ISOMETRY OF EGG SIZE IN A TEXAS POPULATION OF THE TURTLE STERNOTHERUS ODORATUS THAT EXHIBITS A NEARLY FIXED CLUTCH SIZE

In evaluating optimal egg-size theory and the effects of anatomical constraints on egg size in turtles, pivotal questions concern the significance of the relationship of egg size to female body size and whether the relationship is isometric or hypoallometric. In a central Texas population of the kinosternid turtle Sternotherus odoratus in which clutch size of a sample of turtles was nearly fixed (seven of eight females had two eggs while the largest female had three eggs), there was an isometric increase in egg width with body size among the females with two-egg clutches and significantly reduced egg width in the largest female’s three-egg clutch. Allometric analyses of populations that exhibit little variation in clutch size, as well as analysis of modal clutch sizes in populations with more variable clutch sizes, both have the potential to further illuminate the competing demands of increasing egg size vs. increasing clutch size as females grow larger, enabling them to optimize their reproductive output as it increases with body size

\u3cem\u3ecis\u3c/em\u3e-(Diethyldithiocarbamato)diiodo(phenyl)tellurium(IV), PhTe(S\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eCNEt\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e)I\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e, and its Methoxy-Substituted Mixed Br/1 Analogue \u3cem\u3ecis\u3c/em\u3e-Bis(0.4-bromo/0.6-iodo)-(diethyldithiocarbamato)(4-methoxyphenyl) tellurium(IV), \u3cem\u3ep\u3c/em\u3e-MeOC\u3csub\u3e6\u3c/sub\u3eH\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3eTe(S\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e CNEt\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e)(Br\u3csub\u3e0.4\u3c/sub\u3eI\u3csub\u3e0.6\u3c/sub\u3e)\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e

The TeIV complexes PhTe(S2CNEt2)I2, (1), and p-MeOC6H4Te(S2CNEt2)Br0.4/I0.6) 2, (2), have been synthesized by reacting PhTeI3 with NaS2CNEt2, and p-MeOC6H4Te(S2CNEt2)2I with Br2, respectively. In (2), both I atoms are partially replaced by Br atoms in a 3:2 ratio. The structures display distorted octahedral Te coordination with two symmetrically coordinated S atoms [Te—S 2.550 (2)—2.569 (2) Å in three independent molecules of (1) and 2.523 (1) Å in (2)] and with two cis-disposed halogen atoms [Te—I 2.941 (1)—2.986 (1) Å in (1) and 3.003 (4) and 3.049 (3) Å in (2); Te—Br 2.962(8) and 2.967 (8) Å in (2)] in equatorial positions. The aryl group is axial in both complexes [Te—C 2.137(6)—2.146(6) and 2.123(5) Å in (1) and (2) respectively] and the second axial position is occupied by a halogen atom of a neighbouring molecule [Te⋅⋅⋅I 3.898(1)—4233(1) Å in (1); Te⋅ ⋅ ⋅I3872(3) Å and Te⋅ ⋅ ⋅Br 3.676(6) Å in (2); trans angles C---Te⋅ ⋅ ⋅ (Br) 153.4(2)—177.7(2)°] so that the molecules are joined into (quasi)centrosymmetric pairs by these secondary interactions

An Integrated Oncology Data Warehouse for Clinical Decision Support and Complex Patient Cohort Identification in a Hybrid Cancer Center

BACKGROUND: A data warehouse is a repository that centralizes and integrates data from disparate systems to provide the ability to easily access historical, consistent data. Integration of disparate source systems into one centralized location can enable rapid identification of more robust research cohorts and enable data-driven decision making. The objective of the Miami Cancer Institute (MCI) Oncology Data Warehouse (ODW) is to collect and organize data from clinical records, research, and administrative systems to support information retrieval, business intelligence, and analytics for high-level decision making for oncology patients. The design, architecture, and implementation aligns with industry best practices which includes Data Governance, Enterprise Data Modeling, and Metadata Management. METHODS: We integrated structured and unstructured data from disparate sources into one centralized data model optimized for querying known as the ODW. The ODW is modeled as a star schema, with fact tables and conformed dimension tables, and expands to a galaxy schema with constellation facts and dimensions that can snowflake to other data models as needed. Each fact table represents a subject area (i.e. pathology), that is directly related to the conformed dimension tables using surrogate and foreign keys. Conformed dimensions represent the attributes associated to the subject area (i.e. date of encounter). The source data is extracted, transformed and loaded (ETL) automatically from different databases into a set of tables. The ETL code performs incremental loads at regular prescribed intervals into two parallel storage areas, a relational database management system (RDMS) as well as a Big Data file storage system. RESULTS: An interdisciplinary team of physicians, engineers, scientists, and subject matter experts at the Miami Cancer Institute of Baptist Health South Florida, has designed, developed, and implemented the ODW with information originating from different data sources which include: Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, Financial Systems, Clinical Trial Management Systems, Tumor Registries, Biospecimen Repositories, Pathology synoptic reports and archives, and Next Generation Sequencing services. Structurally it is a subject-oriented, integrated collection of data leveraging conformed dimensions. The ODW is capable of connecting most business intelligence (i.e. Tableau) or statistical (i.e. SAS) tools for automated or static report development. CONCLUSION: The growing ODW enables physicians, clinical management teams, and medical analysts to systematically mine and review the molecular, genomic, and associated clinical or administrative information of patients, and identify patterns that may influence treatment decisions and potential outcomes. By implementing an innovative combination of technology tools and methods, we were able to organize enterprise information about oncology patients which can be utilized for clinical decision support and precision medicine use cases

Inhibition of methyltransferase activity of enhancer of zeste 2 leads to enhanced lipid accumulation and altered chromatin status in zebrafish

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that exposure to environmental chemicals may increase susceptibility to developing metabolic diseases. This susceptibility may in part be caused by changes to the epigenetic landscape which consequently affect gene expression and lead to changes in lipid metabolism. The epigenetic modifier enhancer of zeste 2 (Ezh2) is a histone H3K27 methyltransferase implicated to play a role in lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. In this study, we used the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to investigate the role of Ezh2 on lipid metabolism and chromatin status following developmental exposure to the Ezh1/2 inhibitor PF-06726304 acetate. We used the environmental chemical tributyltin (TBT) as a positive control, as this chemical is known to act on lipid metabolism via EZH-mediated pathways in mammals. RESULTS: Zebrafish embryos (0-5 days post-fertilization, dpf) exposed to non-toxic concentrations of PF-06726304 acetate (5 μM) and TBT (1 nM) exhibited increased lipid accumulation. Changes in chromatin were analyzed by the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) at 50% epiboly (5.5 hpf). We observed 349 altered chromatin regions, predominantly located at H3K27me3 loci and mostly more open chromatin in the exposed samples. Genes associated to these loci were linked to metabolic pathways. In addition, a selection of genes involved in lipid homeostasis, adipogenesis and genes specifically targeted by PF-06726304 acetate via altered chromatin accessibility were differentially expressed after TBT and PF-06726304 acetate exposure at 5 dpf, but not at 50% epiboly stage. One gene, cebpa, did not show a change in chromatin, but did show a change in gene expression at 5 dpf. Interestingly, underlying H3K27me3 marks were significantly decreased at this locus at 50% epiboly. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we show for the first time the applicability of ATAC-seq as a tool to investigate toxicological responses in zebrafish. Our analysis indicates that Ezh2 inhibition leads to a partial primed state of chromatin linked to metabolic pathways which results in gene expression changes later in development, leading to enhanced lipid accumulation. Although ATAC-seq seems promising, our in-depth assessment of the cebpa locus indicates that we need to consider underlying epigenetic marks as well.</p

Evaluating Testing Strategies for Identifying Youths With HIV Infection and Linking Youths to Biomedical and Other Prevention Services

Importance: Most human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected youths are unaware of their serostatus (approximately 60%) and therefore not linked to HIV medical or prevention services. The need to identify promising and scalable approaches to promote uptake of HIV testing among youths at risk is critical. Objective: To evaluate a multisite HIV testing program designed to encourage localized HIV testing programs focused on self-identified sexual minority males and to link youths to appropriate prevention services after receipt of their test results. Design, Setting, and Participants: Testing strategies were evaluated using an observational design during a 9-month period (June 1, 2015, through February 28, 2016). Testing strategies were implemented by 12 adolescent medicine HIV primary care programs and included targeted testing, universal testing, or a combination. Data were collected from local youth at high risk of HIV infection and, specifically, sexual minority males of color. Main Outcomes and Measures: Proportion of sexual minority males and sexual minority males of color tested, proportion of previously undiagnosed HIV-positive youths identified, and rates of linkage to prevention services. Results: A total of 3301 youths underwent HIV testing. Overall, 35 (3.6%) of those who underwent universal testing in primary care clinical settings, such as emergency departments and community health centers, were sexual minority males (35 [3.6%] were males of color) compared with 236 (46.7%) (201 [39.8%] were males of color) who were tested through targeted testing and 693 (37.8%) (503 [27.4%] were males of color) through combination efforts. Identification of new HIV-positive cases varied by strategy: 1 (0.1%) via universal testing, 39 (2.1%) through combination testing, and 16 (3.2%) through targeted testing. However, when targeted tests were separated from universal testing results for sites using a combined strategy, the rate of newly identified HIV-positive cases identified through universal testing decreased to 1 (0.1%). Rates of new HIV-positive cases identified through targeted testing increased to 49 (6.3%). Youths who tested through targeted testing (416 [85.1%]) were more likely to link successfully to local HIV prevention services, including preexposure prophylaxis, compared with those who underwent universal testing (328 [34.1%]). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that community-based targeted approaches to HIV testing are more effective than universal screening for reaching young sexual minority males (especially males of color), identifying previously undiagnosed HIV-positive youths, and linking HIV-negative youths to relevant prevention services. Targeted, community-based HIV testing strategies hold promise as a scalable and effective means to identify high-risk youths who are unaware of their HIV status

Progressive renal disease: Role of race and antihypertensive medications

Progressive renal disease: Role of race and antihypertensive medications. Hypertension is associated with an accelerated rate of decline in renal function in patients with chronic renal disease. To identify factors that might alter the rate of decline in renal function, we reviewed records of 200 patients from the Nephrology Clinic of the Durham VA Medical Center who had chronic progressive renal insufficiency. The average rate of decline in renal function (slope of reciprocal plasma creatinine versus time) was -0.80 ± 0.62 (SD) ml/mg month in 112 black patients and -0.84 ± 0.59 in 88 white patients. Multiple regression analysis indicates that the patient's age, level of diastolic blood pressure and type of antihypertensive treatment had a significant effect on the slope of reciprocal creatinine whereas the patient's race and diagnosis did not. In individual patients, addition of minoxidil or a calcium channel blocker to other medications significantly lowered blood pressure and slope of reciprocal creatinine. Some antihypertensive medications lowered blood pressure without significantly affecting the slope. These data suggest that specific medications may have a favorable effect on the progression of chronic renal disease by mechanisms in addition to reduction of blood pressure

Mangroves enhance the biomass of coral reef fish communities in the Caribbean

Mangrove forests are one of the world's most threatened tropical ecosystems with global loss exceeding 35% (ref. 1). Juvenile coral reef fish often inhabit mangroves, but the importance of these nurseries to reef fish population dynamics has not been quantified. Indeed, mangroves might be expected to have negligible influence on reef fish communities: juvenile fish can inhabit alternative habitats and fish populations may be regulated by other limiting factors such as larval supply or fishing. Here we show that mangroves are unexpectedly important, serving as an intermediate nursery habitat that may increase the survivorship of young fish. Mangroves in the Caribbean strongly influence the community structure of fish on neighbouring coral reefs. In addition, the biomass of several commercially important species is more than doubled when adult habitat is connected to mangroves. The largest herbivorous fish in the Atlantic, Scarus guacamaia, has a functional dependency on mangroves and has suffered local extinction after mangrove removal. Current rates of mangrove deforestation are likely to have severe deleterious consequences for the ecosystem function, fisheries productivity and resilience of reefs. Conservation efforts should protect connected corridors of mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs

Altered non-coding RNA expression profile in F1 progeny 1 year after parental irradiation is linked to adverse effects in zebrafish

Gamma radiation produces DNA instability and impaired phenotype. Previously, we observed negative effects on phenotype, DNA methylation, and gene expression profiles, in offspring of zebrafish exposed to gamma radiation during gametogenesis. We hypothesize that previously observed effects are accompanied with changes in the expression profile of non-coding RNAs, inherited by next generations. Non-coding RNA expression profile was analysed in F1 offspring (5.5 h post-fertilization) by high-throughput sequencing 1 year after parental irradiation (8.7 mGy/h, 5.2 Gy total dose). Using our previous F1-γ genome-wide gene expression data (GSE98539), hundreds of mRNAs were predicted as targets of differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs, involved in pathways such as insulin receptor, NFkB and PTEN signalling, linking to apoptosis and cancer. snRNAs belonging to the five major spliceosomal snRNAs were down-regulated in the F1-γ group, Indicating transcriptional and post-transcriptional alterations. In addition, DEpiRNA clusters were associated to 9 transposable elements (TEs) (LTR, LINE, and TIR) (p = 0.0024), probable as a response to the activation of these TEs. Moreover, the expression of the lincRNAs malat-1, and several others was altered in the offspring F1, in concordance with previously observed phenotypical alterations. In conclusion, our results demonstrate diverse gamma radiation-induced alterations in the ncRNA profiles of F1 offspring observable 1 year after parental irradiation.publishedVersio

Quality of Life of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Cetuximab, Fluorouracil, Cisplatin Comparing to Cetuximab, Fluorouracil, Cisplatin, and Docetaxel within the CEFCID Trial

Introduction: CeFCiD was a multicenter phase II study comparing the efficacy of cetuximab (C), 5-flourouracil, and cisplatin with the same regimen adding docetaxel (D) in recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer. The primary analysis trial did not demonstrate survival benefit from therapy intensification in first-line recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The current analysis of the trial assessed the impact of treatment on quality of life (QoL). Methods: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire QLQ-C30 and the tumor-specific module for head and neck cancer (QLQ-H&N35) were used to assess QoL at baseline (visit 1), after 2 (visit 3), 4 (visit 5), and 6 (visit 7) cycles of chemotherapy. Results: Of 180 patients included in this study, 86 patients (47.8%) completed the questionnaires at baseline. Considering selected scores over treatment time, there was no difference in global QoL, dyspnea, swallowing, and speech between the treatment arms in the course. For fatigue, a significant increase from baseline to visit 3 (p = 0.02), visit 5 (p = 0.002), and to visit 7 (p = 0.003) was observed for patients receiving D, cisplatin or carboplatin (P), 5-fluorouracil (F), and C. At the end of chemotherapy, the manifestation of fatigue was similar compared in the 2 treatment arms. Discussion/Conclusion: Therapy intensification not adversely affects selected scores of QoL of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN. Nevertheless, fatigue seems to be pronounced in patients treated with D

The Vehicle, Fall 1980

Vol. 22, No. 1 Table of Contents UntitledSusan Mehlpage 4 MitchJohn Stockmanpage 5 HallwayAndy Leszczynskipage 6 At The MoviesElise Hempelpage 8 HaikuAngie Patrickpage 8 On MagnoliasThersa Kennypage 9 NeighborJohn Stockmanpage 10 WetCathy Georgepage 10 HaikuThersa Kennypage 10 The Speed QueenCarolyn Perrypage 11 A ThoughtThersa Kennypage 14 The Stone Belongs to the LakeRobert Schumacherpage 15 Driving South of WinnipegJerry McAnultypage 16 Travels with the ExecutionerPeter Lindemanpage 17 NightwingLaura Muellerpage 18 Thoughts of an Uninterested StudentDru Seftonpage 19 Rainbird\u27s ManMary McDanielpage 20 EffortlessKevin Stottpage 25 Where the Waves SoundTheresa Whitesidepage 26 \u2745Ray Wallacepage 28 Epigram #1P. James Kruegerpage 28 UntitledSusan Mehlpage 29 RerunsAngie Patrickpage 30 SunsetGloria Rhoadspage 34 Return of the NativeRay Wallacepage 35 The GuitarJoanne Dunnepage 35 In Grandmother\u27s BedroomElise Hempelpage 36 Cindy Poem No. 3John Stockmanpage 36 Dust in the DarkLaura Muellerpage 37 Suspension BridgeLaura Henrypage 39 WavesLeslie Garnerpage 39 Oyama: a Setting and a GirlJerry McAnultypage 40 the middle of the nightKevin Stottpage 41 Old State RoadLaura Henrypage 43 Dairy QueenJohn Stockmanpage 43 Art CoverDennis Wunsch Pen and ink drawingRose Huberpage 3 PhotographIrene Brownpage 7 PhotographIrene Brownpage 27 PhotographIrene Brownpage 42 Pen and ink drawingRose Huberpage 44https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1036/thumbnail.jp