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International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2024Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could potentially enhance photosynthesis and benefit plant growth by improving soil nutrient uptake and affecting plant... (Review)
Review
Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could potentially enhance photosynthesis and benefit plant growth by improving soil nutrient uptake and affecting plant hormone balance. Several recent studies have unveiled a correlation between alterations in photosynthesis and host plant resistance levels. Photosynthesis provides materials and energy for plant growth and immune defense and affects defense-related signaling pathways. Photosynthetic organelles, which could be strengthened by PGPR inoculation, are key centers for defense signal biosynthesis and transmission. Although endophytic PGPRs metabolize plant photosynthates, they can increase soluble sugar levels and alternate sugar type and distribution. Soluble sugars clearly support plant growth and can act as secondary messengers under stressed conditions. Overall, carbohydrate metabolism modifications induced by PGPR may also play a key role in improving plant resistance. We provide a concise overview of current knowledge regarding PGPR-induced modulation in carbohydrate metabolism under both pathogen-infected and pathogen-free conditions. We highlight PGPR application as a cost-saving strategy amidst unpredictable pathogen pressures.
Topics: Plant Development; Plant Growth Regulators; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Alphaproteobacteria; Sugars; Defense Mechanisms
PubMed: 38338742
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031465 -
JAMA Network Open Jan 2023Limited prior research suggests that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people may have higher mortality rates than cisgender people.
IMPORTANCE
Limited prior research suggests that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people may have higher mortality rates than cisgender people.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate overall and cause-specific mortality among TGD persons compared with cisgender persons.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This population-based cohort study used data from general practices in England contributing to the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD and Aurum databases. Transfeminine (assigned male at birth) and transmasculine (assigned female at birth) individuals were identified using diagnosis codes for gender incongruence, between 1988 and 2019, and were matched to cisgender men and women according to birth year, practice, and practice registration date and linked to the Office of National Statistics death registration. Data analysis was performed from February to June 2022.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Cause-specific mortality counts were calculated for categories of disease as defined by International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision chapters. Overall and cause-specific mortality rate ratios (MRRs) were estimated using Poisson models, adjusted for index age, index year, race and ethnicity, Index of Multiple Deprivation, smoking status, alcohol use, and body mass index.
RESULTS
A total of 1951 transfeminine (mean [SE] age, 36.90 [0.34] years; 1801 White [92.3%]) and 1364 transmasculine (mean [SE] age, 29.20 [0.36] years; 1235 White [90.4%]) individuals were matched with 68 165 cisgender men (mean [SE] age, 33.60 [0.05] years; 59 136 White [86.8%]) and 68 004 cisgender women (mean [SE] age, 33.50 [0.05] years; 57 762 White [84.9%]). The mortality rate was 528.11 deaths per 100 000 person-years (102 deaths) for transfeminine persons, 325.86 deaths per 100 000 person-years (34 deaths) for transmasculine persons, 315.32 deaths per 100 000 person-years (1951 deaths) for cisgender men, and 260.61 deaths per 100 000 person-years (1608 deaths) for cisgender women. Transfeminine persons had a higher overall mortality risk compared with cisgender men (MRR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06-1.68) and cisgender women (MRR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.27-2.01). For transmasculine persons, the overall MMR was 1.43 (95% CI, 0.87-2.33) compared with cisgender men and was 1.75 (95% CI, 1.08-2.83) compared with cisgender women. Transfeminine individuals had lower cancer mortality than cisgender women (MRR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32-0.83) but an increased risk of external causes of death (MRR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.05-3.50). Transmasculine persons had higher mortality from external causes of death than cisgender women (MRR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.15-6.65). Compared with cisgender men, neither transfeminine nor transmasculine adults had a significantly increased risk of deaths due to external causes.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this cohort study of primary care data, TGD persons had elevated mortality rates compared with cisgender persons, particularly for deaths due to external causes. Further research is needed to examine how minority stress may be contributing to deaths among TGD individuals to reduce mortality.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Humans; Adult; Male; Female; Transgender Persons; Cohort Studies; Transsexualism; Gender Identity; England
PubMed: 36716027
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53687 -
The Journal of Adolescent Health :... Mar 2021This study examined whether transmasculine, transfeminine, and nonbinary adolescents and young adults (AYA) experience different levels of gender minority stress and...
PURPOSE
This study examined whether transmasculine, transfeminine, and nonbinary adolescents and young adults (AYA) experience different levels of gender minority stress and resilience.
METHODS
Demographic and clinical information were abstracted from medical charts from AYA initiating gender-affirming care. Group comparisons between transgender and nonbinary groups were examined using one-way analyses of variance and Tukey's honestly significant difference post hoc tests.
RESULTS
Participants were 638 transgender and nonbinary AYA (65.5% transmasculine, 24.6% transfeminine, and 9.9% nonbinary). Transmasculine and transfeminine AYA reported more discrimination (ps = .008 and .006, respectively) compared to non-binary AYA. Transfeminine and nonbinary AYA reported more negative future expectations (ps = .006 and .016, respectively) and pride (ps ≤ .001 and .032, respectively) than transmasculine AYA.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that transmasculine, transfeminine, and nonbinary AYA experience different levels of gender minority stress and resilience. Future research is warranted to further examine between-group differences and differential impact on mental health outcomes.
Topics: Adolescent; Gender Identity; Humans; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Transgender Persons; Transsexualism; Young Adult
PubMed: 33046360
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.014 -
Endocrine Practice : Official Journal... Apr 2023Accumulating evidence demonstrates that gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) improves mental health outcomes in transgender persons. Data specific to the risks... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Accumulating evidence demonstrates that gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) improves mental health outcomes in transgender persons. Data specific to the risks associated with GAHT for transgender persons continue to emerge, allowing for improvements in understanding, predicting, and mitigating adverse outcomes while informing discussion about desired effects. Of particular concern is the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the context of both longitudinal GAHT and the perioperative setting. Combining what is known about the risk of VTE in cisgender individuals on hormone therapy (HT) with the evidence for transgender persons receiving HT allows for an informed approach to assess underlying risk and improve care in the transgender community.
OBSERVATIONS
Hormone formulation, dosing, route, and duration of therapy can impact thromboembolic risk, with transdermal estrogen formulations having the lowest risk. There are no existing risk scores for VTE that consider HT as a possible risk factor. Risk assessment for recurrent VTE and bleeding tendencies using current scores may be helpful when assessing individual risk. Gender affirming surgeries present unique perioperative concerns, and certain procedures include a high likelihood that patients will be on exogenous estrogens at the time of surgery, potentially increasing thromboembolic risk.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Withholding GAHT due to potential adverse events may cause negative impacts for individual patients. Providers should be knowledgeable about the management of HT in transgender individuals of all ages, as well as in the perioperative setting, to avoid periods in which transgender individuals are off GAHT. Treatment decisions for both anticoagulation and HT should be individualized and tailored to patients' overall goals and desired outcomes, given that the physical and mental health benefits of gender affirming care may outweigh the risk of VTE.
Topics: Humans; Venous Thromboembolism; Gender Identity; Transgender Persons; Transsexualism; Estradiol
PubMed: 36539066
DOI: 10.1016/j.eprac.2022.12.008 -
Microbiology Spectrum Mar 2023Phages and bacteria have acquired resistance mechanisms for protection. In this context, the aims of the present study were to analyze the proteins isolated from 21...
Phages and bacteria have acquired resistance mechanisms for protection. In this context, the aims of the present study were to analyze the proteins isolated from 21 novel lytic phages of Klebsiella pneumoniae in search of defense mechanisms against bacteria and also to determine the infective capacity of the phages. A proteomic study was also conducted to investigate the defense mechanisms of two clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae infected by phages. For this purpose, the 21 lytic phages were sequenced and assembled. The host range was determined in a collection of 47 clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae, revealing the variable infective capacity of the phages. Genome sequencing showed that all of the phages were lytic phages belonging to the order s. Phage sequence analysis revealed that the proteins were organized in functional modules within the genome. Although most of the proteins have unknown functions, multiple proteins were associated with defense mechanisms against bacteria, including the restriction-modification system, the toxin-antitoxin system, evasion of DNA degradation, blocking of host restriction and modification, the orphan CRISPR-Cas system, and the anti-CRISPR system. Proteomic study of the phage-host interactions (i.e., between isolates K3574 and K3320, which have intact CRISPR-Cas systems, and phages vB_KpnS-VAC35 and vB_KpnM-VAC36, respectively) revealed the presence of several defense mechanisms against phage infection (prophage, defense/virulence/resistance, oxidative stress and plasmid proteins) in the bacteria, and of the Acr candidate (anti-CRISPR protein) in the phages. Researchers, including microbiologists and infectious disease specialists, require more knowledge about the interactions between phages and their bacterial hosts and about their defense mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed the molecular mechanisms of viral and bacterial defense in phages infecting clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. Viral defense mechanisms included restriction-modification system evasion, the toxin-antitoxin (TA) system, DNA degradation evasion, blocking of host restriction and modification, and resistance to the abortive infection system, anti-CRISPR and CRISPR-Cas systems. Regarding bacterial defense mechanisms, proteomic analysis revealed expression of proteins involved in the prophage (FtsH protease modulator), plasmid (cupin phosphomannose isomerase protein), defense/virulence/resistance (porins, efflux pumps, lipopolysaccharide, pilus elements, quorum network proteins, TA systems, and methyltransferases), oxidative stress mechanisms, and Acr candidates (anti-CRISPR protein). The findings reveal some important molecular mechanisms involved in the phage-host bacterial interactions; however, further study in this field is required to improve the efficacy of phage therapy.
PubMed: 36877024
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03974-22 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2022Black shank disease caused by is one of the most important diseases in tobacco worldwide and can result in a devastating loss in tobacco cultivation. Many efforts have...
Black shank disease caused by is one of the most important diseases in tobacco worldwide and can result in a devastating loss in tobacco cultivation. Many efforts have been carried out to identify the chromosome segment from containing a resistance locus carrying a gene named ; however, the gene has not been cloned, and knowledge of the potential mechanism of the gene in the resistant lines is limited. To further characterize the resistance mechanism of the gene, we first used the resistant line "RBST" and the susceptible cultivar "Honghuadajinyuan" (HD) to obtain the near-isogenic line RBS89 containing the gene from RBST. RBS89 showed high resistance to black shank disease. Transcriptomic and iTRAQ analyses were applied to explore the potential defense mechanisms in RBS89 plants in comparison with HD plants with or without inoculation. Many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and proteins were identified, and some pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins were extensively abundant in the RBS89 plants when compared with the HD plants in response to black shank disease. Importantly, overexpression of the PR gene in HD plants improved the resistance of tobacco plants to black shank disease, indicating that and genes might have similar roles in protecting tobacco from black shank disease. However, the relationship between and genes requires further analysis. Therefore, our study provides valuable information for breeding tobacco cultivars with black shank disease resistance and sheds light on the defense mechanism of black shank disease in tobacco for enhancing resistance in other Solanaceae crops.
PubMed: 36340390
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.991074 -
Advances in Life Course Research Sep 2022Transgender and nonbinary people's life experiences are highly heterogenous and shaped by broader structural and cultural forces. We analyze experiences identified on...
Transgender and nonbinary people's life experiences are highly heterogenous and shaped by broader structural and cultural forces. We analyze experiences identified on lifeline interviews from 87 transgender and nonbinary adults in Atlanta, New York City, and San Francisco. We find that the type, timing, and relative importance of these experiences varied across categories. For example, experiences related to "Rejection and violence" were more often identified in childhood and in the past, whereas experiences related to "Gender-affirming medical interventions" were more often in adulthood and anticipated futures. Experiences related to "Community involvement," "Extracurriculars," "Gender exploration and revelation," and "Gender-affirming medical interventions" were labeled by respondents as relatively more important compared to other experiences, whereas experiences related to "Family of origin relationships," "Place of residence," "Rejection and violence," and "Sexuality" less important. These experiences were patterned according to the respondents' gender, birth cohort, race/ethnicity, and geographic location. In analyzing these lifeline data, we advance theoretical understandings of the salience of a variety of key experiences for transgender and nonbinary people at different points in the life course. Our life course approach provides empirical analyses of intra-individual processes over time for transgender and nonbinary people and provides insight into the usefulness of a lifeline method for life course studies more generally as it draws attention to within-person assessments of the distribution and importance of events over the course of a lifetime.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Transgender Persons; Transsexualism; Gender Identity; Ethnicity; New York City
PubMed: 36381170
DOI: 10.1016/j.alcr.2022.100482 -
Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi = Turkish... 2022This study aims to investigate the relationship between suicide possibilities, defense mechanisms, and eating awareness of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate the relationship between suicide possibilities, defense mechanisms, and eating awareness of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.
METHOD
The study sample consisted of 101 patients who had bariatric surgery in a private hospital. People who had at least six months from the date of surgery, who had no pregnancy, and who did not give birth after surgery were included in the study. The Mindful Eating Questionnaire, Suicide Probability Scale, and the Defense Style Questionnaire were applied to the participants.
RESULTS
While the average age of the sample was 52.46±9.72, 54.5% (n=55) were male. Within one year after the operation, 33.7% of (n=34) patients had lost weight between 21-30 kg, while 21.8% (n=22) had lost weight between 11-20 kg. Suicide probability scale scores are predicted by emotional eating (β=0.272, p=0.004), neurotic defense mechanism (β=0.284, p=0.003) and current body mass index (β=0.258, p=0.008).
CONCLUSION
The possibility of suicide after bariatric surgery is closely related to emotional eating, neurotic defense mechanisms, and body mass index. The solution to the problem of emotional eating rather than decreasing the body mass index may be more effective in decreasing the suicide possibilities of the patients. Therefore, in patients undergoing bariatric surgery, emotional eating is one of the problems that should be handled both before and after surgery.
Topics: Bariatric Surgery; Defense Mechanisms; Female; Humans; Male; Obesity; Probability; Suicide
PubMed: 36148568
DOI: 10.5080/u25891 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022It is hypothesized that levels of femininity and masculinity may be relevant to specific types of engagement in action. For this reason, the aim of this study was to...
It is hypothesized that levels of femininity and masculinity may be relevant to specific types of engagement in action. For this reason, the aim of this study was to search for relationships between psychological dimensions of femininity and masculinity and different forms of motivation, as well as their specific parts, among women and male athletes practicing team sports games. We researched 49 women aged 19 to 32 years representing sports such as football, handball, hockey, volleyball, and basketball and 56 men aged 18 to 31 years practicing football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, and handball. The respondents completed the Inventory to Assess Psychological Gender (IPP) and the Polish adaptation of the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS). It was determined that the psychological dimension of femininity was (in the male group) positively related to the dimension of amotivation, i.e., the lack of perception of a relationship between one's action and the outcome. In turn, the psychological dimension of masculinity was positively related to the motivation to know, motivation to accomplish, and motivation to experience stimulation, as well as the overall level of intrinsic motivation and the overall dimension of extrinsic motivation. Furthermore, the masculinity dimension is, in male athletes, related to the level of the introjection motive, i.e., the process of integrating accepted patterns.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Femininity; Masculinity; Motivation; Basketball; Soccer
PubMed: 36497841
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315767 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2023Stroke remains a debilitating cerebrovascular condition associated with oxidative stress, while COVID-19 has emerged as a global health crisis with multifaceted systemic...
Stroke remains a debilitating cerebrovascular condition associated with oxidative stress, while COVID-19 has emerged as a global health crisis with multifaceted systemic implications. This study investigates the hypothesis that patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke alongside COVID-19 exhibit elevated oxidative stress markers and altered antioxidant defense mechanisms compared to those with acute ischemic stroke. We conducted a single-center prospective cross-sectional study to investigate oxidative stress balance through oxidative damage markers: TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances level) and PCARB (protein carbonyls); antioxidant defense mechanisms: TAC (total antioxidant capacity), GPx (glutathione peroxidase), GSH (reduced glutathione), CAT (catalase), and SOD (superoxide dismutase); as well as inflammatory response markers: NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), CRP (C-reactive protein), and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate). Statistical analyses and correlation models were employed to elucidate potential associations and predictive factors. Our results revealed increased oxidative stress, predominantly indicated by elevated levels of TBARS in individuals experiencing ischemic stroke alongside a concurrent COVID-19 infection ( < 0.0001). The Stroke-COVID group displayed notably elevated levels of GSH ( = 0.0139 *), GPx ( < 0.0001 ****), SOD ( = 0.0363 *), and CAT ( = 0.0237 *) activities. Multivariate analysis found a significant association for TBARS ( < 0.0001 ****), PCARB ( 0.0259 *), and GPx activity ( < 0.0001 ****), together with NLR ( = 0.0220 *) and CRP ( = 0.0008 ***). Notably, the interplay between stroke and COVID-19 infection appears to amplify oxidative damage, potentially contributing to exacerbated neurological deficits and poorer outcomes. This study highlights the intricate relationship between oxidative stress, inflammation, and concurrent health conditions. Understanding these interactions may open avenues for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at ameliorating oxidative damage in patients with acute ischemic stroke and COVID-19, ultimately improving their prognosis and quality of life.
Topics: Humans; Antioxidants; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; Ischemic Stroke; Cross-Sectional Studies; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Biomarkers; COVID-19; Oxidative Stress; Catalase; Glutathione Peroxidase; Stroke; Superoxide Dismutase; Defense Mechanisms
PubMed: 38069113
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316790