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Coccidioidomycosis is a human fungal disease cause by inhalation of aerosol spores produced by Coccidioides posadasii or Coccidioides immitis. This disease is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in the endemic areas of the Southwestern United States. It also can present as a life-threatening disease as the fungal cells disseminate to skin, bone, and central nervous system. The outcome of coccidioidomycosis is largely determined by the nature of host immune response to the infection. Escalation of symptomatic infections and increased cost of long-term antifungal treatment warrant a concerted effort to better understand the innate and adaptive immune responses and the genetics associated with coccidioidomycosis susceptibility. This knowledge can be harnessed for development of a human vaccine against Coccidioides and advance clinic management of this disease. This review discusses recently reported studies on innate and adaptive immunity to Coccidioides infection, Mendelian susceptibility to disseminated disease and progress toward a human vaccine against this formidable disease.

Abstract Neurogenesis in the Drosophila central brain progresses dynamically in order to generate appropriate numbers of neurons during different stages of development. Thus, a central challenge in neurobiology is to reveal the molecular and genetic mechanisms of neurogenesis timing. Here, we found that neurogenesis is significantly impaired when a novel mutation, Nuwa, is induced at early but not late larval stages. Intriguingly, when the Nuwa mutation is induced in neuroblasts of olfactory projection neurons (PNs) at the embryonic stage, embryonic-born PNs are generated, but larval-born PNs of the same origin fail to be produced. Through molecular characterization and transgenic rescue experiments, we determined that Nuwa is a loss-of-function mutation in Drosophila septin interacting protein 1 (sip1). Furthermore, we found that SIP1 expression is enriched in neuroblasts, and RNAi knockdown of sip1 using a neuroblast driver results in formation of small and aberrant brains. Finally, full-length SIP1 protein and truncated SIP1 proteins lacking either the N- or C-terminus display different subcellular localization patterns, and only full-length SIP1 can rescue the Nuwa-associated neurogenesis defect. Taken together, these results suggest that SIP1 acts as a crucial factor for specific neurogenesis programs in the early developing larval brain.

This article investigates how Indigenous peoples have been portrayed in citizenship education in Taiwan since the downfall of the authoritarian regime in 1987. The trajectory of citizenship curriculum development elucidates how attitudes towards cultural citizenship and multiculturalism came into play to form the narratives we find in schools. Four versions of the official curriculum from 1983, 1999, 2010 and 2019 and the textbooks authorised for use with each are examined. Interviews with curriculum developers are also conducted to provide explanations behind the curriculum design. Through content and discourse analysis, it is discovered that Taiwanese citizenship education has evolved along conservative, liberal, pluralistic and critical multicultural constructs, and that portrayals of the Indigenous population have swung from depicting invisible, archaic and mythical figures to showing visible contemporary faces. The latest curriculum has adopted ‘question-based’ and ‘inter-curricular communication’ strategies to go beyond simplistic carnival-like multicultural celebrations. These thought-provoking and counter-narrative features aim to bring out critical perspectives in class though the latest curriculum still has room for improvement in terms of its subtlety of intersectionality and its action-oriented design. This Taiwanese case can be an example to young democracies in how a critical framework can be incorporated into the curriculum-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of periarticular multimodal drug injection (PMDI) on postoperative pain control, patients' mobilization, and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent unilateral TKA between 2019 and 2020. The formula for PMDI included 0.5 mL epinephrine (1 mg/mL), 1 mL ketorolac (30 mg/mL), 0.5 mL morphine (10 mg/mL), and 20 mL bupivacaine hydrochloride (5 mg/mL), mixed with 60 mL normal saline. The outcomes of interest included (1) the amount of patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) consumption in the first 24 h after the surgery, (2) early mobilization within 24 h after the surgery, and (3) the length of hospital stay. A total of 127 patients were analyzed. Compared with patients who did not receive PMDI, those who received PMDI had lower consumption of PCA in the first 24 h (β coefficient −29.9, 95% CI −51.9 to −7.9, p = 0.008), higher odds of early mobilization within 24 h (odds ratio 8.263, 95% CI 3.041 to 22.453, p < 0.001), and shorter length of hospital stay (β coefficient −0.705, 95% CI −1.158 to −0.252, p = 0.003). We suggest that PMDI may be considered for patients undergoing TKA to improve the quality of care and shorten their length of hospital stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the dynamics of inbound tourism in China, utilizing a mixed-effects gravity model to analyze data from urban clusters around China's three major airports. The research methodology of the study includes applying advanced econometric techniques, such as the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood estimation, to ensure robust and accurate results. The study focuses on international tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings, identifying key drivers such as tourism resources, transportation safety, and service quality. Our findings indicate a 10% increase in per capita GDP correlates with a 0.88% rise in inbound tourist numbers. Additionally, proximity to major urban centers like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou significantly influences tourist arrivals, with every 100 km increase in distance resulting in a 5.56% decrease in tourist numbers. The study also explores the impact of environmental factors on tourism, suggesting that improvements in green coverage and reductions in industrial waste and traffic fatalities could enhance tourist arrivals. Conversely, environmental protection measures can both positively and negatively impact tourism. This research provides a strategic blueprint for policymakers and professionals in tourism and environmental sustainability, emphasizing the importance of integrated environmental sustainability in tourism development strategies. The model accounts for up to 79% of the variability in inbound tourism flows, offering robust evidence that economic and policy dimensions impact tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most subscapularis and serratus anterior muscles lie between the scapula and the thoracic cage. Evaluation of this area in patients with scapulothoracic dyskinesis, snapping scapular syndrome, or interscapular pain can provide valuable information to clinicians. However, ultrasound scanning of pathologies in this area is hindered by anatomical limitations. In this study, we described a simple patient setup position and scanning method for ultrasound evaluation and guided intervention of the subscapularis and serratus anterior muscles between the scapula and thoracic cage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C20H17N4I, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 7.304(3) Å, b = 14.830(7) Å, c = 16.482(7) Å, β = 98.202(12)°, V = 1767.2(14) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0568, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1359, T = 150 K.