A market survey of food service needs in Manhattan, Kansas

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1968 B55Master of Scienc

Dioxin Exposure and Age of Pubertal Onset Among Russian Boys

Background: Animal data demonstrate associations of dioxin, furan, and PCB exposures with altered male gonadal maturation. It is unclear whether these associations apply to human populations. Objectives: We investigated the association of dioxins, furans, PCBs and corresponding toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations with pubertal onset among boys in a dioxin-contaminated region. Methods: Between 2003-2005, 489 boys were enrolled at ages 8-9 years in a longitudinal study in Chapaevsk, Russia. Pubertal onset - stages 2 or higher for genitalia (G2+) or testicular volume (TV) \u3e 3 ml - was assessed annually between ages 8-12 years. Serum levels at enrollment were analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess age at pubertal onset as a function of exposure adjusted for potential confounders. Sensitivity analyses were conducted excluding boys with pubertal onset at enrollment. Results: The median (range) total serum TEQ concentration was 21 (4-175) pg/g lipid, approximately three times higher than values in European children. At enrollment, boys were generally healthy and normal weight (mean BMI 15.9 kg/m2), with 30% having entered puberty by G2+ and 14% by TV criteria. Higher dioxin TEQs were associated with later pubertal onset by TV, hazard ratio = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.49-0.95 for the highest compared with the lowest quartile. Similar associations were observed for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and dioxin concentrations for TV but not G2+. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Findings support an association of higher peri-pubertal serum dioxin TEQs and concentrations with later male pubertal onset reflected in delayed testicular maturation

Predictors of Serum Dioxins and PCBs among Peripubertal Russian Boys

Background: Although sources and routes of exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been studied, information regarding exposure among children is limited. Breast-feeding and diet are two important contributors to early life exposure. To further understand other significant contributors to childhood exposure, we studied a cohort of children from a city with high environmental dioxin levels. Objectives: We investigated predictors of serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs)/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)/co-planar PCBs (C-PCBs), toxic equivalents (TEQs), and PCBs among 8- to 9-year-old boys in Chapaevsk, Russia. Methods: We used general linear regression models to explore associations of log10-transformed serum concentrations of PCDDs/PCDFs/C-PCBs, TEQs, and PCBs at study entry with anthropometric, demographic, geographic, and dietary factors in 482 boys in Chapaevsk, Russia. Results: The median (25th, 75th percentile) concentration for total 2005 TEQs was 21.1 pg/g lipid (14.4, 33.2). Boys who were older, consumed local foods, were breast-fed longer, and whose mothers were employed at the Khimprom chemical plant (where chlorinated chemicals were produced) or gardened locally had significantly higher serum dioxins and PCBs, whereas boys with higher body mass index or more educated parents had significantly lower serum dioxins and PCBs. Boys who lived less than 2 km from Khimprom had higher total TEQs (picograms per gram lipid) [adjusted mean = 30.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 26.8–35.0] than boys who lived greater than 5 km away (adjusted mean = 18.8; 95% CI, 17.2–20.6). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there are specific local sources of dioxin and PCB exposure among children in Chapaevsk including maternal gardening, consumption of locally grown food, and residential proximity to the Khimprom plant

Correlation of LEND and Diviner Data

Correlated results from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's (LRO) Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) and Lunar Orbiting Laser Altimeter (LOLA) suggest insolation effects influence the spatial distribution of Lunar H poleward of 60deg latitude. Diviner results indicate an insolation induced thermal contrast between pole-facing and equator-facing slopes of crater walls. Our research shows that the contrasting thermal conditions observed in pole-facing vs equator-facing slopes and epithermal neutron rates from LEND are positively correlated. Numerical transformations of LOLA topography facilitated a systematic decomposition of LEND epithermal maps as a function of insolation effects. The results suggest a significantly positive local epithermal contrast in these regions. Comparing pole-facing and equator-facing slopes, we find that the pole-facing slopes show epithermal neutron suppression ranging from -0.005 to 0.02 cps relative to the equator-facing slopes .. We further investigate insolation effects on epithermal neutrons by comparing the predicted insolation contrast derived from the 3-D LOLA topography model with the LEND results. We also investigate and discuss the possibility of slope mass wasting effects being correlated with our insolation-effect hypothesi

Development of trofinetide for the treatment of Rett syndrome: from bench to bedside

Rett syndrome (RTT) is rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene that encodes methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a DNA-binding protein with roles in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Functional loss of MeCP2 results in abnormal neuronal maturation and plasticity, characterized by loss of verbal communication and loss of fine and gross motor function, among others. Trofinetide, a synthetic analog of glycine-proline-glutamate, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of RTT in adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older. Here, we present the development of trofinetide from bench research to clinical studies and emphasize how the collaboration between academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and patient advocacy led to the recent approval. The bench-to-bedside development of trofinetide underscores the value of collaboration between these groups in the development and approval of treatments for rare diseases

Genome-wide association analysis implicates dysregulation of immunity genes in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Several chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) susceptibility loci have been reported; however, much of the heritable risk remains unidentified. Here we perform a meta-analysis of six genome-wide association studies, imputed using a merged reference panel of 1,000 Genomes and UK10K data, totalling 6,200 cases and 17,598 controls after replication. We identify nine risk loci at 1p36.11 (rs34676223, P=5.04 × 10−13), 1q42.13 (rs41271473, P=1.06 × 10−10), 4q24 (rs71597109, P=1.37 × 10−10), 4q35.1 (rs57214277, P=3.69 × 10−8), 6p21.31 (rs3800461, P=1.97 × 10−8), 11q23.2 (rs61904987, P=2.64 × 10−11), 18q21.1 (rs1036935, P=3.27 × 10−8), 19p13.3 (rs7254272, P=4.67 × 10−8) and 22q13.33 (rs140522, P=2.70 × 10−9). These new and established risk loci map to areas of active chromatin and show an over-representation of transcription factor binding for the key determinants of B-cell development and immune response

Genome-wide association analysis implicates dysregulation of immunity genes in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Several chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) susceptibility loci have been reported; however, much of the heritable risk remains unidentified. Here we perform a meta-analysis of six genome-wide association studies, imputed using a merged reference panel of 1,000 Genomes and UK10K data, totalling 6,200 cases and 17,598 controls after replication. We identify nine risk loci at 1p36.11 (rs34676223, P=5.04 × 10−13), 1q42.13 (rs41271473, P=1.06 × 10−10), 4q24 (rs71597109, P=1.37 × 10−10), 4q35.1 (rs57214277, P=3.69 × 10−8), 6p21.31 (rs3800461, P=1.97 × 10−8), 11q23.2 (rs61904987, P=2.64 × 10−11), 18q21.1 (rs1036935, P=3.27 × 10−8), 19p13.3 (rs7254272, P=4.67 × 10−8) and 22q13.33 (rs140522, P=2.70 × 10−9). These new and established risk loci map to areas of active chromatin and show an over-representation of transcription factor binding for the key determinants of B-cell development and immune response

A framework for human microbiome research

A variety of microbial communities and their genes (the microbiome) exist throughout the human body, with fundamental roles in human health and disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Human Microbiome Project Consortium has established a population-scale framework to develop metagenomic protocols, resulting in a broad range of quality-controlled resources and data including standardized methods for creating, processing and interpreting distinct types of high-throughput metagenomic data available to the scientific community. Here we present resources from a population of 242 healthy adults sampled at 15 or 18 body sites up to three times, which have generated 5,177 microbial taxonomic profiles from 16S ribosomal RNA genes and over 3.5 terabases of metagenomic sequence so far. In parallel, approximately 800 reference strains isolated from the human body have been sequenced. Collectively, these data represent the largest resource describing the abundance and variety of the human microbiome, while providing a framework for current and future studies

Inventory management of repairables in the U.S. Marine Corps - a virtual warehouse concept

The 1998 Department of Defense (DoD) Logistics Strategic Plan directed a sweeping program to reform the "business" of the DoD. A key component of the plan is that inventories be established at the lowest possible levels and be positioned to permit rapid delivery to the customer. In response, the Marine Corps has established a "virtual float" concept that seeks to reduce inventory levels for secondary repairables (SecReps). We show through a simulation model that the Marine Corps should not expect large savings from a virtual float operating with a lateral transfer inventory policy. For the items we selected, additional transportation costs for lateral transfers almost entirely eliminated savings due to reduced inventory. We also address organizational issues involved with a centralized systemhttp://www.archive.org/details/inventorymanagem00paigCaptain, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Team 7: Total Life Cycle Management Assessment Tool: An Exploratory Analysis

from Scythe : Proceedings and Bulletin of the International Data Farming Community, Issue 4 Workshop 16The United States Marine Corps continually works to shape logistics plans and policies in order to sustain excellence in combat effectiveness. Total Life Cycle Management (TLCM) is a vital part of the Marine Corps’ vision of developing a force that is capable of performing and successfully completing the vast array of missions expected to be performed during the 21st Century. In an effort to improve the life-cycle management of assigned weapon systems, the Marine Corps contracted Clockwork Solutions to develop a tool capable of simulating life-cycle sustainment costs and performance metrics of operations, maintenance and supply for new and legacy weapon systems. Clockwork Solutions developed such a tool and named it Total Life Cycle Management-Assessment Tool (TLCM-AT)