Sleep, Activity, and Nutrition Among an Army Sample: Strengths, Deficits, and Demographic Differences.

Sleep, activity, and nutrition (SAN) are key components in overall health, and an individual's knowledge about and self-confidence to engage in healthy SAN behaviors can have an impact on their actions. This evaluation examined SAN knowledge, self-confidence, and behaviors among U.S. Army Soldiers prior to participating in a health promotion program. Baseline surveys from participating Soldiers provide evidence in this evaluation. U.S. Army Soldiers (N = 11,485) participating in a health promotion program completed surveys. Participants completed an online survey assessing SAN knowledge, self-confidence, and behaviors (among other constructs). We examined the common patterns of SAN behaviors, the associations between them, and the differences based on gender and rank. Knowledge, self-confidence, and behaviors were correlated within each of the three SAN domains. Men reported more aerobic exercise (d = .48) and more resistance training (d = .34) per week than women. Officers reported greater self-confidence in their ability to consume a post-exercise snack (i.e., refuel; d = .38), greater refueling behaviors (d = .43), greater activity knowledge (d = .33), and greater self-confidence in their ability to achieve activity goals (d ranging from .33 to .39), compared to enlisted Soldiers. Finally, greater confidence in one's ability to achieve healthy sleep correlated with getting more sleep, both during workweek (r = .56, p < .001) and weekend (r = .25, p < .001). These baseline data support the need for health promotion of SAN behaviors among these Soldiers.

The Early Microbial Colonizers of a Short-Lived Volcanic Island in the Kingdom of Tonga.

The island of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) in the Kingdom of Tonga was formed by Surtseyan eruptions and persisted for 7 years before being obliterated by a massive volcanic eruption on 15 January 2022. Before it was destroyed, HTHH was an unparalleled natural laboratory to study primary succession on a newly formed landmass. We characterized the microbial communities found on the surface sediments of HTHH using a combination of quantitative PCR, marker gene sequencing, and shotgun metagenomic analyses. Contrary to expectations, photosynthetic cyanobacteria were not detected in these sediments, even though they are typically dominant in the earliest stages of primary succession in other terrestrial environments. Instead, our results suggest that the early sediment communities were composed of a diverse array of bacterial taxa, including trace gas oxidizers, anoxygenic photosynthesizers, and chemolithotrophs capable of metabolizing inorganic sulfur, with these bacteria likely sourced from nearby active geothermal environments. While the destruction of HTHH makes it impossible to revisit the site to conduct in situ metabolic measurements or observe how the microbial communities might have continued to change over time, our results do suggest that the early microbial colonizers have unique origins and metabolic capabilities. IMPORTANCE The volcanic island of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai in the Kingdom of Tonga represents a very rare example of new island formation and thus a unique opportunity to study how organisms colonize a new landmass. We found that the island was colonized by diverse microbial communities shortly after its formation in 2015, with these microbes likely originating from nearby geothermal environments. Primary succession in this system was distinct from that typically observed in other terrestrial environments, with the early microbial colonizers relying on unique metabolic strategies to survive on the surface of this newly formed island, including the capacity to generate energy via sulfur and trace gas metabolism.

Sargasso Sea bacterioplankton community structure and drivers of variance as revealed by DNA metabarcoding analysis.

Marine microbes provide the backbone for pelagic ecosystems by cycling and fixing nutrients and establishing the base of food webs. Microbial communities are often assumed to be highly connected and genetically mixed, with localized environmental filters driving minor changes in structure. Our study applied high-throughput Illumina 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing on whole-community bacterial samples to characterize geographic, environmental, and stochastic drivers of community diversity. DNA was extracted from seawater collected from the surface (N = 18) and at depth just below the deep chlorophyll-a maximum (DCM mean depth = 115.4 m; N = 22) in the Sargasso Sea and adjacent oceanographic regions. Discrete bacterioplankton assemblages were observed at varying depths in the North Sargasso Sea, with a signal for distance-decay of bacterioplankton community similarity found only in surface waters. Bacterial communities from different oceanic regions could be distinguished statistically but exhibited a low magnitude of divergence. Redundancy analysis identified temperature as the key environmental variable correlated with community structuring. The effect of dispersal limitation was weak, while variation partitioning and neutral community modeling demonstrated stochastic processes influencing the communities. This study advances understanding of microbial biogeography in the pelagic ocean and highlights the use of high-throughput sequencing methods in studying microbial community structure.

Host genotype structures the microbiome of a globally dispersed marine phytoplankton.

Phytoplankton support complex bacterial microbiomes that rely on phytoplankton-derived extracellular compounds and perform functions necessary for algal growth. Recent work has revealed sophisticated interactions and exchanges of molecules between specific phytoplankton-bacteria pairs, but the role of host genotype in regulating those interactions is unknown. Here, we show how phytoplankton microbiomes are shaped by intraspecific genetic variation in the host using global environmental isolates of the model phytoplankton host Thalassiosira rotula and a laboratory common garden experiment. A set of 81 environmental T. rotula genotypes from three ocean basins and eight genetically distinct populations did not reveal a core microbiome. While no single bacterial phylotype was shared across all genotypes, we found strong genotypic influence of T. rotula, with microbiomes associating more strongly with host genetic population than with environmental factors. The microbiome association with host genetic population persisted across different ocean basins, suggesting that microbiomes may be associated with host populations for decades. To isolate the impact of host genotype on microbiomes, a common garden experiment using eight genotypes from three distinct host populations again found that host genotype influenced microbial community composition, suggesting that a process we describe as genotypic filtering, analogous to environmental filtering, shapes phytoplankton microbiomes. In both the environmental and laboratory studies, microbiome variation between genotypes suggests that other factors influenced microbiome composition but did not swamp the dominant signal of host genetic background. The long-term association of microbiomes with specific host genotypes reveals a possible mechanism explaining the evolution and maintenance of complex phytoplankton-bacteria chemical exchanges.

Psychological factors and cardiac repolarization instability during anger in implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that emotions such as anger are associated with increased incidence of sudden cardiac death, but the biological mechanisms remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that, in patients with sudden death vulnerability, anger would be associated with arrhythmic vulnerability, indexed by cardiac repolarization instability. METHODS: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD; n = 41) and healthy controls (n = 26) gave an anger-inducing speech (anger recall), rated their current (state) anger, and completed measures of trait (chronic) levels of Anger and Hostility. Repolarization instability was measured using QT Variability Index (QTVI) at resting baseline and during anger recall using continuous ECG. RESULTS: ICD patients had significantly higher QTVI at baseline and during anger recall compared with controls, indicating greater arrhythmic vulnerability overall. QTVI increased from baseline to anger recall to a similar extent in both groups. In ICD patients but not controls, during anger recall, self-rated anger was related to QTVI (r = .44, p = .007). Trait (chronic) Anger Expression (r = .26, p = .04), Anger Control (r = -.26, p = .04), and Hostility (r = .25, p = .05) were each associated with the change in QTVI from baseline to anger recall (ΔQTVI). Moderation analyses evaluated whether psychological trait associations with ΔQTVI were specific to the ICD group. Results indicated that Hostility scores predicted ΔQTVI from baseline to anger recall in ICD patients (ß = 0.07, p = .01), but not in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Anger increases repolarization lability, but in patients with CAD and arrhythmic vulnerability, chronic and acute anger interact to trigger cardiac repolarization lability associated with susceptibility to malignant arrhythmias.

The distribution and mitochondrial genotype of the hydroid Aglaophenia latecarinata is correlated with its pelagic Sargassum substrate type in the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean.

The pelagic brown macroalga Sargassum supports rich biological communities in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic region, including a variety of epiphytic invertebrates that grow on the Sargassum itself. The thecate hydroid Aglaophenia latecarinata is commonly found growing on some, but not all, Sargassum forms. In this study, we examined the relationship between A. latecarinata and its pelagic Sargassum substrate across a broad geographic area over the course of 4 years (2015-2018). The distribution of the most common Sargassum forms that we observed (Sargassum fluitans III and S. natans VIII) was consistent with the existence of distinct source regions for each. We found that A. latecarinata hydroids were abundant on both S. natans VIII and S. fluitans III, and also noted a rare observation of A. latecarinata on S. natans I. For the hydroids on S. natans VIII and S. fluitans III, hydroid mitochondrial genotype was strongly correlated with the Sargassum substrate form. We found significant population genetic structure in the hydroids, which was also consistent with the distributional patterns of the Sargassum forms. These results suggest that hydroid settlement on the Sargassum occurs in type-specific Sargassum source regions. Hydroid species identification is challenging and cryptic speciation is common in the Aglaopheniidae. Therefore, to confirm our identification of A. latecarinata, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis that showed that while the genus Aglaophenia was not monophyletic, all A. latecarinata haplotypes associated with pelagic Sargassum belonged to the same clade and were likely the same species as previously published sequences from Florida, Central America, and one location in Brazil (São Sebastião). A nominal A. latecarinata sequence from a second Brazilian location (Alagoas) likely belongs to a different species.

Evidence for environmental and ecological selection in a microbe with no geographic limits to gene flow.

The ability for organisms to disperse throughout their environment is thought to strongly influence population structure and thus evolution of diversity within species. A decades-long debate surrounds processes that generate and support high microbial diversity, particularly in the ocean. The debate concerns whether diversification occurs primarily through geographic partitioning (where distance limits gene flow) or through environmental selection, and remains unresolved due to lack of empirical data. Here we show that gene flow in a diatom, an ecologically important eukaryotic microbe, is not limited by global-scale geographic distance. Instead, environmental and ecological selection likely play a more significant role than dispersal in generating and maintaining diversity. We detected significantly diverged populations (FST > 0.130) and discovered temporal genetic variability at a single site that was on par with spatial genetic variability observed over distances of 15,000 km. Relatedness among populations was decoupled from geographic distance across the global ocean and instead, correlated significantly with water temperature and whole-community chlorophyll a Correlations with temperature point to the importance of environmental selection in structuring populations. Correlations with whole-community chlorophyll a, a proxy for autotrophic biomass, suggest that ecological selection via interactions with other plankton may generate and maintain population genetic structure in marine microbes despite global-scale dispersal. Here, we provide empirical evidence for global gene flow in a marine eukaryotic microbe, suggesting that everything holds the potential to be everywhere, with environmental and ecological selection rather than geography or dispersal dictating the structure and evolution of diversity over space and time.

Psychosocial predictors of long-term mortality among women with suspected myocardial ischemia: the NHLBI-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation.

This paper evaluated long-term associations between psychosocial factors and premature mortality among women with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). We tracked total mortality events over a median 9.3 years in a cohort of 517 women [baseline mean age = 58.3 (11.4) years]. Baseline evaluations included coronary angiography, psychosocial testing, and CAD risk factors. Measures included the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, self-rated health, and Social Network Index. Cox regression analysis was used to assess relationships. Covariates included age, CAD risk factors, and CAD severity. BDI scores (HR 1.09, 95 % CI 1.02-1.15), STAI scores (HR .86, 95 % CI .78-.93), and very good self-rated health (relative to the poor self-rated health group; HR .33, 95 % CI .12-.96) each independently predicted time to mortality outcomes in the combined model. SNI scores (HR .91, 95 % CI .81-1.06) and other self-rated health categories (i.e., fair, good, and excellent categories) were not significant mortality predictors after adjusting for other psychosocial factors. These results reinforce and extend prior psychosocial research in CAD populations.

High Concordance Between Mental Stress-Induced and Adenosine-Induced Myocardial Ischemia Assessed Using SPECT in Heart Failure Patients: Hemodynamic and Biomarker Correlates.

UNLABELLED: Mental stress can trigger myocardial ischemia, but the prevalence of mental stress-induced ischemia in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients is unknown. We characterized mental stress-induced and adenosine-induced changes in myocardial perfusion and neurohormonal activation in CHF patients with reduced left-ventricular function using SPECT to precisely quantify segment-level myocardial perfusion. METHODS: Thirty-four coronary artery disease patients (mean age±SD, 62±10 y) with CHF longer than 3 mo and ejection fraction less than 40% underwent both adenosine and mental stress myocardial perfusion SPECT on consecutive days. Mental stress consisted of anger recall (anger-provoking speech) followed by subtraction of serial sevens. The presence and extent of myocardial ischemia was quantified using the conventional 17-segment model. RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of patients had 1 ischemic segment or more during mental stress and 81% during adenosine. On segment-by-segment analysis, perfusion with mental stress and adenosine were highly correlated. No significant differences were found between any 2 time points for B-type natriuretic peptide, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1b, troponin, vascular endothelin growth factor, IL-17a, matrix metallopeptidase-9, or C-reactive protein. However, endothelin-1 and IL-6 increased, and IL-10 decreased, between the stressor and 30 min after stress. Left-ventricular end diastolic dimension was 179±65 mL at rest and increased to 217±71 after mental stress and 229±86 after adenosine (P<0.01 for both). Resting end systolic volume was 129±60 mL at rest and increased to 158±66 after mental stress (P<0.05) and 171±87 after adenosine (P<0.07), with no significant differences between adenosine and mental stress. Ejection fraction was 30±12 at baseline, 29±11 with mental stress, and 28±10 with adenosine (P=not significant). CONCLUSION: There was high concordance between ischemic perfusion defects induced by adenosine and mental stress, suggesting that mental stress is equivalent to pharmacologic stress in eliciting clinically significant myocardial perfusion defects in CHF patients. Cardiac dilatation suggests clinically important changes with both conditions. Psychosocial stressors during daily life may contribute to the ischemic burden of CHF patients with coronary artery disease.

Prognostic significance of active and modified forms of endothelin 1 in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVES: Concentrations of endothelin I (ET1) are elevated in CHF patients and, like other biomarkers that reflect hemodynamic status and cardiac pathophysiology, are prognostic. The Singulex assay (Sgx-ET1) measures the active form of ET1, with a short in vivo half-life and the Brahms assay measures C-terminal endothelin-1 (CT-ET1), a modified (degraded) product with longer half-life. We aimed to determine the prognostic importance of active and modified forms of endothelin 1 (Singulex and Brahms assays) in comparison with other commonly measured biomarkers of inflammation, hemodynamic status and cardiac physiology in CHF. DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma biomarkers (Sgx-ET1, CT-ET1, NTproBNP, IL-6, TNFα, cTnI, VEGF, hs-CRP, Galectin-3, ST2) were measured in 134 NYHA class II and III CHF patients with systolic dysfunction. Prognostic importance of biomarkers for hospitalization or death were calculated by both logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. RESULTS: CT-ET1 (OR=5.2, 95% CI=1.7-15.7) and Sgx-ET1 (OR=2.9, CI=1.1-7.7) were independent predictors of hospitalization and death and additively predicted events after adjusting for age, sex, and other significant biomarkers. Other biomarkers did not improve the model. Similarly, in Cox regression analysis, only CT-ET1 (HR 3.4, 95% CI=1.4-8.4), VEGF (2.7, 95% CI=1.3-5.4), and Sgx-ET1 (HR 2.6, 95% CI=1.2-5.6) were independently prognostic. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated concentrations of endothelin 1 predict mortality and hospitalizations in HF patients. Endothelin 1 was more prognostic than commonly obtained hemodynamic, inflammatory, and fibrotic biomarkers. Two different assays of endothelin 1 independently and synergistically were prognostic, suggesting either complementary information or extreme prognostic importance.

Draft genome sequence of marine alphaproteobacterial strain HIMB11, the first cultivated representative of a unique lineage within the Roseobacter clade possessing an unusually small genome.

Strain HIMB11 is a planktonic marine bacterium isolated from coastal seawater in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii belonging to the ubiquitous and versatile Roseobacter clade of the alphaproteobacterial family Rhodobacteraceae. Here we describe the preliminary characteristics of strain HIMB11, including annotation of the draft genome sequence and comparative genomic analysis with other members of the Roseobacter lineage. The 3,098,747 bp draft genome is arranged in 34 contigs and contains 3,183 protein-coding genes and 54 RNA genes. Phylogenomic and 16S rRNA gene analyses indicate that HIMB11 represents a unique sublineage within the Roseobacter clade. Comparison with other publicly available genome sequences from members of the Roseobacter lineage reveals that strain HIMB11 has the genomic potential to utilize a wide variety of energy sources (e.g. organic matter, reduced inorganic sulfur, light, carbon monoxide), while possessing a reduced number of substrate transporters.

Depression, dietary habits, and cardiovascular events among women with suspected myocardial ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Dietary habits and depression are associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Patients with depression often report poor eating habits, and dietary factors may help explain commonly observed associations between depression and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: From 1996 to 2000, 936 women were enrolled in the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation at 4 US academic medical centers at the time of clinically indicated coronary angiography and then assessed (median follow-up, 5.9 years) for adverse outcomes (cardiovascular disease death, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke). Participants completed a protocol including coronary angiography (coronary artery disease severity) and depression assessments (Beck Depression Inventory scores, antidepressant use, and depression treatment history). A subset of 201 women (mean age, 58.5 years; standard deviation, 11.4) further completed the Food Frequency Questionnaire for Adults (1998 Block). We extracted daily fiber intake and daily servings of fruit and vegetables as measures of dietary habits. RESULTS: In separate Cox regression models adjusted for age, smoking, and coronary artery disease severity, Beck Depression Inventory scores (hazard ratio [HR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.10), antidepressant use (HR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.01-5.9), and a history of treatment for depression (HR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.3) were adversely associated with time to cardiovascular disease outcomes. Fiber intake (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.97) and fruit and vegetable consumption (HR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.19-0.70) were associated with a decreased time to cardiovascular disease event risk. In models including dietary habits and depression, fiber intake and fruit and vegetable consumption remained associated with time to cardiovascular disease outcomes, whereas depression relationships were reduced by 10% to 20% and nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Among women with suspected myocardial ischemia, we observed consistent relationships among depression, dietary habits, and time to cardiovascular disease events. Dietary habits partly explained these relationships. These results suggest that dietary habits should be included in future efforts to identify mechanisms linking depression to cardiovascular disease.

Anginal symptoms, coronary artery disease, and adverse outcomes in Black and White women: the NHLBI-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study.

BACKGROUND: Black women are less likely to be evaluated and treated for anginal symptoms, despite a higher premature cardiac mortality rate compared to white women. Our objective was to compare angina symptoms in black versus white women regarding (1) angina symptoms characterization; (2) relationship with obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD); and (3) relationship with subsequent mortality. METHODS: A cohort of 466 women (69 black and 397 white) undergoing coronary angiography for suspected ischemia and without prior history of CAD completed symptom checklists. Four symptom clusters (CHEST, UPPER, STOMACH, and TYPICAL TRIGGERS) were derived by factor analysis. All angiograms were analyzed by core lab. Mortality data over 10 years were obtained from National Death Index. RESULTS: (1) Black women had lower mean CHEST cluster scores (0.60±0.30 vs. 0.73±30, p=0.002), but higher STOMACH scores (0.41±0.25 vs. 0.30±0.25, p=0.011) than white women. (2) Prevalence and severity of CAD did not differ in black and white women and was not predicted by symptom cluster scores. (3) All-cause mortality rates were 24.9% in blacks versus 14.5% in whites, p=0.007; and cardiovascular mortality 22.5% vs.8.8%, p=0.001. Symptom clusters were not predictive of adverse events in white women. However, black women with a low TYPICAL score had significantly higher mortality compared to those with a high TYPICAL score (43% vs. 10%, p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Among women undergoing coronary angiography, black women report fewer chest-related and more stomach-related symptoms, regardless of presence or severity of CAD, and these racial symptom presentation differences are linked with the more adverse prognosis observed in the black women. Atypical symptom presentation may be a barrier to appropriate and timely diagnosis and treatment and contribute to poorer outcomes for black women.

Marine phytoplankton temperature versus growth responses from polar to tropical waters--outcome of a scientific community-wide study.

"It takes a village to finish (marine) science these days" Paraphrased from Curtis Huttenhower (the Human Microbiome project) The rapidity and complexity of climate change and its potential effects on ocean biota are challenging how ocean scientists conduct research. One way in which we can begin to better tackle these challenges is to conduct community-wide scientific studies. This study provides physiological datasets fundamental to understanding functional responses of phytoplankton growth rates to temperature. While physiological experiments are not new, our experiments were conducted in many laboratories using agreed upon protocols and 25 strains of eukaryotic and prokaryotic phytoplankton isolated across a wide range of marine environments from polar to tropical, and from nearshore waters to the open ocean. This community-wide approach provides both comprehensive and internally consistent datasets produced over considerably shorter time scales than conventional individual and often uncoordinated lab efforts. Such datasets can be used to parameterise global ocean model projections of environmental change and to provide initial insights into the magnitude of regional biogeographic change in ocean biota in the coming decades. Here, we compare our datasets with a compilation of literature data on phytoplankton growth responses to temperature. A comparison with prior published data suggests that the optimal temperatures of individual species and, to a lesser degree, thermal niches were similar across studies. However, a comparison of the maximum growth rate across studies revealed significant departures between this and previously collected datasets, which may be due to differences in the cultured isolates, temporal changes in the clonal isolates in cultures, and/or differences in culture conditions. Such methodological differences mean that using particular trait measurements from the prior literature might introduce unknown errors and bias into modelling projections. Using our community-wide approach we can reduce such protocol-driven variability in culture studies, and can begin to address more complex issues such as the effect of multiple environmental drivers on ocean biota.

Psychological and physiological predictors of angina during exercise-induced ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study compares sensory-biological, cognitive-emotional, and cognitive-interpretational factors in predicting angina on an exercise treadmill test (ETT). METHODS: A total of 163 patients with ETT-induced ischemia and coronary artery disease in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Psychophysiological Investigations of Myocardial Ischemia study were given an ETT, during which 79 patients reported angina. We assessed the following as potential predictors of self-reported anginal pain: sensory-biological factors (ß-endorphin reactivity, hot pain threshold, and maximal ST-segment depression), cognitive-emotional factors (negative affect and symptom perception), and cognitive-interpretational factors (self-reported history of exercise-induced angina). Models were covariate adjusted with predictors examined individually and as part of component blocks. RESULTS: Logistic regression revealed that history of angina (odds ratio [OR] = 17.41, 95% confidence interval = 7.16-42.34) and negative affect (OR = 1.65, 95% confidence interval = 1.17-2.34), but not maximal ST-segment depression, hot pain threshold, ß-endorphin reactivity, or symptom perception, were significant predictors of angina on the ETT. The sensory-biological block was not significantly predictive of anginal pain (χ(2)block = 5.15, p = .741). However, the cognitive-emotional block (χ(2)block = 11.19, p = .004) and history of angina (cognitive-interpretation; χ(2)block = 54.87, p < .001) were predictive of ETT angina. A model including all variables revealed that only history of angina was predictive of ETT pain (OR = 16.39, p < .001), although negative affect approached significance (OR = 1.45, p = .07). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ischemia, cognitive-emotional and cognitive-interpretational factors are important predictors of exercise angina.

Molecular subdivision of the marine diatom Thalassiosira rotula in relation to geographic distribution, genome size, and physiology.

BACKGROUND: Marine phytoplankton drift passively with currents, have high dispersal potentials and can be comprised of morphologically cryptic species. To examine molecular subdivision in the marine diatom Thalassiosira rotula, variations in rDNA sequence, genome size, and growth rate were examined among isolates collected from the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins. Analyses of rDNA included T. gravida because morphological studies have argued that T. rotula and T. gravida are conspecific. RESULTS: Culture collection isolates of T. gravida and T. rotula diverged by 7.0 ± 0.3% at the ITS1 and by 0.8 ± 0.03% at the 28S. Within T. rotula, field and culture collection isolates were subdivided into three lineages that diverged by 0.6 ± 0.3% at the ITS1 and 0% at the 28S. The predicted ITS1 secondary structure revealed no compensatory base pair changes among lineages. Differences in genome size were observed among isolates, but were not correlated with ITS1 lineages. Maximum acclimated growth rates of isolates revealed genotype by environment effects, but these were also not correlated with ITS1 lineages. In contrast, intra-individual variation in the multi-copy ITS1 revealed no evidence of recombination amongst lineages, and molecular clock estimates indicated that lineages diverged 0.68 Mya. The three lineages exhibited different geographic distributions and, with one exception, each field sample was dominated by a single lineage. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of inter- and intra-specific divergence between T. gravida and T. rotula suggests they should continue to be treated as separate species. The phylogenetic distinction of the three closely-related T. rotula lineages was unclear. On the one hand, the lineages showed no physiological differences, no consistent genome size differences and no significant changes in the ITS1 secondary structure, suggesting there are no barriers to interbreeding among lineages. In contrast, analysis of intra-individual variation in the multicopy ITS1 as well as molecular clock estimates of divergence suggest these lineages have not interbred for significant periods of time. Given the current data, these lineages should be considered a single species. Furthermore, these T. rotula lineages may be ecologically relevant, given their differential abundance over large spatial scales.

Combining psychosocial data to improve prediction of cardiovascular disease risk factors and events: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute--sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation study.

BACKGROUND: There is overlap among psychosocial predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The usefulness of combining psychosocial variables as risk markers for CVD needs investigation. METHODS: Participants were 493 women in the NHLBI WISE study. Multivariate combination of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Social Network Index (SNI), and Cook-Medley hostility subscales was evaluated, and principal components analysis also conducted. Relationships of composite psychosocial risk markers to CVD events and risk factors were assessed. RESULTS: The multivariate block of SNI, Cook-Medley Hostile Affect subscale, STAI, and BDI predicted CVD events (χ(2) = 27.8, df = 6, p < .001). Scalewise factor analysis revealed 2 factors: negative affectivity (NA) and hostility (explained variance, 45.6% and 17.1%, respectively). NA was associated with BMI (ß [SE] = 0.18 [0.09], p = .04), hostility with metabolic syndrome (exp(ß) = 0.60 [0.28], p = .04). Both factors were associated with blood pressure (BP): NA with SBP (ß = 2.53 [1.04], p = .02) and DBP (ß = 1.66 [0.60], p = .02); hostility with SBP (ß = 2.72 [1.13], p = .02) and DBP (ß = 1.83 [0.65], p = .005). Neither factor predicted CVD events. Original scales predicted CVD events: lower SNI (HR = 0.74, CI = 0.57-0.96), lower Hostile Affect (HR = 0.80, CI = 0.56-1.03), and higher BDI (HR = 1.33, CI = 1.08-1.74). CONCLUSIONS: In women with suspected ischemia, multivariate combination of psychosocial risk markers predicts CVD events; derived psychosocial factors were associated with CVD risk factors but not events. Measuring common variance among psychosocial variables may be a useful research strategy.

Self-rated versus objective health indicators as predictors of major cardiovascular events: the NHLBI-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between self-rated health and major cardiovascular events in a sample of women with suspected myocardial ischemia. Previous studies showed that self-rated health is a predictor of objective health outcomes, such as mortality. METHOD: At baseline, 900 women rated their health on a 5-point scale ranging from poor to excellent as part of a protocol that included quantitative coronary angiography, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor assessment, cardiac symptoms, psychotropic medication use, and functional impairment. Participants were followed for a maximum of 9 years (median, 5.9 years) to determine the prevalence of major CVD events (myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and CVD-related death). RESULTS: A total of 354 (39.3% of sample) participants reported their health as either poor or fair. After adjusting for demographic factors, CVD risk factors, and coronary artery disease severity, women who rated their health as poor (hazard ratio, 2.1 [1.1-4.2]) or fair (hazard ratio, 2.0 [1.2-3.6]) experienced significantly shorter times to major CVD events compared with women who rated their health as excellent or very good. Further adjustment for functional impairment, however, attenuated the self-rated health relationships with major CVD events. CONCLUSIONS: Among women with suspected myocardial ischemia, self-rated health predicted major CVD events independent of demographic factors, CVD risk factors, and angiogram-defined disease severity. However, functional impairment seemed to explain much of the self-rated health association. These results support the clinical utility of self-rated health scores in women and encourage a multidimensional approach to conceptualizing these measures.

Inflammatory markers and negative mood symptoms following exercise withdrawal.

OBJECTIVE: Physical inactivity is associated with elevated inflammatory markers, but little is known about the time trajectories of reduced physical activity and inflammatory markers. Changes in inflammatory markers in response to withholding regular aerobic exercise were prospectively examined and correlated with increased negative mood symptoms and fatigue that accompany exercise withdrawal. METHODS: Participants with regular exercise habits (N=40, mean age of 31.3+/-7.5 years, 55% women) were randomized to aerobic exercise withdrawal or to continue regular exercise for 2 weeks. Protocol adherence was documented using ambulatory actigraphy. Inflammatory markers (interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1) were assessed at weekly intervals. Negative mood was measured with the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and fatigue with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI). Autonomic nervous system activity was examined using heart rate variability-based indices. RESULTS: Changes in inflammatory markers did not differ between exercise withdrawal and control groups (multivariate p interaction=0.25). Exercise withdrawal resulted in increased negative mood symptoms and fatigue from baseline to day 14 compared to controls (p DeltaPOMS=0.008, p DeltaBDI=0.002; p DeltaMFI=0.003), but these responses were not associated with changes in inflammatory markers (p-values >0.10). Inflammatory markers were also not correlated with autonomic nervous system dysregulation (p-values >0.10). CONCLUSION: Inflammatory markers were not increased following 2 weeks of exercise withdrawal. Negative mood symptoms and fatigue were not accounted for by changes in inflammatory markers. Compensatory feedback mechanisms may operate among healthy individuals to promote resilience from the effects of reduced exercise.