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Purpose: There is an urgent need for teacher preparation programs to equip teachers to teach in innovative and transformative ways, meeting the needs of diverse learners. Coaching is an instrumental tool for supporting change and development, especially in contexts with decentralized teacher preparation guidelines. Design/methodology/approach: This multicase study examines cross-institutional programmatic innovations for coaching teacher candidates (TCs) and centering equity using improvement science and equity coaching. The authors explore the networked improvement community's (NIC's) examination of problems of practice through plan-do-study-act cycles in three coaching contexts within and across seven institutions. Findings: Qualitative methods revealed that adapting coaching protocols can center equity and build equity-focused practices. This work highlights revisions to coaching within and across teacher preparation programs (TPPs), which the authors hope inspires extending equity-centered coaching and improvement science to new contexts. This cross-case analysis revealed program innovations for coaches, digital technologies and alignment. Practical implications: This study addresses ongoing challenges faced by TPPs in the United States, including TCs' understandings of equity in teaching and decentralized teacher preparation that results in varied and incongruent understandings about quality teaching. This study builds on previous scholarship that examines shifts in coaching practices by disrupting silos in TPPs as examined innovations. Originality/value: The paper offers a unique view of cross-institutional collaboration in coaching to improve transformative teaching experiences in teacher preparation field experiences.

Let \(G\) be a simple graph of order \(n\) with eigenvalues \(\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\cdots,\lambda_n\) and normalized Laplacian eigenvalues \(\mu_1,\mu_2,\cdots,\mu_n\). The Estrada index and normalized Laplacian Estrada index are defined as \(EE(G)=\sum_{k=1}^ne^{\lambda_k}\) and \(\mathcal{L}EE(G)=\sum_{k=1}^ne^{\mu_k-1}\), respectively. We establish upper and lower bounds to \(EE\) and \(\mathcal{L}EE\) for edge-independent random graphs, containing the classical Erdös-Rényi graphs as special cases.

Actualmente, en el noreste de la Península Ibérica, se conocen muy pocos restos humanos pertenecientes a las primeras comunidades agricultoras y pastoriles de inicios del neolítico. Buena parte de las evidencias que tenemos provienen de contextos arqueológicos excavados con anterioridad a los años 80, lo que supone que no se dispone del mismo acerbo de análisis que se realizan en la actualidad. La excavación realizada en Ca lEstrada viene a rellenar en parte ese vacío aportando no sólo dos nuevos enterramientos, sino también toda una serie de análisis tanto del continente como del contenido de las sepulturas. Su estudio nos ha permitido conocer biológicamente a dos de los sujetos protagonistas de aquella su historia, cómo fueron inhumados y qué objetos les acompañaban. Estamos, sin duda, ante una de las primeras evidencias funerarias de lo que ha venido a denominarse como la Cultura de los Sepulcros de fosa.

Abstract Purpose Women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) face confusion and uncertainty about treatment options. The objective of this study was to determine whether there are differences in decisional conflict about treatment by age and race/ethnicity. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted of women (age ≥ 18) diagnosed with DCIS enrolled at Kaiser Permanente of Southern California. The Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) measured personal perceptions of decision uncertainty, values clarity, and effective decision-making. We used a multivariable regression to study whether age, race, and ethnicity were associated with patient-reported DCS. Results 45% (N = 1395) of women who received the online survey, participated. The mean age was 56 (± 9.6) years, the majority were white. Compared to women younger than 50, women aged 60–69 reported lower overall DCS scores (-5.4; 95% CI -1.5 to -9.3). Women > 70 had lower values clarity scores (-9.0; 95% CI -2.8 to -15.2) about their treatment compared to women aged 50–59 and 60–69 (-7.1; 95% CI -2.9 to -11.3 and − 7.2; 95% CI -2.9 to -11.5) and likewise, lower effective decision-making scores (-5.4; 95% CI -1.7 to -9.2 and − 5.2; 95% CI -1.4 to -9.0) compared to women 70). Age based tailored discussions about treatment options, health education, and supportive decision-making interventions/tools may reduce decision conflict in future DCIS patients. Trade registration The IRB number is 10678.

Se realizó una revisión para conocer las principales manifestaciones de los síndromes frontales y prefrontales dependientes del tipo de lesión, sitio, etiología y extensión de la misma. Existen muchas causas potenciales de los síndromes del lóbulo frontal, que incluyen lesiones cerebrales traumáticas, accidentes cerebrovasculares, infecciones, tumores y afecciones degenerativas. Las opciones de tratamiento dependerán de la causa subyacente y pueden incluir medicamentos, terapia conductual y otras formas de rehabilitación.

Se describieron los principales hallazgos actuales relacionados con el proceso del envejecimiento. Para ello se realizó una revisión de artículos actualizados que abordan la temática. para valorar la necesidad de la educación en torno a esta etapa de la vida, desde la neuropsicología, en donde se enfatiza la importancia de un manejo integral, ya que se observa al individuo dentro de un contexto sociocultural que impacta en su funcionamiento cerebral. Conocer el desarrollo en el envejecimiento normal proporciona pautas para el abordaje integral del adulto mayor.

Se abordaron los tratamientos más frecuentes tanto farmacológicos como psicológicos y recientemente cognitivos para el trastorno por abuso con y sin substancias, así como los diferentes hallazgos neuropsicológicos relacionados con esta patología en población adulta. Las consecuencias tanto de la ingesta moderada y crónica afectan a todas las esferas del ser humano, además de tener consecuencias estructurales, de comportamiento, psicológicas y cognitivas a largo plazo, muchas de ellas irreversibles.

We describe a new generation of the high-performance GEOS-Chem (GCHP) global model of atmospheric composition developed as part of the GEOS-Chem version 13 series. GEOS-Chem is an open-source grid-independent model that can be used online within a meteorological simulation or offline using archived meteorological data. GCHP is an offline implementation of GEOS-Chem driven by NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) meteorological data for massively parallel simulations. Version 13 offers major advances in GCHP for ease of use, computational performance, versatility, resolution, and accuracy. Specific improvements include (i) stretched-grid capability for higher resolution in user-selected regions, (ii) more accurate transport with new native cubed-sphere GEOS meteorological archives including air mass fluxes at hourly temporal resolution with spatial resolution up to C720 (∼ 12 km), (iii) easier build with a build system generator (CMake) and a package manager (Spack), (iv) software containers to enable immediate model download and configuration on local computing clusters, (v) better parallelization to enable simulation on thousands of cores, and (vi) multi-node cloud capability. The C720 data are now part of the operational GEOS forward processing (GEOS-FP) output stream, and a C180 (∼ 50 km) consistent archive for 1998–present is now being generated as part of a new GEOS-IT data stream. Both of these data streams are continuously being archived by the GEOS-Chem Support Team for access by GCHP users. Directly using horizontal air mass fluxes rather than inferring from wind data significantly reduces global mean error in calculated surface pressure and vertical advection. A technical performance demonstration at C720 illustrates an attribute of high resolution with population-weighted tropospheric NO2 columns nearly twice those at a common resolution of 2∘ × 2.5∘.

Introduction Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), conferring a greater relative risk in women than men. We sought to examine sex differences in cardiometabolic risk factors and management in the contemporary cohort represented by the Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE).Research design and methods GRADE enrolled 5047 participants (1837 women, 3210 men) with T2DM on metformin monotherapy at baseline. The current report is a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected July 2013 to August 2017.Results Compared with men, women had a higher mean body mass index (BMI), greater prevalence of severe obesity (BMI≥40 kg/m2), higher mean LDL cholesterol, greater prevalence of low HDL cholesterol, and were less likely to receive statin treatment and achieve target LDL, with a generally greater prevalence of these risk factors in younger women. Women with hypertension were equally likely to achieve blood pressure targets as men; however, women were less likely to receive ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. Women were more likely to be divorced, separated or widowed, and had fewer years of education and lower incomes.Conclusions This contemporary cohort demonstrates that women with T2DM continue to have a greater burden of cardiometabolic and socioeconomic risk factors than men, particularly younger women. Attention to these persisting disparities is needed to reduce the burden of CVD in women.Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01794143)

The purpose of our study is to understand the attitude of the university students and teachers on the proposed ‘No Homework Policy” bill and how it could impact their studies and personal lives. The main objective was focused on (1) understanding the impact of the “No Homework Policy” bill to the students and teachers if the said policy bill will be implemented, (2) knowing the struggles of the students and teachers when it comes to homework, and (3) finding out the possible solution that could be implemented to lessen the struggles of both students and teachers regarding homework. A phenomenological design was used as an approach to conduct this study. Based on the results, most of the students are in favor of the said proposed bill. However, some teachers are against or undecided about it. The results also showed that the said proposed bill could affect both students and teachers in a positive and also a negative way. This study does not only help the student to realize how homework can impact their academic performances but also support the teacher to improve the capacity of their teaching skills and be aware of the struggles of the students with regards to homework.

Abstract Background Childhood obesity represents a global public health crisis: the number of obese children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years) worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades. The vast majority of overweight and obese children live in high-income countries, and low socio-economic status (SES) is a significant risk factor. Family Based Interventions (FBI) have demonstrated positive results in preventing obesity, although these results are strongly influenced by SES. Moreover, we still poorly understand how FBI can determine a positive trend in weight status in low-income communities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to define and evaluate innovative and multi-target projects to reduce obesity risk behaviors and health inequalities and the present study aims to present the study protocol of FIVALIN a FBI that pretends to achieve this goal. Methods We will conduct a quasi-experimental design within 60 Community Child Centers (CCC) in Barcelona metropolitan area. Each cluster (CCC) will be assigned by convenience to the intervention and control groups. For the whole study, a total of 810 children aged 8–12 years and 600 parents will be recruited during 3 consecutive editions (1st – 2019/2020; 2nd – 2020/2021; 3rd – 2021/2022) of 10 months each. The action is a regular multicomponent health-promotion intervention targeting children, families, and CCC. All activities are based on the Motivational Interviewing (MI) approach and will focus on promoting good dietary habits, physical activity, appropriate screen time and sleep duration, and psychological well-being. The control group participate in a unique workshop on general awareness of healthy lifestyles for families. We will perform a comparative analysis of the evolution of weight status, healthy lifestyles, and socioeconomic variables, between the intervention and control groups. Discussion There is a need for more evidence on how to target and evaluate holistic interventions in low SES families. Our multi-targeting intervention for obesity prevention tackles risky behaviors that go beyond diet and physical activity (PA). Therefore, future interventions can effectively promote all the behavioral domains that determine trends in the weight status. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry: ISRCRN12682870 . Registered 9 July 2020. Retrospectively registered. Protocol version: 30 April 2021, version 5.

The combustion of pure H2 in engines is still troublesome, needing further research and development. Using H2 and diesel in a dual-fuel compression ignition engine appears as a more feasible approach. Here we report an experimental assessment of performance and emissions for a single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled compression ignition engine operating with neat diesel and H2-diesel dual-fuel. Previous studies typically show the performance and emissions for a specific operation condition (i.e. a fixed engine speed and torque) or a limited operating range. Our experiments covered engine speeds of 3000 and 3600 rpm and torque levels of 3 and 7 Nm. An in-house designed and built alkaline cell generated the H2 used for the partial substitution of diesel. Compared with neat diesel, the results indicate that adding H2 decreased the air-fuel equivalence ratio and the Brake Specific Diesel Fuel Consumption Efficiency by around 14–29 % and 4–31 %. In contrast, adding H2 increased the Brake Fuel Conversion Efficiency by around 3–36 %. In addition, the Brake Thermal Efficiency increased in the presence of H2 in the range of 3–37 % for the lower engine speed and 27–43 % for the higher engine speed compared with neat diesel. The dual-fuel mode resulted in lower CO and CO2 emissions for the same power output. The emissions of hydrocarbons decreased with H2 addition, except for the lower engine speed and the higher torque. However, the dual-fuel operation resulted in higher NOx emissions than neat diesel, with 2–6 % and 19–48 % increments for the lower and higher engine speeds. H2 emerges as a versatile energy carrier with the potential to tackle current energy and emissions challenges; however, the dual-fuel strategy requires careful management of NOx emissions.

Recent multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa has favoured the adaptation and dissemination of worldwide high-risk strains. In June 2018, 15 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from patients and a contaminated multi-dose meropenem vial were characterized to assess their association to an outbreak in a Mexican paediatric hospital. The strains were characterized by antibiotic susceptibility profiling, virulence factors’ production, and biofilm formation. The clonal relationship among isolates was determined with pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) sequencing. Repressor genes for the MexAB-OprM efflux pump were sequenced for haplotype identification. Of the strains, 60% were profiled as extensively drug-resistant (XDR), 33% as multidrug-resistant (MDR), and 6.6% were classified as sensitive (S). All strains presented intermediate resistance to colistin, and 80% were sensitive to aztreonam. Pyoverdine was the most produced virulence factor. The PFGE technique was performed for the identification of the outbreak, revealing eight strains with the same electrophoretic pattern. ST235 and ten new sequence types (STs) were identified, all closely related to ST233. ST3241 predominated in 26.66% of the strains. Twenty-five synonymous and seventeen nonsynonymous substitutions were identified in the regulatory genes of the MexAB-OprM efflux pump, and nalC was the most variable gene. Six different haplotypes were identified. Strains from the outbreak were metallo-β-lactamases and phylogenetically related to the high-risk clone ST233.

Background: Cynometra cebuensis F. Seid. is an endemic and threatened tree from the Philippines. The species was previously described to exclusively thrive in the Tabunan Forest of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape. Due to its narrow geographic distribution and threats from land conversion, slash-and-burn activities and non-regulated wood harvesting by locals, C. cebuensis was assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under criteria B1a and B1b (as well as B2a and B2b) of the IUCN Red List in 2013. The present study provides new additional locations of C. cebuensis in the Municipalities of Argao and Minglanilla in Cebu along with population data and habitat characteristics for each site. Although new populations of C. cebuensis were discovered, it remains at significant risk of extinction in its natural habitat. Urgent and comprehensive conservation efforts are imperative to prevent its extinction. New information: This paper provides the updated distribution map of Cynometra cebuensis F. Seid, a critically endangered endemic species in the Philippines showing five (5) distribution records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Con el objetivo de evaluar la influencia del policultivo en el establecimiento de gramíneas, en un suelo Vertisol, se sembraron tres gramíneas tropicales (Panicum maximum cv. Likoni, Cenchrus ciliaris cv. Biloela y Chloris gayana cv. Callide) y cinco leguminosas (Vigna radiata, variedad frijol chino; y Vigna unguiculata, variedades: Cubanita-666, Lina, INIFAT-93 y IITA precoz) en sistemas de policultivo y monocultivo. El diseño fue de parcelas divididas, con cuatro réplicas. Las combinaciones de cultivos no afectaron el establecimiento de los pastos. Hubo interacción altamente significativa (p < 0,001) en el rendimiento de semilla de las gramíneas, así como en el rendimiento de grano de las leguminosas; con resultados sobresalientes en los policultivos de estas con P. maximum cv. Likoni, para el primer caso, y en V. radiata (frijol chino) combinada con P. maximum cv. Likoni y Ch. gayana cv. Callide, para el segundo. Todas las combinaciones presentaron ventajosos índices equivalentes del uso de la tierra, con valores superiores a uno. Se concluye que el uso de las leguminosas temporales en policultivo con las gramíneas no afectó su establecimiento, y que la cosecha de la semilla y de los granos mejoró la eficiencia biológica durante el proceso.

Attack of donor tissues by pre-formed anti-pig antibodies is well known to cause graft failure in xenotransplantation. Genetic engineering of porcine donors to eliminate targets of these pre-formed antibodies coupled with advances in immunosuppressive medicines have now made it possible to achieve extended survival in the pre-clinical pig-to-non-human primate model. Despite these improvements, antibodies remain a risk over the lifetime of the transplant, and many patients continue to have pre-formed donor-specific antibodies even to highly engineered pigs. While therapeutics exist that can help mitigate the detrimental effects of antibodies, they act broadly potentially dampening beneficial immunity. Identifying additional xenoantigens may enable more targeted approaches, such as gene editing, to overcome these challenges by further eliminating antibody targets on donor tissue. Because we have found that classical class I swine leukocyte antigens are targets of human antibodies, we now examine whether related pig proteins may also be targeted by human antibodies. We show here that non-classical class I swine leukocyte proteins (SLA-6, -7, -8) can be expressed at the surface of mammalian cells and act as antibody targets., (© 2024 The Author(s). Xenotransplantation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

When a romantic relationship becomes serious, partners often confront a foundational decision about how to organize their personal finances: pool money together or keep things separate? In a six-wave longitudinal experiment, we investigated whether randomly assigning engaged or newlywed couples to merge their money in a joint bank account increases relationship quality over time. Whereas couples assigned to keep their money in separate accounts or to a no-intervention condition exhibited the normative decline in relationship quality across the first 2 years of marriage, couples assigned to merge money in a joint account sustained strong relationship quality throughout. The effect of bank account structure on relationship quality is multiply determined. We examine—and find support for—three potential mechanisms using both experimental and correlational methods: merging finances (1) improves how partners feel about how they handle money, (2) promotes financial goal alignment, and (3) sustains communal norm adherence (e.g. responding to each other's needs without expectations of reciprocity). While prior research has documented a correlation between financial interdependence and relationship quality, our research offers the first experimental evidence that increasing financial interdependence helps newlyweds preserve stronger relationship quality throughout the newlywed period and potentially beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photolyses of trans-Fe(CO) 3 (P((CH 2 ) n ) 3 P) (n=10 (a), 12 (b), 14 (c), 16 (d), 18 (e)) in the presence of PMe 3 provide the first economical and scalable route to macrobicyclic dibridgehead diphosphines P((CH 2 ) n ) 3 P (1). These are isolated as mixtures of in,in/out,out isomers that equilibrate with degenerate in,out/out,in isomers at 150 °C via pyramidal inversion at phosphorus. For the entire series, VT 31 P NMR data establish or bound K eq , rates, and activation parameters for a variety of phenomena, many of which involve homeomorphic isomerizations, topological processes by which certain molecules can turn themselves inside out (e. g., in,in⇌out,out). This provides the first detailed mapping of such trends in homologous series of aliphatic bicyclic compounds XE((CH 2 ) n ) 3 EX with any type of bridgehead. Isomeric diborane adducts 1 a,d ⋅ 2BH 3 are also characterized. Crystal structures of out,out-1 a and in,in-1 a ⋅ 2BH 3 aid isomer assignments and reveal unusual cage conformations., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The widespread application of porcine SCNT to biomedical research is being hampered by the large adult size (300–600 lbs) of the commercial breeds commonly used for SCNT. The Yucatan minipig, in contrast, has an adult weight of 140–150 lbs and a long history of utility in biomedical research. In order to combine the wide availability of commercial swine with the biomedical value of the Yucatan minipig, we utilized SCNT using the Yucatan as nuclear donors and commercial swine as both oocyte donors and recipients. Of six recipient gilts receiving 631 SCNT embryos, three went to term and delivered seven piglets, four of which survived to adulthood. Additionally, we obtained fetal fibroblasts from a cloned Yucatan and used them for a second round of SCNT. Of three recipients receiving 315 reconstructed embryos, one went to term and delivered three piglets, one of which survived to adulthood. Both microsatellite and D-loop sequence analysis confirmed that all of the piglets generated were nuclear-mitochondrial hybrids carrying Yucatan nuclear DNA and commercial breed mitochondrial DNA. This report shows that it is possible to produce viable Yucatan SCNT clones and opens up the possibility of developing valuable biomedical models in this porcine breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with visual impairment have balance deficits; therefore, this systematic review aimed to provide comprehensive insights into the balance control of individuals with visual impairments when compared with individuals with full vision. Methods: Primary sources were obtained from eight databases including PubMed. LILACS, Science Direct, SCOPUS, CINAHL. PEDro, CENTRAL. and Web of Science. The search period covered years from inception to January 10, 2022. Results: A total of 20 studies with 29 trials with 1,280 participants were included in the systematic review. The results showed that individuals with sight had better static and dynamic balance than individuals with visual impairment (p = .001). However, individuals with visual impairment had significantly better static balance with visual perturbation and stronger static balance with visual and proprioception perturbation (p = .001). Furthermore. individuals with sight had better balance control than individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports (p = .001). Finally, individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports had better balance control than sedentary people with visual impairment (p = .001). Conclusion: individuals with visual impairment have defects in both dynamic and static balance when compared to individuals with sight. In addition. balance improved with increasing age in individuals with visual impairment while balance control was dependent on the proprioception and vestibular systems. Also, individuals with sight had better balance than individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports and individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports compared with sedentary people with visual impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves play a vital role in the environment and contribute signific aptly to the well-being of coastal communities by providing goods and services. Unfortunately, the degradation and deforestation of mangroves has frequently occurred. Therefore, it is important to understand the vulnerability of mangroves and its impact on blue carbon storage for effective mangrove management and coastal planning. This study aims to assess the vulnerability of mangroves and its effect on blue carbon storage in the coral triangle region of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The vulnerability assessment included factors such as exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Blue carbon storage was evaluated based on carbon stock in sediment, biomass, and total carbon stock in mangrove ecosystems in both protected and unprotected areas. The mangrove ecosystem in the protected area of Rawa Aopa Watumohai National (RAWN) Park showed lower vulnerability due to lower exposure, lower sensitivity, and higher adaptive capacity. On the other hand, mangrove ecosystems in unprotected areas such as Tinanggea (TNG), Kendari Bay (KDI), and Staring Bay (STR) exhibited moderate to high vulnerability due to higher exposure, sensitivity, and lower adaptive capacity. Mangroves in RAWN Park, which were less vulnerable, had higher blue carbon storage in sediment (381.64 tons C/ha), biomass (312.65 tons C/ha), and the entire ecosystem (706.76 tons C/ha). These values were significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to those in TNG (306.66 tons, 144.15 tons, and 448.37 tons C/ha, respectively), KDI (262.08 tons, 227.73 tons, and 470.76 tons C/ha, respectively), and STR (169.44 tons, 66.66 tons, and 253.27 tons C/ha, respectively). The high vulnerability of mangrove ecosystems resulted in reduced carbon storage in the coastal regions of Southeast Sulawesi. Therefore, efforts such as rehabilitation and restoration, legislation, and conservation should be prioritized to enhance blue carbon storage, and other ecosystem services provided by mangroves in the coral triangle region of Southeast Sulawesi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Coast fever is a tick-borne theileriosis caused by Theileria parva, a protozoan parasite with the primary vector being the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. This disease poses significant challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, leading to severe economic losses by causing the death of over one million livestock annually. Current control measures include vector control with acaricides and the "infection and treatment" method, which involves immunization with live sporozoites of the pathogen and treatment with long acting oxytetracycline. Despite their effectiveness, these methods face scalability and usability issues, necessitating the development of new prevention strategies, particularly in the field of vaccines for the effective and sustainable control of East Coast fever. In this primer focus, East Coast fever serves as a case study to highlight recent concepts and advancements in tick and tick-borne disease vaccine research. Vaccine design and evaluation processes are reviewed, encompassing the utilization of omics datasets and knowledge on vectors and pathogens, and exploring new design methods, such as quantum vaccinomics and messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines. Key limitations and areas requiring further research are addressed, including insufficient understanding of host–pathogen molecular interactions, the impact of post-translational modifications, and vaccine efficacy variability across different trials. Additionally, new research objectives are proposed to address East Coast fever but with possible impact on other tick-borne diseases. It includes advancing knowledge on tick–pathogen–host molecular interactions, studying tick microbiota, developing novel design approaches, such as combining tick and pathogen epitopes in chimeric vaccines (exemplified by the q38–p67c case), and exploring new immunological enhancers and delivery platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals' digestion, energy metabolism, and immunity are significantly influenced by interactions between the gut microbiota and the intestinal environment of the host. Previous studies have shown that gut microbiota of Eothenomys miletus can respond to environmental changes, high fiber or fat foods. But how E. miletus in high-altitude adapt to their environment through gut microbiota and physiological changes during winter food shortages period was unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the altitude differences in gut microbiota and their interactions with physiology in terms of body mass regulation in order to study the adaptation of the gut microbiota and physiological indicators of the E. miletus under food restriction settings. E. miletus were collected for this study from Jingdong County (JD, low-altitude) and Xianggelila County (XGLL, high-altitude) in Yunnan Province, China, and split into three groups: control group, food-restricted feeding group for 7 days, and re-feeding group was offered a standard diet for 14 days. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and physiological methods were used to analyze the abundance and community structure of gut microbiota, as well as physiological indicators of each group in E. miletus. The results showed that while the RMR changed more during the period of food restriction, the body mass and major organ masses of E. miletus from high-altitude changed less. After food restriction, RMR in XGLL decreased by 25.25%, while that of in JD decreased by 16.54%. E. miletus from the XGLL had gut bacteria that were more abundant in Firmicutes and had fewer OTUs, and the microbiota had a closer interaction with physiological indicators. Moreover, the gut microbiota adapted to the food shortage environment by enhancing the genera of Bacterroides , Ruminococcus , Turicibacter , and Treponema to improve the utilization of nutrient resources. The interactions between microbial species and the equilibrium of energy homeostasis were further impacted by alterations in physiological indicators and microbial community structure. These variations were important for E. miletus to adapt to the fluctuations and changes of food resources in high-altitude region, which also expand our knowledge of organismal adaptations and the mechanisms behind the interactions between gut bacteria and host physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (FHP) is a debilitating interstitial lung disease driven by incompletely understood immune mechanisms. Objectives: To elucidate immune aberrations in FHP in single-cell resolution. Methods: Single-cell 5′ RNA sequencing was conducted on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and BAL cells obtained from 45 patients with FHP, 63 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 4 patients with nonfibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and 36 healthy control subjects in the United States and Mexico. Analyses included differential gene expression (Seurat), TF (transcription factor) activity imputation (DoRothEA-VIPER), and trajectory analyses (Monocle3 and Velocyto-scVelo-CellRank). Measurements and Main Results: Overall, 501,534 peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 110 patients and control subjects and 88,336 BAL cells from 19 patients were profiled. Compared with control samples, FHP has elevated classical monocytes (adjusted-P = 2.5 × 10−3) and is enriched in CCL3hi/CCL4hi and S100Ahi classical monocytes (adjusted-P < 2.2 × 10−16). Trajectory analyses demonstrate that S100Ahi classical monocytes differentiate into SPP1hi lung macrophages associated with fibrosis. Compared with both control subjects and IPF, cells from patients with FHP are significantly enriched in GZMhi cytotoxic T cells. These cells exhibit TF activities indicative of TGFβ and TNFα and NFκB pathways. These results are publicly available at . Conclusions: Single-cell transcriptomics of patients with FHP uncovered novel immune perturbations, including previously undescribed increases in GZMhi cytotoxic CD4+ and CD8+ T cells—reflecting this disease's unique inflammatory T cell–driven nature—as well as increased S100Ahi and CCL3hi/CCL4hi classical monocytes also observed in IPF. Both cell populations may guide the development of new biomarkers and therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Rickettsial infections are often neglected and poorly recognized by physicians in many tropical and subtropical regions. Despite a number of recent reports describing rickettsial diseases in new locations and the discovery of new rickettsiae, medical science and research have largely neglected the diagnosis and antimicrobial treatment of rickettsial infections in subtropical and tropical areas; thus, much remains to be discovered. This study aimed to detect and characterize spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae in ixodid ticks infesting domestic ruminants in Khartoum State. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction targeting both genes that encode for citrate synthase (gltA) and outer membrane protein (ompA) was performed for the presence of SFG rickettsia followed by sequence and phylogenetic analysis. Results: Of the 202 ticks examined for the presence of SFG rickettsia, gltA gene was detected in 4 samples (2%). Furthermore, gltA‐positive samples were used to amplify the ompA gene, in which only two samples yielded positive results. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the positive samples revealed four different species of SFG rickettsiae: Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia massiliae and Rickettsia raoultii. Conclusions: These results indicated the presence of SFG rickettsia in Sudanese ticks. This also indicates that humans have an opportunity to acquire these infections. It is important to keep in mind the need for careful consideration of rickettsial infections in individuals with a fever of unknown origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codon bias analysis of SARS-CoV-2 reveals suboptimal adaptation for translation in human cells it infects. The detailed examination of the codons preferentially used by SARS-CoV-2 shows a strong preference for LysAAA, GlnCAA, GluGAA, and ArgAGA, which are infrequently used in human genes. In the absence of an adapted tRNA pool, efficient decoding of these codons requires a 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-2-thiouridine (mcm5s2) modification at the U34 wobble position of the corresponding tRNAs (tLysUUU; tGlnUUG; tGluUUC; tArgUCU). The optimal translation of SARS-CoV-2 open reading frames (ORFs) may therefore require several adjustments to the host's translation machinery, enabling the highly biased viral genome to achieve a more favorable "Ready-to-Translate" state in human cells. Experimental approaches based on LC-MS/MS quantification of tRNA modifications and on alteration of enzymatic tRNA modification pathways provide strong evidence to support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 induces U34 tRNA modifications and relies on these modifications for its lifecycle. The conclusions emphasize the need for future studies on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 codon bias and its ability to alter the host tRNA pool through the manipulation of RNA modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that children who grow up in at-risk families tend to have more behavioral problems; however, few studies have addressed this issue from a parenting competencies framework. This investigation analyzed the relation between parenting competencies and children's externalizing problems. A total of 562 caregivers from at-risk families were assessed through the Interview for the Assessment of Parenting Competencies and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The three competencies in which the families presented more difficulties were parental co-responsibility, child stimulation and family life structuring, and emotional self-regulation. According to the hierarchical regression, the capacity to offer warmth and to establish a healthy communication could explain children's behavioral difficulties. Family interventions should focus on those competencies where families tend to have more difficulties. Furthermore, to prevent and/or reduce externalizing problems, it is convenient to foster, particularly, communication and warmth among their members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]