The CTIO Prime Focus CCD: System Characteristics from 1982-1988

The CTIO Prime Focus CCD instrument with an RCA CCD was in operation at the CTIO 4-m telescope for six years between 1982-1988. A large body of literature has been published based on CCD images taken with this instrument. We review the general properties of the now-retired PFCCD system to aid astronomers in the interpretation of the photometric data in the literature.Comment: Accepted for publication in the PASP. 15 pages, AASTeX V4.0 latex format (including figures), 4 ps figures, 4 separate AASTeX V4.0 latex table

The SDSS-2MASS-WISE Ten Dimensional Stellar Color Locus

We present the fiducial main sequence stellar locus traced by 10 photometric colors observed by SDSS, 2MASS, and WISE. Median colors are determined using 1,052,793 stars with r-band extinction less than 0.125. We use this locus to measure the dust extinction curve relative to the r-band, which is consistent with previous measurements in the SDSS and 2MASS bands. The WISE band extinction coefficients are larger than predicted by standard extinction models. Using 13 lines of sight, we find variations in the extinction curve in H, Ks, and WISE bandpasses. Relative extinction decreases towards Galactic anti-center, in agreement with prior studies. Relative extinction increases with Galactic latitude, in contrast to previous observations. This indicates a universal mid-IR extinction law does not exist due to variations in dust grain size and chemistry with Galactocentric position. A preliminary search for outliers due to warm circumstellar dust is also presented, using stars with high signal-to-noise in the W3-band. We find 199 such outliers, identified by excess emission in Ks-W3. Inspection of SDSS images for these outliers reveals a large number of contaminants due to nearby galaxies. Six sources appear to be genuine dust candidates, yielding a fraction of systems with infrared excess of 0.12$\pm$0.05%.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, MNRAS Accepted. Tables 1 and 2 available online: https://github.com/jradavenport/wise_locu

Educational Intervention Improves Proton Pump Inhibitor Stewardship in Outpatient Gastroenterology Clinics

Background Improper chronic proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use has risen significantly in the last few decades. In our gastroenterology trainees’ clinics, we aimed to optimize PPI usage. Methods We collected baseline data on patients’ PPI use for 8 weeks. Based on gastroenterology society guidelines, we determined conditions for appropriate PPI use. If the indication could not be determined, it was categorized as “unknown”. Generated from the three most frequent causes for inappropriate PPI use, interventions were developed to correct each issue. Following a brief educational session, trainees implemented these interventions over a subsequent 8-week interval. Results During our pre-intervention period, trainees evaluated 263 patients who were prescribed a PPI. In 49% of the cases, the use of PPI was deemed inappropriate. The most common reasons were: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which was never titrated to the lowest effective dose, twice daily dosing for Barrett’s esophagus (BE) chemoprevention and unknown indication. During our intervention period, trainees evaluated 145 patients prescribed a PPI for GERD with well-controlled symptoms in 101 cases. PPI had not been titrated to lowest effective dose in 37 cases prompting intervention which was successful in 23 cases. PPI indication was unknown in 17 cases prompting a message to the prescribing provider to review appropriateness. Two cases of BE chemoprevention with twice daily dosing were appropriately reduced to daily dosing. Ultimately, after intervention, PPI use was deemed appropriate after intervention in 172 (77%) cases. Conclusions Improper chronic PPI use was significant. Focusing intervention efforts on PPI use for GERD, BE and unknown indications substantially increased appropriateness of PPI use

Informatics for RNA sequencing: A web resource for analysis on the cloud

Massively parallel RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has rapidly become the assay of choice for interrogating RNA transcript abundance and diversity. This article provides a detailed introduction to fundamental RNA-seq molecular biology and informatics concepts. We make available open-access RNA-seq tutorials that cover cloud computing, tool installation, relevant file formats, reference genomes, transcriptome annotations, quality-control strategies, expression, differential expression, and alternative splicing analysis methods. These tutorials and additional training resources are accompanied by complete analysis pipelines and test datasets made available without encumbrance at www.rnaseq.wiki

Is Same-Gender Mentorship Important for Division III Female College Athletes?: An Application of the Mentor Role Theory

In the last twenty years, opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics have grown exponentially. Unfortunately, women still represent a small number of head coaches in intercollegiate athletics, creating a disparity in numbers between female college athletes and female head coaches. This disparity has led to an imbalance for female college athletes searching for female role models and mentors. This study investigated the mentoring experiences of NCAA Division III female college athletes based on their lived experiences with both male and female head coaches. Using Mentor Role Theory (MRT), a set of qualitative responses were collected and analyzed. The participants highlighted career and psychosocial functions of MRT, with responses emphasizing positive and negative experiences with their past and present head coaches. Overall, female college athletes noted the importance of both career and psychosocial functions in their experiences with both male and female coaches. However, the college athletes’ experiences with their female head coaches were predominately positive, whereas, the participants were found to hold mixed experiences (both positive and negative) with their male coaches. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for Division III athletics, mentor role theory, and the importance of the coach/athlete relationship

Line Hops and Side Hold Rotation Tests Load Both Anterior and Posterior Shoulder: A Biomechanical Study

Background: Clinical tests should replicate the stressful positions encountered during sport participation. Evaluating the kinetic and electromyographical demands of clinical tests enables clinicians to choose appropriate tests for specific sports. Purpose: To describe the shoulder forces and muscle activation levels during closed chain functional tests of Line Hops (LH) and Side Hold Rotation (SHR). Study Design: Descriptive biomechanical study. Methods: Ten asymptomatic participants were examined in a university laboratory. Two functional tests were evaluated using three-dimensional video analysis and electromyography to measure shoulder forces, moments, and muscular activity levels. Results: SHR produced a peak average posterior translation force of 4.84 N/kg (CI95 4.32-5.36N/kg) and a peak average anterior translational force of 1.57 N/kg (CI95 1.10-2.01N/kg). High levels of serratus anterior (98% maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and infraspinatus (52 %MVIC) were recorded during SHR. LH produced a posterior translational force of 4.25 N/kg (CI95 3.44–5.06N/kg). High levels of serratus anterior (105 %MVIC) and infraspinatus (87 %MVIC) were recorded during the push off phase of this activity. Conclusions: LH and SHR placed large posterior translational forces that approached half of a person\u27s bodyweight on shoulder structures. SHR produced an anterior translation force at extremes of horizontal abduction placing approximately 18% of bodyweight on shoulder structures. The LH test required the serratus anterior to provide power to push the upper torso of the ground while both the serratus and the infraspinatus provides scapular and humeral stability, respectively. Level of Evidence: 4: Case series

Ankyrin repeat domain-encoding genes in the wPip strain of Wolbachia from the Culex pipiens group

BACKGROUND: Wolbachia are obligate endosymbiotic bacteria maternally transmitted through the egg cytoplasm that are responsible for several reproductive disorders in their insect hosts, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in infected mosquitoes. Species in the Culex pipiens complex display an unusually high number of Wolbachia-induced crossing types, and based on present data, only the wPip strain is present. RESULTS: The sequencing of the wPip strain of Wolbachia revealed the presence of 60 ankyrin repeat domain (ANK) encoding genes and expression studies of these genes were carried out in adult mosquitoes. One of these ANK genes, pk2, is shown to be part of an operon of three prophage-associated genes with sex-specific expression, and is present in two identical copies in the genome. Another homolog of pk2 is also present that is differentially expressed in different Cx. pipiens group strains. A further two ANK genes showed sex-specific regulation in wPip-infected Cx. pipiens group adults. CONCLUSION: The high number, variability and differential expression of ANK genes in wPip suggest an important role in Wolbachia biology, and the gene family provides both markers and promising candidates for the study of reproductive manipulation

The HOME Study: Statistical and economic analysis plan for a randomised controlled trial comparing the addition of Proactive Psychological Medicine to usual care, with usual care alone, on the time spent in hospital by older acute hospital inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged acute hospital stays are a problem for older people and for health services. Failure to effectively manage the psychological and social aspects of illness is an important cause of prolonged hospital stay. Proactive Psychological Medicine (PPM) is a new way of providing psychiatry services to medical wards which is proactive, focussed, intensive and integrated with medical care. The primary aim of PPM is to reduce the time older people spend in hospital because of unmanaged psychological and social problems. The HOME Study will test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PPM. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is a two-arm, parallel-group, randomised, controlled superiority trial with linked health economic analysis and an embedded process evaluation. The target population is people aged 65 years and older admitted to acute hospitals. Participants will be randomly allocated to either usual care plus PPM or usual care alone. The primary outcome is the number of days spent as an inpatient in a general hospital in the month following randomisation. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, cognitive function, independent functioning, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and experience of hospital stay. The cost-effectiveness of usual care plus PPM compared with usual care alone will be assessed using quality-adjusted life-years as an outcome as well as costs from the NHS perspective. DISCUSSION: This update to the published trial protocol gives a detailed plan of the statistical and economic analysis of The HOME Study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN86120296. Registered on 3 January 2018