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The sciatic nerve originates in the spinal nerves from L4 to S3 and it is the terminal root of the sacral plexus. It emerges from the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen, generally passing directly underneath the piriformis muscle along with other neurovascular structures. Different varieties in the relationship between the sciatic nerve and the piriformis muscle have been described. The most used one defines six different types. Locally, there are few studies about the topic. For this reason, from the Fetal Anatomy Area of the Normal Anatomy Chair, FCM-UNC, we proposed the study of the different varieties of the sciatic nerve through serial dissections of samples from the city of Córdoba. The aim was to determine the incidence of the different sciatic nerve varieties related to the piriformis muscle.The study was carried out on fetal cadaveric samples, under 500 grams of weight, provided by Misericordia Hospital, Córdoba. Sixty gluteal regions corresponding to thirty fetuses between 15 and 22 weeks, sixteen females and fourteen males, were dissected.The following varieties were found: type 1 or classic variety (77%); type 2 (17%) with the muscle perforated by the common fibular nerve while the tibial nerve goes underneath; type 3 (3%) with the origin of the common fibular nerve over the muscle. Another variety, not described in Beaton and Anson´s classification, was found and was called type 4 (3%), with a branch going through the piriformis muscle thickness and two branches coming underneath it.Type 2 incidence is higher than in other studies and type 3 is within the descripted ranges. This medical investigation provides a database from Cordoba, Argentina, about the incidence, morphological characteristics, and photographic documentation of the different sciatic nerve varieties. The knowledge of these varieties will be very useful for the healthcare professionals to improve diagnosis quality and to avoid sciatic nerve damage when performing a surgical procedure in the region.El nervio ciático tiene su origen en los nervios espinales desde L4 a S3 y es la rama terminal del plexo sacro. Emerge de la pelvis a través del foramen ciático mayor, situándose generalmente inferior al músculo piriforme junto con otras estructuras vasculonerviosas. Se han descripto diferentes variedades vinculadas a la relación del nervio ciático con el músculo piriforme. La más usada define 6 tipos. A nivel local, los estudios sobre el tema son mínimos. Por esta razón, desde el Área de Anatomía Fetal de la Cátedra de Anatomía Normal, FCM-UNC, se propuso el estudio de las variedades del nervio ciático mediante disecciones en serie a partir de una muestra de Córdoba.El objetivo fue determinar la incidencia de las variedades del nervio ciático en relación al músculo piriforme.Se realizaron los estudios en material cadavérico fetal, menor a 500 gramos, cedido por el Hospital Misericordia, Córdoba. Se disecaron 60 regiones glúteas correspondientes a 30 fetos de 15 a 22 semanas, 16 femeninos y 14 masculinos. Se utilizó instrumental de microdisección y lupas binoculares.Se hallaron las siguientes variedades: tipo 1 o variedad clásica (77%); tipo 2 (17%) con perforación del músculo por el nervio fibular común, mientras que el nervio tibial pasa por debajo; tipo 3 (3%) con un origen del nervio fibular común por encima del músculo y, describimos una variedad no incluida en la clasificación de Beaton y Anson que en este trabajo se denominó tipo 4 (3%) con una rama que atraviesa el espesor del musculo piriforme y dos ramas que emergen por debajo del mismo. La incidencia del tipo 2 es mayor a las de otros estudios y la variedad tipo 3 está dentro de los valores descriptos. Este estudio produce una base de datos nativa de Córdoba, Argentina, de la incidencia, características morfológicas y documentación fotográfica de las variedades del nervio ciático. El conocimiento de éstas sirve a los profesionales de la salud para mejorar la calidad de los diagnósticos y evitar la lesión del nervio ciático durante procedimientos quirúrgicos en la región.

Body mass index (BMI) does not predict responses to psilocybin

Background: Psilocybin is a serotonin type 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonist and naturally occurring psychedelic. 5-HT2A receptor density is known to be associated with body mass index (BMI), however, the impact of this on psilocybin therapy has not been explored. While body weight-adjusted dosing is widely used, this imposes a practical and financial strain on the scalability of psychedelic therapy. This gap between evidence and practice is caused by the absence of studies clarifying the relationship between BMI, the acute psychedelic experience and long-term psychological outcomes. Method: Data were pooled across three studies using a fixed 25 mg dose of psilocybin delivered in a therapeutic context to assess whether BMI predicts characteristics of the acute experience and changes in well-being 2 weeks later. Supplementing frequentist analysis with Bayes Factors has enabled for conclusions to be drawn regarding the null hypothesis. Results: Results support the null hypothesis that BMI does not predict overall intensity of the altered state, mystical experiences, perceptual changes or emotional breakthroughs during the acute experience. There was weak evidence for greater ‘dread of ego dissolution’ in participants with lower BMI, however, further analysis suggested BMI did not meaningfully add to the combination of the other covariates (age, sex and study). While mystical-type experiences and emotional breakthroughs were strong predictors of improvements in well-being, BMI was not. Conclusions: These findings have important implications for our understanding of pharmacological and extra-pharmacological contributors to psychedelic-assisted therapy and for the standardization of a fixed therapeutic dose in psychedelic-assisted therapy

Shorter Telomeres May Mark Early Risk of Dementia: Preliminary Analysis of 62 Participants from the Nurses' Health Study

Background: Dementia takes decades to develop, and effective prevention will likely require early intervention. Thus, it is critical to identify biomarkers of preclinical disease, allowing targeting of high-risk subjects for preventive efforts. Since telomeres shorten with age and oxidative stress both of which are important contributors to the onset of dementia, telomere length might be a valuable biomarker. Methodology/Principal Findings: Among 62 participants of the Nurses' Health Study,we conducted neurologic evaluations, including patient and caregiver interviews physical exam, neurologic exam and neuropsychologic testing. We also conducted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a sample of 29 of these women. In these preliminary data, after adjustment for numerous health and lifestyle factors, we found that truncated telomeres in peripheral blood leukocytes segregate with preclinical dementia states, including mild cognitive impairment (MRI); the odds of MCI were 12 fold higher (odds ratio = 12.00, 95% confidence interval 1.24-116.5) for those with shorter telomere length compared to longer telomere length. In addition, decreasing telomere length was strongly related to decreasing hippocampal volume (p=0.038). Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that telomere length may be a possible early marker of dementia risk, and merits further study in large, prospective investigations

Maternal Perception of Child Weight Among Mexicans in California and Mexico

The prevalence of childhood overweight is high in Mexican immigrant communities in the United States. Understanding mother’s perceptions of child weight in immigrants’ country of origin may help to understand this high prevalence. The goal of this study was to examine and compare mothers’ perception of weight in Mexico (MX) and in an immigrant community in California (CA). We assessed perceptions of child weight using a pictorial scale with 314 mothers of 5-year-old children in MX and 60 mothers of 5 year-old-children in CA. We compared maternal reports with children’s objectively measured weight. Using chi-square and Analysis of Variance, we investigated associations of maternal perception of and satisfaction with weight according to socio-demographic characteristics. Mothers were more likely to underestimate their children’s weight in CA than in MX. On average, CA mothers wanted their children to be smaller than they currently were and mothers in MX wanted their children to be bigger than they currently were. This differed by weight status in CA with mothers of normal weight and at-risk-for-overweight children wanting them to be bigger and mothers of overweight children wanting them to be smaller. In order for programs to be effective, mothers must be able to recognize their children as overweight and want to address it. Because underestimation of weight and a desire for a larger size is common in this population, programs to address overweight may be more effective if they focus on alternative benefits of weight control strategies, such as healthy child development

Insights into Eyestalk Ablation Mechanism to Induce Ovarian Maturation in the Black Tiger Shrimp

Eyestalk ablation is commonly practiced in crustacean to induce ovarian maturation in captivity. The molecular mechanism of the ablation has not been well understood, preventing a search for alternative measures to induce ovarian maturation in aquaculture. This is the first study to employ cDNA microarray to examine effects of eyestalk ablation at the transcriptomic level and pathway mapping analysis to identify potentially affected biological pathways in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). Microarray analysis comparing between gene expression levels of ovaries from eyestalk-intact and eyestalk-ablated brooders revealed 682 differentially expressed transcripts. Based on Hierarchical clustering of gene expression patterns, Gene Ontology annotation, and relevant functions of these differentially expressed genes, several gene groups were further examined by pathway mapping analysis. Reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR analysis for some representative transcripts confirmed microarray data. Known reproductive genes involved in vitellogenesis were dramatically increased during the ablation. Besides these transcripts expected to be induced by the ablation, transcripts whose functions involved in electron transfer mechanism, immune responses and calcium signal transduction were significantly altered following the ablation. Pathway mapping analysis revealed that the activation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone signaling, calcium signaling, and progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation pathways were putatively crucial to ovarian maturation induced by the ablation. These findings shed light on several possible molecular mechanisms of the eyestalk ablation effect and allow more focused investigation for an ultimate goal of finding alternative methods to replace the undesirable practice of the eyestalk ablation in the future

Pregnant Behind Bars: Meeting the Nutrition Needs of Incarcerated Pregnant Women

The number of women involved in the criminal justice system has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. Due to their marginalized background, incarcerated women have a complex set of health-related needs. This is especially true of those who are pregnant, a particularly vulnerable, high-risk group. Although guidelines have been developed that recommend pregnancy screening, provision of dietary supplements, regular nutritious meals, and nutritional counseling for incarcerated pregnant women, jail policies and health care protocols often fail to heed these recommendations. In this chapter, we discuss the nutritional needs of pregnant incarcerated women as well as breastfeeding in the context of the criminal justice system and consider some of the challenges in developing programming and policies to address these health-related needs. We also present findings from the William & Mary Healthy Beginnings Project, a nutrition intervention program developed for pregnant incarcerated women in Southeastern Virginia. Assessment of this program suggests that through the development of protocols and polices that consider the health-related needs of pregnant women, correctional facilities could play a pivotal role in helping incarcerated women develop healthier habits to better care for themselves and their newborns.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/asbookchapters/1106/thumbnail.jp

The CDKL5 disorder is an independent clinical entity associated with early-onset encephalopathy

The clinical understanding of the CDKL5 disorder remains limited, with most information being derived from small patient groups seen at individual centres. This study uses a large international data collection to describe the clinical profile of the CDKL5 disorder and compare with Rett syndrome (RTT). Information on individuals with cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) mutations (n=86) and females with MECP2 mutations (n=920) was sourced from the InterRett database. Available photographs of CDKL5 patients were examined for dysmorphic features. The proportion of CDKL5 patients meeting the recent Neul criteria for atypical RTT was determined. Logistic regression and time-to-event analyses were used to compare the occurrence of Rett-like features in those with MECP2 and CDKL5 mutations. Most individuals with CDKL5 mutations had severe developmental delay from birth, seizure onset before the age of 3 months and similar non-dysmorphic features. Less than one-quarter met the criteria for early-onset seizure variant RTT. Seizures and sleep disturbances were more common than in those with MECP2 mutations whereas features of regression and spinal curvature were less common. The CDKL5 disorder presents with a distinct clinical profile and a subtle facial, limb and hand phenotype that may assist in differentiation from other early-onset encephalopathies. Although mutations in the CDKL5 gene have been described in association with the early-onset variant of RTT, in our study the majority did not meet these criteria. Therefore, the CDKL5 disorder should be considered separate to RTT, rather than another variant

Uncovering the Prevalence and Diversity of Integrating Conjugative Elements in Actinobacteria

Horizontal gene transfer greatly facilitates rapid genetic adaptation of bacteria to shifts in environmental conditions and colonization of new niches by allowing one-step acquisition of novel functions. Conjugation is a major mechanism of horizontal gene transfer mediated by conjugative plasmids and integrating conjugative elements (ICEs). While in most bacterial conjugative systems DNA translocation requires the assembly of a complex type IV secretion system (T4SS), in Actinobacteria a single DNA FtsK/SpoIIIE-like translocation protein is required. To date, the role and diversity of ICEs in Actinobacteria have received little attention. Putative ICEs were searched for in 275 genomes of Actinobacteria using HMM-profiles of proteins involved in ICE maintenance and transfer. These exhaustive analyses revealed 144 putative FtsK/SpoIIIE-type ICEs and 17 putative T4SS-type ICEs. Grouping of the ICEs based on the phylogenetic analyses of maintenance and transfer proteins revealed extensive exchanges between different sub-families of ICEs. 17 ICEs were found in Actinobacteria from the genus Frankia, globally important nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that establish root nodule symbioses with actinorhizal plants. Structural analysis of ICEs from Frankia revealed their unexpected diversity and a vast array of predicted adaptive functions. Frankia ICEs were found to excise by site-specific recombination from their host's chromosome in vitro and in planta suggesting that they are functional mobile elements whether Frankiae live as soil saprophytes or plant endosymbionts. Phylogenetic analyses of proteins involved in ICEs maintenance and transfer suggests that active exchange between ICEs cargo-borne and chromosomal genes took place within the Actinomycetales order. Functionality of Frankia ICEs in vitro as well as in planta lets us anticipate that conjugation and ICEs could allow the development of genetic manipulation tools for this challenging microorganism and for many other Actinobacteria