary production (NPP) products (MOD17) are widely used for monitoring GPP and NPP at coarse resolutions across broad spatial extents. The coarse input datasets and global biome‐level parameters, however, are well‐known limitations to the applicability of the MOD17 product at finer scales. We addressed these limitations and created two improved products for the conterminous United States (CONUS) that capture the spatiotemporal variability in terrestrial production. The MOD17 algorithm was utilized with medium resolution land cover classifications and improved meteorological data specific to CONUS in order to produce: (a) Landsat derived 16‐day GPP and annual NPP at 30 m resolution from 1986 to 2016 (GPPL30 and NPPL30, respectively); and (b) MODIS derived 8‐day GPP and annual NPP at 250 m resolution from 2001 to 2016 (GPPM250 and NPPM250 respectively). Biome‐specific input parameters were optimized based on eddy covariance flux tower‐derived GPP data from the FLUXNET2015 database. We evaluated GPPL30 and GPPM250 products against the standard MODIS GPP product utilizing a select subset of representative flux tower sites, and found improvement across all land cover classes except croplands. We also found consistent interannual variability and trends across NPPL30, NPPM250, and the standard MODIS NPP product. We highlight the application potential of the production products, demonstrating their improved capacity for monitoring terrestrial production at higher levels of spatial detail across broad spatiotemporal scales

Insidious procedures: diversity awards legitimize unfair organizational practices

This is the author's version of an article subsequently published in Social Justice Research in final format. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11211-015-0240-zDoes the presence (versus absence) of an organizational diversity award increase the perceived fairness of biased personnel procedures? Participants examined fair or unfair personnel procedures at a company that had received a diversity award or an award unrelated to diversity. When the company had received a diversity award (versus a control award), participants perceived the unfair personnel procedure as fairer for minorities, and White participants were more supportive of enacting the biased procedure. These findings suggest that organizations perceived as successfully supporting diversity might be afforded particular legitimacy to enact policies and procedures that disadvantage the very groups they are perceived as valuing.National Science Foundatio

Concert recording 2021-12-04

[Track 1]. Scherzo concertante / Vaclav Nehlybel -- [Track 2]. Sonata no. 3 for horn and piano. I. Moderately fast ; [Track 3]. II. Slow / Alec Wilder -- [Track 4]. Rondo in B♭ major / Arnold Cooke -- [Track 5]. Sonata for horn and piano. I. Hymn ; II. Riding to higher clouds / Margaret Brouwer -- [Track 6]. Horn concerto no. 3 in E♭ major, K. 447. I. Allegro ; II. Larghetto ; III. Allegro / W.A. Mozart -- [Track 7]. Reflections on a Southern hymn. I. Intonation ; IV. Wondrous love / Stephen Gryc -- [Track 8]. Umoja / Valerie Coleman -- [Track 9]. Amazing grace / arranged by Luther Henderson

Demonstration of integrated microscale optics in surface-electrode ion traps

In ion trap quantum information processing, efficient fluorescence collection is critical for fast, high-fidelity qubit detection and ion-photon entanglement. The expected size of future many-ion processors require scalable light collection systems. We report on the development and testing of a microfabricated surface-electrode ion trap with an integrated high numerical aperture (NA) micromirror for fluorescence collection. When coupled to a low NA lens, the optical system is inherently scalable to large arrays of mirrors in a single device. We demonstrate stable trapping and transport of 40Ca+ ions over a 0.63 NA micromirror and observe a factor of 1.9 enhancement in photon collection compared to the planar region of the trap.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure