An Ultrastructural Survey of a Sarcocystis Species Found in the Wapiti of South Dakota

A Sarcocystis species found in the wapiti (American elk) of South Dakota was macroscopically, microscopically, and ultrastructurally examined. Macroscopic and microscopic examination provided typical features of a sarcocyst, whereas ultrastructural examination revealed unique features in the primary cyst wall and a quadripartite arrangement of organelles in the merozoite. The sarcocysts observed were shiny white elongated ellipsoids embedded in what appeared to be an intramuscular vacuole. The primary cyst wall consisted of densely packed palisade-like protrusions (villi) and a wide underlying ground substance. Distinctive features of the palisade-like villi included peripherally supportive microfibrils which did not extend into the underlying ground substance, invaginations in the unit membrane along the entire villi surfaces, and concentrations of invaginations between the basal regions. The quadripartite arrangement of organelles in the merozoite is different from any previously described species. The anterior, central, and posterior regions of the merozoite contained the apical complex, mitochondria/golgi bodies, and nucleus, respectively. The fourth region, consisting of peripherally concentrated micronemes and amylopectin granules, encapsulated the three former regions. The organelles of the fourth region are ordinarily incorporated into the three-region merozoite. The quadripartite arrangement· of organelles may be significant to their affiliated functions. The value of the ultrastructurally unique features found in this Sarcocystis species, as a criterion of nomenclature, is dependent upon the identification of the definitive host and completion of the parasite\u27s life cycle. To assume that the observed sarcocysts are the only possible species infective to wapiti would be presumptuous at this time

Criminal charges prior to and after initiation of office-based buprenorphine treatment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is little data on the impact of office-based buprenorphine therapy on criminal activity. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of primary care clinic-based buprenorphine maintenance therapy on rates of criminal charges and the factors associated with criminal charges in the 2 years after initiation of treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We collected demographic and outcome data on 252 patients who were given at least one prescription for buprenorphine. We searched a public database of criminal charges and recorded criminal charges prior to and after enrollment. We compared the total number of criminal cases and drug cases 2 years before versus 2 years after initiation of treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was at least one criminal charge made against 38% of the subjects in the 2 years after initiation of treatment; these subjects were more likely to have used heroin, to have injected drugs, to have had any prior criminal charges, and recent criminal charges. There was no significant difference in the number of subjects with any criminal charge or a drug charge before and after initiation of treatment. Likewise, the mean number of all cases and drug cases was not significantly different between the two periods. However, among those who were opioid-negative for 6 or more months in the first year of treatment, there was a significant decline in criminal cases. On multivariable analysis, having recent criminal charges was significantly associated with criminal charges after initiation of treatment (adjusted odds ratio 3.92); subjects who were on opioid maintenance treatment prior to enrollment were significantly less likely to have subsequent criminal charges (adjusted odds ratio 0.52).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Among subjects with prior criminal charges, initiation of office-based buprenorphine treatment did not appear to have a significant impact on subsequent criminal charges.</p

NASA Science4Girls and Their Families: Connecting Local Libraries with NASA Scientists and Education Programs to Engage Girls in STEM

NASA Science4Girls and Their Families (NS4G) partners NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) education programs with public libraries to provide hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities and career information for girls and their families, along with training for librarians, in conjunction with Women's History Month (March). NS4G is a collaboration among education teams within the four NASA SMD education and public outreach (E/PO) Forums: Planetary, Earth, Astrophysics, and Heliophysics. It began in 2012 as an Astrophysics-led program (Astro4Girls) with 9 events around the country. Upon expanding among the four Forums, over 73 events were held in Spring 2013 (Fig. 1), with preparations underway for events in Spring 2014. All events are individually evaluated by both the student participants and participating librarians to assess their effectiveness in addressing audience needs

Propagated infra-slow intrinsic brain activity reorganizes across wake and slow wave sleep

Propagation of slow intrinsic brain activity has been widely observed in electrophysiogical studies of slow wave sleep (SWS). However, in human resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI), intrinsic activity has been understood predominantly in terms of zero-lag temporal synchrony (functional connectivity) within systems known as resting state networks (RSNs). Prior rs-fMRI studies have found that RSNs are generally preserved across wake and sleep. Here, we use a recently developed analysis technique to study propagation of infra-slow intrinsic blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals in normal adults during wake and SWS. This analysis reveals marked changes in propagation patterns in SWS vs. wake. Broadly, ordered propagation is preserved within traditionally defined RSNs but lost between RSNs. Additionally, propagation between cerebral cortex and subcortical structures reverses directions, and intra-cortical propagation becomes reorganized, especially in visual and sensorimotor cortices. These findings show that propagated rs-fMRI activity informs theoretical accounts of the neural functions of sleep

NASA Science Mission Directorate Science Education and Public Outreach Forums Informal Educator National Survey Results

As a part of the strategy to reach the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach Forum Objective 1.2: Provide resources and opportunities to enable sharing of best practices relevant to SMD education and public outreach (EPO), the Informal Education Working Group members designed a nationally distributed online survey to answer the following questions: • How, when, where, and for how long do informal educators prefer to receive science, mathematics, engineering, and/or technology content and professional development? • What are the professional development and material resources that informal educators prefer that could be provided by current and future NASA SMD Education and Public Outreach (EPO) efforts? The results of the survey will be used to help NASA’s SMD EPO community better meet those needs and plan future opportunities for the informal education community. This survey was distributed in October and November 2013. Recommendations from the Informal Education Working Group, or the Working Group, on how EPO professionals should use this information when planning their programs are included on the SMD EPO website