bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tumor suppressor PALB2 maintains redox and mitochondrial homeostasis in the brain and cooperates with ATG7/autophagy to suppress neurodegeneration
Authors: Huo Yanying , Sawant Akshada , Tan Yongmei , Mahdi Amar H , Li Tao , Ma Hui , Bhatt Vrushank , Yan Run , Coleman Jake , Dreyfus Cheryl F , Guo Jessie Yanxiang , Mouradian M. Maral , White Eileen , Xia Bing
Published: April 2022

The PALB2 tumor suppressor plays key roles in DNA repair and has been implicated in redox homeostasis. Autophagy maintains mitochondrial quality, mitigates oxidative stress and suppresses neurodegeneration. Here we show that Palb2 deletion in the mouse brain leads to mild motor deficits and that co-deletion of Palb2 with the essential autophagy gene Atg7 accelerates and exacerbates neurodegeneration induced by ATG7 loss. Palb2 deletion leads to elevated DNA damage, oxidative stress and mitochondrial markers, especially in Purkinje cells, and co-deletion of Palb2 and Atg7 results in accelerated Purkinje cell loss. Further analyses suggest that the accelerated Purkinje cell loss and severe neurodegeneration in the double deletion mice are due to excessive oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, rather than DNA damage, and partially dependent on p53 activity. Our studies uncover a role of PALB2 in mitochondrial homeostasis and a cooperation between PALB2 and ATG7/autophagy in maintaining redox and mitochondrial homeostasis essential for neuronal survival.
Rainfall and other meteorological factors as drivers of urban transmission of leptospirosis
Authors: Cunha Marcelo , Costa Federico , Ribeiro Guilherme S. , Carvalho Marilia S. , Reis Renato B. , Nery Jr Nivison , Pischel Lauren , Gouveia Edilane L. , Santos Andreia C. , Queiroz Adriano , Wunder Jr. Elsio A. , Reis Mitermayer G. , Diggle Peter J , Ko Albert I.
Published: April 2022

Background

Leptospirosis is an important public health problem affecting vulnerable urban slum populations in developing country settings. However, the complex interaction of meteorological factors driving the temporal trends of leptospirosis remain incompletely understood.

Methods and findings

From March 1996—March 2010, we investigated the association between the weekly incidence of leptospirosis and meteorological anomalies in the city of Salvador, Brazil by using a dynamic generalized linear model that accounted for time lags, overall trend, and seasonal variation. Our model showed an increase of leptospirosis cases associated with higher than expected rainfall, lower than expected temperature and higher than expected humidity. There was a lag of one-to-two weeks between weekly values for significant meteorological variables and leptospirosis incidence. Independent of the season, a weekly cumulative rainfall anomaly of 20 mm increased the risk of leptospirosis by 12% compared to a week following the expected seasonal pattern. Finally, over the 14-year study period, the annual incidence of leptospirosis decreased significantly by a factor of 2.7 (8.3 versus 3.0 per 100,000 people), independently of variations in climate.

Conclusions

Strategies to control leptospirosis should focus on avoiding contact with contaminated sources of Leptospira as well as on increasing awareness in the population and health professionals within the short time window after low-level or extreme high-level rainfall events. Increased leptospirosis incidence was restricted to one-to-two weeks after those events suggesting that infectious Leptospira survival may be limited to short time intervals.
Pacemaking function of two simplified cell models
Authors: Ryzhii Maxim , Ryzhii Elena
Published: April 2022

Simplified nonlinear models of biological cells are widely used in computational electrophysiology. The models reproduce qualitatively many of the characteristics of various organs, such as the heart, brain, and intestine. In contrast to complex cellular ion-channel models, the simplified models usually contain a small number of variables and parameters, which facilitates nonlinear analysis and reduces computational load. In this paper, we consider pacemaking variants of the Aliev-Panfilov and Corrado two-variable excitable cell models. We conducted a numerical simulation study of these models and investigated the main nonlinear dynamic features of both isolated cells and 1D coupled pacemaker-excitable systems. Simulations of the 2D sinoatrial node and 3D intestine tissue as application examples of combined pacemaker-excitable systems demonstrated results similar to obtained previously. The uniform formulation for the conventional excitable cell models and proposed pacemaker models allows a convenient and easy implementation for the construction of personalized physiological models, inverse tissue modeling, and development of real-time simulation systems for various organs that contain both pacemaker and excitable cells.
Modelling of filamentous phage-induced antibiotic tolerance of P. aeruginosa
Authors: van Rossem Maria , Wilks Sandra , Kaczmarek Malgosia , Secor Patrick R. , D’Alessandro Giampaolo
Published: April 2022

Filamentous molecules tend to spontaneously assemble into liquid crystalline droplets with a tactoid morphology in environments with high concentration on non-adsorbing molecules. Tactoids of filamentous Pf bacteriophage, such as those produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have been linked to increased antibiotic tolerance. We modelled this system and show that tactoids composed of filamentous Pf virions can lead to antibiotic tolerance by acting as an adsorptive diffusion barrier. The continuum model, reminiscent of descriptions of reactive diffusion in porous media, has been solved numerically and good agreement was found with the analytical results, obtained using a homogenisation approach. We find that the formation of tactoids significantly increases antibiotic diffusion times which may lead to stronger antibiotic resistance.
Tuberculosis infection and stillbirth in Ethiopia—A prospective cohort study
Authors: Walles John , Otero Laura García , Tesfaye Fregenet , Abera Asmamaw , Jansson Marianne , Balcha Taye Tolera , Sturegård Erik , Winqvist Niclas , Hansson Stefan R. , Björkman Per
Published: April 2022

Background

Tuberculosis is among the leading causes of death among infectious diseases. Regions with a high incidence of tuberculosis, such as sub-Saharan Africa, are disproportionately burdened by stillbirth and other pregnancy complications. Active tuberculosis increases the risk of pregnancy complications, but the association between latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and pregnancy outcomes is unknown. We explored the effect of latent tuberculosis infection on the risk of stillbirth in women attending antenatal care clinics in Ethiopia, a country with >170 000 annual cases of active tuberculosis.

Method

Pregnant women were enrolled from antenatal care at three health facilities in Adama, Ethiopia, during 2015–2018, with assessment for previous and current active tuberculosis and testing for LTBI using QuantiFERON-TB-GOLD-PLUS. Proportions of stillbirth (≥ 20 weeks of gestation) and neonatal death (< 29 days of birth) were compared with respect to categories of maternal tuberculosis infection (tuberculosis-uninfected, LTBI, previous-, and current active tuberculosis). Multivariable logistic regression was performed for stillbirth.

Results

Among 1463 participants enrolled, the median age was 25 years, 10.2% were HIV-positive, 34.6% were primigravidae, and the median gestational age at inclusion was 18 weeks. Four (0.3%) were diagnosed with active tuberculosis during pregnancy, 68 (4.6%) reported previous treatment for active tuberculosis, 470 (32.1%) had LTBI, and 921 (63.0%) were tuberculosis-uninfected. Stillbirth was more frequent in participants with LTBI compared to tuberculosis-uninfected participants, although not reaching statistical significance (19/470, 4.0% vs 25/921, 2.7%, adjusted [for age, gravidity and HIV serostatus] odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 0.73–2.57, p = 0.30). Rates of neonatal death (5/470, 1.1% vs 10/921, 1.1%) were similar between these categories.

Conclusion

Latent tuberculosis infection was not significantly associated with stillbirth or neonatal death in this cohort. Studies based on larger cohorts and with details on causes of stillbirth, as well as other pregnancy outcomes, are needed to further investigate this issue.
Cost-effectiveness of a structured medication review approach for multimorbid older adults: Within-trial analysis of the OPERAM study
Authors: Salari Paola , O’Mahony Cian , Henrard Séverine , Welsing Paco , Bhadhuri Arjun , Schur Nadine , Roumet Marie , Beglinger Shanthi , Beck Thomas , Jungo Katharina Tabea , Byrne Stephen , Hossmann Stefanie , Knol Wilma , O’Mahony Denis , Spinewine Anne , Rodondi Nicolas , Schwenkglenks Matthias
Published: April 2022

Background

Inappropriate polypharmacy has been linked with adverse outcomes in older, multimorbid adults. OPERAM is a European cluster-randomized trial aimed at testing the effect of a structured pharmacotherapy optimization intervention on preventable drug-related hospital admissions in multimorbid adults with polypharmacy aged 70 years or older. Clinical results of the trial showed a pattern of reduced drug-related hospital admissions, but without statistical significance. In this study we assessed the cost-effectiveness of the pharmacotherapy optimisation intervention.

Methods

We performed a pre-planned within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of the OPERAM intervention, from a healthcare system perspective. All data were collected within the trial apart from unit costs. QALYs were computed by applying the crosswalk German valuation algorithm to EQ-5D-5L-based quality of life data. Considering the clustered structure of the data and between-country heterogeneity, we applied Generalized Structural Equation Models (GSEMs) on a multiple imputed sample to estimate costs and QALYs. We also performed analyses by country and subgroup analyses by patient and morbidity characteristics.

Results

Trial-wide, the intervention was numerically dominant, with a potential cost-saving of CHF 3’588 (95% confidence interval (CI): -7’716; 540) and gain of 0.025 QALYs (CI: -0.002; 0.052) per patient. Robustness analyses confirmed the validity of the GSEM model. Subgroup analyses suggested stronger effects in people at higher risk.

Conclusion

We observed a pattern towards dominance, potentially resulting from an accumulation of multiple small positive intervention effects. Our methodological approaches may inform other CEAs of multi-country, cluster-randomized trials facing presence of missing values and heterogeneity between centres/countries.
Exposure to arsenic and level of Vitamin D influence the number of Th17 cells and production of IL-17A in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in adults
Authors: Parvez Faruque , Lauer Fredine T. , Factor-Litvak Pam , Islam Tariqul , Eunus Mahbubul , Horayara M. Abu , Rahman Mizanour , Sarwar Golam , Ahsan Habibul , Graziano Joseph H. , Burchiel Scott W.
Published: April 2022

There is limited evidence on the effects of environmental exposure to arsenic (As) on the immune system in adults. In a population-based study, we have found that urinary As (UAs), and its metabolites [inorganic As (InAs), monomethylated arsenicals (MMA+3/+5), and dimethylated arsenicals (DMA+3/+5)] modulate or influence the number of T-helper 17 (Th17) cells and IL-17A cytokine production. In non-smoking women, we observed that UAs and DMA+3/+5were associated with changes in Th17 cell numbers in a nonlinear fashion. In smoking males, we found that UAs was associated with a significant decrease of Th17 cell numbers. Similar association was observed among non-smoking males. Likewise, UAs, DMA+3/+5and MMA+3/+5were associated with diminished production of IL-17A among non-smoking males. When stratified by Vitamin D levels defined as sufficient (≥20 ng/ml) and insufficient (<20 ng/ml), we found a substancial decrease in Th17 cell numbers among those with insufficient levels. Individuals with sufficient VitD levels demonstrated significant inhibition of IL-17A production in non-smoking males. Collectively, we find that exposure to As via drinking water is associated with alterations in Th17 numbers and IL-17A production, and that these associations may be modified by Vitamin D status. Our findings have significance for health outcomes associated with As exposure.
The impact of the modified schedules of anatomy education on students’ performance and satisfaction: Responding to COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
Authors: Yun Young Hyun , Jo Dong Hyun , Jeon Su Kyoung , Kwon Hyeok Yi , Jeon Yu Mi , Shin Dong Hoon , Choi Hyung Jin
Published: April 2022

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic substantially undermined medical education and healthcare systems. Owing to the pandemic in South Korea, most medical schools needed to be flexible when conducting online and offline classes, but the guidelines did not reflect the specificity of medical schools. This study described the impact of modified anatomy education schedules at the Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) on students’ academic performance and satisfaction.

Methods

Anatomy education in SNUCM is divided into three regional units (the upper and lower limbs, trunk, and head and neck). Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the schedule was mixed with simultaneous and rotating schedules. The authors conducted exceptions for online lectures, cadaver dissections, and written and practical examinations in three classes of approximately 50 students each. Furthermore, the authors assessed students’ performance using three sets of written and practical examinations, and students completed a questionnaire regarding modified anatomy laboratory schedules.

Results

Despite the pandemic events in Seoul and South Korea during the laboratory sessions, all sessions were completed without any confirmed COVID-19 cases among the students, faculty, and staff. Most of the scores on the written and practical examinations significantly decreased in 2020 compared to those in 2019. However, in the trunk session that used the virtual anatomy application, the score on the practical examination in 2020 was significantly higher than that in 2019. Over 70% (79 and 77 out of 105 respondents on the upper and lower limbs and trunk, respectively) and 53% (55/105) students reported that there were no significant difficulties in studying anatomy in a face-to-face laboratory.

Conclusions

In conclusion, an adequate education program for cadaver dissection should be developed and provided to overcome the pandemic restrictions. The study findings could serve as a reference for anatomy education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thrombus characteristics evaluated by acute optical coherence tomography in ST elevation myocardial Infarction
Authors: Eriksen Erlend , Herstad Jon , Pertiwi Kartika Ratna , Tuseth Vegard , Nordrehaug Jan Erik , Bleie Øyvind , van der Wal Allard C.
Published: April 2022

Aims

ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is caused by an occlusive thrombosis of a coronary artery. We wanted to assess if the thrombus can be characterized according to erythrocyte content and age using intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a clinical setting.

Methods and results

We performed manual thrombus aspiration in 66 STEMI patients. OCT was done of the thrombus remnants after aspiration. A light intensity ratio was measured through the thrombus. Forty two of the aspirates had thrombus which could be analyzed histomorphologically for analysis of erythrocyte and platelet content, and to determine the age of thrombus as fresh, lytic or organized. There were 11 red, 21 white and 10 mixed thrombi. Furthermore, 36 aspirates had elements of fresh, 7 of lytic and 8 of organized thrombi. There was no correlation between colour and age. OCT appearance could not predict erythrocyte or platelet content. The light intensity ratios were not significantly different in fresh, lytic or organized thrombi.

Conclusion

OCT could not differentiate between red and white thrombi, nor determine thrombus age.
A Multifunctional Adaptive and Interactive AI system to support people living with stroke, acquired brain or spinal cord injuries: A study protocol
Authors: Ottoboni Giovanni , La Porta Fabio , Piperno Roberto , Chattat Rabih , Bosco Annalisa , Fattori Patrizia , Tessari Alessia
Published: April 2022

Background

Acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury are leading causes of severe motor disabilities impacting a person’s autonomy and social life. Enhancing neurological recovery driven by neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity could represent future solutions; however, at present, recovery of activities employing assistive technologies integrating artificial intelligence is worthy of examining. MAIA (Multifunctional, adaptive, and interactive AI system for Acting in multiple contexts) is a human-centered AI aiming to allow end-users to control assistive devices naturally and efficiently by using continuous bidirectional exchanges among multiple sensorimotor information.

Methods

Aimed at exploring the acceptability of MAIA, semi-structured interviews (both individual interviews and focus groups) are used to prompt possible end-users (both patients and caregivers) to express their opinions about expected functionalities, outfits, and the services that MAIA should embed, once developed, to fit end-users needs.

Discussion

End-user indications are expected to interest MAIA technical, health-related, and setting components. Moreover, psycho-social issues are expected to align with the technology acceptance model. In particular, they are likely to involve intrinsic motivational and extrinsic social aspects, aspects concerning the usefulness of the MAIA system, and the related ease to use. At last, we expect individual factors to impact MAIA: gender, fragility levels, psychological aspects involved in the mental representation of body image, personal endurance, and tolerance toward AT-related burden might be the aspects end-users rise in evaluating the MAIA project.
Association between GnRH analogue use and atopic diseases in patients with prostate cancer: A population-based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lin Sheng-Feng , Lin Hsiu-Chen , Lee Mei-Yu , Keller Joseph Jordan , Wang Li-Hsuan
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues reduce testosterone levels to castration levels in patients with prostate cancer. However, the role of testosterone in atopic diseases has remained undefined. We aimed to investigate this role.

Materials and methods

This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Patients with prostate cancer were categorized into two groups according to whether they received GnRH analogue treatment (study group I) or not (study group II), and men without prostate cancer and with no GnRH analogue use were defined to comprise the comparison group after their ages and index years were matched with group II. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the hazard ratio (HR) of atopic diseases.

Results

Group I, group II, and the comparison group comprised 663, 2,172, and 8,688 individuals, respectively. Group I had a significantly lower risk of atopic diseases (adjusted HR: 0.66, 95% CI, 0.49–0.89, p < 0.01) than did group II. A reduced risk of atopic diseases was found when GnRH analogues were prescribed for 2 months (adjusted HR 0.53, 95% CI, 0.29–0.97, p = 0.04) and 2–14 months (adjusted HR 0.66, 95% CI, 0.49–0.89, p = 0.007). No significant difference in the risk of atopic diseases between group II and the comparison group was observed.

Conclusions

A decreased risk of atopic diseases was observed in patients with prostate cancer treated with GnRH analogues. Further studies are warranted to verify the association between testosterone levels and atopic diseases.
PyMiner: A method for metabolic pathway design based on the uniform similarity of substrate-product pairs and conditional search
Authors: Song Xinfang , Dong Mingyu , Liu Min
Published: April 2022

Metabolic pathway design is an essential step in the course of constructing an efficient microbial cell factory to produce high value-added chemicals. Meanwhile, the computational design of biologically meaningful metabolic pathways has been attracting much attention to produce natural and non-natural products. However, there has been a lack of effective methods to perform metabolic network reduction automatically. In addition, comprehensive evaluation indexes for metabolic pathway are still relatively scarce. Here, we define a novel uniform similarity to calculate the main substrate-product pairs of known biochemical reactions, and develop further an efficient metabolic pathway design tool named PyMiner. As a result, the redundant information of general metabolic network (GMN) is eliminated, and the number of substrate-product pairs is shown to decrease by 81.62% on average. Considering that the nodes in the extracted metabolic network (EMN) constructed in this work is large in scale but imbalanced in distribution, we establish a conditional search strategy (CSS) that cuts search time in 90.6% cases. Compared with state-of-the-art methods, PyMiner shows obvious advantages and demonstrates equivalent or better performance on 95% cases of experimentally verified pathways. Consequently, PyMiner is a practical and effective tool for metabolic pathway design.
Identifying content to improve risk assessment communications within the Risk Profile: Literature reviews and focus groups with expert and non-expert stakeholders
Authors: Ellermann C. , McDowell M. , Schirren C. O. , Lindemann A.-K. , Koch S. , Lohmann M. , Jenny M. A.
Published: April 2022

Objective

To improve consumer decision making, the results of risk assessments on food, feed, consumer products or chemicals need to be communicated not only to experts but also to non-expert audiences. The present study draws on evidence from literature reviews and focus groups with diverse stakeholders to identify content to integrate into an existing risk assessment communication (Risk Profile).

Methods

A combination of rapid literature reviews and focus groups with experts (risk assessors (n = 15), risk managers (n = 8)), and non-experts (general public (n = 18)) were used to identify content and strategies for including information about risk assessment results in the “Risk Profile” from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Feedback from initial focus groups was used to develop communication prototypes that informed subsequent feedback rounds in an iterative process. A final prototype was validated in usability tests with experts.

Results

Focus group feedback and suggestions from risk assessors were largely in line with findings from the literature. Risk managers and lay persons offered similar suggestions on how to improve the existing communication of risk assessment results (e.g., including more explanatory detail, reporting probabilities for individual health impairments, and specifying risks for subgroups in additional sections). Risk managers found information about quality of evidence important to communicate, whereas people from the general public found this information less relevant. Participants from lower educational backgrounds had difficulties understanding the purpose of risk assessments. User tests found that the final prototype was appropriate and feasible to implement by risk assessors.

Conclusion

An iterative and evidence-based process was used to develop content to improve the communication of risk assessments to the general public while being feasible to use by risk assessors. Remaining challenges include how to communicate dose-response relationships and standardise quality of evidence ratings across disciplines.
Optimization of adaptive filter control parameters for non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram extraction
Authors: Kahankova Radana , Mikolasova Martina , Martinek Radek
Published: April 2022

This paper is focused on the design, implementation and verification of a novel method for the optimization of the control parameters of different hybrid systems used for non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram (fECG) extraction. The tested hybrid systems consist of two different blocks, first for maternal component estimation and second, so-called adaptive block, for maternal component suppression by means of an adaptive algorithm (AA). Herein, we tested and optimized four different AAs: Adaptive Linear Neuron (ADALINE), Standard Least Mean Squares (LMS), Sign-Error LMS, Standard Recursive Least Squares (RLS), and Fast Transversal Filter (FTF). The main criterion for optimal parameter selection was the F1 parameter. We conducted experiments using real signals from publicly available databases and those acquired by our own measurements. Our optimization method enabled us to find the corresponding optimal settings for individual adaptive block of all tested hybrid systems which improves achieved results. These improvements in turn could lead to a more accurate fetal heart rate monitoring and detection of fetal hypoxia. Consequently, our approach could offer the potential to be used in clinical practice to find optimal adaptive filter settings for extracting high quality fetal ECG signals for further processing and analysis, opening new diagnostic possibilities of non-invasive fetal electrocardiography.
Quantitative analysis of regional distribution of tau pathology with 11C-PBB3-PET in a clinical setting
Authors: Yousefzadeh-Nowshahr Elham , Winter Gordon , Bohn Peter , Kneer Katharina , von Arnim Christine A. F. , Otto Markus , Solbach Christoph , Anderl-Straub Sarah , Polivka Dörte , Fissler Patrick , Strobel Joachim , Kletting Peter , Riepe Matthias W. , Higuchi Makoto , Glatting Gerhard , Ludolph Albert , Beer Ambros J. ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The recent developments of tau-positron emission tomography (tau-PET) enable in vivo assessment of neuropathological tau aggregates. Among the tau-specific tracers, the application of 11C-pyridinyl-butadienyl-benzothiazole 3 (11C-PBB3) in PET shows high sensitivity to Alzheimer disease (AD)-related tau deposition. The current study investigates the regional tau load in patients within the AD continuum, biomarker-negative individuals (BN) and patients with suspected non-AD pathophysiology (SNAP) using 11C-PBB3-PET.

Materials and methods

A total of 23 memory clinic outpatients with recent decline of episodic memory were examined using 11C-PBB3-PET. Pittsburg compound B (11C-PIB) PET was available for 17, 18F-flurodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET for 16, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein levels for 11 patients. CSF biomarkers were considered abnormal based on Aβ42 (< 600 ng/L) and t-tau (> 450 ng/L). The PET biomarkers were classified as positive or negative using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis and visual assessment. Using the amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration (A/T/N) scheme, patients were grouped as within the AD continuum, SNAP, and BN based on amyloid and neurodegeneration status. The 11C-PBB3 load detected by PET was compared among the groups using both atlas-based and voxel-wise analyses.

Results

Seven patients were identified as within the AD continuum, 10 SNAP and 6 BN. In voxel-wise analysis, significantly higher 11C-PBB3 binding was observed in the AD continuum group compared to the BN patients in the cingulate gyrus, tempo-parieto-occipital junction and frontal lobe. Compared to the SNAP group, patients within the AD continuum had a considerably increased 11C-PBB3 uptake in the posterior cingulate cortex. There was no significant difference between SNAP and BN groups. The atlas-based analysis supported the outcome of the voxel-wise quantification analysis.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that 11C-PBB3-PET can effectively analyze regional tau load and has the potential to differentiate patients in the AD continuum group from the BN and SNAP group.
Sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity in Brazilian adolescents: Achievement recommendations and BMI associations through compositional data analysis
Authors: Domingues Sabrina Fontes , Diniz da Silva Cristiano , Faria Fernanda Rocha , de Sá Souza Helton , dos Santos Amorim Paulo Roberto
Published: April 2022

Physical activity, sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep are habitual human behaviors (HHB) which are modifiable throughout the different life phases. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze how the time distribution throughout the day among HHB may be associated with body mass index (BMI). These results could provide inferences which can guide interventions that trigger changes in adolescent behaviors in favor of their health. The objective of this study was to verify the proportion of adolescents who meet the recommendation of sleep, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and screen time (ST); to analyze the associations between HHB and BMI, and to determine possible changes in BMI associated with time reallocation between different HHB. Daily HHB recommendations (yes/no) were analyzed by frequency distribution. Compositional data analyses were used to examine the association between HHB and the BMI z-score (zBMI) with covariates (sex, age, and socioeconomic status). Compositional isotemporal substitution models estimated the change inzBMI associated with HHB reallocations from 15 to 120 minutes. A total of 185 adolescents were included (15 to 18 years, 50.8% boys). Thus, total sleep time, SB, light physical activity (LPA) and MVPA were measured by 24-hour accelerometry for seven consecutive days. ST, demographic characteristics, and socioeconomic status were assessed using a questionnaire. Sleep, MVPA, and ST recommendations were achieved by 32.97%, 8.10%, and 1.08% of the sample, respectively. No adolescent was able to achieve all of the daily recommendations. Age was significantly and positively associated with zBMI (p<0.001). Simply replacing 75, 90, and 120 minutes of MVPA by LPA led to an estimated significant increase inzBMI(95CI% z-value,0.01 to 1.49). The HHB relocation estimates in 24h did not show positive effects onzBMI, nor did it increase the time engaged in MVPA, which may raise the hypothesis that other parameters related to obesity and their related interactions need to be better understood.
Candida albicans commensalism in the oral mucosa is favoured by limited virulence and metabolic adaptation
Authors: Lemberg Christina , Martinez de San Vicente Kontxi , Fróis-Martins Ricardo , Altmeier Simon , Tran Van Du T. , Mertens Sarah , Amorim-Vaz Sara , Rai Laxmi Shanker , d’Enfert Christophe , Pagni Marco , Sanglard Dominique , LeibundGut-Landmann Salomé
Published: April 2022

As part of the human microbiota, the fungusCandida albicanscolonizes the oral cavity and other mucosal surfaces of the human body. Commensalism is tightly controlled by complex interactions of the fungus and the host to preclude fungal elimination but also fungal overgrowth and invasion, which can result in disease. As such, defects in antifungal T cell immunity render individuals susceptible to oral thrush due to interrupted immunosurveillance of the oral mucosa. The factors that promote commensalism and ensure persistence ofC.albicansin a fully immunocompetent host remain less clear. Using an experimental model ofC.albicansoral colonization in mice we explored fungal determinants of commensalism in the oral cavity. Transcript profiling of the oral isolate 101 in the murine tongue tissue revealed a characteristic metabolic profile tailored to the nutrient poor conditions in the stratum corneum of the epithelium where the fungus resides. Metabolic adaptation of isolate 101 was also reflected in enhanced nutrient acquisition when grown on oral mucosa substrates. Persistent colonization of the oral mucosa byC.albicansalso correlated inversely with the capacity of the fungus to induce epithelial cell damage and to elicit an inflammatory response. Here we show that these immune evasive properties of isolate 101 are explained by a strong attenuation of a number of virulence genes, including those linked to filamentation. De-repression of the hyphal program by deletion or conditional repression ofNRG1abolished the commensal behaviour of isolate 101, thereby establishing a central role of this factor in the commensal lifestyle ofC.albicansin the oral niche of the host.
KIRA O’REILLY: TCHNé OF AXIETY
Authors: BELL SHANNON
Published: April 2022

From the beginning and in all subsequent developments, whether she is extreme slo-mo falling downstairs backwards, precision-cutting lines in her skin or inviting others to do so, engineering lace from tissue culture pig cells, dwelling inside a pig carcass, falling asleep with a living pig, or eroding copper with a saline-urine mixture, Kira O’Reilly’s work is about anxiety and it produces anxiety. It is precisely this duality in all her work that marks O’Reilly an artist of what has been termed ‘an age of anxiety’.
Between scribbling and imaginal writing: The line that is on its way
Authors: Hermans Carolien
Published: April 2022

In a series of tiny artistic experiments, I explore the relationship between drawing writing and performing in close collaboration with children and professional dancers. I examine the tight relationship between drawing and writing on the one hand, and the process of sensorial (non-linguistic) sense-making on the other hand. Professional dancers and children engage in the act of imaginal writing. The aim is to come to an embodied understanding of drawing and writing as gestural re-enactments of the line (). In this paper, I first describe the scribbling of young children, as the exploration of the line in terms of rhythm, movements and affects. Then, the tight relationship between drawing and writing is discussed. It is argued that both drawing and writing use the line as its medium, since ‘the same sort of line which writes also draws’ (Gray in : 132). This brings me to imaginal writing, i.e. a form of writing that is not concerned with the semantic content of words but instead takes the quality and dynamic of the line as its departure point. Imaginal writing is a form of draw-writing that taps straight into the lived experience. It is an embodied activity that takes movement as the main vehicle for the sense-making process. This process is illustrated by the draw-writings of both children (my own daughter as well as other children) and professional dancers.
Trace and catharsis: Embodied drawing
Authors: Leigh Brooke
Published: April 2022

For the past decade, my artistic research practice has explored the performative aspect of drawing. Recently, I have come to realize how the performative process can function as an experience of catharsis. By examining a selection of works from my practice, Cassils, Louise Bourgeois, Ana Mendieta and Tracey Emin, that exemplify the act of mark making through processes of encountering intense states of the body, ‘Trace and catharsis: Embodied drawing’ explores the concept of drawing as the residue of performance. I will investigate catharsis as a performative gesture in itself – the release of internalized distress through acts of externalization and exertion. This gesture – immediate, impulsive and compulsive in nature – draws a direct relationship to Aristotle’s notions of catharsis and the bodily manifestations of anxiety that Sigmund Freud describes. Through Amelia Jones’s and Catherine de Zegher’s ideas of mark making, I will examine how traces produced by this gesture can be performative in its materiality and evocation of the artist’s body.
A structural model for drawing: Investigating mark-making through Choreology
Authors: Oppenheim Leonora
Published: April 2022

A structural model for drawing articulates the elements that come together to produce mark-making. This model was inspired by Choreology, the study of movement initiated by dance artist and educator Rudolf Laban in the first half of the twentieth century. Laban developed theories for movement to help dancers better understand the expressive potential of their bodies. His analysis, together with subsequent scholars, defines how the human body moves in space. In the way dancers and choreographers gain analytical skills and greater awareness of their movement choices through studying Choreology, so visual artists can gain a new understanding of mark-making and its relationship to the body by looking at drawing through the lens of movement theory. This project was carried out during my research in Creative Practice at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, 2017–19. In the process of developing the model for drawing, I created a palette of marks by testing out a range of movements with different mark-making tools such as pens, pencils, watercolours and paint sticks. These marks correspond to Laban’s Effort Actions, a list of eight physical actions the body can make. The resulting artworks have a particular energy and visual language to them. Their creation is driven by the way the mark-maker moves their whole body in a choreographed drawing performance. Through physical actions, the mark-maker becomes aware that specific movements make specific marks. The appearance of these marks is influenced by the form and the effort of the physical movement, by the surface material, its orientation, and by the mark-making instrument and its colour. Designing a structural model for drawing has given me a deeper insight into the process of embodied drawing and performance, enabling me to make informed choices about the visual traces I create through moving my body in different ways.
Performance Drawing: New Practices Since 1945, Maryclare Foá, Jane Grisewood, Birgitta Hosea and Carali McCall (2020)
Authors: Davis Penny
Published: April 2022

Review of: Performance Drawing: New Practices Since 1945, Maryclare Foá, Jane Grisewood, Birgitta Hosea and Carali McCall (2020)

London, New York and Dublin: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 264 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-7883-1384-1, h/bk, £85.00
Informe 2022. Cátedra de Brecha Digital Generacional. Las personas mayores en la era de la digitalización en la Comunidad Valenciana (datos 2021)
Authors: Papí-Gálvez Natalia , La Parra-Casado Daniel
Published: April 2022

The Research Chair in the Generational Digital Divide undertakes activities aimed at furthering knowledge about the causes, consequences and solutions to the digital divides caused by age gaps. This report shows the research project carried out in 2021 to learn more about how the digital divide affects over 54s living in the Valencia Region, by province, with a focus on intergenerational relationships. To this end, an exploratory survey targeted at over 54s years old and over 39s years old in the Valencia Region, based on primary sources and combining quantitative and qualitative techniques, has been conducted. The data reveals that, while a large percentage of over 54s declare that they have access to and are users of new technologies, much remains to be done for access and usage to become universal, especially at older ages. The report analyses how technology is used, considering its purpose and context, according to age and other significant variables. Differences in technology usage have been found across age groups and between women and men. The report contains information on, among other relevant aspects, online services, and especially on e-banking, the healthcare system and e-administration. Differences between age groups have been found for all indicators, shedding light on intergenerational relationships within the family that are crucial for older people. The Research Chair is an initiative by the Valencia Region Government’s Directorate General for the Fight Against the Digital Divide and stems from the collaboration between the Regional Department for Innovation, Science, Universities and Digital Society and the University of Alicante.
Pro-inflammatory cytokine release from chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Rattanasrisomporn Jatuporn , Tantikositruj Chananphat , Thiptara Anyarat , Kitpipit Warangkana , Wichianrat Ittidet , Kayan Autchara , Boonkaewwan Chaiwat
Published: April 2022

Background and Aim: The principal cytokines released by the host on infection include pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). These cytokines were regarded as regulators of the host's response to infection. This study aimed to determine the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation.

Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from six Betong chickens. To isolate PBMCs, density gradient centrifugation was utilized. PBMC culture in RPMI1640 with 10% fetal bovine serum was stimulated with various concentrations of LPS (0, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 μg/mL). The production of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: When the PBMCs were cultured for 24 h with varying doses of LPS, there was no significant variation in cell viability. TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels were measured in Betong chicken PBMC. The release of these cytokines increased considerably as LPS concentration (0.01-1 μg/mL) increased (p<0.05).

Conclusion: In vitro studies of the chicken immune response, notably the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, can be conducted using PBMCs obtained from chicken blood.
Flgelharmonische – nur isotrop oder auch negativ inotrop?
Authors: Müller Swen
Published: April 2022

Flügelharmonische – nur isotrop oder auch negativ inoptrop?

Als riesige Rotationsmaschinen erzeugen Windenergieanlagen (WEA) sowohl mäßig laute hörbare Geräusche als auch unhörbare Druckpulse durch die Passage der Flügel vor dem Mast. Die Oberwellen dieser Pulsfolge (Flügelharmonische) fallen zügig zu höheren Frequenzen ab und liegen bei üblichen Setbacks weit unterhalb der Wahrnehmungsschwelle, sind bei Windkraftgegnern aber dennoch sehr beliebt zum Schüren von Ängsten vor angeblichen gesundheitlichen Gefahren. Anhand der öffentlich zugänglichen Daten der letzten Messkampagne der BGR im Sommer 2021 wird gezeigt, dass selbst die Worst-case Immissionen moderner Megawatt-WEAs immer noch sehr deutlich unter der Wahrnehmungsschwelle liegen, insbesondere, wenn man nur die G-gewichtete Summe der isolierten Flügelharmonischen betrachtet.

Die Auswertung zeigt außerdem, dass bei der ungewichteten Summe die Windgeräusche unter 0.2 Hz den Einzahlwert dominieren, bei der gehörrichtigen G-Bewertung hingegen das breitbandige Rauschen oberhalb der Flügelharmonischen. Der Schalldruckpegel nur der isolierten Flügelharmonischen wird von beiden Zahlenwerten deutlich überschätzt.

Ein Vergleich zu alltäglichen Immissionssituationen in verschiedenen Verkehrsmitteln zeigt, dass man in ihnen mindestens 100-facher und bei Tunneldurchfahrten sogar millionenfach stärkerer Infraschallintensität ausgesetzt sein kann – ohne gesundheitliche Folgen.
Developmental specification and adult cellular plasticity of oxytocin and vasopressin systems
Authors: Madrigal Pilar , Jurado Sandra
Published: April 2022

The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are closely related neurohypophyseal peptides that play critical roles in regulating complex animal behaviors and homeostatic functions. Both neuropeptides are mainly synthetized at specific hypothalamic nuclei, such as the paraventricular and suprachiasmatic nucleus (PVN and SON), among others. Our previous work (Madrigal & Jurado, 2021) revealed that distinct OXT and AVP nuclei are developed independently and most of them show a significant number of neurons co-expressing OXT and AVP during early postnatal stages (PN7) coinciding with a critical period for social interaction. This mixed population, of OXT+/AVP+ neurons drastically decline in the adult brain suggesting cellular plasticity is developmentally regulated. Using brain clearing techniques (iDISCO+ ) and 3D imaging, we analyzed whether OXT and AVP systems also exhibit plastic properties in the adult brain. Our results indicate that certain nuclei undergo cellular plasticity in a sex and motherhood dependent manner obtaining the most prominent phenotypes in the periventricular nucleus (PeVN) (sex-dependent), and the SON and retrochiasmatic area (RCH) in which OXT and AVP plasticity is mainly motherhood-dependent. Furthermore, sexual experience induces an increase of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression levels in a subpopulation of OXT and AVP neurons in the RCH. Our findings provide new information to understand the specification of neuropeptidergic systems during development and their plastic properties upon critical life events in the adult animal.
Psychological Considerations in the Dietary Management of Patients With DGBI
Authors: Murray Helen Burton , Doerfler Bethany , Harer Kimberly N. , Keefer Laurie
Published: April 2022

In this article, an expert team of 2 gastro-psychologists, a dietician, and an academic gastroenterologist provides insights into the psychological and social implications of evidence-based and “popular” dietary interventions in disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). We focus on practical approaches for evaluating a patient's appropriateness for a dietary intervention, considering the nutritional, psychological, behavioral, and social context in which a patient may find themselves managing their DGBI with dietary intervention. We also discuss how to identify risk factors for and symptoms of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, a growing concern in the DGBI population.
Supporting health equity for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples
Authors: Greenwood Margo , Atkinson Donna , Sutherland Julie
Published: April 2022

The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH) is unique among the National Collaborating Centres as the only centre focused on the health of a population. In this fifth article of the Canada Communicable Disease Report’s series on the National Collaborating Centres and their contribution to Canada’s public health response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we describe the work of the NCCIH. We begin with a brief overview of the NCCIH’s mandate and priority areas, describing how it works, who it serves and how it has remained flexible and responsive to evolving Indigenous public health needs. Key knowledge translation and exchange activities undertaken by the NCCIH to address COVID-19 misinformation and to support the timely use of Indigenous-informed evidence and knowledge in public health decision-making during the pandemic are also discussed, with a focus on acting on lessons learned moving forward.
Piscicultura no estado do Maranhão: perspectivas para aceleração da produção de peixes nativos
Authors: Souza Antonio Carlos Freitas , Guimarães Erick Cristofore , Santos Jadson Pinheiro , Costa Francisca Neide , Viana Diego Carvalho
Published: April 2022

A aquicultura mundial tem se destacado dentre as cadeias de produção de proteína animal, com rápido crescimento, contribuindo de forma relevante para a geração de emprego e renda, além disso, mesmo com todas as dificuldades encontradas no ano 2020, continuou crescendo em diversas partes do mundo. Objetivou-se com este trabalho apresentar e compilar dados de produção da piscicultura do estado do Maranhão. O trabalho tem caráter exploratório e utiliza o método de pesquisa bibliográfica,                         quali-quantitativo, por meio de consulta de dados em plataformas oficiais a partir de uma abordagem cronológica da produção da piscicultura que ocorreu de janeiro de 2013 até março de 2021. Essa compilação de dados constata crescimento da piscicultura no estado do Maranhão nos últimos anos frente ao cenário do país. Nos últimos 4 anos, acumulou crescimento de 97,52%, partindo de uma produção de 24.150 toneladas ano de 2016 para 47.700 toneladas em 2020, ganhando posição de destaque na cadeia produtiva nacional. Devido o estado possuir características ambientais adequadas para o desenvolvimento da piscicultura, aliado a expressiva produção de grãos e os recentes incentivos fiscais advindos do governo estadual, torna-o potencial candidato de nos próximos anos se consolidar como grande produtor de pescado de cultivo e assumir posição de destaque na produção de peixes nativos no Brasil.