Autism Associated with B-Vitamin Deficiency Linked to Sugar Intake and Alcohol Consumption

Objectives: Autism rates in the United States are increasing at a rate of 10-15% per year. This study uses nutritional epidemiology and relates autism rates to the total B-vitamin intakes. The total amounts of B-vitamins are then compared to the previously established minimal daily requirements to see if the intakes are adequate. The apparent lower B-vitamins may result from the increased consumption of sugar and alcohol which are devoid of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and antioxidants.Study Design: The autism rate was then compared to the percent exclusive per cent breast feeding from 2000-2004 as well as 2007-2010. Other comparisons were made between the statewide exclusive breast feeding and the binge drinking per state. The percentage of infants who participated in Washington state WIC (Womens Infant & Childrens) program were also compared to the autism rate in each county. The autism rate among 8 year olds when compared to the % increase of sugar consumption from 2002 to 2010 also showed an increase in the autism rate.Results: The total amounts of B vitamins in breast milk seemed to be inadequate compared to published mdrs. There was also a direct relationship to the autism rate with the women who were breast feeding from 2000-2004 and 2007-2010. Increased autism rates were related to increased sugar consumption and to an increased alcohol intake.Conclusions: The mothers who are exclusively breast feeding should continue their prenatal vitamins. Sugar intake and alcohol consumption should be decreased. The results suggest that autism is nutritionally related

Special Education Was Called that for a Reason: Is Special Education Special Yet?

The authors of this essay revisit what Special Education for students with disabilities in schools was intended to be in the post-Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) era. They highlight the similarities in pressures and concerns which have plagued, and still plague, the field of Special Education across the last two decades, including issues related to funding and teacher preparation. The authors challenge readers with the statement that, “Now is the time to ask hard questions about the efficacy of special education efforts.” To respond to the title question of the essay, they pose a set of questions based upon IDEA legislation and implementation concerns, and call upon Special Education professionals to ask, research, and answer the questions for the benefit of students with disabilities, their families and all others who have a stake in the answers

Low and variable ecosystem calcification in a coral reef lagoon under natural acidification

© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Limnology and Oceanography 63 (2018): 714–730, doi:10.1002/lno.10662.Laboratory‐based CO2 experiments and studies of naturally low pH coral reef ecosystems reveal negative impacts of ocean acidification on the calcifying communities that build coral reefs. Conversely, in Palau's low pH lagoons, coral cover is high, coral communities are diverse, and calcification rates of two reef‐building corals exhibit no apparent sensitivity to the strong natural gradient in pH and aragonite saturation state (Ωar). We developed two methods to quantify rates of Net Ecosystem Calcification (NEC), the ecosystem‐level balance between calcification and dissolution, in Risong Lagoon, where average daily pH is ∼ 7.9 and Ωar ∼ 2.7. While coral cover in the lagoon is within the range of other Pacific reefs (∼ 26%), NEC rates were among the lowest measured, averaging 25.9 ± 13.7 mmol m−2 d−1 over two 4 d study periods. NEC rates were highly variable, ranging from a low of 13.7 mmol m−2 d−1 in March 2012 to a high of 40.3 mmol m−2 d−1 in November 2013, despite no significant changes in temperature, salinity, inorganic nutrients, Ωar, or pH. Our results indicate that the coral reef community of Risong Lagoon produces just enough calcium carbonate to maintain net positive calcification but comes dangerously close to net zero or negative NEC (net dissolution). Identifying the factors responsible for low NEC rates as well as the drivers of NEC variability in naturally low pH reef systems are key to predicting their futures under 21st century climate change.This work was supported by NSF award 1220529 to A.L.C., S.J.L., and K.E.F.S. and a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Postdoctoral Scholarship to K.E.F.S

Observations and a model of net calcification declines in Palau's largest coral reef lagoon between 1992 and 2015

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 125(8), (2020): e2020JC016147, doi:10.1029/2020JC016147.Net ecosystem calcification (NEC) rates of Palau's largest lagoon and barrier reef system between 1992 and 2015 are estimated from sparse total alkalinity (TA) and salinity measurements and a tidal exchange model in which surface lagoon water transported offshore on the ebb tide is replaced by saltier (denser) ocean water that sinks to the bottom after entering the lagoon on the flood tide. Observed lagoon salinities are accurately reproduced by the model with no adjustable parameters. To accurately reproduce observed lagoon TA, NEC for the lagoon‐barrier reef system was 70 mmols m−2 day−1 from 1992 to 1998, 35 mmols m−2 day−1 from 1999 to 2012, and 25 mmols m−2 day−1 from 2013 to 2015. This indicates that Palau's largest lagoon and barrier reef system has not recovered, as of 2015, from the 50% decline in NEC in 1998 caused by the loss of coral cover following a severe bleaching event. The cause of the further decline in NEC in 2012–2013 is unclear. Lagoon residence times vary from 8 days during spring tides to 14 days during neap tides and drive substantial spring‐neap variations in lagoon TA (~25% of the mean salinity‐normalized ocean‐lagoon TA difference). Sparse measurements that do not resolve these spring‐neap variations can exhibit apparent long‐term variations in alkalinity that are not due to changes in NEC.This work was partially supported by NSF award 1220529 to A.L.C., S.J.L., and K.E.F.S and NSF award 1737311 to A.L.C. and the Oceanography Department, Texas A&M University K.E.F.S.2021-01-0

Community production modulates coral reef pH and the sensitivity of ecosystem calcification to ocean acidification

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2017. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 122 (2017): 745–761, doi:10.1002/2016JC012326.Coral reefs are built of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) produced biogenically by a diversity of calcifying plants, animals, and microbes. As the ocean warms and acidifies, there is mounting concern that declining calcification rates could shift coral reef CaCO3 budgets from net accretion to net dissolution. We quantified net ecosystem calcification (NEC) and production (NEP) on Dongsha Atoll, northern South China Sea, over a 2 week period that included a transient bleaching event. Peak daytime pH on the wide, shallow reef flat during the nonbleaching period was ∼8.5, significantly elevated above that of the surrounding open ocean (∼8.0–8.1) as a consequence of daytime NEP (up to 112 mmol C m−2 h−1). Diurnal-averaged NEC was 390 ± 90 mmol CaCO3 m−2 d−1, higher than any other coral reef studied to date despite comparable calcifier cover (25%) and relatively high fleshy algal cover (19%). Coral bleaching linked to elevated temperatures significantly reduced daytime NEP by 29 mmol C m−2 h−1. pH on the reef flat declined by 0.2 units, causing a 40% reduction in NEC in the absence of pH changes in the surrounding open ocean. Our findings highlight the interactive relationship between carbonate chemistry of coral reef ecosystems and ecosystem production and calcification rates, which are in turn impacted by ocean warming. As open-ocean waters bathing coral reefs warm and acidify over the 21st century, the health and composition of reef benthic communities will play a major role in determining on-reef conditions that will in turn dictate the ecosystem response to climate change.NSF Grant Number: 12205292017-07-3

Is adrenalectomy necessary during unilateral nephrectomy for Wilms Tumor? A report from the Children\u27s Oncology Group.

PURPOSE: To determine whether performing adrenalectomy at the time of nephrectomy for unilateral Wilms tumor impacts clinical outcome. METHODS: We reviewed information on all patients enrolled on National Wilms Tumor Study-4 and -5. Data were abstracted on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical and pathologic status of the adrenal gland, and patient outcomes. The primary endpoints were intraoperative spill and five-year event-free survival (EFS) in patients who did or did not undergo adrenalectomy. RESULTS: Of 3825 patients with complete evaluable data, the adrenal was left in situ in 2264 (57.9%) patients, and was removed completely in 1367 patients (36.7%) or partially in 194 patients (5.2%). Of the adrenal glands removed, 68 (4.4%) contained tumor. Adrenal involvement was more common in patients with stage 3 (9.8%) than stage 2 disease (1.9%; p \u3c 0.0001). After controlling for stage and histopathology, five-year EFS was similar whether or not the adrenal gland was removed (p = 0.48), or involved with tumor (p = 0.81); however, intraoperative spill rates were higher in patients undergoing adrenalectomy (26.1% vs 15.5%, p \u3c 0.0001), likely due to larger tumor size or technical factors. No patient had clinical evidence of adrenal insufficiency or tumor recurrence in the adrenal gland during follow-up (median 9.9 years). CONCLUSIONS: Sparing the adrenal gland during nephrectomy for unilateral Wilms tumor was not associated with a higher incidence of intraoperative spill and was associated with a similar oncologic outcome, on a per-stage basis, with cases where the adrenal was removed. Thus, adrenalectomy should not be considered mandatory during radical nephrectomy for Wilms tumor

Friend or foe? The current epidemiologic evidence on selenium and human cancer risk.

Scientific opinion on the relationship between selenium and the risk of cancer has undergone radical change over the years, with selenium first viewed as a possible carcinogen in the 1940s then as a possible cancer preventive agent in the 1960s-2000s. More recently, randomized controlled trials have found no effect on cancer risk but suggest possible low-dose dermatologic and endocrine toxicity, and animal studies indicate both carcinogenic and cancer-preventive effects. A growing body of evidence from human and laboratory studies indicates dramatically different biological effects of the various inorganic and organic chemical forms of selenium, which may explain apparent inconsistencies across studies. These chemical form-specific effects also have important implications for exposure and health risk assessment. Overall, available epidemiologic evidence suggests no cancer preventive effect of increased selenium intake in healthy individuals and possible increased risk of other diseases and disorders

Heterotrophy of oceanic particulate organic matter elevates net ecosystem calcification

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2019. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Research Letters 46(16), (2019): 9851-9860, doi:10.1029/2019GL083726.Coral reef calcification is expected to decline due to climate change stressors such as ocean acidification and warming. Projections of future coral reef health are based on our understanding of the environmental drivers that affect calcification and dissolution. One such driver that may impact coral reef health is heterotrophy of oceanic‐sourced particulate organic matter, but its link to calcification has not been directly investigated in the field. In this study, we estimated net ecosystem calcification and oceanic particulate organic carbon (POCoc) uptake across the Kāne'ohe Bay barrier reef in Hawai'i. We show that higher rates of POCoc uptake correspond to greater net ecosystem calcification rates, even under low aragonite saturation states (Ωar). Hence, reductions in offshore productivity may negatively impact coral reefs by decreasing the food supply required to sustain calcification. Alternatively, coral reefs that receive ample inputs of POCoc may maintain higher calcification rates, despite a global decline in Ωar.Data needed for calculations are available in the supporting information. Additional data can be provided upon request directly from the corresponding author or accessed by links provided in the supporting information. The authors declare no competing financial interests. We thank Texas Sea Grant for providing partial funding for this project to A. Kealoha through the Grants‐In‐Aid of Graduate Research Program. We also thank the NOAA Nancy Foster Scholarship for PhD program funding to A. Kealoha and Texas A&M University for funds awarded to Shamberger that supported this work. This research was also supported by funding from National Science Foundation Grant OCE‐1538628 to Rappé. The Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (particularly the Rappé Lab and Jason Jones), NOAA's Coral Reef Ecosystem Program, Connie Previti, Serena Smith, and Chris Maupin were instrumental in sample collection and data analysis.2020-02-2

The challenges of detecting and attributing ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystems

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Doo, S. S., Kealoha, A., Andersson, A., Cohen, A. L., Hicks, T. L., Johnson, Z., I., Long, M. H., McElhany, P., Mollica, N., Shamberger, K. E. F., Silbiger, N. J., Takeshita, Y., & Busch, D. S. The challenges of detecting and attributing ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystems. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 77(7-8), (2020): 2411-2422, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaa094.A substantial body of research now exists demonstrating sensitivities of marine organisms to ocean acidification (OA) in laboratory settings. However, corresponding in situ observations of marine species or ecosystem changes that can be unequivocally attributed to anthropogenic OA are limited. Challenges remain in detecting and attributing OA effects in nature, in part because multiple environmental changes are co-occurring with OA, all of which have the potential to influence marine ecosystem responses. Furthermore, the change in ocean pH since the industrial revolution is small relative to the natural variability within many systems, making it difficult to detect, and in some cases, has yet to cross physiological thresholds. The small number of studies that clearly document OA impacts in nature cannot be interpreted as a lack of larger-scale attributable impacts at the present time or in the future but highlights the need for innovative research approaches and analyses. We summarize the general findings in four relatively well-studied marine groups (seagrasses, pteropods, oysters, and coral reefs) and integrate overarching themes to highlight the challenges involved in detecting and attributing the effects of OA in natural environments. We then discuss four potential strategies to better evaluate and attribute OA impacts on species and ecosystems. First, we highlight the need for work quantifying the anthropogenic input of CO2 in coastal and open-ocean waters to understand how this increase in CO2 interacts with other physical and chemical factors to drive organismal conditions. Second, understanding OA-induced changes in population-level demography, potentially increased sensitivities in certain life stages, and how these effects scale to ecosystem-level processes (e.g. community metabolism) will improve our ability to attribute impacts to OA among co-varying parameters. Third, there is a great need to understand the potential modulation of OA impacts through the interplay of ecology and evolution (eco–evo dynamics). Lastly, further research efforts designed to detect, quantify, and project the effects of OA on marine organisms and ecosystems utilizing a comparative approach with long-term data sets will also provide critical information for informing the management of marine ecosystems.SSD was funded by NSF OCE (grant # 1415268). DSB and PM were supported by the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program and Northwest Fisheries Science Center, MHL was supported by NSF OCE (grant # 1633951), ZIJ was supported by NSF OCE (grant # 1416665) and DOE EERE (grant #DE-EE008518), NJS was supported by NSF OCE (grant # 1924281), ALC was supported by NSF OCE (grant # 1737311), and AA was supported by NSF OCE (grant # 1416518). KEFS, AK, and TLH were supported by Texas A&M University. This is CSUN Marine Biology contribution (# 306)

Results of Treatment for Patients With Multicentric or Bilaterally Predisposed Unilateral Wilms Tumor (AREN0534): A report from the Children’s Oncology Group

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156248/2/cncr32958_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156248/1/cncr32958.pd