Evidence for Topological Protection Derived from Six-Flux Composite Fermions.

The composite fermion theory opened a new chapter in understanding many-body correlations through the formation of emergent particles. The formation of two-flux and four-flux composite fermions is well established. While there are limited data linked to the formation of six-flux composite fermions, topological protection associated with them is conspicuously lacking. Here we report evidence for the formation of a quantized and gapped fractional quantum Hall state at the filling factor ν = 9/11, which we associate with the formation of six-flux composite fermions. Our result provides evidence for the most intricate composite fermion with six fluxes and expands the already diverse family of highly correlated topological phases with a new member that cannot be characterized by correlations present in other known members. Our observations pave the way towards the study of higher order correlations in the fractional quantum Hall regime.

A Frameshift Variant of GluN2A Identified in an Epilepsy Patient Results in NMDA Receptor Mistargeting.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are crucial for neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. Dysfunction of NMDARs is associated with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders, including epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. Understanding the impact of genetic variants of NMDAR subunits can shed light on the mechanisms of disease. Here, we characterized the functional implications of a de novo mutation of the GluN2A subunit (P1199Rfs*32) resulting in the truncation of the C-terminal domain. The variant was identified in a male patient with epileptic encephalopathy, multiple seizure types, severe aphasia, and neurobehavioral changes. Given the known role of the CTD in NMDAR trafficking, we examined changes in receptor localization and abundance at the postsynaptic membrane using a combination of molecular assays in heterologous cells and rat primary neuronal cultures. We observed that the GluN2A P1199Rfs*32-containing receptors traffic efficiently to the postsynaptic membrane but have increased extra-synaptic expression relative to WT GluN2A-containing NMDARs. Using in silico predictions, we hypothesized that the mutant would lose all PDZ interactions, except for the recycling protein Scribble1. Indeed, we observed impaired binding to the scaffolding protein postsynaptic protein-95 (PSD-95); however, we found the mutant interacts with Scribble1, which facilitates the recycling of both the mutant and the WT GluN2A. Finally, we found that neurons expressing GluN2A P1199Rfs*32 have fewer synapses and decreased spine density, indicating compromised synaptic transmission in these neurons. Overall, our data show that GluN2A P1199Rfs*32 is a loss-of-function variant with altered membrane localization in neurons and provide mechanistic insight into disease etiology.

Acute minocycline treatment inhibits microglia activation, reduces infarct volume, and has domain-specific effects on post-ischemic stroke cognition in rats.

Ischemic stroke affects millions of individuals worldwide and a high prevalence of survivors experience cognitive deficits. At present, the underlying mechanisms that drive post-stroke cognitive decline are not well understood. Microglia play a critical role in the post-stroke inflammatory response, but experimental studies show that an accumulation of chronically activated microglia can be harmful and associates with cognitive impairment. This study assessed the effect of acute post-stroke minocycline treatment on chronic microglia and astrocyte expression within the infarct and remote white matter regions, as well as its effect on various domains of cognitive function post-stroke. Nine-month-old male rats received an injection of endothelin-1 into the right dorsal striatum to induce transient focal ischemia, and then were treated with minocycline or saline for 4 days post-stroke. Rats were tested using a series of lever-pressing tasks and the Morris water maze to assess striatal-based learning, cognitive flexibility, and spatial learning and reference memory. We found that minocycline-treated rats had smaller stroke-induced infarcts and less microglia activation in the infarct area and remote white matter regions compared to saline-treated rats at 28 days post-stroke. The behavioural testing results differed according to the cognitive domain; whereas minocycline-treated rats trended towards improved striatal-based learning in a lever-pressing task, but cognitive flexibility was unaffected during the subsequent set-shifting task. Furthermore, minocycline treatment unexpectedly impaired spatial learning, yet it did not alter reference memory. Collectively, we show that post-stroke minocycline treatment can reduce chronic microglia activation even in remote brain regions, with domain-specific effects on cognitive function.

Emotional and informational social support from health visitors and breastfeeding outcomes in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Shorter breastfeeding duration is associated with detrimental consequences for infant health/development and maternal health. Previous studies suggest social support is essential in maintaining breast/chest-feeding and helping to improve general infant feeding experiences. Public health bodies therefore work to support breastfeeding in the UK, yet UK breastfeeding rates continue to be one of the lowest globally. With this, a better understanding of the effectiveness and quality of infant feeding support is required. In the UK, health visitors (community public health nurses specialising in working with families with a child aged 0-5 years) have been positioned as one of the key providers of breast/chest-feeding support. Research evidence suggests that both inadequate informational support and poor/negative emotional support can lead to poor breastfeeding experiences and early breastfeeding cessation. Thus, this study tests the hypothesis that emotional support from health visitors moderates the relationship between informational support and breastfeeding duration/infant feeding experience among UK mothers. METHODS: We ran cox and binary logistic regression models on data from 565 UK mothers, collected as part of a 2017-2018 retrospective online survey on social support and infant feeding. RESULTS: Informational support, compared to emotional support, was a less important predictor of both breastfeeding duration and experience. Supportive emotional support with unhelpful or absent informational support was associated with the lowest hazard of breastfeeding cessation before 3 months. Results for breastfeeding experience followed similar trends, where positive experience was associated with supportive emotional and unhelpful informational support. Negative experiences were less consistent; however, a higher probability of negative experience was found when both types of support were reported as unsupportive. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings point to the importance of health visitors providing emotional support to bolster the continuation of breastfeeding and encourage a positive subjective experience of infant feeding. The emphasis of emotional support in our results encourages increased allocation of resources and training opportunities to ensure health visitors are able to provide enhanced emotional support. Lowering health visitors caseloads to allow for personalised care is just one actionable example that may improve breastfeeding outcomes in the UK.

A comparison of physical performance during one- and two-person simulated casualty drags.

The ability to drag a casualty to safety is critical for numerous physically demanding occupations. This study aimed to establish whether the pulling forces during a one-person 55 kg simulated casualty drag is representative of a two-person 110 kg drag. Twenty men completed up to 12 × 20m simulated casualty drags using a drag bag (55/110 kg) on a grassed sports pitch, with completion times and forces exerted measured. Completion time for the one-person 55 and 110 kg drags were 9.56 ± 1.18s and 27.08 ± 7.71s. Completion time for the 110 kg two-person drags for forwards and backwards iterations were 8.36 ± 1.23s and 11.04 ± 1.11s. The average individual force exerted during the one-person 55 kg drag was equivalent to the average individual contribution during the two-person 110 kg drag (t(16) = 3.3780, p < 0.001); suggesting a one-person 55 kg simulated casualty drag is representative of the individual contribution to a two-person 110 kg simulated casualty drag. Individual contributions can however vary during two-person simulated casualty drags.

Changes in physical performance during British Army Junior Entry, British Army Standard Entry and Royal Air Force Basic Training.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose was to quantify physical performance in men and women during British Army Junior Entry (Army-JE), British Army Standard Entry (Army-SE) and Royal Air Force (RAF) basic training (BT). DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study. METHODS: 381 participants ((339 men and 42 women) n=141 Army-JE, n=132 Army-SE, n=108 RAF) completed a 2 km run, medicine ball throw (MBT) and isometric mid-thigh pull (MTP), pre-BT and post-BT. To examine changes in pre-BT to post-BT physical test performance, for each course, paired Student t-test and Wilcoxon test were applied to normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively, with effect sizes reported as Cohen's D and with rank biserial correlations, respectively. A one-way between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) (or Welch ANOVA for non-normally distributed data) compared performance between quartiles based on test performance pre-BT. Where the main tests statistic, p value and effect sizes identified likely effect of quartile, post hoc comparisons were made using Games-Howell tests with Tukey's p value. Data are presented as mean±SD, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: During BT, 2 km run time improved by 13±46 s (-2.1%±8.1%), 30±64 s (-4.8%±12.3%) and 24±27 s (-4.5%±5.1%) for Army-JE, Army-SE and RAF, respectively (all p<0.005). MBT distance increased by 0.27±0.28 m (6.8%±7.0%) for Army-JE (p<0.001) and 0.07±0.46 m (2.3%±10.9%) for Army-SE (p=0.040), but decreased by 0.08±0.27 m (-1.4%±6.0%) for RAF (p=0.002). MTP force increased by 80±281 n (10.8%±27.6%) for Army-JE (p<0.001) and did not change for Army-SE (-36±295 n, -0.7%±20.6%, p=0.144) or RAF (-9±208 n, 1.0±17.0, p=0.603). For all tests and cohorts, participants in the lowest quartile of pre-BT performance scores demonstrated greater improvements, compared with participants in the highest quartile (except Army-JE MBT, ∆% change similar between all quartiles). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in physical performance were observed for the three fitness tests following the different BT courses, and recruits with the lowest strength and aerobic fitness experienced greatest improvements.

Plasma derived extracellular vesicle biomarkers of microglia activation in an experimental stroke model.

Chronic microglia activation post-stroke is associated with worse neurological and cognitive outcomes. However, measurement of microglia activation in vivo is currently limited. Plasma derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-specific indicators that may allow for non-invasive measurement of microglia phenotype. The aim of this study was to identify activation-state specific microglia EVs (MEVs) in vitro followed by validation in an experimental stroke model. Following pro-inflammatory activation, MEVs contain the microglia protein TMEM119 alongside increased expression of the Toll-like receptor 4 co-receptor CD14. Immunoprecipitation followed by fluorescent nanoparticle tracking analysis (ONI Nanoimager) was used to confirm the isolation of TMEM119+/CD14+ EVs from rat plasma. Electron microscopy confirmed that TMEM119 and CD14 localize to the MEV membrane. To model ischemia, plasma was collected from 3-month wildtype Fischer344 rats prior to, 7 and 28 days after endothelin-1 or saline injection into the dorsal right striatum. Fluorescently labelled MEVs were directly measured in the plasma using nanoflow cytometry (Apogee A60 Microplus). We report a significant increase in circulating TMEM119+/CD14+ EVs 28-days post-stroke in comparison to baseline levels and saline-injected rats, which correlated weakly with stroke volume. TMEM119+/MHC-II+ EVs were also increased post-stroke in comparison to baseline and saline-injected animals. This study is the first to describe an EV biomarker of activated microglia detected directly in plasma following stroke and represents a future tool for the measurement of microglia activity in vivo.

Factors Associated with Self-Reported Dysphagia in Older Adults Receiving Meal Support.

OBJECTIVES: Dysphagia is common in older adults. However, there are no current estimates of dysphagia in community-dwelling older adults those receiving meal support. It is unknown whether dysphagia is associated with other measures of physical function (activities of daily living [ADL] ability or nutrition status). The study purposes were to determine the prevalence of self-reported dysphagia and to identify factors associated with self-reported dysphagia in community-dwelling older adults receiving meal support. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 476 community-dwelling older adults (78.5±0.51 years) across five Elder Nutrition Program meal services in Wisconsin participated in the study. MEASUREMENTS: Data were collected through administration of validated ADL and nutrition questionnaires (nutritional status, functional status with ADLs, chewing ability, dental conditions, and prior diagnoses of dysphagia, pneumonia, and dementia). For self-reported dysphagia, the validated 10-item eating assessment tool (EAT-10) was used. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported dysphagia (EAT-10 score of ≥ 3) was 20.4%. Multivariate logistic regression results indicated that poor nutritional status (OR=3.1, p=0.04), difficulty chewing (OR=2.2, p=0.03), prior dysphagia diagnosis (OR=34.8, p<0.001), prior pneumonia diagnosis (OR=2.1, p=0.04), and meal service site (OR=2.68, p=0.02) were associated with self-reported dysphagia. CONCLUSION: Approximately one in five community-dwelling older adults receiving meal support had self-reported dysphagia. Increased risk for poor nutrition, reduced chewing ability, prior dysphagia and pneumonia diagnosis, and meal service site were identified as factors associated with dysphagia on the EAT-10. Results highlight the need for further studies across more sites to identify dysphagia risk indicators in community-dwelling older adults receiving meal support state-wide.

Two new frog species from the Litoria rubella species group from eastern Australia.

The bleating tree frog (Litoria dentata) is one of the more prominent pelodryadid frogs of eastern Australia by virtue of its extremely loud, piercing, male advertisement call. A member of the Litoria rubella species group, L. dentata has a broad latitudinal distribution and is widespread from coastal and subcoastal lowlands through to montane areas. A recent mitochondrial DNA analysis showed a deep phylogeographic break between populations of L. dentata on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Here we extended the mitochondrial survey with more geographically comprehensive sampling and tested the systematic implications of our findings with nuclear genome wide single-nucleotide polymorphism, morphological and male advertisement call datasets. While similar in appearance and in male advertisement call, our integrative analysis demonstrates the presence of three species which replace each other in a north-south series. We redescribe Litoria dentata, which is restricted to coastal north-eastern New South Wales, and formally describe Litoria balatus sp. nov., from south-eastern Queensland, and Litoria quiritatus sp. nov., from the mid-coast of New South Wales to north-eastern Victoria.

A transient radio source consistent with a merger-triggered core collapse supernova.

A core collapse supernova occurs when exothermic fusion ceases in the core of a massive star, which is typically caused by exhaustion of nuclear fuel. Theory predicts that fusion could be interrupted earlier by merging of the star with a compact binary companion. We report a luminous radio transient, VT J121001+495647, found in the Very Large Array Sky Survey. The radio emission is consistent with supernova ejecta colliding with a dense shell of material, potentially ejected by binary interaction in the centuries before explosion. We associate the supernova with an archival x-ray transient, which implies that a relativistic jet was launched during the explosion. The combination of an early relativistic jet and late-time dense interaction is consistent with expectations for a merger-driven explosion.

The differential role of practical and emotional support in infant feeding experience in the UK.

Social support is a known determinant of breastfeeding behaviour and is generally considered beneficial. However, social support encompasses a myriad of different supportive acts, providing scope for diverse infant feeding outcomes. Given the vulnerability of postpartum mental health, this paper aims to explore both how support prolongs breastfeeding and which forms of support promote the positive experience of all infant feeding. Using survey data collected online from 515 UK mothers with infants aged 0-108 weeks, Cox regression models assessed the relationship between receiving different types of support, support need and breastfeeding duration. Quasi-binomial logistic regression models assessed the relationship between receiving support, infant feeding mode and maternal experience of infant feeding. Rates of negative infant feeding experience indicate the widespread need for support: e.g. 38% of currently, 47% of no longer and 31% of never breastfeeding women found infant feeding stressful. Overall, practical support via infant feeding broadly predicted shorter breastfeeding durations and poorer feeding experience; results in relation to other forms of support were more complex. Our findings indicate different forms of support have different associations with infant feeding experience. They also highlight the wide range of individuals beyond the nuclear family on which postpartum mothers in the UK rely. This article is part of the theme issue 'Multidisciplinary perspectives on social support and maternal-child health'.

Population structure of modern-day Italians reveals patterns of ancient and archaic ancestries in Southern Europe.

European populations display low genetic differentiation as the result of long-term blending of their ancient founding ancestries. However, it is unclear how the combination of ancient ancestries related to early foragers, Neolithic farmers, and Bronze Age nomadic pastoralists can explain the distribution of genetic variation across Europe. Populations in natural crossroads like the Italian peninsula are expected to recapitulate the continental diversity, but have been systematically understudied. Here, we characterize the ancestry profiles of Italian populations using a genome-wide dataset representative of modern and ancient samples from across Italy, Europe, and the rest of the world. Italian genomes capture several ancient signatures, including a non-steppe contribution derived ultimately from the Caucasus. Differences in ancestry composition, as the result of migration and admixture, have generated in Italy the largest degree of population structure detected so far in the continent, as well as shaping the amount of Neanderthal DNA in modern-day populations.

Identifying avoidable switchboard delays in England's NHS hospitals: phase one of the national SWITCH project.

BACKGROUND: Inter-hospital communication frequently requires mediation via a switchboard. Identifying and eliminating switchboard inefficiencies may improve patient care. METHODS: All 175 acute hospital switchboards in England were contacted six times. Call contents and duration were recorded. No clinician calls or bleeps were connected. RESULTS: The mean delay before contacting a switchboard operative was 55±46 seconds. 115 hospitals (66%) used automated switchboards; 34 of these (30%) had infection control messages. Robot operators introduced an additional 40 second delay versus humans (mean 70.3±28 versus 29.8±23 seconds, p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified robot operators (HR 5.1, p<0.0001) and infection control messages (HR 2.9, p=0.003) as predictors of delays over 60 seconds. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant avoidable delays in contacting switchboard operatives across England. Quality improvement is underway.

Global Health Implications of Nutrient Changes in Rice Under High Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.

A growing literature has documented that rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere threaten to reduce the iron, zinc, and protein content of staple food crops including rice, wheat, barley, legumes, maize, and potatoes, potentially creating or worsening global nutritional deficiencies for over a billion people worldwide. A recent study extended these previous nutrient analyses to include B vitamins and showed that, in rice alone, the average loss of major B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, and folate) was shown to be 17-30% when grown under higher CO2. Here, we employ the EAR cut-point method, using estimates of national-level nutrient supplies and requirements, to estimate how B vitamin dietary adequacy may be affected by the CO2-induced loss of nutrients from rice only. Furthermore, we use the global burden of disease comparative risk assessment framework to quantify one small portion of the health burden related to rising deficiency: a higher likelihood of neural tube defects for folate-deficient mothers. We find that, as a result of this effect alone, risk of folate deficiency could rise by 1.5 percentage points (95% confidence interval: 0.6-2.6), corresponding to 132 million (57-239 million) people. Risk of thiamin deficiency could rise by 0.7 points (0.3-1.1) or 67 million people (30-110 million), and riboflavin deficiency by 0.4 points (0.2-0.6) or 40 million people (22-59 million). Because elevated CO2 concentrations are likely to reduce B vitamins in other crops beyond rice, our findings likely represent an underestimate of the impact of anthropogenic CO2 emissions on sufficiency of B vitamin intake.

Craniomaxillofacial trauma management in austere and war zone environments - A role for composite tissue allotransplantation?

Facial composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) is a powerful reconstructive option in cases of extensive severe facial injury and tissue loss. Despite the risk of allograft rejection and the post-operative need for lifelong immunosuppression, facial CTA can be used to restore the normal structural appearance and function of the face. Areas of socioeconomic deprivation and armed conflict zones have a high preponderance of patients with facial burns and other severe injuries. However, these regions often also suffer from lack of resources, expert surgical care and limited facilities. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive review of key principles relevant to facial CTA and their potential applicability in such austere environments. We present a concise literature review of the surgical and immunological basis of facial CTA aimed at the plastic surgery readership, as well as issues surrounding organ transplantations in low- and middle- income countries. We then consider the particular challenges posed by austere settings and countries of active armed conflict and discuss how these may impact the suitability of facial CTA for treating severe facial injuries in these circumstances. Facial CTA is recognised as giving huge benefits for patients with severe facial defects with potentially superior results compared with conventional autograft techniques. Its performance in austere settings is limited by scarce resources and increased pre-, intra- and post- operative risks. However, a case can be made for its use even in these more challenging situations when general organ transplantation compliance and expertise input have been addressed.

L'allotransplantation faciale de tissu composite (ATTC) est une stratégie efficace de reconstruction des pertes de substance faciales étendue. Malgré la nécessité d'un traitement immunosuppresseur ad vitam aeternam, elle peut être utilisée pour restaurer une face fonctionnelle d'apparence normale. Les atteintes faciales graves par brûlure et/ou traumatisme sont fréquentes dans les zones défavorisées et de conflit armés. En outre, les moyens humains, structurels et financiers y sont limités. Cet article a pour but de présenter une revue des bases chirurgicales et immunologique de l'ATTC et de son application par les plasticiens dans des zones faiblement développées ou en conflit. L'efficacité de l'ACT en reconstruction faciale semble supérieure aux techniques de greffes classiques. Toutefois, les risques pré-, per- et post- opératoires sont augmentés en zone hostile. Elle semble toutefois utilisable si les nécessités inhérentes au suivi d'une allogreffe sont couvertes.

1.5mile run time and body mass predict 8mile loaded march performance, irrespective of sex.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a statistical model to predict 8mile Loaded March (LM) performance and quantify differences in physical characteristics for men and women British Army Personnel. DESIGN: 135 trained soldiers (87 men; 48 women) completed two sessions, seven days apart. METHODS: Session 1: Participants' stature, body mass, Fat Free Mass (FFM) [by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry], Single Lift (SL), Water Can Carry (WCC), and 1.5mile run performance were measured. Session 2: Participants completed an 8mile LM, carrying 25kg (4miles paced and 4miles individual best effort). Sex differences were compared using independent samples t-tests and 8mile LM performance time was predicted using various multiple linear regression analysis: hierarchical forced entry multiple ordinary least squares, principal component and ordinary least products. RESULTS: A combination of 1.5mile run time and body mass were the strongest predictors of 8mile LM time (R2=0.71; SEE=4.17min; p<0.001). Including stature, FFM, sex, SL score, or WCC score did not further improve predictions (p>0.05). Compared to women, men had faster mean 1.5mile run and LM times, greater body mass and total FFM and higher SL and WCC scores (p<0.001), however some women outperformed men. CONCLUSION: 1.5mile run time and body mass predict 8mile LM performance with no further improvement gained in the model by including sex as a variable.

The impact of transplant rejection on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is markedly increased in renal transplant recipients compared with that of the nontransplant population. AIM: To investigate whether there is a relationship between transplant rejection and cSCC. METHODS: The Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer historical database was used to identify patients who had undergone a renal transplant at Duke University Hospital during a 20-year period. Data on patient demographics, transplant dates, first rejection episodes, first cSCC development, medication, laboratory results and survival were recorded. RESULTS: In total, 1684 patients were identified, of whom 126 (7.5%) experienced an episode of rejection and 46 (4.0%) developed a cSCC after transplant. The incidence of cSCC was significantly greater in the rejection group, with 8.7% of patients developing cSCC compared with 2.2% in the no-rejection group (P < 0.001). Median lag time to cSCC was shorter in the rejection group (2.5 years; age 0.4-9.0 years) than the no-rejection group (4.2 years; range 1.3-20.4 years) (P < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Transplant rejection is associated with both a higher incidence and an accelerated time course for development of cSCC following renal transplantation. Close dermatological surveillance should be considered following an episode of rejection in this patient population.

Systematic Review: Efficacy and Safety of Accelerated Induction Regimes in Infliximab Rescue Therapy for Hospitalized Patients with Acute Severe Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacokinetic data suggest that standard induction dosing schedules may not be sufficient in patients with acute severe colitis (ASUC). Hence, intensified induction regimes are increasingly used in the rescue treatment of hospitalized patients with ASUC to avoid the need for colectomy although the evidence for this is uncertain. AIM: To conduct a systematic review of short- and long-term efficacy outcomes from accelerated infliximab induction studies. METHODS: Systematic search of relevant databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) and relevant conference proceedings (Digestive Diseases Week, European Colitis and Crohn's Organisation Congress, United European Gastroenterology Week) was done. RESULTS: We identified ten relevant studies with a total of 705 patients, of whom 308 received an intensified infliximab regime. Pooled analysis showed no difference in short-term or long-term colectomy rates in those receiving accelerated induction regimes when compared to standard induction. No significant differences in complication rates were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The available uncontrolled studies so far do not suggest short-term or long-term benefit in using accelerated induction in hospitalized ASUC. The overall poor quality of available studies with confounding variables indicates the need for a randomized controlled trial with personalized risk stratification.

Clustering and variable selection in the presence of mixed variable types and missing data.

We consider the problem of model-based clustering in the presence of many correlated, mixed continuous, and discrete variables, some of which may have missing values. Discrete variables are treated with a latent continuous variable approach, and the Dirichlet process is used to construct a mixture model with an unknown number of components. Variable selection is also performed to identify the variables that are most influential for determining cluster membership. The work is motivated by the need to cluster patients thought to potentially have autism spectrum disorder on the basis of many cognitive and/or behavioral test scores. There are a modest number of patients (486) in the data set along with many (55) test score variables (many of which are discrete valued and/or missing). The goal of the work is to (1) cluster these patients into similar groups to help identify those with similar clinical presentation and (2) identify a sparse subset of tests that inform the clusters in order to eliminate unnecessary testing. The proposed approach compares very favorably with other methods via simulation of problems of this type. The results of the autism spectrum disorder analysis suggested 3 clusters to be most likely, while only 4 test scores had high (>0.5) posterior probability of being informative. This will result in much more efficient and informative testing. The need to cluster observations on the basis of many correlated, continuous/discrete variables with missing values is a common problem in the health sciences as well as in many other disciplines.

Evaluation of Pyrethroid Insecticides and Insect Growth Regulators Applied to Different Surfaces for Control of Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) the Khapra Beetle.

The khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), is a serious pest of stored products and is the only stored product insect pest that triggers a quarantine response when it is found in the United States. The larvae of T. granarium feed on a wide range of dry food products of plant and animal origin, including cereals, dried fish, and museum specimens. In this study, we evaluated the residual efficacy of two pyrethroid insecticides, deltamethrin and cyfluthrin, applied on concrete, wood, painted wood, vinyl flooring tile, and metal surfaces using small and large T. granarium larvae. Residual efficacy of two insect growth regulators (IGRs), methoprene and pyriproxyfen was also evaluated on concrete, metal, and wood surfaces. In both studies, larvae were exposed with provision of a food source on the treated surfaces and residual assays were conducted at 0 months (1 d), 1, 2, and 3 months post treatment. In general, both of the pyrethroids provided a high level of control of T. granarium larvae, though small larvae were much more susceptible than large larvae. The IGRs were comparatively less effective, with more larval survival and adult emergence of exposed larvae compared with the pyrethroids. Residues of the pyrethroids and IGRs were most persistent on the metal surface. Results can be used to help to control and eradicate infestations of T. granarium when they are detected in the United States.