Circulating long noncoding RNA GAS5 levels are correlated to prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus

AbstractBackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM), a metabolic disease, is characterized by impaired fasting glucose levels. Type 2 DM is adult onset diabetes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate gene expression and multiple studies have linked lncRNAs to human diseases.MethodsSerum samples obtained from 96 participating veterans at JAH VA were deposited in the Research Biospecimen Repository. We used a two-stage strategy to identify an lncRNA whose levels correlated with T2DM. Initially we screened five serum samples from diabetic and non-diabetic individuals using lncRNA arrays. Next, GAS5 lncRNA levels were analyzed in 96 serum samples using quantitative PCR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff GAS5 for diagnosis of DM.ResultsOur results demonstrate that decreased GAS5 levels in serum were associated with diabetes in a cohort of US military veterans. The ROC analysis revealed an optimal cutoff GAS5 value of less than or equal to 10. qPCR results indicated that individuals with absolute GAS5<10ng/μl have almost twelve times higher odds of having diabetes (Exact Odds Ratio [OR]=11.79 (95% CI: 3.97, 37.26), p<0.001). Analysis indicated area under curve (AUC) of ROC of 0.81 with 85.1% sensitivity and 67.3% specificity in distinguishing non-diabetic from diabetic subjects. The positive predictive value is 71.4%.ConclusionlncRNA GAS5 levels are correlated to prevalence of T2DM.General SignificanceAssessment of GAS5 in serum along with other parameters offers greater accuracy in identifying individuals at-risk for diabetes

A Fig Leaf for Jeff Koons: Pornography, Privacy, and Made in Heaven

This essay examines the unusual reception of the artist Jeff Koons’s “Made in Heaven” series (1989–1992), which paradoxically remains both Koons’s most notorious and underanalyzed body of work. Significantly, many of Koons’s formerly supportive critics responded with near total silence to the larger-than-life photographic prints on canvas of Koons and his thenwife, the Italian porn star Ilona Staller, nude and engaged in a variety of sex acts. Moreover, “Made in Heaven” attracted no attention whatsoever from the religious and political forces that mobilized against artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe in the same year as the series’ debut. This essay compares the critical silence that greeted “Made in Heaven” with the flurry of media attention bestowed on artists such as Mapplethorpe, in order to examine the ways in which Koons was effectively allowed by the art world to recuperate from what was institutionally viewed as an embarrassing public performance of his own sexuality. It examines privacy and reproductive heterosexuality as entwined legal and social constructs in United States history, asking how, in the wake of a nationwide tide of antipornography sentiment and of the gravely significant ruling on sexuality and privacy that was the 1986 Supreme Court decision Bowers v. Hardwick, did Koons’s blatantly pornographic work escape significant political attention

Parasite Prevalence Study at the Idaho Humane Society

Background: Intestinal parasites are a frequent problem in domestic animals. There are five commonly recognized parasites found among cats and dogs in the northwest United States. This study observed four of the five parasites: roundworms, hookworms, coccidia, and giardia. Although tapeworms are a common parasite, they were not prevalent in this study. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to observe what parasites were commonly seen at the Idaho Humane Society (IHS) and to determine if there was a difference in parasite prevalence among two sample animal populations. Methods: An owned-animal population and a shelter population were the two populations from which samples were collected by IHS. Fecal samples were collected randomly within the two populations. Fecal samples were sent to Antech Laboratories for testing. Results were entered into an Access database for analysis. Results: Throughout a two week period, 78 fecal samples were collected and tested. Among the 78 fecal samples, 56% were from dogs and 44% were from cats. Overall 15% of the samples were from clinic animals and 85% were from shelter animals. The study found that 6% of the sample population contained parasites, with roundworm being the most prevalent. Parasites were found only in the shelter animals. Discussion: Parasites were detected in six percent of the total sampled population, suggesting that the current ongoing anti-parasite program should continue

Time is Precious : person-centred end of life care in an emergency department : a quality improvement project

Supporting and managing end of life in emergency departments (EDs) is often difficult and is becoming increasingly commonplace. Patients who present at the end of life are often triaged as low priority as their signs and symptoms are not considered life-threatening and they are often exposed to unnecessary and inappropriate tests and investigations. This results in increased stress and distress for patients and their family and carers in an environment that is not suited to this type of care. There are few specified palliative care pathways that provide the level of care required by these patients. This article describes the Time is Precious (TiP) project, the development of a palliative care decision-making framework to support and address the needs of patients who present to an ED at end of life, in a timely and appropriate manner. It also reports findings of an evaluation of TiP that show patients are identified more quickly and cared for more appropriately as nursing and medical care can be tailored to meet their needs