Notes

Three-dimensional SERS indicator using the sandwiched G@AgNPs@G/PDMS film.
The data used were 348 binary developmental milestone measurements, collected from birth to three years of age, from a small community sample of young children (N = 79). The model identified nine latent groups of children with similar features, ranging from no delays in all functional domains, to large delays in all domains. The performance of the Dirichlet process mixture model was validated with two simulation studies.In the last years, there has been a considerable increase of research into the neuroimaging correlates of inter-individual temperament and character variability-an endeavour for which the term 'personality neuroscience' was coined. Among other neuroimaging modalities and approaches, substantial work focuses on functional connectivity in resting state (rs-FC) functional magnetic resonance imaging data. In the current paper, we set out to independently query the questions asked in a highly cited study that reported a range of functional connectivity correlates of personality dimensions assessed by the widely used 'Big Five' Personality Inventory. Using a larger sample (84 subjects) and an equivalent data analysis pipeline, we obtained widely disagreeing results compared to the original study. Overall, the results were in line with the hypotheses of no relation between functional connectivity and personality, when more precise permutation-based multiple testing procedures were applied. The results demonstrate that as with other neuroimaging studies, great caution should be applied when interpreting the findings, among other reasons due to multiple testing problem involved at several levels in many neuroimaging studies. Of course, the current study results can not ultimately disprove the existence of some link between personality and brain's intrinsic functional architecture, but clearly shows that its form is very likely different and much more subtle and elusive than was previously reported.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC)-spheroid models favor maintenance of stemness, ex vivo expansion and transplantation efficacy. Spheroids may also be considered as useful surrogate models of the hematopoietic niche. However, accessibility to primary cells, from bone marrow (BM) or adipose tissues, may limit their experimental use and the lack of consistency in methods to form spheroids may affect data interpretation. In this study, we aimed to create a simple model by examining the ability of cell lines, from human (HS-27a and HS-5) and murine (MS-5) BM origins, to form spheroids, compared to primary human MSCs (hMSCs). Our protocol efficiently allowed the spheroid formation from all cell types within 24 hours. Whilst hMSC-spheroids began to shrink after 24 hours, the size of spheroids from cell lines remained constant during three weeks. The difference was partially explained by the balance between proliferation and cell death, which could be triggered by hypoxia and induced oxidative stress. Our results demonstrate that, like hMSCs, MSC cell lines make reproductible spheroids that are easily handled. Thus, this model could help in understanding mechanisms involved in MSC functions and may provide a simple model by which to study cell interactions in the BM niche.Objectives To investigate changes of fat in bone marrow (BM) and paraspinal muscle (PSM) associated with the degree of fatty liver in pediatric patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in consideration of age and body mass index (BMI). Methods Hepatic fat, BM fat, and PSM fat from proton density fat fraction of liver MRI between June 2015 and April 2019 were quantitatively evaluated on axial images of the fat map at the mid-level of T11-L2 vertebral bodies for BM fat and at the mid-level of L2 for PSM fat. Age, height, and weight at the time of MRI were recorded and BMI was calculated. Correlation analysis was performed. Results A total of 147 patients (114 male) were included with a mean age of 13.3 ± 2.9 years (range 7-18 years). The mean fat fractions were 24.3 ± 13.0% (2-53%) in liver, 37.4 ± 8.6% (17.3-56%) in vertebral BM, and 2.7 ± 1.1% (1.0-6.9%) in PSM. Age, height, weight, and BMI were not correlated with liver fat or BM fat. However, weight (ρ = 0.174, p = 0.035) and BMI (ρ = 0.247, p = 0.003) were positively correlated with PSM fat. Liver fat showed positive correlation with BM fat when adjusting age and BMI (ρ = 0.309, p less then 0.001), but not with PSM fat. Conclusions BM fat positively correlates with liver fat, but not with age or BMI in pediatric NAFLD patients.[This corrects the article DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0232354.].[This corrects the article DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0229182.].Integrons play a major role in the evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens, including Escherichia coli. This study describes the occurrence of class 1 integrons in human pathogenic E. coli, in three isolate collections involving three periods from the last 100 years (i) the Murray collection (n = 58 bacteria isolated from the 1910s to 1940s); (ii) the E. coli reference (ECOR) collection (n = 37 isolates mainly from the 1980s); and (iii) a recently assembled collection (n = 88 isolates obtained in 2016). High-quality whole genome sequences (WGSs) were available for all isolates. Integrons were detected in the WGSs with the program IntegronFinder and the results compared with three established methods (i) polymerase chain reaction detection of the integrase gene; (ii) BLAST searching using draft genomes; and (iii) mapping of short reads. No integrons were found in any of the Murray Collection isolates; however, integrons were present in 3% of the isolates from ECOR collection, assembled in the 1980s, and 26% of the isolates from the 2010s. Similarly, antimicrobial resistance determinants were not present in the Murray Collection isolates, whereas they were present in 19% of the ECOR Collection isolates and in 55% of the isolates obtained in during the 2010s.During the past decade, Drosophila suzukii has established itself as a global invasive fruit pest, enabled by its ability to lay eggs into fresh, ripening fruit. Protosappanin B in vitro In a previous study, we investigated the impact of different strawberry accessions on the development of D. suzukii eggs, in the search of natural resistance. We identified several accessions that significantly reduced adult fly emergence from infested fruit. In the present study, we aimed at understanding the chemical basis of this effect. We first noted that one of the more resistant accessions showed an unusual enrichment of methyl anthranilate within its fruit, prompting us to investigate this fruit compound as a possible cause limiting fly development. We found that methyl anthranilate alone triggers embryo lethality in a concentration-dependent manner, unlike another comparable organic fruit compound. We also showed that a chemical fraction of the resistant strawberry accession that contains methyl anthranilate carries some activity toward the egg hatching rate. Surprisingly, in spite of the lethal effect of this compound to their eggs, adult females are not only attracted to methyl anthranilate at certain concentrations, but they also display a concentration-dependent preference to lay on substrates enriched in methyl anthranilate. This study demonstrates that methyl anthranilate is a potent agonist molecule against D. suzukii egg development. Its elevated concentration in a specific strawberry accession proven to reduce the fly development may explain, at least in part the fruit resistance. It further illustrates how a single, natural compound, non-toxic to humans could be exploited for biological control of a pest species.The tomato AGC protein kinase Adi3 is a Ser/Thr kinase that functions as a negative regulator of programmed cell death through cell death suppression (CDS) activity in the nucleus. In this study, to understand the mechanism of Adi3 CDS, peptide microarrays containing random Ser- and Thr-peptide phosphorylation substrates were used to screen for downstream phosphorylation substrates. In the microarray phosphorylation assay, Adi3 showed promiscuous kinase activity more toward Ser-peptides compared to Thr-peptides, and a preference for aromatic and cyclic amino acids on both Ser- and Thr-peptides was seen. The 63 highest phosphorylated peptide sequences from the Ser-peptide microarray were selected as queries for a BLAST search against the tomato proteome. As a result, 294 candidate nuclear Adi3 substrates were selected and categorized based on their functions. Many of these proteins were classified as DNA/RNA polymerases or regulators involved in transcription and translation events. The list of potential Adi3 substrates was narrowed to eleven and four candidates were tested for phosphorylation by Adi3. Two of these candidates, RNA polymerase II 2nd largest subunit (RPB2) and the pathogen defense related transcription factor Pti5, were confirmed as Adi3 phosphorylation substrates by in vitro kinase assays. Using a mutational approach two residues, Thr675 and Thr676, were identified as Adi3 phosphorylation sites on RPB2. This study provides the foundation for understanding Adi3 CDS mechanisms in the nucleus as well as other cellular functions.Objective To describe prescription medicine dispensing before and during pregnancy in New Zealand, 2005-2015. Methods Members of the New Zealand Pregnancy Cohort were linked with their dispensing records in a national database of prescription products dispensed from community pharmacies. We identified the proportion of pregnancies during which at least one prescription medicine was dispensed, the number of different medicines used and the most commonly dispensed medicine groups both during pregnancy and in the 270 days before conception. Dispensing during pregnancy was assessed by several maternal characteristics. Results 874,884 pregnancies were included. Over the study timeframe, the proportion of pregnancies exposed to a non-supplement prescription medicine increased from 38.5% to 67.2%. The mean number of different non-supplement medicines dispensed during pregnancy increased from 2.5 to 3.2. Dispensing during pregnancy was weakly associated with body mass index, smoking status and ethnicity. Pregnancy exposure was highest for Antibacterials (26.0%), Analgesics (16.7%) and Antinausea & Vertigo Agents (11.0%). Conclusions From 2005-2015, both the proportion of exposed pregnancies and the number of different medicines dispensed to pregnant women in New Zealand increased.Nitrogen transformation in soil is a complex process and the soil microbial population can regulate the potential for N mineralization, nitrification and denitrification. Here we show that agricultural soils under standard agricultural N-management are consistently characterized by a high presence of gene copies for some of the key biological activities related to the N-cycle. This led to a strong NO3- reduction (75%) passing from the soil surface (15.38 ± 11.36 g N-NO3 kg-1 on average) to the 1 m deep layer (3.92 ± 4.42 g N-NO3 kg-1 on average), and ensured low nitrate presence in the deepest layer. Under these circumstances the other soil properties play a minor role in reducing soil nitrate presence in soil. However, with excessive N fertilization, the abundance of bacterial gene copies is not sufficient to explain N leaching in soil and other factors, i.e. soil texture and rainfall, become more important in controlling these aspects.
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