Plastic debris, specifically microplastic in the aquatic environment, is an escalating environmental crisis. Efforts at national scales to reduce or ban microplastics in personal care products are ...starting to pay off, but this will not affect those materials already in the environment or those that result from unregulated products and materials. To better inform future microplastic research and mitigation efforts this study (1) evaluates methods currently used to quantify microplastics in the environment and (2) characterizes the concentration and size distribution of microplastics in a variety of products. In this study, 50 published aquatic surveys were reviewed and they demonstrated that most (~80%) only account for plastics ≥ 300 μm in diameter. In addition, we surveyed 770 personal care products to determine the occurrence, concentration and size distribution of polyethylene microbeads. Particle concentrations ranged from 1.9 to 71.9 mg g
−1
of product or 1649 to 31,266 particles g
−1
of product. The large majority ( > 95%) of particles in products surveyed were less than the 300 μm minimum diameter, indicating that previous environmental surveys could be underestimating microplastic contamination. To account for smaller particles as well as microfibers from synthetic textiles, we strongly recommend that future surveys consider methods that materials < 300 μm in diameter.
Purpose DNX-2401 (Delta-24-RGD; tasadenoturev) is a tumor-selective, replication-competent oncolytic adenovirus. Preclinical studies demonstrated antiglioma efficacy, but the effects and mechanisms ...of action have not been evaluated in patients. Methods A phase I, dose-escalation, biologic-end-point clinical trial of DNX-2401 was conducted in 37 patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Patients received a single intratumoral injection of DNX-2401 into biopsy-confirmed recurrent tumor to evaluate safety and response across eight dose levels (group A). To investigate the mechanism of action, a second group of patients (group B) underwent intratumoral injection through a permanently implanted catheter, followed 14 days later by en bloc resection to acquire post-treatment specimens. Results In group A (n = 25), 20% of patients survived > 3 years from treatment, and three patients had a ≥ 95% reduction in the enhancing tumor (12%), with all three of these dramatic responses resulting in > 3 years of progression-free survival from the time of treatment. Analyses of post-treatment surgical specimens (group B, n = 12) showed that DNX-2401 replicates and spreads within the tumor, documenting direct virus-induced oncolysis in patients. In addition to radiographic signs of inflammation, histopathologic examination of immune markers in post-treatment specimens showed tumor infiltration by CD8
and T-bet
cells, and transmembrane immunoglobulin mucin-3 downregulation after treatment. Analyses of patient-derived cell lines for damage-associated molecular patterns revealed induction of immunogenic cell death in tumor cells after DNX-2401 administration. Conclusion Treatment with DNX-2401 resulted in dramatic responses with long-term survival in recurrent high-grade gliomas that are probably due to direct oncolytic effects of the virus followed by elicitation of an immune-mediated antiglioma response.
Con base en el Censo Mexicano de Población 2020, se analiza la inserción escolar de los menores de edad migrantes recientes procedentes de EUA y del Triángulo Norte de Centroamérica y sus factores ...asociados. Para tal fin, se utiliza estadística descriptiva y modelos de regresión logística multinomial. Ambos tipos de migrantes internacionales presentan mayor inasistencia escolar y rezago en grados que los no migrantes, los migrantes centroamericanos con cifras muy superiores a aquellos de EUA. El bajo estrato económico y la escasa educación de los padres de los centroamericanos, así como la ausencia de los padres en los hogares tanto de los migrantes de Centroamérica como de EUA actúan como factores de riesgo para el abandono y la discontinuidad escolar.
Based on the 2020 Mexican Population Census, we analyzed the school insertion of recent child migrants from the United States and the Northern Triangle of Central America and their associated factors. To this end, descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression models were used. Both types of international migrants have higher school absenteeism and grade repetition rates than non-migrants, with those for Central American migrants being much higher than for those from the United States. The low economic status and parental schooling of Central Americans, as well as the absence of parents in the home among both Central American and US migrants constitute risk factors for school dropout and discontinuity.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
The discovery of rare genetic variants is accelerating, and clear guidelines for distinguishing disease-causing sequence variants from the many potentially functional variants present in any human ...genome are urgently needed. Without rigorous standards we risk an acceleration of false-positive reports of causality, which would impede the translation of genomic research findings into the clinical diagnostic setting and hinder biological understanding of disease. Here we discuss the key challenges of assessing sequence variants in human disease, integrating both gene-level and variant-level support for causality. We propose guidelines for summarizing confidence in variant pathogenicity and highlight several areas that require further resource development.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Biological control may benefit from the behavioral manipulation of natural enemies using volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Among these, herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) provide potential ...tools for attracting or retaining predators and parasitoids of insect pests. This work aimed to characterize the VOCs emitted by pear plants in response to attack by
Cacopsylla bidens
(Hemiptera: Psyllidae), a major pest in pear orchards, to compare these with VOCs induced by a leaf chewing insect,
Argyrotaenia sphaleropa
(Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and to evaluate the behavioral response of
Chrysoperla externa
(Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to HIPVs from pear plants damaged by either herbivore. The results demonstrated that plants damaged by the pear psylla emitted VOC blends with increased amounts of aliphatic aldehydes. Leafroller damage resulted in increased amounts of benzeneacetonitrile, (
E
)-4,8-dimethylnona-1,3,7-triene, β-ocimene and caryophyllene. In olfactometer bioassays, larvae of
C. externa
were attracted to herbivore-damaged plants when contrasted with undamaged plants. When plant odors from psylla-damaged were contrasted with those of leafroller-damaged plants,
C.externa
preferred the former, also showing shorter response lag-times and higher response rates when psylla-damaged plants were present. Our results suggest that pear plants respond to herbivory by modifying their volatile profile, and that psylla-induced volatiles may be used as prey-specific chemical cues by chrysopid larvae. Our study is the first to report HIPVs in pear plants attacked by
C. bidens
, as well as the attraction of
C. externa
to psyllid-induced volatiles.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
PurposeTo compare measurements taken using a swept-source optical coherence tomography-based optical biometer (IOLmaster 700) and an optical low-coherence reflectometry biometer (Lenstar 900), and to ...determine the clinical impacts of differences in their measurements on intraocular lens (IOL) power predictions.MethodsEighty eyes of 80 patients scheduled to undergo cataract surgery were examined with both biometers. The measurements made using each device were axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), aqueous depth (AQD), lens thickness (LT), mean keratometry (MK), white-to-white distance (WTW), and pupil diameter (PD). Holladay 2 and SRK/T formulas were used to calculate IOL power. Differences in measurement between the two biometers were determined using the paired t-test. Agreement was assessed through intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots.ResultsMean patient age was 76.3±6.8 years (range 59-89). Using the Lenstar, AL and PD could not be measured in 12.5 and 5.25% of eyes, respectively, while IOLMaster 700 took all measurements in all eyes. The variables CCT, AQD, LT, and MK varied significantly between the two biometers. According to ICCs, correlation between measurements made with both devices was excellent except for WTW and PD. Using the SRK/T formula, IOL power prediction based on the data from the two devices were statistically different, but differences were not clinically significant.ConclusionsNo clinically relevant differences were detected between the biometers in terms of their measurements and IOL power predictions. Using the IOLMaster 700, it was easier to obtain biometric measurements in eyes with less transparent ocular media or longer AL.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Leeches and oligochaetes comprise a monophyletic group of annelids, the Clitellata, whose reproduction is characterized by simultaneous hermaphroditism. While most clitellate species reproduce by ...cross-fertilization, self-fertilization has been described within the speciose genus Helobdella. Here we document the reproductive life histories and reproductive capacities for three other Helobdella species. Under laboratory conditions, both H. robusta and H. octatestisaca exhibit uniparental reproduction, apparently reflecting self-fertility, and suggesting that this trait is ancestral for the genus. However, the third species, H. austinensis, seems incapable of reproduction by self-fertilization, so we inferred its reproductive life history by analyzing reproduction in breeding cohorts. Comparing the reproductive parameters for H. robusta reproducing in isolation and in cohorts revealed that reproduction in cohorts is dramatically delayed with respect to that of isolated individuals, and that cohorts of leeches coordinate their cocoon deposition in a manner that is not predicted from the reproductive parameters of individuals reproducing in isolation. Finally, our comparisons of reproductive capacity for individuals versus cohorts for H. robusta, and between different sizes of cohorts for H. austinensis, reveal differences in resource allocation between male and female reproductive roles that are consistent with evolutionary theory.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Droplet breakup in turbulent flow with longitudinal vortices is studied.•Efficiency of mean gradients and turbulent mechanisms in droplet breakup are compared.•We show that turbulent breakup ...mechanisms dominate mean flow effects.•Elongation and shear effects have minor effects on the breakup mechanisms.•Detailed investigation of droplet breakup in a multifunctional exchanger-reactor is proposed.
The study of phase dispersion of two immiscible fluids in different flows requires identifying the relevant breakup mechanisms. We propose here a detailed investigation of droplet breakup in a multifunctional exchanger-reactor of the vortex generator type in which transfer intensification is due to longitudinal vortical structures. We compare the efficiency of the mean gradients and turbulent mechanisms in droplet breakup in this industrial reactor. This efficiency is essentially characterized by the resulting distribution of droplet diameters. Then, the roles of the mean flow and the turbulent field, intensity, energy spectrum, and turbulence scales are examined in relation to the liquid/liquid dispersion in order to explore the governing mechanisms of drop breakup. In the complex flow considered here – nonhomogeneous and anisotropic turbulence at moderate Reynolds numbers (<15,000) – with weak turbulence intensity (about 10%), it can be demonstrated that turbulent breakup mechanisms largely dominate mean flow effects; elongation and shear effects are shown to have minor effects on the breakup mechanisms. Moreover, the global characteristic scales of the flow are not the relevant parameters in predicting the final size of the emulsion, but instead the Kolmogorov microscale, implying that the residence time in the reactor is not a limiting factor. Hence, the local dissipation rate governs the performance of the actual multifunctional reactor. This study provides some insight in the design and scaling-up of multiphase reactors.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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