Shir

Genetic diversity and structure of populations at the edge of the species' spatial distribution are important for potential adaptation to environmental changes and consequently, for the long-term survival of the species. Here, we combined classical population genetic methods with newly developed network analyses to gain complementary insights into the genetic structure and diversity of Acacia tortilis, a keystone desert tree, at the northern edge of its global distribution, where the population is under threat from climatic, ecological, and anthropogenic changes...

Perianal mucinous adenocarcinoma (PMA) is an oncologic rarity that poses a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma for treating clinicians because there are few reported cases and an absence of definitive guidelines. We report a patient who had been treated with local surgery for recurrent perianal abscess with fistula for 3 years. Biopsy of the indurated tissue overlying his surgical scars revealed PMA. Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by abdominoperineal resection was planned to address the locally advanced disease and ongoing sepsis...

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In studies of behavioral reconsolidation interference, reactivation of a consolidated memory using some form of reminder is followed by the presentation of new information that can cause interference with that memory. Under these conditions, the interference not only impairs retrieval by indirect processes such as cue interference, but supposedly disrupts the original memory trace directly. Almost all studies of behavioral reconsolidation interference in episodic memory in humans have employed between-subjects paradigms, and deduced reminder effects from intrusion errors...

Inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) have been extensively developed for a variety of uses. The ability to obtain high-resolution NMR signals from the core nuclei of NCs in solution could offer new opportunities in materials sciences and MR imaging. Here, we demonstrate that small, water-soluble 19F-ionic NCs can average out homonuclear dipolar interactions, enabling one to obtain high-resolution 19F-NMR signals in solution that reflect the MR properties of F- in the crystal core. Decorating 19F-NC surfaces with a biocompatible polyethylene-glycol coating maintains colloidal stability in water while preserving the NC high-resolution 19F-NMR properties, even after further functionalization...

Post-treatment recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most lethal cancer worldwide, is often driven by a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The tight junction (TJ) protein claudin-2 is overexpressed in human CRC where it enhances cell proliferation, colony formation, and chemoresistance in vitro. While several of these biological processes are features of the CSC phenotype, a role for claudin-2 in the regulation of these has not been identified. Here we report that elevated claudin-2 expression in stage II/III colorectal tumors is associated with poor recurrence-free survival following 5-FU-based chemotherapy, an outcome in which CSC play an instrumental role...

The research of carcinogenetic mechanisms of breast cancer in different ethnic backgrounds is an interesting field, as clinical features of breast cancers vary among races. High premenopausal incidence is distinctive in East-Asian breast cancer. However, human cell lines derived from Asian primary breast tumor are rare. To provide alternative cell line models with a relevant genetic background, we aimed to establish breast cancer cell lines from Taiwanese patients of Han-Chinese ethnicity. Fresh tissue from mammary tumors were digested into organoids, plated and grown in basal serum-free medium of human mammary epithelial cells (HuMEC) with supplements...

PURPOSE: Identity development among individuals with disabilities may depend on their being included in central institutions in society. The centrality of the military in Israeli society makes it a highly important setting for inclusion and identity development. We examined the self-identity of young adults with intellectual disabilities who serve in the "Equal in Uniform" project. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-nine interviews were conducted with 31 individuals with intellectual disabilities...

Over the last decades, the disability movement has been advocating for a paradigmatic shift in how disability is perceived and managed: from a medical or individual perspective focusing on the person's body and mind to a social perspective emphasizing the context and barriers of disability. However, we still know little about the perceptions of helping professionals, particularly social workers who work closely with disabled people. Thus, the aim of the current study is to develop and validate a scale-Perceptions Toward Disability Scale (PTDS)-to measure how social workers view disability: as an individual or social category...

INTRODUCTION: Best practices for patient education in bariatric surgery (BS) remain undefined. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of an online lecture on nutrition knowledge, weight loss expectations, and anxiety among BS candidates and present a new tool to assess this knowledge before BS. METHODS: An interventional non-randomized controlled trial on 200 BS candidates recruited while attending a pre-BS committee. The first 100 consecutive patients were assigned to the control group and the latter 100 consecutive patients to the intervention group and were instructed to watch an online lecture of 15-min 1-2 weeks prior to surgery...

The mitotic checkpoint system ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis by preventing premature initiation of anaphase until correct bipolar attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle is reached. It promotes the assembly of a mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC), composed of BubR1, Bub3, Cdc20, and Mad2, which inhibits the activity of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) ubiquitin ligase. When the checkpoint is satisfied, anaphase is initiated by the disassembly of MCC. Previous studies indicated that the dissociation of APC/C-bound MCC requires ubiquitylation and suggested that the target of ubiquitylation is the Cdc20 component of MCC...

The structural dynamics of charge-transfer states of nitrogen-ligated copper complexes has been extensively investigated in recent years following the development of pump-probe X-ray techniques. In this study we extend this approach towards copper complexes with sulfur coordination and investigate the influence of charge transfer states on the structure of a dicopper(i) complex with coordination by bridging disulfide ligands and additionally tetramethylguanidine units [CuI2(NSSN)2]2+. In order to directly observe and refine the photoinduced structural changes in the solvated complex we applied picosecond pump-probe X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS)...

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the difference in the location of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) in relation to the apices of mandibular molars in 3 different populations using cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging and to assess the proportion of teeth in close proximity (a distance of 1 mm or less) to the IAN. METHODS: Random CBCT images (N = 1224, Israel = 408, South Korea = 416, and India = 400) were examined. The shortest distance to the mandibular canal was measured by imaging software...

Superficial acral fibromyxoma is a benign, slow-growing soft-tissue neoplasm that has a predilection for the peripheries. Although considered benign, its risk of recurrence warrants consideration in the radiological differential diagnoses of acral tumors. To our knowledge, there has been minimal literature studying the radiological features of this entity. We present a case report with a discussion focusing on its clinical and radiological findings.

Using a novel visual-tactile paradigm in rats, Nikbakht et al. (2018) describe multisensory behavior that outperformed predictions of optimal cue combination (indicating cross-modal synergy) and exposed encoding in PPC neurons (of stimulus and choice signals) that was independent of stimulus modality.

OBJECTIVES: Religion plays an important role in the lives of people in the United States. We examined the prevalence of religiosity among Hispanic/Latinos in four regions of the United States and looked at its correlation to depression and anxiety symptoms. DESIGN: The population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos enrolled a cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults (N = 16,415) ages 18-74 in four US cities from June 2008 to June 2011. Participants with complete data on religiosity (i...

The pancrustacean theory groups crustaceans and hexapods (once thought to comprise separate clades within the Arthropoda) into a single clade. A key feature common to all pancrustaceans is their chitinous exoskeleton, with a major contribution by cuticular proteins. Among these, are the CPAP3's, a family of cuticular proteins, first identified in the hexapod Drosophila melanogaster and characterized by an N-terminal signaling peptide and three chitin-binding domains. In this study, CPAP3 proteins were mined from a transcriptomic library of a decapod crustacean, the crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus...

Introduction: Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is the defining feature of fibromyalgia (FM), a worldwide prevalent condition. Chronic widespread pain is, however, not pathognomonic of FM, and other conditions may present similarly with CWP, requiring consideration of a differential diagnosis. Objectives: To conduct a literature search to identify medical conditions that may mimic FM and have highlighted features that may differentiate these various conditions from FM...

Microalgae are considered promising feedstock for the production of biofuels and other bioactive compounds, yet there are still challenges on commercial applications of microalgae-based products. This review focuses on the economic analysis, environmental impact, and industrial potential of biofuels production from microalgae. The cost of biofuels production remains higher compared to conventional fuel sources. However, integration of biorefinery pathways with biofuels production for the recovery of value-added products (such as antioxidants, natural dyes, cosmetics, nutritional supplements, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and so forth) could substantially reduce the production costs...

Biofilm formation is of growing concern in human and animal health. However, it is still unclear how biofilms are related to mastitis infections in dairy cattle. In this study, a comparison between two tests for biofilm formation and the association between biofilm and the presence of genes associated with biofilm formation were investigated for 92 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from clinical mastitis cases. Congo red agar (CRA) and microtitre test assay (MTA) in vitro phenotypic tests were used to evaluate biofilm formation...