Gonadal histology and reproductive steroidogenesis of anurans exposed to potential endocrine disrupting contaminants

The prevalence of malformed amphibians and the association of high incidences of malformation with the presence of environmental contaminants have raised questions about the effects of environmental contaminants on the development of larval amphibians. The potential endocrine disrupting effects of pesticides suggest that the reproductive and developmental abnormalities observed in larval anurans may be due at least in part to impacts on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The present studies investigate the effects of exposure to environmental contaminants including DDT and atrazine on the development, gonadal histology and reproductive steroidogenesis of larval anurans. As previous monitoring at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Newington, New Hampshire documented incidences of amphibian malformations at four sites contaminated with potentially endocrine active compounds, the present study utilized in situ exposures and laboratory toxicology experiments to determine if contaminants present in the sites affect amphibian development. Five intersex/mixed sex animals were produced in the enclosure experiment. Reproductive development and steroidogenic capacity of male metamorphs from Reference Beaver Pond were more advanced relative to males from the other sites. In the laboratory sediment exposure experiment, reproductive development was altered by contaminants present in the sediments and the degree of alteration was related to nominal DDT concentrations. The proportion of animals exhibiting testicular oocytes increased, whereas androgen concentrations and the proportion of gonadal tissue exhibiting advanced stages of spermatogenesis decreased as DDT concentration increased. This work indicates that environmental contaminants may alter reproductive development. The potential for atrazine to alter the development, gonadal histology, and reproductive steroidogenesis of two species of anurans was investigated in two laboratory experiments. Exposure to atrazine increased tadpole growth and developmental rates for Hyla versicolor, but not for Rana pipiens, whereas atrazine exposure did not result in altered gonadal development for either species. None of the H. versicolor metamorphs exhibited gonadal abnormalities, while testicular oocytes occurred in R. pipiens metamorphs from all treatments, including the controls. Suggesting that testicular oocytes may be a natural ontogenetic occurrence in some species. Establishing the normal pattern of anuran reproductive development is necessary to clarify the effects of endocrine disrupting contaminants

Differentiating signals to make biological sense – a guide through databases for MS-based non-targeted metabolomics

Metabolite identification is one of the most challenging steps in metabolomics studies and reflects one of the greatest bottlenecks in the entire workflow. The success of this step determines the success of the entire research, therefore the quality at which annotations are given requires special attention. A variety of tools and resources are available to aid metabolite identification or annotation, offering different and often complementary functionalities. In preparation for this article, almost 50 databases were reviewed, from which 17 were selected for discussion, chosen for their on-line ESI-MS functionality. The general characteristics and functions of each database is discussed in turn, considering the advantages and limitations of each along with recommendations for optimal use of each tool, as derived from experiences encountered at the Centre for Metabolomics and Bioanalysis (CEMBIO) in Madrid. These databases were evaluated considering their utility in non-targeted metabolomics, including aspects such as ID assignment, structural assignment and interpretation of results

Examination of Nurses’ Perceptions, Beliefs, and Conceptions Related to Rapid Bedside Implementation of Prone Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic of the SARS-CoV-2 virus created significant challenges for healthcare agencies and front-line healthcare workers. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has demonstrated a unique propensity to induce severe lung injury in the form of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). High rates of COVID-19 illness in the initial months of the pandemic in the United States led to a rapid influx of patients admitted to critical care units (CCUs) for ARDS. Prone positioning therapy (PPT) has shown substantial promise in treating refractory hypoxemia in people with severe ARDS but historically received poor acceptance as a first-line therapy. With the onset of the pandemic, hospitals became overwhelmed with critically ill COVID-19 patients experiencing severe ARDS, and utilization rates of PPT increased dramatically. This project evaluates the process by which one CCU in a metropolitan hospital rapidly implemented a PPT protocol for ARDS management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were conducted with five (n = 5) CCU RNs using semi-structured techniques. De-identified data from interview transcripts were analyzed using the interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework to produce a narrative account of nurses’ lived experiences during the rapid implementation of a PPT during the COVID-19 pandemic

Bath

For centuries, the remains of the great Roman-British bathing and temple complex in the center of Bath have attracted the interest and imagination of countless visitors to the city. But there is more to the archaeology of Bath than its Roman monuments. Human settlement here has spanned ten millennia, dating back to the final retreat of the ice sheets from Britain at the close of the last Ice Age. Antiquarians, archaeologists and scholars have long been drawn not only to the Roman structures, but to the worked flint scattered on the hills and in the river silts around the town, the earthworks surviving on the surrounding uplands, and the great medieval Abbey that dominated the town from the 11th century. As a result, hundreds of recorded observations have been accumulated, stretching back to the 17th century, but augmented over the last century by increasing numbers of excavations, in many cases combined with meticulous research. This volume provides a collection and rigorous assessment of this accumulated information, much of which has to date been either unpublished or available only in obscure sources, and offers a synthesis of what this information tells us of Bath’s past.Part 1 comprises an overview of the area’s natural topography, a summary of antiquarian and early archaeological investigation, and a survey of the archaeological evidence available to us today. Part 2 collates the detailed archaeological evidence, summarizing earlier work, assessing the nature of the evidence, and setting out our informed understanding of Bath’s past. Lastly, Part 3 offers an overview of the current understanding of the archaeology of Bath, an assessment of the potential of the surviving deposits for providing new data, and suggestions for future research directions

Supply Chain Resilience in an Era of Strategic Competition

Symposium PresentationApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Supply Chain Resilience in an Era of Long-Term, Peacetime Competition: The Semiconductor Case and a New Framework for Supply Chain Assessment

Excerpt from the Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Acquisition Research SymposiumThe U.S. defense acquisition system is positioning for strategic competition with China. That effort must be informed by and responsive to the nuances of China’s global supply chain positioning—a competitive dynamic unique relative to past eras of great power competition. Updating for this reality demands a thorough understanding of how Beijing leverages its military–civil fusion (MCF) strategy to weaponize its manufacturing prowess, relative industrial self-reliance, and the asymmetric supply chain dependencies that result. The immediate security risks of Beijing’s approach—and the challenge it poses to the U.S. ability credibly to compete—have been evident since China cut off rare earths exports to Japan in the midst of a territorial dispute in 2010. Yet U.S. acquisition processes have not updated. The Pentagon, military services, and defense acquisition program officials must rethink frameworks for assessing supply chain integrities, the risks that dependencies all along acquisition program value chains can create, and responsive acquisition processes. Until it does so, the U.S. approach to defense acquisition will feed into Beijing’s continued, subversive global positioning.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Bath

For centuries, the remains of the great Roman-British bathing and temple complex in the center of Bath have attracted the interest and imagination of countless visitors to the city. But there is more to the archaeology of Bath than its Roman monuments. Human settlement here has spanned ten millennia, dating back to the final retreat of the ice sheets from Britain at the close of the last Ice Age. Antiquarians, archaeologists and scholars have long been drawn not only to the Roman structures, but to the worked flint scattered on the hills and in the river silts around the town, the earthworks surviving on the surrounding uplands, and the great medieval Abbey that dominated the town from the 11th century. As a result, hundreds of recorded observations have been accumulated, stretching back to the 17th century, but augmented over the last century by increasing numbers of excavations, in many cases combined with meticulous research. This volume provides a collection and rigorous assessment of this accumulated information, much of which has to date been either unpublished or available only in obscure sources, and offers a synthesis of what this information tells us of Bath’s past.Part 1 comprises an overview of the area’s natural topography, a summary of antiquarian and early archaeological investigation, and a survey of the archaeological evidence available to us today. Part 2 collates the detailed archaeological evidence, summarizing earlier work, assessing the nature of the evidence, and setting out our informed understanding of Bath’s past. Lastly, Part 3 offers an overview of the current understanding of the archaeology of Bath, an assessment of the potential of the surviving deposits for providing new data, and suggestions for future research directions

The Effect of Dietary Patterns & Mental State

The most common forms of mental disorder treatment include therapy, medication and physical activity. However, it is not quite as common to look at dietary habits to improve mental health. An anonymous online survey was administered through a google form. The survey included questions on the individuals general demographic, diet parameters, and various aspects of their mental health and mood states. There is an association between positive mood states and a healthy dietary pattern. Through the results that were obtained via the survey, it is concluded that there is a correlation between a healthy, balanced diet and a positive mental state.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2023/1041/thumbnail.jp

Semiconductor Quantum Dots as Components of Photoactive Supramolecular Architectures

Luminescent quantum dots (QDs) are colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals consisting of an inorganic core covered by a molecular layer of organic surfactants. Although QDs have been known for more than thirty years, they are still attracting the interest of researchers because of their unique size-tunable optical and electrical properties arising from quantum confinement. Moreover, the controlled decoration of the QD surface with suitable molecular species enables the rational design of inorganic-organic multicomponent architectures that can show a vast array of functionalities. This minireview highlights the recent progress in the use of surface-modified QDs - in particular, those based on cadmium chalcogenides - as supramolecular platforms for light-related applications such as optical sensing, triplet photosensitization, photocatalysis and phototherapy

Effects of Geopolitical Strain on Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Design and Drug Shortages

Pharmaceutical supply chains are global and exhibit geographic and industrial concentration for some drugs. In this context, geopolitical risk and company decisions threaten drug availability, where countries with low manufacturing capacity are most at risk. We present the first supply chain design model that considers geopolitical strain, i.e., export bans and export ban-induced price increases, and the role of alliances in mitigating those risks. Uncertainty is also included in suppliers, production, and demand. The model takes the company's perspective as a decision-maker looking to locate plants and minimize costs by satisfying worldwide demand. The model is solved by integrating the Sample Average Approximation and L-shaped methods. Our case study is based on vincristine, a generic oncology drug. We find that geopolitical strain may reduce shortages in the short term and affect investment decisions and their outcomes. Bilateral alliances between nations result in minor improvements for the company and drug shortages. The results also reveal disparities in drug access. The global expected shortage at the base case is 21%. For high and upper-middle-income countries, expected shortages are 3.1% and 3.7%. However, expected shortages are 98.7% and 95.2% for low and lower-middle-income countries. New pricing policies may improve drug access