Mitigating Trendy Cheap Fast Fashion's Negative Impact

Three studies are carried out in an attempt to provide a picture of clothing consumption and knowledge of fast fashion among young consumers, and investigate possibilities for more sustainable choices through analyses of the second-hand clothing market. The first study collects data from different second-hand clothing markets, whether direct from owner or through a second seller. Savings are calculated by scraping original and sale prices on regular markets. Content analyses of second-hand markets show a wide variation in discounts depending upon the type of clothing and channel used to purchase. We find independent resellers offer significant savings on higher quality clothing, but reselling used fast-fashion is not an attractive option due to its initial low price point. The second and third studies assess the attitude, behavior, and knowledge of fast fashion among young consumers and the possibility of education to decrease fast fashion consumption. These studies document the desire for fashionable clothing and expose the limited budget among young consumers. Some respondents spend all their discretionary income on clothing, and many times, purchased items are never worn. There is some indication that educating young consumers about real environmental impacts might shift purchases from quantity to quality, but educating consumers about the harm of fast fashion may be a slow difficult task

Bioengineered 3D living fibers as in vitro human tissue models of tendon physiology and pathology

Clinically relevant in vitro models of human tissue's health and disease are urgently needed for a better understanding of biological mechanisms essential for the development of novel therapies. Herein, physiological (healthy) and pathological (disease) tendon states are bioengineered by coupling the biological signaling of platelet lysate components with controlled 3D architectures of electrospun microfibers to drive the fate of human tendon cells in different composite living fibers (CLFs). In the CLFs-healthy model, tendon cells adopt a high cytoskeleton alignment and elongation, express tendon-related markers (scleraxis, tenomodulin, and mohawk) and deposit a dense tenogenic matrix. In contrast, cell crowding with low preferential orientation, high matrix deposition, and phenotypic drift leading to increased expression of nontendon related and fibrotic markers, are characteristics of the CLFs-diseased model. This diseased-like profile, also reflected in the increase of COL3/COL1 ratio, is further evident by the imbalance between matrix remodeling and degradation effectors, characteristic of tendinopathy. In summary, microengineered 3D in vitro models of human tendon healthy and diseased states are successfully fabricated. Most importantly, these innovative and versatile microphysiological models offer major advantages over currently used systems, holding promise for drugs screening and development of new therapies.Work developed under the framework of the Cooperation Agreement established with the Serviço de Imuno-Hemoterapia do Centro Hospitalar de S. João, EPE. The authors would like to thank the Plastic Surgery Department of Hospital da Prelada (Porto, Portugal) for providing tendon tissue samples. Authors acknowledge the financial support from the ERC Grant CoG MagTendon No. 772817; FCT– Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for the Ph.D. grant of IC (PD/BD/128088/2016) and CL (PD/BD/150515/2019); for the contract to M.G.F. (CEECIND/01375/2017); and for project SmarTendon (PTDC/NAN-MAT/30595/2017) and Achilles (Grant no. 810850). After ini tial online publication, the present address for D.D. was added to the af filiations section on August 3, 2022

A nurse-delivered, clinic-based intervention to address intimate partner violence among low-income women in Mexico City : findings from a cluster randomized controlled trial

Background: Rigorous evaluations of health sector interventions addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. We aimed to assess whether an enhanced nurse-delivered intervention would reduce IPV and improve levels of safety planning behaviors, use of community resources, reproductive coercion, and mental quality of life. Methods: We randomized 42 public health clinics in Mexico City to treatment or control arms. In treatment clinics, women received the nurse-delivered session (IPV screening, supportive referrals, health/safety risk assessments) at baseline (T1), and a booster counselling session after 3 months (T2). In control clinics, women received screening and a referral card from nurses. Surveys were conducted at T1, T2, and T3 (15 months from baseline). Our main outcome was past-year physical and sexual IPV. Intent-to-treat analyses were conducted via three-level random intercepts models to evaluate the interaction term for treatment status by time. Results: Between April and October 2013, 950 women (480 in control clinics, 470 in treatment clinics) with recent IPV experiences enrolled in the study. While reductions in IPV were observed for both women enrolled in treatment (OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.28-0.55; P < 0.01) and control (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.36-0.72; P < 0.01) clinics at T3 (July to December 2014), no significant treatment effects were observed (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.49-1.24; P = 0.30). At T2 (July to December 2013), women in treatment clinics reported significant improvements, compared to women in control clinics, in mental quality of life (β, 1.45; 95% CI, 0.14-2.75; P = 0.03) and safety planning behaviors (β, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.02-0.79; P = 0.04). Conclusion: While reductions in IPV levels were seen among women in both treatment and control clinics, the enhanced nurse intervention was no more effective in reducing IPV. The enhanced nursing intervention may offer short-term improvements in addressing safety planning and mental quality of life. Nurses can play a supportive role in assisting women with IPV experiences

Negative Regulation of Immunoglobulin E–dependent Allergic Responses by Lyn Kinase

A role for Lyn kinase as a positive regulator of immunoglobulin (Ig)E-dependent allergy has long been accepted. Contrary to this belief, Lyn kinase was found to have an important role as a negative regulator of the allergic response. This became apparent from the hyperresponsive degranulation of lyn−/− bone marrow–derived mast cells, which is driven by hyperactivation of Fyn kinase that occurs, in part, through the loss of negative regulation by COOH-terminal Src kinase (Csk) and the adaptor, Csk-binding protein. This phenotype is recapitulated in vivo as young lyn−/− mice showed an enhanced anaphylactic response. In vivo studies also demonstrated that as lyn−/− mice aged, their serum IgE increased as well as occupancy of the high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI). This was mirrored by increased circulating histamine, increased mast cell numbers, increased cell surface expression of the high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI), and eosinophilia. The increased IgE production was not a consequence of increased Fyn kinase activity in lyn−/− mice because both lyn−/− and lyn−/− fyn−/− mice showed high IgE levels. Thus, lyn−/− mice and mast cells thereof show multiple allergy-associated traits, causing reconsideration of the possible efficacy in therapeutic targeting of Lyn in allergic disease

Quenching massive galaxies across cosmic time with the semi-analytic model SHARK v2.0

We introduce version 2.0 of the SHARK semi-analytic model of galaxy formation after many improvements to the physics included. The most significant being: (i) a model describing the exchange of angular momentum (AM) between the interstellar medium and stars; (ii) a new active galactic nuclei feedback model which has two modes, a quasar and a radio mode, with the radio mode tied to the jet energy production; (iii) a model tracking the development of black hole (BH) spins; (iv) more sophisticated modelling of environmental effects on satellite galaxies; and (v) automatic parameter exploration using Particle Swarm Optimisation. We focus on two timely research topics: the structural properties of galaxies and the quenching of massive galaxies. For the former, SHARK v2.0 is capable of producing a more realistic stellar size-mass relation with a plateau marking the transition from disk- to bulge-dominated galaxies, and scaling relations between specific AM and mass that agree well with observations. For the quenching of massive galaxies, SHARK v2.0 produces massive galaxies that are more quenched than the previous version, reproducing well the observed relations between star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass, and specific SFR and BH mass at $z=0$. SHARK v2.0 produces a number density of massive-quiescent galaxies >1dex higher than the previous version, in good agreement with JWST observations at $z\le 5$; predicts a stellar mass function of passive galaxies in reasonably good agreement with observations at $0.5<z<5$; and environmental quenching to already be effective at $z=5$.Comment: Submitted for publication in MNRAS. Supplementary material with additional comparisons with observations can be found here https://clagos.com/files/Shark_v2_SupplementaryMaterial.pd

C2D Spitzer-IRS spectra of disks around T Tauri stars: I. Silicate emission and grain growth

Infrared ~5--35 um spectra for 40 solar-mass T Tauri stars and 7 intermediate-mass Herbig Ae stars with circumstellar disks were obtained using the Spitzer Space Telescope as part of the c2d IRS survey. This work complements prior spectroscopic studies of silicate infrared emission from disks, which were focused on intermediate-mass stars, with observations of solar-mass stars limited primarily to the 10 um region. The observed 10 and 20 um silicate feature strengths/shapes are consistent with source-to-source variations in grain size. A large fraction of the features are weak and flat, consistent with um-sized grains indicating fast grain growth (from 0.1--1.0 um in radius). In addition, approximately half of the T Tauri star spectra show crystalline silicate features near 28 and 33 um indicating significant processing when compared to interstellar grains. A few sources show large 10-to-20 um ratios and require even larger grains emitting at 20 um than at 10 um. This size difference may arise from the difference in the depth into the disk probed by the two silicate emission bands in disks where dust settling has occurred. The 10 um feature strength vs. shape trend is not correlated with age or Halpha equivalent width, suggesting that some amount of turbulent mixing and regeneration of small grains is occurring. The strength vs. shape trend is related to spectral type, however, with M stars showing significantly flatter 10 um features (larger grain sizes) than A/B stars. The connection between spectral type and grain size is interpreted in terms of the variation in the silicate emission radius as a function of stellar luminosity, but could also be indicative of other spectral-type dependent factors (e.g, X-rays, UV radiation, stellar/disk winds, etc.).Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication by ApJ, formatted with emulateapj using revtex4 v4.

The carcinogenic potential of tacrolimus ointment beyond immune suppression: a hypothesis creating case report

BACKGROUND: Since tacrolimus ointment was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a promising treatment for atopic dermatitis, it has been approved in more than 30 additional countries, including numerous European Union member nations. Moreover, in the current clinical routine the use of this drug is no longer restricted to the approved indication, but has been extended to a wide variety of inflammatory skin diseases including some with the potential of malignant transformation. So far, the side-effects reported from the topical use of tacrolimus have been relatively minor (e.g. burning, pruritus, erythema). Recently, however, the FDA reviewed the safety of topical tacrolimus, which resulted in a warning that the use of calcineurin inhibitors may be associated with an increased risk of cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: Oral lichen planus (OLP) was diagnosed in a 56-year-old women in February 1999. After several ineffective local and systemic therapeutic measures an off-label treatment of this recalcitrant condition using Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment was initiated in May 2002. After a few weeks of treatment most of the lesions ameliorated, with the exception of the plaques on the sides of the tongue. Nevertheless, the patient became free of symptoms which, however, reoccurred once tacrolimus was weaned, as a consequence treatment was maintained. In April 2005, the plaques on the left side of the tongue appeared increasingly compact and a biopsy specimen confirmed the suspected diagnosis of an oral squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The suspected causal relationship between topical use of tacrolimus and the development of a squamous cell carcinoma prompted us to test the notion that the carcinogenicity of tacrolimus may go beyond mere immune suppression. To this end, tacrolimus has been shown to have an impact on cancer signalling pathways such as the MAPK and the p53 pathway. In the given case, we were able to demonstrate that these pathways had also been altered subsequent to tacrolimus therapy

Protein-coding variants implicate novel genes related to lipid homeostasis contributing to body-fat distribution.

Body-fat distribution is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular health consequences. We analyzed the association of body-fat distribution, assessed by waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index, with 228,985 predicted coding and splice site variants available on exome arrays in up to 344,369 individuals from five major ancestries (discovery) and 132,177 European-ancestry individuals (validation). We identified 15 common (minor allele frequency, MAF ≥5%) and nine low-frequency or rare (MAF &lt;5%) coding novel variants. Pathway/gene set enrichment analyses identified lipid particle, adiponectin, abnormal white adipose tissue physiology and bone development and morphology as important contributors to fat distribution, while cross-trait associations highlight cardiometabolic traits. In functional follow-up analyses, specifically in Drosophila RNAi-knockdowns, we observed a significant increase in the total body triglyceride levels for two genes (DNAH10 and PLXND1). We implicate novel genes in fat distribution, stressing the importance of interrogating low-frequency and protein-coding variants

Current situation of endemic mycosis in the Americas and the Caribbean: Proceedings of the first international meeting on endemic mycoses of the Americas (IMEMA)

Background: The Americas are home to biologically and clinically diverse endemic fungi, including Blastomyces, Coccidioides, Emergomyces, Histoplasma, Paracoccidioides and Sporothrix. In endemic areas with high risk of infection, these fungal pathogens represent an important public health problem. Objectives: This report aims to summarise the main findings of the regional analysis carried out on the status of the endemic mycoses of the Americas, done at the first International Meeting on Endemic Mycoses of the Americas (IMEMA). Methods: A regional analysis for the Americas was done, the 27 territories were grouped into nine regions. A SWOT analysis was done. Results: All territories reported availability of microscopy. Seventy percent of territories reported antibody testing, 67% of territories reported availability of Histoplasma antigen testing. None of the territories reported the use of (1–3)-β-d-glucan. Fifty two percent of territories reported the availability of PCR testing in reference centres (mostly for histoplasmosis). Most of the territories reported access to medications such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and amphotericin B (AMB) deoxycholate. Many countries had limited access to liposomal formulation of AMB and newer azoles, such as posaconazole and isavuconazole. Surveillance of these fungal diseases was minimal. Conclusions: A consensus emerged among meeting participants, this group concluded that endemic mycoses are neglected diseases, and due to their severity and lack of resources, the improvement of diagnosis, treatment and surveillance is needed.Fil: Caceres, Diego H.. Universidad Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario; Colombia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Estados UnidosFil: Echeverri Tirado, Laura C.. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Bonifaz, Alexandro. Hospital General de Mexico; MéxicoFil: Adenis, Antoine. Inserm; FranciaFil: Gomez, Beatriz L.. Universidad Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario; ColombiaFil: Bnada Flores, Claudia Lizett. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; PerúFil: Canteros, Cristina Elena. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Santos, Daniel Wagner. Universidade Federal do Maranhao; BrasilFil: Arathoon, Eduardo. Asociación de Salud Integral; GuatemalaFil: Ramirez Soto, Elia. Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Tropicales; BoliviaFil: Queiroz-Telles, Flavio. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Schwartz, Ilan S.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Zurita, Jeannete. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; EcuadorFil: Serra Damasceno, Lisandra. Universidade Estadual do Ceará; BrasilFil: Garcia, Nataly. Sociedad Venezolana de Microbiología; VenezuelaFil: Fernandez, Norma B.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Chincha, Omayra. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; PerúFil: Araujo, Patricia. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social; ParaguayFil: Rabagliati, Ricardo. No especifíca;Fil: Chiller, Tom. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Estados UnidosFil: Giusiano, Gustavo Emilio. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentin