Amniotic fluid from healthy term pregnancies does not harbor a detectable microbial community

Abstract Recent studies have conflicting data regarding the presence of intra-amniotic microbiota. Viral communities are increasingly recognized as important although overlooked components of the human microbiota. It is unknown if the developing fetus is exposed to a community of viruses (virome). Given the debate over the existence of an intra-amniotic microbial community and the importance of understanding how the infant gut is populated, we characterized the virome and bacterial microbiota of amniotic fluid from 24 uncomplicated term pregnancies using next-generation sequencing methods. Contrary to expectations, the bacterial microbiota of amniotic fluid was indistinguishable from contamination controls. Viral reads were sparse in the amniotic fluid, and we found no evidence of a core viral community across samples

Avoiding entanglement loss when two-qubit quantum gates are controlled by electronic excitation

A solid-state two-qubit quantum gate was recently proposed that might be made in a silicon fabrication plant in the near future. In this class of device, entanglement between two quantum bits is controlled by a change from a largely unentangled ground electronic state to an excited state in which useful entanglement can be produced. Such gates have potential advantages, both because they exploit known solid-state behaviour and they separate the storage and manipulation of quantum information. It is important that the excitation step does not create decoherence. We analyse a type of gate proposed before, in which the excitation involves a control electron that interacts with the qubit spins in the excited state. The dynamics of an idealized (but fairly general) gate of this type show that it can be operated to produce a standard two-qubit entangling state

THE SKY IS FALLING: AN EXAMINATION OF BROILER CONTRACT DESIGN AND GROWER REVENUES

A math program is used to examine an integrators problem of assigning broiler growers into settlement pools. The integrator varies the size and frequency of flock placements by grower ability. This differentiates grower incentives by ability. Which growers receive the strongest incentives depends on amount of excess grow-out capacity.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

ISS Crew Quarters On-Orbit Performance and Sustaining

The International Space Station (ISS) Crew Quarters (CQ) is a permanent personal space for crewmembers to sleep, perform personal recreation and communication, as well as provide on-orbit stowage of personal belongings. The CQs provide visual, light, and acoustic isolation for the crewmember. Over a two year period, four CQs were launched to the ISS and currently reside in Node 2. Since their deployment, all CQs have been occupied and continue to be utilized. After four years on-orbit, this paper will review failures that have occurred and the investigations that have resulted in successful on-orbit operations. This paper documents the on-orbit performance and sustaining activities that have been performed to maintain the integrity and utilization of the CQs

International Space Station (ISS) Crew Quarters On-Orbit Performance and Sustaining

The International Space Station (ISS) Crew Quarters (CQ) is a permanent personal space for crew members to sleep, perform personal recreation and communication, as well as provide on-orbit stowage of personal belongings. The CQs provide visual, light, and acoustic isolation for the crew member. Over a 2-year period, four CQs were launched to the ISS and currently reside in Node 2. Since their deployment, all CQs have been occupied and continue to be utilized. This paper will review failures that have occurred after 4 years on-orbit, and the investigations that have resulted in successful on-orbit operations. This paper documents the on-orbit performance and sustaining activities that have been performed to maintain the integrity and utilization of the CQs

Biyaheng JEEP : a look into the SL-DB initiatives in the Junior Engagement Program (JEEP)

The Junior Engagement Program (JEEP) is one of the four subcomponents of the Integrated Ateneo Formation (InAF) Programs. As a formation program designed for third year undergraduate students of the Ateneo de Manila University, it serves as the praxis component for the Philosophy of the Human Person class. This class is part of the core curriculum of the university, making this program mandatory for all its students. The JEEP program enables students to go beyond themselves by engaging with the other, or those outside of their social milieu. This is done through their experience of labor in marginalized sectors. The program uses the image of a jeepney, the most common and cheapest form of transportation in the Philippines where an encounter and/or interaction with the \u27other\u27 occurs. JEEP is pilot-testing several program innovations through the entry of service-learning. Different models are being designed and tested, in partnership with academic departments. There are two basic approaches in incorporating service -learning in JEEP. The first is service-learning (SL) as a credit-bearing experience, where students participate in activities that help a community or institution. These activities are related to their course content (Bringle & Hatcher, 1996). The other approach being practiced in JEEP is the discipline-based approach. The discipline-based (DB) approach is defined by Alzona (2013) as an Ateneo approach to formation that makes use of knowledge and skills related to one’s discipline or course to serve development institutions and marginalized communities. This paper shares the current initiatives taken by the program as it moves towards service-learning and discipline-based approaches. It will discuss the experiences of students with service-learning and discipline-based JEEP. It will also identify different challenges experienced by the program with the entry of service-learning and discipline-based approaches. Lastly, it will look at corresponding learning and recommendations for SL-DB JEEP. Establishing service-learning and discipline-based approaches may have been far from easy in JEEP. But with small steps and continuous explorations being done, JEEP can be an innovative tool for service-learning

Cleaning Study of Genesis Sample 60487

The Genesis mission collected solar wind and brought it back to Earth in order to provide precise knowledge of solar isotopic and elemental compositions. The ions in the solar wind were stopped in the collectors at depths on the order of 10 to a few hundred nanometers. This shallow implantation layer is critical for scientific analysis of the composition of the solar wind and must be preserved throughout sample handling, cleaning, processing, distribution, preparation and analysis. Particles of Genesis wafers, brine from the Utah Testing Range and an organic film have deleterious effects on many of the high-resolution instruments that have been developed to analyze the implanted solar wind. We have conducted a correlative microscopic study of the efficacy of cleaning Genesis samples with megasonically activated ultrapure water and UV/ozone cleaning. Sample 60487, the study sample, is a piece of float-zone silicon from the B/C array approximately 4.995mm x 4.145 mm in siz

Supergiant X-Ray Binaries Observed by Suzaku

Suzaku observations are presented for the high-mass X-ray binaries IGR 116207-5129 and IGR 117391-3021. For IGR 116207-5129, we provide the first X-ray broadband (0.5-60 keV) spectrum from which we confirm a large intrinsic column density (N(sub H) = 1.6 x 10(exp 23)/sq cm), and we constrain the cutoff energy for the first time (E(sub cut) = 19 keV). A prolonged (> 30 ks) attenuation of the X-ray flux was observed which we tentatively attribute to an eclipse of the probable neutron star by its massive companion, in a binary system with an orbital period between 4 and 9 days, and inclination angles> 50 degrees. For IGRJ17391-3021, we witnessed a transition from quiescence to a low-activity phase punctuated by weak flares whose peak luminosities in the 0.5-10keV band are only a factor of 5 times that of the pre-flare emission. These micro flares are accompanied by an increase in NH which suggests the accretion of obscuring clumps of wind. We now recognize that these low-activity epochs constitute the most common emission phase for this system, and perhaps in other supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs) as well. We close with an overview of our upcoming program in which Suzaku will provide the first ever observation of an SFXT (IGRJ16479-4514) during a binary orbit enabling us to probe the accretion wind at every phase

Using Distributed Operations to Enable Science Research on the International Space Station

In the early days of the International Space Station (ISS) program, and as the organization structure was being internationally agreed upon and documented, one of the principal tenets of the science program was to allow customer-friendly operations. One important aspect of this was to allow payload developers and principle investigators the flexibility to operate their experiments from either their home sites or distributed telescience centers. This telescience concept was developed such that investigators had several options for ISS utilization support. They could operate from their home site, the closest telescience center, or use the payload operations facilities at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) processes and structures were put into place to allow these different options to its customers, while at the same time maintain its centralized authority over NASA payload operations and integration. For a long duration space program with many scientists, researchers, and universities expected to participate, it was imperative that the program structure be in place to successfully facilitate this concept of telescience support. From a payload control center perspective, payload science operations require two major elements in order to make telescience successful within the scope of the ISS program. The first element is decentralized control which allows the remote participants the freedom and flexibility to operate their payloads within their scope of authority. The second element is a strong ground infrastructure, which includes voice communications, video, telemetry, and commanding between the POIC and the payload remote site. Both of these elements are important to telescience success, and both must be balanced by the ISS program s documented requirements for POIC to maintain its authority as an integration and control center. This paper describes both elements of distributed payload operations and discusses the benefits and drawbacks

Barriers to Outdoor Recreation for Marginalized Groups at the University of Montana

Exclusion from outdoor recreation reflects legacies of oppression of marginalized communities and makes access to the outdoors not equally available. In the United States, approximately 38% of Black Americans and 48% of Hispanic Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2020. This is compared to 55% participation among Caucasian Americans. Many other intersecting identities are actively excluded, including people with disabilities, fat populations, and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community; furthermore, class-based hierarchies are shown through the restricted outdoor access of low-income populations. While numerous studies show a lack of diversity in outdoor recreation, little to no research has been conducted on the experience of marginalized groups in higher education settings globally and at the University of Montana (UM). The first part of our project includes an event where we invited outdoor community groups within the Missoula and UM community to connect with students and share their resources. We also conducted an anonymous survey of students at the University of Montana to better understand their experiences with outdoor recreation and the barriers in place. Participants were asked a series of questions about their recreation experiences and participation with various outdoor groups within the Missoula community. They were also asked questions relating to the barriers they may face to outdoor participation, with responses including quantitative answers and open-space personal reflections. Respondents reported facing seven key barriers to outdoor recreation: financial, social, lack of information, accessibility, time and money, safety, and transportation. The main objective of our research is to better understand the experience of and identify the barriers to outdoor recreation for various marginalized groups at the University of Montana so that we can better promote community awareness