Microplastic ingestion in marine mesozooplankton species associated with functional feeding traits.

Microplastic (MP, <5 mm) contamination in the ocean raises concern for zooplankton, as their prey and MPs fall within the same size range. This study aimed to evaluate the ingestion capacity of MPs among a diverse array of mesozooplankton taxonomic groups and species from the central Mexican Pacific, focusing on two functional traits: trophic group and feeding strategy. A total of 20 taxa belonging to eight taxonomic groups, 13 which were identified to species level, were exposed to microspheres (Ms) ranging in size from 38 to 53 μm, at a concentration of 100 Ms/mL.

An accessible method to standardize polyethylene microsphere (<100 μm) concentrations for zooplankton ingestion experiments.

The ubiquity of microplastics has caused alarm as to the impact of these materials on aquatic life, leading to experimental studies to understand these effects. In zooplankton bioassays, microspheres (Ms) are often used as a proxy to represent aquatic microplastic contamination due to their homogeneity and small sizes (<100 μm). The present study proposes an accessible protocol that does not require highly specialized equipment for the creation of Ms stock solutions and environmentally realistic experimental concentrations and describes some common issues.

The Association of Child Abuse Experiences and Intolerance of Uncertainty in Young Adults.

: Drawing upon the identity disruption model, we investigated the association between child abuse experiences (emotional, physical, and sexual) and intolerance of uncertainty. We also addressed demographic differences in uncertainty intolerance in this study. : Using online survey questionnaires, we collected data from a sample of 302 young adults in Turkey.

Quantitative videomicroscopy reveals latent control of cell-pair rotations in vivo.

Collective cell rotations are widely used during animal organogenesis. Theoretical and in vitro studies have conceptualized rotating cells as identical rigid-point objects that stochastically break symmetry to move monotonously and perpetually within an inert environment. However, it is unclear whether this notion can be extrapolated to a natural context, where rotations are ephemeral and heterogeneous cellular cohorts interact with an active epithelium.

Plasma Level of Pyrophosphate Is Low in Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum Owing to Mutations in the ABCC6 Gene, but It Does Not Correlate with ABCC6 Genotype.

Background: Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), a monogenic disorder resulting in calcification affecting the skin, eyes and peripheral arteries, is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene, and is associated with low plasma inorganic pyrophosphate (PP). It is unknown how ABCC6 genotype affects plasma PP.

Methods: We studied the association of ABCC6 genotype (192 patients with biallelic pathogenic ABCC6 mutations) and PP levels, and its association with the severity of arterial and ophthalmological phenotypes.

Pediatric cochlear implant explantation and reimplantation over a 32-year period.

Objectives: Cochlear implantation is indicated for pediatric patients with bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. The literature reports large variability in cochlear implant (CI) device survival and rates of explantation and reimplantation. This retrospective chart review summarizes CI survival and rates of explantation and reimplantation in pediatric CI recipients at a Canadian tertiary pediatric hospital over 32 years.

In situ microplastic ingestion by neritic zooplankton of the central Mexican Pacific.

Microplastics (MPs) are present across the global ocean and can be encountered by many species, including zooplankton. Although they fall within the size range of zooplankton prey, there are few studies on MPs ingestion carried out in situ. In this study, we analyzed MPs ingestion during two seasons (rainy and dry) of organisms from 5 taxonomic groups of zooplankton from two bays of the Mexican central Pacific: Manzanillo and Navidad.

Evaluation of the Effects of Repeated Insertion-Removal Cycles on the Retention of an Indexed Conometric Connection.

Purpose: The objectives of this in vitro study were to evaluate changes in the retention force of the indexed conometric system subjected to repeated insertion-removal cycles and to examine the elements (matrix and patrix) that cause retention changes in the system as a result of repeated cycles.

Materials And Methods: Monolithic zirconia crowns were cemented on 24 matrixes and 24 patrixes fixed on the implant analog. The pull-out test was performed with 12 matrixes and 12 patrixes attached, and the initial retention forces were recorded.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5Nx in Poland in 2020/2021: a Descriptive Epidemiological Study of a Large-scale Epidemic.

Introduction: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks caused by the Gs/Gd lineage of H5Nx viruses occur in Poland with increased frequency. The article provides an update on the HPAI situation in the 2020/2021 season and studies the possible factors that caused the exceptionally fast spread of the virus.

Material And Methods: Samples from poultry and wild birds delivered for HPAI diagnosis were tested by real-time RT-PCR and a representative number of detected viruses were submitted for partial or full-genome characterisation.

High frequency of otolaryngology/ENT encounters in Canadian primary care despite low medical undergraduate experiences.

Otolaryngology involves the treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. Many medical students in Canada have limited experiences in ENT and a vast majority of these students go on to pursue a career as primary care physicians. Physicians at a primary care facility classified patient's visits as either being "ENT" related or not, to assess the amount of ENT related concerns they typically encounter.

Oral supplementation of inorganic pyrophosphate in pseudoxanthoma elasticum.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE; OMIM 264800) is a rare heritable multisystem disorder, characterized by ectopic mineralization affecting elastic fibres in the skin, eyes and the cardiovascular system. Skin findings often lead to early diagnosis of PXE, but currently, no specific treatment exists to counteract the progression of symptoms. PXE belongs to a group of Mendelian calcification disorders linked to pyrophosphate metabolism, which also includes generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI) and arterial calcification due to CD73 deficiency (ACDC).

Inorganic pyrophosphate is reduced in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objective: The pathogenesis of calcinosis cutis, a disabling complication of SSc, is poorly understood and effective treatments are lacking. Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) is a key regulator of ectopic mineralization, and its deficiency has been implicated in ectopic mineralization disorders. We therefore sought to test the hypothesis that SSc may be associated with reduced circulating PPi, which might play a pathogenic role in calcinosis cutis.

Surface layer microplastic pollution in four bays of the central Mexican Pacific.

Surface microplastics were sampled monthly in four tropical bays (Manzanillo, Santiago, Navidad and Cuastecomates) of the central Mexican Pacific during March 2017 to February 2018. Microplastic concentrations ranged between 0.01 and 1.

Restriction of Dietary Phosphate Ameliorates Skeletal Abnormalities in a Mouse Model for Craniometaphyseal Dysplasia.

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD), a rare genetic bone disorder, is characterized by lifelong progressive thickening of craniofacial bones and metaphyseal flaring of long bones. The autosomal dominant form of CMD is caused by mutations in the progressive ankylosis gene ANKH (mouse ortholog Ank), encoding a pyrophosphate (PPi) transporter. We previously reported reduced formation and function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in a knockin (KI) mouse model for CMD (Ank) and in CMD patients.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 in Poland in 2019-2020.

Introduction: Repeated incursions of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5 subtype of Gs/GD lineage pose a serious threat to poultry worldwide. We provide a detailed analysis of the spatio-temporal spread and genetic characteristics of HPAIV Gs/GD H5N8 from the 2019/20 epidemic in Poland.

Material And Methods: Samples from poultry and free-living birds were tested by real-time RT-PCR.

Creation of the first monoclonal antibody recognizing an extracellular epitope of hABCC6.

Mutations in the ABCC6 gene result in calcification diseases such as pseudoxanthoma elasticum or Generalized Arterial Calcification of Infancy. Generation of antibodies recognizing an extracellular (EC) epitope of ABCC6 has been hampered by the short EC segments of the protein. To overcome this limitation, we immunized bovine FcRn transgenic mice exhibiting an augmented humoral immune response with Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells cells expressing human ABCC6 (hABCC6).

Pyrophosphate therapy prevents trauma-induced calcification in the mouse model of neurogenic heterotopic ossification.

Trauma-induced calcification is the pathological consequence of complex injuries which often affect the central nervous system and other parts of the body simultaneously. We demonstrated by an animal model recapitulating the calcification of the above condition that adrenaline transmits the stress signal of brain injury to the calcifying tissues. We have also found that although the level of plasma pyrophosphate, the endogenous inhibitor of calcification, was normal in calcifying animals, it could not counteract the acute calcification.

Epithelial Planar Bipolarity Emerges from Notch-Mediated Asymmetric Inhibition of Emx2.

Most plane-polarized tissues are formed by identically oriented cells [1, 2]. A notable exception occurs in the vertebrate vestibular system and lateral-line neuromasts, where mechanosensory hair cells orient along a single axis but in opposite directions to generate bipolar epithelia [3-5]. In zebrafish neuromasts, pairs of hair cells arise from the division of a non-sensory progenitor [6, 7] and acquire opposing planar polarity via the asymmetric expression of the polarity-determinant transcription factor Emx2 [8-11].

Male courtship signal modality and female mate preference in the wolf spider : results of digital multimodal playback studies.

Females must be able to perceive and assess male signals, especially when they occur simultaneously with those of other males. Previous studies show female wolf spiders display receptivity to isolated visual or vibratory courtship signals, but increased receptivity to multimodal courtship. It is unknown whether this is true when females are presented with a choice between simultaneous multimodal and isolated unimodal male courtship.

Oral administration of pyrophosphate inhibits connective tissue calcification.

Various disorders including pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) and generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI), which are caused by inactivating mutations in and , respectively, present with extensive tissue calcification due to reduced plasma pyrophosphate (PPi). However, it has always been assumed that the bioavailability of orally administered PPi is negligible. Here, we demonstrate increased PPi concentration in the circulation of humans after oral PPi administration.

Functional Rescue of ABCC6 Deficiency by 4-Phenylbutyrate Therapy Reduces Dystrophic Calcification in Abcc6 Mice.

Soft-tissue calcification is associated with aging, common conditions such as diabetes or hypercholesterolemia, and with certain genetic disorders. ABCC6 is an efflux transporter primarily expressed in liver facilitating the release of adenosine triphosphate from hepatocytes. Within the liver vasculature, adenosine triphosphate is converted into pyrophosphate, a major inhibitor of ectopic calcification.

Evolution of African swine fever virus genes related to evasion of host immune response.

African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable and one of the most complex and devastating infectious disease of pigs, wild boars and other representatives of Suidae family. African swine fever virus (ASFV) developed various molecular mechanisms to evade host immune response including alteration of interferon production by multigene family protein (MGF505-2R), inhibition of NF-κB and nuclear activating factor in T-cells by the A238L protein, or modulation of host defense by CD2v lectin-like protein encoded by EP402R and EP153R genes. The current situation concerning ASF in Poland seems to be stable in comparison to other eastern European countries but up-to-date in total 106 ASF cases in wild boar and 5 outbreaks in pigs were identified.