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Genital Mycoplasmas are implicated in adverse pregnancy outcomes and the development of infertility. However, the role of Mycoplasma fermentans in these outcomes has not been adequately studied; therefore, its participation in these sufferings requires further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of M. fermentans in pregnant and non-pregnant women. End-point PCR was used to analyze two hundred and twenty-eight endocervical samples for M. hominis, M. genitalium, M. fermentans, M. pirum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and U. parvum diagnoses. The prevalence of Mycoplasma spp. was as follows: U. parvum was found in 83 samples (36.4%), U. urealyticum in 39 instances (17.1%), M. hominis in 36 (15.7%), M. fermentans in 32 (14%), M. genitalium in 15 (6.6%), and M. pirum in 0 samples. No association was found between the Mycoplasma spp. and some infertility conditions or adverse pregnancy. However, M. fermentans and M. hominis were found to be associated with bacterial vaginosis (RR = 3.4 CI 95% 1.85–6.3, p < 0.005). In conclusion, M. fermentans and M. hominis were isolated more often in women with bacterial vaginosis, which suggests that these bacteria could contribute to the development of this pathology.

This paper examines service-learning case studies in Argentina, Mexico, and the United States. It analyzes whether Andragogy, the study of how to teach adult learners, is equally applicable and effective in different country contexts. First, we argue that service-learning is the most natural and appropriate teaching technique that aligns with the Theory of Andragogy. We then discuss how a clear understanding of Andragogy is the key to helping mature students process knowledge. Two cases of service-learning in an international context provide a research platform for examining differences in learning concepts, constructs, and student competences. We juxtapose Argentina and Mexico governance against U.S. governance, and we differentiate the public policy challenges within the two contexts. Our methodological approach employs grounded theory to identify themes of knowledge transfer through problematic environments. By comparing service-learning strategies in Argentina and Mexico vis-à-vis in the U.S., we find variations in assumptions of public administration practice, teaching methods, and student learning outcomes.

Genital Mycoplasmas are implicated in adverse pregnancy outcomes and the development of infertility. However, the role of Mycoplasma fermentans in these outcomes has not been adequately studied; therefore, its participation in these sufferings requires further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of M. fermentans in pregnant and non-pregnant women. End-point PCR was used to analyze two hundred and twenty-eight endocervical samples for M. hominis, M. genitalium, M. fermentans, M. pirum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and U. parvum diagnoses. The prevalence of Mycoplasma spp. was as follows: U. parvum was found in 83 samples (36.4%), U. urealyticum in 39 instances (17.1%), M. hominis in 36 (15.7%), M. fermentans in 32 (14%), M. genitalium in 15 (6.6%), and M. pirum in 0 samples. No association was found between the Mycoplasma spp. and some infertility conditions or adverse pregnancy. However, M. fermentans and M. hominis were found to be associated with bacterial vaginosis (RR = 3.4 CI 95% 1.85–6.3, p < 0.005). In conclusion, M. fermentans and M. hominis were isolated more often in women with bacterial vaginosis, which suggests that these bacteria could contribute to the development of this pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autologous fat transfers show promise in treating fibrotic skin diseases, reversing scarring and stiffness, and improving quality of life. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) within these grafts are believed to be crucial for this effect, particularly their secreted factors, though the specific mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates transcriptomic changes in ADSCs after in vitro fibrotic, inflammatory, and hypoxic conditioning. High-throughput gene expression assays were conducted on ADSCs exposed to IL1-β, TGF-β1, and hypoxia and in media with fetal bovine serum (FBS). Flow cytometry characterized the ADSCs. RNA-Seq analysis revealed distinct gene expression patterns between the conditions. FBS upregulated pathways were related to the cell cycle, replication, wound healing, and ossification. IL1-β induced immunomodulatory pathways, including granulocyte chemotaxis and cytokine production. TGF-β1 treatment upregulated wound healing and muscle tissue development pathways. Hypoxia led to the downregulation of mitochondria and cellular activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banked serum samples of 60 dead captive Asian elephants were used to evaluate a dot ELISA for tuberculosis screening, of which 30 each were taken as cases and controls. The 30 samples that were recorded as positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by culture and PCR besides being positive on the DPP® Vet-TB Elephant Assay (DPP) and based on lesions during post-mortem examinations were utlised as known positive controls for this study. The 30 controls were tested negative on DPP and were from elephants that had not shown post-mortem lesions. The dot ELISA was designed on a nitrocellulose membrane template, using Protein A-Horseradish peroxidase as the conjugate and diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride as the chromogen substrate. Standardisation of the assay was done using a purified M. tuberculosis antigen, ESAT6-CFP10. Pooled sera samples from live elephants tested recently on the DPP were taken as positive and negative controls. Test results of the dot ELISA were evaluated by comparing the results with the disease status of the cases and controls based on the ante-mortem DPP results and post-mortem lesions. Diagnostic sensitivity (66.67%), specificity (93.33%), positive (90.91%) and negative (73.68%) predictive values were then estimated for the dot ELISA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis in Asian elephants usually shows involvement of lungs and associated lymph nodes. Grossly, the affected lobes of lungs reveal circumscribed lesions of varying sizes with central areas of caseation and necrosis. This report documents histomorphological features of pulmonary tuberculosis in six Asian elephants. The important cell types present were lymphocytes, foamy macrophages, epithelioid macrophages and Langhan's type of giant cells. In addition, caseation necrosis, fibrotic capsule, and mineralisation (calcification) were also observed. Characteristic features of tuberculoid granulomas observed in the six cases showed similarities with other species. The six cases showed varying proportions of the seven defined features but all features were present together only in one case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of a high-carbohydrate diet has a critical role in the induction of weight gain and obesity-related pathologies. This study tested the hypothesis that a carbohydrate-rich diet induces weight gain, ectopic fat deposition, associated metabolic risks and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which are partially reversible following carbohydrate reduction. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were fed a carbohydrate-enriched cafeteria diet (CAF) or normal chow (NC) ad libitum for 16–18 weeks. In the reversible group (REV), the CAF was replaced with NC for a further 3 weeks (18–21 weeks). Animals fed the CAF diet showed significantly increased body weight compared to those fed NC, accompanied by abnormal changes in their systemic insulin and triglycerides, elevation of hepatic triglyceride and hepatic steatosis. In the REV group, when the CAF diet was stopped, a modest, non-significant weight loss was associated with improvement in systemic insulin and appearance of the liver, with lower gross fatty deposits and hepatic triglyceride. In conclusion, a carbohydrate-enriched diet led to many features of metabolic syndrome, including hyperinsulinemia, while a dietary reduction in this macronutrient, even for a short period, was able to restore normoinsulinemia, and reversed some of the obesity-related hepatic abnormalities, without significant weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem connective tissue disease characterised by pathological processes involving autoimmunity, vasculopathy and resultant extensive skin and organ fibrosis. Recent studies have demonstrated activation and aberrant wound healing responses in the epithelial layer of the skin in this disease, implicating the epithelial keratinocytes as a source of pro-fibrotic and inflammatory mediators. In this paper, we investigated the role of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies directed against epithelial cells, as potential initiators and propagators of pathological keratocyte activation and the ensuing SSc fibrotic cascade. A keratinocyte cell-based ELISA is used to evaluate the binding of SSc IgG. SSc skin biopsies were stained by immunofluorescence for the presence of IgG in the keratinocyte layer. Moreover, IgG purified from SSc sera was evaluated for the potential to activate keratinocytes in tissue culture and to induce TLR2 and 3 signalling in reporter cell lines. We demonstrate enhanced binding of SSc IgG to keratinocytes and the activation of these cells leading to the release of IL-1α, representing a potential initiating pathway in this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public officials are oath takers and expected to uphold the law, but criminal convictions provide evidence that corruption exists. When public officials violate their oath, these violations evade ethical norms of behavior important to protecting the integrity inherent in the public office. This article synthesizes the literature on public corruption and related fields and presents a conceptual model to help us understand public leader violations of the oath and factors that enable corrupt behavior more broadly. Through an exploratory analysis of news articles and local government websites of examples of federal corruption convictions from the top ten most corrupt juridictions in the United States, this preliminary model finds six factors influence corruption within a jurisdiction at two collective levels: (1) organizational, and (2) institutional. A case study of an independent nonprofit's experience in anti-corruption further informs a claim that corrupt leaders (i.e., oath-takers) often involve and exert corrupt influence on subordinates. Findings on convicted corruptions expands the conceptual model to inform on institutional factors that may mitigate corruption. Failure to act on corruption creates a distributional consequence for society. Public corruption minimizes equal access to public goods and services, diverts public finances for personal gain, and undermines public confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Integrated, Section Surface Difference Over Time, version 2 (ISSDOTv2) method provides a means of quantifying bedload in large sandbed rivers. Like all measurements, it is important to understand the uncertainty associated with the method before making management decisions based on its results. A methodology is presented for quantifying and combining the uncertainty for each component of the ISSDOTv2 method including particle density, bed porosity, acoustically measured bed topography, the timing of measurements, sand wave identification, and regression analysis used for geometric correction of bedload measurements. The approach provides an indication of the relative magnitude of each source of uncertainty in addition to the uncertainty in the final resultant transport rate. Laboratory flume measurements were used to evaluate the uncertainty limits and verify the approach. The greatest contributor to uncertainty was found to be the bathymetric uncertainty, and, at the highest transport rates, cumulative relative uncertainty was found to be approximately 10%. Cumulative relative uncertainties grew rapidly with decreasing flow rates, driven primarily by the higher relative contribution of the effect of bathymetric uncertainty on the smaller bedforms that are typically present at lower transport rates. The approach documented here will be transferrable to real-world systems to determine the uncertainty in measured bedload sediment transport rates using the ISSDOTv2 method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onchocerciasis remains a debilitating neglected tropical disease. Due to the many challenges of current control methods, an effective vaccine against the causative agent Onchocerca volvulus is urgently needed. Mice and cynomolgus macaque non-human primates (NHPs) were immunized with a vaccine consisting of a fusion of two O. volvulus protein antigens, Ov-103 and Ov-RAL-2 (Ov-FUS-1), and three different adjuvants: Advax-CpG, alum, and AlT4. All vaccine formulations induced high antigen-specific IgG titers in both mice and NHPs. Challenging mice with O. volvulus L3 contained within subcutaneous diffusion chambers demonstrated that Ov-FUS-1/Advax-CpG-immunized animals developed protective immunity, durable for at least 11 weeks. Passive transfer of sera, collected at several time points, from both mice and NHPs immunized with Ov-FUS-1/Advax-CpG transferred protection to naïve mice. These results demonstrate that Ov-FUS-1 with the adjuvant Advax-CpG induces durable protective immunity against O. volvulus in mice and NHPs that is mediated by vaccine-induced humoral factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) as part of autologous fat grafting have anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects, but the exact mechanisms of action remain unknown. By simulating the interaction of ADSCs with fibroblasts and endothelial cells (EC) from scleroderma (SSc) skin in silico, we aim to unravel these mechanisms. Publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing data from the stromal vascular fraction of 3 lean patients and biopsies from the skin of 10 control and 12 patients with SSc were obtained from the GEO and analysed using R and Seurat. Differentially expressed genes were used to compare the fibroblast and EC transcriptome between controls and SSc. GO and KEGG functional enrichment was performed. Ligand–receptor interactions of ADSCs with fibroblasts and ECs were explored with LIANA. Pro-inflammatory and extracellular matrix (ECM) interacting fibroblasts were identified in SSc. Arterial, capillary, venous and lymphatic ECs showed a pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory transcriptome. Most interactions with both cell types were based on ECM proteins. Differential interactions identified included NTN1, VEGFD, MMP2, FGF2, and FNDC5. The ADSC secretome may disrupt vascular and perivascular inflammation hubs in scleroderma by promoting angiogenesis and especially lymphangiogenesis. Key phenomena observed after fat grafting remain unexplained, including modulation of fibroblast behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotic bacteria are beneficial to the health of poultry animals, thus are used as alternative candidates for antibiotics used as growth promoters (AGPs). However, they also reduce the body weight gain due to innate bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity. Hence, the addition of a suitable BSH inhibitor along with the probiotic feed can decrease the BSH activity. In this study, a BSH gene (981 bp) encoding 326-amino acids was identified from the genome of Lactobacillus gasseri FR4 (LgBSH). The LgBSH-encoding gene was cloned and purified using an Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) expression system, and its molecular weight (37 kDa) was confirmed by SDS–PAGE and a Western blot analysis. LgBSH exhibited greater hydrolysis toward glyco-conjugated bile salts compared to tauro-conjugated bile salts. LgBSH displayed optimal activity at 52°C at a pH of 5.5, and activity was further increased by several reducing agents (DTT), surfactants (Triton X-100 and Tween 80), and organic solvents (isopropanol, butanol, and acetone). Riboflavin and penicillin V, respectively, inhibited LgBSH activity by 98.31 and 97.84%. A homology model of LgBSH was predicted using EfBSH (4WL3) as a template. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the glycocholic acid had lowest binding energy of -8.46 kcal/mol; on the other hand, inhibitors, i.e., riboflavin and penicillin V, had relatively higher binding energies of -6.25 and -7.38 kcal/mol, respectively. Our results suggest that L. gasseri FR4 along with riboflavin might be a potential alternative to AGPs for poultry animals.