Ontogenetic alterations in molecular and structural correlates of dendritic growth after developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls.

ObjectivePerinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is associated with decreased IQ scores, impaired learning and memory, psychomotor difficulties, and attentional deficits in children. It is postulated that these neuropsychological deficits reflect altered patterns of neuronal connectivity. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effects of developmental PCB exposure on dendritic growth.MethodsRat dams were gavaged from gestational day 6 through postnatal day (PND) 21 with vehicle (corn oil) or the commercial PCB mixture Aroclor 1254 (6 mg/kg/day). Dendritic growth and molecular markers were examined in pups during development.ResultsGolgi analyses of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons and cerebellar Purkinje cells indicated that developmental exposure to PCBs caused a pronounced age-related increase in dendritic growth. Thus, even though dendritic lengths were significantly attenuated in PCB-treated animals at PND22, the rate of growth was accelerated at later ages such that by PND60, dendritic growth was comparable to or even exceeded that observed in vehicle controls. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses demonstrated that from PND4 through PND21, PCBs generally increased expression of both spinophilin and RC3/neurogranin mRNA in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and cortex with the most significant increases observed in the cortex.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that developmental PCB exposure alters the ontogenetic profile of dendritogenesis in critical brain regions, supporting the hypothesis that disruption of neuronal connectivity contributes to neuropsychological deficits seen in exposed children

Aircraft Accident Prevention: Loss-of-Control Analysis

The majority of fatal aircraft accidents are associated with loss-of-control . Yet the notion of loss-of-control is not well-defined in terms suitable for rigorous control systems analysis. Loss-of-control is generally associated with flight outside of the normal flight envelope, with nonlinear influences, and with an inability of the pilot to control the aircraft. The two primary sources of nonlinearity are the intrinsic nonlinear dynamics of the aircraft and the state and control constraints within which the aircraft must operate. In this paper we examine how these nonlinearities affect the ability to control the aircraft and how they may contribute to loss-of-control. Examples are provided using NASA s Generic Transport Model

Maternal infection and white matter toxicity

Studies examining maternal infection as a risk factor for neurological disorders in the offspring have suggested that altered maternal immune status during pregnancy can be considered as an adverse event in prenatal development. Infection occurring in the mother during the gestational period has been implicated in multiple neurological effects. The current manuscript will consider the issue of immune/inflammatory conditions during prenatal development where adverse outcomes have been linked to maternal systemic infection. The discussions will focus primary on white matter and oligodendrocytes as they have been identified as target processes. This white matter damage occurs in very early preterm infants and in various other human diseases currently being examined for a linkage to maternal or early developmental immune status. The intent is to draw attention to the impact of altered immune status during pregnancy on the offspring for the consideration of such contributing factors to the general assessment of developmental neurotoxicology

Soft Session Types

We show how systems of session types can enforce interactions to be bounded for all typable processes. The type system we propose is based on Lafont's soft linear logic and is strongly inspired by recent works about session types as intuitionistic linear logic formulas. Our main result is the existence, for every typable process, of a polynomial bound on the length of any reduction sequence starting from it and on the size of any of its reducts.Comment: In Proceedings EXPRESS 2011, arXiv:1108.407

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Beliefs about Medical Male Circumcision (MMC) among a Sample of Health Care Providers in Haiti

Background Haiti has the highest number of people living with HIV infection in the Caribbean/Latin America region. Medical male circumcision (MMC) has been recommended to help prevent the spread of HIV. We sought to assess knowledge, attitudes, practices and beliefs about MMC among a sample of health care providers in Haiti. Methods A convenience sample of 153 health care providers at the GHESKIO Centers in Haiti responded to an exploratory survey that collected information on several topics relevant to health providers about MMC. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the responses and multivariable logistic regression was conducted to determine opinions of health care providers about the best age to perform MMC on males. Bayesian network analysis and sensitivity analysis were done to identify the minimum level of change required to increase the acceptability of performing MMC at age less than 1 year. Results The sample consisted of medical doctors (31.0%), nurses (49.0%), and other health care professionals (20.0%). Approximately 76% showed willingness to offer MMC services if they received training. Seventy-six percent believed that their male patients would accept circumcision, and 59% believed infancy was the best age for MMC. More than 90% of participants said that MMC would reduce STIs. Physicians and nurses who were willing to offer MMC if provided with adequate training were 2.5 (1.15–5.71) times as likely to choose the best age to perform MMC as less than one year. Finally, if the joint probability of choosing “the best age to perform MMC” as one year or older and having the mistaken belief that MMC prevents HIV entirely is reduced by 63% then the probability of finding that performing MMC at less than one year acceptable to health care providers is increased by 35%. Conclusion Participants demonstrated high levels of knowledge and positive attitudes towards MMC. Although this study suggests that circumcision is acceptable among certain health providers in Haiti, studies with larger and more representative samples are needed to confirm this finding

Unacylated ghrelin, leptin, and appetite display diurnal rhythmicity in lean adults

Constant routine and forced desynchrony protocols typically remove the effects of behavioral/environmental cues to examine endogenous circadian rhythms, yet this may not reflect rhythms of appetite regulation in the real world. It is therefore important to understand these rhythms within the same subjects under controlled diurnal conditions of light, sleep, and feeding. Ten healthy adults (9 M/1 F, means ±SD: age, 30 ± 10 yr; body mass index, 24.1 ± 2.7 kg·m-2) rested supine in the laboratory for 37 h. All data were collected during the final 24 h of this period (i.e., 0800-0800 h). Participants were fed hourly isocaloric liquid meal replacements alongside appetite assessments during waking before a sleep opportunity from 2200 to 0700 h. Hourly blood samples were collected throughout the 24-h period. Dim light melatonin onset occurred at 2318 ± 46 min. A diurnal rhythm in mean plasma unacylated ghrelin concentration was identified (P = 0.04), with the acrophase occurring shortly after waking (0819), falling to a nadir in the evening with a relative amplitude of 9%. Plasma leptin concentration also exhibited a diurnal rhythm (P < 0.01), with the acrophase occurring shortly after lights-out (0032 h) and the lowest concentrations at midday. The amplitude for this rhythm was 25%. Diurnal rhythms were established in all dimensions of appetite except for sweet preference (P = 0.29), with both hunger (2103 h) and prospective food consumption (1955 h) reaching their peak in the evening before falling to their nadir shortly after waking. Under controlled diurnal conditions, simultaneous measurement of leptin, unacylated ghrelin, and subjective appetite over a 24-h period revealed rhythmicity in appetite regulation in lean, healthy humans.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Simultaneous assessment of subjective appetite, unacylated ghrelin, and leptin was carried out over a continuous 37-h protocol for the first time under conditions of controlled light, sleep, and feeding in healthy, lean adults. Rhythms were observed in unacylated ghrelin, leptin, and components of subjective appetite, such as hunger, prospective consumption, and fullness. Concurrent measurement of rhythms in these variables is important to fully understand the temporal relationships between components of appetite as well as the influence of diurnal factors such as sleep, light, and feeding

Lifespan profiles of Alzheimer's disease–associated genes and their products in monkeys and mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by plaques of amyloid–beta (Aβ) peptide, cleaved from amyloid–β precursor protein (AβPP). Our hypothesis is that lifespan profiles of AD-associated mRNA and protein levels in monkeys would differ from mice, and that differential lifespan expression profiles would be useful to understand human AD pathogenesis. We compared profiles of AβPP mRNA, AβPP protein, and Aβ levels in rodents and primates. We also tracked a transcriptional regulator of the AβPP gene, specificity protein 1 (SP1), and the β amyloid precursor cleaving enzyme (BACE1). In mice, AβPP and Sp1 mRNA and their protein products were elevated late in life; Aβ levels declined in old age. In monkeys, Sp1, AβPP, and BACE1 mRNA declined in old age, while protein products and Aβ levels rose. Proteolytic processing in both species did not match production of Aβ. In primates, AβPP and Sp1 mRNA levels coordinate, but an inverse relationship exists with corresponding protein products, as well as Aβ levels. Comparison of human DNA and mRNA sequences to monkey and mouse counterparts revealed structural features that may explain differences in transcriptional and translational processing. These findings are important for selecting appropriate models for AD and other age–related diseases

Rapid Training and Implementation of the Pollock Technique, a Safe, Effective Newborn Circumcision Procedure, in a Low-Resource Setting

Male circumcision is highly protective against urinary tract infections, inflammatory conditions of the penis, sexually transmitted infections, and urogenital cancers. We aimed to reintroduce newborn male circumcision through the creation of a training program in Port-au-Prince, Haiti?an area with a considerable burden of preventable urogenital infections, sexually transmitted infections, and low circumcision rate?after an earlier study reported that a majority of Haitian medical providers were in need of and wanted newborn circumcision training. The program was conducted at the GHESKIO Health Centers, a large, non-governmental clinic offering comprehensive pediatric and adult health services. Two Haitian obstetricians and seven nurses learned circumcision procedures. On training completion, one of two obstetricians achieved surgical competence. Introduction of a newborn male circumcision training program was feasible, achieving an acceptable rate of procedural competency and high-quality services. Permanent resources now exist in Haiti to train additional providers to perform newborn male circumcisions

The Ursinus Weekly, November 8, 1951

75 students, faculty give blood Friday • Pianist scheduled for local concert Thursday evening • Jones reads short stories at meeting • Another bus added for local students • Jane Gulick named news editor on Weekly staff • All-Ursinus cast stars in Philadelphia TV program • Forum speaker tells of far east situation • Freshmen start work on Booster Committee • Big Sisters to entertain Little Sisters at party • First group play planned • 35 women accept bids to five campus sororities • Dr. Rice attends Atlantic Union confab in Memphis • Y groups discuss respective topics • Final plans made for Junior Class bazaar • Kenny named frosh president • Editorials: Letters sought; Tories bring changes • Donahue describes exotic meal in Moroccan letter • Weekly drama critics see play, interview leading female star • Curtain Club boasts eventful past years • Greek sisters rush soph prospects • 3 groups produce most U.C. pep • Football fans often forget grid managers at games • Adelphi to tackle Bruins next week • Ursinus battles Bryn Mawr to 0-0 tie; Junior varsity squads also deadlock • Diplomat gridders defeat Grizzlies on muddy field • Frosh fan gives opinion on lack of Ursinus spirit • Local hockey team places eight on all-college tournament squads • Curtis squad regains loop lead in football • Fords conquer Bruin booters • Magical phenomena explained to grouphttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1526/thumbnail.jp