Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effect of prenatal omega-3 LCPUFA supplementation to reduce the incidence of preterm birth: The ORIP trial

Introduction: Preterm birth accounts for more than 85% of all perinatal complications and deaths. Seventy-five per cent of early preterm births (EPTBs) occur spontaneously and without identifiable risk factors. The need for a broadly applicable, effective strategy for primary prevention is paramount. Secondary outcomes from the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to Optimise Mother Infant Outcome trial showed that maternal supplementation until delivery with omega-3 (ω-3) long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), predominantly as DHA, resulted in a 50% reduction in the incidence of EPTB and an increase in the incidence of post-term induction or post-term prelabour caesarean section due to extended gestation. We aim to determine the effectiveness of supplementing the maternal diet with ω-3 LCPUFA until 34 weeks’ gestation on the incidence of EPTB. Methods and analysis: This is a multicentre, parallel group, randomised, blinded and controlled trial. Women less than 20 weeks’ gestation with a singleton or multiple pregnancy and able to give informed consent are eligible to participate. Women will be randomised to receive high DHA fish oil capsules or control capsules without DHA. Capsules will be taken from enrolment until 34 weeks’ gestation. The primary outcome is the incidence of EPTB, defined as delivery before 34 completed weeks’ gestation. Key secondary outcomes include length of gestation, incidence of post-term induction or prelabour caesarean section and spontaneous EPTB. The target sample size is 5540 women (2770 per group), which will provide 85% power to detect an absolute reduction in the incidence of preterm birth of 1.16% (from 2.45% to 1.29%) between the DHA and control group (two sided α=0.05). The primary analysis will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. Trial registration number: Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry Number: 2613001142729; Pre-results

From network to phenotype : the dynamic wiring of an Arabidopsis transcriptional network induced by osmotic stress

Plants have established different mechanisms to cope with environmental fluctuations and accordingly fine-tune their growth and development through the regulation of complex molecular networks. It is largely unknown how the network architectures change and what the key regulators in stress responses and plant growth are. Here, we investigated a complex, highly interconnected network of 20 Arabidopsis transcription factors (TFs) at the basis of leaf growth inhibition upon mild osmotic stress. We tracked the dynamic behavior of the stress-responsive TFs over time, showing the rapid induction following stress treatment, specifically in growing leaves. The connections between the TFs were uncovered using inducible overexpression lines and were validated with transient expression assays. This study resulted in the identification of a core network, composed of ERF6, ERF8, ERF9, ERF59, and ERF98, which is responsible for most transcriptional connections. The analyses highlight the biological function of this core network in environmental adaptation and its redundancy. Finally, a phenotypic analysis of loss-of-function and gain-of-function lines of the transcription factors established multiple connections between the stress-responsive network and leaf growth

Chinese entrepreneurs and workers at the crossroad: the role of social networks in ethnic industrial clusters in Italy

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the evolution of Chinese industrial ethnic clusters in Italy, by focusing on the role of social networks and the processes behind the phenomenon of Chinese worker exploitation and entrepreneur "self-exploitation".Design/methodology/approachThe case study is a sub-cluster of micro and small enterprises owned by Chinese entrepreneurs within the leather industrial district of Florence, Italy. This research adopts the following mixed methods: a small-scale survey to capture the characteristics of the sub-cluster and a social network analysis to describe cluster evolution, complemented by life-course interviews conducted with key informants and entrepreneurs.FindingsMigrant social capital and social networks play a central role in the evolution of the case study sub-cluster. Social networks play a supportive role in migration, job creation, entrepreneurship formation and the creation of business opportunities. Simultaneously, they enhance the phenomenon of worker exploitation and entrepreneur self-exploitation. Furthermore, the more the business community grows, the more the economic performance of ethnic enterprises depends on agglomeration forces produced by the cluster.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest a series of potential policies to upgrade the ethnic enterprises' capacities, to increase their formality and inclusion in the Italian social and economic systems and sub-cluster.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to examine the evolution of social networks in relation to the phenomenon of Chinese worker exploitation and entrepreneur self-exploitation in an ethnic industrial sub-cluster

Who do College Students Turn to for Financial Aid and Student Loan Advice, and is it Advice Worth Following?

In this article, we examine the sources of information that college students turn to as they make decisions related to financial aid and student loans. Based on interview data from 25 undergraduate students from one public, four-year institution, our results reveal a great amount of variation in the number and nature of sources on which students rely. Across nearly all cases, students believed their access to assistance to be insufficient. This was true even for students with parents who attended college—commonly considered to be a high-quality source of support for students, when available—as students often found their advice outdated, confusing, or unhelpful

Adipose-derived stem cells promote survival, growth, and maturation of early-stage murine follicles

Abstract Background Premature ovarian insufficiency is a common complication of anticancer treatments in young women and girls. The ovary is a complex, highly regulated reproductive organ, whose proper function is contingent upon the bidirectional endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine signaling. These factors facilitate the development of the follicles, the functional units of the ovary, to progress from the gonadotropin-independent, paracrine-controlled early stage to the gonadotropin-dependent, endocrine-controlled later stage. We hypothesized that the low survival rate of individually cultured early-stage follicles could be improved with co-culture of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) that secrete survival- and growth-promoting factors. Materials and methods Ovarian follicles ranging from 85 to 115 μm in diameter, from 10- to 12-day-old B6CBAF1 mice were mechanically isolated and co-encapsulated with ADSCs within alginate-based 3D culture system. The follicles were cultured for 14 days, imaged using light microscopy every 2 days, and matured at the end. Follicle media were changed every 2 days and collected for hormone measurements. Follicle diameter, morphology, number of transzonal projections, and survival and maturation rates were recorded. Statistical analyses using one- and two-way ANOVA were performed to compare hormone levels, survival of the follicles and ADSCs, oocyte maturation rates, and follicle growth. Results The co-encapsulation of the follicles with ADSCs increased follicle survival, ranging from 42.4% for the 86–95 μm to 86.2% for the 106–115-μm follicle size group. Co-culture also improved the follicle growth, the rate of antrum formation and oocyte maturation compared to the follicles cultured alone. The levels of androstenedione, estradiol, and progesterone of co-encapsulated follicles increased progressively with time in culture. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report of an in vitro system utilizing mouse adipose-derived stem cells to support the development of the mouse follicles. Our findings suggest that co-encapsulation of ADSCs with early-stage follicles supports follicular development, through secretion of cytokines that promote follicular survival, antrum formation, and meiotic competence. The unique 3D culture system that supports the survival of both cell types has translational implications, as ADSCs could be used as an autologous source for in vitro maturation of early-stage human follicles.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148317/1/13287_2019_Article_1199.pd

Strong Concordance Between Transcriptomic Patterns of Spleen and Peripheral Blood Leukocytes in Response to Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Infection

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes morbidity in chickens and exhibits zoonotic potential. Understanding host transcriptional responses to infection aids the understanding of protective mechanisms and serves to inform future colibacillosis control strategies. Transcriptomes of spleen and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of the same individual birds in response to APEC infection were compared to identify common response patterns and connecting pathways. More than 100 genes in three contrasts examining pathology and infection status were significantly differentially expressed in both tissues and similarly regulated. Tissue-specific differences in catalytic activity, however, appear between birds with mild and severe pathology responses. Early expression differences, between birds with severe pathology and uninfected controls, in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in PBLs precede spleen responses in the p53 and cytokine-cytokine receptor pathways. Tissue bianalysis is useful in identifying genes and pathways important to the response to APEC, whose role might otherwise be underestimated in importance