Mapping the Learning Pathways of Larval Zebrafish through Positively Stimulating Their Reward Pathways Using Paramecium

Zebrafish rely on visual acuity to hunt for prey all of their lives, for this reason, their eyesight develops when they are embryos. The zebrafish in this experiment are between 5 and 20 days old. Once their egg yolks are completely reabsorbed the zebrafish have a need to eat, and only then will they have an interest in eating Paramecium. The zebrafishes’ eyes will be able to see clearly by 5 days post fertilization as well, so when food is introduced to them, a certain colored light will be simultaneously shined in the same direction as the one the food is coming from. The purpose of this experiment is to use different colored visual cues to train larval zebrafish into expecting food whenever they are shone. The usage of lights also tests their extraordinary visual abilities. Red lights will be associated with a food reward in one group of larvae, and in the second group, green lights will be associated with a food reward, demonstrating associative learning. The zebrafishes’ unconditioned response (eating Paramecium when they appear) will be trained into a conditioned response (looking to eat Paramecium when the light is shined). After they have been conditioned to respond to these signals, the zebrafishes’ brains will be studied to find changes in their neural pathways. The expected results of this experiment should lead to the fish thinking Paramecium are coming at just the glimpse of a light

The Effects of Personal Pharmacogenetic Testing on the Effects of Pharmacy Student Perceptions of Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Precision Medicine

Objective: To evaluate if pharmacy students’ participation in personal pharmacogenetic (Pgx) testing enhances their knowledge and attitude towards precision medicine (PM). Methods: First-year pharmacy students were offered personalized pharmacogenetic testing as a supplement to a required curricular pharmacogenomics course. Ninety-eight of 122 (80%) students completed pre- and post-course surveys assessing knowledge and attitudes regarding PM; 73 students also volunteered for personal pharmacogenetic testing of the following drug metabolizing enzymes (CYP2C19, CYP2D6, UGT1A1) and pharmacodynamics-relevant proteins (interleukin (IL)-28B & human lymphocyte antigen HLAB*5701). Results: Among the 122 students, we found that incorporating pharmacogenetic testing improved mean knowledge and attitude by 1.0 and 0.3 Likert points, respectively. We observed statistically significant improvements in 100% of knowledge and 70% of attitude-related statements for students who decided to undergo personal pharmacogenetic testing. Students who were enrolled in the course but did not partake in personalized pharmacogenetic testing had similar gains in knowledge and attitude. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility and importance of educating future pharmacists by incorporating pharmacogenetic testing into professional school curricula. Students who opt not to participate in genotyping may still benefit by learning vicariously through the shared learning environment created by genotyped students. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties.   Type: Student Projec

Ambient particulate matter associates with asthma in high altitude region: A population-based study

Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been a major public health threat, but the potentially differential effects on asthma of PM remain largely unknown in high altitude settings. We evaluated the effects of ambient PM on asthma in high altitude settings. Methods: The study recruited a representative sample from high altitude settings using a multistage stratified sampling procedure. Asthma was defined by a self-reported history of diagnosis by a physician or by wheezing symptoms in the preceding 12 months. The annual mean PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were calculated for each grid cell at 1-km spatial resolution based on the geographical coordinates. Results: We analyzed data for participants (mean age 39.1 years, 51.4% female) and 183 (3.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.2–4.2) of the participants had asthma. Prevalence was higher in women (4.3%, 95% CI 3.5–5.1) than in men (3.1%, 2.4–3.8) and increasing with higher concentration of PM exposures. For an interquartile range (IQR) difference (8.77 μg/m3) in PM2.5 exposure, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.64 (95% CI 1.46–1.83, P < 0.001) for risk of asthma. For PM10, there was evidence for an association with risk of asthma (OR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.75–3.15, P < 0.001 per IQR of 43.26 μg/m3). Further analyses showed that household mold or damp exposure may aggravate PM exposure associated risks of asthma. Conclusions: This study identified that PM exposure could be a dominate environmental risk factor for asthma but largely unconsidered in the high-altitude areas. The association between PM exposure and asthma should be of interest for planners of national policies and encourage programs for prevention of asthma in residents living at high altitudes

[Photograph 2012.201.B1146.0583]

Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "Robby Santee gives a preview of the greeting he will give ti his parents.