Conwaythyssen9653

Coevolution between transposable elements (TEs) and their hosts can be antagonistic, where TEs evolve to avoid silencing and the host responds by reestablishing TE suppression, or mutualistic, where TEs are co-opted to benefit their host. The TART-A TE functions as an important component of Drosophila telomeres but has also reportedly inserted into the Drosophila melanogaster nuclear export factor gene nxf2. We find that, rather than inserting into nxf2, TART-A has actually captured a portion of nxf2 sequence. We show that TART-A produces abundant Piwi-interacting small RNAs (piRNAs), some of which are antisense to the nxf2 transcript, and that the TART-like region of nxf2 is evolving rapidly. Furthermore, in D. melanogaster, TART-A is present at higher copy numbers, and nxf2 shows reduced expression, compared to the closely related species Drosophila simulans. We propose that capturing nxf2 sequence allowed TART-A to target the nxf2 gene for piRNA-mediated repression and that these 2 elements are engaged in antagonistic coevolution despite the fact that TART-A is serving a critical role for its host genome.Female 23-year-old patient with heart murmur diagnosed in the first year of life. She attended to our institute with progressive dyspnea and palpitations of 7-month evolution. Physical examination showed perioral and distal cyanosis with digital clubbing, oxygensaturation of 79%, jugular plethora, arrhythmic heartsounds of upper limbs, fixed second heart sound, systolic tricuspid murmur, and edema. Electrocardiogramand 24 hour Holter monitoring showed atrial fibrillationand right bundle branch block.BACKGROUND Strongyloidiasis, caused by infection with Strongyloides stercoralis parasitic nematodes, is most prevalent in tropical regions of the world, such as South America, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, but its incidence has increased in nonendemic areas of the United States due to immigration. The majority of patients remain asymptomatic or have only mild gastrointestinal, respiratory, or dermatologic symptoms. Unrecognized strongyloidiasis can progress to Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome, a highly fatal complication that can occur in response to immunosuppressive therapy. This rare complication is easily misdiagnosed because of its similar presentation to asthma or exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CASE REPORT We report a case of worsening therapeutic response to systemic corticosteroids in an elderly Colombian man who presented with symptoms of acute exacerbation of asthma. His history was positive for residence in a region endemic to S. stercoralis, and he had undergone multiple hospitalizations over the past few years for pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and dermatologic complaints. Laboratory results were significant for increased eosinophilia, and chest radiography showed blunting of the left costophrenic angle. The patient was found to have S. stercoralis hyperinfection after parasitic larvae were detected in a bronchoalveolar lavage sample. Symptoms improved after a course of ivermectin, and the patient was subsequently discharged. CONCLUSIONS This unusual presentation of Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome showcases the dangers of corticosteroid therapy in individuals with undiagnosed Strongyloides infection who present with a presumed diagnosis of asthma exacerbation. Clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion when treating patients from S. stercoralis endemic regions presenting with pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and/or dermatologic symptoms. Ivermectin is the current standard of care for both asymptomatic and complicated strongyloidiasis.BACKGROUND Liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) is a predictive marker for the early detection of acute kidney injury; however, less is known about how useful it is for predicting residual renal function (RRF) decline in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study subjects were 35 patients on PD who underwent multiple peritoneal equilibration tests (PETs) between October 2011 and October 2019. Urinary L-FABP levels were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between baseline clinical data, including urinary L-FABP levels and the subsequent annual rate of renal Kt/V decline, was investigated. RESULTS The median follow-up duration was 11 months and the rate of renal Kt/V decline was 0.29/y. Compared with outcomes in the group with renal Kt/V preservation, renal Kt/V decline was associated with both high daily levels of urinary protein excretion (0.60 g/d [range, 0.50-0.87] vs. 0.36 g/d [range, 0.19-0.48]; P=0.01) and high daily levels of urinary L-FABP excretion (111.2 mg/d [range, 76.1-188.6] vs. 61.5 mg/d [range, 35.7-96.0]; P=0.002). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only high daily levels of urinary L-FABP excretion were independently associated with renal Kt/V decline (odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.05; P=0.001). Furthermore, higher daily levels of urinary L-FABP excretion were significantly correlated with the higher annual rate of renal Kt/V decline (r=0.71, P less then 0.001). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that daily levels of urinary L-FABP are associated with RRF decline in patients on PD. The results of the present study indicate that assessment of urinary L-FABP levels may help predict RRF decline in patients on PD.Physical frailty's impact on hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers (HAI) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptional responses after influenza vaccination is unclear. Physical frailty was assessed using the 5-item Fried frailty phenotype in 168 community- and assisted-living adults ≥55 years of age during an observational study. Blood was drawn before, 3, 7, and 28 days post-vaccination with the 2017-2018 inactivated influenza vaccine. HAI response to the A/H1N1 strain was measured at Days 0 and 28 using seropositivity, seroconversion, log2 HAI titers, and fold-rise in log2 HAI titers. RNA sequencing of PBMCs from Days 0, 3 and 7 was measured in 28 participants and compared using pathway analyses. Frailty was not significantly associated with any HAI outcome in multivariable models. Compared with non-frail participants, frail participants expressed decreased cell proliferation, metabolism, antibody production, and interferon signaling genes. NVPCGM097 Conversely, frail participants showed elevated gene expression in IL-8 signaling, T-cell exhaustion, and oxidative stress pathways compared with non-frail participants. These results suggest that reduced effectiveness of influenza vaccine among older, frail individuals may be attributed to immunosenescence-related changes in PBMCs that are not reflected in antibody levels.

Downloading a COVID-19 contact tracing app may be effective in reducing users' worry about COVID-19 and psychological distress.

This 2.5-month prospective study aimed to investigate the association of downloading a COVID-19 contact tracing app, the COVID-19 Contact Confirming Application (COCOA), released by the Japanese government, with worry about COVID-19 and psychological distress in a sample of employed adults in Japan.

A total of 996 full-time employed respondents to an online survey conducted May 22-26, 2020 (baseline), were invited to participate in a follow-up survey August 7-12, 2020 (follow-up). A high level of worrying about COVID-19 and high psychological distress were defined by baseline and follow-up scores on a single-item scale and the Kessler 6 (K6) scale, respectively. The app was released between the two surveys, on June 17. Participants were asked at follow-up if they downloaded the app.

A total of 902 (90.6%) of 996 baseline participants responded to the follow-up survey. Among them, 184 (20.4%) reported that they downloaded the app. Downloading of the contact tracing app was significantly negatively associated with psychological distress at follow-up after controlling for baseline variables, but not with worry about COVID-19.

This study provides the first evidence that using a government-issued COVID-19 contact tracing app may be beneficial for the mental health of employed adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study provides the first evidence that using a government-issued COVID-19 contact tracing app may be beneficial for the mental health of employed adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

China was the first country in the world to experience a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak. The rapid spread of the disease and enforcement of public health measures has caused distress among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. With a limited understanding of the novel, emerging infectious disease, pregnant women have sought ways to access timely and trusted health care information. The mental health status of pregnant women during this public health emergency, as well as how they responded to the situation and where and how they obtained antenatal care information, remain to be understood.

This study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of pregnant women during the COVID-19 epidemic in China by measuring their perceived stress, anxiety, and depression levels; explore the approaches used by them to access antenatal health care information; and determine their associations with maternal mental health status.

We conducted a web-based, cross-sectional survey to assess the mental health status erceived stress, anxiety, and depression. During such public health emergencies, mental health care services should be strengthened to reassure and support pregnant women. Specific information targeted at pregnant women, including information on how to cope in an emergency or major disease outbreak, developed and disseminated by health care institutions via social media platforms could be an effective way to mitigate mental health challenges and ensure epidemic preparedness and response in the future.

Previous studies have shown that electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users might be more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and could develop more severe symptoms if they contract the disease owing to their impaired immune responses to viral infections. Social media platforms such as Twitter have been widely used by individuals worldwide to express their responses to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

In this study, we aimed to examine the longitudinal changes in the attitudes of Twitter users who used e-cigarettes toward the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as compare differences in attitudes between e-cigarette users and nonusers based on Twitter data.

The study dataset containing COVID-19-related Twitter posts (tweets) posted between March 5 and April 3, 2020, was collected using a Twitter streaming application programming interface with COVID-19-related keywords. Twitter users were classified into two groups Ecig group, including users who did not have commercial accounts but posted e-cigarette-related tweets bes had more concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can inform public health practitioners to use social media platforms such as Twitter for timely monitoring of public responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and educating and encouraging current e-cigarette users to quit vaping to minimize the risks associated with COVID-19.

Our findings show that Twitter users who tweeted about e-cigarettes had more concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can inform public health practitioners to use social media platforms such as Twitter for timely monitoring of public responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and educating and encouraging current e-cigarette users to quit vaping to minimize the risks associated with COVID-19.