Understanding Structure: An Approach/Avoidance Framework

The current project was designed to present an in-depth exploration of the two Personal Need for Structure factors, utilizing the quadripolar model of approach and avoidance motivation to present a coherent conceptualization of attitudes and behaviors related to the factors. Specifically, we proposed that the DFS factor would be related to overstriving (high approach/high avoidance) while the RLS factor would be related to failure-avoidance (low approach/high avoidance). We conducted a series of four studies designed to examine our hypotheses. Results demonstrated a consistent relationship between RLS and failure-avoidance, as proposed. However, results for the DFS factor were less straightforward. Implications of the findings for future research utilizing the Personal Need for Structure scale are discussed

Exploring social media recruitment strategies and preliminary acceptability of an mHealth tool for teens with eating disorders

(1) Background: The current study leveraged social media to connect with teens with EDs to identify population specific characteristics and to gather feedback on an mHealth intervention. (2) Methods: We recruited teens with EDs from social media in two phases: (1) Discovery Group, (2) Testing Group. The Discovery Group

Projected changes in temperature and precipitation over the United States, Central America and the Caribbean in CMIP6 GCMs

The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) dataset is used to examine projected changes in temperature and precipitation over the United States (U.S.), Central America and the Caribbean. The changes are computed using an ensemble of 31 models for three future time slices (2021–2040, 2041–2060, and 2080–2099) relative to the reference period (1995–2014) under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs; SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5). The CMIP6 ensemble reproduces the observed annual cycle and distribution of mean annual temperature and precipitation with biases between − 0.93 and 1.27 °C and − 37.90 to 58.45%, respectively, for most of the region. However, modeled precipitation is too large over the western and Midwestern U.S. during winter and spring and over the North American monsoon region in summer, while too small over southern Central America. Temperature is projected to increase over the entire domain under all three SSPs, by as much as 6 °C under SSP5-8.5, and with more pronounced increases in the northern latitudes over the regions that receive snow in the present climate. Annual precipitation projections for the end of the twenty-frst century have more uncertainty, as expected, and exhibit a meridional dipole-like pattern, with precipitation increasing by 10–30% over much of the U.S. and decreasing by 10–40% over Central America and the Caribbean, especially over the monsoon region. Seasonally, precipitation over the eastern and central subregions is projected to increase during winter and spring and decrease during summer and autumn. Over the monsoon region and Central America, precipitation is projected to decrease in all seasons except autumn. The analysis was repeated on a subset of 9 models with the best performance in the reference period; however, no signifcant diference was found, suggesting that model bias is not strongly infuencing the projections.Universidad de Costa Rica/[805-B9-454]/UCR/Costa RicaNational Science Foundation/[AGS-1849654]/NSF/Estados UnidosNational Science Foundation/[AGS-1623912]/NSF/Estados UnidosDepartment of Energy/[2316‐T849‐08]/DOE/Estados UnidosNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/[2316‐T849‐08]/NOAA/Estados UnidosUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones Geofísicas (CIGEFI)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Teenage pregnancy rates and associations with other health risk behaviours: a threewave cross-sectional study among South African school-going adolescents

BACKGROUND: Teenage pregnancy still remains high in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), as well as in highincome countries (HIC). It is a major contributor to maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, it has social consequences, such as perpetuating the cycle of poverty including early school dropout by the pregnant adolescent, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Few studies in SSA have investigated the trends in teenage pregnancy and the associated factors, while this is critical in fully understanding teenage pregnancy and for promotion of reproductive health among adolescents at large in SSA. METHODS: To examine the trends in teenage pregnancy and to identify associations with other health risk behaviours in South Africa (SA), a total of 31 816 South African school-going adolescents between 11 to 19 years of age were interviewed in three cross-sectional surveys. Data from the first (2002, n = 10 549), second (2008, n = 10 270) and the third (2011, n = 10 997) nationally representative South African youth risk behaviour surveys (YRBS) were used for this study. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of having ever been pregnant among the combined 3-survey sample was selfreported to be 11.0 % and stable across the three surveys. Sexual intercourse among adolescents in SA has decreased from 41.9 % in 2002 to 36.9 % in 2011. However, pregnancy among girls who ever had sex increased from 17.3 % (95 % CI: 0.16–0.19) in 2002, to 23.6 % (95 % CI: 0.21–0.26) in 2008 and decreased to 21.3 % (95 % CI: 0.19–0.23) in 2011. The odds for ever been pregnant were higher for girls who had 2 or more sexual partners (OR: 1.250, 95 % CI: 1.039–1.503), girls who ever used alcohol before sex (OR: 1.373, 95 % CI: 1.004–1.878), practised binge-drinking during the last month (OR: 0.624, 95 % CI: 0.503–0.774), and girls who used mandrax (OR: 1.968, 95 % CI: 1,243–3.117). The odds for never been pregnant were lower for those who used condoms (OR: 0.462, 95 % CI: 0.309–0.691). CONCLUSIONS: Girls continue to become pregnant at unacceptably high rates in SA. Sexual intercourse among adolescents in SA has decreased slightly. However, among those who are sexually active pregnancy prevalence rates have increased. More over, this is in the context of high prevalence of HIV and other STI. There is a need to address adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health, and several health risk behaviours, including substance use, that are associated with teenage pregnancy in SA.IS

Genetic Prediction of Complex Traits Across Diverse Populations

Background: Discoveries made through genome-wide association studies have revolutionized the field of human genetics by uncovering disease mechanisms and enabling precision medicine. Although there has been tremendous effort to obtain cohort sizes on the order of hundreds of thousands of individuals, there is an immense underrepresentation of non-European ancestries, which has potential to contribute to health inequity. Here, we present works on (i) an in-depth simulation to identify optimal approaches for achieving equitable accuracy for polygenic risk scores (PRS) in diverse populations and (ii) an application of trans-ancestry discovery of germline associations in the complex phenotype of multiple primary tumors. Methods: (i) Through our simulation framework, we implement many strategies for building PRS, including a local-ancestry specific approach, and measure accuracy in admixed and African ancestry individuals. (ii) We also conducted a whole-exome sequencing study of two large, multi-ancestry populations consisting of 6,429 multiple cancer cases, 29,091 single cancer cases, and 165,853 cancer-free controls. We employed single-variant and gene-based tests to characterize the genetic susceptibility to multiple primary tumors in comparison to individuals with one and, separately, no cancers through the investigation of rare and common variation. Results and Conclusions: (i) Variants discovered in African ancestry populations have greater potential to achieve unbiased PRS prediction across populations. Studies should prioritize the inclusion of diverse participants in GWAS, and care must be taken with the interpretation of currently available risk scores. (ii) Our applied trans-ancestry analysis of multiple primary tumors identifies rare loss-of-function variants and gene-level associations with cross-cancer pleiotropy and potential for prioritizing cancer survivors at high risk for developing subsequent tumors