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Knowledge and perceptions of Zika virus transmission in the community of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
No full textBackground: Zika virus is associated with increased cases of both microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Community knowledge, perceptions and practices to prevent infection with the Zika virus are not well understood, particularly among high risk populations living in resource-poor and Zika-endemic areas. Our objective was to assess knowledge of symptoms, health effects and prevention practices associated with Zika virus in rural communities on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Methods: Study participants were contacted while attending community events such as free medical clinics and invited to be interviewed regarding their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Zika virus using the World Health Organization’s Zika survey tool. Results: Of the 75 Dominicans that participated, 33% did not know who could become infected with Zika. In addition, only 40% of respondents were able to identify mosquitoes or sexual transmission as the primary routes of infection though 51% of respondents thought that Zika was an important issue in their community. Conclusions: This study found that general knowledge regarding the basic risks and transmission of Zika were not well understood among a sample of rural Dominicans. Our findings highlight disparities in knowledge and perception of risk from Zika in rural areas compared to previous studies conducted in the Dominican Republic. Education about the basic risks and transmission of Zika are critically needed in these remote populations to reduce Zika transmission
Predicting Chikungunya disease personal protective behaviors: Results of a cross-sectional survey of US-Caribbean travelers
No full textBackground: Incidents of vector-borne disease have recently tripled in the United States. Chikungunya disease is a particularly common disease in the Caribbean, posing a threat to international tourists. However, the relationship between psychological variables derived from the protection motivation theory (PMT), and adoption of protective behaviors against the disease, is uncertain. This study sought to identify the psychological predictors of travelers’ protective health behaviors, specifically (1) appropriate clothing use, and (2) indoor spatial repellent use. Methods: An online, retrospective survey of U.S. international travelers to Caribbean destinations measured the five constructs of the PMT in the context of Chikungunya disease: Perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, perceived response efficacy, perceived self-efficacy, and knowledge. Hierarchical logistic regression analyzed whether these five theoretical constructs predicted the two protective behaviors in respondents who met study criteria (n = 184). Results: Results suggest that the interaction between chikungunya knowledge and perceived chikungunya severity predicts both appropriate clothing use (odds ratio [OR]: 1.95, CI: 1.18-3.25, P=0.010) and indoor spatial repellent use (OR: 1.55, CI: 1.05-2.29, P=0.029). In the cases of appropriate clothing use, the interaction between perceived chikungunya severity and perceived vulnerability was also a significant predictor (OR: 9.67, CI:1.23-75.80, P=0.031). Additionally, indoor spatial repellent use was also predicted by the interaction of chikungunya knowledge and perceived vulnerability (OR: 1.88, CI:1.18-3.02, P=0.009). Conclusion: Two-pronged educational approaches may be most efficacious in increasing protective health behaviors. Such efforts could reduce incidents of chikungunya disease and other vectorborne diseases in travel destinations featuring high exposure risks
Structural Definition of a Neutralization-Sensitive Epitope on the MERS-CoV S1-NTD
No full textMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged into the human population in 2012 and has caused substantial morbidity and mortality. Potently neutralizing antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) on MERS-CoV spike (S) protein have been characterized, but much less is known about antibodies targeting non-RBD epitopes. Here, we report the structural and functional characterization of G2, a neutralizing antibody targeting the MERS-CoV S1 N-terminal domain (S1-NTD). Structures of G2 alone and in complex with the MERS-CoV S1-NTD define a site of vulnerability comprising two loops, each of which contain a residue mutated in G2-escape variants. Cell-surface binding studies and in vitro competition experiments demonstrate that G2 strongly disrupts the attachment of MERS-CoV S to its receptor, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), with the inhibition requiring the native trimeric S conformation. These results advance our understanding of antibody-mediated neutralization of coronaviruses and should facilitate the development of immunotherapeutics and vaccines against MERS-CoV
Foreign State, Constitutional Rights, and International Law
No full textome of the more pressing issues related to global governance and world order lie at the intersection of foreign relations law, international law, and constitutional law. What role does the Constitution play in ensuring the United States lives up to the nation’s international law obligations in an evolving period of globalization? More provocatively, to what degree will the United States uphold its international legal obligations if not mandated by the Constitution? And what role do domestic courts play in enforcing these international law obligations? In this regard, the U.S. Supreme Court has not directly addressed the question of the rights, if any, that foreign states have under the U.S. Constitution
Anion Control of Lanthanoenediyne Cyclization
No full textA suite of lanthanoenediyne complexes of the form Ln(macrocycle)X (Ln = La, Ce, Eu, Gd, Tb, Lu; X = NO, Cl, OTf) was prepared by utilizing an enediyne-containing [2 + 2] hexaaza-macrocycle (2). The solid-state Bergman cyclization temperatures, measured via DSC, decrease with the denticity of X (bidentate NO, T = 267–292 °C; monodentate Cl, T = 238–262 °C; noncoordinating OTf, T = 170–183 °C). 13C NMR characterization shows that the chemical shifts of the acetylenic carbon atoms also rely on the anion identity. The alkyne carbon closest to the metal binding site, C, exhibits a > 3 ppm downfield shift, while the more distal alkyne carbon, C, displays a concomitant ≤ 2.5 ppm upfield shift, reflecting a depolarization of the alkyne on metal inclusion. For all metals studied, the degree of perturbation follows the trend 2 < NO < Cl < OTf. This belies a greater degree of electronic rearrangement in the coordinated macrocycle as the denticity of X and its accompanying shielding of the metal’s Lewis acidity decrease. Computationally modeled structures of LnX show a systematic increase in the lanthanide–2 coordination number (CN = 2 (NO), 4 (Cl), 5 (HO, model for OTf)) and a decrease in the mean Ln–N bond length (La–N = 2.91 Å (NO), 2.78 Å (Cl), 2.68 Å (HO)), further suggesting that a decrease in the anion coordination number correlates with an increase in the metal–macrocycle interaction. Taken together, these data illustrate a Bergman cyclization landscape that is influenced by the bonding of metal to an enediyne ligand but whose reaction barrier is ultimately dominated by the coordinating ability of the accompanying anion
Stereoinversion of Unactivated Alcohols by Tethered Sulfonamides
No full textThe direct, catalytic substitution of unactivated alcohols remains an undeveloped area of organic synthesis. Moreover, catalytic activation of this difficult electrophile with predictable stereo-outcomes presents an even more formidable challenge. Described herein is a simple iron-based catalyst system which provides the mild, direct conversion of secondary and tertiary alcohols to sulfonamides. Starting from enantioenriched alcohols, the intramolecular variant proceeds with stereoinversion to produce enantioenriched 2- and 2,2-subsituted pyrrolidines and indolines, without prior derivatization of the alcohol or solvolytic conditions
Rice Galaxy: an open resource for plant science
No full textBackground: Rice molecular genetics, breeding, genetic diversity, and allied research (such as rice-pathogen interaction) have adopted sequencing technologies and high-density genotyping platforms for genome variation analysis and gene discovery. Germplasm collections representing rice diversity, improved varieties, and elite breeding materials are accessible through rice gene banks for use in research and breeding, with many having genome sequences and high-density genotype data available. Combining phenotypic and genotypic information on these accessions enables genome-wide association analysis, which is driving quantitative trait loci discovery and molecular marker development. Comparative sequence analyses across quantitative trait loci regions facilitate the discovery of novel alleles. Analyses involving DNA sequences and large genotyping matrices for thousands of samples, however, pose a challenge to non−computer savvy rice researchers. Findings: The Rice Galaxy resource has shared datasets that include high-density genotypes from the 3,000 Rice Genomes project and sequences with corresponding annotations from 9 published rice genomes. The Rice Galaxy web server and deployment installer includes tools for designing single-nucleotide polymorphism assays, analyzing genome-wide association studies, population diversity, rice−bacterial pathogen diagnostics, and a suite of published genomic prediction methods. A prototype Rice Galaxy compliant to Open Access, Open Data, and Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reproducible principles is also presented. Conclusions: Rice Galaxy is a freely available resource that empowers the plant research community to perform state-of-the-art analyses and utilize publicly available big datasets for both fundamental and applied science
A Competency Analysis of Waterpark Aquatic Professionals
No full textThe purpose of this study was to further the knowledge base in the aquatics field and assist in the development of universal standards to ensure that competent managers are employed at waterpark type venues. Until recently, thanks in part to the establishment of the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC 2014), universal standards did not exist in aquatics. The development of standards in the field will help to ensure continuity in policies among all facility types, properly trained professionals, and ultimately safer environments for participants. Using a pair of five-point Likert scales to sample 600 aquatic professionals, this study sought to discover what key competencies were needed by waterpark professionals and which competencies needed further development specifically for waterpark professionals. Extrapolated from the results, we observed risk management was crucial to operations of waterparks and that programming was an area to examine further
Off the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation: A Population of Baryon-dominated Ultra-diffuse Galaxies
No full textWe study the gas kinematics traced by the 21 cm emission of a sample of six H i-rich low surface brightness galaxies classified as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs). Using the 3D kinematic modeling code Barolo we derive robust circular velocities, revealing a startling feature: H i-rich UDGs are clear outliers from the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation, with circular velocities much lower than galaxies with similar baryonic mass. Notably, the baryon fraction of our UDG sample is consistent with the cosmological value: these UDGs are compatible with having no "missing baryons" within their virial radii. Moreover, the gravitational potential provided by the baryons is sufficient to account for the amplitude of the rotation curve out to the outermost measured point, contrary to other galaxies with similar circular velocities. We speculate that any formation scenario for these objects will require very inefficient feedback and a broad diversity in their inner dark matter content
Impacts of climate change on the state of Indiana: ensemble future projections based on statistical downscaling
No full textUsing an ensemble of 10 statistically downscaled global climate model (GCM) simulations, we project future climate change impacts on the state of Indiana (IN) for two scenarios of greenhouse gas concentrations (a medium scenario—RCP4.5 and a high scenario—RCP 8.5) for three future time periods (2020s, 2050s, 2080s). Relative to a 1971–2000 baseline, the projections show substantial changes in temperature (T) for IN, with a change in the annual ensemble mean T for the 2080s RCP8.5 scenario of about 5.6 °C (10.1 °F). Such changes also indicate major changes in T extremes. For southern IN, the number of days with daily maximum T above 35 °C (95 °F) is projected to be about 100 days per year for the 2080s RCP8.5 scenario, as opposed to an average of 5 days for the historical baseline climate. Locations in northern IN could experience 50 days per year above 35 °C (95 °F) for the same conditions. Energy demand for cooling, as measured by cooling degree days (CDD), is projected to increase nearly fourfold in response to this extreme warming, but heating demand as measured by heating degree days (HDD) is projected to decline by 30%, which would result in a net reduction in annual heating/cooling energy demand for consumers. The length of the growing season is projected to increase by about 30 to 50 days by the 2080s for the RCP8.5 scenario, and USDA hardiness zones are projected to shift by about one full zone throughout IN. By the 2080s, all GCM simulations for the RCP8.5 scenario show higher annual precipitation (P) over the Midwest and IN. Projected seasonal changes in P include a 25–30% increase in winter and spring by the 2080s for the RCP8.5 scenarios and a 1–7% decline in summer and fall P (although there is a low model agreement in the latter two seasons). Rising T is projected to cause systematic decreases in the snow-to-rain ratio from Nov-Mar. Snow is projected to become uncommon in southern IN by the 2080s for the RCP8.5 scenario, and snowfall is substantially reduced in other areas of the state. The combined effects of these changes in T, P, and snowfall will likely result in increased surface runoff and flooding during winter and spring