The Application of the Human Engineering Modeling and Performance Laboratory for Space Vehicle Ground Processing Tasks at Kennedy Space Center

The introduction of United Space Alliance's Human Engineering Modeling and Performance Laboratory began in early 2007 in an attempt to address the problematic workspace design issues that the Space Shuttle has imposed on technicians performing maintenance and inspection operations. The Space Shuttle was not expected to require the extensive maintenance it undergoes between flights. As a result, extensive, costly resources have been expended on workarounds and modifications to accommodate ground processing personnel. Consideration of basic human factors principles for design of maintenance is essential during the design phase of future space vehicles, facilities, and equipment. Simulation will be needed to test and validate designs before implementation

Red Wolf Multispecies Justice Publication 2023

Our understanding of multispecies justice is still solidifying. In spring 2023, a group of Utah State University undergraduate and graduate students attended a course by Dr.Kirsten Vinyeta on Multispecies Justice and Indigenous Approaches to the Environment. Throughout this course, we studied the works of scholars and writers from a variety of social locations and identities who challenge Western theoretical frameworks in social science. This publication celebrates our intellectual struggle with this emerging field and opens a forum for conversations about justice for humans and additional species. This issue features various writings, reflections, and photos from students taking the Multispecies Justice and Indigenous Approaches to the Environment course. Children of students and faculty also contributed artwork with multispecies elements. We would like to thank all contributors for making this publication possible. We thank Dr. Jessica Schad for her wise guidance. Our special thanks to the Community and Natural Resources Institute (CANRI) for funding the publication of this booklet

The Adult Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2A): A Self-Report Measure of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours

In two studies we developed and tested a new self-report measure of restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRB) suitable for adults. In Study 1, The Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-2 for adults (RBQ-2A) was completed by a sample of 163 neurotypical adults. Principal components analysis revealed two components: Repetitive Motor Behaviours and Insistence on Sameness. In Study 2, the mean RBQ-2A scores of a group of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; N = 29) were compared to an adult neurotypical group (N = 37). The ASD sample had significantly higher total and subscale scores. These results indicate that the RBQ-2A has utility as a self-report questionnaire measure of RRBs suitable for adults, with potential clinical application

Association between Quality of Maternal Prenatal Food Source and Preparation and Breastfeeding Duration in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcome (ECHO) Program

This study examined the relationship between maternal food source and preparation during pregnancy and the duration of breastfeeding among 751 mother–child dyads in the United States. The data collected from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program included twelve cohorts of mothers (age ≥ 18) who delivered infant(s). Three categories of maternal food source and preparation including, High, Moderate, or Low Food Source Quality were derived from the mother report. The mean duration of breastfeeding differed strongly across the three categories. The High Food Source Quality group breastfed an average of 41 weeks, while shorter durations were observed for the Moderate (26 weeks) and Low (16 weeks) Food Source Quality groups. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the relative hazard of time to breastfeeding cessation for each participant characteristic. The full model adjusted for clustering/cohort effect for all participant characteristics, while the final model adjusted for the subset of characteristics identified from variable reduction modeling. The hazard of breastfeeding cessation for those in the High Food Source Quality group was 24% less than the Moderate group (RH = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63–0.92). Pregnant women in the High Food Source Quality group breastfed longer than the Moderate and Low groups. We encourage more detailed studies in the future to examine this relationship longitudinally

Disruption of the ASTN2/TRIM32 locus at 9q33.1 is a risk factor in males for autism spectrum disorders, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental phenotypes

Rare copy number variants (CNVs) disrupting ASTN2 or both ASTN2 and TRIM32 have been reported at 9q33.1 by genome-wide studies in a few individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The vertebrate-specific astrotactins, ASTN2 and its paralog ASTN1, have key roles in glial-guided neuronal migration during brain development. To determine the prevalence of astrotactin mutations and delineate their associated phenotypic spectrum, we screened ASTN2/TRIM32 and ASTN1 (1q25.2) for exonic CNVs in clinical microarray data from 89 985 individuals across 10 sites, including 64 114 NDD subjects. In this clinical dataset, we identified 46 deletions and 12 duplications affecting ASTN2. Deletions of ASTN1 were much rarer. Deletions near the 3' terminus of ASTN2, which would disrupt all transcript isoforms (a subset of these deletions also included TRIM32), were significantly enriched in the NDD subjects (P = 0.002) compared with 44 085 population-based controls. Frequent phenotypes observed in individuals with such deletions include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), speech delay, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The 3'-terminal ASTN2 deletions were significantly enriched compared with controls in males with NDDs, but not in females. Upon quantifying ASTN2 human brain RNA, we observed shorter isoforms expressed from an alternative transcription start site of recent evolutionary origin near the 3' end. Spatiotemporal expression profiling in the human brain revealed consistently high ASTN1 expression while ASTN2 expression peaked in the early embryonic neocortex and postnatal cerebellar cortex. Our findings shed new light on the role of the astrotactins in psychopathology and their interplay in human neurodevelopment

Merging Structural Motifs of Functionalized Amino Acids and α-Aminoamides Results in Novel Anticonvulsant Compounds with Significant Effects on Slow and Fast Inactivation of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels and in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

[Image: see text] We recently reported that merging key structural pharmacophores of the anticonvulsant drugs lacosamide (a functionalized amino acid) with safinamide (an α-aminoamide) resulted in novel compounds with anticonvulsant activities superior to that of either drug alone. Here, we examined the effects of six such chimeric compounds on Na(+)-channel function in central nervous system catecholaminergic (CAD) cells. Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, we demonstrated that these compounds affected Na(+) channel fast and slow inactivation processes. Detailed electrophysiological characterization of two of these chimeric compounds that contained either an oxymethylene ((R)-7) or a chemical bond ((R)-11) between the two aromatic rings showed comparable effects on slow inactivation, use-dependence of block, development of slow inactivation, and recovery of Na(+) channels from inactivation. Both compounds were equally effective at inducing slow inactivation; (R)-7 shifted the fast inactivation curve in the hyperpolarizing direction greater than (R)-11, suggesting that in the presence of (R)-7 a larger fraction of the channels are in an inactivated state. None of the chimeric compounds affected veratridine- or KCl-induced glutamate release in neonatal cortical neurons. There was modest inhibition of KCl-induced calcium influx in cortical neurons. Finally, a single intraperitoneal administration of (R)-7, but not (R)-11, completely reversed mechanical hypersensitivity in a tibial-nerve injury model of neuropathic pain. The strong effects of (R)-7 on slow and fast inactivation of Na(+) channels may contribute to its efficacy and provide a promising novel therapy for neuropathic pain, in addition to its antiepileptic potential