Association of environment and place of birth with asthma in Chinese immigrant children

Despite the advances in perinatal and neonatal care and use of newer potent antibiotics, the incidence of neonatal sepsis remains high and the outcome is still severe. For years, investigators have sought a test or panel of tests able to identify septic neonates accurately and rapidly in order to obtain an early diagnosis and develop a specific effective treatment for a successful outcome. In addition to the standard procedures (blood, CSF, and urine cultures, chest x-ray), such panels have included a combination of total and differential cell counts, total immature neutrophil counts, immature to total neutrophil ratio, platelet counts, and levels of acute-phase reactants and cytokines. Furthermore, the science of proteomics and genomics has been applied to the search for biomarkers, production of protein profiles and genetic polymorphisms that can rapidly help the prediction, early diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases, but, for now, data are as yet insufficient to confirm their validity

Regulation of pregnane-X-receptor, CYP3A and P-glycoprotein genes in the PCB-resistant killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) population from New Bedford Harbor

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2014. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Aquatic Toxicology 159 (2015): 198-207, doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.12.010.Killifish survive and reproduce in the New Bedford Harbor (NBH) in Massachusetts (MA), USA, a site severely contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for decades. Levels of 22 different PCB congeners were analyzed in liver from killifish collected in 2008. Concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs in liver of NBH killifish were ~400 times higher, and the levels of non-dioxin-like PCBs ~3000 times higher than in killifish from a reference site, Scorton Creek (SC), MA. The NBH killifish are known to be resistant to the toxicity of dioxin-like compounds and to have a reduced aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling response. Little is known about the responses of these fish to non-dioxin-like PCBs, which are at extraordinarily high levels in NBH fish. In mammals, some non-dioxin-like PCB congeners act through nuclear receptor 1I2, the pregnane-X-receptor (PXR). To explore this pathway in killifish, a PXR cDNA was sequenced and its molecular phylogenetic relationship to other vertebrate PXRs was determined. Killifish were also collected in 2009 from NBH and SC, and after four months in the laboratory they were injected with a single dose of either the dioxin-like PCB 126 (an AhR agonist) or the non-dioxin-like PCB 153 (a mammalian PXR agonist). Gills and liver were sampled three days after injection and transcript levels of PXR, cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A), P-glycoprotein (Pgp), AhR2 and cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) were measured by quantitative PCR. As expected, there was little effect of PCB exposure on AhR2 or CYP1A in liver and gills of NBH fish. In NBH fish, but not in SC fish, there was increased expression of hepatic PXR, CYP3A and Pgp genes upon exposure to either of the two PCB congeners. However, basal PXR and Pgp mRNA levels in liver of NBH fish were significantly lower than in SC fish. A different pattern was seen in gills, where there were no differences in basal expression of these genes between the two populations. In SC fish, but not in NBH fish, there was increased expression of branchial PXR and CYP3A upon exposure to PCB126 and of CYP3A upon exposure to PCB153. The results suggest a difference between the two populations in non-AhR transcription factor signaling in liver and gills, and that this could involve killifish PXR. It also implies possible cross-regulatory interactions between that factor (presumably PXR) and AhR2 in liver of these fish.This study was supported by grants from FORMAS (216-2007-468) and University of Gothenburg to MCC, and by the Superfund Research Program at Boston University, NIH grant P42ES007381 to JJS, MEH, and SIK. Data interpretation was aided by reference to a preliminary draft of the Fundulus heteroclitus genome sequence, which was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (collaborative research grants DEB-1120512, DEB-1265282, DEB-1120013, DEB-1120263, DEB-1120333, DEB-1120398). This study was also supported by NOAA Grant No. NA16RG2273 (WHOI Sea Grant Project No. R/P-70 to SIK and MEH) and by funding from Adlerbertska Forskningsstiftelsen, Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse and Wilhelm och Martina Lundgrens Vetenskapsfond to BW and JG

Native and foreign born as predictors of pediatric asthma in an Asian immigrant population: a cross sectional survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Asthma prevalence is lower in less developed countries and among some recent immigrant populations in the US, but the reasons for this are not clear. One possibility is that early childhood infections are protective against asthma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We surveyed Asian immigrant children (n = 204; age 4–18) to assess the relationship between asthma and native or foreign place of birth. We included questions about environmental exposures, demographic variables and family history of asthma to test whether they might explain effects of place of birth on asthma.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The native and foreign born groups were similar in most respects. Analysis of association with diagnosed asthma for all ages together resulted in two logistic regression models. Both retained born in the US (ORs were 3.2 and 4.3; p < 0.01) and family history of asthma (ORs were 6.4 and 7.2; p < 0.001). One model retained living near heavy motor traffic (OR = 2.6; p = 0.012). The other retained language (OR = 3.2; p = 0.003). However, for older children (11–18 years of age) being born in the US lost some of its predictive power.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings are consistent with early childhood infections that are prevalent outside the US protecting against asthma.</p

Effective Control of Schistosoma haematobium Infection in a Ghanaian Community following Installation of a Water Recreation Area

BackgroundUrogenital schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium was endemic in Adasawase, Ghana in 2007. Transmission was reported to be primarily through recreational water contact.MethodsWe designed a water recreation area (WRA) to prevent transmission to school-aged children. The WRA features a concrete pool supplied by a borehole well and a gravity-driven rainwater collection system; it is 30 m2 and is split into shallow and deep sections to accommodate a variety of age groups. The WRA opened in 2009 and children were encouraged to use it for recreation as opposed to the local river. We screened children annually for S. haematobium eggs in their urine in 2008, 2009, and 2010 and established differences in infection rates before (2008–09) and after (2009–10) installation of the WRA. After each annual screening, children were treated with praziquantel and rescreened to confirm parasite clearance.Principal FindingsInitial baseline testing in 2008 established that 105 of 247 (42.5%) children were egg-positive. In 2009, with drug treatment alone, the pre-WRA annual cumulative incidence of infection was 29 of 216 (13.4%). In 2010, this incidence rate fell significantly (p<0.001, chi-squared) to 9 of 245 (3.7%) children after installation of the WRA. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine correlates of infection among the variables age, sex, distance between home and river, minutes observed at the river, low height-for-age, low weight-for-age, low Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age, and previous infection status.Conclusion/SignificanceThe installation and use of a WRA is a feasible and highly effective means to reduce the incidence of schistosomiasis in school-aged children in a rural Ghanaian community. In conjunction with drug treatment and education, such an intervention can represent a significant step towards the control of schistosomiasis. The WRA should be tested in other water-rich endemic areas to determine whether infection prevalence can be substantially reduced.Author SummaryUrogenital schistosomiasis is a disease caused by the parasite Schistosoma haematobium; it is often characterized by bloody urine and tends to disproportionately affect school-aged children in rural tropical regions. The parasite is transmitted via skin contact with surface water that is contaminated by human waste. The disease was endemic in Adasawase, a rural Ghanaian community, in 2007. Transmission occurred mainly through recreational water contact. We collaborated with community members to design a water recreation area (WRA) featuring a concrete pool supplied by a borehole well and a rainwater collection system. We opened the pool in 2009 and local officials encouraged children to use the WRA for recreation. We screened local children annually (2008, 2009, 2010) for S. haematobium infection. After each screening, children were treated with praziquantel and rescreened. Baseline testing in 2008 established that at least 105 of 247 (42.5%) children were infected. In 2009, 29 of 216 (13.4%) children were infected, reflecting annual cumulative incidence. In 2010, a significantly smaller percentage of children (9 of 245, 3.7%) were infected. We conclude that the WRA effectively reduced infection in Adasawase, and that it should be tested in other water-rich endemic areas

Linking behaviour and climate change in intertidal ectotherms: insights from littorinid snails

A key element missing from many predictive models of the impacts of climate change on intertidal ectotherms is the role of individual behaviour. In this synthesis, using littorinid snails as a case study, we show how thermoregulatory behaviours may buffer changes in environmental temperatures. These behaviours include either a flight response, to escape the most extreme conditions and utilize warmer or cooler environments; or a fight response, where individuals modify their own environments to minimize thermal extremes. A conceptual model, generated from studies of littorinid snails, shows that various flight and fight thermoregulatory behaviours may allow an individual to widen its thermal safety margin (TSM) under warming or cooling environmental conditions and hence increase species’ resilience to climate change. Thermoregulatory behaviours may also buffer sublethal fitness impacts associated with thermal stresses. Through this synthesis, we emphasise that future studies need to consider not only animals' physiological limits but also their capacities to buffer the impact of climate change through behavioural responses. Current generalizations, made largely on physiological limits of species, often neglect the buffering effects of behaviour and may, therefore, provide an over-estimation of vulnerability, and consequently poor prediction of the potential impacts of climate change on intertidal ectotherms

A biophysical model of dynamic balancing of excitation and inhibition in fast oscillatory large-scale networks

Over long timescales, neuronal dynamics can be robust to quite large perturbations, such as changes in white matter connectivity and grey matter structure through processes including learning, aging, development and certain disease processes. One possible explanation is that robust dynamics are facilitated by homeostatic mechanisms that can dynamically rebalance brain networks. In this study, we simulate a cortical brain network using the Wilson-Cowan neural mass model with conduction delays and noise, and use inhibitory synaptic plasticity (ISP) to dynamically achieve a spatially local balance between excitation and inhibition. Using MEG data from 55 subjects we find that ISP enables us to simultaneously achieve high correlation with multiple measures of functional connectivity, including amplitude envelope correlation and phase locking. Further, we find that ISP successfully achieves local E/I balance, and can consistently predict the functional connectivity computed from real MEG data, for a much wider range of model parameters than is possible with a model without ISP

Asthma Associations in Children Attending a Museum of Science

We explored the relative strength of environmental and social factors associated with pediatric asthma in middle class families and considered the efficacy of recruitment for an educational study at a science museum. Eligibility criteria were having a child aged 4–12 and English fluency. Our questionnaire included information on demographics, home environment, medical history, and environmental toxicant exposures. Statistically significant associations were found for: child’s age (t = −2.46; p = 0.014), allergies (OR = 11.5; 95%CI = 5.9–22.5), maternal asthma (OR = 2.2; 95%CI = 1.2–3.9), parents’ education level (OR = 0.5; 95%CI = 0.3–0.9), family income (OR = 2.4; 95%CI = 1.1–5.5), water damage at home (OR = 2.5; 95%CI = 1.1–5.5), stuffed animals in bedroom (OR = 0.4; 95%CI = 0.2–0.7), hospitalization within a week after birth (OR = 3.2; 95%CI = 1.4–7.0), diagnosis of pneumonia (OR = 2.8; 95%CI = 1.4–5.9), and multiple colds in a year (OR = 2.9; 95%CI = 1.5–5.7). Several other associations approached statistical significance, including African American race (OR = 3.3; 95%CI = 1.0–10.7), vitamin D supplement directive (OR = 0.2; 95%CI = 0.02–1.2), mice in the home (OR = 0.5, 95%CI = 0.2–1.1), and cockroaches in the home (OR = 4.3; CI = 0.8–21.6). In logistic regression, age, parents’ education, allergies, mold allergies, hospitalization after birth, stuffed animals in the bedroom, vitamin D supplement directive, and water damage in the home were all significant independent predictors of asthma. The urban science museum was a low-resource approach to address the relative importance of risk factors in this population