Micro-RNAs of the miR-15 family modulate cardiomyocyte survival and cardiac repair

A family of microRNAs, called the miR-15 family, which includes miR-195, are shown to be up-regulated during pathological cardiac remodeling and repress the expression of mRNAs required for cell proliferation and survival, with consequent loss of cardiomyocytes. Strategies to block expression of the miR-15 family in the heart as a treatment for diverse cardiac disease are provided.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Micro-RNAS that control myosin expression and myofiber identity

The present invention relates to the identification of two microRNAs, miR-499 and miR-208b, that repress fast skeletal muscle contractile protein genes. Expression of miR-499 and/or miR-208b can be used to repress fast fiber genes and activate slow fiber genes in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Inhibition of miR-499 and/or miR-208b is proposed as a treatment for cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, and/or heart failure. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising antagonists and agonists of miR-499 and miR-208b function are also disclosed.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Micro-RNA family that modulates fibrosis and uses thereof

The present invention relates to the identification of a microRNA family, designated miR-29a-c, that is a key regulator of fibrosis in cardiac tissue. The inventors show that members of the miR-29 family are down-regulated in the heart tissue in response to stress, and are up-regulated in heart tissue of mice that are resistant to both stress and fibrosis. Also provided are methods of modulating expression and activity of the miR-29 family of miRNAs as a treatment for fibrotic disease, including cardiac hypertrophy, skeletal muscle fibrosis other fibrosis related diseases and collagen loss-related disease.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Bloodstream yeast infections: a 15-month survey

A 15-month survey of 412 bloodstream yeast isolates from 54 Belgian hospitals was undertaken. Candida albicans was the most common species (47.3%) followed by C. glabrata (25.7%), C. parapsilosis (8.0%), C. tropicalis (6.8%) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (5.1%). Common predisposing factors were antibacterial therapy (45%), hospitalization in intensive care units (34%), presence of in-dwelling catheters (32%), underlying cancer (23%) and major surgery (11%). Most patients had more than one predisposing factor. Fluconazole alone or in combination with another antifungal agent was the treatment of choice for 86.6% of the cases. Susceptibility testing revealed that 93.5% were susceptible to amphotericin B, 39.6% to itraconazole, 42.8% to fluconazole and 87% to voriconazole. Resistance to azoles was more common among C. glabrata isolates

Situational Voluntary Compliance: Adherence to COVID-19 Social Distancing Guidelines in the 2020 Local Outbreak in Beijing

To mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic many countries have adopted mandatory social distancing measures, but in China, social distancing was implemented only as an advisory guideline. This article seeks to understand whether, and why Chinese citizens adhered to such social distancing advice. The data, derived from a survey in the 2020 local outbreak in Beijing, show that voluntary compliance was hardly influ-enced by motivational predictors, but was almost exclusively dependent on a single, key situational predictor, namely people’s practical capacity to follow social distancing. These findings demonstrate that the emphasis on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in existing compliance research does not do justice to the situational nature of voluntary compliance observed within this particular context. We discuss theoretical implications of these findings for the compliance literature. Moreover, we use these findings to provide (tentative) insight into the compliance challenges that China was facing during the course of the pandemic, and to speculate about ways in which compliance may be enhanced during future pandemic outbreaks in China.</p