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Brain macrophages encompass two major populations: microglia in the parenchyma and border-associated macrophages (BAMs) in the extra-parenchymal compartments. These cells play crucial roles in maintaining brain homeostasis and immune surveillance. Microglia and BAMs are phenotypically and epigenetically distinct and exhibit highly specialized functions tailored to their environmental niches. Intriguingly, recent studies have shown that both microglia and BAMs originate from the same myeloid progenitor during yolk sac hematopoiesis, but their developmental fates diverge within the brain. Several works have partially unveiled the mechanisms orchestrating the development of microglia and BAMs in both mice and humans; however, many questions remain unanswered. Defining the molecular underpinnings controlling the transcriptional and epigenetic programs of microglia and BAMs is one of the upcoming challenges for the field. In this review, we outline current knowledge on ontogeny, phenotypic diversity, and the factors shaping the ecosystem of brain macrophages. We discuss insights garnered from human studies, highlighting similarities and differences compared to mice. Lastly, we address current research gaps and potential future directions in the field. Understanding how brain macrophages communicate with their local environment and how the tissue instructs their developmental trajectories and functional features is essential to fully comprehend brain physiology in homeostasis and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In dogs, bacterial urinary tract infections are a frequent cause of antimicrobial prescription, increasing the risk of selecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study analyzed resistance patterns, the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and biofilm-forming capacity in E. coli and K. pneumoniae previously isolated from urine samples collected from 133 selected dogs admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Milan, Italy, in 2021 and 2023. Methods: The E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates were bacteriologically and genetically analyzed. Results: Overall, 53/133 (39.8%) samples had a positive microbiological culture. Thirty-four E. coli/K. pneumoniae isolates were detected, accounting for 26.5% of the examined samples. The 34 isolates included 28 E. coli and 6 K. pneumoniae. Four (11.8%) were ESBL-producing bacteria, all supported by blaCTX-M gene belonging to group 1. The K. pneumoniae isolates were significantly associated with ESBL production (p < 0.05). MIC analysis showed 11 (32.4%) multidrug-resistant isolates. Biofilm-forming capacity was observed in 23 (67.6%) isolates, regardless of bacterial species, including 20 weakly and 3 moderately adherent bacteria. All moderate biofilm producers were K. pneumoniae. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was significantly more present in strains with moderate biofilm-forming ability compared to strains with weak ability to form biofilm (p < 0.05). E. coli was confirmed as the most commonly identified urinary isolate in dogs. Conclusions: The high presence of ESBL producers and MDR in K. pneumoniae suggests mandatory in vitro susceptibility testing in the presence of this bacterium in dogs with UTI. The association of moderate biofilm production with MDR highlights the need for monitoring and surveillance of bacterial prevalence and resistance patterns of urinary isolates in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framing plays a central role in the evaluation of Wilson loops in theories with Chern-Simons actions. In pure Chern-Simons theory, it guarantees topological invariance, while in theories with matter like ABJ(M), our theory of interest, it is essential to enforce the cohomological equivalence of different BPS Wilson loops. This is the case for the 1/6 BPS bosonic and the 1/2 BPS fermionic Wilson loops, which have the same expectation value when computed as matrix model averages from localization. This equivalence holds at framing f = 1, which has so far been a challenge to implement in perturbative evaluations. In this paper, we compute the expectation value of the 1/2 BPS fermionic circle of ABJ(M) theory up to two loops in perturbation theory at generic framing. This is achieved by a careful analysis of fermionic Feynman diagrams, isolating their framing dependent contributions and evaluating them in point-splitting regularization using framed contours. Specializing our result to f = 1 we recover exactly the matrix model prediction, thus realizing for the first time a direct perturbative check of localization for this operator. We also generalize our computation to the case of a multiply wound circle, again matching the corresponding matrix model prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat because microorganisms causing infections no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, and this is particularly important in the case of resistance to last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems. The role of dogs in the rise of antimicrobial resistance is under investigation. This study investigated the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) showing specific antimicrobial resistance patterns—defined as extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC and carbapenemase (CP) production—in dogs' feces from Northern Italy. Out of 100 samples, 14 (14%) dogs showed the presence of these resistant E. coli, with one (1%) bacterium showing resistance to carbapenems. Different combinations of resistance patterns were observed in these 14 E. coli. The majority (13/14, 92.9%) of the E. coli were also resistant to three or more different classes of antibiotics and were classified as multidrug-resistant. The presence of the resistant bacteria in feces tended to be associated with antibiotic treatment. The identification of bacteria known as ESBL-/AmpC-producing E. coli in domestic dogs, along with the presence of a bacterium resistant to carbapenems, although still limited, emphasizes the need for the adequate control of antimicrobial therapy and administration of antibiotics and surveillance programs for carbapenem-resistant bacteria in companion animals. MDR bacteria are an emerging global threat to public health, and the role of dogs in the rise of antimicrobial resistance is under investigation. This study investigated the fecal shedding of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-, AmpC- and carbapenemase (CP)-producing Escherichia coli and associated risk factors in dogs admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Lodi, University of Milan, or other veterinary clinics and kennels in Northen Italy. Feces collected in 2020–2022 were microbiologically and molecularly analyzed. ESBL-/AmpC-/CP-producing E. coli was detected in 14/100 (14%) dogs. Eleven (11%), five (5%) and one (1%) dogs carried ESBL-, AmpC- and CP-producing E. coli phenotypes, respectively, supported by the PCR detection of blaCTX-M and/or blaTEM in ESBL-producing E. coli; blaCMY-2 and the presence of putative low-level AmpC production in AmpC-producing E. coli; and blaOXA-48 in CP-producing E. coli. Different combinations of resistance genes and genetic features were observed. Multidrug resistance was observed in 13/14 (92.9%) E. coli isolates. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that ESBL-/AmpC-/CP-producing E. coli fecal shedding tended to be associated with antibiotic treatment (p = 0.058; OR = 3.87). The detection of ESBL-/AmpC-producing E. coli, along with the presence of a carbapenemase-resistant E. coli isolate from domestic dogs, although still limited, emphasizes the need for antimicrobial stewardship and specific surveillance programs, particularly for CP-producing bacteria in companion animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South American camelids (SACs), particularly llamas (Lama glama) and alpacas (Vicugna pacos) are gaining popularity in Europe. Initially valued for their fiber and land management capabilities, these animals are now also kept for animal therapy, outdoor activities, and as companion animals. Despite their close interactions with humans and other animals, there is limited research on the transmission of microbes or antimicrobial resistance genes from SACs. This study aimed to survey the fecal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL- E. coli) in SACs. A questionnaire was administered on-site to the farmers to survey management and biosecurity measures. Twelve farms from northern Italy (Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna) participated in the study. Fecal samples were analyzed to identify ESBL- E. coli and subjected to bacteriological culture on CHROMagar™ ESBL plates. Isolate identification was accomplished by MALDI-TOF MS, then subjected to the double-disk synergy test (DDST) and examined for 3 ESBL-encoding genes (blaCTX−M, blaTEM, blaSHV) via PCR analysis. A total of 125 SACs (19 llamas and 106 alpacas) were included. Four (3.2%) of these animals were positive for ESBL- E. coli. Two isolates carried the blaCTX−M gene; one had both blaCTX−M and blaTEM, and one was negative for all ESBL-encoding genes. Furthermore, none of the ESBL- E. coli isolates tested positive for the blaSHV gene. Several data from our questionnaire revealed a lack of biosecurity protocols, which aligns with other studies. The prevalence of ESBL-producing bacteria identified in this study was lower than in different other studies. Despite the low biosecurity levels observed on the SAC farms, our findings showed a low occurrence of ESBL- E. coli and a low carriage rate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) ESBL- E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Waste milk harbors many bacteria and antibiotic residues. Calves fed with untreated waste milk have a higher incidence of scours and an increased risk of developing antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with copper ions on bacteria and antibiotics contained in bovine waste milk. Methods: Waste milk samples were collected from a dairy farm for seven weeks and were subjected to treatment with copper ions. Total bacterial counts, coliforms, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus were assessed before and after treatment. Additionally, metagenomic analysis was performed to determine microbial diversity. Results: Before treatment, the total bacterial count average was 4.0 × 106 CFU/mL, 1.7 × 104 CFU/mL for coliforms, 2.6 × 106 CFU/mL for Streptococcus, and 5.4 × 102 CFU/mL for Staphylococcus Copper treatment significantly reduced bacterial counts within 15 min. Total bacteria decreased from 4.0 × 106 CFU/mL to 1.1 × 102 CFU/mL after 30 min; meanwhile, other groups were not detected. The most abundant groups were Lactococcus (29.94%), Pseudomonas (28.89%), and Enterobacteriaceae (21.19%). Beta-lactams were detected in five-sevenths samples, and in one sample they were detected before and at 15 min of treatment but not after 30 min. Conclusions: The effect of treatment with copper ions on the different bacterial groups was significantly effective but showed limited effect on the detection of antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we used a 3D scanner for the volume measurement of foamed samples, a long-standing problem in the density evaluation of foams. The 3D scanning density measurement method can be selected as an alternative to or in combination with well-established, classical methods that involve the use of instruments like a caliper, a pycnometer, or other devices based on displacement or flotation principles. In particular, the classical methods show some limitations when the foamed sample geometry is irregular, when the polymer is highly hygroscopic, and when it has open porosities. We have tested numerous foamed samples of different sizes, shapes, densities, materials, and morphologies. We utilized different 3D scanner configurations for their volume measurement and compared the results with geometrical and displacement methods, when possible. Results showed that the proposed method is highly accurate, reproducible, and simple, although some specific precautions should be put in place to avoid misinterpretation by the shape-reconstructing software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are the microorganisms most frequently isolated from milk. Given their numerosity and complexity, MALDI-TOF MS is one of the preferred species identification approaches. Nevertheless, reference mass spectra for the novel species Staphylococcus borealis were included only recently in the Bruker Biotyper System (MBT) library, and other species of veterinary interest such as S. rostri are still absent. This work provides an updated picture of the NASM species found in milk, gained by retrospectively analyzing the data relating to 21,864 milk samples, of which 6,278 from clinical mastitis (CM), 4,039 from subclinical mastitis (SCM), and 11,547 from herd survey (HS), with a spectrum library including both species. As a result, S. borealis was the second most frequently isolated NASM (17.07%) after S. chromogenes (39.38%) in all sample types, with a slightly higher percentage in CM (21.84%), followed by SCM (17.65%), and HS (14.38%). S. rostri was also present in all sample types (3.34%), reaching 8.43% of all NASM in SCM and showing a significant association (p < 0.01) with this condition. Based on our findings, the presence of S. borealis and S. rostri in milk and their potential association with mastitis might have been overlooked, possibly due to the difficulties in differentiating these species from other closely related NASM. Our results indicate that S. borealis could be a more frequent contributor to bovine udder infections than previously thought and that S. rostri should also not be underestimated considering its significant association with SCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We study the geometries obtained by performing super non-Abelian T-duality of the Principal Chiral Model on OSp(1|2). While the initial model represents an appropriate 3D supergravity background, interpretable as the superspace version of AdS3, the T-dual model fails solving the 3D supergravity torsion constraints. We argue that this has to do with a factorisation pattern taking place under dualisation: the dual 3D geometry can be rewritten as the supersymmetric version of AdS2, satisfying the supergravity constraints, fibered over what we interpret as the superspace equivalent of the standard bosonic line. We discuss an interesting connection between T-duals of generic Principal Chiral Models and Poisson sigma models. We exploit it to show that in a suitable limit the dual action studied in this work gives rise to JT (super)gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia & Antropologia is the property of Sociologia & Antropologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Standing compared to sitting enhances cognitive performance in healthy subjects. The effect of stance on cognitive performance has been addressed here in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). We hypothesized that a simple cognitive task would be less enhanced in PwPD by standing with respect to sitting, because of a larger cognitive effort for maintenance of standing posture than in healthy subjects. We recruited 40 subjects (20 PwPD and 20 age-matched healthy subjects, HE). Each participant performed an arithmetic task (backward counting aloud by 7) in two postural states, sitting and standing, with eyes open (EO) and with eyes closed (EC). All trials lasted 60 s and were randomized across subjects and conditions. The number of correct subtractions per trial was an index of counting efficiency and the ratio of correct subtractions to total subtractions was an index of accuracy. All conditions collapsed, the efficiency of the cognitive task was significantly lower in PwPD than HE, whilst accuracy was affected to a lower extent. Efficiency significantly improved from sitting to standing in HE under both visual conditions whilst only with EO in PwPD. Accuracy was not affected by posture or vision in either group. We suggest that standing, compared to sitting, increases arousal, thus improving the cognitive performance in HE. Conversely, in PwPD this improvement was present only with vision, possibly due to their greater balance impairment with EC consuming an excess of attentional resources. These findings have implications for balance control and the risk of falling in PwPD in the absence of visual cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the presence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in a dairy herd located in Northern Italy. The feces of clinically healthy calves, their mothers, and the cows treated for mastitis, as well as water, environmental samples, and waste milk were collected and subjected to bacteriological culture on CHROMagarTM ESBL plates. A questionnaire was administered to identify risk factors. The isolates were identified as E. coli by MALDI-TOF MS and subjected to the double-disk synergy test (DDST) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. As a result, ESBL E. coli was isolated from the feces of 28 of 37 (75.67%) calves, the feces of 2 of 3 (66.67%) treated cows, 8 of 14 (57.15%) environmental samples, and waste milk. All ESBL isolates showed multiple resistances and were categorized as multidrug-resistant (MDR). Several risk factors for ESBL E. coli selection and diffusion were identified, including lack of routine cleaning of calf feeding and housing equipment, administration of waste milk to male calves, and blanket dry cow therapy. In conclusion, this study highlighted the presence of MDR, ESBL E. coli in the feces of most dairy calves, and their association with different sample sources. Accordingly, adding to the prudent use of antibiotics, the adoption of adequate farm hygiene and biosecurity measures might also help prevent the spread and transmission of ESBL E. coli within the herd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are associated with bovine mastitis and increased milk somatic cell count (SCC) but their relationships with mammary gland health at the species level are not clearly defined. Regional differences have also been reported in their specific prevalence. The implementation of MALDI-TOF MS in milk microbiology is generating large and dependable datasets with the potential of providing useful epidemiological information. We present the retrospective analysis of 17,213 milk samples sent to our laboratory in 2021–2022, including 13,146 quarter samples from cows with subclinical (SCM) or clinical mastitis (CM) from 104 farms, and 4,067 composite herd survey (HS) samples from 21 farms. NASM were isolated from 21.12% of SCM, 11.49% of CM, and 15.59% of HS milk samples. The three most frequently identified NASM in SCM milk were Staphylococcus chromogenes (33.33%), S. haemolyticus (26.07%), and S. epidermidis (10.65%); together with S. microti and S. hyicus, these species were significantly more prevalent in quarters with SCM (p < 0.05). The three most frequently identified NASM in CM milk were S. chromogenes (31.69%), S. haemolyticus (21.42%), and Mammaliicoccus sciuri (18.38%), although no significant associations were found between these NASM species and CM. The three most frequently identified NASM in HS milk were S. chromogenes (44.49%), S. epidermidis (17.84%), and S. haemolyticus (17.23%), with S. chromogenes being isolated in all the farms sending HS milk (100%). In conclusion, this retrospective study provides the first information on the NASM species isolated from cow milk in Italy, expanding our knowledge on the epidemiology of NASM at the species level and providing further insights into their relationships with mammary gland health in modern dairy farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the effects of experimental apical periodontitis on the inflammatory, functional, biochemical, and redox parameters of the parotid and submandibular glands in rats. Materials and methods: Twenty 12-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 10): a control group and apical periodontitis group. After 28 days, the saliva was collected for salivary flow rate and biochemistry composition. Both glands were sampled for quantification of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and biochemical analyses of redox state. Results: TNF-α concentrations were higher in both salivary glands adjacent to the periapical lesions in animals with apical periodontitis and also compared to the control group. The apical periodontitis group increased the salivary amylase, chloride, potassium, calcium, and phosphate. The total oxidant capacity increased in the parotid gland adjacent to the periapical lesions in the same rat and compared to the control group. Conversely, the total antioxidant capacity of the parotid glands on both sides in the apical periodontitis group was lower than that in the control group. Furthermore, glutathione peroxidase activity increased in the submandibular gland adjacent to the apical periodontitis group compared to the control group. Conclusions: Experimental apical periodontitis alters salivary biochemical composition, in addition to increasing inflammatory marker and inducing local disturbances in the redox state in the parotid and submandibular glands of male rats. Clinical relevance: Apical periodontitis could exacerbate the decline in oral health by triggering dysfunction in the salivary glands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In recent years, fish research has seen significant advancements, driven by the expansion of aquaculture species production, the ornamental fish industry, and biomedical studies involving aquatic organisms. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has emerged as a valuable tool in veterinary research for studying fish biology and pathology. However, the need for validated antibodies optimized for fish species remains a challenge, leading to potential false results and misinterpretations. This study systematically assessed the reactivity of commercially available antibodies (CK AE1/AE3, vimentin, S-100, GFAP, and desmin) in IHC assays on four fish species: Sparus aurata, Dicentrarchus labrax, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Carassius auratus. We employed Western immunoblotting (WB) and IHC techniques to evaluate antibody specificity. The results revealed a good cross-reactivity for anti-cytokeratin AE1/AE3, GFAP, and S-100 antibodies, demonstrating specific staining. Conversely, vimentin and desmin antibodies displayed no reactivity. In conclusion, this research emphasizes the need for validating antibodies specifically for fish species to ensure accurate and reliable results in fish research involving IHC analysis. In recent years, research on fish has seen remarkable advancements, especially in aquaculture, ornamental fish industry, and biomedical studies. Immunohistochemistry has become crucial in fish research, aiding in physiological and pathological investigations. However, the use of antibodies originally developed for mammals has raised concerns about their cross-reactivity and specificity in fish. This study systematically evaluated the reactivity of commonly used antibodies for diagnostic purposes, especially in fish pathology, including pan-cytokeratin, vimentin, S-100, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and desmin in the tissue of Sparus aurata, Dicentrarchus labrax, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Carassius auratus. Western immunoblotting was employed to assess antibody specificity. The results revealed that the pan-cytokeratin and glial fibrillary acidic protein antibodies cross-react with all tested fish species, while S-100 demonstrated specific staining in sea bream, goldfish, and rainbow trout tissues. Conversely, vimentin and desmin antibodies displayed no reactivity. In conclusion, the anti-cytokeratin clone AE1/AE3 and the polyclonal rabbit anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein antibody, which are extensively used in mammals, were validated for fish immunohistochemical studies. Regrettably, D33 anti-desmin and V9 anti-vimentin clones are unsuitable for immunohistochemistry in the tested fish. These findings underscore the need for species-specific antibodies and proper validation for accurate immunohistochemistry analyses in fish research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We study new 1/24 BPS circular Wilson loops in ABJ(M) theory, which are defined in terms of several parameters that continuously interpolate between previously known 1/6 BPS loops (both bosonic and fermionic) and 1/2 BPS fermionic loops. We compute the expectation value of these operators up to second order in perturbation theory using a one-dimensional effective field theory approach. Within dimensional regularization, we find non-trivial β-functions for the parameters, which are marginally relevant deformations triggering RG flows from a UV fixed point represented by the 1/6 BPS bosonic loop to an IR fixed point represented by a 1/2 BPS fermionic loop. Generically, along all flows at least one supercharge of the theory is preserved, so that we refer to them as enriched RG flows. In particular, fixed points are connected through 1/6 BPS fermionic operators. This holds at framing zero, which is a consequence of the regularization scheme employed. We also establish the validity of the g-theorem, relating the expectation values of the Wilson loops corresponding to the UV and IR fixed points of the flow, and discuss the one-dimensional defect SCFT living on the Wilson loop contour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs have been reported as potential carriers of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, but the role of cats has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and the risk factors associated with the fecal carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase and AmpC (ESBL/AmpC)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) in pet and stray cats. Fecal samples were collected between 2020 and 2022 from healthy and unhealthy cats and screened for ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli using selective media. The presence of ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli was confirmed by phenotypic and molecular methods. The evaluation of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) was performed on positive isolates. Host and hospitalization data were analyzed to identify risk factors. A total of 97 cats' samples were collected, and ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli were detected in 6/97 (6.2%), supported by the detection of blaCTX-M (100%), blaTEM (83.3%), and blaSHV (16.7%) genes and the overexpression of chromosomal ampC (1%). All E. coli isolates were categorized as multidrug-resistant. Unhealthy status and previous antibiotic therapy were significantly associated with ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli fecal carriage. Our results suggest that cats may be carriers of ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli, highlighting the need for antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary medicine and an antimicrobial-resistance surveillance program focusing on companion animals, including stray cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of wormwood, Artemisia cina , once grew abundantly in the Syr-Darya province of Russian Turkestan. Santonin, a drug derived from it, was in high demand. Flowers harvested by Kazakhs were handed over to intermediaries to be processed in Europe, but from the 1880s entrepreneurs from different parts of the Russian empire established their own chemical plants in Chimkent and Tashkent. They pressured the Russian imperial government to restrict the rights of the Kazakhs on land where Artemisia cina grew, and grant them the exclusive right to exploit this resource. These entrepreneurs used conservationist arguments and advocated a 'cultured' approach to the management of natural resources located on supposedly 'State land'. These attempts collided with the usage rights of the Kazakhs, as defined by Turkestan's governing Statute. By shifting the argument to the political, rather than legal, level, the industrialists eventually gained a monopoly to the exclusion of local entrepreneurs and even assumed State-like functions. This article reconstructs this controversy and allows a glimpse into the evolving claims to natural resources in the 'periphery' by both Tsarist colonial power and the Kazakhs themselves. The article also explores the features of autochthonous and Russian entrepreneurship and situates Turkestan in a web of trade connections to the global pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We continue our study of renormalization group (RG) flows on Wilson loop defects in ABJM theory, which we have initiated in . We generalize that analysis by including non-supersymmetric fixed points and RG trajectories. To this end, we first determine the “ordinary”, non-supersymmetric Wilson loops, which turn out to be two and to include an R-symmetry preserving coupling to the scalar fields of the theory, contrary to their four-dimensional counterpart defined solely in terms of the gauge field holonomy. We then deform these operators by turning on bosonic and/or fermionic couplings, which trigger an elaborate, multi-dimensional network of possible RG trajectories connecting a large spectrum of fixed points classified in terms of the amount (possibly zero) of supersymmetry and R-symmetry preserved. The β-functions are computed to leading order in the ABJM coupling but exactly in the deformation parameters, using an auxiliary one-dimensional theory on the defect and a dimensional regularization scheme. A striking result is the different behavior of the two ordinary Wilson loops, of which one turns out to be a UV unstable point while the other is IR stable. The same is true for the two 1/2 BPS Wilson loops. We interpret our results from a defect CFT (dCFT) point of view, computing the anomalous dimensions of the operators associated to the deformations and establishing appropriate g-theorems. In particular, the fermionic unstable fixed point is associated to a dCFT which is not reflection positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses the relationship between data technologies, meaning the set of tools and devices of different nature, and the transformation of reality into data, from their collection to their use. We confine our reflection to the use of data related to the body and the ability to establish its state of health or illness. A critical stance is adopted, reflecting on the impact that data have - and may have - on biological, legal, cultural, and social bodies. It aims to highlight problems and potential side effects, emphasising the need to create 'connections' between the individual device and the large technical system; between the personal data and the system of collected data; between the present and the future scenarios towards which it is desirable to orient design. The paper aims to open up questions on the relationship between us and the knowledge of our body, beyond the promises of idyllic worlds presented by data technologies. And what role can Design play in this context? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the one-dimensional defect SCFT defined on the 1/2 BPS Wilson line/loop in ABJ(M) theory. We show that the supermatrix structure of the defect imposes a covariant supermatrix representation of the supercharges. Exploiting this covariant formulation, we prove the existence of a long multiplet whose highest weight state is a constant supermatrix operator. At weak coupling, we study this operator in perturbation theory and confirm that it acquires a non-trivial anomalous dimension. At strong coupling, we conjecture that this operator is dual to the lowest bound state of fluctuations of the fundamental open string in AdS4 × ℂℙ3 around the classical 1/2 BPS solution. Quite unexpectedly, this operator also arises in the cohomological equivalence between bosonic and fermionic Wilson loops. We also discuss some regularization subtleties arising in perturbative calculations on the infinite Wilson line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis can be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We report six cases of endometriosis‐related spontaneous hemoperitoneum diagnosed in pregnant and postpartum women over 13 years. Spontaneous hemoperitoneum in pregnancy mainly occurred in the second half of gestation. All women presented with acute abdominal pain; four of them needed an emergent surgery, two were managed expectantly. The median estimated blood loss was 4250 ml, four women required massive transfusion. Three out of six women had a known history of endometriosis, all of them had histologically confirmed endometriosis after surgery. No maternal or perinatal deaths occurred. In one case, reticence to perform a computed tomography scan led to delayed diagnosis. Since delay can lead to lethal consequences, high levels of suspicion for spontaneous hemoperitoneum should be maintained in cases of severe abdominal pain, even with a woman's negative history of endometriosis. Improved knowledge and regular interdisciplinary meetings are pivotal to ameliorate outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococci and streptococci are common causes of intramammary infection in small ruminants, and reliable species identification is crucial for understanding epidemiology and impact on animal health and welfare. We applied MALDI-TOF MS and gap PCR–RFLP to 204 non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) and mammaliicocci (NASM) and to 57 streptococci isolated from the milk of sheep and goats with mastitis. The top identified NAS was Staphylococcus epidermidis (28.9%) followed by Staph. chromogenes (27.9%), haemolyticus (15.7%), caprae, and simulans (6.4% each), according to both methods (agreement rate, AR, 100%). By MALDI-TOF MS, 13.2% were Staph. microti (2.9%), xylosus (2.0%), equorum, petrasii and warneri (1.5% each), Staph. sciuri (now Mammaliicoccus sciuri, 1.0%), arlettae, capitis, cohnii, lentus (now M. lentus), pseudintermedius, succinus (0.5% each), and 3 isolates (1.5%) were not identified. PCR–RFLP showed 100% AR for Staph. equorum, warneri, arlettae, capitis, and pseudintermedius, 50% for Staph. xylosus, and 0% for the remaining NASM. The top identified streptococcus was Streptococcus uberis (89.5%), followed by Strep. dysgalactiae and parauberis (3.5% each) and by Strep. gallolyticus (1.8%) according to both methods (AR 100%). Only one isolate was identified as a different species by MALDI-TOF MS and PCR–RFLP. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS and PCR–RFLP showed a high level of agreement in the identification of the most prevalent NAS and streptococci causing small ruminant mastitis. Therefore, gap PCR–RFLP can represent a good identification alternative when MALDI-TOF MS is not available. Nevertheless, some issues remain for Staph. haemolyticus, minor NAS species including Staph. microti, and species of the novel genus Mammaliicoccus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2+1 dimensions, we propose a renormalizable non-linear sigma model action which describes the N = 2 supersymmetric generalization of Galilean Electrodynamics. We first start with the simplest model obtained by null reduction of the relativistic Abelian N = 1 supersymmetric QED in 3+1 dimensions and study its renormalization properties directly in non-relativistic superspace. Despite the existence of a non-renormalization theorem induced by the causal structure of the non-relativistic dynamics, we find that the theory is non-renormalizable. Infinite dimensionless, supersymmetric and gauge-invariant terms, which combine into an analytic function, are generated at quantum level. Renormalizability is then restored by generalizing the theory to a non-linear sigma model where the usual minimal coupling between gauge and matter is complemented by infinitely many marginal couplings driven by a dimensionless gauge scalar and its fermionic superpartner. Superconformal invariance is preserved in correspondence of a non-trivial conformal manifold of fixed points where the theory is gauge-invariant and interacting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis is one of the most impacting diseases in dairy farming, and its sensitive and specific detection is therefore of the greatest importance. The clinical evaluation of udder and mammary secretions is typically combined with the milk Somatic Cell Count (SCC) and often accompanied by its bacteriological culture to identify the causative microorganism. In a constant search for improvement, several non-enzymatic milk proteins, including milk amyloid A (M-SAA), haptoglobin (HP), cathelicidin (CATH), and lactoferrin (LF), have been investigated as alternative biomarkers of mastitis for their relationship with mammary gland inflammation, and immunoassay techniques have been developed for detection with varying degrees of success. To provide a general overview of their implementation in the different dairy species, we carried out a systematic review of the scientific literature using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Our review question falls within the type "Diagnostic test accuracy questions" and aims at answering the diagnostic question: "Which are the diagnostic performances of mastitis protein biomarkers investigated by immunoassays in ruminant milk?". Based on 13 keywords combined into 42 searches, 523 manuscripts were extracted from three scientific databases. Of these, 33 passed the duplicate removal, title, abstract, and full-text screening for conformity to the review question and document type: 78.8% investigated cows, 12.1% sheep, 9.1% goats, and 6.1% buffaloes (some included more than one dairy species). The most frequently mentioned protein was M-SAA (48.5%), followed by HP (27.3%), CATH (24.2%) and LF (21.2%). However, the large amount of heterogeneity among studies in terms of animal selection criteria (45.5%), index test (87.9%), and standard reference test (27.3%) resulted in a collection of data not amenable to meta-analysis, a common finding illustrating how important it is for case definitions and other criteria to be standardized between studies. Therefore, results are presented according to the SWiM (Synthesis Without Meta-analysis) guidelines. We summarize the main findings reported in the 33 selected articles for the different markers and report their results in form of comparative tables including sample selection criteria, marker values, and diagnostic performances, where available. Finally, we report the study limitations and bias assessment findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis by non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) is a significant issue in dairy buffalo farming. In a herd with subclinical NAS mastitis, we identified Staphylococcus microti as the predominant species. To assess milk protein integrity and investigate potential disease markers, we characterized 12 NAS-positive and 12 healthy quarter milk samples by shotgun peptidomics combining peptide enrichment and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). We observed significant changes in the milk peptidome. Out of 789 total peptides identified in each group, 49 and 44 were unique or increased in NAS-positive and healthy milk, respectively. In NAS-positive milk, the differential peptides belonged mainly to caseins, followed by milk fat globule membrane proteins (MFGMP) and by the immune defense/antimicrobial proteins osteopontin, lactoperoxidase, and serum amyloid A. In healthy milk, these belonged mainly to MFGMP, followed by caseins. In terms of abundance, peptides from MFGMP and immune defense protein were higher in NAS-positive milk, while peptides from caseins were higher in healthy milk. These findings highlight the impact of NAS on buffalo milk quality and mammary gland health, even when clinical signs are not evident, and underscore the need for clarifying the epidemiology and relevance of the different NAS species in this dairy ruminant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging and vibrant field of environmental humanities to date has not received considerable attention in Central Asia. In light of the Anthropocene crises, there is a real urgency for maturing this field and investigating the methodological and epistemological challenges that environmental topics demand, often working across disciplinary habits and time scales. This roundtable brings together Central Asianists from a range of backgrounds to discuss the sources and scales of their investigation, their challenges and potential. The contributors discuss how particular kinds of sources such as climate models, archival manuscripts, ethnographic fieldwork and media analyses have been used to understand environmental changes in the region. In what ways do the traditions of scholars' disciplinary training guide the scale of analysis? Looking toward the future of environmental humanities in Central Asia, this roundtable suggests paths for developing this vital field of enquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a method for the description and simulation of the nonlinear dynamics of slender structures modeled as Cosserat rods. It is based on interpreting the strains and the generalized velocities of the cross sections as basic variables and elements of the special Euclidean algebra. This perspective emerges naturally from the evolution equations for strands, that are one‐dimensional submanifolds, of the special Euclidean group. The discretization of the corresponding equations for the three‐dimensional motion of a Cosserat rod is performed, in space, by using a staggered grid. The time evolution is then approximated with a semi‐implicit method. Within this approach, we can easily include dissipative effects due to both the action of external forces and the presence of internal mechanical dissipation. The comparison with results obtained with different schemes shows the effectiveness of the proposed method, which is able to provide very good predictions of nonlinear dynamical effects and shows competitive computation times also as an energy‐minimizing method to treat static problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we characterize the natural course of metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), explore intra/inter group differences, and identify biomarkers to monitor disease progression. This is a longitudinal observational study. Genotype and characteristics at disease onset were recorded. Time‐to‐event analyses were performed to assess time to major disease‐related milestones in different subgroups. Longitudinal trajectories of nerve conduction velocities (NCV), brain MRI score, and brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were described. We recruited 22 late‐infantile, 14 early‐juvenile, 5 late‐juvenile, and 4 adult MLD patients. Thirty‐four were prospectively evaluated (median FU time 43 months). In late‐infantile patients, the attainment of independent walking was associated with a later age at dysphagia. In early‐juvenile, the presence of isolated cognitive impairment at onset was not a favorable prognostic factor. Late‐infantile and early‐juvenile subjects showed similar rapid loss of ambulation and onset of seizures, but late‐infantile displayed earlier loss of trunk control, dysphagia, and death. We found significant differences in all major disease‐related milestones (except death) between early‐juvenile and late‐juvenile patients. Late‐juvenile and adult patients both presented with a predominant cognitive impairment, mild/no peripheral neuropathy, lower brain MRI score at plateau compared to LI/EJ, and later cerebellar involvement. NCV and BAER were consistently severely abnormal in late‐infantile but not in older subjects, in whom both NCV and BAER were variably affected, with no deterioration over time in some cases. This study clarifies intra/inter group differences between MLD subtypes and provides additional indications regarding reliable clinical and instrumental tools to monitor disease progression and to serve as areference to evaluate the efficacy of future therapeutic interventions inthe different MLD variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct the one-dimensional topological sector of N = 6 ABJ(M) theory and study its relation with the mass-deformed partition function on S3. Supersymmetric localization provides an exact representation of this partition function as a matrix integral, which interpolates between weak and strong coupling regimes. It has been proposed that correlation functions of dimension-one topological operators should be computed through suitable derivatives with respect to the masses, but a precise proof is still lacking. We present non-trivial evidence for this relation by computing the two-point function at two-loop, successfully matching the matrix model expansion at weak coupling and finite ranks. As a by-product we obtain the two-loop explicit expression for the central charge cT of ABJ(M) theory. Three- and four-point functions up to one-loop confirm the relation as well. Our result points towards the possibility to localize the one-dimensional topological sector of ABJ(M) and may also be useful in the bootstrap program for 3d SCFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with severe aortic stenosis are increasingly treated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as a safer option to surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR). Similar to many other heart diseases, after the specific therapeutic intervention patients are eligible for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for the purpose of functional recovery. Thus far, CR after both sAVR and TAVI has been used to a limited extent, as shown by the availability of only two meta-analyses including 5 studies and 6 studies, respectively. Recent observational studies reported a significant improvement in functional indexes such as the Barthel scale and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). We evaluated the outcome of CR in patients after TAVI treatment by measuring changes in the commonly used Barthel scale and 6MWT and adding the short physical performance battery (SPPB) scale as an index to assess lower extremity function. All indexes demonstrated a significant improvement, namely p<0.001 with the Barthel scale, p=0.043 for the 6MWT, and p=0.002 for SPPB. These results confirm the significant improvement of the Barthel scale and 6MWT reported in the previous meta-analysis and suggest the utility of SPPB as a further index of efficacy of CR in patients with severe aortic stenosis treated with TAVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We generalize the geometrical formulation of Wilson loops recently introduced in [1] to the description of Wilson Surfaces. For N = (2, 0) theory in six dimensions, we provide an explicit derivation of BPS Wilson Surfaces with non-trivial coupling to scalars, together with their manifestly supersymmetric version. We derive explicit conditions which allow to classify these operators in terms of the number of preserved supercharges. We also discuss kappa-symmetry and prove that BPS conditions in six dimensions arise from kappa-symmetry invariance in eleven dimensions. Finally, we discuss super-Wilson Surfaces — and higher dimensional operators — as objects charged under global p-form (super)symmetries generated by tensorial supercurrents. To this end, the construction of conserved supercurrents in supermanifolds and of the corresponding conserved charges is developed in details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Il Capitale Culturale: Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage is the property of Il Capitale Culturale Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Summa, Animali da Reddito is the property of Point Veterinaire Italie s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Helicopters can experience brownout when flying close to a dusty surface. The uplifting of dust in the air can remarkably restrict the pilot's visibility area. Consequently, a brownout can disorient the pilot and lead to the helicopter collision against the ground. Given its risks, brownout has become a high-priority problem for civil and military operations. Proper helicopter design is thus critical, as it has a strong influence over the shape and density of the cloud of dust that forms when brownout occurs. A way forward to improve aircraft design against brownout is the use of particle simulations. For simulations to be accurate and comparable to the real phenomenon, billions of particles are required. However, using a large number of particles, serial simulations can be slow and too computationally expensive to be performed. In this work, we investigate an message passing interface (MPI) + graphics processing unit (multi-GPU) approach to simulate brownout. In specific, we use a semi-implicit Euler method to consider the particle dynamics in a Lagrangian way, and we adopt a precomputed aerodynamic field. Here, we do not include particle–particle collisions in the model; this allows for independent trajectories and effective model parallelization. To support our methodology, we provide a speedup analysis of the parallelization concerning the serial and pure-MPI simulations. The results show (i) very high speedups of the MPI + multi-GPU implementation with respect to the serial and pure-MPI ones, (ii) excellent weak and strong scalability properties of the implemented time-integration algorithm, and (iii) the possibility to run realistic simulations of brownout with billions of particles at a relatively small computational cost. This work paves the way toward more realistic brownout simulations, and it highlights the potential of high-performance computing for aiding and advancing aircraft design for brownout mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study supersymmetric Wilson loops from a geometrical perspective. To this end, we propose a new formulation of these operators in terms of an integral form associated to the immersion of the loop into a supermanifold. This approach provides a unifying description of Wilson loops preserving different sets of supercharges, and clarifies the flow between them. Moreover, it allows to exploit the powerful techniques of super- differential calculus for investigating their symmetries. As remarkable examples, we discuss supersymmetry and kappa-symmetry invariance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We computed mantle flow and thermal structure beneath a segment of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge using numerical simulations adopting asymmetric spreading and ridge migration as boundary conditions. The objective is to obtain new insights on mantle processes acting at this ridge segment. We explored different lateral boundary conditions based on velocity, stress and stress–velocity constraints highlighting differences in the depth of the thermal base of the lithosphere versus domain width. Here, we propose a new formulation of lateral and bottom boundary conditions based on the choice of a proper tangential stress at the bottom and on lateral boundaries of the domain accounting for ridge migration. Moreover, dimensional analysis of governing equations suggests that heat generation due to work of the viscous forces cannot be neglected in the computations. Therefore, we included this thermal contribution into the numerical experiments providing an application to the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the reference latitude of 43°N. Results are compared with available geophysical data in the area, including also mantle tomography models. Asymmetric spreading and ridge migration in numerical modelling account for an asymmetric accretion of the oceanic lithosphere, supporting the evidence of the asymmetries described by geophysical data across the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the drafting process and underlying principles of early Soviet legislation on water rights and taxation on water in Central Asia. While the new Bolshevik ideology provided an ideal justification to enact the State-centric, technocratic principles implicit in the Tsarist Turkestan "water law" of 1916, it took a very long time for the Soviet regime to produce a comprehensive legislation that would explicitly replace the local pre-existing customs which had survived in the colonial period. This is surprising especially in the light of the continuity in personnel in the government agencies that governed land and water resources across the 1917 revolution. Two possible reasons for this slowness were the early Soviet "decolonisation" imperative and the inertial persuasion that the legislator could not fully grasp the intricacies of water-related rights and duties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on two countries, Japan and the U.S., to test the integration of capital markets. In Japan, the enactment of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law in December of 1980 amounted to a true regime switch that virtually eliminated capital controls. Using multifactor asset pricing models, we show that the price of risk in the U.S. and Japanese stock markets was different before, but not after, the liberalization. This evidence supports the view that governments are the source of international capital market segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For three-dimensional ABJ(M) theories and $$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$ Chern-Simons-matter quiver theories, we construct two sets of 1/2 BPS Wilson loop operators by applying the Higgsing procedure along independent directions of the moduli space, and choosing different massive modes. For theories whose dual M-theory description is known, we also determine the corresponding spectrum of 1/2 BPS M2-brane solutions. We identify the supercharges in M-theory and field theory, as well as the supercharges preserved by M2-/anti-M2-branes and 1/2 BPS Wilson loops. In particular, in $$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$ orbifold ABJM theory we find pairs of different 1/2 BPS Wilson loops that preserve exactly the same set of supercharges. In field theory they arise by Higgsing with the choice of either particles or antiparticles, whereas in the dual description they correspond to a pair of M2-/anti-M2-branes localized at different positions in the compact space. This result enlightens the origin of classical Wilson loop degeneracy in these theories, already discussed in . A discussion on possible scenarios that emerge by comparison with localization results is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the three-loop calculation of the Bremsstrahlung function associated to the 1/2-BPS cusp in ABJM theory, including color subleading corrections. Using the BPS condition we reduce the computation to that of a cusp with vanishing angle. We work within the framework of heavy quark effective theory (HQET) that further simplifies the analytic evaluation of the relevant cusp anomalous dimension in the near-BPS limit. The result passes nontrivial tests, such as exponentiation, and is in agreement with the conjecture made in [1] for the exact expression of the Bremsstrahlung function, based on the relation with fermionic latitude Wilson loops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are rare inherited metabolic disorders characterized by a dysfunction in lysosomes, leading to waste material accumulation and severe organ damage. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) have been exploited as potential treatments for LSDs but pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown in some cases limited efficacy. Intravenous ERT is able to control the damage of visceral organs but cannot prevent nervous impairment. Depending on the disease type, HSCT has important limitations when performed for early variants, unless treatment occurs before disease onset. In the attempt to overcome these issues, gene therapy has been proposed as a valuable therapeutic option, either ex vivo, with target cells genetically modified in vitro, or in vivo, by inserting the genetic material with systemic or intra-parenchymal, in situ administration. In particular, the use of autologous haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) transduced with a viral vector containing a healthy copy of the mutated gene would allow supra-normal production of the defective enzyme and cross correction of target cells in multiple tissues, including the central nervous system. This review will provide an overview of the most recent scientific advances in HSC-based gene therapy approaches for the treatment of LSDs with particular focus on metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) and mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of four dimensional conformal supergravity we consider $$ \mathcal{N}=1,\;2,\;3,\;4 $$ supersymmetric theories generally twisted along the abelian subgroups of the R-symmetry and possibly other global symmetry groups. Upon compactification on constant curvature Riemann surfaces with arbitrary genus we provide an extensive classification of the resulting two dimensional theories according to the amount of supersymmetry that is preserved. Exploiting the c-extremization prescription introduced in we develop a general procedure to obtain the central charge for 2d $$ \mathcal{N}=\left(0,2\right) $$ theories and the expression of the corresponding R-current in terms of the original 4d one and its mixing with the other abelian global currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Increasing evidence supports that mentalization deficits may have a role in the genesis of young age depression; however, few studies examined this issue in clinical populations. Methods Outpatients aged 14-21, suffering from various psychiatric disorders, were assessed using the Mentalization Questionnaire ( MZQ), the Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire ( CTQ), using data from age-matched healthy students for comparison. The relationship between CTQ, MZQ, and BDI scores was examined at the cross-sectional level, including mediation analyses, and longitudinally, in a subsample who underwent a psychotherapy intervention. Results Of 83 subjects, 33 (39.8%) had mentalization levels that were 1 standard deviation below those of comparison subjects. In the whole sample, the levels of mentalization were inversely associated with BDI ( r = −.68, p < .001) and CTQ scores ( r = −.30, p = .006). Moreover, MZQ scores mediated a large part of the effect of childhood trauma on depression (total effect: 10.6, 95% CI: 5.3, 15.9; direct effect: 6.5, 95% CI: 2.1, 10.8; indirect effect: 4.1, 95% CI: 1.5, 7.4). This effect was almost entirely explained by the Affect Regulation subscale. In patients re-evaluated after four sessions ( n = 37), the decrease in BDI scores correlated with the increase in MZQ scores ( r = .40, p = .02). Conclusions In a juvenile clinical sample, deficits of mentalization abilities were associated with the severity of depression and explained part of the depressogenic effects of childhood trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]