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Lack of Association of a Functional Polymorphism in the Serotonin Receptor Gene With Body Mass Index and Depressive Symptoms in a Large Meta-Analysis of Population Based Studies.
No full textThe serotonin receptor 5-HTR2C is thought to be involved in the function of multiple brain structures. Consequently, the HTR2C gene has been studied extensively with respect to its association with a variety of phenotypes. One coding variant in the HTR2C gene, Cys23Ser (rs6318), has been associated with depressive symptoms. and adiposity; however, these findings have been inconsistent. The reasons for this mixed picture may be due to low statistical power or due to other factors such as failure to account for possible interacting environmental factors, such as psychosocial stress. Further, the literature around this polymorphism is marked by limited inclusion of persons of African ancestry. The present study sought to overcome these limitations and definitively determine the relationship of this polymorphism with depressive and obesity phenotypes in a large sample meta-analysis. Thus, we harmonized individual level data from 10 studies including the Women's Health Initiative, CARDIA, ARIC, Framingham Offspring, and the Jackson Heart Study, resulting in a sample of 27,161 individuals (10,457 Black women, 2,819 Black men, 7,419 White women, and 6,466 White men). We conducted a random effects meta-analysis using individual level data to examine whether the Cys23Ser variant-either directly, or conditionally depending on the level of psychosocial stress-was associated with depressive symptoms and body mass index (BMI). We found that psychosocial stress was associated with both depression and BMI, but that Cys23Ser was not directly associated with, nor did it modify the associations of psychosocial stress with depression or BMI. Thus, in the largest study of this polymorphism, we have determined that rs6318 is not associated with depression, or BMI
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Mild-to-Moderate Adult Spinal Deformities: Impact on Intensive Care Unit and Hospital Stay.
No full textObjectiveTo compare circumferential minimally invasive (cMIS) versus open surgeries for mild-to-moderate adult spinal deformity (ASD) with regard to intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay (LOS).MethodsA retrospective review of 2 multicenter ASD databases with 426 ASD (sagittal vertical axis ResultsPropensity matching resulted in 88 patients (44 cMIS, 44 open). cMIS were older (61 vs. 53 years, P = 0.005). Mean levels fused were 6.5 in cMIS and 7.1 in open (P = 0.368). Preoperative lordosis was higher in open than in cMIS (42.7° vs. 40.9°, P = 0.016), and preoperative visual analog score back pain was greater in open than in cMIS (7 vs. 6.2, P = 0.033). Preoperative and postoperative spinopelvic parameters and coronal Cobb angles were not different. EBL was 534 cc in cMIS and 1211 cc in open (P ConclusionsFor patients with mild-to-moderate ASD, cMIS surgery had a significantly lower EBL and shorter ICU stay. Major and minor complication rates were lower in cMIS patients than open patients. Overall LOS was shorter in cMIS patients, but did not reach statistical significance
Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Environment & Climate Change of the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce
No full textNicholas Institute Executive Director Tim Profeta testifies before the Subcommittee on Environment & Climate Change of the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce to suggest the best means by which to achieve economy-wide solutions to climate change. The central point of his testimony is that Congress should strongly consider a model that has been successfully proven through our nation’s history: the federal/state partnership
A Radiographic Analysis of Lumbar Fusion Status and Instrumentation Failure After Complex Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery With Spinopelvic Fixation: Two-Year Follow-up From the Scoli-Risk-1 Prospective Database.
No full textStudy designA retrospective review of prospectively collected data.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the fusion status of the lumbar spine and lumbosacral junction at 2 years postoperatively after complex adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery.Summary of background dataAchieving fusion is crucial for maintaining optimal alignment in ASD surgery. However, prospective data assessing fusion status using large patient populations are lacking in this patient population.Materials and methodsPostoperative radiographs of 162 patients from the Scoli-Risk-1 database, who underwent complex ASD surgery with fusion to the sacrum, were evaluated by 3 independent spine surgeons at 6-week, 6-month, and 2-year follow-up. The fusion rate of the lumbar spine segments at a 2-year follow-up was determined by using previously published radiographic grading criteria. We also assessed the prevalence of instrumentation failures.ResultsThe interrater reliabilities for grading the fusion status were overall fair at each level evaluated (Fleiss κ, 0.337-0.439). Overall, 70.3% (114/162) demonstrated the solid fusion of the entire lumbar spine at a 2-year follow-up. The fusion rates of each segment were L1/L2: 87.0%, L2/L3: 82.0%, L3/L4: 83.9%, L4/L5: 89.5%, and L5/S1: 89.5%. Pedicle screw loosening was the most frequent implant failure throughout the observation period (9.2%, 11.6%, and 11.0% at 6-wk, 6-mo, and 2-y follow-up, respectively). No rod breakage was observed at 6 weeks, increasing to 9.8% at 2-year follow-up. The prevalence of postoperative proximal junctional kyphosis was 5.5% at 6 weeks, showing no difference at 2 years postoperative.ConclusionsIn this series of complex ASD surgeries often requiring 3-column osteotomies, 70.3% showed solid fusion of the entire lumbar spine, including the lumbosacral junction. The lumbosacral segments showed a relatively high fusion rate at a 2-year follow-up likely due to the frequent use of anterior column support and graft. The prevalence of rod breakage increased as follow-up proceeded to 9.8%, which was most commonly observed at the lumbosacral junction.Level of evidenceLevel IV
Coronal plane spinal malalignment and Parkinson's disease: prevalence and associations with disease severity.
No full textBackground contextParkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Patients with PD often present with abnormal posturing.PurposeTo investigate coronal plane deformities in patients with PD, and to evaluate the correlation between clinical features, coronal parameters related to spine alignment, and disease severity.Study designA cross-sectional study.Patient sampleEighty-nine patients with PD and 89 controls were included.Outcome measuresA medical history was collected from the medical records.MethodsThis study was a prospective assessment of consecutive patients with PD. Clinical and demographic parameters were collected from medical records and outpatient interviews. Full-length standing anteroposterior and lateral spine radiographs were used to assess the spinal parameters. The threshold for scoliosis was set at a 10° Cobb angle, and the curve type was classified using Schwab classification.ResultsA total of 178 patients (89 in PD and 89 in control groups) were included. Scoliosis was identified in 27 patients (30%) and 22 controls (p=.502). However, coronal imbalance was more common in patients with PD than in controls (11 vs. 0 patients, p=.001). Scoliosis was more common in women than in men (male:female=8:19, p=.04). Back pain was more common in patients with scoliosis than in those without scoliosis (14 of 27 vs. 17 of 62, p=.036). Schwab Type IV (thoracolumbar major) was the most common type of scoliosis in patients with PD and Type V (lumbar major) was the most common type in controls. With adjustment for patient age and gender, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that severity of PD (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, p=.037) and magnitude of global coronal malalignment (p=.003) were associated with the scoliosis Cobb angle (p=.037, B=0.139). Direction of scoliosis and side of global coronal malalignment were not significantly correlated with the laterality of predominant PD symptoms (p>.05).ConclusionsGlobal coronal malalignment is more prevalent in patients with PD than in controls. Greater severity of PD was significantly associated with greater magnitude of scoliosis Cobb angle, even after adjusting for the effects of patient age and gender. However, direction of scoliosis and side of global coronal malalignment were not significantly associated with the dominant laterality of PD symptoms
Disaggregating Heterogeneity among Non-Hispanic Whites: Evidence and Implications for U.S. Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities.
No full textResearch has made strides in disaggregating health data among racial/ethnic minorities, but less is known about the extent of diversity among Whites. Using logistic regression modeling applied to data on respondents aged 40+ from the 2008 to 2016 American Community Survey, we disaggregated the non-Hispanic White population by ancestry and other racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic) by common subgroupings and examined heterogeneity in disability. Using logistic regression models predicting six health outcome measures, we compared the spread of coefficients for each of the large racial/ethnic groups and all subgroupings within these large categories. The results revealed that health disparities within the White population are almost as large as disparities within other racial groups. In fact, when Whites were disaggregated by ancestry, mean health appeared to be more varied among Whites than between Whites and members of other racial/ethnic groups in many cases. Compositional changes in the ancestry of Whites, particularly declines in Whites of western European ancestry and increases in Whites of eastern European and Middle Eastern ancestry, contribute to this diversity. Together, these findings challenge the oft-assumed notion that Whites are a homogeneous group and indicate that the aggregate White category obscures substantial intra-ethnic heterogeneity in health
Near-Chromosomal-Level Genome Assembly of the Sea Urchin Echinometra lucunter, a Model for Speciation in the Sea.
No full textEchinometra lucunter, the rock-boring sea urchin, is a widely distributed echinoid and a model for ecological studies of reproduction, responses to climate change, and speciation. We present a near chromosome-level genome assembly of E. lucunter, including 21 scaffolds larger than 10 Mb predicted to represent each of the chromosomes of the species. The 760.4 Mb assembly includes a scaffold N50 of 30.0 Mb and BUSCO (benchmarking universal single-copy orthologue) single copy and a duplicated score of 95.8% and 1.4%, respectively. Ab-initio gene model prediction and annotation with transcriptomic data constructed 33,989 gene models composing 50.4% of the assembly, including 37,036 transcripts. Repetitive elements make up approximately 39.6% of the assembly, and unresolved gap sequences are estimated to be 0.65%. Whole genome alignment with Echinometra sp. EZ revealed high synteny and conservation between the two species, further bolstering Echinometra as an emerging genus for comparative genomics studies. This genome assembly represents a high-quality genomic resource for future evolutionary and developmental studies of this species and more broadly of echinoderms
Moving New Futures: Embodied Movement for a Just Society
No full textMy Moving New Futures workshop uses improvisatory movement to help social justice practitioners—organizers, activists, civil rights lawyers, and others—imagine new possibilities for a just society. The workshop grew out of my own backgrounds in dance and social justice work. It has two major philosophical underpinnings: (1) the radical imagination necessary for prison-industrial complex abolition and (2) the growing body of scholarship showing that our entire bodies, not just our brains, produce thought. Facilitating the workshop for two separate groups of social justice practitioners, I recorded discussion portions and used a survey to gather data. Discussions and survey responses affirmed my hope that movement would be a source of new knowledge and imagination for social justice practitioners. After these two iterations, I performed a public lecture-demonstration in which I discussed the development of the workshop and results. In a co-creative process with practitioners, I will continue developing the workshop as a tool for their work.
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Cloud-Based Remote Sensing for Conservation
No full textThis project aims to develop web-based landcover classification tools for Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of the Congo, leveraging the rich information provided by Sentinel-2 multi-spectral imagery. The tool will enable researchers, park managers, and other stakeholders to analyze land cover changes, identify potential threats, and develop targeted conservation strategies.
However, working with multi-spectral imagery in tropical regions like Central Africa poses significant challenges due to persistent cloud cover. Hence, developing effective cloud detection systems is a prerequisite for obtaining reliable analysis-ready imagery. These detection systems must be able to distinguish between clouds and other similar features like bare soil and bright urban features, while also accounting for the spatial and temporal variability of cloud cover in the region.
The tools that were developed integrate cloud detection algorithms and image processing techniques to deliver accurate, high-quality imagery. Additionally, the tool employs machine learning and deep learning techniques to perform automatic land cover classification and provide users with an intuitive map-driven interface.
This web-based remote landcover classification tool provides park managers and researchers in Virunga, as well as other Congolese national parks, with a powerful platform for analyzing land cover changes, helping to support conservation efforts and promote sustainable land use practices
Examining Multiple Routes to Emotional Memory Bias
No full textEmotions play a fundamental role in how we remember the past. Decades of neuroscience research have uncovered the neural mechanisms that help explain why we selectively remember emotional experiences, often at the expense of more neutral ones. What remains less understood, however, are the factors that govern biased access to certain emotional memories over others. Discerning such effects can provide insight to aberrant memory biases that perpetuate psychopathological symptoms in a wide range of clinical disorders. Here I present three different routes to emotional memory bias, stemming from factors at encoding, consolidation, or retrieval that selectively influence what we remember from the past and how we remember it. First, I tested the influence of spatial proximity during initial exposure to threatening stimuli, finding that threats encountered in near space activate a distinct neural fear circuit that predicts enhanced reinstatement the next day. Second, I tested the influence of mood during consolidation, finding that mood after encoding retroactively strengthens mood-congruent content into long-term memory. Third, I tested how memories can be modified at retrieval by manipulating conceptual and perceptual features of the remembered event, finding that these two forms of reconstruction recruit distinct neural profiles. Finally, I summarize how these studies inform memory biases in mood disorders, while also discussing related work on emotion representation and dispositional biases in retrieval tendencies.</p