Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2024
Numerous missions to the Moon have identified and documented volatile deposits associated with permanently shadowed regions. A series of science goals for the Artemis Program is to explore these volatile deposits and return samples to Earth. Volatiles in these reservoirs may consist of a variety of species whose stable isotope characteristics could elucidate both their sources and the processes instrumental in their formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Apollo 17 73001/73002 double drive tube, collected at the base of the South Massif in the Taurus-Littrow Valley, was opened in 2019 as part of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis program (ANGSA). A series of continuous thin sections were prepared capturing the full length of the upper portion of the double drive tube (73002). The aim of this study was to use Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by SCANing electron microscopy (QEMSCAN), to search for clasts of non-lunar meteoritic origin and to analyze the mineralogy and textures within the core.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is a lack of evidence of stakeholder perspective and understanding of physical literacy among relevant stakeholders from England. As part of research commissioned by Sport England to develop a physical literacy consensus statement for England, this study presents findings from the first national consultation with stakeholders in England.
Methods: One hundred and ninety-three individual stakeholders (50.
As a first step in preparing for the return of samples from the Moon by the Artemis Program, NASA initiated the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program (ANGSA). ANGSA was designed to function as a low-cost sample return mission and involved the curation and analysis of samples previously returned by the Apollo 17 mission that remained unopened or stored under unique conditions for 50 years. These samples include the lower portion of a double drive tube previously sealed on the lunar surface, the upper portion of that drive tube that had remained unopened, and a variety of Apollo 17 samples that had remained stored at -27 °C for approximately 50 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNormal reproductive function and fertility is considered a "sixth vital sign" because disruptions to this sensitive physiological system can forewarn other health issues, including exposure to environmental toxicants. We found that female mice exhibited profound loss of embryos during pre-implantation and fetal development coincident with a change to the source of their drinking water. When female mice were provided with tap water from the building in which they were housed (Water 2), instead of tap water from a neighboring building which was their previous supply (Water 1), ovulated oocytes were degenerated or had impaired meiotic maturation, and failed to form embryos.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a prominent class of persistent synthetic compound. The widespread use of these substances in various industrial applications has resulted in their pervasive contamination on a global scale. It is therefore concerning that PFAS have a propensity to accumulate in bodily tissues whereupon they have been linked with a range of adverse health outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComputational methods for assessing the likely impacts of mutations, known as variant effect predictors (VEPs), are widely used in the assessment and interpretation of human genetic variation, as well as in other applications like protein engineering. Many different VEPs have been released to date, and there is tremendous variability in their underlying algorithms and outputs, and in the ways in which the methodologies and predictions are shared. This leads to considerable challenges for end users in knowing which VEPs to use and how to use them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Rev Lett
February 2024
Identifying causal mutations accelerates genetic disease diagnosis, and therapeutic development. Missense variants present a bottleneck in genetic diagnoses as their effects are less straightforward than truncations or nonsense mutations. While computational prediction methods are increasingly successful at prediction for variants in disease genes, they do not generalize well to other genes as the scores are not calibrated across the proteome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentifying causal mutations accelerates genetic disease diagnosis, and therapeutic development. Missense variants present a bottleneck in genetic diagnoses as their effects are less straightforward than truncations or nonsense mutations. While computational prediction methods are increasingly successful at prediction for variants in disease genes, they do not generalize well to other genes as the scores are not calibrated across the proteome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Mistreatment negatively impacts the wellbeing of medical learners and is related to worse patient outcomes and team functioning. Resident perspectives on improving mistreatment reporting structures and investigations have not been explored. We aimed to understand residents' views on safe reporting structures, investigations, and resolution processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) have been assigned a higher profile in CanMEDS 2015, CanMEDS-Family Medicine 2017 and new accreditation standards, prompting an initiative at Dalhousie University to create a vision for integrating QIPS into postgraduate medical education.
Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of a QIPS strategy across residency education at Dalhousie University.
Methods: A QIPS task force was formed, and a literature review and needs assessment survey were completed.
Although no known asteroid poses a threat to Earth for at least the next century, the catalogue of near-Earth asteroids is incomplete for objects whose impacts would produce regional devastation. Several approaches have been proposed to potentially prevent an asteroid impact with Earth by deflecting or disrupting an asteroid. A test of kinetic impact technology was identified as the highest-priority space mission related to asteroid mitigation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTaper is a common training strategy used to reduce fatigue and enhance athletic performance. However, currently, no review has summarised what psychological research has been conducted examining taper, what this research shows and what future research needs to be undertaken to extend the field. Consequently, a scoping review was conducted with three aims: (a) to determine the characteristics of psychological research examining taper, (b) to summarise psychological research collected during taper with adult athletes and coaches, and (c) to identify gaps in psychological research examining taper.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHerein, the UV light photocatalytic activity of an AuNC-AlSrTiO-rGO nanocomposite comprising 1 wt% rGO, 0.05 wt% Au(PPh)Cl (AuNC), and AlSrTiO evaluated for H production. The synthesis of AuNC-AlSrTiO-rGO nanocomposite followed two distinct routes: (1) AuNC was first mixed with AlSrTiO followed by the addition of rGO (AuNC-AlSrTiO:rGO) and (2) AuNC was first mixed with rGO followed by the addition of AlSrTiO (AuNC-rGO:AlSrTiO).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Adolescent mental health problems have lasting impacts on health and social functioning later in life. Evidence to date mostly comes from studies of specific diagnostic categories/dimensions, but hierarchical models can elucidate associations with general as well as specific dimensions of psychopathology. We provide evidence on long-term outcomes of general and specific dimensions of adolescent psychopathology using both parent and teacher reports.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlanetary protection is the practice of preventing forward and backward contamination of solar system bodies. Spacecraft and associated surfaces are sampled to ensure compliance with bioburden requirements. Current planetary protection sampling and processing methodologies consist of extracting microbial cells from wipe or swab samples through a procedure (NASA Standard Assay) that includes sonication, heat shock, and pour-plate steps.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFemale intrasexual competition can be intense in cooperatively breeding species, with some dominant breeders (matriarchs) limiting reproduction in subordinates via aggression, eviction or infanticide. In males, such tendencies bidirectionally link to testosterone, but in females, there has been little systematic investigation of androgen-mediated behaviour within and across generations. In 22 clans of wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta), we show that matriarchs 1) express peak androgen concentrations during late gestation, 2) when displaying peak feeding competition, dominance behaviour, and evictions, and 3) relative to subordinates, produce offspring that are more aggressive in early development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is a recognised safe, alternative strategy when a critical view of safety cannot be obtained. This study audits the change in practice at a District General Hospital following the adoption of subtotal cholecystectomy in 2013.
Methods: Retrospective case series included consecutive cholecystectomies over a ten-year period in a single institution.
In corn/maize, silks emerging from cobs capture pollen, and transmit resident sperm nuclei to eggs. There are > 20 million silks per U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Over the past decade, there has been increased interest amongst researchers, practitioners and policymakers in physical literacy for children and young people and the assessment of the concept within physical education (PE). This systematic review aimed to identify tools to assess physical literacy and its physical, cognitive and affective domains within children aged 7-11.9 years, and to examine the measurement properties, feasibility and elements of physical literacy assessed within each tool.
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