Using salt-enriched diets to reduce stress-induced hypochloremia and methemoglobinemia in rain[b]ow trout

Chronically stressfiil conditions in fish culture facilities can lead to outbreaks of disease and reductions in growth and performance. A secondary response to stress in fish is the sudden and significant loss of plasma chloride ions, a condition known as hypochloremia. This loss of plasma chloride has been implicated as a cause of mortality in severely stressed fish. The effect of increased dietary salt on reducing hypochloremia in rainbow trout subjected to a confinement challenge was investigated. Experimental diets included added NaCl or added CaClz. Methemoglobinemia, an environmental disease of cultured fish caused by increases in nitrite concentrations in water can be reduced by the addition of salt to water. Increased dietary salt as either NaCl or CaClz was investigated as an aid in reducing the development and severity of methemoglobinemia in trout exposed to elevated nitrite concentrations

Elevated pulse pressure is associated with hemolysis, proteinuria and chronic kidney disease in sickle cell disease

A seeming paradox of sickle cell disease is that patients do not suffer from a high prevalence of systemic hypertension in spite of endothelial dysfunction, chronic inflammation and vasculopathy. However, some patients do develop systolic hypertension and increased pulse pressure, an increasingly recognized major cardiovascular risk factor in other populations. Hence, we hypothesized that pulse pressure, unlike other blood pressure parameters, is independently associated with markers of hemolytic anemia and cardiovascular risk in sickle cell disease. We analyzed the correlates of pulse pressure in patients (n 5 661) enrolled in a multicenter international sickle cell trial. Markers of hemolysis were analyzed as independent variables and as a previously validated hemolytic index that includes multiple variables. We found that pulse pressure, not systolic, diastolic or mean arterial pressure, independently correlated with high reticulocyte count (beta 5 2.37, p 5 0.02) and high hemolytic index (beta 5 1.53, p50.002) in patients with homozygous sickle cell disease in two multiple linear regression models which include the markers of hemolysis as independent variables or the hemolytic index, respectively. Pulse pressure was also independently associated with elevated serum creatinine (beta 5 3.21, p 5 0.02), and with proteinuria (beta 5 2.52, p 5 0.04). These results from the largest sickle cell disease cohort to date since the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease show that pulse pressure is independently associated with hemolysis, proteinuria and chronic kidney disease. We propose that high pulse pressure may be a risk factor for clinical complications of vascular dysfunction in sickle cell disease. Longitudinal and mechanistic studies should be conducted to confirm these hypotheses

Disparities in Quality of Life by Appalachian-Designation among Women with Breast Cancer

Introduction: Few studies have examined the association of geography and quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer patients, particularly differences between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky women, which is important given the cancer and socioeconomic disparities present in Appalachia. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether women with breast cancer residing in Appalachian Kentucky experience poorer health outcomes in regards to depression, stress, QOL, and spiritual wellbeing, relative to those living in non-Appalachian Kentucky after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors. Methods: Women, aged 18–79, recruited from the Kentucky Cancer Registry between 2009 and 2013 with an incident, primary breast cancer diagnosis completed a telephone interview within 12 months of diagnosis. In this cross-sectional study, sociodemographic characteristics and mental and physical health status were assessed, including number of comorbid conditions, symptoms of depression and stress, and QOL. Results: Among 1245 women with breast cancer, 334 lived in Appalachia and 911 in non-Appalachian counties of Kentucky. Appalachian breast cancer patients differed from non-Appalachian patients on race, education, income, health insurance status, rurality, smoking, and stage at diagnosis. In unadjusted analysis, Appalachian residence was associated with having significantly more comorbid conditions, more symptoms of stress in the past month, and lower Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast scores compared to non-Appalachian residence. Implications: However, adjustment for sociodemographic and health-related differences by region appear to explain geographic differences in these poorer QOL indicators for women living in Appalachian Kentucky relative to non-Appalachian Kentucky. Policy-, provider-, and individual-level implications are discussed

Health Care Avoidance Among Rural Populations: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that certain populations, including rural residents, exhibit health care avoidant behaviors more frequently than other groups. Additionally, health care avoidance is related to sociodemographics, attitudes, social expectations, ability to pay for care, and prior experiences with providers. However, previous studies have been limited to specific geographic areas, particular health conditions, or by analytic methods. METHODS: The 2008 Health Information Trends Survey (HINTS) was used to estimate the magnitude of health care avoidance nationally and, while controlling for confounding factors, identify groups of people in the United States who are more likely to avoid health care. Chi-square procedures tested the statistical significance (P \u3c .05) of bivariate relationships. Multivariable analysis was conducted through a weighted multiple logistic regression with backward selection. RESULTS: For 6,714 respondents, bivariate analyses revealed differences (P \u3c .05) in health care avoidance for multiple factors. However, multiple regression reduced the set of significant factors (P \u3c .05) to rural residence (OR = 1.69), male sex (OR = 1.24), younger age (18-34 years OR = 2.34; 35-49 years OR = 2.10), lack of health insurance (OR = 1.43), lack of confidence in personal health care (OR = 2.24), lack of regular provider (OR = 1.49), little trust in physicians (OR = 1.34), and poor provider rapport (OR = 0.94). CONCLUSION: The results of this study will help public health practitioners develop programs and initiatives targeted and tailored to specific groups, particularly rural populations, which seek to address avoidant behavior, thereby reducing the likelihood of adverse health outcomes

Bark beetle population dynamics in the Anthropocene: Challenges and solutions

Tree-killing bark beetles are the most economically important insects in conifer forests worldwide. However, despite N200 years of research, the drivers of population eruptions and crashes are still not fully understood and the existing knowledge is thus insufficient to face the challenges posed by the Anthropocene. We critically analyze potential biotic and abiotic drivers of population dynamics of an exemplary species, the European spruce bark beetle (ESBB) (Ips typographus) and present a multivariate approach that integrates the many drivers governing this bark beetle system. We call for hypothesis-driven, large-scale collaborative research efforts to improve our understanding of the population dynamics of this and other bark beetle pests. Our approach can serve as a blueprint for tackling other eruptive forest insects

Transcriptome-Based Exon Capture Enables Highly Cost-Effective Comparative Genomic Data Collection At Moderate Evolutionary Scales

Background: To date, exon capture has largely been restricted to species with fully sequenced genomes, which has precluded its application to lineages that lack high quality genomic resources. We developed a novel strategy for designing array-based exon capture in chipmunks (Tamias) based on de novo transcriptome assemblies. We evaluated the performance of our approach across specimens from four chipmunk species. Results: We selectively targeted 11,975 exons (similar to 4 Mb) on custom capture arrays, and enriched over 99% of the targets in all libraries. The percentage of aligned reads was highly consistent (24.4-29.1%) across all specimens, including in multiplexing up to 20 barcoded individuals on a single array. Base coverage among specimens and within targets in each species library was uniform, and the performance of targets among independent exon captures was highly reproducible. There was no decrease in coverage among chipmunk species, which showed up to 1.5% sequence divergence in coding regions. We did observe a decline in capture performance of a subset of targets designed from a much more divergent ground squirrel genome (30 My), however, over 90% of the targets were also recovered. Final assemblies yielded over ten thousand orthologous loci (similar to 3.6 Mb) with thousands of fixed and polymorphic SNPs among species identified. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the potential of a transcriptome-enabled, multiplexed, exon capture method to create thousands of informative markers for population genomic and phylogenetic studies in non-model species across the tree of life

A Cost Analysis of the 1-2-3 Pap Intervention

Background: Cervical cancer places a substantial economic burden on our healthcare system. The three-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series is a cost-effective intervention to prevent HPV infection and resultant cervical cancer. Despite its efficacy, completion rates are low in young women aged 18 through 26 years. 1-2-3 Pap is a video intervention tested and proven to increase HPV vaccination completion rates. Purpose: To provide the full scope of available evidence for 1-2-3 Pap, this study adds economic evidence to the intervention’s efficacy. This study tested the economies of scale hypothesis that the cost of 1-2-3 Pap intervention per number of completed HPV vaccine series would decrease when offered to more women in the target population. Methods: Using cost and efficacy data from the Rural Cancer Prevention Center, a cost analysis was done through a hypothetical adaptation scenario in rural Kentucky. Results: Assuming the same success rate as in the efficacy study, the 1-2-3 Pap adaptation scenario would cover 1000 additional women aged 18 through 26 years (344 in efficacy study; 1346 in adaptation scenario), and almost three times as many completed series (130 in efficacy study; 412 in adaptation scenario) as in the original 1-2-3 Pap efficacy study. Implications: Determination of the costs of implementing 1-2-3 Pap is vital for program expansion. This study provides practitioners and decision makers with objective measures for scalability

Temporal genomic contrasts reveal rapid evolutionary responses in an alpine mammal during recent climate change

Many species have experienced dramatic changes in their abundance and distribution during recent climate change, but it is often unclear whether such ecological responses are accompanied by evolutionary change. We used targeted exon sequencing of 294 museum specimens (160 historic, 134 modern) to generate independent temporal genomic contrasts spanning a century of climate change (1911–2012) for two co-distributed chipmunk species: an endemic alpine specialist (Tamias alpinus) undergoing severe range contraction and a stable mid-elevation species (T. speciosus). Using a novel analytical approach, we reconstructed the demographic histories of these populations and tested for evidence of recent positive directional selection. Only the retracting species showed substantial population genetic fragmentation through time and this was coupled with positive selection and substantial shifts in allele frequencies at a gene, Alox15, involved in regulation of inflammation and response to hypoxia. However, these rapid population and gene-level responses were not detected in an analogous temporal contrast from another area where T. alpinus has also undergone severe range contraction. Collectively, these results highlight that evolutionary responses may be variable and context dependent across populations, even when they show seemingly synchronous ecological shifts. Our results demonstrate that temporal genomic contrasts can be used to detect very recent evolutionary responses within and among contemporary populations, even in the face of complex demographic changes. Given the wealth of specimens archived in natural history museums, comparative analyses of temporal population genomic data have the potential to improve our understanding of recent and ongoing evolutionary responses to rapidly changing environments