Antimicrobial Prescribing Patterns in GP Practices in Northern Ireland.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat requiring immediate attention as it is set to cause ten million deaths worldwide by 2050, overtaking that of cancer. Continuation of overuse and/or misuse of these crucial medicines will prevent future generations from reaping the benefits, as the pandemic of AMR spirals out of control. The primary aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial prescribing patterns in General Practices throughout Northern Ireland.

The transcriptional regulation of a putative hemicellulose gene, PtrPARVUS2 in poplar.

The plant cell wall serves as a critical interface between the plant and its environment, offering protection against various stresses and contributing to biomass production. Hemicellulose is one of the major components of the cell wall, and understanding the transcriptional regulation of its production is essential to fully understanding cell wall formation. This study explores the regulatory mechanisms underlying one of the genes involved in hemicellulose biosynthesis, PtrPARVUS2.

Association of Pharmacogenomic Phenotypes in CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A5 on Polypharmacy in Veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) utilizes a pharmacogenomic (PGx) program that analyzes specific "pharmacogenes." This study evaluates the effect that pharmacogenes may have on prevalence of polypharmacy. This retrospective cohort study included patients with VA prescriptions who underwent PGx testing.

Association Between Challenging Behaviour and Sleep Problems in Adults Enrolled in the Global Angelman Syndrome Registry.

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic disorder that impacts 1:20,000 people. Challenging behaviour, such as severe injurious behaviour, aggression and frequent unprovoked episodes of laughter are a significant problem among adults with AS that adversely impacts an individual's quality of life. This study, for the first time, aims understand the characteristic of challenging behaviour, its frequency, and the factors associated with it in adults with AS.

Functional Diversification and the Plant Secondary Cell Wall.

Much evidence exists suggesting the presence of genetic functional diversification in plants, though literature associated with the role of functional diversification in the evolution of the plant secondary cell wall (SCW) has sparsely been compiled and reviewed in a recent context. This review aims to elucidate, through the examination of gene phylogenies associated with its biosynthesis and maintenance, the role of functional diversification in shaping the critical, dynamic, and characteristic organelle, the secondary cell wall. It will be asserted that gene families resulting from gene duplication and subsequent functional divergence are present and are heavily involved in SCW biosynthesis and maintenance.

Nutrient conditions mediate mycorrhizal effects on biomass production and cell wall chemistry in poplar.

Large-scale biofuel production from lignocellulosic feedstock is limited by the financial and environmental costs associated with growing and processing lignocellulosic material and the resilience of these plants to environmental stress. Symbiotic associations with arbuscular (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi represent a potential strategy for expanding feedstock production while reducing nutrient inputs. Comparing AM and EM effects on wood production and chemical composition is a necessary step in developing biofuel feedstocks.

Pectin and Xylan Biosynthesis in Poplar: Implications and Opportunities for Biofuels Production.

A potential method by which society's reliance on fossil fuels can be lessened is the large-scale utilization of biofuels derived from the secondary cell walls of woody plants; however, there remain a number of technical challenges to the large-scale production of biofuels. Many of these challenges emerge from the underlying complexity of the secondary cell wall. The challenges associated with lignin have been well explored elsewhere, but the dicot cell wall components of hemicellulose and pectin also present a number of difficulties.

Synergies and Entanglement in Secondary Cell Wall Development and Abiotic Stress Response in Trees.

A major challenge for sustainable food, fuel, and fiber production is simultaneous genetic improvement of yield, biomass quality, and resilience to episodic environmental stress and climate change. For and other forest trees, quality traits involve alterations in the secondary cell wall (SCW) of wood for traditional uses, as well as for a growing diversity of biofuels and bioproducts. Alterations in wood properties that are desirable for specific end uses can have negative effects on growth and stress tolerance.

Sensory, Affective, and Catastrophizing Reactions to Multiple Stimulus Modalities: Results from the Oklahoma Study of Native American Pain Risk.

Native Americans (NAs) have a higher prevalence of chronic pain than any other U.S. racial/ethnic group; however, little is known about the mechanisms for this pain disparity.

Expression of a hyperthermophilic endoglucanase in hybrid poplar modifies the plant cell wall and enhances digestibility.

Background: Expression of glycosyl hydrolases in lignocellulosic biomass has been proposed as an alternative to improve efficiency of cellulosic ethanol production. production of hyperthermophilic hydrolytic enzymes could prevent the detrimental effects often seen resulting from the expression of recombinant mesophilic enzymes to plant hosts. Utilizing lignocellulosic feedstocks to produce hyperthermophilic hydrolases provides additional benefits for ethanol production in the way of transgenic feedstocks serving as both enzyme providers and cellulosic substrates.

Does oral language underpin the development of later behavior problems? A longitudinal meta-analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to estimate the overall weighted mean effect of the relation between early language skills and later behavior problems in school-aged children.

Method: A systematic literature search yielded 19,790 unduplicated reports, and a structured search strategy and identification procedure yielded 25 unique data sets, with 114 effect sizes for analysis. Eligible reports were then coded, and effect sizes were extracted and synthesized via robust variance estimation and random-effects meta-analytic techniques.

Cell wall composition and lignin biosynthetic gene expression along a developmental gradient in an Australian sugarcane cultivar.

Sugarcane bagasse is an abundant source of lignocellulosic material for bioethanol production. Utilisation of bagasse for biofuel production would be environmentally and economically beneficial, but the recalcitrance of lignin continues to provide a challenge. Further understanding of lignin production in specific cultivars will provide a basis for modification of genomes for the production of phenotypes with improved processing characteristics.

The Non-Homologous End Joining Protein PAXX Acts to Restrict HSV-1 Infection.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) has extensive interactions with the host DNA damage response (DDR) machinery that can be either detrimental or beneficial to the virus. Proteins in the homologous recombination pathway are known to be required for efficient replication of the viral genome, while different members of the classical non-homologous end-joining (c-NHEJ) pathway have opposing effects on HSV-1 infection. Here, we have investigated the role of the recently-discovered c-NHEJ component, PAXX (Paralogue of XRCC4 and XLF), which we found to be excluded from the nucleus during HSV-1 infection.

Assessing the potential for trace organic contaminants commonly found in Australian rivers to induce vitellogenin in the native rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) and the introduced mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).

In Australia, trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) and endocrine active compounds (EACs) have been detected in rivers impacted by sewage effluent, urban stormwater, agricultural and industrial inputs. It is unclear whether these chemicals are at concentrations that can elicit endocrine disruption in Australian fish species. In this study, native rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) and introduced invasive (but prevalent) mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) were exposed to the individual compounds atrazine, estrone, bisphenol A, propylparaben and pyrimethanil, and mixtures of compounds including hormones and personal care products, industrial compounds, and pesticides at environmentally relevant concentrations.

RNAi downregulation of three key lignin genes in sugarcane improves glucose release without reduction in sugar production.

Background: Sugarcane is a subtropical crop that produces large amounts of biomass annually. It is a key agricultural crop in many countries for the production of sugar and other products. Residual bagasse following sucrose extraction is currently underutilized and it has potential as a carbohydrate source for the production of biofuels.

Sugarcane transgenics expressing MYB transcription factors show improved glucose release.

Background: Sugarcane, a tropical C4 perennial crop, is capable of producing 30-100 tons or more of biomass per hectare annually. The lignocellulosic residue remaining after sugar extraction is currently underutilized and can provide a significant source of biomass for the production of second-generation bioethanol.

Results: MYB31 and MYB42 were cloned from maize and expressed in sugarcane with and without the UTR sequences.

Presence and select determinants of organophosphate flame retardants in public swimming pools.

The occurrence of five organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) consisting of tributyl phosphate (TNBP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris(1.3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) in swimming pools were investigated. Fifteen chlorinated public swimming pools were sampled, including indoor pools, outdoor pools and spa pools.

The HSV-1 Latency-Associated Transcript Functions to Repress Latent Phase Lytic Gene Expression and Suppress Virus Reactivation from Latently Infected Neurons.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) establishes life-long latent infection within sensory neurons, during which viral lytic gene expression is silenced. The only highly expressed viral gene product during latent infection is the latency-associated transcript (LAT), a non-protein coding RNA that has been strongly implicated in the epigenetic regulation of HSV-1 gene expression. We have investigated LAT-mediated control of latent gene expression using chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses and LAT-negative viruses engineered to express firefly luciferase or β-galactosidase from a heterologous lytic promoter.

Seasonal variations in fate and removal of trace organic chemical contaminants while operating a full-scale membrane bioreactor.

Trace organic chemical (TrOC) contaminants are of concern for finished water from water recycling schemes because of their potential adverse environmental and public health effects. Understanding the impacts of seasonal variations on fate and removal of TrOCs is important for proper operation, risk assessment and management of treatment systems for water recycling such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs). Accordingly, this study investigated the fate and removal of a wide range of TrOCs through a full-scale MBR plant during summer and winter seasons.

Analysis of organophosphate flame retardants and plasticisers in water by isotope dilution gas chromatography-electron ionisation tandem mass spectrometry.

The widespread use of organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) in commercial products have led to their increased presence in the environment. In this study, a rapid and reliable analytical method was developed for the analysis of five PFRs in water using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) with electron ionisation (EI) and a run time of 13 min. The PFRs investigated were tributyl phosphate (TBP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPP).

A national survey of trace organic contaminants in Australian rivers.

Trace organic contaminant (TrOC) studies in Australia have, to date, focused on wastewater effluents, leaving a knowledge gap of their occurrence and risk in freshwater environments. This study measured 42 TrOCs including industrial compounds, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at 73 river sites across Australia quarterly for 1 yr. Trace organic contaminants were found in 92% of samples, with a median of three compounds detected per sample (maximum 18).