09/12/2024


Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder (MDD) have increased infections. We explored the association between recent antimicrobial exposure and acute psychiatric illness.

We performed a retrospective chart review of 267 acutely ill patients age 18 to 65. There were 92 patients with schizophrenia, 42 with bipolar disorder, 61 with MDD, and 72 with alcohol use disorders (hospitalized controls). Recent antimicrobial exposure was defined as occurring within 3 days of psychiatric hospitalization.

The prevalence of recent antimicrobial exposure was significantly increased in acutely ill patients with schizophrenia (16%), bipolar disorder (21%), and MDD (18%) compared with patients who had alcohol use disorders (4%, P ≤ .01 for each). After controlling for potential confounders, participants with schizophrenia or mood disorders were 5 to 7 times more likely to have recent antimicrobial exposure than participants with alcohol use disorders (schizophrenia odds ratio [OR] = 4.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-21.0, P = .053; bipolar disorder OR = 6.9, 95% CI 1.3-35.7, P = .022; MDD OR = 5.7, 95% CI 1.2-28.3, P = .032). Among participants with mood disorders, the association was stronger for participants with depression and affective psychosis compared with participants with alcohol use disorders.

We found an increased prevalence of recent antimicrobial exposure in acutely ill patients with schizophrenia and mood disorders. The findings provide additional evidence that infections are relevant to acute psychiatric illness.
We found an increased prevalence of recent antimicrobial exposure in acutely ill patients with schizophrenia and mood disorders. The findings provide additional evidence that infections are relevant to acute psychiatric illness.Xanthium strumarium L. (Common cocklebur) is a noxious weed prevailing in different ecosystems around the world. It incurs significant yield and economic losses in different cropping systems globally. Successful management of any weed species depends on sound knowledge of seed germination biology. However, detailed knowledge on seed germination biology of the species is missing. Therefore, we investigated the impact of different environmental factors on seed germination and seed burial depths on seedling emergence of two X. strumarium populations. The impact of different sorghum mulch doses (0-10 t ha-1) on seedling emergence of the tested populations was also explored. Seed germination was evaluated under different photoperiods (0, 12 and 24), constant temperatures (0-50°C with 5°C stepwise rise), and different levels of pH (3-12), salinity (0-600 mM) and osmotic potential (0 to -1.6 MPa). Seedling emergence was observed for seeds buried at different depths (0-15 cm). Seeds of both populations proved non-phoped lands. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/FK-506-(Tacrolimus).html Deep burial of seeds and application of sorghum mulches suppressed seedling emergence. Thus, deep burial followed by shallow tillage and application of sorghum mulches could be used as a successful strategy to manage the species in agricultural fields. Nonetheless, management strategies must be developed to control the species in other habitats.Pine wilt disease (PWD) is an infectious disease of pines that typically kills affected trees. The causal pathogen of PWD is the pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Understanding of the disease has advanced in recent years through the use of a highly sensitive proteomics procedure and whole genome sequence analysis; in combination, these approaches have enabled identification of proteins secreted by PWNs. However, the roles of these proteins during the onset of parasitism have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we used a leaf-disk assay based on transient overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana to allow functional screening of 10 candidate pathogenic proteins secreted by PWNs. These proteins were selected based on previous secretome and RNA-seq analyses. We found that five molecules induced significant cell death in tobacco plants relative to a GFP-only control. Three of these proteins (Bx-TH1, Bx-TH2, and Bx-CPI) may have a role in molecular mimicry and likely make important contributions to inducing hypersensitive responses in host plants.This study evaluated the effectiveness of combined dietary and enrichment strategies to manage tail biting in pigs with intact tails in a conventional fully-slatted floor housing system. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was used. Pigs had either a high fibre (weaner 5.3% and finisher 11.6% of crude fibre) or standard fibre diet (weaner 3.7% and finisher 5.9% of crude fibre). In the weaner stage, pigs had either a spruce wooden post (supplied in a wall-mounted dispenser) or a rubber floor toy as a enrichment device, and in the finisher stage, they had either the same or alternate enrichment item. Six hundred and seventy-two pigs were assigned to 48 pens of 14 pigs and followed from weaning until slaughter. Individual tail lesion scores and pen level behaviours were directly recorded every 2 weeks. Twenty-six pens had tail biting outbreaks and 161 injured pigs needed removal for treatment. Pigs fed with the high fibre diet performed more tail biting (p less then 0.05) and tended to have a worse tail damage scores than those fed the standard fibre diet (p = 0.08). Pigs which had the floor toy as weaners and wood as finishers tended to have fewer tail lesions in the finisher stage than their counterparts (p = 0.06). Pigs receiving the floor toy as enrichment interacted with the enrichment more frequently overall (p less then 0.001) and performed fewer harmful behaviours in the weaner stage (p less then 0.05). Overall, higher fibre in the diet in a relatively barren environment did not help reduce tail biting or tail lesions. Altering the fibre level in the pigs' diet and providing a single enrichment device to undocked pigs on fully slatted floors resulted in a high level of tail biting and a large proportion of pigs with partial tail amputation.
The immunosuppressive nature of some cancers and many cancer-directed treatments may increase the risk of infection with and severe sequelae from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The objective of this study was to compare concerns about COVID-19 among individuals undergoing cancer treatment to those with a history of cancer not currently receiving therapy and to those without a cancer history.

We conducted a cross-sectional anonymous online survey study of adults currently residing in the United States. Participants were recruited over a one-week period (April 3-11, 2020) using promoted advertisements on Facebook and Twitter. Groups were compared using chi-squared tests, Fisher's exact tests, and t-tests.

543 respondents from 47 states provided information on their cancer history and were included in analyses. Participants receiving active treatment reported greater concern about infection from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (p<0.001), higher levels of family distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.