Notes

Minimal dispersal and local edition encourage allopatric speciation inside a bio-diversity hotspot.
Both allergic and non-allergic asthma phenotypes are thought to vary by specific housing and other indoor environmental conditions. This study evaluated risk factors for allergic asthma phenotypes in First Nation children, an understudied Canadian population with recognized increased respiratory morbidity. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a clinical component to assess the respiratory health of 351 school-age children living on two rural reserve communities. Asthma was defined as parental report of physician diagnosed asthma or a report of wheeze in the past 12 months. Atopy was determined by a ≥ 3-mm wheal response to any of six respiratory allergens upon skin prick testing (SPT). Important domestic and personal characteristics evaluated included damp housing conditions, household heating, respiratory infections and passive smoking exposure. Asthma and atopy prevalence were 17.4% and 17.1%, respectively. Of those with asthma, 21.1% were atopic. We performed multivariate multinomial logistic regression modelling with three outcomes non-atopic asthma, atopic asthma and no asthma for 280 children who underwent SPT. After adjusting for potential confounders, children with atopic asthma were more likely to be obese and to live in homes with either damage due to dampness (p less then 0.05) or signs of mildew/mold (p = 0.06). Both natural gas home heating and a history of respiratory related infections were associated with non-atopic asthma (p less then 0.01). Domestic risk factors for asthma appear to vary by atopic status in First Nations children. Determining asthma phenotypes could be useful in environmental management of asthma in this population.Breast cancer is the abnormal, uncontrollable proliferation of cells in the breast. Nexturastat A clinical trial Conventional treatment modalities like chemotherapy induce deteriorating side effects on healthy cells. Non-viral inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) confer exclusive characteristics, such as, stability, controllable shape and size, facile surface modification, and unique magnetic and optical properties which make them attractive drug carriers. Among them, carbonate apatite (CA) particles are pH-responsive in nature, enabling rapid intracellular drug release, but are typically heterogeneous with the tendency to self-aggregate. Here, we modified the nano-carrier by partially substituting Ca2+ with Mg2+ and Fe3+ into a basic lattice structure of CA, forming Fe/Mg-carbonate apatite (Fe/Mg-CA) NPs with the ability to mitigate self-aggregation, form unique protein corona in the presence of serum and efficiently deliver doxorubicin (DOX), an anti-cancer drug into breast cancer cells. Two formulations of Fe/Mg-CA NPs were generated by addieration of nano-sized particles with less tendency to aggregate, enhancing the drug binding efficiency, cellular uptake, and cytotoxicity without hampering drug release in acidic pH, while improving the circulation half-life and tumor accumulation of DOX. Therefore, Fe/Mg-CA which predominantly forms a transport protein-related protein corona could be a proficient carrier for therapeutic delivery in breast cancer.The αvβ3 integrin, a receptor for many extracellular matrix proteins with RGD-sequence motif, is involved in multiple physiological processes and highly expressed in tumor cells, therefore making it a target for cancer therapy and tumor imaging. Several RGD-containing cyclic octapeptide (named LXW analogs) were screened as αvβ3 antagonists with dramatically different binding affinity, and their structure-activity relationship (SAR) remains elusive. We performed systematic SAR studies and optimized LXW analogs to improve antagonistic potency. The NMR structure of LXW64 was determined and docked to the integrin. Structural comparison and docking studies suggested that the hydrophobicity and aromaticity of the X7 amino acid are highly important for LXW analogs binding to the integrin, a potential hydrophobic pocket on the integrin surface was proposed to play a role in stabilizing the peptide binding. To develop a cost-efficient and fast screening method, computational docking was performed on LXW analogs and compared with in vitro screening. A consistency within the results of both methods was found, leading to the continuous optimization and testing of LXW mutants via in silico screening. Several new LXW analogs were predicted as the integrin antagonists, one of which-LXZ2-was validated by in vitro examination. Our study provides new insight into the RGD recognition specificity and valuable clues for rational design of novel αvβ3 antagonists.We present an approach to assess the disease ecology of rickettsial species by investigating open databases and by using data science methodologies. First, we explored the epidemiological trend and changes of human rickettsial disease epidemics over the years and compared this trend with knowledge on emerging rickettsial diseases given by published reviews. Second, we investigated the global diversity of rickettsial species recorded in humans, domestic animals and wild mammals, using the Enhanced Infectious Disease Database (EID2) and employing a network analysis approach to represent and quantify transmission ecology of rickettsial species among their carriers, arthropod vectors or mammal reservoirs and humans. Our results confirmed previous studies that emphasized the increasing incidence in rickettsial diseases at the onset of 1970. Using the Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Online Network (GIDEON) database, it was even possible to date the start of this increase of global outbreaks in rickettsial diseases in 1971. Network analysis showed the importance of domestic animals and peridomestic mammals in sharing rickettsial diseases with humans and other wild animals, acting as important hubs or connectors for rickettsial transmission.The key to the successful social inclusion of people recovering from mental illness is mutual understanding with other community members. To promote such social inclusion, the human library approach has been adopted by a group of practitioners based in Hong Kong. Through a review of this community mental health initiative, this study explores the relevance and usefulness of this approach in a mental health setting. A collaborative inquiry-based research method was adopted to explore the human library approach in practice. A practitioner inquiry group was conducted with four social workers and three peer support workers to examine their experience of running the human library. Thematic analysis and member checks were used to identify important themes. The practitioners' reports of their experiences showed that the human library is well suited to facilitating social inclusion and promoting mental health recovery. Community members and people in recovery can benefit from participating in a human library, and the two sides can become connected through mutual understanding. However, possible risks for people in recovery were also identified. This study argues that the human library deserves consideration as an approach to facilitating social inclusion and promoting recovery. Its effectiveness and benefits are evident, especially compared with large-scale one-way intervention approaches. A clinical practice manual should be developed to inform future practitioners of the value of the human library approach in mental health settings.Americans have significantly poorer health outcomes and shorter longevity than citizens of other industrialized nations. Poverty is a major driver of these poor health outcomes in the United States. Innovative anti-poverty policies may help reduce economic malaise thereby increasing the health and longevity of the most vulnerable Americans. However, there is no consensus framework for studying the health impacts of anti-poverty social policies. In this paper, we describe a case study in which leading global experts systematically (1) developed a conceptual model that outlines the potential pathways through which a social policy influences health, (2) fits outcome measures to this conceptual model, and (3) estimates an optimal time frame for collection of the selected outcome measures. This systematic process, called the Delphi method, has the potential to produce estimates more quickly and with less bias than might be achieved through expert panel discussions alone. Our case study is a multi-component randomized-controlled trial (RCT) of a workforce policy called MyGoals for Healthy Aging.Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin growth factor family, well known for its role in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Recently, the human BDNF Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism has been associated with the increased propensity for arterial thrombosis related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and immunohistochemistry analyses, we showed that homozygous mice carrying the human BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (BDNFMet/Met) undergoing left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation display an adverse cardiac remodeling compared to wild-type (BDNFVal/Val). Interestingly, we observed a persistent presence of pro-inflammatory M1-like macrophages and a reduced accumulation of reparative-like phenotype macrophages (M2-like) in the infarcted heart of mutant mice. Further qPCR analyses showed that BDNFMet/Met peritoneal macrophages are more pro-inflammatory and have a higher migratory ability compared to BDNFVal/Val ones. Finally, macrophages differentiated from circulating monocytes isolated from BDNFMet/Met patients with coronary heart disease displayed the same pro-inflammatory characteristics of the murine ones. In conclusion, the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism predisposes to adverse cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction in a mouse model and affects macrophage phenotype in both humans and mice. These results provide a new cellular mechanism by which this human BDNF genetic variant could influence cardiovascular disease.Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) represents one of the most promising and attractive bio-based polymers for green packaging. However, toughness, gas barrier and antibacterial properties of pure PLA films cannot compete with those of traditional petroleum-based active packaging plastics. To fill this gap, utilization of excellent chelating properties of phytic acid (PA), functionalized layered double hydroxides (LDHs@PA-Cu(II)) was firstly synthetized via facile deposition and chelation of one-step assembled PA-Cu(II) coordination compounds on the surface of layered clay. Furthermore, LDHs@PA-Cu(II)/PLA nanocomposites were prepared by blending LDHs@PA-Cu(II) and pure PLA via solution casting evaporation process. After adding only 1 wt % LDHs@PA-Cu(II), elongation at break and tensile strength increase by 53.0% and 18.9%, respectively, and the oxygen relative permeability decreases by 28.0%. Due to the strong interface interaction and heterogenous nucleation, the reinforcement effect of LDHs@PA-Cu(II) at low loadings is remarkable. Meanwhile, owing to the antibacterial activity of PA-Cu(II) coatings, the antibacterial rate (against Escherichia coli) of LDHs@PA-Cu(II) exceeds 99.99%. Furthermore, the corresponding LDHs@PA-Cu(II)/PLA nanocomposites also show outstanding antibacterial properties, which will be a promising candidate for active packaging application.
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