It is a match! Timely response to a specific target boosts concurrent task processing

Multitasking typically leads to interference. However, responding to attentionally demanding targets in a continuous task paradoxically enhances memory for concurrently presented images, known as the "attentional boost effect" (ABE). Previous research has attributed the ABE to a temporal orienting response induced by the release of norepinephrine from the locus coeruleus when a stimulus is classified as a target. In this study, we tested whether target classification and response decisions act in an all-or-none manner on the ABE, or whether the processes leading up to these decisions also modulate the ABE. Participants encoded objects into memory while monitoring a stream of letters and digits, pressing a key for target letters. To change the process leading to target classification, we asked participants to respond either to a specific target letter or an entire category of letters. To change the process leading to response, we asked participants to either respond immediately to the target or withhold the response until the appearance of the next stimulus. Despite successfully identifying the target and responding to it in all conditions, participants benefited less from target detection in category search than in exact search and less from delayed response than immediate response. These findings suggest that target and response decisions do not act in an all-or-none manner. Instead, the ABE and the temporal orienting response is sensitive to the speed of reaching a perceptual or response decision. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Using enrollment records to evaluate self-reports of monthly coverage in the redesigned current population survey health insurance module

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the veracity of self-reports of month-level health insurance coverage in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS).

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING

The CHIME (Comparing Health Insurance Measurement Error) study used health insurance enrollment records from a large regional Midwest insurer as sample for primary data collection in spring 2015.

STUDY DESIGN

A sample of individuals enrolled in a range of public and private coverage types (including Medicaid and marketplace) was administered the CPS health insurance module, which included questions about month-level coverage, by type, over a 17-18-month time span. Survey data was then matched to enrollment records covering that same time frame, and concordance between the records and self-reports was assessed.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

Sample was drawn by the insurer's informatics specialists and Census Bureau interviewers conducted the survey. Following data collection, updated enrollment records were matched to the survey data to produce a person-level file of coverage by type at the month-level.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

For 91% of the overall sample, coverage status and type were reported accurately for at least 75% of observed months. Results varied somewhat by stability of coverage. Among those who were continuously covered throughout the 17-18 month observation period (which comprised 64% of the overall sample), that level of reporting accuracy was observed for 94% of the sample; for those who had censored spells (34% of the overall sample), the figure was 87%; and among those with gaps and/or changes according to the records (2% of the overall sample), for 82% of the group at least 75% of months were reported accurately.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that reporting accuracy of month-level coverage in the CPS is high and that the survey could become a valuable new data source for studying the dynamics of coverage, including the Medicaid unwinding.

Mortality and cancer incidence in perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride production workers

BACKGROUND

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with several health outcomes, though few occupationally-exposed populations have been studied. We evaluated mortality and cancer incidence in a cohort of perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride-based specialty chemical manufacturing workers.

METHODS

The cohort included any employee who ever worked at the facility from 1961 to 2010 (N = 4045), with a primary interest in those who had 365 cumulative days of employment (N = 2659). Vital status and mortality records were obtained through 2014 and the cohort was linked to state cancer registries to obtain incident cancer cases from 1995 to 2014. Cumulative exposure was derived from a comprehensive exposure reconstruction that estimated job-specific perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS)-equivalents (mg/m3 ) exposure. Overall and exposure-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were estimated in reference to the US population. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for cumulative PFOS-equivalent exposure (log2 transformed) were estimated within the cohort for specific causes of death and incident cancers using a time-dependent Cox model.

RESULTS

Death rates were lower than expected except for cerebrovascular disease (SMR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.25-4.22) and bladder cancer (SMR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.07-10.02) in the highest exposure quartile. Within the cohort, the incidence of bladder, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer were positively associated with exposure, however except for lung cancer (HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.00-1.11) the CIs did not exclude an HR of 1.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides some evidence that occupational exposure to PFOS is associated with bladder and lung cancers and with cerebrovascular disease.

Precursor- and waste-free synthesis of spark-ablated nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability towards airborne organic pollutant degradation

Photocatalyst synthesis typically involves multiple steps, expensive precursors, and solvents. In contrast, spark ablation offers a simple process of electrical discharges in a gap between two electrodes made from a desirable material. This enables a precursor- and waste-free generation of pure metal oxide nanoparticles or mixtures of various compositions. This study presents a two-step method for the production of photocatalytic filters with deposited airborne MnOx, TiO2, and ZnO nanoparticles using spark ablation and calcination processes. The resulting MnOx and TiO2 filters demonstrated almost twice the activity with outstanding performance stability, as compared to sol-gel MnO2 and commercial TiO2. The introduced method is not only simple, precursor- and waste-free, and leads to superior performance for the case studied, but it also has future potential due to its versatility. It can easily produce mixed and doped materials with further improved properties, making it an interesting avenue for future research.

Modular synthesis of functional libraries by accelerated SuFEx click chemistry

Accelerated SuFEx Click Chemistry (ASCC) is a powerful method for coupling aryl and alkyl alcohols with SuFEx-compatible functional groups. With its hallmark favorable kinetics and exceptional product yields, ASCC streamlines the synthetic workflow, simplifies the purification process, and is ideally suited for discovering functional molecules. We showcase the versatility and practicality of the ASCC reaction as a tool for the late-stage derivatization of bioactive molecules and in the array synthesis of sulfonate-linked, high-potency, microtubule targeting agents (MTAs) that exhibit nanomolar anticancer activity against multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines. These findings underscore ASCC's promise as a robust platform for drug discovery.

Longitudinal changes in diet quality and food intake before and after diabetes awareness in American adults: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study

INTRODUCTION

Limited longitudinal research is available examining how American adults make dietary changes after learning they have diabetes. We examined the associations between diabetes awareness and changes in dietary quality and food intake in a prospective cohort from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A nested case-control design was used. In the original CARDIA study, black and white participants were recruited from four US urban areas and partitioned into one control group (no diabetes over 30-year follow-up) and three case groups (early-onset, intermediate-onset, later-onset diabetes groups) based on timing of diagnosis and first awareness of diabetes. Estimated mean A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS), and food subgroup intake were examined at three CARDIA examinations (year (Y)0, Y7, and Y20). The mean APDQS with 95% CIs and food intake (servings/day) were compared across the one control group and three case groups using exam-specific and repeated measures linear regression.

RESULTS

Among 4576 participants (mean age: 25±4 years; 55% female; 49% black race), 653 incident cases (14.3%) of diabetes were observed over 30 years. APDQS was lowest at Y0 when the diabetes-free participants were aged 18-30 years (61.5-62.8), but increased over 20 years with advancing age across all groups (64.6-73.3). Lower APDQS in young adulthood was associated with a higher incidence of diabetes later in life. Diabetes awareness was associated with a net increase of 2.95 points in APDQS. The greatest increase of APDQS was when people learned of their diabetes for the first time (an increase of 5.71 in early-onset and 6.64 in intermediate-onset diabetes groups, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Advancing age and diabetes awareness were associated with more favorable dietary changes leading to improved diet quality. Optimal diet quality and healthy food intake in young adulthood seem important to prevent diabetes later in life.

Associations between occupational physical activity and left ventricular structure and function over 25 years in CARDIA

AIMS

Leisure time physical activity (LTPA) confers cardiovascular health benefits, while occupational physical activity (OPA) may have paradoxically negative health associations. This study tested the explanatory hypothesis that unfavourable cardiac remodelling may result from chronic OPA-induced cardiovascular strain.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Longitudinal associations of OPA and left ventricular (LV) structure and function were examined in 1462 participants {50.0% female, 56.4% White, aged 30.4 ± 3.4 years at baseline [Year 5 exam (1990-91)]} from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Left ventricular structure and function were measured as LV mass (LVMi), end-diastolic volume (LVEDVi), end-systolic volume (LVESVi), ejection fraction (LVEF), stroke volume (LVSVi), and e/a-wave ratio (EA ratio) via echocardiography at baseline and 25 years later. Occupational physical activity was reported at seven exams during the study period as months/year with 'vigorous job activities such as lifting, carrying, or digging' for ≥5 h/week. The 25-year OPA patterns were categorized into three trajectories: no OPA (n = 770), medium OPA (n = 410), and high OPA (n = 282). Linear regression estimated associations between OPA trajectories and echocardiogram variables at follow-up after adjusting for baseline values, individual demographic/health characteristics, and LTPA. Twenty-five-year OPA exposure was not significantly associated with LVMi, LVEDVi, LVSVi, or EA ratio (P > 0.05). However, higher LVESVi (β = 1.84, P < 0.05) and lower LVEF (β = -1.94, P < 0.05) were observed at follow-up among those in the high- vs. no-OPA trajectories.

CONCLUSION

The paradoxically adverse association of OPA with cardiovascular health was partially supported by null or adverse associations between high OPA and echocardiogram outcomes. Confirmation is needed using more precise OPA measures.

Parental request for familial carrier testing in early childhood: The genetic counseling perspective

Professional guidelines generally caution against carrier testing in minors, though prior research indicates parents request and providers sometimes facilitate testing for unaffected siblings of a child affected by a genetic disorder. We investigated the perspectives of genetic counselors in North America regarding carrier testing prior to adolescence. Practicing genetic counselors (n = 177) responded to an electronic survey assessing their willingness to facilitate testing in four hypothetical scenarios and their evaluation of parental motivations. Participants did not find parental arguments for testing persuasive, and most were unwilling to facilitate carrier testing in children. A significant interaction effect indicated the presence of nonactionable carrier-associated health risks in adulthood made participants significantly less hesitant when the mode of inheritance was X-linked. Participants considered parental motivations that center the child's interests as significantly more persuasive. This study suggests genetic counselors are resistant to carrier testing for familial disorders in young children and tend to align with current guidelines, yet they recognize nuance in various cases. Further investigation into this topic is warranted to support genetic counselors facing these requests as the ethics of pediatric carrier testing continues to be debated.

Seroprevalence of dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Zika among long-term expatriates in Thailand

BACKGROUND

Travel to Southeast Asia increases the likelihood of acquiring mosquito-borne Flavivirus infections such as dengue (DENV), Japanese encephalitis (JEV) and Zika viruses (ZIKV). Expatriates are long-term travellers who have a higher risk of mosquito-borne illness at their destination country. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of DENV, JEV and ZIKV infections and the determinants contributing to seropositivity among expatriates living in Thailand.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed from December 2017 to February 2020. Expatriates from non-Flavivirus endemic countries were recruited. 5 mL of blood was collected for DENV 1-4, JEV and ZIKV antibody testing by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50). Individuals with vaccination histories or diagnoses for dengue, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever and tick-borne encephalitis were excluded.

RESULTS

Among 254 participants, most participants (83.1%) were male, the mean age was 65 years and the median duration of stay in Thailand was 6 years. Seroprevalence rate of any Flavivirus, non-specific DENV, DENV1-4, JEV and ZIKV were 34.3, 30.7, 20.5, 18.1, 18.9, 10.6, 4.7 and 2.8%, respectively. The presence of neutralizing antibodies against DENV1-4 positively correlates with the duration of stay in Thailand. DENV seropositivity was associated with living in urban areas (aOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.36-5.57). Expatriates were unlikely to have detectable anti-JEV antibodies regardless of time spent in a JEV-endemic area. No risk factors were identified that were significantly associated with JEV or ZIKV seropositivity. Only 48.4% received pre-travel counselling services, while only 18.9% visited a travel medicine specialist.

CONCLUSIONS

A high proportion (34.3%) of long-term expatriates living in Thailand were seropositive for flavivirus, mainly from dengue (30.7%). To minimize risk, travel medicine practitioners should provide adequate pre-travel health risk information on mosquito-borne flavivirus infection and offer advice on mosquito bite prevention strategies. Dengue vaccine might be considered in high-risk travellers such as long-term expatriate.

Sall4 regulates posterior trunk mesoderm development by promoting mesodermal gene expression and repressing neural genes in the mesoderm

The trunk axial skeleton develops from paraxial mesoderm cells. Our recent study demonstrated that conditional knockout of the stem cell factor Sall4 in mice by TCre caused tail truncation and a disorganized axial skeleton posterior to the lumbar level. Based on this phenotype, we hypothesized that, in addition to the previously reported role of Sall4 in neuromesodermal progenitors, Sall4 is involved in the development of the paraxial mesoderm tissue. Analysis of gene expression and SALL4 binding suggests that Sall4 directly or indirectly regulates genes involved in presomitic mesoderm differentiation, somite formation and somite differentiation. Furthermore, ATAC-seq in TCre; Sall4 mutant posterior trunk mesoderm shows that Sall4 knockout reduces chromatin accessibility. We found that Sall4-dependent open chromatin status drives activation and repression of WNT signaling activators and repressors, respectively, to promote WNT signaling. Moreover, footprinting analysis of ATAC-seq data suggests that Sall4-dependent chromatin accessibility facilitates CTCF binding, which contributes to the repression of neural genes within the mesoderm. This study unveils multiple mechanisms by which Sall4 regulates paraxial mesoderm development by directing activation of mesodermal genes and repression of neural genes.

Computational tools for quantifying actin filament numbers, lengths, and bundling

The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic filamentous network that assembles into specialized structures to enable cells to perform essential processes. Direct visualization of fluorescently-labeled cytoskeletal proteins has provided numerous insights into the dynamic processes that govern the assembly of actin-based structures. However, accurate analysis of these experiments is often complicated by the interdependent and kinetic natures of the reactions involved. It is often challenging to disentangle these processes to accurately track their evolution over time. Here, we describe two programs written in the MATLAB programming language that facilitate counting, length measurements, and quantification of bundling of actin filaments visualized in fluorescence micrographs. To demonstrate the usefulness of our programs, we describe their application to the analysis of two representative reactions: (1) a solution of pre-assembled filaments under equilibrium conditions, and (2) a reaction in which actin filaments are crosslinked together over time. We anticipate that these programs can be applied to extract equilibrium and kinetic information from a broad range of actin-based reactions, and that their usefulness can be expanded further to investigate the assembly of other biopolymers.

Epigenetic Aging Is Associated With Measures of Midlife Muscle Volume and Attenuation in CARDIA Study

BACKGROUND

GrimAge acceleration (GAA), an epigenetic marker that represents physiologic aging, is associated with age-related diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, the associations between GAA and muscle mass and function are unknown.

METHODS

We estimated measures of GAA in 1 118 Black and White participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study at exam years (Y) 15 (2000-2001) and 20 (2005-2006). Abdominal muscle composition was measured using CT scans at the Y25 (2010-2011) visit. We used multivariate regression models to examine associations of GAA estimates with muscle imaging measurements.

RESULTS

In the CARDIA study, each 1-year higher GAA was associated with an average 1.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6%, 1.5%) higher intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) volume for abdominal muscles. Each 1-year higher GAA was associated with an average -0.089 Hounsfield unit (HU; 95% CI: -0.146, -0.032) lower lean muscle attenuation and an average -0.049 HU (95% CI: -0.092, -0.007) lower IMAT attenuation for abdominal muscles. Stratified analyses showed that GAA was more strongly associated with higher abdominal muscle IMAT volume in females and significantly associated with lower lean muscle attenuation for White participants only.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher GAA is associated with higher abdominal muscle IMAT volume and lower lean muscle attenuation in a midlife population.

filoVision - using deep learning and tip markers to automate filopodia analysis

Filopodia are slender, actin-filled membrane projections used by various cell types for environment exploration. Analyzing filopodia often involves visualizing them using actin, filopodia tip or membrane markers. Due to the diversity of cell types that extend filopodia, from amoeboid to mammalian, it can be challenging for some to find a reliable filopodia analysis workflow suited for their cell type and preferred visualization method. The lack of an automated workflow capable of analyzing amoeboid filopodia with only a filopodia tip label prompted the development of filoVision. filoVision is an adaptable deep learning platform featuring the tools filoTips and filoSkeleton. filoTips labels filopodia tips and the cytosol using a single tip marker, allowing information extraction without actin or membrane markers. In contrast, filoSkeleton combines tip marker signals with actin labeling for a more comprehensive analysis of filopodia shafts in addition to tip protein analysis. The ZeroCostDL4Mic deep learning framework facilitates accessibility and customization for different datasets and cell types, making filoVision a flexible tool for automated analysis of tip-marked filopodia across various cell types and user data.

Revaccination for Hepatitis B in Previous Nonresponders Following Hepatitis C Eradication

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) do not respond to hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination as efficiently as the general population. We assessed if revaccination after HCV treatment resulted in improved response.

METHODS

Previous HBV vaccine nonresponders were prospectively recruited for revaccination after HCV eradication. Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) testing was performed 1 month after series completion.

RESULTS

Follow-up HBsAb testing was performed in 31 of 34 enrolled patients with 21 (67.7%) reactive results. There were no significant differences in HBsAb reactivity based on age, sex, race, or advanced fibrosis presence.

CONCLUSIONS

HBV vaccine nonresponders should be considered for revaccination following HCV cure.

Structural basis for transcription activation by the nitrate-responsive regulator NarL

Transcription activation is a crucial step of regulation during transcription initiation and a classic check point in response to different stimuli and stress factors. The Escherichia coli NarL is a nitrate-responsive global transcription factor that controls the expression of nearly 100 genes. However, the molecular mechanism of NarL-mediated transcription activation is not well defined. Here we present a cryo-EM structure of NarL-dependent transcription activation complex (TAC) assembled on the yeaR promoter at 3.2 Å resolution. Our structure shows that the NarL dimer binds at the -43.5 site of the promoter DNA with its C-terminal domain (CTD) not only binding to the DNA but also making interactions with RNA polymerase subunit alpha CTD (αCTD). The key role of these NarL-mediated interactions in transcription activation was further confirmed by in vivo and in vitro transcription assays. Additionally, the NarL dimer binds DNA in a different plane from that observed in the structure of class II TACs. Unlike the canonical class II activation mechanism, NarL does not interact with σ4, while RNAP αCTD is bound to DNA on the opposite side of NarL. Our findings provide a structural basis for detailed mechanistic understanding of NarL-dependent transcription activation on yeaR promoter and reveal a potentially novel mechanism of transcription activation.

Multivalent Vaccination Strategies Protect against Exposure to Polydrug Opioid and Stimulant Mixtures in Mice and Rats

Illicit drug mixtures containing opioids and stimulants have been responsible for the majority of fatal drug overdoses among occasional users, and those with either opioid use disorder (OUD) or substance use disorder (SUD). As a complementary strategy to current pharmacotherapies, active immunization with conjugate vaccines has been proposed as a viable intervention to treat OUD as well as other SUD for which there are either limited or no treatment options. Vaccination against opioids and stimulants could help address the limitations of current medications (e.g., patient access, compliance, misuse liability, and safety) by providing an additional tool to prevent drug misuse and/or overdoses. However, more research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and limitations of using vaccines to treat SUD and overdose and to inform us on how to deploy this strategy in the field. Previous reports have shown promise by combining two vaccines into bivalent vaccine formulations to concurrently target multiple drugs. Here, multiple individual candidate monovalent vaccines were incrementally combined in multivalent vaccine formulations to simultaneously target fentanyl, carfentanil, oxycodone, heroin, methamphetamine, and their analogs or metabolites. Bi-, tri-, and quadrivalent vaccine formulations induced the formation of independent serum antibody responses against their respective opioid targets and selectively attenuated the distribution of each individual drug to the brain in mice and rats. Results indicate that a single injection of an admixed multivalent vaccine formulation may be more effective than coinjecting multiple monovalent vaccines at multiple sites. Finally, adding a methamphetamine conjugate vaccine to an quadrivalent opioid vaccine in a pentavalent formulation did not interfere with the production of effective antiopioid IgG antibodies. Multivalent vaccines could provide multifaceted, yet selective, protection against polydrug use and exposure.

Ligand-Controlled Regioinduction in a PHOX-Ni Aryne Complex

Phosphinooxazoline (PHOX) ligands have been used to control the regio- and enantioselectivity in a wide variety of metal-catalyzed reactions. Despite their widespread use, PHOX ligands have never been studied in metal-aryne complexes. Herein we report the first example of a PHOX-Ni aryne complex. As demonstrated in other systems, the differentiated P versus N donors and different steric environments of the unsymmetric ligand are able to induce regiocontrol. A 81:19 mixture of o-methoxy substituted aryne complexes is observed. Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis, UV/vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry are used to gain further insight into the molecular and electronic structure of these complexes. Lastly, a methylation/deuteration sequence shows retention of the PHOX ligand-induced regiocontrol in the difunctionalized products and that the regiospecificity of these difunctionalizations is due to the trans influence of the P donor.

Exploration of support for Black, Indigenous, and people of color students in genetic counseling programs

Students in higher education who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) experience racism, discrimination, and microaggressions through tokenization, hypervisibility, invisibility, and marginalization. The experiences of BIPOC genetic counseling students with curriculum, clinical training, and sense of belonging also differ. Therefore, there is a large need for understanding how support is defined by BIPOC genetic counseling students, and then how to integrate specific aspects of training into a practical framework for programs to address racism and the resulting emotional implications. This study aimed to define current practices of support and identify gaps in genetic counseling programs as described by BIPOC students. BIPOC genetic counseling students (N = 40) were recruited through Listserv, social media, and Slack channels to complete an online survey eliciting demographic data, perspectives on support, and available support resources. The online survey consisted of 22 open- and closed-ended questions. Data were collected over a 5-week period. Open-ended responses were coded by thematic analysis and audited. The top three supports were as follows: (1) presence of other BIPOC students; (2) presence of BIPOC faculty; and (3) financial funding. Participants' individual definitions of support indicated that each student defined support in a unique way. Most participants defined understanding and empathy stemming from peers, supervisors, and faculty within the program setting as important aspects of overall support. The majority of participants felt somewhat or strongly supported in areas of training. The area with the least support was within rotation/fieldwork experiences. Programs should consider social- and program-level support combined with emotional support. Individualized support for every student is needed while avoiding assumptions about their identity and support needs. Training programs may consider a balance of efforts to prioritize recruiting more BIPOC faculty and students and providing the outlined support and funding resources for their students.

Magnetic Nanoparticles: A Review on Synthesis, Characterization, Functionalization, and Biomedical Applications

Nowadays, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are applied in numerous fields, especially in biomedical applications. Since biofluidic samples and biological tissues are nonmagnetic, negligible background signals can interfere with the magnetic signals from MNPs in magnetic biosensing and imaging applications. In addition, the MNPs can be remotely controlled by magnetic fields, which make it possible for magnetic separation and targeted drug delivery. Furthermore, due to the unique dynamic magnetizations of MNPs when subjected to alternating magnetic fields, MNPs are also proposed as a key tool in cancer treatment, an example is magnetic hyperthermia therapy. Due to their distinct surface chemistry, good biocompatibility, and inducible magnetic moments, the material and morphological structure design of MNPs has attracted enormous interest from a variety of scientific domains. Herein, a thorough review of the chemical synthesis strategies of MNPs, the methodologies to modify the MNPs surface for better biocompatibility, the physicochemical characterization techniques for MNPs, as well as some representative applications of MNPs in disease diagnosis and treatment are provided. Further portions of the review go into the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of composite MNPs with core/shell structures as well as a deeper analysis of MNP properties to learn about potential biomedical applications.

Passerine sister clade comparisons reveal variable macroevolutionary outcomes of interhemispheric dispersal

Dispersal events offer a unique window into macroevolutionary processes, especially with respect to the effects of competition on diversification. Empirical studies testing alternative predictions of competitive effects are often limited in either geographic or phylogenetic scale. Here, we tested some of these hypotheses by comparing an assemblage of 16 oscine passerine clades, representing independent dispersal events into the Western Hemisphere, to their sister clades in the Eastern Hemisphere. We also compared the diversity of this assemblage of clades to an older, incumbent passerine clade in the Western Hemisphere, the suboscines. Specifically, we tested for ecological opportunity and incumbency-mediated constraints by analysis of clade-specific morphological disparities and rates of evolution relative to dispersal history. While there was no consistent outcome of oscine dispersal and macroevolution in the Western Hemisphere relative to their Eastern Hemisphere sister groups, most clades supported a role for ecological opportunity or incumbency effects, and such effects were better explained by differences in species accumulation than by differences in rates of trait evolution or colonization timing. This general pattern was not evident when comparing the entire oscine assemblage of the Western Hemisphere to the incumbent suboscine radiation; oscines and suboscines occupy comparable regions of functional trait diversity and, despite higher rates of trait evolution in oscines, these observations were consistent with simulated null expectations. This result suggests that oscine and suboscine assemblages may have evolved in relative isolation for a significant fraction of their history.

Inferring a directed acyclic graph of phenotypes from GWAS summary statistics

Estimating phenotype networks is a growing field in computational biology. It deepens the understanding of disease etiology and is useful in many applications. In this study, we present a method that constructs a phenotype network by assuming a Gaussian linear structure model embedding a directed acyclic graph (DAG). We utilize genetic variants as instrumental variables and show how our method only requires access to summary statistics from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and a reference panel of genotype data. Besides estimation, a distinct feature of the method is its summary statistics-based likelihood ratio test on directed edges. We applied our method to estimate a causal network of 29 cardiovascular-related proteins and linked the estimated network to Alzheimer's disease (AD). A simulation study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method. An R package sumdag implementing the proposed method, all relevant code, and a Shiny application are available.

Nonthermal Plasma Synthesis of Metallic Ti Nanocrystals

Nanoscale metallic titanium (Ti) offers unique energetic and biocompatible characteristics for the aerospace and biomedical industries. A rapid and sustainable method to form purified Ti nanocrystals is still in demand due to their high oxygen affinity. Herein, we report the production of highly purified Ti nanoparticles with a nonequilibrium face center cubic (FCC) structure from titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) via a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) route. Furthermore, we demonstrate a secondary H2 treatment plasma as an effective strategy to improve the air stability of a thin layer of nanoparticles by further removal of chlorine from the particle surface. Hexagonal and cubic-shaped Ti nanocrystals of high purity were maintained in the air after the secondary H2 plasma treatment. The FCC phase potentially originates from small-sized grains in the initial stage of nucleation inside the plasma environment, which is revealed by a size evolution study with variations of plasma power input.

Mechanistic insights into radical formation and functionalization in copper/N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide radical-relay reactions

Copper-catalysed radical-relay reactions that employ N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) as the oxidant have emerged as highly effective methods for C(sp3)-H functionalization. Herein, computational studies are paired with experimental data to investigate a series of key mechanistic features of these reactions, with a focus on issues related to site-selectivity, enantioselectivity, and C-H substrate scope. (1) The full reaction energetics of enantioselective benzylic C-H cyanation are probed, and an adduct between Cu and the N-sulfonimidyl radical (˙NSI) is implicated as the species that promotes hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) from the C-H substrate. (2) Benzylic versus 3° C-H site-selectivity is compared with different HAT reagents: Cu/˙NSI, ˙OtBu, and Cl˙, and the data provide insights into the high selectivity for benzylic C-H bonds in Cu/NFSI-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions. (3) The energetics of three radical functionalization pathways are compared, including radical-polar crossover (RPC) to generate a carbocation intermediate, reductive elimination from a formal CuIII organometallic complex, and radical addition to a Cu-bound ligand. The preferred mechanism is shown to depend on the ligands bound to copper. (4) Finally, the energetics of three different pathways that convert benzylic C-H bonds into benzylic cations are compared, including HAT/ET (ET = electron transfer), relevant to the RPC mechanism with Cu/NFSI; hydride transfer, involved in reactions with high-potential quinones; and sequential ET/PT/ET (PT = proton transfer), involved in catalytic photoredox reactions. Collectively, the results provide mechanistic insights that establish a foundation for further advances in radical-relay C-H functionalization reactions.

Using design of experiments to guide genetic optimization of engineered metabolic pathways

Design of experiments (DoE) is a term used to describe the application of statistical approaches to interrogate the impact of many variables on the performance of a multivariate system. It is commonly used for process optimization in fields such as chemical engineering and material science. Recent advances in the ability to quantitatively control the expression of genes in biological systems open up the possibility to apply DoE for genetic optimization. In this review targeted to genetic and metabolic engineers, we introduce several approaches in DoE at a high level and describe instances wherein these were applied to interrogate or optimize engineered genetic systems. We discuss the challenges of applying DoE and propose strategies to mitigate these challenges.

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY

This is a review of literature related to applying Design of Experiments for genetic optimization.

Androgenicity in Young Women and Development of Metabolic Syndrome Before Menopause: The CARDIA and CARDIA Women's Studies

Context

There are no reported data from prospective long-term studies on the relation of androgen levels in young women with development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) before menopause.

Objective

We investigated associations of androgens and SHBG with incident MetS during 23 years of follow-up.

Methods

We included 366 White and 375 Black women ages 20 to 32 years participating in the CARDIA study and CARDIA Women's study, free of MetS at baseline examination (1987-1988), and premenopausal 23 years later. Androgens and SHBG were categorized into quartiles. MetS was defined according to the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2009 Joint Scientific Statement. Cox proportional hazards models were used.

Results

By year 23, 30% of women developed MetS. Adjusting for baseline age, race, and education, hazard ratios (95% CI) of developing MetS were 1.46 (1.02-2.10) and 2.22 (1.53-3.21) for women in the highest vs lowest total testosterone (T) and free T quartile, respectively. The hazards of developing MetS were 47%, 59%, and 53% lower for women with SHBG in the second, third, and fourth quartiles (vs lowest quartile), respectively. Associations were attenuated for total T with further adjustments for smoking, physical activity, menstrual status, oral contraceptive/hormone (OCHM) use, insulin level, oligomenorrhea, and age at menarche, but remained statistically significant for free T and SHBG. Associations were similar for both Blacks and Whites, and OCHM nonusers, but not for OCHM users.

Conclusion

High androgenicity in young premenopausal women is associated with higher risk of future MetS, suggesting that early assessment of androgens may contribute to prevention.

Riverine flow rate drives widespread convergence in the shell morphology of imperiled freshwater mussels

Frequent and strong morphological convergence suggests that determinism tends to supersede historical contingencies in evolutionary radiations. For many lineages living within the water column of rivers and streams, hydrodynamic forces drive widespread morphological convergence. Living below the sediment-water interface may release organisms from these hydrodynamic pressures, permitting a broad array of morphologies, and thus less convergence. However, we show here that the semi-infaunal freshwater mussels have environmentally determined convergence in shell morphology. Using 3D morphometric data from 715 individuals among 164 Nearctic species, we find that species occurring in rivers with high flow rates have evolved traits that resist dislodgement from their burrowed position in the streambed: thicker shells for their body size, with the thickest sector of the shell being the most deeply buried. Species occurring in low flow environments have evolved thinner and more uniformly thickened shells, corresponding to an alternative adaptation to dislodgement: increased burrowing efficiency. Within species, individuals also show increased shell thickness for their body size at higher flow rates, suggesting that ecophenotypy may, in part, be an important mechanism for establishing populations in new environments and thus evolutionary divergence in this highly imperiledinvertebrate group.

Meta-analytical evidence that males prefer virgin females

Males are often predicted to prefer virgin over non-virgin females because of the reduced risk of sperm competition. Does this prediction hold across studies? Our systematic meta-analysis of 138 studies, mainly conducted in invertebrates, confirms that males generally prefer virgin females. However, males preferred virgin females even in species with last male sperm precedence, suggesting that sperm competition alone does not drive male preferences. Furthermore, our results suggest that males may reject mated females even when no alternative exists. Preference for virgins is unlikely to influence female reproductive success since virginity cannot be selected for, but strong preference for virgin females could swamp or reinforce selection on other traits. Our results add to growing evidence that males are not indiscriminate in mating. However, given the unexplained heterogeneity in effect sizes, we urge caution in assuming that males will prefer virgins and recommend considering the natural context of mating decisions.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Strategies for Assessing Human Exposure Using Hemoglobin Adductomics

Hemoglobin (Hb) adducts are widely used in human biomonitoring due to the high abundance of hemoglobin in human blood, its reactivity toward electrophiles, and adducted protein stability for up to 120 days. In the present paper, we compared three methods of analysis of hemoglobin adducts: mass spectrometry of derivatized N-terminal Val adducts, mass spectrometry of N-terminal adducted hemoglobin peptides, and limited proteolysis mass spectrometry . Blood from human donors was incubated with a selection of contact allergens and other electrophiles, after which hemoglobin was isolated and subjected to three analysis methods. We found that the FIRE method was able to detect and reliably quantify N-terminal adducts of acrylamide, acrylic acid, glycidic acid, and 2,3-epoxypropyl phenyl ether (PGE), but it was less efficient for 2-methyleneglutaronitrile (2-MGN) and failed to detect 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB). By contrast, bottom-up proteomics was able to determine the presence of adducts from all six electrophiles at both the N-terminus and reactive hemoglobin side chains. Limited proteolysis mass spectrometry, studied for four contact allergens (three electrophiles and a metal salt), was able to determine the presence of covalent hemoglobin adducts with one of the three electrophiles (DNCB) and coordination complexation with the nickel salt. Together, these approaches represent complementary tools in the study of the hemoglobin adductome.

OpenApePose, a database of annotated ape photographs for pose estimation

Because of their close relationship with humans, non-human apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons, including siamangs) are of great scientific interest. The goal of understanding their complex behavior would be greatly advanced by the ability to perform video-based pose tracking. Tracking, however, requires high-quality annotated datasets of ape photographs. Here we present OpenApePose, a new public dataset of 71,868 photographs, annotated with 16 body landmarks of six ape species in naturalistic contexts. We show that a standard deep net (HRNet-W48) trained on ape photos can reliably track out-of-sample ape photos better than networks trained on monkeys (specifically, the OpenMonkeyPose dataset) and on humans (COCO) can. This trained network can track apes almost as well as the other networks can track their respective taxa, and models trained without one of the six ape species can track the held-out species better than the monkey and human models can. Ultimately, the results of our analyses highlight the importance of large, specialized databases for animal tracking systems and confirm the utility of our new ape database.

Identification of pararosaniline as a modifier of RNA splicing in Caenorhabditis elegans

Posttranscriptional splicing of premessenger RNA (mRNA) is an evolutionarily conserved eukaryotic process for producing mature mRNA that is translated into proteins. Accurate splicing is necessary for normal growth and development, and aberrant splicing is increasingly evident in various human pathologies. To study environmental factors that influence RNA splicing, we employed a fluorescent Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo splicing reporter as a biomarker for splicing fidelity to screen against the US EPA ToxCast chemical library. We identified pararosaniline hydrochloride as a strong modifier of RNA splicing. Through gene expression analysis, we found that pararosaniline activates the oxidative stress response and alters the expression of key RNA splicing regulator genes. Physiological assays show that pararosaniline is deleterious to C. elegans development, reproduction, and aging. Through a targeted RNAi screen, we found that inhibiting protein translation can reverse pararosaniline's effect on the splicing reporter and provide significant protection against long-term pararosaniline toxicity. Together, this study reveals a new chemical modifier of RNA splicing and describes translation inhibition as a genetic mechanism to provide resistance.

Aerobic iron-oxidizing bacteria secrete metabolites that markedly impede abiotic iron oxidation

Iron is one of the Earth's most abundant elements and is required for essentially all forms of life. Yet, iron's reactivity with oxygen and poor solubility in its oxidized form (Fe3+) mean that it is often a limiting nutrient in oxic, near-neutral pH environments like Earth's ocean. In addition to being a vital nutrient, there is a diversity of aerobic organisms that oxidize ferrous iron (Fe2+) to harness energy for growth and biosynthesis. Accordingly, these organisms rely on access to co-existing Fe2+ and O2 to survive. It is generally presumed that such aerobic iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) are relegated to low-oxygen regimes where abiotic iron oxidation rates are slower, yet some FeOB live in higher oxygen environments where they cannot rely on lower oxygen concentrations to overcome abiotic competition. We hypothesized that FeOB chemically alter their environment to limit abiotic interactions between Fe2+ and O2. To test this, we incubated the secreted metabolites (collectively known as the exometabolome) of the deep-sea iron- and hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Ghiorsea bivora TAG-1 with ferrous iron and oxygen. We found that this FeOB's iron-oxidizing exometabolome markedly impedes the abiotic oxidation of ferrous iron, increasing the half-life of Fe2+ 100-fold from ∼3 to ∼335 days in the presence of O2, while the exometabolome of TAG-1 grown on hydrogen had no effect. Moreover, the few precipitates that formed in the presence of TAG-1's iron-oxidizing exometabolome were poorly crystalline, compared with the abundant iron particles that mineralized in the absence of abiotic controls. We offer an initial exploration of TAG-1's iron-oxidizing exometabolome and discuss potential key contributors to this process. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the exometabolome as a whole leads to a sustained accumulation of ferrous iron in the presence of oxygen, consequently altering the redox equilibrium. This previously unknown adaptation likely enables these microorganisms to persist in an iron-oxidizing and iron-precipitating world and could have impacts on the bioavailability of iron to FeOB and other life in iron-limiting environments.

The circadian regulator PER1 promotes cell reprogramming by inhibiting inflammatory signaling from macrophages

Circadian regulation of gene expression is prevalent and plays critical roles in cell differentiation. However, its roles in the reprogramming of differentiated cells remain largely unknown. Here, we found that one of the master circadian regulators PER1 promoted virus-mediated reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) to induced neurons (iNs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Unexpectedly, PER1 achieved this by repressing inflammatory activation of contaminating macrophages in the MEF culture, rather than by directly modulating the reprogrammability of MEFs. More specifically, we found that transduced viruses activated inflammatory genes in macrophages, such as Tnf encoding TNFα, one of the central inflammatory regulators and an autocrine activator of macrophages. TNFα inhibited iN reprogramming, whereas a TNFα inhibitor promoted iN reprogramming, connecting the inflammatory responses to iN reprogramming. In addition, macrophages were induced to proliferate and mature by non-macrophage cells serving as feeders, which also supported up-regulation of TNFα in macrophages without virus transduction. Furthermore, the 2 inflammatory responses were repressed by the circadian regulator PER1 in macrophages, making reprogrammability dependent on time-of-day of virus transduction. Similar results were obtained with iPSC reprogramming, suggesting a wide occurrence of macrophage-mediated inhibition of cell reprogramming. This study uncovers mechanistic links between cell reprogramming, bystander inflammatory macrophages, and circadian rhythms, which are particularly relevant to in vivo reprogramming and organoid formation incorporating immune cells.

Switchable Organocatalysis from N-heterocyclic Carbene-Carbodiimide Adducts with Tunable Release Temperature

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are powerful organocatalysts, but practical applications often require in situ generation from stable precursors that "mask" the NHC reactivity via reversible binding. Previously established "masks" are often simple small molecules, such that the NHC structure is used to control both catalytic activity and activation temperature, leading to undesirable tradeoffs. Herein, we show that NHC-carbodiimide (CDI) adducts can be masked precursors for switchable organocatalysis and that the CDI substituents can control the reaction profile without changing the NHC structure. Large electronic variations on the CDI (e.g., alkyl versus aryl) drastically change the catalytically active temperature, whereas smaller perturbations (e.g., different para-substituted phenyls) tune the catalyst release within a narrower window. This control was demonstrated for three classic NHC-catalyzed reactions, each influencing the NHC-CDI equilibrium in different ways. Our results introduce a new paradigm for controlling NHC organocatalysis as well as present practical considerations for designing appropriate masks for various reactions.

Treatment with tumor-treating fields (TTFields) suppresses intercellular tunneling nanotube formation in vitro and upregulates immuno-oncologic biomarkers in vivo in malignant mesothelioma

Disruption of intercellular communication within tumors is emerging as a novel potential strategy for cancer-directed therapy. Tumor-Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy is a treatment modality that has itself emerged over the past decade in active clinical use for patients with glioblastoma and malignant mesothelioma, based on the principle of using low-intensity alternating electric fields to disrupt microtubules in cancer cells undergoing mitosis. There is a need to identify other cellular and molecular effects of this treatment approach that could explain reported increased overall survival when TTFields are added to standard systemic agents. Tunneling nanotube (TNTs) are cell-contact-dependent filamentous-actin-based cellular protrusions that can connect two or more cells at long-range. They are upregulated in cancer, facilitating cell growth, differentiation, and in the case of invasive cancer phenotypes, a more chemoresistant phenotype. To determine whether TNTs present a potential therapeutic target for TTFields, we applied TTFields to malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cells forming TNTs in vitro. TTFields at 1.0 V/cm significantly suppressed TNT formation in biphasic subtype MPM, but not sarcomatoid MPM, independent of effects on cell number. TTFields did not significantly affect function of TNTs assessed by measuring intercellular transport of mitochondrial cargo via intact TNTs. We further leveraged a spatial transcriptomic approach to characterize TTFields-induced changes to molecular profiles in vivo using an animal model of MPM. We discovered TTFields induced upregulation of immuno-oncologic biomarkers with simultaneous downregulation of pathways associated with cell hyperproliferation, invasion, and other critical regulators of oncogenic growth. Several molecular classes and pathways coincide with markers that we and others have found to be differentially expressed in cancer cell TNTs, including MPM specifically. We visualized short TNTs in the dense stromatous tumor material selected as regions of interest for spatial genomic assessment. Superimposing these regions of interest from spatial genomics over the plane of TNT clusters imaged in intact tissue is a new method that we designate Spatial Profiling of Tunneling nanoTubes (SPOTT). In sum, these results position TNTs as potential therapeutic targets for TTFields-directed cancer treatment strategies. We also identified the ability of TTFields to remodel the tumor microenvironment landscape at the molecular level, thereby presenting a potential novel strategy for converting tumors at the cellular level from 'cold' to 'hot' for potential response to immunotherapeutic drugs.

Wolves alter the trajectory of forests by shaping the central place foraging behaviour of an ecosystem engineer

Predators can directly and indirectly alter the foraging behaviour of prey through direct predation and the risk of predation, and in doing so, initiate indirect effects that influence myriad species and ecological processes. We describe how wolves indirectly alter the trajectory of forests by constraining the distance that beavers, a central place forager and prolific ecosystem engineer, forage from water. Specifically, we demonstrate that wolves wait in ambush and kill beavers on longer feeding trails than would be expected based on the spatio-temporal availability of beavers. This pattern is driven by temporal dynamics of beaver foraging: beavers make more foraging trips and spend more time on land per trip on longer feeding trails that extend farther from water. As a result, beavers are more vulnerable on longer feeding trails than shorter ones. Wolf predation appears to be a selective evolutionary pressure propelled by consumptive and non-consumptive mechanisms that constrain the distance from water beavers forage, which in turn limits the area of forest around wetlands, lakes and rivers beavers alter through foraging. Thus, wolves appear intricately linked to boreal forest dynamics by shaping beaver foraging behaviour, a form of natural disturbance that alters the successional and ecological states of forests.

A Pilot Study: Do Children Who Run Marathons Have More Osteoarthritis in the Lower Extremities as Adults

OBJECTIVE

To compare self-reported osteoarthritis of the knee and hip in adults who ran at least 1 marathon as a child with adults who ran high-school cross country (HSCC).

DESIGN

Subject self-recall retrospective survey.

SETTING

Electronic survey.

PARTICIPANTS

319 adults who either ran a marathon under age 18 or ran HSCC recruited from running clubs, marathon participants, and on-line interest groups.

INTERVENTIONS

Survey.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-reported history of osteoarthritis (OA), joint pain, anterior cruciate ligament injury, still running or running marathons, and number of marathons as an adult.

RESULTS

One hundred twenty-three respondents ran a marathon under age 18 (26% female) and were 40 years old (sd 16) and 196 ran HSCC (53% female) and were 36 years old (sd 13). The mean age of first marathon was 15 (sd 2.3, range 5-17); 50% ran 1% and 50% ran >1 marathon. Child marathoners reported a family history of OA in knees or hips (26%) or a joint replacement (30%) compared with 24% and 28% of HSCC runners. 10% of child marathoners and 7% of HSCC reported OA and 24% and 21% reported daily or weekly joint pain. 91% of all respondents are still running; 78% of child marathoners (mean 17, range 1-91) and 80% HSCC ran ≥1 marathons as adults (mean 10, range 1-80).

CONCLUSIONS

Adults who ran marathons as children compared with adults who ran HSCC self-report similar rates of the knee and hip OA, chose to participate of their own accord, continue to run as adults, played other sports, and did not "specialize" in marathons.

Reduced Neural Specialization for Word-level Linguistic Prosody in Children with Autism

Children with autism often show atypical brain lateralization for speech and language processing, however, it is unclear what linguistic component contributes to this phenomenon. Here we measured event-related potential (ERP) responses in 21 school-age autistic children and 25 age-matched neurotypical (NT) peers during listening to word-level prosodic stimuli. We found that both groups displayed larger late negative response (LNR) amplitude to native prosody than to nonnative prosody; however, unlike the NT group exhibiting left-lateralized LNR distinction of prosodic phonology, the autism group showed no evidence of LNR lateralization. Moreover, in both groups, the LNR effects were only present for prosodic phonology but not for phoneme-free prosodic acoustics. These results extended the findings of inadequate neural specialization for language in autism to sub-lexical prosodic structures.

Using 19F NMR to Investigate Cationic Carbon Dot Association with Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

There is much concern about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) based on their environmental persistence and toxicity, resulting in an urgent need for remediation technologies. This study focused on determining if nanoscale polymeric carbon dots are a viable sorbent material for PFAS and developing fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19F NMR) methods to probe interactions between carbon dots and PFAS at the molecular scale. Positively charged carbon dots (PEI-CDs) were synthesized using branched polyethyleneimine to target anionic PFAS by promoting electrostatic interactions. PEI-CDs were exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to assess their potential as a PFAS sorbent material. After exposure to PFOA, the average size of the PEI-CDs increased (1.6 ± 0.5 to 7.8 ± 1.8 nm) and the surface charge decreased (+38.6 ± 1.1 to +26.4 ± 0.8 mV), both of which are consistent with contaminant sorption. 19F NMR methods were developed to gain further insight into PEI-CD affinity toward PFAS without any complex sample preparation. Changes in PFOA peak intensity and chemical shift were monitored at various PEI-CD concentrations to establish binding curves and determine the chemical exchange regime. 19F NMR spectral analysis indicates slow-intermediate chemical exchange between PFOA and CDs, demonstrating a high-affinity interaction. The α-fluorine had the greatest change in chemical shift and highest affinity, suggesting electrostatic interactions are the dominant sorption mechanism. PEI-CDs demonstrated affinity for a wide range of analytes when exposed to a mixture of 24-PFAS, with a slight preference toward perfluoroalkyl sulfonates. Overall, this study shows that PEI-CDs are an effective PFAS sorbent material and establishes 19F NMR as a suitable method to screen for novel sorbent materials and elucidate interaction mechanisms.

Resurrecting urban sunflowers: Phenotypic and molecular changes between antecedent and modern populations separated by 36 years

Resurrection experiments provide a unique opportunity to evaluate phenotypic and molecular evolution in response to environmental challenges. To understand the evolution of urban populations of Helianthus annuus, we compared plants from 36-year-old antecedent seed collections to modern seed collections from the same area using molecular and quantitative genetic approaches. We found 200 differentially expressed transcripts between antecedent and modern groups, and transcript expression was generally higher in modern samples as compared to antecedent samples. Admixture analysis indicated gene flow from domesticated to modern populations over time. After a greenhouse refresher generation, one antecedent-modern population pair was grown under two water availability (well-watered and drought) and temperature (ambient and elevated by 2.8°C) conditions reflecting historical and contemporary climates. Overall, 78% (7 out of 9) of traits differed between the antecedent and modern populations, with modern individuals displaying some trait changes that are coherent with climate changes expectations and some trait changes in the direction of crop varieties. Phenotypic selection analysis showed that modern trait values were often favoured by selection, especially in environmental treatments resembling modern conditions. Trait heritability in the antecedent population was five times as high as in the modern population, on average. In addition, phenotypic plasticity for some traits, such as flowering phenology, was present in the antecedent population but absent in the modern population. The combination of phenotypic and molecular information suggests that evolution has been influenced by crop-wild introgression, adaptive processes and drift. We discuss these results in the context of continued evolution in response to anthropogenic factors.

Wolbachia-mediated resistance to Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti is dominated by diverse transcriptional regulation and weak evolutionary pressures

A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on replacing arbovirus-susceptible Aedes aegypti populations with mosquitoes that have been colonized by the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia and thus have a reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses. This reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses is mediated through a phenomenon referred to as pathogen blocking. Pathogen blocking has primarily been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission, however it works against a range of viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Despite years of research, the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen blocking still need to be better understood. Here, we used RNA-seq to characterize mosquito gene transcription dynamics in Ae. aegypti infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia that are being released by the World Mosquito Program in Medellín, Colombia. Comparative analyses using ZIKV-infected, uninfected tissues, and mosquitoes without Wolbachia revealed that the influence of wMel on mosquito gene transcription is multifactorial. Importantly, because Wolbachia limits, but does not completely prevent, replication of ZIKV and other viruses in coinfected mosquitoes, there is a possibility that these viruses could evolve resistance to pathogen blocking. Therefore, to understand the influence of Wolbachia on within-host ZIKV evolution, we characterized the genetic diversity of molecularly barcoded ZIKV virus populations replicating in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and found that within-host ZIKV evolution was subject to weak purifying selection and, unexpectedly, loose anatomical bottlenecks in the presence and absence of Wolbachia. Together, these findings suggest that there is no clear transcriptional profile associated with Wolbachia-mediated ZIKV restriction, and that there is no evidence for ZIKV escape from this restriction in our system.

Logging, linear features, and human infrastructure shape the spatial dynamics of wolf predation on an ungulate neonate

Humans are increasingly recognized as important players in predator-prey dynamics by modifying landscapes. This trend has been well-documented for large mammal communities in North American boreal forests: logging creates early seral forests that benefit ungulates such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), while the combination of infrastructure development and resource extraction practices generate linear features that allow predators such as wolves (Canis lupus) to travel and forage more efficiently throughout the landscape. Disturbances from recreational activities and residential development are other major sources of human activity in boreal ecosystems that may further alter wolf-ungulate dynamics. Here, we evaluate the influence that several major types of anthropogenic landscape modifications (timber harvest, linear features, and residential infrastructure) have on where and how wolves hunt ungulate neonates in a southern boreal forest ecosystem in Minnesota, USA. We demonstrate that each major anthropogenic disturbance significantly influences wolf predation of white-tailed deer fawns (n = 427 kill sites). In contrast with the "human shield hypothesis" that posits prey use human-modified areas as refuge, wolves killed fawns closer to residential buildings than expected based on spatial availability. Fawns were also killed within recently-logged areas more than expected. Concealment cover was higher at kill sites than random sites, suggesting wolves use senses other than vision, probably olfaction, to detect hidden fawns. Wolves showed strong selection for hunting along linear features, and kill sites were also closer to linear features than expected. We hypothesize that linear features facilitated wolf predation on fawns by allowing wolves to travel efficiently among high-quality prey patches (recently logged areas, near buildings), and also increase encounter rates with olfactory cues that allow them to detect hidden fawns. These findings provide novel insight into the strategies predators use to hunt ungulate neonates and the many ways human activity alters wolf-ungulate neonate predator-prey dynamics, which have remained elusive due to the challenges of locating sites where predators kill small prey. Our research has important management and conservation implications for wolf-ungulate systems subjected to anthropogenic pressures, particularly as the range of overlap between wolves and deer expands and appears to be altering food web dynamics in boreal ecosystems.

Evaluation of remote radiologist-interpreted point-of-care ultrasound for suspected dengue patients in a primary health care facility in Colombia

BACKGROUND

Early identification of plasma leakage may guide treatment decisions in dengue patients. This study evaluated the value of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to detect plasma leakage and predict hospitalization or referral to a higher level of care in suspected dengue patients under routine conditions at a primary care facility in Colombia.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study between April 2019 and March 2020 in a primary care hospital in Cali, Colombia. We prospectively included and followed 178 patients who were at least 2 years old with fever of less than 10 days and clinician-suspected dengue. A trained general practitioner performed a standardized POCUS protocol. Images were quality-rated and overread by an expert radiologist, and her results and those of the general practitioner were compared using the Kappa index. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with plasma leakage at enrollment and explore its prognostic value regarding hospital admission or referral to a higher level of care.

RESULTS

Half (49.6%) POCUS images were of suitable quality to be interpreted. The proportion of plasma leakage reported by the radiologist was 85.1% (95% CI: 78.6-90.2%) and 47.2% by the study physician (Kappa = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.15-0.35). The most frequent ultrasound findings were ascites (hepatorenal 87.2%, splenorenal 64%, or pelvic 21.8%) and gallbladder wall thickening (10.5%). Plasma leakage was higher in subjects with thrombocytopenia (aOR = 4, 95% CI: 1.3-12.1) and lower in patients 30-59 years old (aOR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.0-0.4) than in those 18 years old or younger. POCUS evidence of plasma leakage (aOR = 8.2, 95% CI: 2.2-29.9), thrombocytopenia (aOR = 6.3, 95% CI: 2.4-16.0) and pulse pressure (aOR = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.07-1.2) were associated with hospital admission or referral to a higher level of care.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound is useful to detect plasma leakage in primary care and, challenges remain to guarantee high-quality images and diagnostic accuracy, for which a standardized dengue POCUS protocol and training program is needed.

Language Experience Modulates the Visual N200 Response for Disyllabic Chinese Words: An Event-Related Potential Study

Prior event-related potential (ERP) research on how the brain processes non-alphabetic scripts like Chinese has identified an N200 component related to early visual processing of Chinese disyllabic words. An enhanced N200 response was observed when similar prime-target pairs were presented, but it was not elicited when native Chinese speakers read Korean Hangul, a script resembling Chinese characters. This led to the proposal that N200 was not a universal marker for orthographic processing but rather specific and unique to Chinese. However, there was uncertainty due to the absence of Korean participants in the previous research. The impact of language experience on N200 remains unclear. To address this, the present pilot ERP study included three adult groups (totaling 30 participants) with varying language proficiency levels. The participants judged if randomly presented words were Chinese or Korean, while the ERP responses were recorded. The behavioral data showed high accuracy across the groups. The reaction times differed between the groups with the native speakers responding faster. The N200 patterns varied across the groups. Both Chinese native speakers and Chinese-as-second-language learners showed stronger N200 responses for Chinese words compared to Korean words regardless of whether an adaptive or a fixed-time window was used for the N200 quantification, but this was not the case for Korean native speakers. Our cross-linguistic study suggests that N200 is not exclusive to Chinese orthography. Instead, it reflects general visual processing sensitive to both orthographic features and learning experience.

Bacteria intrinsic to Medicago sativa (alfalfa) reduce Salmonella enterica growth in planta

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to determine whether plant-associated bacteria (PAB) can reduce Salmonella enterica colonization and infection of alfalfa sprouts to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

METHODS

We isolated PAB from alfalfa seeds and sprouts. Monoclonal isolates of the bacteria were obtained and tested for their ability to inhibit Salmonella Typhimurium growth in alfalfa sprouts over 6 days. Genome sequencing and annotation were used to construct draft genomes of the bacteria isolated in this study using Illumina sequencing platform.

RESULTS

We observed that a cocktail of five PAB could reduce Salmonella growth in alfalfa sprouts from ∼108 to ∼105 CFU g-1, demonstrating a protective role. Genome sequencing revealed that these bacteria were members of the Pseudomonas, Pantoea, and Priestia genus, and did not possess genes that were pathogenic to plants or animals.

CONCLUSIONS

This work demonstrates that PAB can be utilized to reduce pathogen levels in fresh produce, which may be synergistic with other technologies to improve the safety of sprouts and other fresh produce.

Region-specific reversal of epidermal planar polarity in the rosette fancy mouse

The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway collectively orients cells with respect to a body axis. Hair follicles of the murine epidermis provide a striking readout of PCP activity in their uniform alignment across the skin. Here, we characterize, from the molecular to tissue-scale, PCP establishment in the rosette fancy mouse, a natural variant with posterior-specific whorls in its fur, to understand how epidermal polarity is coordinated across the tissue. We find that rosette hair follicles emerge with reversed orientations specifically in the posterior region, creating a mirror image of epidermal polarity. The rosette trait is associated with a missense mutation in the core PCP gene Fzd6, which alters a consensus site for N-linked glycosylation, inhibiting its membrane localization. Unexpectedly, the Fzd6 trafficking defect does not block asymmetric localization of the other PCP proteins. Rather, the normally uniform axis of PCP asymmetry rotates where the PCP-directed cell movements that orient follicles are reversed, suggesting the PCP axis rotates 180°. Collectively, our multiscale analysis of epidermal polarity reveals PCP patterning can be regionally decoupled to produce posterior whorls in the rosette fancy mouse.

Using remotely delivered Spring Forest Qigong™ to reduce neuropathic pain in adults with spinal cord injury: protocol of a quasi-experimental feasibility clinical trial

BACKGROUND

About 69% of Americans living with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffer from long-term debilitating neuropathic pain, interfering with the quality of daily life. Neuropathic pain is refractory to many available treatments-some carrying a risk for opioid addiction-highlighting an urgent need for new treatments. In this study, we will test our hypothesis that Spring Forest Qigong™ will reduce SCI-related neuropathic pain by improving body awareness. We will determine whether remotely delivered Qigong is feasible and we will collect data on neuropathic pain, and other reported associations with pain such as spasms frequency and/or severity, functional performance, mood, and body awareness.

METHODS

In this quasi-experimental pilot clinical trial study, adults with SCI will practice Qigong at home with a 45-min video, at least 3 × /week for 12 weeks. The Qigong practice includes movements with guided breathing and is individualized based on functional abilities, i.e., the participants follow along with the Qigong movements to the level of their ability, with guided breathing, and perform kinesthetic imagery by focusing on the feeling in the whole body as if doing the whole-body Qigong movement while standing. The highest, average, and lowest neuropathic pain ratings perceived in the prior week will be recorded weekly until the 6-week follow-up. The other outcomes will be collected at 5 time points: at baseline, midway during the Qigong intervention (6 weeks), after the Qigong intervention (12 weeks), after a 6-week and 1-year follow-up. Rate parameters for the feasibility markers will be estimated based on the participants who achieved each benchmark.

DISCUSSION

The University of Minnesota (UMN)'s Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the study (IRB #STUDY00011997). All participants will sign electronic informed consent on the secure UMN REDCap platform. The results will be presented at academic conferences and published in peer-reviewed publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrial.gov registration number: NCT04917107 , (this protocol paper refers to the substudy), first registered 6/8/2021.

Low tension recruits the yeast Aurora B protein Ipl1 to centromeres in metaphase

Accurate genome segregation in mitosis requires that all chromosomes are bioriented on the spindle. Cells monitor biorientation by sensing tension across sister centromeres. Chromosomes that are not bioriented have low centromere tension, which allows Aurora B (yeast Ipl1) to perform error correction that locally loosens kinetochore-microtubule attachments to allow detachment of microtubules and fresh attempts at achieving biorientation. However, it is not known whether low tension recruits Aurora B to centromeres or, alternatively, whether low tension directly activates Aurora B already localized at centromeres. In this work, we experimentally induced low tension in metaphase Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells, then monitored Ipl1 localization. We find low tension recruits Ipl1 to centromeres. Furthermore, low tension-induced Ipl1 recruitment depended on Bub1, which is known to provide a binding site for Ipl1. In contrast, Top2, which can also recruit Ipl1 to centromeres, was not required. Our results demonstrate cells are sensitive to low tension at centromeres and respond by actively recruiting Ip1l for error correction.

High-Throughput Microfluidic Quantitative PCR Platform for the Simultaneous Quantification of Pathogens, Fecal Indicator Bacteria, and Microbial Source Tracking Markers

Contamination of water with bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens can cause human diseases. Both humans and nonhumans can release these pathogens through their feces. To identify the sources of fecal contamination in the water environment, microbial source tracking (MST) approaches have been developed; however, the relationship between MST markers and pathogens is still not well understood most likely due to the lack of comprehensive datasets of pathogens and MST marker concentrations. In this study, we developed a novel microfluidic quantitative PCR (MFQPCR) platform for the simultaneous quantification of 37 previously validated MST markers, two fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), 22 bacterial, 11 viral, and five protozoan pathogens, and three internal amplification/process controls in many samples. The MFQPCR chip was applied to analyze pathogen removal rates during the wastewater treatment processes. In addition, multiple host-specific MST markers, FIB, and pathogens were successfully quantified in human and avian-impacted surface waters. While the genes for pathogens were relatively infrequently detected, positive correlations were observed between some potential pathogens such as Clostridium perfringens and Mycobacterium spp., and human MST markers. The MFQPCR chips developed in this study, therefore, can provide useful information to monitor and improve water quality.

Robust microtubule dynamics facilitate low-tension kinetochore detachment in metaphase

During mitosis, sister chromatids are stretched apart at their centromeres via their attachment to oppositely oriented kinetochore microtubules. This stretching generates inwardly directed tension across the separated sister centromeres. The cell leverages this tension signal to detect and then correct potential errors in chromosome segregation, via a mechanical tension signaling pathway that detaches improperly attached kinetochores from their microtubules. However, the sequence of events leading up to these detachment events remains unknown. In this study, we used microfluidics to sustain and observe low-tension budding yeast metaphase spindles over multiple hours, allowing us to elucidate the tension history prior to a detachment event. We found that, under conditions in which kinetochore phosphorylation weakens low-tension kinetochore-microtubule connections, the mechanical forces produced via the dynamic growth and shortening of microtubules is required to efficiently facilitate detachment events. Our findings underscore the critical role of robust kinetochore microtubule dynamics in ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during mitosis.

Cause of Death by Race and Ethnicity in Minnesota Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019-2020

OBJECTIVES

To measure changes in cause of death dynamics in 2019 and 2020 and the relationship between the concurrent occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and mortality outcome by race and ethnicity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used resident mortality data from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to conduct a retrospective statistical analysis of deaths in Minnesota in 2019 relative to 2020 to assess changes in mortality in a pre-pandemic and pandemic period.

RESULTS

COVID-19 strongly contributed to ethnicity-related mortality disparities in Minnesota. Not only was there a greater proportion of COVID-19 decedents within Black and Hispanic populations, but their average decedent age was markedly lower relative to the White population. The Black population experienced a disproportionate increase in decedents with a 34% increase during 2020 compared to 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective analysis of death dynamics and mortality outcomes in Minnesota from 2019 to 2020 demonstrated an increase in adverse mortality outcomes relative to the pre-pandemic period that disproportionately impacted Black and Hispanic minority populations.