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Interpretability bands (3=clear-almost clear/4-5=mild/6-7=moderate/8-9=severe) and minimal clinically important difference (1-point) were established. CONCLUSIONS Rajka-Langeland score showed good construct validity, reliability, internal consistency and responsiveness in adults and children with AD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.With impressive speed Garcia-Cremades et al[1] have modelled the association between hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and viral load, merging literature in vitro data and data from a recently published clinical study (which as of April 11 2020 is under investigation by the publisher[2]). Whilst the authors are to be commended on bringing quantitative clinical pharmacology insight to this health emergency, caution is required on interpreting their results. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Worldwide, macroalgae have invaded near-shore marine ecosystems. However, their haplodiplontic life cycles have complicated efforts to predict patterns of growth and spread, particularly since most theoretical predictions are derived from diplontic taxa (i.e., animals). To complete one revolution of the life cycle, two separate ploidy stages, often including separate haploid sexes, must pass through development and reproduction. In the case of the invasive, red macroalga Agarophyton vermiculophyllum, during the invasion of soft-sediment estuaries throughout the Northern Hemisphere, diploid tetrasporophytes came to dominate all free-floating populations and haploid gametophytes were consistently lost. The ecological hypothesis of nutrient limitation might contribute to an explanation of this pattern of tetrasporophytic dominance in free-floating populations. Under this hypothesis, gametophytes should outperform tetrasporophytes under nutrient limited conditions, but tetrasporophytes should be better able to exploit optimal or even abundant nutrient conditions, such as in eutrophic estuaries. We sampled tetrasporophytes, male gametophytes, and female gametophytes from two sites each located on either side of the Delmarva Peninsula that separates the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. We subjected apices excised from multiple thalli from each life cycle stage to a nutrient-enriched and a nutrient-poor seawater treatment and assessed growth and survival. While nutrient addition increased growth rates, there was no significant difference among ploidies or sexes. Gametophytes did, however, suffer higher mortality than tetrasporophytes. We discuss how nutrient-dependent differences in growth and survival may contribute to observed patterns of tetrasporophytic dominance in soft-sediment A. vermiculophyllum populations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.BACKGROUND The epidermal barrier is important for water conservation, failure of which is evident in dry skin conditions. Barrier function is fulfilled by the stratum corneum, tight junctions (TJs; which control extracellular water) and keratinocyte mechanisms, such as organic osmolyte transport, which regulate intracellular water homeostasis. Organic osmolyte transport by keratinocytes is largely unexplored and nothing is known regarding how cellular and extracellular mechanisms of water conservation may interact. OBJECTIVE We aimed to characterise osmolyte transporters in skin and keratinocytes, and using transporter inhibitors, to investigate whether osmolytes can modify TJs thus suggesting a possible link between intracellular and extracellular mechanisms of water regulation in skin. check details METHODS Immunostaining and QPCR of organic osmolyte-treated organ cultured skin were used to identify changes to organic osmolyte transporter, and TJ protein and gene expression. TJ functional assays were performed on organic osmolyte-treated primary human keratinocytes in culture. RESULTS Immunostaining demonstrated the expression of transporters for betaine, taurine and myo-inositol in transporter-specific patterns. Treatment of human skin with either betaine or taurine increased the expression of claudins-1, -4 and occludin. Osmolyte transporter inhibition abolished this response. Betaine and taurine increased TJ function in primary human keratinocytes in vitro. CONCLUSIONS Treatment of skin with organic osmolytes modulates TJ structure and function, which could contribute to the epidermal barrier. This emphasises a role for organic osmolytes beyond the maintenance of intracellular osmolarity. This could be harnessed to enhance topical therapies for diseases characterised by skin barrier dysfunction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Geographic variation of phenotypic traits affects the capacity of species to withstand and adapt to environmental stress. Here, we examined how geographic origin influences UV-stress tolerance of the red seaweeds Chondracanthus chamissoi and Gelidium lingulatum distributed along the South-East Pacific coast between 20° S and 42° S. Seaweeds from 6 (C. chamissoi) and 5 (G. lingulatum) populations were grown under common-garden conditions and then exposed to consecutive UV-stress events and essential biological traits (e.g., growth, photosynthetic responses, antioxidant capacity and UV-absorbing compounds) were analyzed. In C. chamissoi, a strong UV-sensitivity occurred in populations from mid latitudes (27° S and 29° S) where the lowest recovery of maximum quantum yield (Fv /Fm ; between 32.3% and 66.8% of control) and growth rate were observed. Likewise, the lowest amount of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and a significant decrease of phycobilins were registered in these populations. In G. lingulatum, recovery of Fv /Fm ranged from 82.0% to 97.7% of control, and antioxidant activity, carotenoid and MAA contents were positively influenced by UV exposure. The multivariate analysis indicated a significant influence of PAR, cloud cover and UV index on physiological traits, depending on species. The ecotypic differentiation index (EDI) indicated a higher phenotypic variation in C. chamissoi (EDI = 0.10) than G. lingulatum (EDI = 0.03). This study shows that the spatial distribution of UV-stress tolerance in the studied seaweeds does not follow linear latitudinal or central-edge gradients. Instead, among-site variability of solar intensities driven by specific climatic conditions seems to act as driver of phenotypic variation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.