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Kresse ME, Morris RW, Weaver JS, Chang CY. Current state of musculoskeletal fellowship program directors and future directions. Skeletal Radiol 2024; 53:1165-1172. [PMID: 38133671 DOI: 10.1007/s00256-023-04553-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To better understand the current state of musculoskeletal fellowship program directors and identify opportunities for formal training that could increase job satisfaction, provide a broader knowledge base for mentoring/advising trainees and increase diversity in musculoskeletal radiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-one fellowship program directors who signed the Fellowship Match Memorandum of Understanding with the Society of Skeletal Radiology were sent a survey with questions about demographics, career, background, and training both for musculoskeletal radiology and for the fellowship director role. RESULTS A 57/81 (70%) of program directors responded, representing 27 different states with a range of 1-9 fellowship positions. Nearly half are in their forties (48%) with most identifying as White (67%) followed by Asian (30%). The majority are male (72%) with over half (60%) remaining at the institution where they completed prior training. Over half plan to change roles within 5 years and do not feel adequately compensated. Top qualities/skills identified as important for the role include effective communication, being approachable, and clinical excellence. Other than clinical excellence, most do not report formal training in skills identified as important for the role. CONCLUSIONS Given the high amount of interaction with trainees, program directors play a key role in the future of our subspecialty. The low diversity among this group, the lack of formal training, and the fact that most do not feel adequately compensated could limit mentorship and recruitment. Program directors identified effective communication, organizational/planning skills, and conflict resolution as the top skills they would benefit from formal training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine E Kresse
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia, PO Box 800170, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
| | - Robert W Morris
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Jennifer S Weaver
- University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Connie Y Chang
- Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street Yawkey 6E, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
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Nwachukwu C, Makhnoon S, Person M, Muthukrishnan M, Kazmi S, Anderson LD, Kaur G, Kapinos KA, Williams EL, Fatunde O, Sadeghi N, Robles F, Basey A, Hulsey T, Pruitt SL, Gerber DE. Transferring care to enhance access to early-phase cancer clinical trials: Protocol to evaluate a novel program. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2024; 39:101292. [PMID: 38623454 PMCID: PMC11016932 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2024.101292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Involving diverse populations in early-phase (phase I and II) cancer clinical trials is critical to informed therapeutic development. However, given the growing costs and complexities of early-phase trials, trial activation and enrollment barriers may be greatest for these studies at healthcare facilities that provide care to the most diverse patient groups, including those in historically underserved communities (e.g., safety-net healthcare systems). To promote diverse and equitable access to early-phase cancer clinical trials, we are implementing a novel program for the transfer of care to enhance access to early-phase cancer clinical trials. We will then perform a mixed-methods study to determine perceptions and impact of the program. Specifically, we will screen, recruit, and enroll diverse patients from an urban, integrated safety-net healthcare system to open and active early-phase clinical trials being conducted in a university-based cancer center. To evaluate this novel program, we will: (1) determine program impact and efficiency; and (2) determine stakeholder experience with and perceptions of the program. To achieve these goals, we will conduct preliminary cost analyses of the program. We will also conduct surveys and interviews with patients and caregivers to elucidate program impact, challenges, and areas for improvement. We hypothesize that broadening access to early-phase cancer trials conducted at experienced centers may improve equity and diversity. In turn, such efforts may enhance the efficiency and generalizability of cancer clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chika Nwachukwu
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sukh Makhnoon
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- O'Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Marieshia Person
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Meera Muthukrishnan
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- O'Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Syed Kazmi
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Larry D. Anderson
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Gurbakhash Kaur
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kandice A. Kapinos
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- O'Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- RAND Corporation, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Erin L. Williams
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Oluwatomilade Fatunde
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Navid Sadeghi
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Parkland Health, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Fabian Robles
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Parkland Health, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Alice Basey
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Patient Advocate Program, Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Thomas Hulsey
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Patient Advocate Program, Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sandi L. Pruitt
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- O'Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - David E. Gerber
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- O'Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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3
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Younas A, Hamed AM, Monari EN. Promoting diversity through exploring and addressing "achievement/opportunity gap" in nursing education: A call to action. Nurse Education Today 2024; 137:106171. [PMID: 38508022 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in nursing education is a contemporary issue. The purpose of this paper is to iterate a call to action for exploring and addressing achievement/opportunity gap in nursing education and propose strategies to address this gap in order to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in educational institutions. Achievement/opportunity gap is an academic performance difference among students based on their socioeconomic status, age, race, ethnicity, and other demographic and sociocultural variables, and can lead to lack of career readiness among students. Four strategies are offered to address the achievement/opportunity gap in nursing education which includes a) explicit exploration of the gap to gather baseline information, b) taking an intersectional approach to examine differences in learning styles, beliefs, values, and learning needs of underrepresented and minority student populations, c) offering extensive co-designed preparatory programs to students who may be more prone to encounter this gap, and d) creating support communities for students to foster their academic performance.
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Agrawal D, Sharma P, Keshri VR. Who drive the health policy agenda in India? Actors in National Health Committees since Independence. Dialogues Health 2024; 4:100167. [PMID: 38516221 PMCID: PMC10953992 DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2024.100167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Health policies reflect the ideas and interests of the actors involved. The Indian Government constituted many health committees for policy recommendations on myriad issues concerning public health, ranging from tribal health to drug regulation. However, little is known about their composition and backgrounds. We reviewed these committees to map the actors and institutions. Methods We elicited information on all relevant health committees available in the public domain. All were constituted post-independence, except two, with recommendations that remain pertinent to date. Data for chairpersons and members - their professions, gender, institutions, and location were extracted and analysed. Reliable online sources were used to collate the information. Results We identified 23 national health committees from 1943 to 2020 with available reports. There were 25 chairpersons and 316 members. All except three chairpersons were men. Among members, only 11% were women. The majority (51%) had experience working in health systems; however, most were medical doctors, with negligible representation of other cadres. We noted the centralization of location, with 44% of members based in the national capital of Delhi. Government administrators were maximally represented (55%), followed by medical academia (19%). Post-2000, we have observed slightly improved diversity across some parameters like gender (15% women vs 9% earlier) and affiliation. However, the centralization of the location to the national capital had increased (55% post-2000 vs. 39% pre-2000). Conclusion Indian health committees lack diversity in representation from multiple perspectives. Henceforth, health policymakers should prioritize including diverse social, geographical, and health systems actors to ensure equitable policymaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Disha Agrawal
- Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India
- Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Parth Sharma
- Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India
- Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vikash R. Keshri
- The George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- State Health Resource Centre, Chhattisgarh, India
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Baud M, Macpherson E, Pérez M, Romero J, Ricart AM. Multiple scale assessment of habitat, landscape, and geographic-specific attributes driving decapod assemblages in Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. Mar Environ Res 2024; 197:106464. [PMID: 38583356 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are biodiversity hotspots for invertebrate species including decapods. Understanding the drivers of species abundance, richness and diversity of decapod assemblages is crucial for the conservation of such hotspots, but how drivers act across multiple spatial scales remains unexplored. Here we describe the decapod assemblages of Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows and assess the influence of attributes from three increasing spatial scales (habitat, landscape, and geographical levels) on the assemblages' structure and composition, as well as the variability partitioning among each one of these levels. Overall, geographical level attributes (i.e., inlet aperture, confinement) affected the most the decapod assemblages, while we only found a modest contribution from habitat (e.g., detritus biomass, sediment organic matter) and landscape attributes (e.g., fragmentation). We suggest that decapod assemblages are driven by the interaction of multiple processes occurring at different scales and other highly stochastic phenomena such as larval dispersion and recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Baud
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Secció d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique Macpherson
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), C. Acc. Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Marta Pérez
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Secció d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Romero
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Secció d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurora M Ricart
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 60 Bigelow Dr, East Boothbay, ME, 04544, United States.
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Lagarde J, Feurer C, Denis M, Douarre PE, Piveteau P, Roussel S. Listeria monocytogenes prevalence and genomic diversity along the pig and pork production chain. Food Microbiol 2024; 119:104430. [PMID: 38225039 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2023.104430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is the causative agent of listeriosis, a severe invasive illness. This ubiquitous species is widely distributed in the environment, but infection occurs almost exclusively through ingestion of contaminated food. The pork production sector has been heavily affected by a series of L. monocytogenes-related foodborne outbreaks in the past around the world. Ready-to-eat (RTE) pork products represent one of the main food sources for strong-evidence listeriosis outbreaks. This pathogen is known to be present throughout the entire pig and pork production chain. Some studies hypothesized that the main source of contamination in final pork products was either living pigs or the food-processing environment. A detailed genomic picture of L. monocytogenes can provide a renewed understanding of the routes of contamination from pig farms to the final products. This review provides an overview of the prevalence, the genomic diversity and the genetic background linked to virulence of L. monocytogenes along the entire pig and pork production chain, from farm to fork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Lagarde
- ANSES, Salmonella and Listeria Unit (USEL), University of Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Food Safety, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France; INRAE, Unit of Process Optimisation in Food, Agriculture and the Environment (UR OPAALE), 17 avenue de Cucillé, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Carole Feurer
- IFIP, The French Pig and Pork Institute, Department of Fresh and Processed Meat, La Motte au Vicomte, 35650, Le Rheu, France
| | - Martine Denis
- ANSES, Unit of Hygiene and Quality of Poultry and Pork Products (UHQPAP), Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, 31 rue des fusillés, 22440, Ploufragan, France
| | - Pierre-Emmanuel Douarre
- ANSES, Salmonella and Listeria Unit (USEL), University of Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Food Safety, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Pascal Piveteau
- INRAE, Unit of Process Optimisation in Food, Agriculture and the Environment (UR OPAALE), 17 avenue de Cucillé, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Sophie Roussel
- ANSES, Salmonella and Listeria Unit (USEL), University of Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Food Safety, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.
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Zhu G, Luan L, Zhou S, Dini-Andreote F, Bahram M, Yang Y, Geisen S, Zheng J, Wang S, Jiang Y. Body size mediates the functional potential of soil organisms by diversity and community assembly across soil aggregates. Microbiol Res 2024; 282:127669. [PMID: 38442455 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Body size is an important life-history trait that affects organism niche occupancy and ecological interactions. However, it is still unclear to what extent the assembly process of organisms with different body sizes affects soil biogeochemical cycling processes at the aggregate level. Here, we examined the diversity and community assembly of soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and protists) and microfauna (nematodes) with varying body sizes. The microbial functional potential associated with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur metabolism within three soil aggregate sizes (large macroaggregates, > 2 mm; small macroaggregates, 0.25-2 mm; and microaggregates, < 0.25 mm) were determined by metagenomics. We found that the smallest microbes (bacteria) had higher α-diversity and lower β-diversity and were mostly structured by stochastic processes, while all larger organisms (fungi, protists, and nematodes) had lower α-diversity and were relatively more influenced by deterministic processes. Structural equation modeling indicated that the microbial functional potential associated with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur metabolism was mainly influenced by the bacterial and protist diversity in microaggregates. In contrast, the microbial functional potential was primarily mediated by the assembly processes of four organism groups, especially the nematode community in macroaggregates. This study reveals the important roles of soil organisms with different body sizes in the functional potential related to nutrient cycling, and provides new insights into the ecological processes structuring the diversity and community assembly of organisms of different body sizes at the soil aggregate level, with implications for soil nutrient cycling dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guofan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Luan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Shungui Zhou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Francisco Dini-Andreote
- Department of Plant Science & Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Mohammad Bahram
- Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu 51005, Estonia
| | - Yunfeng Yang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6700 ES, Netherlands
| | - Jie Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuji Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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Alley JC, Moriarity DP, Figueroa MB, Slavich GM. Characterizing the hierarchical depression phenotype in sexually diverse individuals. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 173:157-162. [PMID: 38531146 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sexual diverse individuals are at high risk for internalizing psychopathologies, such as depression. Understanding how symptom profiles of heterogeneous psychiatric disorders such as depression differ for sexually diverse vs. heterosexual individuals is thus critical to advance precision psychiatry and maximize our ability to effectively treat members of this population. Research has failed to consider the possibility of hierarchical phenotypes, wherein sexual orientation status may be uniquely and simultaneously associated with both depression broadly and with individual symptoms. METHOD To address these issues, we conducted a moderated nonlinear factor analysis in Wave IV of the Add Health study, using sexual diversity status as a predictor of (a) latent depression, (b) factor loadings, and (c) individual symptoms, with and without controlling for race. RESULTS Sexual diversity status was positively and simultaneously associated with latent depression, concentration difficulties, and happiness. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that sexually diverse populations not only face greater depression, broadly defined, but are disproportionately more likely to experience concentration difficulties and be happier compared to heterosexual counterparts. Methodologically, these models indicate that the CES-D is scalar noninvariant as a function of sexual diversity status (i.e., identical scores on the CES-D may represent different manifestations of depression for sexually diverse and heterosexual participants). Studies examining disparities in depression across heterosexual and sexually diverse samples should thus consider depression broadly as well as specific symptoms. Further, it is critical to examine whether these relations function via different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna C Alley
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Daniel P Moriarity
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Matthew B Figueroa
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - George M Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Muir AB, Bailey DD, Mehta P. Embracing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2024; 44:293-298. [PMID: 38575224 DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are rare diseases in which eosinophils abnormally infiltrate the gastrointestinal tract. Because these are rare diseases, there is limited information regarding race and ethnicity in EGIDs and even less is known about the impact of socioeconomic factors. There is some evidence that access to care in rural settings may be affecting epidemiologic understanding of EGIDs in the pediatric populations. Future work should try to evaluate bias in research and strive for representation in clinical trials and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda B Muir
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2057 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA
| | - Dominique D Bailey
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons/New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, 3959 Broadway, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Pooja Mehta
- Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B290, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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10
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Zhou K, Zhou H. Distribution patterns and functional diversity of DNA viruses determined by ecological niches in huge river ecosystems. Virology 2024; 593:110015. [PMID: 38359578 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
While the vast number of DNA and RNA viruses participate in biogeochemical cycles in natural systems, little is known about virome in river ecosystems. Here, we analyzed the DNA viral composition and its metabolic potential in the Yangtze River, including freshwater (FW) and freshwater sediments (FWS). A total of 1237 river-derived virus contigs (RVCs) were obtained following de novo assembly from 62 metagenomics. We found that the viral diversity is significantly positively correlated longitudinally. Moreover, FW exhibited a greater viral variety and significantly different composition than FWS. The viral co-occurrence network suggested that positive correlations predominate between RVCs. Lastly, 1657 viral functions were predicted by gene ontology. Notably, 96 of 150 RVCs with higher weights identified by random-forest classier were more abundant in FW, which most engage organic cyclic compound metabolic processes and hydrolase activity. Together, this study highlights the previously unrecognized viruses and the importance of their distributions and functions in major river systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Hui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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11
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Milo RB, Najjar R, Godfrey TM, Wang SY, Noone J, Scorsone K, Attis-Josias M, Boehning A. Centering diversity, equity, and inclusion in a regional professional nursing organization. Nurs Outlook 2024; 72:102171. [PMID: 38648710 DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Professional nursing organizations can respond to threats to social justice by strengthening structures to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). PURPOSE Describe implementation strategies and outcomes to advance DEI from the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN). METHODS In 2019, WIN committed to prioritizing DEI by updating its vision and mission. A taskforce was assembled to conduct member surveys, focus groups, and open forums to generate recommendations on developing and implementing organizational change. DISCUSSION These initiatives culminated in centralized efforts that include the formation of a standing committee, ongoing member surveys, selection of diverse conference topics and speakers, adoption of inclusive practices, and ongoing assessments to make recommendations to the Board to advance DEI. CONCLUSION The work of the Committee ensures the organization remains committed to DEI. These strategies inform other nursing organizations as they advance DEI to impact research, education, policy, and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razel Bacuetes Milo
- Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA.
| | - Rana Najjar
- Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing-Monmouth, Monmouth, OR
| | | | - Shu-Yi Wang
- College of Nursing, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Joanne Noone
- Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing, Portland, OR
| | - Krista Scorsone
- Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, Regis University, Denver, CO
| | | | - Annie Boehning
- Department of Nursing, California State University, Bakersfield, CA
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Pushpavathi D, Krishnamurthy YL. Study on endolichenic fungal assemblage in Parmotrema and Heterodermia lichens of Shivamoga, Karnataka. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:549. [PMID: 38642168 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09497-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lichen is a symbiotic association of algae and fungi, recognized as a self-sustaining ecosystem that constitutes an indeterminant number of bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, and protozoa. We evaluated the endolichenic fungal assemblage given the dearth of knowledge on endolichenic fungi (ELFs), particularly from part of the Central Western Ghats, Karnataka, and conducted a phylogenetic analysis of xylariaceous fungi, the most diversified group of fungi using ITS and ITS+Tub2 gene set. RESULTS Out of 17 lichen thalli collected from 5 ecoregions, 42 morphospecies recovered, belong to the class Sordariomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, Dothideomycetes, Leotiomycetes, Saccharomycetes. About 19 and 13 ELF genera have been reported from Parmotrema and Heterodermia thallus. Among the ecoregions EC2 showing highest species diversity (Parmotrema (1-D) = 0.9382, (H) = 2.865, Fisher-α = 8.429, Heterodermia (1-D) = 0.8038, H = 1.894, F-α = 4.57) followed the EC3 and EC1. Xylariales are the predominant colonizer reported from at least one thallus from four ecoregions. The morphotypes ELFX04, ELFX05, ELFX08 and ELFX13 show the highest BLAST similarity (> 99%) with Xylaria psidii, X. feejeensis, X. berteri and Hypoxylon fragiforme respectively. Species delimitation and phylogenetic position reveal the closest relation of Xylariaceous ELFs with plant endophytes. CONCLUSIONS The observation highlights that the deciduous forest harness a high number of endolichenic fungi, a dominant portion of these fungi are non-sporulating and still exist as cryptic. Overall, 8 ELF species recognized based on phylogenetic analysis, including the two newly reported fungi ELFX03 and ELFX06 which are suspected to be new species based on the present evidence. The study proved, that the lichen being rich source to establish fungal diversity and finding new species. Successful amplification of most phylogenetic markers like RPB2, building of comprehensive taxonomic databases and application of multi-omics data are further needed to understand the complex nature of lichen-fungal symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Pushpavathi
- Department of PG Studies and Research in Applied Botany, Kuvempu University, Jnanasahyadri, Shankaraghatta, Karnataka, 577451, India
| | - Y L Krishnamurthy
- Department of PG Studies and Research in Applied Botany, Kuvempu University, Jnanasahyadri, Shankaraghatta, Karnataka, 577451, India.
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13
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Wang M, Lin M, Liu Q, Li C, Pang X. Fungal, but not bacterial, diversity and network complexity promote network stability during roadside slope restoration. Sci Total Environ 2024; 922:171007. [PMID: 38401731 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
To restore degraded roadside ecosystems, conventional methods such as revegetation and soil amendment are frequently employed. However, our understanding of the long-term effects of these restoration approaches on soil microbial diversity and network complexity across different vegetation types remains poor, which contributes to poor restoration outcomes. In this study, we explored the effects of roadside slope restoration on microbial communities across different vegetation types at varying stages of restoration. We found that restoration time had a more pronounced impact on microbial diversity than specific vegetation type. As restoration progressed, microbial network complexity and fungal diversity increased, but bacterial diversity declined, suggesting that keystone taxa may contribute to network complexity. Interestingly, bacterial network complexity increased concomitant with decreasing network modularity and robustness, which may compromise system stability. Distinct vegetation types were associated with restoration-sensitive microbial communities at different restoration stages. Leguminouse and nitrogen-fixing plants, such as Albiziak alkora, Ginkgo biloba, Rhus chinensis, Rhapis excels, and Rubia cordifolia exhibited such associations after five years of restoration. These keystone taxa included Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadota, and Myxococcota. We also found that bacterial alpha diversity was significantly correlated with restoration time, soil pH, moisture, available phosphate, nitrate nitrogen, and plant height, while fungal diversity was primarily shaped by restoration time. Together, our findings suggest that soil properties, environmental factors, vegetation type, and dominant species can be manipulated to guide the trajectory of ecological recovery by regulating the abundance of certain microbial taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu 610041, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, China
| | - Mao Lin
- College of Geography and Resources, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Cheng Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, China
| | - Xueyong Pang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu 610041, China.
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14
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van Wamelen DJ, Rota S, Hartmann M, Martin NH, Alam AM, Thomas RH, Dodd KC, Jenkins T, Smith CJ, Zandi MS, Easton A, Carr G, Benjamin LA, Lilleker JB, Saucer D, Coles AJ, Wood N, Chaudhuri KR, Breen G, Michael BD. Addressing ethnic disparities in neurological research in the United Kingdom: an example from the prospective multicentre COVID-19 Clinical Neuroscience Study. Clin Med (Lond) 2024:100209. [PMID: 38642613 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Minority ethnic groups have often been underrepresented in research, posing a problem in relation to external validity and extrapolation of findings. Here, we aimed to assess recruitment and retainment strategies in a large observational study assessing neurological complications following SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS Participants were recruited following confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalisation. Self-reported ethnicity was recorded alongside other demographic data to identify potential barriers to recruitment. RESULTS 807 participants were recruited to COVID-CNS, and ethnicity data were available for 93.2%. We identified a proportionate representation of self-reported ethnicity categories, and distribution of broad ethnicity categories mirrored individual centres' catchment areas. White ethnicity within individual centres ranged between 44.5% and 89.1%, with highest percentage of participants with non-white ethnicity in London-based centres. Examples are provided how to reach potentially underrepresented minority ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS Recruitment barriers in relation to potentially underrepresented ethnic groups may be overcome with strategies identified here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J van Wamelen
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Department of Neuroimaging; King's College London; London, United Kingdom; Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; and King's College London, United Kingdom; Radboud University Medical Center; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Department of Neurology; Centre of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders; Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience; King's College London; London, United Kingdom.
| | - Silvia Rota
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Department of Neuroimaging; King's College London; London, United Kingdom; Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; and King's College London, United Kingdom; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience; King's College London; London, United Kingdom
| | - Monika Hartmann
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Department of Neuroimaging; King's College London; London, United Kingdom
| | - Naomi H Martin
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Department of Neuroimaging; King's College London; London, United Kingdom
| | - Ali M Alam
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, NIHR HPRU for Emerging and Zoonotic Infection, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Rhys H Thomas
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.; Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine C Dodd
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom; Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal Care Organisation, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Jenkins
- Department of Neurology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom.; Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.; Midland St John of God Hospital and Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Craig J Smith
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom; Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal Care Organisation, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, United Kingdom; Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael S Zandi
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ava Easton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, NIHR HPRU for Emerging and Zoonotic Infection, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Encephalitis Society, Malton, United Kingdom
| | - Georgina Carr
- Neurological Alliance, London WD17 1EU, United Kingdom
| | - Laura A Benjamin
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom.; Stroke Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - James B Lilleker
- Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal Care Organisation, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, United Kingdom; Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - David Saucer
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alasdair J Coles
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Wood
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - K Ray Chaudhuri
- Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; and King's College London, United Kingdom; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience; King's College London; London, United Kingdom
| | - Gerome Breen
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre; King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benedict Daniel Michael
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, NIHR HPRU for Emerging and Zoonotic Infection, Liverpool, United Kingdom; The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust; Department of Neurology; Liverpool, United Kingdom
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15
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Subramanian S, Maisner RS, Patel N, Song A, Yuan L, Mistry D, Kapadia K, Lee ES. A Comparison of Plastic Surgery Authorship Trends Under Single Versus Double-Blinded Review. J Surg Res 2024; 298:260-268. [PMID: 38636182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research is key to academic advancement in plastic surgery. However, access to publication opportunities may be inequitable as seen in other fields. We compared authorship trends of plastic surgery manuscripts that underwent single-blinded review (SBR) versus double-blinded review (DBR) to identify potential disparities in publication opportunities. METHODS Publications from two plastic surgery journals using SBR and two using DBR from September 2019 to September 2021 were evaluated. Name and institution of the article's first and senior author and journal's editor-in-chief (EIC) were recorded. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact analyses were used to compare author characteristics between SBR and DBR articles. RESULTS Of 2500 manuscripts, 65.7% underwent SBR and 34.3% underwent DBR. SBR articles had higher percentages of women as first authors (31.9% versus 24.3%, P < 0.001) but lower percentages of first (50.7% versus 71.2%, P < 0.001) and senior (49.6% versus 70.3%, P < 0.001) authors from international institutions. First (26.0% versus 12.9%, P < 0.001) and senior (27.9% versus 18.0%, P = 0.007) authors of SBR articles tended to have more plastic surgery National Institutes of Health funding. Journals using SBR tended to have higher rates of authorship by EICs or authors sharing institutions with the EIC (P ≤ 0.005). CONCLUSIONS While associated with greater female first authorship suggesting potential efforts toward gender equity in academia, SBR of plastic surgery articles tends to favor authors from institutions with higher National Institutes of Health funding and disadvantage authors from international or lower-resourced programs. Careful consideration of current peer-review proceedings may make publication opportunities more equitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamala Subramanian
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Rose S Maisner
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
| | - Nikita Patel
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Amy Song
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Laura Yuan
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Dhrumi Mistry
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Kailash Kapadia
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Edward S Lee
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
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Sheen J, Curtin L, Finley S, Konstorum A, McGee R, Craig M. Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into Preclinical, Clinical, and Public Health Mathematical Models. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:56. [PMID: 38625656 PMCID: PMC11021228 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01282-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Mathematical modelling applied to preclinical, clinical, and public health research is critical for our understanding of a multitude of biological principles. Biology is fundamentally heterogeneous, and mathematical modelling must meet the challenge of variability head on to ensure the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are integrated into quantitative analyses. Here we provide a follow-up perspective on the DEI plenary session held at the 2023 Society for Mathematical Biology Annual Meeting to discuss key issues for the increased integration of DEI in mathematical modelling in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Sheen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Lee Curtin
- Mathematical Neuro-Oncology Lab, Precision Neurotherapeutics Innovation Program, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Stacey Finley
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | | | - Reginald McGee
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, USA
| | - Morgan Craig
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Azrieli Research Centre, Montréal, Canada.
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17
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Adao DEV, Rivera WL. Subtype-host patterns and genetic differentiation of Blastocystis sp. in the Philippines. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29019. [PMID: 38601700 PMCID: PMC11004820 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis sp. is a gastrointestinal protozoan commonly encountered in humans and animals. Specificity to certain hosts may be associated with 38 known subtypes (STs) and 8 nonmammalian and avian STs (NMASTs). This can be determined by analyzing ST-host associations, ST-allele data, genetic variability analyses, and fixation index (FST) with sufficient data present. Thus, newly acquired and previously published data on Blastocystis sp. STs and NMASTs from the Philippines were compiled to determine the following: (1) ST-host associations, (2) ST-allele diversity per ST in certain hosts/sources, (3) intrasubtype diversity of certain STs found in different hosts using genetic variability analysis, and (4) comparison of similarities between specific ST populations to determine if these are the same circulating populations using FST. A total of 448 samples subtyped using both sequence-tagged site primers and the 600-bp barcoding region of the Blastocystis sp. SSU rRNA gene were analyzed in this study. Patterns of association for the Philippine samples were similar to those from neighboring Southeast Asian countries and around the world: ST1-ST4 were found in humans but ST3 was the most common, ST5 were found in pigs, and ST6 and ST7 were found in poultry. Blastocystis sp. from humans are mostly the same ST alleles (ST3 allele 34 and ST1 allele 4) while 3-5 ST alleles were found in the most common STs in pigs, macaques, and poultry. Also, ST1, ST3, ST5, and NMAST I are undergoing population expansion according to genetic variability analyses through possible addition of new alleles based on ST-allele diversity. Moreover, FST shows the same circulating population of ST1 in humans, pigs, and water indicating a possible waterborne route of cross-transmission. In contrast, ST3 found in humans possibly come from the same circulating population and is genetically distinct from those in nonhuman sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davin Edric V. Adao
- Pathogen–Host–Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Windell L. Rivera
- Pathogen–Host–Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
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18
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Jellins TS, Borko TL, Otero-Bell R, Arnett K, Saunders S, Poisson SN, Orjuela KD, Salehi Omran S, Jones WJ, Leppert M, Madera A, Carlson A, Pastula DM, Sauer BM, Piquet AL, Gonzales NR. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in medical education: DEI at the bedside. J Neurol Sci 2024; 459:122946. [PMID: 38493733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2024.122946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to recognize and address bias is an important communication skill not typically addressed during training. We describe the design of an educational curriculum that aims to identify and change behavior related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). "DEI at the Bedside" uses the existing infrastructure of bedside teaching and provides a tool to normalize DEI discussions and develop skills to address bias during a neurology inpatient rotation. METHODS As part of traditional clinical rounds, team members on an inpatient service shared experiences with DEI topics, including bias. The team developed potential responses should they encounter a similar situation in the future. We report the results of our needs assessment and curriculum development to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating a DEI educational curriculum in the neurology inpatient setting. RESULTS Forty-two DEI experiences were recorded. Medical students were the most frequent discussants (44%). Direction of bias occurred between healthcare team members (33%), against patients (31%), and patients against healthcare team members (28%). Experiences ranged from microaggressions to explicit comments of racism, sexism, and homophobia. CONCLUSIONS Based on needs assessment data, we developed a DEI educational curriculum for the inpatient neurology setting aimed to improve knowledge and skills related to DEI topics as well as to normalize conversation of DEI in the clinical setting. Additional study will demonstrate whether this initiative translates into measurable and sustained improvement in knowledge of how bias and disparity show up in the clinical setting and behavioral intent to discuss and address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tennyson S Jellins
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Tyler L Borko
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - RayLee Otero-Bell
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Kelly Arnett
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Scott Saunders
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Sharon N Poisson
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Karen D Orjuela
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Setareh Salehi Omran
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - William J Jones
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Michelle Leppert
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Ashley Madera
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Aaron Carlson
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Daniel M Pastula
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America; Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Brian M Sauer
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Amanda L Piquet
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Nicole R Gonzales
- Department of Neurology, Neurohospitalist & Stroke Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
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Crisostomo-Panuera JS, Nieva ASDV, Ix-Balam MA, Díaz-Valderrama JR, Alviarez-Gutierrez E, Oliva-Cruz SM, Cumpa-Velásquez LM. Diversity and functional assessment of indigenous culturable bacteria inhabiting fine-flavor cacao rhizosphere: Uncovering antagonistic potential against Moniliophthora roreri. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28453. [PMID: 38601674 PMCID: PMC11004713 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The Peruvian Amazonian native cacao faces ongoing challenges that significantly undermine its productivity. Among them, frosty pod rot disease and cadmium accumulation result in losses that need for effective and environmentally safe strategies, such as those based on bacteria. To explore the biological resources in the cacao soil, a descriptive study was conducted to assess the diversity of culturable bacteria across three production districts in the Amazonas region: La Peca, Imaza, and Cajaruro. The study also focused on the functional properties of these bacteria, particularly those related to the major issues limiting cacao cultivation. For this purpose, 90 native bacterial isolates were obtained from the cacao rhizosphere. According to diversity analysis, the community was composed of 19 bacterial genera, with a dominance of the Bacillaceae family and variable distribution among the districts. This variability was statistically supported by the PCoA plots and is related to the pH of the soil environment. The functional assessment revealed that 56.8% of the isolates showed an antagonism index greater than 75% after 7 days of confrontation. After 15 days of confrontation with Moniliophthora roreri, 68.2% of the bacterial population demonstrated this attribute. This capability was primarily exhibited by Bacillus strains. On the other hand, only 4.5% were capable of removing cadmium, highlighting the biocontrol potential of the bacterial community. In addition, some isolates produced siderophores (13.63%), solubilized phosphate (20.45%), and solubilized zinc (4.5%). Interestingly, these traits showed an uneven distribution, which correlated with the divergence found by the beta diversity. Our results revealed a diverse bacterial community inhabiting the Amazonian cacao rhizosphere, showcasing crucial functional properties related to the biocontrol of M. roreri. The information generated serves as a significant resource for the development of further biotechnological tools that can be applied to native Amazonian cacao.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhusephin Sheshira Crisostomo-Panuera
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Sanidad Vegetal, Instituto de Investigación para El Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM), Calle Higos Urco 342, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Amira Susana del Valle Nieva
- Centro Regional de Energía y Ambiente para el Desarrollo Sustentable (CREAS-CONICET-UNCA). Nuñez del Prado 366, Catamarca, Argentina
| | - Manuel Alejandro Ix-Balam
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Sanidad Vegetal, Instituto de Investigación para El Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM), Calle Higos Urco 342, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Jorge Ronny Díaz-Valderrama
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Sanidad Vegetal, Instituto de Investigación para El Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM), Calle Higos Urco 342, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Eliana Alviarez-Gutierrez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Sanidad Vegetal, Instituto de Investigación para El Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM), Calle Higos Urco 342, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Segundo Manuel Oliva-Cruz
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Sanidad Vegetal, Instituto de Investigación para El Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM), Calle Higos Urco 342, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Liz Marjory Cumpa-Velásquez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Sanidad Vegetal, Instituto de Investigación para El Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM), Calle Higos Urco 342, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru
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Rakina M, Larionova I, Kzhyshkowska J. Macrophage diversity in human cancers: New insight provided by single-cell resolution and spatial context. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28332. [PMID: 38571605 PMCID: PMC10988020 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
M1/M2 paradigm of macrophage plasticity has existed for decades. Now it becomes clear that this dichotomy doesn't adequately reflect the diversity of macrophage phenotypes in tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major population of innate immune cells in the TME that promotes tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, invasion and metastatic niche formation, as well as response to anti-tumor therapy. However, the fundamental restriction in therapeutic TAM targeting is the limited knowledge about the specific TAM states in distinct human cancer types. Here we summarized the results of the most recent studies that use advanced technologies (e.g. single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics) allowing to decipher novel functional subsets of TAMs in numerous human cancers. The transcriptomic profiles of these TAM subsets and their clinical significance were described. We emphasized the characteristics of specific TAM subpopulations - TREM2+, SPP1+, MARCO+, FOLR2+, SIGLEC1+, APOC1+, C1QC+, and others, which have been most extensively characterized in several cancers, and are associated with cancer prognosis. Spatial transcriptomics technologies defined specific spatial interactions between TAMs and other cell types, especially fibroblasts, in tumors. Spatial transcriptomics methods were also applied to identify markers of immunotherapy response, which are expressed by macrophages or in the macrophage-abundant regions. We highlighted the perspectives for novel techniques that utilize spatial and single cell resolution in investigating new ligand-receptor interactions for effective immunotherapy based on TAM-targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Militsa Rakina
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular and Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
- Laboratory of Molecular Therapy of Cancer, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Irina Larionova
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular and Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
- Laboratory of Molecular Therapy of Cancer, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Julia Kzhyshkowska
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular and Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunology, Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68167, Germany
- German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Württemberg – Hessen, Mannheim, 68167, Germany
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21
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Finnie S, Butterill P, Novotny V, Redmond C, Jorge LR, Abe T, Lamarre GPA, Maicher V, Sam K. Vertical stratification and defensive traits of caterpillars against parasitoids in a lowland tropical forest in Cameroon. Oecologia 2024:10.1007/s00442-024-05542-x. [PMID: 38613574 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05542-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Insect herbivores and their parasitoids play a crucial role in terrestrial trophic interactions in tropical forests. These interactions occur across the entire vertical gradient of the forest. This study compares how caterpillar communities, and their parasitism rates, vary across vertical strata and between caterpillar defensive strategies in a semi deciduous tropical forest in Nditam, Cameroon. Within a 0.1 ha plot, all trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm were felled and systematically searched for caterpillars. We divided the entire vertical gradient of the forest into eight, five-metre strata. All caterpillars were assigned to a stratum based on their collection height, reared, identified, and classified into one of three defensive traits: aposematic, cryptic and shelter-building. Caterpillar species richness and diversity showed a midstory peak, whereas density followed the opposite pattern, decreasing in the midstory and then increasing towards the highest strata. This trend was driven by some highly dense shelter-building caterpillars in the upper canopy. Specialisation indices indicated decreasing levels of caterpillar generality with increasing height, a midstory peak in vulnerability, and increasing connectance towards the upper canopy, although the latter was likely driven by decreasing network size. Both aposematic and shelter-building caterpillars had significantly higher parasitism rates than cryptic caterpillars. Our results highlight nuanced changes in caterpillar communities across forest strata and provide evidence that defences strategies are important indicators of parasitism rates in caterpillars and that both aposematic and shelter-building caterpillars could be considered a "safe haven" for parasitoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Finnie
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Philip Butterill
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Conor Redmond
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Leonardo Ré Jorge
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tomokazu Abe
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
| | - Greg P A Lamarre
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Ancon, Panama
| | - Vincent Maicher
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Libreville, Gabon
| | - Katerina Sam
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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22
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Gargallo-Garriga A, Sardans J, Llusià J, Peguero G, Ayala-Roque M, Courtois EA, Stahl C, Urban O, Klem K, Nolis P, Pérez-Trujillo M, Parella T, Richter A, Janssens IA, Peñuelas J. Different profiles of soil phosphorous compounds depending on tree species and availability of soil phosphorus in a tropical rainforest in French Guiana. BMC Plant Biol 2024; 24:278. [PMID: 38609866 PMCID: PMC11010349 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04907-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The availability of soil phosphorus (P) often limits the productivities of wet tropical lowland forests. Little is known, however, about the metabolomic profile of different chemical P compounds with potentially different uses and about the cycling of P and their variability across space under different tree species in highly diverse tropical rainforests. RESULTS We hypothesised that the different strategies of the competing tree species to retranslocate, mineralise, mobilise, and take up P from the soil would promote distinct soil 31P profiles. We tested this hypothesis by performing a metabolomic analysis of the soils in two rainforests in French Guiana using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We analysed 31P NMR chemical shifts in soil solutions of model P compounds, including inorganic phosphates, orthophosphate mono- and diesters, phosphonates, and organic polyphosphates. The identity of the tree species (growing above the soil samples) explained > 53% of the total variance of the 31P NMR metabolomic profiles of the soils, suggesting species-specific ecological niches and/or species-specific interactions with the soil microbiome and soil trophic web structure and functionality determining the use and production of P compounds. Differences at regional and topographic levels also explained some part of the the total variance of the 31P NMR profiles, although less than the influence of the tree species. Multivariate analyses of soil 31P NMR metabolomics data indicated higher soil concentrations of P biomolecules involved in the active use of P (nucleic acids and molecules involved with energy and anabolism) in soils with lower concentrations of total soil P and higher concentrations of P-storing biomolecules in soils with higher concentrations of total P. CONCLUSIONS The results strongly suggest "niches" of soil P profiles associated with physical gradients, mostly topographic position, and with the specific distribution of species along this gradient, which is associated with species-specific strategies of soil P mineralisation, mobilisation, use, and uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Gargallo-Garriga
- Global Change Research Institute, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Belidla 986/4a, Brno, CZ-60300, Czech Republic.
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain.
| | - Jordi Sardans
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Joan Llusià
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Guille Peguero
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | | | - Elodie A Courtois
- Centre of Excellence PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Laboratoire écologie, évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Clément Stahl
- UMR ECOFOG - Ecologie des forêts de Guyane, Kourou cedex, 97379, France
| | - Otmar Urban
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Karel Klem
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pau Nolis
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Miriam Pérez-Trujillo
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Teodor Parella
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Andreas Richter
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Ivan A Janssens
- Centre of Excellence PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
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23
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Fuller D, Stanojevic S, Watson-Creed G, Anderson L, Mason N, Walker J. Incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion into the epidemiology and biostatistics curriculum: A workshop report and implementation strategies recommendations. Can J Public Health 2024:10.17269/s41997-024-00876-8. [PMID: 38602662 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-024-00876-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
There is an obligation among those teaching epidemiology to incorporate principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into the curriculum. While there is a well-established literature related to teaching epidemiology, this literature rarely addresses critical aspects of EDI. To our knowledge, there is no working group or central point of discussion and learning for incorporating EDI into epidemiology teaching in Canada. To address this gap, we convened a workshop entitled "Incorporating EDI into the epidemiology and biostatistics curriculum and classroom." The workshop discussed nine strategies to incorporate EDI in the epidemiology curriculum: positionality (or reflexivity) statements; opportunities for feedback; land acknowledgements; clarifying the purpose of collecting data on race and ethnicity, sex and gender, Indigeneity; acknowledging that race/ethnicity is a social construct, not a biological variable; describing incidence and prevalence of disease; demonstrating explicit bias using directed acyclic graphs (DAGs); critical appraisal of study population diversity; and admission criteria and considerations. Key take-aways from the workshop were the need to be more intentional when determining the validity of evidence, particularly with respect to historical context and the need to recognize that there is no single solution that will address EDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Fuller
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
| | - Sanja Stanojevic
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Gaynor Watson-Creed
- Serving and Engaging Society and Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Laura Anderson
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Natalya Mason
- Division of Social Accountability, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jennifer Walker
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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24
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Dulz TA, Azambuja M, Lorscheider CA, Noleto RB, Moreira-Filho O, Nogaroto V, Nascimento VD, Diniz D, de Mello Affonso PRA, Vicari MR. Repetitive DNAs and chromosome evolution in Megaleporinus obtusidens and M. reinhardti (Characiformes: Anostomidae). Genetica 2024:10.1007/s10709-024-00206-3. [PMID: 38587599 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-024-00206-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The high dynamism of repetitive DNAs is a major driver of chromosome evolution. In particular, the accumulation of repetitive DNA sequences has been reported as part of the differentiation of sex-specific chromosomes. In turn, the fish species of the genus Megaleporinus are a monophyletic clade in which the presence of differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes represents a synapomorphic condition, thus serving as a suitable model to evaluate the dynamic evolution of repetitive DNA classes. Therefore, transposable elements (TEs) and in tandem repeats were isolated and located on chromosomes of Megaleporinus obtusidens and M. reinhardti to infer their role in chromosome differentiation with emphasis on sex chromosome systems. Despite the conserved karyotype features of both species, the location of repetitive sequences - Rex 1, Rex 3, (TTAGGG)n, (GATA)n, (GA)n, (CA)n, and (A)n - varied both intra and interspecifically, being mainly accumulated in Z and W chromosomes. The physical mapping of repetitive sequences confirmed the remarkable dynamics of repetitive DNA classes on sex chromosomes that might have promoted chromosome diversification and reproductive isolation in Megaleporinus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Aparecida Dulz
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Matheus Azambuja
- Graduate Program in Animal Science, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Carla Andrea Lorscheider
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual do Paraná, União da Vitória, PR, Brazil
| | - Rafael Bueno Noleto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual do Paraná, União da Vitória, PR, Brazil
| | - Orlando Moreira-Filho
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Viviane Nogaroto
- Graduate Program in Animal Science, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Débora Diniz
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Biodiversity and Conservation, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié, BA, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Ricardo Vicari
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Animal Science, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
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25
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Garcia Mendez DF, Egan S, Wist J, Holmes E, Sanabria J. Meta-analysis of the Microbial Diversity Cultured in Bioreactors Simulating the Gut Microbiome. Microb Ecol 2024; 87:57. [PMID: 38587527 PMCID: PMC11001690 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02369-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the intricate ecological interactions within the gut microbiome and unravelling its impact on human health is a challenging task. Bioreactors are valuable tools that have contributed to our understanding of gut microbial ecology. However, there is a lack of studies describing and comparing the microbial diversity cultivated in these models. This knowledge is crucial for refining current models to reflect the gastrointestinal microbiome accurately. In this study, we analysed the microbial diversity of 1512 samples from 18 studies available in public repositories that employed cultures performed in batches and various bioreactor models to cultivate faecal microbiota. Community structure comparison between samples using t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding and the Hellinger distance revealed a high variation between projects. The main driver of these differences was the inter-individual variation between the donor faecal inocula. Moreover, there was no overlap in the structure of the microbial communities between studies using the same bioreactor platform. In addition, α-diversity analysis using Hill numbers showed that highly complex bioreactors did not exhibit higher diversities than simpler designs. However, analyses of five projects in which the samples from the faecal inoculum were also provided revealed an amplicon sequence variants enrichment in bioreactors compared to the inoculum. Finally, a comparative analysis of the taxonomy of the families detected in the projects and the GMRepo database revealed bacterial families exclusively found in the bioreactor models. These findings highlight the potential of bioreactors to enrich low-abundance microorganisms from faecal samples, contributing to uncovering the gut microbial "dark matter".
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Affiliation(s)
- David Felipe Garcia Mendez
- Australian National Phenome Centre and Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Harry Perkins Building, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Siobhon Egan
- Australian National Phenome Centre and Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Harry Perkins Building, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Julien Wist
- Australian National Phenome Centre and Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Harry Perkins Building, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia
- Chemistry Department, Universidad del Valle - Sede Meléndez, 76001, Cali, Colombia
| | - Elaine Holmes
- Australian National Phenome Centre and Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Harry Perkins Building, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Janeth Sanabria
- Australian National Phenome Centre and Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Harry Perkins Building, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia.
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Engineering School of Environmental & Natural Resources, Engineering Faculty, Universidad del Valle - Sede Meléndez, 76001, Cali, Colombia.
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26
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Zhao W, Chen X, Ma H, Li D, Yang H, Hu T, Zhao Q, Jiang J, Wei L. Impact of co-substrate molecular weight on methane production potential, microbial community dynamics, and metabolic pathways in waste activated sludge anaerobic co-digestion. Bioresour Technol 2024; 400:130678. [PMID: 38588784 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Proteins and carbohydrates are important organics in waste activated sludge, and greatly affect methane production and microbial community composition in anaerobic digestion systems. Here, a series of co-substrates with different molecular weight were applied to investigate the interactions between microbial dynamics and the molecular weight of co-substrates. Biochemical methane production assays conducted in batch co-digesters showed that feeding high molecular weight protein and carbohydrate substrates resulted in higher methane yield and production rates. Moreover, high-molecular weight co-substrates increased the microbial diversity, enriched specific microbes including Longilinea, Anaerolineaceae, Syner-01, Methanothrix, promoted acidogenic and acetoclastic methanogenic pathways. Low-molecular weight co-substrates favored the growth of JGI-0000079-D21, Armatimonadota, Methanosarcina, Methanolinea, and improved hydrogenotrophic methanogenic pathway. Besides, Methanoregulaceae and Methanolinea were indicators of methane yield. This study firstly revealed the complex interactions between co-substrate molecular weight and microbial communities, and demonstrated the feasibility of adjusting co-substrate molecular weight to improve methane production process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xinwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Hao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Haizhou Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Tianyi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Qingliang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Junqiu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Liangliang Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
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27
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Ginaldi L, Lelii S, Pinto ME, Trovato G, De Martinis M. Sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and electronic health record data collection by national health systems to overcome disparities in healthcare. Intensive Crit Care Nurs 2024:103699. [PMID: 38584050 DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2024.103699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Lia Ginaldi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy; Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit, Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis, AUSL 04 Teramo, Italy; Technical Group for the Coordination of Gender Medicine, Regione Abruzzo, Italy
| | - Sara Lelii
- Long-Term Care Unit, "Maria SS. dello Splendore" Hospital, Giulianova AUSL 04, Teramo, Italy
| | - Maria Elena Pinto
- Long-Term Care Unit, "Maria SS. dello Splendore" Hospital, Giulianova AUSL 04, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giacomo Trovato
- Long-Term Care Unit, "Maria SS. dello Splendore" Hospital, Giulianova AUSL 04, Teramo, Italy
| | - Massimo De Martinis
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy; Technical Group for the Coordination of Gender Medicine, Regione Abruzzo, Italy; Long-Term Care Unit, "Maria SS. dello Splendore" Hospital, Giulianova AUSL 04, Teramo, Italy; UniCamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy; President Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, "Teramo Hub" University of L'Aquila, Italy.
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28
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Liu F, Ding J, Zeng J, Wang C, Wu B, Yan Q, He Z, Shu L. Mangrove sediments are environmental hotspots for pathogenic protists. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133643. [PMID: 38330645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Mangrove sediments are unique ecosystems providing habitats for diverse organisms, especially microbial communities. However, little is known about the diversity and environmental risk of a critical group of microorganisms, the protists. To address this gap, we employed metagenome sequencing technologies to provide the first comprehensive view of the protistan community in the mangrove sediment. Our results surprisingly showed that parasitic protists dominated the protistan community in mangrove sediments, with an average abundance of 59.67%, one of the highest in all ecosystems on Earth. We also found that the relative abundance of protists decreased significantly (R = -0.21, p = 0.045) with latitude but increased with depths (R = 0.7099, p < 0.001). The parasitic communities were positively influenced by microbial (bacteria, fungi, and archaea) communities, including horizontal-scale and vertical-scale. In addition, sulfate and salinity had the most significant influence on the protistan community. Our findings provide new insights into our understanding of protistan variation in mangrove sediments, including abundance, composition, and possible functions, and indicate that mangrove sediments are hotspots for environmental pathogens, posing a potential risk to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Liu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jijuan Ding
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiaxiong Zeng
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bo Wu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qingyun Yan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhili He
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Longfei Shu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Mutizwa TI, Kadye WT, Bragança PHN, Bere T, Chakona A. Hidden in the riffles: A new suckermouth catfish (Mochokidae, Chiloglanis) from the middle Zambezi River system, Zimbabwe. Zookeys 2024; 1197:57-91. [PMID: 38616924 PMCID: PMC11015093 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.114679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The recent surge in the discovery of hidden diversity within rheophilic taxa, particularly in West and East Africa, prompted a closer examination of the extent to which the current taxonomy may obscure the diversity of riffle-dwelling suckermouth catfishes in the genus Chiloglanis in southern Africa. Currently, the region comprises eight valid species within this genus. Seven of them have relatively narrow geographic distribution ranges except for C.neumanni, which is considered to be widely distributed, occurring from the Buzi River system in the south, and its northern limit being the eastward draining river systems in Tanzania. Recent surveys of the middle Zambezi River system revealed Chiloglanis specimens that were distinguishable from the known species of the genus from southern Africa. Integration of molecular and morphological data indicated that these specimens from the Mukwadzi River represent a new species to science, herein described as Chiloglaniscarnatus Mutizwa, Bragança & Chakona, sp. nov. This species is readily distinguished from its southern African congeners by the possession of a distinctive extended dermal tissue covering the base of the dorsal fin and the possession of ten mandibular teeth (vs 8, 12, or 14 in the other taxa). Results from this study add to the growing evidence of a high level of undocumented diversity within riffle-dwelling taxa in southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadiwa I. Mutizwa
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Faculty of Science, Rhodes University, Prince Alfred Street, PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South AfricaNRF-South African Institute for Aquatic BiodiversityMakhandaSouth Africa
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Somerset Street, Private Bag 1015, Makhanda, 6140, South AfricaRhodes UniversityMakhandaSouth Africa
| | - Wilbert T. Kadye
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Faculty of Science, Rhodes University, Prince Alfred Street, PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South AfricaNRF-South African Institute for Aquatic BiodiversityMakhandaSouth Africa
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Somerset Street, Private Bag 1015, Makhanda, 6140, South AfricaRhodes UniversityMakhandaSouth Africa
| | - Pedro H. N. Bragança
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Somerset Street, Private Bag 1015, Makhanda, 6140, South AfricaRhodes UniversityMakhandaSouth Africa
- Department of Ichthyology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USADepartment of Ichthyology, American Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkUnited States of America
| | - Taurai Bere
- School of Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, ZimbabweChinhoyi University of TechnologyChinhoyiZimbabwe
| | - Albert Chakona
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Faculty of Science, Rhodes University, Prince Alfred Street, PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South AfricaNRF-South African Institute for Aquatic BiodiversityMakhandaSouth Africa
- NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Somerset Street, Private Bag 1015, Makhanda, 6140, South AfricaRhodes UniversityMakhandaSouth Africa
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Armand A, Khodaparast SA, Nazari S, Zibaee A. Morpho-molecular study of entomopathogenic fungi associated with citrus orchard pests in Northern Iran. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:202. [PMID: 38568380 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03944-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi play a significant role in regulating insect populations in nature and have potential applications in pest management strategies in different regions. Citrus spp. are among the important horticultural products in northern Iran, and the orchards are affected by different insect pests, especially mealybugs. This study aimed to isolate and identify entomopathogenic fungi associated with citrus orchard pests in northern Iran, focusing on Akanthomyces and Lecanicillium species on mealybugs. Through the samples collected from different regions within Guilan province, 12 fungal isolates were collected and identified based on the combination of morphological characteristics and molecular data. Akanthomyces lecanii, A. muscarius, Engyodontium rectidentatum, Lecanicillium aphanocladii and Lecanicillium rasoulzarei sp. nov. were identified. Of these, A. muscarius on Lepidosaphes sp., E. rectidentatum on Coccidae, and L. aphanocladii on Tetranychus urticae are reported as new fungal-host records from Iran. Moreover, a new species, Lecanicillium rasoulzarei, is illustrated, described, and compared with closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Armand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Seyed Akbar Khodaparast
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
| | - Saeed Nazari
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Arash Zibaee
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
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Tanaka K, Yoshimura K. Factors associated with foreign-educated nurses' willingness to continue working in Japan: a qualitative study. BMC Nurs 2024; 23:228. [PMID: 38566088 PMCID: PMC10988908 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-01890-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Japan has been accepting foreign nurse candidates since 2008 under Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). As globalisation progresses, nurses from diverse backgrounds are expected to play an active role in the medical field. Using an interview survey, this study examined the factors associated with EPA nurses' willingness to continue working in Japan. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews from January 2022 to July 2023 with eight EPA nurses and one EPA nurse candidate working in Japan to investigate the factors associated with foreign-educated nurses' willingness to continue working in Japan. The interview guide included items on the status of the daily performance of their duties, what they found pleasurable in their nursing experience in Japan, difficulties they encountered in carrying out their nursing duties, and their expectations of the Japanese staff around them. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS From the interview data, seven themes were extracted. To continue working in Japan, it was important for EPA nurses to be able to communicate with patients and colleagues, maintain self-esteem and motivation, be resilient, have support from EPA peers and family members, be accepted by others such as patients and colleagues, and be satisfied with the support they received. CONCLUSION The EPA nurses experienced many difficulties after becoming nurses and tended to be isolated because of their non-Japanese status. The results suggest that not only support from colleagues and supervisors but also a general understanding of EPA nurses from Japanese society is necessary. As globalisation accelerates, the Japanese nursing field needs to understand the diversity of the nursing profession and build a support system that will enable them to continue to take pride and feel motivated in their work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuko Tanaka
- Faculty of Nursing and Human Nutrition, Department of Nursing, Yamaguchi Prefectural University, 6-2-1, 753-0021, Sakurabatake, Yamaguchi, Japan.
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Yamaguchi Prefectural University, 6-2-1, 753-0021, Sakurabatake, Yamaguchi, Japan.
| | - Koichi Yoshimura
- Faculty of Nursing and Human Nutrition, Department of Nursing, Yamaguchi Prefectural University, 6-2-1, 753-0021, Sakurabatake, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Yamaguchi Prefectural University, 6-2-1, 753-0021, Sakurabatake, Yamaguchi, Japan
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Goiri F, González MA, Cevidanes A, Barandika JF, García-Peréz AL. Mosquitoes in urban green spaces and cemeteries in northern Spain. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:168. [PMID: 38566167 PMCID: PMC10986117 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06263-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquitoes inhabiting urban green spaces and cemeteries in Europe represent a crucial facet of public health concern and contribute to the ecological balance. As urbanization intensifies, these areas increasingly serve as vital habitats for various mosquito species, fostering breeding grounds and increasing the risk of disease transmission. METHODS A study was conducted in the three main cities (inland, coastal, and estuarine) of the Basque Country, northern Spain, to investigate the species composition, abundance, dynamic populations, larval habitats, and host preferences of mosquitoes in urban green spaces and cemeteries. CDC traps and dipping were used to collect mosquitoes for 2 years (2019-2020). RESULTS A total of 21 mosquito species were identified, with Culex pipiens s.l. being the most abundant and widespread. The three ecological forms of Cx. pipiens were found, and Cx. pipiens pipiens was the most common in both green areas and cemeteries. Morphological identification together with molecular tools identified 65 COI sequences with high homology. The highest species richness was found in the inland city, followed by the coastal city and the estuarine city. Mosquito abundance was significantly higher in green areas compared to cemeteries and in the coastal and estuarine cities compared to the inland city. The investigation of larval breeding sites highlighted the dominance of Cx. pipiens s.l., particularly in semi-artificial ponds, diverse water-holding containers (tyres and buckets) and drainage systems in green areas; in cemeteries, most of the larvae were found in flowerpots and funerary urns. Seasonal activity exhibited variable peaks in mosquito abundance in the different cities, with a notable increase in July or August. Additionally, blood meal analysis revealed that Cx. pipiens s.l. fed on several common urban avian species. CONCLUSIONS Studies on mosquitoes are essential to understand their role in disease transmission and to design targeted and sustainable management strategies to mitigate the associated risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Goiri
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Mikel A González
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBER ESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Aitor Cevidanes
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Jesús F Barandika
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Ana L García-Peréz
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain.
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Chen Y, Zhang W, Chen X, Zhang T, Wei H, Huang J, Chao F, Cai M, Wang Y, Zhang Z. Identification, diversity, and evolution analysis of Commd gene family in Haliotis discus hannai and immune response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2024; 149:109533. [PMID: 38575039 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The Commd (Copper Metabolism gene MURR1 Domain) family genes play crucial roles in various biological processes, including copper and sodium transport regulation, NF-κB activity, and cell cycle progression. Their function in Haliotis discus hannai, however, remains unclear. This study focused on identifying and analyzing the Commd genes in H. discus hannai, including their gene structure, phylogenetic relationships, expression profiles, sequence diversity, and alternative splicing. The results revealed significant homology between H. discus hannai's Commd genes and those of other mollusks. Both transcriptome quantitative analysis and qRT-PCR demonstrated the responsiveness of these genes to heat stress and Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. Notably, alternative splicing analysis revealed that COMMD2, COMMD4, COMMD5, and COMMD7 produce multiple alternative splice variants. Furthermore, sequence diversity analysis uncovered numerous missense mutations, specifically 9 in COMMD5 and 14 in COMMD10. These findings contribute to expanding knowledge on the function and evolution of the Commd gene family and underscore the potential role of COMMD in the innate immune response of H. discus hannai. This research, therefore, offers a novel perspective on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the involvement of Commd genes in innate immunity, paving the way for further explorations in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Wenxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Huina Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Jianpeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Fan Chao
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Mingyi Cai
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, 361021, China; Fujian Engineering Research Center of Aquatic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Yilei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, 361021, China; Fujian Engineering Research Center of Aquatic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Xiamen, 361021, China.
| | - Ziping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
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Santee J, Addo-Atuah J, Arellano R, Arif S, DeVuyst-Miller S, Edwards A, Estes FG, Hatcher T, Kadakia N, Kawaguchi-Suzuki M, Nonyel NP, Seo SW. Working environment for historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians in pharmacy education. Curr Pharm Teach Learn 2024:S1877-1297(24)00076-5. [PMID: 38570221 DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2024.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Promoting diversity among faculty, administrators, and librarians in schools and colleges of pharmacy (SCOP) would be beneficial for the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds. Graduating such diverse pharmacists could assist in reducing healthcare disparities. Promoting diversity requires a climate that is inclusive of people from all backgrounds. The goal of this study was to examine the working environment of historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians within pharmacy education. METHODS An electronic survey was administered to all faculty, administrators, and librarians listed in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy roster. RESULTS Responses from 339 participants were analyzed. Twenty-seven percent of these participants either observed or personally experienced misconduct during the previous five years. When action was taken, it resulted in the cessation of the misconduct only 38% of the time. Respondents most frequently identified the following as ways to make it easier to address misconduct: support from supervisors, support from peers, and education on how to address misconduct. CONCLUSIONS Exclusionary, intimidating, offensive, and/or hostile communication/behaviors towards historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians do exist in SCOP. The academy should work towards promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in SCOP through education and provide administrative and peer support for reporting and managing professional misconduct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Santee
- University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Pharmacy, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, United States of America.
| | - Joyce Addo-Atuah
- Touro University, College of Pharmacy, New York, 230 West 125(th) Street, New York, NY 10027, United States of America.
| | - Regina Arellano
- Midwestern University College of Pharmacy - Downers Grove Campus, 555 31(st) Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515, United States of America.
| | - Sally Arif
- Midwestern University College of Pharmacy-Downers Grove, 555 31(st) Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515, United States of America.
| | - Susan DeVuyst-Miller
- Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, 1201 South State Street, Big Rapids, MI 49307, United States of America.
| | - Akesha Edwards
- St. John Fisher University Wegmans School of Pharmacy, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618, United States of America.
| | - Flora G Estes
- Texas Southern University Joan M. LaFleur College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 3100 Cleburne Street, Houston, TX 77004, United States of America.
| | - Tiffany Hatcher
- Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburg, PA 15282, United States of America.
| | - Nira Kadakia
- University of Findlay College of Pharmacy, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, United States of America.
| | - Marina Kawaguchi-Suzuki
- Pacific University School of Pharmacy, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, United States of America.
| | - Nkem P Nonyel
- Howard University College of Pharmacy, 2300 4(th) Street, Washington, D.C. 20059, United States of America.
| | - See-Won Seo
- Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208, United States of America.
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Liu YY, Cao JL, Kan SL, Wang PH, Wang JL, Cao YN, Wang HW, Li JM. Phylogenomic analyses sheds new light on the phylogeny and diversification of Corydalis DC. in Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains and adjacent regions. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 193:108023. [PMID: 38342159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
The Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (HHM), a renowned biodiversity hotspot of the world, harbors the most extensive habitats for alpine plants with extraordinary high levels of endemism. Although the general evolution pattern has been elucidated, the underlying processes driving spectacular radiations in many species-rich groups remain elusive. Corydalis DC. is widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere containing more than 500 species, with high diversity in HHM and adjacent regions. Using 95 plastid genes, 3,258,640 nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and eight single-copy nuclear genes (SCNs) generated from genome skimming data, we reconstructed a robust time-calibrated phylogeny of Corydalis comprising more than 100 species that represented all subgenera and most sections. Molecular dating indicated that all main clades of Corydalis began to diverge in the Eocene, with the majority of extant species in HHM emerged from a diversification burst after the middle Miocene. Global pattern of mean divergence times indicated that species distributed in HHM were considerably younger than those in other regions, particularly for the two most species-rich clades (V and VI) of Corydalis. The early divergence and the recent diversification of Corydalis were most likely promoted by the continuous orogenesis and climate change associated with the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Our study demonstrates the effectivity of phylogenomic analyses with genome skimming data on the phylogeny of species-rich taxa, and sheds lights on how the uplift of QTP has triggered the evolutionary radiations of large plant genera in HHM and adjacent regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Yan Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Jia-Liang Cao
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Sheng-Long Kan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China; Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Peng-Hang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jun-Li Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Ya-Nan Cao
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Hong-Wei Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jia-Mei Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
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Campbell KM, Tumin D, Linares JI, Morley CP. The Relationship Between the Social Mission Content of Medical School Mission Statements and Minority Faculty Representation Among Faculty and Senior Leadership. J Immigr Minor Health 2024; 26:334-340. [PMID: 37902901 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-023-01555-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Medical schools with social missions have the potential to increase minority student interest in health disparities research. In previous work, the authors looked at the missions of medical schools to determine if they were associated with minority student representation. In this paper, the authors look at the representation of full-time faculty and senior leaders who are underrepresented in medicine in US medical schools. This study included all MD-granting medical schools in the US with available data on mission statement Social Mission Content (SMC) and faculty demographics. Data were analyzed for representation of faculty underrepresented in medicine (URM) among all faculty, among junior as compared to senior faculty, and among department chairs. In the 2013 data, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to characterize the association between SMC and contemporaneous URM faculty representation. In the 2014-2020 data, hierarchical linear models were used to estimate the association between SMC and the annual rate of change in URM faculty representation. In 2013, URM faculty accounted for 7.4% of all faculty at the median medical school, increasing to 8.4% in 2020. As of 2013, URM representation among junior faculty was 9.2% at the median school, 5.6% among senior faculty, and 4.3% among department chairs. The authors found a slow increase in the percentage of URM faculty members (but not department chairs). This trend did not vary between schools with lower vs. higher emphasis on a social mission (based on the mission statement). The increase in chair representation was determined to be associated with the type of the school, whether historically Black or Puerto Rican, and not precisely its mission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall M Campbell
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Dmitry Tumin
- Department of Pediatrics, East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Jhojana Infante Linares
- Department of Academic Affairs, Office of Data Analysis and Strategy, East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Christopher P Morley
- Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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Zheng J, Huang X, Gao L, Xu X, Hou L, Cai T, Jia S. Deciphering the core bacterial community structure and function and their response to environmental factors in activated sludge from pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants. Environ Pollut 2024; 346:123635. [PMID: 38428794 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical wastewater is recognized for its heightened concentrations of organic pollutants, and biological treatment stands out as an effective technology to remove these organic pollution. Therefore, a comprehensive exploration of core bacterial community compositions, functions, and their responses to environmental factors in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants (PWWTPs) is important for understanding the removal mechanism of these organic pollutants. This study comprehensively investigated 36 activated sludge (AS) samples from 15 PWWTPs in China. The results revealed that Proteobacteria (45.41%) was the dominant phylum in AS samples, followed by Bacteroidetes (19.54%) and Chloroflexi (4.13%). While the dominant genera were similar in both aerobic and anaerobic treatment processes, their relative abundances exhibited significant variations. Genera like HA73, Kosmotoga, and Desulfovibrio were more abundant during anaerobic treatment, while Rhodoplanes, Bdellovibrio, and Hyphomicrobium dominated during aerobic treatment. 13 and 10 core operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in aerobic and anaerobic sludge, respectively. Further analysis revealed that core OTUs belonging to genera Kosmotoga, Desulfovibrio, Thauera, Hyphomicrobium, and Chelativorans, were associated with key functions, including sulfur metabolism, methane metabolism, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, toluene degradation, and nitrogen metabolism. Furthermore, this study highlighted the crucial roles of environmental factors, such as COD, NH4+-N, SO42-, and TP, in shaping both the structure and core functions of bacterial communities within AS of PWWTPs. Notably, these factors indirectly affect functional attributes by modulating the bacterial community composition and structure in pharmaceutical wastewater. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the efficiency of biochemical treatment processes in PWWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinli Zheng
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xin Huang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Linjun Gao
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xu Xu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Lijun Hou
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Tianming Cai
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Shuyu Jia
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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Sajber K, Khaleefah S. Culturally competent respect for the autonomy of Muslim patients: fostering patient agency by respecting justice. Theor Med Bioeth 2024; 45:133-149. [PMID: 38324110 DOI: 10.1007/s11017-023-09655-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Although Western biomedical ethics emphasizes respect for autonomy, the medical decision-making of Muslim patients interacting with Western healthcare systems is more likely to be motivated by relational ethical and religious commitments that reflect the ideals of equity, reciprocity, and justice. Based on an in-depth cross-cultural comparison of Islamic and Western systems of biomedical ethics and an assessment of conceptual alignments and differences, we argue that, when working with Muslim patients, an ethics of respect extends to facilitating decision-making grounded in the patient's justice-related customs, beliefs, and obligations. We offer an overview of the philosophical contestations of autonomy-enhancing practices from the Islamic tradition of biomedical ethics, and examples that demonstrate a recommended shift of emphasis from an autonomy-centered to a justice-focused approach to culturally competent agency-promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kriszta Sajber
- University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, 4901 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI, 48128, USA.
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Demard EP, Döker I, Qureshi JA. Incidence of eriophyid mites (Acariformes: Eriophyidae) and predatory mites (Parasitiformes: Phytoseiidae) in Florida citrus orchards under three different pest management programs. Exp Appl Acarol 2024; 92:323-349. [PMID: 38451432 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00882-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The abundance and diversity of eriophyid and phytoseiid mites in south and central Florida were assessed in six citrus orchards under three different pest management systems, conventional, organic, and untreated. Tree canopy, ground cover, and leaf litter were sampled every two months in two groves for each of the three pest management systems from April 2019 to February 2021. The citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) represented 95 to 99% of the rust mites sampled in each grove except in one untreated orchard where it accounted for 45% of the samples (n = 938 total P. oleivora mounted specimens). The pink citrus rust mite, Aculops pelekassi (Keifer) was present in organic and untreated orchards at 5% and 28%, respectively, but absent from conventional orchards (n = 134 total A. pelekassi mounted specimens). Twenty-nine species of phytoseiid mites were identified from 1778 specimens. Thirteen species were present in the canopy, fifteen in the ground cover, and eighteen in the leaf litter with some common species among these habitats. In the tree canopy, Typhlodromalus peregrinus (39%), Euseius spp. (25%), and Iphiseiodes quadripilis (19%) were the dominant species. Typhlodromalus peregrinus (43%), Typhlodromips dentilis (25%), and Proprioseiopsis mexicanus (13%) were the major species in the ground cover. Species richness was lower in organic orchards (3.0) compared to conventional and untreated orchards (5.0 and 4.7, respectively). In the leaf litter, Amblyseius curiosus (26%), Proprioseiopsis carolinianus (15%), Chelaseius floridanus (14%), and Amblyseius tamatavensis (12%) were the most common species. Shannon index was significantly higher in conventional orchards (1.45) compared to organic and untreated orchards (1.02 and 1.05, respectively). Evenness was also higher in conventional orchards (0.86) compared to organic and untreated (0.72 and 0.68, respectively). Finding of several phytoseiids in abundance across pest management programs suggest the need for identifying their role in pest suppression particularly mites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie P Demard
- Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL, 34945, USA
| | - Ismail Döker
- Agricultural Faculty, Plant Protection Department, Acarology Laboratory, Cukurova University, 01330, Adana, Turkey
| | - Jawwad A Qureshi
- Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL, 34945, USA.
- Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Immokalee, FL, 34142, USA.
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Kamalapathy P, Barras LA, Diduch DR. Trends for Diversity in Orthopedic Sports Medicine. Clin Sports Med 2024; 43:213-219. [PMID: 38383104 DOI: 10.1016/j.csm.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Despite the increasingly diverse population of the United States, orthopedic surgery continues to lag other medical specialties in terms of diversity. It remains the specialty with the lowest percentage of women, and White physicians dominate the field, especially in leadership positions. Although the trends are slowly moving in the right direction, additional efforts must be taken to further diversify the field. A targeted, multifaceted approach is required to enhance awareness, educate, mentor, and develop future leaders. Such an approach has recently been established by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, which will hopefully improve future minority and female representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramod Kamalapathy
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, 1215 Lee Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Laurel A Barras
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, 1215 Lee Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - David R Diduch
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, 1215 Lee Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
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Garoufalia Z, Bellato V, Cunha MF, Avellaneda N, Dudi-Venkata NN, Gallardo C, Meyer J, Zaffaroni G, Christensen P, Aytac E, Brady RRW, Pellino G. A narrative on diversity, equity, and inclusion in surgery: insights from the European Society of Coloproctology and identification of points for action. Updates Surg 2024; 76:529-537. [PMID: 38280108 PMCID: PMC10995079 DOI: 10.1007/s13304-023-01685-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
The focus of the 2022 European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) annual campaign was diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in surgery. The ESCP "Operation Equal Access" campaign sought to interview key-opinion leaders and trainees, to raise awareness on inequalities, inform the community of the status of the topic, and to identify future areas for improvement. The ESCP Social Media Working Group interviewed experts who have made significant contributions to DEI in colorectal surgery and were acknowledged opinion leaders in the field. The interviews focused on their career, professional life, experiences, and opportunities during their training, and their views on DEI in colorectal surgery. DEI principles, education, and values need further promotion to reduce and address bias within the profession and overall improve the experience of minority community including health professionals and patients. International Societies are working to facilitate training opportunities and overcome DEI, and networking have contributed to that. Collaborations between societies will be pivotal to contribute to offering research and leadership opportunities equally. Access to advanced workshops including cadaveric training and simulation can be consistently promoted and provided globally via societies through telemonitoring. Involving patients in research should be encouraged, as it brings the perspective of a living experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Garoufalia
- Ellen Leifer Shulman and Steven Shulman Digestive Disease Center, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, FL, USA.
| | - Vittoria Bellato
- ESCP Social Media Committee Co-Chair, ESCP, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
- Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit, Università di Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Gastroenterology Surgery Department, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Miguel F Cunha
- ESCP Social Media Committee Co-Chair, ESCP, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
- Surgical Department, Algarve University Hospital, Portimão, Portugal
| | - Nicolas Avellaneda
- Nueva Proctologia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CEMIC, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Danish Cancer Society National Research Centre for Survivorship and Late Side Effect to Cancer in the Pelvic Organs, Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nagendra N Dudi-Venkata
- Colorectal Unit, Department of Surgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Port Road, Adelaide, 5000, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Cristián Gallardo
- Servicio de Coloproctologia, Hospital Clínico San Borja Arriarán, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jeremy Meyer
- Division of Digestive Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211, Genève 14, Switzerland
- Medical School, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1205, Genève, Switzerland
| | | | - Peter Christensen
- Danish Cancer Society National Research Centre for Survivorship and Late Side Effect to Cancer in the Pelvic Organs, Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Erman Aytac
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Atakent Hospital, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Instanbul, Turkey
- Incoming ESCP Communication Committee Chair, ESCP, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Richard R W Brady
- Newcastle Centre for Bowel Disease Research Group, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- ESCP Communication Committee Chair, ESCP, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Gianluca Pellino
- Colorectal Surgery, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona UAB, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, Universitá Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
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Shchepin ON, López Villalba Á, Inoue M, Prikhodko IS, Erastova DA, Okun MV, Woyzichovski J, Yajima Y, Gmoshinskiy VI, Moreno G, Novozhilov YK, Schnittler M. DNA barcodes reliably differentiate between nivicolous species of Diderma (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa) and reveal regional differences within Eurasia. Protist 2024; 175:126023. [PMID: 38368650 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2024.126023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The nivicolous species of the genus Diderma are challenging to identify, and there are several competing views on their delimitation. We analyzed 102 accessions of nivicolous Diderma spp. that were sequenced for two or three unlinked genes to determine which of the current taxonomic treatments is better supported by molecular species delimitation methods. The results of a haplotype web analysis, Bayesian species delimitation under a multispecies coalescent model, and phylogenetic analyses on concatenated alignments support a splitting approach that distinguishes six taxa: Diderma alpinum, D. europaeum, D. kamchaticum, D. meyerae, D. microcarpum and D. niveum. The first two approaches also support the separation of Diderma alpinum into two species with allopatric distribution. An extended dataset of 800 specimens (mainly from Europe) that were barcoded with 18S rDNA revealed only barcode variants similar to those in the species characterized by the first data set, and showed an uneven distribution of these species in the Northern Hemisphere: Diderma microcarpum and D. alpinum were the only species found in all seven intensively sampled mountain regions. Partial 18S rDNA sequences serving as DNA barcodes provided clear signatures that allowed for unambiguous identification of the nivicolous Diderma spp., including two putative species in D. alpinum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg N Shchepin
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, Germany; Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Ángela López Villalba
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Maho Inoue
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ilya S Prikhodko
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Daria A Erastova
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mikhail V Okun
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jan Woyzichovski
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yuka Yajima
- Department of Science and Informatics, Muroran Institute of Technology, Mizumoto-cho 27-1, 0508585 Muroran, Japan
| | - Vladimir I Gmoshinskiy
- Department of Mycology and Algology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Gabriel Moreno
- Departamento Ciencias de la Vida (Botanica), Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, Madrid 28805, Spain
| | - Yuri K Novozhilov
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Martin Schnittler
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
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Zhao S, Yan Q, Xu W, Zhang J. Gut microbiome in diabetic retinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Microb Pathog 2024; 189:106590. [PMID: 38402917 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Changes in the gut microbiome are linked with Type 2diabetes mellitus (T2DM) development, but alterations in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) are still being debated. OBJECTIVE To investigate the differences in biodiversity and relative abundance of gut microbiome between patients with DR and T2DM. METHODS A comprehensive search was performed in five electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and CNKI) from the inception of each database through to August 2023. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using Stata 15.1. Furthermore, the alpha diversity index and relative abundance of the gut microbiome were calculated. The Egger test determined publication bias in the literature. RESULTS Seven case-control studies were included in the final dataset, comprising 195 patients with DR and 211 patients with T2DM. Compared to T2DM patients, patients in the DR group had a reduced but not significantly different α-diversity. The analysis of microbial composition at the phylum level revealed a marked increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes(ES = 23.27, 95%CI[8.30, 38.23], P = 0.000) and a decline in Firmicutes(ES = 47.05, 95%CI[36.58, 57.52], P = 0.000), Proteobacteria (ES = 11.08, 95%CI[6.08, 16.07], P = 0.000) and Actinobacteria (ES = 10.43, 95%CI[1.64, 19.22], P = 0.001) in patients with DR when compared to those with T2DM. CONCLUSIONS An association exists between alterations in the gut microbiome of T2DM and the development and progression of DR. This suggests that re-establishing homeostasis of the gut microbiome could be a potential way to prevent or treat DR and requires further confirmation in future studies. REGISTRATION DATABASE Prospero. REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42023455280.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Zhao
- Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
| | - Qi Yan
- Jiangsu Pei People's Hospital, China.
| | - Wanjing Xu
- Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, China.
| | - Juanmei Zhang
- The Department of Ophthalmology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, China.
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Liu JJ, Hou YK, Wang X, Zhou XT, Yin JY, Nie SP. Recent advances in the biosynthesis of fungal glucan structural diversity. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 329:121782. [PMID: 38286552 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.121782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Glucans are the most abundant class of macromolecule polymers in fungi, which are commonly found in Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Fungal glucans are not only essential for cell integrity and function but also crucial for the immense industrial interest in high value applications. They present a variety of structural characteristics at the nanoscale due to the high regulation of genes and the involvement of stochastic processes in synthesis. However, although recent findings have demonstrated the genes of glucans synthesis are relatively conserved across diverse fungi, the formation and organization of diverse glucan structures is still unclear in fungi. Here, we summarize the structural features of fungal glucans and the recent developments in the mechanisms of glucans biosynthesis. Furthermore, we propose the engineering strategies of targeted glucan synthesis and point out the remaining challenges in the synthetic process. Understanding the synthesis process of diverse glucans is necessary for tailoring high value glucan towards specific applications. This engineering strategy contributes to enable the sustainable and efficient production of glucan diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Jin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Yu-Ke Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Xing-Tao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China
| | - Jun-Yi Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China.
| | - Shao-Ping Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luo he 462300, Henan, China.
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45
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Gámez-Macías PE, Félix-Soriano E, Samblas M, Sáinz N, Moreno-Aliaga MJ, González-Muniesa P. Intestinal Permeability, Gut Inflammation, and Gut Immune System Response Are Linked to Aging-Related Changes in Gut Microbiota Composition: A Study in Female Mice. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glae045. [PMID: 38364863 PMCID: PMC10957128 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging entails changes at the cellular level that increase the risk of various pathologies. An association between gut microbiota and age-related diseases has also been attributed. This study aims to analyze changes in fecal microbiota composition and their association with genes related to immune response, gut inflammation, and intestinal barrier impairment. Fecal samples of female mice at different ages (2 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months) and gene expression in colon tissue were analyzed. Results showed that the older mice group had a more diverse microbiota than the younger group. Additionally, the abundance of Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Flavobacteriaceae, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Akkermansia, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii increased with age. In contrast, there was a notable decline in Clostridiaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Monoglobaceae, Ligilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Mucispirillum, and Bacteroides faecichinchillae. These bacteria imbalances were positively correlated with increased inflammation markers in the colon, including Tnf-α, Ccl2, and Ccl12, and negatively with the expression of tight junction genes (Jam2, Tjp1, and Tjp2), as well as immune response genes (Cd4, Cd72, Tlr7, Tlr12, and Lbp). In conclusion, high levels of diversity did not result in improved health in older mice; however, the imbalance in bacteria abundance that occurs with aging might contribute to immune senescence, inflammation, and leaky gut disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Elizabeth Gámez-Macías
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elisa Félix-Soriano
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mirian Samblas
- Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Neira Sáinz
- Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Jesús Moreno-Aliaga
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Physiology, and Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra/Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro González-Muniesa
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Physiology, and Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra/Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Lichter DT, Parisi D, Ambinakudige S, Scott CK. Reevaluating the Spatial Scale of Residential Segregation: Racial Change Within and Between Neighborhoods. Demography 2024; 61:307-336. [PMID: 38394036 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-11195639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
This study evaluates the extent to which metropolitan racial segregation occurs between neighborhoods-from tract to tract-and within neighborhoods-from block to block-and is framed theoretically by Putnam's (2007) "hunkering down" hypothesis. Analyses are based on complete-count block, tract, and metropolitan data from the last four U.S. decennial censuses. We document recent patterns of block-to-block segregation between Whites and racial and ethnic minorities (Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics) and between different minority pairs. For example, roughly 40% of all metro Black-White segregation is due to segregation from block to block within neighborhoods. Among Asians, the between-neighborhood component of metropolitan segregation has increased over time but was largely compensated by declines in the within-neighborhood (or block) component. Metropolitan fixed-effects models show that trends and racial and ethnic differences in segregation-overall and within and between neighborhoods-are broadly observed across metro areas but are most evident in the largest, oldest, and most highly segregated metro areas. The results are robust to alternative estimates that adjust for differential privacy, metropolitan reclassification, and neighborhood boundary changes. Analyses of neighborhood change in Atlanta, Georgia, further reinforce the generality of our multiscale approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T Lichter
- Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Domenico Parisi
- Department of Sociology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | | | - Christian K Scott
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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47
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Field MC. Ras superfamily GTPases and signal transduction in Euglena gracilis. Protist 2024; 175:126017. [PMID: 38295671 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2024.126017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Biological complexity is challenging to define, but can be considered through one or more features, including overall genome size, number of genes, morphological features, multicellularity, number of life cycle stages and the ability to adapt to different environments. Euglena gracilis meets several of these criteria, with a large genome of ∼38,000 protein coding genes and a considerable ability to survive under many different conditions, some of which can be described as challenging or harsh. Potential molecular exemplars of complexity tying these aspects together are signalling pathways, including GTPases, kinases and ubiquitylation, which increase the functionality of the gene-encoded proteome manyfold. Each of these examples can modulate both protein activity and gene expression. To address the connection between genome size and complexity I have undertaken a brief, and somewhat qualitative, survey of the small ras-like GTPase superfamily of E. gracilis. Unexpectedly, apart from Rab-GTPases which control intracellular transport and organelle identify, the size of the GTPase cohort is modest, and, for example, has not scaled with gene number when compared to the close relatives, trypanosomatids. I suggest that understanding the functions of this protein family will be vital to uncovering the complexity of E. gracilis biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Field
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK; Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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48
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Middleton KK, Turner A. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Sports Medicine and the Importance of Diversity. Clin Sports Med 2024; 43:233-244. [PMID: 38383106 DOI: 10.1016/j.csm.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Within orthopedics surgery as a specialty, sports medicine is one of the least diverse surgical subspecialties. Differences in minority representation between patient and provider populations are thought to contribute to disparities in care, access, and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alex Turner
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, USA
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Tort Saadé PJ, White AA. Sports Medicine Patient Experience: Implicit Bias Mitigation and Communication Strategies. Clin Sports Med 2024; 43:279-291. [PMID: 38383110 DOI: 10.1016/j.csm.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, is the principal contributor to the perpetuation of discrimination and is a robust determinant of people's decision-making. Unconscious bias occurs despite conscious nonprejudiced intentions and interferes with the actions of the reflective and conscious side. Education and self-awareness about implicit bias and its potentially harmful effects on judgment and behavior may lead individuals to pursue corrective action and follow implicit bias mitigation communication strategies. Team physicians must follow existing communication strategies and guidelines to mitigate unconscious bias and begin an evolution toward nonbiased judgment and decision-making to improve athlete care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro J Tort Saadé
- Surgery Department, Doctors' Center Hospital San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
| | - Augustus A White
- Ellen and Melvin Gordon Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medical Education and Professor Emeritus of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Taylor E. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership: A True Team Sport. Clin Sports Med 2024; 43:299-309. [PMID: 38383112 DOI: 10.1016/j.csm.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership and team experience has evolved in response to a very dynamic state of change in our society and profession. In this review, the author has outlined 4 necessary components of empowering leaders and teams, including solidifying a common mission, creating value around the team and its purpose, measuring relevant and inclusive outputs, and cocreating a strategy that is meaningful and effectively achieves the true north. The author uses parallels from sports to define these pragmatic steps of a "DEI leaders' playbook" to move forward in the creation of healthy, inclusive environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Taylor
- Duke Department of Orthopaedics Vice Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion & Orthopaedic Surgeon, Duke Health Integrated Practice CMO of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke Fuqua School of Business Executive in Residence Faculty, Orthopaedic Diversity Leadership Consortium, PO Box 1726, Wake Forest, NC 27587, USA.
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