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BACKGROUND: Gait impairments increase with advancing age and can lead to falls and loss of independence. Brain atrophy also occurs in older age and may contribute to gait decline. We aimed to investigate global and regional relationships of cerebral gray and white matter volumes with gait speed, and its determinants step length and cadence, in older people. METHODS: In a population-based study, participants aged >60 years without Parkinson's disease or brain infarcts underwent magnetic resonance imaging and gait measurements using a computerized walkway. Linear regression was used to study associations of total gray and white matter volumes with gait, adjusting for each other, age, sex, height and white matter hyperintensity volume. Other covariates considered in analyses included weight and vascular disease history. Voxel-based morphometry was used to study regional relationships of gray and white matter with gait. RESULTS: There were 305 participants, mean age 71.4 (6.9) years, 54% male, mean gait speed 1.16 (0.22) m/s. Smaller total gray matter volume was independently associated with poorer gait speed (p = 0.001) and step length (p

Genomic selection and extensive use of a few elite bulls through artificial insemination are leading to reduced genetic diversity in Jersey cattle. Conservation of genetic diversity through gene banks can protect a breed's genetic diversity and genetic gain, ensuring continued genetic advancement in the future. The availability of genomic information in the US National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP) facilitates characterization of Jersey bulls in the germplasm collection. Therefore, in this study, we compared the genetic diversity and inbreeding between Jersey bulls in the NAGP and the National Cooperator Database (NCD). The NCD is maintained and curated by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). We found the genetic diversity to be marginally higher in NAGP (Ho = 0.34 ± 0.17) relative to the NCD population (Ho = 0.33 ± 0.16). The average pedigree and genomic inbreeding (F PED , F GRM , F ROH > 2Mb ) were similar between the groups, with estimates of 7.6% with F PED , 11.07% with F GRM and 20.13% with F ROH > 2Mb . An increasing trend in inbreeding was detected, and a significantly higher level of inbreeding was estimated among the older bulls in the NAGP collection, suggesting an overrepresentation of the genetics from elite bulls. Results from principal component analyses (PCA) provided evidence that the NAGP collection is representative of the genetic variation found in the NCD population and a broad majority of the loci segregating (98.2%) in the NCD population were also segregating in the NAGP. Ward's clustering was used to assess collection completeness of Jerseys in the NAGP by comparison with top 1000 sires of bulls, top 1000 sires of cow, and bulls with high Lifetime Net Merit (NM$). All the clusters were represented in the NAGP suggesting that most of the genetic diversity in the US Jersey population is represented in the NAGP and confirmed the PCA results. The decade of birth was the major driver grouping bulls into clusters, suggesting the importance of selection over time. Selection signature analysis between the historic bulls in the NAGP with the newer bulls, born in the decade after implementation of genomic selection, identified selection for milk production, fat and protein yield, fertility, health, and reproductive traits. Cluster analysis revealed that the NAGP has captured allele frequency changes over time associated with selection, validating the strategy of repeated sampling and suggests that the continuation of a repeated sampling policy is essential for the germplasm collection to maintain its future utility. Although NAGP should continue to collect bulls that have large influence on the population due to selection, care should be taken to include the entire breadth of bulls, including low merit bulls., (© 2024, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Pila virens (P. virens) is an edible freshwater snail, widely distributed in Asia and Africa. P. virens is used as one of the most promising model organisms for monitoring environmental contamination in aquatic ecosystems. The physiological responses to the contaminants such as pesticides and nanomaterials are inadequate, especially in relation to the effects of co-exposure. In this work, we have investigated on the noxious effects of co-exposure between an organophosphorus pesticide, quinalphos and hafnium oxide nanoparticles (HfO 2 NPs) on the antioxidant responses of P. virens. Phase pure forms of HfO 2 NPs (monoclinic, P2 1 /c) were obtained by sol-gel method. The crystallinity, structure and surface morphology were analysed with various spectroscopic methods like powder X-ray, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (HR-SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). P. virens after exposure for 96 h to the different concentrations of quinalphos (0.25-2.25 mg/mL) and HfO 2 NPs (10-50 mg/mL), the median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) was determined to be 1.159 mg/mL and 11.47 mg/mL, respectively and show a significant fatal effect against the snail. The P. virens were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of LC 25 (0.57 mg/mL quinalphos and 5.73 mg/mL HfO 2 NPs) individually and in combination as a binary toxicity (quinalphos + HfO 2 NPs), (0.57 mg/mL + 5.73 mg/mL) for 24 and 48 h. Further, the antioxidant responses were assessed which included catalase (CAT), glutathione sulfo-transferase (GST), and malonaldehyde (MDA) activity in the group exposed to quinalphos and HfO 2 NPs exhibited to show an enhancement in their activity in comparison to controls after 24 and 48 h and revealed that 48 h exposure has significant impact. These results provide a valuable insight towards increased awareness of the physiological defences of P. virens after co-exposure to quinalphos and HfO 2 NPs in aquatic ecosystem., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recent evidence demonstrates genomic and morphological continuity in the Arctic ancestral lineage of dogs. Here, we use the Siberian Husky to investigate the genomic legacy of the northeast Eurasian Arctic lineage and model the deep population history using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms. Utilizing ancient dog-calibrated molecular clocks, we found that at least two distinct lineages of Arctic dogs existed in ancient Eurasia at the end of the Pleistocene. This pushes back the origin of sled dogs in the northeast Siberian Arctic with humans likely intentionally selecting dogs to perform different functions and keeping breeding populations that overlap in time and space relatively reproductively isolated. In modern Siberian Huskies, we found significant population structure based on how they are used by humans, recent European breed introgression in about half of the dogs that participate in races, moderate levels of inbreeding, and fewer potentially harmful variants in populations under strong selection for form and function (show, sled show, and racing populations of Siberian Huskies). As the struggle to preserve unique evolutionary lineages while maintaining genetic health intensifies across pedigreed dogs, understanding the genomic history to guide policies and best practices for breed management is crucial to sustain these ancient lineages and their unique evolutionary identity., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)

Agricultural field experiments are costly and time-consuming, and often struggling to capture spatial and temporal variability. Mechanistic crop growth models offer a solution to understand intricate crop-soil-weather system, aiding farm-level management decisions throughout the growing season. The objective of this study was to calibrate and the Crop Environment Resource Synthesis CERES-Maize (DSSAT v 4.8) model to simulate crop growth, yield, and nitrogen dynamics in a long-term conservation agriculture (CA) based maize system. The model was also used to investigate the relationship between, temperature, nitrate and ammoniacal concentration in soil, and nitrogen uptake by the crop. Additionally, the study explored the impact of contrasting tillage practices and fertilizer nitrogen management options on maize yields. Using field data from 2019 and 2020, the DSSAT-CERES-Maize model was calibrated for plant growth stages, leaf area index-LAI, biomass, and yield. Data from 2021 were used to evaluate the model's performance. The treatments consisted of four nitrogen management options, viz., N0 (without nitrogen), N150 (150 kg N/ha through urea), GS (Green seeker-based urea application) and USG (urea super granules @150kg N/ha) in two contrasting tillage systems, i.e., CA-based zero tillage-ZT and conventional tillage-CT. The model accurately simulated maize cultivar's anthesis and physiological maturity, with observed value falling within 5% of the model's predictions range. LAI predictions by the model aligned well with measured values (RMSE 0.57 and nRMSE 10.33%), with a 14.6% prediction error at 60 days. The simulated grain yields generally matched with measured values (with prediction error ranging from 0 to 3%), except for plots without nitrogen application, where the model overestimated yields by 9-16%. The study also demonstrated the model's ability to accurately capture soil nitrate-N levels (RMSE 12.63 kg/ha and nRMSE 12.84%). The study concludes that the DSSAT-CERES-Maize model accurately assessed the impacts of tillage and nitrogen management practices on maize crop's growth, yield, and soil nitrogen dynamics. By providing reliable simulations during the growing season, this modelling approach can facilitate better planning and more efficient resource management. Future research should focus on expanding the model's capabilities and improving its predictions further., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Here, we have approached the synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) Schiff base (5-trifluoromethoxy-2-(((2chloro-5-(methyl)phenyl)imino)methyl)phenol)). The synthesized CuNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, PL, FTIR, powder XRD, and TEM analysis. From the UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, an absorption peak was observed at 585 nm. As a result of the powder XRD and TEM studies, spherical particle sizes ranged between 4 and 10 nm. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups ‒OH, C=C, -C=N-, and C‒H triggers the synthesis of CuNPs. Further, the catalytic property of the CuNPs were revealed by the degradation of pharmaceutical drugs such as Capecitabine (CAP) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP) in 90 min of reaction time in the presence of NaBH 4 . The reaction kinetics followed pseudo-first-order with k-values (rate constant) 0.248 min -1 and 0.307 min -1 . In addition, the synthesized CuNPs have exhibited selective sensing detection of Cd 2+ metal ions in different range of concentration (10-100 µM) by spectrofluorometrically with the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.0284 nM and limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.0586 nM. The CuNPs revealed significant antioxidant activities against DPPH as a common free radical at 50 µg/mL with 71.24% of scavenging activity. The maximum antimicrobial potential and zone of inhibition of P. Aeruginosa is 17.25±0.8 mm and A. niger is 12.1 mm by using CuNPs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The main goal of treating any Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori )-related gastrointestinal disease is completely eradicating infection. Falling eradication efficiency, off-target effects, and patient noncompliance with prolonged and broad spectrums have sparked clinical interest in exploring other effective, safer therapeutic choices. As natural substances are risk-free and privileged with high levels of antibacterial activity, most of these natural chemical's specific modes of action are unknown. With the aid of in silico molecular docking-based virtual screening studies and molecular dynamic simulations, the current study is intended to gather data on numerous such natural chemicals and assess their affinity for the S-ribosyl homocysteine lyase (LuxS) protein of H. pylori . The ligand with the highest binding energy with LuxS, glucoraphanin, catechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate were rationally selected for further computational analysis. The solution stability of the three compounds' optimal docking postures with LuxS was initially assessed using long-run molecular dynamics simulations. Using molecular dynamics simulation, the epigallocatechin gallate was found to be the most stable molecule with the highest binding free energy, indicating that it might compete with the natural ligand of the inhibitors. According to ADMET analysis, his phytochemical was a promising therapeutic candidate for an antibacterial action since it had a range of physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and drug-like qualities and had no discernible adverse effects. Additional in vitro , in vivo , and clinical trials are needed to confirm the drug's precise efficacy during H. pylori infection.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Aim: To identify the genetic etiology of neonatal diabetes in an infant and to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the identified mutation underlying the pathogenesis., Methods: Genetic analysis was carried out by sequencing of known etiological genes associated with NDM. Molecular characterization was performed by constructing a identified mutation in NKX2-2 gene and  functional aspects was tested using transactivation, protein expression, DNA binding, nuclear localization assays. Structural analysis was performed by modeling the NKX2-2 protein structure., Results: A novel homozygous frameshift mutation  c.772delC, p.Q258SFs*59 in the NKX2-2 gene was identified in a patient with neonatal diabetes. Functional studies revealed that this mutation resulted in an elongated protein sequence, affecting DNA binding activity and transcriptional function. Structural analysis suggested alterations in the protein's tertiary structure, likely contributing to its dysfunction., Conclusion: This study presents the first report of a stop-loss mutation in the NKX2-2 gene associated with NDM. Our findings emphasize the importance of functional and structural characterization to understand the biological consequences of such mutations. This comprehensive analysis provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying NDM and its clinical phenotype, which may aid in better diagnosis and management of patients with similar variants in the future., (© 2023. Springer-Verlag Italia S.r.l., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Neuropathic foot ulcers are the leading cause of nontraumatic foot amputations, particularly among patients with diabetes. Traditional methods of monitoring and managing these patients are periodic in-person clinic visits, which are passive and may be insufficient for preventing neuropathic foot ulcers and amputations. Continuous remote temperature monitoring has the potential to capture the critical period before the foot ulcers develop and to improve outcomes by providing real-time data and early interventions. For the first time, the effectiveness of such a strategy to prevent neuropathic foot ulcers and related complications among high-risk patients in a real-world commercial setting is reported., Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a real-world continuous remote temperature monitoring program in preventing neuropathic foot ulcers and amputations in patients with diabetes., Methods: In this retrospective analysis of a real-world continuous remote temperature monitoring program, 115 high-risk patients identified by clinical providers from 15 geographically diverse private podiatry offices were analyzed. Patients received continuous remote monitoring socks as part of the program. The enrollment was based on medical necessity as decided by their managing physician. We evaluated data from up to 2 years before enrollment and up to 3 years during the program. The primary outcome was the rate of wound development. Secondary outcomes included amputation rate, the severity of the foot ulcers, and the number of visits to an outpatient podiatry clinic after enrolling in the program., Results: We observed significantly lower rates of foot ulceration (relative risk reduction [RRR] 0.68; 95% CI 0.52-0.79; number needed to treat [NNT] 5.0; P<.001), less moderate to severe ulcers (RRR 0.86; 95% CI 0.70-0.93; NNT 16.2; P<.001), less amputations (RRR 0.83; 95% CI 0.39-0.95; NNT 41.7; P=.006), and less hospitalizations (RRR 0.63; 95% CI 0.33-0.80; NNT 5.7; P<.002). We found a decrease in outpatient podiatry office visits during the program (RRR 0.31; 95% CI 0.24-0.37; NNT 0.46; P<.001)., Conclusions: Our findings suggested that a real-world continuous remote temperature monitoring program was an effective strategy to prevent foot ulcer development and nontraumatic foot amputation among high-risk patients., (©Chia-Ding Shih, Henk Jan Scholten, Gavin Ripp, Kirthana Srikanth, Caileigh Smith, Ran Ma, Jie Fu, Alexander M Reyzelman. Originally published in JMIR Diabetes (https://diabetes.jmir.org), 29.01.2024.)

The experimental photoelectron spectra concerning the six electronic states of CAl 3 Si - are resolved through electronic structure calculations and quantum nuclear dynamics in this study. It incorporates a model diabatic Hamiltonian to evaluate the coupling parameters and fit the potential energy curves (PECs). The analysis of these PECs showed us that there are sufficient nonadiabatic effects in the photoelectron spectra through the presence of various conical intersections. Poisson intensity distributions (PIDs) and the wave packet density plots are utilized for assigning the fundamental and first overtone excitations. The nuclear dynamics study is accomplished by employing time-dependent (TD) and time-independent (TI) quantum chemistry methods. Ultimately, our theoretical results concurred well with the experimental findings exhibiting vibronic coupling amidst the nearly positioned electronic states.

A novel π-electron rich fluoranthene embellished with a phenyl spacer and coupled with terpyridine (TS1) was developed through Diels-Alder reaction. Single crystal X-ray structure evidences the variations in dihedral angles between the fluoranthene and the phenyl unit responsible for development of non-coplanar interactions and stabilized by a wave-like molecular packing in the crystal lattice with weak π-π interaction of 4.125 Å. The peripheral terpyridine of TS1 endows an efficient binding with multiple metal ions by colorimetric and fluorometric methods. TS1 exhibits a ratiometric fluorescence response from sky blue to yellow colour upon the addition of Zn 2+ ions with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.05 ppm. The other metal ions such as Cu 2+ , Co 2+ and Fe 2+ demonstrate fluorescence quenching behaviour with LODs of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.7 ppm, respectively. The intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) shows the variation in TS1 emission behaviour upon metal ions interaction and quantitatively discriminates the metal ion concentrations. TS1 conferred a visual colorimetric change from colourless to magenta, enabling naked-eye detection of Fe 2+ and showing clear discrimination between Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ ions for the real-time water samples. Furthermore, we have investigated the effect of TS1 in Zebrafish larvae/embryos and cytotoxicity in human urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma cells (UM-UC-3)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) coir is an abundant agricultural waste prevalent worldwide. Utilization of this waste has been carried out in this study by obtaining nanocellulose (NC) fibres for wastewater remediation purposes. Nanocellulose was obtained from coconut coir using bleaching and acid-alkali treatments followed by ultrasonication and lyophilization. The structural, compositional, surface and thermal properties of the synthesized material were identified using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N 2 adsorption/desorption, differential thermal (DT) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) analyses. These analyses confirmed the synthesized NC with enhanced thermal stability and porosity which was further used for adsorption process. After synthesis, NC was used for the removal of cationic dye safranin-O from water under ambient conditions through batch adsorption studies. The batch adsorption studies revealed that at 10 ppm of dye concentration, above 99% removal was achieved by 100 mg dosage of NC within 4.5 h at room temperature with q e (maximum adsorption capacity at equilibrium) value of around 83 mg g -1 . The corresponding adsorption process fitted well with Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetics. The primary mode of adsorption from the thermodynamic studies was found to be chemisorption. The adsorption process was achieved through response surface methodology (RSM) study which revealed that at optimized conditions of temperature 35 °C with a dose of 137.50 mg and contact time of 180 min, above 99% of dye (conc. 0.01 mg mL -1 ) was removed. In addition, the adsorbent can be recycled up to six cycles without any significant loss of its adsorption capacity. The present comprehensive study revealed that a greener eco-friendly synthesis of NC from waste material coconut coir was an effective nanoadsorbent for dye removal with high efficacy. This surely opens up opportunities to develop sustainable protocols for efficient environmental remediation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: The Uganda Ministry of Health recommends facility- and community-based differentiated antiretroviral therapy (DART) models to support person-centred care for eligible clients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Healthcare workers assess client eligibility for one of six DART models upon initial enrolment; however, client circumstances evolve, and their preferences are not routinely adjusted. We developed a tool to understand the proportion of clients accessing preferred DART models and compared the outcomes of clients accessing preferred DART models to the outcomes of clients not receiving preferred DART models., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study. A sample of 6376 clients was selected from 113 referrals, general hospitals and health centres purposely selected from 74 districts. Clients receiving ART accessing care from the sampled sites were eligible for inclusion. Healthcare workers interviewed clients (caretakers of clients under 18), over a 2-week period between January and February 2022 using a client preference tool to elicit whether clients were receiving DART services through their preferred model. Treatment outcomes of viral load test, viral load suppression and missed appointment date were extracted from clients' medical files before or immediately after the interview and de-identified. The descriptive analysis determined the interaction between client preferences and predefined treatment outcomes by comparing outcomes of clients whose care aligned with their preferences to outcomes of clients whose care misaligned with their preferences., Results: Of 25% (1573/6376) of clients not accessing their preferred DART model, 56% were on facility-based individual management and 35% preferred fast-track drug refills model. Viral load coverage was 87% for clients accessing preferred DART models compared to 68% among clients not accessing their preferred model. Viral load suppression was higher among clients who accessed the preferred DART model (85%) compared to (68%) clients who did not access their preferred DART model. Missed appointments were lower at 29% for clients who accessed preferred DART models compared to 40% among clients not enrolled in the DART model of their choice., Conclusions: Clients who accessed their preferred DART model have better clinical outcomes. Preferences should be integrated throughout health systems, improvement interventions, policies and research efforts to ensure client-centred care and client autonomy., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of the International AIDS Society published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International AIDS Society.)

This work emphasizes the appearance of non-adiabatic effects in the photoelectron spectra of Al 6 N - . It includes ab initio electronic structure calculations obtained on the first seven low-lying electronic states of Al 6 N - and a nuclear dynamics study utilizing time-dependent and time-independent quantum chemistry approaches. A model vibronic Hamiltonian is constructed in a diabatic electronic representation to estimate the coupling parameters corresponding to the fifteen vibrational modes of Al 6 N - . Theoretical spectral bands are achieved by employing the vibronic coupling theory followed by reduced dimensional calculations to understand the role of individual vibrational modes in the overall photoelectron spectra. Finally, the theoretically obtained photodetachment spectra show good agreement with the experimental spectra revealing vibronic coupling among the closely spaced spectral bands.

We reconstruct the phenotype of Balto, the heroic sled dog renowned for transporting diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, in 1925, using evolutionary constraint estimates from the Zoonomia alignment of 240 mammals and 682 genomes from dogs and wolves of the 21st century. Balto shares just part of his diverse ancestry with the eponymous Siberian husky breed. Balto's genotype predicts a combination of coat features atypical for modern sled dog breeds, and a slightly smaller stature. He had enhanced starch digestion compared with Greenland sled dogs and a compendium of derived homozygous coding variants at constrained positions in genes connected to bone and skin development. We propose that Balto's population of origin, which was less inbred and genetically healthier than that of modern breeds, was adapted to the extreme environment of 1920s Alaska.

The new coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019 has become a pandemic that has spread to nearly every country in the world. Through October 11, 2021, more than 23 billion confirmed cases and 4.8 million fatalities were reported globally. The bulk of individuals afflicted in India during the first wave were elderly persons. The second wave, however, resulted in more severe diseases and mortality in even younger age groups due to mutations in the wild virus. Symptoms may range from being asymptomatic to fatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In addition to respiratory symptoms, patients may present with gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach pain, vomiting, loose stools, or mesenteric vein thrombosis. The frequency of patients presenting with thromboembolic symptoms has recently increased. According to certain studies, the prevalence of venous thromboembolism among hospitalized patients ranges from 9 to 25%. It was also shown that the incidence is significantly greater among critically sick patients, with a prevalence of 21-31%. Although the exact origin of thromboembolism is unknown, it is considered to be produced by several altered pathways that manifest as pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, stroke, limb gangrene, and acute mesenteric ischemia. Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is becoming an increasingly prevalent cause of acute surgical abdomen in both intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency room (ER) patients. Mesenteric ischemia should be evaluated in situations with unexplained stomach discomfort. In suspected situations, appropriate imaging techniques and early intervention, either non-surgical or surgical, are necessary to avert mortality. The purpose of this article is to look at the data on acute mesenteric ischemia in people infected with COVID-19., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© Association of Surgeons of India 2022.)

The first five low-lying electronic states of HCPN 3 are probed through extensive ab initio electronic structure and quantum dynamics studies to reproduce the 193 nm photoelectron spectrum. Vibronic Hamiltonian is constructed and availed for time-dependent (TD) and time-independent (TI) quantum dynamical studies. The presence of numerous conical intersections (CIs) and crossings among electronic states yielded interesting nonadiabatic effects in the photoelectron bands of the overall spectrum. Moreover, the theoretical bands corresponding to five electronic states have reproduced all three experimental spectral bands. Among these, the first two bands originated due to a combination of four electronic states as predicted by previous studies. The third band corresponds to the fifth electronic state. The results calculated via TD and TI approaches exhibited satisfying agreement with the experimental results.

Context: Intraocular pressure (IOP) increases during "sirasasana" and may be a risk factor for the progression of glaucoma. Other "head below heart" asanas may also cause increase in IOP., Aims: To determine the change in IOP following three "head below the heart" postures-"meruasana", "viparithakarni," and "sarvangasana"., Settings and Design: Prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care hospital over 3 weeks., Materials and Methods: Willing, regular yoga practitioners recruited by purposive sampling performed "meruasana", "viparithakarni," and "sarvangasana" in random order according to a 3 × 3 periods cross over study design after baseline measurement of IOP, blood pressure (BP), and pulse rate. Each asana was held for 30 s. Within 15-30 s of completion of asana, IOP, BP, and pulse rate were recorded. There was an interval of 30 min between the asanas., Statistical Analysis Used: Normality of data was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Repeated measures of ANOVA with Tukey-Kramer multiple comparisons was used to compare changes in IOP, BP, pulse rate following asana. P ≤ 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant., Results: There were 33 participants with a mean age of 29.6 ± 10.5 years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.02, 33.18). The mean baseline IOP was 15.5 ± 3.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 14.34, 16.66) in the right eye and 16.7 ± 3.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 15.54, 17.86) in the left eye. IOP showed a significant reduction following each of the three asanas ( P < 0.0001). However, neither pulse rate ( P = 0.53) nor BP ( P = 0.27) showed any change following the asanas., Conclusions: "Meruasana," "viparithakarni," and "sarvangasana" when held for 30 s by healthy yoga practitioners resulted in post-asana drop in IOP with no significant change in pulse rate or BP., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 International Journal of Yoga.)

Congenital laryngeal paralysis (CLP) is an inherited disorder that affects the ability of the dog to exercise and precludes it from functioning as a working sled dog. Though CLP is known to occur in Alaskan sled dogs (ASDs) since 1986, the genetic mutation underlying the disease has not been reported. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified a 708 kb region on CFA 18 harboring 226 SNPs to be significantly associated with CLP. The significant SNPs explained 47.06% of the heritability of CLP. We narrowed the region to 431 kb through autozygosity mapping and found 18 of the 20 cases to be homozygous for the risk haplotype. Whole genome sequencing of two cases and a control ASD, and comparison with the genome of 657 dogs from various breeds, confirmed the homozygous status of the risk haplotype to be unique to the CLP cases. Most of the dogs that were homozygous for the risk allele had blue eyes. Gene annotation and a gene-based association study showed that the risk haplotype encompasses genes implicated in developmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Pathway analysis showed enrichment of glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans biosynthesis, which play a key role in repairing damaged nerves. In conclusion, our results suggest an important role for the identified candidate region in CLP.

Background: WHO publishes public health and clinical guidelines to guide Member States in achieving better health outcomes. Furthermore, WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work for 2019-2023 prioritizes strengthening its normative functional role and uptake of normative and standard-setting products, including guidelines at the country level. Therefore, understanding WHO guideline uptake by the Member States, particularly the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is of utmost importance for the organization and scholarship., Methods: We conducted a scoping review using a comprehensive search strategy to include published literature in English between 2007 and 2020. The review was conducted between May and June 2021. We searched five electronic databases including CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase and Scopus. We also searched Google Scholar as a supplementary source. The review adhered to the PRISMA-ScR (PRISMA extension for scoping reviews) guidelines for reporting the searches, screening and identification of evaluation studies from the literature. A narrative synthesis of the evidence around key barriers and challenges for WHO guideline uptake in LMICs is thematically presented., Results: The scoping review included 48 studies, and the findings were categorized into four themes: (1) lack of national legislation, regulations and policy coherence, (2) inadequate experience, expertise and training of healthcare providers for guideline uptake, (3) funding limitations for guideline uptake and use, and (4) inadequate healthcare infrastructure for guideline compliance. These challenges were situated in the Member States' health systems. The findings suggest that governance was often weak within the existing health systems amongst most of the LMICs studied, as was the guidance provided by WHO's guidelines on governance requirements. This challenge was further exacerbated by a lack of accountability and transparency mechanisms for uptake and implementation of guidelines. In addition, the WHO guidelines themselves were either unclear and were technically challenging for some health conditions; however, WHO guidelines were primarily used as a reference by Member States when they developed their national guidelines., Conclusions: The challenges identified reflect the national health systems' (in)ability to allocate, implement and monitor the guidelines. Historically this is beyond the remit of WHO, but Member States could benefit from WHO implementation guidance on requirements and needs for successful uptake and use of WHO guidelines., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To report the spectrum and the factors affecting the visual outcome of ocular injuries associated with maxillofacial trauma., Methodology: A prospective observational study was carried out from January 2019 to June  2020 on patients of maxillofacial trauma at a rural tertiary care centre, in Pondicherry, India. Detailed history was obtained. Investigations including imaging was done as indicated. Predictors of eye injuries and prognostic factors for vision were assessed., Results: A total of 135 eyes of 126 patients were evaluated. Males constituted 92.06%. Road traffic accident (RTA), domestic injuries, assault, and work-place-related injuries accounted for 86.5%, 4.7%, 2.3%, and 2.3%. Alcohol consumption (42.06%) and lack of eye protective device (94.4%) and injury to posterior segment were the major risk factors. On presentation 80.6% had visual acuity ≥ 6/12. Orbital and maxillofacial fractures were noted in 70.6% of cases. Closed-globe injury was seen in 83 (61.4%) and open-globe injury in 2 (1.4%). Majority (86.7%) suffered soft tissue injuries. Common sight-threatening injuries were traumatic optic neuropathy (4.4%), vitreous haemorrhage (0.7%), retrobulbar haemorrhage (0.7%), and commotio retinae (0.7%)., Conclusion: Most of the injuries in this population occurred from RTA, with associated fractures, adnexal and globe injuries. Alcohol consumption and lack of eye protective device were the major risk factors. Patients with open-globe injuries and injuries with posterior segment involvement had poor visual outcome.

The presence of nonadiabaticity in the photodetachment bands of the anionic mixed carbon-boron cluster C 3 B 5 - has been realized through ab initio electronic structure calculations and detailed analyses of quantum dynamics study on top of those electronic structures. In the course of our study, we traverse extensive first principles electronic structure calculations to compute potential energy curves and to trace the energetic locations for the conical intersections in the multidimensional surfaces. All the ab initio calculations are performed on the four low-lying electronic states of the C 3 B 5 cluster, while quantum nuclear dynamics are pursued on those electronic states by applying both time-dependent and time-independent quantum chemistry frameworks. In particular, we rely on the diabatic electronic representation to construct the molecular Hamiltonian. Altogether, the simulated theoretical spectra offer exceptional agreement with the experimental attainments.

Background: Molecular studies on egg production in ducks were mostly focused on brain and ovaries as they are directly involved in egg production. Liver plays a vital role in cellular lipid metabolism. It also plays a decisive role in reproductive organ development, including yolk generation in laying ducks at sexual maturity. However, the precise molecular mechanism involved in the liver-blood-ovary axis in ducks remains elusive., Methods and Results: In this study, we analysed the liver transcriptome of laying (LA), immature (IM) and broody (BR) ducks using RNA sequencing to understand the role of genes expressed in the liver. The comparative transcriptome analysis revealed 82 DEGs between LA and IM ducks, 47 DEGs between LA and BR ducks and 51 DEGs between IM and BR ducks. GO analysis of DEGs, showed that DEGs were mainly involved in cellular anatomical entity, intracellular, metabolic process, and binding. Furthermore, pathway analysis indicated the important role of Wnt signaling pathway in egg formation and embryo development. Our study showed several candidate genes including vitellogenin-1, vitellogenin-2, riboflavin binding protein, G protein subunit gamma 4, and fatty acid binding protein 3 that are potentially related to egg production in ducks., Conclusions: The study provides valuable information on the genes responsible for egg production and thus, pave the way for further investigation on the molecular mechanisms of egg production in duck., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Egg production is an important economic trait and a key indicator of reproductive performance in ducks. Egg production is regulated by several factors including genes. However the genes involved in egg production in duck remain unclear. In this study, we compared the ovarian transcriptome of high egg laying (HEL) and low egg laying (LEL) ducks using RNA-Seq to identify the genes involved in egg production. The HEL ducks laid on average 433 eggs while the LEL ducks laid 221 eggs over 93 weeks. A total of 489 genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed out of which 310 and 179 genes were up and downregulated, respectively, in the HEL group. Thirty-eight differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including LHX9, GRIA1, DBH, SYCP2L, HSD17B2, PAR6, CAPRIN2, STC2, and RAB27B were found to be potentially related to egg production and folliculogenesis. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis suggested that DEGs were enriched for functions related to glutamate receptor activity, serine-type endopeptidase activity, immune function, progesterone mediated oocyte maturation and MAPK signaling. Protein-protein interaction network analysis (PPI) showed strong interaction between 32 DEGs in two distinct clusters. Together, these findings suggest a mix of genetic and immunological factors affect egg production, and highlights candidate genes and pathways, that provides an understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating egg production in ducks and in birds more broadly., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the spectrum of clinical presentation, intraoperative challenges and immediate surgical outcome of cataract patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF) following manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS)., Methods: This prospective observational study which was conducted in a rural tertiary care hospital included adult patients with cataract and associated PXF. MSICS was performed for all after a complete ophthalmic and systemic examination. Clinical profile, intraoperative and post-operative complications were noted. Uncorrected visual acuity on first day post-surgery was used to assess the surgical outcome following MSICS., Results: MSICS was performed in 80 eyes with varying grades of cataract and PXF. The mean age of the patients was 62.5 ± 8.9 years. PXF material on pupillary margin in 77(96%) patients was the most common finding noted. Majority of the patients had advanced cataract (72, 90%) and inadequate mydriasis (62, 77.5%). Posterior capsular rent (8, 10%) and zonular dehiscence (8, 10%) were the intraoperative difficulties faced. Uncorrected visual outcome on first post-operative day was moderate to good in 71 (88.8%) patients, limited by post-operative corneal oedema (21, 26.3%), iritis (31, 38.8%) and aphakia (9, 11.3%)., Conclusion: Patients with pseudoexfoliation had poor pupillary dilatation, advanced cataracts and higher rate of posterior capsular rent. Our study showed good outcome of MSICS in PXF patients, even with advanced cataract suggesting that MSICS is a safe, effective and viable option for patients with PXF and cataract., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Objectives: Gallbladder perforation is an infrequent entity seen among surgical patients. Rare occurrence owes to difficulty in diagnosing gallbladder perforations. The aim of the present study was to determine the optimal management strategy that may decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with this potentially life-threatening condition., Material and Methods: This was a retrospective study from hospital health records wherein the experience of 40 consecutive patients with gallbladder rupture, either spontaneous or secondary to both benign conditions and malignancy, was noted at a tertiary care hospital over 48 months from February 2017 till January 2021. The etiology, clinical presentation, and treatment given were analysed., Results: Out of 40 patients included, 23 were females and the majority of patients were more than 45 years of age. Twelve patients responded to intravenous antibiotics and analgesics alone while five required an ultrasound-guided pigtail catheter drainage due to non-improving clinical condition. The failure of expectant management led to a delayed laparotomy in seven patients while four patients required emergency laparotomy because of generalized peritonitis. An elective cholecystectomy was offered to 12 patients with cholecystoenteric fistulae after diagnostic laparoscopy in the same admission. Thirty-eight patients were discharged in stable condition and doing well at 30-day follow-up., Conclusion: Gallbladder perforation is seen more commonly in acute calculous cholecystitis compared to other conditions. It is more evident when the treatment of acute calculous cholecystitis is delayed by more than 6-8 weeks. The spectrum of clinical presentation varies from mild pain and vomiting to generalized peritonitis. The patient often requires a step-up approach to control the ongoing sepsis for an improved outcome., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2022, Turkish Surgical Society.)

Nanomaterials are the sixth most emerging contaminants that are entering into aquatic habitat posing a risk to the inhabiting organisms. Nanoparticles of copper ferrite have been extensively used in biomedical applications. However, very limited studies are available on the cytotoxicity evaluation of copper ferrite nanoparticles (CuFe 2 O 4 NPs) on different cell lines. The current work investigates on the cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and morphological variations triggered by CuFe 2 O 4 NPs in Channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT), neutral red uptake (NRU), lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione sulfotransferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) assays after 24 h of treatment. Dose dependent decline in cell survival was noticed in MTT and NRU assays. A significant increase in LPO, GST and GPX was observed in CCO cells exposed to CuFe 2 O 4 NPs after 24 h of treatment. However, the CAT and GSH levels in CCO cells exposed to CuFe 2 O 4 NPs decreased significantly after 24 h. The CCO cells exposed to 10 μg/mL concentration of CuFe 2 O 4 NPs for 24 h showed remarkable changes in their morphology. Further, the study also describes the detailed mechanism of toxicity of CuFe 2 O 4 NPs in other model cell lines to probe the risk of inhabiting organisms., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: DNA methylation and demethylation at CpG islands is one of the main regulatory factors that allow cells to respond to different stimuli. These regulatory mechanisms help in developing tissue without affecting the genomic composition or undergoing selection. Liver and backfat play important roles in regulating lipid metabolism and control various pathways involved in reproductive performance, meat quality, and immunity. Genes inside these tissue store a plethora of information and an understanding of these genes is required to enhance tissue characteristics in the future generation., Results: A total of 16 CpG islands were identified, and they were involved in differentially methylation regions (DMRs) as well as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of liver and backfat tissue samples. The genes C7orf50, ACTB and MLC1 in backfat and TNNT3, SIX2, SDK1, CLSTN3, LTBP4, CFAP74, SLC22A23, FOXC1, GMDS, GSC, GATA4, SEMA5A and HOXA5 in the liver, were categorized as differentially-methylated. Subsequently, Motif analysis for DMRs was performed to understand the role of the methylated motif for tissue-specific differentiation. Gene ontology studies revealed association with collagen fibril organization, the Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP) signaling pathway in backfat and cholesterol biosynthesis, bile acid and bile salt transport, and immunity-related pathways in methylated genes expressed in the liver., Conclusions: In this study, to understand the role of genes in the differentiation process, we have performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-seq analysis of Nanchukmacdon pigs. Methylation and motif analysis reveals the critical role of CpG islands and transcriptional factors binding site (TFBS) in guiding the differential patterns. Our findings could help in understanding how methylation of certain genes plays an important role and can be used as biomarkers to study tissue specific characteristics., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Aim and Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) in schoolchildren of the ages between 8 and 14 years of Gannavaram Mandal, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India., Materials and Methods: A total of 2,250 children of ages between 8 and 14 years were selected randomly from different schools. After obtaining requisite permissions from Mandal Educational Officer (MEO), children was screened for the prevalence of MIH according to European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD) 2003 diagnostic criteria and severity for MIH was examined using Wetzel and Reckel scale., Results: Prevalence of MIH was observed to be 2.1% with higher cases of mild severity and with no sex predilection (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly reduce complications associated with MIH. Very few studies have been conducted in India and studies encompassing extensive population are warranted to better understand its etiology., Clinical Significance: MIH lesions lead to carious development. Hence there is need to identify MIH in children as early as possible to reduce the clinical complications., How to Cite This Article: Tarannum, Ravichandra KS, Muppa R, et al . Molar Incisor Hypomineralization Prevalence in the Schoolchildren of Gannavaram Mandal, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(6):737-740., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2021; The Author(s).)

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the preparedness of governments to respond to it will likely undergo review. A key component is the legislative capacity and authority that governments had in place or could rapidly introduce to address the social, economic and health consequences of the emergency. We review Canada's legal preparedness for public health emergencies and the use of federal legislation to address the pandemic. We provide an overview of the concept of legal preparedness, summarize the federal statutes, regulations and orders enacted, and analyze the coherence of federal activity and its relevance to provinces, territories and international health regulations. We determine that the federal government has relied on spending power rather than constitutional authority over public health or existing legislation on influencing the course of the pandemic., (© 2021 The Authors. Canadian Public Administration published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Public Administration of Canada.)

Meat from Korean native chickens (KNCs) has high consumer demand; however, slow growth performance and high variation in body weight (BW) of KNCs remain an issue. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful method to identify quantitative trait-associated genomic loci. A GWAS, based on a large-scale KNC population, is needed to identify underlying genetic mechanisms related to its growth traits. To identify BW-associated genomic regions, we performed a GWAS using the chicken 60K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel for 1328 KNCs. BW was measured at 8 weeks of age, from 2018 to 2020. Twelve SNPs were associated with BW at the suggestive significance level ( p < 2.95 × 10 -5 ) and located near or within 11 candidate genes, including WDR37 , KCNIP4 , SLIT2 , PPARGC1A , MYOCD and ADGRA3 . Gene set enrichment analysis based on the GWAS results at p < 0.05 (1680 SNPs) showed that 32 Gene Ontology terms and two Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, including regulation of transcription, motor activity, the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, and tight junction, were significantly enriched ( p < 0.05) for BW-associated genes. These pathways are involved in cell growth and development, related to BW gain. The identified SNPs are potential biomarkers in KNC breeding.

Background: The media play a critical role in informing the public about the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, international travel has been a highly contested subject at both the international and national levels. We examined Canadian media reporting on international travel restrictions during the pandemic, how these restrictions aligned with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), and how the narrative around international travel evolved over time., Methods: We analysed articles from Canada's top three national newspapers by circulation - The Globe and Mail, The National Post and The Toronto Star - published between Jan 1, 2020 - May 31, 2020. Our search yielded a total of 378 articles across the three newspapers. After removing duplicates and screening the remaining articles, we included a total of 62 articles for the analysis. We conducted a qualitative media content analysis by using an inductive coding approach., Results: Three major themes were identified within the articles. These included: 1) The role of scientific and expert evidence in implementing travel restrictions; 2) Federal legislation, regulation and enforcement of international travel measures; and 3) Compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in travel restriction policy- and decision-making. The federal government relied primarily on scientific evidence for implementing international travel restrictions and fully exercised its powers under the Quarantine Act to enforce travel regulations and comply with the IHR 2005. The government embraced a rules-based international order by following WHO recommendations on international travel, contributing to a delay in border closure and travel restrictions until mid-March., Conclusion: The media focussed significantly on international travel-related issues during the early phase of the pandemic. The dominant media narrative surrounded the need for earlier travel restrictions against international travel.

Pig as a food source serves daily dietary demand to a wide population around the world. Preference of meat depends on various factors with muscle play the central role. In this regards, selective breeding abled us to develop "Nanchukmacdon" a pig breeds with an enhanced variety of meat and high fertility rate. To identify genomic regions under selection we performed whole-genome resequencing, transcriptome, and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing from Nanchukmacdon muscles samples and used published data for three other breeds such as Landrace, Duroc, Jeju native pig and analyzed the functional characterization of candidate genes. In this study, we present a comprehensive approach to identify candidate genes by using multi-omics approaches. We performed two different methods XP-EHH, XP-CLR to identify traces of artificial selection for traits of economic importance. Moreover, RNAseq analysis was done to identify differentially expressed genes in the crossed breed population. Several genes (UGT8, ZGRF1, NDUFA10, EBF3, ELN, UBE2L6, NCALD, MELK, SERP2, GDPD5, and FHL2) were identified as selective sweep and differentially expressed in muscles related pathways. Furthermore, nucleotide diversity analysis revealed low genetic diversity in Nanchukmacdon for identified genes in comparison to related breeds and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data shows the critical role of DNA methylation pattern in identified genes that leads to enhanced variety of meat. This work demonstrates a way to identify the molecular signature and lays a foundation for future genomic enabled pig breeding.

Whole-genome sequence (WGS) data are increasingly being applied into genomic predictions, offering a higher predictive ability by including causal mutations or single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) putatively in strong linkage disequilibrium with causal mutations affecting the trait. This study aimed to improve the predictive performance of the customized Hanwoo 50 k SNP panel for four carcass traits in commercial Hanwoo population by adding highly predictive variants from sequence data. A total of 16,892 Hanwoo cattle with phenotypes (i.e., backfat thickness, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, and marbling score), 50 k genotypes, and WGS imputed genotypes were used. We partitioned imputed WGS data according to functional annotation [intergenic (IGR), intron (ITR), regulatory (REG), synonymous (SYN), and non-synonymous (NSY)] to characterize the genomic regions that will deliver higher predictive power for the traits investigated. Animals were assigned into two groups, the discovery set (7324 animals) used for predictive variant detection and the cross-validation set for genomic prediction. Genome-wide association studies were performed by trait to every genomic region and entire WGS data for the pre-selection of variants. Each set of pre-selected SNPs with different density (1000, 3000, 5000, or 10,000) were added to the 50 k genotypes separately and the predictive performance of each set of genotypes was assessed using the genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP). Results showed that the predictive performance of the customized Hanwoo 50 k SNP panel can be improved by the addition of pre-selected variants from the WGS data, particularly 3000 variants from each trait, which is then sufficient to improve the prediction accuracy for all traits. When 12,000 pre-selected variants (3000 variants from each trait) were added to the 50 k genotypes, the prediction accuracies increased by 9.9, 9.2, 6.4, and 4.7% for backfat thickness, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, and marbling score compared to the regular 50 k SNP panel, respectively. In terms of prediction bias, regression coefficients for all sets of genotypes in all traits were close to 1, indicating an unbiased prediction. The strategy used to select variants based on functional annotation did not show a clear advantage compared to using whole-genome. Nonetheless, such pre-selected SNPs from the IGR region gave the highest improvement in prediction accuracy among genomic regions and the values were close to those obtained using the WGS data for all traits. We concluded that additional gain in prediction accuracy when using pre-selected variants appears to be trait-dependent, and using WGS data remained more accurate compared to using a specific genomic region., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Lopez, An, Srikanth, Lee, Oh, Shin, Park, Chai, Park and Lim.)

Background: Although the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program supports high-quality human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care, Medicaid enrollment provides access to non-HIV care. People with HIV (PWH) with Medicaid historically have low viral suppression (VS) rates. In a state with previously high Qualified Health Plan coverage of PWH, we examined HIV outcomes by insurance status during the first year of Medicaid expansion (ME)., Methods: Participants were PWH ages 18-63 who attended ≥1 HIV medical visit/year in 2018 and 2019. We estimated associations of sociodemographic characteristics with ME enrollment prevalence and associations between insurance status and engagement in care and VS., Results: Among 577 patients, 151 (33%) were newly eligible for Medicaid, and 77 (51%) enrolled. Medicaid enrollment was higher for those with incomes <100% federal poverty level (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.86) compared with others. Controlling for age, income, and 2018 engagement, those with employment-based private insurance (adjusted risk difference [aRD], -8.5%; 95% CI, -16.9 to 0.1) and Medicare (aRD, -12.5%; 95% CI, -21.2 to -3.0) had lower 2019 engagement than others. For those with VS data (n = 548), after controlling for age and baseline VS, those with Medicaid (aRD, -4.0%; 95% CI, -10.3 to 0.3) and with Medicaid due to ME (aRD, -6.2%; 95% CI, -14.1 to -0.8) were less likely to achieve VS compared with others., Conclusions: Given that PWH who newly enrolled in Medicaid had high engagement in care, the finding of lower VS is notable. The discordance may be due to medication access gaps associated with changes in medication procurement logistics., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Transcriptome expression reflects genetic response in diverse conditions. In this study, RNA sequencing was utilized to profile multiple tissues such as liver, breast, caecum, and gizzard of Korean commercial chicken raised in Korea and Kyrgyzstan. We analyzed ten samples per tissue from each location to identify candidate genes which are involved in the adaptation of Korean commercial chicken to Kyrgyzstan. At false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05 and fold change (FC) > 2, we found 315, 196, 167 and 198 genes in liver, breast, cecum, and gizzard respectively as differentially expressed between the two locations. GO enrichment analysis showed that these genes were highly enriched for cellular and metabolic processes, catalytic activity, and biological regulations. Similarly, KEGG pathways analysis indicated metabolic, PPAR signaling, FoxO, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, biosynthesis, MAPK signaling, CAMs, citrate cycles pathways were differentially enriched. Enriched genes like TSKU, VTG1, SGK, CDK2 etc. in these pathways might be involved in acclimation of organisms into diverse climatic conditions. The qRT-PCR result also corroborated the RNA-Seq findings with R 2 of 0.76, 0.80, 0.81, and 0.93 for liver, breast, caecum, and gizzard respectively. Our findings can improve the understanding of environmental acclimation process in chicken.

After many years of TB 'control' and incremental progress, the TB community is talking about ending the disease, yet this will only be possible with a shift in the way we approach the TB response. While the Asia-Pacific region has the highest TB burden worldwide, it also has the opportunity to lead the quest to end TB by embracing the four areas laid out in this series: using data to target hotspots, initiating active case finding, provisioning preventive TB treatment, and employing a biosocial approach. The Stop TB Partnership's TB REACH initiative provides a platform to support partners in the development, evaluation and scale-up of new and innovative technologies and approaches to advance TB programs. We present several approaches TB REACH is taking to support its partners in the Asia-Pacific and globally to advance our collective response to end TB.

Hanwoo, is the most popular native beef cattle in South Korea. Due to its extensive popularity, research is ongoing to enhance its carcass quality and marbling traits. In this study we conducted a haplotype-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) by constructing haplotype blocks by three methods: number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a haplotype block (nsnp), length of genomic region in kb (Len) and linkage disequilibrium (LD). Significant haplotype blocks and genes associated with them were identified for carcass traits such as BFT (back fat thickness), EMA (eye Muscle area), CWT (carcass weight) and MS (marbling score). Gene-set enrichment analysis and functional annotation of genes in the significantly-associated loci revealed candidate genes, including PLCB1 and PLCB4 present on BTA13, coding for phospholipases, which might be important candidates for increasing fat deposition due to their role in lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. CEL (carboxyl ester lipase), a bile-salt activated lipase, responsible for lipid catabolic process was also identified within the significantly-associated haplotype block on BTA11. The results were validated in a different Hanwoo population. The genes and pathways identified in this study may serve as good candidates for improving carcass traits in Hanwoo cattle.

Heat stress (HS) negatively impacts pig production and swine health. Therefore, to understand the genetic and metabolic responses of pigs to HS, we used RNA-Seq and high resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR analyses to compare the transcriptomes and metabolomes of Duroc pigs ( n = 6, 3 barrows and 3 gilts) exposed to heat stress (33 °C and 60% RH) with a control group (25 °C and 60% RH). HS resulted in the differential expression of 552 (236 up, 316 down) and 879 (540 up, 339 down) genes and significant enrichment of 30 and 31 plasma metabolites in female and male pigs, respectively. Apoptosis, response to heat, Toll-like receptor signaling and oxidative stress were enriched among the up-regulated genes, while negative regulation of the immune response, ATP synthesis and the ribosomal pathway were enriched among down-regulated genes. Twelve and ten metabolic pathways were found to be enriched (among them, four metabolic pathways, including arginine and proline metabolism, and three metabolic pathways, including pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis), overlapping between the transcriptome and metabolome analyses in the female and male group respectively. The limited overlap between pathways enriched with differentially expressed genes and enriched plasma metabolites between the sexes suggests a sex-specific response to HS in pigs.

Saliva is an exocrine secretion produced from the salivary glands and has numerous functions, such as cleansing and protection of the oral cavity, antimicrobial effects and aids in digestion. Due to the speedy development in the field of salivaomics, saliva is now well accepted as a pool of biological markers that vary from changes in biochemicals, nucleic acids and proteins to the microflora. Saliva has an immense potential as a diagnostic fluid and offers an edge over other biological fluids as its collection method does not require invasive procedure, economical and is useful for monitoring systemic health. Development of sensitive and precise salivary diagnostic tools and the formulation of defined guidelines following meticulous testing will allow salivary diagnostics to be utilised as chair side tests for various oral and systemic diseases in the near future. The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic is the biggest challenge and global health crisis for the world since World War Two. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of Covid-19 is crucial in controlling the outbreak in the community and in hospitals. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs are the recommended specimen types for Covid-19 diagnostic testing. The collection of these specimen types requires close contact between healthcare workers and patients and poses a risk of transmission of the virus, causes discomfort and may cause bleeding, especially in patients with condition such as thrombocytopenia. Hence, nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs are not desirable for sequential monitoring of viral load. Saliva specimens can be obtained easily as the patient is asked to spit into a sterile bottle. The collection of saliva is non-invasive and greatly minimizes the exposure of healthcare workers to Covid-19. Saliva has a high consistency rate of greater than 90% with nasopharyngeal specimens in the detection of respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses. Saliva has also been used in screening respiratory viruses among hospitalized patients without pyrexia or respiratory symptoms. SARS-CoV can be detected in saliva at high titers. Salivary diagnostics is a dynamic field that is being incorporated as part of disease diagnosis, clinical monitoring of systemic health and to make significant clinical decisions for patient care. More research is required to analyze the potential diagnostic of Covid-19 in saliva to develop rapid chair side tests for the detection of Covid-19 and it is also pivotal to improve and develop successful strategies for prevention, especially for dentists and healthcare professionals who are involved in performing aerosol-generating procedures., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Sri Santosh et al.)