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10 hrs ago


Relatives were significantly different from BPD patients in family relationships, social engagement/withdrawal and interpersonal behavior, as well as on the full Social Functioning Scale (both as a linear and categorical variable). However, only controls showed differences with relatives in family relationships.

All in all, relatives show similar levels of social cognition and functioning compared with controls, and people with BPD show some alterations in different domains of both social cognition and functioning.
All in all, relatives show similar levels of social cognition and functioning compared with controls, and people with BPD show some alterations in different domains of both social cognition and functioning.The perception of facial attractiveness is a complex phenomenon which depends on how the observer perceives not only individual facial features, but also their mutual influence and interplay. In the machine learning community, this problem is typically tackled as a problem of regression of the subject-averaged rating assigned to natural faces. However, it has been conjectured that this approach does not capture the complexity of the phenomenon. It has recently been shown that different human subjects can navigate the face-space and "sculpt" their preferred modification of a reference facial portrait. Here we present an unsupervised inference study of the set of sculpted facial vectors in such experiments. We first infer minimal, interpretable and accurate probabilistic models (through Maximum Entropy and artificial neural networks) of the preferred facial variations, that encode the inter-subject variance. The application of such generative models to the supervised classification of the gender of the subject that sculpted the face reveals that it may be predicted with astonishingly high accuracy. We observe that the classification accuracy improves by increasing the order of the non-linear effective interaction. This suggests that the cognitive mechanisms related to facial discrimination in the brain do not involve the positions of single facial landmarks only, but mainly the mutual influence of couples, and even triplets and quadruplets of landmarks. Furthermore, the high prediction accuracy of the subjects' gender suggests that much relevant information regarding the subjects may influence (and be elicited from) their facial preference criteria, in agreement with the multiple motive theory of attractiveness proposed in previous works.
The N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype glutamate receptor antagonist ketamine has rapid antidepressant and antisuicidal effects in treating treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBD). The neurocognitive effects of repeated ketamine infusions in TRBD are not known.

Six intravenous infusions of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg over 40 min) were administered on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule during a 12-day period on 16 patients with TRBD followed by a 2-week observational period. The assessment of neurocognitive function was conducted using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery at baseline, 13 and 26 days. Tasks were designed to test speed of processing, working memory, visual learning and verbal learning.

A significant improvement was found only in scores of speed of processing (
= 9.9,
= 0.001) after a 2-week observational period, which was accounted for by the improvement of depression symptoms. There were no significant changes over time in terms of working memory, visual learning and verbal learning. Pearepressant response after completion of six ketamine infusions in patients with TRBD.
The
gene family, one of the major transcription factor families in plants, plays crucial regulatory roles in physiological and biological developmental processes, and the adaptation of plants to the environment. However, the systematic study of WRKY structure, expression profiling, and regulatory functions has not been extensively reported in
, although these aspects have been comprehensively studied in most plant species.

In this study, the
genes were identified from a
transcriptome database by using bioinformatics. The identification, phylogenetic analysis, zinc-finger structures, and conserved motif prediction were extensively explored. #link# Moreover, the expression levels of 23 selected genes with fragments per kilobase of exons per million mapped reads (FPKM) >5 were assayed during different fruit developmental stages with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

A total of 73 putative WRKY proteins in the
transcriptome database were identified and examined. Forty-four proteins with the WRKY domain were identified and divided into three major groups with several subgroups, in accordance with those in other plant species. All 44 LrWRKY proteins contained one or two conserved WRKY domains and a zinc-finger structure. Conserved motif prediction revealed conservation of the WRKY DNA-binding domain in
proteins. The selected
genes exhibited discrete expression patterns during different fruit developmental stages. Interestingly, five
(-
, -
, -
, -
, and -
) were expressed remarkably throughout the fruit developmental stages.

Our results reveal the characteristics of the
gene family, thus laying a foundation for further functional analysis of the
family in

Our results reveal the characteristics of the LrWRKY gene family, thus laying a foundation for further functional analysis of the WRKY family in L. ruthenicum.Triploid Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr., Salicaceae) has stronger advantages in growth and better stress resistance and wood quality than diploid P. tomentosa. Using transcriptome sequencing technology to identify candidate transcriptome-based markers for growth vigor in young tree tissue is of great significance for the breeding of P. tomentosa varieties in the future. In this study, the cuttings of diploid and triploid P. tomentosa were used as plant materials, transcriptome sequencing was carried out, and their tissue culture materials were used for RT-qPCR verification of the expression of genes. The results showed that 12,240 differentially expressed genes in diploid and triploid P. tomentosa transcripts were annotated and enriched into 135 metabolic pathways. link2 The top six pathways that enriched the most significantly different genes were plant-pathogen interaction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, MAPK signalling pathway-plant, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, diterpenoid biosynthesis, and the betalain biosynthesis pathway. Ten growth-related genes were selected from pathways of plant hormone signal transduction and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms for RT-qPCR verification. The expression levels of MDH and CYCD3 in tissue-cultured and greenhouse planted triploid P. tomentosa were higher than those in tissue-cultured diploid P. tomentosa, which was consist ent with the TMM values calculated by transcriptome.Households are known to be high-risk locations for the transmission of communicable diseases. Numerous modelling studies have demonstrated the important role of households in sustaining both communicable diseases outbreaks and endemic transmission, and as the focus for control efforts. link3 However, these studies typically assume that households are associated with a single dwelling and have static membership. This assumption does not appropriately reflect households in some populations, such as those in remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which can be distributed across more than one physical dwelling, leading to the occupancy of individual dwellings changing rapidly over time. In this study, we developed an individual-based model of an infectious disease outbreak in communities with demographic and household structure reflective of a remote Australian Aboriginal community. We used the model to compare the dynamics of unmitigated outbreaks, and outbreaks constrained by a household-focused prophylaxis intervention, in communities exhibiting fluid vs. stable dwelling occupancy. We found that fluid dwelling occupancy can lead to larger and faster outbreaks in modelled scenarios, and may interfere with the effectiveness of household-focused interventions. Our findings suggest that while short-term restrictions on movement between dwellings may be beneficial during outbreaks, in the longer-term, strategies focused on reducing household crowding may be a more effective way to reduce the risk of severe outbreaks occurring in populations with fluid dwelling occupancy.
Grasshoppers are typical phytophagous pests, and they have large appetites with high utilization of plants fibers, the digestion of which may depend on the microorganisms in their intestines. Grasshoppers have the potential to be utilized in bioreactors, which could improve straw utilization efficiency in the future. In this study, we describe the gut microbiome in three species of grasshoppers,
,
and
, by constructing a 16S rDNA gene library and analyzed the digestibility of cellulose and hemicellulose in the grasshoppers by using moss black phenol colorimetry and anthrone colorimetry.

There were 509,436 bacterial OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) detected in the guts of all the grasshoppers sampled. Among https://www.selleckchem.com/products/AR-42-HDAC-42.html , Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the most common,
had the highest bacterial diversity, and
had the highest bacterial species richness. The intestinal microflora structure varied between the different species of grasshopper, with
and
being the most similar. Meanwhile, the timshopper intestinal microflora will facilitate further research and the utilization of intestinal microorganisms in the future.
The intestinal microbial communities of the three grasshoppers species are similar on phylum level, but the dominant genera of different species grasshoppers are different. The cellulose digestibility of the three species of grasshoppers is relatively high, which may be correlated with the presence of some gut microbiome. Increasing the understanding of the structure and function of the grasshopper intestinal microflora will facilitate further research and the utilization of intestinal microorganisms in the future.The genus Isodacrys Sharp, 1911 is revised. Twenty species of the genus are recognized ranging from south United States of America, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras of which eight are herein described as new. These species are Isodacrys antrum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Tamaulipas, Chiapas; Guatemala Baja Verapaz); Isodacrys carlae Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Coahuila, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas); Isodacrys confusum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Tamaulipas); Isodacrys fasciatum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León); Isodacrys frontalis Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Oaxaca; Guatemala Sacatepéquez, Guatemala); Isodacrys kuchii Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Puebla); Isodacrys obrienorum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Guatemala Totonicapán, Jalapa, San Marcos); and Isodacrys okuiltontli Cortés Hernández, new species (Mexico Oaxaca). Insights into the monophyly of Isodacrys and its phylogenetic relationships with other Tanymecini based on adult morphology are given by implementing a phylogenetic analysis of 43 terminals (21 ingroup, 22 outgroup) coded for 72 adult morphological characters.

10 hrs ago


Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is an important treatment option for patients with ovarian cancer. Although intravenous NACT can improve optimal resection rates and decrease surgical morbidity and mortality, these advantages do not translate into a survival benefit. Ovarian carcinoma is mainly confined to the peritoneal cavity, which makes it a potential target for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Our previous study showed that HIPEC could be used in the neoadjuvant setting, which was named neoadjuvant HIPEC (NHIPEC). Since hyperthermia is an excellent chemosensitiser, we hypothesised that the combination of NHIPEC and intravenous NACT could show superior efficacy to intravenous NACT alone.

This study is a single-centre, open-label, randomised (11 allocation ratio) phase 2 trial. A total of 80 patients will be randomly assigned into an experimental group (NHIPEC+intravenous NACT) or a control group (intravenous NACT). Patients in the experimental group will receive NHIPEC following laparoscopic evaluation, and four tubes will be placed via the laparoscopic ports, which will be used to administer NHIPEC. Then, perfusion with docetaxel (60-75 mg/m
) will be performed (43°C for 60 min, Day 0) followed by cisplatin (75 mg/m
, Day 1) infusion (43°C for 60 min) 24 hours later. After NHIPEC, two cycles of intravenous NACT will be given. Patients in the control group will receive three cycles of intravenous NACT. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients who achieve a Chemotherapy Response Score (CRS) of 3 according to the CRS system. The secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, overall survival and the rates of complete resection and NHIPEC-related adverse events.

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (approval number 2020-ky-050). Results will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.

ChiCTR2000038173.
ChiCTR2000038173.
To document the regulatory environment of new tobacco and nicotine products (NTNPs), including electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs), in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Review of market research reports and databases, regulatory websites, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, relevant published literature and the 2021 WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic.

ENDS entered the LAC market in the 2010s and are now available in most LAC countries. A majority of LAC countries (n=18) have either banned the commercialisation of ENDS (n=7) or regulated ENDS as tobacco products (n=7), medicinal products (n=1) or consumer products (n=3). The remaining LAC countries (n=15) do not regulate ENDS. HTPs were first introduced in 2017 and have been officially launched in five countries (Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Costa Rica). Few countries have banned HTP commercialisation (n=3) or regulated commercialisation and use (n=7), while the majority of countries have existing legislation that applies to HTPs (n=19). A few countries (n=4) have no tobacco control legislation and therefore do not regulate HTPs.

NTNPs are emerging products in the LAC region. Governments should follow WHO guidance and the decisions of the Conference of Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and ban or regulate NTNPs as tobacco products; otherwise NTNPs could create a new generation of tobacco and nicotine users.
NTNPs are emerging products in the LAC region. Governments should follow WHO guidance and the decisions of the Conference of Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and ban or regulate NTNPs as tobacco products; otherwise NTNPs could create a new generation of tobacco and nicotine users.Site-specific pseudouridylation of human ribosomal and spliceosomal RNAs is directed by H/ACA guide RNAs composed of two hairpins carrying internal pseudouridylation guide loops. The distal "antisense" sequences of the pseudouridylation loop base-pair with the target RNA to position two unpaired target nucleotides 5'-UN-3', including the 5' substrate U, under the base of the distal stem topping the guide loop. Therefore, each pseudouridylation loop is expected to direct synthesis of a single pseudouridine (Ψ) in the target sequence. However, in this study, genetic depletion and restoration and RNA mutational analyses demonstrate that at least four human H/ACA RNAs (SNORA53, SNORA57, SCARNA8, and SCARNA1) carry pseudouridylation loops supporting efficient and specific synthesis of two consecutive pseudouridines (ΨΨ or ΨNΨ) in the 28S (Ψ3747/Ψ3749), 18S (Ψ1045/Ψ1046), and U2 (Ψ43/Ψ44 and Ψ89/Ψ91) RNAs, respectively. In order to position two substrate Us for pseudouridylation, the dual guide loops form alternative base-pairing interactions with their target RNAs. This remarkable structural flexibility of dual pseudouridylation loops provides an unexpected versatility for RNA-directed pseudouridylation without compromising its efficiency and accuracy. Besides supporting synthesis of at least 6% of human ribosomal and spliceosomal Ψs, evidence indicates that dual pseudouridylation loops also participate in pseudouridylation of yeast and archaeal rRNAs.Eukaryotic cells maintain an optimal level of mRNAs through unknown mechanisms that balance RNA synthesis and degradation. We found that inactivation of the RNA exosome leads to global reduction of nascent mRNA transcripts, and that this defect is accentuated by loss of deposition of histone variant H2A.Z. We identify the mRNA for the sirtuin deacetylase Hst3 as a key target for the RNA exosome that mediates communication between RNA degradation and transcription machineries. These findings reveal how the RNA exosome and H2A.Z function together to control a deacetylase, ensuring proper levels of transcription in response to changes in RNA degradation.The regenerative potential of neural stem cells (NSCs) declines during aging, leading to cognitive dysfunctions. This decline involves up-regulation of senescence-associated genes, but inactivation of such genes failed to reverse aging of hippocampal NSCs. Because many genes are up-regulated or down-regulated during aging, manipulation of single genes would be insufficient to reverse aging. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/LBH-589.html Here we searched for a gene combination that can rejuvenate NSCs in the aged mouse brain from nuclear factors differentially expressed between embryonic and adult NSCs and their modulators. We found that a combination of inducing the zinc finger transcription factor gene Plagl2 and inhibiting Dyrk1a, a gene associated with Down syndrome (a genetic disorder known to accelerate aging), rejuvenated aged hippocampal NSCs, which already lost proliferative and neurogenic potential. Such rejuvenated NSCs proliferated and produced new neurons continuously at the level observed in juvenile hippocampi, leading to improved cognition. Epigenome, transcriptome, and live-imaging analyses indicated that this gene combination induces up-regulation of embryo-associated genes and down-regulation of age-associated genes by changing their chromatin accessibility, thereby rejuvenating aged dormant NSCs to function like juvenile active NSCs. Thus, aging of NSCs can be reversed to induce functional neurogenesis continuously, offering a way to treat age-related neurological disorders.
Cell-free DNA is involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but the clinical value of cell-free DNA measurements in SLE is unknown. Our aim was therefore to examine the utility of mitochondrial (mt) DNA and nuclear (n) DNA quantification in SLE.

EDTA plasma was drawn from 103 consecutive patients with SLE and from 56 healthy blood donors. mtDNA and nDNA copy numbers were quantified by PCR from cell-free plasma. Clinical parameters were recorded prospectively.

Circulating mtDNA copy numbers were increased 8.8-fold in the plasma of patients with SLE (median 6.6×10
/mL) compared with controls (median 7.6×10
/mL, p<0.0001). Among all 159 individuals, a cut-off set at 1.8×10
mtDNA copies in a receiver operated curve identified patients with SLE with 87.4% sensitivity and 94.6% specificity; the area under the curve was 0.95 (p<0.0001). mtDNA levels were independent of age or gender, but correlated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) on multivariable analysis (p=0.004). Conversely, SLEDAI was associated with prednisone dose (p<0.001), anti-double stranded DNA-titres (p=0.003) and mtDNA levels (p=0.005), but not nDNA copy numbers. In 33 patients with SLE with available follow-up, the changes of mtDNA, but not those of nDNA concentrations, robustly correlated with the evolution of the SLEDAI (r=0.55, p=0.001).

Circulating mtDNA unlike nDNA molecules are markedly increased in SLE plasma. Regardless of disease activity, circulating mtDNA levels distinguish patients with SLE from healthy controls with high sensitivity and represent an independent marker of SLE activity.
Circulating mtDNA unlike nDNA molecules are markedly increased in SLE plasma. Regardless of disease activity, circulating mtDNA levels distinguish patients with SLE from healthy controls with high sensitivity and represent an independent marker of SLE activity.The question of why our conceptions of space and time are intertwined with memory in the hippocampal formation is at the forefront of much current theorizing about this brain system. In this article I argue that animals bridge spatial and temporal gaps through the creation of internal models that allow them to act on the basis of things that exist in a distant place and/or existed at a different time. The hippocampal formation plays a critical role in these processes by stitching together spatiotemporally disparate entities and events. It does this by 1) constructing cognitive maps that represent extended spatial contexts, incorporating and linking aspects of an environment that may never have been experienced together; 2) creating neural trajectories that link the parts of an event, whether they occur in close temporal proximity or not, enabling the construction of event representations even when elements of that event were experienced at quite different times; and 3) using these maps and trajectories to simulate possible futures. As a function of these hippocampally driven processes, our subjective sense of both space and time are interwoven constructions of the mind, much as the philosopher Immanuel Kant postulated.The thyroid maintains systemic homeostasis by regulating serum thyroid hormone concentrations. Here we report the establishment of three-dimensional (3D) organoids from adult thyroid tissue representing murine and human thyroid follicular cells (TFCs). The TFC organoids (TFCOs) harbor the complete machinery of hormone production as visualized by the presence of colloid in the lumen and by the presence of essential transporters and enzymes in the polarized epithelial cells that surround a central lumen. Both the established murine as human thyroid organoids express canonical thyroid markers PAX8 and NKX2.1, while the thyroid hormone precursor thyroglobulin is expressed at comparable levels to tissue. Single-cell RNA sequencing and transmission electron microscopy confirm that TFCOs phenocopy primary thyroid tissue. Thyroid hormones are readily detectable in conditioned medium of human TFCOs. We show clinically relevant responses (increased proliferation and hormone secretion) of human TFCOs toward a panel of Graves' disease patient sera, demonstrating that organoids can model human autoimmune disease.

10 hrs ago


ficial microbes proliferate and pathogenic microbes are limited. Here, we characterize the floral microbiome of pear crops in Washington State, where major production occurs in intermountain valleys and basins with variable elevation and microclimates. Our results show that both local-level (crop management) and landscape-level (habitat types and climate) factors affect floral microbiota but in disparate ways for each kingdom. More broadly, these findings can potentially inform microbiome management in orchards for promotion of host health and high-quality yields.Nitrate reduction coupled to Fe(II) oxidation (NRFO) has been recognized as an environmentally important microbial process in many freshwater ecosystems. However, well-characterized examples of autotrophic nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria are rare, and their pathway of electron transfer as well as their interaction with flanking community members remain largely unknown. Here, we applied meta-omics (i.e., metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics) to the nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing enrichment culture KS growing under autotrophic or heterotrophic conditions and originating from freshwater sediment. We constructed four metagenome-assembled genomes with an estimated completeness of ≥95%, including the key players of NRFO in culture KS, identified as Gallionellaceae sp. and Rhodanobacter sp. The Gallionellaceae sp. and Rhodanobacter sp. transcripts and proteins likely involved in Fe(II) oxidation (e.g., mtoAB, cyc2, and mofA), denitrification (e.g., napGHI), and oxidative phosphorylatiotrate removal, and influence the fate of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. The autotrophic growth of nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria is rarely investigated and not fully understood. The most prominent model system for this type of study is the enrichment culture KS. To gain insights into the metabolism of nitrate reduction coupled to Fe(II) oxidation in the absence of organic carbon and oxygen, we performed metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and metaproteomic analyses of culture KS and identified Gallionellaceae sp. and Rhodanobacter sp. as interdependent key Fe(II) oxidizers in culture KS. Our work demonstrates that autotrophic nitrate reduction coupled to Fe(II) oxidation is not performed by an individual strain but is a cooperation of at least two members of the bacterial community in culture KS. These findings serve as a foundation for our understanding of nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria in the environment.
Peritoneal or mesenteric tumours may correspond to several tumour types or tumour-like conditions, some of them being represented by histiocytosis. This rare condition often poses diagnostic difficulties that can lead to important time delay in targeted therapies. Our aim was to describe main features of histiocytoses with mesenteric localisation that can improve the diagnostic process.

We performed a retrospective study on 22 patients, whose peritoneal/mesenteric biopsies were infiltrated by histiocytes.

Abdominal pain was the revealing symptom in 10 cases, and 19 patients underwent surgical biopsies. The diagnosis of histiocytosis was proposed by initial pathologists in 41% of patients. The other initial diagnoses were inflammation (n=7), sclerosing mesenteritis (n=4) and liposarcoma (n=1). The CD163/CD68+CD1a- histiocytes infiltrated subserosa and/or deeper adipose tissues in 16 and 14 cases, respectively. A

mutation was detected within the biopsies in 11 cases, and two others were MAP2K1 mutated. The final diagnosis was histiocytosis in 18 patients, 15 of whom had Erdheim-Chester disease. The median diagnostic delay of histiocytosis was 9 months. Patients treated with BRAF or MEK inhibitors showed a partial response or a stable disease. One patient died soon after surgery, and five died by the progression of the disease.

Diagnosis of masses arising in the mesentery should be carefully explored as one of the possibilities in histiocytosis. This diagnosis is frequently missed on mesenteric biopsies. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sitravatinib-mgcd516.html Molecular biology for detecting the mutations in BRAF or in genes of the MAP kinase pathway is a critical diagnostic tool.
Diagnosis of masses arising in the mesentery should be carefully explored as one of the possibilities in histiocytosis. This diagnosis is frequently missed on mesenteric biopsies. Molecular biology for detecting the mutations in BRAF or in genes of the MAP kinase pathway is a critical diagnostic tool.Home gardens may help address childhood malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. In this quasi-experimental pilot study, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in collaboration with Maya Health Alliance, evaluated the feasibility of augmenting a standard-of-care nutrition-specific package for Maya children with length-for-age z score ≤-2 (stunting) in rural Guatemala with a nutrition-sensitive home garden intervention. Two agrarian municipalities in Guatemala were included. Families of 70 children with stunting from 1 municipality received the standard-of-care package (food supplementation, multiple micronutrient powders, monthly nutrition home visits, group nutrition classes). Families of 70 children with stunting from another municipality received the standard-of-care package plus a home garden intervention (garden materials, monthly agricultural home visits, agriculture classes). Maternal and child dietary diversity, household food insecurity, child growth, and agricultural indicators were collected at baseline and 6 months later and were analyzed using mixed linear and logistic regression models. Compared with the standard-of-care group, the garden intervention group had improved child (odds ratio [OR] 3.66, 95% CI 0.89-15.10, P = 0.07) and maternal dietary diversity (OR 2.31, 95% CI 0.80-6.65, P = 0.12) and decreased food insecurity (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.11-1.35, P = 0.14); however, these effects were not statistically significant. Participation in gardens predicted a higher length-for-age z-score (change difference [CD] 0.22 SD, 95% CI 0.05-0.38, P = 0.009), greater crop species count (CD 2.97 crops, 95% CI 1.79-4.16, P less then 0.001), and greater nutritional functional diversity (CD 0.04 points, 95% CI 0.01-0.07, P = 0.006) than standard-of-care alone. Home garden interventions are feasible in rural Guatemala and may have potential benefits for child growth when added to other nutrition-specific interventions.

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10 hrs ago


Relatives were significantly different from BPD patients in family relationships, social engagement/withdrawal and interpersonal behavior, as well as on the full Social Functioning Scale (both as a linear and categorical variable). However, only controls showed differences with relatives in family relationships.

All in all, relatives show similar levels of social cognition and functioning compared with controls, and people with BPD show some alterations in different domains of both social cognition and functioning.
All in all, relatives show similar levels of social cognition and functioning compared with controls, and people with BPD show some alterations in different domains of both social cognition and functioning.The perception of facial attractiveness is a complex phenomenon which depends on how the observer perceives not only individual facial features, but also their mutual influence and interplay. In the machine learning community, this problem is typically tackled as a problem of regression of the subject-averaged rating assigned to natural faces. However, it has been conjectured that this approach does not capture the complexity of the phenomenon. It has recently been shown that different human subjects can navigate the face-space and "sculpt" their preferred modification of a reference facial portrait. Here we present an unsupervised inference study of the set of sculpted facial vectors in such experiments. We first infer minimal, interpretable and accurate probabilistic models (through Maximum Entropy and artificial neural networks) of the preferred facial variations, that encode the inter-subject variance. The application of such generative models to the supervised classification of the gender of the subject that sculpted the face reveals that it may be predicted with astonishingly high accuracy. We observe that the classification accuracy improves by increasing the order of the non-linear effective interaction. This suggests that the cognitive mechanisms related to facial discrimination in the brain do not involve the positions of single facial landmarks only, but mainly the mutual influence of couples, and even triplets and quadruplets of landmarks. Furthermore, the high prediction accuracy of the subjects' gender suggests that much relevant information regarding the subjects may influence (and be elicited from) their facial preference criteria, in agreement with the multiple motive theory of attractiveness proposed in previous works.
The N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype glutamate receptor antagonist ketamine has rapid antidepressant and antisuicidal effects in treating treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBD). The neurocognitive effects of repeated ketamine infusions in TRBD are not known.

Six intravenous infusions of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg over 40 min) were administered on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule during a 12-day period on 16 patients with TRBD followed by a 2-week observational period. The assessment of neurocognitive function was conducted using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery at baseline, 13 and 26 days. Tasks were designed to test speed of processing, working memory, visual learning and verbal learning.

A significant improvement was found only in scores of speed of processing (
= 9.9,
= 0.001) after a 2-week observational period, which was accounted for by the improvement of depression symptoms. There were no significant changes over time in terms of working memory, visual learning and verbal learning. Pearepressant response after completion of six ketamine infusions in patients with TRBD.
The
gene family, one of the major transcription factor families in plants, plays crucial regulatory roles in physiological and biological developmental processes, and the adaptation of plants to the environment. However, the systematic study of WRKY structure, expression profiling, and regulatory functions has not been extensively reported in
, although these aspects have been comprehensively studied in most plant species.

In this study, the
genes were identified from a
transcriptome database by using bioinformatics. The identification, phylogenetic analysis, zinc-finger structures, and conserved motif prediction were extensively explored. #link# Moreover, the expression levels of 23 selected genes with fragments per kilobase of exons per million mapped reads (FPKM) >5 were assayed during different fruit developmental stages with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

A total of 73 putative WRKY proteins in the
transcriptome database were identified and examined. Forty-four proteins with the WRKY domain were identified and divided into three major groups with several subgroups, in accordance with those in other plant species. All 44 LrWRKY proteins contained one or two conserved WRKY domains and a zinc-finger structure. Conserved motif prediction revealed conservation of the WRKY DNA-binding domain in
proteins. The selected
genes exhibited discrete expression patterns during different fruit developmental stages. Interestingly, five
(-
, -
, -
, -
, and -
) were expressed remarkably throughout the fruit developmental stages.

Our results reveal the characteristics of the
gene family, thus laying a foundation for further functional analysis of the
family in

Our results reveal the characteristics of the LrWRKY gene family, thus laying a foundation for further functional analysis of the WRKY family in L. ruthenicum.Triploid Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr., Salicaceae) has stronger advantages in growth and better stress resistance and wood quality than diploid P. tomentosa. Using transcriptome sequencing technology to identify candidate transcriptome-based markers for growth vigor in young tree tissue is of great significance for the breeding of P. tomentosa varieties in the future. In this study, the cuttings of diploid and triploid P. tomentosa were used as plant materials, transcriptome sequencing was carried out, and their tissue culture materials were used for RT-qPCR verification of the expression of genes. The results showed that 12,240 differentially expressed genes in diploid and triploid P. tomentosa transcripts were annotated and enriched into 135 metabolic pathways. link2 The top six pathways that enriched the most significantly different genes were plant-pathogen interaction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, MAPK signalling pathway-plant, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, diterpenoid biosynthesis, and the betalain biosynthesis pathway. Ten growth-related genes were selected from pathways of plant hormone signal transduction and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms for RT-qPCR verification. The expression levels of MDH and CYCD3 in tissue-cultured and greenhouse planted triploid P. tomentosa were higher than those in tissue-cultured diploid P. tomentosa, which was consist ent with the TMM values calculated by transcriptome.Households are known to be high-risk locations for the transmission of communicable diseases. Numerous modelling studies have demonstrated the important role of households in sustaining both communicable diseases outbreaks and endemic transmission, and as the focus for control efforts. link3 However, these studies typically assume that households are associated with a single dwelling and have static membership. This assumption does not appropriately reflect households in some populations, such as those in remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which can be distributed across more than one physical dwelling, leading to the occupancy of individual dwellings changing rapidly over time. In this study, we developed an individual-based model of an infectious disease outbreak in communities with demographic and household structure reflective of a remote Australian Aboriginal community. We used the model to compare the dynamics of unmitigated outbreaks, and outbreaks constrained by a household-focused prophylaxis intervention, in communities exhibiting fluid vs. stable dwelling occupancy. We found that fluid dwelling occupancy can lead to larger and faster outbreaks in modelled scenarios, and may interfere with the effectiveness of household-focused interventions. Our findings suggest that while short-term restrictions on movement between dwellings may be beneficial during outbreaks, in the longer-term, strategies focused on reducing household crowding may be a more effective way to reduce the risk of severe outbreaks occurring in populations with fluid dwelling occupancy.
Grasshoppers are typical phytophagous pests, and they have large appetites with high utilization of plants fibers, the digestion of which may depend on the microorganisms in their intestines. Grasshoppers have the potential to be utilized in bioreactors, which could improve straw utilization efficiency in the future. In this study, we describe the gut microbiome in three species of grasshoppers,
,
and
, by constructing a 16S rDNA gene library and analyzed the digestibility of cellulose and hemicellulose in the grasshoppers by using moss black phenol colorimetry and anthrone colorimetry.

There were 509,436 bacterial OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) detected in the guts of all the grasshoppers sampled. Among https://www.selleckchem.com/products/AR-42-HDAC-42.html , Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the most common,
had the highest bacterial diversity, and
had the highest bacterial species richness. The intestinal microflora structure varied between the different species of grasshopper, with
and
being the most similar. Meanwhile, the timshopper intestinal microflora will facilitate further research and the utilization of intestinal microorganisms in the future.
The intestinal microbial communities of the three grasshoppers species are similar on phylum level, but the dominant genera of different species grasshoppers are different. The cellulose digestibility of the three species of grasshoppers is relatively high, which may be correlated with the presence of some gut microbiome. Increasing the understanding of the structure and function of the grasshopper intestinal microflora will facilitate further research and the utilization of intestinal microorganisms in the future.The genus Isodacrys Sharp, 1911 is revised. Twenty species of the genus are recognized ranging from south United States of America, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras of which eight are herein described as new. These species are Isodacrys antrum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Tamaulipas, Chiapas; Guatemala Baja Verapaz); Isodacrys carlae Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Coahuila, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas); Isodacrys confusum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Tamaulipas); Isodacrys fasciatum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León); Isodacrys frontalis Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Oaxaca; Guatemala Sacatepéquez, Guatemala); Isodacrys kuchii Cortés-Hernández, new species (Mexico Puebla); Isodacrys obrienorum Cortés-Hernández, new species (Guatemala Totonicapán, Jalapa, San Marcos); and Isodacrys okuiltontli Cortés Hernández, new species (Mexico Oaxaca). Insights into the monophyly of Isodacrys and its phylogenetic relationships with other Tanymecini based on adult morphology are given by implementing a phylogenetic analysis of 43 terminals (21 ingroup, 22 outgroup) coded for 72 adult morphological characters.

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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is an important treatment option for patients with ovarian cancer. Although intravenous NACT can improve optimal resection rates and decrease surgical morbidity and mortality, these advantages do not translate into a survival benefit. Ovarian carcinoma is mainly confined to the peritoneal cavity, which makes it a potential target for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Our previous study showed that HIPEC could be used in the neoadjuvant setting, which was named neoadjuvant HIPEC (NHIPEC). Since hyperthermia is an excellent chemosensitiser, we hypothesised that the combination of NHIPEC and intravenous NACT could show superior efficacy to intravenous NACT alone.

This study is a single-centre, open-label, randomised (11 allocation ratio) phase 2 trial. A total of 80 patients will be randomly assigned into an experimental group (NHIPEC+intravenous NACT) or a control group (intravenous NACT). Patients in the experimental group will receive NHIPEC following laparoscopic evaluation, and four tubes will be placed via the laparoscopic ports, which will be used to administer NHIPEC. Then, perfusion with docetaxel (60-75 mg/m
) will be performed (43°C for 60 min, Day 0) followed by cisplatin (75 mg/m
, Day 1) infusion (43°C for 60 min) 24 hours later. After NHIPEC, two cycles of intravenous NACT will be given. Patients in the control group will receive three cycles of intravenous NACT. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients who achieve a Chemotherapy Response Score (CRS) of 3 according to the CRS system. The secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, overall survival and the rates of complete resection and NHIPEC-related adverse events.

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (approval number 2020-ky-050). Results will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.

ChiCTR2000038173.
ChiCTR2000038173.
To document the regulatory environment of new tobacco and nicotine products (NTNPs), including electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs), in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Review of market research reports and databases, regulatory websites, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, relevant published literature and the 2021 WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic.

ENDS entered the LAC market in the 2010s and are now available in most LAC countries. A majority of LAC countries (n=18) have either banned the commercialisation of ENDS (n=7) or regulated ENDS as tobacco products (n=7), medicinal products (n=1) or consumer products (n=3). The remaining LAC countries (n=15) do not regulate ENDS. HTPs were first introduced in 2017 and have been officially launched in five countries (Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Costa Rica). Few countries have banned HTP commercialisation (n=3) or regulated commercialisation and use (n=7), while the majority of countries have existing legislation that applies to HTPs (n=19). A few countries (n=4) have no tobacco control legislation and therefore do not regulate HTPs.

NTNPs are emerging products in the LAC region. Governments should follow WHO guidance and the decisions of the Conference of Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and ban or regulate NTNPs as tobacco products; otherwise NTNPs could create a new generation of tobacco and nicotine users.
NTNPs are emerging products in the LAC region. Governments should follow WHO guidance and the decisions of the Conference of Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and ban or regulate NTNPs as tobacco products; otherwise NTNPs could create a new generation of tobacco and nicotine users.Site-specific pseudouridylation of human ribosomal and spliceosomal RNAs is directed by H/ACA guide RNAs composed of two hairpins carrying internal pseudouridylation guide loops. The distal "antisense" sequences of the pseudouridylation loop base-pair with the target RNA to position two unpaired target nucleotides 5'-UN-3', including the 5' substrate U, under the base of the distal stem topping the guide loop. Therefore, each pseudouridylation loop is expected to direct synthesis of a single pseudouridine (Ψ) in the target sequence. However, in this study, genetic depletion and restoration and RNA mutational analyses demonstrate that at least four human H/ACA RNAs (SNORA53, SNORA57, SCARNA8, and SCARNA1) carry pseudouridylation loops supporting efficient and specific synthesis of two consecutive pseudouridines (ΨΨ or ΨNΨ) in the 28S (Ψ3747/Ψ3749), 18S (Ψ1045/Ψ1046), and U2 (Ψ43/Ψ44 and Ψ89/Ψ91) RNAs, respectively. In order to position two substrate Us for pseudouridylation, the dual guide loops form alternative base-pairing interactions with their target RNAs. This remarkable structural flexibility of dual pseudouridylation loops provides an unexpected versatility for RNA-directed pseudouridylation without compromising its efficiency and accuracy. Besides supporting synthesis of at least 6% of human ribosomal and spliceosomal Ψs, evidence indicates that dual pseudouridylation loops also participate in pseudouridylation of yeast and archaeal rRNAs.Eukaryotic cells maintain an optimal level of mRNAs through unknown mechanisms that balance RNA synthesis and degradation. We found that inactivation of the RNA exosome leads to global reduction of nascent mRNA transcripts, and that this defect is accentuated by loss of deposition of histone variant H2A.Z. We identify the mRNA for the sirtuin deacetylase Hst3 as a key target for the RNA exosome that mediates communication between RNA degradation and transcription machineries. These findings reveal how the RNA exosome and H2A.Z function together to control a deacetylase, ensuring proper levels of transcription in response to changes in RNA degradation.The regenerative potential of neural stem cells (NSCs) declines during aging, leading to cognitive dysfunctions. This decline involves up-regulation of senescence-associated genes, but inactivation of such genes failed to reverse aging of hippocampal NSCs. Because many genes are up-regulated or down-regulated during aging, manipulation of single genes would be insufficient to reverse aging. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/LBH-589.html Here we searched for a gene combination that can rejuvenate NSCs in the aged mouse brain from nuclear factors differentially expressed between embryonic and adult NSCs and their modulators. We found that a combination of inducing the zinc finger transcription factor gene Plagl2 and inhibiting Dyrk1a, a gene associated with Down syndrome (a genetic disorder known to accelerate aging), rejuvenated aged hippocampal NSCs, which already lost proliferative and neurogenic potential. Such rejuvenated NSCs proliferated and produced new neurons continuously at the level observed in juvenile hippocampi, leading to improved cognition. Epigenome, transcriptome, and live-imaging analyses indicated that this gene combination induces up-regulation of embryo-associated genes and down-regulation of age-associated genes by changing their chromatin accessibility, thereby rejuvenating aged dormant NSCs to function like juvenile active NSCs. Thus, aging of NSCs can be reversed to induce functional neurogenesis continuously, offering a way to treat age-related neurological disorders.
Cell-free DNA is involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but the clinical value of cell-free DNA measurements in SLE is unknown. Our aim was therefore to examine the utility of mitochondrial (mt) DNA and nuclear (n) DNA quantification in SLE.

EDTA plasma was drawn from 103 consecutive patients with SLE and from 56 healthy blood donors. mtDNA and nDNA copy numbers were quantified by PCR from cell-free plasma. Clinical parameters were recorded prospectively.

Circulating mtDNA copy numbers were increased 8.8-fold in the plasma of patients with SLE (median 6.6×10
/mL) compared with controls (median 7.6×10
/mL, p<0.0001). Among all 159 individuals, a cut-off set at 1.8×10
mtDNA copies in a receiver operated curve identified patients with SLE with 87.4% sensitivity and 94.6% specificity; the area under the curve was 0.95 (p<0.0001). mtDNA levels were independent of age or gender, but correlated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) on multivariable analysis (p=0.004). Conversely, SLEDAI was associated with prednisone dose (p<0.001), anti-double stranded DNA-titres (p=0.003) and mtDNA levels (p=0.005), but not nDNA copy numbers. In 33 patients with SLE with available follow-up, the changes of mtDNA, but not those of nDNA concentrations, robustly correlated with the evolution of the SLEDAI (r=0.55, p=0.001).

Circulating mtDNA unlike nDNA molecules are markedly increased in SLE plasma. Regardless of disease activity, circulating mtDNA levels distinguish patients with SLE from healthy controls with high sensitivity and represent an independent marker of SLE activity.
Circulating mtDNA unlike nDNA molecules are markedly increased in SLE plasma. Regardless of disease activity, circulating mtDNA levels distinguish patients with SLE from healthy controls with high sensitivity and represent an independent marker of SLE activity.The question of why our conceptions of space and time are intertwined with memory in the hippocampal formation is at the forefront of much current theorizing about this brain system. In this article I argue that animals bridge spatial and temporal gaps through the creation of internal models that allow them to act on the basis of things that exist in a distant place and/or existed at a different time. The hippocampal formation plays a critical role in these processes by stitching together spatiotemporally disparate entities and events. It does this by 1) constructing cognitive maps that represent extended spatial contexts, incorporating and linking aspects of an environment that may never have been experienced together; 2) creating neural trajectories that link the parts of an event, whether they occur in close temporal proximity or not, enabling the construction of event representations even when elements of that event were experienced at quite different times; and 3) using these maps and trajectories to simulate possible futures. As a function of these hippocampally driven processes, our subjective sense of both space and time are interwoven constructions of the mind, much as the philosopher Immanuel Kant postulated.The thyroid maintains systemic homeostasis by regulating serum thyroid hormone concentrations. Here we report the establishment of three-dimensional (3D) organoids from adult thyroid tissue representing murine and human thyroid follicular cells (TFCs). The TFC organoids (TFCOs) harbor the complete machinery of hormone production as visualized by the presence of colloid in the lumen and by the presence of essential transporters and enzymes in the polarized epithelial cells that surround a central lumen. Both the established murine as human thyroid organoids express canonical thyroid markers PAX8 and NKX2.1, while the thyroid hormone precursor thyroglobulin is expressed at comparable levels to tissue. Single-cell RNA sequencing and transmission electron microscopy confirm that TFCOs phenocopy primary thyroid tissue. Thyroid hormones are readily detectable in conditioned medium of human TFCOs. We show clinically relevant responses (increased proliferation and hormone secretion) of human TFCOs toward a panel of Graves' disease patient sera, demonstrating that organoids can model human autoimmune disease.

10 hrs ago


ficial microbes proliferate and pathogenic microbes are limited. Here, we characterize the floral microbiome of pear crops in Washington State, where major production occurs in intermountain valleys and basins with variable elevation and microclimates. Our results show that both local-level (crop management) and landscape-level (habitat types and climate) factors affect floral microbiota but in disparate ways for each kingdom. More broadly, these findings can potentially inform microbiome management in orchards for promotion of host health and high-quality yields.Nitrate reduction coupled to Fe(II) oxidation (NRFO) has been recognized as an environmentally important microbial process in many freshwater ecosystems. However, well-characterized examples of autotrophic nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria are rare, and their pathway of electron transfer as well as their interaction with flanking community members remain largely unknown. Here, we applied meta-omics (i.e., metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics) to the nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing enrichment culture KS growing under autotrophic or heterotrophic conditions and originating from freshwater sediment. We constructed four metagenome-assembled genomes with an estimated completeness of ≥95%, including the key players of NRFO in culture KS, identified as Gallionellaceae sp. and Rhodanobacter sp. The Gallionellaceae sp. and Rhodanobacter sp. transcripts and proteins likely involved in Fe(II) oxidation (e.g., mtoAB, cyc2, and mofA), denitrification (e.g., napGHI), and oxidative phosphorylatiotrate removal, and influence the fate of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. The autotrophic growth of nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria is rarely investigated and not fully understood. The most prominent model system for this type of study is the enrichment culture KS. To gain insights into the metabolism of nitrate reduction coupled to Fe(II) oxidation in the absence of organic carbon and oxygen, we performed metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and metaproteomic analyses of culture KS and identified Gallionellaceae sp. and Rhodanobacter sp. as interdependent key Fe(II) oxidizers in culture KS. Our work demonstrates that autotrophic nitrate reduction coupled to Fe(II) oxidation is not performed by an individual strain but is a cooperation of at least two members of the bacterial community in culture KS. These findings serve as a foundation for our understanding of nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria in the environment.
Peritoneal or mesenteric tumours may correspond to several tumour types or tumour-like conditions, some of them being represented by histiocytosis. This rare condition often poses diagnostic difficulties that can lead to important time delay in targeted therapies. Our aim was to describe main features of histiocytoses with mesenteric localisation that can improve the diagnostic process.

We performed a retrospective study on 22 patients, whose peritoneal/mesenteric biopsies were infiltrated by histiocytes.

Abdominal pain was the revealing symptom in 10 cases, and 19 patients underwent surgical biopsies. The diagnosis of histiocytosis was proposed by initial pathologists in 41% of patients. The other initial diagnoses were inflammation (n=7), sclerosing mesenteritis (n=4) and liposarcoma (n=1). The CD163/CD68+CD1a- histiocytes infiltrated subserosa and/or deeper adipose tissues in 16 and 14 cases, respectively. A

mutation was detected within the biopsies in 11 cases, and two others were MAP2K1 mutated. The final diagnosis was histiocytosis in 18 patients, 15 of whom had Erdheim-Chester disease. The median diagnostic delay of histiocytosis was 9 months. Patients treated with BRAF or MEK inhibitors showed a partial response or a stable disease. One patient died soon after surgery, and five died by the progression of the disease.

Diagnosis of masses arising in the mesentery should be carefully explored as one of the possibilities in histiocytosis. This diagnosis is frequently missed on mesenteric biopsies. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sitravatinib-mgcd516.html Molecular biology for detecting the mutations in BRAF or in genes of the MAP kinase pathway is a critical diagnostic tool.
Diagnosis of masses arising in the mesentery should be carefully explored as one of the possibilities in histiocytosis. This diagnosis is frequently missed on mesenteric biopsies. Molecular biology for detecting the mutations in BRAF or in genes of the MAP kinase pathway is a critical diagnostic tool.Home gardens may help address childhood malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. In this quasi-experimental pilot study, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in collaboration with Maya Health Alliance, evaluated the feasibility of augmenting a standard-of-care nutrition-specific package for Maya children with length-for-age z score ≤-2 (stunting) in rural Guatemala with a nutrition-sensitive home garden intervention. Two agrarian municipalities in Guatemala were included. Families of 70 children with stunting from 1 municipality received the standard-of-care package (food supplementation, multiple micronutrient powders, monthly nutrition home visits, group nutrition classes). Families of 70 children with stunting from another municipality received the standard-of-care package plus a home garden intervention (garden materials, monthly agricultural home visits, agriculture classes). Maternal and child dietary diversity, household food insecurity, child growth, and agricultural indicators were collected at baseline and 6 months later and were analyzed using mixed linear and logistic regression models. Compared with the standard-of-care group, the garden intervention group had improved child (odds ratio [OR] 3.66, 95% CI 0.89-15.10, P = 0.07) and maternal dietary diversity (OR 2.31, 95% CI 0.80-6.65, P = 0.12) and decreased food insecurity (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.11-1.35, P = 0.14); however, these effects were not statistically significant. Participation in gardens predicted a higher length-for-age z-score (change difference [CD] 0.22 SD, 95% CI 0.05-0.38, P = 0.009), greater crop species count (CD 2.97 crops, 95% CI 1.79-4.16, P less then 0.001), and greater nutritional functional diversity (CD 0.04 points, 95% CI 0.01-0.07, P = 0.006) than standard-of-care alone. Home garden interventions are feasible in rural Guatemala and may have potential benefits for child growth when added to other nutrition-specific interventions.

16 hrs ago


Moreover, CPEB1 regulated breast cancer development by mediating the SIRT1/SOX2 pathway. Further, miR-301 overexpression accelerated tumor formation in nude mice. Our results indicate that miR-301 overexpression accelerates the progression of breast cancer through the CPEB1/SIRT1/SOX2 axis.The aim of study was to assess the growth performance, meat quality, and fatty acid composition of meat-type guinea fowl fed balanced commercial diets under two different feeding programs, similar to those for slaughter turkeys and broiler chickens, respectively. A total of 80 4-week-old meat-type guinea fowl divided into two groups (four replicates per group; 10 birds in each replicate) were raised for 14 weeks. One group received commercially available diets in a three-phased program (TM group), whereas the other group was fed commercial diets in a two-phased program (CM group). Growth-performance-related traits were recorded. At the end of rearing (14 weeks of age), eight birds from each group were slaughtered. Carcass yield and technological traits of meat (pH, color, water-holding capacity, natural and thermal loss, tenderness, fatty acid profile) were analyzed. Groups did not differ in terms of body weight as well as carcass yield and characteristics. There was no difference in meat quality and the fatty acid profile of breast and thigh meat of guinea fowl from TM and CM groups. The findings of this study suggest that both commercial diets (for broiler chickens and turkeys) can be used in meat-type guinea fowl rearing. Due to the lower price of diets fed to the CM group and the lack of significant variation in meat quality traits, its use seems to be more justified from an economic point of view.
We study how life course objective socioeconomic position (SEP) predicts subjective social status (SSS) and the extent to which SSS mediates the association of objective SEP with nutritional status and mental health outcomes.

We use data from participants of the INCAP Longitudinal Study 1969-2018 (n=1258) from Guatemala. We use the MacArthur ladder for two measures of SSS - perceived community respect and perceived economic status. We estimate the association of SSS with health outcomes after adjusting for early life characteristics and life course objective SEP (wealth, schooling, employment) using linear regression. We use path analysis to study the extent of mediation by SSS on the health outcomes of body mass index (BMI; kg/m
), psychological distress (using the WHO Self-Reported Questionnaire; SRQ-20) and happiness, using the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS).

Median participant rating was 5 [IQR 3-8] for the perceived community respect and 3 [IQR 1-5] for the perceived economic status, with no difr adjusting for objective SEP. Moreover, association of objective SEP with health was not mediated by SSS, suggesting potentially independent pathways.
While there are known individual-level risk factors for kidney disease at time of type 2 diabetes diagnosis, little is known regarding the role of community context. We evaluated the association of community socioeconomic deprivation (CSD) and community type with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) when type 2 diabetes is diagnosed.

This was a retrospective cohort study of 13,144 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in Pennsylvania. The outcome was the closest eGFR measurement within one year prior to and two weeks after type 2 diabetes diagnosis, calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-Epi) equation. We used adjusted multinomial regression models to estimate associations of CSD (quartile 1, least deprivation) and community type (township, borough, city) with eGFR and used adjusted generalized estimating equation models to evaluate whether community features were associated with the absence of diabetes screening in the years prior to type 2 diabetes diagned sample, more than twenty percent had hyperfiltration or reduced eGFR at time of type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Individual- and community-level factors were associated with these outcomes.
While differences in population health across neighborhoods with different socioeconomic characteristics are well documented, health disparities across neighborhoods with similar socioeconomic characteristics are less well understood. We aimed to estimate population health inequalities, both within and between neighborhoods with similar socioeconomic status, and assessed the association of neighborhood characteristics and socioeconomic spillover effects from adjacent neighborhoods.

Based on Dutch whole-population data we determined the percentage of inhabitants with good or very good self-assessed health (SAH) and the percentage of inhabitants with at least one chronic disease (CD) in 11,504 neighborhoods. Neighborhoods were classified by quintiles of a composite neighborhoods socioeconomic status score (NSES). A set of spatial models was estimated accounting for spatial effects in the dependent, independent, and error components of the model.

Substantial population health disparities in SAH and CD both within and between neighborhoods NSES quintiles were observed, with the largest SAH variance in the lowest NSES group. Neighborhoods adjacent to higher SES neighborhoods showed a higher SAH and a lower prevalence of CD. Projected impacts from the spatial regressions indicate how modest changes in NSES among the lowest socioeconomic neighborhoods can contribute to population health in both low- and high-SES neighborhoods.

Population health differs substantially among neighborhoods with similar socioeconomic characteristics, which can partially be explained by a spatial socio-economic spillover effect.
Population health differs substantially among neighborhoods with similar socioeconomic characteristics, which can partially be explained by a spatial socio-economic spillover effect.Dogs are occasionally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, developing few or no clinical signs. Epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs requires testing to distinguish it from other canine coronaviruses. In the last year, significant advances have been made in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, allowing its surveillance in both human and animal populations. Here, using ELISA and automated western blotting (AWB) assays, we performed a longitudinal study on 809 apparently healthy dogs from different regions of France to investigate anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. There were three main groups (i) 356 dogs sampled once before the pandemic, (ii) 235 dogs sampled once during the pandemic, and (iii) 218 dogs, including 82 dogs sampled twice (before and during the pandemic), 125 dogs sampled twice during the pandemic and 11 dogs sampled three times (once before and twice during the pandemic). Using ELISA, seroprevalence was significantly higher during the pandemic [5.5% (25/453)] than during the pre-pandemic period [1.1% (5/449)]. Among the 218 dogs sampled twice, at least 8 ELISA-seroconversions were observed. ELISA positive pre-pandemic sera were not confirmed in serial tests by AWB, indicating possible ELISA cross-reactivity, probably with other canine coronaviruses. A significant difference was observed between these two serological tests (Q = 88, p = 0.008). A clear correlation was observed between SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in dogs and the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human population from the same area. AWB could be used as a second line assay to confirm the doubtful and discrepant ELISA results in dogs. Our results confirm the previous experimental models regarding the susceptibility of dogs to SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that viral transmission from and between dogs is weak or absent. However, the new variants with multiple mutations could adapt to dogs; this hypothesis cannot be ruled out in the absence of genomic data on SARS-CoV-2 from dogs.Hardware breakage during orthopaedic surgery especially closed intramedullary nailing is a nightmare for orthopaedic surgeons. During hip fracture surgery a mechanical failure of the guidewire or the reamer poses an additional risk of intrapelvic migration and neurovascular or visceral injury which can lead to devastating complications and litigation. We report a case of removal of the broken guidewire using a cannulated reamer & discectomy forceps and recommend some suggestions for prevention of this catastrophe.•The initial diagnosis was endometriosis; however, the postoperative diagnosis was a seromucinous borderline ovarian tumor.•Women of reproductive age experienced an early relapse of seromucinous borderline ovarian tumor after surgery.•Transvaginal ultrasound was useful for early diagnosis of relapse.•A second fertility preservation surgery was performed, and fertility treatment without relapse was ongoing.Epithelioid sarcomas (ESs) of the vulva are extremely rare soft tissue tumors characterized by an aggressive clinical course and a poor prognosis. The proximal type of ES occurs in the trunk and external genital area and has higher recurrence and distant metastasis rates than the distal type, which is found in the upper and lower extremities. We describe a case of a vulvar ES in a 24-year-old patient who was referred from the department of plastic surgery with protruding mushroom-like lesions in multiple areas, including the lower abdomen, whole vulva, anus, and both inguinal lesions. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/gsk3326595-epz015938.html A biopsy of the lesions confirmed a proximal-type ES. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple metastatic lesions in several regions, including the perineum, vagina, and inguinal regions; nodal metastases in the left external iliac and right inguinal region; and distant metastases in the lungs, pleura of the left lung, bones, and soft tissue. The patient underwent active palliative radiotherapy, followed by chemotherapy, and showed a partial response to treatment. Nineteen months after the initial diagnosis, the patient expired due to cancer progression and pneumothorax.We report case histories of two young women who had an intraoperative cardiac arrest, potentially caused by preoperative emotional stress, while undergoing open radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. Neither had any history of heart disease or other comorbidities. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a form of stress cardiomyopathy characterized by acute reversible ventricular dysfunction that can occur in the perioperative period, was the cause in one patient. A vasovagal episode during the exploration of the abdomen was the cause in the other. Successful resuscitation and stabilisation of both patients made it possible to continue the surgery and successfully complete both procedures. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy should be considered in any patient showing significant preoperative stress who has a cardiac arrest, even if there is no preoperative morbidity. It is difficult to differentiate from a vasovagal episode intraoperatively. Surgical and anaesthetic teams should be aware of importance of countering severe preoperative stress.In this data article, we present datasets from the construction of a composite indicator, the Photovoltaic Decentralised Energy Investment (PV-DEI) index, presented in detail in [1]. This article consists of a comprehensive energy-related data collected in practice from several sources, and from the outputs of the methodology described in [1]. The PV-DEI was designed and developed to measure the multidimensional factors that currently direct decentralised renewable energy investments. The PV-DEI index includes 52 indicators and was constructed because factors stimulating investment cannot be captured by a single indicator, e.g. competitiveness, affordability, or governance [1]. The PV-DEI index was built in alignment with a theoretical framework guided by an extensive review of the literature surrounding investment in decentralised Photovoltaic (PV), which led to the selection of its indicators. The structure of the PV-DEI was evaluated for its soundness using correlational assessments and principal component analyses (PCA).

17 hrs ago


miR-362-3p addition constrained cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, but miR-362-3p knockdown played an opposite effect. PTTG1 was targeted and negatively modulated by miR-362-3p. PTTG1 abundance was elevated in SNSCC samples. PTTG1 overexpression mitigated miR-362-3p-modulated suppression of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in SNSCC cells.

miR-362-3p repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in SNSCC
targeting PTTG1.
miR-362-3p repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in SNSCC via targeting PTTG1.The quality and quantity of bone are crucial to the success of dental implant treatment. Recently, bone grafting materials have reached some limitations. This study aimed to evaluate the biocompatibility of novel drug delivery material, injectable methacrylated hyaluronic acid hydrogel incorporated with different ratios of mannitol and BSA (Man/BSA MeHA), to human alveolar bone cells. The three-dimensionally encapsulated cell culture was evaluated with the resazurin cell viability test, alkaline phosphatase activity assay, immunohistochemistry test for collagen type-I synthesis, and cell morphology. The results showed that the encapsulated cells were viable in all four ratios of Man/BSA MeHA hydrogel and the average metabolic rate was not less than the control group. The morphology test showed round shape cells at the upper portion of the hydrogel and fibroblast-like or polygonal shape at the lower portion of hydrogel next to the culture plate. All four groups could express enzyme alkaline phosphatase and collagen type-I. In conclusion, four ratios of Man/BSA MeHA hydrogel were biocompatible with primary human alveolar bone cells.Niobium (Nb), Titanium (Ti), and Zirconium (Zr) have attracted much attention as implant materials due to it's excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, little attention has been paid to high Nb-containing biomedical alloys. Here, the 50 wt.%Nb-XTi-Zr ternary alloy(x = 20wt.%, 30 wt.%, 40 wt.%) with relative density over 90% was prepared by powder metallurgy method. The massive α(Zr) distributed along the grain boundaries and lamellar β(Zr) appeared in the grains of β(Nb) in the 50 wt.%Nb-20wt.%Ti-Zr alloy. The acicular α phase is mainly distributed in the β-grain of 50 wt.%Nb-30wt.%Ti-Zr alloy. And α(Ti)-colonies in the β-grains and continuous α(Ti)GB at β-grain boundary can be observed in the 50 wt.%Nb-40wt.%Ti-Zr alloy. Comparing with Nb-20wt.%Ti-Zr alloy and 50 wt.%Nb-40wt.%Ti-Zr alloy, the 50 wt.%Nb-30wt.%Ti-Zr alloy showed lower Vickers hardness and elastic modulus. Furthermore, the as-sintered 50 wt.%Nb-XTi-Zr alloy promoted the cell proliferation and cell adhesion of MG-63 cells on the surface of alloys. In conclusion, the 50 wt.%Nb-XTi-Zr alloy combines excellent mechanical and biological properties, and the 50 wt.%Nb-30wt.%Ti-Zr alloy with lower elastic modulus (close to the bone) is a more promising candidate for bone implant material.
Domestic violence, childhood physical and sexual abuse, and gang violence are prevalent and growing problems for Guatemalan youth, particularly in low socioeconomic (SES) areas. Resources in the community for psychosocial support are greatly lacking. Schools often serve as the main source of support for these highly vulnerable adolescents. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/FK-506-(Tacrolimus).html Yet, many teachers lack the training to manage the psychological distress of their at-risk students and to properly engage, assess, and manage the psychological needs of their students. We developed a brief risk assessment and management training for teachers to address this gap.

We present the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of the training at increasing teacher's knowledge and understanding of how to engage and work with their at-risk students around their thoughts and feelings of suicide.

Twenty-two teachers from a school in a low SES community in Guatemala participated in the training program. Mixed methods were used to explore effectiveness, acceptabicommunities.While the role of the London Hospital in delineating diseases of the nervous system is widely accepted, its role in developing the speciality of spinal injuries in the United Kingdom has not been acknowledged. The pioneering efforts of Henry Head and George Riddoch provided the foundation for the successful treatment of patients with spinal injuries. Julian Holland-Hibbert, a trustee of the London Hospital and himself a paraplegic, by his magnificent unselfish effort made sure that patients with a spinal injury could live independent, fulfilled lives in society.Pseudotumor cerebri also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a relatively uncommon disorder of unknown pathophysiology. Although pseudotumor cerebri occurs in both children and adults, the pseudotumor cerebri literature is heavily dominated by adult studies. The aim of this study is to retrospectively describe the clinical presentation, imaging, treatment, and outcomes of a large pediatric pseudotumor cerebri population over a 23-year period. We also discuss secondary pseudotumor cerebri (44%) as well as the increasingly recognized patient subgroups without headache (13.3%) and without papilledema (7.3%). Female sex, obesity, and initial symptoms were consistent with the literature; however radiographic findings were surprisingly low in this cohort. Headache outcomes at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months following initial lumbar puncture/treatment and visual function outcomes are reported.The present study was undertaken to identify the microRNAs (miRNAs) expressed in the mammary tissue of a bubaline heifer. Small RNAs were isolated from the mammary gland tissue and enriched for miRNA fraction. The linker-ligated small RNAs were reverse transcribed to synthesize cDNA and amplified by PCR. The PCR products were ligated to the pGEM-T Easy vector; cloned into DH5 alpha cells and sequenced. Sequencing of 40 clones, randomly chosen from this library, produced 115 concatemerized short sequences. The short sequences were checked for their matches with the help of refseq_rna database, EST database (NCBI) and Ensembl. The analysis was performed for more than 90% identity with miRNAs across different species in miRBase. Alignment of putative small RNA sequences with the bovine genome was attempted in GenBank (NCBI) and Ensembl using BLAST. The small RNA sequences with a partial matches within the bovine genome and/or with flanking sequences (upstream or downstream) were analyzed for hairpin structures using the Mfold web server.