The Embryonic Transcriptome Of The Red-Eared Slider Turtle (Trachemys Scripta)

The bony shell of the turtle is an evolutionary novelty not found in any other group of animals, however, research into its formation has suggested that it has evolved through modification of conserved developmental mechanisms. Although these mechanisms have been extensively characterized in model organisms, the tools for characterizing them in non-model organisms such as turtles have been limited by a lack of genomic resources. We have used a next generation sequencing approach to generate and assemble a transcriptome from stage 14 and 17 Trachemys scripta embryos, stages during which important events in shell development are known to take place. The transcriptome consists of 231,876 sequences with an N-50 of 1,166 bp. GO terms and EC codes were assigned to the 61,643 unique predicted proteins identified in the transcriptome sequences. All major GO categories and metabolic pathways are represented in the transcriptome. Transcriptome sequences were used to amplify several cDNA fragments designed for use as RNA in situ probes. One of these, BMP5, was hybridized to a T. scripta embryo and exhibits both conserved and novel expression patterns. The transcriptome sequences should be of broad use for understanding the evolution and development of the turtle shell and for annotating any future T. scripta genome sequences

The Time to Act Is Now: Addressing the Challenges of Being a Student, Staff, or Faculty Member at DU While Also Being a Parent to Young Children

The growing number of undergraduate and graduate students who are simultaneously raising children while attending school requires the attention of institutions that want to support their students through the completion of their intended program. Compared to traditional students, these students have greater time and financial restraints, lower graduation rates, and require accommodation, support, and resources to help them maintain their academic standing. This issue is not isolated to just students however. Staff and faculty at academic institutions are also balancing their family and work responsibilities. With an increase in the number of households where one or two adults work full time, more institutional employees are having to negotiate issues of childcare, parental leave, and the ways in which their family responsibilities are perceived by colleagues and employers. In 2017, it was found that many DU community members were struggling with issues of childcare, a child friendly environment at work, and institutional policies related to childcare at the University. These findings led to a study, conducted by the Applied Anthropology class of 2018, aimed at identifying solutions and recommendations for the aforementioned challenges. The study was exploratory and utilized mixed qualitative data collection and analysis methods. The class conducted interviews, surveys, and archival research and used thematic analysis techniques to identify overarching themes that informed the findings and suggestions of this project. Through this research three major needs were identified: clear communication of policies, accommodations for students, and on-site day care. Respondents from this and previous studies at DU identified that classroom policies, policies regarding parental leave, available childcare, and Fisher were being communicated either ineffectively or inaccurately. This has led to confusion, frustration, feelings of job insecurity, and unmet expectations regarding what resources and support DU actually offers parents. There is also a lack of policies in place for student parents, which makes creating schedules and fulfilling academic requirements more challenging for these nontraditional students. The most significant issue identified however was the lack of childcare at DU and the desire for an on-site daycare center. Respondents explained that Denver has a limited number of available, convenient, and affordable daycare options, that Fisher is not meeting their needs, and that they would like to see a facility designed specifically for DU students, staff, and faculty. In response to these challenges, this study suggests the assemblage and dissemination of accurate and clearly communicated childcare related policies, the creation of policies for student parents, and an on-site daycare facility for the DU community. Research and efforts to understand and alleviate these challenges have occurred at DU since the 1970s, and many of the identified needs and desired solutions have not changed over the past fifty years. However, because previous efforts have been powered by those in need of services, the momentum behind each effort has inevitably dissolved. A way to accomplish and sustain these suggestions and actively work towards making DU a more child and family friendly campus is by creating a permanent employee position at DU to handle these issues. This would help centralize information and policies, assist with their clear communication, and focus consistent and sustainable efforts towards helping DU students, staff, and faculty balance their work and family life

Pain Sensitivity Risk Factors for Chronic TMD: Descriptive Data and Empirically Identified Domains from the OPPERA Case Control Study

Many studies report that people with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are more sensitive to experimental pain stimuli than TMD-free controls. Such differences in sensitivity are observed in remote body sites as well as in the orofacial region, suggesting a generalized upregulation of nociceptive processing in TMD cases. This large case-control study of 185 adults with TMD and 1,633 TMD-free controls measured sensitivity to painful pressure, mechanical cutaneous, and heat stimuli, using multiple testing protocols. Based on an unprecedented 36 experimental pain measures, 28 showed statistically significantly greater pain sensitivity in TMD cases than controls. The largest effects were seen for pressure pain thresholds at multiple body sites and cutaneous mechanical pain threshold. The other mechanical cutaneous pain measures and many of the heat pain measures showed significant differences, but with lesser effect sizes. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the pain measures derived from 1,633 controls identified five components labeled: (1) heat pain ratings, (2) heat pain aftersensations and tolerance, (3) mechanical cutaneous pain sensitivity, (4) pressure pain thresholds, and (5) heat pain temporal summation. These results demonstrate that, compared to TMD-free controls, chronic TMD cases are more sensitive to many experimental noxious stimuli at extra-cranial body sites, and provides for the first time the ability to directly compare the case-control effect sizes of a wide range of pain sensitivity measures

Study Methods, Recruitment, Sociodemographic Findings, and Demographic Representativeness in the OPPERA Study

This paper describes methods used in the project “Orofacial Pain Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment” (OPPERA) and evaluates socio-demographic characteristics associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in the OPPERA case-control study. Representativeness was investigated by comparing socio-demographic profiles of OPPERA participants with population census profiles of counties near study sites and by comparing age- and gender-associations with TMD in OPPERA and the 2007-09 US National Health Interview Survey. Volunteers aged 18-44 years were recruited at four US study sites: 3,263 people without TMD were enrolled into the prospective cohort study; 1,633 of them were selected as controls for the baseline case-control study. Cases were 185 volunteers with examiner-classified TMD. Distributions of some demographic characteristics among OPPERA participants differed from census profiles, although there was less difference in socio-economic profiles. Odds of TMD was associated with greater age in this 18-44 year range; females had three times the odds of TMD as males; and relative to non-Hispanic-Whites, other racial groups had one-fifth the odds of TMD. Age- and gender-associations with chronic TMD were strikingly similar to associations observed in the US population. Assessments of representativeness in this demographically diverse group of community volunteers suggest that OPPERA case-control findings have good internal validity

Vaccine breakthrough hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs

Life-threatening "breakthrough" cases of critical COVID-19 are attributed to poor or waning antibody (Ab) response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in individuals already at risk. Preexisting auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs underlie at least 15% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases in unvaccinated individuals; their contribution to hypoxemic breakthrough cases in vaccinated people is unknown. We studied a cohort of 48 individuals (aged 20 to 86 years) who received two doses of a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine and developed a breakthrough infection with hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia 2 weeks to 4 months later. Ab levels to the vaccine, neutralization of the virus, and auto-Abs to type I IFNs were measured in the plasma. Forty-two individuals had no known deficiency of B cell immunity and a normal Ab response to the vaccine. Among them, 10 (24%) had auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs (aged 43 to 86 years). Eight of these 10 patients had auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-α2 and IFN-ω, whereas two neutralized IFN-ω only. No patient neutralized IFN-β. Seven neutralized type I IFNs at 10 ng/ml and three at 100 pg/ml only. Seven patients neutralized SARS-CoV-2 D614G and Delta efficiently, whereas one patient neutralized Delta slightly less efficiently. Two of the three patients neutralizing only type I IFNs at 100 pg/ml neutralized both D614G and Delta less efficiently. Despite two mRNA vaccine inoculations and the presence of circulating Abs capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs may underlie a notable proportion of hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia cases, highlighting the importance of this particularly vulnerable population

Atypical depression is more common than melancholic in fibromyalgia: an observational cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been postulated that atypical and melancholic depression subtypes exist in depressed fibromyalgia (FM) patients, yet no study has empirically tested this hypothesis. The purpose of this study is to determine whether major depressive disorder (MDD) with atypical features and MDD with melancholic features occurs in a FM sample and to describe their demographic, clinical and diagnostic characteristics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An observational cohort study using a descriptive cross-sectional design recruited a convenience sample of 76 outpatients with FM from an academic Rheumatology clinic and a community mental health practice. Diagnoses of FM were confirmed using the 1990 ACR classification guidelines. Diagnoses of MDD and diagnostic subtypes were determined using the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Clinical characteristics were measured using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale with Atypical Depression Supplement and other standardized instruments. Odds ratios were computed on subtype-specific diagnostic criteria. Correlations assessed associations between subtype diagnoses and diagnostic criteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 76 subjects with FM, 11.8% (n = 9) were euthymic, 52.6% (n = 40) met diagnostic criteria for MDD with atypical features and 35.6% (n = 27) for MDD with melancholic features. Groups did not differ on demographic characteristics except for gender (p = 0.01). The non-depressed and atypical groups trended toward having a longer duration of FM symptoms (18.05 yrs. ± 12.83; 20.36 yrs. ± 15.07) compared to the melancholic group (14.11 yrs. ± 8.82; p = 0.09). The two depressed groups experienced greater severity on all clinical features compared to the non-depressed group. The atypical group did not differ clinically from the melancholic group except the latter experienced greater depression severity (p = 0.001). The atypical group demonstrated the highest prevalence and correlations with atypical-specific diagnostic criteria: (e.g., weight gain/ increased appetite: OR = 3.5, p = 0.02), as did the melancholic group for melancholic-specific criteria: (e.g., anhedonia: OR = 20, p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Depressed fibromyalgia patients commonly experience both atypical and melancholic depressive features; however, in this study, atypical depression was 1.5 times more common than melancholic depression. This finding may have significant research and clinical implications.</p

Vaccine breakthrough hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs

Life-threatening `breakthrough' cases of critical COVID-19 are attributed to poor or waning antibody response to the SARS- CoV-2 vaccine in individuals already at risk. Pre-existing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs underlie at least 15% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases in unvaccinated individuals; however, their contribution to hypoxemic breakthrough cases in vaccinated people remains unknown. Here, we studied a cohort of 48 individuals ( age 20-86 years) who received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine and developed a breakthrough infection with hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia 2 weeks to 4 months later. Antibody levels to the vaccine, neutralization of the virus, and auto- Abs to type I IFNs were measured in the plasma. Forty-two individuals had no known deficiency of B cell immunity and a normal antibody response to the vaccine. Among them, ten (24%) had auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs (aged 43-86 years). Eight of these ten patients had auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-a2 and IFN-., while two neutralized IFN-omega only. No patient neutralized IFN-ss. Seven neutralized 10 ng/mL of type I IFNs, and three 100 pg/mL only. Seven patients neutralized SARS-CoV-2 D614G and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) efficiently, while one patient neutralized Delta slightly less efficiently. Two of the three patients neutralizing only 100 pg/mL of type I IFNs neutralized both D61G and Delta less efficiently. Despite two mRNA vaccine inoculations and the presence of circulating antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs may underlie a significant proportion of hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia cases, highlighting the importance of this particularly vulnerable population

Towards Food Service Sustainability in Suburban Environments by Optimally Locating Shared Anaerobic Digester Units

Anaerobic digestion is an effective method for reducing food waste at the consumer level. Drawbacks associated with this strategy include high construction costs for multiple digester units and limited public awareness of the method’s commercial potential. Given the large scale problem of food waste, an approach establishing community partnerships between local businesses and primary schools is offered to combat the problem of food waste. Optimizing the placement of shared digester units enabling utilization by multiple stakeholders is the suggested mitigation method. This research explores application of the p-median problem to determine the set of optimal sites for shared anaerobic digester units among restaurants in a suburban setting, using schools as potential digester sites. Schools were selected as candidate sites, because of their potential for public outreach and education, as well as the result of a successful pilot study at a local school. The p-median problem was applied to determine optimal sites for locating these facilities in the study area of Hillsborough County, Florida. The p-median problem seeks to locate p facilities at i locations while minimizing the total transportation cost necessary to satisfy customer demand, where each customer is supplied from the closest facility. Five scenarios were evaluated, including runs with a p equal to 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 facilities respectively, using an estimated acceptable transportation distance of 250 meters between waste producers and digester facilities. Results were evaluated in terms of the number of producer locations serviced relative to the p number of digester facilities desired. This application demonstrates how the p-median problem can serve as a useful planning tool, providing options to planners interested in effective facilities placement for studies aimed at food waste reduction