Conservatively transmitted alleles of key agronomic genes provide insights into the genetic basis of founder parents in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

BACKGROUND: Founder parents play extremely important roles in wheat breeding. Studies into the genetic basis of founder parents and the transmission rules of favorable alleles are of great significance in improving agronomically important traits in wheat. RESULTS: Here, a total of 366 founder parents, widely grown cultivars, and derivatives of four representative founder parents were genotyped based on efficient kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers in 87 agronomically important genes controlling yield, quality, adaptability, and stress resistance. Genetic composition analysis of founder parents and widely grown cultivars showed a consistently high frequency of favorable alleles for yield-related genes. This analysis further showed that other alleles favorable for resistance, strong gluten, dwarf size, and early heading date were also subject to selective pressure over time. By comparing the transmission of alleles from four representative founder parents to their derivatives during different breeding periods, it was found that the genetic composition of the representative founder parents was optimized as breeding progressed over time, with the number and types of favorable alleles carried gradually increasing and becoming enriched. There are still a large number of favorable alleles in wheat founder parents that have not been fully utilized in breeding selection. Eighty-seven agronomically important genes were used to construct an enrichment map that shows favorable alleles of four founder parents, providing an important theoretical foundation for future identification of candidate wheat founder parents. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal the genetic basis of founder parents and allele transmission for 87 agronomically important genes and shed light on breeding strategies for the next generation of elite founder parents in wheat.

TaTPP-7A positively feedback regulates grain filling and wheat grain yield through T6P-SnRK1 signalling pathway and sugar-ABA interaction.

Grain size and filling are two key determinants of grain thousand-kernel weight (TKW) and crop yield, therefore they have undergone strong selection since cereal was domesticated. Genetic dissection of the two traits will improve yield potential in crops. A quantitative trait locus significantly associated with wheat grain TKW was detected on chromosome 7AS flanked by a simple sequence repeat marker of Wmc17 in Chinese wheat 262 mini-core collection by genome-wide association study. Combined with the bulked segregant RNA-sequencing (BSR-seq) analysis of an F2 genetic segregation population with extremely different TKW traits, a candidate trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase gene located at 135.0 Mb (CS V1.0), designated as TaTPP-7A, was identified. This gene was specifically expressed in developing grains and strongly influenced grain filling and size. Overexpression (OE) of TaTPP-7A in wheat enhanced grain TKW and wheat yield greatly. Detailed analysis revealed that OE of TaTPP-7A significantly increased the expression levels of starch synthesis- and senescence-related genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene pathways. Moreover, most of the sucrose metabolism and starch regulation-related genes were potentially regulated by SnRK1. In addition, TaTPP-7A is a crucial domestication- and breeding-targeted gene and it feedback regulates sucrose lysis, flux, and utilization in the grain endosperm mainly through the T6P-SnRK1 pathway and sugar-ABA interaction. Thus, we confirmed the T6P signalling pathway as the central regulatory system for sucrose allocation and source-sink interactions in wheat grains and propose that the trehalose pathway components have great potential to increase yields in cereal crops.

Feline communication strategies when presented with an unsolvable task: the attentional state of the person matters.

Research on social cognitive ability in domestic cats is limited. The current study investigated social referencing in cats when exposed to first, a solvable, and then, an unsolvable scenario (i.e., reachable and unreachable treats) in the presence of either an attentive or an inattentive caregiver. Cats expressed more gaze alternation (P = 0.013), but less interaction with the caregiver (P = 0.048) and approached the treat container less frequently (P = 0.017) during the unsolvable test, compared to the solvable test. When in the presence of an attentive caregiver, cats initiated first gaze at the caregiver faster (P = 0.001); gazed at the caregiver for longer (P = 0.034); and approached the treat more frequently (P = 0.040), compared to when the caregiver was inattentive. Significant interaction was observed between test and caregiver's attentional state on the expression of sequential behavior, a type of showing behavior. Cats exhibited this behavior marginally more with attentive caregivers, compared to inattentive caregivers, but only during the unsolvable test. There was a decrease in sequential behavior during the unsolvable test, compared to solvable test, but this was only seen with inattentive caregivers (P = 0.018). Our results suggest that gaze alternation is a behavior reliably indicating social referencing in cats and that cats' social communication with humans is affected by the person's availability for visual interaction.

A Sheathed Spike Gene, TaWUS-like Inhibits Stem Elongation in Common Wheat by Regulating Hormone Levels.

The elongation and development of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stem play an important role in plant architecture. The shortened stem would result in a sheathed spike and a low yield in crops. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying a sheathed spike would be beneficial for plant architecture and yield improvement. We identified a novel gene, TaWUS-like (WUSCHEL-related homeobox-like), which regulated sheathed spike and plant architecture in wheat. The plant height of overexpression transgenic lines was significantly decreased and the spike was not completely elongated and enclosed in flag leaf sheaths. Moreover, the increase in tiller angle resulted in loose plant architecture and lower yield. The statistical and cytological analysis demonstrated that the length of the uppermost and secondary internode was significantly shortened, especially the uppermost internode which was only half the length of the wild-type. The size of parenchyma cells was obviously reduced and cell length on the longitudinal section was elongated insufficiently compared with wild-type. The analysis of hormone content showed that there was a lack of gibberellin A 3 (GA3) in internodes but a higher brassinosteroid (BR) content. TaWUS-like may inhibit the synthesis of GA3 and/or BR, thus affecting the function of signal transduction of these hormones, which further caused stem shortening and plant dwarfing in wheat.

Cats reorganise their feeding behaviours when moving from ad libitum to restricted feeding.

OBJECTIVES: One identified solution to prevent obesity in cats is to control and limit their calorie intake. The objective of the present work was to better elucidate the impact of calorie cut-off on the feeding behaviour of cats. METHODS: A control (n = 31) and a test group of cats (n = 38) were included in the present study. Both groups received the same food variety during the study. A period of ad libitum feeding was initially set (T0), followed by a 9-month mild calorie restriction period for the test group only (T9; average calorie restriction = 6%), and a final period of ad libitum feeding (T10). The individual cat feeding behaviours were measured via an electronic feeding system, and agonistic interactions between cats during food anticipation via video observations. Generalised linear mixed models were fitted to compare all feeding parameters between periods by group. No statistical analyses could be performed on the agonistic interactions data owing to their structure. RESULTS: The feeding behaviour of the control group remained stable during the entire study, while the test group showed fewer but larger meals taken at shorter time intervals and a faster eating rate in response to calorie restriction. The average total number of agonistic interactions per cat increased during the calorie cut-off period in the test group only. One month after returning to ad libitum feeding, all behaviours were largely restored to baseline values. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Behavioural changes expressed by cats under calorie restriction can explain some of the difficulties obtaining cat owners' compliance with dietary restriction, especially in multi-cat households. Feeding strategies should be utilised to help cats be less impulsive and maintain normal feeding patterns when moving away from ad libitum feeding.

The clinical significance of preschool depression: impairment in functioning and clinical markers of the disorder.

OBJECTIVE: While much is now known about depression during school age and adolescence, whether clinical depression can onset even earlier in development during the preschool period remains under explored. The earliest possible identification of depression may be important for the design of prevention and early developmental intervention programs. This study investigated functional impairment associated with depression, symptoms that served as the best markers of depression vs. other disorders, as well as depression severity between two depressed sub-groups and other diagnostic comparison groups. METHOD: Three hundred and five preschoolers between the ages of 3.0 and 6.0 and their primary caregivers were recruited using a depression screening checklist distributed at community sites. The Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA) was used to derive psychiatric diagnoses in the study sample. Multivariate analyses of covariance were used to investigate the effects of depression on independent measures of functional impairment while controlling for the effects of co-morbidities. RESULTS: Functional impairment specifically associated with depression was found in multiple domains and contexts, however depressed preschoolers were not developmentally delayed. The symptoms of guilt and extreme fatigue were found to be highly specific for preschool depression. A statistically significant hierarchy of depression severity was found between diagnostic comparison groups, in the expected direction with the highest in a melancholic subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Validation for preschool depression with associated functional impairment across contexts was found in preschool children. These findings replicate and extend earlier evidence for validity of MDD diagnosed in the preschool period and highlight the need for clinical attention. The finding that these depressed and impaired preschoolers were not yet developmentally delayed may have important public health significant significance as it suggests a possible window of opportunity for early intervention. Study findings were limited by reliance on parent and teacher informants and a cross-sectional view.

Virome biogeography in the lower gastrointestinal tract of rhesus macaques with chronic diarrhea.

The composition of gastrointestinal tract viromes has been associated with multiple diseases. Our understanding of virus communities in the GI tract is still very limited due to challenges in sampling from different GI sites. Here we defined the GI viromes of 15 rhesus macaques with chronic diarrhea. Luminal content samples from terminal ileum, proximal and distal colon were collected at necropsy while samples from the rectum were collected antemortem using a fecal loop. The composition of and ecological parameters associated with the terminal ileum virome were distinct from the colon and rectum samples; these differences were driven by bacteriophages rather than eukaryotic viruses. The six contigs that were most discriminative of the viromes were distantly related to bacteriophages from three different families. Our analysis provides support for using fecal loop sampling of the rectum as a proxy of the colonic virome in humans.

Aging Dogs Manifest Myopia as Measured by Autorefractor.

OBJECTIVE: Dogs, like humans, experience eye changes with aging: hardening and clouding of the lens and accumulated oxidative damage from UV sunlight. It has been debated whether such changes could be affecting the visual function of dogs. The objective of this study was to determine if autorefractometry could be used to measure visual function in dogs. ANIMALS AND METHODS: Nine Beagle dogs (ages 1 to 14 years) were examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist and their eyes determined to be free of cataracts. Spherical equivalent refractive error was measured by handheld autorefractor (Welch Allyn SureSight) under both indirect and direct lighting conditions with five measurements per condition, per eye. Measures were repeated on three different days for each dog within six weeks. Nonparametric statistics were used to detect differences among lighting conditions and test days, and between eyes. Spearmen correlation assessed the visual measurement outcomes' association with age. RESULTS: There was no difference for day-to-day or between-eye measurements. Significantly, the Beagles showed a myopic shift with aging (average spherical equivalent ranged from plano to -3.00 diopters), suggesting that dogs become more near-sighted as they age (r = -0.48 and -0.73 under direct and indirect lights; p<0.05 both). Younger dogs were able to make larger accommodation changes from indirect light to direct light conditions, indicating a more flexible lens (r = -0.50, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although designed for humans, the hand-held autorefractor technique is applicable to dogs and sensitive to light conditions. The age-associated myopic shift could be expected to compromise dogs' visual functions.

Brentwood community health care assessment.

BACKGROUND: The Community Alliance for Research Empowering Social Change (CARES) is an academic-community research partnership designed to train community members on research methods and develop the infrastructure for community-based participatory research (CBPR) to examine and address racial/ethnic health disparities. The Brentwood Community Health Assessment (BCHA) was developed through a CBPR pilot project grant from CARES. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the BCHA is to assess health care utilization and identify existing barriers to health care access among a multi-ethnic community in the Hamlet of Brentwood, New York. METHODS: Using CBPR approaches, the community-academic research partnership develop the study design and survey instrument. Trained Bilingual (English/Spanish) data collectors verbally administered surveys door-to-door to residents of Brentwood from October 2010 to May 2011. Inclusion criteria required participants to be at least 18 years of age and speak either English or Spanish. RESULTS: Overall, 232 residents completed the BCHA; 49% were male, 66% Hispanic, 13% non-Hispanic White, 13% non-Hispanic Black, 29% had less than a high school education, and 33% were born in United States. The assessment results revealed that most residents are able to access health care when needed and the most significant barriers to health care access are insurance and cost. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the community-academic partnered process used to develop and implement the BCHA and report assessment findings; the community-partnered approach improved data collection and allowed access into one of Suffolk County's most vulnerable communities.

Parenting practices in pregnancy smokers compared to non smokers.

BACKGROUND: The present investigation compared parenting practices in a sample of preschoolers whose mothers reported smoking during pregnancy versus those who did not. METHODS: A sample of n = 216, 3.0- to 5.11-year-old children, participants in an ongoing longitudinal study, was separated into those reportedly exposed to smoking in utero and those who were not. Parenting practices were compared between the two groups, using T-tests and exact logistic regressions. Multiple linear regressions and multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the association between smoking status and parenting, controlling for variables also known to be associated with parenting practices. RESULTS: Current study findings suggest that smoking during pregnancy is associated with harsh parenting practices. CONCLUSIONS: Study results highlight the possible role of parenting in disruptive outcomes well-known in toddlers exposed to nicotine in utero and have implications for targeting early interventions in these populations.

Quantitative assessment of participant knowledge and evaluation of participant satisfaction in the CARES training program.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the Community Alliance for Research Empowering Social change (CARES) training program was to (1) train community members on evidence-based public health, (2) increase their scientific literacy, and (3) develop the infrastructure for community-based participatory research (CBPR). OBJECTIVES: We assessed participant knowledge and evaluated participant satisfaction of the CARES training program to identify learning needs, obtain valuable feedback about the training, and ensure learning objectives were met through mutually beneficial CBPR approaches. METHODS: A baseline assessment was administered before the first training session and a follow-up assessment and evaluation was administered after the final training session. At each training session a pretest was administered before the session and a posttest and evaluation were administered at the end of the session. After training session six, a mid-training evaluation was administered. We analyze results from quantitative questions on the assessments, pre- and post-tests, and evaluations. RESULTS: CARES fellows knowledge increased at follow-up (75% of questions were answered correctly on average) compared with baseline (38% of questions were answered correctly on average) assessment; post-test scores were higher than pre-test scores in 9 out of 11 sessions. Fellows enjoyed the training and rated all sessions well on the evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: The CARES fellows training program was successful in participant satisfaction and increasing community knowledge of public health, CBPR, and research methodology. Engaging and training community members in evidence-based public health research can develop an infrastructure for community-academic research partnerships.

Self-reported segregation experience throughout the life course and its association with adequate health literacy.

Residential segregation has been shown to be associated with health outcomes and health care utilization. We examined the association between racial composition of five physical environments throughout the life course and adequate health literacy among 836 community health center patients in Suffolk County, NY. Respondents who attended a mostly White junior high school or currently lived in a mostly White neighborhood were more likely to have adequate health literacy compared to those educated or living in predominantly minority or diverse environments. This association was independent of the respondent's race, ethnicity, age, education, and country of birth.

Preschool onset attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: course and predictors of stability over 24 months.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the course of ADHD over 24 months in a preschool population. METHOD: n=48 preschoolers with ADHD, aged 3.0-5.11 years, subjects included in a larger sample of preschoolers with depression and other disorders (n=306) were comprehensively assessed at 3 annual time points over 24 months in a prospective longitudinal follow-up study. RESULTS: Baseline diagnoses of preschool MDD, ODD, and CD were risk factors for ADHD diagnosis over 24 months in this preschool population. Among older preschoolers and after controlling for key demographic variables, ADHD predicted later ADHD diagnosis, along with other significant risk factors - baseline diagnosis of ODD, and/or family history of disruptive disorders, and stressful life events. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD showed greater homotypic continuity at later rather than earlier preschool ages. Other disruptive comorbidities also emerged as key predictors of stable ADHD course. Study findings may help to inform which preschool ADHD populations to target for early intervention. Larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings and to further explore the stability, course, and predictors of outcome of preschool onset ADHD.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in preschool children: an investigation of validation based on visual attention performance.

OBJECTIVES: The present study compared the performance of preschoolers who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4(th) edition (DSM-IV) criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to those who did not meet these criteria on a test of visual attention. The aim was to investigate whether attentional impairments in preschoolers with DSM-IV ADHD could be detected, informing the nosology of preschool ADHD. METHODS: A demographically diverse sample of n = 304 preschoolers, aged 3.0-5.11 years, was separated into two diagnostic groups: Those who met DSM-IV ADHD criteria and those who did not. Subtypes of ADHD were also examined. Parametric and nonparametric analyses were used to examine performance scores on accuracy, including errors of omission and commission. The sample was stratified into 3, 4-, and 5-year-old age groups. RESULTS: Overall ADHD but not subtype-specific ADHD was associated with poor performance accuracy in the 4-year-old age group after controlling for gender and age. CONCLUSIONS: Attentional impairments detected only in the 4-year-old age group suggest that DSM-IV ADHD criteria are useful and valid at this age. Study findings suggest modification to the DSM criteria may be needed for children younger than 4 and that further investigation of this issue using performance-based measures is now warranted.

Preschool depression: homotypic continuity and course over 24 months.

CONTEXT: Childhood depression is a serious and relapsing psychiatric disorder. However, to date studies have focused mostly on children aged 6 years and older. Validation for depression in preschool children has been provided by 2 independent study samples. While several studies have demonstrated stability and poor outcomes of internalizing symptoms in preschoolers, there has not yet been longitudinal data available to inform the course of preschool depression and whether it shows homotypic continuity into early childhood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the 24-month course of preschool depression and whether it showed homotypic vs heterotypic continuity or was a developmentally transient phenomenon. DESIGN: Blindly rated, prospective, 24-month, longitudinal follow-up study. SETTING: Community sites. Patients Three hundred six preschoolers aged 3 to 6 years recruited from community sites and oversampled for symptoms of depression. Main Outcome Measure Recurrence/stability of depression and predictors of course. RESULTS: Preschoolers with depression at baseline had the highest likelihood of subsequent depression 12 and/or 24 months later compared with preschoolers with no baseline disorder and with those who had other psychiatric disorders. Preschoolers with depression at baseline were more likely to have later depression rather than other psychiatric disorders. Findings from a logistic regression analysis indicated that when controlling for demographic variables, risk factors, and comorbid disorders, depression during the preschool period and family history of affective disorders were the most robust and significant predictors of later depression. CONCLUSIONS: Preschool depression, similar to childhood depression, is not a developmentally transient syndrome but rather shows chronicity and/or recurrence. Homotypic continuity of preschool MDD during a 24-month period was found. These results underscore the clinical and public health importance of identification of depression as early as preschool. Further follow-up of preschoolers with depression is warranted to inform the longitudinal course throughout childhood.

What makes cancer survivor stories work? An empirical study among African American women.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer survivors play a vital role in cancer control as messengers of hope and information, and advocates for prevention and screening. Understanding what makes survivor stories effective can enhance survivor-delivered programs and interventions. METHODS: By random assignment and using a cross-classified design, 200 African American women viewed videotaped stories (n = 300) from 36 African American breast cancer survivors. Analyses examined effects of story attributes (narrative quality, health message strength), participant characteristics (ways of knowing, experience with breast cancer) and identification with the survivor on women's: (1) level of engagement in the story; (2) positive thoughts about the story; and, (3) remembering key messages about breast cancer and mammography in the story. RESULTS: Participant characteristics were significant predictors of all three study outcomes, accounting for 27.8, 2.6 and 22.2% of their total variance, respectively. In comparison, the variability in these outcomes that could be attributed to differences in the stories was small (0.6, 1.1 and 2%, respectively). The effects of participant characteristics on level of engagement and positive thoughts were mediated by identification with the survivor. CONCLUSIONS: The best predictor of a woman becoming engaged in a breast cancer survivor's story and having positive thoughts about the story was whether she liked the survivor and viewed her as similar to herself (i.e., identification). IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Survivor stories may be most effective when audience members identify with the survivor. Finding key characteristics that can reliably match the two will advance cancer communication science and practice.