Search

As prices for energy storage (ES) decline, merchant-owned ES units have an opportunity to be profitable if they earn revenue from multiple streams. Most papers in the literature provide a simplistic view, and do not capture practical tariff structure of commercial customers connected via load meters billed via net-metering scheme. In this paper, we present a flexible and comprehensive mathematical model to enable merchant-owned ES owners to maximize their profits by considering multiple revenue streams. The main contribution is a model that fully captures the economic picture by including displaced electricity costs, i.e., net-metering scheme, for behind-the-meter installations. It also includes operating costs, annual investment costs, and ES connected to the distribution system. The inclusion of net metering is novel, as well as simultaneously including all of ancillary services, energy costs, investment costs, net metering, and local generation. These elements can be crucial in building the business case for ES in Ontario to ensure profitability. We test our model on a large commercial customer. The load has a peak load of 1,500 kW and a solar generation capacity of 2,500 kW connected on a 13.8 kV feeder, with a limit of 5,000 kW capacity. The results show two cases. The first considers only energy arbitrage and costs ${\$}4,812,909$ , which is less than the cost without storage at ${\$}9,299,623$ . The second scenario allows for energy arbitrage and revenue via participation in local and bulk system ancillary services and yields a total benefit of ${\$}11,004,225$ . Both scenarios indicate benefits from purchase of storage. The second scenario is clearly more beneficial when storage investment is considered and opportunity is available. We also provide a stochastic implementation to consider uncertainty in any input parameter and demonstrate this method with energy prices.

Traditional generation and transmission expansion planning has served electric utilities well for several decades to procure the least costing set of assets to meet forecasted demand. Unfortunately, it does not consider a demand curve, in which case it procures generation and transmission assets that do not ensure maximum societal value. An Incremental Capacity Auction (ICA) enables a power system to competitively procure additional generation capacity that maximizes social welfare while satisfying numerous constraints. However, typical ICA designs, zonal or otherwise, do not consider new inter-zonal transmission lines and distributed energy resources (DERs) embedded in distribution systems, promoting suboptimal solutions. To address these shortcomings, this work presents a new comprehensive ICA model that considers intra-zonal and inter-zonal constraints with provision to add new inter-zonal transmission lines and distribution system embedded DERs, while accommodating non-monotonically increasing generator capacity price bids. The proposed zonal ICA model is applied to two systems: (1) a synthetic test system with two zones; and (2) Ontario, Canada’s provincial power system with six zones. The Ontario system study considers a realistic demand growth and demonstrates that the proposed zonal ICA model achieves 5.7% higher social welfare considering new inter-zonal transmission enhancements and DERs over existing single-zone methods.

Abstract Background The incidence of neonatal opiate withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) in the US has grown dramatically over the past two decades. Many rural hospitals not equipped to manage these patients transfer them to hospitals in bigger cities. Methods We created a curriculum, the NOWS-NM Program, a web-based curriculum training in best practices. To evaluate the curriculum, we conducted pre- and post-surveys of NOWS knowledge, attitudes, and care practices, plus post-curriculum interviews and focus groups. Results Fourteen participants completed both pre- and post-curriculum surveys. They indicated an increase in knowledge and care practices. A small number of respondents expressed negative attitudes about parents of infants with NOWS at pre-test, the training curriculum appeared to have no impact on such attitudes at post-test. Sixteen participants participated in focus groups or interviews. Qualitative data reinforced the positive quantitative results and contradicted the negative survey results, respondents reported that the program did reduce stigma and improve provider/staff interactions with patients. Conclusions This curriculum demonstrated positive impacts on NOWS knowledge and care practices. Incorporating focus on core concepts of trauma-informed care and self-regulation in future iterations of the curriculum may strengthen the opportunity to change attitudes and address the needs expressed by participants and improve care of families and babies with NOWS.

Abstract Background Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a familial cardiac disease associated with ventricular arrhythmias and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Currently, there are no approved treatments that address the underlying genetic cause of this disease, representing a significant unmet need. Mutations in Plakophilin-2 (PKP2), encoding a desmosomal protein, account for approximately 40% of ARVC cases and result in reduced gene expression. Methods Our goal is to examine the feasibility and the efficacy of adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-mediated restoration of PKP2 expression in a cardiac specific knock-out mouse model of Pkp2. Results We show that a single dose of AAV9:PKP2 gene delivery prevents disease development before the onset of cardiomyopathy and attenuates disease progression after overt cardiomyopathy. Restoration of PKP2 expression leads to a significant extension of lifespan by restoring cellular structures of desmosomes and gap junctions, preventing or halting decline in left ventricular ejection fraction, preventing or reversing dilation of the right ventricle, ameliorating ventricular arrhythmia event frequency and severity, and preventing adverse fibrotic remodeling. RNA sequencing analyses show that restoration of PKP2 expression leads to highly coordinated and durable correction of PKP2-associated transcriptional networks beyond desmosomes, revealing a broad spectrum of biological perturbances behind ARVC disease etiology. Conclusions We identify fundamental mechanisms of PKP2-associated ARVC beyond disruption of desmosome function. The observed PKP2 dose-function relationship indicates that cardiac-selective AAV9:PKP2 gene therapy may be a promising therapeutic approach to treat ARVC patients with PKP2 mutations.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem, genetic disease with a significantly reduced life expectancy. Despite substantial progress in therapies in the last 10–15 years, there is still no cure. There are dozens of drugs in the development pipeline and multiple clinical trials are being conducted across the globe. The UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust's (CFT) Clinical Trials Accelerator Platform (CTAP) is a national initiative bringing together 25 UK based CF centres to support the CF community in accessing and participating in CF clinical trials. CTAP enables more CF centres to run a broader portfolio of trials and increases the range of CF studies available for UK patients.There are four large specialist CF centres based in London, all within a small geographical region as well as two smaller centres which deliver CF care. At the launch of CTAP, these centres formed a sub-network in a consortium-style collaboration. The purpose of the network was to ensure equity of access to trials for patients across the UK's capital, and to share experience and knowledge. Four years into the programme we have reviewed our practices through working group meetings and an online survey. We sought to identify strengths and areas for improvement. We share our findings here, as we believe they are relevant to others delivering research in regions outside of London and in other chronic diseases.

ABSTRACTCandida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that causes common superficial mycoses in healthy populations and invasive disease in immunocompromised individuals. The fungus employs several virulence traits to cause disease in humans, including its ability to transition from yeast to filamentous morphologies. Previous work found that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation regulated kinase (DYRK) Yak1 blocks C. albicans morphogenesis and biofilm formation. Here, we expand on this work to provide mechanistic insights into how Yak1 governs this important virulence trait. First, we establish that Yak1 acts either downstream or parallel to protein kinase A (PKA) to regulate filamentation in response to diverse inducing cues. Furthermore, its importance in governing filamentous growth is dependent on core transcriptional regulators, such as Efg1 and Flo8. We also report that hyperactivation of the Ras1/cAMP/PKA pathway under elevated, host-relevant concentrations of CO2 bypasses the requirement for Yak1 in the yeast-to-filament transition. Seeking to identify the factor(s) that mediates filamentation under elevated CO2, we found that in a yak1-mutant background, homozygous deletion of a predicted, but previously uncharacterized DYRK, POM1, blocks filamentation. Finally, we demonstrate that Yak1 is required for morphogenesis in a dermatitis model of C. albicans infection and that pharmacological inhibition of Yak1 with a beta-carboline also attenuates filamentation in the dermal tissue. Overall, this work characterizes the role of Yak1 in regulating C. albicans morphogenesis, identifies an undescribed role for Pom1 in the yeast-to-filament transition, and suggests that inhibition of Yak1 may serve as a therapeutic strategy to combat C. albicans dermatitis.IMPORTANCECandida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that frequently causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. To cause disease, the fungus employs several virulence traits, including its ability to transition between yeast and filamentous states. Previous work identified a role for the kinase Yak1 in regulating C. albicans filamentation. Here, we demonstrate that Yak1 regulates morphogenesis through the canonical cAMP/PKA pathway and that this regulation is environmentally contingent, as host-relevant concentrations of CO2 bypass the requirement of Yak1 for C. albicans morphogenesis. We show a related kinase, Pom1, is important for filamentation in the absence of Yak1 under these host-relevant conditions, as deletion of both genes blocked filamentous growth under all conditions tested. Finally, we demonstrate that Yak1 is required for filamentation in a mouse model of C. albicans dermatitis using genetic and pharmacological approaches. Overall, our results expand our understanding of how Yak1 regulates an important virulence trait in C. albicans.

ABSTRACTFor the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, metabolic flexibility and the ability to transition between yeast and filamentous growth states are key virulence traits that enable disease in the host. These traits are particularly important during the interaction of C. albicans with macrophages, where the fungus must utilize multiple alternative carbon sources to survive after being phagocytosed, and filamentation is coupled to fungal escape and immune cell death. Here, we employed functional genomic screening of conditional-expression mutants covering >50% of the C. albicans genome to identify genes selectively required for filamentation inside macrophages. Through manual and machine learning-based image analyses, we uncovered a role for the mitochondrial ribosome, respiration, and the SNF1 AMP-activated kinase complex in governing filamentous growth within the phagosome, suggesting that C. albicans relies on respiration to evade the antifungal activities of macrophages. We demonstrate that downregulating the expression of these genes reduces ATP levels and impedes filamentation as well as growth under monoculture conditions in medium lacking glucose. In co-culture with physiological glucose concentration, downregulation of genes involved in mitochondrial function and respiration prevented C. albicans from expanding within the phagosome, escaping, and inducing immune cell death. Together, our work provides new insights into the impact of metabolism on the interaction between C. albicans and macrophages, highlighting respiration and the SNF1 AMP-activated kinase as key effectors of C. albicans metabolic flexibility and filamentation within phagocytes.IMPORTANCECandida albicans is a leading human fungal pathogen that often causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. The ability of C. albicans to transition between yeast and filamentous forms is key to its virulence, and this occurs in response to many host-relevant cues, including engulfment by host macrophages. While previous efforts identified C. albicans genes required for filamentation in other conditions, the genes important for this morphological transition upon internalization by macrophages remained largely enigmatic. Here, we employed a functional genomic approach to identify genes that enable C. albicans filamentation within macrophages and uncovered a role for the mitochondrial ribosome, respiration, and the SNF1 AMP-activated kinase complex. Additionally, we showed that glucose uptake and glycolysis by macrophages support C. albicans filamentation. This work provides insights into the metabolic dueling that occurs during the interaction of C. albicans with macrophages and identifies vulnerabilities in C. albicans that could serve as promising therapeutic targets.

The 26th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP (Conference of Parties) took place in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021 amidst intersecting global crises. The rising number and intensity of unprecedented extreme weather events in many countries, increased knowledge about industrial agriculture’s significant emission contributions to the climate crisis, and the vulnerability of the global food system in the wake of COVID-19 shocks should have positioned food and agriculture as priority items on the agenda. Yet, agriculture and food systems played only a minor role in COP26 negotiations, and vaccine apartheid limited the presence of the food sovereignty movement and broader grassroots voices in Glasgow. Corporate co-optation and flagrant greenwashing via net zero and false solution narratives dominated, yielding watered-down outcomes instead of the bold actions needed to tackle the climate crisis. In this report from the field, two food sovereignty activists dissect the accessibility of the official COP26 spaces and demonstrate how the negotiations failed to meaningfully integrate grassroots demands related to ecologically and socially just food and agriculture policy. They also reflect on their experiences in civil society-led spaces that fostered social movement building outside the doors of the official UNFCCC conference. It was in these interactions that activists wove threads of hope across sectors, social groups, and movements seeking climate justice.

ABSTRACT Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen and a member of the mucosal microbiota. To survive in the host and cause disease, C. albicans utilizes several virulence traits, including the ability to respond and adapt to diverse stressors, as well as the morphogenetic switch between yeast and filamentous morphologies. While complex cellular circuitry governs these virulence attributes, the following two kinase-mediated signaling pathways play particularly critical roles in controlling these processes: the Hog1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade and the protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. Here, we describe the construction of C. albicans strains harboring substitutions in the ATP-binding pockets of Hog1 and the catalytic subunits of PKA, Tpk1, and Tpk2 to render their activities sensitive to the addition of bulky ATP analogs. Specifically, inhibition by the ATP analog 1NM-PP1 resulted in phenotypes characteristic of the corresponding homozygous deletion mutants for each kinase gene. These strains represent a toolset for the rapid and specific inhibition of PKA and Hog1 kinase activity to further understand their roles in regulating C. albicans morphogenesis and stress responses. IMPORTANCE As an opportunistic pathogen in humans, the fungus Candida albicans relies on virulence traits to cause disease. They include the ability to transition from yeast to filamentous morphologies and the ability to grow in diverse environmental stress conditions, including nutrient limitation, as well as osmotic and heat shock. Previous work identified the following two kinases that play a critical role in regulating these responses: Hog1 and PKA. Here, we generated versions of each kinase that are sensitive to inhibition by a bulky ATP analog, 1NM-PP1. In the presence of the analog, kinase activity is inhibited rapidly and specifically, facilitating the analysis of both kinases in regulating C. albicans morphogenesis and stress responses. Together, these strains represent an important toolset to further our understanding of C. albicans biology and virulence.

Summary: Candida albicans is a leading cause of mycotic infection. The ability to transition between yeast and filamentous forms is critical to C. albicans virulence and complex signaling pathways regulate this process. Here, we screened a C. albicans protein kinase mutant library in six environmental conditions to identify regulators of morphogenesis. We identified the uncharacterized gene orf19.3751 as a negative regulator of filamentation and follow-up investigations implicated a role for orf19.3751 in cell cycle regulation. We also uncovered a dual role for the kinases Ire1 and protein kinase A (Tpk1 and Tpk2) in C. albicans morphogenesis, specifically as negative regulators of wrinkly colony formation on solid medium but positive regulators of filamentation in liquid medium. Further analyses suggested Ire1 modulates morphogenesis in both media states in part through the transcription factor Hac1 and in part through independent mechanisms. Overall, this work provides insights into the signaling governing morphogenesis in C. albicans.

The rapid development of the service industry in Indonesia is seen from the emergence of several companies in the transportation sector based on online applications. To compensate for the public needs of these services, the company needs to maintain customer satisfaction from the service performance. The research aimed to evaluate the quality of transportation services at Grab Bike Indonesia. By using quantitative and qualitative approach, the research applied Service Quality (Servqual) analysis for the level of perceived satisfaction, Refined Kano model for the role of each attribute to customer satisfaction, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) for the priority of improvements, and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) for the technical steps of improvement. Servqual analysis shows 36 service attributes that need to be improved, particularly 16 service attributes with high gap scores. Furthermore, there are 5 attributes classified as major influencing attributes on customer satisfaction based on Refined Kano analysis. These factors also need to be improved in the IPA category. From the results of QFD, it suggests that the company should consider the technical steps of improvement. For example, the company should provide regulations that drivers must obey, have driving standards, strict sanctions for every violation of rules, initial training for drivers, and utilization of GPS properly, provide an easy way for customer feedback, and others.

Abstract The fungus Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that can exploit imbalances in microbiome composition to invade its human host, causing pathologies ranging from vaginal candidiasis to fungal sepsis. Bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus are colonizers of human mucosa and can produce compounds with bioactivity against C. albicans. Here, we show that some Lactobacillus species produce a small molecule under laboratory conditions that blocks the C. albicans yeast-to-filament transition, an important virulence trait. It remains unexplored whether the compound is produced in the context of the human host. Bioassay-guided fractionation of Lactobacillus-conditioned medium linked this activity to 1-acetyl-β-carboline (1-ABC). We use genetic approaches to show that filamentation inhibition by 1-ABC requires Yak1, a DYRK1-family kinase. Additional biochemical characterization of structurally related 1-ethoxycarbonyl-β-carboline confirms that it inhibits Yak1 and blocks C. albicans biofilm formation. Thus, our findings reveal Lactobacillus-produced 1-ABC can prevent the yeast-to-filament transition in C. albicans through inhibition of Yak1.

This article investigated whether the number of supervised students (masters and doctors/PhD) per professor impacts in the average number of periodic documents per student, and it evaluated the contributions to the production of scientific knowledge for the area of Science Education in the context of the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação em Ciências: Química da Vida e Saúde-PPGQVS (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, and Universidade Federal do Pampa), from 2013 to 2019. The theoretical framework discusses the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Evaluation System in the area of Teaching and Education in Science in Brazil. It is a descriptive study, with a qualitative and quantitative approach, which uses mixed analysis techniques: bibliometrics and scientometrics indicators and Content Analysis (Bardin). Data collection took place on the Sucupira Platform and on the periodical’s website. As a results, it was identified that the average number of documents per student is not affected by the number of students who have their professor. The most researched topics were “Science Teaching” (26.0%), “Teacher Training” (24.3%) and “Educational Policies” (15.7%). Based on the training of masters and doctors along with the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge, the contribution of the PPGQVS to the area of Science Education in the country becomes evident.

Introducción: En Costa Rica se procesan anualmente 681 millones de litros de leche, debido al alto consumo per cápita que es de 216 kilogramos, por lo que es particularmente importante evitar los efectos tóxicos de la leche contaminada, asociados a vómitos, parálisis y calambres, y, a largo plazo, cáncer, trastornos endocrinos, diabetes y alteraciones cromosómicas, entre otros. Objetivo: Determinar los niveles de residuos de cinco acaricidas usados en Costa Rica: Amitraz, Coumafós, Clorpirifós, Ciflutrina y Cipermetrina, en muestras de leche entera bovina de Costa Rica. Métodos: De enero a setiembre del 2018 tomamos muestras en 200 sistemas de producción de seis provincias y aplicamos técnicas de cromatografía de gases y de líquidos, acopladas a espectrometría de masas. Resultados: no hallamos residuos de Coumafós y la Ciflutrina, pero en 19 fincas detectamos Amitraz, Cipermetrina y Clorpirifós (este último, 0,01mg/kg). Pocos encargados conocen alternativas al control químico, y la mayoría ni respeta el periodo de retiro del garrapaticida, ni hace la rotación del ingrediente activo. Conclusión: Se debe mejorar la educación y el monitoreo sobre el uso de garrapaticidas en los sistemas de producción de leche

Background: Despite the importance of reducing treatment burden for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), it has not been fully understood as a concept. This study aims to quantify the treatment burden perceived by CF adults and explore the association between different validated treatment burden measures. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study of CF adults attending a single large UK adult center. Participants completed an online survey that contained three different treatment burden scales; CF Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) subscale, CF Quality of Life (CFQoL) subscale, and the generic multimorbidity treatment burden questionnaire (MTBQ). Results: Among 101 participants, the median reported treatment burden by the CFQ-R subscale was 55.5 (IQR 33.3 – 66.6), the CFQoL subscale was 66.6 (IQR 46.6 – 86.6), and the MTBQ reversed global score was 84.6 (IQR 73.1 – 92.3). No correlation was found between respondents’ demographic or clinical variables and treatment burden measured via any of the three measures. All treatment burden measures showed correlations against each other. More treatments were associated with high treatment burden as measured by the CFQ-R, CFQoL subscales, and the MTBQ. However, longer treatment time and more complex treatment plans were correlated with high treatment burden as measured by the CFQ-R and CFQoL subscales, but not with the MTBQ. Conclusions: Treatment burden is a substantial issue in CF. Currently, the only available way to evaluate it is with the CF-specific quality of life measure treatment burden subscales (CFQ-R and CFQoL); both indicated that treatment burden increases with more treatments, longer treatment time, and more complex treatments.

No abstract available.

Amyand's hernia is an exceedingly rare condition in which the appendix is found in an inguinal hernia. The appendix can be normal, inflamed, infected, or perforated. Here, we present a case of perforated appendicitis in an Amyand's hernia in an extremely preterm infant with subsequent post-operative complications including necrotic bowel and venous thrombosis of the mesentery. This article stresses the importance of complications that can arise in Amyand's hernia, especially in an extremely preterm infant.

Objective: Investigate Vitamin D3 (VD3) effect on the Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), oxidative damage and behavioral tests in animals subjected to Intracerebroventicular injection of Streptozotocin (ICV-STZ) simulating a Sporadic Dementia of Alzheimer's Type (SDAT) and treated with VD3 (21 days). Methods: Animals were divided into eight groups: Vehicle, VD12.5 μg/kg, VD42 μg/kg, VD125 μg/kg, STZ, STZ+VD12.5 μg/kg, STZ+VD42 μg/kg, STZ+VD125 μg/kg. Results: VD3 prevented the increase in AChE in groups of VD42 µg/kg and VD125 µg/kg; in AChE of synaptossomes and TBARS levels prevented the increase in group VD125 µg/kg; in ROS levels there was not a significant difference; for the Carbonyl Content all doses prevented the increase. Total Thiols prevent the decrease in VD42 µg/kg and VD125 µg/kg, and Reduced Glutathione prevented the decrease in VD125 µg/kg, Oxidized Glutathione prevented the increase in VD125 µg/kg. In relation to behavioral tests, the VD3 prevented the increase in time to find (days 2 and 3), in the time to find the platform (day 3) and in time spent in the quadrant (day 2). However, in relation to crossings there was not difference in groups. These results indicated the therapeutic effect of the VD3 in model of STZ in rats.

À partir des années 1920, quelques critiques français emploient le terme « chromo » pour définir un certain usage de la couleur dans les films. Ce terme parfaitement dépréciatif, s'il est d'abord utilisé pour considérer toutes les productions en couleur, particulièrement celles à venir, va vite être utilisé à partir des années 1930 presque uniquement à l’encontre des films américains en Technicolor. Accompagné d’autres notions, comme celles de bariolage et de barbouillage, il témoigne d’un fantasme entretenu sur le cinéma américain comme étant indigne d’un certain idéal cinématographique. On définira le terreau conceptuel et théorique sur lequel s’appuie cette conception péjorative de la couleur « made in usa » et on examinera la fortune du terme « chromo » et de ses substituts jusque dans les années 1950 afin d’évaluer l’évolution du regard porté sur le cinéma américain en couleurs.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have decreased the rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children. Since vaccine introduction, however, rates of infection due to nonvaccine Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes have increased. We now describe 3 meningitis cases due to the nonvaccine serotypes 35B and 11A from rural United States.

Este artigo analisa a representação da África nas formas linear e visual, em mapas, e como uma personificação. Ele dá um resumo geral das mudanças nas formas dos mapas de Roma Antiga até o Renascimento com o novo conhecimento da geografia mundial e a descoberta da imprensa; e da personificação da África usando um cocar (ou adorno) de escalpo de elefante para o mesmo período. Depois, analisa momentos do século XVI ao século XIX nos quais personificações e mapas são usados em conjunto e se a personificação mudou com o aumento do conhecimento geográfico do continente.

ABSTRACT The innate immune system is the first line of defense against invasive fungal infections. As a consequence, many successful fungal pathogens have evolved elegant strategies to interact with host immune cells. For example, Candida albicans undergoes a morphogenetic switch coupled to cell wall remodeling upon phagocytosis by macrophages and then induces macrophage pyroptosis, an inflammatory cell death program. To elucidate the genetic circuitry through which C. albicans orchestrates this host response, we performed the first large-scale analysis of C. albicans interactions with mammalian immune cells. We identified 98 C. albicans genes that enable macrophage pyroptosis without influencing fungal cell morphology in the macrophage, including specific determinants of cell wall biogenesis and the Hog1 signaling cascade. Using these mutated genes, we discovered that defects in the activation of pyroptosis affect immune cell recruitment during infection. Examining host circuitry required for pyroptosis in response to C. albicans infection, we discovered that inflammasome priming and activation can be decoupled. Finally, we observed that apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) oligomerization can occur prior to phagolysosomal rupture by C. albicans hyphae, demonstrating that phagolysosomal rupture is not the inflammasome activating signal. Taking the data together, this work defines genes that enable fungal cell wall remodeling and activation of macrophage pyroptosis independently of effects on morphogenesis and identifies macrophage signaling components that are required for pyroptosis in response to C. albicans infection. IMPORTANCE Candida albicans is a natural member of the human mucosal microbiota that can also cause superficial infections and life-threatening systemic infections, both of which are characterized by inflammation. Host defense relies mainly on the ingestion and destruction of C. albicans by innate immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils. Although some C. albicans cells are killed by macrophages, most undergo a morphological change and escape by inducing macrophage pyroptosis. Here, we investigated the C. albicans genes and host factors that promote macrophage pyroptosis in response to intracellular fungi. This work provides a foundation for understanding how host immune cells interact with C. albicans and may lead to effective strategies to modulate inflammation induced by fungal infections.

Background: To identify peer-reviewed research on consumers’ usage and attitudes towards the nutrition label and the food industry's response to labelling regulations outside Europe, North America, and Australia and to determine knowledge gaps for future research. Design: Narrative review. Results: This review identified nutrition labelling research from 20 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Consumers prefer that pre-packaged food include nutrition information, although there is a disparity between rates of use and comprehension. Consumer preference is for front-of-pack labelling and for information that shows per serving or portion as a reference unit, and label formats with graphics or symbols. Research on the food and beverage industry's response is more limited but shows that industry plays an active role in influencing legislation and regulation. Conclusions: Consumers around the world share preferences with consumers in higher income countries with respect to labelling. However, this may reflect the research study populations, who are often better educated than the general population. Investigation is required into how nutrition labels are received in emerging economies especially among the urban and rural poor, in order to assess the effectiveness of labelling policies. Further research into the outlook of the food and beverage industry, and also on expanded labelling regulations is a priority. Sharing context-specific research regarding labelling between countries in the global South could be mutually beneficial in evaluating obesity prevention policies and strategies.

Let X and Y follow two independent Burr type XII distributions and δ = P ( X < Y ) . If X is the stress that is applied to a certain component and Y is the strength to sustain the stress, then δ is called the stress−strength parameter. In this study, The Bayes estimator of δ is investigated based on a progressively first failure-censored sample. Because of computation complexity and no closed form for the estimator as well as posterior distributions, the Markov Chain Monte Carlo procedure using the Metropolis−Hastings algorithm via Gibbs sampling is built to collect a random sample of δ via the joint distribution of the progressively first failure-censored sample and random parameters and the empirical distribution of this collected sample is used to estimate the posterior distribution of δ . Then, the Bayes estimates of δ using the square error, absolute error, and linear exponential error loss functions are obtained and the credible interval of δ is constructed using the empirical distribution. An intensive simulation study is conducted to investigate the performance of these three types of Bayes estimates and the coverage probabilities and average lengths of the credible interval of δ . Moreover, the performance of the Bayes estimates is compared with the maximum likelihood estimates. The Internet of Things and a numerical example about the miles-to-failure of vehicle components for reliability evaluation are provided for application purposes.

Existen sobradas evidencias que muestran la incidencia negativa de una deficiente calidad del aire en la salud de las personas, los ecosistemas y el patrimonio. En el presente trabajo se muestran parte de los resultados experimentales desarrollados en la calle Reina, en La Habana durante los dias del 13 al 23 de julio de 2015. Se realizaron mediciones de la contaminacion atmosférica y del flujo vehicular con diversos objetivos. La calidad del aire en la calle Reina presenta valores para el Material Particulado (PM10) y el Dióxido de Nitrógeno (NO2) por encima de la concentración máxima admisible (Cma) diaria establecidos en la Norma Cubana 1020:2014. El PM10 presento en muchas ocasiones valores instantáneos por encima de 200 µg/m3 lo cual es producto de las altas emisiones de los vehículos que circulan en esta vía. El comportamiento del flujo vehicular diurno en la calle Reina se considera alto, con el predominio de los autos y presenta un pico en los horarios de 10 a 12 del día, lo cual es debido del carácter comercial y de servicio en esta parte de la ciudad. Palabras clave: calidad del aire, flujo vehicular, contaminantes atmosféricos, material particulado

Our lived landscapes are repositories of messages, of decisions taken by generations of cultural activity on the land. We can study the landscape to read our given world. But can we undertake this “landscape reading” in reverse, using its techniques to structure space, and “write” a way of living on the land The “Open City” of Ritoque has no urban structure, and yet is named ‘City’. It is a potent example of a place in which techniques of making drawn intuitively from Landscape serve in the ordering of the site. The territory, which appears to carry a random scattering of individual structures, can be shown to be carefully, and indeed minutely defined through a series of overlapping perceptual orders; orders which emerge, as landscape’s orders do, through the inhabitation, use and participation in the City.

Nuestros paisajes vividos son depósitos de mensajes, de decisiones tomadas por generaciones a través de su actividad cultural en la tierra. Podemos estudiar el paisaje para leer el mundo. Pero, ¿podemos emprender esta “lectura del paisaje” en orden inverso, usando sus técnicas para estructurar el espacio y “escribir” una manera de vivir en la tierra La Ciudad Abierta de Ritoque no tiene una estructura urbana y, sin embargo, se llama “Ciudad”. Es un poderoso ejemplo de un lugar en que las técnicas del hacer, sacadas en forma intuitiva del paisaje, ordenan el sitio. El territorio, que parece tener un conjunto de estructuras individuales esparcidas al azar, está en realidad cuidadosa y minuciosamente definido a través de una serie de órdenes perceptuales superpuestos; órdenes que emergen, como lo hacen los órdenes del paisaje, al ser habitados y a través del uso y participación en la ciudad.

Background: Pregnancy, though joyful, may be a time of fear and anxiety. Twenty percent of pregnant women in developed nations report a fear of childbirth, and 6%-10% describe a severe fear that is crippling. This could lead to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Data on fear of childbirth among pregnant women are lacking in India and would help in incorporating measures to enhance routine antenatal care., Methodology: With the objective of documenting fear of childbirth and associated factors, a cross-sectional study was conducted in rural Karnataka among women availing antenatal care services, using a face-validated 30 item questionnaire developed by the authors which was then scored to determine fear of childbirth., Results: Of 388 women studied, 45.4% (176) had a fear of childbirth. The commonest fears documented were: not feeling confident about childbirth, being afraid or tense about the process of childbirth, fear of labor pains, and fear of cesarean section. Teenage pregnancy, nulliparity, primigravida status, and having no living child were significantly associated with fear of childbirth., Conclusion: Overall, 45.4% (176) of women had a fear of childbirth. It is important to identify and address the various fears of childbirth that women may have, as revealed by this study, with a view to providing information and reassurance to the mother, with the aim of improved maternal and fetal outcomes., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.