First evidence for an anxiolitic effect of a diterpenoid from Salvia cinnabarina

The potential anxiolytic and anti-depressive activity of CMP1 was studied in the elevated plus-maze test and in the forced swimming test. Furthermore, CMP1 sedative activity was evaluated in pentobarbital treated animals; the effect of CMP1 on spontaneous motor activity (total locomotion) was also evaluated. Our data show that CMP1, at doses that did not affect locomotion, was able to induce anxiolytic and sedative, but not anti-depressive effects. In conclusion, our results represent first evidence for an anxiolytic activity of this diterpenoid from Salvia cinnabarina

Tidying Up International Nucleotide Sequence Databases: Ecological, Geographical and Sequence Quality Annotation of ITS Sequences of Mycorrhizal Fungi

Sequence analysis of the ribosomal RNA operon, particularly the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, provides a powerful tool for identification of mycorrhizal fungi. The sequence data deposited in the International Nucleotide Sequence Databases (INSD) are, however, unfiltered for quality and are often poorly annotated with metadata. To detect chimeric and low-quality sequences and assign the ectomycorrhizal fungi to phylogenetic lineages, fungal ITS sequences were downloaded from INSD, aligned within family-level groups, and examined through phylogenetic analyses and BLAST searches. By combining the fungal sequence database UNITE and the annotation and search tool PlutoF, we also added metadata from the literature to these accessions. Altogether 35,632 sequences belonged to mycorrhizal fungi or originated from ericoid and orchid mycorrhizal roots. Of these sequences, 677 were considered chimeric and 2,174 of low read quality. Information detailing country of collection, geographical coordinates, interacting taxon and isolation source were supplemented to cover 78.0%, 33.0%, 41.7% and 96.4% of the sequences, respectively. These annotated sequences are publicly available via UNITE (http://unite.ut.ee/) for downstream biogeographic, ecological and taxonomic analyses. In European Nucleotide Archive (ENA; http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/), the annotated sequences have a special link-out to UNITE. We intend to expand the data annotation to additional genes and all taxonomic groups and functional guilds of fungi

Do People Taking Flu Vaccines Need Them the Most?

Background: A well targeted flu vaccine strategy can ensure that vaccines go to those who are at the highest risk of getting infected if unvaccinated. However, prior research has not explicitly examined the association between the risk of flu infection and vaccination rates. Purpose: This study examines the relationship between the risk of flu infection and the probability of getting vaccinated. Methods: Nationally representative data from the US and multivariate regression models were used to estimate what individual characteristics are associated with (1) the risk of flu infection when unvaccinated and (2) flu vaccination rates. These results were used to estimate the correlation between the probability of infection and the probability of getting vaccinated. Separate analyses were performed for the general population and the high priority population that is at increased risk of flu related complications. Results: We find that the high priority population was more likely to get vaccinated compared to the general population. However, within both the high priority and general populations the risk of flu infection when unvaccinated was negatively correlated with vaccination rates (r = 20.067, p,0.01). This negative association between the risk of infection when unvaccinated and the probability of vaccination was stronger for the high priority population (r = 20.361, p,0.01). Conclusions: There is a poor match between those who get flu vaccines and those who have a high risk of flu infectio

Weekly cisplatin, epirubicin, and paclitaxel with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support vs triweekly epirubicin and paclitaxel in locally advanced breast cancer: final analysis of a sicog phase III study

The present study aimed at evaluating whether a weekly cisplatin, epirubicin, and paclitaxel (PET) regimen could increase the pathological complete response (pCR) rate in comparison with a tri-weekly epirubicin and paclitaxel administration in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients. Patients with stage IIIB disease were randomised to receive either 12 weekly cycles of cisplatin 30 mg m−2, epirubicin 50 mg m−2, and paclitaxel 120 mg m−2 (PET) plus granulocyte-colony stimulating factor support, or four cycles of epirubicin 90 mg m−2+paclitaxel 175 mg m−2 (ET) every 3 weeks. Overall, 200 patients (PET/ET=100/100) were included in this study. A pCR in both breast and axilla occurred in 16 (16%) PET patients and in six (6%) ET patients (P=0.02). The higher activity of PET was evident only in ER negative (27.5 vs 5.4%; P=0.026), and in HER/neu positive (31 vs 5%; P=0.037) tumours. The two arms yielded similar pCR rate in ER positive (PET/ET=7.5/7.1%) and HER/neu negative (PET/ET=10/6%) patients. At a 39 months median follow-up, 70 patients showed a progression or relapses (PET, 32 vs ET, 38). Anaemia, mucositis, peripheral neuropathy, and gastrointestinal toxicity were substantially more frequent in the PET arm. The PET weekly regimen is superior to ET in terms of pCR rate in LABC patients with ER negative and/or HER2 positive tumours Mature data in terms of disease-free and overall survival are needed to ascertain whether this approach could improve the prognosis of these subsets of LABC patients

Mouse models of neurodegenerative disease: preclinical imaging and neurovascular component.

Neurodegenerative diseases represent great challenges for basic science and clinical medicine because of their prevalence, pathologies, lack of mechanism-based treatments, and impacts on individuals. Translational research might contribute to the study of neurodegenerative diseases. The mouse has become a key model for studying disease mechanisms that might recapitulate in part some aspects of the corresponding human diseases. Neurode- generative disorders are very complicated and multifacto- rial. This has to be taken in account when testing drugs. Most of the drugs screening in mice are very di cult to be interpretated and often useless. Mouse models could be condiderated a ‘pathway models’, rather than as models for the whole complicated construct that makes a human disease. Non-invasive in vivo imaging in mice has gained increasing interest in preclinical research in the last years thanks to the availability of high-resolution single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), high eld Magnetic resonance, Optical Imaging scanners and of highly speci c contrast agents. Behavioral test are useful tool to characterize di erent ani- mal models of neurodegenerative pathology. Furthermore, many authors have observed vascular pathological features associated to the di erent neurodegenerative disorders. Aim of this review is to focus on the di erent existing animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, describe behavioral tests and preclinical imaging techniques used for diagnose and describe the vascular pathological features associated to these diseases

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI