First Steps towards Underdominant Genetic Transformation of Insect Populations

The idea of introducing genetic modifications into wild populations of insects to stop them from spreading diseases is more than 40 years old. Synthetic disease refractory genes have been successfully generated for mosquito vectors of dengue fever and human malaria. Equally important is the development of population transformation systems to drive and maintain disease refractory genes at high frequency in populations. We demonstrate an underdominant population transformation system in Drosophila melanogaster that has the property of being both spatially self-limiting and reversible to the original genetic state. Both population transformation and its reversal can be largely achieved within as few as 5 generations. The described genetic construct {Ud} is composed of two genes; (1) a UAS-RpL14.dsRNA targeting RNAi to a haploinsufficient gene RpL14 and (2) an RNAi insensitive RpL14 rescue. In this proof-of-principle system the UAS-RpL14.dsRNA knock-down gene is placed under the control of an Actin5c-GAL4 driver located on a different chromosome to the {Ud} insert. This configuration would not be effective in wild populations without incorporating the Actin5c-GAL4 driver as part of the {Ud} construct (or replacing the UAS promoter with an appropriate direct promoter). It is however anticipated that the approach that underlies this underdominant system could potentially be applied to a number of species. Figure

The History Of Elise Academy

Moore County, established in 1784 by splitting Cumberland County in two, is a large wedge shaped area of 408,960 acres or 639 square miles. Most of the area in the southern portion of the county is sandhills or pine barren, with the remainder of the soil being a loamy clay . . . Early residents were primarily of Scotch descent with German, Irish, and English settlers immigrating to the area during the two succeeding decades after 1750 . . . The academy movement in Moore County, previously traced, came to a close with the establishment of Elise Academy in 1904 in Hemp, a small community in the northwestern portion of the county

Barriers, perceptions, and dietary intakes of women participating in a federal nutrition program: the rural Appalachian experience

Over the last decade, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has been transitioning to electronic benefits (eWIC) in efforts to reduce participation barriers. The North Carolina Appalachian Region was among the last to implement this transition, yet little is known about attitudes, barriers, and perceptions of WIC participation in this region and whether eWIC influenced experiences and barriers to participation in rural areas. The primary aims of this formative study were to 1) explore maternal attitudes, barriers, and perceptions of WIC program participation and shopping experiences in rural Appalachian North Carolina; 2) examine maternal shopping characteristics, perceptions, and experiences among WIC participants using paper benefits (PB) as well as those using eWIC; and 3) examine dietary intake among WIC pregnant women and mothers in this region. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. For aim 1, WIC participants were recruited for focus groups from WIC offices across three rural counties. Data from four semi-structured focus groups were analyzed using content analysis to identify emerging themes related to perceptions, barriers, and experiences related to WIC participation. For aim 2 and 3, two surveys that included items on perceived barriers and experiences, Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ), and Fruit and Vegetable Screener (FV Screener) were administered to pregnant women and mothers enrolled in the WIC program (n=207). The first survey was completed when the WIC program was using PB (Phase 1) and the second survey was administered when the program was fully transitioned to eWIC (Phase 2). WIC participants perceived a lack of variety of WIC-approved foods and social stigma as major barriers to participation and redeeming benefits. No significant differences in maternal shopping characteristics or barriers to full benefit redemption were detected between survey respondents who were using PB versus those using eWIC benefits (p>0.05). However, a greater proportion of participants who were using eWIC reported that they perceived using WIC food benefits to be easy and convenient “always/most of the time” compared to those who were using PB (p<0.05). Dietary intakes of WIC mothers did not differ based on pregnancy status or age of their child(ren). Mean dietary intakes of total FV, whole grains, dietary fiber, and dairy were all below national recommendations. This study contributes to a better understanding of the maternal barriers and perceptions related to WIC participation in rural Appalachian North Carolina and identifies specific areas of need that are necessary for informing future interventions and policy development within this region. Further research is needed to fully characterize the experiences (i.e. psychosocial, economic, geographic, cultural) of WIC mothers and pregnant women in rural Appalachia to enhance the utilization of WIC services in this culturally and geographically unique region

Plant-mediated effects on mosquito capacity to transmit human malaria

The ecological context in which mosquitoes and malaria parasites interact has received little attention, compared to the genetic and molecular aspects of malaria transmission. Plant nectar and fruits are important for the nutritional ecology of malaria vectors, but how the natural diversity of plant-derived sugar sources affects mosquito competence for malaria parasites is unclear. To test this, we infected Anopheles coluzzi, an important African malaria vector, with sympatric field isolates of Plasmodium falciparum, using direct membrane feeding assays. Through a series of experiments, we then examined the effects of sugar meals from Thevetia neriifolia and Barleria lupilina cuttings that included flowers, and fruit from Lannea microcarpa and Mangifera indica on parasite and mosquito traits that are key for determining the intensity of malaria transmission. We found that the source of plant sugar meal differentially affected infection prevalence and intensity, the development duration of the parasites, as well as the survival and fecundity of the vector. These effects are likely the result of complex interactions between toxic secondary metabolites and the nutritional quality of the plant sugar source, as well as of host resource availability and parasite growth. Using an epidemiological model, we show that plant sugar source can be a significant driver of malaria transmission dynamics, with some plant species exhibiting either transmission-reducing or -enhancing activities

A principal component meta-analysis on multiple anthropometric traits identifies novel loci for body shape

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Large consortia have revealed hundreds of genetic loci associated with anthropometric traits, one trait at a time. We examined whether genetic variants affect body shape as a composite phenotype that is represented by a combination of anthropometric traits. We developed an approach that calculates averaged PCs (AvPCs) representing body shape derived from six anthropometric traits (body mass index, height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio). The first four AvPCs explain >99% of the variability, are heritable, and associate with cardiometabolic outcomes. We performed genome-wide association analyses for each body shape composite phenotype across 65 studies and meta-analysed summary statistics. We identify six novel loci: LEMD2 and CD47 for AvPC1, RPS6KA5/C14orf159 and GANAB for AvPC3, and ARL15 and ANP32 for AvPC4. Our findings highlight the value of using multiple traits to define complex phenotypes for discovery, which are not captured by single-trait analyses, and may shed light onto new pathways

VCU/Monroe Park Fall Festival: Celebrating the Heart of VCU

The “VCU/Monroe Park Fall Festival” seeks to create a unifying comprehensive fall festival tradition for both VCU campuses. Our proposal responds to the VCU2020 strategic plan by creating a festival designed to highlight VCU/community partnerships and promote “One VCU”. Theme V of the strategic plan emphasizes “maintain[ing] VCU as a model for university-community partnerships” and “develop[ing] collaborations between businesses, government agencies, [and] communities …”. Individual units across the university will respond to these initiatives in countless ways, but unless we promote our community partnerships in a unified, centrally located, vibrant and celebratory way, much of what we do will remain invisible to our larger audience

Fold change and p-value cutoffs significantly alter microarray interpretations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As context is important to gene expression, so is the preprocessing of microarray to transcriptomics. Microarray data suffers from several normalization and significance problems. Arbitrary fold change (FC) cut-offs of >2 and significance p-values of <0.02 lead data collection to look only at genes which vary wildly amongst other genes. Therefore, questions arise as to whether the biology or the statistical cutoff are more important within the interpretation. In this paper, we reanalyzed a zebrafish (<it>D. rerio</it>) microarray data set using GeneSpring and different differential gene expression cut-offs and found the data interpretation was drastically different. Furthermore, despite the advances in microarray technology, the array captures a large portion of genes known but yet still leaving large voids in the number of genes assayed, such as leptin a pleiotropic hormone directly related to hypoxia-induced angiogenesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The data strongly suggests that the number of differentially expressed genes is more up-regulated than down-regulated, with many genes indicating conserved signalling to previously known functions. Recapitulated data from Marques et al. (2008) was similar but surprisingly different with some genes showing unexpected signalling which may be a product of tissue (heart) or that the intended response was transient.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our analyses suggest that based on the chosen statistical or fold change cut-off; microarray analysis can provide essentially more than one answer, implying data interpretation as more of an art than a science, with follow up gene expression studies a must. Furthermore, gene chip annotation and development needs to maintain pace with not only new genomes being sequenced but also novel genes that are crucial to the overall gene chips interpretation.</p

A Guide for Traffic Safety Practitioners: Best Practices for Increasing Seat Belt Use in Rural Communities

Rural motor vehicle occupants are at an increased risk for crash-related deaths compared to their urban counter-parts. One contributing factor is the lower use of seat belts in rural areas compared to urban areas. Seat belts are one of the most important strategies for reducing crash-related injuries and fatalities among road users. Preventing crash-related injuries and fatalities requires programs that promote seat belt use among rural drivers and passengers. Rural traffic safety practitioners can implement best practices, including evidence-based and promising programs, to increase seat belt use in rural areas. The Best Practices Guide for Increasing Seat Belt Use in Rural Communities is designed for rural traffic safety practitioners to plan, implement, and evaluate programs to increase seat belt use in rural communities. The guide describes evidence-based and promising seat belt programs, and shares lessons learned from traffic safety practitioners and experts. It also includes examples of seat belt programs that have been successfully adapted for use in different settings, including rural communities. The guide was informed by a literature review and environmental scan, and discussions with traffic safety practitioners and experts. It contains four modules to help traffic safety practitioners develop, implement, and evaluate rural seat belt programs: understanding seat belt use in rural communities; selecting evidence-based or promising rural seat belt program models; implementing a rural seat belt program; and evaluating a rural seat belt program

Inflammatory and haematological markers in the maternal, umbilical cord and infant circulation in histological chorioamnionitis

BACKGROUND: The relationship between histological chorioamnionitis and haematological and biochemical markers in mothers and infants at delivery, and in infants postnatally, is incompletely characterised. These markers are widely used in the diagnosis of maternal and neonatal infection. Our objective was to investigate the effects of histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) on haematological and biochemical inflammatory markers in mothers and infants at delivery, and in infants post-delivery. METHODS: Two hundred and forty seven mothers, delivering 325 infants, were recruited at the only tertiary perinatal centre in Western Australia. Placentae were assessed for evidence of HCA using a semi-quantitative scoring system. Maternal high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), procalcitonin, and umbilical cord hsCRP, procalcitonin, white cell count and absolute neutrophil count were measured at delivery. In infants where sepsis was clinically suspected, postnatal CRP, white cell count and absolute neutrophil count were measured up to 48 hours of age. The effect of HCA on maternal, cord and neonatal markers was evaluated by multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: The median gestational age was 34 weeks and HCA was present in 26 of 247 (10.5%) placentae. Mothers whose pregnancies were complicated by HCA had higher hsCRP (median 26 (range 2-107) versus 5.6 (0-108) mg/L; P&lt;0.001). Histological chorioamnionitis was associated with higher umbilical cord hsCRP (75(th) percentile 2.91 mg/L (range 0-63.9) versus 75(th) percentile 0 mg/L (0-45.6); P&lt;0.001) and procalcitonin (median 0.293 (range 0.05-27.37) versus median 0.064 (range 0.01-5.24) ug/L; P&lt;0.001), with a sustained increase in neonatal absolute neutrophil count (median 4.5 (0.1-26.4)x10(9)/L versus 3.0 (0.1-17.8)x10(9)/L), and CRP up to 48 hours post-partum (median 10 versus 6.5 mg/L) (P&lt;0.05 for each). CONCLUSION: Histological chorioamnionitis is associated with modest systemic inflammation in maternal and cord blood. These systemic changes may increase postnatally, potentially undermining their utility in the diagnosis of early-onset neonatal infection

Falling behind: life expectancy in US counties from 2000 to 2007 in an international context

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The United States health care debate has focused on the nation's uniquely high rates of lack of insurance and poor health outcomes relative to other high-income countries. Large disparities in health outcomes are well-documented in the US, but the most recent assessment of county disparities in mortality is from 1999. It is critical to tracking progress of health reform legislation to have an up-to-date assessment of disparities in life expectancy across counties. US disparities can be seen more clearly in the context of how progress in each county compares to international trends.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We use newly released mortality data by age, sex, and county for the US from 2000 to 2007 to compute life tables separately for each sex, for all races combined, for whites, and for blacks. We propose, validate, and apply novel methods to estimate recent life tables for small areas to generate up-to-date estimates. Life expectancy rates and changes in life expectancy for counties are compared to the life expectancies across nations in 2000 and 2007. We calculate the number of calendar years behind each county is in 2000 and 2007 compared to an international life expectancy time series.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Across US counties, life expectancy in 2007 ranged from 65.9 to 81.1 years for men and 73.5 to 86.0 years for women. When compared against a time series of life expectancy in the 10 nations with the lowest mortality, US counties range from being 15 calendar years ahead to over 50 calendar years behind for men and 16 calendar years ahead to over 50 calendar years behind for women. County life expectancy for black men ranges from 59.4 to 77.2 years, with counties ranging from seven to over 50 calendar years behind the international frontier; for black women, the range is 69.6 to 82.6 years, with counties ranging from eight to over 50 calendar years behind. Between 2000 and 2007, 80% (men) and 91% (women) of American counties fell in standing against this international life expectancy standard.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The US has extremely large geographic and racial disparities, with some communities having life expectancies already well behind those of the best-performing nations. At the same time, relative performance for most communities continues to drop. Efforts to address these issues will need to tackle the leading preventable causes of death.</p