No widespread dissemination of Chlamydia trachomatis diagnostic-escape variants and the impact of Neisseria gonorrhoeae positivity on the Aptima Combo 2 assay

OBJECTIVES: A Finnish Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) new variant was detected in 2019 that escaped detection in the Hologic Aptima Combo 2 (AC2) assay due to a C1515T mutation in the CT 23S rRNA target region. Reflex testing of CT-negative/CT-equivocal specimens as well as those positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) with the Hologic Aptima CT (ACT) assay was recommended to identify any CT variants. METHODS: From June to October 2019, specimens with discrepant AC2/ACT CT results were submitted to Public Health England and screened for detectable CT DNA using an inhouse real-time (RT)-PCR. When enough DNA was present, partial CT 23S rRNA gene sequencing was performed. Analysis of available relative light units and interpretative data was performed. RESULTS: A total of 317 discordant AC2/ACT specimens were collected from 315 patients. Three hundred were tested on the RT-PCR; 53.3% (n=160) were negative and 46.7% (n=140) were positive. Due to low DNA load in most specimens, sequencing was successful for only 36 specimens. The CT 23S rRNA wild-type sequence was present in 32 specimens, and two variants with C1514T or G1523A mutation were detected in four specimens from three patients. Of the discordant specimens with NG interpretation, 36.6% of NG-negative/CT-negative AC2 specimens had detectable CT DNA on the inhouse RT-PCR vs 53.3% of NG-positive/CT-negative specimens. CONCLUSIONS: No widespread dissemination of AC2 diagnostic-escape CT variants has occurred in England. We however identified the impact of NG positivity on the discordant AC2/ACT specimens; a proportion appeared due to NG positivity and the associated NG signal, rather than any diagnostic-escape variants or low DNA load. Several patients with gonorrhoea may therefore receive false-negative AC2 CT results. Single diagnostic targets and multiplex diagnostic assays have their limitations such as providing selection pressure for escape mutants and potentially reduced sensitivity, respectively. These limitations must be considered when establishing diagnostic pathways

The Student Movement Volume 107 Issue 19: A Weekend to Remember: AUnited Showcases Cultural Diversity

HUMANS Andrews Students Discuss Feminism, Interviewed by: Grace No Honors Scholars and Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium: Meet the Researchers, Nora Martin Public vs Private Schooling?, Interviewed by: Anna Pak ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Creatives on Campus: Women\u27s History Month, Gio Lee See My World: AU Composers\u27 Recital, Aiko J. Ayala Rios Sonnets Reimagined: English 430 Collage Projects, Grace No NEWS Cultural Clubs Wow During Preview Showcase, Andrew Francis Head in the Clouds: The AUnited Cultural Gala, Alannah Tjhatra Honors Scholars and Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium 2023, Nora Martin IDEAS A Kinda Brief History of Feminism, Reagan McCain Bee Kind!, Gabriela Francisco The History of Saint Patrick\u27s Day, Katie Davis PULSE The Dorms: What Would You Change?, Interviewed by: Lexie Dunham The President-Elect: Viewpoint on Diversity, Wambui Karanja LAST WORD What I Would Tell My Freshman Self, Kayla-Hope Brunohttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-107/1018/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 108 Issue 9: Perfect Landing: Acrofest Comes to Andrews University

HUMANS Blessings Outnumbering The Autumn Leaves, Savannah Tyler The James White Library Archives, Grace No ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!, Lexie Dunham Art: Reclaiming the Narrative, Madison Vath A Trip to Detroit Through Nandi Comer\u27s Eyes, Ameilia Stefanescu NEWS Taking Flight at Acrofest, Nate Miller Andrews Celebrates Veterans, Andrew Francis Instruments of His Peace in a Broken World, Anna Rybachek IDEAS Are Aliens Real?, Katie Davis Stay Vaccinated for the Sassy Man Epidemic, Charisse Lapuebla The Thanksgiving Debate, Ruben Colón PULSE Artificial Intelligence: Are We Playing God?, Alyssa Caruthers How Mission Work Impacts the Missionary: Advice for SMs, Caitlin Adap Moral Conflict Part 2, Katie Davis, The Illusion of Romantic Love, Nicole Compton-Gray LAST WORD The Joys of Journaling, Ian Freemanhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-108/1008/thumbnail.jp

Establishing the precise evolutionary history of a gene improves prediction of disease-causing missense mutations

PURPOSE: Predicting the phenotypic effects of mutations has become an important application in clinical genetic diagnostics. Computational tools evaluate the behavior of the variant over evolutionary time and assume that variations seen during the course of evolution are probably benign in humans. However, current tools do not take into account orthologous/paralogous relationships. Paralogs have dramatically different roles in Mendelian diseases. For example, whereas inactivating mutations in the NPC1 gene cause the neurodegenerative disorder Niemann-Pick C, inactivating mutations in its paralog NPC1L1 are not disease-causing and, moreover, are implicated in protection from coronary heart disease. METHODS: We identified major events in NPC1 evolution and revealed and compared orthologs and paralogs of the human NPC1 gene through phylogenetic and protein sequence analyses. We predicted whether an amino acid substitution affects protein function by reducing the organism’s fitness. RESULTS: Removing the paralogs and distant homologs improved the overall performance of categorizing disease-causing and benign amino acid substitutions. CONCLUSION: The results show that a thorough evolutionary analysis followed by identification of orthologs improves the accuracy in predicting disease-causing missense mutations. We anticipate that this approach will be used as a reference in the interpretation of variants in other genetic diseases as well. Genet Med 18 10, 1029–1036

The Student Movement Volume 108 Issue 10: VP or Not VP?: That is the Question

HUMANS Interview with Dr. Ponce-Rodas: Change within the Church, Grace No Dean Spotlight Interview: Alyssa Palmer, Lauren Kim Maya Sukumaran\u27s Exploration: Unraveling the Neurobiology of Cricket Behavior, Nick Bishop ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT AUSO\u27s Vienna Classics Concert, Nate Miller Discovering the Fine Arts Program, Amelia Stefanescu What Do Murder and Law School Have in Common?, Amelia Stefanescu NEWS AU Abroad, Katie Davis Context, Changes, Reactions, What\u27s Coming, VP to the Assistant to the President, Lily Burke Founding of Andrews University, Kiheon Chung Israel-Gaza Follow Up, Robert Zhang Second Annual AU Shark Tank Features Intriguing Proposals, Andrew Francis IDEAS Coming Out Ministries in Berrien Springs, Erin Beers How to Spread Holiday Cheer on a Budget!, Reagan Westerman Rabbit Rabbit, Katie Davis What is Truth? My Personal Exploration into Moral Relativism, Bella Hamann PULSE A Taste of Goodness, Anna Rybachek Countdown to Finals: Tips for Test-Taking, Sumin Lee Why Andrews?, Alyssa Caruthers LAST WORD My Semester of Touching Grass and Smelling the Roses, Grace Nohttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-108/1009/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 108 Issue 7: Not Throwing Away Our Shot: Honoring Hamilton\u27s Legacy

HUMANS An Arboretum of Beauty, Anneliese Tessalee Serving with All She\u27s Got: Natalia\u27s Mission Experience in the Dominican Republic, Nick Bishop WAUS Fall Fundraiser, Grace No ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Art: A Window Into Another Reality, Madison Vath Filipino Art Through Filipino Eyes: Celebrating A Culture, Amelia Stefanescu Free-Falling Into Autumn : A Fall Playlist, Amelia Stefanescu Upcoming Events in the Art Department, Katrina Johnson What to do about Inhospitality?: A Review of Mitski\u27s Newest Album, Reagan McCain NEWS Andrews Autumn Conference Promotes Peaceful Scientific Discourse, Andrew Francis Honors Goes to Hamilton, Melissa Moore Unraveling the Historical Threads: The SDA Church\u27s Journey with the Trinity, Brendan Oh IDEAS Cats or Dogs?, Abby Shim Exploring Student Perspectives on Jewelry, Reagan Westerman Israeli- Gaza, the Split of Public Opinion, United Nations Resolutions and What We Can Do, Robert Zhang PULSE Everything Happens For A Reason , Nicole Compton-Gray Moral Conflict: What is the Right Thing to Do?, Katie Davis Productivity & Success, Anna Rybachek Social Media and the College Student: A Useful Tool or a Destructive Spiral?, Rodney Bell II LAST WORD To Be Loved and to Love, Wambui Karanjahttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-108/1006/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 108 Issue 8: Conducting Us Into The Season

HUMANS Eating Healthier at Andrews, Brooklyn Anderson Honors Research with Shania Watts, Grace No Social Media: Is It Really Social?, Colin Cha ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Journey to the Marvelous God - A double conducting recital, Aiko J. Ayala Rios Love, Murder, and Secrets: A Night At The MSU French Film Festival, Amelia Stefanescu What To Do About National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day, Nate Miller Places to Go: The Lake Michigan College Mendel Center, Madison Vath NEWS Argentina Election Article, Regan McCain Qualitative Research Writing Group: Your Research Accountability Partner, Melissa Moore Self-Driving Taxis, Katie Davis Students\u27 reactions to Andrews\u27s National Ranking, Kiheon Chung Upcoming Winter Events, Melissa Moore IDEAS Morally Gray, Katie Davis Red and Green Flags, Ruben Colón Remembering Matthew Perry, Corinna Bevier SDAs and The Big Bang: A Survey, Erin Beers Shoot Your Shot - Or Maybe Not?, Regan Westerman PULSE Burnout vs. Laziness: What\u27s The Difference?, Lexie Dunham How Habits Happen, Anna Rybachek The Mauricio Fund, Elianna Fisher LAST WORD Reality for a Second-Generation Immigrant, Gio Leehttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-108/1007/thumbnail.jp

Family coordination in families who have a child with autism spectrum disorder

Little is known about the interactions of families where there is a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study applies the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP) to explore both its applicability to this population as well as to assess resources and areas of deficit in these families. The sample consisted of 68 families with a child with ASD, and 43 families with a typically developing (TD) child. With respect to the global score for family coordination there were several negative correlations: the more severe the symptoms (based on the child’s ADOS score), the more family coordination was dysfunctional. This correlation was particularly high when parents had to play together with the child. In the parts in which only one of the parents played actively with the child, while the other was simply present, some families did achieve scores in the functional range, despite the child’s symptom severity. The outcomes are discussed in terms of their clinical implications both for assessment and for interventio

Continuous combined microwave and hot air treatment of apples for fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni and B. jarvisi) disinfestation

Apples at 24 ± 2 °C were heated in a pilot scale hot air assisted (40 °C) continuous pentagonal microwave system, to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment on insect mortality (variety Mutsu) and fruit quality (variety Granny Smith). An average temperature of 53.4 ± 1.3 °C at core, bottom and flesh of the apple was recorded at the end of the treatment. One hundred percent mortality of the most tolerant stage of Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni, Froggatt) and Jarvis's fruit fly (Bactrocera jarvisi, Tryon), were observed when the Mortality value (M52, equivalent time of isothermal treatment at 52 °C) at the slowest heating point applicable for each experiment was ≥ 50 min and ≥ 37 min, respectively. Results showed that microwave heat treatment is effective for insect disinfestation without any adverse impact on total soluble solids, flesh or peel firmness of the treated apples. The treated apples recorded a significantly higher pH and lower ion leakage than the untreated apples after 3 or 4 weeks. Therefore, the microwave heat treatment has the potential to be developed as an alternative chemical free quarantine treatment against economically significant insect pests. Industrial relevance Hot air assisted microwave heating of fruits and vegetables, is more cost effective compared to vapour heat treatment and ionising radiation for disinfestation of insects. Microwave treatment is environmentally friendly compared to fumigation and chemical treatments. Hot air assisted microwave disinfestation can be performed at farms or centralised pack houses since the capital cost would be comparatively lower than vapour heat or ionising radiation treatments

Chronic disease management programmes for adults with asthma (intervention Review)

BACKGROUND: The burden of asthma on patients and healthcare systems is substantial. Interventions have been developed to overcome difficulties in asthma management. These include chronic disease management programmes, which are more than simple patient education, encompassing a set of coherent interventions that centre on the patients' needs, encouraging the co-ordination and integration of health services provided by a variety of healthcare professionals, and emphasising patient self-management as well as patient education. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of chronic disease management programmes for adults with asthma. SEARCH METHODS: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group Specialised Register, MEDLINE (MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations), EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched up to June 2014. We also handsearched selected journals from 2000 to 2012 and scanned reference lists of relevant reviews. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included individual or cluster-randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials, and controlled before-after studies comparing chronic disease management programmes with usual care in adults over 16 years of age with a diagnosis of asthma. The chronic disease management programmes had to satisfy at least the following five criteria: an organisational component targeting patients; an organisational component targeting healthcare professionals or the healthcare system, or both; patient education or self-management support, or both; active involvement of two or more healthcare professionals in patient care; a minimum duration of three months. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: After an initial screen of the titles, two review authors working independently assessed the studies for eligibility and study quality; they also extracted the data. We contacted authors to obtain missing information and additional data, where necessary. We pooled results using the random-effects model and reported the pooled mean or standardised mean differences (SMDs). MAIN RESULTS: A total of 20 studies including 81,746 patients (median 129.5) were included in this review, with a follow-up ranging from 3 to more than 12 months. Patients' mean age was 42.5 years, 60% were female, and their asthma was mostly rated as moderate to severe. Overall the studies were of moderate to low methodological quality, because of limitations in their design and the wide confidence intervals for certain results.Compared with usual care, chronic disease management programmes resulted in improvements in asthma-specific quality of life (SMD 0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08 to 0.37), asthma severity scores (SMD 0.18, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.30), and lung function tests (SMD 0.19, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.30). The data for improvement in self-efficacy scores were inconclusive (SMD 0.51, 95% CI -0.08 to 1.11). Results on hospitalisations and emergency department or unscheduled visits could not be combined in a meta-analysis because the data were too heterogeneous; results from the individual studies were inconclusive overall. Only a few studies reported results on asthma exacerbations, days off work or school, use of an action plan, and patient satisfaction. Meta-analyses could not be performed for these outcomes. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is moderate to low quality evidence that chronic disease management programmes for adults with asthma can improve asthma-specific quality of life, asthma severity, and lung function tests. Overall, these results provide encouraging evidence of the potential effectiveness of these programmes in adults with asthma when compared with usual care. However, the optimal composition of asthma chronic disease management programmes and their added value, compared with education or self-management alone that is usually offered to patients with asthma, need further investigation