Effects of Spaceflight on Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Structure and Function.

With extended stays aboard the International Space Station (ISS) becoming commonplace, there is a need to better understand the effects of microgravity on cardiac function. We utilized human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) to study the effects of microgravity on cell-level cardiac function and gene expression. The hiPSC-CMs were cultured aboard the ISS for 5.5 weeks and their gene expression, structure, and functions were compared with ground control hiPSC-CMs. Exposure to microgravity on the ISS caused alterations in hiPSC-CM calcium handling. RNA-sequencing analysis demonstrated that 2,635 genes were differentially expressed among flight, post-flight, and ground control samples, including genes involved in mitochondrial metabolism. This study represents the first use of hiPSC technology to model the effects of spaceflight on human cardiomyocyte structure and function

Autism Spectrum Disorder Among US Children (2002–2010): Socioeconomic, Racial, and Ethnic Disparities

Objectives. To describe the association between indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) and the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States during the period 2002 to 2010, when overall ASD prevalence among children more than doubled, and to determine whether SES disparities account for ongoing racial and ethnic disparities in ASD prevalence

Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder With Regression Exhibit a Different Profile in Plasma Cytokines and Adhesion Molecules Compared to Children Without Such Regression

In the etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it has been suggested that a proinflammatory condition, as well as an alteration in adhesion molecules in the early stages of neurodevelopment, may play a role in the pathophysiology of the disorder. This study set out to evaluate the plasma levels of certain inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules, and growth factors in a sample of pediatric patients with ASD and compare them to the levels in a control group of healthy children. Higher levels of NGF were observed in the ASD group compared with the levels in the control group (p < 0.05). However, in the analysis of the ASD subgroups, lower plasma levels of NCAM and higher levels of NGF were found in the group of ASD children without developmental regression compared to the levels in the group of typically-developing children. These results suggest differences that could be related to different pathophysiological mechanisms in ASD. There is not a specific profile for the expression of relevant plasma cytokines, adhesion molecules or growth factors in children with ASD compared with that in typically-developing children. However, in the ANMR and AMR subgroups, some of the adhesion molecules and neuronal growth factors show differences that may be related to synaptogenesisThis study was supported by the FUNDACIÓ AGRUPACIÓ Àmbit de la Infància, 404 Research Grant INVEST from the Spanish Society of Pediatrics and Red de Salud Materno Infantil (RED SAMID)

Cost-effectiveness and affordability of community mobilisation through women's groups and quality improvement in health facilities (MaiKhanda trial) in Malawi.

Understanding the cost-effectiveness and affordability of interventions to reduce maternal and newborn deaths is critical to persuading policymakers and donors to implement at scale. The effectiveness of community mobilisation through women's groups and health facility quality improvement, both aiming to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, was assessed by a cluster randomised controlled trial conducted in rural Malawi in 2008-2010. In this paper, we calculate intervention cost-effectiveness and model the affordability of the interventions at scale

Digitally-Mediated Social Stories Support Children on the Autism Spectrum Adapting to a Change in a ‘Real-World’ Context

Social Stories™ (SS) is a widely used intervention for children on the autism spectrum. A preliminary survey of 103 practitioners highlighted that SS are often used to support adapting to a change. This study investigated the use of digitally-mediated SS to support ten children on the autism spectrum attending a school summer camp. Teacher perceptions of anxiety, understanding and closeness to the goal of the SS were assessed before and after the intervention (prior to the event). The pre- post-intervention comparisons highlighted significant improvements in child understanding, anxiety, and closeness to goal with medium-large effect sizes. The child’s understanding and closeness to SS goal post-intervention related to their difficulties with the SS goal and their anxiety during the event

GPCR Genes as Activators of Surface Colonization Pathways in a Model Marine Diatom

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)Surface colonization allows diatoms, a dominant group of phytoplankton in oceans, to adapt to harsh marine environments while mediating biofoulings to human-made underwater facilities. The regulatory pathways underlying diatom surface colonization, which involves morphotype switching in some species, remain mostly unknown. Here, we describe the identification of 61 signaling genes, including G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and protein kinases, which are differentially regulated during surface colonization in the model diatom species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum. We show that the transformation of P. tricornutum with constructs expressing individual GPCR genes induces cells to adopt the surface colonization morphology. P. tricornutum cells transformed to express GPCR1A display 30% more resistance to UV light exposure than their non-biofouling wild-type counterparts, consistent with increased silicification of cell walls associated with the oval biofouling morphotype. Our results provide a mechanistic definition of morphological shifts during surface colonization and identify candidate target proteins for the screening of eco-friendly, anti-biofouling molecules.Financial support for this work was provided by New York University Abu Dhabi Faculty Research Funds ( AD060 ) and NYUAD Institute grant ( 73 71210 CGSB9 ). W.F. was additionally supported by the Icelandic Technology Development Fund ( 163922-0611 ). The authors thank Kenan S. Jijakli and Joseph Koussa for editing and comments on the generation of several figures. We thank the NYU Abu Dhabi Core Technology Platforms (CTP) and NYUAD Bioinformatics Core for assistance. We thank Marc Arnoux and Nizar Drou for help with high throughput sequencing and analysis.Peer Reviewe

AFM topography and friction studies of hydrogen-bonded bilayers of functionalized alkanethiols

Contains fulltext : 84335.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)5 p

Comparison of autism spectrum disorder surveillance status based on two different diagnostic schemes: Findings from the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program, 2012.

For the first time, the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported prevalence estimates based on two different diagnostic schemes in the 2014 surveillance period. Results found substantial agreement between surveillance case status based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria and DSM-5 criteria ASD (kappa = 0.85). No study has replicated this agreement in another independent sample of surveillance records. The objectives of this study were to (1) replicate agreement between surveillance status based on DSM-IV-TR criteria and DSM-5 criteria for ASD, (2) quantify the number of children who met surveillance status based on only DSM-IV-TR criteria and only DSM-5 criteria for ASD, and (3) evaluate differences in characteristics of these latter two groups of children. The study sample was 8-year-old children who had health and education records reviewed for ASD surveillance in metropolitan Atlanta, GA in the 2012 surveillance year. Results found substantial agreement between child's surveillance status using DSM-IV-TR criteria and DSM-5 criteria for ASD (kappa = 0.80). There were no differences in child race/ethnicity, child sex, or intellectual disability between surveillance status defined by DSM-IV-TR criteria and that defined by DSM-5 criteria. Children who met surveillance status based on DSM-IV-TR criteria, but not DSM-5 criteria, were more likely to have developmental concerns and evaluations in the first three years. Children who met surveillance status based on DSM-5 criteria, but not DSM-IV-TR criteria, were more likely to have been receiving autism-related services or previously diagnosed with ASD. These results suggest that surveillance status of ASD based on DSM-5 criteria is largely comparable to that based on DSM-IV-TR criteria, and identifies children with similar demographic and intellectual characteristics