Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Mucinous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, and Survival Following a Mucinous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

Alternative & renewable energy sources & technolog

Actively Addressing Systemic Racism Using a Behavioral Community Approach

Recent police brutality and related violence against Black people, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has further evidenced the disproportionate impact of systemic racism in our institutions and across society. In the United States, the alarming mortality rates for Black people due to police violence and COVID-19 related deaths are clear demonstrations of inequities within a long history of disparate outcomes. In understanding systemic racism, it is essential to consider how it is embedded within society and across socio-ecological levels. The Social-Ecological Model (SEM) is used to examine conditions within the environment that maintain systemic racism, including within our field and discipline. A behavioral-community approach for examining racism aids in determining points of intervention across multiple ecological levels that may contribute to behavior change, including with behaviorists. The science of behavior is well-suited to help examine the contingencies governing behaviors within and across systems, which is pivotal for addressing operant behaviors to influence long-term behavior change. This paper calls on the behavioral community to address systemic racism within our environments and systems of influence to contribute to a more equitable community. Systemic racism, including within the context of anti-Blackness, is examined by considering behavior change strategies that can be supported by behaviorists across socio-ecological levels. Tools for collaborative action are provided to support behaviorists in demonstrating the skills needed across a continuum of behaviors from allyship to anti-racism to actively address systemic racism

Marine viruses discovered via metagenomics shed light on viral strategies throughout the oceans

Marine viruses are key drivers of host diversity, population dynamics and biogeochemical cycling and contribute to the daily flux of billions of tons of organic matter. Despite recent advancements in metagenomics, much of their biodiversity remains uncharacterized. Here we report a data set of 27,346 marine virome contigs that includes 44 complete genomes. These outnumber all currently known phage genomes in marine habitats and include members of previously uncharacterized lineages. We designed a new method for host prediction based on co-occurrence associations that reveals these viruses infect dominant members of the marine microbiome such as Prochlorococcus and Pelagibacter. A negative association between host abundance and the virus-to-host ratio supports the recently proposed Piggyback-the-Winner model of reduced phage lysis at higher host densities. An analysis of the abundance patterns of viruses throughout the oceans revealed how marine viral communities adapt to various seasonal, temperature and photic regimes according to targeted hosts and the diversity of auxiliary metabolic genes.CAPESCNPqFAPERJCiencia sem fronteiras programUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, IB, BR-21944970 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilRadboud Univ Nijmegen, Radboud Inst Mol Life Sci, CMBI, Med Ctr, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, NetherlandsUniv Utrecht, Theoret Biol & Bioinformat, NL-3584 CH Utrecht, NetherlandsSan Diego State Univ, Dept Biol, San Diego, CA 92182 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Ciencias Mar, BR-11070100 Baixada Santista, BrazilNIOZ Royal Netherlands Inst Sea Res, Dept Marine Microbiol & Biogeochem, POB 59, NL-1790 AB Den Burg, NetherlandsUniv Utrecht, POB 59, NL-1790 AB Den Burg, NetherlandsUniv Amsterdam, Dept Aquat Microbiol, IBED, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, NetherlandsUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, COPPE, SAGE, BR-21941950 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Ciencias Mar, BR-11070100 Baixada Santista, BrazilCAPESCNPqFAPERJCiencia sem fronteiras program: 864.14.004Web of Scienc

Carrageenan Is a Potent Inhibitor of Papillomavirus Infection

Certain sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) types are causally associated with the development of cervical cancer. Our recent development of high-titer HPV pseudoviruses has made it possible to perform high-throughput in vitro screens to identify HPV infection inhibitors. Comparison of a variety of compounds revealed that carrageenan, a type of sulfated polysaccharide extracted from red algae, is an extremely potent infection inhibitor for a broad range of sexually transmitted HPVs. Although carrageenan can inhibit herpes simplex viruses and some strains of HIV in vitro, genital HPVs are about a thousand-fold more susceptible, with 50% inhibitory doses in the low ng/ml range. Carrageenan acts primarily by preventing the binding of HPV virions to cells. This finding is consistent with the fact that carrageenan resembles heparan sulfate, an HPV cell-attachment factor. However, carrageenan is three orders of magnitude more potent than heparin, a form of cell-free heparan sulfate that has been regarded as a highly effective model HPV inhibitor. Carrageenan can also block HPV infection through a second, postattachment heparan sulfate–independent effect. Carrageenan is in widespread commercial use as a thickener in a variety of cosmetic and food products, ranging from sexual lubricants to infant feeding formulas. Some of these products block HPV infectivity in vitro, even when diluted a million-fold. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether carrageenan-based products are effective as topical microbicides against genital HPVs

Archeological Testing and Data Recovery at 41ZV202, Zavala County, Texas

At the request of the Texas Department of Transportation, Environmental Affairs Division (TxDOT-ENV), the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted archeological significance testing at 41ZV202, a prehistoric site located in northwestern Zavala County, in March of 2003. The work, conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 3071 issued to Dr. Steven A. Tomka, was done in anticipation of the potential widening by TxDOT of FM 481. While materials dating to the Archaic were also present, the testing demonstrated the presence of significant Late Prehistoric (Austin Interval) deposits with good integrity within a portion of the TxDOT right-of-way (ROW). As TxDOT construction could not avoid these deposits, and as both the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and TxDOT concurred with CAR’s recommendations that the deposits were eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under criterion d of 36CFR 60.4, data recovery investigations were initiated. CAR began that work in July and August of 2003. The testing permit was amended to include the data recovery efforts. Dr. Russell Greaves served as project archeologist for both the testing and data recovery effort at 41ZV202. The testing and data recovery work consisted of the excavation of a 53-m-long Gradall trench, exposing and profiling a 75-m-long road cut, and the hand excavation of 52 1 x 1 meter units that removed approximately 34.6 m3 of soil. Testing identified two large, dark stained areas designated Features 4 and 5, an associated hearth (Feature 7), and a small cluster of FCR (Feature 6). Just over 1,000 chipped stone items were recovered, including several Scallorn points, one reworked dart point, several bifaces, and two flake tools. Eleven AMS radiocarbon dates were submitted from deposits, with eight clustering around 1000 BP. Data recovery efforts defined FCR features 8 through 13. In addition, 24 arrow points, several dart points, a variety of unifacial and bifacial tools, a small number of cores, roughly 6,000 pieces of debitage, and a variety of burned sandstone, were recovered. We also collected small quantities of bone and mussel shell along with about 14,350 gastropod shells, and a variety of soil samples. Finally, all calcium carbonate nodules were retained from the screens. Following the completion of data recovery efforts, the CAR was directed by TxDOT to develop a research design for the analysis of the material from 41ZV202. TxDOT and THC accepted that research design in November of 2004, at which time the CAR began analysis and report production. Unfortunately, by 2005 project archeologist Russell Greaves had left the CAR. At that point, CAR assistant director Dr. Raymond Mauldin took over the project. The analysis of the 41ZV202 Late Prehistoric data outlined in this report is conducted in the context of a large-scale, theoretically driven model of adaptation for hunters and gatherers loosely based on aspects of Optimal Foraging Theory. In addition to 41ZV202, the approach relies on comparative data sets from Late Archaic and other Late Prehistoric sites from South and South-Central Texas to investigate shifts in subsistence, technology, and mobility across this broad region. At this time, discard decisions have not been made. However, all artifacts and associated samples collected and retained during this project, along with all project-associated documentation, are to be permanently curated at the CAR according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines

Pentose phosphate pathway activity: effect on in vitro maturation and oxidative status of bovine oocytes

Abstract. The relationship between pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) activity in cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and oxidative and mitochondrial activity in bovine oocytes was evaluated with the aim of analysing the impact of two inhibitors (NADPH and 6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN)) and a stimulator (NADP) of the key enzymes of the PPP on the maturation rate, oxidative and mitochondrial activity and the mitochondrial distribution in oocytes. The proportion of COCs with measurable PPP activity (assessed using brilliant cresyl blue staining), glucose uptake, lactate production and meiotic maturation rate diminished when 6-AN (0.1, 1, 5 and 10 mM for 22 h) was added to the maturation medium (P , 0.05). The addition of NADPH did not modify glucose uptake or lactate production, but reduced PPP activity in COCs and meiotic maturation rates (P , 0.05). The presence of NADP (0.0125, 0.125, 1.25 and 12.5 mM for 22 h of culture) in the maturation medium had no effect on PPP activity in COCs, glucose uptake, lactate production and meiotic maturation rate. However, in the absence of gonadotropin supplementation, NADP stimulated both glucose uptake and lactate production at 12.5 mM (the highest concentration tested; P , 0.05). NADP did not modify cleavage rate, but decreased blastocyst production (P , 0.05). During IVM, oocyte oxidative and mitochondrial activity was observed to increase at 15 and 22 h maturation, which was also related to progressive mitochondrial migration. Inhibiting the PPP with 6-AN or NADPH led to reduced oxidative and mitochondrial activity compared with the respective control groups and inhibition of mitochondrial migration (P , 0.05). Stimulation of the PPP with NADP increased oxidative and mitochondrial activity at 9 h maturation (P , 0.05) and delayed mitochondrial migration. The present study shows the significance of altering PPP activity during bovine oocyte IVM, revealing that there is a link between the activity of the PPP and the oxidative status of the oocyte

Cross-neutralization of cutaneous and mucosal Papillomavirus types with anti-sera to the amino terminus of L2

AbstractVaccination with papillomavirus L2 has been shown to induce neutralizing antibodies that protect against homologous type infection and cross-neutralize a limited number of genital HPVs. Surprisingly, we found that antibodies to bovine papillomavirus (BPV1) L2 amino acids 1–88 induced similar titers of neutralizing antibodies against Human papillomavirus (HPV)16 and 18 and BPV1 pseudoviruses and also neutralized HPV11 native virions. These antibodies also neutralized each of the other pseudovirus types tested, HPV31, HPV6 and Cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) pseudoviruses, albeit with lower titers. HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV6 and CRPV L2 anti-sera also displayed some cross-neutralization, but the titers were lower and did not encompass all pseudoviruses tested. This study demonstrates the presence of broadly cross-neutralizing epitopes at the N-terminus of L2 that are shared by cutaneous and mucosal types and by types that infect divergent species. BPV1 L2 was exceptionally effective at inducing cross-neutralizing antibodies to these shared epitopes

Особенности промышленного развития монофункциональных городов Донецкой области

Рассмотрены особенности промышленности моноотраслевых городов Донецкой области. Предлагаются мероприятия по решению проблем их социально-экономического развития.Розглянуто особливості промисловості моногалузевих міст Донецької області. Пропонуються заходи щодо вирішення проблем їх соціально-економічного розвитку.The paper describes the features of the industry in mono-branch cities of Donetsk region. The measures are offered to solve the problems concerning their socio-economic development