Open Problems on Central Simple Algebras

We provide a survey of past research and a list of open problems regarding central simple algebras and the Brauer group over a field, intended both for experts and for beginners.Comment: v2 has some small revisions to the text. Some items are re-numbered, compared to v

TGF-beta 1 induces human alveolar epithelial to mesenchymal cell transition (EMT)

Background: Fibroblastic foci are characteristic features in lung parenchyma of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). They comprise aggregates of mesenchymal cells which underlie sites of unresolved epithelial injury and are associated with progression of fibrosis. However, the cellular origins of these mesenchymal phenotypes remain unclear. We examined whether the potent fibrogenic cytokine TGF-β1 could induce epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the human alveolar epithelial cell line, A549, and investigated the signaling pathway of TGF-β1-mediated EMT. Methods: A549 cells were examined for evidence of EMT after treatment with TGF-β1. EMT was assessed by: morphology under phase-contrast microscopy; Western analysis of cell lysates for expression of mesenchymal phenotypic markers including fibronectin EDA (Fn-EDA), and expression of epithelial phenotypic markers including E-cadherin (E-cad). Markers of fibrogenesis, including collagens and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) were also evaluated by measuring mRNA level using RT-PCR, and protein by immunofluorescence or Western blotting. Signaling pathways for EMT were characterized by Western analysis of cell lysates using monoclonal antibodies to detect phosphorylated Erk1/2 and Smad2 after TGF-β1 treatment in the presence or absence of MEK inhibitors. The role of Smad2 in TGF-β1-mediated EMT was investigated using siRNA. Results: The data showed that TGF-β1, but not TNF-α or IL-1β, induced A549 cells with an alveolar epithelial type II cell phenotype to undergo EMT in a time-and concentration-dependent manner. The process of EMT was accompanied by morphological alteration and expression of the fibroblast phenotypic markers Fn-EDA and vimentin, concomitant with a downregulation of the epithelial phenotype marker E-cad. Furthermore, cells that had undergone EMT showed enhanced expression of markers of fibrogenesis including collagens type I and III and CTGF. MMP-2 expression was also evidenced. TGF-β1-induced EMT occurred through phosphorylation of Smad2 and was inhibited by Smad2 gene silencing; MEK inhibitors failed to attenuate either EMT-associated Smad2 phosphorylation or the observed phenotypic changes. Conclusion: Our study shows that TGF-β1 induces A549 alveolar epithelial cells to undergo EMT via Smad2 activation. Our data support the concept of EMT in lung epithelial cells, and suggest the need for further studies to investigate the phenomenon

Management of Septated Malignant Pleural Effusions

Purpose of Review: We review recent studies of patients with septated malignant pleural effusions, to understand what the clinical implications for patients are and what evidence-based methods should be used to manage these effusions. Recent Findings: Fibrinolytics improve effusion size assessed radiologically in patients with a chest drain inserted for septated malignant pleural effusions but this does not translate into an improvement in breathlessness relief or pleurodesis success. Fibrinolytics have also been used in patients with septated effusions associated with indwelling pleural catheters, but dyspnoea relief has not been assessed in this population. Patients with septated effusions or extensive adhesions appear to have a worse prognosis. Summary: Patients with septated malignant pleural effusions have a poor prognosis and do not gain clinical benefit from fibrinolytics via chest drain. The role of fibrinolytics for septated effusions associated with indwelling pleural catheters requires further study

Cooperative secretions facilitate host range expansion in bacteria

The majority of emergent human pathogens are zoonotic in origin, that is, they can transmit to humans from other animals. Understanding the factors underlying the evolution of pathogen host range is therefore of critical importance in protecting human health. There are two main evolutionary routes to generalism: organisms can tolerate multiple environments or they can modify their environments to forms to which they are adapted. Here we use a combination of theory and a phylogenetic comparative analysis of 191 pathogenic bacterial species to show that bacteria use cooperative secretions that modify their environment to extend their host range and infect multiple host species. Our results suggest that cooperative secretions are key determinants of host range in bacteria, and that monitoring for the acquisition of secreted proteins by horizontal gene transfer can help predict emerging zoonoses

Public Health Literacy and Emergency Department Utilization in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Muna Aljahany,1 Rasha Doumi,2 Ruba Adel Alhuthail,2 Hind Yahiya Alshangiti,2 Reem Abdullah Alsugair,2 Laila Salah Aldokhail,2 Lujain Hatim Aljohani,2 Nuwayyir Abdullah Alqasimi,2 Enar Mohammed Alotaibi,2 Lujain Mohamed Alaradi,2 Norah Abdulaziz Alabdullah,2 Nadeen Saad Alkelabi,2 Nouran A Aleyeidi,2 Amel Fayed2 1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Rasha Doumi, Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia, Tel +00966505813784, Email [email protected]: Health literacy (HL) is the degree in which individuals are able to access, comprehend, and use publicly available health resources and services. A previous study was done in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) assessing the prevalence of HL, the study shows that almost half of KSA residents had limited HL. Most studies that show the level of HL and its relationship to emergency department (ED) utilization were conducted outside KSA. This study aims to assess the association between HL and utilization of ED services and to estimate the prevalence, factors, and outcomes of low HL in KSA.Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 903 participants in KSA over a period of 2 months (April and May 2023) using an online survey. Participants were asked about sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, nationality, marital status, education, work status, income), associated factors (chronic diseases, psychiatric disorders, Covid-19 infection, Covid-19 vaccination, ED visits), and Health Literacy (read, access, understand, evaluation, decision). A health literacy instrument for adults (HELIA), which consists of the previously mentioned five subscales, was used to estimate the level of HL and its association with the risk factors.Results: Almost 529 (58.58%) and 374 (41.42%) had limited HL and adequate HL, respectively. Participants with limited HL were mostly aged 35– 45 years (61.7%), men (p 30 thousand riyals (55.6%, p < 0.05), were previously infected with COVID-19 (43%), and did not visit ED in the preceding year (42.3%).Conclusion: A high prevalence of low HL among KSA residents was observed. There was no significant difference in ED utilization between participants who had adequate and limited HL.Keywords: health literacy instrument for adults, emergency department utilization, COVID-1

Protein trafficking through the endosomal system prepares intracellular parasites for a home invasion

Toxoplasma (toxoplasmosis) and Plasmodium (malaria) use unique secretory organelles for migration, cell invasion, manipulation of host cell functions, and cell egress. In particular, the apical secretory micronemes and rhoptries of apicomplexan parasites are essential for successful host infection. New findings reveal that the contents of these organelles, which are transported through the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi, also require the parasite endosome-like system to access their respective organelles. In this review, we discuss recent findings that demonstrate that these parasites reduced their endosomal system and modified classical regulators of this pathway for the biogenesis of apical organelles

Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) Guideline for Pharmacogenetics-Guided Warfarin Dosing: 2017 Update

This document is an update to the 2011 Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guideline for CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes and warfarin dosing. Evidence from the published literature is presented for CYP2C9, VKORC1, CYP4F2, and rs12777823 genotype-guided warfarin dosing to achieve a target international normalized ratio of 2-3 when clinical genotype results are available. In addition, this updated guideline incorporates recommendations for adult and pediatric patients that are specific to continental ancestry

Developmental changes in the role of different metalinguistic awareness skills in Chinese reading acquisition from preschool to third grade

Copyright @ 2014 Wei et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.The present study investigated the relationship between Chinese reading skills and metalinguistic awareness skills such as phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness for 101 Preschool, 94 Grade-1, 98 Grade-2, and 98 Grade-3 children from two primary schools in Mainland China. The aim of the study was to examine how each of these metalinguistic awareness skills would exert their influence on the success of reading in Chinese with age. The results showed that all three metalinguistic awareness skills significantly predicted reading success. It further revealed that orthographic awareness played a dominant role in the early stages of reading acquisition, and its influence decreased with age, while the opposite was true for the contribution of morphological awareness. The results were in stark contrast with studies in English, where phonological awareness is typically shown as the single most potent metalinguistic awareness factor in literacy acquisition. In order to account for the current data, a three-stage model of reading acquisition in Chinese is discussed.National Natural Science Foundation of China and Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences