BUILDing Engaged Mentors: Examining the Efficacy of BUILD-led Mentor Training.

The practice of mentorship is a critical focus in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. This quasi-experimental study investigated the efficacy of undergraduate mentor training in biomedical sciences programs in the NIH-funded Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative comprised of research-rising institutions. We used data from the Higher Education Research Institute's Faculty Survey (2016-17 and 2019-20). In cross-sectional comparisons of 379 BUILD-trained faculty with 755 colleagues who were not BUILD-trained, those who participated in BUILD mentor training reported more engagement with mentees. Utilizing propensity score matching of 314 with longitudinal cases, mentoring confidence and engagement were stronger over time for BUILD-trained faculty. Findings suggest BUILD mentor training yields positive results for undergraduate mentors at research-rising institutions.

An Improved Instance Segmentation Method for Fast Assessment of Damaged Buildings Based on Post-Earthquake UAV Images.

Quickly and accurately assessing the damage level of buildings is a challenging task for post-disaster emergency response. Most of the existing research mainly adopts semantic segmentation and object detection methods, which have yielded good results. However, for high-resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery, these methods may result in the problem of various damage categories within a building and fail to accurately extract building edges, thus hindering post-disaster rescue and fine-grained assessment. To address this issue, we proposed an improved instance segmentation model that enhances classification accuracy by incorporating a Mixed Local Channel Attention (MLCA) mechanism in the backbone and improving small object segmentation accuracy by refining the Neck part. The method was tested on the Yangbi earthquake UVA images. The experimental results indicated that the modified model outperformed the original model by 1.07% and 1.11% in the two mean Average Precision (mAP) evaluation metrics, mAPbbox50 and mAPseg50, respectively. Importantly, the classification accuracy of the intact category was improved by 2.73% and 2.73%, respectively, while the collapse category saw an improvement of 2.58% and 2.14%. In addition, the proposed method was also compared with state-of-the-art instance segmentation models, e.g., Mask-R-CNN and YOLO V9-Seg. The results demonstrated that the proposed model exhibits advantages in both accuracy and efficiency. Specifically, the efficiency of the proposed model is three times faster than other models with similar accuracy. The proposed method can provide a valuable solution for fine-grained building damage evaluation.

Brilliant care: a conceptual argument for scholarship of the extraordinary.

Critiques of healthcare often focus on negative experiences to address gaps, issues, and problems. While important, this often obscures care that exceeds expectation - that is, brilliant care. This article centres brilliant care by considering the questions that might be asked to surface it, and what might happen when brilliant care is centred. Specifically, a conceptual understanding of brilliant care is extended within health sociology. In doing so, the article draws on Mol's research on the logic of care, Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, and Hochschild's notion of emotion work. Through an application of this conceptual framework to secondary data - namely, reported stories of healthcare experiences from the series 'What's right in health care' - the article demonstrates how the framework surfaces and illuminates aspects of brilliance and its emergence. The article concludes by considering the implications this has on how we make sense of healthcare and the positive, social, and relational aspects that might be surfaced in current and future practices.

Appraising critical success factors in sustainable housing projects: A comparative study of PPP modalities in Saudi Arabia.

This study examines the critical success factors (CSFs) crucial for the effective deployment of public-private partnership (PPP) models in sustainable housing projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), underpinning the nation's Vision 2030. Through a robust methodology that incorporates a profound literature review, structured interviews, and a survey involving key stakeholders, the study prioritizes fourteen significant CSFs integral to PPP efficacy. Employing Analytical Hierarchy Process analysis, key outcomes underscore the paramount importance of technical aspects with an emphasis on sustainability, tailoring risk-sharing and allocation to encompass green technologies and eco-friendly practices, and economic stability in the light of long-term environmental sustainability in fostering successful sustainable housing projects. Notably, the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model is categorized as the most effective PPP modality, attaining a mean importance score of 4.07. This model is contrasted with other modalities such as Design-Build-Operate (DBO) and Build-Own-Lease-Transfer (BOLT), which scored lower in effectiveness. This comprehensive evaluation provides crucial insights for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the strategic selection of PPP modalities and the prioritization of CSFs to enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of housing projects in KSA.

Comparative Evaluation of Sorption and Solubility of Core Buildup Materials in Different pH Media: An In-Vitro Study.

AIM: To evaluate and compare the sorption and solubility of two different core buildup materials in different pH media for periods of one day, one week, and one month. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Sixty samples were prepared and divided into Group A (30 resin-based samples) and Group B (30 glass ionomer cement (GIC)-based samples). The sorption and solubility of the different materials were calculated by weighing the samples before and after desiccation and media immersion for periods of one day, one week, and one month. Groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test, and for different media, the intragroup significance of the mean difference was performed using the Friedmann test and Wilcoxon signed rank test at a significance level of p<0.05. RESULTS: After immersion for different time periods, the resin-based core buildup material (Core X flow) showed less sorption and solubility as compared to the glass ionomer-based core buildup material (Secure Core Z) for all time periods, with a significant difference seen for a time period of one week and one month and being nonsignificant for a time period of one day. CONCLUSION: Core X flow had lower sorption and solubility values when compared to Secure Core Z, as per the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4049 standards, except for a one-month time period in alkaline media.

Impact of genome build on RNA-seq interpretation and diagnostics.

Transcriptomics is a powerful tool for unraveling the molecular effects of genetic variants and disease diagnosis. Prior studies have demonstrated that choice of genome build impacts variant interpretation and diagnostic yield for genomic analyses. To identify the extent genome build also impacts transcriptomics analyses, we studied the effect of the hg19, hg38, and CHM13 genome builds on expression quantification and outlier detection in 386 rare disease and familial control samples from both the Undiagnosed Diseases Network and Genomics Research to Elucidate the Genetics of Rare Disease Consortium. Across six routinely collected biospecimens, 61% of quantified genes were not influenced by genome build. However, we identified 1,492 genes with build-dependent quantification, 3,377 genes with build-exclusive expression, and 9,077 genes with annotation-specific expression across six routinely collected biospecimens, including 566 clinically relevant and 512 known OMIM genes. Further, we demonstrate that between builds for a given gene, a larger difference in quantification is well correlated with a larger change in expression outlier calling. Combined, we provide a database of genes impacted by build choice and recommend that transcriptomics-guided analyses and diagnoses are cross referenced with these data for robustness.

Effect of build orientation on the fracture resistance and marginal quality of 3D-printed anatomic provisional crowns: An in-vitro study.

Introduction: Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies have been increasingly used to fabricate provisional restorations in recent years. This study assessed how build orientation influences the fracture resistance and marginal quality of 3D-printed crowns compared with milled provisional crowns. Methods: The test group included 3D-printed crowns (Freeprint temp Shade A2, Detax, Ettlingen, Germany), which were further subdivided based on print orientation (0°, 45°, and 90°; n = 10 for each subgroup). The control group (n = 10) included milled crowns (Coratemp, White Peaks, Germany) with the same design as those of the test group. The margin quality of each crown was assessed at 60 × magnification using a digital stereomicroscope. A load-to-fracture test was performed by applying a force at a rate of 2 mm/min to assess fracture resistance. One sample from each subgroup was also subjected to scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. Results: The milled group exhibited the highest fracture resistance and marginal quality. Within the printed subgroups, the 0° group showed the best mean marginal quality, whereas the 90° group showed the lowest mean marginal quality (p < 0.05). Within the test groups, the 90° group had the highest mean fracture resistance (p < 0.05). In the SEM analysis, the milled group exhibited the most homogenous boundaries, whereas among the 3D-printed subgroups, the samples printed at 0° had the best margin quality. Conclusion: The manufacturing method significantly influences the marginal quality and fracture resistance. Milled crowns demonstrated superior marginal quality and fracture resistance compared to those of 3D printed crowns. Furthermore, the print orientation of 0° led to the best marginal quality, whereas printing at 90° led to the highest fracture resistance.

Mechanical properties and degree of conversion of resin-based core build-up materials and short fiber-reinforced flowable resin-based composite.

To evaluate the degree of conversion (DC), surface hardness (SH), and flexural strength (FS) of resin-based core build-up materials. Core build-up materials used were: MultiCore Flow (MCF); Activa (ACT); Core-X Flow (CXF); and everX flow (EVX), and DC, SH and FS were measured. An increase of DC was identified for all materials post-cure, except for EVX. The DC change percentage ranged from 5%-33%, and EVX was displayed the greatest DC rate. All materials displayed an SH increase after 30 days and the greatest increase was observed in ACT. At 1 h, the SH of EVX and CXF was different from the other materials. At 30 days, MCF displayed the greatest SH. All materials displayed an increase in their FS after 30 days except for EVX, and ranging 3%-36% were noticed. Differences observed between materials, thus clinician should be acquainted mechanical properties of these materials to ensure the success of the restorations.

Surface-Integrating Oxygen Vacancy and CuxO Nanodots Enabling Synergistic Electric Field and Dual Catalytic Sites Boosting CO2 Photoreduction.

High carrier separation efficiency and rapid surface catalytic reaction are crucial for enhancing catalytic CO2 photoreduction reaction. Herein, integrated surface decoration strategy with oxygen vacancies (Ov) and anchoring CuxO (1 < x < 2) nanodots below 10 nm is realized on Bi2MoO6 for promoting CO2 photoreduction performance. The charge interaction between Ov and anchored CuxO enables the formation of enhanced internal electric field, which provides a strong driving force for accelerating the separation of photocharge carriers on the surface of Bi2MoO6 (ηsurf ≈71%). They can also cooperatively reduce the surface work function of Bi2MoO6, facilitating the migration of carrier to the surface. Meanwhile, surface-integrated Ov and CuxO nanodots allowing dual catalytic sites strengthens the adsorption and activation CO2 into *CO2 over Bi2MoO6, considerably boosting the progression of CO2 conversion process. In the absence of co-catalyst or sacrificial agent, Bi2MoO6 with Ov and CuxO nanodots achieves a photocatalytic CO generation rate of 12.75 µmol g-1 h-1, a remarkable increase of over ≈15 times that of the original counterpart. This work provides a new idea for governing charge movement behaviors and catalytic reaction thermodynamics on the basis of synergistic improvement of electric field and active sites by coupling of the internal defects and external species.

New optimization strategies for SWMM modeling of stormwater quality applications in urban area.

Build-up/wash-off models were originally developed for small-scale laboratory facilities with uniform properties. The effective translation of these models to catchment scale necessitates the meticulous calibration of model parameters. The present study combines the Mat-SWMM tool with a genetic algorithm (GA) to improve the calibration of build-up and wash-off parameters. For this purpose, Mat-SWMM was modified to equip it with the capacity to provide comprehensive water quality analysis outcomes. Additionally, this research also conducts a comparative examination of two distinct types of objective functions in the optimization. Rather than depending on previous literature, this study undertook a numerical campaign to ascertain an appropriate range for the relevant parameters within the case study, thereby ensuring the optimization algorithm's efficient functionality. This research also implements an integrated event calibration approach, i.e., a novel method that calibrates all rainfall events collectively, thus improving systemic interaction representation and model robustness. The findings indicate that employing this methodology significantly enhances the reliability of the outcomes, thereby establishing a more robust procedure. The first objective function (TSS instantaneous less squared difference function, OF 1), which is widely employed in the literature, was designed to minimize the difference between observed and predicted instantaneous Total Suspended Solids (TSS) concentrations. In contrast, the second function (mass and mass peak consistency function, OF 2) considers integral model outputs, i.e., the overall mass balance, the time of the peak mass flow rate, and its intensity. The analysis of the outputs revealed that both objective functions demonstrated sufficient performance. OF 1 provided slightly better performance in predicting the TSS concentrations, whereas OF 2 demonstrated superior ability in capturing global event characteristics. Notably, the optimal parameter set identified through OF 2 aligned with the physically plausible ranges traditionally recommended in technical manuals for urban catchments. In contrast, OF 1's optimal set necessitated an expansion in the acceptable parameter ranges. Finally, from a computational burden viewpoint, OF 1 demanded a significantly higher number of function evaluations, thus implying an escalating computational cost as the range expands. Conversely, OF 2 necessitated fewer evaluations to converge toward the optimal solution.

Gratitude, Job Resources, and Job Crafting: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study on a Sample of Romanian Employees / [La gratitud, los recursos del puesto de trabajo y la adaptación del puesto al empleado: un estudio en dos momentos con una muestra de empleados rumanos]

In this two-wave study, we tested whether there would be positive and reciprocal relationships between employees’ gratitude and the job resources they perceive at work, as well as between gratitude and job crafting behaviours. Moreover, we explored whether job crafting could mediate the relationship between gratitude and job resources. The participants were 275 Romanian employees. No evidence for reciprocal relationships was found. Results showed that gratitude at T1 predicted more job resources at T2 (three months later), but job resources did not predict employees’ gratitude over time. One dimension of job crafting (increasing challenging job demands) at T1 positively predicted employees’ gratitude at T2, but the prospective effect of gratitude on job crafting was not significant (except for a marginally significant effect on increasing structural job resources). Job crafting did not mediate the longitudinal relationship between employees’ gratitude and job resources. These findings are discussed in relation to previous literature.(AU)

En este estudio se probó en dos momentos distintos si había relaciones positivas recíprocas entre la gratitud de los empleados y los recursos que percibían en el trabajo, así como entre la gratitud y la adaptación del puesto de trabajo al empleado. También se exploró si la adaptación del puesto al empleado podría mediar la relación entre gratitud y recursos del puesto de trabajo. En el estudio participaron 275 empleados rumanos. No se demostró que hubiera relaciones recíprocas. Los resultados indican que la gratitud en T1 predecía más los recursos del puesto en T2 (tres meses después), pero estos no predecían la gratitud de los empleados a lo largo del tiempo. Una dimensión de la adaptación del puesto al empleado, endurecer las exigencias del puesto en T1 predecía en sentido positivo la gratitud de los empleados en T2, pero el efecto prospectivo de la gratitud en la adaptación del puesto a los empleados no era significativo, excepto un efecto marginalmente significativo en el aumento de los recursos estructurales del puesto. La adaptación del puesto al empleado no mediaba la relación longitudinal entre la gratitud de los empleados y los recursos del puesto de trabajo. Se comentan los resultados en relación con las publicaciones anteriores.(AU)

The effect of electron backscatter and charge build up in media on beam current transformer signal for ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) electron beam monitoring.

Objective.Beam current transformers (BCT) are promising detectors for real-time beam monitoring in ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) electron radiotherapy. However, previous studies have reported a significant sensitivity of the BCT signal to changes in source-to-surface distance (SSD), field size, and phantom material which have until now been attributed to the fluctuating levels of electrons backscattered within the BCT. The purpose of this study is to evaluate this hypothesis, with the goal of understanding and mitigating the variations in BCT signal due to changes in irradiation conditions.Approach.Monte Carlo simulations and experimental measurements were conducted with a UHDR-capable intra-operative electron linear accelerator to analyze the impact of backscattered electrons on BCT signal. The potential influence of charge accumulation in media as a mechanism affecting BCT signal perturbation was further investigated by examining the effects of phantom conductivity and electrical grounding. Finally, the effectiveness of Faraday shielding to mitigate BCT signal variations is evaluated.Main Results.Monte Carlo simulations indicated that the fraction of electrons backscattered in water and on the collimator plastic at 6 and 9 MeV is lower than 1%, suggesting that backscattered electrons alone cannot account for the observed BCT signal variations. However, our experimental measurements confirmed previous findings of BCT response variation up to 15% for different field diameters. A significant impact of phantom type on BCT response was also observed, with variations in BCT signal as high as 14.1% when comparing measurements in water and solid water. The introduction of a Faraday shield to our applicators effectively mitigated the dependencies of BCT signal on SSD, field size, and phantom material.Significance.Our results indicate that variations in BCT signal as a function of SSD, field size, and phantom material are likely driven by an electric field originating in dielectric materials exposed to the UHDR electron beam. Strategies such as Faraday shielding were shown to effectively prevent these electric fields from affecting BCT signal, enabling reliable BCT-based electron UHDR beam monitoring.

Parameterization of nutrients and sediment build-up/wash-off processes for simulating stormwater quality from specific land uses.

Urbanization changes land cover through the expansion of impermeable surfaces, leading to a significant rise in runoff, sediment, and nutrient loading. The quality of stormwater is related to land use and is highly variable. Currently, stormwater is predominantly described through watershed models that rely minimally, if at all, on field monitoring data. The simple event mean concentration (EMC) wash-off approach by land use is a common method for estimating urban runoff loads. However, a major drawback of the EMC approach is it assumes concentration remains constant across events for a specific land use. Build-up/wash-off equations have been formulated to consider variations in concentration between events. However, several equation parameters are challenging to estimate, making them difficult to use. We conducted a monitoring and modeling study and investigated the impact of land use on stormwater quantity and quality and optimized and investigated the build-up/wash-off parameters for three homogenous urban land uses to estimate nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment loads. Stormwater from commercial, medium-density residential, and transportation land uses was sampled using automatic samplers during storm events, and water quality was characterized for a variety of them for 14 months. Analysis of stormwater samples included assessments for total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids. Results showed that medium-density residential land use had the highest median total nitrogen and total phosphorus event mean concentrations and commercial had the highest median total suspended solids EMCs. Water quality parameters (or build-up/wash-off parameters) exhibited significant variation between land uses, confirming that land use is a key determinant of stormwater quality. The median particle size for each land use was less than 150 µm, indicating that the most common particle size in stormwater was a very fine sand or smaller. This small size should be considered by stakeholders in the design of stormwater treatment systems.

Reshaping Phosphatase Substrate Preference for Controlled Biosynthesis Using a "Design-Build-Test-Learn" Framework.

Biosynthesis is the application of enzymes in microbial cell factories and has emerged as a promising alternative to chemical synthesis. However, natural enzymes with limited catalytic performance often need to be engineered to meet specific needs through a time-consuming trial-and-error process. This study presents a quantum mechanics (QM)-incorporated design-build-test-learn (DBTL) framework to rationally design phosphatase BT4131, an enzyme with an ambiguous substrate spectrum involved in N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) biosynthesis. First, mutant M1 (L129Q) is designed using force field-based methods, resulting in a 1.4-fold increase in substrate preference (kcat/Km) toward GlcNAc-6-phosphate (GlcNAc6P). QM calculations indicate that the shift in substrate preference is caused by a 13.59 kcal mol-1 reduction in activation energy. Furthermore, an iterative computer-aided design is conducted to stabilize the transition state. As a result, mutant M4 (I49Q/L129Q/G172L) with a 9.5-fold increase in kcat-GlcNAc6P/Km-GlcNAc6P and a 59% decrease in kcat-Glc6P/Km-Glc6P is highly desirable compared to the wild type in the GlcNAc-producing chassis. The GlcNAc titer increases to 217.3 g L-1 with a yield of 0.597 g (g glucose)-1 in a 50-L bioreactor, representing the highest reported level. Collectively, this DBTL framework provides an easy yet fascinating approach to the rational design of enzymes for industrially viable biocatalysts.

Positive emotions co-experienced with strangers and acquaintances predict COVID-19 vaccination intentions through prosocial tendencies.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of vaccination depends on its widespread adoption, making vaccine uptake not just a personal health behavior but also a prosocial one. Previous research has shown that everyday moments of co-experienced positive emotions (positivity resonance) are associated with higher prosocial tendencies, and these moments, in turn, prospectively predict people's pandemic hygiene behaviors. Yet, limited research has explored how moments of positivity resonance may have predicted greater COVID-19 vaccine intentions during the early months of the pandemic. METHODS: We longitudinally surveyed a national U.S. sample across four weeks during the fall of 2020. We tested the hypothesis that positivity resonance with strangers and acquaintances indirectly predicts COVID-19 vaccine intentions, as statistically mediated by prosocial tendencies. We also aimed to replicate the indirect effects of positivity resonance on hygiene behaviors (such as mask wearing and hand washing), effects that have been demonstrated in previous research. RESULTS: In a pre-registered structural equation model, we found that perceived positivity resonance experienced with strangers and acquaintances prospectively predicted prosocial tendencies, which in turn amplified people's COVID-19 vaccine intentions (ß = 0.053) and hygiene behaviors - i.e., social distancing (ß = 0.032), mask wearing (ß = 0.027), hand washing (ß = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the effects of high-quality social interactions with strangers and acquaintances on vaccine intentions and hygiene behaviors is critical, particularly given the likelihood of emerging pandemics and novel vaccines. We discuss theoretical and practical implications related to perceived positivity resonance, prosocial tendencies, and vaccination uptake for novel vaccines.

Surface Roughness of Interior Fine Flow Channels in Selective Laser Melted Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Components.

A challenge remains in achieving adequate surface roughness of SLM fabricated interior channels, which is crucial for fuel delivery in the space industry. This study investigated the surface roughness of interior fine flow channels (1 mm diameter) embedded in SLM fabricated TC4 alloy space components. A machine learning approach identified layer thickness as a significant factor affecting interior channel surface roughness, with an importance score of 1.184, followed by scan speed and laser power with scores of 0.758 and 0.512, respectively. The roughness resulted from thin layer thickness of 20 µm, predominantly formed through powder adherence, while from thicker layer of 50 µm, the roughness was mainly due to the stair step effect. Slow scan speeds increased melt pools solidification time at roof overhangs, causing molten metal to sag under gravity. Higher laser power increased melt pools temperature and led to dross formation at roof overhangs. Smaller hatch spaces increased roughness due to overlapping of melt tracks, while larger hatch spaces reduced surface roughness but led to decreased part density. The surface roughness was recorded at 34 µm for roof areas and 26.15 µm for floor areas. These findings contribute to potential adoption of TC4 alloy components in the space industry.

Comparative Evaluation of Fracture Toughness and Flexural Strength of Four Different Core Build-up Materials: An In Vitro Study.

AIM: To evaluate and compare the fracture toughness and flexural strength of four different core build-up materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 samples were divided into four groups (n = 15) group I: dual cure composite resin reinforced with zirconia particles (Luxacore Z), group II: light cure composite resin (Lumiglass DeepCure), group III: zirconia reinforced glass ionomer cement (GIC) (Zirconomer Improved), and group IV: chemically cure composite resin (Self Comp) respectively. All the core build-up materials were manipulated according to the manufacturer's instructions and poured into the mold. A universal testing machine applied a central load to the specimen in a 3-point bending mode. Fracture of the specimen was identified and the reading was recorded by the universal testing machine. The data were analyzed statistically using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and then compared. RESULTS: Group I showed the highest flexural strength (48.65 MPa) among all the groups while group IV showed the lowest flexural strength (17.90 MPa). Group I showed the highest fracture toughness (99.12 MPa) among all the groups while group IV showed the lowest fracture toughness (36.41 MPa.cm-0.5). When mean flexural strength and fracture toughness values of all four groups were compared by using one-way ANOVA, the compared data was highly significant. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, dual cure composite resin was the material of choice in terms of flexural strength and fracture toughness for core build-up material followed by light cure composite resin. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The core buildup material serves to strengthen the tooth structure, allowing it to withstand the forces of chewing and preventing the risk of tooth fractures. This material is essential in restoring damaged or decayed teeth, as it provides a stable foundation for further dental work. By reinforcing the tooth structure, the core buildup material ensures that the tooth can function properly and remain healthy for years to come. How to cite this article: Nakade P, Thaore S, Bangar B, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Fracture Toughness and Flexural Strength of Four Different Core Build-up Materials: An In Vitro Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(2):191-195.

Imagery rescripting: The value of an added positive emotion component.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) aims to reduce trauma-related negative emotions and intrusions. Positive emotions during ImRs may aid coping with the consequences of trauma, but protocols vary in the extent to which they explicitly target such positive emotions. We used a multiple-day design with a trauma film paradigm to investigate whether adding an explicit positive emotion component to ImRs improved intervention effects in a non-clinical sample. In addition, we explored potentially differential effects on high, medium, and low arousal positive affect. METHODS: Participants (n = 105) were randomly assigned to either a standard ImRs condition, to an ImRs condition with an added explicit positive emotion component targeting joy (ImRs+), or to a non-intervention control (NIC) condition. Participants watched a trauma film on day 1, received the condition-specific intervention on day 2, and completed additional post-assessments of positive and negative affect on day 3. In addition, participants recorded intrusions from the trauma film from day 1 until day 3. RESULTS: Compared to standard ImRs and NIC, ImRs + significantly increased positive affect. Exploratory analyses showed that this increase concerned medium and high, but not low arousal positive affect. No significant between-group differences were found for negative affect and intrusion-related outcomes. LIMITATIONS: Floor effects for intrusions and negative affect limited our ability to fully investigate the potential benefits of targeting positive affect. CONCLUSIONS: Adding a positive emotion component to ImRs reliably improved positive affect. More research is needed to determine whether explicitly targeting positive affect improves efficacy of ImRs for intrusion-related outcomes.

Bypassing the build-up phase for oral immunotherapy in shrimp-allergic children.

Background: Oral immunotherapy is an effective treatment for food allergies; however, its use in clinical practice is limited by resources and lack of standardized protocols for foods other than peanut. Previous studies have suggested that shrimp has a higher threshold for reaction than other allergenic foods, suggesting it may be safe to directly administer maintenance doses of immunotherapy. Methods: Children aged 3-17 years who had 1) skin prick test ≥3 mm and/or specific IgE level ≥0.35 kU/L and convincing objective IgE-mediated reaction to shrimp, or 2) no ingestion history and specific IgE level ≥5 kU/L, underwent a low-dose oral food challenge to 300 mg shrimp protein, with the goal of continuing daily ingestion of the 300 mg maintenance dose as oral immunotherapy. Results: Between January 2020 and April 2023, 17 children completed the low-dose oral food challenge. Nine (53%) tolerated this amount with no reaction, and 8 (47%) had a mild reaction (isolated oral pruritis or redness on chin). Sixteen (94%) continued maintenance low-dose oral immunotherapy eating 300 mg shrimp protein daily. None of the patients developed anaphylaxis related to the immunotherapy. Conclusion: Our case series suggests that some shrimp allergic patients being considered for oral immunotherapy should be offered a low-dose oral food challenge, to potentially bypass the build-up phase of immunotherapy.

Speeding up iterative applications of the BUILD supertree algorithm.

The Open Tree of Life (OToL) project produces a supertree that summarizes phylogenetic knowledge from tree estimates published in the primary literature. The supertree construction algorithm iteratively calls Aho's Build algorithm thousands of times in order to assess the compatability of different phylogenetic groupings. We describe an incrementalized version of the Build algorithm that is able to share work between successive calls to Build. We provide details that allow a programmer to implement the incremental algorithm BuildInc, including pseudo-code and a description of data structures. We assess the effect of BuildInc on our supertree algorithm by analyzing simulated data and by analyzing a supertree problem taken from the OpenTree 13.4 synthesis tree. We find that BuildInc provides up to 550-fold speedup for our supertree algorithm.