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Taylor-Bowden T, Bhogoju S, Khwatenge CN, Nahashon SN. The Impact of Essential Amino Acids on the Gut Microbiota of Broiler Chickens. Microorganisms 2024; 12:693. [PMID: 38674637 PMCID: PMC11052162 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040693] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The research involving the beneficial aspects of amino acids being added to poultry feed pertaining to performance, growth, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio is extensive. Yet currently the effects of amino acids on the gut microbiota aren't fully understood nor have there been many studies executed in poultry to explain the relationship between amino acids and the gut microbiota. The overall outcome of health has been linked to bird gut health due to the functionality of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) for digestion/absorption of nutrients as well as immune response. These essential functions of the GI are greatly driven by the resident microbiota which produce metabolites such as butyrate, propionate, and acetate, providing the microbiota a suitable and thrive driven environment. Feed, age, the use of feed additives and pathogenic infections are the main factors that have an effect on the microbial community within the GIT. Changes in these factors may have potential effects on the gut microbiota in the chicken intestine which in turn may have an influence on health essentially affecting growth, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. This review will highlight limited research studies that investigated the possible role of amino acids in the gut microbiota composition of poultry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thyneice Taylor-Bowden
- Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USA;
| | - Sarayu Bhogoju
- College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA;
| | - Collins N. Khwatenge
- College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA;
| | - Samuel N. Nahashon
- Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USA;
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2
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Tuckute G, Feather J, Boebinger D, McDermott JH. Many but not all deep neural network audio models capture brain responses and exhibit correspondence between model stages and brain regions. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002366. [PMID: 38091351 PMCID: PMC10718467 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Models that predict brain responses to stimuli provide one measure of understanding of a sensory system and have many potential applications in science and engineering. Deep artificial neural networks have emerged as the leading such predictive models of the visual system but are less explored in audition. Prior work provided examples of audio-trained neural networks that produced good predictions of auditory cortical fMRI responses and exhibited correspondence between model stages and brain regions, but left it unclear whether these results generalize to other neural network models and, thus, how to further improve models in this domain. We evaluated model-brain correspondence for publicly available audio neural network models along with in-house models trained on 4 different tasks. Most tested models outpredicted standard spectromporal filter-bank models of auditory cortex and exhibited systematic model-brain correspondence: Middle stages best predicted primary auditory cortex, while deep stages best predicted non-primary cortex. However, some state-of-the-art models produced substantially worse brain predictions. Models trained to recognize speech in background noise produced better brain predictions than models trained to recognize speech in quiet, potentially because hearing in noise imposes constraints on biological auditory representations. The training task influenced the prediction quality for specific cortical tuning properties, with best overall predictions resulting from models trained on multiple tasks. The results generally support the promise of deep neural networks as models of audition, though they also indicate that current models do not explain auditory cortical responses in their entirety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Tuckute
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jenelle Feather
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dana Boebinger
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Program in Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology, Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Josh H. McDermott
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Program in Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology, Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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3
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Alberca CD, Papale LA, Madrid A, Alisch RS. Hippocampal and peripheral blood DNA methylation signatures correlate at the gene and pathway level in a mouse model of autism. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:3312-3322. [PMID: 37658766 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad137] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are polygenic multifactorial disorders influenced by environmental factors. ASD-related differential DNA methylation has been found in human peripheral tissues, such as placenta, paternal sperm, buccal epithelium, and blood. However, these data lack direct comparison of DNA methylation levels with brain tissue from the same individual to determine the extent that peripheral tissues are surrogates for behavior-related disorders. Here, whole genome methylation profiling at all the possible sites throughout the mouse genome (>25 million) from both brain and blood tissues revealed novel insights into the systemic contributions of DNA methylation to ASD. Sixty-six differentially methylated regions (DMRs) share the same genomic coordinates in these two tissues, many of which are linked to risk genes for neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities (e.g. Prkch, Ptn, Hcfc1, Mid1, and Nfia). Gene ontological pathways revealed a significant number of common terms between brain and blood (N = 65 terms), and nearly half (30/65) were associated with brain/neuronal development. Furthermore, seven DMR-associated genes among these terms contain methyl-sensitive transcription factor sequence motifs within the DMRs of both tissues; four of them (Cux2, Kcnip2, Fgf13, and Mrtfa) contain the same methyl-sensitive transcription factor binding sequence motifs (HES1/2/5, TBX2 and TFAP2C), suggesting DNA methylation influences the binding of common transcription factors required for gene expression. Together, these findings suggest that peripheral blood is a good surrogate tissue for brain and support that DNA methylation contributes to altered gene regulation in the pathogenesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina D Alberca
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States
| | - Ligia A Papale
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States
| | - Andy Madrid
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States
| | - Reid S Alisch
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States
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4
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Montgomery VA, Cain E, Styczynski MP, Prausnitz MR. Bacillus subtilis engineered for topical delivery of an antifungal agent. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293664. [PMID: 38032939 PMCID: PMC10688720 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal skin infections are a common condition affecting 20-25 percent of the world population. While these conditions are treatable with regular application of an antifungal medication, we sought to develop a more convenient, longer-lasting topical antifungal platform that could increase patient adherence to treatment regimens by using Bacillus subtilis, a naturally antifungal bacteria found on the skin, for drug production and delivery. In this study, we engineered B. subtilis for increased production of the antifungal lipopeptide iturin A by overexpression of the pleiotropic regulator DegQ. The engineered strain had an over 200% increase in iturin A production as detected by HPLC, accompanied by slower growth but the same terminal cell density as determined by absorbance measurements of liquid culture. In an in vitro antifungal assay, we found that despite its higher iturin A production, the engineered strain was less effective at reducing the growth of a plug of the pathogenic fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes on an agar plate compared to the parent strain. The reduced efficacy of the engineered strain may be explained by its reduced growth rate, which highlights the need to address trade-offs between titers (e.g. measured drug production) and other figures of merit (e.g. growth rate) during metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica A. Montgomery
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory University and Georgia Tech, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Ethan Cain
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Mark P. Styczynski
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Mark R. Prausnitz
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory University and Georgia Tech, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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Bass I, Mahaffey E, Bonawitz E. Children Use Teachers' Beliefs About Their Abilities to Calibrate Explore-Exploit Decisions. Top Cogn Sci 2023. [PMID: 38033200 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12714] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Models of the explore-exploit problem have explained how children's decision making is weighed by a bias for information (directed exploration), randomness, and generalization. These behaviors are often tested in domains where a choice to explore (or exploit) is guaranteed to reveal an outcome. An often overlooked but critical component of the assessment of explore-exploit decisions lies in the expected success of taking actions in the first place-and, crucially, how such decisions might be carried out when learning from others. Here, we examine how children consider an informal teacher's beliefs about the child's competence when deciding how difficult a task they want to pursue. We present a simple model of this problem that predicts that while learners should follow the recommendation of an accurate teacher, they should exploit easier games when a teacher overestimates their abilities, and explore harder games when she underestimates them. We tested these predictions in two experiments with adults (Experiment 1) and 6- to 8-year-old children (Experiment 2). In our task, participants' performance on a picture-matching game was either overestimated, underestimated, or accurately represented by a confederate (the "Teacher"), who then presented three new matching games of varying assessed difficulty (too easy, too hard, just right) at varying potential reward (low, medium, high). In line with our model's predictions, we found that both adults and children calibrated their choices to the teacher's representation of their competence. That is, to maximize expected reward, when she underestimated them, participants chose games the teacher evaluated as being too hard for them; when she overestimated them, they chose games she evaluated as being too easy; and when she was accurate, they chose games she assessed as being just right. This work provides insight into the early-emerging ability to calibrate explore-exploit decisions to others' knowledge when learning in informal pedagogical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Bass
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University
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6
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Ashar A, Qayyum A, Bhatti IA, Aziz H, Bhutta ZA, Abdel-Maksoud MA, Saleem MH, Eletmany MR. Photo-Induced Super-Hydrophilicity of Nano-Calcite @ Polyester Fabric: Enhanced Solar Photocatalytic Activity against Imidacloprid. ACS Omega 2023; 8:35722-35737. [PMID: 37810732 PMCID: PMC10552504 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The present study is pertinent to photo-induced, hydrophilic, nano-calcite grown onto the mercerized surface of polyester fabric (PF), treated with UV (10-50 min) and visible light (1-5 h) in addition to its photocatalytic application. The wicking method has been employed to select the most hydrophilic sample of fabric upon irradiation. The micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy indicated the erosions occurring at the surface of nano-calcite after UV light irradiation, maintaining the crystallinity of the photocatalyst. The surface charge has been measured for as-fabricated and irradiated nano-calcite @ PF for the development of high negative zeta potential after UV light irradiation (-24.6 mV). The irradiated nano-calcite @ PF exhibited a significant change in its contact angle, and the wetting property was enhanced to a considerable extent on UV (55.32°) and visible light irradiation (79.00°) in comparison to as-fabricated nano-calcite @ PF (137.54°). The irradiated samples of nano-calcite @ PF delineated the redshift in harvesting of solar spectrum, as revealed by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy comparative spectra. Additionally, the band gap of untreated nano-calcite was found to be 3.5 eV, while UV- and visible light-irradiated PF showed a reduction in band gap up to 2.95 and 3.15 eV upon UV and visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic efficiency of mesoporous nano-calcite was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid as the probe pollutant. Higher solar photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid (94.15%) was attained by UV light-irradiated nano-calcite @ PF. The time-resolved photoluminescence study has verified the high photocatalytic activity of UV light-irradiated nano-calcite @ PF for the generation of high concentration of hydroxyl radicals. The highly efficient reusability of a nano-calcite-based solar photocatalytic reactor has been observed for 10 cycles of treatment of imidacloprid bearing wastewater. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of UV light-exposed (20 min), superhydrophilic, nano-calcite @ PF for mineralization of pollutants suggests it to be an efficient solar photocatalyst for environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambreen Ashar
- TECS
Department, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Ayesha Qayyum
- Department
of Chemical Engineering (BK21 FOUR Graduate Program), Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic
of Korea
| | - Ijaz Ahmad Bhatti
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Agriculture
Faisalabad (UAF), Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Humera Aziz
- Department
of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental
Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
- Department
of Environmental Science, College of Agriculture and Environmental
Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Zeeshan Ahmad Bhutta
- Laboratory
of Veterinary Immunology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Mostafa A. Abdel-Maksoud
- Botany and
Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Hamzah Saleem
- College
of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong
Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mohamed R. Eletmany
- TECS
Department, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
- Chemistry
Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley
University, Qena 83523, Egypt
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7
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Franco CN, Seabrook LJ, Nguyen ST, Yang Y, Campos M, Fan Q, Cicchetto AC, Kong M, Christofk HR, Albrecht LV. Vitamin B 6 is governed by the local compartmentalization of metabolic enzymes during growth. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadi2232. [PMID: 37682999 PMCID: PMC10491294 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi2232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin B6 is a vital micronutrient across cell types and tissues, and dysregulated B6 levels contribute to human disease. Despite its importance, how B6 vitamer levels are regulated is not well understood. Here, we provide evidence that B6 dynamics are rapidly tuned by precise compartmentation of pyridoxal kinase (PDXK), the rate-limiting B6 enzyme. We show that canonical Wnt rapidly led to the accumulation of inactive B6 by shunting cytosolic PDXK into lysosomes. PDXK was modified with methyl-arginine Degron (MrDegron), a protein tag for lysosomes, which enabled delivery via microautophagy. Hyperactive lysosomes resulted in the continuous degradation of PDXK and B6 deficiency that promoted proliferation in Wnt-driven colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Pharmacological or genetic disruption of the coordinated MrDegron proteolytic pathway was sufficient to reduce CRC survival in cells and organoid models. In sum, this work contributes to the repertoire of micronutrient-regulated processes that enable cancer cell growth and provides insight into the functional impact of B6 deficiencies for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina N. Franco
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Laurence J. Seabrook
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Steven T. Nguyen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Melissa Campos
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Qi Fan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andrew C. Cicchetto
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mei Kong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Heather R. Christofk
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lauren V. Albrecht
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Hossain NI, Tabassum S. A hybrid multifunctional physicochemical sensor suite for continuous monitoring of crop health. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9848. [PMID: 37330620 PMCID: PMC10276867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37041-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This work reports a first-of-its-kind hybrid wearable physicochemical sensor suite that we call PlantFit for simultaneous measurement of two key phytohormones, salicylic acid, and ethylene, along with vapor pressure deficit and radial growth of stem in live plants. The sensors are developed using a low-cost and roll-to-roll screen printing technology. A single integrated flexible patch that contains temperature, humidity, salicylic acid, and ethylene sensors, is installed on the leaves of live plants. The strain sensor with in-built pressure correction capability is wrapped around the plant stem to provide pressure-compensated stem diameter measurements. The sensors provide real-time information on plant health under different amounts of water stress conditions. The sensor suite is installed on bell pepper plants for 40 days and measurements of salicylic acid, ethylene, temperature, humidity, and stem diameter are recorded daily. In addition, sensors are installed on different parts of the same plant to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of water transport and phytohormone responses. Subsequent correlation and principal component analyses demonstrate the strong association between hormone levels, vapor pressure deficit, and water transport in the plant. Our findings suggest that the mass deployment of PlantFit in agricultural settings will aid growers in detecting water stress/deficiency early and in implementing early intervention measures to reduce stress-induced yield decline.
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Olatunji D, Clark NM, Kelley DR. The Class VIII myosin ATM1 is required for root apical meristem function. Development 2023:316688. [PMID: 37306290 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201762] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Myosins are evolutionarily conserved motor proteins that interact with actin filaments to regulate organelle transport, cytoplasmic streaming and cell growth. Plant-specific Class XI myosin proteins direct cell division and root organogenesis. However, the roles of plant-specific Class VIII myosin proteins in plant growth and development are less understood. Here, we investigated the function of an auxin-regulated Class VIII myosin, Arabidopsis thaliana Myosin 1 (ATM1), using genetics, transcriptomics, and live cell microscopy. ATM1 is associated with the plasma membrane and plasmodesmata within the root apical meristem (RAM). Loss of ATM1 function results in decreased RAM size and reduced cell proliferation in a sugar-dependent manner. Auxin signaling and transcriptional responses were dampened in atm1-1 roots. Complementation of atm1-1 with a tagged ATM1 driven under the native ATM1 promoter restored root growth and cell cycle progression. Genetic analyses of atm1-1 seedlings with gin2 (hexokinase) and target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) overexpression lines indicate that ATM1 is downstream of TOR. Collectively, these results provide novel evidence that ATM1 functions to influence cell proliferation in primary roots in response to auxin and sugar cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damilola Olatunji
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50014, USA
| | | | - Dior R Kelley
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50014, USA
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Roberts MB, Schultz DT, Gatins R, Escalona M, Bernardi G. Chromosome-level genome of the three-spot damselfish, Dascyllus trimaculatus. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkac339. [PMID: 36905099 PMCID: PMC10085752 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac339] [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: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Damselfishes (Family: Pomacentridae) are a group of ecologically important, primarily coral reef fishes that include over 400 species. Damselfishes have been used as model organisms to study recruitment (anemonefishes), the effects of ocean acidification (spiny damselfish), population structure, and speciation (Dascyllus). The genus Dascyllus includes a group of small-bodied species, and a complex of relatively larger bodied species, the Dascyllus trimaculatus species complex that is comprised of several species including D. trimaculatus itself. The three-spot damselfish, D. trimaculatus, is a widespread and common coral reef fish species found across the tropical Indo-Pacific. Here, we present the first-genome assembly of this species. This assembly contains 910 Mb, 90% of the bases are in 24 chromosome-scale scaffolds, and the Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs score of the assembly is 97.9%. Our findings confirm previous reports of a karyotype of 2n = 47 in D. trimaculatus in which one parent contributes 24 chromosomes and the other 23. We find evidence that this karyotype is the result of a heterozygous Robertsonian fusion. We also find that the D. trimaculatus chromosomes are each homologous with single chromosomes of the closely related clownfish species, Amphiprion percula. This assembly will be a valuable resource in the population genomics and conservation of Damselfishes, and continued studies of the karyotypic diversity in this clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- May B Roberts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Darrin T Schultz
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Remy Gatins
- Department of Marine Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Merly Escalona
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Giacomo Bernardi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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11
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Quintana Y, Keppeler FW, Winemiller KO. Does invasion by armored catfish shift trophic ecology of native fishes? Evidence from stable isotope analysis. Ecology 2023; 104:e4024. [PMID: 36883720 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Popular as aquarium fish, armored catfishes from South America (Pterygoplichthys spp.) have been introduced and become invasive in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. These ecosystem engineers can deplete basal resources (e.g., periphyton and detritus), with potential negative effects for native fauna. We studied the trophic ecology of fishes in the Usumacinta River Basin, Guatemala, where Pterygoplichthys is now widespread and locally abundant. We analyzed stable isotopes (δ13 C, δ15 N) in fish tissues and basal resources to assess the potential impact of Pterygoplichthys on the trophic ecology of six co-occurring native fishes that feed at a similar trophic level (Astyanax aeneus, Dorosoma petenense, Thorichthys pasionis, Oscura heterospila, Poecilia mexicana, and Gambusia sexradiata). The study was conducted during the dry season in the La Pasion (LPR; high invasion) and San Pedro (SPR; low invasion) rivers. We compared isotopic spaces occupied by native fish and Pterygoplichthys, estimated isotopic overlap, and evaluated the trophic displacement of native species. We also evaluated the relationships of environmental factors, including the relative biomass of the invasive catfish, with δ13 C and δ15 N signatures. Except for P. mexicana, native species had lower isotopic overlap with the catfish in LPR. Native fish isotopic spaces were compressed and shifted toward higher trophic positions in LPR relative to SPR. Benthic food resources were important for Pterygoplichthys in both rivers, and water-column resources had greater relative importance (RI) for native species in LPR. Native fish δ13 C was significantly associated with Pterygoplichthys biomass, conductivity, and water flow velocity; and water depth and sedimentation had a significant association with native fish δ15 N. Findings provide evidence that invasive Pterygoplichthys, along with environmental factors, impact the trophic ecology of native fish in the Usumacinta Basin. Additional field research conducted over longer time periods and mesocosm experiments that account for fish assemblage and environmental variation could elucidate Pterygoplichthys impacts via food resource depletion or habitat alteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmín Quintana
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA
| | - Friedrich Wolfgang Keppeler
- Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Núcleo de Ecologia Aquática e Pesca da Amazônia, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Kirk O Winemiller
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA
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Forson AO, Hinne IA, Sraku IK, Afrane YA. Larval habitat stability and productivity in two sites in Southern Ghana. Malar J 2023; 22:74. [PMID: 36864430 PMCID: PMC9983185 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04498-2] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquito larval source management (LSM) is a valuable additional tool for malaria vector control. Understanding the characteristics of mosquito larval habitats and its ecology in different land use types can give valuable insight for an effective larval control strategy. This study determined the stability and productivity of potential anopheline larval habitats in two different ecological sites: Anyakpor and Dodowa in southern Ghana. METHODS A total of 59 aquatic habitats positive for anopheline larvae were identified, and sampled every two weeks for a period of 30 weeks using a standard dipping method. Larvae were collected using standard dippers and were raised in the insectary for identification. Sibling species of the Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) were further identified by polymerase chain reaction. The presence of larval habitats, their stability and larvae positive habitats were compared between the two sites using Mann-Whitney U and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Factors affecting the presence of An. gambiae larvae and physicochemical properties at the sites were determined using multiple logistic regression analysis and Spearman's correlation. RESULTS Out of a total of 13,681 mosquito immatures collected, 22.6% (3095) were anophelines and 77.38% (10,586) were culicines. Out of the 3095 anophelines collected, An. gambiae s.l. was predominant (99.48%, n = 3079), followed by Anopheles rufipes (0.45%, n = 14), and Anopheles pharoensis (0.064%, n = 2). Sibling species of the An. gambiae consisted of Anopheles coluzzii (71%), followed by An. gambiae s.s. (23%), and Anopheles melas (6%). Anopheles mean larval density was highest in wells [6.44 (95% CI 5.0-8.31) larvae/dip], lowest in furrows [4.18 (95% CI 2.75-6.36) larvae/dip] and man-made ponds [1.20 (95% CI 0.671-2.131) larvae/dip].The results also revealed habitat stability was highly dependent on rainfall intensity, and Anopheles larval densities were also dependent on elevated levels of pH, conductivity and TDS. CONCLUSION The presence of larvae in the habitats was dependent on rainfall intensity and proximity to human settlements. To optimize the vector control measures of malaria interventions in southern Ghana, larval control should be focused on larval habitats that are fed by underground water, as these are more productive habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akua O Forson
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana
| | - Isaac A Hinne
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana
| | - Isaac Kwame Sraku
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yaw A Afrane
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana.
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13
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Hou Z, Lockwood L, Zhang D, Occhiuto CJ, Mo L, Aldrich KE, Stoub HE, Gallo KA, Liby KT, Odom AL. Exploring structural effects in a new class of NRF2 inhibitors. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:74-84. [PMID: 36760735 PMCID: PMC9891093 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00211f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
NRF2 is a transcription factor that controls the cellular response to various stressors, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. As such, it plays a key role in the suppression of carcinogenesis, but constitutive NRF2 expression in cancer cells leads to resistance to chemotherapeutics and promotes metastasis. As a result, inhibition of the NRF2 pathway is a target for new drugs, especially for use in conjunction with established chemotherapeutic agents like carboplatin and 5-fluorouracil. A new class of NRF2 inhibitors has been discovered with substituted nicotinonitriles, such as MSU38225. In this work, the effects on NRF2 inhibition with structural changes were explored. Through these studies, we identified a few compounds with as good or better activity than the initial hit but with greatly improved solubility. The syntheses involved a variety of metal-catalyzed reactions, including titanium multicomponent coupling reactions and various Pd and Cu coupling reactions. In addition to inhibiting NRF2 activity, these new compounds inhibited the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells in which the NRF2 pathway is constitutively activated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Hou
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University 578 S. Shaw Ln. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Lizbeth Lockwood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University 1355 Bogue St. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University 1355 Bogue St. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Christopher J Occhiuto
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University 1355 Bogue St. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Linqing Mo
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University 578 S. Shaw Ln. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Kelly E Aldrich
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University 578 S. Shaw Ln. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Hayden E Stoub
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University 567 Wilson Rd. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Kathleen A Gallo
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University 567 Wilson Rd. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Karen T Liby
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University 1355 Bogue St. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Aaron L Odom
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University 578 S. Shaw Ln. East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
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14
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Koffman BG, Saylor P, Zhong R, Sethares L, Yoder MF, Hanschka L, Methven T, Cai Y, Bolge L, Longman J, Goldstein SL, Osterberg EC. Provenance of Anthropogenic Pb and Atmospheric Dust to Northwestern North America. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:13107-13118. [PMID: 36083611 PMCID: PMC9494742 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Industrial activities release aerosols containing toxic metals into the atmosphere, where they are transported far from their sources, impacting ecosystems and human health. Concomitantly, long-range-transported mineral dust aerosols play a role in Earth's radiative balance and supply micronutrients to iron-limited ecosystems. To evaluate the sources of dust and pollutant aerosols to Alaska following the 2001 phase-out of leaded gasoline in China, we measured Pb-Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of particles collected in 2016 from snow pits across an elevational transect (2180-5240 m-a.s.l) in Denali National Park, USA. We also determined Pb flux and enrichment from 1991-2011 in the Denali ice core (3870 m-a.s.l). Chinese coal-burning and non-ferrous metal smelting account for up to 64% of Pb deposition at our sites, a value consistent across the western Arctic. Pb isotope ratios in the aerosols did not change between 2001 and 2016, despite the ban on lead additives. Emissions estimates demonstrate that industrial activities have more than compensated for the phase-out of leaded gasoline, with China emitting ∼37,000 metric tons year-1 of Pb during 2013-2015, approximately 78% of the Pb from East Asia. The Pb flux to Alaska now equals that measured in southern Greenland during peak pollution from North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bess G. Koffman
- Department
of Geology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901, United States
| | - Patrick Saylor
- National
Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80307, United States
- Earth
Science Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
| | - Roujia Zhong
- Department
of Computer Science, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901, United States
| | - Lily Sethares
- Department
of Geology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901, United States
| | - Meg F. Yoder
- Department
of Geology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901, United States
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Boston
College, Boston, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Lena Hanschka
- Department
of Geology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901, United States
| | - Taylor Methven
- Department
of Geology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901, United States
| | - Yue Cai
- State
Key
Laboratory of Paleobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210008, P.R. China
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
| | - Louise Bolge
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
| | - Jack Longman
- Institute
for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Steven L. Goldstein
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia
University, New York, New York 10027, United
States
| | - Erich C. Osterberg
- Earth
Science Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
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15
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Salsbury A, Michel HM, Lemkul JA. Ion-Dependent Conformational Plasticity of Telomeric G-Hairpins and G-Quadruplexes. ACS Omega 2022; 7:23368-23379. [PMID: 35847338 PMCID: PMC9280957 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Telomeric DNA is guanine-rich and can adopt structures such as G-quadruplexes (GQs) and G-hairpins. Telomeric GQs influence genome stability and telomerase activity, making understanding of enzyme-GQ interactions and dynamics important for potential drug design. GQs have a characteristic tetrad core, which is connected by loop regions. Within this architecture are G-hairpins, fold-back motifs that are thought to represent the first intermediate in GQ folding. To better understand the relationship between G-hairpin motifs and GQs, we performed polarizable simulations of a two-tetrad telomeric GQ and an isolated SC11 telomeric G-hairpin. The telomeric GQ contains a G-triad, which functions as part of the tetrad core or linker regions, depending on local conformational change. This triad and another motif below the tetrad core frequently bound ions and may represent druggable sites. Further, we observed the unbiased formation of a G-triad and a G-tetrad in simulations of the SC11 G-hairpin and found that cations can be partially hydrated while facilitating the formation of these motifs. Finally, we demonstrated that K+ ions form specific interactions with guanine bases, while Na+ ions interact nonspecifically with bases in the structure. Together, these simulations provide new insights into the influence of ions on GQs, G-hairpins, and G-triad motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa
M. Salsbury
- Department
of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Haley M. Michel
- Department
of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Justin A. Lemkul
- Department
of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Center
for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
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16
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Sunderhaus A, Imran R, Enoh E, Adedeji A, Obafemi T, Abdel Aziz MH. Comparative expression of soluble, active human kinases in specialized bacterial strains. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267226. [PMID: 35439268 PMCID: PMC9017934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinases act as molecular switches for cellular functions and are involved in multiple human pathogeneses, most notably cancer. There is a continuous need for soluble and active kinases for in-vitro drug discovery and structural biology purposes. Kinases remain challenging to express using Escherichia coli, the most widely utilized host for heterologous expression. In this work, four bacterial strains, BL21 (DE3), BL21 (DE3) pLysS, Rosetta, and Arctic Express, were chosen for parallel expression trials along with BL21 (DE3) complemented with folding chaperones DnaJ/K and GroEL/ES to compare their performance in producing soluble and active human kinases. Three representative diverse kinases were studied, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor kinase domain, Aurora Kinase A kinase domain, and Mitogen-activated protein Kinase Kinase. The genes encoding the kinases were subcloned into pET15b bacterial plasmid and transformed into the bacterial strains. Soluble kinase expression was tested using different IPTG concentrations (1–0.05 mM) at varying temperatures (37°C– 10°C) and induction times (3–24 hours). The optimum conditions for each kinase in all strains were then used for 1L large scale cultures from which each kinase was purified to compare yield, purity, oligomerization status, and activity. Although using specialized strains achieved improvements in yield and/or activity for the three kinases, none of the tested strains was universally superior, highlighting the individuality in kinase expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Sunderhaus
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ramsha Imran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Elanzou Enoh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Adesola Adedeji
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Taiye Obafemi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - May H. Abdel Aziz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Nyamwihura RJ, Zhang H, Collins JT, Crown O, Ogungbe IV. Nopol-Based Quinoline Derivatives as Antiplasmodial Agents. Molecules 2021; 26:1008. [PMID: 33673007 PMCID: PMC7917639 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26041008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. While clinical antimalarials are efficacious when administered according to local guidelines, resistance to every class of antimalarials is a persistent problem. There is a constant need for new antimalarial therapeutics that complement parasite control strategies to combat malaria, especially in the tropics. In this work, nopol-based quinoline derivatives were investigated for their inhibitory activity against Plasmodium falciparum, one of the parasites that cause malaria. The nopyl-quinolin-8-yl amides (2-4) were moderately active against the asexual blood stage of chloroquine-sensitive strain Pf3D7 but inactive against chloroquine-resistant strains PfK1 and PfNF54. The nopyl-quinolin-4-yl amides and nopyl-quinolin-4-yl-acetates analogs were generally less active on all three strains. Interesting, the presence of a chloro substituent at C7 of the quinoline ring of amide 8 resulted in sub-micromolar EC50 in the PfK1 strain. However, 8 was more than two orders of magnitude less active against Pf3D7 and PfNF54. Overall, the nopyl-quinolin-8-yl amides appear to share similar antimalarial profile (asexual blood-stage) with previously reported 8-aminoquinolines like primaquine. Future work will focus on investigating the moderately active and selective nopyl-quinolin-8-yl amides on the gametocyte or liver stages of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA; (R.J.N.); (H.Z.); (J.T.C.); (O.C.)
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18
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Sbeglia GC, Nehm RH. Illuminating the complexities of conflict with evolution: validation of the scales of evolutionary conflict measure (SECM). Evolution 2020; 13:23. [PMID: 33269052 PMCID: PMC7683450 DOI: 10.1186/s12052-020-00137-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although personal, familial, and community conflict with evolution have been documented in the literature, these scales require conceptualization as a construct and operationalization as a measure. The Scales of Conflict with Evolution Measure (SECM) instrument was developed in response to these needs. Using a construct validity framework, the content, internal structure, convergent, and substantive validity of the SECM were evaluated using Rasch analysis, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and follow up questioning. The conceptual utility of the instrument was explored by examining whether it added explanatory insights into evolution acceptance above and beyond religiosity, evolution knowledge, and background variables. RESULTS A literature review and expert consultation indicated that construct of evolutionary conflict perception should (i) encompass the hierarchical nature of human social structures (personal, family, community) and (ii) probe conflict as it relates to human values, cultures, and beliefs. A three-dimensional construct was operationalized as a nine-item rating scale measure. Using Rasch analyses of SECM responses from a diverse sample of > 1000 students studying evolution, the instrument met criteria of robust measurement, including: fit to model expectations; three-dimensional structure; high reliability; good rating scale function; measurement invariance with time; and convergence with a similar construct. SEM showed that: (i) family and community conflict had unique causal contributions to personal conflict, with family showing a stronger and modest impact, and (ii) personal conflict had a significant and modest causal impact on evolution acceptance above and beyond the contributions of religiosity, evolution knowledge, and background variables. CONCLUSION The SECM is an easy-to-administer instrument to measure conflict with evolution and is supported by several forms of validity evidence. The SECM has potential for facilitating measurement of evolutionary conflict in educational settings, thereby raising instructor awareness of conflict levels in students, promoting rigorous evaluations of educational interventions designed to reduce conflict, and fostering conceptual advances in the field of evolution education. Future work is needed to gather additional forms of validity evidence and to test current validity claims in additional participant samples. SECM measures should also be incorporated into more complex SEM models that treat evolution knowledge and religiosity as part of the structural paths to evolution acceptance. Such models could provide insights into the most worthwhile targets for the development of educational interventions to mitigate conflict at multiple scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gena C. Sbeglia
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
| | - Ross H. Nehm
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Program in Science Education, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
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19
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Cruvinel E, Liebman E, Leite I, Hu J, Richter KP. Prevalence of smoking, quit attempts and access to cessation treatment among adults with mental illness in Brazil: a cross-sectional analysis of a National Health Survey. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e033959. [PMID: 32461292 PMCID: PMC7259849 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Determine the national prevalence of smoking and factors related to smoking among adults with mental illness (PLWMI; people living with mental illness) in Brazil. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING We used data from the nationally representative general health survey Pesquisa Nacional de Saude of 2013, which included the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) module. PARTICIPANTS The survey used a complex probabilistic sample to collect data from 60 202 Brazilians 18 years or older. Primary and secondary outcomes: smoking prevalence and access to smoking cessation treatment. We also assessed past tobacco use, quit attempts and quit ratio among people with and without mental illness. Analyses were conducted in R and were weighted to account for the survey design and generate national estimates. RESULTS In Brazil, the 2013 smoking prevalence among PLWMI was 28.4% and among people with no mental illness was 12.8%. Both groups had high rates of past-year quit attempts (51.6% vs 55.3%) but the lifetime quit ratio among PLWMI was much lower than those with no mental illness (37% vs 54%). Adjusted odds showed PLWMI were more likely to be current smokers (OR (95% CI)=2.60 (2.40 to 2.82), less likely to be former smokers (OR (95% CI)=0.62 (0.55 to 0.70)) and as likely to have tried to quit in the past year (OR (95% CI)=0.90 (0.78 to 1.02)). Very few (3.7%) PLWMI and fewer with no mental illness (2.6%) received cessation treatment. CONCLUSION Smoking rates among PLWMI are roughly double the rate in the general population. Compared with Brazilian smokers without mental illness, those with mental illness were significantly less likely to quit even though as many tried to. Few Brazilians appear to be using publicly available cessation services. Expanding utilisation of treatment might be a good place to start for Brazil to further decrease the prevalence of smoking among PLWMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Cruvinel
- Department of Population Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Edward Liebman
- Department of Population Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Isabel Leite
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Jinxiang Hu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Kimber P Richter
- Department of Population Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
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20
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Abstract
Our cells operate based on two distinct genomes that are enclosed in the nucleus and mitochondria. The mitochondrial genome presumably originates from endosymbiotic bacteria. With time, a large portion of the original genes in the bacterial genome is considered to have been lost or transferred to the nuclear genome, leaving a reduced 16.5 Kb circular mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Traditionally only 37 genes, including 13 proteins, were thought to be encoded within mtDNA, its genetic repertoire is expanding with the identification of mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs). The biology of aging has been largely unveiled to be regulated by genes that are encoded in the nuclear genome, whereas the mitochondrial genome remained more cryptic. However, recent studies position mitochondria and mtDNA as an important counterpart to the nuclear genome, whereby the two organelles constantly regulate each other. Thus, the genomic network that regulates lifespan and/or healthspan is likely constituted by two unique, yet co-evolved, genomes. Here, we will discuss aspects of mitochondrial biology, especially mitochondrial communication that may add substantial momentum to aging research by accounting for both mitonuclear genomes to more comprehensively and inclusively map the genetic and molecular networks that govern aging and age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C Reynolds
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Conscience P Bwiza
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Changhan Lee
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, South Korea.
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21
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Bidari S, Peleg O, Kilpatrick ZP. Social inhibition maintains adaptivity and consensus of honeybees foraging in dynamic environments. R Soc Open Sci 2019; 6:191681. [PMID: 31903216 PMCID: PMC6936270 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
To effectively forage in natural environments, organisms must adapt to changes in the quality and yield of food sources across multiple timescales. Individuals foraging in groups act based on both their private observations and the opinions of their neighbours. How do these information sources interact in changing environments? We address this problem in the context of honeybee colonies whose inhibitory social interactions promote adaptivity and consensus needed for effective foraging. Individual and social interactions within a mathematical model of collective decisions shape the nutrition yield of a group foraging from feeders with temporally switching quality. Social interactions improve foraging from a single feeder if temporal switching is fast or feeder quality is low. When the colony chooses from multiple feeders, the most beneficial form of social interaction is direct switching, whereby bees flip the opinion of nest-mates foraging at lower-yielding feeders. Model linearization shows that effective social interactions increase the fraction of the colony at the correct feeder (consensus) and the rate at which bees reach that feeder (adaptivity). Our mathematical framework allows us to compare a suite of social inhibition mechanisms, suggesting experimental protocols for revealing effective colony foraging strategies in dynamic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subekshya Bidari
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Orit Peleg
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Zachary P. Kilpatrick
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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22
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Mutlu B, Chen HM, Gutnik S, Hall DH, Keppler-Ross S, Mango SE. Distinct functions and temporal regulation of methylated histone H3 during early embryogenesis. Development 2019; 146:dev174516. [PMID: 31540912 PMCID: PMC6803369 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
During the first hours of embryogenesis, formation of higher-order heterochromatin coincides with the loss of developmental potential. Here, we examine the relationship between these two events, and we probe the processes that contribute to the timing of their onset. Mutations that disrupt histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferases reveal that the methyltransferase MET-2 helps terminate developmental plasticity, through mono- and di-methylation of H3K9 (me1/me2), and promotes heterochromatin formation, through H3K9me3. Although loss of H3K9me3 perturbs formation of higher-order heterochromatin, embryos are still able to terminate plasticity, indicating that the two processes can be uncoupled. Methylated H3K9 appears gradually in developing C. elegans embryos and depends on nuclear localization of MET-2. We find that the timing of H3K9me2 and nuclear MET-2 is sensitive to rapid cell cycles, but not to zygotic genome activation or cell counting. These data reveal distinct roles for different H3K9 methylation states in the generation of heterochromatin and loss of developmental plasticity by MET-2, and identify the cell cycle as a crucial parameter of MET-2 regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beste Mutlu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Huei-Mei Chen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Silvia Gutnik
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - David H Hall
- Center for C. elegans Anatomy, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | | | - Susan E Mango
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Salerno PE, Páez-Vacas M, Guayasamin JM, Stynoski JL. Male principal investigators (almost) don't publish with women in ecology and zoology. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218598. [PMID: 31216351 PMCID: PMC6583967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Representation of women in science drops substantially at each career stage, from early student to senior investigator. Disparities in opportunities for women to contribute to research metrics, such as distinguished speaker events and authorship, have been reported in many fields in the U.S.A. and Europe. However, whether female representation in scientific contributions differs in other regions, such as Latin America, is not well understood. In this study, in order to determine whether female authorship is influenced by gender or institutional location of the last (senior) author or by subfield within ecology, we gathered author information from 6849 articles in ten ecological and zoological journals that publish research articles either in or out of Latin America. We found that female authorship has risen marginally since 2002 (27 to 31%), and varies among Latin American countries, but not between Latin America and other regions. Last author gender predicted female co-authorship across all journals and regions, as research groups led by women published with over 60% female co-authors whereas those led by men published with less than 20% female co-authors. Our findings suggest that implicit biases and stereotype threats that women face in male-led laboratories could be sources of female withdrawal and leaky pipelines in ecology and zoology. Accordingly, we encourage every PI to self-evaluate their lifetime percentage of female co-authors. Female role models and cultural shifts–especially by male senior authors–are crucial for female retention and unbiased participation in science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia E. Salerno
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Mónica Páez-Vacas
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático, Facultad de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Juan M. Guayasamin
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático, Facultad de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Instituto Biósfera, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Campus Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Jennifer L. Stynoski
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, Coronado, San José, Costa Rica
- * E-mail:
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Tran L, Kim HN, Li N, Yang S, Stebe KJ, Kamien RD, Haase MF. Shaping nanoparticle fingerprints at the interface of cholesteric droplets. Sci Adv 2018; 4:eaat8597. [PMID: 30333992 PMCID: PMC6184783 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat8597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The ordering of nanoparticles into predetermined configurations is of importance to the design of advanced technologies. Here, we balance the interfacial energy of nanoparticles against the elastic energy of cholesteric liquid crystals to dynamically shape nanoparticle assemblies at a fluid interface. By adjusting the concentration of surfactant that plays the dual role of tuning the degree of nanoparticle hydrophobicity and altering the molecular anchoring of liquid crystals, we pattern nanoparticles at the interface of cholesteric liquid crystal emulsions. In this system, interfacial assembly is tempered by elastic patterns that arise from the geometric frustration of confined cholesterics. Patterns are tunable by varying both surfactant and chiral dopant concentrations. Adjusting the particle hydrophobicity more finely by regulating the surfactant concentration and solution pH further modifies the rigidity of assemblies, giving rise to surprising assembly dynamics dictated by the underlying elasticity of the cholesteric. Because particle assembly occurs at the interface with the desired structures exposed to the surrounding water solution, we demonstrate that particles can be readily cross-linked and manipulated, forming structures that retain their shape under external perturbations. This study serves as a foundation for better understanding inter-nanoparticle interactions at interfaces by tempering their assembly with elasticity and for creating materials with chemical heterogeneity and linear, periodic structures, essential for optical and energy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Tran
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, 209 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Corresponding author. (L.T.); (M.F.H.)
| | - Hye-Na Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ningwei Li
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Governors Drive, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Shu Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathleen J. Stebe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Randall D. Kamien
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, 209 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Martin F. Haase
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, 600 North Campus Drive, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
- Corresponding author. (L.T.); (M.F.H.)
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Abstract
To maximize the benefits of test and treat strategies that utilize community-based HIV testing, clients who test positive must link to care in a timely manner. However, linkage rates across the HIV treatment cascade are typically low and little is known about what might facilitate or hinder care-seeking behavior. This qualitative study was conducted within a home-based HIV counseling and testing (HBHCT) intervention in South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 HBHCT clients who tested HIV positive to explore what influenced their care-seeking behavior. A set of field notes for 196 additional HBHCT clients who tested HIV positive at home were also reviewed and analyzed. Content analysis showed that linkage to care is influenced by a myriad of factors at the individual, relationship, community, and health system levels. These factors subtly interact and at times reinforce each other. While some factors such as belief in test results, coping ability, social support, and prior experiences with the health system affect clients’ desire and motivation to seek care, others such as limited time and resources affect their agency to do so. To ensure that the benefits of community-based testing models are realized through timely linkage to care, programs and interventions must take into account and address clients’ emotions, motivation levels, living situations, relationship dynamics, responsibilities, and personal resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reshma Naik
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa.
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Population Reference Bureau, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Wanga Zembe
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Fatima Adigun
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Jackson
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Hanani Tabana
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Debra Jackson
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Frank Feeley
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tanya Doherty
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
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