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Among salmonids, brook charr, Salvelinus fontinalis has been gaining popularity in aquaculture. However, major limitations associated with opportunistic diseases that result from unstable egg and fry‐rearing conditions are experienced under intensive rearing conditions. Great losses in brook charr culture result from viral (e.g., infectious pancreatic necrosis, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus), fungal (e.g., saprolegniosis), and bacterial (e.g., furunculosis, cold water disease, columnaris) diseases. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for viral diseases for brook charr, and the chemical disinfectants and antibiotics commonly used against bacterial and fungal infections are reaching their limits (pathogen resistance, microbial community disruption), making alternative and more sustainable rearing approaches essential to bolster aquaculture. In this regard, recent studies show that many microbial species (bacteria, archaea, viruses, eukaryotes‐like protozoa, and unicellular fungi) are essential from the earliest life stages for the proper development and growth of fish. Based on ecological theory and work on marine fish, it has been hypothesized that current aquaculture practices favor r‐strategic, opportunistic microbes that are detrimental to fish health and development. Consequently, to ensure the success and sustainability of brook charr farming, a new aquaculture paradigm involving recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) that select a K‐enriched, specialized microbial community as a preventive measure against those microbial diseases is a very promising avenue. In this review, after introducing brook charr biology, the role of microbes in brook charr rearing and the general problems of disease and low fry survival due to an imbalance in the microbial community will be discussed. Various curative and prophylactic treatment methods currently used to control these diseases and their impact on microbial ecology will be covered, and we will conclude with the rationale of microbial ecology management and its effectiveness in promoting fry survival through disease prevention. To our knowledge, this is the first literature review addressing the promises of managing microbial ecology in a sustainable way in the brook char industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active biodegradable films prepared from polylactic acid (PLA)/roselle calyx extract (RCE)/Zinc Oxide Nanorod (ZnO-N) were fabricated as natural packaging materials for hazelnuts protection against microbial contamination and lipid oxidation. The PLA active films with ZnO-N (1, 3, and 5% w/w), and roselle calyx extract (0.5 g) were made by the casting solution technique. The fungal, microbial, chemical, and sensory properties of hazelnuts were measured during 9 months of conservation at 4°C. On the 6 and 9th months, moisture content was evaluated as %2.6 and 2.2% in the control sample whereas the moisture content of hazelnuts was measured as 3.6% and 2.9% packaged with PLA/RCE/%5 ZnO-N. At the last of experiments, the peroxide value (PV) was measured as 0.91 meq O2 kg-1 packaged with neat biocompatible films, whereas PV value was detected as 0.65 meq O2 kg-1 in packaged hazelnuts with %5 ZnO-N. Total microbial count ranged between 4.9 cfu g-1 for hazelnuts packaged with neat PLA and 3.7 cfu g-1 for hazelnuts specimens packaged with %5 ZnO-N after 9 months of storage. At 9 months, by increasing the level of ZnO-N from 1% to 5%, the mold count was reduced from 3.64 to 3.01 CFU g-1. The fungal contamination in the neat specimens was 3.95 CFU g-1. Sensory quality indicated that hazelnuts with ZnO-N had a significant impact on flavor and aroma, and the highest quality of sensory evaluation was related to hazelnuts packaged with PLA/5% ZnO-N/RCE. Flavor and aroma indices of hazelnuts packaged with %5 ZnO-N reached 3.5 and 4.5 respectively after 9 months of storage. The obtained findings indicate that biopackaging could be utilized to enhance microbial quality and inhibit oxidation reactions of hazelnuts during cold storage. Our results could be beneficial for introducing attractive characteristics to the biodegradable film packaging for example active film containing anthocyanin/nanofiller and can be applied when selecting a smart packaging for detection of food spoilage.

Abstract Background Schoolteachers are often the first to respond when a student presents with a mental health issue in the classroom. This places a burden on schools that impacts school staff, healthcare workers and teachers. More broadly, it places a responsibility on the education system to address students’ mental health. This study examines Australian teachers’ classroom experiences and the training areas identified by teachers as necessary to manage these issues. Method Interviews were undertaken with 18 in-service teachers between 2020 and 2021 from Catholic, Independent and Public schools. Data were gathered via multiple interviews and analysed using thematic content analysis. Results The major mental health issues identified by teachers related to mental disorders, depression, anxiety, and a complex range of negative emotional states. Teachers requested training in child and adolescent mental health, counselling skills, early detection and intervention, and training skills to manage the complex relationship with parents and external health and community personnel. Teachers also reported the need to access mental health resources, support and training, which were differentially accessed along socioeconomic status and postcodes. Conclusion The data show that teachers are often placed as first responders when a student has a mental health issue but feel inadequately trained to manage these issues in the classroom. We identified mental health issues presenting in Australian classrooms and documented critical features of mental-health training asked for by teachers in order to address those issues. Given the increasing demands on teachers to address the mental health of children and adolescents, we argue that an urgent review of mental health training for teachers is needed.

The infinitive has been quite topical in recent Bantu literature. The majority of Bantuists who have written on this topic sweepingly refer to all ku- forms as the ‘infinitive’ and contend that the infinitive has dual characteristics – clausal and nominal. This paper aims to investigate the types of ku-categories in Ikalanga and to determine whether they all display the same syntactic properties. Using tests from the literature, the paper established that ku-categories which are sweepingly termed ínfinitives’ actually belong to different categories – nominal, poss-ing, and infinitives themselves. The paper also determined that while all three categories identified in Ikalanga display clausal properties, only nominal and poss-ing types display nominal properties. In addition, the paper also demonstrated that while both nominal and poss-ing display nominal properties, they differ in some ways. The findings in this paper suggest that to refer to all ku-categories sweepingly as infinitives is misleading.

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 exhibits a diverse host species range with variable outcomes, enabling differential host susceptibility studies to assess suitability for pre-clinical countermeasure and pathogenesis studies. Baseline virological, molecular and pathological outcomes were determined among multiple species—one Old World non-human primate (NHP) species (cynomolgus macaques), two New World NHP species (red-bellied tamarins; common marmosets) and Syrian hamsters—following single-dose, atraumatic intranasal administration of SARS-CoV-2/Victoria-01. After serial sacrifice 2, 10 and 28-days post-infection (dpi), hamsters and cynomolgus macaques displayed differential virus biodistribution across respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems. Uniquely, New World tamarins, unlike marmosets, exhibited high levels of acute upper airway infection, infectious virus recovery associated with mild lung pathology representing a host previously unrecognized as susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Across all species, lung pathology was identified post-clearance of virus shedding (antigen/RNA), with an association of virus particles within replication organelles in lung sections analysed by electron microscopy. Disrupted cell ultrastructure and lung architecture, including abnormal morphology of mitochondria 10–28 dpi, represented on-going pathophysiological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 in predominantly asymptomatic hosts. Infection kinetics and host pathology comparators using standardized methodologies enables model selection to bridge differential outcomes within upper and lower respiratory tracts and elucidate longer-term consequences of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC) directly control muscle contraction and neurotransmitter release, and slower processes such as cell differentiation, migration, and death. They are potently inhibited by RGK GTP-ases (Rem, Rem2, Rad, and Gem/Kir), which decrease Ca2+ channel membrane expression, as well as directly inhibit membrane-resident channels. The mechanisms of membrane-resident channel inhibition are difficult to study because RGK-overexpression causes complete or near complete channel inhibition. Using titrated levels of Gem expression in Xenopus oocytes to inhibit WT P/Q-type calcium channels by ∼50%, we show that inhibition is dependent on channel inactivation. Interestingly, fast-inactivating channels, including Familial Hemiplegic Migraine mutants, are more potently inhibited than WT channels, while slow-inactivating channels, such as those expressed with the Cavβ2a auxiliary subunit, are spared. We found similar results in L-type channels, and, remarkably, Timothy Syndrome mutant channels were insensitive to Gem inhibition. Further results suggest that RGKs slow channel recovery from inactivation and further implicate RGKs as likely modulating factors in channelopathies.

BackgroundThe lower burden of COVID-19 in tropical settings may be due to preexisting cross-immunity, which might vary according to geographical locations and potential exposure to other pathogens. We sought to assess the overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and determine SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity according to HIV-status before the COVID-19 pandemic era.MethodsA cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted at the Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre (CIRCB) on 288 stored plasma samples (163 HIV-positive versus 125 HIV-negative); all collected in 2017-2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic era. Abbott Panbio™ COVID-19 IgG/IgM assay was used for detecting SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM). Among people living with HIV (PLHIV), HIV-1 viral load and TCD4 cell count (LTCD4) were measured using Abbott Real Time PCR and BD FACSCalibur respectively. Statistical analyses were performed, with p

This study analyzed the content of YouTube news clips on elderly teachers concerning emergency online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using traditional content analysis, the included news videos were transcribed, interview segments were translated and familiarized, dominant words were identified, data were coded, categorized, and themed. Four dominant words were highlighted: online, students, teachers, and pandemic. Three themes on technical challenges and support needs, health issues, and resilience emerged in the analysis. Results show that elderly teachers are persistent to adapt to emergency online learning despite the struggles they are facing. The analysis also highlights the negative effects of the sudden shift to emergency online learning on the physical and psychological health of elderly teachers. Furthermore, the elderly teachers, are ensuring students’ access to education even at their own cost. Implications to the country’s quality of education and suggestions of providing better technical and psychological health support to elderly teachers were presented.

No abstract available.

Introduction. Malaria during pregnancy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Microcopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT) recommended by the World Health Organization for clinical diagnosis have poor sensitivity to detect individuals with very low levels of parasitemia. Previous studies have shown that malaria in pregnancy is associated with mastitis and excessive uterine blood loss during delivery. However, information evaluating the performance of these tools in detecting malaria in pregnancy at the national level is limited. This study therefore evaluates the performance of microscopy, RDT, and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) in the detection of pregnancy-associated malaria at delivery. Methods. A total of 227 participants constituting of 201 pregnant women without and 26 with HIV were recruited from five health facilities within the Kumba health district area. Mother venous and cord blood were collected at delivery to test for malaria using the thick-film microscopy, SD-bioline RDT, and 18SrRNA-nested PCR. Results. The percentage of malaria-positive cases detected by thick-film microcopy (TFM), RDT, and PCR in pregnant women with and without HIV was 7.69%, 53.85%, and 50% and 3.48%, 23.38%, and 49.25%, respectively. Plasmodium falciparum was detected in 1.99% cord blood samples of women without HIV by PCR. The positivity rate in at least two of the test methods (composite positive) was 42.31% for women with and 19.90% for women without HIV. The sensitivity of TFM and RDT when using PCR as a reference was 7.21% and 49.00%, respectively, in all samples. The specificity was 99.14% and 90.55% with kappa values of 0.064 and 0.461, respectively. When using the composite test as a reference, the sensitivity of TFM, RDT, and nPCR was 15.69%, 94.12%, and 100%, respectively. Specificity was 99.43%, 93.18%, and 65.34% with kappa values of 0.213, 0.821, and 0.458, respectively. Conclusion. This study shows that PCR is more sensitive in the detection of malaria parasite followed by SD-bioline RDT kit. However, in resource-limited settings where access to molecular diagnosis of malaria is a problem, RDT should be considered as the first option to microscopy in the diagnosis of malaria.

Billions of litres of wastewater are produced daily from domestic and industrial areas, and whilst wastewater is often perceived as a problem, it has the potential to be viewed as a rich source for resources and energy. Wastewater contains between four and five times more energy than is required to treat it, and is a potential source of bio-hydrogen—a clean energy vector, a feedstock chemical and a fuel, widely recognised to have a role in the decarbonisation of the future energy system. This paper investigates sustainable, low-energy intensive routes for hydrogen production from wastewater, critically analysing five technologies, namely photo-fermentation, dark fermentation, photocatalysis, microbial photo electrochemical processes and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). The paper compares key parameters influencing H2 production yield, such as pH, temperature and reactor design, summarises the state of the art in each area, and highlights the scale-up technical challenges. In addition to H2 production, these processes can be used for partial wastewater remediation, providing at least 45% reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD), and are suitable for integration into existing wastewater treatment plants. Key advancements in lab-based research are included, highlighting the potential for each technology to contribute to the development of clean energy. Whilst there have been efforts to scale dark fermentation, electro and photo chemical technologies are still at the early stages of development (Technology Readiness Levels below 4); therefore, pilot plants and demonstrators sited at wastewater treatment facilities are needed to assess commercial viability. As such, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to overcome the current barriers to implementation, integrating expertise in engineering, chemistry and microbiology with the commercial experience of both water and energy sectors. The review concludes by highlighting MECs as a promising technology, due to excellent system modularity, good hydrogen yield (3.6–7.9 L/L/d from synthetic wastewater) and the potential to remove up to 80% COD from influent streams.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection during pregnancy reduces the transplacental transfer of protective maternal antibodies needed to confer immunity during early postnatal life. However, the mediation of MicroRNA in this dysregulation is not well understood MicroRNAs 3181 and 199a have been shown to mediate neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)-like transmembrane antibody transfer and endocytosis respectively but their expression levels in the placenta and plasma in women living with HIV have not been extensively investigated. The objective of this study was to determine how the expression levels of miR-3181 and miR-199a in the placenta and plasma are affected in women chronically infected with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and are virally suppressed at delivery. In this pilot case-control study, plasma and placenta biopsies were obtained from 36 (18 HIV+ and 18 HIV-) Cameroonian women at delivery. MicroRNAs 3181 and 199a expression levels were measured using RT-qPCR, data was analyzed using SPSS22.0 and R 3.60, and p values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. All the HIV-infected women were on known ART regimens and were virally suppressed. There was no significant difference in the levels of miR-3181 (p>0.05) in the placenta and plasma amongst HIV-infected and HIV uninfected women. The expression levels of miR-199a were significantly greater in the plasma compared to the placenta of HIV+ (p = 0.00005) and HIV- (p = 0.027) women. Moreover, there was a significantly higher (p = 0.02) level of miR-199a in the plasma of women with HIV and their uninfected counterparts. Linear regression models adjusted for systolic pressure showed no significant difference (p>0.05) in the levels of miR-199a and miR-3181 in both the placenta and plasma due to HIV infection. Our findings suggest that even though ART uptake and viral suppression might help in maintaining miR3181 and miR199a levels in the placenta of women with HIV at comparative levels to those of their HIV negative counterparts, the significantly higher levels of miR-199a in the plasma of women with HIV compared to the placenta might highlight lurking systemic dangers and requires further investigation.

Xylobezoar is a rare clinical condition in which undigested paper becomes trapped in the gastrointestinal tract causing varying degrees of gastrointestinal obstruction. This condition can be suspected in children with a history of gastric surgeries, decreased gastrointestinal motility, or pica. Xylobezoar presents with symptoms ranging from chronic abdominal pain to gastrointestinal perforation. Surgical intervention is often required as endoscopic removal is challenging and not always successful. Chemical dissolution has been shown to be effective in treating certain bezoars. Here, we report a case of a pediatric patient with xylobezoar who was successfully treated with continuous enteral Coca-Cola® infusion.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a terminalneurodegenerative disease. Clinical and molecular observations suggest that ALS pathology originates at a single site and spreads in an organized and prion-like manner, possibly driven by extracellular vesicles. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) transfer cargo molecules associated with ALS pathogenesis, such as misfolded and aggregated proteins and dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs). However, it is poorly understood whether altered levels of circulating extracellular vesicles or their cargo components reflect pathological signatures of the disease. In this study, we used immuno-affinity-based microfluidic technology, electron microscopy, and NanoString miRNA profiling to isolate and characterize extracellular vesicles and their miRNA cargo from frontal cortex, spinal cord, and serum of sporadic ALS (n = 15) and healthy control (n = 16) participants. We found larger extracellular vesicles in ALS spinal cord versus controls and smaller sized vesicles in ALS serum. However, there were no changes in the number of extracellular vesicles between cases and controls across any tissues. Characterization of extracellular vesicle-derived miRNA cargo in ALS compared to controls identified significantly altered miRNA levels in all tissues; miRNAs were reduced in ALS frontal cortex and spinal cord and increased in serum. Two miRNAs were dysregulated in all three tissues: miR-342-3p was increased in ALS, and miR-1254 was reduced in ALS. Additional miRNAs overlapping across two tissues included miR-587, miR-298, miR-4443, and miR-450a-2-3p. Predicted targets and pathways associated with the dysregulated miRNAs across the ALS tissues were associated with common biological pathways altered in neurodegeneration, including axon guidance and long-term potentiation. A predicted target of one identified miRNA (N-deacetylase and N-sulfotransferase 4; NDST4) was likewise dysregulated in an in vitro model of ALS, verifying potential biological relevance. Together, these findings demonstrate that circulating extracellular vesicle miRNA cargo mirror those of the central nervous system disease state in ALS, and thereby offer insight into possible pathogenic factors and diagnostic opportunities.

Se analizan en este ensayo varias imágenes. Éstas constituyen un tríptico que nos habla de las culturas aborigen australiana, maya y kanak, enlazándolas por distintas vías. Se combinan el método filológico, el enunciativo y el etnológico para estudiar estos discursos visuales plasmados con distintos medios sobre superficies diversas. Se trata de un grabado australiano sobre roca, de un folio del códice maya de Dresde y de una escultura en madera de Melanesia. Se analiza el tríptico a partir de la modelización virtual rizomática creada por Deleuze y Guattari, de una modelización vegetal inspirada en el ambiente ecológico y de una modelización caótica digitaiizada por Lorenz y Mandelbrot. Se exploran principalmente los embonamientos escalonados y las metamorfosis dinámicas que sugieren las obras. Se cierra el texto con reflexiones en torno a devenir planta, animal, hombre, mujer o cosmos y a la alteridad.

Background: Because research findings on men’s body image and compensatory behaviors (e.g., appearance and performance enhancing drug (APED) usage) across the lifecycle in men is contradictory, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between age and body image concerns, and to investigate the specific types of APEDs used across the three age cohorts (emerging, established, and middle-aged men). Methods: Using an online survey and a sample of 1020 fitness enthusiast men, we investigated (1) type of APED/supplements used across three periods of life (emerging adulthood, established adulthood, middle age), and (2) any relationship between period in life and body image. Results: emerging adult participants had significantly lower appreciation for body functionality compared to their older counterparts. Established adult men had higher drive for leanness and muscle dysmorphia symptoms compared to the other two groups. The data suggest that men vary in severity of body image dissatisfaction depending on their age. All participants in the current study participated in polypharmacy of APED usage, and the associations between age cohorts and APED consumption were significant. Established adult men endorsed a more muscular body, higher drive for leanness, and they proportionally consume more APEDs compared to their younger (and older) counterparts. Conclusions: At this stage of life, men may start noticing age-related changes to their body, which may lead to preoccupations with their health and functionality, and they may use products to help counteract a declining metabolism and overall shift in physical health. Findings of this study could be beneficial for familiarizing clinicians with focused knowledge of intergenerational dynamics, which allows for better understanding of the diversity of challenges and opportunities facing each age cohort with respect to the aging body.

Medication administration in acute care settings is a high-volume and potentially an error-prone activity. This descriptive exploratory study investigates patients' perspective about this process and provides insights for nurses who want to deliver patient-centered care. Findings indicate that patients are acutely aware of nurses' involvement in the medication process; however, the extent patients want to be involved in the process is variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Automated collection of blood components offers multiple advantages and has prompted development of portable devices. This study sought to document the biochemical and hematologic properties and in vivo recovery of red cells (RBCs) collected via a new device that employed a variable-volume centrifugal separation chamber. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Normal subjects (n = 153) donated 2 units of RBCs via an automated blood collection system (Cymbal, Haemonetics). Procedures were conducted with wall outlet power (n = 49) or the device's battery source (n = 104). Units were collected with or without leukoreduction filtration and were stored in AS-3 for 42 days. The units were assessed via standard biochemical and hematologic tests before and after storage, and 24 leukoreduced (LR) and 24 non-LR RBCs were radiolabeled on Day 42 with Na(2)(51)CrO(4) for autologous return to determine recovery at 24 hours with concomitant determination of RBC volume via infusion of (99m)Tc-labeled fresh RBCs. RESULTS: Two standard RBC units (targeted to contain 180 mL of RBCs plus 100 mL of AS-3) could be collected in 35.7 +/- 2.0 minutes (n = 30) or 40.3 +/- 2.7 minutes for LR RBCs (n = 92). An additional 31 collections were conducted successfully with intentional filter bypassing. RBC units contained 104 +/- 4.1 percent of their targeted volumes (170-204 mL of RBCs), and LR RBCs contained 92 percent of non-LR RBCs' hemoglobin. All LR RBCs contained less than 1 x 10(6) white blood cells. Mean hemolysis was below 0.8 percent (Day 42) for all configurations. Adenosine triphosphate was well preserved. Mean recovery was 82 +/- 4.9 percent for RBCs and 84 +/- 7.0 percent for LR RBCs. CONCLUSIONS: The Cymbal device provided quick and efficient collection of 2 RBC units with properties meeting regulatory requirements and consistent with good clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of limited resources for mental health care, family interventions need to target areas where they are responsive to families' expressed needs. Although family burden has been documented, less is known about the areas of concern that families feel they need direct assistance with, to be effective caregivers. Telephone interviews were conducted with 30 family members of mentally ill relatives. Burden, sense of mastery, and contexts of caregiving were assessed. Open-ended questions elicited further understandings of caregiving concerns. The most frequently identified burden was 'worry about the future.' The greatest concern was 'dealing with sadness and grief.' Recommendations for assessing family concerns are presented. Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier Science (USA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African American men between the ages of 18 and 49 years have the lowest rates of awareness, treatment and control of high blood pressure (HBP) of all age/race/gender groups in the United States. A qualitative study was done to gain an understanding of urban black males' experiences of living with HBP. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 black males. The interviews explored perceptions of health, health problems and priorities, and concerns of daily living that influenced appointment keeping and medication taking. The sample was a subset of 309 men participating in a 3-year clinical trial to improve HBP control in an inner city African-American population. Content analysis of transcribed interviews identified the following themes and related concerns: (a) personal contexts: meaning of health, high blood pressure and treatments; (b) social context: living as a young black male in an urban environment; and (c) cultural context of relating: patient-provider relationship can make a difference. Influencing participants' responses were: interpreting symptoms; adjusting medication taking; protecting personal privacy; allocating limited resources; dealing with addiction; and feeling cared for by a health care provider. Adherence appeared to be multifaceted and changing depending upon: the men's social, economic and personal circumstances; empathetic and non-judgemental assistance from providers; financial concerns and employment; and drug addiction. Findings are useful in refining high blood pressure interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:. To compare the outcomes of sepsis management using protocol-based therapy versus non-protocolized care, assessed over 10 years. Design:. Retrospective cohort study, analyzed longitudinally with risk-adjusted control charts, referenced against hospital- and unit-level programs or interventions. Setting:. Private, tertiary teaching hospital ICU in the Philippines. Patients:. Nine-hundred fifty adult patients (19 yr old or older) diagnosed with severe sepsis or septic shock, using 2001 consensus definitions, admitted to the ICU from September 2007 to August 2017. Interventions:. Three iterations of a standard clinical pathway (including early antibiotics, prescribed fluid resuscitation, and hemodynamic management) versus concurrent non-protocolized care. Measurements and Main Results:. Seven-hundred sixty patients were in the protocol-based care group versus 190 in the non-protocolized care group. Protocol-based management was associated with lower hospital mortality (28.4% vs 44.7%; p = 0.00) and ICU mortality (24.2% vs 31.6%; p = 0.038). There were no differences in ICU or hospital length-of-stay, mechanical ventilator days, or vasoactive days. Risk-Adjusted Cumulative Sum and Risk-Adjusted Exponentially Weighted Moving Average control charts showed that a survival advantage was achieved after 1 year and was sustained over the duration of the study. Conclusions:. Protocol-based management was associated with sustained improvements in the survival of sepsis patients over 10 years in this hospital setting, after a run-in period of 1 year. Hospital- and unit-level interventions may have measurable impacts on the efficacy of sepsis clinical pathways.

Abstract Background The current roll-out of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in many endemic countries has resulted in the reporting of fewer cases of malaria-attributed illnesses. However, lack of knowledge of the prevalence of other febrile illnesses and affordable diagnostic tests means that febrile patients are not managed optimally. This study assessed the prevalence of commonly treatable or preventable febrile illnesses in children between 6 months and 15 years using rapid diagnostic tests at the point-of-care. Methods Febrile children were enrolled between February-April 2014 at a health facility after obtaining informed consent from parent. Eligible participants were aged 6 months-15 years with a history of fever in the last 24 h or axillary temperature ≥38 °C at consultation. All participants were tested using RDTs for malaria, typhoid, toxoplasmosis and rubella. Malaria parasites were further identified by microscopy and PCR. Clinical and household characteristics were recorded and association with pathogens determined. Results Of the 315 children enrolled, the mean age was 5.8 ± 3.8 years. Stomach pain (41.2 %) was the most reported symptom. Prior to attending the health facility, 70.8 % had taken antipyretics, 27.9 % antimalarials, 11.4 % antibiotics and 13.3 % antifungal drugs. Among 315 children with fever, based on RDTs, 56.8 % were infected with malaria, 4.4 % with typhoid, 3.2 % with acute toxoplasmosis, and 1.3 % with rubella (all positive for rubella were in the same family and not vaccinated). All non-malarial infections were co-infections and approximately 30 % of the fever cases went un-diagnosed. Malaria prevalence by microscopy and PCR was 43.4 and 70.2 % respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of RDTs for the diagnosis of malaria were 75.98 and 100 % respectively, with 0.73 measurement agreement between RDTs and microscopy while that of RDT and PCR were 81 and 100 % respectively with a K value of 0.72. The use of Insecticide Treated Bednets was 44 %. There was a significant association between ITN non-usage and malaria (p = 0. 029) as well as drinking water and presence of typhoid (p = 0.047). No association was observed between type of housing and malaria, or toxoplasmosis and raising cats. Conclusion Though malaria still remains the major cause of fever in children, using RDTs for other treatable febrile illnesses like typhoid and toxoplasmosis could facilitate the optimal management of febrile illnesses in children especially when these occur as co-infections with malaria

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to determine what factors need to be considered in planning a diabetes education program to better meet the needs of African Americans with diabetes in a community served by a suburban community hospital. METHODS: Two focus group sessions were conducted. The sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by members of the research team. RESULTS: Four themes emerged that had bearing on program development: (1) a sense of personal powerlessness, (2) fear related to complications, (3) recognition of knowledge deficits accompanied by an inability to link behavior to outcomes, and (4) a clear vision of what kind of educational setting would interest and benefit the group. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences between what was being offered for diabetes education at the facility and what was desired according to the focus group, including factors of cost and leadership. Recommendations for future program planning are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe ways that caregivers make sense of, or derive meaning for, their role as caregiver for a relative with a serious mental illness. This study is based on the theory of symbolic interactionism. DESIGN: Not given. SETTING: Hospital. POPULATION: Participants were family members recruited from psychiatric units of two large urban hospitals and one community hospital. Patients were young and middle-aged adults (range = 21-55) who had been diagnosed with major depression, bipolar illness, or schizophrenia; 8 were women and 7 were men. The purposive sample included 5 spouses, 4 parents, 2 adult children, and 4 siblings of patients. Seven caregivers were women. The 15 caregivers ranged in age from 31 to 77. INTERVENTIONS: Interviews lasted 60 to 90 minutes at a private location in the hospital unit and were audiotaped. The interviews centered around the following topics: caregivers' thoughts, feelings, and responses related to interactions and conversations with the patient. In-depth analysis was done simultaneously with data collection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The first and most central theme, finding the essence of the person obscured by illness, reflected the caregivers' convictions that caregiving meant finding and staying connected to the person obscured by the symptoms of the illness. A second theme, finding a place for self in influencing the illness, reflected their assessment of ways they might influence the patient through words, actions, and presence. A third theme, helping the patient move forward, identified their efforts to regain a sense of control over apparently uncontrollable events. No themes were absolute, and caregivers identified how meaning changed over time. Caregivers considered the impact of the situation on their own identities as family members and caregivers for the patient. Caregiving meant setting goals for ill relatives and motivating the relatives to achieve them. Defining the experiences as hopeful seemed to depend on the ease with which the caregiver could find the essence of the patient. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Some unique features of what caregiving means to caregivers of persons with persistent mental illnesses are apparent. A limitation of the study was the lack of patient perspective that might have illuminated how shared meaning was developed through interactions. Nonetheless, the perspective developed in this study of caregiving as both the anticipation of, and response to, behaviors, words, and responses of the patient provides important insights into the process of defining the caregiving role and self as caregiver. [CINAHL abstract] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se presenta una definición sucinta de conceptos generales provenientes de la Teoría del Caos, empleados particularmente en termodinámica: fractal, autosimilaridad, bifurcación (Mandelbrot) y se describe brevemente el principio de Poincaré en torno a la Teoría de los Tres cuerpos. Un método similar con las correspondientes variantes ha sido aplicado por varios estudiosos de las Humanidades, con el fin de demostrar que se puede atravesar un puente entre ideas de éstas y las demás ciencias. Segundo, se aplicó el método para estudiar los personajes femeninos del filme The Ox-Bow Incident de William Wellman, que ganara el Óscar por la mejor película en el mismo año de su producción. Por último, se argumenta que la Geometría Fractal de la Naturaleza conduce a descentralizar el rol de los cowboys que llevan a cabo el linchamiento, mientras que se centra el papel de las mujeres, y, en especial, a visualizar dos personajes femeninos virtuales, gesto que rompe con la aparente linearidad de la trama.

As the study of disease occurrence and health indicators in human populations, Epidemiology is a dynamic field that evolves with time and geographical context. In order to update African health workers on current epidemiological practices and to draw awareness of early career epidemiologists on concepts and opportunities in the field, the 3rd African Epidemiology Association and the 1st Cameroon Society of Epidemiology Conference was organized June 2nd-6th, 2015 at the Yaoundé Mont Febe Hotel, in Cameroon. Under the theme ''Practice of Epidemiology in Africa: Stakes, Challenges and Perspectives'', the conference attracted close to five hundred guest and participants from all continents. The two main programs were the pre-conference course for capacity building of African Early Career epidemiologists, and the conference itself, providing a forum for scientific exchanges on recent epidemiological concepts, encouraging the use of epidemiological methods in studying large disease burden and neglected tropical diseases; and highlighting existing opportunities.

Early cochlear development is marked by an exuberant outgrowth of neurites that innervate multiple targets. The establishment of mature cochlear neural circuits is, however, dependent on the pruning of inappropriate axons and synaptic connections. Such refinement also occurs in the central nervous system (CNS), and recently, genes ordinarily associated with immune and inflammatory processes have been shown to play roles in synaptic pruning in the brain. These molecules include the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) genes, H2-K(b) and H2-D(b), and the complement cascade gene, C1qa. Since the mechanisms involved in synaptic refinement in the cochlea are not well understood, we investigated whether these immune system genes may be involved in this process and whether they are required for normal hearing function. Here we report that these genes are not necessary for normal synapse formation and refinement in the mouse cochlea. We further demonstrate that C1qa expression is not necessary for normal hearing in mice but the lack of expression of H2-K(b) and H2-D(b) causes hearing impairment. These data underscore the importance of the highly polymorphic family of MHCI genes in hearing in mice and also suggest that factors and mechanisms regulating synaptic refinement in the cochlea may be distinct from those in the CNS.

There is an on-going debate amongst linguists regarding the status of the object marker (OM). Some scholars argue that OMs are agreement morphology (Baker 2010, Riedel 2009) while others argue that OMs are pronominal and not agreement morphology (Nevins 2010, Kramer, under review, Labelle 2007, Demuth and Johnson 1990, Mchombo 2002). The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this debate using data from Ikalanga to support the view that OMs are pronominal clitics. I discuss evidence in favor of the agreement analysis as well as that in favor of the pronominal analysis. OMs in Ikalanga behave like agreement morphology in that they attach only to the verbal stem, only one OM occurs in a clause, and they share grammatical features (person, gender and number) with the lexical NP with which they co-refer. However, there are many ways in which OMs behave like pronominals. For example, OMs do not vary in form according to the mood of a sentence or negation while subject markers, which I analyze as agreement morphemes do. They are not obligatory in Ikalanga sentences while subject markers are. OMs are not subject to locality constraints while agreement is. They can be bound by the subject (backward pronominalization), something unexpected of agreement and there is ample evidence to show that the lexical NP with which the OM co-refers is an adjunct, a fact which has been used in the literature to argue that the OM is pronominal in such a set up. The evidence in favor of the pronominal analysis however, is more compelling and therefore I conclude that OMs are pronominal clitics and not agreement morphology.

Resumen

In this essay on natural language I present a computer-supported study of words, sentences and hypertexts concerning bromatology (the study of food and drink) in a XVI century Maya-Spanish Calepin—the most complete and extended dictionary ever written on the culture of the constructors of the wonderful and prestigious Mayan cities of Uxmal, Kalakmul, Chichén-Itzá (ARZÁPALO, 1995). For constructing a complex corpus, I apply concepts of the three-body and the fractal dimension theories (POINCARÉ, 1908; MANDELBROT, 1975). First, I register an initial body of text by simply searching via the find key for abbreviations of bromatology and botany already recorded by the citation word in the Calepin. Then, I arbitrarily shorten the Spanish form corresponding to tasty and gather it through the whole dictionary. This way I obtain three bodies of interpretative meaning, lexias (BARTHES, 2002). Second, I establish the second and the third dimensional hypertextual relations between the gleaned words or sentences of text as well as their co-occurrences by using the comprehensive linguistics software, Tropes, a lexical and content analysis mixed tool, which brings up the qualitative and quantitative data pertinent to the research. Third, to bring back the colonial Maya voices of the Calepin, I surf the Internet and add to both written bodies of text a third text composed of beautiful colored images presenting food, drinks and tasty dishes that are still enjoyed by the Maya today and have been appreciated for almost five centuries. Notwithstanding the above, neither one of the three bodies (corpora) nested fractally one inside the other is exhaustive. Nonetheless, the study of their interrelations could lead to the deepening of our knowledge on the complex juxtaposition between Siglo de Oro and Maya languages and cultures in the Yucatán Peninsula. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1202215

Bordetella pertussis employs numerous strategies to evade the immune system, including the ability to resist killing via complement. Previously we have shown that B. pertussis binds a complement regulatory protein, C1 esterase inhibitor (C1inh) to its surface in a Bvg-regulated manner (i.e. during its virulence phase), but the B. pertussis factor was not identified. Here we set out to identify the B. pertussis C1inh-binding factor. Using a serum overlay assay, we found that this factor migrates at approximately 100 kDa on an SDS-PAGE gel. To identify this factor, we isolated proteins of approximately 100 kDa from wild type strain BP338 and from BP347, an isogenic Bvg mutant that does not bind C1inh. Using mass spectrometry and bioinformatics, we identified the autotransporter protein Vag8 as the putative C1inh binding protein. To prove that Vag8 binds C1inh, vag8 was disrupted in two different B. pertussis strains, namely BP338 and 18-323, and the mutants were tested for their ability to bind C1inh in a surface-binding assay. Neither mutant strain was capable of binding C1inh, whereas a complemented strain successfully bound C1inh. In addition, the passenger domain of Vag8 was expressed and purified as a histidine-tagged fusion protein and tested for C1inh-binding in an ELISA assay. Whereas the purified Vag8 passenger bound C1inh, the passenger domain of BrkA (a related autotransporter protein) failed to do so. Finally, serum assays were conducted to compare wild type and vag8 mutants. We determined that vag8 mutants from both strains were more susceptible to killing compared to their isogenic wild type counterparts. In conclusion, we have discovered a novel role for the previously uncharacterized protein Vag8 in the immune evasion of B. pertussis. Vag8 binds C1inh to the surface of the bacterium and confers serum resistance.

In June 2000, vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) was isolated from a 27-year-old home health-care patient following a complicated cholecystectomy. Two VISA strains were identified with identical MICs to all antimicrobials tested except oxacillin and with closely related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types. The patient was treated successfully with antimicrobial therapy, biliary drainage, and reconstruction. Standard precautions in the home health setting appear successful in preventing transmission.

Demuth and Harford (1999) contend that in Bantu relatives, the verb raises from I-C if the relative morpheme is a bound morpheme while the subject remains in spec-IP resulting in subject –verb inversion. Ikalanga, a Bantu language spoken in Botswana has no subject verb inversion in relatives although the relative morpheme appears to be a bound morpheme. This observation challenges the conclusion reached in Demuth and Harford (1999). This raises the question, What then is the structure of the relative clause in languages like Ikalanga and Luganda? This paper argues that Ikalanga relative clauses differ from other Bantu relative clauses in that the projection that houses the relative feature (RelP) projects below TP while in Bantu languages where subject verb inversion is observed such as Shona it projects higher than TP. Thus, the variation in the structures of Bantu relative clauses can be accounted for if we understand that there is a parametric variation in the position in which RelP projects; lower than TP or higher than TP.

This paper investigates the controversial morphemes that occur both at the clause level and within the DP in Bantu languages such as Ikalanga, which have been analyzed as "agreement morphology" by some (Baker 2002, Demuth and Harford (1999) and as resumptive/incorporated pronouns by others (Bresnan and Mchombo 1987, Zwart 1997). The paper proposes a unified analysis of this phenomenon, analyzing both clausal and DP-internal occurrences of these morphemes as agreement morphology which holds between the head of an XP and its predicate, or between the head of an XP and its modifiers. In both instances, the agreement relation is instantiated after movement of the relevant category from its base position to a specifier position which enables the moved category to enter into a checking relation (i.e. a spec-head configuration) with another category that has matching features (Chomsky 1995).

The first artificially fertilized spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor) eggs hatched in Norway in the mid-1990s as this species was considered by Norwegian authorities to be a top candidate species for cold-water aquaculture in the North Atlantic regions. Previous research conducted in Norway (since 1992) and Canada (since 2000), focused on identifying key biological parameters for spotted wolffish cultivation which led, respectively, to the rapid establishment of a full commercial production line in northern Norway, while Québec (Canada) is witnessing its first privately driven initiative to establish commercial production of spotted wolffish on its territory. The control of reproduction can be viewed as a major requirement to achieve the development of performant strains using genetic selection tools and/or all-year-round production to bring about maximal productivity and synchronization among a given captive population. Although the basic reproduction aspects are more understood and controlled there are still some challenges remaining involving broodstock and upscaling of operations that limit the achievement of a standardized production at the commercial level. Quality of gametes is still considered a major constraint and it can be affected by multiple factors including nutrition, environmental conditions, handling practices, and welfare status. Internal insemination/fertilization and the protracted incubation period are challenging as well as the establishment of a health monitoring program to secure large-scale operations. The profound progress achieved in the control of reproduction, sperm handling, and cryopreservation methods for this species is presented and discussed. In this review, we also go into detail over the full range of up-to-date cultivation practices involving broodstock and identify areas that could benefit from additional research efforts (i.e., broodstock nutrition, health and welfare, scaling-up egg and larval production, genetics, and development of selective breeding programs).

Alcohol use is prevalent among college students. Research has found that psychological distress in the form of depression, anxiety, or loneliness has been consistently associated with greater alcohol use. Because Students of Color (SoC) disproportionately experience greater psychological distress than White students, it is critical to determine buffers against psychological distress and subsequent alcohol use consequences. Previous literature found that social support can protect against the effects of psychological distress and weaken its link with alcohol use. This study aimed to determine the moderating effect of social support in the relation between psychological distress and alcohol use among SoC. College Students of Color from across the U.S. ( n  = 211, M age = 27.51, SD  = 9.63) were recruited via Prolific to answer an online survey through Qualtrics. Linear regression analyses showed that psychological distress variables (i.e., depression, anxiety, and loneliness) were positively associated with alcohol use. However, moderation analysis did not find any form of social support to moderate the relation between psychological distress variables and alcohol use. Future research needs to identify other protective factors against alcohol use to support SoC in their academic journey.

Introduction: As key-players of plant immunity, the proteins encoded by resistance genes ( R -genes) recognize pathogens and initiate pathogen-specific defense responses. The expression of some R -genes carry fitness costs and therefore inducible immune responses are likely advantageous. To what degree inducible resistance driven by R -genes is triggered by pathogen infection is currently an open question., Methods: In this study we analyzed the expression of 940 R -genes of tomato and potato across 315 transcriptome libraries to investigate how interspecific interactions with microbes influence R -gene expression in plants., Results: We found that most R -genes are expressed at a low level. A small subset of R -genes had moderate to high levels of expression and were expressed across many independent libraries, irrespective of infection status. These R -genes include members of the class of genes called NRCs (NLR required for cell death). Approximately 10% of all R -genes were differentially expressed during infection and this included both up- and down-regulation. One factor associated with the large differences in R -gene expression was host tissue, reflecting a considerable degree of tissue-specific transcriptional regulation of this class of genes., Discussion: These results call into question the widespread view that R -gene expression is induced upon pathogen attack. Instead, a small core set of R -genes is constitutively expressed, imparting upon the plant a ready-to-detect and defend status., 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 © 2023 von Dahlen, Schulz, Nicolai and Rose.)

In a field experiment we investigated the influence of the environmental filters soil type (i.e. three contrasting soils) and plant species (i.e. lettuce and potato) identity on rhizosphere community assembly of Cercozoa, a dominant group of mostly bacterivorous soil protists. Plant species (14%) and rhizosphere origin (vs bulk soil) with 13%, together explained four times more variation in cercozoan beta diversity than the three soil types (7% explained variation). Our results clearly confirm the existence of plant species-specific protist communities. Network analyses of bacteria-Cercozoa rhizosphere communities identified scale-free small world topologies, indicating mechanisms of self-organization. While the assembly of rhizosphere bacterial communities is bottom-up controlled through the resource supply from root (secondary) metabolites, our results support the hypothesis that the net effect may depend on the strength of top-down control by protist grazers. Since grazing of protists has a strong impact on the composition and functioning of bacteria communities, protists expand the repertoire of plant genes by functional traits, and should be considered as 'protist microbiomes' in analogy to 'bacterial microbiomes'., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019, and the outbreak rapidly evolved into the current coronavirus disease pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that causes symptoms similar to those caused by influenza A and B viruses. On July 2, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for in vitro diagnostic use of the Influenza SARS-CoV-2 Multiplex Assay. This assay detects influenza A virus at 10 2.0 , influenza B virus at 10 2.2 , and SARS-CoV-2 at 10 0.3 50% tissue culture or egg infectious dose, or as few as 5 RNA copies/reaction. The simultaneous detection and differentiation of these 3 major pathogens increases overall testing capacity, conserves resources, identifies co-infections, and enables efficient surveillance of influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2.