A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Production of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furan carboxylic acid by Serratia marcescens from crude 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

A valuable monomer in the synthesis of various polyesters is 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furan carboxylic acid (HMFCA). In this work, the synthesis of HMFCA using crude HMF obtained from fructose is described. To obtain crude HMF, fructose dehydration was performed by thermal treatment with Nb2O5, obtaining a yield of 76%. Then, the crude HMF was evaluated in the production of HMFCA using Serratia marcescens at different conditions such as initial optical density (OD), pH, temperature, and substrate concentration. Once the conditions were optimized, the HMFCA concentration of 790.2 mg/L was obtained using the fed-batch strategy.Fil: Muñoz, Tatiana. Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Rache, Leidy Y.. Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Rojas, Agustin Hugo. Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; Colombia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Romanelli, Gustavo Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas "Dr. Jorge J. Ronco". Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, José J.. Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Luque, Rafael. Universidad de Córdoba; España. Peoples Friendship University of Russia; Rusi

ErbB2 and ErbB3 regulate amputation-induced proliferation and migration during vertebrate regeneration

Epimorphic regeneration is a unique and complex instance of postembryonic growth observed in certain metazoans that is usually triggered by severe injury [Akimenko et al., 2003; Alvarado and Tsonis, 2006; Brockes, 1997; Endo et al., 2004]. Cell division and migration are two fundamental biological processes required for supplying replacement cells during regeneration [Endo et al., 2004; Slack, 2007]. However, the connection between the early stimuli generated after injury and the signals regulating proliferation and migration during regeneration remain largely unknown. Here we show that the oncogenes ErbB2 and ErbB3, two members of the EGFR family, are essential for mounting a successful regeneration response in vertebrates. Importantly, amputation-induced progenitor proliferation and migration are significantly reduced upon genetic and/or chemical modulation of ErbB function. Moreover, we also found that NRG1 and PI3K functionally interact with ErbB2 and ErbB3 during regeneration and interfering with their function also abrogates the capacity of progenitor cells to regenerate lost structures upon amputation. Our findings suggest that ErbB, PI3K and NRG1 are components of a permissive switch for migration and proliferation continuously acting across the amputated fin from early stages of vertebrate regeneration onwards that regulate the expression of the transcription factors lef1 and msxB

Genetic diversity of Calpain 1 gene in Bolivian Creole, Nellore and Brahman bovine breeds in Bolivia

In Bolivia, beef production is mainly based on two genotypes, Bos taurus (Creole cattle) and B. indicus (zebu), being weight gain the main selection criteria used by farmers. However, meat quality and especially tenderness must be incorporated in the selection process. Meat tenderness is partly determined by the calpain (CAPN1)/calpastatin (CAST) protein system. Thus, the objective of the present work was to determine and compare the genetic variability of the CAPN1 gene in Creole (CreBo), Brahman (BraBo) and Nellore (NelBo) breeds in Bolivia. DNA was extracted from blood samples from 147 CreBo, 59 BraBo and 93 NelBo, and three polymorphisms were genotyped using ARMS-PCR (CAPN1-316 and CAPN1-4751) and PCR-RFLP (CAPN1-530). Furthermore, CAPN1-316 and CAPN1-4751 were analyzed with Axiom™ Bos 1 Genotyping Array r3. Allele frequencies associated with higher tenderness in CreBo, BraBo and NelBo were 0.22, 0 and 0.09 (CAPN1-316 C), 0.76, 0.16 and 0.08 (CAPN1-4751 C), and 0.77, 0.92 and 0.94 (CAPN1-530 G). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis revealed the presence of two LD blocks. Our results evidence that CreBo has a higher frequency of alleles associated with higher meat tenderness than the analyzed zebu breeds. These markers could be used in breeding programs to improve Bolivian cattle herd meat quality either by selection within Creole breeds or crosses with zebu cattle.En Bolivia, la producción de carne se basa principalmente en la cría de dos genotipos, Bos taurus (ganado Criollo) y B. indicus (cebú), siendo la ganancia de peso el principal criterio de selección utilizado por los criadores. Sin embargo, la calidad y especialmente la terneza de la carne deben ser incorporadas al proceso de selección. La terneza en parte está determinada por el sistema proteico calpaína (CAPN1)/calpastatina (CAST). Por lo tanto, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar y comparar la variabilidad genética del gen CAPN1 en las razas Criolla (CreBo), Brahman (BraBo) y Nelore (NelBo) de Bolivia. El ADN se extrajo de muestras de sangre de 147 CreBo, 59 BraBo y 93 NelBo, y tres polimorfismos se genotipificaron por ARMS-PCR (CAPN1-316 y CAPN1-4751) y PCR-RFLP (CAPN1-530). Adicionalmente, CAPN1-316 y CAPN1-4751 fueron analizados con el microarray Axiom™ Bos 1 Genotyping Array r3. Las frecuencias de los alelos asociados con una mayor terneza en CreBo, BraBo y NelBo fueron 0,22, 0 y 0,09 (CAPN1-316 C), 0,76, 0,16 y 0,08 (CAPN1-4751 C), y 0,77, 0,92 y 0,94 (CAPN1-530 G). El análisis del desequilibrio de ligamiento reveló la presencia de dos bloques. Estos resultados muestran que CreBo presenta una mayor frecuencia de alelos asociados a mayor terneza en la carne que las razas cebuinas analizadas. Estos marcadores podrían ser utilizados en los programas de cría para mejorar la calidad de la carne del ganado boliviano, tanto por selección dentro del ganado Criollo como por cruzamiento con ganado cebú

HDAC-regulated myomiRs control BAF60 variant exchange and direct the functional phenotype of fibro-adipogenic progenitors in dystrophic muscles

Fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) are important components of the skeletal muscle regenerative environment. Whether FAPs support muscle regeneration or promote fibro-adipogenic degeneration is emerging as a key determinant in the pathogenesis of muscular diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, the molecular mechanism that controls FAP lineage commitment and activity is currently unknown. We show here that an HDAC–myomiR–BAF60 variant network regulates the fate of FAPs in dystrophic muscles of mdx mice. Combinatorial analysis of gene expression microarray, genome-wide chromatin remodeling by nuclease accessibility (NA) combined with next-generation sequencing (NA-seq), small RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and microRNA (miR) high-throughput screening (HTS) against SWI/SNF BAF60 variants revealed that HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) derepress a “latent” myogenic program in FAPs from dystrophic muscles at early stages of disease. Specifically, HDAC inhibition induces two core components of the myogenic transcriptional machinery, MYOD and BAF60C, and up-regulates the myogenic miRs (myomiRs) (miR-1.2, miR-133, and miR-206), which target the alternative BAF60 variants BAF60A and BAF60B, ultimately directing promyogenic differentiation while suppressing the fibro-adipogenic phenotype. In contrast, FAPs from late stage dystrophic muscles are resistant to HDACi-induced chromatin remodeling at myogenic loci and fail to activate the promyogenic phenotype. These results reveal a previously unappreciated disease stage-specific bipotency of mesenchimal cells within the regenerative environment of dystrophic muscles. Resolution of such bipotency by epigenetic intervention with HDACis provides a molecular rationale for the in situ reprogramming of target cells to promote therapeutic regeneration of dystrophic muscles

Additional file 6 of Validating and automating learning of cardiometabolic polygenic risk scores from direct-to-consumer genetic and phenotypic data: implications for scaling precision health research

Additional file 6. PGS Catalog models for T2D and Hypertension

Additional file 4 of Validating and automating learning of cardiometabolic polygenic risk scores from direct-to-consumer genetic and phenotypic data: implications for scaling precision health research

Additional file 4. Predictive performance results by model

Additional file 5 of Validating and automating learning of cardiometabolic polygenic risk scores from direct-to-consumer genetic and phenotypic data: implications for scaling precision health research

Additional file 5. PGS Catalog models for T2D and Hypertension