Measuring User Compliance and Cost Effectiveness of Safe Drinking Water Programs: A Cluster-Randomized Study of Household Ultraviolet Disinfection in Rural Mexico.

Low adoption and compliance levels for household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) technologies have made it challenging for these systems to achieve measurable health benefits in the developing world. User compliance remains an inconsistently defined and poorly understood feature of HWTS programs. In this article, we develop a comprehensive approach to understanding HWTS compliance.

Is there a role of HS in mediating health span benefits of caloric restriction?

Caloric restriction (CR) is a dietary regimen that aims to reduce the intake of total calories while maintaining adequate supply of key nutrients so as to avoid malnutrition. CR is one of only a small number of interventions that show promising outcomes on health span and lifespan across different species. There is growing interest in the development of compounds that might replicate CR-related benefits without actually restricting food intake.

In vitro examination of an oleosome-based sun protection product on the influence of UVB-induced inflammation markers in human epidermal skin equivalent tissue model.

In vitro human epidermal skin equivalent tissues (MatTek EpiDerm™) were employed to examine the influence of UVB radiation on various established inflammation markers in the presence of topically applied sunscreens. MatTek EpiDerm™ tissues were treated with 2.0mg/cm of an Experimental oleosome-based SPF 30 product or a commercial SPF 30 beach product.

Cholesterol supplementation improves growth rates of Histomonas meleagridis in vitro.

Research on the energy metabolism of various protozoan parasites showed the essentiality and benefits of cholesterol in the cultivation of these organisms. However, not much is known about the energy metabolism of Histomonas meleagridis, although such information is of high importance to improve cultivation of the parasite for advancements in diagnostics, research and vaccine development. By supplementing a serum enriched cultivation medium with cholesterol, numbers of parasites could be doubled in comparison to unsupplemented negative controls.

Incidental finding of an absent left common carotid artery.

We describe a case of a young woman evaluated for Raynaud's phenomenon in whom an extremely rare variation, the absence of the left common carotid artery, was incidentally detected as an isolated finding. The detection of vascular anomalies may be important for future endovascular or surgical interventions.

The Impact of the CD9 Tetraspanin on Lentivirus Infectivity and Exosome Secretion.

Efficient transduction tools are a hallmark for both research and therapy development. Here, we introduce new insights into the generation of lentiviral vectors with improved performance by utilizing producer cells with increased production rates of extracellular vesicles through CD9 overexpression. Most human cells secrete small vesicles from their surface (microvesicles) or intraluminal endosome-derived membranes (exosomes).

Disentangling sex allocation in a viviparous reptile with temperature-dependent sex determination: a multifactorial approach.

Females are predicted to alter sex allocation when ecological, physiological and behavioural variables have different consequences on the fitness of male and female offspring. Traditionally, tests of sex allocation have examined single causative factors, often ignoring possible interactions between multiple factors. Here, we used a multifactorial approach to examine sex allocation in the viviparous skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus.

Choice Inconsistencies among the Elderly: Evidence from Plan Choice in the Medicare Part D Program: Reply.

We explore the in- and out- of sample robustness of tests for choice inconsistencies based on parameter restrictions in parametric models, focusing on tests proposed by Ketcham, Kuminoff and Powers (KKP). We argue that their non-parametric alternatives are inherently conservative with respect to detecting mistakes. We then show that our parametric model is robust to KKP's suggested specification checks, and that comprehensive goodness of fit measures perform better with our model than the expected utility model.

Determination of neutral diols and carboxylic acids formed during glycerol electrooxidation by capillary electrophoresis with dual CD.

Methods for determination of glycerol and its electrooxidation products (neutral diols and carboxylates) by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with dual capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detectors (CD) are presented. Glycerol, dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehyde were detected as anionic borate complexes in less than 3min under counter Electroosmotic Flow (EOF) mode (resolution of the critical pair of 1.8).

Is the behavioural divergence between range-core and range-edge populations of cane toads () due to evolutionary change or developmental plasticity?

Individuals at the leading edge of expanding biological invasions often show distinctive phenotypic traits, in ways that enhance their ability to disperse rapidly and to function effectively in novel environments. Cane toads () at the invasion front in Australia exhibit shifts in morphology, physiology and behaviour (directionality of dispersal, boldness, risk-taking). We took a common-garden approach, raising toads from range-core and range-edge populations in captivity, to see if the behavioural divergences observed in wild-caught toads are also evident in common-garden offspring.

The loneliness of the long-distance toad: invasion history and social attraction in cane toads ().

Individuals at the leading edge of a biological invasion constantly encounter novel environments. These pioneers may benefit from increased social attraction, because low population densities reduce competition and risks of pathogen transfer, and increase benefits of information transfer. In standardized trials, cane toads () from invasion-front populations approached conspecifics more often, and spent more time close to them, than did conspecifics from high-density, long-colonized populations.

Positive and Negative Affect as Links Between Social Anxiety and Depression: Predicting Concurrent and Prospective Mood Symptoms in Unipolar and Bipolar Mood Disorders.

The co-occurrence of social anxiety and depression is associated with increased functional impairment and a more severe course of illness. Social anxiety disorder is unique among the anxiety disorders in sharing an affective profile with depression, characterized by low levels of positive affect (PA) and high levels of negative affect (NA). Yet it remains unclear how this shared affective profile contributes to the covariation of social anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Disrupted cortico-limbic connectivity during reward processing in remitted bipolar I disorder.

Objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with elevated reward sensitivity and persistent positive affect, yet the neural mechanisms underlying these patterns are not well understood. In the present study, we examined putative disruptions in communication within a well-known cortico-limbic reward circuit during reward processing as a potential contributing mechanism to these symptoms.

Methods: The present investigation employed a within- and between-subjects design utilizing a monetary and social incentive delay task among adults with bipolar disorder type I (BD; N = 24) and a healthy non-psychiatric control group (HC; N = 25) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Pediatric norovirus GII.4 infections in Nicaragua, 1999-2015.

Objectives: Investigate clinical and epidemiological factors of pediatric GII.4 norovirus infections in children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in Nicaragua between 1999 and 2015.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed laboratory and epidemiologic data from 1,790 children≤7years with AGE from 6 hospitals in Nicaragua (n=538), and 3 community clinics (n=919) and households (n=333) in León, between 1999 and 2015.

Achieving Radiation Tolerance through Non-Equilibrium Grain Boundary Structures.

Many methods used to produce nanocrystalline (NC) materials leave behind non-equilibrium grain boundaries (GBs) containing excess free volume and higher energy than their equilibrium counterparts with identical 5 degrees of freedom. Since non-equilibrium GBs have increased amounts of both strain and free volume, these boundaries may act as more efficient sinks for the excess interstitials and vacancies produced in a material under irradiation as compared to equilibrium GBs. The relative sink strengths of equilibrium and non-equilibrium GBs were explored by comparing the behavior of annealed (equilibrium) and as-deposited (non-equilibrium) NC iron films on irradiation.

How Common Is the Ponticulus Posticus?: A Computed Tomography Based Analysis of 2917 Patients.

Study Design: A computed tomography (CT) study of the morphology of the C1 vertebra.

Objective: Is to determine the prevalence of ponticulus posticus (PP) by analyzing CT scans performed on a large, diverse population in the northeast United States. This study also proposes a CT-based classification system both to aid in unifying the description of PP, and to aid in future research.

Reliable and simple spectrophotometric determination of sun protection factor: A case study using organic UV filter-based sunscreen products.

Background: Current in vitro SPF screening method for plant oil body (oleosome)-based SPF products possesses significant inconsistency and low reliability in the SPF rating.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of spectrophotometrically determined sun protection factor (SPF) from oleosome-based SPF products. The secondary objective was the data comparison of the spectrophotometric measurements against in vivo SPF testing to establish a reliable in vitro test method as a screening assay.

Neuroleptic-free youth at ultrahigh risk for psychosis evidence diminished emotion reactivity that is predicted by depression and anxiety.

Although abnormalities in emotional response have long been considered a core feature of the chronic phase of schizophrenia, few investigations have examined emotional response in individuals at ultrahigh-risk (UHR) for psychosis. We investigated whether neuroleptic-free UHR (n=29) and healthy control (n=32) participants differed in emotional reactivity and emotion regulation on a laboratory-based task that required reporting levels of positive and negative affect to pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral stimuli. Results indicated that the UHR group evidenced reduced emotional reactivity, including decreased positive emotion to pleasant stimuli and decreased negative emotion to unpleasant stimuli.

Addressing Health Disparities with School-Based Outreach: the Health Career Academy Program.

Pipeline programs address health disparities by promoting academic achievement and entry of low-income ethnic and racial minority youth into healthcare fields. The Health Career Academy (HCA) is a 3-year pipeline program for high school students from low-income, ethnic, and racial minority communities. Health professional students serve as program mentors.

Tunable Gas Sensing Gels by Cooperative Assembly.

The cooperative assembly of biopolymers and small molecules can yield functional materials with precisely tunable properties. Here, the fabrication, characterization, and use of multicomponent hybrid gels as selective gas sensors are reported. The gels are composed of liquid crystal droplets self-assembled in the presence of ionic liquids, which further coassemble with biopolymers to form stable matrices.

Risk Factors for Norovirus Gastroenteritis among Nicaraguan Children.

Norovirus is a leading cause of pediatric gastroenteritis. Understanding norovirus epidemiology is essential for reducing disease burden. We conducted a case-control study to describe the distribution, clinical features, and risk factors of norovirus gastroenteritis among children < 5 years of age in León, Nicaragua.

Approaches for extending human healthspan: from antioxidants to healthspan pharmacology.

Dramatic increases in human lifespan and declining population growth are monumental achievements but these same achievements have also led to many societies today ageing at a faster rate than ever before. Extending healthy lifespan (healthspan) is a key translational challenge in this context. Disease-centric approaches to manage population ageing risk are adding years to life without adding health to these years.

You'll feel better in the morning: slow wave activity and overnight mood regulation in interepisode bipolar disorder.

Background: Sleep disturbances are prominent correlates of acute mood episodes and inadequate recovery in bipolar disorder (BD), yet the mechanistic relationship between sleep physiology and mood remains poorly understood. Using a series of pre-sleep mood inductions and overnight sleep recording, this study examined the relationship between overnight mood regulation and a marker of sleep intensity (non-rapid eye movement sleep slow wave activity; NREM SWA) during the interepisode phase of BD.

Methods: Adults with interepisode BD type 1 (BD; n = 20) and healthy adult controls (CTL; n = 23) slept in the laboratory for a screening night, a neutral mood induction night (baseline), a happy mood induction night, and a sad mood induction night.