The forest resources of rural householders in Dent County, Missouri

This bulletin reports on School of Forestry research project 124, Timber Economics--P. [3].Digitized 2007 AES.Includes bibliographical references (page 21)

NRG Oncology-Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Study 1014: 1-Year Toxicity Report From a Phase 2 Study of Repeat Breast-Preserving Surgery and 3-Dimensional Conformal Partial-Breast Reirradiation for In-Breast Recurrence.

PURPOSE: To determine the associated toxicity, tolerance, and safety of partial-breast reirradiation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eligibility criteria included in-breast recurrence occurring \u3e1 year after whole-breast irradiation, \u3c3 \u3ecm, unifocal, and resected with negative margins. Partial-breast reirradiation was targeted to the surgical cavity plus 1.5 cm; a prescription dose of 45 Gy in 1.5 Gy twice daily for 30 treatments was used. The primary objective was to evaluate the rate of grade ≥3 treatment-related skin, fibrosis, and/or breast pain adverse events (AEs), occurring ≤1 year from re-treatment completion. A rate of ≥13% for these AEs in a cohort of 55 patients was determined to be unacceptable (86% power, 1-sided α = 0.07). RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2013, 65 patients were accrued, and the first 55 eligible and with 1 year follow-up were analyzed. Median age was 68 years. Twenty-two patients had ductal carcinoma in situ, and 33 had invasive disease: 19 ≤1 cm, 13 \u3e1 to ≤2 cm, and 1 \u3e2 cm. All patients were clinically node negative. Systemic therapy was delivered in 51%. All treatment plans underwent quality review for contouring accuracy and dosimetric compliance. All treatment plans scored acceptable for tumor volume contouring and tumor volume dose-volume analysis. Only 4 (7%) scored unacceptable for organs at risk contouring and organs at risk dose-volume analysis. Treatment-related skin, fibrosis, and/or breast pain AEs were recorded as grade 1 in 64% and grade 2 in 7%, with only 1 ( CONCLUSION: Partial-breast reirradiation with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy after second lumpectomy for patients experiencing in-breast failures after whole-breast irradiation is safe and feasible, with acceptable treatment quality achieved. Skin, fibrosis, and breast pain toxicity was acceptable, and grade 3 toxicity was rare

What Drives the US and Peruvian HIV Epidemics in Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)?

In this work, we estimate the proportions of transmissions occurring in main vs. casual partnerships, and by the sexual role, infection stage, and testing and treatment history of the infected partner, for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the US and Peru. We use dynamic, stochastic models based in exponential random graph models (ERGMs), obtaining inputs from multiple large-scale MSM surveys. Parallel main partnership and casual sexual networks are simulated. Each man is characterized by age, race, circumcision status, sexual role behavior, and propensity for unprotected anal intercourse (UAI); his history is modeled from entry into the adult population, with potential transitions including HIV infection, detection, treatment, AIDS diagnosis, and death. We implemented two model variants differing in assumptions about acute infectiousness, and assessed sensitivity to other key inputs. Our two models suggested that only 4–5% (Model 1) or 22–29% (Model 2) of HIV transmission results from contacts with acute-stage partners; the plurality (80–81% and 49%, respectively) stem from chronic-stage partners and the remainder (14–16% and 27–35%, respectively) from AIDS-stage partners. Similar proportions of infections stem from partners whose infection is undiagnosed (24–31%), diagnosed but untreated (36–46%), and currently being treated (30–36%). Roughly one-third of infections (32–39%) occur within main partnerships. Results by country were qualitatively similar, despite key behavioral differences; one exception was that transmission from the receptive to insertive partner appears more important in Peru (34%) than the US (21%). The broad balance in transmission contexts suggests that education about risk, careful assessment, pre-exposure prophylaxis, more frequent testing, earlier treatment, and risk-reduction, disclosure, and adherence counseling may all contribute substantially to reducing the HIV incidence among MSM in the US and Peru

Antibacterial activity of blue light against nosocomial wound pathogens growing planktonically and as mature biofilms

The blue wavelengths within the visible light spectrum are intrinisically antimicrobial and can photodynamically inactivate the cells of a wide spectrum of bacteria (Gram positive and negative) and fungi. Furthermore, blue light is equally effective against both drug-sensitive and -resistant members of target species and is less detrimental to mammalian cells than is UV radiation. Blue light is currently used for treating acnes vulgaris and Helicobacter pylori infections; the utility for decontamination and treatment of wound infections is in its infancy. Furthermore, limited studies have been performed on bacterial biofilms, the key growth mode of bacteria involved in clinical infections. Here we report the findings of a multicenter in vitro study performed to assess the antimicrobial activity of 400-nm blue light against bacteria in both planktonic and biofilm growth modes. Blue light was tested against a panel of 34 bacterial isolates (clinical and type strains) comprising Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter cloacae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Elizabethkingia meningoseptica. All planktonic-phase bacteria were susceptible to blue light treatment, with the majority (71%) demonstrating a ≥ 5-log10 decrease in viability after 15 to 30 min of exposure (54 J/cm2 to 108 J/cm2). Bacterial biofilms were also highly susceptible to blue light, with significant reduction in seeding observed for all isolates at all levels of exposure. These results warrant further investigation of blue light as a novel decontamination strategy for the nosocomial environment, as well as additional wider decontamination applications

An Unusual Occurrence of Arthrophycus Alleghaniensis(?) on the Shawangunk Ridge, Lower Mid-Hudson Valley, New York

The Shawangunk Formation is a medial Silurian conglomerate that crops out from near Rosendale, south through Wurtsboro, New York, High Point State Park and the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey, and at Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania after which it continues into Maryland and Virginia. The formation overall is interpreted to primarily represent a braided stream environment with flowage from mountains to the east that arose during the Taconic Orogeny into a basin toward the west. The trace fossil Arthrophycus was found in the upper-middle part of the formation on the Shawangunk Ridge at Mohonk, near New Paltz, New York. Arthrophycus is normally found on the bottom of beds, however these specimens occur in place on the top of a bed. The trace consists of simple burrows lacking in ornamentation and medial ridge due to weathering; the cross sectional outline is not preserved. Arthrophycus is extremely rare in the Shawangunk Formation, with the only previous know occurrence of the trace reported in a single reference from 1928. While it is possible that the trace maker was terrigenous, the depositional environment of these traces was likely estuarine. Sea level rise or tidal ebbs and flows would have enabled marine burrowers to form traces in the conglomerate which, in these beds, is sandier with no large pebbles. This is supported by the occurrence of eurypterids in the formation that were euryhaline and lived in a wide range of salinities

A Freshwater Community on the Shawangunk Ridge in the Lower Mid-Hudson Valley, New York

The Shawangunk Ridge in the lower mid-Hudson Valley extends from the vicinity of Rosendale through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Within the first thirty miles can be found five “sky lakes”: Mohonk, Minnewaska, Awosting, Mud Pond and Maratanza. Since these lakes occur on the top of the ridge they have no drainage basin. Here we report on the pH and other abiotic factors that impact the aquatic fauna of Mohonk Lake. The pH of the lake is 7 near the surface. Lake Minnewaska’s pH increased from 4 to 6 in the last twenty years. The pH of the other three sky lakes (pH=4) may be influenced by acid seeps, reactivation of faults permitting acidic water to migrate into the lakes, or a decrease in the buffering capacity of the underlying Martinsburg Formation. Nine taxa of aquatic insects were collected from Mohonk Lake along with six invertebrate (Isopoda, Amphipoda, Gastropoda, Hirudinea, Crustacea, Hexapoda) and four vertebrate taxa with a diversity index of 55.5. This system was less diverse than the Lily Pond, a site studied previously, but had significantly higher counts of individuals. This is most likely due, at least in part, to the larger scale and deeper water column of Mohonk Lake. The other Sky Lakes are believed to possess a comparable species composition since the habitats are similar, but may differ somewhat depending on the specific pH of each lake

Placental Transfer of Lactate, Glucose and 2-deoxyglucose in Control and Diabetic Wistar Rats

Placental transfer of lactate, glucose and 2-deoxyglucose was examined employing the in situ perfused placenta. Control and streptozotocin induced diabetic Wistar rats were infused with [U14C]-glucose and [3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2DG). The fetal side of the placenta was perfuseci with a cell free medium and glucose uptake was calculated in the adjacent fetuses. Despite the 5-fold higher maternal plasma glucose concentration in the diabetic dams the calculated fetal glucose metabolic index was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Placental blood flow was reduced in the diabetic animals compared with controls but reduction of transfer of [U14C]-glucose and [3H]-2-deoxyglucose and endogenously derived [14C]-Lactate to the fetal compartment, could not be accounted for by reduced placental blood flow alone. There was no significant net production or uptake of lactate into the perfusion medium that had perfused the fetal side of the placenta in either group. The plasma lactate levels in the fetuses adjacent to the perfused placenta were found to be higher than in the maternal plasma and significantly higher in the fetuses of the diabetic group compared with control group. In this model the in situ perfused placenta does not secrete significant quantities of lactate into the fetal compartment in either the control or diabetic group