Objective Quantification of Daytime Sleepiness

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems affect people of all ages, race, gender, and socioeconomic classifications. Undiagnosed sleep disorders significantly and adversely impact a person’s level of academic achievement, job performance, and subsequently, socioeconomic status. Undiagnosed sleep disorders also negatively impact both direct and indirect costs for employers, the national government, and the general public. Sleepiness has significant implications on quality of life by impacting occupational performance, driving ability, cognition, memory, and overall health. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of daytime sleepiness, as well as other quantitative predictors of sleep continuity and quality. METHODS: Population data from the CDC program in fatigue surveillance were used for this secondary analysis seeking to characterize sleep quality and continuity variables. Each participant underwent a standard nocturnal polysomnography and a standard multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) on the subsequent day. Frequency and chi-square tests were used to describe the sample. One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare sleep related variables of groups with sleep latencies of \u3c5 \u3eminutes, 5-10 minutes, and \u3e10 minutes. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association of the sleep variables with sleep latency time. RESULTS: The mean (SD) sleep latency of the sample was 8.8 (4.9) minutes. Twenty-four individuals had ≥1 SOREM, and approximately 50% of participants (n = 100) met clinical criteria for a sleep disorder. Individuals with shorter sleep latencies, compared to those with longer latencies reported higher levels of subjective sleepiness, had higher sleep efficiency percentages, and longer sleep times. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, sleep efficiency percentage, total sleep time, the presence of a sleep disorder, and limb movement index were positively associated with a mean sleep latency of \u3c5 \u3eminutes. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a significant percentage of sleep disorders within our study sample validate prior suggestions that such disorders remain unrecognized, undiagnosed, and untreated. In addition, our findings confirm questionnaire-based surveys that suggest a significant number of the population is excessively sleepy, or hypersomnolent. Therefore, the high prevalence of sleep disorders and the negative public health effects of daytime sleepiness demand attention. Further studies are now required to better quantify levels daytime sleepiness, within a population based sample, to better understand their impact upon morbidity and mortality. This will not only expand on our current understanding of daytime sleepiness, but it will also raise awareness surrounding its significance and relation to public health

First report of \u3ci\u3eBrachyplatys subaeneus\u3c/i\u3e (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in the United States

Brachyplatys subaeneus (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), is reported from Miami Beach, FL, the first report from the United States. It was noticed first on a photo-sharing site (iNaturalist) providing an example of the importance of these sites for helping to track introduced species. Information on distribution, host plants and potential spread are provided along with photos and taxonomic characters to assist with identification of this recently introduced species. ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:332C0E76-9AE9-4069-9240-F55CADC6416

Increasing Invasive Plant Pest Early Detection Through Interagency First Detector Education

The Collaborative and Enhanced First Detector Training program has expanded invasive species detection efforts by teaching participants to scout for, identify, and submit suspect exotic species samples. Workshops were delivered to agriculture professionals, master gardeners, and other Extension audiences. Topics included introduction pathways, regulatory agency procedures, identification of invasive pests or pathogens, monitoring procedures, and sample submission. Survey data indicated the intent of participants to augment detection efforts and the efficacy of Extension workshops in improving participants\u27 perceptions of government agencies. Respondents perceived increases in knowledge related to particular invasive species, identification of potential future invaders, and sample submission. Other implications related to Extension programming on invasive species education are discussed

Who’s feeding baby? Non-maternal involvement in feeding and its association with dietary intakes among infants and toddlers

This study examined non-maternal involvement in feeding during the first two years of life and its association with breastfeeding duration, early introduction of complementary foods, and dietary intakes of selected foods and beverages. Data were from the Infant Care, Feeding and Risk of Obesity Study, a cohort of 217 low-income, African-American mother-infant dyads, followed from 3-18 months postpartum. Non-maternal caregivers (NMCs) were defined as persons involved in feeding an infant/toddler 50% or more of the total daily feedings. Use of any NMC and the type of NMC was tabulated for each study visit (3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months). At each time point, more than half of all households reported a NMC. Fathers, grandmothers, and licensed childcare providers were the most common types of NMCs. In longitudinal models adjusted for confounding variables, NMC use was associated with a decreased likelihood of continued breastfeeding, and an increased likelihood of infants and toddlers consuming juice or whole fruit. Given the high prevalence of non-maternal involvement in feeding, interventions targeting multiple family members are warranted as they are likely to be more effective than those targeting the mother alone

Limits to the muon flux from neutralino annihilations in the Sun with the AMANDA detector

A search for an excess of muon-neutrinos from neutralino annihilations in the Sun has been performed with the AMANDA-II neutrino detector using data collected in 143.7 days of live-time in 2001. No excess over the expected atmospheric neutrino background has been observed. An upper limit at 90% confidence level has been obtained on the annihilation rate of captured neutralinos in the Sun, as well as the corresponding muon flux limit at the Earth, both as functions of the neutralino mass in the range 100 GeV-5000 GeV.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Astropart. Phy

Rare coding variants in PLCG2, ABI3, and TREM2 implicate microglial-mediated innate immunity in Alzheimer's disease

We identified rare coding variants associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in a 3-stage case-control study of 85,133 subjects. In stage 1, 34,174 samples were genotyped using a whole-exome microarray. In stage 2, we tested associated variants (P<1×10-4) in 35,962 independent samples using de novo genotyping and imputed genotypes. In stage 3, an additional 14,997 samples were used to test the most significant stage 2 associations (P<5×10-8) using imputed genotypes. We observed 3 novel genome-wide significant (GWS) AD associated non-synonymous variants; a protective variant in PLCG2 (rs72824905/p.P522R, P=5.38×10-10, OR=0.68, MAFcases=0.0059, MAFcontrols=0.0093), a risk variant in ABI3 (rs616338/p.S209F, P=4.56×10-10, OR=1.43, MAFcases=0.011, MAFcontrols=0.008), and a novel GWS variant in TREM2 (rs143332484/p.R62H, P=1.55×10-14, OR=1.67, MAFcases=0.0143, MAFcontrols=0.0089), a known AD susceptibility gene. These protein-coding changes are in genes highly expressed in microglia and highlight an immune-related protein-protein interaction network enriched for previously identified AD risk genes. These genetic findings provide additional evidence that the microglia-mediated innate immune response contributes directly to AD development

Предварительное исследование применения системы спектрального регулирования для ТВС реактора ВВЭР-1000

Повышение топливных характеристик ядерных реакторов за счет применения концепции управления спектральным сдвигом (SSC) вместо традиционных методов, основанных на поглощении, является многообещающим подходом к снижению стоимости топливного цикла и увеличению использования топливных ресурсов (U, Pu). В данной работе было проведено исследование применения химического метода SSC для модели топливной сборки ВВЭР-1000 с низкообогащенным ураном, в которой контроль реактивности осуществляется путем изменения доли D2O относительно легководного замедлителя (D2O/H2O), и сравнение с поглощающими материалами, в которых содержится 600 ppm H3BO3 и 4,0 мас.% Gd2O3

Genome sequencing analysis identifies new loci associated with Lewy body dementia and provides insights into its genetic architecture

The genetic basis of Lewy body dementia (LBD) is not well understood. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing in large cohorts of LBD cases and neurologically healthy controls to study the genetic architecture of this understudied form of dementia, and to generate a resource for the scientific community. Genome-wide association analysis identified five independent risk loci, whereas genome-wide gene-aggregation tests implicated mutations in the gene GBA. Genetic risk scores demonstrate that LBD shares risk profiles and pathways with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, providing a deeper molecular understanding of the complex genetic architecture of this age-related neurodegenerative condition

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK.

BACKGROUND: A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. METHODS: This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. FINDINGS: Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0-75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4-97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8-80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3-4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. INTERPRETATION: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation, National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lemann Foundation, Rede D'Or, Brava and Telles Foundation, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Thames Valley and South Midland's NIHR Clinical Research Network, and AstraZeneca