WeJ collaborative playlists

WeJ (pronounced we-jay) is a mobile web application that provides users with the ability to collaboratively create music playlists and listen to them with each other in real time. Users will be able to search for songs to be added to the playlist, select songs from pre-made libraries, and up and down vote songs to determine what will be played next. Our goal is to bring people together through the power of music

Disorder Dynamics in Battery Nanoparticles During Phase Transitions Revealed by Operando Single-Particle Diffraction

Structural and ion-ordering phase transitions limit the viability of sodium-ion intercalation materials in grid scale battery storage by reducing their lifetime. However, the combination of phenomena in nanoparticulate electrodes creates complex behavior that is difficult to investigate, especially on the single nanoparticle scale under operating conditions. In this work, operando single-particle x-ray diffraction (oSP-XRD) is used to observe single-particle rotation, interlayer spacing, and layer misorientation in a functional sodium-ion battery. oSP-XRD is applied to Na$_{2/3}$[Ni$_{1/3}$Mn$_{2/3}$]O$_{2}$, an archetypal P2-type sodium-ion positive electrode material with the notorious P2-O2 phase transition induced by sodium (de)intercalation. It is found that during sodium extraction, the misorientation of crystalline layers inside individual particles increases before the layers suddenly align just prior to the P2-O2 transition. The increase in the long-range order coincides with an additional voltage plateau signifying a phase transition prior to the P2-O2 transition. To explain the layer alignment, a model for the phase evolution is proposed that includes a transition from localized to correlated Jahn-Teller distortions. The model is anticipated to guide further characterization and engineering of sodium-ion intercalation materials with P2-O2 type transitions. oSP-XRD therefore opens a powerful avenue for revealing complex phase behavior in heterogeneous nanoparticulate systems.Comment: 23 pages, 4 main figures, 9 supplemental figure

Hepatitis B Seroprevalence in the U.S. Military and its Impact on Potential Screening Strategies

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge of the contemporary epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among military personnel can inform potential Department of Defense (DoD) screening policy and infection and disease control strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HBV infection status at accession and following deployment was determined by evaluating reposed serum from 10,000 service members recently deployed to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the period from 2007 to 2010. A cost model was developed from the perspective of the Department of Defense for a program to integrate HBV infection screening of applicants for military service into the existing screening program of screening new accessions for vaccine-preventable infections. RESULTS: The prevalence of chronic HBV infection at accession was 2.3/1,000 (95% CI: 1.4, 3.2); most cases (16/21, 76%) identified after deployment were present at accession. There were 110 military service-related HBV infections identified. Screening accessions who are identified as HBV susceptible with HBV surface antigen followed by HBV surface antigen neutralization for confirmation offered no cost advantage over not screening and resulted in a net annual increase in cost of $5.78 million. However, screening would exclude as many as 514 HBV cases each year from accession. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for HBV infection at service entry would potentially reduce chronic HBV infection in the force, decrease the threat of transfusion-transmitted HBV infection in the battlefield blood supply, and lead to earlier diagnosis and linkage to care; however, applicant screening is not cost saving. Service-related incident infections indicate a durable threat, the need for improved laboratory-based surveillance tools, and mandate review of immunization policy and practice

Costs and Consequences: Hepatitis C Seroprevalence in the Military and Its Impact on Potential Screening Strategies

UNLABELLED: Knowledge of the contemporary epidemiology of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection among military personnel can inform potential Department of Defense screening policy. HCV infection status at the time of accession and following deployment was determined by evaluating reposed serum from 10,000 service members recently deployed to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the period 2007-2010. A cost model was developed from the perspective of the Department of Defense for a military applicant screening program. Return on investment was based on comparison between screening program costs and potential treatment costs avoided. The prevalence of HCV antibody-positive and chronic HCV infection at accession among younger recently deployed military personnel born after 1965 was 0.98/1000 (95% confidence interval 0.45-1.85) and 0.43/1000 (95% confidence interval 0.12-1.11), respectively. Among these, service-related incidence was low; 64% of infections were present at the time of accession. With no screening, the cost to the Department of Defense of treating the estimated 93 cases of chronic HCV cases from a single year\u27s accession cohort was $9.3 million. Screening with the HCV antibody test followed by the nucleic acid test for confirmation yielded a net annual savings and a$3.1 million dollar advantage over not screening. CONCLUSIONS: Applicant screening will reduce chronic HCV infection in the force, result in a small system costs savings, and decrease the threat of transfusion-transmitted HCV infection in the battlefield blood supply and may lead to earlier diagnosis and linkage to care; initiation of an applicant screening program will require ongoing evaluation that considers changes in the treatment cost and practice landscape, screening options, and the epidemiology of HCV in the applicant/accession and overall force populations

Preserving and Using Germplasm and Dissociated Embryonic Cells for Conserving Caribbean and Pacific Coral

Coral reefs are experiencing unprecedented degradation due to human activities, and protecting specific reef habitats may not stop this decline, because the most serious threats are global (i.e., climate change), not local. However, ex situ preservation practices can provide safeguards for coral reef conservation. Specifically, modern advances in cryobiology and genome banking could secure existing species and genetic diversity until genotypes can be introduced into rehabilitated habitats. We assessed the feasibility of recovering viable sperm and embryonic cells post-thaw from two coral species, Acropora palmata and Fungia scutaria that have diffferent evolutionary histories, ecological niches and reproductive strategies. In vitro fertilization (IVF) of conspecific eggs using fresh (control) spermatozoa revealed high levels of fertilization (>90% in A. palmata; >84% in F. scutaria; P>0.05) that were unaffected by tested sperm concentrations. A solution of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at cooling rates of 20 to 30°C/min most successfully cryopreserved both A. palmata and F. scutaria spermatozoa and allowed producing developing larvae in vitro. IVF success under these conditions was 65% in A. palmata and 53% in F. scutaria on particular nights; however, on subsequent nights, the same process resulted in little or no IVF success. Thus, the window for optimal freezing of high quality spermatozoa was short (∼5 h for one night each spawning cycle). Additionally, cryopreserved F. scutaria embryonic cells had∼50% post-thaw viability as measured by intact membranes. Thus, despite some differences between species, coral spermatozoa and embryonic cells are viable after low temperature (−196°C) storage, preservation and thawing. Based on these results, we have begun systematically banking coral spermatozoa and embryonic cells on a large-scale as a support approach for preserving existing bio- and genetic diversity found in reef systems

Triplet therapy with palbociclib, taselisib and fulvestrant in PIK3CA mutant breast cancer and doublet palbociclib and taselisib in pathway mutant solid cancers

Cyclin-dependent kinase-4/6 (CDK4/6) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors synergise in PIK3CA mutant ER-positive HER2-negative breast cancer models. We conducted a phase Ib trial investigating safety and efficacy of doublet CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib plus selective PI3K inhibitor taselisib in advanced solid tumors, and triplet palbociclib plus taselisib plus fulvestrant in 25 patients with PIK3CA mutant, ER-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. The triplet therapy response rate in PIK3CA mutant, ER-positive HER2-negative was 37.5% (95% CI 18.8-59.4). Durable disease control was observed in PIK3CA mutant ER-negative breast cancer and other solid tumors, with doublet therapy. Both combinations were well tolerated at pharmacodynamically active doses. In the triplet group, high baseline cyclin E1 expression associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 4.2, 95% CI 1.3-13.1, p=0.02). Early ctDNA dynamics demonstrated high on-treatment ctDNA association with shorter PFS (HR 5.2, 95% CI 1.4-19.4, p=0.04). Longitudinal plasma ctDNA sequencing provided genomic evolution evidence during triplet therapy

Inhibition of prenyltransferase activity by statins in both liver and muscle cell lines is not causative of cytotoxicity

As inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, statins are an important first-line treatment for hypercholesterolemia. However, a recognized side-effect of statin therapy is myopathy, which in severe cases can present as potentially fatal rhabdomyolysis. This represents an important impediment to successful statin therapy, and despite decades of research the molecular mechanisms underlying this side-effect remain unclear. Current evidence supports a role for reduced levels of mevalonate pathway intermediates, with the most accepted hypothesis being a reduction in isoprenoids formation, leading to faulty post-translational modifications of membrane-associated proteins. We have undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the impact of nine statins on two human cell lines; Huh7 hepatoma and RD rhabdomyosarcoma. In both cell lines, concentration-dependent inhibition of prenylation was observed for cerivastatin and simvastatin, which could be rescued with the pathway intermediate mevalonate; in general, muscle cells were more sensitive to this effect, as measured by the levels of unprenylated Rap1A, a marker for prenylation by geranylgeranyl transferase I. Concentration-dependent toxicity was observed in both cell lines, with muscle cells again being more sensitive. Importantly, there was no correlation between inhibition of prenylation and cell toxicity, suggesting they are not causally linked. The lack of a causal relationship was confirmed by the absence of cytotoxicity in all cell lines following exposure to specific inhibitors of geranylgeranyl transferases I and II, and farnesyl transferase. As such, we provide strong evidence against the commonly accepted hypothesis linking inhibition of prenylation and statin-mediated toxicity, with the two processes likely to be simultaneous but independent

Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo

Meeting Abstracts: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Clearwater Beach, FL, USA. 9-11 June 201

National comparative audit of red blood cell transfusion practice in hospices: Recommendations for palliative care practice

Background: Red blood cell transfusions are commonly used in palliative care to treat anaemia or symptoms caused by anaemia. In patients with advanced disease, there is little evidence of benefit to guide treatment decisions in the face of increased risk of harms. Aim: To determine national transfusion practice in hospices and compare this against National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and British Society of Haematology guidelines to develop recommendations to improve practice. Design and Setting: Prospective data collection on red blood cell transfusion practice in UK adult hospices over a 3-month census period. Results: A total of 121/210 (58%) hospices participated. A total of 465 transfusion episodes occurred in 83 hospices. Patients had a mean age of 71 years, and 96% had cancer. Mean pre-transfusion haemoglobin was 75 g/L (standard deviation = 11.15). Anaemia of chronic disease was the largest cause of anaemia (176; 38%); potentially amenable to alternative treatments. Haematinics were not checked in 70% of patients. Alternative treatments such as B12, folate and iron were rarely used. Despite transfusion-associated circulatory overload risk, 85% of patients were not weighed, and 84% had two or more units transfused. Only 83 (18%) patients had an improvement maintained at 30 days; 142 (31%) had <14 day improvement, and 50 (11%) had no improvement. A total of 150 patients (32%) were dead at 30 days. Conclusion: More rigorous investigation of anaemia, increased use of alternative therapies and more restrictive approach to red cell transfusions are recommended. Clinicians should discuss the limited benefit versus potentially higher risks with patients in hospice services to inform treatment decisions

Ubumwe: Together We Grow

In January of 2016, ETL traveled to Rwanda to document the role that women play in agriculture as a force for economic stability and gender equality from Minnesota to Rwanda. Ubumwe, meaning “unity” in Kinyarwanda, explores the difficulties presented to women farmers, as well as the immense strength the women gain economically, socially, and personally within their communities