Exploration of childhood influences on the development of first-time mothers’ prenatal parenting expectations.

During the transition to motherhood, the woman is moving from seeking care from her own caregivers to also providing care to her own baby in the near future (i.e. she is becoming an attachment figure herself). This transition may, therefore, be triggering attachment insecurities for some pregnant women – especially those with adverse childhoods. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of attachment style and how one was parented (represented by parental care, parental over-protection, and parenting style) on parental expectations during the first trimester of pregnancy (represented by the desire to have children (DTC), perceived ability to relate to children (PARC), meaning associated with motherhood, and preoccupations regarding becoming a mother). A sample of 100 Spanish first-time pregnant women was studied. Respondents with a secure attachment style were more likely to have more positive prenatal expectations than the ones with insecure attachment. Secure attachment was related to higher PARC and lower excessive preoccupations regarding motherhood. Insecure attachment, however, was associated with more negative meanings ascribed to becoming a mother. In addition, recollection of higher parental care and lower parental over-protection in childhood were correlated with higher PARC and lower excessive preoccupations regarding motherhood. Optimal parenting was only related to higher perceived ability to relate to children. In this sample, DTC was not found to be related to any of the explanatory variables. These findings shed light on important concepts related to how one’s own attachment background can affect caregiving representations and perceptions of the self as a future mother. This theoretical understanding can be directly translated into early psycho-educational, psychotherapy, and prevention initiatives, which can positively impact how women deal with their potentially challenging attachment backgrounds, experience their transition to motherhood in a smoother sense, and help build healthier maternal-infant attachment – which can start from pregnancy.Psicologí

Attachment style and prenatal expectations from a Bayesian perspective

Background: The transition to motherhood is sometimes characterized by ambivalent emotions. This paper attempts to explore whether this transition may be triggering attachment insecurities in first-time pregnant women during their first trimester, and thus affecting their prenatal expectations and caregiving representations. Method: A sample of 100 first-time pregnant women during their first trimester was studied. Prenatal expectations were explored in terms of desire to have children (DTC), perceived ability to relate to children (PARC), personal meaning ascribed to motherhood, and preoccupations regarding becoming a mother. Results: The estimated Bayesian network shows that attachment style is a predictor for prenatal expectations, either directly or indirectly. Results also suggest that PARC mediates the relationship between attachment and the preoccupations related to motherhood. Pregnant women with an insecure attachment style reported lower PARC and higher preoccupations about becoming a mother. Conclusion: Pregnant women with secure attachment have more positive pre-parenthood expectations and parenting representations than those with insecure attachment. These results may be useful in clinical settings to help women have a smoother transition to motherhood.Antecedentes: la transición hacia la maternidad está caracterizada en algunos casos por emociones ambivalentes. Este artículo trata de explorar si esta transición puede desencadenar inseguridad en el apego de mujeres embarazadas primerizas durante su primer trimestre, y esto afecta las expectativas prenatales y las representaciones de cuidado. Método: una muestra de 100 mujeres embarazadas primerizas fue estudiada durante el primer trimestre. Las expectativas prenatales fueron exploradas en términos de deseo de tener niños (DTC), habilidad percibida para relacionarse con niños (PARC), sentido atribuido a la maternidad y preocupaciones relacionadas con ser madre. Resultados: la red bayesiana estimada muestra que el estilo de apego predice las expectativas prenatales, tanto directa como indirectamente. Los resultados también sugieren que PARC media la relación entre apego y las preocupaciones hacia la maternidad. Las mujeres embarazadas con un estilo de apego inseguro reportan menor PARC y mayores preocupaciones relacionadas con convertirse en madres. Conclusiones: las mujeres embarazadas con apego seguro tienen expectativas prenatales y representaciones parentales más positivas que aquellas con apego inseguro. Estos resultados pueden ser útiles en situaciones clínicas para ayudar a que las mujeres tengan una transición más satisfactoria a la maternidad

Consanguinity and its relevance to clinical genetics

Consanguineous marriages have been practiced since the early existence of modern humans. Until now, consanguinity is widely practiced in several global communities with variable rates. The present study was undertaken to analyze the effect of consanguinity on different types of genetic diseases and child morbidity and mortality. Patients were grouped according to the types of genetic errors into four groups: Group I: Chromosomal and microdeletion syndromes. Group II: Single gene disorders. Group III: Multifactorial disorders. Group IV: Diseases of different etiologies. Consanguineous marriage was highly significant in 54.4% of the studied group compared to 35.3% in the control group (P < 0.05). Consanguineous marriages were represented in 31.4%, 7.1%, 0.8%, 6%, 9.1% among first cousins, one and a half cousins, double first cousins, second cousins and remote relatives respectively in the studied group. Comparison between genetic diseases with different modes of inheritance showed that recessive and multifactorial disorders had the highest values of consanguinity (78.8%, 69.8%, respectively), while chromosomal disorders had the lowest one (29.1%). Consanguineous marriage was recorded in 51.5% of our cases with autosomal dominant diseases and in 31% of cases with X linked diseases, all cases of mental retardation (100%) and in 92.6% of patients with limb anomalies (P < 0.001). Stillbirths, child deaths and recurrent abortions were significantly increased among consanguineous parents (80.6%, 80%, 67%) respectively than among non consanguineous parents. In conclusion, consanguineous marriage is significantly higher in many genetic diseases which suggests that couples may have deleterious lethal genes, inherited from common ancestor and when transmitted to their offsprings, they can lead to prenatal, neonatal, child morbidity or mortality. So public health education and genetic counseling are highly recommended in our community.Keywords: Consanguinity; Chromosomal abnormality; Genetic counseling; Child death; HomozygosityThe Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics (2013) 14, 157–16

Distribution and molecular identification of Culex pipiens and Culex tritaeniorhynchus as potential vectors of Rift Valley fever virus in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Entomologic investigations were conducted in the Al-Darb, Al-Reath, Al-Aridah, Abuareesh, Al-Ahad, Samttah, Sabyah, Damad and Beash areas by CO2-baited CDC miniature light traps in the Jazan region. Vectors were identified morphologically, as well as COI gene segment amplification and sequencing. The relative abundance (RA%) and pattern of occurrence (C%) were recorded. The presence of the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in pooled mosquito samples was investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Culex pipiens (C. pipiens) and Culex tritaeniorhynchus (C. tritaeniorhynchus) were found with RA% values of 96% and 4%, respectively, in the region. Significant variations in vector population densities were observed in different districts. The C. pipiens was found highly abundant in all districts and RA% value (100%) was recorded in the Al-Darb, Al-Reath, Al-Aridah, Samttah and Damad areas, whereas RA% values (93.75%, 93.33%, 92.30% and 91.66%) were noted in Al-Ahad, Sabyah, Abuareesh and Beash districts, respectively. RA% values for C. tritaeniorhynchus were recorded as 8.33%, 7.70%, 6.66% and 6.25% in Beash, Abuareesh, Sabyah and Al-Ahad areas, respectively. The pattern of occurrence for C. pipiens and C. tritaeniorhynchus was recorded as 100% and 44.4% in the region. Phylogenetic analysis of C. pipiens and C. tritaeniorhynchus exhibited a close relationship with mosquitoes from Kenya and Turkey, respectively. All mosquito samples tested by RT-PCR were found negative for RVFV. In summary, the current study assessed the composition, abundance, distribution of different mosquito vectors and presence of RVFV in different areas of the Jazan region. Our data will help risk assessments of RVFV future re-emergence in the region

Biodegradation of Organophosphorus Pesticide (Malathion) by Bacillus sp. FYM31 Isolated from Agriculture Drainage Water

Organophosphorus pesticides (OP) are used extensively in many arenas including agriculture and industry leading to humans and agroecosystems disorders. Malathion is one of the OP that are used in agriculture to control pest and protect crops. Also, they harm non-target organisms and affect cruelly water sources, air, and soil quality. The present study aimed to isolate and identify a potent bacterial isolate capable of degrading malathion. Bacterial strain that isolated from Al Fayoum governorate, Egypt exhibited high efficiency for malathion biodegradation. Biodegradation process using minimal salt medium (MSM) supplemented with different malathion concentrations indicated that the bacterium was able to degrade and use malathion as a sole carbon source up to 700 mg/l at 37°C.The potent strain that exhibited biodegradation potential was identified as Bacillus sp. FYM31 and deposited into GenBank with the accession number OK325597. HPLC proved the effectiveness of malathion removal by Bacillus sp. FYM31 after 12 days of incubation to the level of 70.1% malathion (700 mg/l) degradation. Organophosphorus hydrolase (opd) gene was detected in the potent Bacillus sp. FYM31 strain. Due to the widespread usage of malathion in Egypt's agricultural areas, Bacillus sp. FYM31 can help bio-remediate the polluted areas

Characterization of the Secreted Acid Phosphatase SapS Reveals a Novel Virulence Factor of Staphylococcus aureus That Contributes to Survival and Virulence in Mice

Staphylococcus aureus possesses a large arsenal of immune-modulating factors, enabling it to bypass the immune system’s response. Here, we demonstrate that the acid phosphatase SapS is secreted during macrophage infection and promotes its intracellular survival in this type of immune cell. In animal models, the SA564 sapS mutant demonstrated a significantly lower bacterial burden in liver and renal tissues of mice at four days post infection in comparison to the wild type, along with lower pathogenicity in a zebrafish infection model. The SA564 sapS mutant elicits a lower inflammatory response in mice than the wild-type strain, while S. aureus cells harbouring a functional sapS induce a chemokine response that favours the recruitment of neutrophils to the infection site. Our in vitro and quantitative transcript analysis show that SapS has an effect on S. aureus capacity to adapt to oxidative stress during growth. SapS is also involved in S. aureus biofilm formation. Thus, this study shows for the first time that SapS plays a significant role during infection, most likely through inhibiting a variety of the host’s defence mechanisms

Detection of Cancer Stem Cells in Colorectal Cancer: Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Study

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence supports the notion that the onset of tumorigenesis could occur through cancer stem cells (CSCs). These tumour cells show low proliferative rates, high self-renewal capacity, propensity to differentiate into active proliferating tumour cells & resistance to chemoradiotherapy thus, possibly causing local recurrences & metastasis formation. CD44 has been used as a marker to isolate CSCs from colorectal carcinoma (CRC).AIM: To investigate the immunohistochemical expression of cancer stem cells marker (CD44) in CRC and correlate its expression with the clinicopathological aspects, TNM staging and modified Dukes’ classification.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumour biopsies from colectomy specimens of 60 patients with CRC were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for histological evaluation then immunostained with monoclonal antibodies against CD44 which was detected in term of negative or positive expression.RESULTS: CD44 was demonstrated in 58.3% (35/60) of cases and showed statistically significant correlation with tumour site and histological type (p-value < 0.05). However, CD44 showed statistically insignificant inverse correlation with tumour invasiveness (T), lymph node status (N), grade, TNM stage grouping and modified Dukes’ classification, while it was directly correlated with distant metastasis (M) (p-value > 0.05). Chi-square /Fisher exact test proportion independence and the p-value are set significant at 0.05 level.CONCLUSION: the CD44 rate of expression is higher in the colon than rectum and in adenocarcinoma than mucinous and undifferentiated carcinoma. CD44 showed statistically insignificant relation with T, N, M, grade, TNM stage grouping and modified Dukes’ classification

Characterizing the morbid genome of ciliopathies

Background Ciliopathies are clinically diverse disorders of the primary cilium. Remarkable progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of these genetically heterogeneous conditions; however, our knowledge of their morbid genome, pleiotropy, and variable expressivity remains incomplete. Results We applied genomic approaches on a large patient cohort of 371 affected individuals from 265 families, with phenotypes that span the entire ciliopathy spectrum. Likely causal mutations in previously described ciliopathy genes were identified in 85% (225/265) of the families, adding 32 novel alleles. Consistent with a fully penetrant model for these genes, we found no significant difference in their “mutation load” beyond the causal variants between our ciliopathy cohort and a control non-ciliopathy cohort. Genomic analysis of our cohort further identified mutations in a novel morbid gene TXNDC15, encoding a thiol isomerase, based on independent loss of function mutations in individuals with a consistent ciliopathy phenotype (Meckel-Gruber syndrome) and a functional effect of its deficiency on ciliary signaling. Our study also highlighted seven novel candidate genes (TRAPPC3, EXOC3L2, FAM98C, C17orf61, LRRCC1, NEK4, and CELSR2) some of which have established links to ciliogenesis. Finally, we show that the morbid genome of ciliopathies encompasses many founder mutations, the combined carrier frequency of which accounts for a high disease burden in the study population. Conclusions Our study increases our understanding of the morbid genome of ciliopathies. We also provide the strongest evidence, to date, in support of the classical Mendelian inheritance of Bardet-Biedl syndrome and other ciliopathies

Global, regional, and national sex-specific burden and control of the HIV epidemic, 1990-2019, for 204 countries and territories: the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019

Background: The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Understanding the current state of the HIV epidemic and its change over time is essential to this effort. This study assesses the current sex-specific HIV burden in 204 countries and territories and measures progress in the control of the epidemic. Methods: To estimate age-specific and sex-specific trends in 48 of 204 countries, we extended the Estimation and Projection Package Age-Sex Model to also implement the spectrum paediatric model. We used this model in cases where age and sex specific HIV-seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care-clinic sentinel surveillance data were available. For the remaining 156 of 204 locations, we developed a cohort-incidence bias adjustment to derive incidence as a function of cause-of-death data from vital registration systems. The incidence was input to a custom Spectrum model. To assess progress, we measured the percentage change in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 (threshold >75% decline), the ratio of incident cases to number of people living with HIV (incidence-to-prevalence ratio threshold <0·03), and the ratio of incident cases to deaths (incidence-to-mortality ratio threshold <1·0). Findings: In 2019, there were 36·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 35·1–38·9) people living with HIV worldwide. There were 0·84 males (95% UI 0·78–0·91) per female living with HIV in 2019, 0·99 male infections (0·91–1·10) for every female infection, and 1·02 male deaths (0·95–1·10) per female death. Global progress in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 was driven by sub-Saharan Africa (with a 28·52% decrease in incident cases, 95% UI 19·58–35·43, and a 39·66% decrease in deaths, 36·49–42·36). Elsewhere, the incidence remained stable or increased, whereas deaths generally decreased. In 2019, the global incidence-to-prevalence ratio was 0·05 (95% UI 0·05–0·06) and the global incidence-to-mortality ratio was 1·94 (1·76–2·12). No regions met suggested thresholds for progress. Interpretation: Sub-Saharan Africa had both the highest HIV burden and the greatest progress between 1990 and 2019. The number of incident cases and deaths in males and females approached parity in 2019, although there remained more females with HIV than males with HIV. Globally, the HIV epidemic is far from the UNAIDS benchmarks on progress metrics. Funding: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute on Aging of the NIH