Policing Black autistic children: A qualitative approach to understanding Black caregivers' concerns.

In the United States, Black autistic youth face elevated risk of negative outcomes during police interactions. Although the outcomes of these interactions are well-documented, less is known about Black autistic youths' experiences during police encounters, as the current literature has largely examined the experiences of autistic adults, mostly White American samples, and/or autistic youth abroad. This study utilizes qualitative methods to examine the perceptions and concerns of 43 Black caregivers (N = 43; 98% parents; 2% legal guardians; 93% mothers) of Black autistic children (mean age: 16.

Inoculation with as a Strategy to Reduce Nitrogen Fertilization in Cultivating Purple Maize ( L.) in the Inter-Andean Valleys of Peru.

Purple maize has gained global significance due to its numerous nutraceutical benefits. However, sustaining its production typically requires high doses of nitrogen fertilizers, which, when applied in excess, can contaminate vital resources such as soil and water. Inoculation with nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, such as those from the genus, has emerged as an alternative to partially or fully replace nitrogen fertilizers.

and Improve Vegetative Growth, Yield, and Fruit Quality of var. San Andreas.

Strawberry cultivation requires strategies that maintain or improve its yield within a scheme in which reducing fertilizers and other chemical products can make its consumption safer and more environmentally friendly. This study aims to evaluate the effect of and on strawberry growth, yield, and fruit quality. and were inoculated and co-inoculated under three fertilization levels of 225-100-250, 112-50-125, and 0-0-0 kg∙ha of N, PO and KO.

Microbial signature profiles of larvae in low-survival hatchery tanks affected by vibriosis.

Vibriosis is caused by some pathogenic and produces significant mortality in Pacific white shrimp larvae in commercial hatcheries. Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is an emerging vibriosis affecting shrimp-producing countries worldwide. Zoea 2 syndrome is another type of vibriosis that affects the early stages of larvae.

Promoting Health Equity in the Latinx Community, Locally and Globally: The Duke University School of Nursing Model.

It is imperative that nurses are equipped to promote the health and well-being of diverse populations in United States, including the growing Latinx community, which experiences significant health disparities. This article summarizes the values, programs, and impact of the Duke University School of Nursing Latinx Engagement Health Equity Model. Collaborative partnerships with diverse community partners addressing Latinx populations across the life span were developed, spanning the education, research, and service missions of the university.

Targeted Strategies for Recruitment and Engagement of Latinx Immigrants in Longitudinal Biobehavioral Research.

Racial/ethnic minority communities are underrepresented in research. Medical mistrust and mistreatment, discrimination, and a lack of diverse research workforce may influence recruitment and engagement. Engaging Latinx immigrants for research presents unique recruitment challenges, especially for biobehavioral research which is not well explored.

Cultural and linguistic adaptation of psychosocial measurements for latinx participants-Leveraging community-engaged research methods.

Predominantly Spanish-speaking Latinx individuals are underrepresented in research, and one primary barrier is the lack of infrastructure to effectively engage, among them, adequate cultural and linguistic adaptation of research measures. Capitalizing on existing recommendations for appropriate and ethical engagement of Latinx individuals in research, we present a comprehensive approach to cultural and linguistic adaptation, and describe the application of this approach in the context of an ongoing longitudinal, observational, community-engaged study that follows a cohort of young adult Latinx immigrants (ages 18-44) in the Southeastern region of the United States who were predominantly Spanish-speakers (N = 391). We describe barriers that researchers may face in their pursuit of cultural and linguistic adaptation and offset these challenges with tangible solutions.

Safety and Feasibility of an Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention Program for Teaching Police Interaction Skills to Adolescents and Adults with Autism.

Low-cost, wireless immersive virtual reality (VR) holds significant promise as a flexible and scalable intervention tool to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) learn and develop critical practical life skills, including interacting safely and effectively with police officers. Previous research suggests that VR is a motivating intervention platform, but many individuals with ASD also exhibit anxiety and sensory sensitivities which might make it difficult to tolerate VR experiences. Here, we describe the results of a relatively large-scale, National Institutes of Health-funded systematic examination of the safety, feasibility, and usability of an immersive VR training program in adolescents and adults with ASD, aged 12 and older.

Global Anesthesia in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Anesthesia for oral and maxillofacial procedures during volunteer surgical missions requires careful planning of personnel, equipment, supplies, and coordination with the host medical institution. Cleft lip and palate repair are the most common oral and maxillofacial surgeries performed, and can be performed safely in low-resource environments when proper care and planning is taken.

Virtual Reality Support for Joint Attention Using the Floreo Joint Attention Module: Usability and Feasibility Pilot Study.

Background: Advances in virtual reality (VR) technology offer new opportunities to design supports for the core behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that promote progress toward optimal outcomes. Floreo has developed a novel mobile VR platform that pairs a user receiving instruction on target skills with an adult monitor.

Objective: The primary objective of this pilot study was to explore the feasibility of using Floreo's Joint Attention Module in school-aged children with autism in a special education setting.

Genetic characterization of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Ecuador and comparisons with regional populations identify likely migratory relationships.

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is an important agricultural pest native to the Americas that has recently been introduced into the Eastern Hemisphere where it has spread rapidly through most of Africa and much of Asia.

Versatile iron-catechol-based nanoscale coordination polymers with antiretroviral ligand functionalization and their use as efficient carriers in HIV/AIDS therapy.

A novel chemical approach integrating the benefits of nanoparticles with versatility of coordination chemistry is reported herein to increase the effectiveness of well-known HIV antiretroviral drugs. The novelty of our approach is illustrated using a catechol ligand tethered to the known antiretroviral azidothymidine (AZT) as a constitutive building block of the nanoparticles. The resulting nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs) ensure good encapsulation yields and equivalent antiretroviral activity while significantly diminishing its cytotoxicity.

3D-Printed Sugar-Based Stents Facilitating Vascular Anastomosis.

Microvascular anastomosis is a common part of many reconstructive and transplant surgical procedures. While venous anastomosis can be achieved using microvascular anastomotic coupling devices, surgical suturing is the main method for arterial anastomosis. Suture-based microanastomosis is time-consuming and challenging.

Solvent-Tuned Supramolecular Assembly of Fluorescent Catechol/Pyrene Amphiphilic Molecules.

The synthesis and structuration of a novel low-molecular-weight amphiphilic catechol compound is reported. The combination of a hydrophilic tail containing a catechol unit and a pyrene-based hydrophobic head favors solvent-tuned supramolecular assembly. Formation of hollow nanocapsules/vesicles occurs in concentrated solutions of polar protic and nonprotic organic solvents, whereas a fibril-like aggregation process is favored in water, even at low concentrations.

The supination assessment task: An automated method for quantifying forelimb rotational function in rats.

Background: Neurological injuries or disease can impair the function of motor circuitry controlling forearm supination, and recovery is often limited. Preclinical animal models are essential tools for developing therapeutic interventions to improve motor function after neurological damage. Here we describe the supination assessment task, an automated measure of quantifying forelimb supination in the rat.

Patterning vascular networks in vivo for tissue engineering applications.

The ultimate design of functionally therapeutic engineered tissues and organs will rely on our ability to engineer vasculature that can meet tissue-specific metabolic needs. We recently introduced an approach for patterning the formation of functional spatially organized vascular architectures within engineered tissues in vivo. Here, we now explore the design parameters of this approach and how they impact the vascularization of an engineered tissue construct after implantation.

A group 6 late embryogenesis abundant protein from common bean is a disordered protein with extended helical structure and oligomer-forming properties.

Late embryogenesis-abundant proteins accumulate to high levels in dry seeds. Some of them also accumulate in response to water deficit in vegetative tissues, which leads to a remarkable association between their presence and low water availability conditions. A major sub-group of these proteins, also known as typical LEA proteins, shows high hydrophilicity and a high percentage of glycine and other small amino acid residues, distinctive physicochemical properties that predict a high content of structural disorder.

Feasibility of in vivo human aortic valve modeling using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Surgical techniques for aortic valve (AV) repair are directed toward restoring normal structural relationships in the aortic root and rely on detailed assessment of root and valve anatomy. Noninvasive three-dimensional (3D) imaging and modeling may assist in patient selection and operative planning.

Methods: Transesophageal real-time 3D echocardiographic images of 5 patients with normal AVs were acquired.

Geometric control of vascular networks to enhance engineered tissue integration and function.

Tissue vascularization and integration with host circulation remains a key barrier to the translation of engineered tissues into clinically relevant therapies. Here, we used a microtissue molding approach to demonstrate that constructs containing highly aligned "cords" of endothelial cells triggered the formation of new capillaries along the length of the patterned cords. These vessels became perfused with host blood as early as 3 d post implantation and became progressively more mature through 28 d.

[Outbreak of multiresistant and extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a high risk neonatal unit].

Klebsiella pneumoniae as a producer of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) has played an important role as a cause of infection in the neonatal high risk unit (NHRU) of the Autonomous Hospital Institute of the Universidad de Los Andes (AHIULA). In this paper an outbreak caused by this bacterial specie that affected neonates hospitalized in this unit during February 2007 is described. Besides, the environment and the personnel were studied as possible sources of this organism.

Determinants of sexual abstinence and condom use among Central American adolescents.

Unlabelled: Engaging in sexual intercourse early in life and without protection often leads to unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in teens.

Methods: A binary logistical regression analysis was used to identify the risk and protective factors associated with two preventive health behaviors: sexual abstinence and consistent condom use among 6,902 Central American teens receiving web-based adolescent health promotion education from 2004 to 2008.

Results: The average age was 15 years, with ages ranging between 10 and 20 years.

Proline-rich cell wall proteins accumulate in growing regions and phloem tissue in response to water deficit in common bean seedlings.

Plant cell walls undergo dynamic changes in response to different environmental stress conditions. In response to water deficit, two related proline-rich glycoproteins, called p33 and p36, accumulate in the soluble fraction of the cell walls in Phaseolus vulgaris (Covarrubias et al. in Plant Physiol 107:1119-1128, 1995).

Role of residues 143 and 278 of the human nuclear Vitamin D receptor in the full-length and Delta165-215 deletion mutant.

Most of the actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)] are mediated by binding to the Vitamin D nuclear receptor (VDR). The crystal structure of a deletion mutant (Delta165-215) of the VDR ligand-binding domain (LBD) bound to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) indicates that amino acid residues tyrosine-143 and serine-278 form hydrogen bonding interactions with the 3-hydroxyl group of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). Studies of VDR and three mutants (Y143F, S278A, and Y143F/S278A) did not indicate any differences in the binding affinity between the variant receptors and the wild-type receptor.