The COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for work-privacy-conflict and parent–child-bonding in mothers and fathers

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The COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for work-privacy-conflict and parent–child-bonding in mothers and fathers

During the COVID-19 pandemic, working parents have been faced with a double burden by struggling to satisfy their children’s needs as well as dealing with altered working requirements at the same time. In the unprecedented context of a pandemic, the present study extends the existing literature to investigate the association between work-privacy-conflict (WPC) and parent–child-bonding in families with children aged 0–34 months old. Additionally, the potential moderating role of working from home is considered. Data of the present cross-sectional study (n = 385) were collected in Germany between May and June 2020 as part of the DREAMCORONA study. Mothers (n = 165) and fathers (n = 220) currently working completed the Work-Privacy-Conflict Scale and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. A hierarchical linear regression analysis including the confounders sex, working from home, working hours per week, age of index child, and childcare revealed a significant association between higher WPC and poorer parent–child-bonding (ß = 0.154, 95 % CI [0.02, 0.28]). In a second linear regression analysis stratified by sex, only the association within the sample of men remained significant (ß = 0.240, 95 % CI [0.07, 0.39]). Working from home had no significant moderating effect on the association between WPC and parent–child-bonding. Given our results, it seems particularly important for working parents to maintain a balance between work and private life as it could not only affect themselves but also the emotional connection to their child. Future research should consider additional factors, such as mental health, parenting, and couple dynamics when investigating the interference of WPC with parent–child-bonding. Additionally, a longitudinal approach will be necessary to establish causal relations between WPC and parent–child-bonding

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology Images

Beyond sample curation and basic pathologic characterization, the digitized H&E-stained images of TCGA samples remain underutilized. To highlight this resource, we present mappings of tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) based on H&E images from 13 TCGA tumor types. These TIL maps are derived through computational staining using a convolutional neural network trained to classify patches of images. Affinity propagation revealed local spatial structure in TIL patterns and correlation with overall survival. TIL map structural patterns were grouped using standard histopathological parameters. These patterns are enriched in particular T cell subpopulations derived from molecular measures. TIL densities and spatial structure were differentially enriched among tumor types, immune subtypes, and tumor molecular subtypes, implying that spatial infiltrate state could reflect particular tumor cell aberration states. Obtaining spatial lymphocytic patterns linked to the rich genomic characterization of TCGA samples demonstrates one use for the TCGA image archives with insights into the tumor-immune microenvironment

SEMEANDO ESTRATÉGIAS DE ENFRENTAMENTO A OPRESSÃO DE GÊNERO NAS ESCOLAS DE ENGENHARIA

ABSTRACT: Throughout elementary, secondary and high school, girls are encouraged to choose courses and seek knowledge in areas that are socially designated as functions of women, expressing a gender bias in their early education and strengthening the representation of different upbringing for different sexes. Breaking these initial barriers, young women who enter in higher education in Engineering still face other obstacles, from questioning their intellectual capacity to harassment in relation to their body and to beauty standards established. Realizing that engineering is still a field of knowledge with eminent male dominance, this article aims to present the strategies adopted for insertion of the theme "women in engineering", at the Universidade Federal de Goiás. The results point to the importance of institutionalized actions. The methodology was based in an empirical research adopting practices of popular education applied to the engineering schooling and analysis of the experience of education-learning ex-post. The strategies were based on classes, seminars, site visit and collective deliberation. The results pointed out to the importance of institutionalized actions in engineering courses, once the students presented their yearnings and perspectives about gender oppression. The conclusions indicate that a growth in debates at academic institutions is needed, and point out the importance of playful and interactive strategies in education.RESUMO: Durante a formação básica as meninas são estimuladas a buscar cursos e conhecimentos em áreas que socialmente foram atribuídas como funções de mulheres, expressando os preconceitos de gênero já na sua formação inicial e fortalecendo a representação das distintas criações destinadas aos diferentes sexos. Ao romper as barreiras iniciais, as jovens que chegam ao ensino superior nas áreas de Engenharia enfrentam inúmeros outros obstáculos: desde o questionamento da sua capacidade intelectual até o assédio em relação ao seu corpo e aos padrões de beleza estabelecidos. Ao perceber que as engenharias ainda são um campo do conhecimento com predomínio eminentemente masculino, este artigo visa apresentar as estratégias adotadas para inserção do tema “mulheres nas engenharias”, na Universidade Federal de Goiás. A metodologia baseou-se em pesquisa-ação por meio da adoção de práticas de educação popular aplicada ao ensino de engenharia e análise da experiência de ensino-aprendizagem ex-post. As estratégias de ensino basearam em aulas dialogadas, seminários, visita de campo e reflexões coletivas. Os resultados apontaram para a importância da institucionalização de ações como essas em cursos de engenharia, uma vez que, as estudantes puderam apresentar anseios e perspectivas sobre situações de opressão de gênero. As conclusões indicam a necessidade de ampliação do debate nas unidades acadêmicas envolvidas, bem como, a importância do uso de estratégias de lúdicas e interativas no ensino

Autotrophic and heterotrophic acquisition of carbon and nitrogen by a mixotrophic chrysophyte established through stable isotope analysis

Collectively, phagotrophic algae (mixotrophs) form a functional continuum of nutritional modes between autotrophy and heterotrophy, but the specific physiological benefits of mixotrophic nutrition differ among taxa. Ochromonas spp. are ubiquitous chrysophytes that exhibit high nutritional flexibility, although most species generally fall towards the heterotrophic end of the mixotrophy spectrum. We assessed the sources of carbon and nitrogen in Ochromonas sp. strain BG-1 growing mixotrophically via short-term stable isotope probing. An axenic culture was grown in the presence of either heat-killed bacteria enriched with ^(15)N and ^(13)C, or unlabeled heat-killed bacteria and labeled inorganic substrates (^(13)C-bicarbonate and ^(15)N-ammonium). The alga exhibited high growth rates (up to 2 divisions per day) only until heat-killed bacteria were depleted. NanoSIMS and bulk IRMS isotope analyses revealed that Ochromonas obtained 84–99% of its carbon and 88–95% of its nitrogen from consumed bacteria. The chrysophyte assimilated inorganic ^(13)C-carbon and ^(15)N-nitrogen when bacterial abundances were very low, but autotrophic (photosynthetic) activity was insufficient to support net population growth of the alga. Our use of nanoSIMS represents its first application towards the study of a mixotrophic alga, enabling a better understanding and quantitative assessment of carbon and nutrient acquisition by this species

FORENSIC SCIENCES Development of a Human DNA Quantitation System

The AluQuant™ Human DNA Quantitation System has been developed for human-specific quantitation of forensic samples. This system uses probes specific to repetitive genetic elements allowing quantitation without target amplification. Target immobilization is unnecessary with employment of solution hybridization. The AluQuant™ Human DNA Quantitation System uses a series of enzymatic reactions to produce a luminescent signal proportional to the quantity of human DNA present. This report demonstrates a range of quantitation from 0.1-50 ng of human DNA. Signal from non-human DNAs tested was insignificant and addition of non-human DNAs into a human sample did not alter quantitation. Lastly, the system was unaffected by degradation of sample through sonication. The AluQuant™ Human DNA Quantitation System is a simple and sensitive method for quantitating the concentration of human DNA in forensic samples

Integrated Genomic Analysis of the Ubiquitin Pathway across Cancer Types

Protein ubiquitination is a dynamic and reversibleprocess of adding single ubiquitin molecules orvarious ubiquitin chains to target proteins. Here,using multidimensional omic data of 9,125 tumorsamples across 33 cancer types from The CancerGenome Atlas, we perform comprehensive molecu-lar characterization of 929 ubiquitin-related genesand 95 deubiquitinase genes. Among them, we sys-tematically identify top somatic driver candidates,including mutatedFBXW7with cancer-type-specificpatterns and amplifiedMDM2showing a mutuallyexclusive pattern withBRAFmutations. Ubiquitinpathway genes tend to be upregulated in cancermediated by diverse mechanisms. By integratingpan-cancer multiomic data, we identify a group oftumor samples that exhibit worse prognosis. Thesesamples are consistently associated with the upre-gulation of cell-cycle and DNA repair pathways, char-acterized by mutatedTP53,MYC/TERTamplifica-tion, andAPC/PTENdeletion. Our analysishighlights the importance of the ubiquitin pathwayin cancer development and lays a foundation fordeveloping relevant therapeutic strategies