Publication date: January 2018 Source:Hormones and Behavior, Volume 97 Author(s): Krista M. Milich, Alexander V. Georgiev, Rachel M. Petersen, Melissa Emery Thompson, Dario Maestripieri The relationship between male mating opportunities, stress, and glucocorticoid concentrations is complicated by the fact that physiological stress and glucocorticoid concentrations can be influenced by dominance rank, group size, and the stability of the male dominance hierarchy, along with ecological factors. We studied the three highest-ranking males in nine different social groups within the same free-ranging population of rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, during the mating season, to examine variation in glucocorticoid concentrations in relation to number of females that conceived each month, alpha status, number of adult males in a group, and male rank hierarchy stability. We found that glucocorticoid concentrations were highest in the early mating season period when more females conceived in each group and declined linearly as the mating season progressed and the number of conceptive females decreased. Alpha males had significantly higher mean monthly glucocorticoid concentrations than other high-ranking males throughout the study period. Male age, number of adult males in a group, and hierarchy stability were not significantly associated with glucocorticoid concentrations. Our findings suggest that alpha males may experience significantly higher levels of physiological stress than their immediate subordinates and that this stress coincides with the period of the mating season when most conceptions occur.
Publication date: Available online 13 October 2017 Source:Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography Author(s): Katharina Kniesz, Angelika Brandt, Torben Riehl Macrostylis marionae n. sp. is described by means of integrative taxonomy. It is the second isopod species (Crustacea) described from the hadal Puerto Rico Trench. It differs from other Macrostylidae (Janiroidea) predominantly by the lack of the tergal borders between the fossosome segments. Adult males of M. marionae n. sp. differed from females and juveniles of both sexes in a higher number of peritrich ciliate epibionts. In total, 64.3% of adult males and only 10.5% of adult females were infested. Because macrostylids are generally considered infaunal, with a digging lifestyle, while peritrichs require aquatic medium for filter feeding, this observed pattern led to the hypothesis of a behavioral sexual dimorphism in this species of Macrostylidae. Accordingly, the epibionts may prefer adult male macrostylids as basibionts because of a rather epifaunal and roaming lifestyle. In contrast they may avoid females due to a stationary and infaunal behavior. Additionally, the stage progression of the M. marionae male ontogeny was reconstructed.
Publication date: Available online 12 October 2017 Source:Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography Author(s): Torben Riehl, Lidia Lins, Angelika Brandt The largest habitat on Earth, the abyssal oceans below 3500m depth, are commonly assumed to represent a continuous environment due to homogeneity of environmental factors and the lack of physical barriers(McClain and Hardy, 2010; Menzel et al., 2011; Rex and Etter, 2010). Yet, the presence of bathymetric features, such as Mid-Ocean Ridges, and hadal trenches provide a discontinuation. During the Vema-TRANSIT expedition in 2014/2015 to the tropical North Atlantic, a transatlantic transect was studied following the full extent of the Vema Fracture Zone in an east-west direction and including the Puerto Rico Trench (PRT). The aim of this study was to test whether large bathymetric features represent barriers to dispersal and may lead to differentiation and eventually speciation. In this study, these potential barriers included the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and the transition (~3000m) from the hadal PRT to the adjacent abyss. Genetic differentiation and differences in community structure (species composition) from east and west of the MAR, as well as abyssal and hadal depth zones were tested for using the poor dispersers Macrostylidae (Crustacea, Isopoda) as a model Distribution patterns showed that certain macrostylid species have ranges extending more than 2000km, in some cases across oceanic ridges and trench-abyss transitions. Contrastingly, there was a clear signal for geographic population structure coinciding with the east-west division of the Atlantic by the MAR as well as with the abyss-hadal zonation. These results support the hypotheses that depth gradients as well as oceanic ridges reduce dispersal even though barriers may not be absolute. Additionally, positive correlation between genetic- and geographic distances showed that the vast size of the deep sea itself is a factor responsible for creating diversity.
Publication date: Available online 12 October 2017 Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics Author(s): Javier Lopez-Araujo, O. Lee Burnett
Publication date: 15 January 2018 Source:Geoderma, Volume 310 Author(s): Carlos E. Ramos-Scharrón Accelerated soil loss due to human land use is still one the most critical environmental problems as it can degrade both soils and downstream resources. Major gaps still exist in our knowledge of erosion, particularly in the dry tropics that make up about a fourth of the world's tropical landmass. The Insular Caribbean presents a particular need because erosion here has deleterious effects on soils, nearshore coral reefs, and their associated myriad of ecosystem services. Through plot-scale monitoring of runoff and sediment production over an eleven-month period, this study quantified the impacts of land disturbance on runoff development and sediment production relative to background rates on disturbed surfaces (i.e., roads) in a dry tropical area of Puerto Rico. Results demonstrate that unpaved road surfaces have the potential to generate runoff two to three-and-a-half times more frequently than under natural conditions and that they can produce sediment at rates that are between six to two-hundred times greater than background. These results suggest that land development in small dry-tropical coastal watersheds can potentially induce an increase in the frequency of runoff and sediment delivery into coastal waters even when a relatively small percentage of the land is disturbed. Soil formation simply cannot keep up with accelerated erosion, which implies a net exhaustion of the soil mantle and a decay of the ecological services it provides. Offsetting these soil losses will require implementing proven conservation practices to protect soils and coral reef ecosystems in this and other dry tropical settings. Graphical abstract
Publication date: Available online 6 October 2017 Source:Environmental Pollution Author(s): Amber Cathey, Kelly K. Ferguson, Thomas F. McElrath, David E. Cantonwine, Gerry Pace, Akram Alshawabkeh, Jose F. Cordero, John D. Meeker Pregnant women and their fetuses represent susceptible populations to environmental contaminants. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among pregnant women may contribute to adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth. Multiple previous studies have assessed airborne sources of PAHs among pregnant women but few have measured urinary PAH metabolites which can capture total exposure through multiple routes. The aim of this study was to bridge this knowledge gap by assessing longitudinal urinary PAH metabolite concentrations over two time points in pregnancy cohorts in Boston (N = 200) and Puerto Rico (N = 50) to better understand exposure distributions throughout pregnancy and how they relate to demographic factors. Urine samples were analyzed for 1-NAP, 2-NAP, 2-FLU, 1-PHE, 2,3-PHE, 4-PHE, 9-PHE, and 1-PYR. Concentrations of 2-NAP, 1-PYR, and 4-PHE were higher in Puerto Rico, while all other metabolites were present in higher concentrations in Boston. In Puerto Rico, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were weak to moderate, ranging from 0.06 to 0.42. PAH metabolite concentrations were significantly higher among younger, heavier (except 1-NAP and 9-PHE), and less educated individuals in Boston only. Consistent significant associations between PAH concentrations and measured covariates were not found in Puerto Rico. Our results suggest that potentially important differences in PAH exposure exist between these two populations. Additionally, our results indicate that multiple urinary measurements are required to accurately assess PAH exposure throughout pregnancy. Graphical abstract Teaser Pregnant women in Boston and Puerto Rico are differentially exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, with some biomarker levels being associated with younger age and higher BMI.
Publication date: Available online 23 September 2017 Source:Journal of Vascular Surgery Author(s): Palma M. Shaw, Venita Chandra, Guillermo A. Escobar, Nicholas Robbins, Vincent Rowe, Robyn Macsata Objective Hispanics account for approximately 17% of the U.S. population. They are one of the fastest growing racial/ethnic groups, second only to Asians. This heterogeneous population has diverse socioeconomic conditions, making the prevention, diagnosis, and management of vascular disease difficult. This paper discusses the cultural, racial, and social aspects of the Hispanic community in the United States and assesses how they affect vascular disease within this population. Furthermore, it explores risk factors, medical and surgical treatments, and outcomes of vascular disease in the Hispanic population; generational evolution of these conditions; and the phenomenon called the Hispanic paradox. Methods A systematic search of the literature was performed to identify all English-language publications from 1991 to 2014 using PubMed, which draws from the National Institutes of Health and U.S. National Library of Medicine, with the words “cardiovascular disease,” “prevalence,” “vascular,” and “Hispanic.” An additional search was performed using “cardiovascular disease and Mexico,” “cardiovascular disease and Cuba,” “cardiovascular disease and Puerto Rico,” and “cardiovascular disease and Latin America” as well as for complications, management, outcomes, surgery, vascular disease, and Hispanic paradox. The resulting publications were queried for generational data (spanning multiple well-defined age groups) regarding cardiovascular disease, and cross-references were obtained from their bibliographies. Results are segmented by country of origin. Results Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics face higher risks of cardiovascular diseases because of a high prevalence of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic stroke. However, the incidence of peripheral arterial disease and carotid disease appears to be significantly lower than in whites. The Hispanic paradox (lower mortality in spite of higher cardiovascular risk factors) may relate to challenges in ascribing life expectancy and cause of death in this diverse population. Low socioeconomic status and high prevalence of concomitant diseases negatively influence the outcomes of all patients, independent of being Hispanic. Conclusions Understanding the cultural diversity in Hispanics is important in terms of targeting preventive measures to modify cardiovascular risk factors, which affect development and outcomes of vascular disease. The available literature regarding vascular disease in the Hispanic population is limited, and further longitudinal study is warranted to improve health care delivery and outcomes in this group.
Publication date: Available online 21 September 2017 Source:Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Author(s): Peter J. Hernes, Rachael Y. Dyda, William H. McDowell Tropical rivers account for two thirds of global fluxes of terrigenous organic matter to the oceans, yet because of their remote locations relative to most industrialized countries, they are poorly studied compared to temperate and even Arctic rivers. Further, most tropical river research has focused on large rivers like the Amazon or Congo, yet more than half of organic matter fluxes from tropical rivers comes from much smaller rivers. This study focuses on two such rivers in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of Puerto Rico, namely the Rio Mameyes and Rio Icacos, and uses time-series measurements of lignin biomarkers to put them in context with much bigger tropical rivers in the literature. Although lignin concentrations and carbon-normalized yields offer some distinction between mountainous vs. floodplain tropical river reaches, compositional differences appear to offer greater potential, including S:V vs. C:V plots that may capture the poorly-studied influence of palm trees, and (Ad:Al)s vs. (Ad:Al)v plots that may reflect differences in underlying mineralogy and degradation in soils. Even though dissolved and particulate lignin ultimately come from the same vegetation sources, comparison of dissolved and particulate lignin parameters within the two Puerto Rican rivers indicate that the pathways by which they end up in the same parcel of river water are largely decoupled. Across several particulate lignin studies in tropical rivers, mineral composition and concentration appears to exert a strong control on particulate lignin compositions and concentrations. Finally, the time-series nature of this study allows for new ways of analyzing dissolved lignin endmember compositions and degradation within the catchment. Plots of dissolved lignin parameters vs. lignin concentration reveal both the compositions of “fresh” DOM that is likely mobilized from organic-rich soil surface layers along with the extent and trajectory of degradation of that signature that is possible within the lower mineral layers of the soil. Establishing connectivity between river chemistry and catchment sources and processes in this manner is the only way to realize the full potential of river chemistry as a diagnostic tool for changing sources and processes within the catchment.
Publication date: Available online 12 September 2017 Source:Gene Author(s): Areej Bukhari, Javier Rodriguez Luis, Miguel A. Alfonso-Sanchez, Ralph Garcia-Bertrand, Rene J. Herrera Notwithstanding the general interest and the geopolitical importance of the island countries in the Greater Antilles, little is known about the specific ancestral Native American and African populations that settled them. In an effort to alleviate this lacuna of information on the genetic constituents of the Greater Antilles, we comprehensively compared the mtDNA compositions of Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. To accomplish this, the mtDNA HVRI and HVRII regions, as well as coding diagnostic sites, were assessed in the Haitian general population and compared to data from reference populations. The Taino maternal DNA is prominent in the ex-Spanish colonies (61.3%–22.0%) while it is basically non-existent in the ex-French and ex-English colonies of Haiti (0.0%) and Jamaica (0.5%), respectively. The most abundant Native American mtDNA haplogroups in the Greater Antilles are A2, B2 and C1. The African mtDNA component is almost fixed in Haiti (98.2%) and Jamaica (98.5%), and the frequencies of specific African haplogroups vary considerably among the five island nations. The strong persistence of Taino mtDNA in the ex-Spanish colonies (and especially in Puerto Rico), and its absence in the French and English excolonies is likely the result of different social norms regarding mixed marriages with Taino women during the early years after the first contact with Europeans. In addition, this article reports on the results of an integrative approach based on mtDNA analysis and demographic data that tests the hypothesis of a southward shift in raiding zones along the African west coast during the period encompassing the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Graphical abstract
Publication date: Available online 9 September 2017 Source:Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers Author(s): Hans van Haren, Christian Berndt, Ingo Klaucke Reliable very deep shipborne SBE 911plus Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) data to within 60m from the bottom and Kongsberg EM122 0.5°×1° multibeam echosounder data are collected in the Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench. A new position and depth are given for the deepest point in the world's ocean. The data provide insight into the interplay between topography and internal waves in the ocean that lead to mixing of the lowermost water masses on Earth. Below 5,000m, the vertical density stratification is weak, with a minimum buoyancy frequency N = 1.0±0.6 cpd, cycles per day, between 6,500 and 8,500m. In that depth range, the average turbulence is coarsely estimated from Thorpe-overturning scales, with limited statistics to be ten times higher than the mean values of dissipation rate εT = 3±2×10–11 m2 s−3 and eddy diffusivity KzT = 2±1.5×10−4 m2 s−1 estimated for the depth range between 10,300 and 10,850m, where N = 2.5±0.6 cpd. Inertial and meridionally directed tidal inertio-gravity waves can propagate between the differently stratified layers. These waves are suggested to be responsible for the observed turbulence. The turbulence values are similar to those recently estimated from CTD and moored observations in the Puerto Rico Trench. Yet, in contrast to the Puerto Rico Trench, seafloor morphology in the Mariana Trench shows up to 500 m-high fault scarps on the incoming tectonic plate and a very narrow trench, suggesting that seafloor topography does not play a crucial role for mixing.
Publication date: September 2017 Source:Human Immunology, Volume 78, Supplement Author(s): Jennifer McCue, Yvette Hernandez Rodriguez, Sally de Echegaray Fores, Ozzarah Ferrer, Alexander Pinon-Ramos, Suny Chao, Thelma Jimenez, Ernestina Llorente, Theresa Barcia, Emilio Margolles-Clark, Ana Hernandez, Phillip Ruiz Aim The recent epidemic of Zika Virus in the United States has necessitated screening for the presence of this agent in high-risk transplant solid organ donors to avoid the transmission to potential recipients. In this study, we performed a retrospective analysis of Cadaver Donors from Auxilio Mutuo Hospital (HAM) in Puerto Rico. Methods One hundred fifty-six (156) serum samples from Deceased Donors were obtained from Puerto Rico. Aliquots of serum, were maintained at −20°C since collection. There were 38 samples from 2014, 62 from 2015, and 56 from 2016. These samples were tested with the RealStar® Zika Virus RT-PCR Kit U.S.® kit (Altona Diagnostics), and Anti-Zika Virus ELISA IgG and IgM kits (EUROIMMUN). These assays were validated with a separate group of freshly obtained Zika-positive samples from an ambulatory clinic at HAM. Results Of the 156 total deceased donor specimens retrospectively tested, none were positive for PCR, 2 were positive for IgM, and 22 were positive or borderline for IgG. The breakdown over the 3-year period indicated an increase in long-term exposure, as indicated by the increase in IgG positive samples. In 2014, only 5.2% were positive. However, by 2015 19.4% of the samples were positive. This indicates that almost 20% of the Deceased Donors tested had some contact with the Zika Virus (or a related Flavivirus, such as Dengue or West Nile). Of the positive IgG samples, only 2 were positive for IgM, indicating the exposure was likely more than 3months prior. The results of the PCR study were not surprising, as we have seen in our laboratory, the long-term storage of serum for later RNA-based PCR testing has been unsuccessful. Conclusions Zika testing utilizing PCR-based assays in conjunction with serological assays in areas of known infection is essential, especially when servicing solid organ transplant programs. The use of donors potentially infected with Zika virus could have a significant impact in transplant success as there are some indications that immunocompromised individuals may develop more severe symptoms or illnesses. The correct storage of serum samples is crucial to obtain reliable results of this test.
Publication date: Available online 1 September 2017 Source:Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters Author(s): Evgeniy Suslov, Vladimir V. Zarubaev, Alexander V. Slita, Konstantin Ponomarev, Dina Korchagina, Daniel M. Ayine-Tora, Jóhannes Reynisson, Konstantin Volcho, Nariman Salakhutdinov The antiviral activity of several diaza-adamantanes containing monoterpenoid moieties against a rimantadine-resistant strain of the influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) virus was studied. Hetero-adamantanes containing monoterpene moieties at the aminal position of the heterocycle were found to exhibit lower activity compared to compounds with a diaza-adamantane fragment and a monoterpene moiety linked via an amino group at the 6-position of the hetero-adamantane ring. The highest selectivity index (a ratio of the 50% cytotoxic concentration to the 50% inhibitory concentration) out of 30 was observed for compound 8d, which contains a citronellal monoterpenoid moiety. Diaza-adamantane 8d was superior to its adamantane-containing analog 5 both in its anti-influenza activity and selectivity. Furthermore, 8d has more balanced physicochemical properties than 5, making the former a more promising drug candidate. Modelling these compounds against an influenza virus M2 ion channel predicted plausible binding modes to both the wild-type and the mutant (S31N). Graphical abstract
Publication date: Available online 30 August 2017 Source:Microbes and Infection Author(s): Liqi Liu, Jian Lu, Jianfang Zhou, Zi Li, Heng Zhang, Dayan Wang, Yuelong Shu Human infections with Eurasian avian-like swine influenza H1N1 viruses have been reported in China in past years. One case resulted in death and others were mild case. In 2016, the World Health Organization recommended the use of A/Hunan/42443/2015(H1N1) virus to construct the first candidate vaccine strain for Eurasian avian-like swine influenza H1N1 viruses. Previous reports showed that the neuraminidase of A/Puerto Rico/8/34(H1N1) might improve the viral yield of reassortant viruses. Therefore, we constructed two reassortant candidate vaccine viruses of A/Hunan/42443/2015(H1N1) by reverse genetic technology, with (6+2) and (7+1) gene constitution, respectively. The (6+2) virus had hemagglutinin and neuraminidase from A/Hunan/42443/2015, and the (7+1) one had hemagglutinin from A/Hunan/42443/2015, while all the other genes were from A/Puerto Rico/8/34. Our data revealed that although the neuraminidase of the (7+1) virus was from high yield A/Puerto Rico/8/34, the hemagglutination titer and the hemagglutinin protein content of the (7+1) virus was not higher than that of the (6+2) virus. Both of the (7+1) and (6+2) viruses reached a similar level to that of A/Puerto Rico/8/34 at the usual harvest time in vitro. Therefore, both reassortant viruses are potential candidate vaccine viruses, which could contribute to pandemic preparedness.
Publication date: November 2017 Source:Virology, Volume 511 Author(s): Jessica A. Belser, Adam Johnson, Joanna A. Pulit-Penaloza, Claudia Pappas, Melissa B. Pearce, Wen-Pin Tzeng, M. Jaber Hossain, Callie Ridenour, Li Wang, Li-Mei Chen, David E. Wentworth, Jacqueline M. Katz, Taronna R. Maines, Terrence M. Tumpey The development of influenza candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) for pre-pandemic vaccine production represents a critical step in pandemic preparedness. The multiple subtypes and clades of avian or swine origin influenza viruses circulating world-wide at any one time necessitates the continuous generation of CVVs to provide an advanced starting point should a novel zoonotic virus cross the species barrier and cause a pandemic. Furthermore, the evolution and diversity of novel influenza viruses that cause zoonotic infections requires ongoing monitoring and surveillance, and, when a lack of antigenic match between circulating viruses and available CVVs is identified, the production of new CVVs. Pandemic guidelines developed by the WHO Global Influenza Program govern the design and preparation of reverse genetics-derived CVVs, which must undergo numerous safety and quality tests prior to human use. Confirmation of reassortant CVV attenuation of virulence in ferrets relative to wild-type virus represents one of these critical steps, yet there is a paucity of information available regarding the relative degree of attenuation achieved by WHO-recommended CVVs developed against novel viruses with pandemic potential. To better understand the degree of CVV attenuation in the ferret model, we examined the relative virulence of six A/Puerto Rico/8/1934-based CVVs encompassing five different influenza A subtypes (H2N3, H5N1, H5N2, H5N8, and H7N9) compared with the respective wild-type virus in ferrets. Despite varied virulence of wild-type viruses in the ferret, all CVVs examined showed reductions in morbidity and viral shedding in upper respiratory tract tissues. Furthermore, unlike the wild-type counterparts, none of the CVVs spread to extrapulmonary tissues during the acute phase of infection. While the magnitude of virus attenuation varied between virus subtypes, collectively we show the reliable and reproducible attenuation of CVVs that have the A/Puerto Rico/9/1934 backbone in a mammalian model.
Publication date: Available online 24 August 2017 Source:Journal of Aerosol Science Author(s): Jiayu Li, Anna Leavey, Yang Wang, Caroline O’Neil, Meghan A. Wallace, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Adrianus CM Boon, Hilary Babcock, Pratim Biswas Respiratory viral diseases can be spread when a virus-containing particle (droplet) from one individual is aerosolized and subsequently comes into either direct or indirect contact with another individual. Increasing numbers of studies are examining the occupational risk to healthcare workers due to proximity to patients. Selecting the appropriate air sampling method is a critical factor in assuring the analytical performance characteristics of a clinical study. The objective of this study was to compare the physical collection efficiency and virus collection efficiency of a 5ml compact SKC BioSampler®, a gelatin filter, and a glass fiber filter, in a laboratory setting. The gelatin filter and the glass fiber filter were housed in a home-made filter holder. Submersion (with vortexing and subsequent centrifugation) was used for the gelatin and glass fiber filters. Swabbing method was also tested to retrieve the viruses from the glass fiber filter. Experiments were conducted using the H1N1 influenza A virus A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (IAV-PR8), and viral recovery was determined using culture and commercial real-time-PCR (BioFire and Xpert). An atomizer was used to aerosolize a solution of influenza virus in PBS for measurement, and two Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers were used to determine particle size distributions. The SKC BioSampler demonstrated a U-shaped physical collection efficiency, lowest for particles around 30 – 50nm, and highest at 10nm and 300–350nm within the size range examined. The physical collection efficiency of the gelatin filter was strongly influenced by air flow and time: a stable collection across all particle sizes was only observed at 2L/min for the 9min sampling time, otherwise, degradation of the filter was observed. The glass fiber filter demonstrated the highest physical collection efficiency (100% for all sizes) of all tested samplers, however, its overall virus recovery efficiency fared the worst (too low to quantify). The highest viral collection efficiencies for the SKC BioSampler and gelatin filter were 5% and 1.5%, respectively. Overall, the SKC BioSampler outperformed the filters. It is important to consider the total concentration of viruses entering the sampler when interpreting the results.
Publication date: Available online 19 August 2017 Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics Author(s): Arpan V. Prabhu, Christopher Kim, Eison De Guzman, Eric Zhao, Evan Madill, Jonathan Cohen, David R. Hansberry, Nitin Agarwal, Dwight E. Heron, Sushil Beriwal Introduction Google is the most popular search engine in the United States, and patients are increasingly relying on online webpages to seek information about individual physicians. This study aims to characterize what patients find when they search for radiation oncologists online. Material & Methods The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Comparable Downloadable File was used to identify all Medicare-participating radiation oncologists in the United States and Puerto Rico. Each radiation oncologist was characterized by medical school education, year of graduation, city of practice, gender, and affiliation to an academic institution. Using a custom Google-based search engine, up to the top 10 search results for each physician were extracted and categorized as relating to: (1) physician, hospital, or healthcare system, (2) third-party, (3) social media, (4) academic journal articles, or (5) other. Results Amongst all U.S. health care providers within CMS, 4,443 self-identified as being radiation oncologists and yielded 40,764 search results. Of these, 1,161 (26.1%) and 3,282 (73.9%) were classified as academic and nonacademic radiation oncologists, respectively. At least one search result was obtained for 4,398 physicians (99.0%). Physician, hospital and healthcare-controlled websites (16,006; 39.3%) and third-party websites (10,494; 25.7%) were the two most observed domain types. Social media platforms accounted for 2,729 (6.7%) hits, and peer-reviewed academic journal websites accounted for 1,397 (3.4%) results. About 6.8% and 6.7% of the top ten links were social media websites for academic and nonacademic radiation oncologists, respectably. Conclusions Most radiation oncologists lack self-controlled online content when patients search within the first page of Google search results. With the strong presence of third-party websites and lack of social media, opportunities exist for radiation oncologists to increase their online presence to improve patient-provider communication and better the image of the overall field. We discuss strategies to improve online visibility. Teaser The authors identified all Medicare-participating radiation oncologists in the United States and Puerto Rico and developed a customized Google-based search engine. Up tothe top 10 search results for each physician were extracted and categorized. Results for academic and nonacademic radiation oncologists were compared. Most radiation, oncologists lacked self-controlled online content in the first page of Google search results. Strategies for radiation oncologists to improve their digital presence are discussed.
Publication date: Available online 19 August 2017 Source:Journal of the American Pharmacists Association Author(s): Sushmitha Inguva, Jessica M. Sautter, Grace J. Chun, Brandon J. Patterson, William F. McGhan Objectives To examine the population characteristics associated with the health behavior of receiving an influenza vaccine from a pharmacy-based setting. Design Secondary analysis of data from states that participated in an optional influenza module in the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based observational survey of U.S. adults. Setting and participants Analytic sample of 28,954 respondents from 8 states and Puerto Rico who reported receiving an influenza vaccination in the past year. Main outcome measures The main outcome was a self-reported categoric variable indicating the setting of the most recent seasonal influenza vaccination: doctor’s office, pharmacy-based store, or other setting. Results Multinomial logistic regression results showed that environmental, predisposing, enabling, and need factors in the Andersen model were salient features associated with odds of using pharmacy-based influenza vaccination settings instead of a doctor’s office. Residents of states that allowed pharmacists as immunizers before 1999 reported greater use of pharmacy-based store settings (odds ratio [OR] 1.31). Compared with young adults, individuals 65 years of age and older were more likely to choose a pharmacy-based store than a doctor’s office (OR 1.41) and less likely to use other community settings (OR 0.45). Compared with non-Hispanic whites, black respondents were less likely to use pharmacy-based store vaccination (OR 0.51), and multiracial and Hispanic respondents were more likely to use other settings (ORs 1.47 and 1.60, respectively). Enabling and need factors were also associated with setting. Conclusion Based on this dataset of selected states from 2014, almost one-fourth of U.S. adults who reported receiving an annual influenza vaccination did so from a pharmacy-based store; 35% reported using other community-based settings that may enlist pharmacists as immunizers. There were striking disparities in use of nontraditional vaccination settings by age and race or ethnicity. Pharmacists and pharmacies should address missed opportunities for vaccination by targeting outreach efforts based on environmental and predisposing characteristics.
Publication date: Available online 18 August 2017 Source:Educación Médica Author(s): Gladys L. Cora-Izquierdo, Clemente Rodríguez-Sabiote, José Álvarez-Rodríguez El trabajo que presentamos está relacionado con el estudio de las competencias genéricas y específicas desde la perspectiva europea (Proyecto Tuning Europa), la visión latinoamericana (Proyecto Tuning América Latina) y los requerimientos establecidos por la Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, así como de otras investigaciones actuales sobre competencias en Enfermería. Para realizar esta investigación, utilizamos una metodología ex post facto de tipo comparativo-causal, planteamos como objetivo de investigación determinar el grado de importancia que deben tener las competencias del grado profesional de Enfermería desde la opinión del alumnado, el profesorado y los empleadores y si dicha opinión muestra o no diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Elegimos una muestra en la que están representados los 3agentes, elaborando 3escalas en formato Likert. Cada una de las escalas está conformada por 22 competencias valoradas con 5categorías de respuesta. Algunas de las conclusiones a las que llegamos con este trabajo son la combinación de criterios entre los alumnos, docentes y empleadores para poder establecer un compromiso para mejorar los planes de estudios del grado de Enfermería y su adecuación al ámbito laboral. The work presented is related to the study of generic and specific competences from the European perspective (Tuning Project), the Latin American vision through (Tuning Latin America Project) and the requirements established by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, as well as, other current research on nursing skills. To carry out this research, we have used an ex post facto methodology, exactly a comparative-causal study, establishing as the main research objective the degree of importance that competences should have in the Nursing program from the students, faculty members and employers point of view, and if their opinions shows or not statistically significant differences. For the study, we chose a sample in which the 3agents are represented and 3Likert scales were designed. Each scale is comprised of 22 competencies which have been valued with 5categories of response. Some conclusions of this study are the combination of criteria among the students, teachers and employers, in order to establish a commitment to improve the curriculum of the degree of Nursing and its adaptation to the workplace.
Publication date: July 2017 Source:Energy Procedia, Volume 114 Author(s): Steve Goldthorpe Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is an essential contributor to the mitigation of climate change. CCS will require vast CO2 storage capacity. At present only geological storage is being considered. This paper revisits an alternative CO2 storage possibility in enclosed basins on the deep and very deep ocean floor. For example, the Indonesian Sunda trench, the Japanese Ryukyu trench and the Puerto Rico trench are more than 6km deep. If liquid CO2 were to be placed in such a trench, it would be 7% more dense than seawater and could remain permanently as a lake of liquid CO2 on the ocean floor, possibly becoming a solid hydrate over time which could inhibit mixing between the stored CO2 and ocean currents. At depths greater than about 4 to 5km metres, seawater is under-saturated in calcium carbonate, so ocean ecosystems are significantly different. Any impact on deep marine fauna would need to be investigated. The London Dumping Convention has provisions for disposal of material into the ocean provided the absence of adverse effects can be proven. Deep ocean CO2 entrapment is more certain than geological CO2 storage in deep aquifers. A CO2 delivery concept by ship and vertical pipe is suggested for exploratory trials, with subsea pipelines for permanent installations, which might be much cheaper than geological CO2 storage. There is vast capacity for storage of CO2 in the world's very deep ocean trenches. The Sunda trench below 6km has the capacity to accommodate 19,000 gigatonnes of liquid CO2, which is greater than the CO2 yield from all currently known global fossil fuel reserves. The Puerto Rico trench has capacity for 24,000 Gt of liquid CO2 deeper than 7km. Enclosed basins of limited area could easily accommodate captured CO2. China has the largest potential demand for CO2 storage from power generation and industrial sources, which could be 3 Gt per year by 2050. The Ryukyu trench, which is 700km from the Chinese coast and is in Japanese water, has two sections deeper than 7km. Those sections of the Ryukyu trench would have the capacity to accommodate all the CO2 captured in China at 3 Gt per year for over 200 years. In the event that very deep ocean storage of CO2 is found to be practicable and acceptable, the minimum practical depth would need to be determined as a criterions for acceptable additional storage locations. For consideration, there is an enclosed basin on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea 60km off Southern Greece, with capacity for 84 Gt of CO2 deeper than 4.5km. Also, there is an enclosed basin in the Arabian Sea, 320km south west of Karachi, with capacity for 86 Gt of CO2 deeper than 3.5km. The potential storage of CO2 in such locations would be temperature dependent. The global CCS community has previously considered ocean storage of CO2 on the basis of ultimate dissolution and dispersion of CO2 in ocean water. Those studies have dismissed ocean storage as environmentally unacceptable due to ocean acidification. This paper postulates that very deep ocean trenches (>6km) and deep ocean floor depressions (>4km) are environments for CO2 storage, where permanent storage without dissolution, acidification or adverse effects on fauna may be possible. The purpose of this paper is to pose the question “Why not?” to the CCS community and to suggest that active research is timely.
