Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Evaluating the Efficacy of Evidence-based Music Interventions for Certified Nursing Assistants Caring for Nursing Home Residents with HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND) and Depressive Symptoms

In recent years, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) have become more common as people with HIV are living longer due to advances in anti-retroviral medications. Experiments have demonstrated that symptoms of HAND are often associated with mild to severe cognitive impairment and depression. These symptoms might lead to burden and burnout in caregivers of individuals with HAND. Music-based interventions provided by caregivers have been shown to have positive effects for people with cognitive impairments, depression and HIV. However, little is known about the benefits of music-based interventions for people with HAND and depression. For this dissertation study, it was hypothesized that adding music interventions to caregiving activities would reduce depression symptoms in nursing home residents with HAND, which, in turn, might decrease burden in the certified nursing assistants who are responsible for providing care. In this concurrent nested mixed method experiment, 12 nursing home residents with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and depression participated in 4 weeks of music-assisted caregiving that included singing and listening to background music with 5 certified nursing assistants. The music-assisted caregiving intervention significantly decreased depression symptoms in the nursing home residents. Furthermore, the music intervention improved personal achievement for the certified nursing assistants. The findings suggest that the effect of music-assisted caregiving on depression symptoms may originate from certified nursing assistant's ability to create a relaxed environment and understand their residents' feelings. This study supports the effectiveness of the music-assisted caregiving intervention in reducing depression symptoms in nursing home residents with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and provides directions for research to further explore interdisciplinary approaches for people with HIV and related cognitive disorders.Ph.D., Creative Arts in Therapy -- Drexel University, 201

The Use of Music and Music Therapy in Ameliorating Depression Symptoms and Improving Well-Being in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia

Background: Studies have shown music therapy can improve depression symptoms in dementia and the use of music activities show promise to have positive impacts on wellbeing. However, few studies show the influence of a music intervention led by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) trained by music therapists to address depression symptoms and wellbeing in individuals with dementia.Methods: Credentialed music therapists (1) administered 2-weeks of music therapy, (2) a 3-days training to CNAs, (3) followed by 2-weeks of music activities, singing and music-with-movement, led by CNAs for 62 nursing home residents with moderate dementia, (4) then measured depression symptoms using the Cornell Scale for Depression. We obtained video consent for 26 of the 62 residents who were video recorded receiving CNA-led music-based caregiving activities. Using the Music in Dementia Scale, over 200 h of video data was observed and raters measured changes in well-being, e.g., levels of enjoyment, mood and engagement in the residents, during the CNA facilitated music activities.Results: A repeated measures ANOVA revealed that mean depression scores differed statistically significantly between time points, p ≤ 0.001. Residents' baseline depression symptoms significantly declined following 2 weeks of music therapy, p ≤ 0.001, increased during a 2-weeks wash-out period, p = 0.389, but appeared to stabilize following the 2-weeks music activity, p = 1.00. A video analysis and paired sampled t-test demonstrated a significant improvement in wellbeing in residents who engaged in music with movement, p = 0.003. Wellbeing improved slightly, but not significantly for residents who participated in the singing intervention, p = 0.165.Conclusion: Findings suggest that music therapy can significantly decrease depression symptoms in nursing home residents with dementia. Music activities designed by music therapists and facilitated by CNAs may help sustain the reduction of depression symptoms and improve wellbeing in nursing home residents with moderate to severe dementia

Afri-Can Forum 2

CITATION: Mukudu, H., et al. 2016. Afri-Can Forum 2. BMC Infectious Diseases, 16:315, doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1466-6.The original publication is available at https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.comENGLISH ABSTRACT: We are pleased to present peer reviewed forum proceedings of the 2nd synchronicity forum of GHRI/CHVIfunded Canadian and African HIV prevention and vaccine teams Forum objectives ∙GHRI-funded capacity building and HIV prevention research teams presented highlights of achievements ∙Teams discussed how to jointly build on achievements for sustainability ∙Provided an opportunity for inter-team collaboration, synchronize best approach to capacity building, mentoring of new researchers and building leadership ∙Provided opportunities for informal discussions and networking among the teams. ∙Teams learnt about recent advances in the area of African regulatory and ethics review process ∙The forum proceedings was a special supplement in an openaccess journal was producedhttps://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/supplements/volume-16-supplement-2Publisher's versio