Cholestasis and meconium ileus in infants with cystic fibrosis and their clinical outcomes

Objective To identify the incidence and outcomes of cholestasis and meconium ileus (MI) in infants with cystic fibrosis (CF). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Single-centre study. Patients From January 1986 to December 2011, 401 infants with CF (69 with MI) presented to our centre. Main outcome measurements (1) incidence of cholestasis, (2) identification of risk factors for cholestasis, (3) association between the presence of cholestasis and MI and the development of clinically significant CF-associated liver disease (CFLD) defined as multilobular cirrhosis with portal hypertension. Results Cholestasis occurred in 23 of 401 infants (5.7%). There was a significantly higher incidence of cholestasis in infants with MI (27.1%) compared to those without MI (1.2%) (p Conclusions Cholestasis is an uncommon condition in CF affecting only 5.7% of the screened newborn CF population. The greatest risk factor for developing cholestasis is the presence of MI. However, the presence of MI appears not to be associated with the development of CFLD. An effect of neonatal cholestasis on the development of CFLD cannot be excluded by this study

Water Deficit Transcriptomic Responses Differ in the Invasive Tamarix chinensis and T. ramosissima Established in the Southern and Northern United States

Tamarix spp. (saltcedar) were introduced from Asia to the southern United States as windbreak and ornamental plants and have spread into natural areas. This study determined differential gene expression responses to water deficit (WD) in seedlings of T. chinensis and T. ramosissima from established invasive stands in New Mexico and Montana, respectively. A reference de novo transcriptome was developed using RNA sequences from WD and well-watered samples. Blast2GO analysis of the resulting 271,872 transcripts yielded 89,389 homologs. The reference Tamarix (Tamaricaceae, Carophyllales order) transcriptome showed homology with 14,247 predicted genes of the Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Amaranthaceae, Carophyllales order) genome assembly. T. ramosissima took longer to show water stress symptoms than T. chinensis. There were 2068 and 669 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in T. chinensis and T. ramosissima, respectively; 332 were DEG in common between the two species. Network analysis showed large biological process networks of similar gene content for each of the species under water deficit. Two distinct molecular function gene ontology networks (binding and transcription factor-related) encompassing multiple up-regulated transcription factors (MYB, NAC, and WRKY) and a cellular components network containing many down-regulated photosynthesis-related genes were identified in T. chinensis, in contrast to one small molecular function network in T. ramosissima

Flight Programs and X-ray Optics Development at MSFC

The X-ray astronomy group at the Marshall Space Flight Center is developing electroformed nickel/cobalt x-ray optics for suborbital and orbital experiments. Suborbital instruments include the Focusing X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) and Micro-X sounding rocket experiments and the HERO balloon payload. Our current orbital program is the fabrication of a series of mirror modules for the Astronomical Roentgen Telescope (ART) to be launched on board the Russian-German Spectrum Roentgen Gamma Mission (SRG.) The details and status of these various programs are presented. A second component of our work is the development of fabrication techniques and optical metrology to improve the angular resolution of thin shell optics to the arcsecond-level. The status of these x-ray optics technology developments is also presented

Full-Shell X-Ray Optics Development at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) maintains an active research program toward the development of high-resolution, lightweight, grazing-incidence x-ray optics to serve the needs of future x-ray astronomy missions such as Lynx. MSFC development efforts include both direct fabrication (diamond turning and deterministic computer-controlled polishing) of mirror shells and replication of mirror shells (from figured, polished mandrels). Both techniques produce full-circumference monolithic (primary + secondary) shells that share the advantages of inherent stability, ease of assembly, and low production cost. However, to achieve high-angular resolution, MSFC is exploring significant technology advances needed to control sources of figure error including fabrication- and coating-induced stresses and mounting-induced distortions

The HEROES Balloon-Borne Hard X-Ray Telescope

The High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun (HEROES) payload flew on a balloon from Ft. Sumner, NM, September 21-22, 2013. HEROES is sensitive from about 20-75 keV and comprises 8 optics modules (HPD approximately 33" as flown), each consisting of 13-14 nickel replicated optics shells and 8 matching Xenon-filled position-sensitive proportional counter detectors (dE/E=0.05 @ 60 keV). Our targets included the Sun, the Crab Nebula and pulsar and the black hole binary GRS 1915+105. HEROES was pointed using a day/night star camera system for astrophysical observations and a newly developed Solar Aspect System for solar observations (with a shutter protecting the star camera.) We have successfully detected the Crab Nebula. Analyses for GRS 1915+105 and the Sun are ongoing. In this presentation, I will describe the HEROES mission, the data analysis pipeline and calibrations, preliminary results, and plans for follow-on missions

A generation apart? Youth and political participation in Britain

Conventional wisdom holds that young people in Britain are alienated from politics, with some claiming that this reflects a wider crisis of legitimacy that should be met by initiatives to increase citizenship. This article addresses these areas, presenting both panel survey and focus group data from first-time voters. It concludes that, contrary to the findings from many predominantly quantitative studies of political participation, young people are interested in political matters, and do support the democratic process. However they feel a sense of anti-climax having voted for the first time, and are critical of those who have been elected to positions of political power. If they are a generation apart, this is less to do with apathy, and more to do with their engaged scepticism about ‘formal’ politics in Britain

Facilitating and motivating factors for reporting reprehensible conduct in care: A study among nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the Netherlands

Rationale, aims and objectives The aims of this study are as follows: (a) to establish whether a relationship exists between the importance that healthcare professionals attach to ethics in care and their likelihood to report reprehensible conduct committed by colleagues, and (b) to assess whether this relationship is moderated by behavioural control targeted at preventing harm. Method In this cross-sectional study, which was based on a convenience sample (n = 155) of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in the Netherlands, we measured ethics advocacy (EA) as a motivating factor (reflecting the importance that healthcare professionals attach to ethics and care) and "behavioral control targeted at preventing harm" (BCPH) as a facilitating factor. "Reporting reprehensible conduct" (RRC) was measured as a context-specific indicator of whistleblowing intentions, consisting of two vignettes describing morally questionable behaviour committed by colleagues. Results The propensity to report reprehensible conduct was a function of the interaction between EA and BCPH. The only group for which EA predicted RRC consisted of individuals with above-average levels of perceived BCPH. Conclusion The results suggest that the importance that healthcare professionals attach to ethical aspects in care is not sufficient to ensure that they will report reprehensible conduct. Such importance does not induce reporting behaviour unless the professionals also perceive themselves as having a high level of BCPH. We suggest that these insights could be helpful in training healthcare providers to cope with ethical dilemmas that they are likely to encounter in their work

A case of natural recovery after the removal of invasive predators – community assemblage changes in the avifauna of Burgess Island

Opportunities to monitor natural island ecosystem recovery following the eradication of introduced predators are rare, and provide a useful comparison for recovery programmes aided by active habitat restoration and species translocations. We present an assessment of the current avifauna on Burgess Island, Mokohinau Group, 2 decades after kiore (Pacific rat; Rattus exulans) removal. The 4 most abundant land bird species we recorded are red-crowned parakeet (Cyanorhamphus novaezelandiae), bellbird (Anthornis melanura), tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) and silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), all New Zealand native taxa. Our records confirm that 46 species now utilize the island’s habitats, compared with 24 species reported from the literature during the last decades of rat infestation. We also confirm breeding of 9 seabird species by 2011, only 4 of which maintained breeding populations on Burgess Island prior to rat eradication. More than 20 years after predator removal, Burgess Island hosts a rich avifauna, and provides a valuable example of natural recovery following predator eradication without any further active restoration measure