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Annual Review of Genetics Jul 2024Programmed cell death (PCD) is an essential component of animal development, and aberrant cell death underlies many disorders. Understanding mechanisms that govern PCD... (Review)
Review
Programmed cell death (PCD) is an essential component of animal development, and aberrant cell death underlies many disorders. Understanding mechanisms that govern PCD during development can provide insight into cell death programs that are disrupted in disease. Key steps mediating apoptosis, a highly conserved cell death program employing caspase proteases, were first uncovered in the nematode , a powerful model system for PCD research. Recent studies in also unearthed conserved nonapoptotic caspase-independent cell death programs that function during development. Here, we discuss recent advances in understanding cell death during development. We review insights expanding the molecular palette behind the execution of apoptotic and nonapoptotic cell death, as well as new discoveries revealing the mechanistic underpinnings of dying cell engulfment and clearance. A number of open questions are also discussed that will continue to propel the field over the coming years.
PubMed: 38955209
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-111523-102051 -
Journal of Environmental Management Jul 2024Exploring the mismatch between supply and demand (SD) for carbon sequestration services (CSS) is essential for achieving the "double carbon" goal. However, more studies...
Exploring the mismatch between supply and demand (SD) for carbon sequestration services (CSS) is essential for achieving the "double carbon" goal. However, more studies are needed on the traits of the spatial mismatch between SD in mountainous cities. We used the CASA model and the IPCC emission factor approach to address this issue and quantify the SD of CSS in Chongqing. Second, we established a matching relationship model for the SD of CSS in Chongqing. Finally, we applied the Structural Equation Model with the Partial Dependence Plots model to reveal the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of spatial mismatch between the SD of CSS in Chongqing. The outcomes confirmed a decrease in fashion in the total supply of CSS in Chongqing and growth in fashion in general demand from 2000 to 2020. The SD mismatch was mainly concentrated inside the central city and other built-up areas. The SD mismatch area had increased by 390%, indicating a continuous upward trend. In exploring the factors influencing the mismatch between the SD of CSS in Chongqing, supply is mainly positively influenced by NDVI, and demand and supply-demand relationships are influenced by population density and LUCC. We proposed policy suggestions to alleviate the spatial mismatch and practical significance for achieving the "double carbon" goal and promoting sustainable development.
PubMed: 38955039
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121636 -
JMIR Perioperative Medicine Jul 2024Exposure to opioids after surgery is the initial contact for some people who develop chronic opioid use disorder. Hence, effective postoperative pain management, with...
BACKGROUND
Exposure to opioids after surgery is the initial contact for some people who develop chronic opioid use disorder. Hence, effective postoperative pain management, with less reliance on opioids, is critical. The Perioperative Opioid Quality Improvement (POQI) program developed (1) a digital health platform leveraging patient-survey-reported risk factors and (2) a postsurgical pain risk stratification algorithm to personalize perioperative care by integrating several commercially available digital health solutions into a combined platform. Development was reduced in scope by the COVID-19 pandemic.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study aims to assess the screening performance of the risk algorithm, quantify the use of the POQI platform, and evaluate clinicians' and patients' perceptions of its utility and benefit.
METHODS
A POQI platform prototype was implemented in a quality improvement initiative at a Canadian tertiary care center and evaluated from January to September 2022. After surgical booking, a preliminary risk stratification algorithm was applied to health history questionnaire responses. The estimated risk guided the patient assignment to a care pathway based on low or high risk for persistent pain and opioid use. Demographic, procedural, and medication administration data were extracted retrospectively from the electronic medical record. Postoperative inpatient opioid use of >90 morphine milligram equivalents per day was the outcome used to assess algorithm performance. Data were summarized and compared between the low- and high-risk groups. POQI use was assessed by completed surveys on postoperative days 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, and 120. Semistructured patient and clinician interviews provided qualitative feedback on the platform.
RESULTS
Overall, 276 eligible patients were admitted for colorectal procedures. The risk algorithm stratified 203 (73.6%) as the low-risk group and 73 (26.4%) as the high-risk group. Among the 214 (77.5%) patients with available data, high-risk patients were younger than low-risk patients (age: median 53, IQR 40-65 years, vs median 59, IQR 49-69 years, median difference five years, 95% CI 1-9; P=.02) and were more often female patients (45/73, 62% vs 80/203, 39.4%; odds ratio 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.5; P=.002). The risk stratification was reasonably specific (true negative rate=144/200, 72%) but not sensitive (true positive rate=10/31, 32%). Only 39.7% (85/214) patients completed any postoperative quality of recovery questionnaires (only 14, 6.5% patients beyond 60 days after surgery), and 22.9% (49/214) completed a postdischarge medication survey. Interviewed participants welcomed the initiative but noted usability issues and poor platform education.
CONCLUSIONS
An initial POQI platform prototype was deployed operationally; the risk algorithm had reasonable specificity but poor sensitivity. There was a significant loss to follow-up in postdischarge survey completion. Clinicians and patients appreciated the potential impact of preemptively addressing opioid exposure but expressed shortcomings in the platform's design and implementation. Iterative platform redesign with additional features and reevaluation are required before broader implementation.
PubMed: 38954808
DOI: 10.2196/54926 -
PloS One 2024Previous evidence suggests an individual variation in the preferred oral processing behavior. Individuals can be classified as firm processing(FPL) or soft processing...
INTRODUCTION
Previous evidence suggests an individual variation in the preferred oral processing behavior. Individuals can be classified as firm processing(FPL) or soft processing likers(SPL). FPL(crunchers and chewers) prefer using their teeth while SPL(smooshers and suckers) prefer using the tongue and the palate when processing different food items. Variation in the preferred oral processing behavior has been associated with differences in food texture preference and eating time. Time is one of the factors directly related to the development of dental caries(tooth decay). Oral retention and eating times are associated with greater caries experience. This study aims to explore if a relationship exists between the preferred oral processing behavior and the individual's caries experience.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a cross-sectional, dental center-based study conducted at Jordan University of Science and Technology. Five hundred participants consented to fill out the preferred oral processing behavior(POPB) questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements (including weight, height, and waist circumference) were recorded. A single trained and calibrated dentist registered each participant's caries experience and plaque levels using the DMFS index and plaque index of Silness and Loe.
RESULTS
A total of 351(70.2%) and 149(29.8%) participants were typed as FPL and SPL, respectively. SPL demonstrated higher levels of dental caries experience compared to FPL. The mean DMFS score for SPL was 28.8(±25.43) while for FPL was 18.71(± 18.34). This difference remained significant after adjustment for confounders(P<0.001). SPL exhibited a significantly higher mean score for the "M" component(P <0.001) while no significant difference in the mean score of the "D"(P = 0.076) and "F"(P = 0.272) components was observed when compared to FPL.
CONCLUSION
The current findings provide new insight into a possible relationship between the preferred oral processing behavior and an individual's caries experience. A relationship in which the preferred oral processing behavior can potentially affect and/or be affected by the dental caries experience.
Topics: Humans; Dental Caries; Male; Female; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Middle Aged; Feeding Behavior; Food Preferences; Jordan
PubMed: 38954716
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306143 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jul 2024Iron antimonide (FeSb) has been investigated for decades due to its puzzling electronic properties. It undergoes the temperature-controlled transition from an insulator...
Iron antimonide (FeSb) has been investigated for decades due to its puzzling electronic properties. It undergoes the temperature-controlled transition from an insulator to an ill-defined metal, with a cross-over from diamagnetism to paramagnetism. Extensive efforts have been made to uncover the underlying mechanism, but a consensus has yet to be reached. While macroscopic transport and magnetic measurements can be explained by different theoretical proposals, the essential spectroscopic evidence required to distinguish the physical origin is missing. In this paper, through the use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and atomic multiplet simulations, we have observed the mixed spin states of 3 configuration in FeSb. Furthermore, we reveal that the enhancement of the conductivity, whether induced by temperature or doping, is characterized by populating the high-spin state from the low-spin state. Our work constitutes vital spectroscopic evidence that the electrical/magnetical transition in FeSb is directly associated with the spin-state excitation.
PubMed: 38954549
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321193121 -
Clinical Gerontologist Jul 2024This review examines health care team-focused interventions on managing persistent or recurrent distress behaviors among older adults in long-term residential or... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
This review examines health care team-focused interventions on managing persistent or recurrent distress behaviors among older adults in long-term residential or inpatient health care settings.
METHODS
We searched interventions addressing health care worker (HCW) knowledge and skills related to distress behavior management using Ovid MEDLINE, Elsevier Embase, and Ovid PsycINFO from December 2002 through December 2022.
RESULTS
We screened 6,582 articles; 29 randomized trials met inclusion criteria. Three studies on patient-facing HCW interactions (e.g. medication management, diagnosing distress) showed mixed results on agitation; one study found no effect on quality of life. Six HCW-focused studies suggested short-term reduction in distress behaviors. Quality-of-life improvement or decreased antipsychotic use was not evidenced. Among 17 interventions combining HCW-focused and patient-facing activities, 0 showed significant distress reduction, 8 showed significant antipsychotic reduction (OR = 0.79, 95%CI [0.69, 0.91]) and 9 showed quality of life improvements (SMD = 0.71, 95%CI [0.39, 1.04]). One study evaluating HCW, patient-, and environmental-focused intervention activities showed short-term improvement in agitation.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Novel health care models combining HCW training and patient management improve patient quality of life, reduce antipsychotic use, and may reduce distress behaviors. Evaluation of intervention's effects on staff burnout and utilization is needed.
PubMed: 38954524
DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2024.2372424 -
Prehospital Emergency Care Jul 2024The strength and stability of the paramedic workforce is dependent on the continual flow of EMS clinicians into the field. Workforce entry requires three distinct...
The strength and stability of the paramedic workforce is dependent on the continual flow of EMS clinicians into the field. Workforce entry requires three distinct steps: program completion, certification attainment, and affiliation with an EMS agency. At each of these steps, future EMS clinicians may be lost to the workforce but the contribution of each is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate these inflection points using a state-based registry of EMS clinicians from their point of entry into the EMS education system to eventual EMS agency affiliation. This is a retrospective cohort evaluation of paramedic students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We included any student who enrolled in a paramedic program in 2017 or 2018. Data were provided by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, who tracks the development of EMS clinicians from the point of entry into an educational program through their affiliation with an EMS agency upon employment. Our primary outcomes include proportions of enrolled students who complete a program, graduating students who attain national/state certification, and nationally certified EMS clinicians who affiliate with an EMS agency. Proportions were calculated at each step and compared to the overall population of students enrolled. In 2017 and 2018, 775 and 603 students were enrolled in paramedic programs, respectively. Approximately a quarter of students did not complete their paramedic program (2017: 25% [192/775]; 2018: 28% [170/603]). Of those who graduated, the proportion of students not gaining certification was lower (2017: 11% [62/583]; 2018: 17% [75/433]). Of those who certified, those not affiliating was similarly low (2017: 15% [77/521]; 2018: 13% [46/358]). Evaluating the effect of each of these steps on the total entry into the workforce, nearly half of those who originally enrolled did not join the workforce through agency affiliation (2017: 43% [331/775]; 2018: 48% [291/603]). There are multiple areas to enhance retention of potential EMS trainees from program enrollment to EMS agency affiliation. This analysis suggests that educational attrition has a larger impact on the availability of new paramedics than certification examinations or agency affiliation decisions, though is limited to a singular state evaluation.
PubMed: 38954509
DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2024.2371945 -
FASEB Journal : Official Publication of... Jul 2024Riemerella anatipestifer is a pathogenic bacterium that causes duck serositis and meningitis, leading to significant harm to the duck industry. To escape from the host...
Riemerella anatipestifer is a pathogenic bacterium that causes duck serositis and meningitis, leading to significant harm to the duck industry. To escape from the host immune system, the meningitis-causing bacteria must survive and multiply in the bloodstream, relying on specific virulence factors such as capsules. Therefore, it is essential to study the genes involved in capsule biosynthesis in R. anatipestifer. In this study, we successfully constructed gene deletion mutants Δ3820 and Δ3830, targeting the GE296_RS03820 and GE296_RS03830 genes, respectively, using the RA-LZ01 strain as the parental strain. The growth kinetics analysis revealed that these two genes contribute to bacterial growth. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) and silver staining showed that Δ3820 and Δ3830 produced the altered capsules and compounds of capsular polysaccharides (CPSs). Serum resistance test showed the mutants also exhibited reduced C3b deposition and decreased resistance serum killing. In vivo, Δ3820 and Δ3830 exhibited markedly declining capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier, compared to RA-LZ01. These findings indicate that the GE296_RS03820 and GE296_RS03830 genes are involved in CPSs biosynthesis and play a key role in the pathogenicity of R. anatipestifer. Furthermore, Δ3820 and Δ3830 mutants presented a tendency toward higher survival rates from RA-LZ01 challenge in vivo. Additionally, sera from ducklings immunized with the mutants showed cross-immunoreactivity with different serotypes of R. anatipestifer, including 1, 2, 7 and 10. Western blot and SDS-PAGE assays revealed that the altered CPSs of Δ3820 and Δ3830 resulted in the exposure of some conserved proteins playing the key role in the cross-immunoreactivity. Our study clearly demonstrated that the GE296_RS03820 and GE296_RS03830 genes are involved in CPS biosynthesis in R. anatipestifer and the capsule is a target for attenuation in vaccine development.
Topics: Riemerella; Animals; Ducks; Bacterial Capsules; Flavobacteriaceae Infections; Poultry Diseases; Bacterial Proteins; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Virulence Factors; Gene Deletion
PubMed: 38954404
DOI: 10.1096/fj.202302694RR -
BioDrugs : Clinical Immunotherapeutics,... Jul 2024The screening of antigen-specific B cells has been pivotal for biotherapeutic development for over four decades. Conventional antibody discovery strategies, including...
The screening of antigen-specific B cells has been pivotal for biotherapeutic development for over four decades. Conventional antibody discovery strategies, including hybridoma technology and single B cell screening, remain widely used based on their simplicity, accessibility, and proven track record. Technological advances and the urgent demand for infectious disease applications have shifted paradigms in single B cell screening, resulting in increased throughput and decreased time and labor, ultimately enabling the rapid identification of monoclonal antibodies with desired biological and biophysical properties. Herein, we provide an overview of conventional and emergent single B cell screening approaches and highlight their potential strengths and weaknesses. We also detail the impact of innovative technologies-including miniaturization, microfluidics, multiplexing, and deep sequencing-on the recent identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies for infectious disease applications. Overall, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has reinvigorated efforts to improve the efficiency of monoclonal antibody discovery, resulting in the broad application of innovative antibody discovery methodologies for treating a myriad of infectious diseases and pathological conditions.
PubMed: 38954386
DOI: 10.1007/s40259-024-00667-0 -
Journal of Autism and Developmental... Jul 2024Children with autism from underserved communities face complex system-, provider-, and family-level barriers to accessing timely diagnosis and early intervention. The...
Children with autism from underserved communities face complex system-, provider-, and family-level barriers to accessing timely diagnosis and early intervention. The current study evaluated the preliminary effects and feasibility of a new program (ECHO Autism LINKS) that integrated pediatric primary care provider (PCP) training with family navigation (FN) to bridge the gaps between screening, referral, and service access. Three cohorts of PCPs (n = 42) participated in the program, which consisted of 60-minute sessions delivered by Zoom twice per month for 12 months. Each session included didactics, case-based learning, and collaborative discussion with participants and an interdisciplinary team of experts. Family navigators were members of the expert team and provided FN services to families referred by PCP participants. Program attendance and engagement were strong, with 40 cases presented and 258 families referred for FN services, most of whom (83%) needed help accessing and connecting with services, and 13% required ongoing support due to complex needs. PCPs demonstrated significant improvements in self-efficacy in providing best-practice care for children with autism, reported high satisfaction, and observed improved knowledge and practice as a result of the program. The results of this initial pilot provide support for the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the ECHO Autism LINKS program. The model holds promise in addressing complex barriers to healthcare access by providing both PCPs and families with the knowledge and support they need. Future research is needed to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of the program in improving child and family outcomes.
PubMed: 38954361
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06445-9