Extreme morning chronotypes are often familial and not exceedingly rare: the estimated prevalence of advanced sleep phase, familial advanced sleep phase, and advanced sleep-wake phase disorder in a sleep clinic population.

Study objectivesReport the first prevalence estimates of advanced sleep phase (ASP), familial advanced sleep phase (FASP), and advanced sleep-wake phase disorder (ASWPD). This can guide clinicians on the utility of screening for extreme chronotypes both for clinical decision-making and to flag prospective participants in the study of the genetics and biology of FASP.MethodsData on morning or evening sleep schedule preference (chronotype) were collected from 2422 new patients presenting to a North American sleep center over 9.8 years. FASP was determined using a severity criterion that has previously identified dominant circadian mutations in humans. All patients were personally seen and evaluated by one of the authors (C.R.J.).ResultsOur results demonstrate an ASP prevalence of 0.33%, an FASP prevalence of 0.21%, and an ASWPD prevalence of at least 0.04%. Most cases of young-onset ASP were familial.ConclusionsAmong patients presenting to a sleep clinic, conservatively 1 out of every 300 patients will have ASP, 1 out of every 475 will have FASP, and 1 out of every 2500 will have ASWPD. This supports obtaining a routine circadian history and, for those with extreme chronotypes, obtaining a family history of circadian preference. This can optimize treatment for evening sleepiness and early morning awakening and lead to additional circadian gene discovery. We hope these findings will lead to improved treatment options for a wide range of sleep and medical disorders in the future

Cost of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus at individual farm level – An economic disease model

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is reported to be among the diseases with the highest economic impact in modern pig production worldwide. Yet, the economic impact of the disease at farm level is not well understood as, especially in endemically infected pig herds, losses are often not obvious. It is therefore difficult for farmers and veterinarians to appraise whether control measures such as virus elimination or vaccination will be economically beneficial for their farm. Thus, aim of this study was to develop an epidemiological and economic model to determine the costs of PRRS for an individual pig farm. In a production model that simulates farm outputs, depending on farm type, farrowing rhythm or length of suckling period, an epidemiological model was integrated. In this, the impact of PRRS infection on health and productivity was estimated. Financial losses were calculated in a gross margin analysis and a partial budget analysis based on the changes in health and production parameters assumed for different PRRS disease severities. Data on the effects of endemic infection on reproductive performance, morbidity and mortality, daily weight gain, feed efficiency and treatment costs were obtained from literature and expert opinion. Nine different disease scenarios were calculated, in which a farrow-to-finish farm (1000 sows) was slightly, moderately or severely affected by PRRS, based on changes in health and production parameters, and either in breeding, in nursery and fattening or in all three stages together. Annual losses ranged from a median of € 75′724 (90% confidence interval (C.I.): € 78′885–€ 122′946), if the farm was slightly affected in nursery and fattening, to a median of € 650′090 (90% C.I. € 603′585–€ 698′379), if the farm was severely affected in all stages. Overall losses were slightly higher if breeding was affected than if nursery and fattening were affected. In a herd moderately affected in all stages, median losses in breeding were € 46′021 and € 422′387 in fattening, whereas costs were € 25′435 lower in nursery, compared with a PRRSV-negative farm. The model is a valuable decision-support tool for farmers and veterinarians if a farm is proven to be affected by PRRS (confirmed by laboratory diagnosis). The output can help to understand the need for interventions in case of significant impact on the profitability of their enterprise. The model can support veterinarians in their communication to farmers in cases where costly disease control measures are justified

Multispecies diel transcriptional oscillations in open ocean heterotrophic bacterial assemblages

Oscillating diurnal rhythms of gene transcription, metabolic activity, and behavior are found in all three domains of life. However, diel cycles in naturally occurring heterotrophic bacteria and archaea have rarely been observed. Here, we report time-resolved whole-genome transcriptome profiles of multiple, naturally occurring oceanic bacterial populations sampled in situ over 3 days. As anticipated, the cyanobacterial transcriptome exhibited pronounced diel periodicity. Unexpectedly, several different heterotrophic bacterioplankton groups also displayed diel cycling in many of their gene transcripts. Furthermore, diel oscillations in different heterotrophic bacterial groups suggested population-specific timing of peak transcript expression in a variety of metabolic gene suites. These staggered multispecies waves of diel gene transcription may influence both the tempo and the mode of matter and energy transformation in the sea.Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF 492.01)Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF 3777)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant EF0424599)David & Lucile Packard Foundatio

The eSMA: description and first results

The eSMA ("extended SMA") combines the SMA, JCMT and CSO into a single facility, providing enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution owing to the increased collecting area at the longest baselines. Until ALMA early science observing (2011), the eSMA will be the facility capable of the highest angular resolution observations at 345 GHz. The gain in sensitivity and resolution will bring new insights in a variety of fields, such as protoplanetary/transition disks, high-mass star formation, solar system bodies, nearby and high-z galaxies. Therefore the eSMA is an important facility to prepare the grounds for ALMA and train scientists in the techniques. Over the last two years, and especially since November 2006, there has been substantial progress toward making the eSMA into a working interferometer. In particular, (i) new 345-GHz receivers, that match the capabilities of the SMA system, were installed at the JCMT and CSO; (ii) numerous tests have been performed for receiver, correlator and baseline calibrations in order to determine and take into account the effects arising from the differences between the three types of antennas; (iii) first fringes at 345 GHz were obtained on August 30 2007, and the array has entered the science-verification stage. We report on the characteristics of the eSMA and its measured performance at 230 GHz and that expected at 345 GHz. We also present the results of the commissioning and some initial science-verification observations, including the first absorption measurement of the C/CO ratio in a galaxy at z=0.89, located along the line of sight to the lensed quasar PKS1830-211, and on the imaging of the vibrationally excited HCN line towards IRC+10216.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, paper number 7012-12, to appear in Proceedings of SPIE vol. 7012: "Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II", SPIE conference on Astronomical Instrumentation, Marseille, 23-28 June 200

Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Bacteriophage WO from Allonemobius Socius Crickets in Missouri

Wolbachia are endosymbionts of numerous arthropod and some nematode species, are important for their development and if present can cause distinct phenotypes of their hosts. Prophage DNA has been frequently detected in Wolbachia, but particles of Wolbachia bacteriophages (phage WO) have been only occasionally isolated. Here, we report the characterization and isolation of a phage WO of the southern ground cricket, Allonemobius socius, and provided the first whole-genome sequence of phage WO from this arthropod family outside of Asia. We screened A. socius abdomen DNA extracts from a cricket population in eastern Missouri by quantitative PCR for Wolbachia surface protein and phage WO capsid protein and found a prevalence of 55% and 50%, respectively, with many crickets positive for both. Immunohistochemistry using antibodies against Wolbachia surface protein showed many Wolbachia clusters in the reproductive system of female crickets. Whole-genome sequencing using Oxford Nanopore MinION and Illumina technology allowed for the assembly of a high-quality, 55 kb phage genome containing 63 open reading frames (ORF) encoding for phage WO structural proteins and host lysis and transcriptional manipulation. Taxonomically important regions of the assembled phage genome were validated by Sanger sequencing of PCR amplicons. Analysis of the nucleotides sequences of the ORFs encoding the large terminase subunit (ORF2) and minor capsid (ORF7) frequently used for phage WO phylogenetics showed highest homology to phage WOAu of Drosophila simulans (94.46% identity) and WOCin2USA1 of the cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (99.33% identity), respectively. Transmission electron microscopy examination of cricket ovaries showed a high density of phage particles within Wolbachia cells. Isolation of phage WO revealed particles characterized by 40-62 nm diameter heads and up to 190 nm long tails. This study provides the first detailed description and genomic characterization of phage WO from North America that is easily accessible in a widely distributed cricket species

Absolute Frequency Measurements of the Hg^+ and Ca Optical Clock Transitions with a Femtosecond Laser

The frequency comb created by a femtosecond mode-locked laser and a microstructured fiber is used to phase coherently measure the frequencies of both the Hg^+ and Ca optical standards with respect to the SI second as realized at NIST. We find the transition frequencies to be f_Hg=1 064 721 609 899 143(10) Hz and f_Ca=455 986 240 494 158(26) Hz, respectively. In addition to the unprecedented precision demonstrated here, this work is the precursor to all-optical atomic clocks based on the Hg^+ and Ca standards. Furthermore, when combined with previous measurements, we find no time variations of these atomic frequencies within the uncertainties of |(df_Ca/dt)/f_Ca| < 8 x 10^{-14} yr^{-1}, and |(df_Hg/dt)/f_Hg|< 30 x 10^{-14} yr^{-1}.Comment: 6 pages, including 4 figures. RevTex 4. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

The Molecule-Rich Tail of the Peculiar Galaxy NGC 2782 (Arp 215)

We present the first detection of a large quantity of molecular gas in the extended tail of an interacting galaxy. Using the NRAO 12m telescope, we have detected CO (1 - 0) at five locations in the eastern tail of the peculiar starburst galaxy NGC 2782. The CO velocities and narrow (FWHM = 50 km/s) line widths in these positions agree with those seen in HI, confirming that the molecular gas is indeed associated with the tail rather than the main disk. As noted previously, the gas in this tail has an apparent `counter-rotation' compared to gas in the core of the galaxy, probably because the tails do not lie in the same plane as the disk. Assuming the standard Galactic conversion N(H2)/I(CO) factor, these observations indicate a total molecular gas mass of 6 X 10**8 M(sun) in this tail. This may be an underestimate of the total H2 mass if the gas is metal-poor. This molecular gas mass, and the implied H2/HI mass ratio of 0.6, are higher than that found in many dwarf irregular galaxies. Comparison with an available H-alpha map of this galaxy, however, shows that the rate of star formation in this feature is extremely low relative to the available molecular gas, compared to L(H-alpha)/M(H2) values for both spiral and irregular galaxies. Thus the timescale for depletion of the gas in this feature is very long.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, Latex. To appear in the Astronomical Journa