Mapping of host-parasite-microbiome interactions reveals metabolic determinants of tropism and tolerance in Chagas disease

Chagas disease (CD) is a parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi protozoa, presenting with cardiomyopathy, megaesophagus, and/or megacolon. To determine the mechanisms of gastrointestinal (GI) CD tissue tropism, we systematically characterized the spatial localization of infection-induced metabolic and microbiome alterations, in a mouse model of CD. Notably, the impact of the transition between acute and persistent infection differed between tissue sites, with sustained large-scale effects of infection in the esophagus and large intestine, providing a potential mechanism for the tropism of CD within the GI tract. Infection affected acylcarnitine metabolism; carnitine supplementation prevented acute-stage CD mortality without affecting parasite burden by mitigating infection-induced metabolic disturbances and reducing cardiac strain. Overall, results identified a previously-unknown mechanism of disease tolerance in CD, with potential for new therapeutic regimen development. More broadly, results highlight the potential of spatially resolved metabolomics to provide insight into disease pathogenesis and infectious disease drug development.Open Access fees paid for in whole or in part by the University of Oklahoma Libraries. This work was supported by start-up funds from the University of Oklahoma to L.-I.M. and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the NIH under award number R21AI148886 to L.-I.M. Initial tissue collection was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship to L.-I.M. from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (award number 338511; www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/). Microbial community analysis was supported, in part, by an NIH grant (award number NIH 2R01-GM089886 to K.S). Immunological characterization was performed on instrumentation from the OU Protein Production and Characterization Core facility, supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the NIH under grant number P20GM103640. Histology samples were processed by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Stephenson Cancer Center Tissue Pathology Shared Resource, supported by the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant P30CA225520 and COBRE P20GM103639. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.Ye

Family Engagement: Establishing a System to Support the Parent-Teacher Partnership

The Family Map Inventories were developed to support programs in their efforts to engage parents and understanding family needs and strengths. The Family Map Inventories are supportive of the framework put forth by Office of Head Start’s National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement (NCPFCE) and were developed with the Head Start performance standards as a guiding principle. This study provides evidence of the feasibility and usefulness of the Inventories used with parents of Infants and Toddlers. Parents and teachers were accepting of the Inventory. The Infant – Toddler Family Map Inventory appeared to provide an accurate assessment of the risks and strengths in the home and parenting environments of young children. The potential for use by educators is discussed

Supporting Family Engagement with Parents of Infants and Toddlers

Engaging families of preschool children in partnerships with early childcare providers includes, among other activities, engaging in meaningful conversation, linking parents to needed services, and supporting parents as they capitalize on family protective factors. Early childhood programs struggle to implement systematic processes to support teachers in engaging families and documenting the interactions. This report summarizes the development and implementation of a tool designed to facilitate family engagement with childcare. The study targets a rural, multi-center agency serving Early Head Start families using an inventory called The Family Map. This report provides evidence of the feasibility of implementation, the reliability, and validity of the screening questions, and the range of risk and strengths identified in Early Head Start families served

Vaginal birth core information set: study protocol for a Delphi study to achieve a consensus on a ‘core information set’ for vaginal birth

Introduction Studies have shown that women are often underinformed about potential benefits and risks of vaginal birth. This is in contrast to other modes of birth, such as caesarean birth, for which the risks/benefits are often conveyed prior to undergoing the procedure. A core information set (CIS) is an agreed set of information points that should be discussed with all patients prior to undergoing a procedure or intervention. This CIS could improve the quality of information given regarding mode of birth options, as women will be given information prioritised by patients and stakeholders regarding vaginal birth, empowering them to make informed decisions about their birth. We aim to describe the protocol for the development of this vaginal birth CIS.Methods and analysis We will develop the CIS by: (1) Compiling a ‘long-list’ of information points about vaginal birth by: undertaking a scoping review of studies and patient information leaflets; interviews with antenatal/postnatal women, an online survey of stakeholders. (2) Collating the ‘long-list’ of information points and developing the Delphi survey. Think-aloud interviews will refine the survey. (3) Conducting a two-round Delphi survey. 200 stakeholder participants will be recruited. Items rated critically important by ≥80% of participants in one stakeholder group, or with no consensus, will be carried through to a stakeholder consensus meeting to decide the final CIS. Planned start date is 1 June 2022. Planned end date is 31 August 2023.Ethics and dissemination This project has been given a favourable ethics opinion by the University of Bristol Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 10530). Approval from the ethics committee will be sought for any protocol amendments, and the principal investigator will be responsible for these changes. Findings will be presented at relevant conferences and published in a high-impact journal. We will disseminate the CIS, via Policy Bristol, to clinical policy and guideline developers