Discriminating among single locus models using small pedigrees

Simulated small pedigrees (2 parents, 4 offspring) were used to illustrate the applications and limitations of a “model choice” approach designed to detect genetic heterogeneity in familial diseases. While it is possible to identify groups of pedigrees which have different genetic causes for quantitative phenotypic trait(s), theoretical limitations on discriminating between 4 single locus models exist for certain pedigree structures. These limitations originate from the overlapping phenotypic predictions of the various genetic models. Such limitations must be carefully considered in the design of genetic studies. Studies aimed at detecting genetic heterogeneity in familial diseases should limit the different genetic models being considered and tailor the sampling strategy to avoid collecting pedigrees which are non-informative for certain comparisons.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/38232/1/1320060307_ftp.pd

Estimating genetic and non-genetic components of variance for fasting glucose levels in pedigrees ascertained through non-insulin dependent diabetes

Fasting glucose levels measured on 337 individuals in 14 pedigrees ascertained through a proband with non-inuslin dependent diabetes were used to estimate genetic and non-genetic components of variance under a multifactorial model of inheritance. In this sample genetic factors were important in controlling variation in basal carbohydrate metabolism, as represented by age-adjusted log-fasting glucose. There was no evidence that arbitrary sib common environments or arbitrary parent common environments accounted for significant portions of the variability in fasting glucose in these data. An arbitrary environment shared by parent and offspring, however, had a marginally significant impact on the likelihood. Parameter estimates obtained from multifactorial models analysed in this manner are sensitive to extreme phenotypic values, however, and caution must be exerciese in estimating total genetic variation. While additive genetic factors did account for a significant proportion of the total variation in fasting glucose, a large proportion remained unexplained.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66167/1/j.1469-1809.1982.tb01586.x.pd

Running App "Zombies, Run!" Users' Engagement with Physical Activity: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Sufficient physical activity (PA) is important for all aspects of health. Smartphone apps and the use of gamification, such as narrative-based augmented reality (AR), have a great potential to engage a variety of people in more PA. Zombies, Run! (ZR) is the world's most popular running exergame app and therefore a suitable model to understand what users find engaging. / Objective: To understand people's motivation and experience of using a narrative-based AR exergame app ZR for PA. / Materials and Methods: ZR users were randomly selected for interview from a quantitative ZR user's survey. Interviews which were guided by a semistructured topic guide were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. / Results: Participants were 15 males and 15 females aged 16–53 years (mean = 36, SD = 10), from 13 countries, with the largest proportions from the United States (30%) and United Kingdom (23%). The majority (73%) used ZR while running, followed by cycling and walking. Four overarching themes that emerged were: “Reasons for starting and staying with ZR,” “Preferred features,” “Perceived effects of ZR,” and “Pros and cons of the app.” Sixteen subthemes included the attraction of gamification and narrative appeal, desire to add something fun to PA, or to distract from the negative physiological effects of PA. Users' favorite features were the feelings of immersion and presence through narrative, story line, and characters. The narrative motivated participants to engage in PA for longer sessions and encouraged long-term use. / Conclusions: This study identified a number of factors that users found attractive in an AR running exergame, particularly narrative. Our findings suggest that ZR may engage people in exercise by modifying their perception of PA through a story line or narrative, dissociating the players from the effort of exertion. AR narrative-based apps may be an effective way of engaging people with health-related behaviors or habit-forming activities

Biological Monitoring Program for East Fork Poplar Creek

In May 1985, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit was issued for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. As a condition of the permit a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed to demonstrate that the effluent limitations established for the Y- 12 Plant protect the classified uses of the receiving stream (East Fork Poplar Creek; EFPC), in particular, the growth and propagation of aquatic life (Lear et al. 1989). A second objective of the BMAP is to document the ecological effects resulting from the implementation of a water pollution control program designed to eliminate direct discharges of wastewaters to EFPC and to minimize the inadvertent release of pollutants to the environment. Because of the complex nature of the discharges to EFPC and the temporal and spatial variability in the composition of the discharges, a comprehensive, integrated approach to biological monitoring was developed. A new permit was issued to the Y-12 Plant on April 28, 1995 and became effective on July 1, 1995. Biological monitoring continues to be required under the new permit. The BMAP consists of four major tasks that reflect different but complementary approaches to evaluating the effects of the Y-12 Plant discharges on the aquatic integrity of EFPC. These tasks are (1) toxicity monitoring, (2) biological indicator studies, (3) bioaccumulation studies, and (4) ecological surveys of the periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish communities

Potential for La Crosse virus segment reassortment in nature

The evolutionary success of La Crosse virus (LACV, family Bunyaviridae) is due to its ability to adapt to changing conditions through intramolecular genetic changes and segment reassortment. Vertical transmission of LACV in mosquitoes increases the potential for segment reassortment. Studies were conducted to determine if segment reassortment was occurring in naturally infected Aedes triseriatus from Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2007. Mosquito eggs were collected from various sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota. They were reared in the laboratory and adults were tested for LACV antigen by immunofluorescence assay. RNA was isolated from the abdomen of infected mosquitoes and portions of the small (S), medium (M) and large (L) viral genome segments were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Overall, the viral sequences from 40 infected mosquitoes and 5 virus isolates were analyzed. Phylogenetic and linkage disequilibrium analyses revealed that approximately 25% of infected mosquitoes and viruses contained reassorted genome segments, suggesting that LACV segment reassortment is frequent in nature

Can an Off-Nominal Landing by an MMRTG-Powered Spacecraft Induce a Special Region on Mars When No Ice Is Present?

This work aims at addressing whether a catastrophic failure of an entry, descent, and landing event of a Multimission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator-based lander could embed the heat sources into the martian subsurface and create a local environment that (1) would temporarily satisfy the conditions for a martian Special Region and (2) could establish a transport mechanism through which introduced terrestrial organisms could be mobilized to naturally occurring Special Regions elsewhere on Mars. Two models were run, a primary model by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a secondary model by researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, both of which were based on selected starting conditions for various surface composition cases that establish the worst-case scenario, including geological data collected by the Mars Science Laboratory at Gale Crater. The summary outputs of both modeling efforts showed similar results: that the introduction of the modeled heat source could temporarily create the conditions established for a Special Region, but that there would be no transport mechanism by which an introduced terrestrial microbe, even if it was active during the temporarily induced Special Region conditions, could be transported to a naturally occurring Special Region of Mars

Planning Considerations Related to Collecting and Analyzing Samples of the Martian Soils

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG [1]) established scientific objectives associ-ated with Mars returned-sample science that require the return and investigation of one or more soil samples. Soil is defined here as loose, unconsolidated materials with no implication for the presence or absence of or-ganic components. The proposed Mars 2020 (M-2020) rover is likely to collect and cache soil in addition to rock samples [2], which could be followed by future sample retrieval and return missions. Here we discuss key scientific consid-erations for sampling and caching soil samples on the proposed M-2020 rover, as well as the state in which samples would need to be preserved when received by analysts on Earth. We are seeking feedback on these draft plans as input to mission requirement formulation. A related planning exercise on rocks is reported in an accompanying abstract [3]

Biological Monitoring Program for East Fork Poplar Creek

In May 1985, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit was issued for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. As a condition of the permit, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed to demonstrate that the effluent limitations established for the Y-12 Plant protect the classified uses of the receiving stream (East Fork Poplar Creek; EFPC), in particular, the growth and propagation of aquatic life (Lear et al. 1989). A second objective of the BMAP is to document the ecological effects resulting from the implementation of a water pollution control program designed to eliminate direct discharges of wastewaters to EFPC and to minimize the inadvertent release of pollutants to the environment. Because of the complex nature of the discharges to EFPC and the temporal and spatial variability in the composition of the discharges, a comprehensive, integrated approach to biological monitoring was developed. A new permit was issued to the Y-12 Plant on April 28, 1995 and became effective on July 1, 1995. Biological monitoring continues to be required under the new permit. The BMAP consists of four major tasks that reflect different but complementary approaches to evaluating the effects of the Y-12 Plant discharges on the aquatic integrity of EFPC. These tasks are (1) toxicity monitoring, (2) biological indicator studies, (3) bioaccumulation studies, and (4) ecological surveys of the periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish communities

Rapid Field Immunoassay for Detecting Antibody to Sin Nombre Virus in Deer Mice

We developed a 1-hour field enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detecting antibody to Sin Nombre virus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The assay specificity and sensitivity were comparable to those of a standard EIA. This test will permit identification of rodents with antibody to this and perhaps other hantaviruses