506 research outputs found
Parent and self-report health-related quality of life measures in young patients with Tourette syndrome
Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by tics and comorbid behavioral problems. This study compared child- and parent-reported quality of life and everyday functioning. We assessed 75 children with Tourette syndrome, of which 42 (56%) had comorbid conditions (obsessive-compulsive disorder = 25; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder = 6; both comorbidities = 4). All patients completed psychometric instruments, including the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome-Quality of Life Scale for Children and Adolescents (child report) and the Child Tourette's Syndrome Impairment Scale (parent report). Data were compared for patients with pure Tourette syndrome, Tourette syndrome + obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Tourette syndrome + both comorbidities. There were no group differences in quality of life. However, there were differences for total, school, and home activities impairment scores. Children and parents may not share similar views about the impact of Tourette syndrome on functioning. The measurement of health-related quality of life in Tourette syndrome is more complex in children than adults
Synaptic transmission parallels neuromodulation in a central food-intake circuit
NeuromedinU is a potent regulator of food intake and activity in mammals. In Drosophila, neurons producing the homologous neuropeptide hugin regulate feeding and locomotion in a similar manner. Here, we use EM-based reconstruction to generate the entire connectome of hugin-producing neurons in the Drosophila larval CNS. We demonstrate that hugin neurons use synaptic transmission in addition to peptidergic neuromodulation and identify acetylcholine as a key transmitter. Hugin neuropeptide and acetylcholine are both necessary for the regulatory effect on feeding. We further show that subtypes of hugin neurons connect chemosensory to endocrine system by combinations of synaptic and peptide-receptor connections. Targets include endocrine neurons producing DH44, a CRH-like peptide, and insulin-like peptides. Homologs of these peptides are likewise downstream of neuromedinU, revealing striking parallels in flies and mammals. We propose that hugin neurons are part of an ancient physiological control system that has been conserved at functional and molecular level.SFB 645 and 704, DFG Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation, DFG grant PA 787, HHMI Janeli
Low validity of self-report in identifying recent mental health diagnosis among U.S. service members completing Pre-Deployment Health Assessment (PreDHA) and deployed to Afghanistan, 2007: a retrospective cohort study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since 1998, the U.S. Armed Forces has used the mandatory Pre-Deployment Health Assessment (PreDHA) screening questionnaire as a means of assessing the health and suitability of U.S. service members for deployment. Limited data exists to quantify the validity of the self-reported PreDHA. This study was conducted to assess the validity of self-reporting in PreDHA to identify deployed service members who have had a recent mental health disorder diagnosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 15,195 U.S. service members deployed in support of combat and reconstruction operations in Afghanistan. The Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS), the DoD's longitudinal medical surveillance database, was queried to identify cases among the cohort with a recent diagnosis of a pertinent mental health disorder and to obtain those subjects' responses to the PreDHA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the study cohort, 11,179 (73.6%) subjects had a PreDHA available within the DMSS at the time of analysis. A total of 615 subjects (4.0%) had one or more mental health disorder diagnoses during the pre-deployment period. Out the 615 subjects with diagnosed mental health disorders, 465 had a PreDHA. Among these, only 224, not quite half, answered in the affirmative to the PreDHA question: <it>"During the past year, have you sought counseling or care for your mental health?"</it></p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study demonstrates that the self-reported PreDHA has low validity for identifying service members with diagnosed mental health disorders. The development of electronic decision-support systems which automatically screen electronic health records to identify high-risk service members may prove a valuable component of improved pre-deployment screening processes.</p
Influence of phenological barriers and habitat differentiation on the population genetic structure of the balearic endemic Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris Chodat and R. alaternus L
[EN] Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris, endemic to the Gymnesian Islands, coexists with the related and widespread R. alaternus in Mallorca and Menorca. In both species, the population genetic structure using RAPD, and flowering during a 3-year period to check for possible phenological barriers, were analyzed. Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris showed lower genetic diversity and stronger population structure than R. alaternus, the Cabrera population being less diverse and the most differentiated. Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris flowered one month later, although flowering of both species coincided sporadically. These congeners seem to have diverged through isolation by time and differentiation in habitat. The population genetic structure of R. ludovici-salvatoris could mainly be due to the existence of small populations on the one hand, and a gene flow caused by rare hybridization events on the other, which may also explain the presence of morphologically intermediate individuals in Menorca. The conservation of R. ludovici-salvatoris populations may include population reinforcements and other in situ interventions.Ferriol Molina, M.; Llorens García, L.; Gil, L.; Boira Tortajada, H. (2009). Influence of phenological barriers and habitat differentiation on the population genetic structure of the balearic endemic Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris Chodat and R. alaternus L. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 277(1-2):105-116. doi:10.1007/s00606-008-0110-3S1051162771-2Affre L, Thompson JD, Debussche M (1997) Genetic structure of continental and island populations of the Mediterranean endemic Cyclamen balearicum (Primulaceae). Amer J Bot 84(4): 437–451BOIB (2005) Decreto 75/2005. BOIB 106: 29–32Bolmgren K, Oxelman B (2004) Generic limits in Rhamnus L. s.l. (Rhamnaceae) inferred from nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequence phylogenies. Taxon 53(2):383–390Bolòs O, Molinier R (1958) Recherches phytosociologiques dans l’île de Majorque. Collectanea Botanica 34:699–865Cardona MA (1979) Consideracions sobre l’endemisme i l’origen de la flora de las Illes Balears. Butlletí del Institut Catalá de Historia Natural 44 (Sec. Bot. 3):7–15Cardona MA, Contandriopoulos J (1979) Endemism and evolution in the islands of the Western Mediterranean. In: Bramwell D (ed) Plants and islands. Academic Press, London, pp 133–169Chodat L (1924) Contributions à la Géo-Botanique de Majorque. PhD Thesis, Université de Genève—Institut de Botanique, SwitzerlandCollins D, Mill RR, Moller M (2003) Species separation of Taxus baccata, T. canadensis, and T. cuspidata (Taxaceae) and origins of their reputed hybrids inferred from RAPD and cpDNA data. Amer J Bot 90(2):175–182Cronk QCB (1997) Islands: stability, diversity, conservation. Biodivers Conserv 6(3):477–493Doyle JJ, Doyle JL (1990) Isolation of plant DNA from fresh tissue. Focus 12:13–15Ducarme V, Wesselingh RA (2005) Detecting hybridization in mixed populations of Rhinanthus minor and Rhinanthus angustifolius. Folia Geobot 40(2/3):151–161Englishloeb GM, Karban R (1992) Consequences of variation in flowering phenology for seed head herbivory and reproductive success in Erigeron glaucus (Compositae). Oecologia 89:588–595Gautier F, Caluzon G, Suk JP, Violanti D (1994) Age et durée de la crise de salinité Messinienne. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris 318:1103–1109Gerard PR, Fernandez-Manjarres JF, Frascaria-Lacoste N (2006) Temporal cline in a hybrid zone population between Fraxinus excelsior L. and Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. Molec Ecol 15:3655–3667Gil L, Llorens L, Tébar FJ, Costa M (1995) La vegetación de la isla de Cabrera. In: Guía de la excursión geobotánica de las XV Jornadas de Fitosociología. Datos sobre la vegetación de Cabrera. Palma de Mallorca: Universitat de les Illes Balears, pp 51–77Gulías J, Flexas J, Abadía A, Medrano H (2002) Photosynthetic responses to water deficit in six Mediterranean sclerophyll species: possible factors explaining the declining distribution of Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris, and endemic Balearic species. Tree Physiol 22:687–697Gulías J, Traveset A, Riera N, Mus M (2004) Critical stages in the recruitment process of Rhamnus alaternus L. Ann Bot 93:723–731Gustafsson S, Sjögren-Gulve P (2002) Genetic diversity in the rare orchid, Gymnadenia odoratissima and a comparison with the more common congener, G. conopsea. Conserv Genet 3:225–234Gustafsson S (2003) Population genetic analyses in the orchid genus Gymnadenia—a conservation genetic perspective. PhD Thesis, Uppsala University, SwedenGustafsson S, Lönn M (2003) Genetic differentiation and habitat preference of flowering-time variants within Gymnadenia conopsea. Heredity 91:284–292Harris W (1996) Genecological aspects of flowering patterns of populations of Kunzea ericoides and K. sinclairii (Myrtaceae). New Zealand J Bot 34:333–354Hendry AP, Dray T (2005) Population structure attributable to reproductive time: isolation by time and adaptation by time. Molec Ecol 14:901–916Hosokawa K, Minami M, Kawahara K, Nakamura I, Shibata T (2000) Discrimination among three species of medicinal Scutellaria plants using RAPD markers. Pl Med 66:270–272Huang Z, Liu L, Zhou T, Ju B (2005) Effects of environmental factors on the population genetic structure in chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar). J Arid Environ 62:427–434Juan A, Crespo MB, Cowan RS, Lexer C, Fay F (2004) Patterns of variability and gene flow in Medicago citrina, an endangered endemic of islands in the western Mediterranean, as revealed by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Molec Ecol 13:2679–2690Krijgsman W, Hilgen FJ, Raffi I, Sierro FJ, Wilson DS (1999) Chronology, causes and progression of the Messinian salinity crisis. Nature 400:652–655Lamont BB, He T, Enright NJ, Krauss SL, Miller BP (2003) Anthropogenic disturbance promotes hybridization between Banksia species by altering their biology. J Evol Biol 16:551–557Lennartsson T (1997) Seasonal differentiation—a conservative reproductive barrier in two grassland Gentianella (Gentianaceae) species. Pl Syst Evol 208:45–69Martinez-Solis I, Iranzo J, Estrelles E, Ibars AM (1993) Leaf domatia in the section Alaternus (Miller) DC. of the genus Rhamnus (Rhamnaceae). Bot J Linn Soc 112:311–318McIntosh ME (2002) Flowering phenology and reproductive output in two sister species of Ferocactus (Cactaceae). Pl Ecol 159:1–13Nei M (1973) Analysis of gene diversity in subdivided populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 70:3321–3323Nei M (1978) Estimation of average heterozigosity and genetic distance from a small number of individuals. Genetics 89:583–590Nei M, Li W (1979) Mathematical model for studying genetic variation in terms of restriction endonucleases. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79:5269–5273Nybom H, Bartish IV (2000) Effects of life history traits and sampling strategies on genetic diversity estimates obtained with RAPD markers in plants. Perspect Pl Ecol Evol Syst 3(2):93–114Oostermeijer JGB, Luijten SH, Ellis-Adam AC, den Nijs JCM (2002) Future prospects for the rare, late-flowering Gentianella germanica and Gentianopsis ciliata in Dutch nutrient-poor calcareous grasslands. Biol Conserv 104:339–350Pease CM, Lande R, Bull JJ (1989) A model of population growth, dispersal and evolution in a changing environment. Ecology 70(6):1657–1664Perron M, Gordon AG, Bousquet J (1995) Species-specific RAPD fingerprints for the closely related Picea mariana and P. rubens. Theor Appl Genet 91:142–149Pierce S, Ceriani RM, Villa M, Cerabolini B (2006) Quantifying relative extinction risks and targeting intervention for the orchid flora of a natural park in the European prealps. Conserv Biol 20(6):1804–1810Richardson JE, Fay MF, Cronk QCB, Bowman D, Chase MW (2000) A phylogenetic analysis of Rhamnaceae using rbcL and trnL-F plastid DNA sequences. Amer J Bot 87(9):1309–1324Roselló JA, Sáez L (2000) Index Balearicum: an annotated check-list of the vascular plants described from the Balearic Islands. Collect Bot 25(1):3–203Roselló JA, Cebrián MC, Mayol M (2002) Testing taxonomic and biogeographical relationships in a narrow mediterranean endemic complex (Hippocrepis balearica) using RAPD markers. Ann Bot 89:321–327Sales E, Nebauer SG, Mus M, Segura J (2001) Population genetic study in the Balearic plant species Digitalis minor (Scrophulariaceae) using RAPD markers. Amer J Bot 88(10):1750–1759Sherwin WB, Moritz C (2000) Managing and monitoring genetic erosion. In: Young AG, Clarke GM (eds) Genetics, demography and viability of fragmented populations. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 9–34Sneath PHA, Sokal RR (1973) Numerical taxonomy. Freeman and Co., San FranciscoTraveset A, Gulías J, Riera N, Mus M (2003) Transition probabilities from pollination to establishment in a rare dioecious shrub species (Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris) in two habitats. J Ecol 91:427–437Tutin TG, Heywood VH, Burges NA, Valentine DH, Walters SM, Webb DA (eds) (2001) Flora Europaea, vol 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeWright S (1931) Evolution in Mendelian populations. Genetics 16:97–159Zimmerman M (1980a) Reproduction in Polemonium: pre-dispersal seed predation. Ecology 61:502–506Zimmerman M (1980b) Reproduction in Polemonium: competition for pollinators. Ecology 61:497–50
Study of decays to the final state and evidence for the decay
A study of decays is performed for the first time
using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0
collected by the LHCb experiment in collisions at centre-of-mass energies
of and TeV. Evidence for the decay
is reported with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations, resulting in the
measurement of
to
be .
Here denotes a branching fraction while and
are the production cross-sections for and mesons.
An indication of weak annihilation is found for the region
, with a significance of
2.4 standard deviations.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-022.html,
link to supplemental material inserted in the reference
CCL2/MCP-I Genotype-Phenotype Relationship in Latent Tuberculosis Infection
Among the known biomarkers, chemokines, secreted by activated macrophages and T cells, attract groups of immune cells to the site of infection and may determine the clinical outcome. Association studies of CCL-2/MCP-1 -2518 A/G functional SNP linked to high and low phenotypes with tuberculosis disease susceptibility have shown conflicting results in tuberculosis. Some of these differences could be due the variability of latent infection and recent exposure in the control groups. We have therefore carried out a detailed analysis of CCL-2 genotype SNP -2518 (A/G transition) with plasma CCL-2 levels and related these levels to tuberculin skin test positivity in asymptomatic community controls with no known exposure to tuberculosis and in recently exposed household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients. TST positivity was linked to higher concentrations of plasma CCL2 (Mann Whitney U test; p = 0.004) and was more marked when the G allele was present in TST+ asymptomatic controls (A/G; p = 0.01). Recent exposure also had a significant effect on CCL-2 levels and was linked to the G allele (p = 0.007). Therefore association studies for susceptibility or protection from disease should take into consideration the PPD status as well as recent exposure of the controls group used for comparison. Our results also suggest a role for CCL-2 in maintaining the integrity of granuloma in asymptomatic individuals with latent infection in high TB burden settings. Therefore additional studies into the role of CCL-2 in disease reactivation and progression are warranted
Diversity in Functional Organization of Class I and Class II Biotin Protein Ligase
The cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(M.tuberculosis) is composed of a variety of lipids
including mycolic acids, sulpholipids, lipoarabinomannans, etc., which impart
rigidity crucial for its survival and pathogenesis. Acyl CoA carboxylase (ACC)
provides malonyl-CoA and methylmalonyl-CoA, committed precursors for fatty acid
and essential for mycolic acid synthesis respectively. Biotin Protein Ligase
(BPL/BirA) activates apo-biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) by biotinylating
it to an active holo-BCCP. A minimal peptide (Schatz), an efficient substrate
for Escherichia coli BirA, failed to serve as substrate for
M. tuberculosis Biotin Protein Ligase
(MtBPL). MtBPL specifically biotinylates
homologous BCCP domain, MtBCCP87, but not
EcBCCP87. This is a unique feature of
MtBPL as EcBirA lacks such a stringent
substrate specificity. This feature is also reflected in the lack of
self/promiscuous biotinylation by MtBPL. The N-terminus/HTH
domain of EcBirA has the self-biotinable lysine residue that is
inhibited in the presence of Schatz peptide, a peptide designed to act as a
universal acceptor for EcBirA. This suggests that when biotin
is limiting, EcBirA preferentially catalyzes, biotinylation of
BCCP over self-biotinylation. R118G mutant of EcBirA showed
enhanced self and promiscuous biotinylation but its homologue, R69A
MtBPL did not exhibit these properties. The catalytic
domain of MtBPL was characterized further by limited
proteolysis. Holo-MtBPL is protected from proteolysis by
biotinyl-5′ AMP, an intermediate of MtBPL catalyzed
reaction. In contrast, apo-MtBPL is completely digested by
trypsin within 20 min of co-incubation. Substrate selectivity and inability to
promote self biotinylation are exquisite features of MtBPL and
are a consequence of the unique molecular mechanism of an enzyme adapted for the
high turnover of fatty acid biosynthesis
Recommended from our members
The complete connectome of a learning and memory center in an insect brain
Associating stimuli with positive or negative reinforcement is essential for survival, but a complete wiring diagram of a higher-order circuit supporting associative memory has not been previously available. Here we reconstruct one such circuit at synaptic resolution, the larval mushroom body. We find that most Kenyon cells integrate random combinations of inputs but that a subset receives stereotyped inputs from single projection neurons. This organization maximizes performance of a model output neuron on a stimulus discrimination task. We also report a novel canonical circuit in each mushroom body compartment with previously unidentified connections: reciprocal Kenyon cell to modulatory neuron connections, modulatory neuron to output neuron connections, and a surprisingly high number of recurrent connections between Kenyon cells. Stereotyped connections found between output neurons could enhance the selection of learned behaviours. The complete circuit map of the mushroom body should guide future functional studies of this learning and memory centre.AL-K was supported by NIH grant #F32DC014387. AL-K and LFA were supported by the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain. LFA was also supported by the Gatsby, Mathers and Kavli Foundations. CEP and YP were supported by the DARPA XDATA program (AFRL contract FA8750-12-2-0303) and the NSF BRAIN EAGER award DBI-1451081. KE and AST thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, TH1584/1-1, TH1584/3- 1; the Swiss National Science Foundation, 31003A 132812/1; the Baden Wurttemberg Stiftung; Zukunftskolleg of the University of ¨ Konstanz and DAAD. BG and TS thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, CRC 779, GE 1091/4-1; the European Commission, FP7-ICT MINIMAL. We thank the Fly EM Project Team at HHMI Janelia for the gift of the EM volume, the Janelia Visiting Scientist program, the HHMI visa office, and HHMI Janelia for funding
Development of an experimental model of neurocysticercosis-induced hydrocephalus. Pilot study
Results from the dissemination of an evidence-based telephone-delivered intervention for healthy lifestyle and weight loss: the Optimal Health Program
Despite proven efficacy, there are few published evaluations of telephone-delivered interventions targeting physical activity, healthy eating, and weight loss in community dissemination contexts. This study aims to evaluate participant and program outcomes from the Optimal Health Program, a telephone-delivered healthy lifestyle and weight loss program provided by a primary health care organization. Dissemination study used a single-group, repeated measures design; outcomes were assessed at 6-month (mid-program; n = 166) and 12-month (end of program; n = 88) using paired analyses. The program reached a representative sample of at-risk, primary care patients, with 56 % withdrawing before program completion. Among completers, a statistically significant improvement between baseline and end of program was observed for weight [mean change (SE) −5.4 (7.0) kg] and waist circumference [−4.8 (9.7) cm], underpinned by significant physical activity and dietary change. Findings suggest that telephone-delivered weight loss and healthy lifestyle programs can provide an effective model for use in primary care settings, but participant retention remains a challenge
- …