According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2010 there were 48.8 million US citizens living in food-insecure households. In the US, 21.6 million children lived in ...food-insecure households, and 35.1% of all female-headed households were food insecure in 2010, compared to 25.4% of male-headed households 6. Since food insecurity is a broader measure than that of undernourishment, it has been correlated both with hunger and obesity, particularly among women 7.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Past studies on the effects of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores on firm performance have found mixed support. To further unpack these findings, we focus on the effects of ...industry-level dynamism and the predictability of ESG scores on sales and investor expectations on the prospects of firm growth. Dynamism (predictability) is based on the standard error (R-squared) of industry ESG ratings regressed on industry sales. Taking an investor’s perspective, we focus on a forward-looking performance measure, specifically, the implied volatility in a firm’s 365-day at-the-money call options. Our findings show that although industry ESG-sales dynamism and predictability lower a firm’s implied volatility, a higher firm-level ESG rating mitigates the decline in the implied volatility under increasing ESG-sales dynamism. The findings show that investors expect lower short-term growth potential of industry firms with experimentation in leveraging ESG to increase sales (i.e., dynamism) and only lower their discounts in growth expectations for firms with higher ESG scores. The industry-level dynamics among ESG scores and sales and investor growth expectations in the form of implied volatility are added considerations in studying ESG and performance relationships.
Worldwide dissemination of extended-spectrum -lactamase (ESBL)-producing
Escherichia coli
constitutes an emerging global health issue, with animal food products contributing as potential reservoirs. ...ESBL
E. coli
infection is associated with the high mortality and mobility rate in developing countries due to less susceptibility to antibiotics. The present study aimed to elucidate the molecular characteristics and sequence-based analysis of ESBL
E. coli
in the Gujarat state of India. This study included 108
E. coli
strains were isolated from different poultry farms (broiler and layer) in the Banaskantha District. PCR was employed to identify genotypic ESBL-producing antimicrobial resistance genes. Overall, a high occurrence of ESBL genes was found in poultry farms due to the high usage of antimicrobials. The PCR analysis revealed that 79.62% of isolates were detected positive with one or more ESBL genes. Among them,
bla
TEM
(63.88%) was found to be the predominant genotype, followed by
bla
SHV
(30.55%) and
bla
OXA
(28.70%). In the
bla
CTX-M
group, a higher occurrence was observed in
bla
CTX-M-9
(23.14%), followed by
bla
CTX-M-2
(24.07%) and
bla
CTX-M-1
(22.22%). We used the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) method to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), plasmid replicons, and plasmid-mediated AMR genes of one ESBL
E. coli
isolated. We examined the genetic relatedness of a human pathogenic
E. coli
strain by comparing its sequence with the broad geographical reference
E. coli
sequences.
Escherichia coli
ST 681 was determined using multi-locus sequence typing. We compared our findings to the reference sequence of
Escherichia coli
str. K- 12 substr. MG1655. We found 24,937 SNPs with 21,792 in the genic region, 3,145 in the intergenic region, and six InDels across the genome. The WGS analysis revealed 46 antimicrobial resistance genes and seven plasmid-mediated AMR genes
viz.
,
tetA
,
qnrS1, dfrA14
,
sul2
,
aph(3”)-lb
,
aph(6)-ld
, and
Aph(3’)-la
. The ST 681 was found to have
Cib
,
traT
, and
terC
virulence factors and two plasmid replicons, IncFII(pHN7A8) and IncI1-I(Alpha). This study revealed a higher occurrence of ESBL
E. coli
detected in poultry.
The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT) is an eight-item questionnaire designed to assess and quantify the impact of COPD symptoms on health status. COPD exacerbations ...impair quality of life and are characterized by worsening respiratory symptoms from the stable state. We hypothesized that CAT scores at exacerbation relate to exacerbation severity as measured by exacerbation duration, lung function impairment, and systemic inflammation.
To evaluate the usefulness of the CAT to assess exacerbation severity.
One hundred sixty-one patients enrolled in the London COPD cohort completed the CAT at baseline (stable state), exacerbation, and during recovery between April 2010 and June 2011.
Frequent exacerbators had significantly higher baseline CAT scores than infrequent exacerbators (19.5 ± 6.6 vs. 16.8 ± 8.0, P = 0.025). In 152 exacerbations, CAT scores rose from an average baseline value of 19.4 ± 6.8 to 24.1 ± 7.3 (P < 0.001) at exacerbation. Change in CAT score from baseline to exacerbation onset was significantly but weakly related to change in C-reactive protein (rho = 0.26, P = 0.008) but not to change in fibrinogen (rho = 0.09, P = 0.351) from baseline to exacerbation. At exacerbation, rises in CAT score were significantly associated with falls in FEV(1) (rho = -0.20, P = 0.032). Median recovery time as judged by symptom diary cards was significantly related to the time taken for the CAT score to return to baseline (rho = 0.42, P = 0.012).
The CAT provides a reliable score of exacerbation severity. Baseline CAT scores are elevated in frequent exacerbators. CAT scores increase at exacerbation and reflect severity as determined by lung function and exacerbation duration.
The existence of receptor dimers has been proposed for several G protein-coupled receptors. However, the question of whether G protein-coupled receptor dimers are necessary for activating or ...modulating normal receptor function is unclear. We address this question with somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) of which there are five distinct subtypes. By using transfected mutant and wild type receptors, as well as endogenous receptors, we provide pharmacological, biochemical, and physical evidence, based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis, that activation by ligand induces SSTR dimerization, both homo- and heterodimerization with other members of the SSTR family, and that dimerization alters the functional properties of the receptor such as ligand binding affinity and agonist-induced receptor internalization and up-regulation. Double label confocal fluorescence microscopy showed that when SSTR1 and SSTR5 subtypes were coexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells and treated with agonist they underwent internalization and were colocalized in cytoplasmic vesicles. SSTR5 formed heterodimers with SSTR1 but not with SSTR4 suggesting that heterodimerization is a specific process that is restricted to some but not all receptor subtype combinations. Direct protein interaction between different members of the SSTR subfamily defines a new level of molecular cross-talk between subtypes of the SSTR and possibly related receptor families.
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are brief, bright, extragalactic radio flashes
. Their physical origin remains unknown, but dozens of possible models have been postulated
. Some FRB sources exhibit repeat ...bursts
. Although over a hundred FRB sources have been discovered
, only four have been localized and associated with a host galaxy
, and just one of these four is known to emit repeating FRBs
. The properties of the host galaxies, and the local environments of FRBs, could provide important clues about their physical origins. The first known repeating FRB, however, was localized to a low-metallicity, irregular dwarf galaxy, and the apparently non-repeating sources were localized to higher-metallicity, massive elliptical or star-forming galaxies, suggesting that perhaps the repeating and apparently non-repeating sources could have distinct physical origins. Here we report the precise localization of a second repeating FRB source
, FRB 180916.J0158+65, to a star-forming region in a nearby (redshift 0.0337 ± 0.0002) massive spiral galaxy, whose properties and proximity distinguish it from all known hosts. The lack of both a comparably luminous persistent radio counterpart and a high Faraday rotation measure
further distinguish the local environment of FRB 180916.J0158+65 from that of the single previously localized repeating FRB source, FRB 121102. This suggests that repeating FRBs may have a wide range of luminosities, and originate from diverse host galaxies and local environments.
Enhancing the response to interferon could offer an immunological advantage to the host. In support of this concept, we used a modified form of the transcription factor STAT1 to achieve ...hyper-responsiveness to interferon without toxicity and markedly improve antiviral function in transgenic mice and transduced human cells. We found that the improvement depended on expression of a PARP9-DTX3L complex with distinct domains for interaction with STAT1 and for activity as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that acted on host histone H2BJ to promote interferon-stimulated gene expression and on viral 3C proteases to degrade these proteases via the immunoproteasome. Thus, PARP9-DTX3L acted on host and pathogen to achieve a double layer of immunity within a safe reserve in the interferon signaling pathway.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Brain tumor patients commonly present with epileptic seizures. We show that tumor-associated seizures are the consequence of impaired GABAergic inhibition due to an overall loss of peritumoral fast ...spiking interneurons (FSNs) concomitant with a significantly reduced firing rate of those that remain. The reduced firing is due to the degradation of perineuronal nets (PNNs) that surround FSNs. We show that PNNs decrease specific membrane capacitance of FSNs permitting them to fire action potentials at supra-physiological frequencies. Tumor-released proteolytic enzymes degrade PNNs, resulting in increased membrane capacitance, reduced firing, and hence decreased GABA release. These studies uncovered a hitherto unknown role of PNNs as an electrostatic insulator that reduces specific membrane capacitance, functionally akin to myelin sheaths around axons, thereby permitting FSNs to exceed physiological firing rates. Disruption of PNNs may similarly account for excitation-inhibition imbalances in other forms of epilepsy and PNN protection through proteolytic inhibition may provide therapeutic benefits.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with increased iron levels in the substantia nigra (SNc). This study evaluated whether the iron chelator, deferiprone, is well tolerated, able to chelate iron ...from various brain regions and improve PD symptomology. In a randomised double-blind, placebo controlled trial, 22 early onset PD patients, were administered deferiprone, 10 or 15 mg/kg BID or placebo, for 6 months. Patients were evaluated for PD severity, cognitive function, depression rating and quality of life. Iron concentrations were assessed in the substantia nigra (SNc), dentate and caudate nucleus, red nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus by T2* MRI at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Deferiprone therapy was well tolerated and was associated with a reduced dentate and caudate nucleus iron content compared to placebo. Reductions in iron content of the SNc occurred in only 3 patients, with no changes being detected in the putamen or globus pallidus. Although 30 mg/kg deferiprone treated patients showed a trend for improvement in motor-UPDRS scores and quality of life, this did not reach significance. Cognitive function and mood were not adversely affected by deferiprone therapy. Such data supports more extensive clinical trials into the potential benefits of iron chelation in PD.
Integrated positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with the glucose analogue, 2-18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy- d -glucose (FDG), is an evolving hybrid imaging technique in the evaluation of ...an important and diverse group of pathological conditions, which are characterised by infection and aseptic inflammation. With a rapidly expanding body of evidence, it is being increasingly recognised that, in addition to its established role in oncological imaging, FDG PET/CT also has clinical utility in suspected infection and inflammation. The technique can identify the source of infection or inflammation in a timely fashion ahead of morphological changes on conventional anatomical imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), map the extent and severity of disease, identify sites for tissue sampling, and assess therapy response. FDG PET/CT exhibits distinct advantages over traditional radionuclide imaging techniques in terms of shorter duration of examination, higher spatial resolution, non-invasive nature of acquisition, ability to perform quantitative analyses, and the provision of a synergistic combination of functional and anatomical imaging. With the use of illustrative clinico-radiological cases, this article discusses the current and emerging evidence for the use of FDG PET/CT in a broad spectrum of disorders, such as fever of unknown origin, sarcoidosis, large vessel vasculitis, musculoskeletal infections, joint prosthesis or implant-related complications, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related infections, and miscellaneous indications, such as IgG4-related systemic disease. It will also briefly summarise the role of more novel tracers such as FDG-labelled leukocytes and gallium-68 PET tracers in this arena.
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