Warming and acidification threaten glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus pumping and reef formation.

The glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus contributes to the formation of large reefs unique to the Northeast Pacific Ocean. These habitats have tremendous filtration capacity that facilitates flow of carbon between trophic levels. Their sensitivity and resilience to climate change, and thus persistence in the Anthropocene, is unknown. Here we show that ocean acidification and warming, alone and in combination have significant adverse effects on pumping capacity, contribute to irreversible tissue withdrawal, and weaken skeletal strength and stiffness of A. vastus. Within one month sponges exposed to warming (including combined treatment) ceased pumping (50-60%) and exhibited tissue withdrawal (10-25%). Thermal and acidification stress significantly reduced skeletal stiffness, and warming weakened it, potentially curtailing reef formation. Environmental data suggests conditions causing irreversible damage are possible in the field at +0.5 °C above current conditions, indicating that ongoing climate change is a serious and immediate threat to A. vastus, reef dependent communities, and potentially other glass sponges.

The prevalence of community programmes and policies to prevent childhood obesity in a diverse sample of US communities: the Healthy Communities Study.

INTRODUCTION: This manuscript describes the prevalence and attributes of community programmes and policies (CPPs) to address childhood obesity documented as occurring in 130 diverse US communities. METHODS: Key informant interviews (N = 1420) and document abstraction were used to identify and characterize CPPs to promote physical activity and healthy nutrition occurring during a 10-year retrospective study period. Data were collected in 2013-2015 and analysed in 2016. RESULTS: Across all 130 communities, 9681 distinct CPPs were reported as occurring by key informants. Of these, 5574 (58%) focused on increasing physical activity, 2596 (27%) on improving nutrition and 1511 (16%) on both behaviours. The mean number of CPPs per community was 74.0, with a range of 25 to 295 across all communities. Most CPPs occurred more than once (63%) and on average lasted 6.1 years. The greatest number of reported CPPs occurred in school settings (44%). CONCLUSIONS: Communities showed a wide range of investment in the amount of CPPs occurring in settings that affect opportunities for children to engage in physical activity and healthy nutrition. The pattern of implementation of CPPs showed variation over time, with an increase in more recent years. This observational study provides new and valuable information about what US communities are doing to prevent childhood obesity.

Community characteristics modify the relationship between obesity prevention efforts and dietary intake in children: the Healthy Communities Study.

BACKGROUND: The influence of community characteristics on the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention efforts is not well understood. OBJECTIVE: Examine the interaction of community characteristics with the relationship between community programmes and policies (CPPs) and dietary intake. METHODS: An observational study of 5138 children in grades K-8 in 130 US communities was conducted in 2013-2015. Key informant interviews identified and characterized CPPs. CPP scores were generated for the number of target behaviours (CPP-Behav) and the number of behaviour change strategies (CPP-Strat) addressed by all CPPs and CPPs with nutrition goals over the prior 6 years in each community. Dietary intake was assessed by dietary screener and included intake of sugar from sugar-sweetened beverages; energy-dense foods; fruits and vegetables; whole grains; and fibre. Multivariate statistical models assessed the interactions between US region, urbanicity, community-level income, and community-level race/ethnicity and CPP scores in relation to dietary intake. RESULTS: CPP-Strat was positively associated with healthier dietary intakes in the Northeast and West, and in high Hispanic communities; the reverse was true in the South, and in high African-American and low-income communities. The CPP-Behav was positively associated with healthier dietary intakes in the South and rural areas, and the reverse was true in the West. CONCLUSION: The relationships between CPP index scores and dietary intake were most strongly influenced by region and urbanicity and to a lesser extent by community-level race/ethnicity and income. Findings suggest that different considerations may be needed for childhood obesity prevention efforts in communities with different characteristics.

Measuring the intensity of community programs and policies for preventing childhood obesity in a diverse sample of US communities: the Healthy Communities Study.

INTRODUCTION: Efforts to address the critical public health problem of childhood obesity are occurring across the USA; however, little is known about how to characterize the intensity of these efforts. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study are to describe the intensity of community programs and policies (CPPs) to address childhood obesity in 130 US communities and to examine the extent to which observed CPPs targeted multiple behaviours and employed a comprehensive array of strategies. METHODS: To document CPPs occurring over a 10-year period, key informants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Staff coded CPPs for key characteristics related to intensity, including reach, duration and strategy. Three types of CPP scores were calculated for intensity of CPPs, targeting of CPPs towards multiple behaviours and strategies used. RESULTS: Nine thousand six hundred eighty-one CPPs were identified. On average, communities had 74 different CPPs in place (standard deviation 30), with variation in documented CPPs (range 25-295). Most communities experienced a steady, modest increase in intensity scores over 10 years. CPP targeting scores suggested that communities expanded the focus of their efforts over time to include more behaviours and strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this large-scale study indicate that great variation exists across communities in the intensity and focus of community interventions being implemented to address childhood obesity.

Associations between community programmes and policies and children's physical activity: the Healthy Communities Study.

BACKGROUND: Community initiatives to promote physical activity in children are common, but evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between community programmes and policies and children's physical activity in a large and diverse sample of US communities. METHODS: Programmes and policies to promote children's physical activity were assessed in 130 communities by key informant interviews, and physical activity behaviours were measured by self-report and parental report in samples of children in each community (total n = 5138). Associations between composite indices of community programmes and policies and indicators of total and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were examined without and with adjustment for demographic factors. RESULTS: An index reflecting the 6-year history of the number of behaviour change strategies used in community programmes and policies was positively associated with children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. This association was attenuated with adjustment for demographic factors. Effect modification analyses found that the association was positive among non-Hispanic children but was negative for Hispanic children. CONCLUSIONS: Community initiatives to promote physical activity in children were positively associated with children's physical activity in non-Hispanic children. Such initiatives were negatively associated with physical activity in Hispanic children, suggesting that future research should consider unique cultural factors when designing community initiatives to promote activity in this population sub-group.

Association between community characteristics and implementation of community programmes and policies addressing childhood obesity: the Healthy Communities Study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether characteristics of communities are associated with differential implementation of community programmes and policies to promote physical activity and healthy eating. This study examines associations between community characteristics (e.g. region and race/ethnicity) and the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented to prevent childhood obesity. It explores whether community characteristics moderate the intensity of community efforts to prevent childhood obesity. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate associations between community characteristics and the intensity of community policies and programmes to prevent childhood obesity documented in the Healthy Communities Study that engaged a diverse sample of US communities. METHOD: Programmes and policies were documented in 130 communities across the USA, reporting over 9000 different community programmes and policies to prevent obesity among children ages 4-15. We examined associations between community characteristics and the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented (i.e. their amount and reach, duration and strength of change strategy). CONCLUSION: Community characteristics explain 25% of the variability in the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented in communities. Particular characteristics - urbanicity, region, being a large county and the per cent of African-Americans in a community - contributed to more (over 18% of the 25%) of the observed variability.

Matrix implanted laser desorption ionization (MILDI) combined with ion mobility-mass spectrometry for bio-surface analysis.

The implantation of low velocity massive gold cluster ions allows homogeneous incorporation of a metallic matrix into the near-surface region of rat brain tissues. Subsequent analysis by laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry yields spectra exhibiting molecular ion peaks in the mass range up to 35 kDa similar to those observed by matrix-assisted LDI. Matrix-implanted LDI when combined with ion-mobility preseparation promises to be a useful technique for molecular imaging of biotissues with a laser microprobe.

Orthogonal time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis of peptides using large gold clusters as primary ions.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for biomolecular analysis is greatly enhanced by the instrumental combination of orthogonal extraction time-of-flight mass spectrometry with massive gold cluster primary ion bombardment. Precursor peptide molecular ion yield enhancements of 1000, and signal-to-noise improvements of up to 20, were measured by comparing SIMS spectra obtained using Au(+) and massive Au(400) (4+) cluster primary ion bombardment of neat films of the neuropeptide fragment dynorphin 1-7. Remarkably low damage cross-sections were also measured from dynorphin 1-7 and gramicidin S during prolonged bombardment with 40 keV Au(400) (4+). For gramicidin S, the molecular ion yield increases slightly as a function of Au(400) (4+) beam fluence up to at least 2 x 10(13) Au(400) (4+)/cm(2). This is in marked contrast to the rapid decrease observed when bombarding with ions such as Au(5) (+) and Au(9) (+). When gramicidin S is impinged with Au(5) (+), the molecular ion yield decreases by a factor of 10 after a fluence of only 8 x 10(12) ions/cm(2). Comparison of these damage cross-sections implies that minimal surface damage occurs during prolonged Au(400) (4+) bombardment. Several practical analytical implications are drawn from these observations.

Lesions of the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis disrupt appetitive-to-aversive transfer learning.

Rats with selective lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) and sham-lesion control animals were tested in an operant appetitive-to-aversive transfer task. We hypothesized that NBM lesions would not affect performance in the appetitive phase, but that performance would be impaired during subsequent transfer to the aversive phase of the task. Additional groups of NBM lesion and control rats were tested in the avoidance condition only, where we hypothesized that NBM lesions would not disrupt performance. These hypotheses were based on the argument that the NBM is not necessary for simple association learning that does not tax attention. Both the appetitive phase of the transfer task and the avoidance only task depend only on simple associative learning and are argued not to tax attention. Consequently, performance in these tasks was predicted to be spared following NBM lesions. Complex, attention-demanding associative learning, however, is argued to depend on the NBM. Performance in the aversive phase of the transfer task is both attentionally demanding and associatively more complex than in either the appetitive or aversive tasks alone; thus, avoidance performance in the NBM lesion group was predicted to be impaired following transfer from prior appetitive conditioning. Results supported our hypotheses, with the NBM lesion group acquiring the appetitive response normally, but showing impaired performance following transfer to the aversive conditioning phase of the transfer task. Impairments were not attributable to disrupted avoidance learning per se, as avoidance behavior was normal in the NBM lesion group tested in the avoidance condition only.

A model memorandum of collaboration: a proposal.

The authors propose a model memorandum of collaboration for use by state and community partnerships, support organizations, and grantmakers in working together to build healthier communities. Described as an idealized social contract, the model memorandum lays out interrelated responsibilities for the key parties.

The Community Tool Box: a Web-based resource for building healthier communities.

Building healthier cities and communities requires an array of community-building skills that are not always taught in formal education. The Community Tool Box (http://ctb.ukans.edu) is an Internet-based resource for practical, comprehensive, accessible, and user-friendly information on community-building, which both professionals and ordinary citizens can use in everyday practice. It connects people, ideas, and resources, offering more than 200 how-to sections and more than 5,000 pages of text.

Nitric oxide synthase-containing neurons in the myenteric plexus of the rat gastrointestinal tract: distribution and regional density.

Nitrergic (NO) neurons play crucial inhibitory roles in the control of gut motility. Variations in the density of these neurons within the gastrointestinal tract (GI) may provide useful functional information, but, most surveys available have employed limited and/or highly localized samples. It remains unclear to what extent (a) NO neurons are concentrated disproportionately in particular GI regions, or (b) variations in NO cell number merely reflect changes in overall myenteric neuron density. This experiment surveyed the distributions of neuronal nitric oxide synthase-positive (NOS+) and other myenteric neurons in the GI tract, using immunohistochemical and Cuprolinic blue counterstaining techniques. Adjustable sampling grids superimposed on wholemounts were used to investigate the topographic patterns in the stomach (90 sampling sites; 45 per side) and proximal duodenum (63 loci). We present four major findings: First, variations were detected in the number of NOS+ neurons in specific regions of the stomach (e.g., corpus > antrum approximately equal to forestomach) and along both longitudinal (oral > anal) and circumferential (mesenteric > antimesenteric) axes in the duodenum. Second, the variations in NOS+ neuronal counts within each organ covaried with the total number of myenteric neurons at different locations (stomach, r=0.77; duodenum, r=0.59), suggesting that local myenteric plexus density is a factor determining NOS+ cell concentrations. Third, in contrast to such a principle of covariation within each organ, NOS+ neurons constituted a consistently smaller proportion of gastric (20%) than of duodenal (28%) myenteric plexus neurons, suggesting that a second principle controls the characteristic percentages of the myenteric plexus that express NOS in different organs. Fourth, the regional samples were used to extrapolate the overall number of NOS+ and total myenteric cells in the rat stomach (43,000; 217,000) and first 3.5 cm of the small intestine (29,000; 103,000). These results, taken together, also suggest that the surveying protocol used is capable of detecting subtle differences in cellular distributions, thus providing a practical strategy for investigating patterns of chemical phenotypes within the GI tract.

Multi-anode detection in electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

An electrospray ionization ion source coupled to a time-of-flight mass analyzer incorporating a multi-anode time-to-digital converter is described. High-speed data acquisition (kHz mass spectral acquisition) rates are achieved. The four-anode detector produces a significant increase in detection/counting efficiency over that for a single-anode detector. In this work a 2.5 times increase in detection efficiency is demonstrated. The multi-anode detector is also used as a diagnostic tool to optimize transmission of the ion optics.

Methods for warming intravenous fluid in small volumes.

PURPOSE: Laboratory experiments were performed to determine warming rates of albumin 5% at room temperature and human packed red blood cells (PRBCs) at 4 degrees C in small volumes. Four methods used in clinical practice to warm volumes appropriate for neonates were studied. METHODS: The fluids were warmed either by infusion through a fluid warmer with temperature-controlled coaxial tubing (Group I), immersion in a water bath at 37 degrees C (Group II), placing pre-filled syringes (10 and 20 ml) between a circulating water mattress and a forced-air warming blanket (Group III), or placing the same syringes between the water mattress and cotton towels (Group IV). The temperature of each fluid was recorded for the next 60 sec after the bolus injection in group I and every five minutes for a total of 30 min for the other groups. The time constant of warming for each group was calculated. The time constant and the temperature reached after the warming period were compared among groups. RESULTS: In group I 20 ml room temperature albumin 5% or 4 degrees C blood reached temperatures of 36.9 +/- 1.5 degrees C and 34.5 +/- 2.3 degrees C within 60 sec, respectively. This was faster than all other techniques used (P < 0.001). The time constants measured for the albumin and the PRBCs were 0.23 +/- 0.1 and 0.20 +/- 0.05 minutes respectively. After 15 min albumin and PRBCs in group II reached 35.5 +/- 0.4 degrees C and 33.4 +/- 0.3 degrees C, in group III reached 33.7 +/- 1.0 C and 32.8 +/- 1.7 C, and in group IV reached 29.5 +/- 0.1 degrees C and 23.3 +/- 0.8 degrees C after 15 min respectively. CONCLUSION: Warming of intravenous fluids in small volumes is accomplished most rapidly using a fluid warmer with temperature-controlled coaxial tubing and occurs more slowly in syringes, bottles, or bags exposed to various environmental conditions.

Using empowerment theory in collaborative partnerships for community health and development.

Models of community empowerment help us understand the process of gaining influence over conditions that matter to people who share neighborhoods, workplaces, experiences, or concerns. Such frameworks can help improve collaborative partnerships for community health and development. First, we outline an interactive model of community empowerment that describes reciprocal influences between personal or group factors and environmental factors in an empowerment process. Second, we describe an iterative framework for the process of empowerment in community partnerships that includes collaborative planning, community action, community change, capacity building, and outcomes, and adaptation, renewal, and institutionalization. Third, we outline activities that are used by community leadership and support organizations to facilitate the process of community empowerment. Fourth, we present case stories of collaborative partnerships for prevention of substance abuse among adolescents to illustrate selected enabling activities. We conclude with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities of facilitating empowerment with collaborative partnerships for community health and development.

Sympathetic stimulation with physostigmine worsens outcome from incomplete brain ischemia in rats.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that anesthetics may protect the brain during incomplete cerebral ischemia by inhibition of sympathetic activity. This study evaluated whether physostigmine may increase plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine during carotid occlusion with hypotension and worsen ischemic outcome in rats and if this effect could be reversed by dexmedetomidine, an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist. METHODS: Anesthesia was maintained with fentanyl (25 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) combined with 70% N2O ventilation in oxygen. Ischemia was produced by right carotid ligation combined with hemorrhagic hypotension to 30 mmHg for 30 min. Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine were measured during ischemia. Neurologic outcome was evaluated for 3 days after ischemia. There were three groups: control (n = 10), physostigmine (1 mg/kg intraperitoneal 3 min before the start of ischemia, n = 10), and physostigmine plus dexmedetomidine (100 micrograms/kg intraperitoneally 15 min before the start of ischemia, n = 10). Brain tissue glutamate concentrations were measured by microdialysis in separate studies. RESULTS: Compared to control rats, physostigmine increased plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine 10-fold and worsened neurologic outcome. The increases in epinephrine and norepinephrine were blocked by dexmedetomidine before treatment, and neurologic outcome was improved. Outcome was not correlated with blood glucose during ischemia (r = 0.11). Ischemia increased brain tissue glutamate from < 100 microM to 400 microM during ischemia. This increase was not altered by physostigmine treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that physostigmine worsens ischemic outcome by a mechanism that is associated with increases in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Heritable retroviral transgenes are highly expressed in chickens.

This report describes expression of heritable reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) vector ME111 in 20 independent lines of transgenic chickens. The results are strikingly different from studies of Moloney virus in transgenic mice, where restricted expression of inherited proviruses has led to their use primarily as insertional mutagens rather than general agents for gene transfer. In contrast, the REV ME111 provirus is actively transcribed in a variety of tissues from transgenic chickens, is expressed from transcriptional control elements present in the long terminal repeat of the provirus, and codes for active neomycin phosphotransferase II. The REV vector system as applied to the chicken represents a departure from the long-established paradigm of retroviral transgenes in mice and provides a new approach to the study of avian biology.