Study of the Polarization Properties of the Crab Nebula and Pulsar with BATSE

Activities carried out under this proposal included: 1) development and refinements of Monte Carlo simulations of the atmospheric reflected albedo hard x-ray emissions, both unpolarized and polarized, 2) modeling and simulations of the off-axis response of the BATSE LAD detectors, and 3) comparison of our simulation results with numerous BATSE flare and cosmic burst data sets

Sexual Risk, Substance Use and Undiagnosed Seropositivity among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women in Miami, Florida

This paper utilizes the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance data in Miami for the men who have sex with men cycle (NHBS-MSM2) in 2008. We analyzed sexual risk, substance use and undiagnosed seropositivity in a diverse sample of men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) and compared them with MSM. Of 152 MSMW, 15.1% tested HIV positive with 73.9% previously undiagnosed. Almost half (44.1%) of the MSMW reported unprotected sex with male and female partners in the past year. More MSMW than MSM had undiagnosed HIV infection, exchanged sex for money or drugs, used crack and cocaine, been high during sex, and had not received HIV treatment if HIV positive. Undiagnosed HIV infection among MSMW was associated with Black race, older age, non-alcohol use and Ecstasy use. Our findings indicate that MSMW represent a unique population at risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV in Miami

Exposure, hazard, and survival analysis of diffusion on social networks

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144676/1/sim7658_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144676/2/sim7658.pd

Differential expression of microRNA-206 and its target genes in pre-eclampsia

Objectives: Pre-eclampsia is a multi-system disease that significantly contributes to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In this study, we used a non-biased microarray approach to identify novel circulating miRNAs in maternal plasma that may be associated with pre-eclampsia. Methods: Plasma samples were obtained at 16 and 28 weeks of gestation from 18 women who later developed pre-eclampsia (cases) and 18 matched women with normotensive pregnancies (controls). We studied miRNA expression profiles in plasma and subsequently confirmed miRNA and target gene expression in placenta samples. Placental samples were obtained from an independent cohort of 19 women with pre-eclampsia matched with 19 women with normotensive pregnancies. Results: From the microarray, we identified 1 miRNA that was significantly differentially expressed between cases and controls at 16 weeks of gestation and 6 miRNAs that were significantly differentially expressed at 28 weeks. Following qPCR validation only one, miR-206, was found to be significantly increased in 28 week samples in women who later developed pre-eclampsia (1.4 fold change ± 0.2). The trend for increase in miR-206 expression was mirrored within placental tissue from women with pre-eclampsia. In parallel, IGF-1, a target gene of miR-206, was also found to be down-regulated (0.41 ± 0.04) in placental tissue from women with pre-eclampsia. miR-206 expression was also detectable in myometrium tissue and trophoblast cell lines. Conclusions: Our pilot study has identified miRNA-206 as a novel factor up-regulated in pre-eclampsia within the maternal circulation and in placental tissue

Trends in the HIV Epidemic among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Miami-Dade County, Florida, 2004-2014

Miami, Florida has a large population of Hispanic and black men who have sex with men (MSM), a population more likely to become HIV infected than white MSM. We present here HIV behavioral trends in this population that reflect the effects of public health prevention in Miami over a 10-year period. Using National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) data of MSM in Miami-Dade County, Florida, in 2004-05, 2008, 2011 and 2014, chi-square trend analyses were used to assess the epidemiologic trends related to HIV infection rates, HIV testing rates, undiagnosed HIV infection, use antiretroviral therapy (ART) and access to HIV care. Of 258, 527, 511, and 536 MSM, HIV rates have remained steady between 22.5% (95% CI 17.4-27.6) in 2004-05 to a high of 25.9% (95% CI 22.2-29.6) in MSM4 in 2014, with no significant trend. There was an increase in HIV testing in the past six months between 2004 (48.4%;95% CI 41.8-55.0) and 2014 (55.8;95% CI 51.3-60.3), p \u3c .001; and a decrease in unrecognized HIV infection from 48.3% (95% CI 35.4- 61.2) in 2004 to 31.4% (95% CI 23.7-39.1) in 2014, p = .004, over the same period. Being currently on ART and knowledge of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) also increased significantly during this 10-year period. HIV surveillance is providing valuable information, notably, as HIV testing rates have gone up unrecognized infections have decreased. Continued use of the NHBS system should provide insights into the epidemic and assist in reaching public health goals for the control of HIV infections

The environmentally-regulated interplay between local three-dimensional chromatin organisation and transcription of <i>proVWX</i> in <i>E. coli</i>

Nucleoid associated proteins (NAPs) maintain the architecture of bacterial chromosomes and regulate gene expression. Thus, their role as transcription factors may involve three-dimensional chromosome re-organisation. While this model is supported by in vitro studies, direct in vivo evidence is lacking. Here, we use RT-qPCR and 3C-qPCR to study the transcriptional and architectural profiles of the H-NS (histone-like nucleoid structuring protein)-regulated, osmoresponsive proVWX operon of Escherichia coli at different osmolarities and provide in vivo evidence for transcription regulation by NAP-mediated chromosome re-modelling in bacteria. By consolidating our in vivo investigations with earlier in vitro and in silico studies that provide mechanistic details of how H-NS re-models DNA in response to osmolarity, we report that activation of proVWX in response to a hyperosmotic shock involves the destabilization of H-NS-mediated bridges anchored between the proVWX downstream and upstream regulatory elements (DRE and URE), and between the DRE and ygaY that lies immediately downstream of proVWX. The re-establishment of these bridges upon adaptation to hyperosmolarity represses the operon. Our results also reveal additional structural features associated with changes in proVWX transcript levels such as the decompaction of local chromatin upstream of the operon, highlighting that further complexity underlies the regulation of this model operon. H-NS and H-NS-like proteins are wide-spread amongst bacteria, suggesting that chromosome re-modelling may be a typical feature of transcriptional control in bacteria

Evolution of Mass Outflow in Protostars

We have surveyed 84 Class 0, Class I, and flat-spectrum protostars in mid-infrared [Si II], [Fe II] and [S I] line emission, and 11 of these in far-infrared [O I] emission. We use the results to derive their mass outflow rates. Thereby we observe a strong correlation of mass outflow rates with bolometric luminosity, and with the inferred mass accretion rates of the central objects, which continues through the Class 0 range the trend observed in Class II young stellar objects. Along this trend from large to small mass-flow rates, the different classes of young stellar objects lie in the sequence Class 0 -- Class I/flat-spectrum -- Class II, indicating that the trend is an evolutionary sequence in which mass outflow and accretion rates decrease together with increasing age, while maintaining rough proportionality. The survey results include two which are key tests of magnetocentrifugal outflow-acceleration mechanisms: the distribution of the outflow/accretion branching ratio b, and limits on the distribution of outflow speeds. Neither rule out any of the three leading outflow-acceleration, angular-momentum-ejection mechanisms, but they provide some evidence that disk winds and accretion-powered stellar winds (APSWs) operate in many protostars. An upper edge observed in the branching-ratio distribution is consistent with the upper bound of b = 0.6 found in models of APSWs, and a large fraction (0.31) of the sample have branching ratio sufficiently small that only disk winds, launched on scales as large as several AU, have been demonstrated to account for them.Comment: Version submitted to ApJ: 36 pages, 3 tables, 8 figure

Heroin Use and Sex: Some Patterns in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Much of the literature on heroin and opioid addiction holds that regular, long-term users of heroin and other opioids lose interest in sex as their drug using careers lengthen. Analysis of self-reports collected from IDUs in two cross- sectional surveys on patterns of risk behavior in Miami-Dade County, Florida, reveals that large proportions of IDUs report using heroin before or during sex across a wide range of self-injection experience, from as little as twelve months to over 40 years. One half or more of respondents to both surveys reported using heroin in their recent sexual experiences, with similar proportions reported by both males and females. The same IDUs, however, tend not to report using prescription painkillers before or during sex. This finding indicates that co-occurring risk behavior related to both sexual behavior and heroin use may be more prevalent among long-term IDUs than previous literature has suggested

Ocular and adnexal anomalies in craniofacial microsomia: a systematic review

Ocular anomalies may occur in craniofacial microsomia (CFM). The aim of this systematic review was to review the literature on ocular anomalies and their incidence, in order to estimate the need for ophthalmological screening in CFM patients. Online databases were searched, and data on the number of patients, type and incidence of ocular anomalies, and visual acuity were extracted. Four subgroups of ocular and adnexal anomalies were identified, to provide an overview of the different anomalies. Twenty-five papers analysing 1419 patients in total were included. Ocular anomalies were documented in 6.7–100% of patients. The most reported type I ocular anomalies were eyelid coloboma, lipodermoids, and orbital dystopia. The most reported type II ocular anomalies were epibulbar dermoid, microphthalmia, and anophthalmia. Ptosis