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Background and aims: There is an incomplete understanding of the full safety profiles of repeated COVID-19 vaccinations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Among individuals with IBD, we assessed whether COVID-19 vaccines were associated with serious adverse events of special interest (AESI) and health care utilization [all-cause hospitalizations, Emergency Department (ED) visits, gastroenterology visits, IBD-related visits]. Methods: Using comprehensive administrative health data from Ontario, Canada, adults with IBD who received at least one COVID-19 vaccine from December 2020-January 2022 were included. Self-controlled case series analyses were conducted to evaluate the relative incidence rates of AESI and health care utilization outcomes across post-vaccination risk and control periods. Results: Among 88,407 IBD patients, 99.7% received mRNA vaccines and 75.9% received ≥ 3 doses. Relative to control periods, we did not detect an increase in AESI. IBD patients had fewer all-cause hospitalizations during post-vaccination risk periods. Patients experienced more all-cause ED visits after dose 2 [Relative Incidence (RI):1.08(95%CI:1.04–1.12)] but fewer visits after doses 3 [RI:0.85 (95%CI:0.81–0.90)] and 4 [RI:0.73 (95%CI:0.57–0.92)]. There was no increase in gastroenterologist visits or IBD-related health care utilization post-vaccination. There were fewer IBD-related hospitalizations after dose 1 [RI:0.84 (95%CI:0.72–0.98)] and 3 [RI:0.63 (95%CI:0.52–0.76)], fewer IBD-related ED visits after dose 3 [RI:0.81 (95%CI:0.71–0.91)] and 4 [RI:0.55 (95%CI:0.32–0.96)], and fewer outpatient visits after dose 2 [RI:0.91 (95%CI:0.90–0.93)] and 3 [RI:0.87 (95%CI:0.86–0.89)]. Conclusion: This population-based study did not detect increased AESI, all-cause or IBD-related health care utilization following COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting a lack of association between vaccination and increased disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada recently mandated front-of-pack (FOP) labelling regulations, where foods meeting and/or exceeding recommended thresholds for nutrients-of-concern (i.e., saturated fat, sodium, and sugars) must display a 'high-in' FOP nutrition symbol. However, there is limited research on the amounts and sources of foods consumed by Canadians that would require a FOP symbol. The objective was to examine the intakes of nutrients-of-concern from foods that would display a FOP symbol and to identify the top food categories contributing to intakes for each nutrient-of-concern. Using the first day 24-hour dietary recall from the nationally representative 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition (CCHS), Canadian adults' intakes of nutrients-of-concern from foods that would display a FOP symbol was examined. Foods were assigned to 1 of 62 categories to identify the top food categories contributing to intakes of energy and nutrient-of-concern that would display a FOP symbol for each nutrient-of-concern. Canadian adults (n = 13,495) consumed approximately 24% of total calories from foods that would display a FOP symbol. Foods that would display a FOP symbol for exceeding thresholds for nutrients-of-concern accounted for 16% of saturated fat, 30% of sodium, 25% of total sugar, and 39% of free sugar intakes among Canadian adults. The top food category contributing intakes of each nutrient-of-concern that would display a FOP symbol were nutrient-specific: Processed meat and meat substitutes for saturated fat; Breads for sodium; and Fruit juices & drinks for total and free sugars. Our findings show that Canadian FOP labelling regulations have the potential to influence the intakes of nutrients-of-concern for Canadian adults. Using the findings as baseline data, future studies are warranted to evaluate the impact of FOP labelling regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysosomal inhibition elicited by palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) inhibitors such as DC661 can produce cell death, but the mechanism for this is not completely understood. Programmed cell death pathways (autophagy, apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis) were not required to achieve the cytotoxic effect of DC661. Inhibition of cathepsins, or iron or calcium chelation, did not rescue DC661-induced cytotoxicity. PPT1 inhibition induced lysosomal lipid peroxidation (LLP), which led to lysosomal membrane permeabilization and cell death that could be reversed by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) but not by other lipid peroxidation antioxidants. The lysosomal cysteine transporter MFSD12 was required for intralysosomal transport of NAC and rescue of LLP. PPT1 inhibition produced cell-intrinsic immunogenicity with surface expression of calreticulin that could only be reversed with NAC. DC661-treated cells primed naive T cells and enhanced T cell- mediated toxicity. Mice vaccinated with DC661-treated cells engendered adaptive immunity and tumor rejection in "immune hot" tumors but not in "immune cold" tumors. These findings demonstrate that LLP drives lysosomal cell death, a unique immunogenic form of cell death, pointing the way to rational combinations of immunotherapy and lysosomal inhibition that can be tested in clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lowe Syndrome (LS) is a condition due to mutations in the OCRL1 gene, characterized by congenital cataracts, intellectual disability, and kidney malfunction. Unfortunately, patients succumb to renal failure after adolescence. This study is centered in investigating the biochemical and phenotypic impact of patient's OCRL1 variants (OCRL1VAR). Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that some OCRL1VAR are stabilized in a non-functional conformation by focusing on missense mutations affecting the phosphatase domain, but not changing residues involved in binding/catalysis. The pathogenic and conformational characteristics of the selected variants were evaluated in silico and our results revealed some OCRL1VAR to be benign, while others are pathogenic. Then we proceeded to monitor the enzymatic activity and function in kidney cells of the different OCRL1VAR. Based on their enzymatic activity and presence/absence of phenotypes, the variants segregated into two categories that also correlated with the severity of the condition they induce. Overall, these two groups mapped to opposite sides of the phosphatase domain. In summary, our findings highlight that not every mutation affecting the catalytic domain impairs OCRL1′s enzymatic activity. Importantly, data support the inactive-conformation hypothesis. Finally, our results contribute to establishing the molecular and structural basis for the observed heterogeneity in severity/symptomatology displayed by patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of immigration disobedience, which refers to acts of defiance against the unjust immigration system, including hunger strikes and defying deportation orders. The acts have fundamentally changed the policy possibilities for immigration reform and have been used by a diverse set of activists, including undocumented immigrants, immigrants with lawful status, and native-born citizens.

Background: Canada proposed the implementation of mandatory front-of-pack (FOP) labelling regulations, whereby foods meeting or exceeding thresholds for nutrients-of-concern (i.e., total sugars, saturated fat, sodium) must display a 'high-in' FOP symbol (FOP). The objective of the study was to evaluate the potential implications of the proposed regulations using Canadian generic and branded food composition databases.Methods: A generic food composition database of products consumed by Canadians, Canadian Nutrient File (CNF) 2015 (n = 3,677), and a branded food composition database of packaged foods and beverages, Food Label Information Program (FLIP) 2017 (n = 17,521), were used to evaluate the number and proportion of foods that would display a FOP symbol based on the details of the proposed FOP labelling regulations published in 2018.Results: Overall, 35.5% (n = 1,306) of products in CNF 2015 and 63.9% (n = 11,193) of products in FLIP 2017 would display a FOP symbol for at least one nutrient-of-concern exceeding proposed thresholds. Soups, Combination Dishes, and Desserts categories in CNF 2015 and Combination dishes, Soups, and Meats categories in FLIP 2017 would have the highest proportion of products that would display a FOP symbol. Although displaying a FOP symbol for one nutrient was most common in both CNF 2015 (n = 992; 27.0%) and FLIP 2017 (n = 7,296, 41.6%), the number (i.e., 0-3) and type (i.e., saturated fat, sodium, total sugar) of nutrients displayed varied by food category.Conclusion: While the generic database, containing both packaged and unpackaged foods, revealed a low prevalence of foods that would display a FOP symbol, the branded database showed that the proposed FOP labelling regulations would identify over 60% of packaged foods with excess contents of nutrients-of-concern. Considering the high prevalence of packaged foods in Canada that would meet or exceed the thresholds of nutrients-of-concern, the proposed FOP labelling regulations should be implemented in a timely manner to help consumers easily identify foods high in nutrients-of-concern and encourage manufacturer-driven product reformulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse associations of low- and no-calorie sweetened beverages (LNCSB) with cardiometabolic outcomes in observational studies may be explained by reverse causality and residual confounding.Purpose: To address these limitations we used change analyses of repeated measures of intake and substitution analyses to synthesize the association of LNCSB with cardiometabolic outcomes.Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to 10 June 2021 for prospective cohort studies with ≥1 year of follow-up duration in adults.Study Selection: Outcomes included changes in clinical measures of adiposity, risk of overweight/obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease, and total mortality.Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers extracted data, assessed study quality, and assessed certainty of evidence using GRADE. Data were pooled with a random-effects model and expressed as mean difference (MD) or risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI.Data Synthesis: A total of 14 cohorts (416,830 participants) met the eligibility criteria. Increase in LNCSB intake was associated with lower weight (5 cohorts, 130,020 participants; MD -0.008 kg/year [95% CI -0.014, -0.002]). Substitution of LNCSB for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) was associated with lower weight (three cohorts, 165,579 participants; MD, -0.12 [-0.14, -0.10,] kg/y) and lower incidence of obesity (OB) (one cohort, 15,765 participants; RR 0.88 [95% CI 0.88, 0.89]), coronary heart disease (six cohorts, 233,676 participants; 0.89 [0.81, 0.98]), cardiovascular disease mortality (one cohort, 118,363 participants; 0.95 [0.90, 0.99]), and total mortality (one cohort, 118,363 participants; 0.96 [0.94, 0.98]) with no adverse associations across other outcomes. Substitution of water for SSB showed lower weight (three cohorts, 165,579 participants; MD -0.10 kg/year [-0.13, -0.06]), lower waist circumference (one cohort, 173 participants; -2.71 cm/year [-4.27, -1.15]) and percent body fat (one cohort, 173 participants; -1.51% per year [-2.61, -0.42]), and lower incidence of OB (one cohort, 15,765 participants; RR 0.85 [0.75, 0.97]) and T2D (three cohorts, 281,855 participants; 0.96 [0.94, 0.98]). Substitution of LNCSB for water showed no adverse associations.Limitations: The evidence was low to very low certainty owing to downgrades for imprecision, indirectness, and/or inconsistency.Conclusions: LNCSB were not associated with cardiometabolic harm in analyses that model the exposure as change or substitutions. The available evidence provides some indication that LNCSB in their intended substitution for SSB may be associated with cardiometabolic benefit, comparable with the standard of care, water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO) juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) classification criteria, which is still in development, is to identify homogeneous groups of JIA patients. This study was undertaken to compare International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) JIA classification criteria and PRINTO JIA classification criteria using data from the ReACCh‐Out (Research in Arthritis in Canadian Children, Emphasizing Outcomes) cohort. Methods: We used clinicobiologic data recorded within 7 months of diagnosis to assign a diagnosis of JIA and identify subcategories of JIA among 1,228 patients according to the 2 JIA classification systems. We compared the proportions of patients classified and the alignment of classification categories with clinicobiologic subtypes and adult arthritis types. Results: The PRINTO criteria classified 244 patients (19.9%) as having early‐onset antinuclear antibody–positive JIA, 157 (12.8%) as having enthesitis/spondylitis–related JIA, 38 (3.1%) as having systemic JIA, and 10 (0.8%) as having rheumatoid factor–positive JIA. A total of 12% of patients were unclassifiable using the ILAR criteria, while 63.3% were unclassifiable using the PRINTO criteria (777 with other JIA and 2 with unclassified JIA). In sensitivity analyses, >50% of patients remained unclassifiable using the PRINTO criteria. Compared to the PRINTO criteria, ILAR JIA categories aligned better with clinicobiologic subtypes in 131 patients (χ2 = 44, P = 0.005, versus χ2 = 15, P = 0.07 for PRINTO), and ILAR categories aligned better with adult types of arthritis in 389 evaluable patients. Conclusion: Currently identified PRINTO disorders can only be used to classify a minority of JIA patients, leaving a large proportion of JIA patients with other disorders requiring further characterization. Current PRINTO JIA classification criteria do not align better with clinicobiologic subtypes or adult forms of arthritis compared with the older ILAR classification system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for a study published in the journal PLoS ONE. The correction relates to Table 1 in the study, specifically the values in the "reference amount" column. The corrected table provides information on the nutrient thresholds that would determine the display of a front-of-pack symbol according to Canadian front-of-pack labeling regulations. The table includes age groups, reference amounts, thresholds as a percentage of the daily value, and absolute amounts per nutrient for saturated fat, sodium, and sugars. The correction notice does not provide any additional information or analysis beyond the corrected table. [Extracted from the article]

The article argues social movements to reconsider the undocumented worker separate and apart from their immigration status. It mentions Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) created the federal prohibition to control migration by stopping the magnet of jobs in the U.S. It also mentions moral disapproval of undocumented workers helps to bolster the continued connection between migration and work and legalizing undocumented work separate and apart from immigration status.

Background: The current American Society of Anesthesiologists fasting guideline for formula-fed infants in the periprocedural setting is 6 h. Prolonged fasting in very young infants is associated with an increased risk for hypoglycemia and dehydration as well as patient discomfort and patient/parental dissatisfaction. This study aimed to determine the time to gastric emptying in healthy neonates after formula feeding by serially evaluating the gastric antrum with ultrasound. The authors hypothesized that gastric emptying times in formula-fed neonates are significantly shorter than the current 6 h fasting recommendation.Methods: After institutional review board approval and written informed parental consent, ultrasound examination was performed in healthy full-term neonates before and after formula feeding at 15-min intervals until return to baseline. Ultrasound images of the gastric antrum were measured to obtain cross-sectional areas, which were then used to estimate gastric antral volumes.Results: Forty-six of 48 recruited neonates were included in the final analysis. Gastric emptying times ranged from 45 to 150 min and averaged 92.9 min (95% CI, 80.2 to 105.7 min; 99% CI, 76.0 to 109.8 min) in the overall study group. No significant differences were found in times to gastric emptying between male and female neonates (male: mean, 93.3 [95% CI, 82.4 to 104.2 min]; female: mean, 92.6 [95% CI, 82.0 to 103.2 min]; P = 0.930) or those delivered by vaginal versus cesarean routes (vaginal: mean, 93.9 [95% CI, 81.7 to 106.1 min]; cesarean: mean, 92.2 [95% CI, 82.5 to 101.9 min]; P = 0.819).Conclusions: These results demonstrate that gastric emptying times are substantially less than the current fasting guideline of 6 h for formula-fed, healthy term neonates.Editor’s Perspective: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on examination of the association of fructose with cardiometabolic outcomes. Topics include several lines of evidence suggesting the SSBs contributing to cardiometabolic harm with guidelines recommending a reduction in consumption; and achieving SSB reduction being hitherto unclear due to limited evidence on the role of replacement beverages.

Wage theft costs workers billions of dollars each year. During a time when the federal government is rolling back workers' rights, it is essential to consider how state and local laws can address the problem. As this Article explains, the pernicious practice of wage theft seemingly continues unabated, despite a recent wave of state and local laws to curtail it. This Article provides the first comprehensive analysis of state and local anti-wage theft laws. Through a compilation of 141 state and local anti-wage theft laws enacted over the past decade, this Article offers an original typology of the most common anti-wage theft regulatory strategies. An evaluation of these laws shows that they are unlikely to meaningfully reduce wage theft. Specifically, the typology reveals that many of the most popular anti-wage theft strategies involve authorizing worker complaints, creating or enhancing penalties, or mandating employers to disclose information to workers about their wage-related rights. Lessons learned about these conventional regulatory strategies from other contexts raise serious questions about whether these state and local laws can be successful. Rather than concede defeat, this Article contends that there are useful insights to be drawn from the typology and analysis. It concludes by recognizing promising regulatory innovations, identifying new collaborative approaches to enhance agency enforcement, and looking beyond regulation to nongovernmental strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A subset of cancer cells maintains their telomeres without telomerase through the recombination‐based alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Currently, it is not yet clear in what context ALT is induced and how the pathway choice is made. Here, we show that abrogation of Brca2 reinforces break‐induced replication (BIR) and engages with ALT pathway. Brca2 depletion in telomerase‐null mouse cells alleviated the growth defect, accompanied by telomere elongation, suggesting the induction of ALT. We also found that Brca2‐depleted telomerase‐null cells exhibited dynamic clustering of telomeres from G2 phase in Promyelocytic Nuclear (PML) bodies. For Brca2‐deficient ALT induction, Rad51 was dispensable but Mre11 and Rad52 were required. Congruently, conservative telomeric DNA synthesis was apparent in mitosis, indicating that the absence of Brca2 directed towards Rad52‐mediated BIR. Collectively, we propose that Brca2 abrogation can instigate ALT tumourigenesis through the induction of BIR. This study implies that inhibitors of BIR may be useful for BRCA2‐associated ALT‐type cancers. Assessing ALT features may be considered for the tailored therapy of BRCA2‐associated cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undocumented workers face a new harsh reality under the Trump administration. Federal law's prohibition of undocumented work has facilitated exploitation because workers fear being brought to the attention of immigration authorities. The current administration's aggressive stance towards worksite enforcement will only exacerbate abuses against undocumented workers, such as wage theft, dangerous working conditions, or human trafficking. Given the current climate, this Essay explores how states and localities can resist the federal prohibition by legalizing undocumented work. We live in times of resistance, with "sanctuary cities" that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Seizing on this moment, state and local resistance can offer more immediate accountability for addressing the plight of undocumented workers while disrupting the ways in which the federal immigration framework defines the illegality of undocumented work. To start, this Essay reviews how the incongruence between the lived experiences of undocumented workers and the federal immigration framework creates an underclass of workers. Next, it develops a typology of state and local resistance measures that recognize, protect, or promote undocumented work and considers whether these measures can succeed given concerns about federalism and governmental retaliation. This Essay concludes by discussing why state and local resistance is worthwhile. Beyond the palpable benefits of addressing exploitation, state and local resistance can help undocumented workers overcome exclusion by increasing their sense of belonging. Community members also benefit from the strengthening of workers' rights and the contributions to the local economy. At the same time, such resistance changes social norms and provides a powerful critique of the federal prohibition on undocumented work. Ultimately, this Essay is the first to examine how state and local resistance focused on undocumented work can lend itself to building social movements that promote immigrant inclusion by redefining the legality of undocumented work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the vow to protect US. jobs by cracking down on immigration, the current federal anti-immigrant agenda appears to limit any opportunities for comprehensive immigration reform. To the extent that such an agenda interferes with their low-wage immigrant workforces, many employers will likely turn to the expansion of guest worker programs as a way to obtain immigrant workers within a controlled migration program. The justification offered for such programs is that low-wage foreign guest workers are an easy way to fill "bad jobs " that no US. workers want. This Article challenges this commonly accepted narrative and explores how such programs create a cycle that fuels both US. worker shortages and the necessity for guest workers. In so doing, it demonstrates that guest worker programs are harmful to all low-wage workers. Scholars have amply criticized guest worker programs because they impair the rights of guest workers and contravene liberal egalitarian principles of social membership. These criticisms about how foreign workers are treated on U.S. soil, however, have been insufficient to tip the balance against these programs. What is missing from this debate is an attempt to understand why guest worker programs persist despite their many flaws. The programs' legal framework broadly delegates power to employers to create U.S. worker shortages and to demand highly productive and compliant guest workers in the alternative. Cultural narratives operate to mask this reality by tying these trends to cultural explanations about low-wage workers. Together they create a climate that is favorable to guest worker programs. This Article's close examination of these problems exposes why guest worker programs should not be a ready solution for immigration reform. It suggests a new approach to challenging such programs by broadening the lens to consider the plight of the US. worker. My purpose is not to pit US. workers against guest workers, but rather to offer a viewpoint that might connect normally disparate groups in unified opposition to guest worker programs. The U.S. worker can help shift the legal and social norms surrounding such programs by revealing how the fate of all low-wage workers is interconnected with government-enabled degradation of low-wage jobs. This approach thus suggests new advocacy strategies to eliminate guest worker programs in their current format in order to protect the dignity of all low-wage workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the significance of using the strategic phenomenon of mainstreaming immigrant cultural narratives for the development of immigrant workers movement for citizenship rights in the U.S. Topics discussed include workplace standards for immigrant workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act, transnational citizenship for aliens, and civil rights of immigrant workers under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

RAS (rat sarcoma virus) mutant cancers remain difficult to treat despite the advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Targeted therapies against the components of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, including RAS, RAF, MEK, and ERK, have demonstrated activity in BRAF mutant and, in limited cases, RAS mutant cancer. RAS mutant cancers have been found to activate adaptive resistance mechanisms such as autophagy during MAPK inhibition. Here, we review the recent clinically relevant advances in the development of the MAPK pathway and autophagy inhibitors and focus on their application to RAS mutant cancers. We provide analysis of the preclinical rationale for combining the MAPK pathway and autophagy and highlight the most recent clinical trials that have been launched to capitalize on this potentially synthetic lethal approach to cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfonate-based anionic surfactants were generated in 2-3 steps from fructose by conversion of fructose to a furan followed by generation of the sulfonate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) refers to a complex group of systemic vasculitides that are characterized by primary small-to-medium sized blood vessel inflammation with the presence of autoantibodies known as ANCA. AAV diseases include Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA), and Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA). AAVs are challenging conditions associated with high cumulative disease and treatment related morbidity and mortality. Given its rarity and the resulting paucity of pediatric-specific clinical trial evidence, pediatric rheumatologists have had to often extrapolate from adult literature for management and therapeutic decisions. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the important findings and overall conclusions of critical landmark clinical trials in the induction and maintenance treatments in adult AAV for the pediatric rheumatologist. This review also highlights the outcomes of recent pediatric AAV observational studies and discusses the future research priorities in pediatric AAV management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Th17, Th22, and Th1 cells are detected in psoriatic skin lesions and implicated in psoriasis pathogenesis, but inflammatory T cell numbers in blood, as well as the relative importance of each cell type, is unclear. Using 7-color flow cytometry, circulating Th17, Th22, and Th1 cells were quantified in 21 untreated psoriatics and 17 healthy individuals. CCR6 was the best cell surface marker for IL-17A+ cells when compared with IL-23R or CD161. CCR6+, IL-17A+, IL-22+, CCR6+IL-17A+, CCR6+IL-22+, CCR6+tumor necrosis factor-α+, IL-17A+IFN-γ−, IL-17A+IL-22+IFN-γ−, and IL-17A+IL-22−IFN-γ− cells were increased in psoriatics (all values P<0.001), indicating elevations in circulating Th17 cells, using multiple criteria to define these cells. Th22 (IL-17A−IL-22+IFN-γ−, P<0.05) and Th1 (IL-17A−IFN-γ+, P<0.05) cells were also increased in psoriatics, but to a lesser extent. Inhibition of either NF-κB or STAT3 in vitro blocked cytokine production by both Th17 and Th1 cells. Circulating levels of Th17 and Th1 cells decreased in a subset of five psoriasis patients serially evaluated following induction therapy with infliximab. In summary, elevated numbers of circulating inflammatory T cells may contribute to cutaneous inflammation and systemic inflammatory disease that occurs in individuals with psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2019, SmartTots, a public-private partnership between the US Food and Drug Administration and the International Anesthesia Research Society, hosted a meeting attended by research experts, anaesthesia journal editors, and government agency representatives to discuss the continued need for rigorous preclinical research and the importance of establishing reporting standards for the field of anaesthetic perinatal neurotoxicity. This group affirmed the importance of preclinical research in the field, and welcomed novel and mechanistic approaches to answer some of the field's largest questions. The attendees concluded that summarising the benefits and disadvantages of specific model systems, and providing guidance for reporting results, would be helpful for designing new experiments and interpreting results across laboratories. This expert opinion report is a summary of these discussions, and includes a focused review of current animal models and reporting standards for the field of perinatal anaesthetic neurotoxicity. This will serve as a practical guide and road map for novel and rigorous experimental work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe the spatial distribution of incident cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using geographic information systems (GIS). Methods Spatial analyses were carried out on 890 SLE patients and 541 psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients (controls). Age- and sex-adjusted rates for SLE/PsA for each census tract were calculated using denominator population values from the Canadian census. Spatial variations in relative risk were estimated by modeling risk as the product of a time effect, an age effect, and a spatially autocorrelated risk surface to identify hot spots. Patients within the detected hot spot were compared to those outside the hot spot to identify explanatory factors. Results SLE patients were predominantly female (87.75%) and the incidence rate was highest among those 15-19 years of age (2.4 cases/100,000 person-years). In an SLE hot spot containing 59 patients, 100% of the patients were female and 49.1% (n = 29) were Caucasian, while outside of the hot spot, 86.9% (n = 722) of the patients were female and 68.4% (n = 568) were Caucasian. The proportion of cases of Chinese ethnicity was significantly greater within the hot spot. An interaction was found between Chinese ethnicity and residence within the hot spot, with the risk of SLE to the Chinese population found to be twice the risk to the non-Chinese population. Conclusion GIS was used to map SLE cases and a hot spot was identified after adjustment for age and sex. Ethnicity by itself did not confer an increased risk of SLE, but the interaction of ethnicity with location of residence significantly increased the risk of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine mollusk Aplysia is a useful model organism for studying the cellular bases of behavior and plasticity. However, molecular studies of Aplysia have been limited by the lack of genomic information. Recently, a large scale characterization of neuronal transcripts was performed in A. californica. Here, we report the analysis of a parallel set of neuronal transcripts from a closely related species A. kurodai found in the northwestern Pacific. We collected 4,859 nonredundant sequences from the nervous system tissue of A. kurodai. By performing microarray and real-time PCR analyses, we found that ApC/EBP, matrilin, antistasin, and elF3e clones were significantly up-regulated and a BAT1 homologous clone was significantly down-regulated by 5-HT treatment. Among these, we further demonstrated that the Ap-elF3e plays a key role in 5-HT-induced long-term facilitation (LTF) as a positive regulator [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]