Notes

Earthworm-Collembola friendships impacting on water-soluble vitamins and minerals, fauna as well as physiochemistry in a mesocosm manure-straw compost test.
The distinct thermo-dynamics of adenine riboswitch exposed here may contribute to the fields of RNA sensors and drug design.Formation of higher-order supramolecular complexes has emerged as a common principle underlying activity of a number of immune and regulated cell-death signalling pathways in animals, plants and fungi. Some of these signalosomes employ functional amyloid motifs in their assembly process. The description of such systems in fungi finds its origin in earlier studies on a fungal prion termed [Het-s], originally identified as a non-Mendelian cytoplasmic infectious element. Janine Beisson has been a key contributor to such early studies. Recent work on this and related systems offers a more integrated view framing this prion in a broader picture including related signalling systems described in animals. We propose here an auto-commentary centred on three recent studies on amyloid signalling in microbes. Collectively, these studies increase our understanding of fold conservation in functional amyloids and the structural basis of seeding, highlight the relation of fungal amyloid motifs to mammalian RHIM (RIP homotypic interaction motif) and expand the concept of Nod-like receptor-based amyloid signalosomes to the prokaryote reign.
In central auditory disorders caused by damage of the cerebral hemispheres, there are cortical deafness and auditory agnosia. Although clinical cases of cortical deafness have been reported, little is known about the hearing problems and localized lesions associated with cortical deafness.

The aims of our research are to elucidate lesion sites associated with cortical deafness and to clarify why patients with cerebral lesions are not aware of any sound at all.

Three patients diagnosed as having total loss of hearing participated in this study. We conducted pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), auditory brainstem response (ABR), and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose cortical deafness with aphasia tests of these patients.

Our studies showed that waves VI and VII as well as waves I to V have normal peak latencies in ABRs in all three patients. In brain MRI, we found complete damage of proximal parts of bilateral auditory radiations in the three patients.

We propose 'subcortical deafness' as a subtype of auditory agnosia.
We propose 'subcortical deafness' as a subtype of auditory agnosia.
To explore and understand young people's perspectives of fixed orthodontic treatment. In particular, understanding how young people perceived and experienced having a fixed appliance and how their experiences can change during their treatment.

Qualitative study carried out longitudinally.

In-depth qualitative interviews carried out in participants' homes, video diaries recorded by participants when and where they wish.

Fifteen patients aged 10-15 years undergoing NHS fixed appliance treatment.

Data were collected by in-depth interviews and video diaries throughout the participants' course of orthodontic treatment. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Young people's friends, family and social media influenced how young people felt about the appearance of their teeth. Young people can perceive negative social judgements are made about them based on the appearance of their teeth; however, the appearance of the brace was not a concern. For some of the young people, the presence of the brace formed a rite of passage throughout adolescence. Pain and discomfort caused by fixed appliances was expected and tolerated and felt normal with time.

Young people's perceptions about appearance are influenced by people around them and social media. The physical feeling of the brace was normalised, although it did affect young people's lives.
Young people's perceptions about appearance are influenced by people around them and social media. selleck compound The physical feeling of the brace was normalised, although it did affect young people's lives.Background Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with elevated rates of eating disorders (EDs), but the nature and impact of specific ED features are unclear.Aims This study sought to identify which ED features are common in BD, and whether these relate to quality of life (QoL) impairment and body mass index (BMI).Method A clinical sample of 73 adults with BD completed self-report measures of health, ED features, emotion regulation ability, impulsivity, and QoL.Results Binge eating (45%), excessive dietary restriction (39%), overvaluation of weight/shape (51%), purging (16%) and driven exercise (27%) were common, and associated with a poorer clinical picture, including poorer QoL and poorer emotion regulation. Furthermore, regular binge eating episodes explained a significant proportion of variance in QoL impairment after controlling for other significant predictors. The best predictors of BMI were number of medical conditions, impulsivity and positive beliefs about binge eating.Conclusions ED features that may not meet criteria for a fully diagnosable ED - particularly overvaluation of weight/shape and binge eating - warrant greater attention, as they may still significantly worsen QoL. Future research should focus on modifying existing psychological interventions to better target ED features among individuals with BD and thereby improve clinical outcomes.Background Less than half of stroke survivors will be able to use their arm at 6 months post-stroke. Guidelines recommend the use of intensive upper limb exercise programs to optimize recovery; however, there has been limited research exploring experiences of participation in intensive programs. Aim To identify factors influencing adherence to an intensive upper limb exercise program in people with stroke.Methods Qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 stroke survivors who had participated in an intensive upper limb program. Perspectives of participation, including perceived barriers and enablers to program adherence were explored. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and imported into NVivo for analysis. Two authors mapped themes to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) behavior change model to identify barriers and enablers to adherence.Results Enablers influencing adherence included 1) routine practice times (Motivation - automatic); 2) accountability to staff (Motivation - reflective); and 3) social support (Opportunity - social). Barriers to adherence included 1) exercises being too difficult (Capability - physical); 2) reliance on others to help (Capability - physical); and 3) difficulty 'fitting it in' (Motivation - reflective).Conclusion Findings will inform recommendations for the delivery of intensive upper limb exercise programs to improve adherence and assist services to provide rehabilitation in a manner that enables self-directed practice by stroke survivors.Background Over the past few years, measles cases have increased worldwide, despite the availability of a safe and highly effective vaccine. Numerous countries have eliminated measles or have made substantial advancements toward elimination.Materials and Methods This study investigated the seroprevalence of anti-measles antibodies and vaccination status among 362 men and 81 women in Madinah. All participants were vaccinated or acquired immunity naturally due to infection. We aimed to examine the persistence of anti-measles IgG antibodies, which were qualitatively and quantitatively determined using ELISA.Results We showed that measles seropositivity (92%, n = 408) was significantly more frequent than negative (5.4%, n = 14) and equivocal results (2.5%, n = 11). Among men, 92.8% were seropositive for the anti-measles IgG antibody, whereas 88.9% of women were seropositive. In addition, a significant relationship was observed between age and measles seropositivity, with a significant positive correlation between age and anti-measles antibody concentration as assessed by Spearman's correlation analysis (r = 0.405, p less then .001).Conclusion Based on these results, observing the serological status of the population 20-38 y after vaccination may be necessary to minimize the proportion of individuals who may be vulnerable to contracting measles. Despite the efficacy of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the positive global impact associated with the use of this vaccine, including a general decline in measles cases, attention must still be paid to the issue of measles risk, and seronegative individuals should be identified and advised to receive a booster dose of the vaccine.Paraspeckles are nuclear ribonucleic complex formed of a long non-coding RNA, nuclear-enriched abundant transcript one (Neat1) and associated RNA-binding proteins (RBP) whose cellular known functions are to sequester in the nucleus both proteins and RNAs. However, how RNAs are bound to paraspeckles is largely unknown. It is highly likely that binding of RNAs may occur via interactions with RBPs and accordingly, two structures present in the 3'UTR of some RNAs have been shown to allow their association to paraspeckles via protein binding. However, Neat1 could also be involved in the targeting of RNAs through direct RNA-RNA interactions. Using an RNA pull-down procedure adapted to select only RNAs engaged in direct RNA-RNA interactions and followed by RNA-seq we showed that in a rat pituitary cell line, GH4C1 cells, 1791 RNAs were associated with paraspeckles by direct interaction with Neat1. Neat1 was actually found able to bind more than 30% of the total transcripts targeted by the paraspeckles, we have identified in this cell line in a previous study. Furthermore, given the biological processes in which direct RNAs targets of Neat1 were involved as determined by gene ontology analysis, it was proposed that Neat1 played a major role in paraspeckle functions such as circadian rhythms, mRNA processing, RNA splicing and regulation of cell cycle. Finally, we provided evidence that direct RNA targets of Neat1 were preferentially bound to the 5' end of Neat1 demonstrating that they are located in the shell region of paraspeckles.Current human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines provide substantial protection against the most common HPV types responsible for oral and anogenital cancers, but many circulating cancer-causing types remain for which vaccine coverage is lacking. In addition, all current HPV vaccines rely on aluminum salt-based adjuvant formulations that function through unclear mechanisms with few substitutes available. In an effort to expand the toolbox of available adjuvants suitable for HPV vaccines, we compared the immunogenicity of the RG1-VLP (virus-like particle) vaccine in BALB/c mice when formulated with either the aluminum hydroxide adjuvant Alhydrogel or the novel polyphosphazene macromolecular adjuvant poly[di (carboxylatoethylphenoxy) phosphazene] (PCEP). PCEP-formulated RG1-VLPs routinely outperformed VLP/Alhydrogel in several measurements of VLP-specific humoral immunity, including consistent improvements in the magnitude of antibody (Ab) responses to both HPV16-L1 and the L2 RG1 epitope as well as neutralizing titers to HPV16 and cross-neutralization of pseudovirion (PsV) types HPV18 and HPV39. Dose-sparing studies indicated that RG1-VLPs could be reduced in dose by 75% and the presence of PCEP ensured activity comparable to a full VLP dose adjuvanted by Alhydrogel. In addition, levels of HPV16-L1 and -L2-specific Abs were achieved after two vaccinations with PCEP as adjuvant that were equivalent to or greater than levels achieved with three vaccinations with Alhydrogel alone, indicating that the presence of PCEP resulted in accelerated immune responses that could allow for a decreased dose schedule. Given the extensive clinical track record of polyphosphazenes, these data suggest that substitution of alum-based adjuvants with PCEP for the RG1-VLP vaccine could lead to rapid seropositivity requiring fewer boosts, the dose-sparing of commercial VLP-based vaccines, and the establishment of longer-lasting humoral responses to HPV.
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