Phylodynamics of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Europe, 2005-2010: Potential for Molecular Surveillance of New Outbreaks.

Previous Bayesian phylogeographic studies of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) explored the origin and spread of the epidemic from China into Russia, indicating that HPAIV circulated in Russia prior to its detection there in 2005. In this study, we extend this research to explore the evolution and spread of HPAIV within Europe during the 2005-2010 epidemic, using all available sequences of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene regions that were collected in Europe and Russia during the outbreak. We use discrete-trait phylodynamic models within a Bayesian statistical framework to explore the evolution of HPAIV. Our results indicate that the genetic diversity and effective population size of HPAIV peaked between mid-2005 and early 2006, followed by drastic decline in 2007, which coincides with the end of the epidemic in Europe. Our results also suggest that domestic birds were the most likely source of the spread of the virus from Russia into Europe. Additionally, estimates of viral dispersal routes indicate that Russia, Romania, and Germany were key epicenters of these outbreaks. Our study quantifies the dynamics of a major European HPAIV pandemic and substantiates the ability of phylodynamic models to improve molecular surveillance of novel AIVs

Exertional Heat Strokes Incidents in Service Members

A serious health concern active-duty service members (SMs) face is heat strokes (Donham et al., 2020). Heat strokes are caused when the body is overworked by extended periods of heat and dehydration that can result in convulsions, brain damage, and death (Shimazaki et al., 2022). Active-duty requires a lot of exertional training on their soldiers such as long-distance runs and weight-bearing exercises which may increase their risk of developing heatstrokes (Donham et al., 2020). However, there is a dearth of literature examining heat strokes among SMs. As such, the present study sought to examine incidence rate trends of heatstroke diagnoses among various SM demographic classifications between 2016 and 2021. The Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) was utilized to extract data and conduct a retrospective cohort study to identify all diagnosed cases of heat strokes among SMs. The primary goal was to calculate the incidence rate of heat strokes (per 10,000). The overall incidence rate of heat strokes was calculated to be 2.94 (per 10,000). Results indicated that young single white males in junior enlisted ranks and junior officer ranks serving in the Army or Marines are the most at-risk demographics to experience heat strokes. Future research should examine underrepresented demographics such as Female SMs, non-White SMs, and SMs in older age groups for more targeted interventions. The incidence rate trends and demographics most at risk for heat strokes elucidate the need for further research to improve military readiness and operations. Keywords: Heat Strokes, Military, Service Member

Amplitude-modulation detection by recreational-noise-exposed humans with near-normal hearing thresholds and its medium-term progression.

Noise exposure can affect the functioning of cochlear inner and outer hair cells (IHC/OHC), leading to multiple perceptual changes. This work explored possible changes in detection of amplitude modulation (AM) at three Sensation Levels (SL) for carrier frequencies of 3, 4 and 6 kHz. There were two groups of participants, aged 19 to 24 (Young) and 26 to 35 (Older) years. All had near-normal audiometric thresholds. Participants self-assessed exposure to high-level noise in recreational settings. Each group was sub-grouped into low-noise (LN) or high-noise (HN) exposure. AM detection thresholds were worse for the HN than for the LN sub-group at the lowest SL, for the males only of the Young group and for both genders for the Older group, despite no significant difference in absolute threshold at 3 and 4 kHz between sub-groups. AM detection at the lowest SL, at both 3 and 4 kHz, generally improved with increasing age and increasing absolute threshold, consistent with a recruitment-like process. However, poorer AM detection was correlated with increasing exposure at 3 kHz in the Older group. It is suggested that high-level noise exposure produces both IHC- and OHC-related damage, the balance between the two varying across frequency. However, the use of AM detection offers poor sensitivity as a measure of the effects.This is the final version. It was first published by Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378595514001506

Heat Strokes in Military Service Members

Heat strokes are caused when the body is overworked by extended periods of heat and dehydration that can result in convulsions, brain damage, and death (Shimazaki et al., 2022). Heat strokes are a serious health concern for active-duty military service members (SMs) due to extended exertional training (i.e., long-distance running and weight-bearing exercises) which may increase their risk of developing heat strokes (Donham et al., 2020). However, there is a dearth of literature examining heat strokes among SMs. The present study sought to address this by examining diagnostic trends of heatstroke incidence among various military SM demographic classifications between 2016 and 2021. The Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) was utilized to extract data and conduct a retrospective cohort study to identify all SMs diagnosed with heat strokes. The primary goal was to calculate the incidence rate of heat strokes (per 10,000). The overall incidence rate of heat strokes was calculated to be 2.94 (per 10,000). Results indicated that single, white, males between the ages 18 and 24 years, in junior enlisted ranks (i.e., E-1 to E-4) and junior officer ranks (i.e., O-1/WO1 – O-3/CW3) serving in the Army or Marines were among the most at-risk demographics to experience heat strokes. Future research should examine underrepresented demographics such as female SMs, non-White SMs, and SMs in older age groups for more targeted interventions. The incidence rate trends and demographics most at-risk for heat strokes elucidate the need for further research to improve military readiness and operations. Keywords: Heat strokes, Military, Service Member

Forensic NAPL Determination And Plume Differentiation – A Case Study

Recent developments in laboratory analytical techniques, when combined with application of multivariate statistical analyses allow differentiation and delineation of comingled NAPLs and resultant contaminant plumes. The increase in laboratory expertise and a growing body of relevant studies in case literature have made possible evaluation of petroleum impacted media through relatively standard techniques a reality, and well within the realm of economical site assessments. The application of several methods to determine the number, type, and timing of multiple NAPL releases at a commercial facility in an urban setting will be summarized. The combination of chemical, historical, and statistical techniques has allowed for a more complete evaluation of NAPL sources and release histories than was initially thought possible. In the examined case, overlapping NAPL plumes are defined, delineated, and identified; and source identifications for individual releases are completed. These evaluations resulted in identification of previously unconfirmed sources, improved characterization of the nature of NAPL present, and refined fate, transport, and feasibility evaluations for the conceptual site model

Internal Consistency and Convergent Validity of the Inventory of Hyperacusis Symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to assess the internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity of a new questionnaire for hyperacusis, the Inventory of Hyperacusis Symptoms (IHS; Greenberg & Carlos 2018), using a clinical population. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study. Data were gathered from the records of 100 consecutive patients who sought help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis from an audiology clinic in the United Kingdom. The average age of the patients was 55 years (SD = 13 years). Audiological measures were the pure-tone average threshold (PTA) and uncomfortable loudness levels (ULL). Questionnaires administered were: IHS, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), Insomnia Severity Index, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha for the 25-item IHS questionnaire was 0.96. Neither the total IHS score nor scores for any of its five subscales were correlated with the PTA of the better or worse ear. This supports the discriminant validity of the IHS, as hyperacusis is thought to be independent of the PTA. There were moderately strong correlations between IHS total scores and scores for the HQ, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, with r = 0.58, 0.58, 0.61, 0.54, respectively. Thus, although IHS scores may reflect hyperacusis itself, they may also reflect the coexistence of tinnitus, anxiety, and depression. The total score on the IHS was significantly different between patients with and without hyperacusis (as diagnosed based on ULLs or HQ scores). Using the HQ score as a reference, the area under the receiver operating characteristic for the IHS was 0.80 (95% confidence interval = 0.71 to 0.89) and the cutoff point of the IHS with highest overall accuracy was 56/100. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 74% and 82%. CONCLUSIONS: The IHS has good internal consistency and reasonably high convergent validity, as indicated by the relationship of IHS scores to HQ scores and ULLs, but IHS scores may also partly reflect the co-occurrence of tinnitus, anxiety, and depression. We propose an IHS cutoff score of 56 instead of 69 for diagnosing hyperacusis

Structures of Exocyst Subunit Exo70 from Yeast and Mouse.

Exocytosis is a eukaryotic process in which vesicles deliver membrane and other cargoes to and across the plasma membrane. The exocyst is a tethering complex necessary for the polarization and fusion of exocytic vesicles with the plasma membrane. It is conserved in eukaryotes, although it exhibits increasingly complex characteristics from yeasts to mammals. Exo70 is one of eight protein subunits of the exocyst. Its interactions with a Rho family GTPase and the Arp2/3 actin branching complex are important for exocytosis. The aim of this work is to gain greater insight into the structure and function of the exocyst and the role of Exo70 within it. The high-resolution structures of the C-terminal 90% of Exo70 from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the mouse Mus musculus are presented here as determined by X-ray crystallography. These structures provide a unique opportunity to study a near-complete component of the exocyst and to compare and contrast this molecule between two distantly related model organisms. A conserved architecture composed of a series of unique helix-turn-helix motifs organized into a rod shape is revealed in these molecules despite low primary sequence conservation. A poor understanding of the role of this domain structure makes functional conclusions drawn from these structures difficult. These molecules also contain a novel fold that has recently been observed in other proteins participating in exocytosis. Several significant structural deviations between these molecules raise new questions about the function of Exo70 and the interactions in which it is involved. These structures may provide information important to future studies of the exocyst and the GTPases that interact with Exo70 in both budding yeast and mammals.Ph.D.Biological ChemistryUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57641/2/mooreba_1.pd

Opioid Use Disorder in the Active Service: Incidence Rates and Behavioral Health Considerations

Military service members experience occupational specific injuries that often result in chronic pain, and comorbid behavioral health concerns that may be exacerbated by opioid use. Despite the vast amount of research examining substance use in the military, there is a dearth of literature examining the incidence of opioid use disorder (OUD). The present epidemiological study aims to examine the incident rate trends of OUD diagnoses among active duty service members between 2016 and 2021. The present study utilized data drawn from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) to conduct a retrospective cohort study and calculate the incidence rate of OUD (per 10,000) active duty United States service members. The average calculated incidence rate of OUD diagnoses from 2016 to 2021 was 6.71 (per 10,000) and declined by 34% each year on average. Opioid use disorder was most frequently diagnosed among service members who identified as male, married, white, between the ages of 30-39, junior enlisted, and serving in the Army. The incidence rate trends of OUD diagnoses among service members warrants further investigation into the mechanisms contributing to increased risk among identified groups and the development of mitigation strategies that can contribute to a reduction in opioid use and abuse