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Beneficial rhizobacteria can stimulate changes in plant root development. Although root system growth is mediated by multiple factors, the regulated distribution of the phytohormone auxin within root tissues plays a principal role. Auxin transport facilitators help to generate the auxin gradients and maxima that determine root structure. Here, we show that the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterial strain Bradyrhizobium japonicum IRAT FA3 influences specific auxin efflux transporters to alter Arabidopsis thaliana root morphology. Gene expression profiling of host transcripts in control and B. japonicum-inoculated roots of the wild-type A. thaliana accession Col-0 confirmed upregulation of PIN2, PIN3, PIN7, and ABCB19 with B. japonicum and identified genes potentially contributing to a diverse array of auxin-related responses. Cocultivation of the bacterium with loss-of-function auxin efflux transport mutants revealed that B. japonicum requires PIN3, PIN7, and ABCB19 to increase lateral root development and utilizes PIN2 to reduce primary root length. Accelerated lateral root primordia production due to B. japonicum was not observed in single pin3, pin7, or abcb19 mutants, suggesting independent roles for PIN3, PIN7, and ABCB19 during the plant–microbe interaction. Our work demonstrates B. japonicum’s influence over host transcriptional reprogramming during plant interaction with this beneficial microbe and the subsequent alterations to root system architecture.[Graphic: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

IntroductionIncreasing attention on workplace wellbeing and growth in workplace wellbeing interventions has highlighted the need to measure workers' wellbeing. This systematic review sought to identify the most valid and reliable published measure/s of wellbeing for workers developed between 2010 to 2020.MethodsElectronic databases Health and Psychosocial Instruments, APA PsycInfo, and Scopus were searched. Key search terms included variations of [wellbeing OR “well-being”] AND [employee*OR worker*OR staff OR personnel]. Studies and properties of wellbeing measures were then appraised using Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments.ResultsEighteen articles reported development of new wellbeing instruments and eleven undertook a psychometric validation of an existing wellbeing instrument in a specific country, language, or context. Generation and pilot testing of items for the 18 newly developed instruments were largely rated 'Inadequate'; only two were rated as 'Very Good'. None of the studies reported measurement properties of responsiveness, criterion validity, or content validity. The three instruments with the greatest number of positively rated measurement properties were the Personal Growth and Development Scale, The University of Tokyo Occupational Mental Health well-being 24 scale, and the Employee Well-being scale. However, none of these newly developed worker wellbeing instruments met the criteria for adequate instrument design.DiscussionThis review provides researchers and clinicians a synthesis of information to help inform appropriate instrument selection in measurement of workers' wellbeing.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=79044, identifier: PROSPERO, CRD42018079044.

The RNA polymerase alternative σ factor RpoS in Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the Lyme disease pathogen, is responsible for programmatic-positive and -negative gene regulation essential for the spirochete’s dual-host enzootic cycle. RpoS is expressed during tick-to-mammal transmission and throughout mammalian infection. Although the mammalian-phase RpoS regulon is well described, its counterpart during the transmission blood meal is unknown. Here, we used Bb-specific transcript enrichment by tick-borne disease capture sequencing (TBDCapSeq) to compare the transcriptomes of WT and ΔrpoS Bb in engorged nymphs and following mammalian host-adaptation within dialysis membrane chambers. TBDCapSeq revealed dramatic changes in the contours of the RpoS regulon within ticks and mammals and further confirmed that RpoS-mediated repression is specific to the mammalian-phase of Bb’s enzootic cycle. We also provide evidence that RpoS-dependent gene regulation, including repression of tick-phase genes, is required for persistence in mice. Comparative transcriptomics of engineered Bb strains revealed that the Borrelia oxidative stress response regulator (BosR), a noncanonical Fur family member, and the cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) effector PlzA reciprocally regulate the function of RNA polymerase complexed with RpoS. BosR is required for RpoS-mediated transcription activation and repression in addition to its well-defined role promoting transcription of rpoS by the RNA polymerase alternative σ factor RpoN. During transmission, ligand-bound PlzA antagonizes RpoS-mediated repression, presumably acting through BosR.

Sirenians, such as manatees and dugongs, are herbivorous marine mammals commonly called sea cows with a fossil record extending from middle Eocene deposits to the present (Domning 2001). An extinct, [...]

COVID-19 pandemic planning and response has resulted in unprecedented upheaval within health systems internationally. With a concern for increasing frequency and escalation of family violence, the so called “shadow pandemic,” we wondered how health system violence intervention programs were operating during this time. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Ministry of Health Violence Intervention Program (VIP), using a systems approach, seeks to reduce and prevent the health impacts of family violence and abuse through early identification, assessment, and referral of victims presenting to designated health services. In this qualitative descriptive study, we explored how the VIP program was impacted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-one VIP coordinators and managers representing 15 of the 20 New Zealand District Health Boards and the National VIP Team participated. Across 12 focus groups (8 face to face and 4 via Zoom) and 7 individual interviews (all via Zoom) participants shared their experience navigating systems to support frontline health providers’ responsiveness to people impacted by family violence during the pandemic. In our reflexive thematic analysis, we generated 3 themes: Responding to the moment, valuing relationships, and reflecting on the status quo. Our findings demonstrate the dynamic environment in which participants found creative ways to adapt to the uncertainty and engage with communities to re-shape interventions and ensure continued implementation of the program. At the same time, challenges within the system prior to the pandemic were brought into view and highlighted the need for action. These included, for example, the need for improved engagement with Māori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand) to address long-standing health inequities. Having quality essential services for those impacted by family violence that engages with local knowledge and networks and routinely copes with uncertainty will strengthen our systems to minimize risk of harm during emergencies.

Abstract Background The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is an endangered Platyrrhine primate endemic to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil. Despite ongoing conservation efforts, genetic data on this species remains scarce. Complicating factors include limitations on sample collection and a lack of high-quality reference sequences. Here, we used nanopore adaptive sampling to resequence the L. rosalia mitogenome from feces, a sample which can be collected non-invasively. Results Adaptive sampling doubled the fraction of both host-derived and mitochondrial sequences compared to sequencing without enrichment. 258x coverage of the L. rosalia mitogenome was achieved in a single flow cell by targeting the unfinished genome of the distantly related emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator) and the mitogenome of the closely related black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus). The L. rosalia mitogenome has a length of 16,597 bp, sharing 99.68% sequence identity with the L. chrysopygus mitogenome. A total of 38 SNPs between them were identified, with the majority being found in the non-coding D-loop region. DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation were directly detected using a neural network model applied to the raw signal from the MinION sequencer. In contrast to prior reports, DNA methylation was negligible in mitochondria in both CpG and non-CpG contexts. Surprisingly, a quarter of the 642 CpG sites exhibited DNA hydroxymethylation greater than 1% and 44 sites were above 5%, with concentration in the 3′ side of several coding regions. Conclusions Overall, we report a robust new mitogenome assembly for L. rosalia and direct detection of cytosine base modifications in all contexts.

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem with harmful consequences. In Australia, there is no national standard screening tool and screening practice is variable across states. The objectives of this study were to assess in the antenatal healthcare setting: i) the validity of a new IPV brief screening tool and ii) women’s preference for screening response format, screening frequency and comfort level. Methods One thousand sixty-seven antenatal patients in a major metropolitan Victorian hospital in Australia completed a paper-based, self-administered survey. The survey included four screening items about whether they were Afraid/Controlled/Threatened/Slapped or physically hurt (ACTS) by a partner or ex-partner in the last 12 months; and the Composite Abuse Scale (reference standard). The ACTS screen was presented firstly with a binary yes/no response format and then with a five-point ordinal frequency format from ‘never’ (0) to ‘very frequently’ (4). The main outcome measures were test statistics of the four-item ACTS screening tool (sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under the curve) against the reference standard and women’s screening preferences. Results Twelve-month IPV prevalence varied depending on the ACTS response format with 8% (83) positive on ACTS yes/no format, 12.8% (133) positive on ACTS ordinal frequency format and 10.5% (108) on the reference Composite Abuse Scale. Overall, the ACTS screening tool demonstrated clinical utility for the ordinal frequency format (AUC, 0.80; 95% CI = 0.76 to 0.85) and the binary yes/no format (AUC, 0.74, 95% CI = 0.69 to 0.79). The frequency scale (66%) had greater sensitivity than the yes/no scale (51%). The positive and negative predictive values were 56 and 96% for the frequency scale and 68 and 95% for the yes/no scale. Specificity was high regardless of screening question response options. Half (53%) of the women categorised as abused preferred the yes/no scale. Around half of the women (48%, 472) thought health care providers should ask pregnant women about IPV at every visit. Conclusions The four-item ACTS tool (using the frequency scale and a cut-off of one on any item) is recommended for written self-administered screening of women to identify those experiencing IPV to enable first-line response and follow-up.

Abstract We explored the impact of a low‐carbohydrate/high‐protein diet (LC/HP, ~30% energy from protein, 40% energy from carbohydrate) on indices of metabolic function and body composition in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Adults with SCI (≥3 years post‐injury, C4‐L2, AIS A‐D) and insulin resistance or pre‐diabetes were randomly assigned to an 8‐week iso‐caloric LC/HP diet group (n = 11) or control group (n = 14). All LC/HP meals were delivered weekly to participants' homes, and participants in the control group consumed their habitual diet. Each participant underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to assess glucose tolerance, insulin, area under the curve (AUC) for glucose and insulin, Matsuda Index, glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), disposition index, and hepatic insulin extraction (HIE). Fasting blood lipid and inflammation were assessed, and body composition was estimated using dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry. A linear mixed model was used to evaluate the main effect of diet, time, and their interaction. Compared to the control group, participants in the LC/HP group had reduced total body fat mass (LC/HP: −5.9%, Control: 0.7%), visceral fat mass (LC/HP: −16.2%, Control: 5.2%), total‐ (LC/HP: −20.1, Control: 3.7 mg/dl), and LDL‐cholesterol (LC/HP: −13.9, Control: 3.1 mg/dl) (pdiet*time

This article outlines the program design, benefits, and challenges of a university-wide, near-peer faculty-mentoring program. The mentoring exchange facilitates group leadership by early-career faculty who have recently succeeded at the steps incoming faculty will face. Five primary themes emerged from qualitative analysis of six focus groups: connection across the institution, broadened perspectives of the university, safety and support, shared experiences despite diverse backgrounds, and reciprocal and horizontal mentoring. Participants stated that the group composition featuring varied disciplines and levels of experience are key elements. Challenges include scheduling, group dynamics, and confusion about the role of near-peer mentoring.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts that all children have the right to protection from abuse and exploitation. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the prevalence of child maltreatment requires vigilant action from oral health practitioners (OHPs), who are often among the first in the position to recognise signs of abuse and neglect due to their frequent interactions with children in dental settings. The Dental Council of New Zealand sets professional requirements, highlighting practitioners’ roles in responding to potential signs of maltreatment. Multiple statutes, including the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 and the Family Violence Act 2018, govern OHPs’ responses. Despite this, there is a notable gap in OHPs’ confidence and understanding of their child protection roles, underlining the need for clear guidance on the legal and professional requirements that inform their responsibilities. This paper critically examines the professional responsibilities and policies governing OHPs in Aotearoa New Zealand regarding child protection responses. It also proposes the development of equity-focused guidelines, that are informed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, emphasising culturally responsive practices, collaborations with Māori health providers and clear protocols for child protection responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child abuse and neglect represent significant global health challenges with long‐lasting adverse impacts. Oral health practitioners, who often interact with children, play a key role in detecting and responding to suspected cases. Despite this, there is a notable gap in the systematic child protection measures in dental practices globally. This scoping review, utilising the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, aims to outline current approaches for oral health practitioners and identify gaps in the approaches designed to enhance their responsiveness. Covering studies from January 2000 to May 2023, the review explored educational programmes, guidelines and interdisciplinary training modules. A comprehensive search across multiple databases, including MEDLINE, CINAHL and Scopus, along with grey literature sources, identified 1230 sources, resulting in the inclusion of 20 relevant sources. Findings highlight three main approaches: dental‐specific education programmes, practical guidelines for child protection responses and analysis of legal and professional obligations. These approaches demonstrate a mix of direct educational interventions and policy‐driven strategies aimed at enhancing oral health practitioners' knowledge, attitudes and practices towards child abuse and neglect. Given the identified variability and gaps in training and resources, future research should assess the effectiveness of these approaches and develop comprehensive, culturally safe training for oral health practitioners globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wire-based additive manufacturing (AM) is at the forefront of complex metal fabrication because of its scalability for large components, potential for high deposition rates, and ease of use. A common goal of wire directed energy deposition (DED) is preserving a stable process throughout deposition. If too little energy is put into the deposition, the wire will stub into the substrate and begin oscillating, creating turbulence within the meltpool. If too much energy exists, the wire will overheat, causing surface tension to take over and create liquid drips as opposed to a solid bead. This paper proposes a computer vision technique to work as both a state detection and event detection system for wire stability. The model utilizes intensity variations along with frame-to-frame difference calculations to determine process stability. Because the proposed model does not rely on machine learning techniques, it is possible for an individual to interpret and adjust as they see fit. The first part of this paper describes creation and implementation of the model. The model's capability was then evaluated using a 1D laser power experiment, which generated a wide range of stability states across varying powers. The model's accuracy was evaluated through 3D geometry data gathered from the experimentally deposited beads. The model proved to be both capable and accurate and has potential to be used as a real-time control system with future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motivation for this paper is to determine factors associated with time-to-fertility treatment (TTFT) among women currently attempting pregnancy in a cross-sectional sample. Challenges arise due to dependence between time-to-pregnancy (TTP) and TTFT. We propose appending a marginal accelerated failure time model to identify risk factors of TTFT with a model for TTP where fertility treatment is included as a time-varying treatment to account for their dependence. The latter requires extending backwards recurrence survival methods to incorporate time-varying covariates with time-varying coefficients. Since backwards recurrence survival methods are a function of mean survival, computational difficulties arise in formulating mean survival when fertility treatment is unobserved, i.e. when TTFT is censored. We address these challenges by developing computationally friendly forms for the double expectation of TTP and TTFT. The performance is validated via comprehensive simulation studies. We apply our approach to the National Survey of Family Growth and explore factors related to prolonged TTFT in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal opioid use (MOU) remains a public health concern. Studies have demonstrated significant increases in MOU, but estimates using ICD-10-CM or stratified by sociodemographic variables are limited. Objectives: Using a statewide, population-based dataset of Florida resident deliveries from 2000 to 2019, we examined the trend of MOU by age, race/ethnicity, education level, and insurance. Methods: Florida administrative data was used to conduct a retrospective cohort study. MOU was identified using opioid-related hospital discharge diagnoses documented prenatally or at delivery. Maternal sociodemographic variables were obtained from Florida vital statistics. Joinpoint regression was used to identify statistically significant changes in the trends overall and stratified by sociodemographic variables. Results are presented as annual percentage changes (APC) and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Our sample included over 3.6 million Florida resident mothers; of which, MOU was identified in 1% (n = 22,828) of the sample. From 2000 to 2019, MOU increased over ten-fold from 8.7 to 94.7 per 10,000 live birth deliveries. MOU increased significantly from 2000 to 2011 (APC: 32.8; 95% CI: 29.4, 36.2), remained stable from 2011 to 2016, and decreased significantly from 2016 to 2019 (APC: 3.9; 95% CI: −6.6, −1.0). However, from 2016 to 2019, MOU increased among non-Hispanic Black mothers (APC: 9.2; 95% CI: 7.5, 11.0), and those ages 30–34 (APC: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.2, 4.6) and 35–39 (APC: 6.4; 95% CI: 4.3, 8.4). Conclusions: Accurate prevalence estimates of MOU by sociodemographic factors are necessary to fully understand prevalence trends, describe the burden among sub-populations, and develop targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate speech intelligibility and speech rate in individuals with Parkinson's disease using altered auditory feedback (AAF) in comparison to age-matched healthy controls. Based on prior research, it is hypothesized that the use of AAF will improve participants' speech intelligibility. Methods: Five individuals with Parkinson's disease (clinical group) and five age-matched healthy controls aged 50 years and above participated in this pre-/post-group experiment. All participants completed reading and monologue tasks with and without AAF. The AAF delayed the participants' auditory feedback by 150 ms and altered it by 1/20 octave. Thirty-two naïve listeners listened to the recorded participants' speech samples (with and without AAF) randomly and rated the participants' speech intelligibility. Results: Results of the mixed model ANOVA revealed that participants in the control group had significantly higher speech intelligibility scores than the participants in the clinical group. Post hoc tests indicated that only participants in the clinical group were more intelligible with AAF than without AAF. Participants in the clinical group had better speech intelligibility when reading the passage than speaking the monologue. With regards to speech rate, participants spoke more slowly with AAF than without. Finally, there was a negative correlation between speech rate and speech intelligibility. Discussion: The current findings support our hypothesis that AAF improves speech intelligibility in people with Parkinson's disease, though not in healthy controls. Future research should evaluate the long-term effect of AAF use on speech intelligibility in people with Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesion‐symptom mapping studies provide insight into what areas of the brain are involved in different aspects of cognition. This is commonly done via behavioral testing in patients with a naturally occurring brain injury or lesions (e.g., strokes or brain tumors). This results in high‐dimensional observational data where lesion status (present/absent) is nonuniformly distributed, with some voxels having lesions in very few (or no) subjects. In this situation, mass univariate hypothesis tests have severe power heterogeneity where many tests are known a priori to have little to no power. Recent advancements in multiple testing methodologies allow researchers to weigh hypotheses according to side information (e.g., information on power heterogeneity). In this paper, we propose the use of p‐value weighting for voxel‐based lesion‐symptom mapping studies. The weights are created using the distribution of lesion status and spatial information to estimate different non‐null prior probabilities for each hypothesis test through some common approaches. We provide a monotone minimum weight criterion, which requires minimum a priori power information. Our methods are demonstrated on dependent simulated data and an aphasia study investigating which regions of the brain are associated with the severity of language impairment among stroke survivors. The results demonstrate that the proposed methods have robust error control and can increase power. Further, we showcase how weights can be used to identify regions that are inconclusive due to lack of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]