Autism genetics: searching for specificity and convergence.

Advances in genetics and genomics have improved our understanding of autism spectrum disorders. As many genes have been implicated, we look to points of convergence among these genes across biological systems to better understand and treat these disorders

"Measuring Capacity Utilization in OECD Countries: A Cointegration Method"

This paper derives measures of potential output and capacity utilization for a number of OECD countries, using a method based on the cointegration relation between output and the capital stock. The intuitive idea is that economic capacity (potential output) is the aspect of output that co-varies with the capital stock over the long run. We show that this notion can be derived from a simple model that allows for a changing capital-capacity ratio in response to partially exogenous, partially embodied, technical change. Our method provides a simple and general procedure for estimating capacity utilization. It also closely replicates a previously developed census-based measure of U.S. manufacturing capacity-utilization. Of particular interest is that our measures of capacity utilization are very different from those based on aggregate production functions, such as the ones provided by the IMF.

Funding and Allocation in School Districts Educating Children with Impact Aid

Budgeting and allocation decisions made by school districts have a direct impact on education in local communities. Little, however, is known about budgetary allocation and decision-making practices involving federal Impact Aid received by military-connected districts as no national guidelines exist to guide the allocation of this funding source. Using Sielke\u27s garbage can decision model as the foundation, the purpose of this multiple case study of 5 school districts located throughout the United States was to explore how school districts use Impact Aid to achieve educational adequateness for military-connected children. Research questions focused on how school districts make budgetary decisions in regard to Impact Aid and military-connected students. Data were collected from 5 semistructured interviews with school administrators, budget analysts, as well as over 350 publicly available policy documents. All data were inductively coded and categorized to apply frequency of references and through open and descriptive coding emerged 4 thematic elements. The key findings of this study showed that sequestration and information management had the largest impact on how Impact Aid funding was spent by school districts. The results of this study provide evidence in support of Sielke\u27s garbage can decision theory. The implications for social change stemming from this study include recommendations to policy makers regarding improving allocation methods, which may in turn improve the effectiveness of education funding leading to adequate and equal education support for all public school students

Human-specific transcriptional regulation of CNS development genes by FOXP2.

The signalling pathways controlling both the evolution and development of language in the human brain remain unknown. So far, the transcription factor FOXP2 (forkhead box P2) is the only gene implicated in Mendelian forms of human speech and language dysfunction. It has been proposed that the amino acid composition in the human variant of FOXP2 has undergone accelerated evolution, and this two-amino-acid change occurred around the time of language emergence in humans. However, this remains controversial, and whether the acquisition of these amino acids in human FOXP2 has any functional consequence in human neurons remains untested. Here we demonstrate that these two human-specific amino acids alter FOXP2 function by conferring differential transcriptional regulation in vitro. We extend these observations in vivo to human and chimpanzee brain, and use network analysis to identify novel relationships among the differentially expressed genes. These data provide experimental support for the functional relevance of changes in FOXP2 that occur on the human lineage, highlighting specific pathways with direct consequences for human brain development and disease in the central nervous system (CNS). Because FOXP2 has an important role in speech and language in humans, the identified targets may have a critical function in the development and evolution of language circuitry in humans

Production of the cylinder head and crankcase of a small internal combustion engine using metal laser powder bed fusion

This effort investigates the use of metal additive manufacturing, specifically laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) for the automotive and defense industries by demonstrating its feasibility to produce working internal combustion (IC) engine components. Through reverse engineering, model modifications, parameter selection, build layout optimization, and support structure design, the production of a titanium crankcase and aluminum cylinder head for a small IC engine was made possible. Computed tomography (CT) scans were subsequently used to quantify whether defects such as cracks, geometric deviations, and porosity were present or critical. Once viability of the parts was established, machining and other post-possessing were completed to create functional parts. Final X-ray CT and micro-CT results showed all critical features fell within ±0.127 mm of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. This allowed reassembly of the engine without any issues hindering later successful operation. Furthermore, the LPBF parts had significantly reduced porosity percentages, potentially making them more robust than their cast counterparts

SYMPTOM CORRELATES OF CAREGIVER BURDEN IN SPOUSES OF PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA

poster abstractCaregiver burden is a key predictor of institutionalization of persons with dementia. Using the Lenz et al. (1997), Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms as a guide, the purpose of this study was to determine whether pain, fatigue, or depressive symptoms are associated with caregiver burden among spouses of persons with dementia. A secondary analysis of an existing database of a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 83 spouses of persons with dementia was conducted. Spouses were predominately female (60%) and Caucasian (76%) with a mean age of 77 years. Symptom data were collected using items from the SF-36v2. Burden data was collected using the abridged Zarit Burden Interview. Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlational, and multiple regression statistical analyses. Spouse caregiver pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with caregiver burde

A propósito del artículo: Esquema de ayuno intermitente y reducción de medidas antropométricas, perfil lipídico, presión arterial y riesgo cardiovascular: About the article: Intermittent fasting scheme and reduction of anthropometric measurements, lipid profile, blood pressure and cardiovascular risk

Dear Editor:We have read with great interest the article "Intermittent fasting scheme and reduction of anthropometric measurements, lipid profile, blood pressure and cardiovascular risk" published by Dr Javier Wong-Gonzáles et al, in number 1, volume 22 of your magazine; where the purpose of the research focuses on the assessment of the efficacy of intermittent fasting as a strategy for the modification of anthropometric parameters and cardiovascular risk variables; We would like to contribute the importance of defining the times of the day in which the periods of food intake and abstinence are framed during intermittent fasting, since the induced metabolic effects are highly dependent on circadian fluctuations.Estimado señor editor:Hemos leído con gran interés el artículo “Esquema de ayuno intermitente y reducción de medidas antropométricas, perfil lipídico, presión arterial y riesgo cardiovascular” publicado por el Dr Javier Wong-Gonzáles et al, en el número 1, volumen 22 de su revista; donde el propósito de la investigación se centra en la valoración de la eficacia del ayuno intermitente como estrategia para la modificación de parámetros antropométricos y variables de riesgo cardiovascular; quisiéramos aportar la importancia de definir los momentos del día en los que se enmarcan los periodos de ingesta y abstinencia de alimentos durante el ayuno intermitente, puesto que los efectos metabólicos inducidos son altamente dependientes de las fluctuaciones circadianas.&nbsp

A Comprehensive Economic Stimulus for our Failing Economy

This paper presents a comprehensive plan to fix the ailing American economy, through a five-step approach. First, the Federal Reserve must continue to broaden the scope of monetary policy, by purchasing and selling long-term securities. Manipulating expectations through FOMC statements is another tool at the Federal Reserve’s disposal. Secondly, the government must enact fiscal stimulus to stabilize the economy in the short and medium runs, through investment in infrastructure projects, green technology, fusion technology, and science education. Additionally, the new fiscal policy must tackle the mortgage meltdown, which is weighing down the entire economy. Third, the regulatory system must be changed to reduce the likelihood of another financial collapse, starting with the nationalization of the ratings agencies. Ratings should be updated faster, with a numeric grading system rather than the pre-existing letter grades. Fourth, our globalized economy insures that a coordinated globalized response is necessary to recover. Global cooperation to reduce inflation and avoid protectionist policies is vital. Finally, the American bailout policy must be made clear, only giving bailouts to companies that are sound but financially strapped and those that are too big to fail

Comprehensive comparison between 222 CTLA-4 haploinsufficiency and 212 LRBA deficiency patients: a systematic review

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) haploinsufficiency (CHAI) and lipopolysaccharide-responsive beige-like anchor (LRBA) deficiency (LATAIE) are newly identified inborn errors of immunity with shared molecular pathomechanisms and clinical manifestations. In this review, we aimed to provide differential comparisons regarding demographic, clinical, immunological and molecular characteristics between these two similar conditions. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases and included studies were systematically evaluated. Overall, 434 (222 CHAI and 212 LATAIE) patients were found in 101 eligible studies. The CHAI patients were mainly reported from North America and western Europe, while LATAIE patients were predominantly from Asian countries. In CHAI, positive familial history (P < 0·001) and in LATAIE, consanguineous parents (P < 0·001) were more common. In CHAI patients the rates of granulomas (P < 0·001), malignancies (P = 0·001), atopy (P = 0·001), cutaneous disorders (P < 0·001) and neurological (P = 0·002) disorders were higher, while LATAIE patients were more commonly complicated with life-threatening infections (P = 0·002), pneumonia (P = 0·006), ear, nose and throat disorders (P < 0·001), organomegaly (P = 0·023), autoimmune enteropathy (P = 0·038) and growth failure (P < 0·001). Normal lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulins except low serum levels of CD9+ B cells (14·0 versus 38·4, P < 0·001), natural killer (NK) cells (21 versus 41·1, P < 0·001), immunoglobulin (Ig)G (46·9 versus 41·1, P = 0·291) and IgA (54·5 versus 44·7, P = 0·076) were found in the majority of CHAI and LATAIE patients, respectively. The most frequent biological immunosuppressive agents prescribed for CHAI and LATAIE patients were rituximab and abatacept, respectively. Further investigations into the best conditioning and treatment regimens pre- and post-transplantation are required to improve the survival rate of transplanted CHAI and LATAIE patients. © 2021 British Society for Immunolog

Untargeted metabolomic profiling of Sphagnum fallax reveals novel antimicrobial metabolites

Sphagnum mosses dominate peatlands by employing harsh ecosystem tactics to prevent vascular plant growth and microbial degradation of these large carbon stores. Knowledge about Sphagnum-produced metabolites, their structure and their function, is important to better understand the mechanisms, underlying this carbon sequestration phenomenon in the face of climate variability. It is currently unclear which compounds are responsible for inhibition of organic matter decomposition and the mechanisms by which this inhibition occurs. Metabolite profiling of Sphagnum fallax was performed using two types of mass spectrometry (MS) systems and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR). Lipidome profiling was performed using LC-MS/MS. A total of 655 metabolites, including one hundred fifty-two lipids, were detected by NMR and LC-MS/MS-329 of which were novel metabolites (31 unknown lipids). Sphagum fallax metabolite profile was composed mainly of acid-like and flavonoid glycoside compounds, that could be acting as potent antimicrobial compounds, allowing Sphagnum to control its environment. Sphagnum fallax metabolite composition comparison against previously known antimicrobial plant metabolites confirmed this trend, with seventeen antimicrobial compounds discovered to be present in Sphagnum fallax, the majority of which were acids and glycosides. Biological activity of these compounds needs to be further tested to confirm antimicrobial qualities. Three fungal metabolites were identified providing insights into fungal colonization that may benefit Sphagnum. Characterizing the metabolite profile of Sphagnum fallax provided a baseline to understand the mechanisms in which Sphagnum fallax acts on its environment, its relation to carbon sequestration in peatlands, and provide key biomarkers to predict peatland C store changes (sequestration, emissions) as climate shifts.Microbiomes in Transition; Office of Biological and Environmental ResearchOpen access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]