The Relation of Adolescent Narcissism and Prosocial Behavior with Cooperative and Competitive Attitudes

Narcissism has been correlated with prosocial behavior in adolescents (Kauten & Barry, 2014, 2016). However, whether adolescents with high levels of narcissism use more egoistic (i.e., self-serving) or altruistic (i.e., helping others with no direct personal benefit) prosocial behaviors has not been investigated. This issue was addressed in the present study, and attitudes of cooperation and competition were also examined as moderators in these relations. The current study involved 147 at-risk adolescents, ages 16 to 18 (113 males, 34 females) who were enrolled in a residential program. The data were collected through self-report questionnaires which assessed narcissism (i.e., non-pathological, grandiose, vulnerable, and communal), prosocial tendencies, and cooperative and competitive attitudes. Non-pathological and grandiose narcissism were positively correlated with egoistic prosocial behaviors, whereas non-pathological and communal narcissism were positively correlated with altruistic prosocial behaviors. Adolescents reporting both high levels of vulnerable narcissism and high levels of competitive attitudes reported engaging in more altruistic prosocial behaviors than those with low levels of competitive attitudes. The same trend was evident for grandiose narcissism. The implications of these findings and the study’s limitations are discussed

Digital Contact Tracing During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Problem Manual contact tracing (MCT) is considered an essential public health intervention for infectious disease control. During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, there was insufficient funding or personnel to reduce transmission effectively. Throughout the pandemic, Missouri remained below the recommended contact tracing response rate (CRR) of 50%. One method used globally to aid in pandemic control was digital contact tracing (DCT); however, Missouri was unable to implement digital contact tracing due to barriers faced, which were not unique. Methods DCT was selected as subject of a strategic plan (SP) to augment MCT efforts. Other locales’ successes and failures evaluated possible outcomes for successful implementation of DCT. Using retrospective data, the SP details evidence-based goals, evaluation indicators and provides tools to assess execution and achievement of COVID-MO mobile application implementation. Results SP has thus far not received approval. However, some conjecture as to the outcome of its implementation is possible. A SP was designed for a local research university to provide a guide for successful COVID-MO implementation. Implications for Practice DCT has potential to strengthen contact tracing efforts, as well as conserve public funds. The use of technology allows immediate communication to individuals at risk for exposure to infectious diseases. SP thus can improve future efforts by providing a creative roadmap to address a complex issue

Stem-inhabiting fungal communities differ between intact and snapped trees after hurricane Maria in a Puerto Rican tropical dry forest

Hurricanes impact forests by damaging trees and altering multiple ecosystem functions. As such, predicting which individuals are likely to be most affected has crucial economic importance as well as conservation value. Tree stem-inhabiting fungal communities, notably rot-causing agents, have been mentioned as a potential factor of tree predisposition to hurricane damage, but this assumption remains poorly explored. To examine this relationship, we sampled the stem wood of intact and damaged trees shortly after Hurricane Maria in a Puerto Rican dry tropical forest in 2017. We categorized samples depending on two types: trees with intact stems and trees in which stems were snapped. We extracted fungal environmental DNA of wood from 40 samples consisting of four different tree species. Fungal community taxonomic and functional richness and composition was assessed using high-throughput DNA metabarcoding. We found that snapped trees harbored significantly higher fungal operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness than the intact trees and that the composition of the stem-inhabiting fungal communities diverged consistently between intact and snapped trees. On average, snapped trees’ fungal communities were relatively enriched in “other saprotrophs” guild category and depleted in endophytes. Conversely, intact trees had high relative abundances of Clonostachys, a mycoparasitic endophyte, suggesting that endophytic fungi might act as biocontrols in tree stems. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that stem-inhabiting fungal communities could represent a predisposition factor of tree damage caused by hurricanes in tropical dry forests

Methionine synthase interreplacement in diatom cultures and communities : implications for the persistence of B12 use by eukaryotic phytoplankton

Author Posting. © Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Limnology and Oceanography 58 (2013): 1431–1450, doi:10.4319/lo.2013.58.4.1431.Three proteins related to vitamin B12 metabolism in diatoms were quantified via selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry: B12-dependent and B12-independent methionine synthase (MetH, MetE) and a B12 acquisition protein (CBA1). B12-mediated interreplacement of MetE and MetH metalloenzymes was observed in Phaeodactylum tricornutum where MetH abundance was highest (0.06 fmol µg−1 protein) under high B12 and MetE abundance increased to 3.25 fmol µg−1 protein under low B12 availability. Maximal MetE abundance was 60-fold greater than MetH, consistent with the expected ∼ 50–100-fold larger turnover number for MetH. MetE expression resulted in 30-fold increase in nitrogen and 40-fold increase in zinc allocated to methionine synthase activity under low B12. CBA1 abundance was 6-fold higher under low-B12 conditions and increased upon B12 resupply to starved cultures. While biochemical pathways that supplant B12 requirements exist and are utilized by organisms such as land plants, B12 use persists in eukaryotic phytoplankton. This study suggests that retention of B12 utilization by phytoplankton results in resource conservation under conditions of high B12 availability. MetE and MetH abundances were also measured in diatom communities from McMurdo Sound, verifying that both these proteins are expressed in natural communities. These protein measurements are consistent with previous studies suggesting that B12 availability influences Antarctic primary productivity. This study illuminates controls on expression of B12-related proteins, quantitatively assesses the metabolic consequences of B12 deprivation, and demonstrates that mass spectrometry–based protein measurements yield insight into the functioning of marine microbial communities.This work was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Antarctic Sciences awards 0732665, 1103503, and 0732822; NSF Division of Ocean Science awards 0752291, 0928414, and 1031271; The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Center for Microbial Oceanography Research and Education; an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2007037200); and an Environmental Protection Agency Science To Achieve Results (EPA-STAR) Fellowship to E.M.B. (F6E720324)

Intelligence quotient–adjusted memory impairment is associated with abnormal single photon emission computed tomography perfusion

Cognitive reserve among highly intelligent older individuals makes detection of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) difficult. We tested the hypothesis that mild memory impairment determined by IQ-adjusted norms is associated with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion abnormality at baseline and predictive of future decline. Twenty-three subjects with a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0, were reclassified after scores were adjusted for IQ into two groups, 10 as having mild memory impairments for ability (IQ-MI) and 13 as memory-normal (IQ-MN). Subjects underwent cognitive and functional assessments at baseline and annual follow-up for 3 years. Perfusion SPECT was acquired at baseline. At follow-up, the IQ-MI subjects demonstrated decline in memory, visuospatial processing, and phonemic fluency, and 6 of 10 had progressed to a CDR of 0.5, while the IQ-MN subjects did not show decline. The IQ-MI group had significantly lower perfusion than the IQ-MN group in parietal/precuneus, temporal, and opercular frontal regions. In contrast, higher perfusion was observed in IQ-MI compared with IQ-MN in the left medial frontal and rostral anterior cingulate regions. IQ-adjusted memory impairment in individuals with high cognitive reserve is associated with baseline SPECT abnormality in a pattern consistent with prodromal AD and predicts subsequent cognitive and functional decline

Expression of Na+/glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1) in the intestine of piglets weaned to different concentrations of dietary carbohydrate

Na+/glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1) transports dietary sugars from the lumen of the intestine into enterocytes. Regulation of this protein is essential for the provision of glucose to the body and, thus, is important for maintenance of glucose homeostasis. We have assessed expression of SGLT1 at mRNA, protein and functional levels in the intestinal tissue of 28d old piglets weaned onto isoenergetic diets with differing concentrations of digestible carbohydrate (CHO). We show that expression of SGLT1 remains constant when piglets are fed up to 40% CHO-containing diets. However, there is a significant increase in SGLT1 expression when the CHO content of the diet is>50%. Morphometric analyses indicate that the increased expression is not due to a trophic effect. It has been proposed that in rat intestine, in response to a high-CHO diet, GLUT2 (the classical basolateral membrane monosaccharide transporter) is translocated to the luminal membrane of enterocytes to absorb excess dietary glucose. We show, using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting with antibodies raised to amino acids in different epitopes of GLUT2, that under all dietary conditions, low to high CHO, GLUT2 is expressed on the basolateral membrane of pig enterocytes. Furthermore, functional studies indicate that there is no uptake of 2-deoxy-d-glucopyranoside, a specific substrate of Na+-independent glucose transporters into brush-border membrane vesicles isolated from the intestines of piglets either maintained on low- or high-CHO diets. Thus, SGLT1 is the major route for absorption of dietary sugars across the luminal membrane of swine enterocyte

Both unmedicated and medicated individuals with schizophrenia show impairments across a wide array of cognitive and reinforcement learning tasks

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by pervasive deficits in cognitive functioning. However, few well-powered studies have examined the degree to which cognitive performance is impaired even among individuals with schizophrenia not currently on antipsychotic medications using a wide range of cognitive and reinforcement learning measures derived from cognitive neuroscience. Such research is particularly needed in the domain of reinforcement learning, given the central role of dopamine in reinforcement learning, and the potential impact of antipsychotic medications on dopamine function. METHODS: The present study sought to fill this gap by examining healthy controls (N = 75), unmedicated (N = 48) and medicated (N = 148) individuals with schizophrenia. Participants were recruited across five sites as part of the CNTRaCS Consortium to complete tasks assessing processing speed, cognitive control, working memory, verbal learning, relational encoding and retrieval, visual integration and reinforcement learning. RESULTS: Individuals with schizophrenia who were not taking antipsychotic medications, as well as those taking antipsychotic medications, showed pervasive deficits across cognitive domains including reinforcement learning, processing speed, cognitive control, working memory, verbal learning and relational encoding and retrieval. Further, we found that chlorpromazine equivalency rates were significantly related to processing speed and working memory, while there were no significant relationships between anticholinergic load and performance on other tasks. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to a body of literature suggesting that cognitive deficits are an enduring aspect of schizophrenia, present in those off antipsychotic medications as well as those taking antipsychotic medications

Iron conservation by reduction of metalloenzyme inventories in the marine diazotroph Crocosphaera watsonii

The marine nitrogen fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs) are a major source of nitrogen to open ocean ecosystems and are predicted to be limited by iron in most marine environments. Here we use global and targeted proteomic analyses on a key unicellular marine diazotroph Crocosphaera watsonii to reveal large scale diel changes in its proteome, including substantial variations in concentrations of iron metalloproteins involved in nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis, as well as nocturnal flavodoxin production. The daily synthesis and degradation of enzymes in coordination with their utilization results in a lowered cellular metalloenzyme inventory that requires ~40% less iron than if these enzymes were maintained throughout the diel cycle. This strategy is energetically expensive, but appears to serve as an important adaptation for confronting the iron scarcity of the open oceans. A global numerical model of ocean circulation, biogeochemistry and ecosystems suggests that Crocosphaera’s ability to reduce its iron-metalloenzyme inventory provides two advantages: It allows Crocosphaera to inhabit regions lower in iron and allows the same iron supply to support higher Crocosphaera biomass and nitrogen fixation than if they did not have this reduced iron requirement.National Science Foundation (U.S.). Chemical and Biological Oceanography Program (OCE-0452883)National Science Foundation (U.S.). Chemical and Biological Oceanography Program (OCE-0752291)National Science Foundation (U.S.). Chemical and Biological Oceanography Program (OCE-0723667)National Science Foundation (U.S.). Chemical and Biological Oceanography Program (OCE-0928414)National Science Foundation (U.S.). Polar Program (ANT-0732665)United States. Environmental Protection Agency (Star Fellowship)Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Ocean Life InstituteCenter for Microbial Oceanography: Research and EducationCenter for Environmental Bioinorganic Chemistr

Expression of Na+/glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1) is enhanced by supplementation of the diet of weaning piglets with artificial sweeteners

In an intensive livestock production, a shorter suckling period allows more piglets to be born. However, this practice leads to a number of disorders including nutrient malabsorption, resulting in diarrhoea, malnutrition and dehydration. A number of strategies have been proposed to overcome weaning problems. Artificial sweeteners, routinely included in piglets' diet, were thought to enhance feed palatability. However, it is shown in rodent models that when included in the diet, they enhance the expression of Na+/glucose co-transporter (SGLT1) and the capacity of the gut to absorb glucose. Here, we show that supplementation of piglets' feed with a combination of artificial sweeteners saccharin and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone enhances the expression of SGLT1 and intestinal glucose transport function. Artificial sweeteners are known to act on the intestinal sweet taste receptor T1R2/T1R3 and its partner G-protein, gustducin, to activate pathways leading to SGLT1 up-regulation. Here, we demonstrate that T1R2, T1R3 and gustducin are expressed together in the enteroendocrine cells of piglet intestine. Furthermore, gut hormones secreted by the endocrine cells in response to dietary carbohydrates, glucagon-like peptides (GLP)-1, GLP-2 and glucose-dependent insulinotrophic peptide (GIP), are co-expressed with type 1 G-protein-coupled receptors (T1R) and gustducin, indicating that L- and K-enteroendocrine cells express these taste elements. In a fewer endocrine cells, T1R are also co-expressed with serotonin. Lactisole, an inhibitor of human T1R3, had no inhibitory effect on sweetener-induced SGLT1 up-regulation in piglet intestine. A better understanding of the mechanism(s) involved in sweetener up-regulation of SGLT1 will allow the identification of nutritional targets with implications for the prevention of weaning-related malabsorptio