SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations in Camp Lemonnier,Djibouti, from April 2020 to January 2022

The global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has highlighted the disparity between developed and developing countries for infectious disease surveillance and the sequencing of pathogen genomes. The majority of SARS-CoV-2 sequences published are from Europe, North America, and Asia. Between April 2020 and January 2022, 795 SARS-CoV-2-positive nares swabs from individuals in the U.S. Navy installation Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, were collected, sequenced, and analyzed. In this study, we described the results of genomic sequencing and analysis for 589 samples, the first published viral sequences for Djibouti, including 196 cases of vaccine breakthrough infections. This study contributes to the knowledge base of circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the under-sampled country of Djibouti, where only 716 total genome sequences are available at time of publication. Our analysis resulted in the detection of circulating variants of concern, mutations of interest in lineages in which those mutations are not common, and emerging spike mutations.     

Early Life Low-Calorie Sweetener Consumption Impacts Energy Balance during Adulthood

Children frequently consume beverages that are either sweetened with sugars (sugar-sweetened beverages; SSB) or low-calorie sweeteners (LCS). Here, we evaluated the effects of habitual early life consumption of either SSB or LCS on energy balance later during adulthood. Male and female rats were provided with chow, water, and a solution containing either SSB (sucrose), LCS (acesulfame potassium (ACE-K) or stevia), or control (no solution) during the juvenile and adolescent periods (postnatal days 26–70). SSB or LCS consumption was voluntary and restricted within the recommended federal daily limits. When subsequently maintained on a cafeteria-style junk food diet (CAF; various high-fat, high-sugar foods) during adulthood, ACE-K-exposed rats demonstrated reduced caloric consumption vs. the controls, which contributed to lower body weights in female, but not male, ACE-K rats. These discrepant intakes and body weight effects in male ACE-K rats are likely to be based on reduced gene expression of thermogenic indicators (UCP1, BMP8B) in brown adipose tissue. Female stevia-exposed rats did not differ from the controls in terms of caloric intake or body weight, yet they consumed more SSB during CAF exposure in adulthood. None of the SSB-exposed rats, neither male nor female, differed from the controls in terms of total adult caloric consumption or body weight measures. The collective results reveal that early life LCS consumption alters sugar preference, body weight, and gene expression for markers of thermogenesis during adulthood, with both sex- and sweetener-dependent effects.     

Complex genetic determinants of susceptibility to methylxanthine-induced locomotor activity changes

The intent of this study was to investigate the role of inheritance in the determination of susceptibility to methylxanthine-induced behavioral changes. Two strains of inbred mice, SWR and CBA, which differ significantly in their response to caffeine- and theophylline-induced stimulation of locomotor activity, were used in classical genetic crosses to produce reciprocal F1 hybrids, reciprocal backcross progeny F2 progeny. Theophylline dose response curves in the reciprocal F1 hybrid strains were identical to each other and to their methylxanthine-responsive (CBA) parent. These results indicated that theophylline responsiveness behaved as a simple autosomal dominant trait. Behavioral responses of these F1 hybrid strains to caffeine showed the same maximal enhancement of locomotor activity as their CBA progenitor at a dose 10 mg/kg IP, but locomotor activity stimulation also occurred at 32 mg/kg IP, a dose which inhibited their CBA parent. These data suggest that the genes specifying caffeine responsiveness differ from those encoding theophylline responsiveness. For both caffeine and theophylline, behavioral phenotypes and their expected frequencies of occurrence among backcross and F2 progeny differed significantly from the segregation ratios expected for a trait determined by a single gene. These non-Mendelian segregation ratios suggest that locomotor activity stimulation by both of these methylxanthines is polygenically determined. It was anticipated that the same genetically encoded neurochemical mechanism would underlie the difference in behavioral response to the two methylxanthines. However, no significant correlation between caffeine-induced and theophylline-induced stimulation of locomotor activity was observed among progeny derived from backcrosses of F1 self-crosses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

An overview of disparities in childhood cancer: Report on the Inaugural Symposium on Childhood Cancer Health Disparities,Houston, Texas, 2016

The Inaugural Symposium on Childhood Cancer Health Disparities was held in Houston, Texas, on November 2, 2016. The symposium was attended by 109 scientists and clinicians from diverse disciplinary backgrounds with interests in pediatric cancer disparities and focused on reviewing our current knowledge of disparities in cancer risk and outcomes for select childhood cancers. Following a full day of topical sessions, everyone participated in a brainstorming session to develop a working strategy for the continued expansion of research in this area. This meeting was designed to serve as a springboard for examination of childhood cancer disparities from a more unified and systematic approach and to enhance awareness of this area of need.     

Impact of exercise on physical health status in bladder cancer patients

IntroductionThere is a scarcity of data on the impact of behavioral habits, such as exercise, on physical health in patients with bladder cancer. We investigated the association of exercise on self-reported physical health status and examined the prevalence of bladder cancer patients with sedentary lifestyle.MethodsWe examined cross-sectional data of participants diagnosed with bladder cancer within the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 2016–2020. Patient health status was surveyed using self-reported measures, such as the total days per month when their “physical health is not good.” The primary outcome was patient-reported poor physical health for more than 14 days within a one-month period.ResultsOut of 2 193 981 survey participants, we identified 936 with a history of bladder cancer. Nearly one in three bladder cancer patients reported being sedentary within the last month, as a total of 307 (32.8%) patients reported no exercise within the last 30 days. The remaining 628 (67.2%) reported exercising for at least one day within the last month. In multivariable logistic regression model analysis, we found that exercise is protective for self-reported poor physical health status (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.25–0.56, p<0.001). Patients that exercised were less likely to report bad physical health.ConclusionsApproximately one in three bladder cancer patients report no exercise within 30 days, suggesting a sedentary lifestyle. Patients that are active are less likely to self-report poor physical health status. Implementation of exercise programs for bladder cancer patients could be promising in improving health status.

KEY MESSAGES

• Approximately 1 in 3 bladder cancer patients report a sedentary lifestyle.
• Patients that are active are less likely to self-report poor physical health status.
• Implementation of exercise programs might improve health status.
• Clinicians of bladder cancer patients should engage in increasing activity levels.

     

Healthy aging impairs face discrimination ability

Face images enable individual identities to be discriminated from one another. We aimed to quantify age-related changes in different aspects of face identity discrimination. Face discrimination sensitivity was measured with a memory-free “odd-one-out” task. Five age groups (N = 15) of healthy adults with normal vision were tested: 20, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80-89. Sensitivity was measured for full-face images (all features visible), external features (head-shape, hairline), internal features (nose, mouth, eyes, and eyebrows) and closed-contour shapes (control object). Sensitivity to full-faces continuously declined by approximately 13% per decade, after 50 years of age. When age-related differences in visual acuity were controlled, the effect of age on face discrimination sensitivity remained. Sensitivity to face features also deteriorated with age. Although the effect for external features was similar to full-faces, the rate of decline was considerably steeper (approximately 3.7 times) for internal, relative to external, features. In contrast, there was no effect of age on sensitivity to shapes. All age groups demonstrated the same overall pattern of sensitivity to different types of face information. Healthy aging was associated with a continuous decline in sensitivity to both full-faces and face features, although encoding of internal features was disproportionately impaired. This age-related deficit was independent of differences in low-level vision. That sensitivity to shapes was unaffected by age suggests these results cannot be explained by general cognitive decline or lower-level visual deficits. Instead, healthy aging is associated with a specific decline in the mechanisms that underlie face discrimination.