Trace concentrations of imazethapyr (IM) affect floral organs development and reproduction in Arabidopsis thaliana: IM-induced inhibition of key genes regulating anther and pollen biosynthesis.

Understanding how herbicides affect plant reproduction and growth is critical to develop herbicide toxicity model and refine herbicide risk assessment. Although our knowledge of herbicides toxicity mechanisms at the physiological and molecular level in plant vegetative phase has increased substantially in the last decades, few studies have addressed the herbicide toxicity problematic on plant reproduction. Here, we determined the long-term (4-8 weeks) effect of a chiral herbicide, imazethapyr (IM), which has been increasingly used in plant crops, on floral organ development and reproduction in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Unraveling the toxicity mechanisms of the herbicide diclofop-methyl in rice: modulation of the activity of key enzymes involved in citrate metabolism and induction of cell membrane anion channels.

Residual soil concentrations of the herbicide diclofop-methyl (DM) can be toxic to other nontarget plant species, but the toxicity mechanisms at play are not fully understood. In the present study, we analyzed the toxic effect of DM on root growth and metabolism in the rice species Oryza sativa. The results show that a 48-h exposure to a trace level (5 μg/L) of DM inhibits rice root growth by almost 70%.

The complex relationships between microglia, alpha-synuclein, and LRRK2 in Parkinson's disease.

The proteins alpha-synuclein (αSyn) and leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are both key players in the pathogenesis of the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease (PD), but establishing a functional link between the two proteins has proven elusive. Research studies for these two proteins have traditionally and justifiably focused in neuronal cells, but recent studies indicate that each protein could play a greater pathological role elsewhere. αSyn is expressed at high levels within neurons, but they also secrete the protein into the extracellular milieu, where it can have broad ranging effects in the nervous system and relevance to disease etiology.

Performance in multiple domains of social cognition in parents of patients with schizophrenia.

Social cognition refers to a set of cognitive abilities that allow us to perceive and interpret social stimuli. Social cognition is affected in schizophrenia and impairments have also been documented in unaffected relatives, suggesting that social cognition may be related to a genetic vulnerability to the disease. This study aims to investigate potential impairments in four domains of social cognition (mentalizing, emotion recognition, social knowledge and empathy) in the same group of relatives in order to gather a more complete picture of social cognition difficulties in this population.

Increased subcutaneous adipose tissue expression of genes involved in glycerolipid-fatty acid cycling in obese insulin-resistant versus -sensitive individuals.

Context: A subpopulation of obese individuals remains insulin sensitive (ISO). They represent a unique human model to investigate factors underlying insulin resistance (IR) without the confounding effect of major differences in weight/adiposity. Altered fatty-acid (FA) metabolism in sc adipose tissue (SAT) contributes to obesity-associated IR.

Meta-cognitions in tourette syndrome, tic disorders, and body-focused repetitive disorder.

Objective: To explore if self-reported presence of thinking about tics or body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs; gests) are direct triggers of tic or gest onset in 3 groups: Tourette syndrome (TS; n =18), persistent chronic tic disorders (TDs; n = 42), and a comparison group with BFRB (n = 36).

Method: The 3 groups completed a thinking about tics inventory, listing 22 items derived from clinician consensus that asked whether thoughts always, sometimes, or never exclusively triggered tic onset. Other questionnaires measured mood, perfectionism, impulsivity, premonitory urge, and self-rated tension.

Mitophagy of damaged mitochondria occurs locally in distal neuronal axons and requires PINK1 and Parkin.

To minimize oxidative damage to the cell, malfunctioning mitochondria need to be removed by mitophagy. In neuronal axons, mitochondrial damage may occur in distal regions, far from the soma where most lysosomal degradation is thought to occur. In this paper, we report that PINK1 and Parkin, two Parkinson's disease-associated proteins, mediate local mitophagy of dysfunctional mitochondria in neuronal axons.

Genetic deletion of the GATA1-regulated protein α-synuclein reduces oxidative stress and nitric oxide synthase levels in mature erythrocytes.

α-Synuclein is highly expressed in neural tissue and during erythropoiesis, where the key erythroid regulator GATA1 has been found to modulate its expression. While specific α-synuclein (SNCA) mutations are known to cause autosomal dominant familial Parkinson's disease, its wild-type function remains under debate. To investigate the role of α-synuclein in murine hematopoiesis and erythropoiesis, we utilized Snca knock-out mice and analyzed erythroid compartments for maturation defects, in vivo erythrocyte survival, and erythrocyte-based reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) levels.

French-Canadian translation of the WheelCon-M (WheelCon-M-F) and evaluation of its validity evidence using telephone administration.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to: (1) translate the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users (WheelCon-M) into a French-Canadian version (WheelCon-M-F); and (2) evaluate the WheelCon-M-F validity evidence based on response processes, internal structure, and relations with other variables.

Methods: The WheelCon-M was translated from English to French using the Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient Reported Outcomes Measures - Principles of Good Practice guidelines. We used a test-retest design to examine the validity of the WheelCon-M-F with 24 community dwelling, experienced manual wheelchair users who had a variety of musculoskeletal and neurological diagnoses.

Inhibition of apoptotic Bax translocation to the mitochondria is a central function of parkin.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, affecting 1-3% of the population over 65. Mutations in the ubiquitin E3 ligase parkin are the most common cause of autosomal recessive PD. The parkin protein possesses potent cell-protective properties and has been mechanistically linked to both the regulation of apoptosis and the turnover of damaged mitochondria.

Event-related brain potentials to emotional images and gonadal steroid hormone levels in patients with schizophrenia and paired controls.

Prominent disturbances in the experience, expression, and emotion recognition in patients with schizophrenia have been relatively well documented over the last few years. Furthermore, sex differences in behavior and brain activity, associated with the processing of various emotions, have been reported in the general population and in schizophrenia patients. Others proposed that sex differences should be rather attributed to testosterone, which may play a role in the etiology of schizophrenia.

The effect of talking about psychological trauma with a significant other on heart rate reactivity in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly make efforts to avoid trauma-oriented conversations with their significant others, which may interfere with the natural recovery process. Trauma-oriented conversations can be experienced as physiologically arousing, depending on the intensity of PTSD symptoms and perceptions of social support. In the current investigation, changes in heart rate responses to a trauma-oriented social interaction with a significant other were assessed.

VAP: a versatile aggregate profiler for efficient genome-wide data representation and discovery.

The analysis of genomic data such as ChIP-Seq usually involves representing the signal intensity level over genes or other genetic features. This is often illustrated as a curve (representing the aggregate profile of a group of genes) or as a heatmap (representing individual genes). However, no specific resource dedicated to easily generating such profiles is currently available.

Motivations of physicians and nurses to practice voluntary euthanasia: a systematic review.

Background: While a number of reviews have explored the attitude of health professionals toward euthanasia, none of them documented their motivations to practice euthanasia. The objective of the present systematic review was to identify physicians' and nurses' motives for having the intention or for performing an act of voluntary euthanasia and compare findings from countries where the practice is legalized to those where it is not.

Methods: The following databases were investigated: MEDLINE/PubMed (1950+), PsycINFO (1806+), CINAHL (1982+), EMBASE (1974+) and FRANCIS (1984+).

Structure of a eukaryotic RNase III postcleavage complex reveals a double-ruler mechanism for substrate selection.

Ribonuclease III (RNase III) enzymes are a family of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-specific endoribonucleases required for RNA maturation and gene regulation. Prokaryotic RNase III enzymes have been well characterized, but how eukaryotic RNase IIIs work is less clear. Here, we describe the structure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNase III (Rnt1p) postcleavage complex and explain why Rnt1p binds to RNA stems capped with an NGNN tetraloop.

Alloimmunization of patients by blood units harboring distinct DEL variants.

The alloimmunization potential of many RHD variants is unknown, and it can be explored by lookback and traceback studies. Hema-Quebec (HQ) investigated the RHD status of 3980 D- repeat blood donors. Thirteen were found to be RHD positive: 4 RHD*1p, and 1 RHD*487delACAG, which show a Dphenotype;and 1 RHD*885T and 7 RHD*(93-94insT) causing a DEL phenotype when C antigen is present.

Membrane recruitment of endogenous LRRK2 precedes its potent regulation of autophagy.

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common cause of familial and idiopathic Parkinson's disease. However, the mechanisms for activating its physiological function are not known, hindering identification of the biological role of endogenous LRRK2. The recent discovery that LRRK2 is highly expressed in cells of the innate immune system and genetic association is a risk factor for autoimmune disorders implies an important role for LRRK2 in pathology outside of the central nervous system.

Copper toxicity to Phaeodactylum tricornutum: a survey of the sensitivity of various toxicity endpoints at the physiological, biochemical, molecular and structural levels.

Copper (Cu) is one of the most toxic metals in phytoplankton but the toxicity mechanisms of this metal are still not fully understood. This study examines the toxicity targets of Cu in the modeled marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, at the physiological (cell division, DNA cell cycle), biochemical [pigments synthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA)], structural (subcellular observation by flow cytometry) and molecular (transcription of several metalloprotein genes) level. Cu toxicity was detectable at all these levels after 48 h of exposure to ≥20 μM total initial added Cu.

Extensive adipose tissue necrosis following pfannenstiel incision for endometrial cancer.

Background: Hematomas are potential postoperative complications that may arise from Pfannenstiel incisions. They usually either resolve spontaneously or are drained depending on their extent. Major risk factors such as obesity and diabetes may lead to superimposed complications and further worsen the outcome.

Gloves, extra gloves or special types of gloves for preventing percutaneous exposure injuries in healthcare personnel.

Background: Healthcare workers are at risk of acquiring viral diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV through exposure to contaminated blood and body fluids at work. Most often infection occurs when a healthcare worker inadvertently punctures the skin of their hand with a sharp implement that has been used in the treatment of an infected patient, thus bringing the patient's blood into contact with their own. Such occurrences are commonly known as percutaneous exposure incidents.

Devices for preventing percutaneous exposure injuries caused by needles in healthcare personnel.

Background: Needlestick injuries from devices used for blood collection or for injections expose healthcare workers to the risk of blood borne infections such as hepatitis B and C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Safety features such as shields or retractable needles can possibly contribute to the prevention of these injuries and it is important to evaluate their effectiveness.

Objectives: To determine the benefits and harms of safety medical devices aiming to prevent percutaneous exposure injuries caused by needles in healthcare personnel versus no intervention or alternative interventions.

Uranium accumulation and toxicity in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is modulated by pH.

The effects of pH on metal uptake and toxicity in aquatic organisms are currently poorly understood and remain an evolving topic in studies about the biotic ligand model (BLM). In the present study, the authors investigated how pH may influence long-term (4 d) uranium (U) accumulation and chronic toxicity in batch cultures of the freshwater green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The toxicity expressed as a function of the free uranyl ion was much greater at pH 7 (effective concentration, 50% [EC50] = 1.

Beyond nursing nihilism, a Nietzschean transvaluation of neoliberal values.

Like most goods-producing sectors in the West, modern health-care systems have been profoundly changed by globalization and the neoliberal policies that attend it. Since the 1970s, the role of the welfare state has been considerably reduced; funding and management of health systems have been subjected to wave upon wave of reorganization and assimilated to the private sector. At the same time, neoliberal policy has imposed the notion of patient empowerment, thus turning patients into consumers of health.

Aromatic-aromatic interactions between residues in KCa3.1 pore helix and S5 transmembrane segment control the channel gating process.

The Ca(2+)-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 is emerging as a therapeutic target for a large variety of health disorders. One distinguishing feature of KCa3.