Center For Use Research Articles

Targeted deletion of olfactory receptors in D. melanogaster via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated LexA knock-in

The study of olfaction in Drosophila melanogaster has greatly benefited from genetic reagents such as olfactory receptor mutant lines and GAL4 reporter lines. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system has been increasingly used to create null receptor mutants or replace coding regions with GAL4 reporters. To further expand this toolkit for manipulating fly olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), we generated null alleles for 11 different olfactory receptors by using CRISPR/Cas9 to knock in LexA drivers, including multiple lines for receptors which have thus far lacked knock-in mutants. The targeted neuronal types represent a broad range of antennal ORNs from all four morphological sensillum classes. Additionally, we confirmed their loss-of-function phenotypes, assessed receptor haploinsufficiency, and evaluated the specificity of the LexA knock-in drivers. These receptor mutant lines have been deposited at the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center for use by the broader scientific community.

(261) Vasovasostomy Surgical Simulation Using En Bloc Orchiectomy Specimen

Abstract Introduction Surgical simulation with use of synthetic materials, animals, or human tissues is an essential part of surgical training. Prior vasovasostomy (VV) simulations have described use of silicone tubules, animal vasa, and vas segments from human prostatectomy specimen. Herein we describe a VV surgical simulation model using benign, en bloc human testicle and spermatic cord specimen acquired via gender-affirming simple orchiectomy. Objective To improve resident confidence in performing VV via a surgical wet lab using benign, en bloc human testicle and spermatic cord specimen acquired via gender-affirming simple orchiectomy. Methods En bloc testicle and spermatic cord specimen from benign orchiectomy procedures were stored in our institution’s tissue bank. After development of a tissue handling protocol, specimens were then transported to our surgical simulation center for use in a VV microsurgical surgical simulation exercise. Participants were asked to complete a six-throw VV anastomosis using specimen. The first three throws were “training naïve,” with no prior instruction and an 8-minute time cap. After the first three throws or 8 minutes of time, participants received 10 minutes of hands-on instruction from a fellowship-trained urologic microsurgeon, then completed the remaining three throws of their six-throw anastomosis. Performance was measured using a microsurgical skills assessment tool for each set of three stitches and compared (figure 1). Pre- exercise and post- exercise surveys (figure 2) were completed in which participants rated their confidence in performing VV. Two months later, the same participants returned for an interval skills assessment in which they were tasked with completing the six-throw anastomosis in a 16-minute time limit. Skills were again evaluated with the microsurgical skills assessment tool; pre- and post- exercise surveys were again completed. Results Four urology trainees participated in our exercise: two PGY2s, one PGY3 and one PGY4. Completed number of knots increased from the first 8-minute session to the final 8-minute session for all participants (table 1). Surgical performance as measured by the skills-assessment tool did not change as a result of the instruction intervention (table 1). Participant confidence in performing microsurgical VV improved between the pre- and post- exercise surveys (table 2). All participants felt the wet lab served as a realistic representation of real-life VV (table 3)). At the two-month reassessment time point, all participants completed a similar number of throws (+/- 1 throw) in an overall equal amount of time (16 consecutive minutes compared to 8 minutes twice) with similar surgical performance compared to initial assessment (table 4). Conclusions A microsurgical VV wet lab using en bloc benign orchiectomy specimen serves a realistic simulation of real-life VV and improves trainee confidence in performing this procedure. Real-time instruction likely provides less value for improving operative skill than does experience and repetitions alone. These findings support not only the use of human specimen for surgical training, but also the value of a gender-affirming surgery program which provides access to these benign specimens. Disclosure No.

Nickel(II)-Doped Lead-Free Halide Crystals Exhibiting Highly Efficient Tunable Blue-Emitting out of Antiferromagnetic Ni-Ni Coupling.

Metal halide crystals are widely used in optoelectronic fields due to their excellent optical properties. The hunt for a lead-free halide semiconductor with superior optical performance is a particularly fascinating topic in order to avoid the toxicity of lead. Here, we incorporate Ni2+ into a series of halide nanocrystals (NCs) through solution-phase synthesis. By modifying the A-site and varying the halide compositions, we successfully achieved significant tunability of the blue emission of the Ni2+-doped AX (A = K+, Rb+, NH2CH = NH2+ (FA), CH3NH3+ (MA); X = Br, I) NCs, ranging from 375 to 490 nm, due to the antiferromagnetic polaron (AMP), which is in contrast with the excitonic magnetic polarons (EMP) from those with ferromagnetic (FM) coupling between transition metal ions in similar compounds. This work shows that Ni2+-doped halide crystals could become a typical example providing AMP excitation as the optional emission centers for use in light emitting devices.

Association Between Venous Homografts and Allosensitization After Norwood Procedure.

Right ventricle (RV) to pulmonary artery (PA) shunts have become the shunt of choice at many centers for use during the Norwood procedure for single ventricle palliation. Some centers have begun to use cryopreserved femoral or saphenous venous homografts as an alternative to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) for shunt construction. The immunogenicity of these homografts is unknown, and potential allosensitization could have significant implications on transplant candidacy. All patients undergoing Glenn procedure at our center between 2013 and 2020 were screened. Patients who initially underwent Norwood procedure with either PTFE or venous homograft RV-PA shunt and had available pre-Glenn serum were included in the study. The primary outcome of interest was panel reactive antibody (PRA) level at the time of Glenn surgery. Thirty-six patients met inclusion criteria (N = 28 PTFE, N = 8 homograft). Patients in the homograft group had significantly higher median PRA levels at the time of Glenn surgery (0% [IQR 0-18] PTFE vs 94% [IQR 74-100] homograft, P = .003). There were no other differences between the two groups. Despite potential improvements in PA architecture, the use of venous homografts for RV-PA shunt construction at the time of Norwood procedure is associated with significantly elevated PRA level at the time of Glenn surgery. Centers should carefully consider the use of currently available venous homografts given the high percentage of these patients who may require future transplantation.

MESOPOROUS ALUMINOSILICATES AS PROMISING CARRIERS OF CATALYSTS FOR PETROCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Nowadays there is a number of research papers and a certain interest in some mesoporous materials and the study of their properties. Mesoporous materials have every chance to become components of industrial heterogeneous catalysts. Catalysts based on mesoporous aluminosilicates are widely used in the petrochemical industry for hydrogenation, reforming, hydroisomerization, hydrocracking, hydrodearomatization, etc. In this article mesoporous aluminosilicates (MAS) were synthesized by copolycondensation of tetraethylortosilicate and secondary aluminum butoxide. Hexadecylamine was used as a template. The physico-chemical characteristics of a synthesized structured mesoporous aluminosilicate and a bifunctional catalyst based on it were studied by nitrogen adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, SEM and TPDA. It was found that the obtained samples have an ordered mesoporous structure and possess the necessary strength and concentration of acid centers for use as acid components of bifunctional catalysts of various petrochemical processes.

Automatic marker-free registration of single tree point-cloud data based on rotating projection

Point-cloud data acquired using a terrestrial laser scanner play an important role in digital forestry research. Multiple scans are generally used to overcome occlusion effects and obtain complete tree structural information. However, the placement of artificial reflectors in a forest with complex terrain for marker-based registration is time-consuming and difficult. In this study, an automatic coarse-to-fine method for the registration of point-cloud data from multiple scans of a single tree was proposed. In coarse registration, point clouds produced by each scan are projected onto a spherical surface to generate a series of two-dimensional (2D) images, which are used to estimate the initial positions of multiple scans. Corresponding feature-point pairs are then extracted from these series of 2D images. In fine registration, point-cloud data slicing and fitting methods are used to extract corresponding central stem and branch centers for use as tie points to calculate fine transformation parameters. To evaluate the accuracy of registration results, we propose a model of error evaluation via calculating the distances between center points from corresponding branches in adjacent scans. For accurate evaluation, we conducted experiments on two simulated trees and six real-world trees. Average registration errors of the proposed method were 0.026 m around on simulated tree point clouds, and 0.049 m around on real-world tree point clouds.

Building Networks of Enterprise: Sustained Learning in the Writing Center

This essay examines the learning processes of writing center professionals through the lens of “networks of enterprise” (Wallace & Gruber, 1989), which reflects on the dynamic processes through which creative people, like writing center professionals (WCPs), bring together the diverse and complex tasks undertaken in their everyday work into a cohesive and satisfying career. While there is substantial turnover in the profession, some WCPs stay in writing center positions for decades. Drawing on information gathered through surveys and interviews with ten long-term WCPs (with an average of 28 years of experience), as well as reflecting on his own career, the author attempts to discern what long-term learning WCPs take away from work. This piece shares participants’ responses to the following questions: (1) What do writing center professionals learn from the diversity of their duties and long-term exposure to the ideas of writers from a multitude of disciplines? (2) Are the lessons, processes, or theories, WCPs encounter in the center of use in their own scholarly, administrative, or creative pursuits? (3) To what degree does such learning make WCPs better at their jobs and motivate them to spend years or even an entire career in the writing center? Though not unanimous, the participants’ answers indicate that WCPs do indeed gain and apply to their work —including their own creative and academic writing projects — a deep, broad, and ever-growing network of knowledge gained from tutoring, training tutors, teaching, and performing the many practical, rhetorical, political, and administrative tasks required in these positions. Most, though not all participants, cited the building of such knowledge as a key motivation for spending their career in or around writing centers.

Effect of low temperature and relative humidity on reproduction and survival of the tick Rhipicephalus microplus.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of Rhipicephalus microplus females under low temperature, to determine the influence of temperature and relative humidity (RH) on the biological parameters of this tick. In total 300 viable engorged female ticks collected from cattle were used. On the day of collection (D0), 30 female ticks were divided into three groups: G1, kept at 28°C and 80% RH; G2, kept at 20°C and 80% RH; and G3, kept at 20°C and 30% RH. The remaining females were stored in a refrigerator at 4°C. Over the next 9days (D+1 to D+9), 30 female ticks were removed daily from the refrigerator and distributed among the three treatments. Egg mass, feed conversion rate, egg incubation period, larval hatch rate, number of dead females per group, weight of female tick removed from the refrigerator, and female tick weight loss were recorded. At 20°C and 80% RH hatching was delayed. Among the female ticks kept in the refrigerator and then allocated to groups G1, G2, and G3, there was a reduction in reproductive efficiency and a rise in mortality as time in the refrigerator increased. The female ticks expressed their best reproductive capacity when subjected to the refrigeration temperature for a maximum of 3days and then kept at 28°C and 80% RH. Thus, although female ticks can be stored in the refrigerator before being sent to research centers for use in bioassays, the storage time should be as short as possible, not exceeding 3days.

Development of a computer-aided detection system for colonoscopy and a publicly accessible large colonoscopy video database (with video)

Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted polyp detection systems for colonoscopic use are currently attracting attention because they may reduce the possibility of missed adenomas. However, few systems have the necessary regulatory approval for use in clinical practice. We aimed to develop an AI-assisted polyp detection system and to validate its performance using a large colonoscopy video database designed to be publicly accessible. To develop the deep learning-based AI system, 56,668 independent colonoscopy images were obtained from 5 centers for use as training images. To validate the trained AI system, consecutive colonoscopy videos taken at a university hospital between October 2018 and January 2019 were searched to construct a database containing polyps with unbiased variance. All images were annotated by endoscopists according to the presence or absence of polyps and the polyps' locations with bounding boxes. A total of 1405 videos acquired during the study period were identified for the validation database, 797 of which contained at least 1 polyp. Of these, 100 videos containing 100 independent polyps and 13 videos negative for polyps were randomly extracted, resulting in 152,560 frames (49,799 positive frames and 102,761 negative frames) for the database. The AI showed 90.5% sensitivity and 93.7% specificity for frame-based analysis. The per-polyp sensitivities for all, diminutive, protruded, and flat polyps were 98.0%, 98.3%, 98.5%, and 97.0%, respectively. Our trained AI system was validated with a new large publicly accessible colonoscopy database and could identify colorectal lesions with high sensitivity and specificity. (Clinical trial registration number: UMIN 000037064.).

Reproductive behavior drives female space use in a sedentary Neotropical frog.

Longer-range movements of anuran amphibians such as mass migrations and habitat invasion have received a lot of attention, but fine-scale spatial behavior remains largely understudied. This gap is especially striking for species that show long-term site fidelity and display their whole behavioral repertoire in a small area. Studying fine-scale movement with conventional capture-mark-recapture techniques is difficult in inconspicuous amphibians: individuals are hard to find, repeated captures might affect their behavior and the number of data points is too low to allow a detailed interpretation of individual space use and time budgeting. In this study, we overcame these limitations by equipping females of the Brilliant-Thighed Poison Frog (Allobates femoralis) with a tag allowing frequent monitoring of their location and behavior. Neotropical poison frogs are well known for their complex behavior and diverse reproductive and parental care strategies. Although the ecology and behavior of the polygamous leaf-litter frog Allobates femoralis is well studied, little is known about the fine-scale space use of the non-territorial females who do not engage in acoustic and visual displays. We tracked 17 females for 6 to 17 days using a harmonic direction finder to provide the first precise analysis of female space use in this species. Females moved on average 1 m per hour and the fastest movement, over 20 m per hour, was related to a subsequent mating event. Traveled distances and activity patterns on days of courtship and mating differed considerably from days without reproduction. Frogs moved more on days with lower temperature and more precipitation, but mating seemed to be the main trigger for female movement. We observed 21 courtships of 12 tagged females. For seven females, we observed two consecutive mating events. Estimated home ranges after 14 days varied considerably between individuals and courtship and mating associated space use made up for ∼30% of the home range. Allobates femoralis females spent large parts of their time in one to three small centers of use. Females did not adjust their time or space use to the density of males in their surroundings and did not show wide-ranging exploratory behavior. Our study demonstrates how tracking combined with detailed behavioral observations can reveal the patterns and drivers of fine-scale spatial behavior in sedentary species.

Abstract P4-15-04: Strategic planning for implementing an electronic wearable device loan program for breast cancer patients in a community cancer center

Abstract Purpose: The role of physical activity (PA) for breast cancer patients and survivors, including the use of electronic wearable devices (EWD), continues to be an active area of research as PA may positively impact treatment-related side effects, quality of life, recurrence risk and survival outcomes, as well as body composition and weight status. Statistically significant outcomes cannot be achieved without establishing a standardized study methodology that increases the probability that the study participants will successfully activate and wear the EWD daily for the period of the study. This pilot study aimed to report the activation (downloading app to phone, pairing EWD to phone), synchronization of the EWD to the electronic medical record (EMR) and daily use of the EWD (EMR record of daily steps) by breast cancer patients and survivors treated in a community cancer center. Data collected will help facilitate planning of an EWD loan program for economically disadvantaged patients, patients indecisive about purchasing their own EWD and for future clinical trials. Methodology: All EWD (Fitbit™) were donated to a community cancer center for use by breast cancer patients. Twenty-nine eligible breast cancer patients and survivors were "loaned" an EWD for the 4 months study period between Oct 2017 and July 2019. All patients were provided written instructions, prepared by EMR Information Technology staff, for activation and synchronization of the EWD to the EMR. In 2019, a staff person was assigned to the study to meet participants in person to activate and synchronize the EWD with the EMR. Results: The average age of the 28 study participants was 60 years old. Of the 21 participants who have completed the 4-month study period, 7 participants (33%) used the EWD ≥95% of the study period, 2 participants (10%) used the EWD 70-75% of the study period and 6 participants (29%) used the EWD 5-40% of the study period based on EMR data. Nine participants (43%) had EWD activation problems at study onset, 5 of these participants never successfully activated and synchronized their EWD with the EMR during the 4-month study period. A total of 6 EWD were reported lost by participants during or shortly after the study period. For the last 7 participants enrolled later in the study, a staff person was assigned to provide in-person help with activation and synchronization of the EWD and all participants successfully activated and synchronized their EWD with their EMR. Conclusion: Implementation of an EWD loan program or clinical trial for breast cancer patients requires staff involvement to help participants properly activate and synchronize their EWD to the EMR. Staff time and cost of lost EWD should be considered in budgetary planning. Citation Format: Sarah Washburn, Rebecca Colvin, Fredric Kass, Sam Howland. Strategic planning for implementing an electronic wearable device loan program for breast cancer patients in a community cancer center [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-15-04.

Adaptation of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale for adults with Down syndrome

BackgroundAdults with Down syndrome (DS) are at increased risk for Alzheimer disease dementia, and there is a pressing need for the development of assessment instruments that differentiate chronic cognitive impairment, acute neuropsychiatric symptomatology, and dementia in this population of patients.MethodsWe adapted a widely used instrument, the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale, which is a component of the Uniform Data Set used by all federally funded Alzheimer Disease Centers for use in adults with DS, and tested the instrument among 34 DS patients recruited from the community. The participants were assessed using two versions of the modified CDR—a caregiver questionnaire and an in-person interview involving both the caregiver and the DS adult. Assessment also included the Dementia Scale for Down Syndrome (DSDS) and the Raven’s Progressive Matrices to estimate IQ.ResultsBoth modified questionnaire and interview instruments captured a range of cognitive impairments, a majority of which were found to be chronic when accounting for premorbid function. Two individuals in the sample were strongly suspected to have early dementia, both of whom had elevated scores on the modified CDR instruments. Among individuals rated as having no dementia based on the DSDS, about half showed subthreshold impairments on the modified CDR instruments; there was substantial agreement between caregiver questionnaire screening and in-person interview of caregivers and DS adults.ConclusionsThe modified questionnaire and interview instruments capture a range of impairment in DS adults, including subthreshold symptomatology, and the instruments provide complementary information relevant to the ascertainment of dementia in DS. Decline was seen across all cognitive domains and was generally positively related to age and negatively related to IQ. Most importantly, adjusting instrument scores for chronic, premorbid impairment drastically shifted the distribution toward lower (no impairment) scores.

A Simulation-Based Approach to Data Center Thermal Efficiency Optimization

Abstract The energy consumption for cooling electronic equipment in data centers using central systems is significant and will continue to rise. The motivation of the present research study is based on the need to determine optimization strategies to improve and optimize the thermal efficiency of data centers using a simulation-based approach. Here, simulation is used to model and optimize a proposed research data center for use as an environment to test equipment and investigate best practices and strategies such as containment and hybrid cooling. The optimization technique used in this study finds the optimal operating conditions and containment strategies of the data center while meeting specific thermal conformance criteria. More specifically, optimum supply airflow rate and temperature setpoint of cooling units are sought under different containment configurations, including both hot aisle and cold aisle containment strategies in both full and partial setups. The results of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations indicated a lower probability of hot spots with full hot aisle containment strategy in a data center operating at lower supply airflow rate and higher supply temperature setpoint. The optimization approach helped to determine a more efficient cooling system without the risk of under-provisioning. The study considered steady-state conditions with static heat load and fixed equipment layout. However, the generalized optimization process developed in the present study should add to the repertoire of tools presently used for the optimization of new air-cooled data centers.

Valtakunnallisten Kanta-palvelujen käyttöönotto apteekeissa ja kuntien julkisessa perusterveydenhuollossa vuosina 2010–2016

Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin valtakunnallisten Kanta-palvelujen (resepti-palvelu ja Potilastiedon arkisto) käyttöönottoa apteekkien ja terveyskeskusten käyttöönottojen päivämäärien aineistossa vuosina 2010–2016. Palvelujen käyttöönottoa tarkasteltiin valtakunnallisesti, erityisvastuualueittain (erva) ja sairaanhoitopiireittäin (shp) sekä sähköisten potilaskertomusten tuotemerkkien ja terveyskeskusten lukumäärän mukaan. Kaksi valtakunnallista Kanta-palvelua saatiin käyttöön 5,5 vuodessa (keskimäärin 4,6 vuodessa erva:lla ja 3,6 vuodessa shp:ssä). Resepti-palvelu saatiin käyttöön apteekeissa ja terveyskeskuksissa valtakunnallisesti 3,4 vuodessa (keskimäärin 2,3 vuodessa erva:lla ja 1,1 vuodessa shp:ssä). Ahvenanmaalla palvelu otettiin käyttöön 7.12.2016 viimeisenä julkisessa terveydenhuollossa. Resepti-palvelun saaminen käyttöön apteekeissa valtakunnallisesti kesti 2,4 vuotta (keskimäärin 1,3 vuotta erva:lla ja 0,6 vuotta shp:ssä) sekä 3,4 vuotta terveyskeskuksissa (keskimäärin 2,0 vuotta erva:lla ja 0,6 vuotta shp:ssä). Potilastiedon arkisto (PTA) on käytössä Manner-Suomessa, mutta ei Ahvenanmaalla. Valtakunnallisesti PTA saatiin käyttöön 2,0 vuodessa (keskimäärin 1,5 vuodessa erva:lla ja 0,6 vuodessa shp:ssä). Kuntien terveyskeskuksissa oli vuosina 2010–2016 käytössä viisi sähköisen potilaskertomuksen tuotemerkkiä. PTA:n valtakunnallinen käyttöönotto kesti sitä pitempään, mitä enemmän sähköisiä potilaskertomuksia käyttäviä kuntia (terveyskeskuksia) kuului käyttöönoton piiriin. Yleisesti mitä vähemmän shp:ssä oli käytössä sähköisten potilaskertomusten eri tuotemerkkejä, sitä lyhyempi oli käyttöönottojen kesto.

MP26: Development and evaluation of a novel emergency physician fan-out mechanism at an urban centre for use in mass casualty incidents

Background: Understaffing in mass casualty incidents limits flow in the overwhelmed emergency department, which is further compounded by inefficient use of those same human resources. Process mapping analysis of a “Code Orange” exercise at a tertiary academic hospital exposed the failures of telephone-based emergency physician fan-out protocols to address these issues. As such, a quality improvement and patient safety initiative was undertaken to design, implement, and evaluate a new mass casualty incident fan-out mechanism. Aim Statement: By February 2019, emergency physician fan-out will be accomplished within 1 hour of Code Orange declaration, with a response rate greater than 20%. Measures & Design: Process mapping of a Code Orange simulation highlighted telephone fan-out to be ineffective in mobilizing emergency physicians to provide care in mass casualty incidents: available staff were pulled from their usual duties to help unit clerks unsuccessfully reach off-duty physicians by telephone for hours. Stakeholders subsequently identified automation and computerization as a compelling change idea. A de-novo automated bidirectional text-messaging system was thus developed. Early trials were analyzed for process measures including fan-out speed, unit clerk involvement, and physician response rate, with further large-scale tests planned for early 2019. Evaluation/Results: Only 50% of telephone fan-out was completed after a 2-hour exercise despite 3 staff supplementing the 2 on-shift unit clerks, with a 4% physician response rate. In contrast, data from initial trials of the automated system suggest that full fan-out can be performed within 1 hour of Code Orange declaration and require only 1 unit clerk, with text-messages projected to yield higher physician response rates than telephone calls. Early findings have thus far affirmed stakeholder sentiments that automating fan-out can improve speed, unit clerk efficiency, and physician response rate. Discussion/Impact: Automated text-message systems can expedite fan-out protocol in mass casualty incidents, relieve allied health staff strain, and more reliably recruit emergency physicians. Large-scale trials of the novel system are therefore planned for early 2019, with future expansion of the protocol to other medical personnel under consideration. Thus, automated text-message systems can be implemented in urban centres to improve fan-out efficiency and aid overall emergency department flow in mass casualty incidents.

High Frequency Ultrasound in Aesthetic Dermatology. Novel Research For the Use of 18 MHz ShearWave Elastographyfor Pre and Post Therapy Assessment. Pre Clinical Trials of Collagen Fillers within the Dermal and Subdermal Layers of the Skin

Ultrasound elastography (USE) is an imaging technology sensitive to tissue stiffness and in recent years’ technology has enabled methods to add quantitive measurements of tissue stiffness. The study included female volunteers referred to a local aesthetic centre for use of hyaluronic fillers in the periorbital region. Patients included in the study would be over the age of 35 years with no previous history of scarring, allergy, atopy, trauma or subcutaneous skin disorders. All participants were subject to ultrasound evaluation by means of 18 MhZ linear probe Hitachi Aloka Arietta S70 to assess the skin in the periorbital region bilaterally. A small pilot study was performed to assess feasibility of shearwave elastography during treatment process. Results: The Histogram Width Tissue Characterization (HWTC) between 35 and 50 year age group shows significant difference between the epidermal and subcutaneous fat tissue characterization. The epidermis layer of 50 year old female has less gray scale levels with reduced HWTC rate. Conclusion: Further research is encouraged to include large sample populations. Following collagen filler treatment or other aesthetic methods, follow up sonography and elastography methods may prove to provide a measurable outcome in treatment. There is limited knowledge regarding elastography, shear wave elastography and strain elastography, which provides a large field of novel research to be delved upon in future. It is expected in future technology for tissue elasticity imaging there will be sophisticated improvements such as three dimensional and quantitative elasticity images based on tissue elasticity modulus.

Knowledge mobilisation for chronic disease prevention: the case of the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre

BackgroundCross-sectoral, multidisciplinary partnership research is considered one of the most effective means of facilitating research-informed policy and practice, particularly for addressing complex problems such as chronic disease. Successful research partnerships tend to be underpinned by a range of features that enable knowledge mobilisation (KMb), seeking to connect academic researchers with decision-makers and practitioners to improve the nature, quality and use of research. This paper contributes to the growing discourse on partnership approaches by illustrating how knowledge mobilisation strategies are operationalised within the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre (the Centre), a national collaboration of academics, policy-makers and practitioners established to develop systems approaches for the prevention of lifestyle-related chronic diseases.MethodsWe undertook interviews with key academics, policy, and practice partners and funding representatives at the mid-point of the Centre’s initial 5-year funding cycle. We aimed to explore how the Centre is functioning in practice, to develop a conceptual model of KMb within the Centre for use in further evaluation, and to identify ways of strengthening our approach to partnership research. Inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used to identify the key mechanisms underpinning the Centre’s KMb approach.ResultsSix key mechanisms appeared to facilitate KMb within our Centre, namely Engagement, Partnerships, Co-production, Capacity and Skills, Knowledge Integration, and Adaptive Learning and Improvement. We developed a conceptual model that articulated these mechanisms in relation to the structures and processes that support them, as well as the Centre’s goals. Findings also informed adaptations designed to strengthen the Centre.ConclusionsFindings provide insights into the practical realities of operationalising KMb strategies within a research partnership. Overall, the centre is perceived to be progressing towards its KMb goals, but challenges include stakeholders from different settings understanding each other’s contexts and working together effectively, and ensuring knowledge generated across different projects within the Centre is integrated into a more comprehensive understanding of chronic disease prevention policy and practice. Our conceptual model is now informing ongoing developmental evaluation activities within the Centre, where it is being tested and refined.

Prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in non-human primates of the Macaca mulatta species from a breeding center for use as biomodels

Prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in non-human primates of the Macaca mulatta species from a breeding center for use as biomodels

High site fidelity and restricted ranging patterns in southern Australian bottlenose dolphins.

Information on site fidelity and ranging patterns of wild animals is critical to understand how they use their environment and guide conservation and management strategies. Delphinids show a wide variety of site fidelity and ranging patterns. Between September 2013 and October 2015, we used boat‐based surveys, photographic identification, biopsy sampling, clustering analysis, and geographic information systems to determine the site‐fidelity patterns and representative ranges of southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops cf. australis) inhabiting the inner area of Coffin Bay, a highly productive inverse estuary located within Thorny Passage Marine Park, South Australia. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) of individuals’ site‐fidelity index and sighting rates indicated that the majority of dolphins within the inner area of Coffin Bay are “regular residents” (n = 125), followed by “occasional residents” (n = 28), and “occasional visitors” (n = 26). The low standard distance deviation indicated that resident dolphins remained close to their main center of use (range = 0.7–4.7 km, X ± SD = 2.3 ± 0.9 km). Representative ranges of resident dolphins were small (range = 3.9–33.5 km2, X ± SD = 15.2 ± 6.8 km2), with no significant differences between males and females (Kruskal–Wallis, χ2 = 0.426, p = .808). The representative range of 56% of the resident dolphins was restricted to a particular bay within the study area. The strong site fidelity and restricted ranging patterns among individuals could be linked to the high population density of this species in the inner area of Coffin Bay, coupled with differences in social structure and feeding habits. Our results emphasize the importance of productive habitats as a major factor driving site fidelity and restricted movement patterns in highly mobile marine mammals and the high conservation value of the inner area of Coffin Bay for southern Australian bottlenose dolphins.

Spacecraft and Instrument Photoelectrons Measured by the Dual Electron Spectrometers on MMS

AbstractSecondary electrons are continuously generated via photoemission from sunlit spacecraft and instrument surfaces. These particles can subsequently contaminate low‐energy channels of electron sensors. Spacecraft photoelectrons are measured at energies below that of a positive spacecraft potential and can be removed at the expense of energy resolution. However, fluxes of photoelectrons generated inside electron instruments are independent of spacecraft potential and must be fully characterized in order to correct electron data. Here we present observations of spacecraft and instrument photoelectron populations measured with the Dual Electron Spectrometers (DES) on NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. We leverage observations from Earth's nightside plasma sheet taken during MMS commissioning and develop an empirical model of instrument photoelectrons. This model is used with DES velocity distribution functions to correct plasma moments and has been made publicly available on the MMS science data center for use by the scientific community.