Child Care Use by Low-Income Single Mothers of Preschoolers Born Preterm Versus Those of Preschoolers Born Full Term

This study describes prewelfare reform child care use by 64 primarily low-income single mothers (65.6% African American) with preschoolers (half born preterm). Forty percent used child care for more than 75% of their children\u27s lives, 20% did when not employed. Preschool children born preterm were more likely to receive child care from nonrelatives throughout their lives than children born full term. Children with health problems used a greater number of child care arrangements. Findings suggest addressing child care issues with both employed and nonemployed mothers and adequacy of child care for children with special needs

Reduced calcification and lack of acclimatization by coral colonies growing in areas of persistent natural acidification

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2013. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of National Academy of Sciences for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110 (2013):11044-11049, doi:10.1073/pnas.1301589110.As the surface ocean equilibrates with rising atmospheric CO2, the pH of surface seawater is decreasing with potentially negative impacts on coral calcification. A critical question is whether corals will be able to adapt or acclimate to these changes in seawater chemistry. We use high precision CT scanning of skeletal cores of Porites astreoides, an important Caribbean reef-building coral, to show that calcification rates decrease significantly along a natural gradient in pH and aragonite saturation (Ωarag). This decrease is accompanied by an increase in skeletal erosion and predation by boring organisms. The degree of sensitivity to reduced Ωarag measured on our field corals is consistent with that exhibited by the same species in laboratory CO2 manipulation experiments. We conclude that the Porites corals at our field site were not able to acclimatize enough to prevent the impacts of local ocean acidification on their skeletal growth and development, despite spending their entire lifespan in low pH, low Ωarag seawater.This research was funded by Na¬tional Science Foundation (NSF) OCE-1040952, a University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC-Mexus) grant (to A.P.), and NSF OCE-1041106 (to A.L.C.). E.D.C. was funded through NSF-GFR and a EPA-STAR fellowships.2013-12-1

The Comparability of Men Who Have Sex With Men Recruited From Venue-Time-Space Sampling and Facebook: A Cohort Study

Background: Recruiting valid samples of men who have sex with men (MSM) is a key component of the US human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) surveillance and of research studies seeking to improve HIV prevention for MSM. Social media, such as Facebook, may present an opportunity to reach broad samples of MSM, but the extent to which those samples are comparable with men recruited from venue-based, time-space sampling (VBTS) is unknown. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the comparability of MSM recruited via VBTS and Facebook. Methods: HIV-negative and HIV-positive black and white MSM were recruited from June 2010 to December 2012 using VBTS and Facebook in Atlanta, GA. We compared the self-reported venue attendance, demographic characteristics, sexual and risk behaviors, history of HIV-testing, and HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence between Facebook- and VTBS-recruited MSM overall and by race. Multivariate logistic and negative binomial models estimated age/race adjusted ratios. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess 24-month retention. Results: We recruited 803 MSM, of whom 110 (34/110, 30.9% black MSM, 76/110, 69.1% white MSM) were recruited via Facebook and 693 (420/693, 60.6% black MSM, 273/693, 39.4% white MSM) were recruited through VTBS. Facebook recruits had high rates of venue attendance in the previous month (26/34, 77% among black and 71/76, 93% among white MSM; between-race P=.01). MSM recruited on Facebook were generally older, with significant age differences among black MSM (P=.02), but not white MSM (P=.14). … See full text for complete abstract

The bovine mammary gland expresses multiple functional isoforms of serotonin receptors

Recent studies in dairy cows have demonstrated that serotonergic ligands affect milk yield and composition. Correspondingly, serotonin (5-HT) has been demonstrated to be an important local regulator of lactational homeostasis and involution in mouse and human mammary cells. We determined the mRNA expression of bovine 5-HT receptor (HTR) subtypes in bovine mammary tissue (BMT) and used pharmacological agents to evaluate functional activities of 5-HT receptors. The mRNAs for five receptor isoforms (HTR1B, 2A, 2B, 4, and 7) were identified by conventional real-time (RT)-PCR, RT quantitative PCR, and in situ hybridization in BMT. In addition to luminal mammary epithelial cell expression, HTR4 was expressed in myoepithelium, and HTR1B, 2A, and 2B were expressed in small mammary blood vessels. Serotonin suppressed milk protein mRNA expression (α-lactalbumin and β-casein mRNA) in lactogen-treated primary bovine mammary epithelial cell (BMEC) cultures. To probe the functional activities of individual receptors, caspase-3 activity and expression of α-lactalbumin and β-casein were measured. Both SB22489 (1B antagonist) and ritanserin (2A antagonist) increased caspase-3 activity. Expression of α-lactalbumin and β-casein mRNA levels in BMEC were stimulated by low concentrations of SB224289, ritanserin, or pimozide. These results demonstrate that there are multiple 5-HT receptor isoforms in the bovine mammary gland, and point to profound differences between serotonergic systems of the bovine mammary gland and the human and mouse mammary glands. Whereas human and mouse mammary epithelial cells express predominately the protein for the 5-HT7 receptor, cow mammary epithelium expresses multiple receptors that have overlapping, but not identical, functional activities

Repression of nodal expression by maternal B1-type SOXs regulates germ layer formation in Xenopus and zebrafish

AbstractB1-type SOXs (SOXs 1, 2, and 3) are the most evolutionarily conserved subgroup of the SOX transcription factor family. To study their maternal functions, we used the affinity-purified antibody antiSOX3c, which inhibits the binding of Xenopus SOX3 to target DNA sequences [Development. 130(2003)5609]. The antibody also cross-reacts with zebrafish embryos. When injected into fertilized Xenopus or zebrafish eggs, antiSOX3c caused a profound gastrulation defect; this defect could be rescued by the injection of RNA encoding SOX3ΔC-EnR, a SOX3-engrailed repression domain chimera. In antiSOX3c-injected Xenopus embryos, normal animal–vegetal patterning of mesodermal and endodermal markers was disrupted, expression domains were shifted toward the animal pole, and the levels of the endodermal markers SOX17 and endodermin increased. In Xenopus, SOX3 acts as a negative regulator of Xnr5, which encodes a nodal-related TGFβ-family protein. Two nodal-related proteins are expressed in the early zebrafish embryo, squint and cyclops; antiSOX3c-injection leads to an increase in the level of cyclops expression. In both Xenopus and zebrafish, the antiSOX3c phenotype was rescued by the injection of RNA encoding the nodal inhibitor Cerberus-short (CerS). In Xenopus, antiSOX3c's effects on endodermin expression were suppressed by injection of RNA encoding a dominant negative version of Mixer or a morpholino against SOX17α2, both of which act downstream of nodal signaling in the endoderm specification pathway. Based on these data, it appears that maternal B1-type SOX functions together with the VegT/β-catenin system to regulate nodal expression and to establish the normal pattern of germ layer formation in Xenopus. A mechanistically conserved system appears to act in a similar manner in the zebrafish

The Association of Optimism with Sleep Duration and Quality: Findings from the Coronary Artery Risk and Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Optimism is associated with better health outcomes with hypothesized effects due in part to optimism\u27s association with restorative health processes. Limited work has examined whether optimism is associated with better quality sleep, a major restorative process. We test the hypothesis that greater optimism is associated with more favorable sleep quality and duration. Main analyses included adults aged 32-51 who participated in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study (n = 3,548) during the fifth (Year 15: 2000-2001) and sixth (Year 20: 2005-2006) follow-up visits. Optimism was assessed using the revised Life-Orientation Test. Self-report measures of sleep quality and duration were obtained twice 5 years apart. A subset of CARDIA participants (2003-2005) additionally provided actigraphic data and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Multivariate regression analyses were used to examine associations of optimism and sleep indicators. In cross-sectional analyses of 3548 participants, each standard deviation (SD) higher optimism score resulted in 78% higher odds of self-reporting very good sleep quality. Prospectively, a 1-SD higher optimism score was related to higher odds of reporting persistently good sleep quality across 5-years relative to those with persistently poor sleep [OR = 1.31; 95%CI:1.10,1.56]. In participant with supplementary data, each SD higher optimism score was marginally associated with 22% greater odds of favorable sleep quality [OR = 1.22; 95%CI:1.00,1.49] as measured by the PSQI, with possible mediation by depressive symptoms. Optimism was unrelated to objective actigraphic sleep data. Findings support a positive cross-sectional and prospective association between optimism and self-reported sleep behavior

Fluoxetine treatment during the postpartal period may have short-term impacts on murine maternal skeletal physiology

Postpartum depression affects many individuals after parturition, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used as the first-line treatment; however, both SSRIs and lactation are independently associated with bone loss due to the role of serotonin in bone remodeling. Previously, we have established that administration of the SSRI fluoxetine during the peripartal period results in alterations in long-term skeletal characteristics. In the present study, we treated mice with either a low or high dose of fluoxetine during lactation to determine the consequences of the perturbation of serotonin signaling during this time period on the dam skeleton. We found that lactational fluoxetine exposure affected both cortical and trabecular parameters, altered gene expression and circulating markers of bone turnover, and affected mammary gland characteristics, and that these effects were more pronounced in the dams that were exposed to the low dose of fluoxetine in comparison to the high dose. Fluoxetine treatment during the postpartum period in rodents had short term effects on bone that were largely resolved 3 months post-weaning. Despite the overall lack of long-term insult to bone, the alterations in serotonin-driven lactational bone remodeling raises the question of whether fluoxetine is a safe option for the treatment of postpartum depression

Nutrient content and stoichiometry of pelagic Sargassum reflects increasing nitrogen availability in the Atlantic Basin

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Lapointe, B. E., Brewton, R. A., Herren, L. W., Wang, M., Hu, C., McGillicuddy, D. J., Lindell, S., Hernandez, F. J., & Morton, P. L. Nutrient content and stoichiometry of pelagic Sargassum reflects increasing nitrogen availability in the Atlantic Basin. Nature Communications, 12(1), (2021): 3060, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23135-7.The pelagic brown macroalgae Sargassum spp. have grown for centuries in oligotrophic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean supported by natural nutrient sources, such as excretions from associated fishes and invertebrates, upwelling, and N2 fixation. Using a unique historical baseline, we show that since the 1980s the tissue %N of Sargassum spp. has increased by 35%, while %P has decreased by 44%, resulting in a 111% increase in the N:P ratio (13:1 to 28:1) and increased P limitation. The highest %N and δ15N values occurred in coastal waters influenced by N-rich terrestrial runoff, while lower C:N and C:P ratios occurred in winter and spring during peak river discharges. These findings suggest that increased N availability is supporting blooms of Sargassum and turning a critical nursery habitat into harmful algal blooms with catastrophic impacts on coastal ecosystems, economies, and human health.This work was funded by the US NASA Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program (80NSSC20M0264, NNX16AR74G) and Ecological Forecast Program (NNX17AF57G), NOAA RESTORE Science Program (NA17NOS4510099), National Science Foundation (NSF-OCE 85–15492 and OCE 88–12055), “Save Our Seas” Specialty License Plate funds, granted through the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, Ft. Pierce, FL, and a Red Wright Fellowship from the Bermuda Biological Station. A portion of this work was performed at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, which is supported by National Science Foundation Cooperative Agreement No. DMR-1644779 and the State of Florida. D.J.M. gratefully acknowledges the Holger W. Jannasch and Columbus O’Donnell Iselin Shared Chairs for Excellence in Oceanography, as well as support from the Mill Reef Fund

DNM1 encephalopathy: A new disease of vesicle fission.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the phenotypic spectrum caused by mutations in dynamin 1 (DNM1), encoding the presynaptic protein DNM1, and to investigate possible genotype-phenotype correlations and predicted functional consequences based on structural modeling.MethodsWe reviewed phenotypic data of 21 patients (7 previously published) with DNM1 mutations. We compared mutation data to known functional data and undertook biomolecular modeling to assess the effect of the mutations on protein function.ResultsWe identified 19 patients with de novo mutations in DNM1 and a sibling pair who had an inherited mutation from a mosaic parent. Seven patients (33.3%) carried the recurrent p.Arg237Trp mutation. A common phenotype emerged that included severe to profound intellectual disability and muscular hypotonia in all patients and an epilepsy characterized by infantile spasms in 16 of 21 patients, frequently evolving into Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Two patients had profound global developmental delay without seizures. In addition, we describe a single patient with normal development before the onset of a catastrophic epilepsy, consistent with febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome at 4 years. All mutations cluster within the GTPase or middle domains, and structural modeling and existing functional data suggest a dominant-negative effect on DMN1 function.ConclusionsThe phenotypic spectrum of DNM1-related encephalopathy is relatively homogeneous, in contrast to many other genetic epilepsies. Up to one-third of patients carry the recurrent p.Arg237Trp variant, which is now one of the most common recurrent variants in epileptic encephalopathies identified to date. Given the predicted dominant-negative mechanism of this mutation, this variant presents a prime target for therapeutic intervention

A Cohort Study of the Milk Microbiota of Healthy and Inflamed Bovine Mammary Glands From Dryoff Through 150 Days in Milk

The objective of this longitudinal cohort study was to describe the milk microbiota of dairy cow mammary glands based on inflammation status before and after the dry period. Individual mammary quarters were assigned to cohorts based on culture results and somatic cell count (SCC) at dryoff and twice in the first 2 weeks post-calving. Mammary glands that were microbiologically negative and had low SCC (< 100,000 cells/mL) at all 3 sampling periods were classified as Healthy (n = 80). Microbiologically negative mammary glands that had SCC ≥150,000 cells/mL at dryoff and the first post-calving sample were classified as Chronic Culture-Negative Inflammation (CHRON; n = 17). Quarters that did not have both culture-negative milk and SCC ≥ 150,000 cells/mL at dryoff but were culture-negative with SCC ≥ 150,000 at both post-calving sampling periods were classified as Culture-Negative New Inflammation (NEWINF; n = 6). Mammary glands with bacterial growth and SCC ≥ 150,000 cells/mL at all 3 periods were classified as Positive (POS; n = 3). Milk samples were collected from all enrolled quarters until 150 days in milk and subjected to microbiota analysis. Milk samples underwent total DNA extraction, a 40-cycle PCR to amplify the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, and next-generation sequencing. Healthy quarters had the lowest rate of PCR and sequencing success (53, 67, 83, and 67% for Healthy, CHRON, NEWINF, and POS, respectively). Chao richness was greatest in milk collected from Healthy quarters and Shannon diversity was greater in milk from Healthy and CHRON quarters than in milk collected from glands in the NEWINF or POS cohorts. Regardless of cohort, season was associated with both richness and diversity, but stage of lactation was not. The most prevalent OTUs included typical gut- and skin-associated bacteria such as those in the phylum Bacteroidetes and the genera Enhydrobacter and Corynebacterium. The increased sequencing success in quarters with worse health outcomes, combined with the lack of bacterial growth in most samples and the high PCR cycle number required for amplification of bacterial DNA, suggests that the milk microbiota of culture-negative, healthy mammary glands is less abundant than that of culture-negative glands with a history of inflammation