Depression has been associated with subclinical hypothyroidism and altered hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis functioning. Adequate iodine nutrition is essential for healthy thyroid functioning. We therefore determined associations of iodine and thyroid status with paediatric major depressive disorder (pMDD) among Swiss adolescents and explored whether associations are sex-specific and mediated by stress. We conducted a matched case–control study in 95 adolescents with diagnosed pMDD and 95 healthy controls. We assessed depression severity using the Children’s Depression Rating Scale-Revised and stress using the perceived stress scale (PSS) and measuring hair cortisol levels. We determined iodine status by measuring urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) and thyroid status by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) in serum. Median (IQR) UIC did not differ between cases (121 (87, 174) µg/l) and controls (114 (66, 183) μg/l, P = 0·3). Median TSH and FT4 were lower in cases than controls (TSH: 1·36 (0·91, 2·00) mlU/l v. 1·50 (1·18, 2·06) mlU/l, P = 0·039; FT4: 14·7 (12·9, 16·9) pmol/l v. 15·7 (14·3, 17·2) pmol/l, P = 0·004). The prevalence of hypothyroxinaemia (normal TSH; low FT4) was higher among female cases than controls (21 % v. 4%, P = 0·006). PSS scores were higher while hair cortisol was lower in cases than controls (PSS: 25 (20, 28) v. 11 (7, 15), P < 0·001; cortisol: 2·50 (1·34, 3·57) pg/mg v. 3·23 (1·79, 4·43) pg/mg, P = 0·044). After adjusting for confounders, the associations of TSH and hair cortisol with pMDD were no longer significant. Furthermore, TSH and FT4 were not associated with PSS scores and hair cortisol levels. Summarising, iodine nutrition was adequate for adolescents with and without pMDD. However, FT4 concentrations were lower in those with pMDD, and 1 in 5 female adolescents with pMDD were hypothyroxinaemic.

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Our primary objective is to determine whether the bacteria exerts its effect intra- or extra-cellularly. We have genomic and microscopy preliminary evidence indicating that the bacteria is capable of invading endometrial cells. Our secondary objective is to identify what type of impact the bacteria have on the host cells and whether they are capable of transforming the host cells from a benign into a malignant phenotype. We are currently testing a putative mechanism by which the bacteria may cause the overexpression of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), a hallmark of endometrial cancer. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We are utilizing our custom built optofluidics platform (microfluidics platform incorporated into an advanced microscope with optical laser tweezers) to isolate single cells from the endometrial tissues of 150 patients with and without endometrial cancer. We are utilizing single cell whole genome amplification followed by qPCR to identify if the bacteria is present intracellularly. We are coupling this procedure with standard microbiological invasion assays with endometrial cell line cultures and P.somerae. We are also utilizing our optofluidics platform to perform single cell transcriptomic amplification, followed by sequencing of cells invaded or in the presence of the bacteria to determine the impact in the transcriptome of the host cell. We are coupling this with western blots of factors hypothesized to be impacted by the bacteria in the overexpression of HIF. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Based on our preliminary data we anticipate to find evidence that P.somerae is invading the host cells, in particular the cells in tumor tissues. We also expect to find that the intracellular presence of the bacteria is causing the overexpression of the HIF pathway, hence resulting in a cancerous phenotype. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Our long-term goal is to develop primary prevention strategies that will reduce endometrial cancer incidence rates. A confirmation of our hypothesis could suggest that it is sufficient for endometrial cancer prevention efforts to eliminate P.somerae, in line with gastric and cervical cancer efforts. It could also mean that targeting P.somerae in cancer treatment is necessary to contain the disease and prevent recurrence.

Birdwatching has become a global pastime and a driving force for conservation. Because of China’s economic and environmental importance, the emergence of birdwatching as a mass participation leisure activity in China over the past three decades is of global interest. We documented this emergence by conducting an extensive literature search and two online questionnaires which we used to describe the history, geographic distribution, demographics, activities, motivations, and environmental concerns of Chinese birdwatchers. The emergence happened because of (1) the transfer of ornithological knowledge to birdwatchers, (2) the increasing political tolerance to pursue pastimes, (3) the increasing leisure time, affordability of optical equipment, and urbanisation of China’s society, (4) increased internet use, and (5) interactions of birdwatchers with the media and foreign birdwatchers. Of the 576 respondents to our questionnaires, two-thirds were male, about half were younger than 35 years of age, approximately 90% were university-educated, and many also had an above-average income and originated mostly from the more urbanised coastal or near-coastal provinces. Our respondents were thus part of China’s economic and educational elite who largely birdwatch for enjoyment, but also because of the knowledge gained about the birds’ ecology. Many birdwatchers have become concerned about the deteriorating state of the environment and are frustrated about the lack of government action. Within the political constraints set by the government, many birdwatchers support environmental conservation through various activities, which have yielded some conservation successes. However, birdwatching societies remain constrained by the same legislative and administrative restraints which limit the actions of other environmental non-governmental organizations, thus hindering the effective discourse between China’s government and its emerging but still strictly controlled and regulated civil society.

Converging evidence indicates that a considerable amount of variance in self-estimated emotional competency can be directly attributed to genetic factors. The current study examined the associations between the polymorphisms of the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Met158Val) and the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and specific measures of the self-estimated effectiveness of an individual’s emotion perception and regulation. Emotional competence was measured in a large sample of 289 healthy women by using the Self-report Emotional Ability Scale (SEAS), which includes two subscales for the assessment of emotion perception and regulation in the intra-personal domain and two subscales for the assessment of emotion perception and regulation in the inter-personal domain. Participants’ reports of effective emotion regulation in everyday life were associated with the COMT Met-allele, with women homozygous for the Val-allele scoring lowest on this scale. Self-estimated effectiveness of emotion perception of the individual’s own emotions was related to the 5-HTTLPR. Both homozygous groups (s/s and l/l) rated their intra-personal emotion perception less effective than participants in the heterozygous s/l group. Taken together, the results indicate that genetic variants of the COMT and 5HTTLPR genes are differentially associated with specific measures of the self-estimated effectiveness of an individual’s emotion perception and regulation in the intra-personal domain. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–9)