Release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia pipientis (wMel strain) is a biocontrol approach against Ae. aegypti-transmitted arboviruses. The Applying Wolbachia to Eliminate Dengue (AWED) cluster-randomised trial was conducted in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2018-2020 and provided pivotal evidence for the efficacy of wMel-Ae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnat Rec (Hoboken)
September 2024
Despite detailed descriptions of cranial anatomy in representatives of most major chondrichthyan groups, the inner ear has been described infrequently and most often from the soft tissue of the membranous labyrinth. However, skeletal labyrinth morphology has been linked with ecology in several groups of vertebrates, and shark skeletal labyrinths bear several specializations for detecting low frequency sounds. Without description of these structures across a broad sample of taxa, future exploration of the ecomorphology of ear shape is not possible.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChannels (Austin)
December 2024
Vascular smooth muscle ATP-sensitive potassium (K) channels play critical roles in modulating vascular tone and thus represent important drug targets for diverse cardiovascular pathologies. Despite extensive research efforts spanning several decades, the search for selective inhibitors that can discriminate between vascular K (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver the past 50 years, there has been a marked increase in diseases like dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika. The World Mosquito Program (WMP) has developed an approach that, instead of attempting to eliminate vector species, introduces into native populations through the release of -infected mosquitoes. Using this approach, a randomized controlled study recently demonstrated a 77% reduction in dengue across a treatment area within Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report the case of a 56-year-old female with a past medical history of multiple sclerosis on disease-modifying therapy of fingolimod who presented with disseminated infection, initially of the ankles bilaterally before progressing to the central nervous system. CNS coccidiomycosis has thus far not been associated with any pharmacological therapy for multiple sclerosis. Clinicians should have a high degree of suspicion for infection in immunosuppressed patients living in endemic areas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe renal epithelium is sensitive to changes in blood potassium (K). We identify the basolateral K channel, Kir4.2, as a mediator of the proximal tubule response to K deficiency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Health Care Chaplain
October 2024
As chaplaincy is increasingly practiced in outpatient settings, further understanding is needed of what it entails and is accomplishing within this unique context. This scoping review summarizes 42 articles that describe the types of spiritual care interventions and programs offered by chaplains in outpatient settings, and their outcomes. Findings support that chaplaincy is practiced in outpatient settings, especially in palliative care, oncology, and primary care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe study aim was to determine caregiver interest and planned utilization of pharmacogenomic (PGx) results for their child with Prader-Willi syndrome. Caregivers consented to PGx testing for their child and completed a survey before receiving results. Of all caregivers (n = 48), 93.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPacific Island countries have experienced periodic dengue, chikungunya and Zika outbreaks for decades. The prevention and control of these mosquito-borne diseases rely heavily on control of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which in most settings are the primary vector. Introgression of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis (wMel strain) into Ae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFManagement of thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata) in the Northwest Atlantic has posed a conservation dilemma for several decades due to the species' lack of response to strong conservation efforts in the US Gulf of Maine and the Canadian Scotian Shelf, confusion over the relationship between two reproductive size morphs of differing life histories that are sympatric in the Northwest Atlantic, and conflicting data on regional population connectivity throughout the species' broader range. To better assess potential A. radiata regional population differentiation and genetic links to life-history variation, we analysed complete mitochondrial genome sequences from 527 specimens collected across the species' North Atlantic geographic range, with particular emphasis on the Northwest Atlantic region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVascular smooth muscle K channels critically regulate blood flow and blood pressure by modulating vascular tone and therefore represent attractive drug targets for treating several cardiovascular disorders. However, the lack of potent inhibitors that can selectively inhibit Kir6.1/SUR2B (vascular K) over Kir6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The introduction of Wolbachia (wMel strain) into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes reduces their capacity to transmit dengue and other arboviruses. Randomised and non-randomised studies in multiple countries have shown significant reductions in dengue incidence following field releases of wMel-infected Ae. aegypti.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The wMel strain of Wolbachia has been successfully introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and has been shown to reduce the transmission of dengue and other Aedes-borne viruses. Here we report the entomological results from phased, large-scale releases of Wolbachia infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes throughout three contiguous cities located in the Aburrá Valley, Colombia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To explore support strategies for older nurses and midwives in Australian healthcare workplaces.
Design: A qualitative descriptive study.
Method: Participants were 50 older nurses and midwives and 20 healthcare managers recruited from a broad range of Australian healthcare settings.
Background: Postnatal depression (PND) is a leading cause of illness and death among women following childbirth. Physical inactivity, sedentary behaviour, poor sleep, and sub-optimal diet quality are behavioural risk factors for PND. A feasible, sustainable, and scalable intervention to improve healthy behaviours and reduce PND symptoms among women at postpartum is needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSynthetic biology enables the creative combination of engineering and molecular biology for exploration of fundamental aspects of biological phenomena. However, there are limited resources available for such applications in the educational context, where straightforward setup, easily measurable phenotypes and extensibility are of particular importance. We developed unigems, a set of ten plasmids that enable classroom-based investigation of gene-expression control and biological logic gates to facilitate teaching synthetic biology and genetic engineering.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: The isolation and purification of protactinium from uranium materials is essential for Pa-U radiochronometry, but separating Pa from uranium-niobium alloys, a common material in the nuclear fuel cycle, is challenging due to the chemical similarity of Pa and Nb. Here we present three resin chromatography separation techniques for isolating Pa from U and Nb which were independently developed by three different laboratories through ad hoc adaptations of standard operating procedures. Our results underscore the need for and value of purification methods suitable for a diversity of uranium-based materials to ensure the operational readiness of nuclear forensics laboratories.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh K supplementation is correlated with a lower risk of the composite of death, major cardiovascular events, and ameliorated blood pressure, but the exact mechanisms have not been established. Inwardly rectifying K (K) channels expressed in the basolateral membrane of the distal nephron play an essential role in maintaining electrolyte homeostasis. Mutations in this channel family have been shown to result in strong disturbances in electrolyte homeostasis, among other symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground & Aims: There are no contemporary large-scale studies evaluating the burden of Helicobacter pylori in the United States according to detailed demographics. The primary objective was to evaluate H pylori positivity in a large national healthcare system according to individual demographics and geography.
Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective analysis of adults in the Veterans Health Administration who completed H pylori testing between 1999 and 2018.