Performance On The Repeatable Battery For The Assessment Of Neuropsychological Status (rbans) In A Mild Traumatic Brain Injured Sample

The majority of individuals are believed to recover within several months following a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). However, some individuals may continue to experience persistent symptoms including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems. This study compared the performance of college students with self-reported MTBI to non-head injured peers on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) index and subtest scores using independent-samples t-tests. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were also used to compare symptoms of depression, anxiety and alcohol use between groups. The results of this study did not support the hypotheses. Significant differences between groups were found for the RBANS Delayed Memory Index and the STAI trait subscale. This study contributed to MTBI research in that it gathered information regarding cognitive performance, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and alcohol use in a sample of college students with MTBI

Ordinary perspective

Ordinary Perspective is a body of ceramic work that shows a representation of a typical day, highlighting ordinary moments and creating a portrait of everyday life. This work distills down experiences into still images that sum-up the experience of the “In-Between” moments. These are the times that are not committed to memory, but are an essential part of our everyday lives. In this body of work I am addressing places where people are expected to take on the role of a loner. By observing people who are together, but not in a group allows me to observe the details of (anti)social situations without any actual interaction. Focusing on idiosyncrasies within the monotony, I suggest narratives through imagery drawn on ceramic forms. This body of work contains panoramic images spanning across multiple functional vessels, small wall tiles, which show more intimate moments inside the home, and large jar forms, which show portraits of people in their daily routine and make eye contact with the viewer to form a personal connection. By focusing on the “In-Between” parts of the day I am able to show the vulnerability, loneliness, and isolation that can fill much of our daily lif

Using critical literacy and emotionally responsive teaching to discuss racism in a literature circle unit

This paper contains an instructional unit designed to create space in the classroom for open and honest conversations about racism through enhancing the literature circle format with the incorporation of critical literacy and emotionally-responsive teaching. The unit utilizes strategies that are research-based and referenced in the paper. Detailed lessons as well as all additional needed materials are included

Host affinity of endophytic fungi and the potential for reciprocal interactions involving host secondary chemistry

PREMISE: Interactions between fungal endophytes and their host plants present useful systems for identifying important factors affecting assembly of host-associated microbiomes. Here we investigated the role of secondary chemistry in mediating host affinity of asymptomatic foliar endophytic fungi using Psychotria spp. and Theobroma cacao (cacao) as hosts. METHODS: First, we surveyed endophytic communities in Psychotria species in a natural common garden using culture-based methods. Then we compared differences in endophytic community composition with differences in foliar secondary chemistry in the same host species, determined by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Finally, we tested how inoculation with live and heat-killed endophytes affected the cacao chemical profile. RESULTS: Despite sharing a common environment and source pool for endophyte spores, different Psychotria host species harbored strikingly different endophytic communities that reflected intrinsic differences in their leaf chemical profiles. In T. cacao, inoculation with live and heat-killed endophytes produced distinct cacao chemical profiles not found in uninoculated plants or pure fungal cultures, suggesting that endophytes, like pathogens, induce changes in secondary chemical profiles of their host plant. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively our results suggest at least two potential processes: (1) Plant secondary chemistry influences assembly and composition of fungal endophytic communities, and (2) host colonization by endophytes subsequently induces changes in the host chemical landscape. We propose a series of testable predictions based on the possibility that reciprocal chemical interactions are a general property of plant–endophyte interactionsPREMISE: Interactions between fungal endophytes and their host plants present useful systems for identifying important factors affecting assembly of host-associated microbiomes. Here we investigated the role of secondary chemistry in mediating host affinity of asymptomatic foliar endophytic fungi using Psychotria spp. and Theobroma cacao (cacao) as hosts. METHODS: First, we surveyed endophytic communities in Psychotria species in a natural common garden using culture-based methods. Then we compared differences in endophytic community composition with differences in foliar secondary chemistry in the same host species, determined by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Finally, we tested how inoculation with live and heat-killed endophytes affected the cacao chemical profile. RESULTS: Despite sharing a common environment and source pool for endophyte spores, different Psychotria host species harbored strikingly different endophytic communities that reflected intrinsic differences in their leaf chemical profiles. In T. cacao, inoculation with live and heat-killed endophytes produced distinct cacao chemical profiles not found in uninoculated plants or pure fungal cultures, suggesting that endophytes, like pathogens, induce changes in secondary chemical profiles of their host plant. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively our results suggest at least two potential processes: (1) Plant secondary chemistry influences assembly and composition of fungal endophytic communities, and (2) host colonization by endophytes subsequently induces changes in the host chemical landscape. We propose a series of testable predictions based on the possibility that reciprocal chemical interactions are a general property of plant–endophyte interaction

Evaluation of a Multidrug Assay for Monitoring Adherence to a Regimen for HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis in a Clinical Study, HIV Prevention Trials Network 073

ABSTRACT Daily oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-emtricitabine (FTC) is a safe and effective intervention for HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We evaluated the performance of a qualitative assay that detects 20 antiretroviral (ARV) drugs (multidrug assay) in assessing recent PrEP exposure (detection limit, 2 to 20 ng/ml). Samples were obtained from 216 Black men who have sex with men (208 HIV-uninfected men and 8 seroconverters) who were enrolled in a study in the United States evaluating the acceptability of TDF-FTC PrEP (165 of the uninfected men and 5 of the seroconverters accepted PrEP). Samples from 163 of the 165 HIV-uninfected men who accepted PrEP and samples from all 8 seroconverters were also tested for tenofovir (TFV) and FTC using a quantitative assay (detection limit for both drugs, 0.31 ng/ml). HIV drug resistance was assessed in seroconverter samples. The multidrug assay detected TFV and/or FTC in 3 (1.4%) of the 208 uninfected men at enrollment, 84 (40.4%) of the 208 uninfected men at the last study visit, and 1 (12.5%) of the 8 seroconverters. No other ARV drugs were detected. The quantitative assay confirmed all positive results from the multidrug assay and detected TFV and/or FTC in 9 additional samples (TFV range, 0.65 to 16.5 ng/ml; FTC range, 0.33 to 14.6 ng/ml). Resistance mutations were detected in 4 of the 8 seroconverter samples. The multidrug assay had 100% sensitivity and specificity for detecting TFV and FTC at drug concentrations consistent with daily PrEP use. The quantitative assay detected TFV and FTC at lower levels, which also might have provided protection against HIV infection

The varved succession of Crawford Lake, Milton, Ontario, Canada as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series

An annually laminated succession in Crawford Lake, Ontario, Canada is proposed as the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene as a series/epoch with a base dated at 1950 CE. Varve couplets of organic matter capped by calcite precipitated each summer in alkaline surface waters reflect environmental change at global to local scales. Spheroidal carbonaceous particles and nitrogen isotopes record an increase in fossil fuel combustion in the early 1950s, coinciding with fallout from nuclear and thermonuclear testing—239+240Pu and 14C:12C, the latter more than compensating for the effects of old carbon in this dolomitic basin. Rapid industrial expansion in the North American Great Lakes region led to enhanced leaching of terrigenous elements by acid precipitation during the Great Acceleration, and calcite precipitation was reduced, producing thin calcite laminae around the GSSP that is marked by a sharp decline in elm pollen (Dutch Elm disease). The lack of bioturbation in well-oxygenated bottom waters, supported by the absence of fossil pigments from obligately anaerobic purple sulfur bacteria, is attributed to elevated salinities and high alkalinity below the chemocline. This aerobic depositional environment, unusual in a meromictic lake, inhibits the mobilization of 239Pu, the proposed primary stratigraphic guide for the Anthropocene

Integrative Genomic Analysis of Cholangiocarcinoma Identifies Distinct IDH -Mutant Molecular Profiles

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignancy of the bile ducts, with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Here, we describe the integrated analysis of somatic mutations, RNA expression, copy number, and DNA methylation by The Cancer Genome Atlas of a set of predominantly intrahepatic CCA cases and propose a molecular classification scheme. We identified an IDH mutant-enriched subtype with distinct molecular features including low expression of chromatin modifiers, elevated expression of mitochondrial genes, and increased mitochondrial DNA copy number. Leveraging the multi-platform data, we observed that ARID1A exhibited DNA hypermethylation and decreased expression in the IDH mutant subtype. More broadly, we found that IDH mutations are associated with an expanded histological spectrum of liver tumors with molecular features that stratify with CCA. Our studies reveal insights into the molecular pathogenesis and heterogeneity of cholangiocarcinoma and provide classification information of potential therapeutic significance

SOMATIC MOSAICISM FOR SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE VARIANTS IN HUMAN TISSUES OF APPARENTLY HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A MULTI-TISSUE ANALYSIS OF SOMATIC & CANCEROUS MUTATIONS

Cancer is a disease which can be caused due to hereditary traits, exposure to environmental mutagens, and/or mutations arising due to DNA replication errors. Recent studies suggest that cancerous somatic mutations occur at a much higher frequency in apparently healthy individuals than previously appreciated, making this a promising yet understudied area of research in cancer genomics as most studies look only at tumor samples. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the number of general and cancerous somatic mutations and the following variables: age of donor, sex of donor, organ/tissue the sample came from, and the self-renewal capacity of that organ/tissue. Specifically, we used whole exome sequencing methods to call somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the protein coding regions of the genomes from tissue samples of 14 apparently healthy donors (ages ranging from 20-69; number of tissue samples for each donor ranging from 10-29). We identified patterns of mutation prevalence across the previously mentioned variables, looking specifically at somatic and cancerous SNV counts and allelic frequencies. We also ran multiple linear regression models to estimate the effect of these predictor variables on the number of somatic and cancerous SNVs. We found, in total, 3,032 somatic SNVs in our 266 total tissue samples, as well as 162 cancerous somatic SNVs (meaning they overlapped in genomic position with known pathogenic cancerous mutations from the COSMIC database). The data did not find any statistically significant effect of age, sex, or organ on the number of somatic and cancerous SNVs, but did find a statistically significant effect of self-renewal capacity of the organ/tissue sample on the number of both somatic and cancerous SNVs. Our plots indicate differences in mutational patterns (general somatic and cancerous SNVs) across organ/tissue of sample origin as well as across donor. Together, these results challenge long held assumptions in cancer genomics, such as the appropriateness of the current classification method of cancer (based on organ/tissue of origin), as well as the assumption that age leads to accumulation of mutations continuously over time. Moreover, they underscore the importance of considering effects of tissue level processes (such as self-renewal) on the patterns of mutations and the importance of investigating multi-tissue patterns of mutations in healthy individuals as a means to improve early detection methods and to better analyze the risk and prognosis of cancer

Recent nitrogen storage and accumulation rates in mangrove soils exceed historic rates in the urbanized San Juan Bay Estuary (Puerto Rico, United States)

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Wigand, C., Oczkowski, A. J., Branoff, B. L., Eagle, M., Hanson, A., Martin, R. M., Balogh, S., Miller, K. M., Huertas, E., Loffredo, J., & Watson, E. B. Recent nitrogen storage and accumulation rates in mangrove soils exceed historic rates in the urbanized San Juan Bay Estuary (Puerto Rico, United States). Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 4, (2021): 765896, https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.765896.Tropical mangrove forests have been described as “coastal kidneys,” promoting sediment deposition and filtering contaminants, including excess nutrients. Coastal areas throughout the world are experiencing increased human activities, resulting in altered geomorphology, hydrology, and nutrient inputs. To effectively manage and sustain coastal mangroves, it is important to understand nitrogen (N) storage and accumulation in systems where human activities are causing rapid changes in N inputs and cycling. We examined N storage and accumulation rates in recent (1970 – 2016) and historic (1930 – 1970) decades in the context of urbanization in the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE, Puerto Rico), using mangrove soil cores that were radiometrically dated. Local anthropogenic stressors can alter N storage rates in peri-urban mangrove systems either directly by increasing N soil fertility or indirectly by altering hydrology (e.g., dredging, filling, and canalization). Nitrogen accumulation rates were greater in recent decades than historic decades at Piñones Forest and Martin Peña East. Martin Peña East was characterized by high urbanization, and Piñones, by the least urbanization in the SJBE. The mangrove forest at Martin Peña East fringed a poorly drained canal and often received raw sewage inputs, with N accumulation rates ranging from 17.7 to 37.9 g m–2 y–1 in recent decades. The Piñones Forest was isolated and had low flushing, possibly exacerbated by river damming, with N accumulation rates ranging from 18.6 to 24.2 g m–2 y–1 in recent decades. Nearly all (96.3%) of the estuary-wide mangrove N (9.4 Mg ha–1) was stored in the soils with 7.1 Mg ha–1 sequestered during 1970–2017 (0–18 cm) and 2.3 Mg ha–1 during 1930–1970 (19–28 cm). Estuary-wide mangrove soil N accumulation rates were over twice as great in recent decades (0.18 ± 0.002 Mg ha–1y–1) than historically (0.08 ± 0.001 Mg ha–1y–1). Nitrogen accumulation rates in SJBE mangrove soils in recent times were twofold larger than the rate of human-consumed food N that is exported as wastewater (0.08 Mg ha–1 y–1), suggesting the potential for mangroves to sequester human-derived N. Conservation and effective management of mangrove forests and their surrounding watersheds in the Anthropocene are important for maintaining water quality in coastal communities throughout tropical regions.Some funding was provided by the United States Geological Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program