Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer Integration and Test

Integration and test (I&T) of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is presented. A collaborative NASA project between Goddard Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center, LADEE's mission is to explore the low lunar orbit environment and exosphere for constituents. Its instruments include two spectrometers, a dust detector, and a laser communication technology demonstration. Although a relatively low-cost spacecraft, LADEE has I&T requirements typical of most planetary probes, such as prelaunch contamination control, sterilization, and instrument calibration. To lead to a successful mission, I&T at the spacecraft, instrument, and observatory level must include step-by-step and end-to-end functional, environmental, and performance testing. Due to its compressed development schedule, LADEE I&T planning requires adjusting test flows and sequences to account for long-lead critical-path items and limited spares. A protoflight test-level strategy is also baselined. However, the program benefits from having two independent but collaborative teams of engineers, managers, and technicians that have a wealth of flight project experience. This paper summarizes the LADEE I&T planning, flow, facilities, and probe-unique processes. Coordination of requirements and approaches to I&T when multiple organizations are involved is discussed. Also presented are cost-effective approaches to I&T that are transferable to most any spaceflight project I&T program

Feasting and mobility in Iron Age Ireland: multi-isotope analysis reveals the vast catchment of Navan Fort, Ulster

Navan Fort is an iconic prehistoric Irish ceremonial centre and the legendary capital of Ulster. The fort has produced an exceptional pig-dominated faunal assemblage that also contained a barbary macaque skull. Dating from the 4th to 1st century BC, it is likely to be a ceremonial feasting centre that may have drawn people and their animals from across Ulster and beyond. This study uses a multi-isotope (87Sr/86Sr, δ34S, δ13C, δ15N) approach to identify non-local animals and reconstruct site catchment. New biosphere mapping means that isotope data can be more confidently interpreted and the combination of strontium and sulphur analysis has the potential to estimate origins. In the absence of human remains, fauna provide the best proxy for human movement. Results for the 35 analysed animals are wide-ranging, especially in terms of strontium (0.707–0.715), which has the largest range for an Irish site. Sulphur values are more restricted (13.1‰−17.1‰) but are high in the context of British and Irish data. Results provide clear evidence for animals (and thus people) coming from across Ulster and beyond, demonstrating the site’s wide catchment. Navan Fort was clearly a major ceremonial centre with far-reaching influence and hosted feasts that drew people and animals from afar

Research on atmospheric volcanic emissions: An overview

The project Research on Atmospheric Volcanic Emissions is a unique effort by NASA and university scientists to investigate the detailed chemical nature of plumes from volcanic eruptions. The major goals of the project are to: 1) understand the impact major eruptions will have on atmospheric chemistry processes, 2) understand the importance of volcanic emissions in the atmospheric geochemical cycles of selected species, 3) use knowledge of the plume chemical composition to diagnose and predict magmatic processes. Project RAVE\u27S first mission used the NASA Lockheed Orion P-3 outfitted with equipment to measure concentrations of the gases SO2, OCS, H2S, CS2, NO, O3and trace elements in particles in Mt. St. Helens\u27 plume on September 22, 1980. Measurements of SO2 column densities in the plume permitted calculations of SO2 fluxes. This article is an overview of the first experimental design factors and performance of the initial RAVE experiment

Early life child micronutrient status, maternal reasoning, and a nurturing household environment have persistent influences on child cognitive development at age 5 years: Results from MAL-ED

Background: Child cognitive development is influenced by early-life insults and protective factors. To what extent these factors have a long-term legacy on child development and hence fulfillment of cognitive potential is unknown.Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relation between early-life factors (birth to 2 y) and cognitive development at 5 y.Methods: Observational follow-up visits were made of children at 5 y, previously enrolled in the community-based MAL-ED longitudinal cohort. The burden of enteropathogens, prevalence of illness, complementary diet intake, micronutrient status, and household and maternal factors from birth to 2 y were extensively measured and their relation with the Wechsler Preschool Primary Scales of Intelligence at 5 y was examined through use of linear regression.Results: Cognitive T-scores from 813 of 1198 (68%) children were examined and 5 variables had significant associations in multivariable models: mean child plasma transferrin receptor concentration (β: -1.81, 95% CI: -2.75, -0.86), number of years of maternal education (β: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.45), maternal cognitive reasoning score (β: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.15), household assets score (β: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.24, 1.04), and HOME child cleanliness factor (β: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.05, 1.15). In multivariable models, the mean rate of enteropathogen detections, burden of illness, and complementary food intakes between birth and 2 y were not significantly related to 5-y cognition.Conclusions: A nurturing home context in terms of a healthy/clean environment and household wealth, provision of adequate micronutrients, maternal education, and cognitive reasoning have a strong and persistent influence on child cognitive development. Efforts addressing aspects of poverty around micronutrient status, nurturing caregiving, and enabling home environments are likely to have lasting positive impacts on child cognitive development

Chemical Inhibition of Alpha-Toxin, a Key Corneal Virulence Factor of Staphylococcus aureus

PURPOSE. ␣-Toxin mediates extreme corneal damage during Staphylococcus aureus keratitis. Chemical inhibition of this toxin was sought to provide relief from toxin-mediated pathology. METHODS. Inhibition of ␣-toxin by phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), 0.1% methyl-␤-cyclodextrin (CD), or CD plus cholesterol (0.1%, CD-cholesterol) was assayed by hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes. Pathologic changes in rabbit corneas injected with 12 hemolytic units of ␣-toxin suspended in PBS, 1% CD, or 1% CD-cholesterol were compared over time. Rabbit corneas injected with 10 2 colony forming units (CFU) of S. aureus were treated from 7 to 13 hours postinfection (PI) with a total of 15 drops of CD-cholesterol, CD, or PBS. Slit lamp examination (SLE) and measurement of erosions were performed at 13 hours PI and bacteria were quantified at 14 hours PI. RESULTS. Toxin-mediated lysis of erythrocytes was inhibited up to 16,000-fold in the presence of CD-cholesterol compared with CD or PBS. Eyes injected with ␣-toxin mixed with CDcholesterol had, at 7 hours postinjection, significantly smaller erosions than eyes injected with ␣-toxin in PBS or ␣-toxin mixed with CD (P ϭ 0.0090 and P ϭ 0.0035, respectively). Eyes infected with S. aureus and treated with CD-cholesterol had significantly lower SLE scores than eyes treated with CD or PBS (P Յ 0.0103 and P Յ 0.0017, respectively); however, there were no differences in the number of bacteria present (P Ն 0.0648). CONCLUSIONS. CD-cholesterol is a potent inhibitor of ␣-toxin activity in vitro and an effective means to arrest corneal damage during S. aureus keratitis. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

Association between the COVID-19 pandemic and insurance-based disparities in mortality after major surgery among US adults

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in surgical care. Whether these disruptions disproportionately impacted economically disadvantaged individuals is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and mortality after major surgery among patients with Medicaid insurance or without insurance compared with patients with commercial insurance. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used data from the Vizient Clinical Database for patients who underwent major surgery at hospitals in the US between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2020. Exposures: The hospital proportion of patients with COVID-19 during the first wave of COVID-19 cases between March 1 and May 31, 2020, stratified as low (≤5.0%), medium (5.1%-10.0%), high (10.1%-25.0%), and very high (\u3e25.0%). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was inpatient mortality. The association between mortality after surgery and payer status as a function of the proportion of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was evaluated with a quasi-experimental triple-difference approach using logistic regression. Results: Among 2 950 147 adults undergoing inpatient surgery (1 550 752 female [52.6%]) at 677 hospitals, the primary payer was Medicare (1 427 791 [48.4%]), followed by commercial insurance (1 000 068 [33.9%]), Medicaid (321 600 [10.9%]), other payer (140 959 [4.8%]), and no insurance (59 729 [2.0%]). Mortality rates increased more for patients undergoing surgery during the first wave of the pandemic in hospitals with a high COVID-19 burden (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.24; P = .01) and a very high COVID-19 burden (AOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.24-1.53; P \u3c .001) compared with patients in hospitals with a low COVID-19 burden. Overall, patients with Medicaid had 29% higher odds of death (AOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.22-1.36; P \u3c .001) and patients without insurance had 75% higher odds of death (AOR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.55-1.98; P \u3c .001) compared with patients with commercial insurance. However, mortality rates for surgical patients with Medicaid insurance (AOR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.82-1.30; P = .79) or without insurance (AOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.47-1.54; P = .60) did not increase more than for patients with commercial insurance in hospitals with a high COVID-19 burden compared with hospitals with a low COVID-19 burden. These findings were similar in hospitals with very high COVID-19 burdens. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a higher risk of mortality after surgery in hospitals with more than 25.0% of patients with COVID-19. However, the pandemic was not associated with greater increases in mortality among patients with no insurance or patients with Medicaid compared with patients with commercial insurance in hospitals with a very high COVID-19 burden

Characteristics associated with the transition to partial breastfeeding prior to 6 months of age : Data from seven sites in a birth cohort study

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project (MAL-ED) was carried out as a collaborative project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the NIH and the NIH/Fogarty International Center.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A Highly Virulent Staphylococcus aureus: Rabbit Anterior Chamber Infection, Characterization, and Genetic Analysis

PURPOSE. To describe and characterize a Staphylococcus aureus strain with unique virulence that overcomes host defenses of the rabbit anterior chamber and mimics clinical cases of postcataract surgery endophthalmitis. METHODS. Nine isolates of S. aureus were tested to determine their viability in the rabbit anterior chamber. Growth of UMCR1 in the anterior chamber was established and expressed as log colony-forming units per milliliter of aqueous humor. Pathologic changes produced by UMCR1 were documented by photographs, slit lamp examination, histopathologic analysis, and quantification of neutrophils. UMCR1 was characterized by antibiotic susceptibility, biochemical tests, ribotyping, genome restriction mapping, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). RESULTS. UMCR1 was the only S. aureus strain that grew within the anterior chamber, reaching log 6.97 Ϯ 0.18 CFU/mL by 16 hours after infection. Pathologic changes included conjunctival injection, chemosis, corneal edema, severe iritis, fibrin accumulation, and a 193-fold increase in neutrophils by 16 hours after infection. UMCR1 was only resistant to sulfamethoxazole and, like other S. aureus isolates, polymyxin B. UMCR1 also had biochemical reactions and a ribotype pattern typical of S. aureus. The genomic reconstruction analysis of UMCR1 was most similar to strains MW2 and MSSA476. MLST revealed a 1 in 3198 nucleotide difference between UMCR1 and strains MW2 and MSSA476. CONCLUSIONS. This study describes a unique S. aureus strain that overcomes host defenses and replicates in the anterior chamber. The survival and growth of this organism could be used for studies of S. aureus pathogenesis, host defenses, and effectiveness of antibiotics within the anterior chamber. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010;51:5114 -5120

Enteric dysfunction and other factors associated with attained size at 5 years : MAL-ED birth cohort study findings

Funding Information: The Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project (MAL-ED) is carried out as a collaborative project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the NIH, and the NIH/Fogarty International Center. This work was also supported by the Fogarty International Center, NIH (D43-TW009359 to ETR).Peer reviewe

Mobile Enhancement of Motivation in Schizophrenia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Personalized Text Message Intervention for Motivation Deficits

Objective: Motivation deficits remain an unmet treatment need in schizophrenia. Recent research has identified mechanisms underlying motivation deficits (i.e., impaired effort-cost computations, reduced future reward-value representation maintenance) that may be effective treatment targets to improve motivation. This study tested the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of Mobile Enhancement of Motivation in Schizophrenia (MEMS), an intervention that leverages mobile technology to target these mechanisms with text messages. Method: Fifty-six participants with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder were randomized to MEMS (n = 27) or a control condition (n = 29). All participants set recovery goals to complete over 8 weeks. Participants in the MEMS group additionally received personalized, interactive text messages on their personal cellphones each weekday. Results: Retention and engagement in MEMS were high: 92.6% completed 8 weeks of MEMS, with an 86.1% text message response rate, and 100% reported being satisfied with the text messages. Compared to participants in the control condition, the participants in the MEMS condition had significantly greater improvements in interviewer-rated motivation and anticipatory pleasure and attained significantly more recovery-oriented goals at 8 weeks. There were no significant group differences in purported mechanisms (performance-based effort-cost computations and future reward-value representations) or in self-reported motivation, quality of life, or functioning. Conclusion: Results demonstrate that MEMS is feasible as a brief, low-intensity mobile intervention that could effectively improve some aspects of motivation (i.e., initiation and maintenance of goal-directed behaviors) and recovery goal attainment for those with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. More work is needed with larger samples and to understand the mechanisms of change in MEMS