Evaluating national infection prevention and control minimum requirements: evidence from global cross-sectional surveys, 2017-22.

Background: WHO infection prevention and control (IPC) minimum requirements provide standards to reduce the risk of infection during health-care delivery. We aimed to investigate the global implementation of these requirements at national levels and the progress of doing so across 2021-22 compared with 2017-18 to identify future directions for interventions.

Methods: National IPC focal points were invited to complete an online survey measuring IPC minimum requirements from July 19, 2021, to Jan 31, 2022.

Mini-Symposium: Training the Trainers of the Next Generation of Neuroscience Advocates.

Undergraduate neuroscience researchers and educators have a vital voice in working with policymakers to raise public awareness and increase support and funding for neuroscience. While there are many avenues and opportunities to become involved in neuroscience advocacy, finding the most effective training strategies, resources, and opportunities for involvement can sometimes be difficult and overwhelming. To address this challenge and inform faculty of science advocacy opportunities for undergraduates, we organized a mini-symposium at the 2023 Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) Workshop.

Adenosine A Receptor Regulates microRNA-181b Expression in Aorta: Therapeutic Implications for Large-Artery Stiffness.

Background The identification of large-artery stiffness as a major, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease-associated morbidity and death has focused attention on identifying therapeutic strategies to combat this disorder. Genetic manipulations that delete or inactivate the translin/trax microRNA-degrading enzyme confer protection against aortic stiffness induced by chronic ingestion of high-salt water (4%NaCl in drinking water for 3 weeks) or associated with aging. Therefore, there is heightened interest in identifying interventions capable of inhibiting translin/trax RNase activity, as these may have therapeutic efficacy in large-artery stiffness.

Elevated body fat increases amphetamine accumulation in brain: evidence from genetic and diet-induced forms of adiposity.

Despite the high prevalence of obesity, little is known about its potential impact on the pharmacokinetics of psychotropic drugs. In the course of investigating the role of the microRNA system on neuronal signaling, we found that mice lacking the translin/trax microRNA-degrading enzyme display an exaggerated locomotor response to amphetamine. As these mice display robust adiposity in the context of normal body weight, we checked whether this phenotype might reflect elevated brain levels of amphetamine.

Degradation of Premature-miR-181b by the Translin/Trax RNase Increases Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Stiffness.

[Figure: see text].

Building and sustaining mentor interactions as a mentee.

Mentorship is experience and/or knowledge-based guidance. Mentors support, sponsor and advocate for mentees. Having one or more mentors when you seek advice can significantly influence and improve your research endeavours, well-being and career development.

Writing an effective and supportive recommendation letter.

Writing recommendation letters on behalf of students and other early-career researchers is an important mentoring task within academia. An effective recommendation letter describes key candidate qualities such as academic achievements, extracurricular activities, outstanding personality traits, participation in and dedication to a particular discipline, and the mentor's confidence in the candidate's abilities. In this Words of Advice, we provide guidance to researchers on composing constructive and supportive recommendation letters, including tips for structuring and providing specific and effective examples, while maintaining a balance in language and avoiding potential biases.

Genetic inactivation of the translin/trax microRNA-degrading enzyme phenocopies the robust adiposity induced by Translin (Tsn) deletion.

Objective: Deletion of Translin (Tsn) from mice induces an unusual metabolic profile characterized by robust adiposity, normal body weight and glucose tolerance. Translin (TN) protein and its partner, trax (TX), form the TN/TX microRNA-degrading enzyme. Since the microRNA system plays a prominent role in regulating metabolism, we reasoned that the metabolic profile displayed by Tsn KO mice might reflect dysregulation of microRNA signaling.

Deletion of the microRNA-degrading nuclease, translin/trax, prevents pathogenic vascular stiffness.

Vascular stiffness plays a key role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Recent studies indicate that the age-associated reduction in miR-181b levels in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to increased vascular stiffness. As these findings suggest that inhibiting degradation of miR-181b might prevent vascular stiffening, we have assessed whether the microRNA-degrading translin/trax (TN/TX) complex mediates degradation of miR-181b in the aorta.

Deletion of translin (Tsn) induces robust adiposity and hepatic steatosis without impairing glucose tolerance.

Objective: Translin knockout (KO) mice display robust adiposity. Recent studies indicate that translin and its partner protein, trax, regulate the microRNA and ATM kinase signaling pathways, both of which have been implicated in regulating metabolism. In the course of characterizing the metabolic profile of these mice, we found that they display normal glucose tolerance despite their elevated adiposity.

Trax: A versatile signaling protein plays key roles in synaptic plasticity and DNA repair.

Translin-associated protein X (TSNAX), also called trax, was first identified as a protein that interacts with translin. Subsequent studies demonstrated that these proteins form a heteromeric RNase complex that mediates degradation of microRNAs, a pivotal finding that has stimulated interest in understanding the role of translin and trax in cell signaling. Recent studies addressing this question have revealed that trax plays key roles in both synaptic plasticity and DNA repair signaling pathways.

Multiple Pathways Mediate MicroRNA Degradation: Focus on the Translin/Trax RNase Complex.

The discovery of the microRNA system has revolutionized our understanding of translational control. Furthermore, growing appreciation of the pivotal role that de novo translation plays in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity has fueled interest among neuroscientists in deciphering how the microRNA system impacts neuronal signaling and the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Although we have a general understanding of how the microRNA system operates, many key questions remain.

The first external quality assessment of isolation and identification of influenza viruses in cell culture in the Asia Pacific region, 2016.

Background: The isolation and propagation of influenza viruses from clinical specimens are essential tools for comprehensive virologic surveillance. Influenza viruses must be amplified in cell culture for detailed antigenic analysis and for phenotypic assays assessing susceptibility to antiviral drugs or for other assays.

Objectives: To conduct an external quality assessment (EQA) of proficiency for isolation and identification of influenza viruses using cell culture techniques among National Influenza Centres (NICs) in the World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia and Western Pacific Regions.

Strengthening laboratory surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in South East Asia.

call on South East Asian countries to invest in national networks of laboratories for robust and standardised surveillance of antimicrobial resistance

Prevalence and Surgical Outcomes of Macular Hole in Eyes with Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To report the prevalence and surgical outcomes of macular holes (MHs) in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Interventional, retrospective, consecutive case series.

Participants: Patients with MH and concurrent non-neovascular (NNV) or neovascular (NV) AMD.

External quality assessment of dengue and chikungunya diagnostics in the Asia Pacific region, 2015.

Objective: To conduct an external quality assessment (EQA) of dengue and chikungunya diagnostics among national-level public health laboratories in the Asia Pacific region following the first round of EQA for dengue diagnostics in 2013.

Methods: Twenty-four national-level public health laboratories performed routine diagnostic assays on a proficiency testing panel consisting of two modules. Module A contained serum samples spiked with cultured dengue virus (DENV) or chikungunya virus (CHIKV) for the detection of nucleic acid and DENV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen.

Rapid reversal of translational silencing: Emerging role of microRNA degradation pathways in neuronal plasticity.

As microRNAs silence translation, rapid reversal of this process has emerged as an attractive mechanism for driving de novo protein synthesis mediating neuronal plasticity. Herein, we summarize recent studies identifying neuronal stimuli that trigger rapid decreases in microRNA levels and reverse translational silencing of plasticity transcripts. Although these findings indicate that neuronal stimulation elicits rapid degradation of selected microRNAs, we are only beginning to decipher the molecular pathways involved.

A pilot randomized trial of levator injections versus physical therapy for treatment of pelvic floor myalgia and sexual pain.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Our aim was to determine the effects of pelvic floor physical therapy (PT) and levator-directed trigger-point injections (LTPI) on sexual function and levator-related pelvic pain.

Study Design: A randomized trial among women with pelvic floor myalgia (PFM) was performed wherein participants received either PT or LTPI. Pain was assessed and 1 month posttreatment completion.

Therapeutic modalities for treatment resistant depression: focus on vagal nerve stimulation and ketamine.

Treatment resistant depression (TRD) is a global health concern affecting a large proportion of depressed patients who then require novel therapeutic options. One such treatment option that has received some attention in the past several years is vagal nerve stimulation (VNS). The present review briefly describes the relevance of this treatment in the light of other existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological options.

Influence of acute or chronic administration of ovarian hormones on the effects of desipramine in the forced swim test in female rats.

Rationale: Gender may influence antidepressant (AD) treatment outcome. In order to address this preclinically, the potential effects of ovarian hormones on AD treatment in ovariectomized female rats were investigated.

Objectives: In the first study, the effect of acute administration of estrogen and progesterone on the antidepressant-like effects of desipramine (DMI), a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), was investigated in the forced swimming test (FST).

Dermatological disorders in chronic kidney disease with and without maintenance hemodialysis.

Introduction: Dermatological disorders are common complications of CKD affecting all most all patients. Present study aimed to evaluate these disorders in CKD with and without Maintenance Hemodialysis and their association with age, sex, severity and duration of CKD and dialysis.

Methods: It is a cross-sectional comparative study.

Brimonidine allergy presenting as vernal-like keratoconjunctivitis.

Purpose: To report a brimonidone-induced allergic reaction that mimicked a limbal form of vernal keratoconjunctivitis in the setting of background ocular surface toxicity.

Patients And Methods: A 78-year-old male with a history of primary open angle glaucoma presented with symptoms of unilateral blurry vision, irritation, and redness shortly after starting brimonidine exclusively in the right eye. Examination revealed injected palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, diffuse punctate epithelial erosion and discrete, non-staining corneal limbal infiltrates superiorly.