Birth weight and risk of ischemic heart disease: A Mendelian randomization study

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Garment patterns generating based on 3-D body scanning

2009-2010 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Liver Enzymes and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Mendelian Randomization Study

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A breath-hold R2 mapping pulse sequence detects a decrease in myocardial ferritin iron after one-week of iron chelation

Oral Abstract Session XI – New CMR Methods Applied to Human Imaging: O69Intracellular ferritin iron is evidently in equilibrium with the cytosolic iron pool that can change rapidly with iron chelation. This study demonstrates the feasibility of quantitatively detecting short-term changes in myocardial iron produced by iron-chelating therapy using RR2 measurement.postprintThe 13th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR), Phoenix, AZ., 21-24 January 2010. In Final Program of the 13th Annual Scientific Sessions of SCMR, 2010, p. 29, abstract no. O6

Older Adult Preferences of Mobile Application Functionality Supporting Medication Self-Management

Health systems and insurers alike are increasingly interested in leveraging mHealth (mobile health) tools to support patient health-related behaviors including medication adherence. However, these tools are not widely used by older patients. This study explores patient preferences for functionality in a smartphone application (app) that supports medication self-management among older adults with multiple chronic conditions. We conducted six discussion groups in Chicago, Miami, and Denver (N = 46). English-speaking older adults (55 and older) who owned smartphones and took five or more prescription medicines were invited to participate. Discussions covered familiarity with and use of current apps and challenges with taking multidrug regimens. Participants reviewed a range of possible mobile app functions and were asked to give feedback regarding the acceptability and desirability of each to support medication management. Very few participants (n = 3) reported current use of a mobile app for medication support, although all were receptive. Challenges to medication use were forgetfulness, fear of adverse events, and managing medication information from multiple sources. Desired features included (1) a list and consolidated schedule of medications, (2) identification and warning of unsafemedication interactions, (3) reminder alerts to take medicine, and (4) the ability record when medications were taken. Features relating to refill ordering, pharmacy information, and comparing costs for medication were not considered to be as important for an app

Epistasis not needed to explain low dN/dS

An important question in molecular evolution is whether an amino acid that occurs at a given position makes an independent contribution to fitness, or whether its effect depends on the state of other loci in the organism's genome, a phenomenon known as epistasis. In a recent letter to Nature, Breen et al. (2012) argued that epistasis must be "pervasive throughout protein evolution" because the observed ratio between the per-site rates of non-synonymous and synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) is much lower than would be expected in the absence of epistasis. However, when calculating the expected dN/dS ratio in the absence of epistasis, Breen et al. assumed that all amino acids observed in a protein alignment at any particular position have equal fitness. Here, we relax this unrealistic assumption and show that any dN/dS value can in principle be achieved at a site, without epistasis. Furthermore, for all nuclear and chloroplast genes in the Breen et al. dataset, we show that the observed dN/dS values and the observed patterns of amino acid diversity at each site are jointly consistent with a non-epistatic model of protein evolution.Comment: This manuscript is in response to "Epistasis as the primary factor in molecular evolution" by Breen et al. Nature 490, 535-538 (2012

The impact of ocean acidification on the functional morphology of foraminifera

This work was supported by the NERC UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme grant NE/H017445/1. WENA acknowledges NERC support (NE/G018502/1). DMP received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland). MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions.Culturing experiments were performed on sediment samples from the Ythan Estuary, N. E. Scotland, to assess the impacts of ocean acidification on test surface ornamentation in the benthic foraminifer Haynesina germanica. Specimens were cultured for 36 weeks at either 380, 750 or 1000 ppm atmospheric CO2. Analysis of the test surface using SEM imaging reveals sensitivity of functionally important ornamentation associated with feeding to changing seawater CO2 levels. Specimens incubated at high CO2 levels displayed evidence of shell dissolution, a significant reduction and deformation of ornamentation. It is clear that these calcifying organisms are likely to be vulnerable to ocean acidification. A reduction in functionally important ornamentation could lead to a reduction in feeding efficiency with consequent impacts on this organism’s survival and fitness.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A longitudinal survey of African animal trypanosomiasis in domestic cattle on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria:prevalence, distribution and risk factors

BACKGROUND: Trypanosomiasis is a widespread disease of livestock in Nigeria and a major constraint to the rural economy. The Jos Plateau, Nigeria was free from tsetse flies and the trypanosomes they transmit due to its high altitude and the absence of animal trypanosomiasis attracted large numbers of cattle-keeping pastoralists to inhabit the plateau. The Jos Plateau now plays a significant role in the national cattle industry, accommodating approximately 7% of the national herd and supporting 300,000 pastoralists and over one million cattle. However, during the past two decades tsetse flies have invaded the Jos Plateau and animal trypanosomiasis has become a significant problem for livestock keepers. METHODS: In 2008 a longitudinal two-stage cluster survey on the Jos Plateau. Cattle were sampled in the dry, early wet and late wet seasons. Parasite identification was undertaken using species-specific polymerase chain reactions to determine the prevalence and distribution bovine trypanosomiasis. Logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for disease. RESULTS: The prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma brucei brucei, Trypanosoma congolense savannah, Trypanosoma vivax) across the Jos Plateau was found to be high at 46.8% (39.0 – 54.5%) and significant, seasonal variation was observed between the dry season and the end of the wet season. T. b. brucei was observed at a prevalence of 3.2% (1% – 5.5%); T. congolense at 27.7% (21.8% - 33.6%) and T. vivax at 26.7% (18.2% - 35.3%). High individual variation was observed in trypanosomiasis prevalence between individual villages on the Plateau, ranging from 8.8% to 95.6%. Altitude was found to be a significant risk factor for trypanosomiasis whilst migration also influenced risk for animal trypanosomiasis. CONCLUSIONS: Trypanosomiasis is now endemic on the Jos Plateau showing high prevalence in cattle and is influenced by seasonality, altitude and migration practices. Attempts to successfully control animal trypanosomiasis on the Plateau will need to take into account the large variability in trypanosomiasis infection rates between villages, the influence of land use, and husbandry and management practices of the pastoralists, all of which affect the epidemiology of the disease