Longitudinal machine learning uncouples healthy aging factors from chronic disease risks

To understand human longevity, inherent aging processes must be distinguished from known etiologies leading to age-related chronic diseases. Such deconvolution is difficult to achieve because it requires tracking patients throughout their entire lives. Here, we used machine learning to infer health trajectories over the entire adulthood age range using extrapolation from electronic medical records with partial longitudinal coverage. Using this approach, our model tracked the state of patients who were healthy and free from known chronic disease risk and distinguished individuals with higher or lower longevity potential using a multivariate score. We showed that the model and the markers it uses performed consistently on data from Israeli, British and US populations. For example, mildly low neutrophil counts and alkaline phosphatase levels serve as early indicators of healthy aging that are independent of risk for major chronic diseases. We characterize the heritability and genetic associations of our longevity score and demonstrate at least 1 year of extended lifespan for parents of high-scoring patients compared to matched controls. Longitudinal modeling of healthy individuals is thereby established as a tool for understanding healthy aging and longevity.

Suicide risk among racial minority students in a monoethnic country: A study from South Korea: Suicide risk among racial minority students

BACKGROUND

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents. Students from intercultural families (ICFs) are hypothesized to be vulnerable to suicide. This study aimed to identify the current status of depression and suicide in students from ICFs and the risk of suicide according to family type.

METHODS

Data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) were used for this study. We selected 586,829 participants from 2011 to 2020. We analyzed the statistical differences between groups using the chi-square and Bonferroni tests. Last, multiple logistic regressions were performed.

RESULTS

Regarding experiencing extreme sadness/desperation and suicidal ideation, the group with both parents born outside Korea had the highest rate (37.1 % and 24.7 %, respectively), followed by the father-only, non-ICF, and mother-only groups. The both-parents group had the highest risk for suicidal plan and attempts, and for suicidal attempts after hospital visits (17.2 %, 14.9 %, and 59.5 %, respectively), followed by the father-only, mother-only, and non-ICF groups. In particular, the both-parents group had 1.74, 3.40, 4.56, and 6.44 times higher odds for suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt, and hospital visit after suicidal attempt than the non-ICF group, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ICF students were more vulnerable to suicide than the non-ICF group, particularly the both-parents and father-only groups. Thus, adolescents from ICFs are a high-risk group for suicide and should be a top priority for intervention.

Optimised Multi-Channel Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (MtDCS) Reveals Differential Involvement of the Right-Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (rVLPFC) and Insular Complex in those Predisposed to Aberrant Experiences

Research has shown a prominent role for cortical hyperexcitability underlying aberrant perceptions, hallucinations, and distortions in human conscious experience - even in neurotypical groups. The rVLPFC has been identified as an important structure in mediating cognitive affective states / feeling conscious states. The current study examined the involvement of the rVLPFC in mediating cognitive affective states in those predisposed to aberrant experiences in the neurotypical population. Participants completed two trait-based measures: (i) the Cortical Hyperexcitability Index_II (CHi_II, a proxy measure of cortical hyperexcitability) and (ii) two factors from the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale (CDS). An optimised 7-channel MtDCS montage for stimulation conditions (Anodal, Cathodal and Sham) was created targeting the rVLPFC in a single-blind study. At the end of each stimulation session, participants completed a body-threat task (BTAB) while skin conductance responses (SCRs) and psychological responses were recorded. Participants with signs of increasing cortical hyperexcitability showed significant suppression of SCRs in the Cathodal stimulation relative to the Anodal and sSham conditions. Those high on the trait-based measures of depersonalisation-like experiences failed to show reliable effects. Collectively, the findings suggest that baseline brain states can mediate the effects of neurostimulation which would be missed via sample level averaging and without appropriate measures for stratifying individual differences.

Evolutionary trends of carbapenem-resistant and susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in a major tertiary care setting from North India

Emergence of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) is a global, ongoing healthcare concern. CRAB is among the topmost priority pathogens, with various studies focusing on its global population structure and resistant allelic profiles. However, carbapenem-susceptible A. baumannii (CSAB) isolates are often overlooked due to their sensitivity to beta-lactams, which can provide important insights into origin of CRAB lineages and isolates. In the present study, we report genomic investigation of CRAB and CSAB coexisting in Indian hospital setting. MLST based population structure and phylogenomics suggest they mainly follow distinct evolutionary routes forming two phylogroups. PG-I exclusively for a successful clone (ST2) of CRAB and PG-II comprises diversified CSAB isolates except PG3373, which is CRAB. Additionally, there are few CRAB isolates not belonging to PG-I and sharing clonal relationship with CSAB isolates indicating role of genome plasticity towards extensive drug resistance in the nosocomial environment. Further, genealogical analysis depicts prominent role of recombination in emergence and evolution of a major CRAB lineage. Further, CRAB isolates are enriched in resistomes as compared to CSAB isolates, which were encoded on the genomic island. Such comparative genomic insights will aid in our understanding and localized management of rapidly evolving pandrug resistant nosocomial pathogens.

The Role of Attachment, Insecurity, and Stress in Partner Maltreatment: A Meta-Analysis

Negative, destructive, and abusive behaviors in romantic relationships can vary from explicit kinds of abuse and aggression to more subtle and seemingly innocuous slights against or ways of treating a partner. However, regardless of the severity or explicit nature, these behaviors all, to one extent or another, reflect acts of invalidation, disrespect, aggression, or neglect toward a partner, and could be considered maltreatment of a partner. The current paper proposes the term partner maltreatment as a broad overarching concept, which was used to facilitate a meta-analytic synthesis of the literature to examine the associations between attachment insecurity (i.e., attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance) and perpetration of partner maltreatment. Additionally, this paper situated partner maltreatment within an attachment-based diathesis-stress perspective to explore the moderating role of stress. Five databases were systematically searched for published and unpublished studies that examined the direct association between perpetrator's adult attachment orientation and perpetration of partner maltreatment behaviors. We synthesized effect sizes from 139 studies (N = 38,472) and found the effect between attachment insecurity and acts of partner maltreatment varied between r = .11 to .21. Our findings provide meta-analytic evidence to suggest that attachment insecurity is a significant individual vulnerability factor (diathesis) associated with partner maltreatment; and that when individuals with an insecure attachment orientation experience stress, the tendency to perpetrate partner maltreatment is typically heightened. The findings of this meta-analysis provide empirical evidence for the importance of considering and addressing contextual factors, especially stress, for those individuals and couples seeking therapy for partner maltreatment.

Seasickness susceptibility and the vestibular time constant: a prospective study

Human passive motion during boat, car or airplane travel may trigger motion sickness. Seasickness is the most provoking manifestation of motion sickness. It imposes major constraints on quality of life and human performance. Based on seasickness susceptibility the population is usually categorized into susceptible (S) and non-susceptible (NS). During repeated exposure some susceptible individuals undergo habituation and obtain symptoms relief, reflecting a third group of habituating (H) individuals. Recently, accumulative evidence suggests that the vestibular time constant (Tc) is associated with motion sickness susceptibility and attenuation of symptoms. These studies demonstrated that repeated passive motion stimuli lead to temporary short-term (days) changes in Tc, whereas sea sickness habituation process lasts 3 to 6 months. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to examine the behavior of Tc during the entire span of the seasickness habituation process between the H, S and NS groups to find an objective test for seasickness severity prediction. Tc of 30 subjects was prospectively evaluated pre, 3 and 6 months post exposure to sea environment using a computerized rotatory chair system protocol. Seasickness severity was evaluated by Wiker questionnaire. Significantly shorter Tc was found in the S group compared with the NS and H groups. Further analysis revealed lower maximal Slow Phase Velocity (mSPV) and nystagmus frequency (total number of beats/second) in the S group. Our results suggest that Tc, mSPV and nystagmus frequency might serve as a prediction for seasickness severity. This study was retrospectively registered on December 7th 2022 and assigned the identifier number NCT05640258.

Immuno-molecular profile for Biomphalaria glabrata/Schistosoma mansoni interaction

The complex innate immune defense of Biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni, governs the successful development of the intramolluscan stages of the parasite. The interaction between the snail and the parasite involves a complex immune molecular crosstalk between several parasite antigens and the snail immune recognition receptors, evoking different signals and effector molecules. This work seeks to discuss the immune-related molecules that influence compatibility in Biomphalaria glabrata/Schistosoma mansoni interaction and the differential expression of these molecules between resistant and susceptible snails. It also includes the current understanding of the immune molecular determinants that govern the compatibility in sympatric and allopatric interactions, and the expression of these molecules after immune priming and the secondary immune response. Herein, the differences in the immune-related molecules in the interaction of other Biomphalaria species with Schistosoma mansoni compared to the Biomphalaria glabrata model snail are highlighted. Understanding the diverse immune molecular determinants in the snail/schistosome interaction can lead to alternative control strategies for schistosomiasis.

Disease pathogenesis and barrier functions regulated by group 3 innate lymphoid cells

The mucosal surface is in constant contact with foreign antigens and is regulated by unique mechanisms that are different from immune responses in the peripheral organs. For the last several decades, only adaptive immune cells such as helper T (Th) cells, Th1, Th2, or Th17 were targeted to study a wide variety of immune responses in the mucosal tissues. However, since their discovery, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have been attracting attention as a unique subset of immune cells that provide border defense with various functions and tissue specificity. ILCs are classified into different groups based on cell differentiation and functions. Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are particularly in close proximity to mucosal surfaces and therefore have the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of bacteria including pathogenic bacteria. In recent years, studies have also provided much evidence that ILC3s contribute to disease pathogenesis as well as the defense of mucosal surfaces by rapidly responding to pathogens and coordinating other immune cells. As the counterpart of helper T cells, ILC3s together with other ILC subsets establish the immune balance between adaptive and innate immunity in protecting us from invasion or encounter with non-self-antigens for maintaining a complex homeostasis. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of ILCs, with a particular focus on the function of ILC3s in their involvement in bacterial infection and disease pathogenesis.

Germline HPF1 retrogene insertion in RB1 gene involved in cancer predisposition

About half of the human genome is composed of repeated sequences derived from mobile elements, mainly retrotransposons, generally without pathogenic effect. Familial forms of retinoblastoma are caused by germline pathogenic variants in RB1 gene. Here, we describe a family with retinoblastoma affecting a father and his son. No pathogenic variant was identified after DNA analysis of RB1 gene coding sequence and exon-intron junctions. However, RB1 mRNA analysis showed a chimeric transcript with insertion of 114 nucleotides from HPF1 gene inside RB1 gene. This chimeric transcript led to an insertion of 38 amino acids in functional domain of retinoblastoma protein. Subsequent DNA analysis in RB1 intron 17 revealed the presence of a full-length HPF1 retrogene insertion in opposite orientation. Functional assay shows that this insertion has a deleterious impact on retinoblastoma protein function. This is the first report of a full-length retrogene insertion involved in human Mendelian disease leading to a chimeric transcript and a non-functional chimeric protein. Some retrogene insertions may be missed by standard diagnostic genetic testing, so contribution of retrogene insertions to human disease may be underestimated. The increasing use of whole genome sequencing in diagnostic settings will help to get a more comprehensive view of retrogenes.

Runx1-R188Q germ line mutation induces inflammation and predisposition to hematologic malignancies in mice

Germ line mutations in the RUNX1 gene cause familial platelet disorder (FPD), an inherited disease associated with lifetime risk to hematopoietic malignancies (HM). Patients with FPD frequently show clonal expansion of premalignant cells preceding HM onset. Despite the extensive studies on the role of RUNX1 in hematopoiesis, its function in the premalignant bone marrow (BM) is not well-understood. Here, we characterized the hematopoietic progenitor compartments using a mouse strain carrying an FPD-associated mutation, Runx1R188Q. Immunophenotypic analysis showed an increase in the number of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the Runx1R188Q/+ mice. However, the comparison of Sca-1 and CD86 markers suggested that Sca-1 expression may result from systemic inflammation. Cytokine profiling confirmed the dysregulation of interferon-response cytokines in the BM. Furthermore, the expression of CD48, another inflammation-response protein, was also increased in Runx1R188Q/+ HSPCs. The DNA-damage response activity of Runx1R188Q/+ hematopoietic progenitor cells was defective in vitro, suggesting that Runx1R188Q may promote genomic instability. The differentiation of long-term repopulating HSCs was reduced in Runx1R188Q/+ recipient mice. Furthermore, we found that Runx1R188Q/+ HSPCs outcompete their wild-type counterparts in bidirectional repopulation assays, and that the genetic makeup of recipient mice did not significantly affect the clonal dynamics under this setting. Finally, we demonstrate that Runx1R188Q predisposes to HM in cooperation with somatic mutations found in FPDHM, using 3 mouse models. These studies establish a novel murine FPDHM model and demonstrate that germ line Runx1 mutations induce a premalignant phenotype marked by BM inflammation, selective expansion capacity, defective DNA-damage response, and predisposition to HM.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic differences between banana varieties which are resistant or susceptible to Fusarium wilt

Background

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (Foc4), is the most lethal disease of bananas in Asia.

Methods

To better understand the defense response of banana to Fusarium wilt, the transcriptome and metabolome profiles of the roots from resistant and susceptible bananas inoculated with Foc4 were compared.

Results

After Foc4 inoculation, there were 172 and 1,856 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the Foc4-susceptible variety (G1) and Foc4-resistant variety (G9), respectively. In addition, a total of 800 DEGs were identified between G1 and G9, which were mainly involved in the oxidation-reduction process, cell wall organization, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and lipid and nitrogen metabolism, especially the DEGs of Macma4_08_g22610, Macma4_11_g19760, and Macma4_03_g06480, encoding non-classical arabinogalactan protein; GDSL-like lipase; and peroxidase. In our study, G9 showed a stronger and earlier response to Foc4 than G1. As the results of metabolomics, lipids, phenylpropanoids and polyketides, organic acids, and derivatives played an important function in response to Fusarium wilt. More importantly, Macma4_11_g19760 might be one of the key genes that gave G9 more resistance to Foc4 by a lowered expression and negative regulation of lipid metabolism. This study illustrated the difference between the transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of resistant and susceptible bananas. These results improved the current understanding of host-pathogen interactions and will contribute to the breeding of resistant banana plants.

Environmental and Genetic Traffic in the Journey from Sperm to Offspring

Recent advancements in the understanding of how sperm develop into offspring have shown complex interactions between environmental influences and genetic factors. The past decade, marked by a research surge, has not only highlighted the profound impact of paternal contributions on fertility and reproductive outcomes but also revolutionized our comprehension by unveiling how parental factors sculpt traits in successive generations through mechanisms that extend beyond traditional inheritance patterns. Studies have shown that offspring are more susceptible to environmental factors, especially during critical phases of growth. While these factors are broadly detrimental to health, their effects are especially acute during these periods. Moving beyond the immutable nature of the genome, the epigenetic profile of cells emerges as a dynamic architecture. This flexibility renders it susceptible to environmental disruptions. The primary objective of this review is to shed light on the diverse processes through which environmental agents affect male reproductive capacity. Additionally, it explores the consequences of paternal environmental interactions, demonstrating how interactions can reverberate in the offspring. It encompasses direct genetic changes as well as a broad spectrum of epigenetic adaptations. By consolidating current empirically supported research, it offers an exhaustive perspective on the interwoven trajectories of the environment, genetics, and epigenetics in the elaborate transition from sperm to offspring.

Antithrombotic therapy and assessment for bleeding diathesis in elective gastrointestinal endoscopy - Expert Opinion Statement on behalf of the Swiss Society of Gastroenterology

INTRODUCTION

Interpersonal Stress and Late Adolescent Depressive Symptoms: Moderation by Perceptual Sensitivity to Facial Expression of Anger

The interpersonal theories of depression highlight the role of interpersonal stress and individual's sensitivity to social rejection in the development of depression. However, previous research has tested their respective effects, whereas whether or not these two factors interact to affect depression, especially in ways of differential susceptibility or diathesis-stress, remains unknown. By adopting a morphed facial expressions recognition paradigm, the current study investigated the potential moderating role of perceptual sensitivity to facial expressions, especially that to angry expression which signaled social rejection, in the association between interpersonal stress and adolescent depressive symptoms. A total of 186 Chinese late adolescents (Mage = 21.16 ± 1.81 years; 73.7% females) participated in this study. The results demonstrated that perceptual sensitivity for angry faces, but not sad or happy faces, functioned as a plasticity factor significantly moderating the effect of interpersonal stress on depressive symptoms, which was consistent with hypothesis of differential susceptibility rather than diathesis-stress. No interactions were observed regarding non-interpersonal dimensions. These results were robust and survived a series of sensitivity analyses, including k-fold cross-validation test. The current findings highlight the crucial role of perceptual sensitivity to angry expression in explaining individual differences behind the links between interpersonal stress and adolescent depressive symptoms.

Lung dendritic-cell metabolism underlies susceptibility to viral infection in diabetes

People with diabetes feature a life-risking susceptibility to respiratory viral infection, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2 (ref. 1), whose mechanism remains unknown. In acquired and genetic mouse models of diabetes, induced with an acute pulmonary viral infection, we demonstrate that hyperglycaemia leads to impaired costimulatory molecule expression, antigen transport and T cell priming in distinct lung dendritic cell (DC) subsets, driving a defective antiviral adaptive immune response, delayed viral clearance and enhanced mortality. Mechanistically, hyperglycaemia induces an altered metabolic DC circuitry characterized by increased glucose-to-acetyl-CoA shunting and downstream histone acetylation, leading to global chromatin alterations. These, in turn, drive impaired expression of key DC effectors including central antigen presentation-related genes. Either glucose-lowering treatment or pharmacological modulation of histone acetylation rescues DC function and antiviral immunity. Collectively, we highlight a hyperglycaemia-driven metabolic-immune axis orchestrating DC dysfunction during pulmonary viral infection and identify metabolic checkpoints that may be therapeutically exploited in mitigating exacerbated disease in infected diabetics.

Daily stair climbing, disease susceptibility, and risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The associations between intensity of stair climbing and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and how these vary by underlying disease susceptibility are not fully understood. We aim to evaluate the intensity of stair climbing and risk of ASCVD types and whether these vary with the presence of ASCVD risk factors.

METHODS

This prospective study used data of 458,860 adult participants from the UK Biobank. Information about stair climbing, sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors was collected at baseline and a resurvey 5 years after baseline. ASCVD was defined as coronary artery disease (CAD), ischemic stroke (IS), or acute complications. Associations between flights of stair climbing and ASCVD were examined as hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards models. The modification role of disease susceptibility on such associations was assessed by analyses stratified by levels of genetic risk score (GRS), 10-year risks of ASCVD, and self-reported family history of ASCVD.

RESULTS

During a median of 12.5 years of follow-up, 39,043 ASCVD, 30,718 CAD, and 10,521 IS cases were recorded. Compared with the reference group (reported climbing stairs 0 times/day at baseline), the multivariable-adjusted HRs for ASCVD were 0.97 (95% CI, 0.93-1.01), 0.84 (0.82-0.87), 0.78 (0.75-0.81), 0.77 (0.73-0.80) and 0.81 (0.77-0.85) for stair climbing of 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20 and ≥21 times/day, respectively. Comparable results were obtained for CAD and IS. When stratified by different disease susceptibility based on the GRS for CAD/IS, 10-year risk, and family history of ASCVD, the protection association of stair climbing was attenuated by increasing levels of disease susceptibility. Furthermore, compared with people who reported no stair climbing (<5 times/d) at two examinations, those who climbed stairs at baseline and then stopped at resurvey experienced a 32% higher risk of ASCVD (HR 1.32, 95% CI:1.06-1.65).

CONCLUSIONS

Climbing more than five flights of stairs (approx 50 steps) daily was associated with a lower risk of ASCVD types independent of disease susceptibility. Participants who stopped stair climbing between baseline and resurvey had a higher risk of ASCVD compared with those who never climbed stairs.

Grandmaternal allergen sensitization reprograms epigenetic and airway responses to allergen in second-generation offspring

Asthma susceptibility is influenced by environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. DNA methylation is one form of epigenetic modification that regulates gene expression and is both inherited and modified by environmental exposures throughout life. Prenatal development is a particularly vulnerable time period during which exposure to maternal asthma increases asthma risk in offspring. How maternal asthma affects DNA methylation in offspring and what the consequences of differential methylation are in subsequent generations are not fully known. In this study, we tested the effects of grandmaternal house dust mite (HDM) allergen sensitization during pregnancy on airway physiology and inflammation in HDM-sensitized and challenged second-generation mice. We also tested the effects of grandmaternal HDM sensitization on tissue-specific DNA methylation in allergen-naïve and -sensitized second-generation mice. Descendants of both allergen- and vehicle-exposed grandmaternal founders exhibited airway hyperreactivity after HDM sensitization. However, grandmaternal allergen sensitization significantly potentiated airway hyperreactivity and altered the epigenomic trajectory in second-generation offspring after HDM sensitization compared with HDM-sensitized offspring from vehicle-exposed founders. As a result, biological processes and signaling pathways associated with epigenetic modifications were distinct between lineages. A targeted analysis of pathway-associated gene expression found that Smad3 was significantly dysregulated as a result of grandmaternal allergen sensitization. These data show that grandmaternal allergen exposure during pregnancy establishes a unique epigenetic trajectory that reprograms allergen responses in second-generation offspring and may contribute to asthma risk.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Asthma susceptibility is influenced by environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. This study shows that maternal allergen exposure during pregnancy promotes unique epigenetic trajectories in second-generation offspring at baseline and in response to allergen sensitization, which is associated with the potentiation of airway hyperreactivity. These effects are one mechanism by which maternal asthma may influence the inheritance of asthma risk.

Statistical mechanics of inference in epidemic spreading

We investigate the information-theoretical limits of inference tasks in epidemic spreading on graphs in the thermodynamic limit. The typical inference tasks consist in computing observables of the posterior distribution of the epidemic model given observations taken from a ground-truth (sometimes called planted) random trajectory. We can identify two main sources of quenched disorder: the graph ensemble and the planted trajectory. The epidemic dynamics however induces nontrivial long-range correlations among individuals' states on the latter. This results in nonlocal correlated quenched disorder which unfortunately is typically hard to handle. To overcome this difficulty, we divide the dynamical process into two sets of variables: a set of stochastic independent variables (representing transmission delays), plus a set of correlated variables (the infection times) that depend deterministically on the first. Treating the former as quenched variables and the latter as dynamic ones, computing disorder average becomes feasible by means of the replica-symmetric cavity method. We give theoretical predictions on the posterior probability distribution of the trajectory of each individual, conditioned to observations on the state of individuals at given times, focusing on the susceptible infectious (SI) model. In the Bayes-optimal condition, i.e., when true dynamic parameters are known, the inference task is expected to fall in the replica-symmetric regime. We indeed provide predictions for the information theoretic limits of various inference tasks, in form of phase diagrams. We also identify a region, in the Bayes-optimal setting, with strong hints of replica-symmetry breaking. When true parameters are unknown, we show how a maximum-likelihood procedure is able to recover them with mostly unaffected performance.

Sex as a Biological Variable in Oral Diseases: Evidence and Future Prospects

The interest of the scientific community on sex and gender differences in health and disease has increased substantially over the past 25 to 30 y as a result of a long process of events and policies in the biomedical field. This is crucial as compelling evidence from human and animal model studies has demonstrated that sex and gender influence health, molecular and cellular processes, and response and predisposition to disease. The present scoping review aims to provide a synthesis of sex differences in oral diseases, ranging from periodontal disease to orofacial pain conditions, from risk of caries development to apical periodontitis. Overall, findings from this review further support a role for sexual dimorphism influencing disease predisposition and/or progression in oral diseases. Of note, this review also highlights the lack of consideration of additional factors such as gender and other psychosocial and external factors potentially influencing oral health and disease. New conceptual frameworks capable of capturing multiple fundamental domains and measurements should be developed in clinical and preclinical studies to inform sex-based individualized preventive and treatment strategies.

Both C57BL/KsJ (H2d haplotype) and CB10-H2 (H2b haplotype) mice are highly susceptible to congenital toxoplasmosis

Congenital toxoplasmosis may cause abortion, neonatal death, or foetal abnormalities. Despite little information from human studies, a genetic influence over congenital disease was demonstrated and, host genome have been implicated to resistance/susceptibility to Toxoplasma gondii infection in both human and mice. It was previously shown that BALB/c mice (H2d) were more resistant to congenital toxoplasmosis than C57BL/6 mice (H2b). However, it is unclear whether these differences are attributable to the MHC haplotype or to other components of the mouse's genetic background. Therefore, in this work, we intend to address this question by investigating the pregnancy outcome in H2d -congenic C57BL/6 mice (C57BL/KsJ-H2d) and H2b-congenic BALB/c mice (CB10-H2-H2b). For this, animals were infected by intragastric route on the first day of pregnancy and examined on days 8 (8dP/8dI) or 18 (18dP/18dI) of gestation and infection. The pregnancy outcome, parasite burden, systemic cytokine profile and antibody response to infection were evaluated. Infected mice showed adverse pregnancy outcomes, in parallel low parasite detection in the uterus/placenta, being that the C57BL/KsJ showed the worst results in relation to CB10-H2 mice. Both mouse lineages showed an increase in IFN-γ and TNF levels systemically on 8dP/8dI and on 18dP/18dI, and C57BL/KsJ showed an increase in IL-6 levels in both gestation/infection periods. Additionally, C57BL/KsJ showed 7- and 7-fold increase in IL-6, 4- and 2.5-fold increase in IFN-γ and, 6- and 4-fold increase in TNF production on 8dP/8dI and 18dP/18dI, respectively in association with 1.5-fold decrease in TGF-β levels on 8dP/8dI compared to CB10-H2 mice. In conclusion, the high IFN-γ and TNF serum levels observed in C57BL/KsJ (H2d) and CB10-H2 (H2b) mice were involved in the poor pregnancy outcomes in congenital toxoplasmosis. In addition, the higher IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNF levels detected in C57BL/KsJ in relation to CB10-H2 mice on 8dP/8dI seem to be related to the genetic background of C57BL/6J mice that may have contributed to the worse pregnancy outcome in this mouse lineage.

Micronutrients in early life and offspring metabolic health programming: a promising target for preventing non-communicable diseases

Chronic non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Developing and implementing effective preventive strategies is the best way to ensure the overall metabolic health status of the population and to counter the global burden of non-communicable diseases. Predisposition to obesity and other non-communicable diseases is due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors throughout life, but the early environment, particularly the environment during the fetal period and the early years of life, is crucial in determining metabolic health, hence the concept of 'fetal programming'. The origins of this causal link between environmental factors and disease lie in epigenetic mechanisms. Among the environmental factors, diet plays a crucial role in this process. Substantial evidence documented the key role of macronutrients in the programming of metabolic diseases early in life. Recently, the effect of maternal micronutrient intake on offspring metabolic health in later life emerged. The purpose of this narrative review is to bring to light available evidence in the literature on the effect of maternal micronutrient status on offspring metabolic health and underlying epigenetic mechanisms that drive this link to highlight its potential role in the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

A mathematical model with nonlinear relapse: conditions for a forward-backward bifurcation

We constructed a Susceptible-Addicted-Reformed model and explored the dynamics of nonlinear relapse in the Reformed population. The transition from susceptible considered at-risk is modeled using a strictly decreasing general function, mimicking an influential factor that reduces the flow into the addicted class. The basic reproductive number is computed, which determines the local asymptotically stability of the addicted-free equilibrium. Conditions for a forward-backward bifurcation were established using the basic reproductive number and other threshold quantities. A stochastic version of the model is presented, and some numerical examples are shown. Results showed that the influence of the temporarily reformed individuals is highly sensitive to the initial addicted population.

Histopathological Investigation of Varietal Responses to Cercospora beticola Infection Process on Sugar Beet Leaves

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) is the most destructive foliar disease in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). It is caused by Cercospora beticola Sacc., a fungal pathogen that produces toxins and enzymes which affect membrane permeability and cause cell death during infection. In spite of its importance, little is known about the initial stages of leaf infection by C. beticola. Therefore, we investigated the progression of C. beticola on leaf tissues of susceptible and resistant sugar beet varieties at 12-h intervals during the first 5 days after inoculation using confocal microscopy. Inoculated leaf samples were collected and stored in DAB (3,3'-diaminobenzidine) solution until processed. Samples were stained with Alexa Fluor-488-WGA dye to visualize fungal structures. Fungal biomass accumulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and the area under the disease progress curve were evaluated and compared. ROS production was not detected on any variety before 36 h postinoculation (hpi). C. beticola biomass accumulation, percentage leaf cell death, and disease severity were all significantly greater in the susceptible variety compared with the resistant variety (P < 0.05). Conidia penetrated directly through stomata between 48 to 60 hpi and produced appressoria on stomatal guard cells at 60 to 72 hpi in susceptible and resistant varieties, respectively. Penetration of hyphae inside the parenchymatous tissues varied in accordance with time postinoculation and varietal genotypes. Overall, this study provides a detailed account to date of events leading to CLS disease development in two contrasting varieties.