Synthetic Pesticides and Health in Vulnerable Populations: Agricultural Workers.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to summarize epidemiological literature published between May 15, 2018, and May 14, 2019, that examines the relationship between exposure to synthetic pesticides and health of agricultural workers.

Recent Findings: Current research suggests that exposure to synthetic pesticides may be associated with adverse health outcomes. Agricultural workers represent a potentially vulnerable population, due to a combination of unique social and cultural risk factors as well as exposure to hazards inherent in agricultural work.

Acyl Homoserine Lactone Analog Modulators of the Rhll Quorum Sensing Signal Synthase.

Virulence in the Gram-negative pathogen relies in part on the efficient functioning of two LuxI/R dependent quorum sensing (QS) cascades, namely, the LasI/R and RhlI/R systems that generate and respond to (3-oxo)-dodecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone and butyryl-l-homoserine lactone, respectively. The two acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) synthases, LasI and RhlI, use 3-oxododecanoyl-ACP and butyryl-ACP, respectively, as the acyl-substrates to generate the corresponding autoinducer signals for the bacterium. Although AHL synthases represent excellent targets for developing QS modulators in , and in other related bacteria, the identification of potent and signal synthase specific inhibitors has represented a significant technical challenge.

Diversification of the gut fungi Smittium and allies (Harpellales) co-occurred with the origin of complete metamorphosis of their symbiotic insect hosts (lower Diptera).

Smittium (Harpellales, Kickxellomycotina) includes fungal symbionts associated with the digestive tracts of immature aquatic stages of various Diptera, including Chironomidae, Culicidae, Dixidae, Simuliidae, Thaumaleidae, and Tipulidae. With 84 species and the largest collection of cultured strains, Smittium has served as a model to understand the biology of these enigmatic trichomycetes gut fungi, from aspects of biodiversity, evolution, genomics, immunology, and physiology. However, evolutionary histories between Smittium species and their hosts are still not firmly established.

The effects of internalized shame and self-blame on disordered eating and drive for muscularity in collegiate men.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to explore the relative contributions of self-blame and internalized shame to variability in disordered eating and drive for muscularity scores in collegiate men.

Method: One hundred and sixty-eight male college students in the Rocky Mountain region of the USA completed valid and reliable self-report survey measures: the Drive for Muscularity Scale, the Internalized Shame Scale, the Shame and Guilt Eating Scale to assess self-blame, and the Eating Attitudes Test. Cross-sectional data were analyzed through descriptive, correlation, and regression statistics.

Self-reported eating disorder risk in lean and non-lean NCAA Collegiate Athletes.

Purpose: The purpose of this present study was to examine gender differences in overall scores on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college athletes in "lean" sports versus "non-lean" sports.

Methods: Using a self-report survey design, this study examined eating disorder risk in 121 NCAA college athletes, using the EAT-26. We expected that female athletes and athletes in "lean" sports would report higher scores on the EAT-26.

Mechanical Properties of Graphene Foam and Graphene Foam - Tissue Composites.

Graphene foam (GF), a 3-dimensional derivative of graphene, has received much attention recently for applications in tissue engineering due to its unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Although GF is an appealing material for cartilage tissue engineering, the mechanical properties of GF - tissue composites under dynamic compressive loads have not yet been reported. The objective of this study was to measure the elastic and viscoelastic properties of GF and GF-tissue composites under unconfined compression when quasi-static and dynamic loads are applied at strain magnitudes below 20%.

Electromagnetic waves' effect on airflow during air sparging.

Air sparging is a popular, yet slow, remediation technology for soil and groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This paper theoretically and experimentally studies the effect of electromagnetic (EM) waves on air-channel formation within a glass-bead medium-used as an analogy to soil-during air-sparging experiments. The impact of EM waves on cleanup is not the focus of this paper, and the impact on airflow may or may not positively impact resulting cleanup process using air sparging to remove VOCs through volatilization.

Insights into β-ketoacyl-chain recognition for β-ketoacyl-ACP utilizing AHL synthases.

Beta-ketoacyl-ACP utilizing enzymes in fatty acid, polyketide and acyl-homoserine lactone biosynthetic pathways are important targets for developing antimicrobial, anticancer and antiparasitic compounds. Published reports on successful isolation of beta-ketoacyl-ACPs in a laboratory remain scarce to date and thus most beta-ketoacyl-ACP utilizing enzymes are routinely characterized using small molecule substrates in lieu of the bonafide 3-oxoacyl-ACPs. We report the systematic investigation into the electronic, geometric and spatial aspects of beta-ketoacyl-chain recognition to develop 3-oxoacyl-ACP substrate mimics for two beta-ketoacyl-ACP utilizing quorum signal synthases.

PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF TRICHOMONAS GALLINAE AND TRICHOMONOSIS IN GOLDEN EAGLE ( AQUILA CHRYSAETOS) NESTLINGS IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA.

Avian trichomonosis, caused by the protozoan Trichomonas gallinae, affects bird-eating raptors worldwide. Raptors can develop trichomonosis by feeding on infected prey, particularly Rock Pigeons (C olumba livia), which are a reservoir for T. gallinae.

Phylogenomic Analysis of Nassula variabilis n. sp., Furgasonia blochmanni, and Pseudomicrothorax dubius Confirms a Nassophorean Clade.

The class Nassophorea includes the microthoracids and nassulids, which share morphological similarities in their somatic kinetids and cytopharyngeal baskets. The monophyly of this clade has been challenged by small subunit rRNA gene sequences and multi-gene analyses that do not provide strong support. To provide a more robust test of the monophyly of the Nassophorea, phylogenomic analyses were based on 124 genes derived from the single-cell transcriptomes of the microthoracid Pseudomicrothorax dubius and the nassulid Furgasonia blochmanni.

Developing a Multi-Dimensional Early Elementary Mathematics Screener and Diagnostic Tool: The Primary Mathematics Assessment.

There is a critical need to identify primary level students experiencing difficulties in mathematics to provide immediate and targeted instruction that remediates their deficits. However, most early math screening instruments focus only on the concept of number, resulting in inadequate and incomplete information for teachers to design intervention efforts. We propose a mathematics assessment that screens and provides diagnostic information in six domains that are important to building a strong foundation in mathematics.

Allele frequencies of 15 STR loci (Identifiler™ kit) in Basque-Americans.

Individuals with Basque ancestry form a historically and culturally important minority of the population of the western United States. Allele frequencies for the 15 autosomal STRs in the AmpFlSTR® Identifiler® PCR Amplification Kit (Applied Biosystems) from 156 unrelated self-identified Basque individuals born in the United States are presented. Allele frequencies were used to calculate parameters commonly used in genetics and forensics including power of discrimination (PD), power of exclusion (PE), polymorphic information content (PIC), and expected heterozygosity (He).

Magnetically Ordered Transition-Metal-Intercalated WSe.

Introducing magnetic behavior in nonmagnetic transition metal dichalcogenides is essential to broaden their applications in spintronic and nanomagnetic devices. In this article, we investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of transition-metal-intercalated tungsten diselenide (WSe) using density functional theory. We find that intercalation compounds with composition of TWSe (T is an iron-series transition-metal atom) exhibit substantial magnetic moments and pronounced ferromagnetic order for late transition metals.

Negative Epistasis in Experimental RNA Fitness Landscapes.

Mutations and their effects on fitness are a fundamental component of evolution. The effects of some mutations change in the presence of other mutations, and this is referred to as epistasis. Epistasis can occur between mutations in different genes or within the same gene.

Biofeedback-Based, Videogame Balance Training in Autism.

The present study examined the effects of a visual-based biofeedback training on improving balance challenges in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-nine youth with ASD (7-17 years) completed an intensive 6-week biofeedback-based videogame balance training. Participants exhibited training-related balance improvements that significantly accounted for postural-sway improvements outside of training.

Case report: Coincidental inclusion in a 17-locus Y-STR mixture, wrongful conviction and exoneration.

We report the case of a suspect (Suspect-3) who was convicted (and later exonerated) of participating in the multiple-attacker rape of two women. The forensic evidence against him was his inclusion in a 17-marker Y-STR mixture isolated from semen on one victim's clothing. The DNA inclusion produced a match statistic with a combined probability of inclusion of 1 in 741, and a Likelihood Ratio of 3296.

Multi-Arm Junctions for Dynamic DNA Nanotechnology.

Nonenzymatic catalytic substrates have been engineered using toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement, and their programmable applications range from medical diagnosis to molecular computation. However, the complexity, stability, scalability, and sensitivity of those systems are plagued by network leakage. A novel way to suppress leakage is to increase its energy barrier through four-way branch migration.

Graphene Foam as a three-dimensional Platform for Myotube Growth.

This study demonstrates the growth and differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into functional myotubes on 3-dimensional graphene foam bioscaffolds. Specifically, we establish both bare and laminin coated graphene foam as a biocompatible platform for muscle cells and identify that electrical coupling stimulates cell activity. Cell differentiation and functionality is determined by the expression of myotube heavy chain protein and Ca fluorescence, respectively.

Enhanced Computational Sampling of Perylene and Perylothiophene Packing with Rigid-Body Models.

Molecular simulations have the potential to advance the understanding of how the structure of organic materials can be engineered through the choice of chemical components but are limited by computational costs. The computational costs can be significantly lowered through the use of modeling approximations that capture the relevant features of a system, while lowering algorithmic complexity or by decreasing the degrees of freedom that must be integrated. Such methods include coarse-graining techniques, approximating long-range electrostatics with short-range potentials, and the use of rigid bodies to replace flexible bonded constraints between atoms.

Game-based online antenatal breastfeeding education: A pilot.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Healthy Moms intervention on antenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy and intention and to determine the feasibility of using an online game-based learning platform to deliver antenatal breastfeeding education.

Background: The Internet has potential for improving breastfeeding rates through improving women's access to antenatal breastfeeding education.

Methods: Twelve computer-based breastfeeding education modules were developed using an online learning platform.

Faculty drivers and barriers: laying the groundwork for undergraduate STEM education reform in academic departments.

Background: Calls to improve student learning and increase the number of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) college and university graduates assert the need for widespread adoption of evidence-based instructional practices in undergraduate STEM courses. For successful reforms to take hold and endure, it is likely that a significant shift in culture around teaching is needed. This study seeks to describe the initial response of faculty to an effort to shift teaching norms, with a long-term goal of altering the culture around teaching and learning in STEM.

A conceptual framework for understanding illegal killing of large carnivores.

The growing complexity and global nature of wildlife poaching threaten the survival of many species worldwide and are outpacing conservation efforts. Here, we reviewed proximal and distal factors, both social and ecological, driving illegal killing or poaching of large carnivores at sites where it can potentially occur. Through this review, we developed a conceptual social-ecological system framework that ties together many of the factors influencing large carnivore poaching.

Selective Foraging by Pogonomyrmex salinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Semiarid Grassland: Implications for a Rare Plant.

Selective foraging by granivores can have important consequences for the structure and composition of plant communities, and potentially severe consequences for rare plant species. To understand how granivore foraging behavior affects common and rare plant species, diet selection should be viewed relative to the availability of alternative seed options, and with consideration of the individual attributes of those seeds (e.g.

Mechanisms of Change in the ARC Organizational Strategy: Increasing Mental Health Clinicians' EBP Adoption Through Improved Organizational Culture and Capacity.

The development of efficient and scalable implementation strategies in mental health is restricted by poor understanding of the change mechanisms that increase clinicians' evidence-based practice (EBP) adoption. This study tests the cross-level change mechanisms that link an empirically-supported organizational strategy for supporting implementation (labeled ARC for Availability, Responsiveness, and Continuity) to mental health clinicians' EBP adoption and use. Four hundred seventy-five mental health clinicians in 14 children's mental health agencies were randomly assigned to the ARC intervention or a control condition.

Assessing mental health clinicians' intentions to adopt evidence-based treatments: reliability and validity testing of the evidence-based treatment intentions scale.

Background: Intentions play a central role in numerous empirically supported theories of behavior and behavior change and have been identified as a potentially important antecedent to successful evidence-based treatment (EBT) implementation. Despite this, few measures of mental health clinicians' EBT intentions exist and available measures have not been subject to thorough psychometric evaluation or testing. This paper evaluates the psychometric properties of the evidence-based treatment intentions (EBTI) scale, a new measure of mental health clinicians' intentions to adopt EBTs.