The intestinal immunoendocrine axis:novel cross-talk between enteroendocrine cells and the immune system during infection and inflammatory disease

The intestinal epithelium represents one of our most important interfaces with the external environment. It must remain tightly balanced to allow nutrient absorption, but maintain barrier function and immune homoeostasis, a failure of which results in chronic infection or debilitating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The intestinal epithelium mainly consists of absorptive enterocytes and secretory goblet and Paneth cells and has recently come to light as being an essential modulator of immunity as opposed to a simple passive barrier. Each epithelial sub-type can produce specific immune modulating factors, driving innate immunity to pathogens as well as preventing autoimmunity. The enteroendocrine cells comprise just 1% of this epithelium, but collectively form the bodies' largest endocrine system. The mechanisms of enteroendocrine cell peptide secretion during feeding, metabolism and nutrient absorption are well studied; but their potential interactions with the enriched numbers of surrounding immune cells remain largely unexplored. This review focuses on alterations in enteroendocrine cell number and peptide secretion during inflammation and disease, highlighting the few in depth studies which have attempted to dissect the immune driven mechanisms that drive these phenomena. Moreover, the emerging potential of enteroendocrine cells acting as innate sensors of intestinal perturbation and secreting peptides to directly orchestrate immune cell function will be proposed. In summary, the data generated from these studies have begun to unravel a complex cross-talk between immune and enteroendocrine cells, highlighting the emerging immunoendocrine axis as a potential target for therapeutic strategies for infections and inflammatory disorders of the intestine

A Review of the Serica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) of Mexico, Canada, and the western United States

Twenty-two species and subspecies of Serica occur in Mexico. Serica ensenada Saylor, 1948 is recognized as a junior synonym of Serica pilifera Horn, 1894. Two new species, Serica ascia Lago & Worthington and Serica fenestra Lago & Worthington are described from Mexico. Three genera of Sericini are recorded from Canada, Maladera castanea (Arrow), Nipponoserica peregrina (Chapin), and twelve species of Serica. Seventy-seven species and subspecies of Serica occur in the contiguous United States west of the 100th meridian. Eleven new species, Serica berriani Lago & Worthington, Serica cuneiverpa Lago & Worthington, Serica desolaterra Lago & Worthington, Serica katelinae Lago & Worthington, Serica kerni Lago & Worthington, Serica mescaleroensis Lago & Worthington, Serica occasumancra Lago & Worthington, Serica onyx Lago & Worthington, Serica parashantiana Lago & Worthington, Serica popula Lago & Worthington, and Serica relicta Lago & Worthington, are described from the contiguous United States west of the 100th meridian. Descriptions, illustrations, temporal distribution, natural history information, and distribution maps for all species are presented. Two molecular phylogenies of 66 sampled Serica taxa constructed from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene sequences from 184 individuals were estimated to assess species diagnoses and determine intra- and interspecific variation within North American Serica. Intraspecific sequence variation for North American Serica ranged from 0.3% to 25.3% sequence divergence respectively, while average interspecific sequence divergence for Serica was 14.7%. Bayesian and maximum likelihood trees had generally poor topological support, however under Bayesian inference distinct eastern and western species groups were recovered. However, a single monophyletic western species complex rendered the eastern North American species group paraphyletic

Letter to Philander Chase

Worthington tells Chase of the hopes of establishing a college in Illinois and asks him to come to Rushville to serve as they are currently lacking a clergyman.https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/1991/thumbnail.jp

Genetic epidemiology: Approaches to the genetic analysis of rheumatoid arthritis

The basis of susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is complex, comprising genetic and environmental susceptibility factors. We have reviewed the available approaches to the investigation of the genetic basis of complex diseases and how these are being applied to RA. Affected-sibling-pair methods for nonparametric linkage analysis, linkage-disequilibrium-based approaches, transmission disequilibrium testing, and disease-association studies are discussed. The pros, cons, and limitations of the approaches are considered and are illustrated by examples from the literature about rheumatoid arthritis

How do I assess an amorphous outcome? A new take on critical thinking.

The ability to think critically is an essential skill for the next generation of leaders. Post-secondary institutions are required to teach and assess critical thinking (CT) in our programs, but what is CT exactly and how do you assess it? This research project focused on finding a conceptualization of CT that can help us approach these questions from a new angle and provide opportunities to assess CT development. Many existing ideas of CT contradict each other, creating confusion about what CT is and what it looks like in practice. A common CT framework can alleviate this miscommunication and provide a platform on which structured assessment tools can be built. The Model of Integrated Thinking Skills (MITS) was created by the primary author to fill this gap by connecting recurring themes about CT found in the literature. MITS was validated through an online survey completed by students, faculty, and staff from various disciplines at the University of Guelph. Our results suggest that the framework is accurate/complete, applicable to all disciplines, and enables the reader to distinguish CT from other intellectual skills. In this workshop, participants will discuss the challenges around teaching/assessing CT, familiarize themselves with MITS and explore how it relates to their experiences with modern science education. We will also talk about the struggles associated with facilitating CT development in students

Evaluating Consumer Sensory and Composition Attributes of Arkansas-Grown Fresh-Market Blackberries

Blackberries are grown worldwide for commercial fresh markets. Three Arkansas-grown fresh-market blackberry genotypes (‘Natchez’, ‘Ouachita’, and A-2418) were evaluated for consumer sensory and compositional attributes at the University of Arkansas Food Science Department, Fayetteville. The compositional attributes of the blackberries were within an acceptable range for commercial markets (soluble solids=8.20-11.90%, pH=2.79-3.18, titratable acidity=1.09-1.32%). In terms of soluble solids to titratable acidity ratio, ‘Ouachita’ (10.92) had the highest ratio, followed by ‘Natchez’ (8.93) and A-2418 (6.25). A consumer sensory panel (n=80) evaluated fresh-market blackberry attributes using a 9-point hedonic scale for overall impression, overall flavor, sweetness, and sourness and a 5-point Just-about-Right (JAR) scale for sweetness and sourness. The participants also ranked the blackberries in order of overall liking from most to least liked. For overall impression, overall flavor, and sweetness, ‘Natchez’ scored higher than ‘Ouachita’ and A-2418, but the panelists did not detect differences in sourness. In terms of JAR for sweetness, 64% of consumers scored ‘Natchez’ JAR, followed by ‘Ouachita’ (39%) and A-2418 (34%). Whereas, 42% percent found A-2418 “Too Sour”, followed by ‘Ouachita (33%) and ‘Natchez’ (25%). In terms of ranking the blackberries, ‘Natchez’ was the most liked blackberry followed by ‘Ouachita’ and A-2418. When looking only at blackberries ranked first, 53% of consumers ranked ‘Natchez’ as their most liked berry, compared to A-2418 (26%) and ‘Ouachita’ (21%). The results from this research suggested that fresh-market blackberries with medium-level sweetness to sourness ratios were preferred though more consumers than expected preferred the blackberries with the more extreme ratios

Peach Tree Named ‘Whitewater’

A new and distinct peach tree named ‘Whitewater’ which originated from a hand-pollinated cross of ‘White County’ (female parent; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,742) x ‘Souvenirs’ peach (male parent; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,920) is provided. This new peach tree cultivar can be distinguished by its white, low-acid, slow-melting flesh, early-season ripening, attractive appearance, postharvest performance, and resistance to bacterial spot disease

Peach Tree Named ‘Whitewater’

A new and distinct peach tree named ‘Whitewater’ which originated from a hand-pollinated cross of ‘White County’ (female parent; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,742) x ‘Souvenirs’ peach (male parent; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,920) is provided. This new peach tree cultivar can be distinguished by its white, low-acid, slow-melting flesh, early-season ripening, attractive appearance, postharvest performance, and resistance to bacterial spot disease