Social Support and Access to Healthcare as Predictors of Heart Disease Among Young Adults

Patients with heart disease must overcome a complex set of behavioral and attitudinal obstacles if they wish to have a health-related quality of life. The difficulty and frustration of this illness can be mitigated by social support and improving contextual circumstances, which has been demonstrated in previous research. A contextual variable that is likely to predict heart disease in young adults is access to healthcare. The purpose of this study was to examine whether social support and access to healthcare predicted if a young adult has heart disease

Global Perspectives in the Core: Student Attitudes and Instructor Performance

Global learning and global citizenship education (GCE) continue to be integrated as co-curricular and curricular components in US higher education. Many institutions have linked their mission and values statements to global learning. However, their efforts fail to reflect a single shared understanding or philosophy of global learning or GCE. While scholars continue to discuss and debate the substance of these frameworks, few studies have analyzed perspectives of curricular global learning and GCE requirements. Three hundred fifty-four undergraduate students attending a university in the Southern US completed questionnaires assessing their attitudes towards global learning, international issues, and global citizenship, as well as their attitudes toward the college’s required global perspectives curriculum. Results indicate that students feel generally positive towards global learning and issues, believe global learning should be required at this and other institutions, and have high perceptions of faculty performance

Mrub_2765 is the version of \u3cem\u3eE. coli\u3c/em\u3e FabZ in \u3cem\u3eMeiothermus ruber\u3c/em\u3e, while Mrub_0266 is the version of \u3cem\u3eE. coli\u3c/em\u3e FabI in \u3cem\u3eMeiothermus ruber\u3c/em\u3e

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses the bioinformatics tools associated with the Guiding Education through Novel Investigation – Annotation Collaboration Toolkit (GENI-ACT) to predict gene function. We investigated the biological function of the genes Mrub_2765 and Mrub_0266. We predict that Mrub_2765 encodes the enzyme β-hydroxyacyl-Acyl carrier protein (ACP) dehydratase (DNA coordinates 2805770..2806213 on the reverse strand), which is the 3rd step of the fatty acid elongation pathway (KEGG map number 00780). It catalyzes the conversion of (3R)-3-hydroxyacyl-[ACP] to trans-2-enoyl-[ACP]. The E. coli K12 MG1655 ortholog is predicted to be b1080, which has the gene identifier FabZ. We also predict that Mrub_0266 encodes the enzyme enoyl-ACP reductase (DNA coordinates 232918..233712 on the reverse strand), which is the 4th step of the fatty acid elongation pathway (KEGG map number 00780). It catalyzes the conversion of trans-2-enoyl-[ACP] to acyl-ACP. The E. coli K12 MG1655 ortholog is predicted to be b1288, which has the gene identifier FabI

Pyruvate metabolism in \u3cem\u3em. ruber\u3c/em\u3e when compared to \u3cem\u3ee. coli\u3c/em\u3e

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses the bioinformatics tools associated with the Guiding Education through Novel Investigation –Annotation Collaboration Toolkit (GENI-ACT) to predict gene function. We investigated the biological function of the genes Mrub_0476, Mrub_1516, Mrub_1517, Mrub_0477, and Mrub_2322. We predict that Mrub_0476, Mrub_1516, and Mrub_1517 (DNA coordinates 461643..464366, 1548957..1549955, 1549952..1550986, respectively) are a paralogous a subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E1(KEGG map number 00620). We predict that Mrub_0477 and Mrub_2322 (DNA coordinates 464402..465697 and 2371690..2373090, respectively) are a paralogous subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E2 (KEGG map number 00620)

The recurrent evolution of extremely resistant xylem

International audienceAbstractKey messageHighly resistant xylem has evolved multiple times over the past 400 million years.ContextWater is transported under tension in xylem and consequently is vulnerable to invasion by air and the formation of embolism. A debate has raged over whether embolism formation is non-reversible occurring at low water potentials or a regular diurnal occurrence that is non-lethal because of a capacity to refill embolised conduits.AimsThis commentary is on a recent article, which utilised new non-invasive imaging techniques for assessing the formation of embolism in xylem, finding that the xylem of Laurus nobilis was highly resistant to the formation of embolism.MethodsThe recent results of this discovery are placed in the context knowledge from a diversity of species that has so far been identified with xylem similarly highly resistant to embolism formation.ResultsThe discovery that L. nobilis has xylem highly resistant to embolism formation adds to a body of literature suggesting that the resistance of xylem to embolism formation is a key adaptation utilised by many species native to seasonally dry environments. Highly resistant xylem has evolved numerous times across the angiosperm clade.ConclusionWith more studies utilising similar observational and direct methods of assessing embolism resistance, further insight into the ecological and evolutionary relevance of this trait is imminent

Guanylate cyclase C as a target for prevention, detection, and therapy in colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and new strategies to prevent, detect, and treat the disease are needed. The receptor, guanylate cyclase C (GUCY2C), a tumor suppressor expressed by the intestinal epithelium, has emerged as a promising target. Areas covered: This review outlines the role of GUCY2C in tumorigenesis, and steps to translate GUCY2C-targeting schemes to the clinic. Endogenous GUCY2C-activating ligands disappear early in tumorigenesis, silencing its signaling axis and enabling transformation. Pre-clinical models support GUCY2C ligand supplementation as a novel disease prevention paradigm. With the recent FDA approval of the GUCY2C ligand, linaclotide, and two more synthetic ligands in the pipeline, this strategy can be tested in human trials. In addition to primary tumor prevention, we also review immunotherapies targeting GUCY2C expressed by metastatic lesions, and platforms using GUCY2C as a biomarker for detection and patient staging. Expert commentary: Results of the first GUCY2C targeting schemes in patients will become available in the coming years. The identification of GUCY2C ligand loss as a requirement for colorectal tumorigenesis has the potential to change the treatment paradigm from an irreversible disease of genetic mutation, to a treatable disease of ligand insufficiency

GUCY2C maintains intestinal LGR5+ stem cells by opposing ER stress

Long-lived multipotent stem cells (ISCs) at the base of intestinal crypts adjust their phenotypes to accommodate normal maintenance and post-injury regeneration of the epithelium. Their long life, lineage plasticity, and proliferative potential underlie the necessity for tight homeostatic regulation of the ISC compartment. In that context, the guanylate cyclase C (GUCY2C) receptor and its paracrine ligands regulate intestinal epithelial homeostasis, including proliferation, lineage commitment, and DNA damage repair. However, a role for this axis in maintaining ISCs remains unknown. Transgenic mice enabling analysis of ISCs (Lgr5-GFP) in the context of GUCY2C elimination (Gucy2c-/-) were combined with immunodetection techniques and pharmacological treatments to define the role of the GUCY2C signaling axis in supporting ISCs. ISCs were reduced in Gucy2c-/- mice, associated with loss of active Lgr5+ cells but a reciprocal increase in reserve Bmi1+ cells. GUCY2C was expressed in crypt base Lgr5+ cells in which it mediates canonical cyclic (c) GMPdependent signaling. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, typically absent from ISCs, was elevated throughout the crypt base in Gucy2c-/- mice. The chemical chaperone tauroursodeoxycholic acid resolved this ER stress and restored the balance of ISCs, an effect mimicked by the GUCY2C effector 8Br-cGMP. Reduced ISCs in Gucy2c-/-mice was associated with greater epithelial injury and impaired regeneration following sub-lethal doses of irradiation. These observations suggest that GUCY2C provides homeostatic signals that modulate ER stress and cell vulnerability as part of the machinery contributing to the integrity of ISCs. © Kraft et al

Coding Criminal Justice Interactions with the MITI: Recommendations for Research and Practice

This article describes the coding portion of a study to test the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing (MI) training program for probation officers. We describe some of the challenges with using the Motivational Interview Treatment Integrity (MITI) instrument to code interactions between probation officers and clients. Our team of raters was able to obtain adequate inter-rater reliability on most MITI scales, though reliability ratings on some of the specific behavior counts such as Giving Information, MI Adherent, and MI Non-adherent fell considerably lower than the original MITI norming study. Our results suggest that the MITI is a mostly reliable instrument for coding criminal justice interactions, though there were exceptions to this rule. Based on our experiences, we discuss some of the ways that probation interactions might be different from traditional counseling interactions, and identify some rules of thumb that helped us to code interactions. We end with suggestions for how MITI feedback can be used effectively in training and supervision in criminal justice and other non-traditional settings