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Manuel Muñoz has won the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, given annually to 'a mid-career fiction writer who has earned a distinguished reputation and the approbation and gratitude of readers.' The [...]

The MacArthur Foundation announced its latest class of MacArthur Fellows, with writers Ada Limón, Imani Perry, and Manuel Muñoz among those receiving the $800,000 awards given to 'people of outstanding [...]

The Aspen Institute announced the finalists for the Aspen Words Literary Prize, given annually to 'a work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power [...]

The longlist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize, given annually to 'an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on [...]

Dionne Irving's electric collection, THE ISLANDS: Stories (259 pp., Catapult, paperback, $16.95), investigates the alienations that come with displacement, tracing the movements of Jamaican immigrants and their descendants across the [...]

WRITER AND EDUCATOR Manuel Munoz grew up in Dinuba, California, a primarily agricultural community near Fresno. From an early age, he helped his family in the fields and, later, packing [...]

ContextRelapse and recurrence rates of pressure injuries (PIs) are very high in spinal cord injured patients. That is the reason why alternative therapies, such the stem cells derived from bone marrow, have been developed.ObjectiveTo compare this new technique of infiltration-infusion of mononuclear cells from bone marrow with conventional surgery.DesignA retrospective study was carried out in patients with spinal cord injuries who had PIs, category III/IV, in the pelvic area, during a 14-year follow-up period.SettingOne group was treated with conventional surgery and, in the other group, mononuclear cells were infused.ParticipantsOne hundred and forty-nine patients were registered, 63 (42.3%) in the conventional surgery group and 86 (57.7%) in the mononuclear cell group.ResultsA comparative study between these 2 groups was carried out. There were no significant differences in ulcer healing in the first 6 months, but 6 months and one-year post-treatment, they were found. At 6 months, no patient in the conventional surgery group showed dehiscence or fistulization of the wound and, one year after surgery, only 3.17% recurred in the conventional group. In addition, there was a statistically significant relationship between days of hospitalization and the type of bacterial contamination and the intervention group.ConclusionBone marrow mononuclear cell infusion-infiltration is an alternative treatment for PIs and fistula during the first 6 months, instead of conventional surgery. However, in the medium-long term, conventional surgery is more effective.

Oak wood is the main material used by coopers to manufacture casks for the aging of spirits or wines. Phenolic compounds are the main components extracted from the wood during spirit aging. In the present study, a chemometric approach based on unsupervised (PCA) and supervised (PLS–DA) pattern recognition techniques has been applied to the chromatographic instrumental fingerprints, obtained by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) at 280 nm, of the phenolic profiles of brandies aged in casks made of different oak wood species. The resulting natural data groupings and the PLS–DA models have revealed that the oak wood species, the toasting level, and the aging time are the most influential factors on the phenolic profile of the final products. Fingerprinting should be considered as a very useful feature, as it represents a considerable advantage, in terms of internal and quality control, for brandy producers.

This research aimed to study implicit and explicit internalized stigma and its relationship with other variables in a sample of people with distinct mental illness diagnoses (N= 160). Descriptive analysis, mean differences, correlations, and stepwise regression models were conducted. Implicit and explicit internalized stigma was found throughout the sample with differences depending on certain sociodemographic variables. Regression models revealed symptomatology, physical environment, personality traits, references to mental illness, and the time taken to seek professional help as predictors of explicit internalized stigma. At the implicit level, only self-esteem was found as a predictor explaining a low percentage of the variance. The results obtained underline the differences between implicit and explicit stigma, suggesting different relevant variables for interventions focused on prevention and internalized stigma reduction.

Background: Astrocytes Ca2+signaling play a central role in the modulation of neuronal function. Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) by glutamate released during an increase in synaptic activity triggers coordinated Ca2+signals in astrocytes. Importantly, astrocytes express the Ca2+-dependent nitric oxide (NO)-synthetizing enzymes eNOS and nNOS, which might contribute to the Ca2+signals by triggering Ca2+influx or ATP release through the activation of connexin 43 (Cx43) hemichannels, pannexin-1 (Panx-1) channels or Ca2+homeostasis modulator 1 (CALHM1) channels. Hence, we aim to evaluate the participation of NO in the astrocytic Ca2+signaling initiated by stimulation of mGluR in primary cultures of astrocytes from rat brain cortex. Results: Astrocytes were stimulated with glutamate or t-ACPD and NO-dependent changes in [Ca2+]iand ATP release were evaluated. In addition, the activity of Cx43 hemichannels, Panx-1 channels and CALHM1 channels was also analyzed. The expression of Cx43, Panx-1 and CALHM1 in astrocytes was confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis and both glutamate and t-ACPD induced NO-mediated activation of CALHM1 channels via direct S-nitrosylation, which was further confirmed by assessing CALHM1-mediated current using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique in Xenopus oocytes. Pharmacological blockade or siRNA-mediated inhibition of CALHM1 expression revealed that the opening of these channels provides a pathway for ATP release and the subsequent purinergic receptor-dependent activation of Cx43 hemichannels and Panx-1 channels, which further contributes to the astrocytic Ca2+signaling. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that activation of CALHM1 channels through NO-mediated S-nitrosylation in astrocytes in vitro is critical for the generation of glutamate-initiated astrocytic Ca2+signaling.

ABSTRACTEarly detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been proven crucial during the efforts to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several diagnostic methods have emerged in the past few months, each with different shortcomings and limitations. The current gold standard, RT-qPCR using fluorescent probes, relies on demanding equipment requirements plus the high costs of the probes and specific reaction mixes. To broaden the possibilities of reagents and thermocyclers that could be allocated towards this task, we have optimized an alternative strategy for RT-qPCR diagnosis. This is based on a widely used DNA-intercalating dye and can be implemented with several different qPCR reagents and instruments. Remarkably, the proposed qPCR method performs similarly to the broadly used TaqMan-based detection, in terms of specificity and sensitivity, thus representing a reliable tool. We think that, through enabling the use of vast range of thermocycler models and laboratory facilities for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, the alternative proposed here can increase dramatically the testing capability, especially in countries with limited access to costly technology and reagents.

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Serum phosphorus levels range from 2.5 and 4.5mg/dl (0.81–1.45mmol/l) in adults, with higher levels in childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy. Intracellular phosphate is involved in intermediary metabolism and other essential cell functions, while extracellular phosphate is essential for bone matrix mineralization. Plasma phosphorus levels are maintained within a narrow range by regulation of intestinal absorption, redistribution, and renal tubular absorption of the mineral. Hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatemia are common clinical situations, although changes are most often mild and oligosymptomatic. However, acute and severe conditions that require specific treatment may occur. In this document, members of the Mineral and Bone Metabolism Working Group of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition review phosphate disorders and provide algorithms for adequate clinical management of hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatemia.

La concentración sérica de fósforo oscila entre 2,5 y 4,5mg/dl (0,81-1,45mmol/l) en adultos, con niveles más altos en la infancia, la adolescencia y durante la gestación. El fosfato intracelular está implicado en el metabolismo intermediario y otras funciones celulares esenciales, mientras que el extracelular es fundamental para la mineralización de la matriz ósea. La fosforemia se mantiene en un estrecho rango mediante la regulación de la absorción intestinal, la redistribución y la reabsorción tubular renal de fósforo. La hipofosfatemia y la hiperfosfatemia son situaciones clínicas frecuentes, aunque, en la mayoría de las ocasiones, se trata de alteraciones leves y poco sintomáticas. Sin embargo, pueden presentarse cuadros agudos y severos que requieren tratamiento específico. En este documento elaborado por miembros del Grupo de Trabajo de Metabolismo Mineral y Óseo de la Sociedad Española de Endocrinología y Nutrición se revisan los trastornos del fosfato y se proporcionan algoritmos de manejo clínico de la hipofosfatemia y la hiperfosfatemia.

DEVILS IN THE SUGAR SHOP. By Timothy Schaffert. (Unbridled, paper, $14.95.) Think ''Sex and the City.'' Now make the city ... Omaha. The circle of women in this sprightly and [...]