Mating is rarely random in nature, but the effects of mate choice on offspring performance are still poorly understood. We sampled 47 wild lake char (Salvelinus umbla) during two breeding seasons and used their gametes to investigate the genetic consequences of different mating scenarios. In a first study, 1,464 embryos that resulted from sperm competition trials were raised singly in either a stress- or non-stress environment. Offspring growth turned out to be strongly reduced with increased genetic relatedness between the parents while male coloration (which reveals aspects of male health) was no significant predictor of offspring performance. In a second experiment one year later, block-wise full-factorial in vitro breeding was used to produce 3,094 embryos that were raised singly with sublethal exposures to a pathogen or water only. Offspring growth was again strongly reduced with increased genetic relatedness between the parents while male coloration was no significant predictor of offspring performance. We conclude that the genetic benefits of mate choice would be strongest if females avoided genetic similarity, while male breeding colors seem more relevant in intra-sexual selection.

The power gain from the piezoelectric harvesters depends on the several parameters and one of them is to design the substructure as to increase the mechanical strain occurred in the piezoelectric material. In this study, the effectiveness of auxetic structures is investigated by comparing them to non-auxetic nonlinear structures rather than comparing them to the plain structures unlike the literature. It is shown that the power gain from auxetic structures is very high compared to plain structures; however, this increase in power can also be achieved using a non-auxetic simple rectangular structure in some cases. The increase in the power gain using the auxetic structures is due to the increase in the strain in the longitudinal direction, and the effect of the sign change in the perpendicular direction is not very effective on the response. In the second part of the study, four new shapes inspired by Re-entrant structure are presented for increased power response, and power responses of these structures are evaluated under different cases. The results show that new structures outperformed the plain structure in all cases and performed better from the auxetic structure in some cases. A combination of finite element analysis and experimental study is implemented in the study.

Introductions of invasive species to new environments often result in rapid rates of trait evolution. While in some cases these evolutionary transitions are adaptive and driven by natural selection, they can also result from patterns of genetic and phenotypic variation associated with the invasion history. Here, we examined the brown anole (Anolis sagrei), a widespread invasive lizard for which genetic data have helped trace the sources of non-native populations. We focused on the dewlap, a complex signaling trait known to be subject to multiple selective pressures. We measured dewlap reflectance, pattern, and size in 30 non-native populations across the southeastern United States. As well, we quantified environmental variables known to influence dewlap signal effectiveness, such as canopy openness. Further, we used genome-wide data to estimate genetic ancestry, perform association mapping, and test for signatures of selection. We found that among-population variation in dewlap characteristics was best explained by genetic ancestry. This result was supported by genome-wide association mapping, which identified several ancestry-specific loci associated with dewlap traits. Despite the strong imprint of this aspect of the invasion history on dewlap variation, we also detected significant relationships between dewlap traits and local environmental conditions. However, we found limited evidence that dewlap-associated genetic variants have been subject to selection. Our study emphasizes the importance of genetic ancestry and admixture in shaping phenotypes during biological invasion, while leaving the role of selection unresolved, likely due to the polygenic genetic architecture of dewlaps and selection acting on many genes of small effect.

A devastating complication of Prosthetic Aortic Valve Infective Endocarditis; Aorto-ventricular fistula with periaortic abscess presenting with complete heart blockMohammad Sahebjam1, Mahboobeh Sheikh2*1Associate Professor of Cardiology, Department of Echocardiography, Tehran Heart Center, Cardiovascular diseases Research institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranMail: msahebjam@sina.tums.ac.ir2*Assistant professor of Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Zabol University of Medical sciences, Zabol, IranGmail: drmsh79@gmail.comPhone number: +9891232328041 first author.2*corresponding authorAbstractAortoventricular fistula (AVF) is an uncommon life-threatening condition that can arise after prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). In some cases, AVF may be associated with abscess formation, further complicating the condition. We present a case of a 71-year-old man with infective endocarditis of Aortic valve bioprosthesis with aorto-Left Ventricular Outflow Tract ( LVOT) fistula and complete Heart Block ( CHB) following periaortic abscess formation. unfortunately, He passed away before the urgent surgical timeline.Keywords: Infective Endocarditis, Prosthesis, Aortic Valve, Periaortic Abscess, Aorto-ventricular FistulaAortoventricular fistula (AVF) is a rare and lethal complication after prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). In PVE, AVF typically develops as a result of the destructive infection that erodes the tissue surrounding the prosthetic valve, leading to the formation of a tract or tunnel connecting the aorta to the adjacent cardiac structure. AVF may be associated with abscess formation. In prosthetic valve endocarditis, abscesses can form in the surrounding tissues, including the myocardium, aortic root, or other nearby structures. And also may destroy the electrical conduction system and lead to Complete Heart Block (CHB). Treatment of AVF includes prompt surgical intervention in addition to Antimicrobial administration.A 71-year-old man presented to the emergency department with complaints of fever, chills, fatigue, night sweat, and dizziness for several days. His medical history was coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and aortic valve replacement with a TRIFECTA bioprosthesis five months ago.On examination, the patient exhibited fever, bradycardia(HR=30-35 bpm), hypotension (BP=90/50 mmHg), and oxygen saturation of 93%. His electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm, complete heart block with wide QRS complex (figure 5). Therefore temporary pacemaker was implanted. Laboratory findings showed leukocytosis 18.3×109/l; thrombocytopenia 50×109/l; anemia Hb 8.6/l, Increased ESR and CRP, and negative blood cultures.Three-dimensional Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed multiple mobile vegetations attached to the bioprosthetic aortic valve with significantly increased gradients, severe mixed transvalvular and paravalvular aortic insufficiency, increased thickness of aortic root and intervalvular fibrosa (30mm×16mm) with echo lucent area in favour of periaortic abscess( figure 3) which fistulated into left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) from one side and Aortic root on the other side. (video 2, figure1-2)This fistulization made a canal-like pathway between LVOT and the aortic root with systolic expansion with turbulent flow from LVOT during systole and expansion with turbulent flow from the aortic root during diastole.(figure 4, video1,3 ) The patient received standard antimicrobial therapy and prepared for prompt reoperation, but his condition deteriorated with progressive multi-organ failure, and passed away before the surgery.DeclarationsEthical ApprovalWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case Imaging.Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests associated with this publication.Authors’ contributionMSahebjam was the first author which was the main provider of the data and contributing in writing and editing the manuscript. Msheikh is the corresponding author and contributed in writing and editing the manuscript.FundingThe authors received no financial support for this article’s research, authorship, and publication.Availability of data and materialData are available in a repository and can be accessed using a unique identifier other than a DOI. The data underlying this article are available in the databank of Tehran heart center hospital and can be accessed with the deposition number. However, it must be kept private due to some reasons. First, to protect  the privacy of individual who participated in the study, it is also against the hospital rules and regulations; moreover, the primary language is Persian. Nevertheless, the data will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.Aknowledgement: Not applicableReferencesVideo.1 Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) , the X-plane long-axis view of the aortic prosthesis revealing destructive bioprosthetic AV with the prosthesis rocking motion and significant thickening of intervalvular fibrosa (left ). Circumferential periaortic thickness with echo-free spaces, indicative of preaortic abscess formation. (right)Video 2. Transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) long axis view. Bidirectional flow through the fistulous tract with systolic flow toward the Aortic root and diastolic flow toward the Left Ventricular Outflow Tract (LVOT)Video 3. TEE-3D multi Vue

Hydrophobins have great potential in many biotechnological applications due to changing surface characteristics. In recent years, although there has been a significant increase in the biotechnological applications of hydrophobins, industrial production has still not been achieved due to yield problems. Therefore, more studies are needed on the recombinant production of hydrophobins. In this work, the recombinant production of class I hydrophobin DewA from Aspergillus nidulans, which is determined to have high contact angle in the literature, was aimed. As a result, DewA protein was recombinantly produced using P. pastoris X-33 strain under AOX1 promoter by transferring into pPICZα-A vector. The optimal culture condition for DewA expression was obtained at 1% methanol concentration as 77 mg/L in 96 hour. Recombinant DewA has been proven to change the surface characteristics on the teflon and glass surfaces. Then, the surface stability of the protein was evaluated by applying hot SDS and UV to these surfaces. The surface-coated DewA was resistant to hot SDS application on both glass and teflon surfaces; in the UV application, it was understood that while the protein was degraded by UV exposure on glass surfaces, it preserved its structure on teflon surfaces. In the study, the DewA protein of A.nidulans was cloned into the pPICZα-A vector and recombinantly produced in the P.pastoris X-33 strain for the first time.

Continuous fermentation has many striking merits over fed-batch and batch fermentation, such as easy operation and long-term high productivity without frequent seed culture and energy-intensive sterilization. However, it is usually difficult to harvest high product concentrations. In this study, a three-stage continuous fermentation was firstly designed to produce 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from crude glycerol by Clostridium butyricum, in which the first stage fermentation was responsible for providing the excellent cells in a robust growth state, the second stage focused on promoting 1,3-PDO production, and the third stage aimed to further boost the 1,3-PDO concentration and reduce the residual glycerol concentration as much as possible. Through the three-stage continuous fermentation, 80.05 g/L 1,3-PDO as the maximum concentration was produced while maintaining residual glycerol of 5.87 g/L, achieving a yield of 0.48 g/g and a productivity of 3.67 g/(L·h). Based on the 14 sets of experimental data from the first stage, a kinetic model was developed to describe the intricate relationships among the concentrations of 1,3-PDO, substrate, biomass and butyrate. Subsequently, this kinetic model was used to optimize and predict the highest 1,3-PDO productivity of 11.26 g/(L·h) in the first stage fermentation, while the glycerol feeding concentration and dilution rate were determined to be 92 g/L and 0.34 h -1, separately. Additionally, to achieve a target 1,3-PDO production of 80 g/L without the third stage fermentation, the predicted minimum volume ratio of the second fermenter to the first one was 11.9. The kinetics-based two-stage continuous fermentation was experimentally verified well with the predicted results. This kinetics-based development of continuous fermentation provides an effective tool for other bio-chemicals production by continuous fermentation.

Background and Purpose Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome plays a critical therapeutic potential in the colonic inflammatory responses. The Timosaponin BⅡ (TBⅡ) isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Anemarrhena asphodeloides has outstanding anti-inflammatory effects in a variety of diseases. Here, we investigated the protective effects of TBⅡ against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice. Experimental Approach Wild-type (WT) and NLRP3 knockout (NLRP3-/-) mice were applied to evaluate the protective effects of TBⅡ in DSS-induced mice colitis. The role of TBⅡ in LPS+ATP-induced cell model was evaluated by inhibiting or overexpressing NLRP3. RNA-seq, ELISA, western blots, immunofluorescence staining and the expression analysis by qPCR were performed to examine the alterations of colonic NLRP3 expression in colon tissues and cells, respectively. Key Results In mice with DSS-induced ulcerative colitis, TBⅡ treatment repaired the intestinal mucosal barrier and alleviated colonic inflammation. RNA-seq analysis and levels of protein expression demonstrated that TBⅡ could prominently inhibit NLRP3 signaling. TBⅡ-mediated NLRP3 inhibition was associated with the alleviation of intestinal permeability and the inflammatory response via blocking the communication between epithelial cells and macrophages. However, pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 or NLRP3 overexpression significantly impaired TBⅡ-mediated the anti-inflammatory effect. Mechanistically, TBⅡ-mediated NLRP3 inhibition may be partially associated with the suppression of NF-κB. Conclusion and Implications TBⅡ exerted a prominent protective effect against colitis by impeding the crosstalk between epithelial cells and macrophages, partially in the NLRP3-mediated the inhibitory mechanism. These beneficial effects could make TBⅡ a promising drug for relieving colitis.

A document by Shailendra Katwal. Click on the document to view its contents.

Presumed first episode of non-convulsive status epilepticus as the cause of postoperative disorder of consciousness following the completion of general anesthesia: A case report

Whilst there are limited data on the environmental impact of administering parasiticide drugs to horses, evidence from other species treated with identical drugs indicates significant negative ecological effects. Anthelmintic drugs may be excreted unchanged or metabolised to other active and/or toxic metabolites that enter the environment through direct excretion during grazing. These chemicals can have significant toxic effects on non-target insects, such as dung beetles, earthworms and aquatic animals. Of the anthelmintics frequently used in horses, ivermectin appears to be the most ecotoxic; available evidence indicates that moxidectin is less toxic. Fenbendazole appears to have little impact on dung-colonising insects but may be toxic to aquatic organisms and fungi. There is very little data regarding the ecotoxicity of pyrantel and praziquantel, although their ecotoxic effects are thought to be low. Pasture hygiene reduces pharmaceutical contamination and also helps to break the endoparasitic cycle of infectivity, thus reducing reliance on anthelmintics. Judicious use of endoparasiticides, along with pasture hygiene measures, will limit the ecotoxic effects of these drugs and reduce the selection pressure that drives anthelmintic resistance. Anthelmintics may also impact the equine gastrointestinal microbiota.Following topical treatment with ectoparasiticides (such as fipronil, permethrin or cypermethrin), there is a risk of contamination of both the immediate environment and water courses. The half-life of fipronil in the environment is variable, but it degrades into compounds which are more toxic; it is highly toxic to bees, and is reported to bioaccumulate in fish and can be toxic to birds. Of the synthetic pyrethroids, permethrin degrades at a faster rate than cypermethrin and may therefore have a lower ecotoxic effect. The ecotoxic effects of injectable doramectin are likely to be similar to oral ivermectin, although persistence in faeces may be significantly prolonged compared to the oral treatment route.

A document by Jan Deprest. Click on the document to view its contents.

There is evidence that climate change has been linked to increasing frequency of natural disasters such as flooding. Historical studies have documented significant impacts on reproductive health but more needs to be known in order to improve access to healthcare to improve reproductive health outcomes.

Environmental disasters such as wildfires and air pollution appear to be occuring more frequently. Studies have shown that they can have significant impact on pregnancy outcomes and more studies need to be conducted to fully understand the impact on reproductive health.

Historically, patients suffering from pathological narcissism, including narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), were considered challenging and hard to treat. Since the second half of the 20th century new treatments have been developing heralding a growing hope that transformative treatment of patients with pathological narcissism is possible. Recent developments of phenomenology, childhood antecedents, longitudinal course, and putative mechanisms inspired a greater hope as well. This invites clinicians and researchers to take an approach that is evidence-based, destigmatizing, and collaborative that considers that at least some of the treatment challenges as co-created by both the therapist and the patient. Further, new treatments add hope by ameliorating such challenges of patients with pathological narcissism as fragile alliance, limitations of reflectiveness and grieving. Novel treatments are evidence- and principles-based and different approaches to effective treatment development are described. Inspired by these developments in the field, this Issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session was conceived as an opportunity for clinicians from different treatment approaches to come together and share their experiences in treating patients with pathological narcissism. The hope is to find common language to understand these patients and their treatment, understand what contributes to change, as well as learn from commonalities and differences among these treatments. In doing so, this Issue is hoping to promote destigmatizing, pragmatic approach that prioritizes evidence-based efforts to understand the patient and collaborative approach to promoting change.

Treatment of patients with pathological narcissism presents several challenges and there is paucity of published case reports that document meaningful and durable change in patients suffering from this condition. Using descriptive and atheoretical language, this paper presents a treatment of a young adult in his transition from young adulthood to middle adulthood while he was negotiating complex residues of his experiences of growing up along with developmental challenges related to work and love. Against the backdrop of these transitions, the patient was working through various aspects of functioning related to pathological narcissism. Initially, given academic pressures and past romantic disappointments, he was confronting issues related to perfectionism, self-criticism, and avoidance. While he was able to move past some of these dynamics and function academically, later challenges related to becoming an independent adult led to a retreat into an avoidant state of futility and pessimism. Working through painful family dynamics related to not being seen and controlled, along with a deepening attachment in therapy as well as confrontation with realities of his life, led him to take steps towards greater independence. Thereafter, his treatment focused on learning from life experiences such as a newly developed career and romantic life, accepting the complexity of self and others, and tolerating disillusionments.

The purpose of this study was to examine current clinical supervision practices within primary care settings. We used a descriptive survey design and examined the current state of clinical supervision practices in primary care and the type of training the behavioral health providers received to provide supervision to pre-licensure level behavioral health trainees. Ninety-four participants completed the survey in 2022. Seventy-one percent of respondents felt they had adequate training to be an effective IBH supervisor; however, most training came from sources such as workshops, continuing education, or supervision of supervision. Further efforts to establish universal competencies and formal training programs are needed to meet the growing need for IBH services in primary care.

Purpose Although monoclonal antibodies specific to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are known, information about the B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire and its change in patients during COVID-19 disease progression is underreported. Methods We used immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) variable region (IGHV) spectratyping and next-generation sequencing of peripheral blood B-cell genomic DNA collected at multiple time points during disease evolution to study B-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in 14 individuals with acute COVID-19. Results We found a broad distribution of responding B-cell clones. The IGH gene usage was not significantly skewed but frequencies of individual IGH genes changed repeatedly. We found predominant usage of unmutated and low mutation-loaded IGHV rearrangements characterizing naïve and extrafollicular B-cells among the majority of expanded peripheral B-cell clonal lineages at most tested time points in most patients. IGH rearrangement usage showed no apparent relation to anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers. Some patients demonstrated mono/oligoclonal populations carrying highly mutated IGHV rearrangements indicating antigen experience at some of the time points tested, including even before anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected. Conclusion We present evidence demonstrating that the B-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 is individual and includes different lineages of B-cells at various time points during COVID-19 progression.

This journal article examines the pivotal role of mindfulness in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and its capacity to cultivate present-moment awareness. ACT, a contemporary therapeutic approach, emphasizes psychological flexibility and the acceptance of internal experiences. Within this framework, mindfulness holds a prominent position as a core process that enhances present-moment attention and engagement with one’s thoughts, emotions, and sensations. This article delves into the historical roots of mindfulness in ACT, explores the dimensions and facets of mindfulness, and highlights its intersection with psychological flexibility. Moreover, it elucidates how mindfulness practices, such as breath-focused meditation and body scan, contribute to reducing cognitive fusion, fostering acceptance, and clarifying personal values. The empirical evidence supporting mindfulness-based interventions in ACT is reviewed, shedding light on its effectiveness in treating various psychological and behavioral issues. Challenges in incorporating mindfulness into therapy are also discussed, alongside considerations to optimize its application. Overall, this article underscores the significance of mindfulness as a transformative tool within ACT, supporting individuals in embracing the present moment and cultivating psychological well-being.

Understanding the nature of mixing between cloudy air and its surroundings is an important and yet, open question. In this research, we use high-resolution (10m) bin-microphysics LES of a cumulus cloud, together with a Lagrangian passive tracer tracking method, to study mixing. We analyze the passive tracers as a function of their trajectories and the thermodynamic conditions they undergo inside and outside the cloud. Three main mixing regimes (core, periphery, and skin) are identified, each determining a subset of tracers with similar trajectories. These mixing regimes can be observed throughout the cloud’s lifetime. At the dissipation stage, a fourth regime is identified: cloud-top entrainment followed by downdrafts.

A document by Berhe Tesfai. Click on the document to view its contents.

Aim: To test the feasibility and accuracy of a new attention-based deep learning (DL) method for right ventricular (RV) quantification using 2D echocardiography (2DE) with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) as reference. Methods and results: We retrospectively analyzed images from 50 adult patients (median age 51, interquartile range 32-62 42% women) who had undergone CMR within 1 month of 2DE. RV planimetry of the myocardial border was performed in end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) for 8 standardized 2DE RV views with calculation of areas. The DL model comprised a Feature Tokenizer module and a stack of Transformer layers. Age, gender and calculated areas were used as inputs, and the output was RV volume in ED/ES. The dataset was randomly split into training, validation and testing subsets (35, 5 and 10 patients respectively). Mean RVEDV, RVESV and RV ejection fraction (EF) were 163±70ml, 82±42ml and 51±8% respectively without differences among the subsets. The proposed method achieved good prediction of RV volumes (R 2=0.953, absolute percentage error [APE]=9.75±6.23%) and RVEF (APE=7.24±4.55%). Per CMR, there was 1 patient with RV dilatation and 3 with RV dysfunction in the testing dataset. The DL model detected RV dilatation in 1/1 case and RV dysfunction in 4/3 cases. Conclusions: An attention-based DL method for 2DE RV quantification showed feasibility and promising accuracy. The method requires validation in larger cohorts with wider range of RV size and function. Further research will focus on the reduction of the number of required 2DE to make the method clinically applicable.

The effects of two pruning types, crown raising and crown reduction, on tree vigor were inferred from allometric relationships between single-leaf area and single-leaf weight and between total leaf weight and total branches weight. The results suggest that the crown raising type should be recommend rather than the crown reduction type as an improved management practice to maintain tree vigor.

This paper presents a voltage-mode direct time-of-flight (DToF) driver with high resolution auto-peak-power controller (APPC) and peak-current detector (PCD), utilizing on-chip oscilloscope (OCO) technology. The OCO supports both optical input for APPC and electrical input for PCD. The optical input detects laser diode (LD) peak power through photodiode (PD) first, and then feeds back to the boost converter to adjust laser diode supply voltage (LDVCC) to reach the target peak optical power. The electrical input detects the peak current of the LD to prevent the APPC from adapting to excessive output caused by the abnormal operation of the PD or LD. The X-coordinate of OCO has an 11-bit precision. It can detect pulse widths ranging from 500 ps to 10 ns. The test result shows that, the variation of optical power can be controlled within 2\% in the temperature range of 25-85 ℃ with APPC function.

A document by Mariana Aparecida Pasa Morgan. Click on the document to view its contents.