Stage-Specific Timing of the microRNA Regulation of \u3cem\u3elin-28\u3c/em\u3e by the Heterochronic Gene \u3cem\u3elin-14\u3c/em\u3e in \u3cem\u3eCaenorhabditis elegans\u3c/em\u3e

In normal development, the order and synchrony of diverse developmental events must be explicitly controlled. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the timing of larval events is regulated by hierarchy of proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs) known as the heterochronic pathway. These regulators are organized in feedforward and feedback interactions to form a robust mechanism for specifying the timing and execution of cell fates at successive stages. One member of this pathway is the RNA binding protein LIN-28, which promotes pluripotency and cell fate decisions in successive stages. Two genetic circuits control LIN-28 abundance: it is negatively regulated by the miRNA lin-4, and positively regulated by the transcription factor LIN-14 through a mechanism that was previously unknown. In this report, we used animals that lack lin-4 to elucidate LIN-14’s activity in this circuit. We demonstrate that three let-7 family miRNAs—miR-48, miR-84, and miR-241—inhibit lin-28 expression. Furthermore, we show genetically that these miRNAs act between lin-14 and lin-28, and that they comprise the pathway by which lin-14 positively regulates lin-28. We also show that the lin-4 family member mir-237, also regulates early cell fates. Finally, we show that the expression of these miRNAs is directly inhibited by lin-14 activity, making them the first known targets of lin-14 that act in the heterochronic pathway

The Practitioner\u27s Corner: An exploration of municipal active living charter development and advocacy

Background: Numerous municipal active living-­‐related charters have been adopted to promote physical activity in Canada throughout the past decade. Despite this trend, there are few published critical examinations of the process through which charters are developed and used. Purpose: Thus, the purpose of this study was to establish greater understanding of active living charter development and advocacy. Methods: Semi-­‐structured interviews were conducted with eight primary contributors to different active living-­‐related charters across Ontario, Canada. Interview questions explored participants’ experiences developing and advocating for an active living charter. Interviews were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Results and Conclusions: Participants consistently described a process whereby an impetus triggered the development of a charter, which was subsequently adopted by regional or municipal council. Continued advocacy to develop awareness of the charter and to promote desired outcomes in the community was valued and the capacity of the working group as well as the local political context played pivotal roles in determining how the charter was implemented. Outcomes were, however, only objectively evaluated in one case that was described – evaluation being a process that many participants thought was omitted in regard to their own charter. This work provides practical guidance for health professionals developing regional active living charters as a component of broader advocacy efforts

Game-centered approaches in a PETE program

In this article we will describe the use of Game-Centered Approaches (GCAs) within an undergraduate Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program. Specifically, our intent is to show the progression of how GCAs are implemented as well as the GCA experiences pre-service teachers receive within this program. The specific program, at Kent State University (KSU) in Ohio, USA, is a typical four year teacher education licensure program (five years if students choose to also pursue a Health Education teaching license). It includes general education, content-based, and pedagogical courses, culminating with a student teaching field experience. Students are first exposed to, and then increasingly study and implement GCAs as they progress throughout the program. This manuscript is organized chronologically in that first we describe the prior experiences of our undergraduate students and their ability to understand GCAs as an innovation. Second, we outline the practical experiences provided to students early in their program of study. These experiences provide initial exposure to GCAs across all game categories (invasion, net/wall, striking/fielding, target – Almond, 1986) and combine the implementation of GCAs with the Sport Education curriculum model (Siedentop, Hastie & van der Mars, 2011). Third, we describe the latter stages of the PETE program in which the emphasis transitions from GCA content to GCA pedagogy. Teaching methods and content courses include the pedagogy of GCAs at both the elementary and secondary levels, and Ohio’s state assessment procedures during student teaching require a focus on assessment of children’s learning while participating in GCAs.El presente artículo describe un programa de formación en la Enseñanza Comprensiva del Deporte (ECD) dentro de un plan de estudios de profesores de Educación Física. El principal interés de este trabajo es mostrar la progresión en la implementación de la ECD, así como las experiencias durante las prácticas de enseñanza sobre este enfoque. El plan de estudios de la Universidad de Kent State (Ohio, EEUU) es un típico programa de cuatro años de licenciatura de formación de profesores (cinco años si los alumnos eligen continuar el programa en Educación para la Salud). Incluye materias de educación general, de contenido y de didáctica, culminando con prácticas externas en centros educativos. A lo largo del plan de estudios los estudiantes primero experimentan la ECD y posteriormente la estudian e implementan. El presente artículo está organizado cronológicamente, la primera parte consta de lo que describimos como las experiencias previas de nuestros alumnos y su capacidad para comprender la ECD como innovación. Segundo, resumimos las experiencias aportadas a los alumnos en las primeras fases del plan de estudios. Estas experiencias aportan una primera exposición a la ECD en todas las categorías de juegos deportivos (invasión, red y muro, campo y bate, y blanco y diana – Almond, 1986), combinada con el modelo de instrucción de Educación Deportiva (Siedentop, Hastie & van der Mars, 2011). Tercero, describimos la última etapa del plan del programa de formación, en el cual se pone énfasis en la transición del contenido de la ECD a la didáctica de la ECD. Las materias de metodología y de contenido incluyen la didáctica de la ECD a los niveles de Educación Primaria y Educación Secundaria, así como los procedimientos de evaluación establecidos por el estado de Ohio, los cuales requieren centrarse en los aprendizajes de los alumnos durante su participación en la ECD

A health policy for hearing impairment in older Australians: what should it include?

BACKGROUND: As in all western countries, Australia's older population experiences high levels of hearing impairment coupled with relatively low levels of hearing device usage. Poor hearing diminishes the quality of life of affected individuals and their families. This paper discusses how to improve Australian hearing health policies in order to better combat this impairment amongst older Australians. METHOD: We searched the databases Medline, Meditext and Web of Science to find articles that discussed strategies and innovations to assist the hearing health of older people, and related this material to observations made during the Blue Mountains Hearing Study in NSW between 1997 and 2003. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The literature search identified five areas for inclusion in a comprehensive hearing health policy in Australia. These are: early intervention; addressing of hearing aid expense; the use of assisted listening devices; hearing rehabilitation, and; screening and education. Further research in Australia is critical if we are to develop a strong approach to the increasing prevalence of age-related hearing loss. CONCLUSION: Australia needs to act now to address hearing impairment as it is a major cause of disability in those aged 55 and over. Federal and State governments should collaborate to construct a comprehensive hearing health policy that tackles poor levels of hearing health through early intervention, addressing hearing aid expense, encouraging the use of assisted listening devices, rehabilitation, screening and education. A good start would be to declare age related hearing impairment as a National Health Priority Area

Primary Care and the Perioperative Surgical Home

Our team partnered with UMass Memorial Medical Center’s Urology and Anesthesiology departments on a pilot patient-centered, physician-led, multidisciplinary team-based system of coordinated care for the surgical patient. The goals were to improve the patient experience, improve health care and reduce costs. Primary care physicians were surveyed to understand how surgical teams can better coordinate care with primary care. The results of the survey show that concise, useful communication about mutual patients is important to primary care physicians; there is no need for immediate follow-up appointments with primary care physicians unless necessary – appointments are recommended for two to four weeks after discharge; and defining the roles of primary care physicians and the surgeon is important

Zebrafish have a competent p53-dependent nucleotide excision repair pathway to resolve ultraviolet B-induced DNA damage in the skin

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a primary environmental risk factor for melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer derived from the pigmented cells called melanocytes. UVB irradiation causes DNA damage, mainly in the form of pyrimidine dimers (cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts), and organisms have developed complex multiprotein repair processes to cope with the DNA damage. Zebrafish is becoming an important model system to study the effects of UV light in animals, in part because the embryos are easily treated with UV irradiation, and the DNA damage repair pathways appear to be conserved in zebrafish and mammals. We are interested in exploring the effects of UV irradiation in young adult zebrafish, so that we can apply them to the study of gene–environment interactions in models of skin cancer. Using the Xiphophorus UV melanoma model as a starting point, we have developed a UV irradiation treatment chamber, and established UV treatment conditions at different ages of development. By translating the Xiphophorus UV treatment methodology to the zebrafish system, we show that the adult zebrafish skin is competent for nucleotide excision DNA damage repair, and that like in mammalian cells, UV treatment promotes phosphorylation of H2AX and a p53-dependent response. These studies provide the groundwork for exploring the role of UV light in melanoma development in zebrafish

Does environmental enrichment promote recovery from stress in rainbow trout?

The EC Directive on animal experimentation suggests that animals should have enrichment to improve welfare yet relatively little research has been conducted on the impact of enrichment in fish. Studies on zebrafish have been contradictory and other fish species may require species specific enrichments. Salmonids are important experimental models given their relevance to aquaculture and natural ecosystems. This study sought to establish how an enriched environment may promote better welfare in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) enhancing their recovery from invasive procedures. Trout were held individually in either barren or enriched (gravel, plants and an area of cover) conditions and recovery rates after a potentially painful event and a standard stressor were investigated by recording parameters such as behaviour, opercular beat rate and plasma cortisol concentrations. Fish were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: Control where the fish were left undisturbed; Sham where fish were anaesthetised but no invasive procedure; Pain where a subcutaneous injection of acetic acid was administered to the frontal lips during anaesthesia; and Stress where fish were subject to one minute of air emersion. Video recordings were made prior to treatment then at 30 minute intervals afterwards to determine whether fish in enriched conditions recovered more rapidly than those in barren tanks. Preliminary analyses suggest that enriched fish may be less stressed thus these findings have important implications for the husbandry and welfare of captive rainbow trout but may also affect the outcome of experimental studies dependent upon whether enrichment was adopted

Level of Care Preferences Among Nursing Home Residents With Advanced Dementia

Delivering goal-directed care is a hallmark of high-quality palliative care, but requires an understanding of preferences

Changes in insulin sensitivity over time and associated factors in HIV-infected adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To compare prevalence of insulin resistance between perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV+) and perinatally HIV-exposed, but uninfected adolescents (PHEU), determine incidence of and contributory factors to new and resolved cases of insulin resistance in PHIV+, and evaluate glucose metabolism. DESIGN: Cross-sectional design for comparison of prevalence among PHIV+ and PHEU. Longitudinal design for incidence and resolution of insulin resistance among PHIV+ at risk for these outcomes. METHODS: The source population was adolescents from pediatric HIV clinics in the United States and Puerto Rico participating in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study designed to evaluate impact of HIV infection and its treatment on multiple domains in preadolescents and adolescents. Insulin resistance was assessed by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. Those with incident insulin resistance underwent 2-h oral glucose tolerance test and HbA1c. Baseline demographic, metabolic, and HIV-specific variables were evaluated for association with incident or resolved insulin resistance. RESULTS: Unadjusted prevalence of insulin resistance in PHIV+ was 27.3 versus 34.1% in PHEU. After adjustment for Tanner stage, age, sex, and race/ethnicity, there was no significant difference between groups. Factors positively associated with developing insulin resistance included female sex, higher BMI z score, and higher waist circumference; those associated with resolving insulin resistance included male sex and lower BMI z score. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of insulin resistance in PHIV+ and PHEU was substantially higher than that reported in HIV-uninfected nonoverweight youth, but similar to that in HIV-uninfected obese youth. Factors associated with incident or resolved insulin resistance among PHIV+ were similar to those reported in HIV-negative obese youth. However, a contributory role of HIV infection and/or its treatment to the incident risk of insulin resistance cannot be excluded