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In Zambia, women with breast symptoms travel through multiple levels of the healthcare system before obtaining a definitive diagnosis. To eradicate this critical barrier to care, we nested a novel breast specialty service platform inside a large public‐sector primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia to offer clinical breast examination, breast ultrasound, and ultrasound‐guided core needle biopsy in a one‐stop format, tightly linked to referral for treatment. The objective of the study was to determine the life expectancy and survival outcomes of a prospective cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer who were attended to and followed up at the clinic. The effect of breast cancer stage on prognosis was determined by estimating stage‐specific crude survival using the Kaplan–Meier method. Survival analysis was used to estimate mean lifespan according to age and stage at diagnosis. We enrolled 302 women with histologically confirmed breast cancer. The overall 3‐year survival was 73%. An increase in patients presenting with early breast cancer and improvements in their survival were observed. Women with early‐stage breast cancer had a lifespan similar to the general population, while loss of life expectancy was significant at more advanced stages of disease. Our findings suggest that implementing efficient breast care services at the primary care level can avert a substantial proportion of breast cancer‐related deaths. The mitigating factor appears to be stage of disease at the time of diagnosis, the cause of which is multifactorial, with the most influential being delays in the referral process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed halide perovskites are emerging as promising candidates for wide‐bandgap components in tandem solar cells and color‐tunable light‐emitting diodes. Yet, halide mixing poses a fundamental question of whether the inhomogeneous halide distribution impacts the intrinsic electronic disorder in these materials. To address this point, density functional theory (DFT)‐based molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed for pure and mixed halide perovskites, accounting for disorder stemming from inhomogeneous chemical composition associated with the halide component and from finite temperature effects. For pure halide perovskites, finite‐temperature band gap fluctuations from the MD simulations are in good agreement with the broadening measured using photoluminescence. Furthermore, these calculations confirm the natively modest inhomogeneous disorder in the electronic structure of these materials. Most notably, such a low degree of electronic disorder is preserved in models mimicking finely intermixed Br/I solid‐state solutions. In contrast, models featuring halide segregation show comparably wider band gap fluctuations, with a sizable contribution from inhomogeneous (static) broadening, which is associated, at least in part, with structural distortions stemming from lattice mismatch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report describes a pharmacokinetic drug–drug interaction between crizotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, a direct-acting antiviral drug, leading to cardiac toxicity. A 75-year-old man, with no cardiovascular history but a diagnosis of metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer with mesenchymal–epithelial transition exon-14 deletion and hepatitis C virus infection genotype 1A, received both crizotinib and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir. Crizotinib was well tolerated, but 1 week after sofosbuvir/velpatasvir initiation, the patient experienced bilateral lower-limb oedema and class III New York Heart Association dyspnoea. We assumed that increased exposure to crizotinib could account for this cardiac toxicity. Drug causality was probable according to the Naranjo scale. We hypothesized a reciprocal interaction between crizotinib and velpatasvir, mediated by both cytochrome 3A4 (CYP3A4) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Clinicians should be aware of the risk of drug–drug interactions between direct-acting antiviral agents that inhibit CYP3A4 (glecaprevir) and/or P-gp (voxilaprevir, velpatasvir) and anticancer tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are mostly CYP3A4 and/or P-gp substrates (gefitinib, afatinib, erlotinib, crizotinib, ceritinib, lorlatinib, brigatinib, capmatinib etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study compared refractive and axial length (AL) changes in children wearing dual‐focus soft contact lenses for myopia control (MiSight®) with myopic children wearing spectacles one year from the start of lockdown during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: This retrospective, descriptive, parallel‐group, observational study reviewed the charts of 11 children who began treatment for myopia control with dual‐focus soft contact lenses for myopia control (MiSight®) in March 2020 and 11 matched spectacle‐wearing controls. The mean increase in spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and AL from the beginning of the lockdown and up to 1 year later were compared. The parents of the children were asked about the average time spent on near work, contact lens wearing time both during and after the strict confinement and whether they had discontinued contact lens wear during lockdown. Results: During this first year of preventive COVID‐19 measures (March 2020–March 2021), for the contact lens group the average SER and AL increased −0.14 ± 0.09D and 0.13 ± 0.05 mm, respectively. For the spectacle wearers, the corresponding increases were −0.54 ± 0.16D and 0.25 ± 0.08 mm, respectively. A significant difference was found between the groups for both SER (p < 0.001) and AL (p < 0.05). The average time spent outdoors was restricted for both groups during lockdown and increased after. However, statistically significant changes in the time spent outdoors during and after lockdown were only found for the spectacle group (p < 0.05; t‐test), whereas this change was not significant for the contact lens group (p = 0.08). Conclusions: Over the observed time period, dual‐focus soft contact lenses for myopia control were effective despite the decreased time spent outdoors during the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipboard hydrography along the A25‐Ovide section (2002–2018) is combined with a high‐resolution mooring array (2014–2020) and a regional fleet of Deep‐Argo floats (2016–2021) to describe temperature changes of overflow‐derived water masses in the Irminger Sea. Removing dynamical influences enables to identify a new statistically significant trend reversal in Iceland Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) core temperatures in the mid‐2010s. A basin‐wide cooling trend of −16 ± 6 m°C yr−1 during 2016–2021—but reaching as strong as −44 ± 13 m°C yr−1 for DSOW in recent years—is found to interrupt a warming phase that was prevailing since the late 1990s. The absence of an apparent reversal in the Nordic Seas and the faster changes detected in DSOW compared to ISOW point out the entrainment of subpolar signals within the overflows near the Greenland‐Iceland‐Scotland sills as a most likely driver. Plain Language Summary: The North Atlantic Deep Water is one of the most voluminous water masses of the global ocean. Its deepest constituent—the Lower North Atlantic Deep Water (LNADW)—forms in the Nordic Seas before cascading into the North Atlantic at the Greenland‐Iceland‐Scotland sills and progressing south toward the Southern Ocean. The temperature and salinity of LNADW are known to obey decadal trends in response to forcing in its source regions as well as subsequent mixing with surrounding and overlying water masses during its Atlantic journey. Here, repeated measurements from oceanographic vessels, continuous monitoring with moored instrumentations, and autonomous Deep‐Argo floats in the Irminger Sea (east of Greenland) during 2002–2021 are used to reveal a new warming‐to‐cooling reversal of LNADW in 2014. This signal, which presumably originates in the entrainment of upper and intermediate ocean variability near the Greenland‐Iceland‐Scotland sills, will progressively travel southward within the lower branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Key Points: Shipboard, Deep‐Argo, and mooring data capture a warming‐to‐cooling reversal of Lower North Atlantic Deep Water in the Irminger Sea in 2014The cooling trend is statistically significant and has likely accelerating in recent years, reaching −16 ± 6 m°C yr−1 during 2016–2021Denmark Strait Overflow Water has warmed and cooled significantly faster than Iceland Scotland Overflow Water during 2002–2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturn's polar regions (polewards of ∼63° planetocentric latitude) are strongly dynamically active with zonal jets, polar cyclones and the intriguing north polar hexagon (NPH) wave. Here we analyze measurements of horizontal winds, previously obtained from Cassini images by Antuñano et al. (2015), https://doi.org/10.1002/2014je004709, to determine the spatial and spectral exchanges of kinetic energy (KE) between zonal mean zonal jets and nonaxisymmetric eddies in Saturn's polar regions. Eddies of most resolved scales generally feed KE into the eastward and westward zonal mean jets at rates between 4.3 × 10−5 and 1.4 × 10−4 W kg−1. In particular, the north polar jet (at 76°N) was being energized at a rate of ∼10−4 W kg−1, dominated by the contribution due to the zonal wavenumber m = 6 NPH wave itself. This implies that the hexagon was not being driven at this time through a barotropic instability of the north polar jet, but may suggest a significant role for baroclinic instabilities, convection or other internal energy sources for this feature. The south polar zonal mean jet KE was also being sustained by eddies in that latitude band across a wide range of m. In contrast, results indicate that the north polar vortex may have been weakly barotropically unstable at this time with eddies of low m gaining KE at the expense of the axisymmetric cyclone. However, the southern axisymmetric polar cyclone was gaining KE from non‐axisymmetric components at this time, including m = 2 and its harmonics, as the elliptical distortion of the vortex may have been decaying. Plain Language Summary: Saturn's polar regions (polewards of ∼63° latitude) are strongly meteorologically active with high speed eastward zonal jets (at 76°N and 70°S), intense, hurricane‐like polar cyclones and the intriguing north polar hexagon wave (at 76°N). Here we analyze measurements of horizontal winds, previously obtained by tracking features in images from the Cassini Orbiter spacecraft, to determine how kinetic energy is exchanged between the longitudinally averaged zonal jets and various types of nonaxisymmetric eddy. As measured previously at low‐ and mid‐latitudes on Jupiter and Saturn, we found that Saturn's 76°N and 70°S jets were gaining energy at the expense of nonaxisymmetric waves and eddies, including the northern polar hexagonal meanders, suggesting an important energetic role for heat transporting processes in Saturn's circulation. Energy exchanges within the polar vortices themselves were more complicated, with the suggestion that asymmetric distortions of the circular vortices (evident in high resolution images) were either growing or decaying at the time of observation. Key Points: Wind velocities obtained from Cassini images are analyzed to determine eddy‐zonal mean exchanges of kinetic energy (KE) in Saturn's polar regionsBoth the North and South Polar zonal mean jets at 76°N and 70°S are energized from non‐zonal eddies, including the m = 6 North Polar Hexagon waveThe North Polar Vortex was barotropically unstable at this time, but the South Polar Vortex was gaining net KE from eddies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of some anti-hypertensive drugs in the current COVID-19 pandemic has become controversial. This study investigated possible relationships between anti-hypertensive medications use and COVID-19 infection risk in the ambulatory hypertensive population. This is a population-based retrospective cohort study involving 34 936 hypertensive adults >50 years in Tarragona (Southern Catalonia, Spain) who were retrospectively followed through pandemic period (from 01/03/2020 to 30/04/2020). Two data sets including demographic/clinical characteristics (comorbidities and cardiovascular medications use) and laboratory PCR codes for COVID-19 were linked to construct an anonymized research database. Cox regression was used to calculate multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and estimate the risk of suffering COVID-19 infection. Across study period, 205 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases were observed, which means an overall incidence of 586.8 cases per 100 000 persons-period. In multivariable analyses, only age (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.02-1.05; P < .001) and nursing home residence (HR: 19.60; 95% CI: 13.80-27.84; P < .001) appeared significantly associated with increased risk of COVID-19. Considering anti-hypertensive drugs, receiving diuretics (HR: 1.22; 95% CI: 0.90-1.67; P = .205), calcium channel blockers (HR: 1.29; 95%CI: 0.91-1.82; P = .148), beta-blockers (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.68-1.37; P = .844), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.61-1.13; P = .238) did not significantly alter the risk of PCR-confirmed COVID-19, whereas receiving angiotensin II receptor blockers was associated with an almost statistically significant reduction risk (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.44-1.01; P = .054). In conclusion, our data support that receiving renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors does not predispose for suffering COVID-19 infection in ambulatory hypertensive people. Conversely, receiving angiotensin II receptor blockers could be related with a reduced risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halide mixing is a key strategy to tune the emission wavelength in lead halide perovskites but is also effective in improving the performance of halide perovskite solar cells. Yet, a clear and global picture of how halide alloying and related spatial in/homogeneous distribution influence the electronic and optical properties of halide perovskites is currently lacking. Considering the preeminent mixed iodine/bromine perovskite as a case study, state‐of‐the‐art hybrid density functional theory calculations are performed, exploring the full space of chemical composition and accounting for phase segregation effects. It is shown that, at low doping regime, halide impurities do not act as trap states and that a quasi‐linear opening of the bandgap occurs with increasing the bromine content. Phase segregation at the nanoscale, in turn, drastically affects the electronic structure of mixed halide systems, with namely bromine rich domains acting as barrier to hole diffusion. The energetic disorder probed by optical absorption in these mixed systems is surprisingly insensitive to configurational disorder, but mostly dominated by the coexistence of phases with various degrees of halide segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of six new Fe(II)NHC‐carboxylic sensitizers with their ancillary ligand decorated with functions of varied electronic properties have been designed with the aim to increase the metal‐to‐ surface charge separation and light harvesting in iron‐based dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). ARM130 scored the highest efficiency ever reported for an iron‐sensitized solar cell (1.83 %) using Mg2+ and NBu4I‐based electrolyte and a thick 20 μm TiO2 anode. Computational modelling, transient absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the electronic properties induced by the dimethoxyphenyl‐substituted NHC ligand of ARM130 led to the best combination of electron injection yield and spectral sensitivity breadth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes a prosthetically‐driven implant planning method, guided by the alignment procedures between the cone beam computed tomography, intraoral digital scans, and digitized maxillary and mandibular interim complete dentures using intraoral composite resin markers as a common reference. The markers were attached to the keratinized oral mucosa of the edentulous ridges using cyanoacrylate and kept in place during the digitizing procedures. The technique provides a simpler and more economical alternative to conventional prosthetically‐driven static implant planning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Images of the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn show highly turbulent storms and swirling clouds that reflect the intensity of turbulence in their atmospheres. Quantifying planetary turbulence is inaccessible to conventional tools, however, since they require large quantities of spatially and temporally resolved data. Here we show, using experiments, observations, and simulations, that potential vorticity (PV) is a straightforward and universal diagnostic that can be used to estimate turbulent energy transfer in a stably stratified atmosphere. We use the conservation of PV to define a length scale, LM, representing a typical distance over which PV is mixed by planetary turbulence. LM increases as the turbulent intensity increases and can be estimated from any latitudinal PV profile. Using this principle, we estimate LM within Jupiter's and Saturn's tropospheres, showing for the first time that turbulent energy transfer in Saturn's atmosphere is four times less intense than Jupiter's. Key Points: We present a new and universal diagnostic to reveal the intensity of turbulent energy transfer in planetary atmospheresWe show that turbulent energy transfer in Saturn's atmosphere is 4 times less intense than Jupiter's [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) established a series of resource-stratified, evidence-based guidelines to address breast cancer control in the context of available resources. Here, the authors describe methodologies and health system prerequisites to support the translation and implementation of these guidelines into practice.Methods: In October 2018, the BHGI convened the Sixth Global Summit on Improving Breast Healthcare Through Resource-Stratified Phased Implementation. The purpose of the summit was to define a stepwise methodology (phased implementation) for guiding the translation of resource-appropriate breast cancer control guidelines into real-world practice. Three expert consensus panels developed stepwise, resource-appropriate recommendations for implementing these guidelines in low-income and middle-income countries as well as underserved communities in high-income countries. Each panel focused on 1 of 3 specific aspects of breast cancer care: 1) early detection, 2) treatment, and 3) health system strengthening.Results: Key findings from the summit and subsequent article preparation included the identification of phased-implementation prerequisites that were explored during consensus debates. These core issues and concepts are key components for implementing breast health care that consider real-world resource constraints. Communication and engagement across all levels of care is vital to any effectively operating health care system, including effective communication with ministries of health and of finance, to demonstrate needs, outcomes, and cost benefits.Conclusions: Underserved communities at all economic levels require effective strategies to deploy scarce resources to ensure access to timely, effective, and affordable health care. Systematically strategic approaches translating guidelines into practice are needed to build health system capacity to meet the current and anticipated global breast cancer burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When breast cancer is detected and treated early, the chances of survival are very high. However, women in many settings face complex barriers to early detection, including social, economic, geographic, and other interrelated factors, which can limit their access to timely, affordable, and effective breast health care services. Previously, the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) developed resource-stratified guidelines for the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. In this consensus article from the sixth BHGI Global Summit held in October 2018, the authors describe phases of early detection program development, beginning with management strategies required for the diagnosis of clinically detectable disease based on awareness education and technical training, history and physical examination, and accurate tissue diagnosis. The core issues address include finance and governance, which pertain to successful planning, implementation, and the iterative process of program improvement and are needed for a breast cancer early detection program to succeed in any resource setting. Examples are presented of implementation, process, and clinical outcome metrics that assist in program implementation monitoring. Country case examples are presented to highlight the challenges and opportunities of implementing successful breast cancer early detection programs, and the complex interplay of barriers and facilitators to achieving early detection for breast cancer in real-world settings are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer advocacy movements, driven by advocate-led civil society organizations (CSOs), have proven to be a powerful force for the advancement of cancer control in high-income countries (HICs). However, although patient advocacy movements are growing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) in response to an increasing cancer burden, the experiences and needs of advocate-led breast cancer CSOs in LMICs is understudied.Methods: The authors conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 98 participants representing 23 LMICs in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, East and Southern Africa, and Latin America.Results: Despite geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic differences, the common themes that emerged from the data across the 3 regions are strikingly similar: trust, knowledge gaps, stigma, sharing experiences, and sustainability. The authors identified common facilitators (training/education, relationship building/networking, third-party facilitators, and communication) and barriers (mistrust, stigma, organizational fragility, difficulty translating HIC strategies) to establishing trust, collaboration, and advancing cancer advocacy efforts. To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first to describe the role that coalitions and regional networks play in advancing breast cancer advocacy in LMICs across multiple regions.Conclusions: The findings of the current study corroborate the importance of investing in 3-way partnerships between CSOs, political leaders, and health experts. When provided with information that is evidence-based and resource appropriate, as well as opportunities to network, advocates are better equipped to achieve their goals. The authors propose that support for CSOs focuses on building trust through increasing opportunities for engagement, disseminating best practices and evidence-based information, and fostering the creation of platforms for partnerships and networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve our understanding of deep circulation, we deployed five Deep‐Argo floats (0–4,000 m) in the Charlie‐Gibbs Fracture Zone (CGFZ), which channels the flow of Iceland‐Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW), a dense water mass of the North Atlantic Ocean. The floats were programed to drift at 2,750 dbar in the ISOW layer. The floats mainly moved westward in the CGFZ, although some of them followed different routes for few cycles depending on northward intrusions of the North Atlantic Current over the CGFZ. One float revealed a direct route for ISOW from CGFZ to the Deep Western Boundary Current at Flemish Cap. In the CGFZ, oxygen data acquired by the floats revealed that the ISOW layer, characterized by salinity higher than 34.94 and density greater than 27.8 kg/m, was mainly composed of the highly oxygenated ISOW and the less oxygenated North East Atlantic Deep Water (NEADW), a complex water mass from the East Atlantic. In the ISOW layer, the relative contribution of ISOW was generally larger in the northern valley than in the southern valley of CGFZ. Northward intrusions of the North Atlantic Current above the CGFZ increased the relative contribution of NEADW in the northern valley and favors mixing between ISOW and NEADW. The ISOW‐NEADW signal flowing westward from the CGFZ toward the Deep Western Boundary Current was progressively diluted by Labrador Sea Water and Denmark Strait Overflow Water. Oxygen measurements from Deep‐Argo floats are essential for a better understanding and characterization of the mixing and spreading of deep water masses. Plain Language Summary: The North Atlantic Ocean contributes to the uptake in the deep ocean of the excess of heat received by Earth due to human activities. The heat redistribution toward the rest of the ocean depends on the deep circulation, which is still largely unknown. To improve our understanding of this deep circulation, we deployed in 2015 and 2017 five Deep‐Argo floats in the Charlie‐Gibbs Fracture Zone (CGFZ), a gap in the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge that constraints the pathway of deep water masses. Those autonomous platforms freely drifted at 2,750 dbar in the core of the Iceland‐Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW), a young water mass, rich in O2, originating from the Nordic Seas. One float revealed a new direct route of ISOW toward the subtropical gyre. The pathway followed by the floats west of the CGFZ depended on northward intrusions of the North Atlantic Current over the CGFZ. This interaction between the North Atlantic Current and the deep flow in the CGFZ favors the mixing of ISOW with the North East Atlantic Deep Water, an old water mass characterized by low O2. These results advocate for equipping Deep‐Argo floats with oxygen sensors to improve understanding of deep circulation and water mass mixing. Key Points: A direct route is suggested for ISOW from the Charlie‐Gibbs Fracture Zone to the Deep Western Boundary Current at Flemish CapAt the Charlie‐Gibbs Fracture Zone, oxygen measurements are key to quantifying ISOW mixing with North East Atlantic Deep WaterMixing between ISOW, North East Atlantic Deep Water, Labrador Sea Water, and Denmark Strait Overflow Water is observed in the western basin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are important surface glycopolymers involved in various physiological processes occurring in the Gram‐positive cell envelope. We previously showed that the decoration of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) WTAs with l‐rhamnose conferred resistance against antimicrobial peptides. Here, we show that WTA l‐rhamnosylation also contributes to physiological levels of autolysis in Lm through a mechanism that requires efficient association of Ami, a virulence‐promoting autolysin belonging to the GW protein family, to the bacterial cell surface. Importantly, WTA l‐rhamnosylation also controls the surface association of another GW protein, the invasin internalin B (InlB), that promotes Lm invasion of host cells. Whereas WTA N‐acetylglucosaminylation is not a prerequisite for GW protein surface association, lipoteichoic acids appear to also play a role in the surface anchoring of InlB. Strikingly, while the GW domains of Ami, InlB and Auto (another autolysin contributing to cell invasion and virulence) are sufficient to mediate surface association, this is not the case for the GW domains of the remaining six uncharacterized Lm GW proteins. Overall, we reveal WTA l‐rhamnosylation as a bacterial surface modification mechanism that contributes to Lm physiology and pathogenesis by controlling the surface association of GW proteins involved in autolysis and infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The functionality of interfaces in hybrid inorganic/organic (opto)electronic devices is determined by the alignment of the respective frontier energy levels at both sides of the heterojunctions. Controlling the interface electronic landscape is a key element for achieving favourable level alignment for energy and charge transfer processes. Here, it is shown that the electronic properties of polar ZnO surfaces can be reversibly modified using organic photochromic switches. By employing a range of surface characterization techniques combined with density functional theory calculations, it is demonstrated that self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) of photochromic phosphonic acid diarylethenes (PA‐DAEs) can be employed to reversibly change the electronic properties of polar ZnO/SAM structures by light stimuli. The highest occupied molecular orbital level of PA‐DAE is raised by 0.7 eV and the lowest unoccupied one lowered by 0.9 eV, respectively, upon illumination by ultraviolet light and the levels shift back to their original position upon illumination by green light. The results thus provide a pathway to tailor hybrid interface electronic properties in a dynamic manner upon simple light illumination, which can be exploited to reversibly tune the electrical properties of photoswitchable (opto)electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied a temporal social network analysis model to describe three affiliative social networks (allogrooming, sleep in contact, and triadic interaction) in a non-human primate species, Macaca sylvanus. Three main social mechanisms were examined to determine interactional patterns among group members, namely preferential attachment (i.e., highly connected individuals are more likely to form new connections), triadic closure (new connections occur via previous close connections), and homophily (individuals interact preferably with others with similar attributes). Preferential attachment was only observed for triadic interaction network. Triadic closure was significant in allogrooming and triadic interaction networks. Finally, gender homophily was seasonal for allogrooming and sleep in contact networks, and observed in each period for triadic interaction network. These individual-based behaviors are based on individual reactions, and their analysis can shed light on the formation of the affiliative networks determining ultimate coalition networks, and how these networks may evolve over time. A focus on individual behaviors is necessary for a global interactional approach to understanding social behavior rules and strategies. When combined, these social processes could make animal social networks more resilient, thus enabling them to face drastic environmental changes. This is the first study to pinpoint some of the processes underlying the formation of a social structure in a non-human primate species, and identify common mechanisms with humans. The approach used in this study provides an ideal tool for further research seeking to answer long-standing questions about social network dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During infection, plasma membrane ( PM) blebs protect host cells against bacterial pore-forming toxins ( PFTs), but were also proposed to promote pathogen dissemination. However, the details and impact of blebbing regulation during infection remained unclear. Here, we identify the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone Gp96 as a novel regulator of PFT-induced blebbing. Gp96 interacts with non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA ( NMHCIIA) and controls its activity and remodelling, which is required for appropriate coordination of bleb formation and retraction. This mechanism involves NMHCIIA-Gp96 interaction and their recruitment to PM blebs and strongly resembles retraction of uropod-like structures from polarized migrating cells, a process that also promotes NMHCIIA-Gp96 association. Consistently, Gp96 and NMHCIIA not only protect the PM integrity from listeriolysin O ( LLO) during infection by Listeria monocytogenes but also affect cytoskeletal organization and cell migration. Finally, we validate the association between Gp96 and NMHCIIA in vivo and show that Gp96 is required to protect hosts from LLO-dependent killing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called inductive McKay condition on finite simple groups, due to Isaacs-Malle-Navarro, has recently been reformulated by Späth. We show that this reformulation applies to the reduction theorem for Alperin's weight conjecture, due to Navarro-Tiep. This also simplifies the checking of the inductive condition for Alperin's weight conjecture in the case of simple groups of Lie type with regard to the defining prime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 4‐year‐old girl presented with a 2‐month history of round, hypopigmented, slightly scaly patches measuring 1‐6 cm and encircled by an erythematous halo, first appearing on the lower limbs then spreading to the whole body. Three biopsies were taken as the condition progressed, each showing a lymphocytic infiltrate affecting a medium‐sized artery at the dermal‐subcutaneous junction, with a concentric fibrin ring. These findings are characteristic of lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis (LTA). The young age of our patient and the type of skin lesions she developed make this an atypical presentation of LTA, which usually manifests as hyperpigmented macules on the lower extremities, predominantly in dark‐skinned women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A queen honey bee mates at ∼6 days of age, storing the sperm in her spermatheca for life. Mating is associated with profound changes in the behaviour and physiology of the queen but the mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood. What is known is that the presence of semen in the oviducts and spermatheca is insufficient to initiate laying, and that copulation or CO2 narcosis is necessary for ovary activation. In this study we use real-time quantitative PCR to investigate the expression of biogenic amine receptor genes in the brain and ovarian tissue of queens in relation to their reproductive status. We show that dopamine, octopamine and serotonin receptor genes are expressed in the ovaries of queens, and that natural mating, CO2 narcosis, and the presence of semen in the spermatheca differentially affect their expression. We suggest that these changes may be central to the hormonal cascades that are necessary to initiate oogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To address the incremental usefulness of biomarkers from different disease pathways for predicting risk of death in heart failure (HF). Methods and results We used data from consecutive patients treated at a structured multidisciplinary HF unit to investigate whether a combination of biomarkers reflecting ventricular fibrosis, remodelling, and stretch [ST2 and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP)] improved the risk stratification of a HF patient beyond an assessment based on established mortality risk factors (age, sex, ischaemic aetiology, left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association functional class, diabetes, glomerular filtration rate, sodium, haemoglobin, and beta-blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker treatments). ST2 was measured with a novel high-sensitivity immunoassay. During a median follow-up time of 33.4 months, 244 of the 891 participants in the study (mean age 70.2 years at baseline) died. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, both ST2 and NTproBNP significantly predicted the risk of death. The individual inclusion of ST2 and NTproBNP in the model with established mortality risk factors significantly improved the C statistic for predicting death [0.79 (0.76–0.81); P < 0.001]. The net improvement in reclassification after the separate addition of ST2 to the model with established risk factors and NTproBNP was estimated at 9.90% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.34–15.46; P < 0.001] and the integrated discrimination improvement at 1.54 (95% CI 0.29–2.78); P = 0.015). Conclusions Our data suggest that in a real-life cohort of HF patients, the addition of ST2 and NTproBNP substantially improves the risk stratification for death beyond that of a model that is based only on established mortality risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction - Aurones (aureusidin glycosides) are plant flavonoids that provide yellow colour to the flowers of some ornamental plants. In this study we analyse the capacity of tyrosinase to catalyse the synthesis of aureusidin by tyrosinase from the chalcone THC (2′,4′,6′,4-tetrahydroxychalcone). Objective - To develop a simple continuous spectrophotometric assay for the analysis of the spectrophotometric and kinetic characteristics of THC oxidation by tyrosinase. Methodology - THC oxidation was routinely assayed by measuring the increase in absorbance at 415 nm vs. reaction time. Results - According to the mechanism proposed for tyrosinase, the enzymatic reaction involves the o-hydroxylation of the monophenol THC to the o-diphenol (PHC, 2′,4′,6′,3,4 - pentahydroxychalcone), which is then oxidised to the corresponding o-quinone in a second enzymatic step. This product is highly unstable and thus undergoes a series of fast chemical reactions to produce aureusidin. In these experimental conditions, the optimum pH for THC oxidation is 4.5. The progress curves obtained for THC oxidation showed the appearance of a lag period. The following kinetic parameters were also determined: Km = 0.12 mM, Vm = 13 μM/min, Vm/ Km = 0.11/min. Conclusion - This method has made it possible to analyse the spectrophotometric and kinetic characteristics of THC by tyrosinase. This procedure has the advantages of a short analysis time, straightforward measurement techniques and reproducibility. In addition, it also allows the study of tyrosinase inhibitors, such as tropolone. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the development of indoor air quality guidelines (IAQGs) of the French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety and the French Scientific and Technical Centre for Building. It states that guidelines provide pollutant concentration safe levels for indoor air. It notes that exposure to formaldehyde and benzene can cause health risks such as cancer and asthmatic diseases. It concludes that policy makers can use the guidelines for regulatory threshold.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of primary cardiac complications in a large population of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), using recently developed echocardiographic techniques. METHODS: We prospectively studied 100 consecutive patients (mean +/- SD age 54 +/- 14 years; 86 women) presenting with SSc without pulmonary arterial hypertension or clinical manifestations of heart failure. All patients underwent standard echocardiography, along with measurements of longitudinal velocities by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) to assess left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) contractility and LV diastolic function. Results were compared with those in 26 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Patients with SSc had a wider mean left atrial diameter and impaired relaxation compared with the controls. A trend was observed toward a smaller LV ejection fraction (EF) in the patients (mean +/- SD 64.9 +/- 0.6%) than in the controls (67.2 +/- 0.7%), as well as higher pulmonary artery pressure (mean +/- SD 33.3 +/- 0.6 mm Hg versus 30.8 +/- 1.0 mm Hg). LVEF was <55% in 7 patients versus none of the controls. Peak systolic mitral annular velocity as measured by TDI was <7.5 cm/second in 14 patients versus none of the controls (P = 0.040). Mitral annulus early diastolic velocity was <10 cm/second in 30 patients versus 2 of the controls (P = 0.022). Fifteen patients and none of the controls had reduced peak systolic tricuspid annular velocity (P = 0.039). The TDI results correlated with each other, but not with lung abnormalities or other disease characteristics. CONCLUSION: Depression of LV and RV systolic and LV diastolic function is common in patients with SSc and is due to primary myocardial involvement. Considering the major contributions of TDI, the addition of this simple technique to standard measurements may improve the detection of heart involvement in patients with SSc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By comparative genomics, we have identified a gene of the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes that encodes an LPXTG surface protein absent from nonpathogenic Listeria species. This gene, vip, is positively regulated by PrfA, the transcriptional activator of the major Listeria virulence factors. Vip is anchored to the Listeria cell wall by sortase A and is required for entry into some mammalian cells. Using a ligand overlay approach, we identified a cellular receptor for Vip, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident chaperone Gp96 recently shown to interact with TLRs. The Vip–Gp96 interaction is critical for bacterial entry into some cells. Comparative infection studies using oral and intravenous inoculation of nontransgenic and transgenic mice expressing human E-cadherin demonstrated a role for Vip in Listeria virulence, not only at the intestine level but also in late stages of the infectious process. Vip thus appears as a new virulence factor exploiting Gp96 as a receptor for cell invasion and/or signalling events that may interfere with the host immune response in the course of the infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two field trials in citrus orchards in Turis (Valencia, Spain) and Denia (Alicante, Spain) were performed in order to test the sterilant effect of the insect growth regulator lufenuron against wild medfly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) populations. Two application methods for lufenuron were tested: spraying, in spots, an emulsion of lufenuron in a protein bait, and hanging delta traps that contained a proteinaceous gel with lufenuron (solid bait). The sterilant effect was measured as medfly population reduction, reduction of fruit damage in treated fields, and the number of eggs hatching in punctured fruits. In order to assess the efficacy of lufenuron treatments, we recorded results obtained from two different zones in both trial fields: an outer zone, close to untreated fields, and an inner zone, in the centre of lufenuron treated fields. We observed a minimum sterilant effect in the outer zone and a maximum sterilant effect in the inner one. The maximum sterilant effect was in the inner zone, where a reduction of medfly population of 80.4% in the sprayed field and a reduction of 77.6% in the solid bait field was observed. In addition, the greater the distance from the untreated zones of the treated orchard (inwards), the lower the fruit damage and medfly population level. In this inner zone, fruit punctured by medfly developed significantly fewer larvae (38.8%) than punctured fruits from the outer zone (68.6%). In addition, we recorded the decline in the activity of the lufenuron treatments with time. Lufenuron activity persisted in field for at least 2 weeks with spray applications, and for 3 months with bait gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive intracellular bacterium responsible for severe opportunistic infections in humans and animals. Signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) was used to identify a gene named fbpA, required for efficient liver colonization of mice inoculated intravenously. FbpA was also shown to be required for intestinal and liver colonization after oral infection of transgenic mice expressing human E-cadherin. fbpA encodes a 570-amino-acid polypeptide that has strong homologies to atypical fibronectin-binding proteins. FbpA binds to immobilized human fibronectin in a dose-dependent and saturable manner and increases adherence of wild-type L. monocytogenes to HEp-2 cells in the presence of exogenous fibronectin. Despite the lack of conventional secretion/anchoring signals, FbpA is detected using an antibody generated against the recombinant FbpA protein on the bacterial surface by immunofluorescence, and in the membrane compartment by Western blot analysis of cell extracts. Strikingly, FbpA expression affects the protein levels of two virulence factors, listeriolysin O (LLO) and InlB, but not that of InlA or ActA. FbpA co-immunoprecipitates with LLO and InlB, but not with InlA or ActA. Thus, FbpA, in addition to being a fibronectin-binding protein, behaves as a chaperone or an escort protein for two important virulence factors and appears as a novel multifunctional virulence factor of L. monocytogenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic food-borne human and animal pathogen. Several surface proteins expressed by this intracellular pathogen are critical for the infectious process. By in silico analysis we compared the surface protein repertories of L. monocytogenes and of the non-pathogenic species Listeria innocua and identified a gene encoding a surface protein of L. monocytogenes absent in L. innocua. This gene that we named aut encodes a protein (Auto) of 572 amino acids containing a signal sequence, a N-terminal autolysin domain and a C-terminal cell wall-anchoring domain made up of four GW modules. We show here that the aut gene is expressed independently of the virulence gene regulator PrfA and encodes a surface protein with an autolytic activity. We provide evidence that Auto is required for entry of L. monocytogenes into cultured non-phagocytic eukaryotic cells. The low invasiveness of an aut deletion mutant correlates with its reduced virulence following intravenous inoculation of mice and oral infection of guinea pigs. During infection, the autolytic activity of Auto may also be critical. Auto appears thus as a novel type of L. monocytogenes virulence factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a marker of early pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and to study changes in the levels of this marker following treatment with dihydropyridine-type calcium-channel blocker (DTCCB) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). We evaluated 40 consecutive SSc patients who had been hospitalized for followup care (mean ± SD age 56 ± 11 years and mean ± SD duration of cutaneous disease 9 ± 9 years; 27 with limited cutaneous and 13 with diffuse cutaneous disease) but who had no clinical symptoms of heart failure and had a normal left ventricular ejection fraction. At baseline, 10 patients had PAH, defined as a systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) >40 mm Hg, as measured by echocardiography. Levels of NT-proBNP were determined at baseline (after discontinuation of DTCCB treatment for 72 hours), after taking 3 doses of DTCCB following treatment reinitiation (assessment 1), and after 6–9 months of continuous DTCCB treatment (assessment 2) in the 20 patients who attended regular appointments (including the 10 patients with PAH at baseline). At baseline, 13 patients had high NT-proBNP values for their ages. High NT-proBNP levels identified patients with PAH with a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 90.3%, a positive predictive value of 69.2%, and a negative predictive value of 96%. The NT-proBNP level correlated with the sPAP (r = 0.44; P = 0.006). By assessment 1, the number of patients with PAH and high levels of NT-proBNP had decreased from 9 of 10 to 2 of 10 (P = 0.02). This decrease was partially sustained at assessment 2 (4 of 10 patients; P = 0.06). NT-proBNP is a useful biologic marker that can be used to diagnose early PAH in SSc patients without clinical heart failure. Measurement of NT-proBNP may be valuable for the evaluation of treatment with DTCCB and vasodilators in patients with PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current theories of snow metamorphism indicate that sublimating snow crystals have rounded shapes, while growing crystals have shapes that depend on growth rates. At slow growth rates, crystals are rounded. At moderate rates, they have flat faces with rounded edges. At fast growth rates, crystals have flat faces with sharp edges, and they have hollow faces at very fast growth rates. The main growth/sublimation mechanism is thought to be by the homogeneous nucleation of new layers at or near crystal edges. It was also suggested that the equilibrium shape of snow crystals would be temperature dependent: rounded above -10.5°C, and faceted below. To test these paradigms, we have performed SEM investigations of snow samples having undergone metamorphism under natural conditions, and of snow samples subjected to isothermal metamorphism at -4° and -15°C in the laboratory. In general, current theories predicting crystal shapes as a function of growth rates, and of whether crystals are growing or sublimating, are verified. However, the transition in equilibrium shapes from rounded to faceted at -10.5°C is not observed in our isothermal experiments that reveal a predominance of rounded shapes after more than a month of metamorphism at -4 and -15°C. Some small crystals with flat faces that also have sharp angles at -15°C, are observed in our isothermal experiments. These faces are newly formed, and contradict current theory. Several hypotheses are proposed to explain their occurrence. One is that they are due to sublimation at emerging dislocations. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:33–48, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patatin is a family of glycoproteins that accounts for 30–40% of the total soluble protein in potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers. This protein has been reported to serve as a storage protein and also to exhibit lipid phospholipase activity. This paper describes a simple continuous spectrophotometric method for assaying patatin phospholipase activity. The procedure is based on a coupled enzymatic assay using [1,2-dilinoleoyl]PC as the phospholipase substrate and lipoxygenase as the coupling enzyme. In the procedure developed in this work, lipoxygenase oxidizes the linoleic acid released by the phospholipase activity of patatin. This activity can then be followed spectrophotometrically by recording the increase in absorbance at 234 nm that results from the formation of the corresponding hydroperoxide from linoleic acid by the action of lipoxygenase. The optimal assay concentrations of patatin and lipoxygenase were established. Phospholipase activity varied with pH, reaching its optimal value at pH 9.5. Scans of the deoxycholate concentration pointed to an optimal detergent concentration of 3 mM. Phospholipid hydrolysis followed classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics ( V m=9.8×10−3 μmol/min·μg protein, K m=7.8 μM, V m/ K m=1.3 min−1·μg protein). This method proved to be specific since there was no activity in the absence of patatin. It also had the advantages of a short analysis time and the use of commercially nonradiolabeled and inexpensive substrates, which are, furthermore, natural substrates of phospholipase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen causing severe food-borne infections in humans and animals. It can sense and adapt to a variety of harsh microenvironments outside as well as inside the host. Once ingested by a mammalian host, the bacterial pathogen reaches the intestinal lumen, where it encounters bile salts which, in addition to their role in digestion, have antimicrobial activity. Comparison of the L. monocytogenes and Listeria innocua genomes has revealed the presence of an L. monocytogenes -specific putative gene encoding a bile salt hydrolase (BSH). Here, we show that the bsh gene encodes a functional intracellular enzyme in all pathogenic Listeria species. The bsh gene is positively regulated by PrfA, the transcriptional activator of known L. monocytogenes virulence genes. Moreover, BSH activity increases at low oxygen concentration. Deletion of bsh results in decreased resistance to bile in vitro , reduced bacterial faecal carriage after oral infection of the guinea-pigs, reduced virulence and liver colonization after intravenous inoculation of mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that BSH is a novel PrfA-regulated L. monocytogenes virulence factor involved in the intestinal and hepatic phases of listeriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]