Puberty Blocker, Leuprolide, Reduces Sex Differences in Rough-and-Tumble Play and Anxiety-like Behavior in Juvenile Rats.

We examined the effect of the puberty blocker, leuprolide acetate, on sex differences in juvenile rough-and-tumble play behavior and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent male and female rats. We also evaluated leuprolide treatment on gonadal and pituitary hormone levels and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-protein messenger RNA levels within the adolescent amygdala, a region important both for rough-and-tumble play and anxiety-like behavior. Our findings suggest that leuprolide treatment lowered anxiety-like behavior during adolescent development, suggesting that the maturation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone systems may be linked to increased anxiety.

Blood usage and wastage at an academic teaching hospital before the initial wave of COVID-19 and during and after its quarantine periods.

Background: Transfusion services aim to maintain sufficient blood inventory to support patients, even with challenges introduced by COVID-19.

Objectives: To review blood usage and wastage before, during, and after COVID-19 surges, and to evaluate effects on inventory.

Methods: In a retrospective review, we evaluated the association between time periods corresponding to the initial wave of COVID-19 (pre-COVID-19, quarantine, and postquarantine) and blood usage/wastage.

Complete Genome Sequence of a Staphylococcus epidermidis Isolate from Healthy Skin with Upregulation of Protease EcpA.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a ubiquitous skin commensal that has the potential to become pathogenic and cause disease. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a S. epidermidis strain isolated from adult healthy skin that shows high expression of the virulence factor extracellular cysteine protease A (EcpA).

Functional and genetic adaptations contributing to persistence in the female urinary tract.

Unlabelled: is the leading Gram-positive bacterial species implicated in urinary tract infection (UTI). An opportunistic pathogen, is a commensal of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and its presence in the GIT is a predisposing factor for UTI. The mechanisms by which colonizes and survives in the urinary tract (UT) are poorly understood, especially in uncomplicated or recurrent UTI.

Recurrent urinary tract infection and estrogen shape the taxonomic ecology and function of the postmenopausal urogenital microbiome.

Postmenopausal women are severely affected by recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI). The urogenital microbiome is a key component of the urinary environment. However, changes in the urogenital microbiome underlying rUTI susceptibility are unknown.

Complete Genome Sequences of Three Lactobacillus gasseri Urine Isolates Obtained from Postmenopausal Women.

Lactobacillus gasseri frequently colonizes the lower urinary tract of healthy women. However, the role of L. gasseri in urinary tract health and the genes required for urinary tract colonization are poorly understood.

The Ubiquitous Human Skin Commensal Staphylococcus hominis Protects against Opportunistic Pathogens.

Staphylococcus hominis is frequently isolated from human skin, and we hypothesize that it may protect the cutaneous barrier from opportunistic pathogens. We determined that S. hominis makes six unique autoinducing peptide (AIP) signals that inhibit the major virulence factor accessory gene regulator () quorum sensing system of Staphylococcus aureus.

Tetrazole as a Carboxylic Acid Isostere and the Synthesis of All Amine-Based Polyampholytes.

A new family of polyampholytes (PAMs) is described in which both the basic and acidic groups are based on nitrogen functional groups. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer-prepared poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate) is quantitatively modified sequentially with 3-picolylamine and 5-aminotetrazole, yielding the new well-defined statistical PAMs. Successful formation of the PAMs is confirmed via a combination of F and C NMR spectroscopy and FTIR.

Evolutionary Dynamics of Asexual Hypermutators Adapting to a Novel Environment.

How microbes adapt to a novel environment is a central question in evolutionary biology. Although adaptive evolution must be fueled by beneficial mutations, whether higher mutation rates facilitate the rate of adaptive evolution remains unclear. To address this question, we cultured Escherichia coli hypermutating populations, in which a defective methyl-directed mismatch repair pathway causes a 140-fold increase in single-nucleotide mutation rates.

Complete Genome Sequences of Seven Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Postmenopausal Women with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection.

Uropathogenic (UPEC) is the most common cause of urinary tract infection (UTI). This disease disproportionately affects women and frequently develops into recurrent UTI (rUTI) in postmenopausal women. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of seven UPEC isolates obtained from the urine of postmenopausal women with rUTI.

Gibbs free energy of protein-protein interactions correlates with ATP production in cancer cells.

In this paper, we analyze several cancer cell types from two seemingly independent angles: (a) the over-expression of various proteins participating in protein-protein interaction networks and (b) a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. We use large data sets to obtain a thermodynamic measure of the protein-protein interaction network, namely the associated Gibbs free energy. We find a strong inverse correlation between the percentage of energy production via oxidative phosphorylation and the Gibbs free energy of the protein networks.