АДГЕЗИВНІ ВЛАСТИВОСТІ БАКТЕРІЙ, ЯКІ УТВОРЮЮТЬ МІКРОБІОТУ РОТОГЛОТКИ ХВОРИХ НА ТУБЕРКУЛЬОЗ

Проведено вивчення адгезивних властивостей мікрофлори ротоглотки у хворих на туберкульоз легень та здорових осіб, а також порівняльну характеристику їх властивостей. Встановлено закономірності змін вищевказаних властивостей нормальної мікрофлори ротоглотки у різних груп обстежуваних

Mapping of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Rivers From Very High Resolution Image Data, Using Object Based Image Analysis Combined with Expert Knowledge

The use of remote sensing for monitoring of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in fluvial environments has been limited by the spatial and spectral resolution of available image data. The absorption of light in water also complicates the use of common image analysis methods. This paper presents the results of a study that uses very high resolution (VHR) image data, collected with a Near Infrared sensitive DSLR camera, to map the distribution of SAV species for three sites along the Desselse Nete, a lowland river in Flanders, Belgium. Plant species, including Ranunculus aquatilis L., Callitriche obtusangula Le Gall, Potamogeton natans L., Sparganium emersum L. and Potamogeton crispus L., were classified from the data using Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) and expert knowledge. A classification rule set based on a combination of both spectral and structural image variation (e.g. texture and shape) was developed for images from two sites. A comparison of the classifications with manually delineated ground truth maps resulted for both sites in 61% overall accuracy. Application of the rule set to a third validation image, resulted in 53% overall accuracy. These consistent results show promise for species level mapping in such biodiverse environments, but also prompt a discussion on assessment of classification accuracy

The equigenic effect of greenness on the association between education with life expectancy and mortality in 28 large Latin American cities.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies highlight the equigenic potential of greenspaces by showing narrower socioeconomic health inequalities in greener areas. However, results to date have been inconsistent and derived from high-income countries. We examined whether urban greenness modifies the associations between area-level education, as a proxy for socioeconomic status, and life expectancy and cause-specific mortality in Latin American cities. METHODS: We included 28 large cities, >137 million inhabitants, in nine Latin American countries, comprising 671 sub-city units, for 2012-2016. Socioeconomic status was assessed through a composite index of sub-city level education, and greenness was calculated using the normalized difference vegetation index. We fitted multilevel models with sub-city units nested in cities, with life expectancy or log(mortality) as the outcome. FINDINGS: We observed a social gradient, with higher levels of education associated with higher life expectancy and lower cause-specific mortality. There was weak evidence supporting the equigenesis hypothesis as greenness differentially modified the association between education and mortality outcomes. We observed an equigenic effect, with doubling magnitudes in the violence-related mortality reduction by education in areas with low greenness compared to medium-high greenness areas among men (16% [95% CI 12%-20%] vs 8% [95% CI 4%-11%] per 1 SD increase in area-level education). However, in contradiction to the equigenesis hypothesis, the magnitude in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) mortality reduction by education was stronger in areas with medium-high greenness compared to areas with low greenness (6% [95% CI 4%-7%] vs 1% [95% CI -1%-3%] and 5% [95% CI 3%-7%] vs 1% [95% CI -1%-3%] per 1 SD increase in area-level education, in women and men, respectively). Similarly, each 1-SD increase in greenness widened the educational inequality in life expectancy by 0.15 years and 0.20 years, in women and men, respectively. The equigenic effect was not observed in violence-related mortality among women and in mortality due to communicable diseases, maternal, neonatal and nutritional conditions (CMNN). INTERPRETATION: Our results confirm socioeconomic health inequalities in Latin American cities and show that the equigenic properties of greenspace vary by health outcome. Although mixed, our findings suggest that future greening policies should account for local social and economic conditions to ensure that greenspaces provide health benefits for all, and do not further exacerbate existing health inequalities in the region. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust (Grant, 205177/Z/16/Z)

Affective interpersonal touch in close relationships: A cross-cultural perspective

Interpersonal touch behavior differs across cultures, yet no study to date has systematically tested for cultural variation in affective touch, nor examined the factors that might account for this variability. Here, over 14,000 individuals from 45 countries were asked whether they embraced, stroked, kissed, or hugged their partner, friends, and youngest child during the week preceding the study. We then examined a range of hypothesized individual-level factors (sex, age, parasitic history, conservatism, religiosity, and preferred interpersonal distance) and cultural-level factors (regional temperature, parasite stress, regional conservatism, collectivism, and religiosity) in predicting these affective-touching behaviors. Our results indicate that affective touch was most prevalent in relationships with partners and children, and its diversity was relatively higher in warmer, less conservative, and religious countries, and among younger, female, and liberal people. This research allows for a broad and integrated view of the bases of cross-cultural variability in affective touch.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Взаимосвязь компонентов EGFR/PI3K/Akt-сигнального пути с эффективностью терапии тамоксифеном у больных эстрогензависимым раком молочной железы

Background. It is generally accepted that crosstalk between the growth factor receptor and ER pathways implicated in tamoxifen resistance. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between mRNA level, protein expression and gene polymorphism of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling components with tamoxifen efficacy in patients with estrogen-dependent breast cancer. Materials and methods. The study included 95 breast cancer patients who had received adjuvant tamoxifen, of which 31 patients developed recurrence/metastasis after tamoxifen treatment (tamoxifen resistance group), 64 patients did not develop any diseases progression (tamoxifen sensitive group) during the 5 years of follow-up. Genotypes for ESR1 (rs2077647, rs2228480, rs1801132), EGFR (rs1468727, rs2227983), AKT1 (rs1130233) and PTEN (rs11202592) were analyzed using a TaqMan assay. Using reverse transcription-PCR, the relative expression of mRNA for ESR1, EGFR, AKT1 and PTEN was determined. ERα, EGFR, Akt (pS473) and PTEN expression level was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Progression-free survival (PFS) was estimated by Kaplan – Meier analysis. Results. The minor allele of ESR1 rs2077647 was more prevalent in tamoxifen sensitive tumors compared to tamoxifen resistant tumors (p = 0.044). We found high AKT1 mRNA expression level in tamoxifen sensitive group compared with tamoxifen resistance patients (7.27 ± 5.29 and 0.02 ± 0.01, respectively, p = 0.014). ESR1 rs2228480 was significantly associated with tamoxifen resistance (p = 0.028). EGFR and Akt (pS473) protein expression level was significantly higher in the tamoxifen resistance group compared to tamoxifen sensitive breast cancer patients (p = 0.006 and 0.037, respectively). Patients carrying mutant genotypes of ESR1 rs2228480 had a poorer progression-free survival than those carrying wild and heterozygous variants (log rank p = 0.043). Positive EGFR tumor expression as well as positive Akt (pS473) expression were significantly associated with shorter PFS (log rank p = 0.014 and 0.048, respectively). Conclusion. Polymorphic sites of the ESR1 gene, AKT1 mRNA expression, EGFR expression level and Akt (pS473) protein expression can be potential molecular markers associated with tumor sensitivity/resistance to tamoxifen treatment.Введение. Резистентность к гормональной терапии тамоксифеном обусловлена комплексом взаимоотношений сигнальных каскадов рецепторов факторов роста с эстрогеновыми рецепторами. Цель исследования – комплексная оценка экспрессии матричной РНК (мРНК), белковой экспрессии и полиморфизма генов основных компонентов EGFR/PI3K/Akt-сигнального пути во взаимосвязи с эффективностью терапии тамоксифеном у больных эстрогензависимым раком молочной железы (РМЖ). Материалы и методы. В исследование включены 95 больных РМЖ, получавшие адъювантную терапию тамоксифеном, из которых у 31 пациентки наблюдалось прогрессирование заболевания на фоне тамоксифена (тамоксифен-резистентная группа), 64 больных составили группу без признаков прогрессирования (тамоксифен-чувствительная группа). Генотипирование полиморфных локусов генов ESR1 (rs2077647, rs2228480, rs1801132), EGFR (rs1468727, rs2227983), AKT1 (rs1130233) и PTEN (rs11202592) проведено с помощью полимеразной цепной реакции в режиме реального времени. Для оценки экспрессии мРНК генов ESR1, EGFR, AKT1, PTEN использовали метод количественной полимеразной цепной реакции с обратной транскрипцией. Иммуногистохимически проведено изучение экспрессии ERα, EGFR, Akt (pS473) и PTEN. Показатели безрецидивной выживаемости больных РМЖ проанализированы с помощью кривых Каплана–Майера. Результаты. Показано, что мутантный аллель С rs2077647 гена ESR1 чаще встречается в опухолях, чувствительных к тамоксифену, по сравнению с опухолями, резистентными к данной терапии (p = 0,044). Для тамоксифен-чувствительных опухолей отмечен высокий уровень экспрессии мРНК гена AKT1 по сравнению с тамоксифен-резистентными (7,27 ± 5,29 и 0,02 ± 0,01 соответственно, p = 0,014). Носительство мутантного генотипа GG rs2228480 гена ESR1 ассоциировано с резистентностью к терапии тамоксифеном (p = 0,028). Уровень экспрессии EGFR и Akt (pS473) значимо выше в тамоксифен-резистентной группе по сравнению с тамоксифен-чувствительной (p = 0,006 и 0,037 соответственно). Безрецидивная выживаемость была значимо меньше у пациенток с мутантными генотипами гена ESR1 rs2228480 по сравнению с носительством диких и гетерозиготных вариантов (log rank p = 0,043). Наличие положительного уровня экспрессии в опухоли EGFR или Akt (pS473) ассоциировано с низкими показателями безрецидивной выживаемости исследуемой группы пациентов (log rank p = 0,014 и 0,048 соответственно). Заключение. В качестве потенциальных маркеров, ассоциированных с чувствительностью/резистентностью опухоли к гормональной терапии тамоксифеном, могут рассматриваться полиморфные сайты гена ESR1, экспрессия мРНК AKT1 и уровень экспрессии EGFR и Akt (pS473)

Reasons for facebook usage: data from 46 countries

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global Assessment of Extinction Risk to Populations of Sockeye Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka

BACKGROUND: Concern about the decline of wild salmon has attracted the attention of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN applies quantitative criteria to assess risk of extinction and publishes its results on the Red List of Threatened Species. However, the focus is on the species level and thus may fail to show the risk to populations. The IUCN has adapted their criteria to apply to populations but there exist few examples of this type of assessment. We assessed the status of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka as a model for application of the IUCN population-level assessments and to provide the first global assessment of the status of an anadromous Pacific salmon. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found from demographic data that the sockeye salmon species is not presently at risk of extinction. We identified 98 independent populations with varying levels of risk within the species' range. Of these, 5 (5%) are already extinct. We analyzed the risk for 62 out of 93 extant populations (67%) and found that 17 of these (27%) are at risk of extinction. The greatest number and concentration of extinct and threatened populations is in the southern part of the North American range, primarily due to overfishing, freshwater habitat loss, dams, hatcheries, and changing ocean conditions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Although sockeye salmon are not at risk at the species-level, about one-third of the populations that we analyzed are at risk or already extinct. Without an understanding of risk to biodiversity at the level of populations, the biodiversity loss in salmon would be greatly underrepresented on the Red List. We urge government, conservation organizations, scientists and the public to recognize this limitation of the Red List. We also urge recognition that about one-third of sockeye salmon global population diversity is at risk of extinction or already extinct