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Abstract Cadmium (Cd) is a detrimental heavy metal propagated from soil to the food chain via plants, posing a great risk to human health upon consumption. Despite the understanding of Cd tolerance mechanisms in plants, whether and how plants actively respond to Cd and in turn restrict its uptake and accumulation remain elusive. Here, we identify a cell wall-associated receptor-like kinase 4 (WAKL4) involved in specific tolerance to Cd stress. We show that Cd rapidly and exclusively induces WAKL4 accumulation by promoting WAKL4 transcription and blocking its vacuole-dependent proteolysis in roots. The accumulated WAKL4 next interacts with and phosphorylates the Cd transporter NRAMP1 at Tyr488, leading to the enhanced ubiquitination and vacuole-dependent degradation of NRAMP1, and consequently reducing Cd uptake. Our findings therefore uncover a mechanism conferred by the WAKL4-NRAMP1 module that enables plants to actively respond to Cd and limit its uptake, informing the future molecular breeding of low Cd accumulated crops or vegetables.

Many studies have explored corporate social responsibility (CSR) outcomes in different contexts, but few empirically examine its effects on brand reputation, employer branding, and performance, considering employees' perspectives, particularly in banking. Consequently, this study aims to examine how employees’ perceptions of CSR influence brand reputation, employer branding, and performance in the banking sector, highlighting the mediating role of brand reputation. A quantitative approach was applied using a questionnaire to collect data from employees working in different banks in Pakistan. 254 responses were collected and analysed using PLS-SEM. The findings indicated that CRS positively and significantly impacts brand reputation, employer branding, and performance. Both employer branding and performance are significantly affected by brand reputation, which in turn has a substantial intervening role in the connections between CRS and employer branding and performance. This study contributes to the extant literature on CRS within the banking sector. It provides practical contributions for managers and concerned stakeholders to better understand the consequences of CSR. Limitations and directions for further research are also provided.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of lung ultrasonography (LUS) performed by novice users’ general practitioners (GPs) in diagnosing lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in primary health care settings.Design A prospective interventional multicenter study (December 2019–March 2020).Settings and subjects Patients aged >3 months, suspected of having LRTI consulting in three different general practices (GPs) (rural, semirural and urban) in France.Main outcome measures Feasibility of LUS by GPs was assessed by (1) the proportion of patients where LUS was not performed, (2) technical breakdowns, (3) interpretability of images by GPs, (4) examination duration and (5) patient perception and acceptability.Results A total of 151 patients were recruited, and GPs performed LUS for 111 (73.5%) patients (LUS group). In 99.1% (n = 110) of cases, GPs indicated that they were able to interpret images. The median [IQR] exam duration was 4 [3–5] minutes. LRTI was diagnosed in 70.3% and 60% of patients in the LUS and no-LUS groups, respectively (p = .43). After LUS, GPs changed their diagnosis from ‘other’ to ‘LRTI’ in six cases (+5.4%, p

Résumé Introduction - La douleur qui accompagne l’accouchement est vécue comme une expérience multidimensionnelle. Sa prise en charge est inexistante au niveau des hôpitaux à Oran. La présente étude a pour objectifs d’évaluer la connaissance et l’acceptabilité des parturientes de l’analgésie péridurale et de mesurer la satis­faction maternelle après la mise en place dans notre unité d’un protocole d’anal­gésie péridurale. Patientes et Méthodes - Il s’agit d’une étude descriptive. Ont été inclues toutes les parturientes admises pour accouchement par voie basse. Les variables étu­diées étaient l’âge la dilatation cervicale à l’admission, les scores de l’échelle visuelle analogique (EVA), le délai d’installation de l’analgésie, les effets adverses liés à la technique, la durée de la 1ère phase et de la 2ème phase de l’accouche­ment, la qualité de l’analgésie la connaissance l’acceptabilité et la satisfaction maternelle. Résultats - 120 parturientes à terme avec présentation céphalique ont participé à l’étude. La durée moyenne de la 1° phase du travail (55,04 ± 36,20 min) était plus courte chez les multipares vs primigestes (p

AbstractBackground - Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) is routinely used as a highly sen-sitive marker of hepatobiliary disease, alcohol consumption and more recently as predictive biomarker of cardiovascular events. In current practice, laboratories measure the GGT activity on tube containing lithium heparin. Except that there is no evidence that GGT activity can be reliably determined with this anticoagulant. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the anticoagulant on the determination the GGT activity in blood samples.Methods - Blood samples of 30 patients were collected in three types of tubes: dry tube, tube containing lithium heparinate and another containing dipotassium ethylene diamine tetraacetate (K2-EDTA). The statistical analysis includes correla-tion studies, Bland Altman’s analysis, as well as the comparison of biases to analyti-cal change limit (ACL) and reference change value (RCV).Results - Results obtained on heparinized plasma are globally overestimated com-paratively to the serum (p=0.001). Whereas, the results obtained on EDTA plasma are more comparable to those of serum (p=0.356). Taking the dry tube as a refe-rence, the calculated bias for heparinized plasma (+49.55%) samples is larger than the ACL (5.24%) and the RCV (37.52%). For EDTA plasma samples, this bias (-13.40%) is lower than RCV, but higher than ACL.Conclusion - Our results show that the determination of GGT activity must be done on serum samples. If ever plasma should be used, we recommend collecting speci-mens on EDTA anticoagulant.Articles originauxJournal de la Faculté de Médecine d’OranJfmoArticle original

Abstract Introduction - L’objectif de cette étude est de mettre en relief les différents profilsépidémiologiques, clinico-pronostiques et thérapeutiques des péritonites postopératoiresen fonction du contexte initial, d’urgence ou de chirurgie programmée, del’intervention initiale.Matériels et méthodes - Il s’agit d’une étude rétrospective et prospective qui acolligé 127 patients opérés pour péritonite postopératoire au service des urgenceschirurgicales d’Oran. L’intervention première en contexte d’urgence avait concerné83 patients (65,4%) et 44 patients (34,6%) opérés initialement dans un cadre dechirurgie programmée.Résultats - L’âge moyen des patients opérés du groupe contexte d’urgence [GCU]était de 46,6 ans versus 49,9 ans pour les patients opérés en contexte de chirurgieprogrammée [GCP]. Une prédominance masculine de 59,0% était observée dans le[GCU] versus 52,2% dans le [GCP]. Le degré de septicité des interventions, selonla classification d’Altemeier ,avait montré que les interventions initiales (classesIII/contaminée et IV/sale) représentaient respectivement 90,2% et 100% pour le[GCU], et 9,7% et 0% pour le [GCP]. L’état de choc était retrouvé chez 26 patientsdont 17 avaient été opérés initialement en contexte d’urgence (65%). La mortalitéétait de 31,3% dans le [GCU] contre 27,2% dans le [GCP]. P = 0,635.Conclusion - Cette étude comparative a permis de mettre en évidence les différentescaractéristiques épidémiologiques, diagnostiques et thérapeutiques distinguantles deux groupes de patients opérés selon le caractère d’urgence ou non del’intervention première.

Abstract Polyploidization is a major driver of genome diversification and environmental adaptation. However, the merger of different genomes may result in genomic conflicts, raising a major question regarding how genetic diversity is interpreted and regulated to enable environmental plasticity. By analyzing the genome-wide binding of 191 trans-factors in allopolyploid wheat, we identified like heterochromatin protein 1 (LHP1) as a master regulator of subgenome-diversified genes. Transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses of LHP1 mutants reveal its role in buffering the expression of subgenome-diversified defense genes by controlling H3K27me3 homeostasis. Stripe rust infection releases latent subgenomic variations by eliminating H3K27me3-related repression. The simultaneous inactivation of LHP1 homoeologs by CRISPR–Cas9 confers robust stripe rust resistance in wheat seedlings. The conditional repression of subgenome-diversified defenses ensures developmental plasticity to external changes, while also promoting neutral-to-non-neutral selection transitions and adaptive evolution. These findings establish an LHP1-mediated buffering system at the intersection of genotypes, environments, and phenotypes in polyploid wheat. Manipulating the epigenetic buffering capacity offers a tool to harness cryptic subgenomic variations for crop improvement.

Sex disparities in access and quality of care are well known for some time-sensitive conditions. However, the impact of sex on early trauma care remains unknown. In this study, we compared delays of completion of life-saving interventions (LSIs) between females and males among severely injured patients. This is a retrospective cohort study of all patients who consulted or were transported by ambulance in the emergency department (ED) of a level-one trauma centre following injury between September 2017 and December 2019 and for whom at least one LSI was performed. The list of LSIs was established by an expert consensus and included trauma team leader (TTL) activation, endotracheal intubation, chest decompression, blood transfusion, massive transfusion protocol, neurosurgery, spinal surgery, intestinal surgery, and spleen, liver and/or kidney angiography. A total of 905 patients were included. No significant statistical differences in the LSI delays were found when comparing females and males brought directly to the ED and transferred from another health care setting. Results of this study suggest that delays before completion of LSIs are similar for severely injured patients at our major trauma centre regardless of their sex.

Abstract Background The population of older trauma patients is increasing. Those patients have heterogeneous presentations and need senior-friendly triaging tools. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) is commonly used to assess injury severity, and some authors advocated adjusting SBP threshold for older patients. We aimed to describe and compare the relationship between mortality and SBP in older trauma patients and their younger counterparts. Methods We included patients admitted to three level-I trauma centres and performed logistic regressions with age and SBP to obtain mortality curves. Multivariable Logistic regressions were performed to measure the association between age and mortality at different SBP ranges. Subgroup analyses were conducted for major trauma and severe traumatic brain injury admissions. Results A total of 47,661 patients were included, among which 12.9% were aged 65–74 years and 27.3% were ≥ 75 years. Overall mortality rates were 3.9%, 8.1%, and 11.7% in the groups aged 16–64, 65–74, and ≥ 75 years, respectively. The relationship between prehospital SBP and mortality was nonlinear (U-shape), mortality increased with each 10 mmHg SBP decrement from 130 to 50 mmHg and each 10-mmHg increment from 150 to 220 mmHg across all age groups. Older patients were at higher odd for mortality in all ranges of SBP. The highest OR in patients aged 65–74 years was 3.67 [95% CI: 2.08–6.45] in the 90–99 mmHg SBP range and 7.92 [95% CI: 5.13–12.23] for those aged ≥ 75 years in the 100–109 mmHg SBP range. Conclusion The relationship between SBP and mortality is nonlinear, regardless of trauma severity and age. Older age was associated with a higher odd of mortality at all SBP points. Future triage tools should therefore consider SBP as a continuous rather than a dichotomized predictor.

Abstract Maintaining stable and transient quiescence in differentiated and stem cells, respectively, requires repression of the cell cycle. The plant RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED (RBR) has been implicated in stem cell maintenance, presumably by forming repressor complexes with E2F transcription factors. Surprisingly we find that mutations in all three canonical E2Fs do not hinder the cell cycle, but similarly to RBR silencing, result in hyperplasia. Contrary to the growth arrest that occurs when exit from proliferation to differentiation is inhibited upon RBR silencing, the e2fabc mutant develops enlarged organs with supernumerary stem and differentiated cells as quiescence is compromised. While E2F, RBR and the M-phase regulatory MYB3Rs are part of the DREAM repressor complexes, and recruited to overlapping groups of targets, they regulate distinct sets of genes. Only the loss of E2Fs but not the MYB3Rs interferes with quiescence, which might be due to the ability of E2Fs to control both G1-S and some key G2-M targets. We conclude that collectively the three canonical E2Fs in complex with RBR have central roles in establishing cellular quiescence during organ development, leading to enhanced plant growth.

Background: With regard to health-threatening infections, Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of polymorphic infections varying from a banal tegumentary infection to numerous lethal illnesses. Furthermore, it is the third commonest bacterial cause of food-borne infections worldwide.This study aimed to investigate contamination, prevalence, and antibiotic resistance of S. aureus isolated from several widely marketed food products (raw and processed) in the region of Oran, Algeria. Methods: A total of 350 food samples including prepared meals (n=110), dairy products (n=42), pastry (n=78), meat and its derivatives (n=97), and other commercially available foods (egg products, sweets, and sauces) (n=23) have been randomly purchased from diverse sale outlets and screened for S. aureus strains during the period from July 2021 to September 2022. The isolation and identication of S. aureus bacteria were preformed using conventional culture and biochemical tests such as catalase, coagulase, and DNase tests. Furthermore, the strains were screened for their resistance to five different antimicrobial drugs using the agar diffusion method. Results: The overall prevalence of S. aureus determined among the collecteded samples was 31.14% (109/350), where, pastry products harbored the highest contamination rate (43.59%), and prepared meals, the lowest contamination rate (18.18%). The strains presented a high level of resistance (58.71-39.44%) for gentamycin and oxacilin, respectively. Moreover, the lowest level of resistance was observed against erythromycin 16.51%, and about 83% of strains presented multidrug resistance. Conclusion: The significative prevalence and the high level of multidrug resistant of S. aureus highlights the seriousness to improve food contamination prevention programs and underlines that good hygiene practices at sale outlets has a major impact on the sanitary quality of commercialized food products. DOI: 10.18502/jfqhc.10.2.12669

The INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) family belongs to a group of plant-specific transcription factors that coordinates plant growth/development and immunity. However, the function and mode of action of IDDs during abiotic stress, such as salt, are poorly understood. We used idd4 transgenic lines and screened them under salt stress to find the involvement of IDD4 in salinity stress tolerance The genetic disruption of IDD4 increases salt-tolerance, characterized by sustained plant growth, improved Na+/K+ ratio, and decreased stomatal density/aperture. Yet, IDD4 overexpressing plants were hypersensitive to salt-stress with an increase in stomatal density and pore size. Transcriptomic and ChIP-seq analyses revealed that IDD4 directly controls an important set of genes involved in abiotic stress/salinity responses. Interestingly, using anti-IDD4-pS73 antibody we discovered that IDD4 is specifically phosphorylated at serine-73 by MPK6 in vivo under salinity stress. Analysis of plants expressing the phospho-dead and phospho-mimicking IDD4 versions proved that phosphorylation of IDD4 plays a crucial role in plant transcriptional reprogramming of salt-stress genes. Altogether, we show that salt stress adaption involves MPK6 phosphorylation of IDD4 thereby regulating IDD4 DNA-binding and expression of target genes.