3-Dimensional Tracking of Non-blinking 'Giant' Quantum Dots in Live Cells.

While semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been used successfully in numerous single particle tracking (SPT) studies due to their high photoluminescence efficiency, photostability, and broad palette of emission colors, conventional QDs exhibit fluorescence intermittency or 'blinking,' which causes ambiguity in particle trajectory analysis and limits tracking duration. Here, non-blinking 'giant' quantum dots (gQDs) are exploited to study IgE-FcRI receptor dynamics in live cells using a confocal-based 3D SPT microscope. There is a 7-fold increase in the probability of observing IgE-FcRI for longer than 1 min using the gQDs compared to commercially available QDs.

Cardio-metabolic health risks in indigenous populations of Southeast Asia and the influence of urbanization.

Background: South East Asia (SEA) is home to over 30 tribes of indigenous population groups who are currently facing rapid socio-economic change. Epidemiological transition and increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) has occured. In Peninsular Malaysia, the Orang Asli (OA) indigenous people comprise 0 · 6% (150,000) of the population and live in various settlements.

Differential positive selection of malaria resistance genes in three indigenous populations of Peninsular Malaysia.

The indigenous populations from Peninsular Malaysia, locally known as Orang Asli, continue to adopt an agro-subsistence nomadic lifestyle, residing primarily within natural jungle habitats. Leading a hunter-gatherer lifestyle in a tropical jungle environment, the Orang Asli are routinely exposed to malaria. Here we surveyed the genetic architecture of individuals from four Orang Asli tribes with high-density genotyping across more than 2.

Exploring a clinically friendly web-based approach to clinical decision support linked to the electronic health record: design philosophy, prototype implementation, and framework for assessment.

Background: Computer-based clinical decision support (CDS) is an important component of the electronic health record (EHR). As an increasing amount of CDS is implemented, it will be important that this be accomplished in a fashion that assists in clinical decision making without imposing unacceptable demands and burdens upon the provider's practice.

Objective: The objective of our study was to explore an approach that allows CDS to be clinician-friendly from a variety of perspectives, to build a prototype implementation that illustrates features of the approach, and to gain experience with a pilot framework for assessment.

HIV Risk Among Pregnant Teenagers With a History of Interpersonal Violence.

This study examined the relationship between interpersonal violence, depressive symptoms, and HIV risk behaviors among pregnant teenagers. A sample of 116 pregnant teenagers was recruited in Rhode Island. Multivariate logistic regressions tested whether the relationship between history of interpersonal violence and HIV risk remained after controlling for age and education.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and infant stress response: test of a prenatal programming hypothesis.

Background: Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) is associated with early and long-term neurobehavioral deficits; however mechanisms remain unknown. We tested the hypothesis that MSDP programs the hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) axis of the offspring leading to adverse outcomes. In an intensive, prospective study, we investigated associations between MSDP and infant cortisol stress response and explored whether alterations in cortisol response were mediated by epigenetic modulation of the placental glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1).

Confocal line scanning of a Bessel beam for fast 3D imaging.

We have developed a light-sheet illumination microscope that can perform fast 3D imaging of transparent biological samples with inexpensive visible lasers and a single galvo mirror (GM). The light-sheet is created by raster scanning a Bessel beam with a GM, with this same GM also being used to rescan the fluorescence across a chip of a camera to construct an image in real time. A slit is used to reject out-of-focus fluorescence such that the image formed in real time has minimal contribution from the sidelobes of the Bessel beam.

Novel population specific autosomal copy number variation and its functional analysis amongst Negritos from Peninsular Malaysia.

Copy number variation (CNV) has been recognized as a major contributor to human genome diversity. It plays an important role in determining phenotypes and has been associated with a number of common and complex diseases. However CNV data from diverse populations is still limited.

The population genomic landscape of human genetic structure, admixture history and local adaptation in Peninsular Malaysia.

Peninsular Malaysia is a strategic region which might have played an important role in the initial peopling and subsequent human migrations in Asia. However, the genetic diversity and history of human populations--especially indigenous populations--inhabiting this area remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a genome-wide study using over 900,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four major Malaysian ethnic groups (MEGs; Malay, Proto-Malay, Senoi and Negrito), and made comparisons of 17 world-wide populations.

Insight into gene polymorphisms involved in toll-like receptor/interferon signalling pathways for systemic lupus erythematosus in South East Asia.

Polymorphisms in genes involved in toll-like receptor/interferon signalling pathways have been reported previously to be associated with SLE in many populations. This study aimed to investigate the role of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms within TNFAIP3, STAT4, and IRF5, which are involved in upstream and downstream pathways of type I interferon production, in SLE in the South East Asian populations. Genotyping of 360 Malaysian SLE patients and 430 normal healthy individuals revealed that minor alleles of STAT4 rs7574865 and rs10168266 were associated with elevated risk of SLE in the Chinese and Malay patients, respectively (P = 0.

Depression among trauma patients.

Background: Depression has been studied in many patient populations and has been found to significantly impact the course of illness, recovery, and outcome.

Objectives: Depression among the trauma patient population is under-recognized by health practitioners and precludes patient participation with rehabilitation-related activities, which ultimately leads to delayed recovery from traumatic injuries.

Methods: This descriptive study evaluated in-hospital depression in patients admitted to trauma services in an urban level II trauma center by using a depression scale and chart review.

Rural-urban differences in inpatient quality of care in US Veterans with ischemic stroke.

Purpose: Differences in stroke care quality for patients in rural and urban locations have been suggested, but whether differences exist across Veteran Administration Medical Centers (VAMCs) is unknown. This study examines whether rural-urban disparities exist in inpatient quality among veterans with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: In this retrospective study, inpatient stroke care quality was assessed in a national sample of veterans with acute ischemic stroke using 14 quality indicators (QIs).

Accuracy of brief screening tools for identifying postpartum depression among adolescent mothers.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and 3 subscales for identifying postpartum depression among primiparous adolescent mothers.

Methods: Mothers enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to prevent postpartum depression completed a psychiatric diagnostic interview and the 10-item EPDS at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Three subscales of the EPDS were assessed as brief screening tools: 3-item anxiety subscale (EPDS-3), 7-item depressive symptoms subscale (EPDS-7), and 2-item subscale (EPDS-2) that resemble the Patient Health Questionnaire-2.

Admixture patterns and genetic differentiation in negrito groups from West Malaysia estimated from genome-wide SNP data.

Southeast Asia houses various culturally and linguistically diverse ethnic groups. In Malaysia, where the Malay, Chinese, and Indian ethnic groups form the majority, there exist minority groups such as the "negritos" who are believed to be descendants of the earliest settlers of Southeast Asia. Here we report patterns of genetic substructure and admixture in two Malaysian negrito populations (Jehai and Kensiu), using ~50,000 genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data.

Does behavioral intervention in pregnancy reduce postpartum weight retention? Twelve-month outcomes of the Fit for Delivery randomized trial.

Background: Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is a risk factor for postpartum weight retention and future weight gain and obesity. Whether a behavioral intervention in pregnancy can reduce long-term weight retention is unknown.

Objective: This randomized trial tested whether a low-intensity behavioral intervention to prevent excessive gestational weight gain could increase the proportion of women who returned to prepregnancy weight by 12 mo postpartum.

The relationship between parental stress and postpartum depression among adolescent mothers enrolled in a randomized controlled prevention trial.

Given the high co-occurrence of depression and parental stress among adolescent mothers, we evaluated the relationship between parental stress and postpartum depression among primiparous adolescent mothers. We conducted an observational analysis among a cohort of 106 adolescent mothers at 289 postpartum visits who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to prevent postpartum depression. Parental stress was measured using the Parenting Stress Index, short form.

Stroke severity and outcomes for octogenarians receiving statins.

Pre-exposure to 3-hydroxy-3-methylgutaryl-coenzyne A reductase inhibitors (statins) appears to improve outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Whether this extends to patients over 80 is not known. Patients ≥80 years of age with AIS were retrospectively reviewed from the stroke registry of a tertiary stroke center.

Postdischarge quality of care: do age disparities exist among Department of Veterans Affairs ischemic stroke patients?

This study examined whether age disparities existed across postdischarge quality indicators (QIs) for veterans with ischemic stroke who received care at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs). This retrospective cohort included a national sample of 3,196 veterans who were diagnosed with ischemic stroke and received acute and postdischarge stroke care at 127 VAMCs in fiscal year 2007 (10/1/06 through 9/30/07). Data included an assessment of postdischarge stroke QIs in the outpatient setting during the 6 mo postdischarge.

Dysregulation of multiple facets of glycogen metabolism in a murine model of Pompe disease.

Pompe disease, also known as glycogen storage disease (GSD) type II, is caused by deficiency of lysosomal acid α-glucosidase (GAA). The resulting glycogen accumulation causes a spectrum of disease severity ranging from a rapidly progressive course that is typically fatal by 1 to 2 years of age to a slower progressive course that causes significant morbidity and early mortality in children and adults. The aim of this study is to better understand the biochemical consequences of glycogen accumulation in the Pompe mouse.

Specificity and heterogeneity of terahertz radiation effect on gene expression in mouse mesenchymal stem cells.

We report that terahertz (THz) irradiation of mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) with a single-frequency (SF) 2.52 THz laser or pulsed broadband (centered at 10 THz) source results in irradiation specific heterogenic changes in gene expression. The THz effect depends on irradiation parameters such as the duration and type of THz source, and on the degree of stem cell differentiation.

Nonlinear microscopy of eumelanin and pheomelanin with subcellular resolution.

Pump-probe microscopy nondestructively differentiates eumelanin and pheomelanin and can be used to quantify melanin distributions in thin biopsy slices. Here we have extended that work for imaging eumelanin and pheomelanin distributions on a subcellular scale, allowing elucidation of characteristics of different cell types. The results show that melanin heterogeneity, previously found to be characteristic of melanomas, persists on the subcellular scale.

Randomized controlled trial to prevent postpartum depression in adolescent mothers.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of an interpersonally oriented intervention on the reduction of the risk of postpartum depression in primiparous adolescents.

Study Design: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 106 pregnant primiparous adolescents who were ≤17 years old at their first prenatal visit. Participants were assigned randomly to the intervention program (n = 54) or the attention and dose-matched control program (n = 52).