Age-seroprevalence curves for the multi-strain structure of influenza A virus

The relationship between age and seroprevalence can be used to estimate the annual attack rate of an infectious disease. For pathogens with multiple serologically distinct strains, there is a need to describe composite exposure to an antigenically variable group of pathogens. In this study, we assay 24,402 general-population serum samples, collected in Vietnam between 2009 to 2015, for antibodies to eleven human influenza A strains. We report that a principal components decomposition of antibody titer data gives the first principal component as an appropriate surrogate for seroprevalence; this results in annual attack rate estimates of 25.6% (95% CI: 24.1% – 27.1%) for subtype H3 and 16.0% (95% CI: 14.7% – 17.3%) for subtype H1. The remaining principal components separate the strains by serological similarity and associate birth cohorts with their particular influenza histories. Our work shows that dimensionality reduction can be used on human antibody profiles to construct an age-seroprevalence relationship for antigenically variable pathogens.

Metalloproteinases 1 and 3 as Potential Biomarkers in Breast Cancer Development

Breast cancer continues to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality globally and was the leading cause of cancer death in women in Spain in 2020. Early diagnosis is one of the most effective methods to lower the incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer. The human metalloproteinases (MMP) mainly function as proteolytic enzymes degrading the extracellular matrix and plays important roles in most steps of breast tumorigenesis. This retrospective cohort study shows the immunohistochemical expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 in 154 women with breast cancer and 42 women without tumor disease. The samples of breast tissue are assessed using several tissue matrices (TMA). The percentages of staining (≤50%–>50%) and intensity levels of staining (weak, moderate, or intense) are considered. The immunohistochemical expression of the MMP-1-intensity (p = 0.043) and MMP-3 percentage (p = 0.018) and intensity, (p = 0.025) present statistically significant associations with the variable group (control–case); therefore, expression in the tumor tissue samples of these MMPs may be related to the development of breast cancer. The relationships between these MMPs and some clinicopathological factors in breast cancer are also evaluated but no correlation is found. These results suggest the use of MMP-1 and MMP-3 as potential biomarkers of breast cancer diagnosis.

Cytogenetic Evidence for Sex Chromosomes and Karyotype Evolution in Anguimorphan Lizards

Anguimorphan lizards are a morphologically variable group of squamate reptiles with a wide geographical distribution. In spite of their importance, they have been cytogenetically understudied. Here, we present the results of the cytogenetic examination of 23 species from five anguimorphan families (Anguidae, Helodermatidae, Shinisauridae, Varanidae and Xenosauridae). We applied both conventional (Giemsa staining and C-banding) and molecular cytogenetic methods (fluorescence in situ hybridization with probes for the telomeric motifs and rDNA loci, comparative genome hybridization), intending to describe the karyotypes of previously unstudied species, to uncover the sex determination mode, and to reveal the distribution of variability in cytogenetic characteristics among anguimorphan lizards. We documented that karyotypes are generally quite variable across anguimorphan lineages, with anguids being the most varying. However, the derived chromosome number of 2n = 40 exhibits a notable long-term evolutionary stasis in monitors. Differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes were documented in monitors and helodermatids, as well as in the anguids Abronia lythrochila, and preliminary also in Celestus warreni and Gerrhonotus liocephalus. Several other anguimorphan species have likely poorly differentiated sex chromosomes, which cannot be detected by the applied cytogenetic methods, although the presence of environmental sex determination cannot be excluded. In addition, we uncovered a rare case of spontaneous triploidy in a fully grown Varanus primordius.

Telomere length and epigenetic age acceleration in adolescents with anxiety disorders

Evidence on the relationship between genetics and mental health are flourishing. However, few studies are evaluating early biomarkers that might link genes, environment, and psychopathology. We aimed to study telomere length (TL) and epigenetic age acceleration (AA) in a cohort of adolescents with and without anxiety disorders (N = 234). We evaluated a representative subsample of participants at baseline and after 5 years (n = 76) and categorized them according to their anxiety disorder diagnosis at both time points: (1) control group (no anxiety disorder, n = 18), (2) variable group (anxiety disorder in one evaluation, n = 38), and (3) persistent group (anxiety disorder at both time points, n = 20). We assessed relative mean TL by real-time quantitative PCR and DNA methylation by Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. We calculated AA using the Horvath age estimation algorithm and analyzed differences among groups using generalized linear mixed models. The persistent group of anxiety disorder did not change TL over time (p = 0.495). The variable group had higher baseline TL (p = 0.003) but no accelerated TL erosion in comparison to the non-anxiety control group (p = 0.053). Furthermore, there were no differences in AA among groups over time. Our findings suggest that adolescents with chronic anxiety did not change telomere length over time, which could be related to a delay in neuronal development in this period of life.

FAKTOR - FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI EFEKTIVITAS KELOMPOK TANI DI KECAMATAN MOJOLABAN, KABUPATEN SUKOHARJO

AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi efektivitas kelompok tani, menganalisis efektivitas kelompok tani, dan menganalisis pengaruh antara faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi efektivitas kelompok tani dengan efektivitas kelompok tani. Penelitian menggunakan metode penelitian kuantitatif dengan teknik survei. Pengambilan sampel dengan metode cluster random sampling dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 67 responden. Analisis data menggunakan Regresi Linear Berganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi efektivitas yaitu faktor ciri kelompok, faktor fungsi tugas, dan faktor luar kelompok. Efektivitas kelompok tani di Kecamatan Mojolaban termasuk dalam kategori tinggi. Secara simultan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi efektivitas berpengaruh signifikan terhadap efektivitas kelompok tani. Secara parsial variabel faktor ciri kelompok dan faktor fungsi tugas berpengaruh signifikan terhadap efektivitas kelompok tani, sedangkan variabel faktor luar kelompok tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap efektivitas kelompok tani.Kata kunci: Efektivitas, Kelompok Tani, ProduktivitasAbstractThis study aims to analyze the factors that influence the effectiveness of farmer groups, analyze the effectiveness of farmer groups, and analyze the influence between factors that affect the effectiveness of farmer groups with the effectiveness of farmer groups. Research using quantitative research method with survey technique. Sampling by cluster random sampling method with the number of samples as many as 67 respondents. Data analysis using Multiple Linear Regression. The results showed that factors that influence effectiveness are group characteristics factors, task function factors, and factors outside the group. The effectiveness of farmer groups in Mojolaban sub-district is in a high category. Simultaneously the factors that influence the effectiveness have a significant effect on the effectiveness of farmer groups. Partially variable group character factors and task function factors have a significant effect on the effectiveness of farmer groups, while factor variables outside the group have no significant effect on the effectiveness of farmer groups.Keywords: Effectiveness; Farmer Group; Productivity

Sparse Multicategory Generalized Distance Weighted Discrimination in Ultra-High Dimensions

Distance weighted discrimination (DWD) is an appealing classification method that is capable of overcoming data piling problems in high-dimensional settings. Especially when various sparsity structures are assumed in these settings, variable selection in multicategory classification poses great challenges. In this paper, we propose a multicategory generalized DWD (MgDWD) method that maintains intrinsic variable group structures during selection using a sparse group lasso penalty. Theoretically, we derive minimizer uniqueness for the penalized MgDWD loss function and consistency properties for the proposed classifier. We further develop an efficient algorithm based on the proximal operator to solve the optimization problem. The performance of MgDWD is evaluated using finite sample simulations and miRNA data from an HIV study.

The Effects of Foot Touch Therapy on Blood Pressure in Hypertension Patients in The Puskesmas Of Dlanggu Mojokerto

The results of the studyreveals that the systolic blood pressure increases by 13.6 mmHg and the diastolic decreases in diastolic blood pressure by 8.5 mmHg. The result showsp value 0.000 <α, and it is concluded that H0 is rejected and means that Foot Touch Therapy against blood pressure for patients with hypertension effectively reduces systolic blood pressure. The therapy model is considered good by 72.8%. The results of the analysis of the equivalence test in the diastolic variable group using the Levene's test obtained p value> α.It can be concluded that the data is homogeneous. The Ancova analysis results obtain F count 82.53 and p-value 0.000 <α, it can be concluded that H0 is rejected. It means that foottouch therapy against blood pressure in patients with hypertension effectively reduces diastolic blood pressure. The model of therapy is quite good by62%

Phenotype and Genotype Correlations in Inherited Retinal Diseases: Population-Guided Variant Interpretation, Variable Expressivity and Incomplete Penetrance

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a diverse and variable group of rare human disorders [...]

Suppression of p16 alleviates the senescence-associated secretory phenotype

Oncogene induced senescence (OIS) is characterized by increased expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p16, leading to a hallmark cell cycle arrest. Suppression of p16 in this context drives proliferation, senescence bypass, and contributes to tumorigenesis. OIS cells are also characterized by the expression and secretion of a widely variable group of factors collectively termed the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The SASP can be both beneficial and detrimental and affects the microenvironment in a highly context-dependent manner. The relationship between p16 suppression and the SASP remains unclear. Here, we show that knockdown of p16 decreases expression of the SASP factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL6 and CXCL8 in both RASG12V-and BRAFV600E-induced senescence. Notably, this is likely not due to suppression of senescence as LMNB1 and cyclin A expression remain low and p21 remains high. Moreover, low p16 expression in both cancer cell lines and patient samples correspond to decreased SASP gene expression, suggesting this is a universal effect of loss of p16 expression. Together, our data suggest that p16 transcriptionally regulates SASP gene expression, which has implications for understanding how p16 modulates both the senescent and tumor microenvironment.

Students’ ability to identify media bias in written press

The intention of this study is to analyze the relationship between reading comprehension and students’ ability to identify media bias in written press. The participants for this study were sixty EFL students from a language department of an Ecuadorian university. There was no random assignment of participants to the control and experimental groups. Information was obtained from a questionnaire by Browne and Keeley (2004). Data was coded manually, and the outcomes showed no significant improvement in students’ ability to identify media bias referred to the variable “time”. Also, there was no significance in the interaction of the variable “time” and the variable “group”, and there was little difference in the two times the test was taken by both groups.