Funding the Future: Resources for Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Programs in Developing Countries

Provides a directory of over 90 foundations, agencies, and organizations that support adolescent reproductive and sexual health related programs in developing countries, through direct and/or indirect financing, technical assistance, and information

The effect of biological deterioration on the performance of nailed oriented strand board sheathing to Douglas-fir framing member connections

Service life prediction models for light-framed wood structures require an extensive quantity of empirical data on deterioration pathologies for the numerous structural components, as well as mechanistic approaches to determine their capacity at various levels of deterioration. The data and models presented in this study satisfy a portion of the information intensive requirements of service life prediction models and will be used for continued development of these models. This study investigated single-shear mechanical properties of three nailed connection geometries of biodeteriorated aspen oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing and Douglas-fir framing members, typical in light-framed lateral force resisting systems. Mechanical properties of the nailed connections including ultimate and yield strength, stiffness, and energy dissipation were evaluated at increasing levels of deterioration caused by the brown rot fungus, Postia placenta, through monotonic and quasi-static fully-reversed cyclic testing. The OSB sheathing specific gravity was the strongest explanatory variable for the mechanical properties examined and controlled the behavior of the connections at increasing levels of fungal damage. The data suggested that nailed connections in light-framed lateral force resisting systems can tolerate a moderate amount of fungal attack prior to significant loss of connection capacity. The connection yield mode transitioned from nail bending (mode IIIs) to side member crushing (mode Is) as the weight loss of the OSB sheathing approached 30 percent. Nominal design capacity and yield mode of nailed sheathing to framing member connections with fungal deterioration can be estimated using existing yield models for dowel-type connections through evaluation of the dowel bearing strength of the decay-damaged wood materials. Various physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the OSB sheathing were monitored in a parallel study at increasing levels of fungal deterioration including dowel bearing strength, shear strength, weight loss, and solubility in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). These properties were strongly correlated with the OSB sheathing specific gravity. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, in combination with multivariate statistical methods, was used to develop predictive models for weight loss, shear strength, dowel bearing strength, and solubility. The NIR methods showed considerable promise as a field inspection tool based on the accuracy of models developed in this study

Dynamic behavior of metal-plate-connected wood truss joints

The objectives of this research were to evaluate the behavior of actual metal-plate-connected (MPC) tension-splice and heel wood truss joints under seismic loads from the Northridge earthquake (tension-splice joints only) and under loads from a large artificial earthquake (1.0 g's and 0.67 g's maximum horizontal and vertical accelerations, respectively). A proposed sequential phased displacement (SPD) loading standard was used to determine dynamic characteristics of MPC joints: energy dissipation, damping ratio and cyclic stiffness. A sinusoidal loading function was used to determine the effect of cyclic loading on the strength of MPC tension-splice and heel joints. Joints were constructed from 2x4 in. nominal Douglasfir. The size of the metal-plate-connectors for the tension-splice and heel joints were 3x4 in. and 3x5 in., respectively. Strength and stiffness of the MPC joints after the seismic and SPD loadings were compared to those properties in a control group of joints tested to failure under a static ramp load alone. Strength degradation was not observed in the tension-splice and heel joints as a result of the earthquake loading regimes. Stiffness degradation was observed in the heel joint as a result of the large artificial earthquake loads and in both the tension-splice and heel joints as a result of the SPD loading. The SPD loading regime did not affect the ultimate strength of the tension-splice joints, but did reduce the ultimate strength of the heel joints. Dynamic properties, determined from the SPD loading, depended on the magnitude of displacement (displacement increases in amplitude with time). The damping ratio and energy dissipation tend to increase as the SPD loading progresses, whereas, the cyclic stiffness decreases. For design, damping ratios of 4.3% and 3.8% are recommended for the tension-splice and heel joints, respectively. Cyclic loading can have a significant effect on the strength of MPC joints depending on the amplitude of the cycles. Cycles with amplitudes greater than 20% of the mean ultimate strength (determined from the static loading control group) for the tension-splice joints and greater than 35% of the mean ultimate strength for the heel joints tend to reduce the strength

Size-Dependent Deposition, Translocation, and Microglial Activation of Inhaled Silver Nanoparticles in the Rodent Nose and Brain.

BackgroundSilver nanoparticles (AgNP) are present in personal, commercial, and industrial products, which are often aerosolized. Current understanding of the deposition, translocation, and health-related impacts of AgNP inhalation is limited.ObjectivesWe determined a) the deposition and retention of inhaled Ag in the nasal cavity from nose-only exposure; b) the timing for Ag translocation to and retention/clearance in the olfactory bulb (OB); and c) whether the presence of Ag in the OB affects microglial activity.MethodsMale Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed nose-only to citrate-buffered 20- or 110-nm AgNP (C20 or C110, respectively) or citrate buffer alone for 6 hr. The nasal cavity and OB were examined for the presence of Ag and for biological responses up to 56 days post-exposure (8 weeks).ResultsThe highest nasal Ag deposition was observed on Day 0 for both AgNP sizes. Inhalation of aerosolized C20 resulted in rapid translocation of Ag to the OB and in microglial activation at Days 0, 1, and 7. In contrast, inhalation of C110 resulted in a gradual but progressive transport of Ag to and retention in the OB, with a trend for microglial activation to variably be above control.ConclusionsThe results of this study show that after rats experienced a 6-hr inhalation exposure to 20- and 110-nm AgNP at a single point in time, Ag deposition in the nose, the rate of translocation to the brain, and subsequent microglial activation in the OB differed depending on AgNP size and time since exposure. Citation: Patchin ES, Anderson DS, Silva RM, Uyeminami DL, Scott GM, Guo T, Van Winkle LS, Pinkerton KE. 2016. Size-dependent deposition, translocation, and microglial activation of inhaled silver nanoparticles in the rodent nose and brain. Environ Health Perspect 124:1870-1875; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP234

Polymorphisms of the Steroid Sulfatase [STS] Gene are Associated With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Influence Brain Tissue mRNA Expression

Previous studies in animals and humans have implicated the X-chromosome STS gene in the etiology of attentional difficulties and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This family based association study has fine mapped a region of the STS gene across intron 1 and 2 previously associated with ADHD, in an extended sample of 450 ADHD probands and their parents. Significant association across this region is demonstrated individually with 7 of the 12 genotyped SNPs, as well as an allele specific haplotype of the 12 SNPs. The over transmitted risk allele of rs12861247 was also associated with reduced STS mRNA expression in normal human post-mortem frontal cortex brain tissue compared to the non-risk allele (P = 0.01). These results are consistent with the hypothesis arising from previous literature demonstrating that boys with deletions of the STS gene, and hence no STS protein are at a significantly increased risk of developing ADHD. Furthermore, this study has established the brain tissue transcript of STS, which except from adipose tissue, differs from that seen in all other tissues investigated. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Effects of Wood Decay By Postia Placenta on the Lateral Capacity of Nailed Oriented Strandboard Sheathing and Douglas-Fir Framing Members

The effect of wood decay on the single shear strength of nailed oriented strandboard (OSB) sheathing to Douglas-fir framing member connections was investigated. The connections evaluated in this study were representative of those present in lateral force resisting system components of light-framed wood structures, including shear walls and horizontal diaphragms. Strength and stiffness of the nailed connections were characterized using monotonic testing of samples exposed for increasing intervals to the brown rot fungus, Postia placenta. After the destructive tests, portions of the sheathing and framing member from the samples were further evaluated for dowel bearing strength and weight loss. The results indicated that existing yield models used for design of nailed connections can predict nominal design values for nailed connections of OSB sheathing and Douglas-fir framing members with various levels of decay damage, provided that the dowel bearing capacity of the wood materials can be assessed

White-tailed Deer Browsing and Rubbing Preferences for Trees and Shrubs That Produce Nontimber Forest Products

Nontimber forest products (food, herbal medicinals, and woody floral and handicraft products) produced in forest, agroforestry, and horticultural systems can be important sources of income to landowners. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can reduce the quality, quantity, and profitability of forest products by browsing twigs and rubbing stems, resulting in direct and indirect losses to production enterprises. We evaluated deer damage (frequency and intensity of browsing and rubbing) sustained by 26 species of trees and shrubs, the relationships among morphological features of trees and shrubs to damage levels, and the economic impacts of deer damage on the production of nontimber forest products. Levels of browsing were high (frequency \u3e93% and intensity \u3e50%) in most species of trees and shrubs, with the highest intensity (\u3e60%) occurring in chinese chestnut (Castanea mollisima) and dogwood (Cornus spp.), and the lowest (Ginkgo biloba), curly willow (Salix matsudana), ‘Scarlet Curls’ curly willow, smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), and pussy willow (Salix caprea). Species of trees or shrubs with one or a few stout stems unprotected by dense branching [e.g., american elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), smooth sumac, and curly willow] sustained the most damage by rubbing. Trees and shrubs with many small diameter stems or with dense tangled branching [e.g. redozier dogwood (Cornus sericea), forsythia (Forsythia suspensa), ‘Flame’ willow (Salix alba), and ‘Streamco’ basket willow (Salix purpurea)] were damaged the least by rubbing. Annual economic costs of deer damage to producers of nontimber forest products can range from $26/acre for pussy willow to$1595/acre for curly willow

Validation of simple sequence length polymorphism regions of commonly used mouse strains for marker assisted speed congenics screening.

Marker assisted speed congenics technique is commonly used to facilitate backcrossing of mouse strains in nearly half the time it normally takes otherwise. Traditionally, the technique is performed by analyzing PCR amplified regions of simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) markers between the recipient and donor strains: offspring with the highest number of markers showing the recipient genome across all chromosomes is chosen for the next generation. Although there are well-defined panels of SSLP makers established between certain pairs of mice strains, they are incomplete for most strains. The availability of well-established marker sets for speed congenic screens would enable the scientific community to transfer mutations across strain backgrounds. In this study, we tested the suitability of over 400 SSLP marker sets among 10 mouse strains commonly used for generating genetically engineered models. The panel of markers presented here can readily identify the specified strains and will be quite useful in marker assisted speed congenic screens. Moreover, unlike newer single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array methods which require sophisticated equipment, the SSLP markers panel described here only uses PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis of amplified products; therefore it can be performed in most research laboratories

Ecological Modeling of Aedes aegypti (L.) Pupal Production in Rural Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand

Background - Aedes aegypti (L.) is the primary vector of dengue, the most important arboviral infection globally. Until an effective vaccine is licensed and rigorously administered, Ae. aegypti control remains the principal tool in preventing and curtailing dengue transmission. Accurate predictions of vector populations are required to assess control methods and develop effective population reduction strategies. Ae. aegypti develops primarily in artificial water holding containers. Release recapture studies indicate that most adult Ae. aegypti do not disperse over long distances. We expect, therefore, that containers in an area of high development site density are more likely to be oviposition sites and to be more frequently used as oviposition sites than containers that are relatively isolated from other development sites. After accounting for individual container characteristics, containers more frequently used as oviposition sites are likely to produce adult mosquitoes consistently and at a higher rate. To this point, most studies of Ae. aegypti populations ignore the spatial density of larval development sites. Methodology - Pupal surveys were carried out from 2004 to 2007 in rural Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. In total, 84,840 samples of water holding containers were used to estimate model parameters. Regression modeling was used to assess the effect of larval development site density, access to piped water, and seasonal variation on container productivity. A varying-coefficients model was employed to account for the large differences in productivity between container types. A two-part modeling structure, called a hurdle model, accounts for the large number of zeroes and overdispersion present in pupal population counts. Findings - The number of suitable larval development sites and their density in the environment were the primary determinants of the distribution and abundance of Ae. aegypti pupae. The productivity of most container types increased significantly as habitat density increased. An ecological approach, accounting for development site density, is appropriate for predicting Ae. aegypti population levels and developing efficient vector control program