Sequential Vaccination Against Appears as Immunologically Safe in Clinically Stable Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Vaccination against is advised for transplant recipients to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with invasive pneumococcal disease. However, data on alloantibodies after sequential vaccination (with a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine followed by a polysaccharide vaccine) are still lacking. In the current study, we determined HLA class I and II and major histocompatibility class I-related chain A (MICA) antibodies in 41 clinically stable kidney transplant recipients.

Lithium-induced apoptotic cell death is not accompanied by a noticeable inflammatory response in the kidney.

Lithium (Li) therapy is a valuable tool in psychiatric practice that remains underutilized due to safety concerns. Excessive plasma Li levels are nephrotoxic and can trigger a local immune response. Our understanding of the immunomodulatory effects of Li in the kidney is fragmentary.

DNA methylation controls stemness of astrocytes in health and ischaemia.

Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the mammalian brain and provide structural and metabolic support to neurons, regulate synapses and become reactive after injury and disease. However, a small subset of astrocytes settles in specialized areas of the adult brain where these astrocytes instead actively generate differentiated neuronal and glial progeny and are therefore referred to as neural stem cells. Common parenchymal astrocytes and quiescent neural stem cells share similar transcriptomes despite their very distinct functions.

Scientific Guidance on the criteria for the evaluation and on the preparation of applications for the safety assessment of post-consumer mechanical PET recycling processes intended to be used for manufacture of materials and articles in contact with food.

In the context of entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, EFSA updated the scientific guidance to assist applicants in the preparation of applications for the authorisation or for the modification of an existing authorisation of a 'post-consumer mechanical PET' recycling process (as defined in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2022/1616) intended to be used for manufacturing materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. This Guidance describes the evaluation criteria and the scientific evaluation approach that EFSA will apply to assess the decontamination capability of recycling processes, as well as the information required to be included in an application dossier. The principle of the scientific evaluation approach is to apply the decontamination efficiency of a recycling process, obtained from a challenge test with surrogate contaminants, to a reference contamination level for post-consumer PET, set at 3 mg/kg PET for a contaminant resulting from possible misuse.

Profiles and Predictors of Neurodevelopmental Functioning among Young Children Experiencing Family Homelessness.

In the context of family homelessness, children experience acute adversities related to loss of housing and residential mobility compounded with more chronic, poverty-related adversities and stressors. Among children in families experiencing homelessness, variability in experiences and outcomes warrant person-centered approaches to better delineate patterns of risk and resilience. Using latent profile analysis as a person-centered approach, we identified five distinct profiles of neurodevelopmental functioning within a sample of 231 children (ages 3-5 years old) staying in emergency homeless shelters with their families.

Safety assessment of the process Cirrec Netherlands BV, based on the EREMA Basic technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Cirrec Netherlands BV (EU register number RECYC283), which uses the EREMA Basic technology. The input material is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, including less than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a continuous reactor under vacuum before being extruded.

Antibody responses after sequential vaccination with PCV13 and PPSV23 in kidney transplant recipients.

Purpose: Vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae is recommended in transplant recipients to reduce the morbidity and mortality from invasive pneumococcal disease. Previous studies indicate that transplant recipients can produce specific antibodies after vaccination with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevenar 13 (PCV13) or the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine Pneumovax 23 (PPSV23). National guidelines recommend sequential vaccination with PCV13 followed by PPSV23 in kidney transplant patients.

The Relationship Between Pitch Discrimination and Fundamental Frequency Variation: Effects of Singing Status and Vocal Hyperfunction.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pitch discrimination and fundamental frequency (f) variation in running speech, with consideration of factors such as singing status and vocal hyperfunction (VH).

Method: Female speakers (18-69 years) with typical voices (26 non-singers; 27 singers) and speakers with VH (22 non-singers; 30 singers) completed a pitch discrimination task and read the Rainbow Passage. The pitch discrimination task was a two-alternative forced choice procedure, in which participants determined whether tokens were the same or different.

Supportive Care for Dementia: A Replicable Model to Reduce Neurobehavioral Symptoms, Caregiver Stress, and Hospitalizations, and Increase Hospice Referrals.

This report describes a hospice-supported no-fee program to support patients living with all levels of dementia and their caregivers. Our medical system struggles to serve the rapidly increasing numbers of patients with dementia. Hospice of the Valley developed a low-cost six-month program to reduce caregiver stress and reduce neurobehavioral disturbances of patients living with dementia, reduce costs for insurers, and increase hospice referrals.

Interferon regulates neural stem cell function at all ages by orchestrating mTOR and cell cycle.

Stem cells show intrinsic interferon signalling, which protects them from viral infections at all ages. In the ageing brain, interferon signalling also reduces the ability of stem cells to activate. Whether these functions are linked and at what time interferons start taking on a role in stem cell functioning is unknown.

Safety assessment of the process Poly Recycling, based on the EREMA Basic technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Poly Recycling (EU register number RECYC267), which uses the EREMA Basic technology. The input material is hot ■■■■■ washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, including no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a ■■■■■ reactor ■■■■■ before being extruded.

Evolving Our Understanding: Housing Instability as an ACE for Young Children.

We investigated the conceptualization and impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in a sample of 231 children ages 3-5 living in poverty and experiencing homelessness, focusing specifically on caregiver well-being and housing instability. Data was collected using the Neurodevelopmental Ecological Screening Tool (NEST), which screens for developmental risk and resilience across three domains (neurodevelopmental, caregiver, and environment). We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the association between domains and ACE scores and assessed the impact on neurodevelopmental constructs.

Environmental contributions to the evolution of trait differences in Geum triflorum: Implications for restoration.

Premise: How the environment influences the distribution of trait variation across a species' range has important implications for seed transfer during restoration. Evolution across environments could influence fitness when individuals are transferred into new environments. Here, we evaluate the role the environment has had on the distribution of genetic variance for traits important to adaptation.

Quantum mechanical study of interactions between sunscreen ingredients and nucleotide bases.

Interactions between the popular sunscreen ingredients oxybenzone and homosalate and DNA bases have been studied using density functional theory and ab initio methods. Low-energy structures for each sunscreen ingredient interacting with each nucleotide base in either a pi-stacked or hydrogen-bonded fashion were found. The binding energies are comparable to those for the Watson-Crick-Franklin Ade-Thy and Cyt-Gua pairs.

Safety assessment of the process EREMA, based on EREMA MPR + DS technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process EREMA (EU register number RECYC205), which uses the EREMA MPR + DS technology. The input material is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, including no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a ■■■■■ reactor under vacuum before being extruded.

Safety assessment of the processes EREMA based on EREMA MPR and EREMA Basic technologies used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling processes EREMA (EU register number RECYC204), which use the EREMA MPR and EREMA Basic technologies. The input material is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, including no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a ■■■■■ reactor under vacuum before being extruded (the latter step is only applicable for the EREMA Basic technology).

Safety assessment of the process SGR Société Générale de Recyclage, based on EREMA Basic technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process SGR Société Générale de Recyclage (EU register number RECYC195), which uses the EREMA Basic technology. The input material is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, including no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a continuous reactor under vacuum before being extruded.

Identification and prioritisation for risk assessment of phthalates, structurally similar substances and replacement substances potentially used as plasticisers in materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids was requested by the European Commission to re-evaluate the risks to public health related to the presence of plasticisers such as phthalates, structurally similar substances and replacement substances, as a consequence of migration from food contact materials (FCMs). As the first part of the two-part mandate, EFSA was tasked with identifying and prioritising those plasticisers used in FCMs that may warrant further data collection and eventual risk assessment. Close collaboration with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) was requested in the mandate.

Safety assessment of the process RCS Plastics, based on the VACUNITE (EREMA basic and Polymetrix SSP V-leaN) technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process RCS Plastics (EU register number RECYC212), which uses the VACUNITE (EREMA basic and Polymetrix SSP V-leaN) technology. The input material is hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, including no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications. The flakes are heated in a continuous reactor under vacuum before being extruded and pelletised.

Microfluidic Squeezing Enables MHC Class I Antigen Presentation by Diverse Immune Cells to Elicit CD8 T Cell Responses with Antitumor Activity.

CD8 T cell responses are the foundation of the recent clinical success of immunotherapy in oncologic indications. Although checkpoint inhibitors have enhanced the activity of existing CD8 T cell responses, therapeutic approaches to generate Ag-specific CD8 T cell responses have had limited success. Here, we demonstrate that cytosolic delivery of Ag through microfluidic squeezing enables MHC class I presentation to CD8 T cells by diverse cell types.

Establishment of an ELISpot Assay to Detect Cellular Immunity against in Vaccinated Kidney Transplant Recipients.

In organ transplant recipients, the rate of invasive pneumococcal diseases is 25 times greater than in the general population. Vaccination against is recommended in this cohort because it reduces the incidence of this severe form of pneumococcal infection. Previous studies indicate that transplant recipients can produce specific antibodies after pneumococcal vaccination.

A systems approach for resources management during the COVID-19 pandemic: Multi-agency perspectives from New England.

The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States has overwhelmed local hospitals, produced shortages in critical protective supplies for medical staff, and created backlogs in burials and cremations. Because systemic disruptions occur most acutely at a local scale, facilitating resource coordination across a broad region can assist local responses to COVID-19 surges. This article describes a structured systems approach for coordinating COVID-19 resource distribution across the six New England states of the United States.