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Frontiers in Plant Science 2024Plants lack behavioral responses to avoid dramatic environmental changes associated with the annual seasons. For survival, they have evolved complex sensory systems to... (Review)
Review
Plants lack behavioral responses to avoid dramatic environmental changes associated with the annual seasons. For survival, they have evolved complex sensory systems to sense fluctuations in light and optimize their architecture in response to changes in these cues. Phytochrome A (phyA) was initially identified as a photoreceptor that senses far-red light signals. It was then identified as playing a central role in promoting hypocotyl growth, fiber development, and flowering time in a variety of plants including Arabidopsis, rice, soybean and cotton. Under dark conditions, phyA is present in the cytoplasm in the physiologically inactive (Pr) form. Far-red light signals induce the transformation of Pr into the physiologically active (Pfr) form, after which Pfr-phyA is recognized by FAR-RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 1 (FHY1) and FHY1-LIKE (FHL) and translocated to the nucleus, initiating a series of signaling cascades. The current review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in understanding the function of phyA in plants, including phyA-mediated shade avoidance and flowering time. Remaining issues and possible directions for future research on phyA are also discussed.
PubMed: 38344182
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1340260 -
The Journal of Neuroscience : the... Aug 2023To understand how the brain produces behavior, we must elucidate the relationships between neuronal connectivity and function. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is...
To understand how the brain produces behavior, we must elucidate the relationships between neuronal connectivity and function. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical for complex functions including decision-making and mood. mPFC projection neurons collateralize extensively, but the relationships between mPFC neuronal activity and brain-wide connectivity are poorly understood. We performed whole-brain connectivity mapping and fiber photometry to better understand the mPFC circuits that control threat avoidance in male and female mice. Using tissue clearing and light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM), we mapped the brain-wide axon collaterals of populations of mPFC neurons that project to nucleus accumbens (NAc), ventral tegmental area (VTA), or contralateral mPFC (cmPFC). We present DeepTraCE (deep learning-based tracing with combined enhancement), for quantifying bulk-labeled axonal projections in images of cleared tissue, and DeepCOUNT (deep-learning based counting of objects via 3D U-net pixel tagging), for quantifying cell bodies. Anatomical maps produced with DeepTraCE aligned with known axonal projection patterns and revealed class-specific topographic projections within regions. Using TRAP2 mice and DeepCOUNT, we analyzed whole-brain functional connectivity underlying threat avoidance. PL was the most highly connected node with functional connections to subsets of PL-cPL, PL-NAc, and PL-VTA target sites. Using fiber photometry, we found that during threat avoidance, cmPFC and NAc-projectors encoded conditioned stimuli, but only when action was required to avoid threats. mPFC-VTA neurons encoded learned but not innate avoidance behaviors. Together our results present new and optimized approaches for quantitative whole-brain analysis and indicate that anatomically defined classes of mPFC neurons have specialized roles in threat avoidance. Understanding how the brain produces complex behaviors requires detailed knowledge of the relationships between neuronal connectivity and function. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in learning, mood, and decision-making, including evaluating and responding to threats. mPFC dysfunction is strongly linked to fear, anxiety and mood disorders. Although mPFC circuits are clear therapeutic targets, gaps in our understanding of how they produce cognitive and emotional behaviors prevent us from designing effective interventions. To address this, we developed a high-throughput analysis pipeline for quantifying bulk-labeled fluorescent axons [DeepTraCE (deep learning-based tracing with combined enhancement)] or cell bodies [DeepCOUNT (deep-learning based counting of objects via 3D U-net pixel tagging)] in intact cleared brains. Using DeepTraCE, DeepCOUNT, and fiber photometry, we performed detailed anatomic and functional mapping of mPFC neuronal classes, identifying specialized roles in threat avoidance.
Topics: Mice; Male; Female; Animals; Neural Pathways; Brain; Neurons; Prefrontal Cortex; Nucleus Accumbens
PubMed: 37491314
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0697-23.2023 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023This is a study on indicators related to marital dissatisfaction. The research was conducted by the psychology department of a reproductive health institution in Mexico...
This is a study on indicators related to marital dissatisfaction. The research was conducted by the psychology department of a reproductive health institution in Mexico City. The objective was to know the relation between marital satisfaction/dissatisfaction and gender roles, self-esteem, the types of coping strategies and the types of violence perceived from the partner. It was a nonexperimental, retrospective, cross-sectional study of two samples-one of women and one of men-classified by marital satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The nonprobability quota sampling included 208 participants: 104 women and 104 men. Comparisons, correlations and a discriminant analysis were made to identify the most significant variables. Women with marital dissatisfaction perceived blackmail, psychological violence and humiliation/devaluation from their partner; they preferably adopt a submissive gender role and use escape/avoidance as a coping strategy, and so do the men with marital dissatisfaction, who also perceived blackmail, control and psychological violence from their partner; they have low self-esteem, and they preferably adopt a submissive gender role. Isolating factors will allow for more specificity in terms of psychological care at health institutions as well as avoiding gender biases and preventing an increase of violence in couples.
PubMed: 37444792
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11131959 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2024Florivory, i.e., flower herbivory, of various types is common and can strongly reduce plant fitness. Flowers suffer two very different types of herbivory: (1) the... (Review)
Review
Florivory, i.e., flower herbivory, of various types is common and can strongly reduce plant fitness. Flowers suffer two very different types of herbivory: (1) the classic herbivory of consuming tissues and (2) nectar theft. Unlike the non-reversibility of consumed tissues, nectar theft, while potentially reducing a plant's fitness by lowering its attraction to pollinators, can, in various cases, be fixed quickly by the production of additional nectar. Therefore, various mechanisms to avoid or reduce florivory have evolved. Here, I focus on one of the flowers' defensive mechanisms, aposematism, i.e., warning signaling to avoid or at least reduce herbivory via the repelling of herbivores. While plant aposematism of various types was almost ignored until the year 2000, it is a common anti-herbivory defense mechanism in many plant taxa, operating visually, olfactorily, and, in the case of nectar, via a bitter taste. Flower aposematism has received only very little focused attention as such, and many of the relevant publications that actually demonstrated herbivore repellence and avoidance learning following flower signaling did not refer to repellence as aposematism. Here, I review what is known concerning visual-, olfactory-, and nectar-taste-based flower aposematism, including some relevant cases of mimicry, and suggest some lines for future research.
PubMed: 38337924
DOI: 10.3390/plants13030391 -
BMJ Open Aug 2023To elicit and value patient preferences for the processes and outcomes of surgical management of stress urinary incontinence in women. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVES
To elicit and value patient preferences for the processes and outcomes of surgical management of stress urinary incontinence in women.
DESIGN
A discrete choice experiment survey to elicit preferences for type of anaesthesia, postoperative recovery time, treatment success, adverse events, impact on daily activities and cost. An experimental design generated 40 choice tasks, and each respondent completed 1 block of 10 and 2 validity tests. Analysis was by multinomial logistical regression.
SETTING
N=21 UK hospitals.
PARTICIPANTS
N=325 adult women who were a subsample of those randomised to the single-incision mini-slings clinical trial.
OUTCOMES
Patient preferences; valuation obtained using willingness to pay.
RESULTS
N=227 of 325 (70%) returned a questionnaire, and 94% of those completed all choice tasks. Respondents preferred general anaesthesia, shorter recovery times, improved stress urinary incontinence symptoms and avoidance of adverse events. Women were willing to pay (mean (95% CI)) £76 (£33 to £119) per day of reduction in recovery time following surgery. They valued increases in Patient Global Impression of Improvement, ranging from £8173 (£5459 to £10 887) for 'improved' to £11 706 (£8267 to £15 144) for 'very much improved' symptoms, compared with no symptom improvement. This was offset by negative values attached to the avoidance of complications ranging between £-8022 (£-10 661 to £-5383) and £-10 632 (£-14 077 to £-7187) compared to no complications. Women valued treatments that reduced the need to avoid daily activities, with willingness to pay ranging from £-967 (£-2199 to £266) for rarely avoiding activities to £-5338 (£-7258 to £-3417) for frequently avoiding daily activities compared with no avoidance.
CONCLUSION
This discrete choice experiment demonstrates that patients place considerable value on improvement in stress urinary incontinence symptoms and avoidance of treatment complications. Trade-offs between symptom improvement and adverse event risk should be considered within shared decision-making. The willingness to pay values from this study can be used in future cost-benefit analyses.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ISRCTN: 93264234; Post-results.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Patient Preference; Urinary Incontinence, Stress; Anesthesia, General; Anesthesiology; Cost-Benefit Analysis
PubMed: 37643846
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066157 -
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology May 2024This article reports a novel surgical technique in the management of soft posterior polar cataracts. This technique avoids hydro procedures, trenching, and chopping....
This article reports a novel surgical technique in the management of soft posterior polar cataracts. This technique avoids hydro procedures, trenching, and chopping. Viscodissection is avoided or minimal, and polar opacity is removed last. These modifications minimize the risk of intraoperative complications.
Topics: Humans; Phacoemulsification; Cataract; Visual Acuity
PubMed: 38324265
DOI: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_1329_23 -
MBio Aug 2023Transporters of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily of proteins are the dominant multidrug efflux power of Gram-negative bacteria. The major RND...
Transporters of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily of proteins are the dominant multidrug efflux power of Gram-negative bacteria. The major RND efflux pump of is MexAB-OprM, in which the inner membrane transporter MexB is responsible for the recognition and binding of compounds. The high importance of this pump in clinical antibiotic resistance made it a subject of intense investigations and a promising target for the discovery of efflux pump inhibitors. This study is focused on a series of peptidomimetic compounds developed as effective inhibitors of MexAB-OprM. We performed multi-copy molecular dynamics simulations, machine-learning (ML) analyses, and site-directed mutagenesis of MexB to investigate interactions of MexB with representatives of efflux avoiders, substrates, and inhibitors. The analysis of both direct and water-mediated protein-ligand interactions revealed characteristic patterns for each class, highlighting significant differences between them. We found that efflux avoiders poorly interact with the access binding site of MexB, and inhibition engages amino acid residues that are not directly involved in binding and transport of substrates. In agreement, machine-learning models selected different residues predictive of MexB substrates and inhibitors. The differences in interactions were further validated by site-directed mutagenesis. We conclude that the substrate translocation and inhibition pathways of MexB split at the interface (between the main putative binding sites) and at the deep binding pocket and that interactions outside of the hydrophobic patch contribute to the inhibition of MexB. This molecular-level information could help in the rational design of new inhibitors and antibiotics less susceptible to the efflux mechanism. IMPORTANCE Multidrug transporters recognize and expel from cells a broad range of ligands including their own inhibitors. The difference between the substrate translocation and inhibition routes remains unclear. In this study, machine learning and computational and experimental approaches were used to understand dynamics of MexB interactions with its ligands. Our results show that some ligands engage a certain combination of polar and charged residues in MexB binding sites to be effectively expelled into the exit funnel, whereas others engage aromatic and hydrophobic residues that slow down or hinder the next step in the transporter cycle. These findings suggest that all MexB ligands fit into this substrate-inhibitor spectrum depending on their physico-chemical structures and properties.
Topics: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; Ligands; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Membrane Transport Proteins
PubMed: 37493633
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01403-23 -
BMC Geriatrics Nov 2023Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are among the most feared age-related conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate a brief psychological... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are among the most feared age-related conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate a brief psychological intervention to promote adaptive coping in older adults experiencing heightened fear of ADRD and investigate positive downstream effects on health-related secondary outcomes, including frequency of reported memory failures, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life.
METHODS
Eighty-one older adults were recruited and randomized into REFRAME or active control intervention arms. Both groups received psycho-education and training in mindful monitoring of fears related to ADRD. The REFRAME group received an additional behavioral activation component intended to disrupt maladaptive avoidant coping (i.e., avoidance) strategies. Both groups completed 3-weeks of intervention exercises with accompanying questionnaires (baseline, mid- and post-intervention and 4-week follow-up).
RESULTS
Adherence was strong (> 75%). We observed a significant reduction in ADRD-related fear and avoidance in both groups. Significant reductions were also observed for frequency of self-reported memory failures, anxiety, and depression. Depression was significantly reduced in the REFRAME group compared to the control group. Significant increases in participants' ability to participate in social activities and well-being were also observed.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that a brief psychological intervention can mitigate ADRD-related fears and avoidant coping in older adults, and that benefits extend to broader health-related outcomes including anxiety, depression, social functioning, and well-being. Addressing ADRD-related fear has implications for healthy aging and risk reduction, as individuals may be more likely to engage in activities that are protective against ADRD but were previously avoided.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04821960 .
Topics: Humans; Aged; Quality of Life; Social Participation; Alzheimer Disease; Fear; Memory Disorders
PubMed: 38030988
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04470-4 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023Epimerisation is basically a chemical conversion that includes the transformation of an epimer into another epimer or its chiral partner. Epimerisation of amino acid is... (Review)
Review
Epimerisation is basically a chemical conversion that includes the transformation of an epimer into another epimer or its chiral partner. Epimerisation of amino acid is a side reaction that sometimes happens during peptide synthesis. It became the most avoided reaction because the process affects the overall conformation of the molecule, eventually even altering the bioactivity of the peptide. Epimerised products have a high similarity of physical characteristics, thus making it difficult for them to be purified. In regards to amino acids, epimerisation is very important in keeping the chirality of the assembled amino acids unchanged during the peptide synthesis and obtaining the desirable product without any problematic purification. In this review, we report several factors that induce epimerisation during peptide synthesis, including how to characterise and affect the bioactivities. To avoid undesirable epimerisation, we also describe several methods of suppressing the process.
Topics: Peptides; Amino Acids
PubMed: 38138507
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28248017 -
Archives of Dermatological Research Aug 2023Individuals can reduce the risk of developing skin cancer by minimizing ultraviolet sunlight exposure, though recent trends in sun-protective behaviors remain to be...
Individuals can reduce the risk of developing skin cancer by minimizing ultraviolet sunlight exposure, though recent trends in sun-protective behaviors remain to be investigated. To evaluate sun-protective behaviors and sunburn among US adults. We analyzed data from the 2010, 2015, and 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an annual, cross-sectional survey conducted by the US Census Bureau. Multivariable regression models were stratified by demographic variables and constructed to evaluate sun-protective behaviors and sunburn avoidance across time. From 2010 through 2020, US adults had significantly increased prevalence of seeking shade (p value, 0.003), wearing wide-brimmed hats (< 0.001), wearing long-sleeved shirts (< 0.001), using sunscreen (< 0.001), and avoiding sunburns (< 0.001) and significantly decreased prevalence of sun avoidance (< 0.001). Disparities in sun-protective behaviors also exist among different sexes, ages, education levels, and those reporting higher sun sensitivity. This cross-sectional study found that by 2020, US adults had an increased prevalence of wearing sun-protective clothing and sunscreen use, though decreased prevalence of sun avoidance. Although certain sun-protective behaviors have become more prevalent, the incidence of skin cancer continues to rise. Efforts to understand drivers of sun-protective behaviors and targeted intervention efforts are needed.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Sunburn; Sunscreening Agents; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Behavior; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 36790452
DOI: 10.1007/s00403-023-02547-z