Microsatellite primers for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

In this note, we document polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) primer pairs for 101 nuclear-encoded microsatellites designed and developed from a genomic library for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Details of the genomic library construction, the sequencing of positive clones, primer design, and PCR protocols may be found in Karlsson et al. (2008). The 101 microsatellites (GENBA NK Accession Numbers EU015882-EU015982) were amplified successfully and used to genotype 24 red drum obtained from Galveston Bay, Texas (Table 1). A total of 69 of the microsatellites had an uninterrupted (perfect) dinucleotide motif, and 30 had an imperfect dinucleotide motif; one microsatellite had an imperfect tetranucleotide motif, and one had an imperfect and compound motif (Table 1 ). Sizes of the cloned alleles ranged from 84 to 252 base pairs. A ‘blast’ search of the GENBANK database indicated that all of the primers and the cloned alleles were unique (i.e., not duplicated)

Adapting Urban Water Systems to Manage Scarcity in the 21st Century: The Case of Los Angeles.

Acute water shortages for large metropolitan regions are likely to become more frequent as climate changes impact historic precipitation levels and urban population grows. California and Los Angeles County have just experienced a severe four year drought followed by a year of high precipitation, and likely drought conditions again in Southern California. We show how the embedded preferences for distant sources, and their local manifestations, have created and/or exacerbated fluctuations in local water availability and suboptimal management. As a socio technical system, water management in the Los Angeles metropolitan region has created a kind of scarcity lock-in in years of low rainfall. We come to this through a decade of coupled research examining landscapes and water use, the development of the complex institutional water management infrastructure, hydrology and a systems network model. Such integrated research is a model for other regions to unpack and understand the actual water resources of a metropolitan region, how it is managed and potential ability to become more water self reliant if the institutions collaborate and manage the resource both parsimoniously, but also in an integrated and conjunctive manner. The Los Angeles County metropolitan region, we find, could transition to a nearly water self sufficient system

Denitrifying Bioreactors for Nitrate Removal: A Meta-Analysis

Meta-analysis approaches were used in this first quantitative synthesis of denitrifying woodchip bioreactors. Nitrate removal across environmental and design conditions was assessed from 26 published studies, representing 57 separate bioreactor units (i.e., walls, beds, and laboratory columns). Effect size calculations weighted the data based on variance and number of measurements for each bioreactor unit. Nitrate removal rates in bed and column studies were not significantly different, but both were significantly higher than wall studies. In denitrifying beds, wood source did not significantly affect nitrate removal rates. Nitrate removal (mass per volume) was significantly lower in beds with \u3c6-h hydraulic retention times, which argues for ensuring that bed designs incorporate sufficient time for nitrate removal. Rates significantly declined after the first year of bed operation but then stabilized. Nitrogen limitation significantly affected bed nitrate removal. Categorical and linear assessments found significant nitrate removal effects with bed temperature; a Q10 of 2.15 was quite similar to other studies. Lessons from this meta-analysis can be incorporated into bed designs, especially extending hydraulic retention times to increase nitrate removal under low temperature and high flow conditions. Additional column studies are warranted for comparative assessments, as are field-based studies for assessing in situ conditions, especially in aging beds, with careful collection and reporting of design and environmental data. Future assessment of these systems might take a holistic view, reviewing nitrate removal in conjunction with other processes, including greenhouse gas and other unfavorable by-product production

Thyroid function in Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by episodes of binge eating. Bulimic patients have diminished caloric requirements and reduced metabolic rate. Because thyroid function is an important modulator of metabolic rate, we sought to clarify conflicting reports concerning this parameter in bulimic patients. Thyroid indices were examined in 18 bulimics at admission and after 3 weeks of abstinence. Patients had thyroid indices in the normal range at admission but slightly diminished triiodothyronine (T3) compared with control subjects (n = 28). Significant declines in T3 and thyroxine and increases in thyrotropin were noted after 3 weeks of abstinence. At abstinence, T3 was positively correlated with caloric intake, protein, fat, and carbohydrate consumption and inversely correlated with percent ideal body weight. We hypothesize that binge-purge behavior may transiently increase thyroid indices and, consequently, metabolic rate in patients with bulimia nervosa. Furthermore, decreases in T3 following abstinence may be related to diminished caloric consumption or may reflect hypothalamic-pituitary dysregulation in these patients.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30904/1/0000573.pd

New Hubble Space Telescope Discoveries of Type Ia Supernovae at z > 1: Narrowing Constraints on the Early Behavior of Dark Energy

We have discovered 21 new Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and have used them to trace the history of cosmic expansion over the last 10 billion years. These objects, which include 13 spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia at z > 1, were discovered during 14 epochs of reimaging of the GOODS fields North and South over two years with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on HST. Together with a recalibration of our previous HST-discovered SNe Ia, the full sample of 23 SNe Ia at z > 1 provides the highest-redshift sample known. Combined with previous SN Ia datasets, we measured H(z) at discrete, uncorrelated epochs, reducing the uncertainty of H(z>1) from 50% to under 20%, strengthening the evidence for a cosmic jerk--the transition from deceleration in the past to acceleration in the present. The unique leverage of the HST high-redshift SNe Ia provides the first meaningful constraint on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter at z >1. The result remains consistent with a cosmological constant (w(z)=-1), and rules out rapidly evolving dark energy (dw/dz >>1). The defining property of dark energy, its negative pressure, appears to be present at z>1, in the epoch preceding acceleration, with ~98% confidence in our primary fit. Moreover, the z>1 sample-averaged spectral energy distribution is consistent with that of the typical SN Ia over the last 10 Gyr, indicating that any spectral evolution of the properties of SNe Ia with redshift is still below our detection threshold.Comment: typos, references corrected, minor additions to exposition 82 pages, 17 figures, 6 tables. Data also available at: http://braeburn.pha.jhu.edu/~ariess/R06. Accepted, Astrophysical Journal vol. 656 for March 10, 200

Increased Risk of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Episodes Associated with Acute Increases in Ambient Air Pollution

Objectives: We reported previously that 24-hr moving average ambient air pollution concentrations were positively associated with ventricular arrhythmias detected by implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). ICDs also detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation episodes (PAF) that result in rapid ventricular rates. In this same cohort of ICD patients, we assessed the association between ambient air pollution and episodes of PAF. Design: We performed a case–crossover study. Participants: Patients who lived in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area and who had ICDs implanted between June 1995 and December 1999 (n = 203) were followed until July 2002. Evaluations/Measurements: We used conditional logistic regression to explore the association between community air pollution and 91 electrophysiologist-confirmed episodes of PAF among 29 subjects. Results: We found a statistically significant positive association between episodes of PAF and increased ozone concentration (22 ppb) in the hour before the arrhythmia (odds ratio = 2.08; 95% confidence interval = 1.22, 3.54; p = 0.001). The risk estimate for a longer (24-hr) moving average was smaller, thus suggesting an immediate effect. Positive but not statistically significant risks were associated with fine particles, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon. Conclusions: Increased ambient O(3) pollution was associated with increased risk of episodes of rapid ventricular response due to PAF, thereby suggesting that community air pollution may be a precipitant of these events

27874 Correlation of itch response to roflumilast cream with disease severity and patient-reported outcomes in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis

Roflumilast cream is a nonsteroidal, selective phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor in development for plaque psoriasis (PsO). A Phase 2b, double-blinded trial randomized adults with PsO (2-20% body surface area) to once daily roflumilast 0.3%, roflumilast 0.15%, or vehicle for 12 weeks (NCT03638258). Throughout the trial, itch and its impact were evaluated via patient reported outcomes (PROs): Worst Itch Numeric Rating Scale (WI–NRS), Itch related Sleep Loss (IRSL), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). This posthoc analysis reports correlation of WI–NRS with other PROs and with disease severity. Overall, 331 patients were randomized (109 to roflumilast 0.3%, 113 to 0.15%, and 109 to vehicle). At baseline, the mean WI–NRS score was 5.87. Throughout the trial, both roflumilast doses showed similar improvements in WI–NRS starting at Week 2 and were significantly superior to vehicle (P ≤.002). At baseline, Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs) for WI–NRS and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were 0.189, 0.282, 0.205 for roflumilast 0.3%, roflumilast 0.15%, and vehicle, respectively (P ≤.033 for all correlations); for WI–NRS and IRSL: 0.548, 0.646, 0.652 (P ˂.001); for WI–NRS and DLQI: 0.445, 0.617, 0.422 (P ˂.001). At Week 8, PCCs for WI–NRS and PASI were 0.420, 0.409, 0.365 (P ˂.001); for WI–NRS and IRSL: 0.673, 0.725, 0.696 (P ˂.001); for WI–NRS and DLQI: 0.607, 0.823, 0.529. Treatment with roflumilast resulted in rapid and robust improvement in the severity of itch associated with PsO. Itch response to roflumilast was independent of disease severity and positively correlated with patient-reported sleep loss and quality of life improvement

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid monoamine metabolism in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: Preliminary findings

The syndrome of chronic fatigue, feverishness, diffuse pains, and other constitutional complaints, often precipitated by an acute infectious illness and aggravated by physical and emotional stressors, has a lengthy history in the medical literature. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently formulated a case definition, renaming the illness "chronic fatigue syndrome". Nevertheless, there remain few biological data that can validate the existence of this syndrome as distinct from a wide variety of other, largely psychiatric disorders, and little understanding of its pathogenesis. In the present study, basal plasma and cerebrospinal fluid levels of the monoamine metabolites, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and homovanillic acid (HVA) were determined in 19 patients meeting CDC research case criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and in 17 normal individuals. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome showed a significant reduction in basal plasma levels of MHPG and a significant increase in basal plasma levels of 5-HIAA. Although the functional significance of these findings has not been definitively elucidated, they are compatible with the clinical presentation of a syndrome associated with chronic lethargy and fatigue, and with evidence of persistent immune stimulation, and lend support to the idea that chronic fatigue syndrome represents a clinical entity with potential biological specificity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29681/1/0000008.pd

The role of healthcare professionals in encouraging parents to see and hold their stillborn baby: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

Background: Globally, during 2013 there were three million recorded stillbirths. Where clinical guidelines exist some recommend that professionals do not encourage parental contact. The guidance is based on quantitative evidence that seeing and holding the baby is not beneficial for everyone, but has been challenged by bereaved parents' organisations. We aim to inform future guideline development through a synthesis of qualitative studies reporting data relevant to the research question; how does the approach of healthcare professionals to seeing and holding the baby following stillbirth impact parents views and experiences? Methods/Findings: Using a predetermined search strategy of PubMed and PsychINFO we identified robust qualitative studies reporting bereaved parental views and/or experiences relating to seeing and holding their stillborn baby (final search 24 February, 2014). Eligible studies were English language, reporting parental views, with gestational loss >20weeks. Quality was independently assessed by three authors using a validated tool. We used meta-ethnographic techniques to identify key themes and a line of argument synthesis. We included 12 papers, representing the views of 333 parents (156 mothers, 150 fathers, and 27 couples) from six countries. The final themes were: "[Still]birth: Nature of care is paramount", "Real babies: Perfect beauties, monsters and spectres", and "Opportunity of a lifetime lost." Our line-of-argument synthesis highlights the contrast between all parents need to know their baby, with the time around birth being the only time memories can be made, and the variable ability that parents have to articulate their preferences at that time. Thus, we hypothesised that how health professionals approach contact between parents and their stillborn baby demands a degree of active management. An important limitation of this paper is all included studies originated from high income, westernised countries raising questions about the findings transferability to other cultural contexts. We do not offer new evidence to answer the question "Should parents see and hold their stillborn baby?", instead our findings advance understanding of how professionals can support parents to make appropriate decisions in a novel, highly charged and dynamic situation. Conclusions: Guidelines could be more specific in their recommendations regarding parental contact. The role of healthcare professionals in encouraging parents to see and hold their stillborn baby is paramount. Parental choice not to see their baby, apprehension, or uncertainty should be continuously revisited in the hours after birth as the opportunity for contact is fleeting and final

A systematic, intensive statistical investigation of data from the Comprehensive Analysis of Reported Drugs (CARD) for compliance and illicit opioid abstinence in substance addiction treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone

BACKGROUND: Buprenorphine and naloxone (bup/nal), a combination partial mu receptor agonist and low-dose delta mu antagonist, is presently recommended and used to treat opioid-use disorder. However, a literature review revealed a paucity of research involving data from urine drug tests that looked at compliance and abstinence in one sample. METHOD: Statistical analysis of data from the Comprehensive Analysis of Reported Drugs (CARD) was used to assess compliance and abstinence during treatment in a large cohort of bup/nal patients attending chemical-dependency programs from eastern USA in 2010 and 2011. RESULTS: Part 1: Bup/nal was present in 93.4% of first (n = 1,282; p \u3c.0001) and 92.4% of last (n = 1,268; p \u3c.0001) urine samples. Concomitantly, unreported illicit drugs were present in 47.7% (n = 655, p =.0261) of samples. Patients who were compliant to the bup/nal prescription were more likely than noncompliant patients to be abstinent during treatment (p =.0012; odds ratio = 1.69 with 95% confidence interval (1.210, 2.354). Part 2: An analysis of all samples collected in 2011 revealed a significant improvement in both compliance (p \u3c 2.2 × 1