Feeding arms carrying coelomic extensions of the theca are thought to be unique to crinoids among stemmed echinoderms. However, a new two-armed echinoderm from the earliest Middle Cambrian of Spain ...displays a highly unexpected morphology. X-ray microtomographic analysis of its arms shows they are polyplated in their proximal part with a dorsal series of uniserial elements enclosing a large coelomic lumen. Distally, the arm transforms into the more standard biserial structure of a blastozoan brachiole. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that this taxon lies basal to rhombiferans as sister-group to pleurocystitid and glyptocystitid blastozoans, drawing those clades deep into the Cambrian. We demonstrate that Cambrian echinoderms show surprising variability in the way their appendages are constructed, and that the appendages of at least some blastozoans arose as direct outgrowths of the body in much the same way as the arms of crinoids.
Background and Rationale: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a lipophilic group of pollutants that persist in the atmosphere for long periods, constituting a permanent source of exposure for ...humans. They have been associated, for a long time, with the risk in developing breast cancer, but there are still unresolved questions.
Conclusion: Integrated strategies are required that should consider molecular and population-level studies, to understand and elaborate approaches to prevent the risks in developing breast cancer.
Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.19(2) 2020 p.194-199
A Lochkovian (Early Devonian) ophiuroid (Echinodermata), Ophiocantabria elegans n. gen. and sp., is based on a single small, well-preserved specimen collected from a shale-rich horizon of the Furada ...Formation, Asturias, Spain. Sedimentologic and palaeontologic data suggest its occurrence was in a near-shore setting subjected to frequent storms. Ophiocantabria is assigned to the Encrinasteridae based on the morphology of individual skeletal elements, although overall form of the new species is similar to that of approximately coeval members of the asteroid family Xenasteridae. Such homoplasy, especially among earlier members of asterozoan class-level clades, is an important but not well understood aspect of subphylum evolution. KEYWORDS Ophiuroidea Echinodermata. Devonian. Spain. Phylogeny.
To evaluate the body fat distribution and fat cell size and number in an overweight/obese population from both genders, and to determine the possible relationship between fat cell data from three ...different adipose tissue localizations (subcutaneous (SA), perivisceral and omental) and adipose tissue composition and dietary fatty acid.
The sample consisted of 84 overweight/obese patients (29 men and 55 women) who have undergone abdominal surgery. The adipocyte size and total fat cell number was studied. Fat cell data were related with anthropometric, adipose tissue and subject's habitual diet fatty acid composition.
Fat cell size was measured according to a Sjöström method from the three adipose depots. Total fat cell number was also calculated. The fatty acid composition of adipose tissue was examined by gas chromatography. The subjects diet was studied by a 7 days dietary record.
Our data showed a negative relationship between the adipocyte size and the n-6 and n-3 fatty acids content of the SA adipose tissue (r=-0.286, P=0,040; r=-0.300, P=0.030) respectively, and the n-6 in the omental depots (r=-0.407, P=0.049) in the total population. Positive associations with the total of saturated (r=0.357, P=0.045) and negative (r=-0.544, P=0.001) with the n-9 fatty acids were observed when the relationship between the adipocyte number and the fatty acid composition of the different anatomical fat regions was studied. Dietary fatty acids composition positively correlated with fat cell size for the myristic acid (14:0) in men in the visceral depot (r=0.822, P=0.023), and for the saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in women in the omental depot (r=0.486, P=0.035).
In the present study, for the first time in humans we found that n-3 and n-6 fatty acids are related to a reduced adipocyte size according to the depot localization. In contrast, adipose tissue and dietary SFAs significantly correlated with an increase in fat cell size and number. No significant associations were found between n-9 acids content and adipocyte size. However, n-9 adipose tissue fatty acids content was inversely associated with fat cell number showing that this type of fatty acid could limit hyperplasia in obese populations. The differences observed in the three different regions, perivisceral, omental and SA fat, indicate that this population adipose tissue have depot-specific differences.
OBJECTIVESTo evaluate gender differences in workplace violence (WPV) against physicians and nurses in Latin America.STUDY DESIGNCross-sectional study.METHODSA cross-sectional electronic survey was ...conducted between January 11 and February 28, 2022. A prespecified gender analysis was performed.RESULTSAmong the 3056 responses to the electronic survey, 57% were women, 81.6% were physicians, and 18.4% were nurses. At least one act of violence was experienced by 59.2% of respondents, with verbal violence being the most common (97.5%). Women experienced more WPV than men (65.8% vs 50.4%; P < 0.001; odds ratio OR: 1.89; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.63-2.19). Women were more likely to report at least one episode of WPV per week (19.2% vs 11.9%, P < 0.001), to request for psychological help (14.5% vs 9%, P = 0.001) and to experience more psychosomatic symptoms. In addition, women were more likely to report having considered changing their job after an aggression (57.6% vs 51.3%, P = 0.011) and even leaving their job (33% vs 25.7%, P = 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, being a woman (OR: 1.76), working in emergency departments (OR: 1.99), and with COVID-19 patients (OR: 3.3) were independently associated with more aggressive interactions, while older age (OR: 0.95) and working in a private setting (OR: 0.62) implied lower risk.CONCLUSIONSWomen are more likely to experience WPV and to report more psychosomatic symptoms after the event. Preventive measures are urgently needed, with a special focus on high-risk groups such as women.
Maternal milk is the first source of exogenous polyamines for the newborn. Polyamines modulate gut maturation in neonates, but no studies are available on polyamine concentration in human milk of ...preterm babies, even though they could be important for their immature gut. The present study aimed to determine polyamine concentration in human breast milk of mothers with preterm or term infants during the first month of lactation. Human milk samples were obtained during the first month of lactation from twenty-seven mothers with preterm babies and twelve mothers with babies born at term. The polyamine concentration in human milk was quantified by HPLC. During the first month of lactation, the total polyamine concentration was significantly higher in preterm milk than in term milk samples (7590 (SD 4990) v. 4660 (SD 4830) nmol/l, respectively (P ¼ 0·034)), as well as individual polyamine concentrations. Polyamine concentration in mature milk for preterm babies was significantly higher than that in mature milk for babies at term, and a similar trend was observed in colostrum and transition human milk. The spermidine/spermine ratio was higher in transition milk in preterm v. term samples, while in mature milk, the ratio was significantly lower in preterm than in term babies. In conclusion, the polyamine concentration was significantly higher in human milk for preterm than for term infants. This and the different spermidine/spermine ratios could influence the gut development of premature babies.
Abstract
Background and objectives
Childbirth fear, which has been argued to have an adaptive basis, exists on a spectrum. Pathologically high levels of childbirth fear is a clinical condition called ...tokophobia. As a chronic stressor in pregnancy, tokophobia could impact birth outcomes. Many factors associated with tokophobia, including inadequate labor support, were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methodology
We used longitudinally collected data from a convenience sample of 1775 pregnant persons in the USA to evaluate the association between general and COVID-19 pandemic-related factors and tokophobia using the fear of birth scale. We also assessed associations between tokophobia, low birth weight and preterm birth when adjusting for cesarean section and other covariates among a subset of participants (N = 993).
Results
Tokophobia was highly prevalent (62%). Mothers who self-identified as Black (odds ratio (OR) = 1.90), had lower income (OR = 1.39), had less education (OR = 1.37), had a high-risk pregnancy (OR = 1.65) or had prenatal depression (OR = 4.95) had significantly higher odds of tokophobia. Concerns about how COVID-19 could negatively affect maternal and infant health and birth experience were also associated with tokophobia (ORs from 1.51 to 1.79). Tokophobia was significantly associated with increased odds of giving birth preterm (OR = 1.93).
Conclusions and implications
Tokophobia increases the odds of preterm birth and is more prevalent among individuals who are Black, have a lower income, and have less education. Tokophobia may, therefore, be an underappreciated contributor to inequities in US birth outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic likely compounded these effects.
Lay Summary
Many individuals have pathological levels of childbirth fear. We assessed predictors and outcomes associated with clinically high childbirth fear in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found childbirth fear was very common, particularly among socially disadvantaged individuals, and that it was associated with increased odds of giving birth preterm.
We propose a procedure to determine the spectral response of digital dispersive spectrometers without previous knowledge of any parameter of the system. The method consists of applying the Fourier ...transform spectroscopy technique to each pixel of the detection plane, a CCD camera, to obtain its individual spectral response. From this simple procedure, the system-point spread function and the effect of the finite pixel width are taken into account giving rise to a response matrix that fully characterizes the spectrometer. Using the response matrix information we find the resolving power of a given spectrometer, predict in advance its response to any virtual input spectrum and improve numerically the spectrometer's resolution. We consider that the presented approach could be useful in most spectroscopic branches such as in computational spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, hyperspectral imaging, spectral interferometry and analytical chemistry, among others.
Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that geranyl metabolites, found mainly in marine organisms, exhibit interesting antimicrobial and antifungal activities. In addition, linear geranyl ...derivatives have been synthesized as drugs and reported cytotoxic and anticancer activities.
Aims: Considering the biological testing and the structural features of these compounds, we evaluated seven linear geranylphenol derivatives on the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, and the human gastric cancer cell line MKN74.
Results: We found that compounds 2, 5 and 7 were cytotoxic for both cancer cell lines. From them, the most potent was compound 2, with an IC50=7.5 μM for MKN74 cells, and compound 7, with an IC50=14.73 μM for MDA-MB-231 cells. By nuclear staining and inmunocytochemistry, we detected that the three compounds induced cell death, and by Western blot analysis, we observed a remarkable decrease in the expression of cyclin D1 and the retinoblastoma protein, key regulators of the cell cycle.
Conclusion: Considering that compounds 2 and 7 were the most potent compounds inducing cell death, and were able to decrease the expression of retinoblastoma protein and cyclin D1, proteins usually altered in different types of cancers, they appear as promising therapeutic agents against cancer.
Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.19(3) 2020 p.486-500
M-containing tungsten oxides bronzes (M = Ti, Nb or V) with hexagonal tungsten bronze (HTB) structure have been investigated as catalysts for the aerobic transformation of glycerol and methanol. The ...catalysts were prepared hydrothermally and characterized by several physico chemical techniques, i.e. N
2
-adsorption, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption of ammonia. Interesting variations in the thermal stability of the HTB-framework were observed according to the element introduced into the oxide structure. In addition, the incorporation of Ti and Nb modified the acid features of the hexagonal tungsten oxides, whereas V introduced new redox sites. The catalytic results for the aerobic transformation of glycerol and methanol in terms of conversion and nature of reaction products are discussed on the basis of the physico-chemical characteristics of catalysts.
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