Metaorganism Metabolomics: Hydra as a tool for understanding the role of bacterial metabolites in shaping the metabolic landscape of the host

With increased focus on host-microbe dynamics over the past decade, evidence that resident microbes affect host behaviour has mounted. Bacteria may be responsible for some of these effects as they produce a number of neuroactive compounds that could influence nervous system structure and function, leading to changes in behavioural phenotype. In the fresh water cnidarian Hydra, two behaviours are altered by microbiota: contraction frequency and feeding response duration. Here, I investigate the potential of resident microbiota to influence the structure and function of the nervous system in the early metazoan Hydra vulgaris AEP. I assess changes to nervous system structure by looking for altered neurogenesis and nerve cell density in adult polyps and find both unaltered in germ-free animals. This does not rule out the possibility of early-life alterations or smaller-scale changes to nervous system anatomy. Next, I present a metabolomics pipeline to aid in the identification of bacterially- derived, contraction-regulating compounds. Future work in identifying these compounds can take advantage of the new extraction process detailed here, which can easily be reproduced from the isolated stocks of Hydra’s five main colonizing bacterial strains. I demonstrate the utility of the metabolomics pipeline in bioactive molecule identification by identifying a dipeptide potentially responsible for the increased chemotaxis of bacterial colonizers towards germ-free Hydra. This may be a new mechanism for host-led shaping of microbial community composition. Finally, I assess the potential role of Hydra microbiota in influencing nervous system function by searching for in vitro neurotransmitter production by Hydra-associated microbes and find that the microbial community produces gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Metabolic modelling confirmed the presence of GABA-synthesizing enzymes in the genomes of all five main colonizers, though only Duganella seems to possess secretory ability via a GABA transporter. Both GABA and Hydra microbiota are reported to increase the duration of the feeding response, so microbial GABA production may play a role in increasing feeding response duration. As GABA feeds into central carbon metabolism, I further analyse the role of the Hydra metabolite and GABA precursor putrescine on the growth of the bacterial colonizers, and find all colonizers are able to grow in a medium that contains putrescine as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. This suggests that any microbial manipulation of behaviour via GABA is a by-product of core metabolic processes in the bacteria. The work presented here demonstrates the utility of untargeted metabolomics for approaching a mechanistic understanding of host-microbe interactions

Patient Perspectives of the Doctor-at-Home Service

Introduction. Home health care has been established as an effective model for reducing mortality in the elderly. The Doctor-at-Home Service at the Community Health Centers of Burlington (CHCB) has offered home health care to Burlington residents since January 2015. Dr. Karen Sokol, MD, alone provides care to 176 patients at their homes, including at-home palliative care. CHCB hope to expand this program by hiring more providers. Objective. To understand the impact of the Doctor-at-Home Service from the pa- tients’ perspective. Methods. A survey was administered to a cohort of eighteen patients over an 8- week period and addressed topics such as barriers to healthcare, benefits, and costs associated with doctor-at-home programs. A theme analysis on the responses was then conducted to reflect patient opinions. Available summary data describing the pa- tient population was also analyzed. Results. The Doctor- at- Home program serves patients ranging from 26 to 100 years old, with the majority of the patient population comprised of senior citizens. Prior to at home care, patients faced barriers such as lack of transportation, negative past experi- ences, anxiety, and distance from relatives. Four main themes from patient responses were physician-patient relationship, convenience, quality of care, and environment of care. Discussion. Evidence is compelling that there is a desire and need for an exten- sion of the Doctor-at-Home program to reach additional patients. Doctor-at-Home pro- grams could eliminate identified barriers and provide quality care to patients, especially those with specific barriers to access.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1256/thumbnail.jp

Analysis of Biomass-fired Boilers in a Polygeneration System for a Hospital

This study evaluates the types of biomass that can be used in boilers for the production of steam and hot water for the Lauro Wanderley University Hospital located in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, using average cost of production and business model analysis (Business Model Canvas). The study was conducted to subsidize a system for the optimization of the energy resources to be adopted by the hospital, as the design of a product or service production system can identify opportunities to reduce costs and environmental damage. The energy demand of the hospital was surveyed. Only firewood, sugarcane bagasse and pellets were considered in the analysis, as these are the types of biomass allowed in the specified boiler. The results showed that the pellets were the costliest resource, whereas firewood exhibited the best results considering the average cost of production and the business model. This information supports more consistently the adequate inclusion of this resource in the hospital superstructure and, consequently, the optimization of the polygeneration system, allowing clearer verification of decreased costs and environmental impacts

Design, synthesis, conjugation and reactivity of novel trans,trans-1,5-cyclooctadiene-derived bioorthogonal linkers

Funding Information: The authors thank Irene Feiner, Marion van Leeuwen-Chomet, and Joey Muns for their helpful insight. We acknowledge financial support from the University of Aberdeen and European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 675417.Peer reviewedPostprin

Mechanisms and biomarker candidates in pterygium development

Pterygium pathogenesis has been mainly associated with UV light exposure; however, this association remains quite controversial. The complete mechanism of pterygium also remains to be clarified. Factors such as inflammation, viral infection, oxidative stress, DNA methylation, inflammatory mediators, extracellular matrix modulators, apoptotic and oncogenic proteins, loss of heterozygosity, microsatellite instability, lymphangiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal cell transition, and alterations in cholesterol metabolism have been identified as causes. Several studies aimed to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth and proliferation of pterygium. Understanding its molecular basis provides new potential therapeutic targets for its prevention and treatment. A comprehensive search of the databases, namely, MedLine, EMBASE, and LILACS, was conducted with the following key words: pterygium, epidemiology, pathogenesis, biomarkers, and review. This review describes the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and current investigation of biological mediators involved in pterygium development82652853

“I Am More than My Country of Origin”: An Arts-Based Engagement Ethnography with Racialized Newcomer Women in Canada

Many women immigrate with the hope that they will gain new opportunities for themselves and their families, however, they often face significant challenges due to the intersectional stigmas related to their gender, immigration status, and other aspects of their social location. In this study, we sought to understand the holistic experience of racialized newcomer women to better support their integration process. Using Arts-Based Engagement Ethnography (ABEE), we employed the use of cultural probes and qualitative interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of ten newcomer women. An ethnographic analysis of this data yielded four overarching structures which include (1) identity negotiation experiences, (2) process of integration and struggles with transition, (3) resiliency practices and processes, and (4) making meaning of migration experiences. Each of these structures included several patterns. Our results demonstrate the benefits of using arts-based qualitative methods with diverse communities to collect rich and varied data that highlights the multiple social identities of participants. These results also give an in-depth look at the numerous experiences, both positive and negative, that influence the well-being of newcomer women throughout the process of migration. The implications of this research emphasize the need to continue in our efforts to reduce systemic oppression, to create a more inclusive and equitable community

Feasibility, acceptability, and characteristics associated with adherence and completion of a culturally relevant internet-enhanced physical activity pilot intervention for overweight and obese young adult African American women enrolled in college

BACKGROUND: African American women are one of the least active demographic groups in the US, with only 36% meeting the national physical activity recommendations in comparison to 46% of White women. Physical activity begins to decline in African American women in adolescence and continues to decline into young adulthood. Yet, few interventions have been developed to promote physical activity in African American women during this critical period of life. The purpose of this article was to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a culturally-relevant Internet-enhanced physical activity pilot intervention for overweight/obese African American college females and to examine psychosocial and behavioral characteristics associated with intervention adherence and completion. METHODS: A 6-month single group pre-posttest design was used. Participants (n = 27) accessed a culturally-relevant Social Cognitive Theory-based physical activity promotion website while engaging in a minimum of four moderate-intensity physical activity sessions each week. Acceptability and feasibility of the intervention was assessed by participant retention and a consumer satisfaction survey completed by participants. RESULTS: Fifty-six percent of participants (n = 15) completed the intervention. Study completers were more physically active at baseline (P = 0.05) and had greater social support for exercise from family members (P = 0.04). Sixty percent of study completers (n = 9) reported the website as enjoyable or very enjoyable to use and 60% (n = 9) reported increased motivation from participation in the physical activity program. Moreover, 87% (n = 13) reported they would recommend the website to a friend. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide some preliminary support for the acceptability and feasibility of an Internet-enhanced physical activity program for overweight/obese African American women, while highlighting important limitations of the approach. Successful promotion of physical activity in college aged African American women as they emerge into adulthood may result in the development of life-long healthy physical activity patterns which may ultimately reduce physical activity-related health disparities in this high risk underserved population. Future studies with larger samples are needed to further explore the use of Internet-based programs to promote physical activity in this population

Risk, Reliability and Resilience: Phytolith Evidence for Alternative 'Neolithization' Pathways at Kharaneh IV in the Azraq Basin, Jordan.

'Neolithization' pathway refers to the development of adaptations that characterized subsequent Neolithic life, sedentary occupations, and agriculture. In the Levant, the origins of these human behaviors are widely argued to have emerged during the Early Epipaleolithic (ca. 23 ka cal BP). Consequently, there has been a pre-occupation with identifying and modeling the dietary shift to cereal and grains during this period, which is considered to have been a key development that facilitated increasing sedentism and, eventually, agriculture. Yet, direct evidence of plant use in the form of macrobotanical remains is extremely limited at Epipaleolithic sites and the expected 'Neolithization' pathway has not been robustly demonstrated. However, new direct microbotanical phytolith evidence from the large aggregation site of Kharaneh IV, in the Azraq Basin, suggests that increasingly settled occupation was not the result of wild grass and cereal use, but rather the result of a typical hunter-gatherer balance, based on the use of mostly reliable resources supplemented by some risky resources. Moreover, and illustrating this balance, the direct botanical evidence emphases the importance of the wetlands as an under-recognized reliable plant resource. Significantly, the use of these reliable wetland plant resources at Kharaneh IV represents an unexpected 'Neolithization' pathway