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Abstract Background HIV-1 integrase (IN) is a key viral enzymatic molecule required for the integration of the viral cDNA into the genome. Additionally, HIV-1 IN has been shown to play important roles in several other steps during the viral life cycle, including reverse transcription, nuclear import and chromatin targeting. Interestingly, previous studies have demonstrated that the expression of HIV-1 IN induces the lethal phenotype in some strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we performed mutagenic analyses of the C-terminal region of the catalytic core domain of HIV-1 IN in order to delineate the critical amino acid(s) and/or motif(s) required for the induction of the lethal phenotype in the yeast strain HP16, and to further elucidate the molecular mechanism which causes this phenotype. Results Our study identified three HIV-1 IN mutants, V165A, A179P and KR186,7AA, located in the C-terminal region of the catalytic core domain of IN that do not induce the lethal phenotype in yeast. Chromatin binding assays in yeast and mammalian cells demonstrated that these IN mutants were impaired for the ability to bind chromatin. Additionally, we determined that while these IN mutants failed to interact with LEDGF/p75, they retained the ability to bind Integrase interactor 1. Furthermore, we observed that VSV-G-pseudotyped HIV-1 containing these IN mutants was unable to replicate in the C8166 T cell line and this defect was partially rescued by complementation with the catalytically inactive D64E IN mutant. Conclusion Overall, this study demonstrates that three mutations located in the C-terminal region of the catalytic core domain of HIV-1 IN inhibit the IN-induced lethal phenotype in yeast by inhibiting the binding of IN to the host chromatin. These results demonstrate that the C-terminal region of the catalytic core domain of HIV-1 IN is important for binding to host chromatin and is crucial for both viral replication and the promotion of the IN-induced lethal phenotype in yeast.

Objective: Heightened nocturnal blood pressure (BP) may be attributed to the disruption of sleep, a condition worsened by alcohol ingestion. This study investigated the effects of acute alcohol ingestion on hemodynamics and sleep architecture in a young, healthy cohort of male. METHODS: Subjects (n = 17) underwent acute alcohol ingestion reaching a breath alcohol content of 0.08. Each subject endured a battery of hemodynamic tests and had their sleep architecture and nocturnal blood pressure monitored pre- and post-ingestion. Results: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased both 30 minutes and 12 hours after alcohol. Ambulatory nocturnal SBP significantly increased after alcohol compared to baseline measures. Minutes of total, rapid eye movement, and light sleep all increased after alcohol ingestion, while a decrease was observed for sleep latency. Conclusions: An acute bout of heavy alcohol consumption may attenuate nocturnal BP dipping that, in turn, may hasten the progression of hypertension-related cardiovascular disease.

We assessed the reliability and validity of a Salty Food Frequency Questionnaire for Sodium (FFQ-Na) and a Discretionary Salt Questionnaire (DSQ) developed for the French-Canadian population. The reliability was evaluated according to temporal stability over a 7–15 day interval (n = 36). Validity was evaluated by testing the tools against a 24-h urine sodium excretion (24 h Uri-Na) and a 3-day food record, and this at individual and group levels (n = 164). The intra-class coefficients (ICC) values for the test-retest of the DSQ, the FFQ-Na and the two questionnaires combined were 0.73, 0.97 and 0.98 respectively. Correlations of the FFQ-Na with the 24 h Uri-Na and the 3-day food record were 0.3 (p < 0.001) and 0.35 (p < 0.001) respectively. The DSQ showed no significant correlation with the reference measures. The correlation between the two methods combined were 0.29 (p < 0.001) with the 24 h Uri-Na and 0.31 (p < 0.001) with the 3-day food record. The results of Bland–Altman indicated that for the combined questionnaires, there was a bias of measurement (underestimation of intake), but it was constant for every level of intake according to the reference measures. Finally, the cross-classification indicated an acceptable proportion of agreement, but a rate between 20% and 30% of classification in the opposite quartile. In conclusion, the developed tools are reliable and showed some facets of validity.

In this paper are described the stress levels of the student population about the variables: socioeconomic status, academic performance, academic level, geographical area and gender. For this purpose, a survey was administered to a randomized sample of 112 students of different careers from the main campus of the University of Costa Rica. Results showed that the major sources of stress in students are academic and financial pressures. Also, results showed that students whose place of origin is far from the main campus of the university have higher levels of stress and finally, women tend to handle higher levels of stress than men.

AbstractObjective: to analyze and summarize knowledge concerning critical components of interventions that have been proposed and implemented by nurses with the aim of optimizing self-care by heart failure patients.Methods: PubMed and CINAHL were the electronic databases used to search full peer-reviewed papers, presenting descriptions of nursing interventions directed to patients or to patients and their families and designed to optimize self-care. Forty-two studies were included in the final sample (n=4,799 patients).Results: this review pointed to a variety and complexity of nursing interventions. As self-care encompasses several behaviors, interventions targeted an average of 3.6 behaviors. Educational/counselling activities were combined or not with cognitive behavioral strategies, but only about half of the studies used a theoretical background to guide interventions. Clinical assessment and management were frequently associated with self-care interventions, which varied in number of sessions (1 to 30); length of follow-up (2 weeks to 12 months) and endpoints.Conclusions: these findings may be useful to inform nurses about further research in self-care interventions in order to propose the comparison of different modalities of intervention, the use of theoretical background and the establishment of endpoints to evaluate their effectiveness.

We compared health status, anthropometric and psychological development of 123 children adopted before 18 months of age from China, East Asia (Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Cambodia), and Eastern Europe (mostly Russia). Data were collected close to the time of arrival, and 3 and 6 months later. Anthropometric measures included weight, height, and head circumference percentiles, and weight/height and height/age ratios (indices of acute and chronic malnutrition, respectively). We assessed cognitive (MDI) and motor (PDI) developments with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley, 1993). At time of arrival, children presented physical, cognitive, and motor delays, as well as health problems. Growth parameters improved with time, but differently among the groups. East Asian children, in a better physical state at time of arrival, changed less than the others did across time. Children adopted from Russia globally had lower MDI than the others, while children adopted from East Asia had the highest PDI. Hierarchical linear modelling indicated that initial MDI was related to height/age ratio (index of chronic malnutrition), while its change over time was related to age at time of arrival. PDI was also related to height/age ratio, as well as to presence/absence of neurological signs at time of arrival. Infants with a higher risk index had lower MDI and PDI initial scores. (Contains 8 tables and 3 figures.)

Purkinje-induced idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF), initially called short-coupled Torsades de Pointes , is a form of IVF triggered by Purkinje ectopy responsible for unexplained sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young people. This entity is often associated with isolated short-coupled (< 350 ms) premature ventricular complexes (scPVC) which can degenerate into ventricular fibrillation and lead to death. The treatments available today are quinidine or the implantation of a cardiac defibrillator. According to the literature, around 15% of patients with Purkinje-induced IVF have a family history of SCD, suggesting that this arrhythmia may have a genetic origin. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of Purkinje arrhythmogenicity and its genetic determinants. This project will focus on patients with Purkinje-induced IVF having a family history of SCD or cardiac arrest/syncope. The aim of this work is to create a human cellular model of Purkinje-related IVF using iPS-derived cardiomyocytes in order to characterize them in vitro and to identify the mechanisms underlying Purkinje arrhythmogenicity. Blood samples have been collected from patients diagnosed with Purkinje-related IVF, who have at least one kindred with SCD or Purkinje-related scPVCs. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells will be isolated and reprogrammed into iPS cells, which will then be differentiated into Purkinje-type cardiac cells using a cocktail of specific drugs. Blood cells from 3 patient are being reprogrammed. Once their quality as pluripotent stem cells has been verified, they will be differentiated into Purkinje-like cells using a cocktail of drugs and further characterized using electrophysiological and molecular techniques. The results of this project will provide new genetic and mechanistic insights into a major cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, which could lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afin d'examiner les liens entre le rapport aux origines et l'adaptation psychologique d'adolescents adoptés à l'étranger et l'effet médiateur de la relation avec leurs parents adoptifs, nous avons utilisé diverses composantes de l'identité et de la relation parent-enfant et des évaluations des symptômes intériorisés et extériorisés provenant des adolescents et des mères. La confiance des parents envers leur enfant a un effet de médiation complet sur le lien entre proximité à la culture d'origine et symptômes extériorisés évalués par les mères. La communication parent-enfant a un effet de médiation partiel sur le lien entre l'appartenance à la culture d'origine et les symptômes extériorisés que rapportent les adolescents. Ces résultats soulignent l'importance de la relation avec leurs parents adoptifs pour le bien-être psychologique des adolescents et ses liens étroits avec leurs questionnements identitaires ainsi que la complexité du rapport aux origines. Les implications cliniques de ces résultats sont discutées. Like any teenager, international adoptees must build their identity, a process that can be quite complex for those belonging to two families and two cultures. According to several studies, ethnic identity is associated with better psychological adjustment among internationally adopted teenagers, whereas other studies found no relationship. The link between identification to their adoptive culture and international adoptees' psychological well-being is also unclear. Parents' attitude towards their child origin is however crucial for his/her well-being. Adoptive parents must tolerate their child's curiosity about his/her origin, maintain a good communication about the adoption, and recognize their differences. These findings suggest that parent-child relationship could have an impact on the association between international adoptees' relation with their birth and adoptive cultures and psychological adjustment. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of parent-child relationship on the association between proximity to birth culture and to adoptive culture, ethnic identity, and psychological adjustment among international adoptees during adolescence. The sample consisted of 76 adolescents (M = 15 years) adopted before 18 months of age from China, other East Asian countries, Russia, Haiti, and Bolivia. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed using the Dominic Interactive for Adolescents, a computerized self-report questionnaire, and the Child Behavior Checklist completed by the mothers. Adolescents also completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment to assess the quality of their relationship with their parents (trust, communication, and alienation), the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (exploration, and belonging/commitment), and a home-made questionnaire assessing proximity to birth culture and to adoptive culture. Results show that although a large proportion of our sample reported being very close to their adoptive culture, no correlation was found with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Proximity to birth culture was associated with higher externalizing scores when assessed by mothers but this relationship was completely mediated by children's perception of their parents' trust towards them. In contrast, belonging/commitment to birth culture was associated with lower externalizing scores according to self-reports and this relationship was partially mediated by parent-child communication. These findings suggest that the importance and meaning attached to childbirth culture and origins may sometimes differ for adoptive parents and their teenager and be a source of conflict within the family. In this context, promoting trust and good communication between international adoptees and their parents is crucial to prevent the emergence and aggravation of behaviour problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bipolar (BHA) and unipolar hemiarthroplasties (UHA) are interchangeably used in elderly patients with a displaced femoral neck fracture. We ask if there is a difference between BHA and UHA with regards to hip function, in elderly patients.Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of randomized controlled trials comparing BHA to UHA. The primary outcome was postoperative hip function scores. Secondary outcomes were overall health-related quality of life patient-reported outcomes, acetabular erosion, and postoperative complications. Data sources, last searched on June 1, 2020, were MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science.Results: Fourteen randomized controlled trials were eligible for meta-analysis. There was no difference in hip function scores between BHA and UHA (standardized mean difference 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.06 to 0.71, n = 1084, I2 = 87%). Patients with BHA with more than 2-year follow-up had better hip function scores (standardized mean difference 0.68, 95% CI 0.18-1.18, n = 700, I2 = 87%). There was no difference in European Quality of life- five dimensions scores with BHA (mean difference 0.08, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.17, n = 967, I2 = 82%). The use of BHA decreased the risk of acetabular erosion (relative risk 0.38, 95% CI 0.17-0.83, n = 1239, I2 = 0%). There was no difference for revision, mortality, infection, and dislocation (I2 = 0%).Conclusion: There seems to be no difference between BHA and UHA with regards to hip function at 2 years. BHA might decrease the risk of acetabular erosion. There is a need for a large randomized controlled trial with a follow-up >2 years and better measurement tools to assess clinical benefits.Level Of Evidence: II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an ongoing project to digitize information about plant specimens and make it available to botanists in the field. This first requires digital images and models, and then effective retrieval and mobile computing mechanisms for accessing this information. We have almost completed a digital archive of the collection of type specimens at the Smithsonian Institution Department of Botany. Using these and additional images, we have also constructed prototype electronic field guides for the flora of Plummers Island. Our guides use a novel computer vision algorithm to compute leaf similarity. This algorithm is integrated into image browsers that assist a user in navigating a large collection of images to identify the species of a new specimen. For example, our systems allow a user to photograph a leaf and use this image to retrieve a set of leaves with similar shapes. We measured the effectiveness of one of these systems with recognition experiments on a large dataset of images, and with user studies of the complete retrieval system. In addition, we describe future directions for acquiring models of more complex, 3D specimens, and for using new methods in wearable computing to interact with data in the 3D environment in which it is acquired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this observational study was to describe the relationship between dietary fatty acids and serum lipids in 154 overweight adults participating in a weight management program. Mean energy intake decreased by 252 +/- 548 kcal and weight decreased by 4.1 +/- 3.4 kg (P < .001). Total fat (% kcal), grams of polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and trans fatty acids, and saturated fat decreased as did serum lipids except for triglycerides (P <= .001). Changes in total cholesterol were correlated with alterations in all fatty acids except for saturated fatty acids; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was correlated with a change in trans fats and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was not correlated with any variables. In the multiple regression model, 3.9% of the variance in LDL-C could be explained by trans fats after controlling for the effects of other variables; a lowering of HDL-C was associated with a change in percentage of fat kilocalories. In conclusion, trans fats appear to be associated with LDL-C. Based on these findings, it is prudent to recommend that the public limit their intake of trans fats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on myocardial revascularization with radial artery graft. Preoperative preparation; Medical/surgical considerations; Postoperative outcomes.