Pseudopeptidic ligands: exploring the self-assembly of isopthaloylbisglycine (H2IBG) and divalent metal ions

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Winning and losing in the creative industries: an analysis of creative graduates' career opportunities across creative disciplines

Following earlier work looking at overall career difficulties and low economic rewards faced by graduates in creative disciplines, the paper takes a closer look into the different career patterns and economic performance of “Bohemian” graduates across different creative disciplines. While it is widely acknowledged in the literature that careers in the creative field tend to be unstructured, often relying on part-time work and low wages, our knowledge of how these characteristics differ across the creative industries and occupational sectors is very limited. The paper explores the different trajectory and career patterns experienced by graduates in different creative disciplinary fields and their ability to enter creative occupations. Data from the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) are presented, articulating a complex picture of the reality of finding a creative occupation for creative graduates. While students of some disciplines struggle to find full-time work in the creative economy, for others full-time occupation is the norm. Geography plays a crucial role also in offering graduates opportunities in creative occupations and higher salaries. The findings are contextualised in the New Labour cultural policy framework and conclusions are drawn on whether the creative industries policy construct has hidden a very problematic reality of winners and losers in the creative economy

Mortality of midlife women with surgically verified endometriosis-a cohort study including 2.5 million person-years of observation

STUDY QUESTION Is all-cause and cause-specific mortality increased among women with surgically verified endometriosis? SUMMARY ANSWER The all-cause and cause-specific mortality in midlife was lower throughout the follow-up among women with surgically verified endometriosis compared to the reference cohort. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Endometriosis has been associated with an increased risk of comorbidities such as certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. These diseases are also common causes of death; however, little is known about the mortality of women with endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A nationwide retrospective cohort study of women with surgically verified diagnosis of endometriosis was compared to the reference cohort in Finland (1987-2012). Follow-up ended at death or 31 December 2014. During the median follow-up of 17years, 2.5 million person-years accumulated. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Forty-nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-six women with at least one record of surgically verified diagnosis of endometriosis in the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register between 1987 and 2012 were compared to a reference cohort of 98824 age- and municipality-matched women. The age (meanstandard deviation) of the endometriosis cohort was 36.49.0 and 53.612.1years at the beginning and at the end of the follow-up, respectively. By using the Poisson regression models the crude and adjusted all-cause and cause-specific mortality rate ratios (MRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were assessed. Calendar time, age, time since the start of follow-up, educational level, and parity adjusted were considered in the multivariate analyses. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 1656 and 4291 deaths occurred in the endometriosis and reference cohorts, respectively. A lower all-cause mortality was observed for the endometriosis cohort (adjusted MRR, 0.73 [95% CI 0.69 to 0.77])-there were four deaths less per 1000 women over 10years. A lower cause-specific mortality contributed to this: the adjusted MRR was 0.88 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.96) for any cancer and 0.55 (95% CI 0.47 to 0.65) for cardiovascular diseases, including 0.52 (95% CI 0.42 to 0.64) for ischemic heart disease and 0.60 (95% CI 0.47 to 0.76) for cerebrovascular disease. Mortality due to alcohol, accidents and violence, respiratory, and digestive disease-related causes was also decreased. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUSATION These results are limited to women with endometriosis diagnosed by surgery. In addition, the study does not extend into the oldest age groups. The results might be explained by the characteristics and factors related to women's lifestyle, and/or increased medical attention and care received, rather than the disease itself. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS These reassuring data are valuable to women with endometriosis and to their health care providers. Nonetheless, more studies are needed to address the causality. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST This research was funded by the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa and The Finnish Medical Foundation. None of the authors report any competing interest in relation to the present work; all the authors have completed the disclosure form.Peer reviewe

Genetics of diabetic microvascular disease

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Diabetic microvascular complications, affecting the kidneys, retina, and the nervous system, are a heavy burden for both the diabetic individual and society. The complications seem to cluster in families suggesting a genetic component in their pathogenesis. However, the actual genetic factors have long remained unknown. During the past few years, major advances have been made with large-scale genetic studies that have identified common genetic risk factors, e.g. in the AFF3 and CNKSR3 gene loci affecting the risk of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) end-stage renal disease. There is increasing evidence that genetic factors affecting kidney disease in non-diabetic individuals also affect the risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), while less evidence is found for individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). While genetic explorations for diabetic retinopathy remain limited in sample size, a recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified variants associated with retinopathy on the GRB2 gene. Nevertheless, the field is still lacking strong validated genetic markers. In the future, better phenotyping, larger studies, and exploration of the rare variation are essential to identify the genetic causes behind diabetic microvascular complications, and to understand the interplay between genes and environment.Peer reviewe

Multisite musculoskeletal pain predicts medically certified disability retirement among Finns

BackgroundMusculoskeletal pain at several sites (multisite pain) is more common than single-site pain. Little is known on its effects on disability pension (DP) retirement. MethodsA nationally representative sample comprised 4071 Finns in the workforce aged 30 to 63. Data (questionnaire, interview, clinical examination) were gathered in 2000-2001 and linked with national DP registers for 2000-2011. Pain during the preceding month in 18 locations was combined into four sites (neck, upper limbs, low back, lower limbs). Hazard ratios (HR) of DP were estimated by Cox regression. ResultsThe HR of any DP (n=477) was 1.6 (95% confidence interval 1.2-2.1) for one, 2.5 (1.9-3.3) for two, 3.1 (2.3-4.3) for three and 5.6 (4.0-7.8) for four pain sites, when adjusted for age and gender. When additionally adjusted for clinically assessed chronic diseases, the HRs varied from 1.4 (1.0-1.8) to 3.5 (2.5-4.9), respectively. When further adjusted for physical and psychosocial workload, education, body mass index, smoking, exercise and sleep disorders, the HRs were 1.3 (0.9-1.7), 1.6 (1.2-2.2), 1.8 (1.3-2.5) and 2.5 (1.8-3.6). The number of pain sites was especially strong in predicting DPs due to musculoskeletal diseases (HRs in the full model; 3.1 to 4.3), but it also predicted DPs due to other somatic diseases (respective HRs 1.3 to 2.3); pain in all four sites was also predictive of DPs due to mental disorders (full model HR 2.2). ConclusionsThe number of pain sites independently predicted DP retirement. Employees with multisite pain may need specific support to maintain their work ability.Peer reviewe

Carborane-stilbene dyads: influence of substituents and cluster isomers on the photoluminescence properties

Two novel styrene-containing meta-carborane derivatives substituted at the second carbon cluster atom (Cc) with either a methyl (Me), or a phenyl (Ph) group, are introduced herein alongside with a new set of stilbene-containing ortho- (o-) and meta- (m-) carborane dyads. The latter set of compounds has been prepared from styrenecontaining carborane derivatives via Heck coupling reaction. High regioselectivity has been achieved for these compounds by using a combination of palladium complexes [Pd2(dba)3]/[Pd(t-Bu3P)2] as a catalytic system, yielding exclusively E isomers. All compounds have been fully characterized and the crystal structures of seven of them analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The absorption spectra of these compounds are similar to those of their respective fluorophore groups (styrene or stilbene), showing very low influence of the substituent (Me or Ph) linked to the second Cc atom or the cluster isomer (o- or m-). On the other hand, fluorescence spectroscopy revealed high emission intensities for Me-o-carborane derivatives, whereas their Ph-o-carborane analogues evidenced an almost total lack of fluorescence, confirming the significant role of the substituent bound to the adjacent Cc in o-carboranes. In contrast, all the m-carborane derivatives display similar photoluminescence (PL) behavior regardless of the substituent attached to the second Cc, demonstrating its small influence on the emission properties. Additionally, m-carborane derivatives are significantly more fluorescent than their o- counterparts, reaching quantum yield values as high as 30.2%. Regarding the solid state emission, only stilbene-containing Ph-o-carborane derivatives, which showed very low fluorescence in solution, exhibited a notable PL emission in films attributed to the aggregation-induced emission. DFT calculations were performed to successfully complement the photoluminescence studies, supporting the experimentally observed photophysical behavior of the styrene and stilbene-containing carborane derivatives. In conclusion, in this work is proved that it is possible to tailor the PL properties of the carborane-stilbene dyads by changing the Cc substituent and the carborane isomer.This work has been supported by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, MINECO, (CTQ2013-44670-R and CTQ2013-41339-P), and Generalitat de Catalunya (2014/SGR/149). Theoretical calculations have been achieved using computers from the Centro Técnico de Informática del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Ciéntificas (CTI-CSIC). ICMAB acknowledges financial support from the MINECO, through the “Severo Ochoa” Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D (SEV- 2015-0496).Peer reviewe

Direct amplification of nodD from community DNA reveals the genetic diversity of Rhizobium leguminosarum in soil

Sequences of nodD, a gene found only in rhizobia, were amplified from total community DNA isolated from a pasture soil. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers used, Y5 and Y6, match nodD from Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii, R. leguminosarum biovar viciae and Sinorhizobium meliloti. The PCR product was cloned and yielded 68 clones that were identified by restriction pattern as derived from biovar trifolii [11 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) types] and 15 clones identified as viciae (seven RFLP types). These identifications were confirmed by sequencing. There were no clones related to S. meliloti nodD. For comparison, 122 strains were isolated from nodules of white clover (Trifolium repens) growing at the field site, and 134 from nodules on trap plants of T. repens inoculated with the soil. The nodule isolates were of four nodD RFLP types, with 77% being of a single type. All four of these patterns were also found among the clones from soil DNA, and the same type was the most abundant, although it made up only 34% of the trifolii-like clones. We conclude that clover selects specific genotypes from the available soil population, and that R. leguminosarum biovar trifolii was approximately five times more abundant than biovar viciae in this pasture soil, whereas S. meliloti was rare

Synthesis, structure and antimicrobial activity of new Co(II) complex with bis-morpholino/benzoimidazole -s-triazine Ligand

Funding: The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project (RSP2023R64), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.A new Co(II) perchlorate complex of the bis-morpholino/benzoimidazole-s-triazine ligand, 4,4′-(6-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diyl)dimorpholine ( BMBIT ), was synthesized and characterized. The structure of the new Co(II) complex was approved to be [Co(BMBIT)2(H2O)4](ClO4)2*H2O using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The Co(II) complex was found crystallized in the monoclinic crystal system and P21/c space group. The unit cell parameters are a = 22.21971(11) Å, b = 8.86743(4) Å, c = 24.38673(12) Å and β = 113.4401(6)°. This heteroleptic complex has distorted octahedral coordination geometry with two monodenatate BMBIT ligand units via the benzoimidazole N-atom and four water molecules as monodentate ligands. The hydration water and perchlorate ions participated significantly in the supramolecular structure of the [Co( BMBIT )2(H2O)4](ClO4)2*H2O complex. Analysis of dnorm map and a fingerprint plot indicated the importance of O···H, N···H, C···H, C···O, C···N and H···H contacts. Their percentages are 27.5, 7.9, 14.0, 0.9, 2.8 and 43.5%, respectively. The sensitivity of some harmful microbes towards the studied compounds was investigated. The Co(II) complex has good antifungal activity compared to the free BMBIT which has no antifungal activity. The Co(II) complex has good activity against B. subtilis, S. aureus, P. vulgaris and E. coli while the free BMBIT ligand has limited activity only towards B. subtilis and P. vulgaris. Hence, the [Co( BMBIT )2(H2O)4](ClO4)2*H2O complex has broad spectrum antimicrobial action compared to the free BMBIT ligand.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Metagenomic Analysis of the Abundance and Composition of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Hospital Wastewater in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Finland

The global emergence and increased spread of antibiotic resistance threaten the effectiveness of antibiotics and, thus, the health of the entire population. Therefore, understanding the resistomes in different geographical locations is crucial in the global fight against the antibiotic resistance crisis.Antibiotic resistance is a global threat to human health, with the most severe effect in low- and middle-income countries. We explored the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the hospital wastewater (HWW) of nine hospitals in Benin and Burkina Faso, two low-income countries in West Africa, with shotgun metagenomic sequencing. For comparison, we also studied six hospitals in Finland. The highest sum of the relative abundance of ARGs in the 68 HWW samples was detected in Benin and the lowest in Finland. HWW resistomes and mobilomes in Benin and Burkina Faso resembled each other more than those in Finland. Many carbapenemase genes were detected at various abundances, especially in HWW from Burkina Faso and Finland. The bla(GES) genes, the most widespread carbapenemase gene in the Beninese HWW, were also found in water intended for hand washing and in a puddle at a hospital yard in Benin. mcr genes were detected in the HWW of all three countries, with mcr-5 being the most common mcr gene. These and other mcr genes were observed in very high relative abundances, even in treated wastewater in Burkina Faso and a street gutter in Benin. The results highlight the importance of wastewater treatment, with particular attention to HWW.IMPORTANCE The global emergence and increased spread of antibiotic resistance threaten the effectiveness of antibiotics and, thus, the health of the entire population. Therefore, understanding the resistomes in different geographical locations is crucial in the global fight against the antibiotic resistance crisis. However, this information is scarce in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as those in West Africa. In this study, we describe the resistomes of hospital wastewater in Benin and Burkina Faso and, as a comparison, Finland. Our results help to understand the hitherto unrevealed resistance in Beninese and Burkinabe hospitals. Furthermore, the results emphasize the importance of wastewater management infrastructure design to minimize exposure events between humans, HWW, and the environment, preventing the circulation of resistant bacteria and ARGs between humans (hospitals and community) and the environment.Peer reviewe

Genome-wide search for genes affecting the age at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease affecting individuals in the early years of life. Although previous studies have identified genetic loci influencing T1D diagnosis age, these studies did not investigate the genome with high resolution.Objective and methods: We performed a genome-wide meta-analysis for age at diagnosis with cohorts from Finland (Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study), the United Kingdom (UK Genetic Resource Investigating Diabetes) and Sardinia. Through SNP associations, transcriptome-wide association analysis linked T1D diagnosis age and gene expression.Results: We identified two chromosomal regions associated with T1D diagnosis age: multiple independent variants in the HLA region on chromosome 6 and a locus on chromosome 17q12. We performed gene-level association tests with transcriptome prediction models from two whole blood datasets, lymphocyte cell line, spleen, pancreas and small intestine tissues. Of the non-HLA genes, lower PNMT expression in whole blood, and higher IKZF3 and ZPBP2, and lower ORMDL3 and GSDMB transcription levels in multiple tissues were associated with lower T1D diagnosis age (FDR = 0.05). These genes lie on chr17q12 which is associated with T1D, other autoimmune diseases, and childhood asthma. Additionally, higher expression of PHF20L1, a gene not previously implicated in T1D, was associated with lower diagnosis age in lymphocytes, pancreas, and spleen. Altogether, the non-HLA associations were enriched in open chromatin in various blood cells, blood vessel tissues and foetal thymus tissue.Conclusion: Multiple genes on chr17q12 and PHF20L1 on chr8 were associated with T1D diagnosis age and only further studies may elucidate the role of these genes for immunity and T1D onset.</p