Extension Needs Outreach Innovation Free from the Harms of Social Media

Despite the outreach-building benefits of social media for Extension, it is time for Extension professionals to find new innovative ways to reach out that do not involve social media. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the harms social media use imparts on the health and well-being of those in our communities. Our future use of social media as a primary method of outreach may perpetuate these harms, requiring our best efforts to develop new methods of outreach that do not negatively affect those we serve

Importance of Adding Objective Data to Stakeholder Data in Needs Assessments

When completing a needs assessment, Extension professionals should include both objective county data and stakeholder input data. Specifically, Extension professionals should identify potential areas of need, source available objective data, source data from relevant county stakeholders, and analyze similarities and differences in objective and stakeholder data. Needs assessments should be conducted in this manner to confirm the needs of a county; address risk of data skewed by subjective stakeholder opinion, particularly in small counties; and identify areas of greatest need. This method has been shown to be effective through implementation in a target rural county

Remote Hiring Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Extension\u27s in-person hiring processes have been complicated in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent delays in hiring for three vacant county faculty positions, our search committee conducted remote interviews using a variety of innovative techniques, such as a live we\u27re hiring webinar, an icebreaker session, and live and recorded candidate presentations. The results of our innovative efforts included a larger pool of applicants, relaxed web-based video interviews, and savings in time and expenses. These strategies could be considered as new and effective approaches and practices to hiring and interviewing in Extension as the pandemic continues and into the future

Vitamin D metabolites are associated with musculoskeletal injury in young adults: a prospective cohort study.

The relationship between vitamin D metabolites and lower body (pelvis and lower limb) overuse injury is unclear. In a prospective cohort study, we investigated the association between vitamin D metabolites and incidence of lower body overuse musculoskeletal and bone stress injury in young adults undergoing initial military training during all seasons. In 1637 men and 530 women (age, 22.6 ± 7.5 years; BMI, 24.0 ± 2.6 kg∙m−2; 94.3% white ethnicity), we measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25(OH)2D) by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) by immunoassay during week 1 of training. We examined whether the relationship between 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D ratio was associated with overuse injury. During 12 weeks training, 21.0% sustained ≥1 overuse musculoskeletal injury, and 5.6% sustained ≥1 bone stress injury. After controlling for sex, BMI, 2.4 km run time, smoking, bone injury history, and Army training course (Officer, standard, or Infantry), lower body overuse musculoskeletal injury incidence was higher for participants within the second lowest versus highest quartile of 24,25(OH)2D (OR: 1.62 [95%CI 1.13–2.32; P = 0.009]) and lowest versus highest cluster of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D (OR: 6.30 [95%CI 1.89–21.2; P = 0.003]). Lower body bone stress injury incidence was higher for participants within the lowest versus highest quartile of 24,25(OH)2D (OR: 4.02 [95%CI 1.82–8.87; P < 0.001]) and lowest versus highest cluster of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D (OR: 22.08 [95%CI 3.26–149.4; P = 0.001]), after controlling for the same covariates. Greater conversion of 25(OH)D to 24,25(OH)2D, relative to 1,25(OH)2D (i.e., low 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D), and higher serum 24,25(OH)2D were associated with a lower incidence of lower body overuse musculoskeletal and bone stress injury. Serum 24,25(OH)2D may have a role in preventing overuse injury in young adults undertaking arduous physical training

Parkinson’s disease-linked LRRK2 is expressed in circulating and tissue immune cells and upregulated following recognition of microbial structures

Sequence variants at or near the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) locus have been associated with susceptibility to three human conditions: Parkinson disease (PD), Crohn’s disease and leprosy. Because all three disorders represent complex diseases with evidence of inflammation, we hypothesized a role for LRRK2 in immune cell functions

Heterozygosity increases microsatellite mutation rate, linking it to demographic history

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Biochemical experiments in yeast suggest a possible mechanism that would cause heterozygous sites to mutate faster than equivalent homozygous sites. If such a process operates, it could undermine a key assumption at the core of population genetic theory, namely that mutation rate and population size are indpendent, because population expansion would increase heterozygosity that in turn would increase mutation rate. Here we test this hypothesis using both direct counting of microsatellite mutations in human pedigrees and an analysis of the relationship between microsatellite length and patterns of demographically-induced variation in heterozygosity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We find that microsatellite alleles of any given length are more likely to mutate when their homologue is unusually different in length. Furthermore, microsatellite lengths in human populations do not vary randomly, but instead exhibit highly predictable trends with both distance from Africa, a surrogate measure of genome-wide heterozygosity, and modern population size. This predictability remains even after statistically controlling for non-independence due to shared ancestry among populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results reveal patterns that are unexpected under classical population genetic theory, where no mechanism exists capable of linking allele length to extrinsic variables such as geography or population size. However, the predictability of microsatellite length is consistent with heterozygote instability and suggest that this has an important impact on microsatellite evolution. Whether similar processes impact on single nucleotide polymorphisms remains unclear.</p

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Adoptees and behavior problems: A meta-analysis

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Family Studies and Human ServicesJared R. AndersonSandra M. StithAdoption trends have shifted in the past two decades and as a result, could impact established assumptions about behavior problems among adopted children. A comprehensive meta-analysis was published in 2005 attempting to come to more definitive conclusions regarding adoption behavior and moderators of adoption behavior. However, the study used a sample from over a dozen countries over a 44 year span. This study is a meta-analysis that has replicated many of the questions investigated by the previous analysis with a much more recent 15 year sample of adoptees placed only within the United States. The results show that combined international and domestic adoptee samples, as well as separate international and domestic adoptee samples are more likely to have total, externalizing, and internalizing behavior problems than their non-adopted counterparts. In addition, age at time of assessment, gender of adoptees, and length of time spent with adoptive family may moderate some of the behavior problems experienced by adoptees. Pre-adoptive adversity, age at time of assessment, and study quality were not shown to have moderating influence on behavior of adoptees

Vitamin D metabolites are associated with physical performance in young healthy adults.

Purpose: To determine vitamin D metabolites and vitamin D receptor (VDR) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) relationships with physical performance. Methods: In 1205 men and 322 women (94.8% white Caucasian, 22.0 ± 2.8 years) commencing military training, we measured: serum vitamin D metabolites (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25(OH)2D) by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrophotometry, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) by immunoassay); VDR SNPs (rs2228570, rs4516035, and rs7139166 by polymerase chain reaction genotyping); and endurance performance by 2.4 km run, muscle strength by maximal dynamic lift, and muscle power by maximal vertical jump. Results: Serum 25(OH)D was negatively associated with 2.4 km run time and positively associated with muscle power (β = –12.0 and 90.1), 1,25(OH)2D was positively associated with run time and negatively associated with strength and muscle power (β = 5.6, –1.06, and –38.4), and 24,25(OH)2D was negatively associated with run time (β = –8.9; P < 0.01), after controlling for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, time outdoors, season, and BMI. Vitamin D metabolites (25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D, and 24,25(OH)2D) together explained variances of 5.0% in run time, 0.7% in strength, and 0.9% in muscle power (ΔF P < 0.001). All performance measures were superior with low 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D ratio (P < 0.05). VDR SNPs were not associated with physical performance (ΔF P ≥ 0.306). Conclusion: Vitamin D metabolites accounted for a small portion of variance in physical performance. Associations between vitamin D metabolites and run time were the most consistent. VDR SNPs explained no variance in performance. Greater conversion of 25(OH)D to 24,25(OH)2D, relative to 1,25(OH)2D (i.e., low 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D ratio), was favourable for performance, indicating 24,25(OH)2D may have a role in optimising physical performance

Vitamin D metabolites are associated with physical performance in young healthy adults

Purpose. To determine vitamin D metabolites and vitamin D receptor (VDR) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) relationships with physical performance.   Methods. In 1205 men and 322 women (94.8% white Caucasian, 22.0 ± 2.8 years) commencing military training, we measured: serum vitamin D metabolites (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25(OH)2D) by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrophotometry, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) by immunoassay); VDR SNPs (rs2228570, rs4516035, and rs7139166 by polymerase chain reaction genotyping); and endurance performance by 2.4 km run, muscle strength by maximal dynamic lift, and muscle power by maximal vertical jump.   Results. Serum 25(OH)D was negatively associated with 2.4 km run time and positively associated with muscle power (β = –12.0 and 90.1), 1,25(OH)2D was positively associated with run time and negatively associated with strength and muscle power (β = 5.6, –1.06, and –38.4), and 24,25(OH)2D was negatively associated with run time (β = –8.9; P < 0.01), after controlling for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, time outdoors, season, and BMI. Vitamin D metabolites (25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D, and 24,25(OH)2D) together explained variances of 5.0% in run time, 0.7% in strength, and 0.9% in muscle power (ΔF P < 0.001). All performance measures were superior with low 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D ratio (P < 0.05). VDR SNPs were not associated with physical performance (ΔF P ≥ 0.306).   Conclusion. Vitamin D metabolites accounted for a small portion of variance in physical performance. Associations between vitamin D metabolites and run time were the most consistent. VDR SNPs explained no variance in performance. Greater conversion of 25(OH)D to 24,25(OH)2D, relative to 1,25(OH)2D (i.e., low 1,25(OH)2D:24,25(OH)2D ratio), was favourable for performance, indicating 24,25(OH)2D may have a role in optimising physical performance