EFFECTS OF THE INVASIVE PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS ON THE PREDATION OF MOSQUITOES THROUGH CHANGES IN HABITAT COMPLEXITY

Ephemeral stormwater ponds in the eastern United States are often invaded by non-native Phragmites australis which has been associated with numerous negative impacts on resident systems, including changes in hydrology, displacement of native macrophytes, and degradation of wildlife habitat. Few studies have documented the impacts of invasive P.australis on macroinvertebrate communities. Vegetated edges of stormwater retention facilities are often important developmental habitat for medically significant mosquitoes and the invertebrate predators that regulate their abundances. The displacement of resident macrophytes by P.australis could alter the physical structure of pond vegetation and disrupt the interactions between mosquitoes and their visual predators. The overall goal of my thesis was to evaluate differences in habitat complexity between native macrophytes, T.latifolia and J.effuses, and P.australis, and explore how those differences may impact predation of mosquitoes. I addressed this goal by conducting a controlled laboratory predation experiment and field surveys of four stormwater ponds

Multiethnic genome-wide meta-analysis of ectopic fat depots identifies loci associated with adipocyte development and differentiation

Variation in body fat distribution contributes to the metabolic sequelae of obesity. The genetic determinants of body fat distribution are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to gain new insights into the underlying genetics of body fat distribution by conducting sample-size weighted fixed-effects genome-wide association meta-analyses in up to 9,594 women and 8,738 men for six ectopic fat traits in European, African, Hispanic, and Chinese ancestry populations, with and without sex stratification. In total, 7 new loci were identified in association with ectopic fat traits (ATXN1, UBE2E2, EBF1, RREB1, GSDMB, GRAMD3 and ENSA; PATXN1 and UBE2E2 in primary mouse adipose progenitor cells impaired adipocyte differentiation, suggesting a physiological role for ATXN1 and UBE2E2 in adipogenesis. Future studies are necessary to further explore the mechanisms by which these genes impact adipocyte biology and how their perturbations contribute to systemic metabolic disease

Offspring Production among the Extended Relatives of Samoan Men and Fa'afafine

Androphilia refers to sexual attraction to adult males, whereas gynephilia refers to sexual attraction to adult females. Male androphilia is an evolutionary paradox. Its development is at least partially influenced by genetic factors, yet male androphiles exhibit lower reproductive output, thus raising the question of how genetic factors underlying its development persist. The sexual antagonism hypothesis posits that the fitness costs associated with genetic factors underlying male androphilia are offset because these same factors lead to elevated reproduction on the part of the female relatives of androphilic males. Western samples drawn from low fertility populations have yielded inconsistent results when testing this hypothesis. Some studies documented elevated reproduction among the matrilineal female kin of androphilic males, whereas others found such effects in the paternal line. Samoa is a high-fertility population in which individuals reproduce closer to their maximum capacities. This study compared the reproductive output of the paternal and maternal line grandmothers, aunts, and uncles of 86 Samoan androphilic males, known locally as fa'afafine, and 86 Samoan gynephilic males. Reproductive output was elevated in the paternal and maternal line grandmothers, but not aunts or uncles, of fa'afafine. These findings are consistent with the sexual antagonism hypothesis and suggest that male androphilia is associated with elevated reproduction among extended relatives in both the maternal and paternal line. Discussion focuses on how this study, in conjunction with the broader literature, informs various models for the evolution of male androphilia via elevated reproduction on the part of female kin

Trends in mental health clinical research: Characterizing the ClinicalTrials.gov registry from 2007-2018.

While the epidemiologic burden of mental health disorders in the United States has been well described over the past decade, we know relatively little about trends in how these disorders are being studied through clinical research. We examined all US interventional mental health trials submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov between October 1, 2007 and April 30, 2018 to identify trends in trial characteristics, comparisons with non-mental health trials, and trial attributes associated with discontinuation and results reporting. International data were excluded to minimize potential confounding. Over this period, mental health and non-mental health trials grew at similar rates, though Industry and US government-funded trials declined and academic medical center/hospital/other (AMC/Hosp/Oth) funded trials grew faster in mental health research. The proportion of trials with safeguards against bias, including blinding and oversight by data monitoring committees (DMCs), decreased. This occurred during growth in the proportion of trials studying behavioral and non-pharmacological interventions, which often cannot be blinded and do not require DMC oversight. There was concurrent decline in pharmaceutical trials. There was significant growth in trials studying Non-DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5) conditions (e.g. suicidality and wellness), as well as substance use, anxiety, and neurocognitive disorders. One in 12 trials was discontinued. Trial discontinuation was associated with industry and AMC/Hosp/Oth funders, pharmaceutical interventions, and lack of DMC oversight. Only 29.9% of completed trials reported results to the registry. Decreased results reporting was associated with behavioral interventions, phase 1 trials, and industry and AMC/Hosp/Oth funders. The main implications of these data are that funding is shifting away from traditional government and industry sources, there is increasing interest in non-pharmacological treatments and Non-DSM conditions, and there are changing norms in trial design characteristics regarding safeguards against bias. These trends can guide researchers and funding bodies when considering the trajectory of future mental health research

Early Life Trauma Is Associated With Increased Microvolt T‐Wave Alternans During Mental Stress Challenge: A Substudy of Mental Stress Ischemia: Prognosis and Genetic Influences

Background Early life trauma has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk, but the arrhythmic implications are unclear. We hypothesized that in patients with coronary artery disease, early life trauma predicts increased arrhythmic risk during mental stress, measured by elevated microvolt T‐wave alternans (TWA), a measure of repolarization heterogeneity and sudden cardiac death risk. Methods and Results In a cohort with stable coronary artery disease (NCT04123197), we examined early life trauma with the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report‐Short Form. Participants underwent a laboratory‐based mental stress speech task with Holter monitoring, as well as a structured psychiatric interview. We measured TWA during rest, mental stress, and recovery with ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. We adjusted for sociodemographic factors, cardiac history, psychiatric comorbidity, and hemodynamic stress reactivity with multivariable linear regression models. We examined 320 participants with noise‐ and arrhythmia‐free ECGs. The mean (SD) age was 63.8 (8.7) years, 27% were women, and 27% reported significant childhood trauma (Early Trauma Inventory Self Report‐Short Form ≥10). High childhood trauma was associated with a multivariable‐adjusted 17% increase in TWA (P=0.04) during stress, and each unit increase in the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report‐Short Form total score was associated with a 1.7% higher stress TWA (P=0.02). The largest effect sizes were found with the emotional trauma subtype. Conclusions In a cohort with stable coronary artery disease, early life trauma, and in particular emotional trauma, is associated with increased TWA, a marker of increased arrhythmic risk, during mental stress. This association suggests that early trauma exposures may affect long‐term sudden cardiac death risk during emotional triggers, although more studies are warranted