Advances in molecular genetics have increased knowledge of Tuber species' life cycle and population genetic structure, indicating ways to improve yield.

Truffles are possibly the only high-value cultivated organisms for which some aspects of the habit and life cycle have only recently been elucidated or remain unknown. Molecular techniques have helped explain the biological basis for some traditional empirical management techniques, such as inoculating soil with ascospores to improve yield, and have enhanced the detection of competitive or pathogenic soil microorganisms. Improved precision of assessment of the quality of inoculated seedlings is now possible.

Care of the Child Perinatally Exposed to Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Substantial progress in preventing vertical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission has led to a dramatic decline in new pediatric HIV infections. Alongside this success, a growing population of children who are HIV-exposed but uninfected face unique health challenges due to a variety of risk factors. Recommendations for healthcare providers caring for this population include optimizing and integrating general and HIV-related care for both mother and child through comprehensive care packages.

Acceptability and feasibility of a group-based intervention to improve outcomes for children at risk for developmental delays in Kenya: A piloted randomized trial.

The Care for Child Development (CCD) program may improve child development outcomes in resource-limited settings, but has not yet been adapted to group-based settings to facilitate sustainable dissemination. In this study, we determined the acceptability and feasibility of a group-based CCD program, with evaluation of program outcomes for child development, home environment, and symptoms of maternal depression as secondary outcomes. We evaluated this adapted program using a 2 × 2 crossover-designed pilot study administered over 10 bi-weekly sessions.

Fish communicate with water flow to enhance a school's social network.

Schooling fish rely on a social network created through signaling between its members to interact with their environment. Previous studies have established that vision is necessary for schooling and that flow sensing by the lateral line system may aid in a school's cohesion. However, it remains unclear to what extent flow provides a channel of communication between schooling fish.

Gearing in a hydrostatic skeleton: the tube feet of juvenile sea stars (Leptasterias sp.).

Hydrostatic skeletons, such as an elephant trunk or a squid tentacle, permit the transmission of mechanical work through a soft body. Despite the ubiquity of these structures among animals, we generally do not understand how differences in their morphology affect their ability to transmit muscular work. Therefore, the present study used mathematical modeling, morphometrics, and kinematics to understand the transmission of force and displacement in the tube feet of the juvenile six-rayed star (Leptasterias sp.

Pepea Pamoja: Applying the Ecological Validity Framework to co-develop a wellbeing and behavioural training program for caregivers of young children with autism in low-resource settings of Kenya and the United States.

Background: Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disability with global prevalence of one in 100 individuals. Poor access to interventions in both under-resourced regions of high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries has deleterious effects on the health and wellbeing of individuals with autism and their families. Our objective was to utilize a reciprocal innovation framework and participatory methods to adapt and co-develop a culturally grounded group-based wellbeing and naturalistic developmental behavioural intervention (NDBI) training program for caregivers of young children with autism to be implemented in Kenya and rural Indiana.

Understanding the need for pediatric neurodevelopmental services among households in western Kenya: A population-based study.

Introduction: Existing estimates of rates of childhood disability in Kenya are based on data with important limitations. Individual-level data on childhood disability at the local level is also lacking, leaving critical knowledge gaps for clinical and programmatic development.

Objectives: We aimed to estimate the rates of children at-risk for disability, examine the external factors related to risk of childhood disability, and gain a better understanding of the challenges experienced by children at-risk for disabilities and their families within western Kenya.

Impact of Maternal Viral Suppression on Growth Patterns for HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants in Kenya.

Background And Objective: Children born to mothers living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at risk for poor health outcomes but data characterizing these associations are limited. Our objective was to determine the impact of maternal viral suppression on growth patterns and malnutrition for infants who are HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of clinical data for infants who were HEU and their mothers (September 2015 - March 2019) in Kenya.

Soft skeletons transmit force with variable gearing.

A hydrostatic skeleton allows a soft body to transmit muscular force via internal pressure. A human's tongue, an octopus' arm and a nematode's body illustrate the pervasive presence of hydrostatic skeletons among animals, which has inspired the design of soft engineered actuators. However, there is a need for a theoretical basis for understanding how hydrostatic skeletons apply mechanical work.

The RESIST Study: Examining Cognitive Change in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment Being Treated with a TNF-Inhibitor Compared to a Conventional Synthetic Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug.

Background: Evidence suggests that TNF inhibitors (TNFi) used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may protect against Alzheimer's disease progression by reducing inflammation.

Objective: To investigate whether RA patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) being treated with a TNFi show slower cognitive decline than those being treated with a conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD).

Methods: 251 participants with RA and MCI taking either a csDMARD (N = 157) or a TNFi (N = 94) completed cognitive assessments at baseline and 6-month intervals for 18 months.

Cooperative transport in sea star locomotion.

It is unclear how animals with radial symmetry control locomotion without a brain. Using a combination of experiments, mathematical modeling, and robotics, we tested the extent to which this control emerges in sea stars (Protoreaster nodosus) from the local control of their hundreds of feet and their mechanical interactions with the body. We discovered that these animals compensate for an experimental increase in their submerged weight by recruiting more feet that synchronize in the power stroke of the locomotor cycle during their bouncing gait.

Unravelling inulin molecules in food sources using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization magnetic resonance mass spectrometry (MALDI-MRMS) pipeline.

Inulin, a polysaccharide characterized by a β-2,1 fructosyl-fructose structure terminating in a glucosyl moiety, is naturally present in plant roots and tubers. Current methods provide average degrees of polymerization (DP) but lack information on the distribution and absolute concentration of each DP. To address this limitation, a reproducible (CV < 10 %) high throughput (<2 min/sample) MALDI-MRMS approach capable of characterizing and quantifying inulin molecules in plants using matched-matrix consisting of α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid butylamine salt (CHCA-BA), chicory inulin-C and inulin-C was developed.

Subclinical Inflammation in Asymptomatic Schoolchildren With Plasmodium falciparum Parasitemia Correlates With Impaired Cognition.

Background: Subclinical inflammation and cognitive deficits have been separately associated with asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections in schoolchildren. However, whether parasite-induced inflammation is associated with worse cognition has not been addressed. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study to better assess the effect of asymptomatic P.

Cultivating Cultural Humility to Address the Healthcare Burnout Epidemic-Why It Matters.

Physician burnout is a major problem that has long been facing our healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately deepened this problem and shed the light on the multiple structural shortcomings of our healthcare system that need immediate attention. Demoralization is one of the core features of "physician burnout," which results from a breakdown of genuine physician-patient interaction.

Covalent inhibition of pro-apoptotic BAX.

BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) is a promising therapeutic target for activating or restraining apoptosis in diseases of pathologic cell survival or cell death, respectively. In response to cellular stress, BAX transforms from a quiescent cytosolic monomer into a toxic oligomer that permeabilizes the mitochondria, releasing key apoptogenic factors. The mitochondrial lipid trans-2-hexadecenal (t-2-hex) sensitizes BAX activation by covalent derivatization of cysteine 126 (C126).

Through the looking glass: attempting to predict future opportunities and challenges in experimental biology.

To celebrate its centenary year, Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB) commissioned a collection of articles examining the past, present and future of experimental biology. This Commentary closes the collection by considering the important research opportunities and challenges that await us in the future. We expect that researchers will harness the power of technological advances, such as '-omics' and gene editing, to probe resistance and resilience to environmental change as well as other organismal responses.

Adolescent Interview With a Medical Interpreter: A Standardized Patient Encounter for Pediatric Residents.

Background: Pediatricians can cultivate a more trusting relationship with their non-English speaking patients by emphasizing the importance of upholding patient confidentiality in the presence of an interpreter. We designed a case for pediatric residents to increase comfort when conducting an adolescent interview using a medical interpreter, emphasizing the importance of upholding patient confidentiality, specifically when discussing sensitive health topics.

Methods: We developed a standardized patient encounter (SPE) for pediatric residents at a large academic institution that focused on exploring sensitive health topics with an adolescent, non-English speaking female patient using an interpreter.

A psychometric evaluation of the NIH Toolbox fluid cognition tests adapted for Swahili and Dholuo languages in Kenyan children and adolescents.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the culturally adapted NIH Toolbox African Languages® when used in Swahili and Dholuo-speaking children in western Kenya.

Method: Swahili-speaking participants were recruited from Eldoret and Dholuo-speaking participants from Ajigo; all were <14 years of age and enrolled in primary school. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire and five fluid cognition tests of the NIH Toolbox® African Languages program, including Flanker, Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS), Picture Sequence Memory, Pattern Comparison, and List Sorting tests.

Enzymatic browning: The role of substrates in polyphenol oxidase mediated browning.

Enzymatic browning is a biological process that can have significant consequences for fresh produce, such as quality reduction in fruit and vegetables. It is primarily initiated by polyphenol oxidase (PPO) (EC 1.14.

Effects of economic interventions on pediatric and adolescent HIV care outcomes: a systematic review.

Economic insecurity and poverty present major barriers to HIV care for young people. We conducted a systematic review of the current evidence for the effect of economic interventions on HIV care outcomes among pediatric populations encompassing young children, adolescents, and youth (ages 0-24). We conducted a search of PubMed MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Global Health databases on October 12, 2022 using a search strategy curated by a medical librarian.

Association of severe malaria with cognitive and behavioural outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background: Malaria affects 24 million children globally, resulting in nearly 500,000 child deaths annually in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Recent studies have provided evidence that severe malaria infection results in sustained impairment in cognition and behaviour among young children; however, a formal meta-analysis has not been published. The objective was to assess the association between severe malaria infection with cognitive and behavioural outcomes among children living in LMICs.