Abstract The objective of this study was to determine time-course changes in gene expression within two regions of the extended amygdala after binge-like alcohol drinking by alcohol-preferring (P) ...rats. Adult male P rats were given 1-h access to 15 and 30% ethanol three times daily for 8 weeks. Rats ( n = 10/time point for ethanol and n = 6/time point for water) were killed by decapitation 1, 6, and 24 h after the last drinking episode. RNA was prepared from individual micropunch samples of the nucleus accumbens shell (ACB-shell) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA); analyses were conducted with Affymetrix Rat Genome 230.2 GeneChips. Ethanol intakes were 1.5–2 g/kg for each of the three sessions. There were no genes that were statistically different between the ethanol and water control groups at any individual time point. Therefore, an overall effect, comparing the water control and ethanol groups, was determined. In the ACB-shell and CeA, there were 276 and 402 probe sets for named genes, respectively, that differed between the two groups. There were 1.5–3.6-fold more genes with increased expression than with decreased expression in the ethanol-drinking group, with most differences between 1.1- and 1.2-fold. Among the differences between the ethanol and water control groups were several significant biological processes categories that were in common between the two regions (e.g., synaptic transmission, neurite development); however, within these categories, there were few genes in common between the two regions. Overall, the results indicate that binge-like alcohol drinking by P rats produces region-dependent changes in the expression of genes that could alter transcription, synaptic function, and neuronal plasticity in the ACB-shell and CeA; within each region, different mechanisms may underlie these alterations because there were few common ethanol-responsive genes between the ACB-shell and CeA.
The kinetics of model contaminant 4-chloronitrobenzene (4-ClNB) reduction by Fe( ii ) in aqueous suspensions containing either or both goethite (α-FeOOH) nanoparticles and kaolinite (Al 2 Si 2 O 5 ...(OH) 4 ) were quantified to elucidate the effects of nonreactive clay minerals on the attenuation of nitroaromatic groundwater contaminants by iron oxide nanoparticles. Increasing the amount of kaolinite in the presence of goethite decreased the reduction rate of 4-ClNB and competitive Fe( ii ) adsorption on kaolinite occurred. Cryogenic transmission and scanning electron microscopy (cryo-TEM and cryo-SEM) images did not reveal significant loss of accessible reactive surface area as a result of heteroaggregation. Sequential-spike batch reactors revealed that in the presence of kaolinite, 4-ClNB reduction rate decreased by more than a factor of three with extended reaction as a result of kaolinite dissolution and subsequent incorporation of Al and Si in goethite or on the goethite surface. The reactive sites residing on the {110} faces were comparatively more reactive in the presence of a large loading of kaolinite, resulting in shorter and wider goethite particles after reaction. These results elucidate the mechanisms by which nonreactive clays affect the reactions of Fe( ii )/iron oxides in groundwater systems and indicate that nonreactive clays are not passive components.
Chagas disease (CD) is the third most common parasitic infection globally and can cause cardiac and gastrointestinal complications. Around 300,000 carriers of CD live in the U.S., with about 3000 of ...those in Colorado. We described our experience in diagnosing CD at a Colorado teaching hospital to revise screening eligibility criteria. From 2006 to 2020, we reviewed Trypanosoma cruzi (TC) IgG serology results for 1156 patients in our institution. We identified 23 patients (1.99%) who had a positive test. A total of 14/23 (60%) of positive serologies never had confirmatory testing, and 7 of them were lost to follow up. Confirmatory testing, performed in 9 patients, resulted in being positive in 3. One additional case of CD was identified by positive tissue pathology. All four confirmed cases were among patients born in Latin America. While most of the testing for CD at our institution is part of the pretransplant screening, no confirmed cases of CD derived from this strategy. Exposure risk in this population is not always documented, and initial positive results from screening are not always confirmed. The lack of standardized screening protocols for CD in our institution contributes to underdiagnosis locally and in health systems nationwide. Given a large number of individuals in the U.S. with chronic CD, improved screening is warranted.
Background: Yellow fever (YF) virus has the potential to cause fatal outcomes among at-risk individuals visiting endemic areas. Vaccinating travelers who are at risk is necessary to prevent ...virus-related life-threatening complications. We lack data on the clinical features of persons seeking YF vaccination. We aim to describe the characteristics of a cohort of persons receiving the YF vaccine before travel. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 964 travelers receiving the YF vaccine (Stamaril®) from Oct 2016 to Jul 2019 was performed at the University of Colorado Hospital, U.S. Percentages, means, and standard deviations were calculated. A multivariate logistic regression model was built to evaluate the association between receiving YF vaccination less than 10 days before departure and visiting friends and relatives (VFR). Results: The average age of the subjects was 39 ± 18 years with a range of nine months to 83 years. Persons who were 60 years of age and older represented 17%. Women consisted of 52%, and most of the travelers were Caucasians (64%). Travelers reported traveling to Africa (57%) or South America (40%). The primary destinations for travelers overall were Kenya (19%), Uganda (11%), and Tanzania (11%) in Africa; and Peru (14%) and Brazil (13%) in South America. The most common reasons for travel included leisure (44%), VFR (18%), and mission trips (10%). Comorbidities included a history of hematologic disorders (4%), HIV infection (2%), and diabetes mellitus (3%). The average duration between vaccine administration and travel was 43 days. Those VFR were two times more likely to receive the YF vaccination <10 days before departure. Conclusions: Identifying the type of travel, itinerary, and underlying medical conditions allows providers to administer the YF vaccine to travelers safely. There is a need to identify strategies to improve the timing of YF vaccination among VFR travelers.
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of ethanol injections on protein expression in the nucleus accumbens shell (ACB-sh) of alcohol-preferring (P), alcohol-non-preferring (NP) and ...Wistar (W) rats. Rats were injected for 5 consecutive days with either saline or 1 g/kg ethanol; 24 h after the last injection, rats were killed and brains obtained. Micro-punch samples of the ACB-sh were homogenized; extracted proteins were subjected to trypsin digestion and analyzed with a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometer procedure. Ethanol changed expression levels (1.15-fold or higher) of 128 proteins in NP rats, 22 proteins in P, and 28 proteins in W rats. Few of the changes observed with ethanol treatment for NP rats were observed for P and W rats. Many of the changes occurred in calcium–calmodulin signaling systems, G-protein signaling systems, synaptic structure and histones. Approximately half the changes observed in the ACB-sh of P rats were also observed for W rats. Overall, the results indicate a unique response to ethanol of the ACB-sh of NP rats compared to P and W rats; this unique response may reflect changes in neuronal function in the ACB-sh that could contribute to the low alcohol drinking behavior of the NP line.
Currently, there are no proven pharmacologic interventions to reduce the clinical impact and prevent complications of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the ...cause of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Selecting specific pharmacological targets for the treatment of viral pathogens has traditionally relied in blockage of specific steps in their replicative lifecycle in human cells. However, an alternative approach is reducing the molecular cleavage of the viral surface spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to prevent viral entry into epithelial cells.
The complete mitochondrial genome of a freshwater planorbid snail, Planorbella duryi (Mollusca, Gastropoda) was recovered from de novo assembly of genomic sequences generated with the Illumina ...NextSeq500 platform. The P. duryi mitogenome (14,217 base pairs) is AT rich (72.69%) and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal subunit genes, and 22 transfer RNAs. The gene order is identical to that of Biomphalaria glabrata and other snail species in the family Planorbidae. This is the first full characterization of a mitochondrial genome of the genus Planorbella.
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