Interfaces for the ordinary user: Can we hide too much?

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ The Authors 2012.Increasing the visibility and access to underlying file structure on consumer devices can vastly improve the user experience

HST - WFPC2 photometry of the globular cluster ngc 288: binary systems, blue stragglers and very blue stars

We report on new WFPC2 observations of the globular cluster NGC 288, focusing our attention on peculiar stars. A very pronounced binary sequence, paralleling the ordinary Main Sequence (MS) is clearly observed in the Color Magnitude Diagram (CMD) and a huge relative fraction of Blue Straggler Stars is measured. The dataset offers the opportunity of studying the evolution of a large population of binaries (and binary evolution by-products) in a low density environment, where the evolution of such systems is not dominated by collisions and encounters. Three (very) Extreme Horizontal Branch Stars have been found, all lying outside of the cluster core.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, in press in the chemical evolution of the Milky Way: stars versus clusters, F. Matteucci and F. Giovannelli eds, Kluwe

Estimation of the national disease burden of influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness in Kenya and Guatemala : a novel methodology

Background: Knowing the national disease burden of severe influenza in low-income countries can inform policy decisions around influenza treatment and prevention. We present a novel methodology using locally generated data for estimating this burden. Methods and Findings: This method begins with calculating the hospitalized severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) incidence for children <5 years old and persons ≥5 years old from population-based surveillance in one province. This base rate of SARI is then adjusted for each province based on the prevalence of risk factors and healthcare-seeking behavior. The percentage of SARI with influenza virus detected is determined from provincial-level sentinel surveillance and applied to the adjusted provincial rates of hospitalized SARI. Healthcare-seeking data from healthcare utilization surveys is used to estimate non-hospitalized influenza-associated SARI. Rates of hospitalized and non-hospitalized influenza-associated SARI are applied to census data to calculate the national number of cases. The method was field-tested in Kenya, and validated in Guatemala, using data from August 2009–July 2011. In Kenya (2009 population 38.6 million persons), the annual number of hospitalized influenza-associated SARI cases ranged from 17,129–27,659 for children <5 years old (2.9–4.7 per 1,000 persons) and 6,882–7,836 for persons ≥5 years old (0.21–0.24 per 1,000 persons), depending on year and base rate used. In Guatemala (2011 population 14.7 million persons), the annual number of hospitalized cases of influenza-associated pneumonia ranged from 1,065–2,259 (0.5–1.0 per 1,000 persons) among children <5 years old and 779–2,252 cases (0.1–0.2 per 1,000 persons) for persons ≥5 years old, depending on year and base rate used. In both countries, the number of non-hospitalized influenza-associated cases was several-fold higher than the hospitalized cases. Conclusions: Influenza virus was associated with a substantial amount of severe disease in Kenya and Guatemala. This method can be performed in most low and lower-middle income countries

How prepared are pharmacists to provide over-the-counter naloxone? The role of previous education and new training opportunities

and Aims: Opioid overdose can be reversed with timely administration of naloxone. In Australia, naloxone was rescheduled from prescription only (S4) to pharmacist only over-the-counter (OTC, S3) in February 2016, increasing access for the general public. A key barrier to naloxone supply by pharmacists is a lack of knowledge, highlighting the role of pharmacist education. Community pharmacists' education, experience, and training preferences related to naloxone provision, overdose, and substance use disorder were examined.Online survey data from a national sample of Australian pharmacists on their educational preferences regarding naloxone and overdose prevention, and prior training on substance use disorder (n = 595) was analyzed using bivariate and multivariate regression analysis. Data from qualitative semi-structured telephone interviews with pharmacists about OTC naloxone provision (n = 21) was analyzed using thematic analysis.Most pharmacists (81%, n = 479) were willing to be trained in opioid overdose prevention, with greater willingness to attend training associated with younger age, being female, fewer years of practice, not having attended previous education on substance use disorder, and higher confidence in issues relating to substance use disorder. Qualitative interviews confirmed community pharmacists' willingness to attend training but analysis revealed low awareness, knowledge, and confidence about naloxone and preventing opioid overdose. Most pharmacists preferred online training or webinars.Most community pharmacists in Australia are willing to attend training on providing naloxone and preventing opioid overdose. There are opportunities to develop and expand the online presence of training, guidelines, and education materials to facilitate the expanded supply of OTC naloxone

Engaging Undergraduates in Science Research: Not Just About Faculty Willingness.

Despite the many benefits of involving undergraduates in research and the growing number of undergraduate research programs, few scholars have investigated the factors that affect faculty members' decisions to involve undergraduates in their research projects. We investigated the individual factors and institutional contexts that predict faculty members' likelihood of engaging undergraduates in their research project(s). Using data from the Higher Education Research Institute's 2007-2008 Faculty Survey, we employ hierarchical generalized linear modeling to analyze data from 4,832 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty across 194 institutions to examine how organizational citizenship behavior theory and social exchange theory relate to mentoring students in research. Key findings show that faculty who work in the life sciences and those who receive government funding for their research are more likely to involve undergraduates in their research project(s). In addition, faculty at liberal arts or historically Black colleges are significantly more likely to involve undergraduate students in research. Implications for advancing undergraduate research opportunities are discussed

Maximum Entropy Reconstructions of Dynamic Signaling Networks from Quantitative Proteomics Data

Advances in mass spectrometry among other technologies have allowed for quantitative, reproducible, proteome-wide measurements of levels of phosphorylation as signals propagate through complex networks in response to external stimuli under different conditions. However, computational approaches to infer elements of the signaling network strictly from the quantitative aspects of proteomics data are not well established. We considered a method using the principle of maximum entropy to infer a network of interacting phosphotyrosine sites from pairwise correlations in a mass spectrometry data set and derive a phosphorylation-dependent interaction network solely from quantitative proteomics data. We first investigated the applicability of this approach by using a simulation of a model biochemical signaling network whose dynamics are governed by a large set of coupled differential equations. We found that in a simulated signaling system, the method detects interactions with significant accuracy. We then analyzed a growth factor mediated signaling network in a human mammary epithelial cell line that we inferred from mass spectrometry data and observe a biologically interpretable, small-world structure of signaling nodes, as well as a catalog of predictions regarding the interactions among previously uncharacterized phosphotyrosine sites. For example, the calculation places a recently identified tumor suppressor pathway through ARHGEF7 and Scribble, in the context of growth factor signaling. Our findings suggest that maximum entropy derived network models are an important tool for interpreting quantitative proteomics data

Parental occupational exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and male genital malformations: A study in the danish national birth cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sex hormones closely regulate development of the male genital organs during fetal life. The hypothesis that xenobiotics may disrupt endogenous hormonal signalling has received considerable scientific attention, but human evidence is scarce.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>We analyse occurrence of hypospadias and cryptorchidism according to maternal and paternal occupational exposure to possible endocrine disrupting chemicals.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a follow-up study of 45,341 male singleton deliveries in the Danish National Birth Cohort during 1997-2009. Information on work during pregnancy was obtained by telephone interviews around gestational week 16. Parents' job titles were classified according to DISCO-88. A job exposure matrix for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was implemented to assess occupational exposures. The Medical Birth and National Hospital Register provided data on congenital anomalies diagnosed at birth or during follow-up, which ended in 2009. Crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were obtained from Cox regression models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among all pregnancies, 6.3% were classified as possibly or probably exposed to EDCs. The most prevalent occupations conferring possible exposure were cleaners, laboratory technicians, hairdressers and agricultural workers (58% of all potentially exposed). The final cumulative incidence of cryptorchidism in boys was 2.2% (1002 cases), and of hypospadias 0.6% (262 cases). The occurrence of hypospadias increased when mothers were probably [HRa = 1.8 (95% CI 1.0-2.6)] or possibly exposed to one or more EDCs [HRa = 2.6 (95% CI 1.8-3.4). Possible paternal exposure to heavy metals increased the risk of hypospadias [HRa 2.2 (95% CI: 1.0-3.4)] and cryptorchidism [HRa 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1-2.7)]. None of the exposure groups reached statistical significance.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study provides some but limited evidence that occupational exposure to possible endocrine disrupting chemicals during pregnancy increases the risk of hypospadias.</p

Cyclic Behavior of HPFRCC Coupling Beams with Bundled Diagonal Bars

Coupled shear walls are efficient in resisting lateral forces induced by winds and earthquakes. However, it is difficult to construct coupled shear walls particularly because current design codes require complex reinforcing details within coupling beams. The objective of this study was to develop simple reinforcement details for diagonally reinforced coupling beams; reducing transverse steel by use of high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs) and bundling diagonal bars are explored. Four coupling beam specimens with length-to-depth aspect ratios of 2.0 or 3.5 were fabricated and tested under cyclic lateral displacements. The test results revealed that HPFRCC coupling beams with bundled diagonal bars and widely spaced transverse reinforcement (one-half the amount of reinforcement required by current seismic codes) exhibited excellent seismic performance compared with ordinary concrete coupling beams having code-required distributed diagonal reinforcement and transverse reinforcement

Molecular Correlates of Social Dominance: A Novel Role for Ependymin in Aggression

Theoretical and empirical studies have sought to explain the formation and maintenance of social relationships within groups. The resulting dominance hierarchies have significant fitness and survival consequences dependent upon social status. We hypothesised that each position or rank within a group has a distinctive brain gene expression profile that correlates with behavioural phenotype. Furthermore, transitions in rank position should determine which genes shift in expression concurrent with the new dominance status. We used a custom cDNA microarray to profile brain transcript expression in a model species, the rainbow trout, which forms tractable linear hierarchies. Dominant, subdominant and submissive individuals had distinctive transcript profiles with 110 gene probes identified using conservative statistical analyses. By removing the dominant, we characterised the changes in transcript expression in sub-dominant individuals that became dominant demonstrating that the molecular transition occurred within 48 hours. A strong, novel candidate gene, ependymin, which was highly expressed in both the transcript and protein in subdominants relative to dominants, was tested further. Using antibody injection to inactivate ependymin in pairs of dominant and subdominant zebrafish, the subdominant fish exhibited a substantial increase in aggression in parallel with an enhanced competitive ability. This is the first study to characterise the molecular signatures of dominance status within groups and the first to implicate ependymin in control of aggressive behaviour. It also provides evidence for indirect genetic effect models in which genotype/phenotype of an individual is influenced by conspecific interactions within a group. The variation in the molecular profile of each individual within a group may offer a new explanation of intraspecific variation in gene expression within undefined groups of animals and provides new candidates for empirical study

Disease Dynamics and Bird Migration—Linking Mallards Anas platyrhynchos and Subtype Diversity of the Influenza A Virus in Time and Space

The mallard Anas platyrhynchos is a reservoir species for influenza A virus in the northern hemisphere, with particularly high prevalence rates prior to as well as during its prolonged autumn migration. It has been proposed that the virus is brought from the breeding grounds and transmitted to conspecifics during subsequent staging during migration, and so a better understanding of the natal origin of staging ducks is vital to deciphering the dynamics of viral movement pathways. Ottenby is an important stopover site in southeast Sweden almost halfway downstream in the major Northwest European flyway, and is used by millions of waterfowl each year. Here, mallards were captured and sampled for influenza A virus infection, and positive samples were subtyped in order to study possible links to the natal area, which were determined by a novel approach combining banding recovery data and isotopic measurements (δ2H) of feathers grown on breeding grounds. Geographic assignments showed that the core natal areas of studied mallards were in Estonia, southern and central Finland, and northwestern Russia. This study demonstrates a clear temporal succession of latitudes of natal origin during the course of autumn migration. We also demonstrate a corresponding and concomitant shift in virus subtypes. Acknowledging that these two different patterns were based in part upon different data, a likely interpretation worth further testing is that the early arriving birds with more proximate origins have different influenza A subtypes than the more distantly originating late autumn birds. If true, this knowledge would allow novel insight into the origins and transmission of the influenza A virus among migratory hosts previously unavailable through conventional approaches