Bio Motion Project: Final Report

Report on a tentative, integrative model of motion sickness

Condoms and developmental contexts in younger adolescent boys

BACKGROUND: Condom use is a key part of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention for young men. Yet little is known about how younger adolescent boys initially learn about and use condoms. We examined sources of information, attitudes towards, acquisition, practice and early use of condoms among 14-16-year-old boys. METHODS: Thirty 14-16-year-old boys were recruited from a teen clinic serving a community with high STI rates and were asked open-ended questions about condoms, such as, "Where did you learn about condoms?" and "In what situations would you/would you not, use condoms." Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and coded. Qualitative analysis focused upon key concepts and shared social cognitions related to condom use. RESULTS: Both sexually inexperienced and experienced participants perceived that sex feels or would feel less pleasurable with condoms. For almost all participants, families were the primary source of both information about condoms and of condoms themselves. This information focused on pregnancy prevention, with STIs secondary. Participants' views of condoms fell into three developmental groups: not interested in condoms and equating their use with interest in sex; exploring condoms out of either curiosity or in preparation for sex; and experienced with condom use. Exploring included behaviours such as checking condoms out and trying them on. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings of existing negative perceptions of condoms, the importance of families in learning about condoms and the developmental need to test and try on condoms before use have implications for adolescent STI prevention programmes

A Global lake ecological observatory network (GLEON) for synthesising high-frequency sensor data for validation of deterministic ecological models

A Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON; www.gleon.org) has formed to provide a coordinated response to the need for scientific understanding of lake processes, utilising technological advances available from autonomous sensors. The organisation embraces a grassroots approach to engage researchers from varying disciplines, sites spanning geographic and ecological gradients, and novel sensor and cyberinfrastructure to synthesise high-frequency lake data at scales ranging from local to global. The high-frequency data provide a platform to rigorously validate processbased ecological models because model simulation time steps are better aligned with sensor measurements than with lower-frequency, manual samples. Two case studies from Trout Bog, Wisconsin, USA, and Lake Rotoehu, North Island, New Zealand, are presented to demonstrate that in the past, ecological model outputs (e.g., temperature, chlorophyll) have been relatively poorly validated based on a limited number of directly comparable measurements, both in time and space. The case studies demonstrate some of the difficulties of mapping sensor measurements directly to model state variable outputs as well as the opportunities to use deviations between sensor measurements and model simulations to better inform process understanding. Well-validated ecological models provide a mechanism to extrapolate high-frequency sensor data in space and time, thereby potentially creating a fully 3-dimensional simulation of key variables of interest

Space allowance and the behaviour of captive southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons)

Captive southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) often display indicators of substandard welfare, including aggression and stereotypical pacing. To determine if space availability influences the welfare of wombats, the behaviour of three groups of L. latifrons (n = 3) was studied in three different sized enclosures: small (S) (75.5 m2; the minimum space requirement for three wombats in Queensland, Australia), medium (M) (151 m2, twice the minimum space) and large (L) (224 m2, three times the minimum space) in a Latin Square design. Compared to wombats in larger enclosures, those in the small enclosure were observed to display more biting (S: 1.96; M: 0.42; L: 0.28, SED ± 0.56 counts / day, P = 0.01), retreat from conspecifics (S: 15.0; M: 9.9; L: 7.1 SED ± 2.66 counts / day, P = 0.03), and visual scanning (S: 52.8; M: 33.9; L: 28.8, SED ± 4.62 counts / day, P < 0.001); they also spent more time fenceline digging, which may represent attempts to escape (S: 0.78; M: 0.16; L: 0.24, SED ± 0.07 min / m / day, P < 0.0001). Those in the largest enclosure showed less self-directed grooming behaviour than those in the two smaller enclosures (S: 23.80; M: 24.08; L: 14.42, SED ± 3.22 counts / day, P = 0.02). It is concluded that small 2 enclosure size had a negative impact on the behaviour of wombat, and as a consequence, current 30 minimum space requirements for wombats in captivity should be reassessed

The origin of carbonate cements in the hildasay reservoir, Cambo Field, Faroe-Shetland Basin; clumped isotopic analysis and implications for reservoir performance

The early Eocene paralic sandstones of the Hildasay Member of the Flett Formation form the major oil-bearing reservoir in the Cambo Field, located in the Faroe-Shetland Basin. The sandstones locally contain calcite-cemented intervals that vary in thickness from decimetre to over 1 m. A calcite-cemented interval from well 204/10a-5 has been analysed petrographically and using clumped isotopes to determine its mode of formation and potential lateral extent. Petrographic analysis shows the cemented interval to consist of ferroan calcite, with a consistent dull red cathodoluminescence, suggesting a single phase of precipitation. The centre of the cemented interval comprises a finer grained unit with detrital kerogen and early sphaerosiderite, while the rest comprises homogeneous porosity-occluding ferroan calcite. The early sphaerosiderite in the centre is replaced by ferroan calcite with a high δ13 carbon isotopic signature (δ13 CVPDB = 7.53‰) suggesting that it formed during anaerobic methanogenesis or fermentation. Samples from the intermediate zone have a lower δ13 carbon isotopic composition (δ13 CVPDB = 0.72 to −3.68‰). In comparison the outer margin of the cemented unit has an even lower δ13 carbon isotopic signature (δ13 CVPDB = −15.5 to 15.9‰) more typical of a strong aerobic oxidation source. The oxygen isotopic signature of the cements is similar (δ18 OVPDB = −10.9 to −12.2‰). Analysis of the clumped isotopes suggest that the ferroan calcite formed at ∼40–50 °C, from pore waters that were predominantly meteoric in origin (δ18 OVSMOW = −4.8 to −5.7‰). Burial history modelling would suggest that the cements formed at a depth of ∼500–1000 m. Meteoric water was likely to have been introduced during the formation of the mid-Lutetian unconformity ∼45Mya, approximately 10 Mya after the sandstones were deposited. The model proposed is that ferroan calcite precipitation was initiated in the fine lag deposits that contained the kerogen and sphaerosiderite, and then grew outwards. If the model is correct, the cemented units should be restricted to this facies and consequently of limited lateral extent. Consequently, it is likely that the cemented intervals will have a limited impact upon the reservoir performance and are unlikely to act as major barriers to fluid flow

The Human Chorionic Gonadotropin-β Arginine 68 to Glutamic Acid Substitution Fixes the Conformation of the C-Terminal Peptide

Wild-type human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has been used as a contraceptive vaccine. However, extensive sequence homology with LH elicits production of cross-reactive antibodies. Substitution of arginine68 of the β-subunit (hCGβ) with glutamic acid (R68E) profoundly reduces the cross-reactivity while refocusing the immune response to the hCG β -specific C-terminal peptide (CTP). To investigate the molecular basis for this change in epitope usage, we immunized mice with a plasmid encoding a truncated hCG β-R68E chain lacking the CTP. The animals produced LH-cross-reactive antibodies, suggesting that the refocused immunogenicity of R68E is a consequence of epitope masking by a novel disposition of the CTP in the mutant rather than a structural change in the cross-reactive epitope region. This explanation was strongly supported by surface plasmon resonance analysis using a panel of anti-hCGβ-specific and anti-hCGβ/LH cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Whereas the binding of the LH cross-reactive mAbs to hCGβ-R68E was eliminated, mAbs reacting with hCGβ-specific epitopes bound to hCGβ and hCGβ-R68E with identical affinities. In a separate series of experiments, we observed that LH cross-reactive epitopes were silent after immunization with a plasmid encoding a membrane form of hCGβ-R68E, as previously observed with the soluble mutant protein itself. In contrast, the plasmid encoding the soluble secreted form of hCGβ-R68E evoked LH cross-reactive antibodies, albeit of relatively low titer, suggesting that the handling and processing of the proteins produced by the two constructs differed

Shared medical appointments and mindfulness for Type 2 diabetes : a mixed-methods feasibility study

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a major health concern with significant personal and healthcare system costs. There is growing interest in using shared medical appointments (SMAs) for management of T2DM. We hypothesize that adding mindfulness to SMAs may be beneficial. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of SMAs with mindfulness for T2DM within primary care in Australia. Materials and Methods: We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled feasibility study of SMAs within primary care for people with T2DM living in Western Sydney, Australia. People with T2DM, age 21 years and over, with HbA1c > 6.5% or fasting glucose >7.00 mmol/L within the past 3 months were eligible to enroll. The intervention group attended six 2-h programmed SMAs (pSMAs) which were held fortnightly. pSMAs included a structured education program and mindfulness component. The control group received usual care from their healthcare providers. We collected quantitative and qualitative data on acceptability as well as glycemic control (glycated hemoglobin and continuous glucose monitoring), lipids, anthropometric measures, blood pressure, selfreported psychological outcomes, quality of life, diet, and physical activity using an ActiGraph accelerometer. Results: Over a 2-month period, we enrolled 18 participants (10 females, 8 males) with a mean age of 58 years (standard deviation 9.8). We had 94.4% retention. All participants in the intervention group completed at least four pSMAs. Participants reported that attending pSMAs had been a positive experience that allowed them to accept their diagnosis and empowered them to make changes, which led to beneficial effects including weight loss and better glycemic control. Four pSMA participants found the mindfulness component helpful while two did not. All of the seven participants who contributed to qualitative evaluation reported improved psychosocial wellbeing and found the group setting beneficial. There was a significant difference in total cholesterol levels at 12 weeks between groups (3.86 mmol/L in intervention group vs. 4.15 mmol/L in the control group; p = 0.025) as well as pain intensity levels as measured by the PROMIS-29 (2.11 vs. 2.38; p = 0.034). Conclusion: pSMAs are feasible and acceptable to people with T2DM and may result in clinical improvement. A follow-up fully-powered randomized controlled trial is warranted. Clinical Trial Registration: Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, identifier ACTRN12619000892112

Widespread Polymorphism in the Positions of Stop Codons in Drosophila melanogaster

The mechanisms underlying evolutionary changes in protein length are poorly understood. Protein domains are lost and gained between species and must have arisen first as within-species polymorphisms. Here, we use Drosophila melanogaster population genomic data combined with between species divergence information to understand the evolutionary forces that generate and maintain polymorphisms causing changes in protein length in D. melanogaster. Specifically, we looked for protein length variations resulting from premature termination codons (PTCs) and stop codon losses (SCLs). We discovered that 438 genes contained polymorphisms resulting in truncation of the translated region (PTCs) and 119 genes contained polymorphisms predicted to lengthen the translated region (SCLs). Stop codon polymorphisms (SCPs) (especially PTCs) appear to be more deleterious than other polymorphisms, including protein amino acid changes. Genes harboring SCPs are in general less selectively constrained, more narrowly expressed, and enriched for dispensable biological functions. However, we also observed exceptional cases such as genes that have multiple independent SCPs, alleles that are shared between D. melanogaster and Drosophila simulans, and high-frequency alleles that cause extreme changes in gene length. SCPs likely have an important role in the evolution of these genes

Climate Change and Local Public Health in the United States: Preparedness, Programs and Perceptions of Local Public Health Department Directors

While climate change is inherently a global problem, its public health impacts will be experienced most acutely at the local and regional level, with some jurisdictions likely to be more burdened than others. The public health infrastructure in the U.S. is organized largely as an interlocking set of public agencies at the federal, state and local level, with lead responsibility for each city or county often residing at the local level. To understand how directors of local public health departments view and are responding to climate change as a public health issue, we conducted a telephone survey with 133 randomly selected local health department directors, representing a 61% response rate. A majority of respondents perceived climate change to be a problem in their jurisdiction, a problem they viewed as likely to become more common or severe over the next 20 years. Only a small minority of respondents, however, had yet made climate change adaptation or prevention a top priority for their health department. This discrepancy between problem recognition and programmatic responses may be due, in part, to several factors: most respondents felt personnel in their health department–and other key stakeholders in their community–had a lack of knowledge about climate change; relatively few respondents felt their own health department, their state health department, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had the necessary expertise to help them create an effective mitigation or adaptation plan for their jurisdiction; and most respondents felt that their health department needed additional funding, staff and staff training to respond effectively to climate change. These data make clear that climate change adaptation and prevention are not currently major activities at most health departments, and that most, if not all, local health departments will require assistance in making this transition. We conclude by making the case that, through their words and actions, local health departments and their staff can and should play a role in alerting members of their community about the prospect of public health impacts from climate change in their jurisdiction