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3D segmentation of the brain of the domestic goat (Capra hircus domestica): Comparative white matter, grey matter, and subcortical volumes
No full textAbstract
Over the last 10 years there has been increasing interest in the cognitive abilities of domestic species. Domestic goats have received much attention given their remarkable abilities to read human communicative cues which parallel observations also seen for other domestic species such as dogs. This shared behavioral trait is suggestive of a convergence in morphology between the domestic Artiodactyla and Canidae. Using high resolution magnetic resonance imaging aimed at providing much needed quantitative insight to these behavioral observations, we quantified select cortical and subcortical structures in the goat brain. Scanning was performed on one postmortem brain specimen and resultant white matter; grey matter and subcortical limbic structures were manually segmented before being compared through allometric analyses with published mammalian data
The effects of protein and carbohydrate supplementation, with and without creatine, on occupational performance in firefighters
No full textAbstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of protein and carbohydrate supplementation, with and without creatine, on occupational performance in firefighters. Methods: Using a randomized, double-blind approach, thirty male firefighters (age: 34.4 ± 8.4 yrs., height: 1.82 ± 0.07 m; weight: 88.6 ± 12.5 kg; BF%: 17.2 ± 5.8 %) were randomized to receive either A.) 25 g of whey protein isolate + 25 g of carbohydrate powder (ProCarb group); B.) ProCarb + 5 g of creatine (Creatine group) in a double-blind fashion over a period of 21-26 days (depending on shift rotations) to evaluate the impact of supplementation on occupation-specific performance. At baseline and following supplementation, firefighters completed a battery of tests. These tests included an aerobic speed test on an air-braked cycle ergometer followed by the hose carry, body drag, stair climb, and Keiser sled hammer for time. Results: No significant differences in measures of performance were observed at baseline (p \u3e 0.05). There was a significant main effect for time observed for rescue, stair climb, total time to completion, and time trial performance (p \u3c 0.05). There was a significant group x time (p \u3c 0.05) interaction for rescue and forcible entry. Independent-sample t-tests indicated that the Creatine group experienced a greater reduction (from baseline) in completion for the rescue (1.78 ± 0.57 sec, 95% CI: 0.61, 2.95 sec, p = 0.004) and forcible entry (2.66 ± 0.97 sec, 95% CI: 0.68, 4.65 sec, p = 0.01) tests compared to the ProCarb group. No significant group x time interactions were observed for hose line advance, stair climb, total time to completion, and time trial performance (p \u3e 0.05). Conclusions: The addition of supplemental creatine to a protein and carbohydrate supplement to the diet of career firefighters throughout a three-week period improves occupational performance in firefighters in specific areas of high-intensity, repetitive actions
Estimating the Within-Person Change in Dental Service Access Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States
No full textBackground. American adults delay dental care more than any other healthcare service. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic may have stalled efforts to address dental service delays. Early evidence has suggested substantial declines in dental service visits in the early phase of the pandemic; however, our study is among the first to measure within-person changes from 2019 to 2020 and conduct subgroup analyses to examine if changing dental patterns were mediated by exposure to the pandemic, risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes, or dental insurance. Methods. We analyzed a National Health Interview Survey panel of individuals initially surveyed in 2019, with subsequent follow-up in 2020. The outcomes included dental service access measures and the interval of a most recent dental visit. By constructing a probability-weighted linear regression model with fixed-effects, we estimated the average within-person change from 2019 to 2020. Robust standard errors were clustered within each respondent. Results. From 2019 to 2020, adults reported a 4.6%-point reduction in the probability of visiting the dentist (p\u3c 0.001). Significantly higher declines were found in Northeast and West regions compared to Midwest and South regions. We find no evidence that declining dental services in 2020 were associated with more chronic diseases, older age, or lack of dental insurance coverage. Adults did not report more financial or nonfinancial access barriers to dental care in 2020 compared to 2019. Conclusions. The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on delayed dental care warrant continued monitoring as policymakers aim to mitigate the pandemic\u27s negative consequences on oral health equity
Opioid use and naloxone prescribing upon discharge in a metropolitan health system
No full textAbstract
Background: In 2021, 258 Iowans died of opioid overdose, a 21% increase from 2020. Naloxone is a life-saving medication for opioid overdoses. The purpose of this study was to determine current prescribing trends of naloxone for patients discharged on opioids after an inpatient admission.
Methods: This is a retrospective, chart-review study of adult, non-chronic opioid users admitted to the health system in January 2022 who were prescribed an opioid upon discharge. The primary endpoint was to identify naloxone prescribing opportunities for adult patients discharged on opioids after hospital admission. The MercyOne IRB approved the study; informed consent was not required.
Results; Overall, 1,547 adult patients were discharged in January 2022, while 288 patients (18.6%) received opioids at discharge. There were no prescriptions of naloxone provided during the time frame within the included population. The median total morphine milligram equivalent (MME) prescribed was 145 (IQR 75-210) while the median daily MME was 45 (IQR 30-45). Thirty-three patients (11.5%) received more than 50 MME per day at discharge and 23 patients (7.9%) received more than 90 MME per day. Common opioids included oxycodone (208 (72.2%)), hydrocodone products (44 (15.3%)), tramadol (34 (11.8%)), and codeine products (2 (0.7%)). Opioids were more commonly prescribed by surgical than medicine teams, 213 vs. 75 respectively.
Conclusion: Of the 288 patients discharged on opioids from the health system, no naloxone prescriptions were provided. Naloxone prescribing has been linked with stigma of the recipient; however, there are opportunities for increased prescribing within the health system
Effects of public health measures on the spread of COVID-19
No full textAbstract
Before the discovery and widespread availability of the coronavirus vaccine, local, state, and federal agencies relied on various nonpharmaceutical interventions to decrease the pandemic’s spread and mortality. Initially, these interventions were implemented with great variability and vigorousness until the Centers for Disease Control began to coordinate preventative efforts. Consequently, various actions drew criticism and raised questions about the efficacy of these procedures. With minimal research focused on the impact of different states\u27 policies on COVID-19 infection rates, this research aims to determine the relative success of the different nonclinical interventions in lowering incidence rates.
To achieve our objective, we utilized the raw data archived at the repository for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Visual Dashboard operated by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. Relevant data were extracted and inputted into R studio in order to convert data into graphical models. Trend lines were then superimposed to visualize how a measure affected the total number of cases on a weekly basis.
We found that, across all states, cases first peaked in April 2020 despite variations. Furthermore, cases stabilized during July 2020 across all states. Therefore, we believe that seasonal variations contributed the greatest impact to the spread of COVID-19 prior to the vaccine rollout.
The project’s analysis demonstrates that while states varied in their policy measures and implementation, the trend of COVID-19 spread remained similar. These trends are likely due to weather patterns. We hope that the analysis performed will be helpful in future public health decisions
Validating the Osteoid web tool for skeletal species identification
No full textAbstract
Determining if remains are human or non-human is the first priority when evaluating an unknown bone; secondary is species identification. The Osteoid web tool was created for public use to aid in species identification. A few measurements, along with photo comparisons, guides the user towards an identification. The tool has been available for use since 2021 but has yet to be tested. The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of the Osteoid web tool in species identification. The study consists of 56 unidentified faunal long bones recovered from various locations in Iowa. The bones were measured and visually evaluated using the Osteoid web tool. All elements were able to be identified when visual comparison was utilized. Based on measurements alone, Osteoid correctly classified 96%. Those with measurements outside of the posted range included a goose femur and a turkey tibiotarsus. The goose femur measurement is one millimeter outside of the range; this could be a measurement error, or a call to expand the dataset. The turkey tibiotarsus has larger measurements than specified by Osteoid. This could be a domestic turkey rather than wild, giving explanation to its exceptionally large size. Accuracy rate could be improved by adding the measurements of more individual bones to the current dataset, including both domestic and wild specimens for each species. Utilization of measurements in the program is limited to skeletally mature specimens. Overall, however, the program was quick and simple to use for preliminary identifications
Chronic kidney disease is accompanied by behavioral deficits in rodents
No full textAbstract
Clinical reports indicate a bidirectional relationship between mental illness and chronic systemic disease. Kidney injury and inflammation have been linked to brain dysfunction and alterations in learning and memory, as well as development of anxiety and depression, however, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms remain elusive. In the current study, we investigated whether a chronic kidney disease (CKD) state is sufficient to produce deficits in rodent stress behaviors using a mild or severe model of CKD. Male rats were exposed to either 21 days of 0.75% adenine diet (AD) (model of mild CKD), or a combination of AD with unilateral nephrectomy (AD/Unx), prior to the start of AD (model of severe CKD). Control rats received sham surgery and remained on normal diet/chow throughout the experimental paradigm. CKD development in the rat models was determined by an increase in serum creatinine used as index for kidney function. Behavioral testing results demonstrate that mild CKD, especially in combination with unilateral nephrectomy (severe CKD), is accompanied by anhedonia (i.e., decreased sucrose preference) and anxiogenic effects evident from increased latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. These findings suggest that impairment of kidney functionally is adequate to evoke behavioral deficits in rodents consistent with elevated behavioral emotionality (i.e., development of depression- and anxiety-related behaviors). Ongoing studies are focused on identifying neurophysiological mechanisms linking renal disease with neurological abnormalities. Furthering our understanding of these mechanisms may aid in the development of improved treatments and prevention strategies for management of mental health comorbidities associated with kidney disease
Reliability of a New Foot Arch Muscle Performance Test
No full textAbstract
Background: Weakness of the foot’s arch is associated with pain, gait abnormalities, and balance deficits. Therefore, measurement of arch strength is relevant in the management of these conditions, but currently there is no method to quantify muscle performance of the foot arch.
Purpose: To assess the reliability and measurement error of a novel foot arch muscle performance test.
Methods: 11 healthy subjects were recruited and trained to perform the test which involved raising the foot’s arch while maintaining contact of the rear- and forefoot. Testing was completed on two separate days by a single investigator blinded to the results. A handheld dynamometer was fixated on the top of the foot’s arch near the navicular bone. Subjects pushed their arch into the device which measured peak force production. An average of the three highest trials from each session was used to calculate the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and the minimal detectable difference (MDD).
Results: The mean peak force of the sample was 17.2 lbs (SD 10.3). Test-retest reliability was high, ICC = 0.881 (95% CI 0.585-0.967). SEM was 3.56 lbs and the MDD was 9.87 lbs.
Discussion: Clinicians can feel confident using this testing procedure to quantify intrinsic and extrinsic foot arch muscle performance. Until further analysis with a larger sample, differences less than 4 lbs may be attributed to error of the measure and when tracking outcomes differences less than 10 lbs may not be meaningful
The Green Magic Vegetable Spinach Turns on Green for Cervical Cancer Treatment
No full textAbstract
Background: Cervical cancer is the most common gynecological cancer worldwide. The dysregulation of CKD4 in the cell cycle is an important factor that leads to the development of cervical cancer. Spinach is a popular vegetable because of its nutritional benefits. Its high glycoglycerolipid and antioxidant content have revealed anti-tumor effects on breast and colon cancers. However, its effect on cervical cancer is unknown. This study was designed to investigate the direct effect of spinach on the growth of cervical cancer.
Methods: We utilized clonogenic survival assay, cell proliferation kit, caspase-3 activity kit and TUNEL staining to examine the effect of spinach extract (SE) on proliferation and apoptosis of the widely studied cervical cancer cell line, SiHa. RT-PCR and IHC were used to further investigate possible molecular mechanisms.
Results: The percentage of colonies of SiHa cancer cells significantly decreased after treatment with SE. In addition, a decrease in the OD value of cancer was noticed. The relative caspase-3 activity in SiHa cancer cells also increased significantly after treatment with SE. The anti-proliferative effect of SE on SiHa cancer cells correlated with decreased expression of CDK4. The pro-apoptotic effect of SE on SiHa cancer cells correlated with increased expression of BAX. TUNEL and IHC studies are in progress.
Conclusion: Spinach inhibits growth of cervical cancer via downregulation of CDK4 and upregulation of BAX. Therefore, our study suggests a potential use of SE in cervical cancer treatment. Further studies might provide more insight about the effect of SE on other cancers as well
Components of calcium signaling in autophagy
No full textAbstract
Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a process that packages and delivers unwanted cellular components to the lysosome for degradation to maintain homeostasis. Autophagy is strongly activated by nutrient starvation, such as found in myocardial ischemia or infarction. Starvation, mimicked experimentally by removal of extracellular amino acids, induces an increase in intracellular Ca2+ (operationally, SICS, starvation-induced Ca2+ signal) that is predicted to initiate many Ca2+-dependent activities of autophagy via interactions with its ubiquitous transducer calmodulin (CaM). The transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) is an important lysosomal Ca2+ release channel that participates in organellar fusion and acidification, critical steps of autophagy. We recently showed that CaM is critical for autophagy. However, whether CaM regulates components of SICS and lysosomal Ca2+ release via TRPML1 is unknown.
Here, we report that SICS consists of both organellar Ca2+ release and extracellular Ca2+ entry. Molecular buffering of CaM using a fusion of two high-affinity CaM-binding proteins is associated with substantial increases in both components. Activation of TRPML1 using the agonist ML-SA1 triggers a small Ca2+ release signal and a large Ca2+ entry signals that are higher with CaM buffering at all ML-SA1 doses tested. Notably, increasing buffering of CaM in a multiplexed imaging system that simultaneously detects the CaM sequesters and measures Ca2+ responses is associated with increasingly larger lysosomal Ca2+ release via the TRPML1. These data clearly indicate that nutrient starvation triggers increases in intracellular Ca2+ via multiple sources and that CaM regulates all its components. The data also suggest that CaM may directly inhibit TRPML1