Since the early 2000s, the US Government has made purposeful investments to help ensure medical preparedness should a radiological or nuclear incident occur within its borders. This focused support of products to diagnose, mitigate, and treat radiation-induced bodily injuries that would be anticipated during a radiation public health emergency has involved many departments, ranging from multiple agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Defense. The intent of this manuscript is to convey information both on products that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for radiation injuries during a radiation incident, as well as promising approaches under advanced stages of development. These products impact multiple organ systems (e.g., bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, kidneys, skin) and have been tested for efficacy in a number of different small and large preclinical animal models. The successful development of these models, methods, products, and devices discussed herein demonstrate the importance of an intentionally collaborative, “one-government” approach to fostering radiation research, while also showcasing the need for critical public-private partnerships – all to ensure the safety of the public should the unthinkable occur.

Vaccines have revolutionised the field of medicine, eradicating and controlling many diseases. Recent pandemic vaccine successes have highlighted the accelerated pace of vaccine development and deployment. Leveraging this momentum, attention has shifted to cancer vaccines and personalised cancer vaccines, aimed at targeting individual tumour-specific abnormalities. The UK, now regarded for its vaccine capabilities, is an ideal nation for pioneering cancer vaccine trials. This article convened experts to share insights and approaches to navigate the challenges of cancer vaccine development with personalised or precision cancer vaccines, as well as fixed vaccines. Emphasising partnership and proactive strategies, this article outlines the ambition to harness national and local system capabilities in the UK; to work in collaboration with potential pharmaceutic partners; and to seize the opportunity to deliver the pace for rapid advances in cancer vaccine technology.

The purpose of the current study was to understand the prevalence and patterns of cannabinoid use among LTC residents across Canada. We gathered data on cannabinoid prescriptions among LTC residents for one year before and after recreational cannabis legalization. Multi-level modelling was used to examine the effects of demographic and diagnostic characteristics on rates of cannabinoid prescription over time. All prescriptions were for nabilone. There was a significant increase in the proportion of residents prescribed nabilone following the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada. Residents with relatively more severe pain (based on the Minimum Data Set pain scale), a diagnosis of depression, or a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder were more likely to have received a nabilone prescription. Our results provide valuable information regarding the increasing use of synthetic cannabinoids in LTC. The implications for clinical practice and policy decision-makers are discussed.

Infants with critical CHD have abnormal neurobehavior assessed by the Neonatal ICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales. This retrospective cohort study hypothesized associations between abnormal infant neurobehavior in the first month of life and later neurodevelopmental outcomes at 1−2 years of age. Associations between abnormal infant attention (orienting to and tracking stimuli) on the Neonatal ICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales and later motor, cognitive, and language neurodevelopmental outcomes on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III at follow-up were examined with descriptive statistics and univariable and multivariable regression. Multiple imputation was used to account for missing outcome data. 189 infants with critical CHD were included, and 69% had abnormal neurobehavioral attention scores. 58 (31%) returned as toddlers for neurodevelopmental follow-up, of which 23% had motor delay. Abnormal infant attention had high sensitivity (92%, 95% CI 60−100%) but low specificity (36%, 95% CI 23−52%) for later motor delay. Higher infant attention scores were associated with higher later motor scores in univariable analysis (coefficient 3.49, 95% CI 0.52,6.46, p = 0.025), but not in multivariable analyses. Neither cognitive nor language scores were associated with infant attention scores. Lower birth weight and male sex were significantly associated with lower motor scores in multivariable analysis (p = 0.048, 0.007). Although impaired infant attention is interdependent with other clinical and demographic risk factors, it may be a sensitive clinical marker of risk for later motor delay. In children with critical CHD, impaired infant attention may be capturing early signs of abnormal visual-motor neurodevelopment.

Basal motion of ice sheets depends in part on the roughness and material properties of the subglacial bed and the occurrence of water. To date, basal motion represents one of the largest uncertainties in ice-flow models. It is that component of the total flow velocity that can change most rapidly and can, therefore, facilitate rapid variations in dynamic behaviour. In this study, we investigate the subglacial properties of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet by statistically analysing the roughness of the bed topography, inferred from radio-echo sounding measurements. We analyse two sets of roughness parameters, one derived in the spatial and the other in the spectral domain, with two roughness parameters each. This enables us to compare the suitability of the four roughness parameters to classify the subglacial landscapes below the ice sheet. We further investigate the relationship of the roughness parameters with observed surface flow velocity and modelled basal temperatures of the ice sheet. We find that one of the roughness parameters, the Hurst exponent derived in the spatial domain, coincides with the thermal condition at the base of the ice sheet for slow flow velocities and varies with flow velocity.

Quantum dots (QDs) are increasingly employed in biologic imaging applications; however, anecdotal reports suggest difficulties in QD bioconjugation. Further, the stability of commercial QDs during bioconjugation has not been systematically evaluated. Thus, we examined fluorescence losses resulting from aggregation and declining photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) for commercial CdSe/ZnS QD products from four different vendors. QDs were most stable in the aqueous media in which they were supplied. The largest QY declines were observed during centrifugal filtration, whereas the largest declines in colloidal stability occurred in 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer. These results enable optimization of bioconjugation protocols.

There is now a clear focus on incorporating, and integrating, multiple levels of analysis in developmental science. The current study adds to research in this area by including markers of the immune and neuroendocrine systems in a longitudinal study of temperament in infants. Observational and parent-reported ratings of infant temperament, serum markers of the innate immune system, and cortisol reactivity from repeated salivary collections were examined in a sample of 123 infants who were assessed at 6 months and again when they were, on average, 17 months old. Blood from venipuncture was collected for analyses of nine select innate immune cytokines; salivary cortisol collected prior to and 15 min and 30 min following a physical exam including blood draw was used as an index of neuroendocrine functioning. Analyses indicated fairly minimal significant associations between biological markers and temperament at 6 months. However, by 17 months of age, we found reliable and nonoverlapping associations between observed fearful temperament and biological markers of the immune and neuroendocrine systems. The findings provide some of the earliest evidence of robust biological correlates of fear behavior with the immune system, and identify possible immune and neuroendocrine mechanisms for understanding the origins of behavioral development.

This paper investigates interspeaker variation in the mid and low short vowels of Jewish Montreal English, analyzing the Canadian Shift in both production and perception. In production, we find that young women are leading in the retraction of /æ/ and the lowering and retraction of /ε/. We furthermore find that across speakers, the retraction of /æ/ is correlated with the lowering and retraction of /ε/, providing quantitative evidence that the movements of these two vowels are linked. The trajectory implied by our production data differs from what was reported in Montreal approximately one generation earlier. In contrast to reliable age differences in production, a vowel categorization task shows widespread intergenerational agreement in perception, highlighting a mismatch: in this speech community, there is evidently more systematic variation in production than in perception. We suggest that this is because all individuals are exposed to both innovative and conservative variants and must perceptually accommodate accordingly.

A hydrologic model of the Shingobee Watershed in north-central Minnesota was developed to reconstruct mid-Holocene paleo-lake levels for Williams Lake, a surface-water body located in the southern portion of the watershed. Hydrologic parameters for the model were first estimated in a calibration exercise using a 9-yr historical record (1990–1998) of climatic and hydrologic stresses. The model reproduced observed temporal and spatial trends in surface/groundwater levels across the watershed. Mid-Holocene aquifer and lake levels were then reconstructed using two paleoclimatic data sets: CCM1 atmospheric general circulation model output and pollen-transfer functions using sediment core data from Williams Lake.

Calculated paleo-lake levels based on pollen-derived paleoclimatic reconstructions indicated a 3.5-m drop in simulated lake levels and were in good agreement with the position of mid-Holocene beach sands observed in a Williams Lake sediment core transect. However, calculated paleolake levels based on CCM1 climate forcing produced only a 0.05-m drop in lake levels. We found that decreases in winter precipitation rather than temperature increases had the largest effect on simulated mid-Holocene lake levels. The study illustrates how watershed models can be used to critically evaluate paleoclimatic reconstructions by integrating geologic, climatic, limnologic, and hydrogeologic data sets.

In support of a recent surge in research to develop an accident tolerant reactor, accident tolerant fuels and cladding candidates are being investigated. Relative motion between the fuel rods and fuel assembly spacer grids can lead to excessive fuel rod wear and, in some cases, to fuel rod failure. Based on industry data, grid-to-rod-fretting (GTRF) has been the number one cause of fuel failures within the U.S. pressurized water reactor (PWR) fleet, accounting for more than 70% of all PWR leaking fuel assemblies. APMT, an Fe-Cr-Al steel alloy, is being examined for the I2S-LWR project as a possible alternative to conventional fuel cladding in a nuclear reactor due to its favorable performance under LOCA conditions. Tests were performed to examine the reliability of the cladding candidate under simulated fretting conditions of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). The contact is simulated with a rectangular and a cylindrical specimen over a line contact area. A combination of SEM analysis and wear & work rate calculations are performed on the samples to determine their performance and wear under fretting. While APMT can perform favorably in loss of coolant accident scenarios, it also needs to perform well when compared to Zircaloy-4 with respect to fretting wear.

Under high burnup UO2 fuel pellets can experience high burnup structure (HBS) at the rim also known as rim effect. The HBS is exceptionally porous with fine grain sizes. HBS increases the swelling further than it would have achieved at a larger grain size. A theoretical swelling model is used in conjunction with a grain subdivision simulation to calculate the swelling of UO2. In UO2 the nucleation sites are at vacancies and the bubbles are concentrated at grain boundaries. Vacancies are created due to irradiation and gas diffusion is dependent on vacancy migration. In addition to intragranular bubbles, there are intergranular bubbles at the grain boundaries. Over time as intragranular bubbles and gas atoms accumulate on the grain boundaries, the intergranular bubbles grow and cover the grain faces. Eventually they grow into voids and interconnect along the grain boundaries, which can lead to fission gas release when the interconnection reaches the surface. This is known as the saturation point. While the swelling model used does not originally incorporate a changing grain size, the simulation allows for more accurate swelling calculations by introducing a fractional HBS based on the temperature and burnup of the pellet. The fractional HBS is introduced with a varying grain size. Our simulations determine the level of swelling and saturation as a function of burnup by combining an independent model and simulation to obtain a more comprehensive model.

The emergence and persistence of conduct problems (CPs) during early childhood is a robust predictor of behavior problems in school and of future maladaptation. In this study we examined the reciprocal influences between observed coercive interactions between children and caregivers, oppositional and aggressive behavior, and growth in parent report of early childhood (ages 2–5) and school-age CPs (ages 7.5 and 8.5). Participants were drawn from the Early Steps multisite randomized prevention trial that includes an ethnically diverse sample of male and female children and their families (N = 731). A parallel-process growth model combining latent trajectory and cross-lagged approaches revealed the amplifying effect of observed coercive caregiver–child interactions on children's noncompliance, whereas child oppositional and aggressive behaviors did not consistently predict increased coercion. The slope and initial levels of child oppositional and aggressive behaviors and the stability of caregiver–child coercion were predictive of teacher-reported oppositional behavior at school age. Families assigned to the Family Check-Up condition had significantly steeper declines in child oppositional and aggressive behavior and moderate reductions in oppositional behavior in school and in coercion at age 3. Results were not moderated by child gender, race/ethnicity, or assignment to the intervention condition. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to understanding the early development of CPs and to designing optimal strategies for reducing problem behavior in early childhood with families most in need.

We analyse the low-mode structure of internal tides generated in laboratory experiments and numerical simulations by a two-dimensional ridge in a channel of finite depth. The height of the ridge is approximately half of the channel depth and the regimes considered span sub- to supercritical topography. For small tidal excursions, of the order of 1% of the topographic width, our results agree well with linear theory. For larger tidal excursions, up to 15% of the topographic width, we find that the scaled mode 1 conversion rate decreases by less than 15%, in spite of nonlinear phenomena that break down the familiar wave-beam structure and generate harmonics and inter-harmonics. Modes two and three, however, are more strongly affected. For this topographic configuration, most of the linear baroclinic energy flux is associated with the mode 1 tide, so our experiments reveal that nonlinear behaviour does not significantly affect the barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion in this regime, which is relevant to large-scale ocean ridges. This may not be the case, however, for smaller scale ridges that generate a response dominated by higher modes.