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Measles affects those of lower socioeconomic status disproportionately. This study evaluated the impact of measles vaccination on antibody titers 3 months after vaccination across different socioeconomic groups, with a focus on caste. In total, 169 infants in Chandigarh, India, had serum samples collected immediately prior to vaccination at 9 months of age and 3 months later. Overall, 126 infants (76%) were seropositive (antibody titers > 12 mIU/mL), 26 (16%) were borderline (8–12 mIU/mL), and 14 (8%) were seronegative (< 8 mIU/mL). Seropositivity (versus borderline/seronegative infants) was 0.78 times as high among individuals from the historically marginalized scheduled castes/scheduled tribes compared with the others caste grouping (95% CI, 0.62–0.98). Antibody response was not tied to anthropometric measures but was attenuated among scheduled castes/scheduled tribes with higher incomes. This study provides observational evidence that social structures can be associated with individual immune responses.

Supplementary Table 1 from Deficiency in the 15-kDa Selenoprotein Inhibits Tumorigenicity and Metastasis of Colon Cancer Cells

Selenium has cancer-preventive activity that is mediated, in part, through selenoproteins. The role of the 15-kDa selenoprotein (Sep15) in colon cancer was assessed by preparing and using mouse colon CT26 cells stably transfected with short hairpin RNA constructs targeting Sep15. Metabolic 75Se labeling and Northern and Western blot analyses revealed that >90% of Sep15 was downregulated. Growth of the resulting Sep15-deficient CT26 cells was reduced (P < 0.01), and cells formed significantly (P < 0.001) fewer colonies in soft agar compared with control CT26 cells. Whereas most (14 of 15) BALB/c mice injected with control cells developed tumors, few (3 of 30) mice injected with Sep15-deficient cells developed tumors (P < 0.0001). The ability to form pulmonary metastases had similar results. Mice injected with the plasmid-transfected control cells had >250 lung metastases per mouse; however, mice injected with cells with downregulation of Sep15 only had 7.8 ± 5.4 metastases. To investigate molecular targets affected by Sep15 status, gene expression patterns between control and knockdown CT26 cells were compared. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis was used to analyze the 1,045 genes that were significantly (P < 0.001) affected by Sep15 deficiency. The highest-scored biological functions were cancer and cellular growth and proliferation. Consistent with these observations, subsequent analyses revealed a G2-M cell cycle arrest in cells with targeted downregulation of Sep15. In contrast to CT26 cells, Sep15-targeted downregulation in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC1) cells did not affect anchorage-dependent or anchorage-independent cell growth. These data suggest tissue specificity in the cancer-protective effects of Sep15 downregulation, which are mediated, at least in part, by influencing the cell cycle. Cancer Prev Res; 3(5); 630–9. ©2010 AACR.

Supplementary Figure 1 from Deficiency in the 15-kDa Selenoprotein Inhibits Tumorigenicity and Metastasis of Colon Cancer Cells

Supplementary Figure 2 from Deficiency in the 15-kDa Selenoprotein Inhibits Tumorigenicity and Metastasis of Colon Cancer Cells

Glacier forefields have long provided ecologists with a model to study patterns of plant succession following glacier retreat. While plant survey-based approaches applied along chronosequences provide invaluable information on plant communities, the “space-for-time” approach assumes environmental uniformity and equal ecological potential across sites and does not account for spatial variability in initial site conditions. Remote sensing provides a promising avenue for assessing plant colonisation dynamics using a so-called “real-time” approach. Here, we combined 36 years of Landsat imagery with extensive field sampling along chronosequences of deglaciation for eight glacier forefields in the south-western European Alps to investigate the heterogeneity of early plant succession dynamics. Based on the two complementary and independent approaches, we found strong variability in the time lag between deglaciation and colonisation by plants and in subsequent growth rates, and in the composition of early plant succession. All three parameters were highly dependent on the local environmental context, i.e., local vegetation surrounding the forefields and energy availability linked to temperature and snowmelt gradients. Potential geomorphological disturbance did not emerge as a strong predictor of succession parameters, perhaps due to insufficient spatial resolution of predictor variables. Notably, elapsed time since deglaciation showed no consistent relationship to plant assemblages, i.e., we did not identify a consistent order of successional species across forefields as a function of time. Overall, both approaches converged towards the conclusion that early plant succession is not stochastic as previous authors have suggested but rather deterministic. We discuss the importance of scale in deciphering the unique complexity of plant succession in glacier forefields and provide recommendations for improving botanical field surveys and using Landsat time series in glacier forefields systems. Our work demonstrates complementarity between remote sensing and field-based approaches for both understanding and predicting future patterns of plant succession in glacier forefields.

Background Nepal has made substantial improvements in childhood immunization uptake. However, vaccination levels are still below the country-specific Sustainable Development Goal target of 94.8% coverage by 2025 for children aged 12–23 months who received all immunizations recommended in the national immunization schedule by their first birthday. A better understanding of the predictors of full immunization can inform successful programmatic interventions to improve coverage while also guiding resource allocation to ensure all children are fully vaccinated. This study estimates childhood immunization coverage in Nepal and characterizes the association between immunization status and various sociodemographic predictors. Methods Data from the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey were used to examine the immunization status of children aged 12–23 months. Immunization status was categorized as fully immunized (receiving all recommended doses), under-immunized (receiving at least one, but not all, recommended doses), and un-immunized (not receiving any doses of any vaccine). Associations between full and under-immunization and potential sociodemographic predictors were assessed using logistic regression. Results Among 976 children, 78.2% were fully immunized, 21% were under-immunized, and 0.8% were un-immunized. Retention of an immunization card was significantly associated with full immunization status. Mothers who had completed a formal education above secondary school and mothers who were working at time of interview had increased odds of full immunization. Birthing in an institutional setting was also associated with higher odds of full immunization. Conclusions Overall, immunization coverage in Nepal is relatively high, although it varies by dose and sociodemographic factors. Almost 25% of Nepalese children were not fully immunized, leaving them at increased risk for vaccine-preventable disease related morbidity and mortality. Nepal must continue focused efforts to reach every child and minimize the equity gap; programs may focus on advocating for the use of immunization cards, education and empowerment for girls, and delivery in institutional settings.

Measles continues to result in focal outbreaks in India, despite over three decades of universal infant vaccination. The aims of this study were to examine measles immunity in the population of Chandigarh, India, and to compare immunity by vaccination vs. natural infection. In a cross-sectional study of individuals 1-60 years selected from 30 communities within Chandigarh during 2017-2018, measles immunity was assessed using serological surveys. Seropositivity was compared across demographic groups, and by prior history of vaccination and natural history of infection. Among those 1-20 years old, measles seropositivity, and histories of measles vaccination or prior measles diagnosis were separately assessed as outcomes in logistic regression models, with demographic factors as independent variables. Among 1690 participants, 94% were seropositive, and 6% had borderline or negative antibody levels. Of those positive, 30% had prior vaccination, 16% had a history of natural infection, and 54% had an unknown history. Over 50% of individuals among those20 years old, had unknown history of immunity. In the multivariable regression models, vaccination was more common in younger ages (P .0001), and in males compared to females (P = .0220), and in those with more education (P .0001). The majority of the population was seropositive, and seropositivity increased with age. Older age groups were more likely to be protected because of previous natural infection, whereas younger age groups were protected by vaccination. There was inequity in vaccination coverage by gender, and maternal education status.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs)-derived ROS are involved in the regulation of multiple functions of PMNs critical in both inflammation and its timely resolution. Selenium is an essential trace element that functions as a gatekeeper of cellular redox homeostasis in the form of selenoproteins. Despite their well-studied involvement in regulating functions of various immune cells, limited studies have focused on the regulation of selenoproteins in PMN and their associated functions. Ex-vivo treatment of murine primary bone marrow derived PMNs with bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) indicated temporal regulation of several selenoprotein genes at the mRNA level. However, only glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) was significantly upregulated, while Selenof, Selenow, and Gpx1 were significantly downregulated in a temporal manner at the protein level. Exposure of PMNs isolated from tRNA

Roads may influence the selection of phenotypic traits of wildlife. In particular, the likelihood of vehicle collisions with wildlife may vary depending on body coloration in contrast to the road, which may be exaggerated by cultural attitudes toward the species. The timber rattlesnake Crotalus horridus is a threatened species that varies widely in coloration, and their color pattern could influence thermoregulatory use of roads and visibility to motorists. Moreover, better-camouflaged snakes may have higher road mortality in areas where environmental interest is lower and, perhaps, negative attitudes toward wildlife are more prevalent. We used citizen scientist observations of timber rattlesnakes from iNaturalist and categorized for each rattlesnake the surface they were on, its color pattern, and whether they were alive. We combined iNaturalist data with Google Trends data to characterize regional variation in environmental interest. We discovered that lighter-colored snakes were more likely to be found on roads, as were snakes further south, west, and on warmer days. Once on a road, coloration did not influence survival regardless of road type or environmental interest. However, snakes on asphalt roads or on southern roads were more likely to be found dead. The higher likelihood of lighter-colored snakes being found on roads suggests that they are at a greater overall risk of road death, potentially selecting for darker coloration. Citizen scientist behavior may at least partly underlie the influence of latitude on the results, however, and further work in the application of citizen science data to such research questions is warranted.

Introduction Several authors have explored the effect of individual risk factors on vaccination inequity in Indian infants. This study explores the combined impact of >1 risk factor on the probability of full vaccination. Methods The proportion of fully vaccinated infants (aged 1–2 years) was calculated from the National Family Health Survey conducted during 1997–1998 (National Family Health Survey-2, n=10,211), 2005–2006 (National Family Health Survey-3, n=9,582), and 2015–2016 (National Family Health Survey-4, n=48,715). Full vaccination was defined as receiving Bacille Calmette‒Guerin (1 dose); diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (3 doses); oral polio (3 doses); and measles (1 dose) vaccines. The association between full vaccination status and 6 factors (infant sex, birth order, family wealth status, maternal education level, residence type, and religion) was analyzed individually, followed by the combined impact of ≥1 of the first 4, using logistic regression models. Results The AORs for full vaccination in the 3 surveys, respectively, were 1.09, 1.13, and 1.00 for male versus female infants; 0.68, 0.71, and 0.88 for birth order >1 versus birth order 1; 1.54, 1.96, and 1.20 for greater wealth versus lowest wealth stratum; 2.21, 2.27, and 1.27 for any maternal education versus none; 1.08, 1.10, and 1.08 for Hindu versus other religion; and 1.51, 1.10, and 0.88 for urban versus rural residence. The respective ORs of full vaccination in the 3 surveys by the number of risk factors were as follows: 1.26, 1.54, and 1.27 for 3 risk factors; 2.41, 3.23, and 1.68 for 2 risk factors; 4.42, 6.45, and 2.18 for 1 risk factor; and 7.32, 9.84, and 2.61 for no risk factor. Conclusions The presence of multiple risk factors had a cumulative negative impact on infant vaccination in India. Despite an improvement over 2 decades, significant inequities persist. Supplement information This article is part of a supplement entitled Global Vaccination Equity, which is sponsored by the Global Institute for Vaccine Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Animal personality can be defined as conspecific individuals consistently differing in behavioral tendencies. Personality is typically identified by behavioral repeatability, which occurs when within‐individual variance is low relative to among‐individual variance in the population. Intraspecific comparisons of behavioral repeatability in juveniles and adults within and across years are rare, but would be useful for testing hypotheses related to origins of animal personality and whether individuals exhibit stable or diverging behavior with ontogeny. To examine within‐ and across‐year behavioral repeatability for eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina), we assessed boldness (movement latency after brief confinement) of captive‐born juveniles twice within three days when eight months old. We then repeated these tests for the same individuals one year later. Juveniles exhibited repeatable boldness within and across years. Although increasing body temperature was slightly associated with decreased movement latency, test year (1 or 2), or housing experience (being raised in an enriched or unenriched condition) had no effects on boldness. We also assessed across‐year repeatability of boldness (head emergence from the shell after brief confinement) for wild adults at 1–3 year intervals. Adults also exhibited repeatable across‐year boldness that was of similar magnitude to juveniles. We found no indication that sex class or whether adults had been radio‐tracked influenced boldness. Our results suggest eastern box turtles demonstrate consistent individuality in boldness from an early age that is largely unaffected by temporal or environmental variation, and these behavioral differences can be maintained for multiple years in captivity and the wild, contrasting with theoretical expectations for personality development. These findings add to recent accumulating evidence demonstrating juvenile and adult box turtles exhibit multiple repeatable behaviors over the short‐ and long‐term. We suggest this species is quickly gaining traction as a model organism for studying the proximate and ultimate causes of personality development within long‐lived animals.

Linking climate variability and change to the phenological response of species is particularly challenging in the context of mountainous terrain. In these environments, elevation and topography lead to a diversity of bioclimatic conditions at fine scales affecting species distribution and phenology. In order to quantify in situ climate conditions for mountain plants, the CREA (Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems) installed 82 temperature stations throughout the southwestern Alps, at different elevations and aspects. Dataloggers at each station provide local measurements of temperature at four heights (5 cm below the soil surface, at the soil surface, 30 cm above the soil surface, and 2 m above ground). Given the significant amount of effort required for station installation and maintenance, we tested whether meteorological data based on the S2M reanalysis could be used instead of station data. Comparison of the two datasets showed that some climate indices, including snow melt-out date and a heat wave index, can vary significantly according to data origin. More general indices such as daily temperature averages were more consistent across datasets, while threshold-based temperature indices showed somewhat lower agreement. Over a 12 year period, the phenological responses of four mountain tree species (ash (Fraxinus excelsior), spruce (Picea abies), hazel (Corylus avellana), birch (Betula pendula)), coal tits (Periparus ater) and common frogs (Rana temporaria) to climate variability were better explained, from both a statistical and ecological standpoint, by indices derived from field stations. Reanalysis data out-performed station data, however, for predicting larch (Larix decidua) budburst date. Overall, our study indicates that the choice of dataset for phenological monitoring ultimately depends on target bioclimatic variables and species, and also on the spatial and temporal scale of the study.

Objective Mobile phones are used in research studies, to enroll and follow-up participants, collect data, and implement mHealth initiatives. We conducted a longitudinal study in a birth cohort, where infants were required to make four scheduled visits by 12 months of age. Families of those failing to attend scheduled follow-up visits, were contacted telephonically to ascertain the reasons, which were categorized as: not interested to continue participating, migrated, phone disconnected due to telecom change, or other reason. Results A total of 413 mother-infant dyads were enrolled. The overall attrition was 56%, with majority occurring at the first follow-up visit. This temporally coincided with a telecom service provider announcing strong incentives to switch providers. Attrition monotonically decreased at subsequent visits. The reasons were: moved away (13%), no longer interested (8%), phone disconnected (7%), and multiple other reasons (28%), the majority of whom had unreachable phones. Those who remained in the study and those lost to follow-up were similar on most demographic variables. Among common reasons for attrition in cohort studies, we experienced a new dimension introduced by telecom changes. These findings underscore the need to consider unexpected reasons for attrition in longitudinal studies, and design more robust methods to follow-up participants.

Selenophosphate synthetase 1 (SEPHS1) plays an essential role in cell growth and survival. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, the pathways regulated by SEPHS1 during gastrulation were determined by bioinformatical analyses and experimental verification using systemic knockout mice targeting Sephs1. We found that the coagulation system and retinoic acid signaling were most highly affected by SEPHS1 deficiency throughout gastrulation. Gene expression patterns of altered embryo morphogenesis and inhibition of Wnt signaling were predicted with high probability at E6.5. These predictions were verified by structural abnormalities in the dermal layer of Sephs1−/− embryos. At E7.5, organogenesis and activation of prolactin signaling were predicted to be affected by Sephs1 knockout. Delay of head fold formation was observed in the Sephs1−/− embryos. At E8.5, gene expression associated with organ development and insulin-like growth hormone signaling that regulates organ growth during development was altered. Consistent with these observations, various morphological abnormalities of organs and axial rotation failure were observed. We also found that the gene sets related to redox homeostasis and apoptosis were gradually enriched in a time-dependent manner until E8.5. However, DNA damage and apoptosis markers were detected only when the Sephs1−/− embryos aged to E9.5. Our results suggest that SEPHS1 deficiency causes a gradual increase of oxidative stress which changes signaling pathways during gastrulation, and afterwards leads to apoptosis.

The effects of many pesticides on aquatic ecosystems remain poorly understood, especially in naturalistic communities in which organisms are connected by a complex array of direct and indirect interactions. Moreover, multiple stressors can interact, and the addition of apex predators, such as fish, may introduce additional ecosystem changes that exacerbate or mitigate pesticide effects. Despite being both common and environmentally persistent, the effects of the herbicide metolachlor on realistic aquatic communities have received insufficient research attention. We tested the effects of metolachlor on pond mesocosms at three concentrations (0, 20, and 80 ppb), along with the presence vs. absence of fish (black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus) to determine the independent and combined effects of these two environmental changes. We found both metolachlor and fish altered the pond mesocosms, but their effects did not interact. Metolachlor reduced phytoplankton as expected, but had nonlinear effects on dissolved oxygen. Metolachlor also altered tadpole behavior, making them less prone to hiding. Fish presence increased periphyton and decreased snail counts, as well as changing the behavior of tadpoles, reducing their hiding behavior. This work demonstrates previously undocumented effects of metolachlor in the presence and absence of fish and suggests future avenues of investigation.

International audience; Recently, deglaciated landscapes are ideal natural arenas to investigate ecological succession processes. However, ground data acquisition remains complicated as glacier forefields are often difficult to access and fieldwork possibilities remain limited. Remote sensing offers an opportunity to bypass this issue and increase spatial and temporal coverage of ecological parameters. The Landsat satellites (5 to 8) provide reflectance data for the past 40 years, which align with recent phenomena of glacier retreat and related ecological and geomorphological dynamics in glacier forefields. Difficulties remain as information retrieved from 30-m Landsat pixels are the result of a mixture of objects influencing reflectance signals. Here, we used a submeter multispectral unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) image of the Glacier noir foreland, France, to assess the sensitivity of Landsat normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to subpixel vegetation and topographic components. We found a twofold linear relationship (a ¼ 0.456) and high sensitivity between fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and Landsat NDVI with detection of low vegetation changes (FVC > 5%) at low NDVI values (

Selenoproteins play important roles in many cellular functions and biochemical pathways in mammals. Our previous study showed that the deficiency of the 15 kDa selenoprotein (Selenof) significantly reduced the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in a mouse model of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of Selenof on inflammatory tumorigenesis, and whether dietary selenium modified these effects. For 20 weeks post-weaning, Selenof-knockout (KO) mice and littermate controls were fed diets that were either deficient, adequate or high in sodium selenite. Colon tumors were induced with AOM and dextran sulfate sodium. Surprisingly, KO mice had drastically fewer ACF but developed a similar number of tumors as their littermate controls. Expression of genes important in inflammatory colorectal cancer and those relevant to epithelial barrier function was assessed, in addition to structural differences via tissue histology. Our findings point to Selenof’s potential role in intestinal barrier integrity and structural changes in glandular and mucin-producing goblet cells in the mucosa and submucosa, which may determine the type of tumor developing.

The primary function of selenophosphate synthetase (SEPHS) is to catalyze the synthesis of selenophosphate that serves as a selenium donor during selenocysteine synthesis. In eukaryotes, there are two isoforms of SEPHS (SEPHS1 and SEPHS2). Between these two isoforms, only SEPHS2 is known to contain selenophosphate synthesis activity. To examine the function of SEPHS1 in endothelial cells, we introduced targeted null mutations to the gene for SEPHS1, Sephs1, in cultured mouse 2H11 endothelial cells. SEPHS1 deficiency in 2H11 cells resulted in the accumulation of superoxide and lipid peroxide, and reduction in nitric oxide. Superoxide accumulation in Sephs1-knockout 2H11 cells is due to the induction of xanthine oxidase and NADPH oxidase activity, and due to the decrease in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and 3 (SOD3). Superoxide accumulation in 2H11 cells also led to the inhibition of cell proliferation and angiogenic tube formation. Sephs1-knockout cells were arrested at G2/M phase and showed increased gamma H2AX foci. Angiogenic dysfunction in Sephs1-knockout cells is mediated by a reduction in nitric oxide and an increase in ROS. This study shows for the first time that superoxide was accumulated by SEPHS1 deficiency, leading to cell dysfunction through DNA damage and inhibition of cell proliferation.

Introduction:measures of vaccine timing require data on vaccination dates, which may be unavailable. This study compares estimates of vaccine coverage and timing; and compares regression techniques that model these measures in the presence of incomplete data. Methods:this cross-sectional study used the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), and a 2016 survey from Worabe, Ethiopia. Three measures of vaccine uptake were calculated: coverage (regardless of timing), timeliness (within 1 week of recommended administration), and delay (the number of days between the recommended and actual date of vaccination). Vaccine coverage and timeliness were modeled with logistic regressions. After excluding those without dates, vaccine delay was estimated using linear regression or survival analysis. Vaccine delay was also estimated using accelerated failure time (AFT) models. Results:the DHS survey included 3819 children aged 12-60 months and the Worabe survey included 484 children aged 12-23 months. In the Worabe survey, vaccine coverage for pentavalent vaccine dose 3 was 87.4%, with 8.6% receiving it within 1 week, and 71.7% within 4 weeks; the median delay was 19 days. Predictors of outcomes were similar in both the Worabe survey and Ethiopian DHS, with the largest numbers of significant associations seen in models with vaccine coverage or delays (with AFT models) as the outcomes. Conclusion:estimates of coverage may miss a substantial proportion of infants who have delayed vaccination. accelerated failure time (AFT) models are useful to estimate vaccine delay because they include information from all respondents (those with full and partial data on vaccination dates) and are agnostic about an age limit for timely vaccination.

Background There are few data on the full spectrum of disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection across the lifespan from community-based or nonclinical settings. Methods We followed 2338 people in Managua, Nicaragua, aged, A community-based cohort in Managua, Nicaragua, had very high severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 seropositivity but lower-than-expected severity. Overall, 69% of infections were asymptomatic or subclinical and 1.1% of infections were severe. Seropositivity was associated with 93.6% protection from symptomatic reinfection through March 2021.