The thermal imprint of continental breakup during the formation of the South China Sea

This research used data provided by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).We thanks the participants to IODP Expedition 367-368 as well as the captains and crew of the Joides Resolution. Seismic sections originate from the IODP Expedition 367/368/368X proceeding volume. Platte River Associates, Inc is thanked for providing an academic licence of BasinMod 2D. We acknowledge IODP France and ECORD for the support. Funding for this research was provided by Total SA R&D (J.N. Ferry). SAB gratefully acknowledges NERC award NE/R002576/1; Measuring Rates of Weathered Petroleum Accumulation, South China Sea.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Insomnia evaluation and treatment during peripartum: a joint position paper from the European Insomnia Network task force “Sleep and Women,” the Italian Marcè Society and international experts task force for perinatal mental health

Insomnia symptoms are frequent during peripartum and are considered risk factors for peripartum psychopathology. Assessing and treating insomnia and related conditions of sleep loss during peripartum should be a priority in the clinical practice. The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review on insomnia evaluation and treatment during peripartum which may be useful for clinicians. The literature review was carried out between January 2000 and May 2021 on the evaluation and treatment of insomnia during the peripartum period. The PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase electronic databases were searched for literature published according to the PRISMA guidance with several combinations of search terms “insomnia” and “perinatal period” or “pregnancy” or “post partum” or “lactation” or “breastfeeding” and “evaluation” and “treatment.” Based on this search, 136 articles about insomnia evaluation and 335 articles on insomnia treatment were found and we conducted at the end a narrative review. According to the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 41 articles were selected for the evaluation part and 22 on the treatment part, including the most recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Evaluation of insomnia during peripartum, as for insomnia patients, may be conducted at least throughout a clinical interview, but specific rating scales are available and may be useful for assessment. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), as for insomnia patients, should be the preferred treatment choice during peripartum, and it may be useful to also improve mood, anxiety symptoms, and fatigue. Pharmacological treatment may be considered when women who present with severe forms of insomnia symptoms do not respond to nonpharmacologic therapy

From polar night to midnight sun: Diel vertical migration, metabolism and biogeochemical role of zooplankton in a high Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard)

Source at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lno.10519 Zooplankton vertical migration enhances the efficiency of the ocean biological pump by translocating carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) below the mixed layer through respiration and excretion at depth. We measured C and N active transport due to diel vertical migration (DVM) in a Svalbard fjord at 79°N. Multifrequency analysis of backscatter data from an Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler moored from January to September 2014, combined with plankton net data, showed that Thysanoessa spp. euphausiids made up > 90% of the diel migrant biomass. Classical synchronous DVM occurred before and after the phytoplankton bloom, leading to a mismatch with intensive primary production during the midnight sun. Zooplankton DVM resulted in C respiration of 0.9 g m−2 and ammonium excretion of 0.18 g N m−2 below 82 m depth between February and April, and 0.2 g C m−2 and 0.04 g N m−2 from 11 August to 9 September, representing > 25% and > 33% of sinking flux of particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, respectively. Such contribution of DVM active transport to the biological pump in this high-Arctic location is consistent with previous measurements in several equatorial to subarctic oceanic systems of the World Ocean. Climate warming is expected to result in tighter coupling between DVM and bloom periods, stronger stratification of the Barents Sea, and northward advection of boreal euphausiids. This may increase the role of DVM in the functioning of the biological pump on the Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean, particularly where euphausiids are or will be prevalent in the zooplankton community

Early anthropogenic impact on Western Central African rainforests 2,600 y ago

A potential human footprint on Western Central African rainforests before the Common Era has become the focus of an ongoing controversy. Between 3,000 y ago and 2,000 y ago, regional pollen sequences indicate a replacement of mature rainforests by a forest–savannah mosaic including pioneer trees. Although some studies suggested an anthropogenic influence on this forest fragmentation, current interpretations based on pollen data attribute the ‘‘rainforest crisis’’ to climate change toward a drier, more seasonal climate. A rigorous test of this hypothesis, however, requires climate proxies independent of vegetation changes. Here we resolve this controversy through a continuous 10,500-y record of both vegetation and hydrological changes from Lake Barombi in Southwest Cameroon based on changes in carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of plant waxes. δ¹³C-inferred vegetation changes confirm a prominent and abrupt appearance of C4 plants in the Lake Barombi catchment, at 2,600 calendar years before AD 1950 (cal y BP), followed by an equally sudden return to rainforest vegetation at 2,020 cal y BP. δD values from the same plant wax compounds, however, show no simultaneous hydrological change. Based on the combination of these data with a comprehensive regional archaeological database we provide evidence that humans triggered the rainforest fragmentation 2,600 y ago. Our findings suggest that technological developments, including agricultural practices and iron metallurgy, possibly related to the large-scale Bantu expansion, significantly impacted the ecosystems before the Common Era

International Expert Opinions and Recommendations on the Use of Melatonin in the Treatment of Insomnia and Circadian Sleep Disturbances in Adult Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Introduction: Insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, such as the delayed sleep phase syndrome, are frequent in psychiatric disorders and their evaluation and management in early stages should be a priority. The aim of this paper was to express recommendations on the use of exogenous melatonin, which exhibits both chronobiotic and sleep-promoting actions, for the treatment of these sleep disturbances in psychiatric disorders.Methods: To this aim, we conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA on the use of melatonin for the treatment of insomnia and circadian sleep disorders in neuropsychiatry. We expressed recommendations for the use of melatonin in psychiatric clinical practice for each disorder using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method.Results: We selected 41 studies, which included mood disorders, schizophrenia, substance use disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, autism spectrum disorders, neurocognitive disorders, and delirium; no studies were found for both anxiety and eating disorders.Conclusion: The administration of prolonged release melatonin at 2–10 mg, 1–2 h before bedtime, might be used in the treatment of insomnia symptoms or comorbid insomnia in mood disorders, schizophrenia, in adults with autism spectrum disorders, neurocognitive disorders and during sedative-hypnotics discontinuation. Immediate release melatonin at <1 mg might be useful in the treatment of circadian sleep disturbances of neuropsychiatric disorders

Identification and Characterization of Known Biallelic Mutations in the IFT27 (BBS19) Gene in a Novel Family With Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS; MIM 209900) is a rare ciliopathy characterized by retinitis pigmentosa, postaxial polydactyly, obesity, hypogonadism, cognitive impairment and kidney dysfunction. Mutations in 22 BBS genes have been identified to cause the disease. We report a family with typical BBS features (retinitis pigmentosa, postaxial polydactyly, obesity, cognitive impairment, and atrioventricular septal defect) mutated in IFT27/BBS19. IFT27 is part of the Intraflagellar transport (IFT), a bidirectional mechanism allowing the protein motility within the cilia. Using whole exome sequencing, two compound heterozygous mutations were found in the proband (NM_006860.4:c.[104A > G];[349+1G > T], p.[Tyr35Cys];[?]) consistent with the expected autosomal recessive inheritance mode. These two mutations have already been reported but independently in other families and lacking either familial segregation or functional validation. This is the third report of IFT27 mutations in BBS patients confirming IFT27 as a BBS gene (BBS19). Mutations in IFT genes (IFT27, IFT172 and IFT74) confirm the IFT-pathway as a pathomechanism for BBS

Insomnia evaluation and treatment during peripartum : a joint position paper from the European Insomnia Network task force “Sleep and Women,” the Italian Marcè Society and international experts task force for perinatal mental health

Insomnia symptoms are frequent during peripartum and are considered risk factors for peripartum psychopathology. Assessing and treating insomnia and related conditions of sleep loss during peripartum should be a priority in the clinical practice. The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review on insomnia evaluation and treatment during peripartum which may be useful for clinicians. The literature review was carried out between January 2000 and May 2021 on the evaluation and treatment of insomnia during the peripartum period. The PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase electronic databases were searched for literature published according to the PRISMA guidance with several combinations of search terms “insomnia” and “perinatal period” or “pregnancy” or “post partum” or “lactation” or “breastfeeding” and “evaluation” and “treatment.” Based on this search, 136 articles about insomnia evaluation and 335 articles on insomnia treatment were found and we conducted at the end a narrative review. According to the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 41 articles were selected for the evaluation part and 22 on the treatment part, including the most recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Evaluation of insomnia during peripartum, as for insomnia patients, may be conducted at least throughout a clinical interview, but specific rating scales are available and may be useful for assessment. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), as for insomnia patients, should be the preferred treatment choice during peripartum, and it may be useful to also improve mood, anxiety symptoms, and fatigue. Pharmacological treatment may be considered when women who present with severe forms of insomnia symptoms do not respond to nonpharmacologic therapy

Epitope-engineered human hematopoietic stem cells are shielded from CD123-targeted immunotherapy

Targeted eradication of transformed or otherwise dysregulated cells using monoclonal antibodies (mAb), antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), T cell engagers (TCE), or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cells is very effective for hematologic diseases. Unlike the breakthrough progress achieved for B cell malignancies, there is a pressing need to find suitable antigens for myeloid malignancies. CD123, the interleukin-3 (IL-3) receptor alpha-chain, is highly expressed in various hematological malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, shared CD123 expression on healthy hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) bears the risk for myelotoxicity. We demonstrate that epitope-engineered HSPCs were shielded from CD123-targeted immunotherapy but remained functional, while CD123-deficient HSPCs displayed a competitive disadvantage. Transplantation of genome-edited HSPCs could enable tumor-selective targeted immunotherapy while rebuilding a fully functional hematopoietic system. We envision that this approach is broadly applicable to other targets and cells, could render hitherto undruggable targets accessible to immunotherapy, and will allow continued posttransplant therapy, for instance, to treat minimal residual disease (MRD)

Nanotopographical induction of osteogenesis through adhesion, bone morphogenic protein cosignaling, and regulation of microRNAs

It is emerging that nanotopographical information can be used to induce osteogenesis from mesenchymal stromal cells from the bone marrow and it is hoped that this nanoscale bioactivity can be utilized to engineer next generation implants. However, the osteogenic mechanism of surfaces is currently poorly understood. In this report, we investigate mechanism and implicate bone morphogenic protein (BMP) in up-regulation of RUNX2 and show that RUNX2 and its regulatory miRNAs are BMP sensitive. Our data demonstrates that osteogenic nanotopography promotes co-localization of intergrins and BMP2 receptors in order to enhance osteogenic activity and that vitronectin is important in this interface. This provides insight that topographical regulation of adhesion can have effects on signaling cascades outside of cytoskeletal signaling and that adhesions can have roles in augmenting BMP signaling

Differences in perceived causes of childhood obesity between migrant and local communities in China: a qualitative study

In developing countries, obesity traditionally affectsmore affluent children, butis spreading to a wider social group. Understanding the perceivedcontributors can provide valuable insights to plan preventive interventions. We exploreddifferences in the perceived causes of childhood obesity between local and migrant communities in a major Chinese city. We conducted 20 focus groups (137 parents, grandparents, school teachers) and 11semi-structured interviews with school Principals from migrant and local communities in Guangzhou. Data were transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach. We found that Lack of influence from grandparents, who were perceived to promote obesogenic behaviorin local children, fewer opportunities for unhealthy snacking and less pressure for academic attainment leading to moreactive play were interpreted as potential "protective" factors among migrant children. Nevertheless, two perceived causes of obesity were more pronounced in migrant than local children: lack of parental monitoring after-school andunsafe neighborhoods limiting physical-activity. Two barriers that restricted child physical activity were only found in the migrant community: limited home space, and cultural differences, inhabitinginteractive play with local children. Future interventions should consider uniquedeterminants of obesity in children from different social backgrounds, with tailored strategies to prevent further rise of the epidemic