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Exciton dynamics in a HJ-aggregate of cyanine dye TTBC are investigated by transient absorption with a time resolution of

Abstract Background The same mechanisms by which ultrasound enhances thrombolysis are described in connection with non-beneficial effects of ultrasound. The present safety study was therefore designed to explore effects of beneficial ultrasound characteristics on the infarcted and non-infarcted myocardium. Methods In an open chest porcine model (n = 17), myocardial infarction was induced by ligating a coronary diagonal branch. Pulsed ultrasound of frequency 1 MHz and intensity 0.1 W/cm2 (ISATA) was applied during one hour to both infarcted and non-infarcted myocardial tissue. These ultrasound characteristics are similar to those used in studies of ultrasound enhanced thrombolysis. Using blinded assessment technique, myocardial damage was rated according to histopathological criteria. Results Infarcted myocardium exhibited a significant increase in damage score compared to non-infarcted myocardium: 6.2 ± 2.0 vs. 4.3 ± 1.5 (mean ± standard deviation), (p = 0.004). In the infarcted myocardium, ultrasound exposure yielded a further significant increase of damage scores: 8.1 ± 1.7 vs. 6.2 ± 2.0 (p = 0.027). Conclusion Our results suggest an instantaneous additive effect on the ischemic damage in myocardial tissue when exposed to ultrasound of stated characteristics. The ultimate damage degree remains to be clarified.

Background: Music therapy (MT) has been shown to improve outcomes for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and patients with hematologic and/or oncologic conditions excluding SCD (HemOnc) in prior randomized trials. While few studies have described the clinical delivery (ie, volume, clinical settings, patient characteristics, referrals, and session characteristics) of MT and examined its real-world effectiveness, no studies have compared responses between hematology/oncology populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical delivery and effectiveness of MT at a freestanding academic cancer center and compare the effectiveness of MT on pain, anxiety, and fatigue between adult patients in the HemOnc and SCD groups. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all MT sessions provided at a freestanding academic cancer center between January 2017 and July 2020. The unadjusted single-session effects of MT on pain, anxiety, and fatigue were assessed among patients reporting symptoms ≥1 out of 10 on a 0 to 10 scale. Adjustments were made for multiple sessions on the same patient using a mixed model to compare pre-session and change scores between the HemOnc and SCD groups. Patients’ comments were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis. Results: Music therapists provided 4002 sessions to 1152 patients including 1012 in the HemOnc group and 140 in the SCD group. In the combined sample, statistically significant reductions in pain (1.48 units), anxiety (2.58 units), and fatigue (0.84 units) were observed, with changes in pain and anxiety exceeding clinically significant thresholds. After adjustment, the SCD group reported significantly greater pre-session pain (7.22 vs 5.81) and anxiety (6.11 vs 5.17) as well as greater anxiety reduction (2.89 vs 2.23) than the HemOnc group. Patients’ comments contained themes including enjoyment, gratitude, and improvements in mood, pain, and anxiety. Conclusions: This study supports the delivery and clinical effectiveness of MT for addressing the needs of patients throughout their course of treatment at an academic cancer center and justifies the inclusion of individuals with SCD within integrative oncology services.

The outer and the inner membranes of the chloroplast envelope, also called OEM and IEM, have distinct lipid and protein compositions. They host molecular systems involved in the biogenesis of the organelle, its cellular function, and its communication with other compartments. Here we describe a method for the isolation of these two membranes starting from intact chloroplast preparations, with two alternative procedures based on the starting material. One was developed from spinach leaves, the other from pea leaves. The two procedures differ in the method used to isolate and rupture chloroplasts and separate each membrane., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Plant cell chloroplasts are bounded by a two-membrane envelope. Their photosynthetic function is based on the development of an operational large internal membrane network, called the thylakoids, and on enzymatic processes present in the chloroplast matrix, called the stroma. Thylakoid membranes are distinct from the chloroplast envelope, and their biogenesis is dependent on biosynthetic and transport activities specific of the chloroplast envelope. Starting with the isolation of intact chloroplasts, the method presents the separation by differential centrifugation of the three compartments. A protocol is detailed for leaves of spinach, Arabidopsis or pea., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Although COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) in children is usually mild, they need hospitalization and intensive care in exceptional cases. Adverse outcomes have been observed mainly among children with comorbidities, justifying their vaccination. This study aimed to assess the risk of hospitalization and death in Mexican children and adolescents with COVID-19 and comorbidities., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 366,542 confirmed COVID-19 cases under 18 years, reported by the Mexican Ministry of Health up to July 9, 2022. Logistic regression models were performed., Results: The mean age was 10.98 years, 50.6% were male, and 7.3% reported at least one comorbidity. The percentage of hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients with and without comorbidities was 3.52%, and 0.20%, respectively; children with comorbidities presented a higher percentage of hospitalization (14.0%) and death (1.9%). The probability of hospitalization was 5.6 times greater in pediatric patients with COVID-19 and comorbidities, and the comorbidities that showed the greatest risk were immunosuppression (odds ratio (OR) 22.06), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (11.36), and cardiovascular diseases (5.66). The probability of death in patients with comorbidities was 11.01 times higher than in those without diseases, and the highest risk was observed in those with CKD (OR 12.57), cardiovascular diseases (6.87), and diabetes (5.83)., Conclusions: Pediatric patients with comorbidities presented a higher risk of severe COVID-19. It is suggested that vaccination should be promoted with greater emphasis on pediatric patients with comorbidities., (Copyright: © 2023 Permanyer.)

Biogenesis of photosynthetic membranes depends on galactolipid synthesis, which relies on several cell compartments, notably the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the chloroplast envelope. Galactolipid synthesis involves lipid trafficking between both membrane compartments. In Arabidopsis , ALA10, a phospholipid flippase of the P 4 type-ATPase family, counteracts the limitation of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) production and has a positive effect on leaf development. ALA10 locates in distinct domains of the ER depending on the ALIS (ALA interacting subunit) subunit it interacts with: close to the plasma membrane with ALIS1, or next to chloroplasts with ALIS5. It interacts with FAD2 (Fatty acid desaturase 2) and prevents accumulation of linolenic (18:3) containing phosphatidylcholine (PC) stimulating an increase of MGDG synthesis. Here we report that ALA10 interacts with PUB11 (plant U-box type 11), an E3 protein ubiquitin ligase, in vitro and in vivo . ALA10 is however ubiquitinated and degraded by the 26S proteasome in a PUB11-independent process. In pub11 null mutant, the proteasome-dependent degradation of ALA10 is retained and ALA10 is still subject to ubiquitination although its ubiquitination profile appears different. In the absence of PUB11, ALA10 is constrained to the ER close to chloroplasts, which is the usual location when ALA10 is overexpressed. Additionally, in this condition, the decrease of 18:3 containing PC is no longer observed. Taken together these results suggest, that ALA10 contributes in chloroplast-distal ER interacting domains, to reduce the 18:3 desaturation of PC and that PUB11 is involved in reconditioning of ALA10 from chloroplast-proximal to chloroplast-distal ER interacting domains., (Copyright © 2020 Salvaing, Botella, Albrieux, Gros, Block and Jouhet.)

Background: Scientific journals play a critical role in research validation and dissemination and are increasingly vocal about the identification of research priorities and the targeting of research results to key audiences. No new journals specialising in health policy and systems research (HPSR) and focusing in the developing world or in a specific developing world region have been established since the early 1980s. This paper compares the growth of publications on HPSR across Latin America and the world and explores the potential, feasibility and challenges of innovative publication strategies., Methods: A bibliometric analysis was undertaken using HPSR MeSH terms with journals indexed in Medline. A survey was undertaken among 2500 authors publishing on HPSR in Latin America (LA) through an online survey, with a 13.1% response rate. Aggregate indicators were constructed and validated, and two-way ANOVA tests were performed on key variables., Results: HPSR publications on LA observed an average annual growth of 27.5% from the years 2000 to 2018, as against 11.4% worldwide and yet a lag on papers published per capita. A total of 48 journals with an Impact Factor publish HPSR on LA, of which 5 non-specialised journals are published in the region and are ranked in the bottom quintile of Impact Factor. While the majority of HPSR papers worldwide is published in specialised HPSR journals, in LA this is the minority. Very few researchers from LA sit in the Editorial Board of international journals. Researchers highly support strengthening quality HPSR publications through publishing in open access, on-line journals with a focus on the LA region and with peer reviewers specialized on the region. Researchers would support a new open access journal specializing in the LA region and in HPSR, publishing in English. Open access up-front costs and disincentives while waiting for an Impact Factor can be overcome., Conclusion: Researchers publishing on HPSR in LA widely support the launching of a new specialised journal for the region with a vigorous editorial policy focusing on regional and country priorities. Strategies should be in place to support English-language publishing and to develop a community of practice around the publication process. In the first years, special issues should be promoted through a priority-setting process to attract prominent authors, develop the audience and attain an Impact Factor.

Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol are essential galactolipids for the biogenesis of plastids and functioning of the photosynthetic machinery. In Arabidopsis, the first step of galactolipid synthesis is catalyzed by monogalactosyldiacylglycerol synthase 1 (MGD1), a monotopic protein located in the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts, which transfers a galactose residue from UDP-galactose to diacylglycerol (DAG). MGD1 needs anionic lipids such as phosphatidylglycerol (PG) to be active, but the mechanism by which PG activates MGD1 is still unknown. Recent studies shed light on the catalytic mechanism of MGD1 and on the possible PG binding site. Particularly, Pro189 was identified as a potential residue implicated in PG binding and His155 as the putative catalytic residue. In the present study, using a multifaceted approach (Langmuir membrane models, atomic force microscopy, molecular dynamics; MD), we investigated the membrane binding properties of native MGD1 and mutants (P189A and H115A). We demonstrated that both residues are involved in PG binding, thus suggesting the existence of a PG-His catalytic dyad that should facilitate deprotonation of the nucleophile hydroxyl group of DAG acceptor. Interestingly, MD simulations showed that MGD1 induces a reorganization of lipids by attracting DAG molecules to create an optimal platform for binding., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and signaling are activated in Arabidopsis cultivated in phosphate (Pi) deprived conditions. This activation occurs mainly in photosynthetic tissues and is less important in roots. In leaves, the enhanced biosynthesis of JA coincides with membrane glycerolipid remodeling triggered by the lack of Pi. We addressed the possible role of JA on the dynamics and magnitude of glycerolipid remodeling in response to Pi deprivation and resupply. Based on combined analyses of gene expression, JA biosynthesis and glycerolipid remodeling in wild-type Arabidopsis and in the coi1-16 mutant, JA signaling seems important in the determination of the basal levels of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid (PA), monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol. JA impact on MGDG steady state level and fluctuations seem contradictory. In the coi1-16 mutant, the steady state level of MGDG is higher, possibly due to a higher level of PA in the mutant, activating MGD1, and to an increased expression of MGD3. These results support a possible impact of JA in limiting the overall content of this lipid. Concerning lipid variations, upon Pi deprivation, JA seems rather associated with a specific MGDG increase. Following Pi resupply, whereas the expression of glycerolipid remodeling genes returns to basal level, JA biosynthesis and signaling genes are still upregulated, likely due to a JA-induced positive feedback remaining active. Distinct impacts on enzymes synthesizing MGDG, that is, downregulating MGD3, possibly activating MGD1 expression and limiting the activation of MGD1 via PA, might allow JA playing a role in a sophisticated fine tuning of galactolipid variations., (� The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

A unique feature of chloroplasts is their high content of the galactolipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), which constitute up to 80% of their lipids. These galactolipids are synthesized in the chloroplast envelope membrane through the concerted action of galactosyltransferases, the so-called 'MGDG synthases (MGDs)' and 'DGDG synthases (DGDs),' which use uridine diphosphate (UDP)-galactose as donor. In Arabidopsis leaves, under standard conditions, the enzymes MGD1 and DGD1 provide the bulk of galactolipids, necessary for the massive expansion of thylakoid membranes. Under phosphate limited conditions, plants activate another pathway involving MGD2/MGD3 and DGD2 to provide additional DGDG that is exported to extraplastidial membranes where they partly replace phospholipids, a phosphate-saving mechanism in plants. A third enzyme system, which relies on the UDP-Gal-independent GGGT (also called SFR2 for SENSITIVE TO FREEZING 2), can be activated in response to a freezing stress. The biosynthesis of galactolipids by these multiple enzyme sets must be tightly regulated to meet the cellular demand in response to changing environmental conditions. The cooperation between MGD and DGD enzymes with a possible substrate channeling from diacylglycerol to MGDG and DGDG is supported by biochemical and biophysical studies and mutant analyses reviewed herein. The fine-tuning of MGDG to DGDG ratio, which allows the reversible transition from the hexagonal II to lamellar α phase of the lipid bilayer, could be a key factor in thylakoid biogenesis.

Chloroplasts contain about 3000 proteins, with approximately 400 of them located in the chloroplast envelope membranes, 1300 in the soluble stroma, and 1300 in the thylakoid membranes. Most of them are encoded by nuclear genes and translated as precursor proteins in the cytosol before their transport into chloroplasts. As a tool to control and characterize their import into plastids, we here describe an assay for in vitro protein import with isolated pea chloroplasts.

The outer membrane and the inner membrane of the chloroplast envelope, also called OEM and IEM, have distinct functions connected with chloroplast biogenesis and chloroplast communication with the rest of the cell. Here we describe a method for the isolation of these membranes starting from intact chloroplast preparations, with two alternative procedures based on the starting material. One was developed from spinach leaves, the other one from pea leaves. The two procedures differ by the means that are used to isolate and rupture chloroplasts and to liberate each membrane.

Chloroplasts are specific organelles of plant cells dedicated to photosynthesis and delimited by a two-membrane chloroplast envelope. Their photosynthetic function is based on the development of an operational large internal membrane network, called the thylakoids, and on enzymatic processes present in the chloroplast matrix, called the stroma. Thylakoid membranes are clearly different from the chloroplast envelope and their biogenesis is dependent on biosynthetic and transport activities specific of the chloroplast envelope. Starting with the isolation of intact chloroplasts, the method presents the separation by differential centrifugation of the three main compartments of the chloroplast: the stroma, the thylakoids, and the chloroplast envelope. Three different protocols are provided, adapted for starting leaves of spinach, Arabidopsis, and pea.

In plant cells, phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a major glycerolipid of most membranes but practically lacking from the plastid internal membranes. In chloroplasts, PC is absent from the thylakoids and the inner envelope membrane. It is however the main component of the outer envelope membrane, where it exclusively distributes in the outer monolayer. This unique distribution is likely related with operational compartmentalization of plant lipid metabolism. In this review, we summarize the different mechanisms involved in homeostasis of PC in plant cells. The specific origin of chloroplast PC is examined and the involvement of the P4-ATPase family of phospholipid flippases (ALA) is considered with a special attention to the recently reported effect of the endoplasmic reticulum-localized ALA10 on modification of chloroplast PC desaturation. The different possible roles of chloroplast PC are then discussed and analyzed in consideration of plant physiology., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective:: To estimate the cost-effectiveness ratio of public and private health care providers funded by Seguro Popular., Materials and Methods:: A pilot contracting primary care health care scheme in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, was evaluated through a population survey to assess quality of care and detection decreased of vision. Costs were assessed from the payer perspective using institutional sources.The alternatives analyzed were a private provider with capitated and performance-based payment modalities, and a public provider funded through budget subsidies. Sensitivity analysis was performed using Monte Carlo simulations., Results:: The private provider is dominant in the quality and cost-effective detection of decreased vision., Conclusions:: Strategic purchasing of private providers of primary care has shown promising results as an alternative to improving quality of health services and reducing costs.

The mitochondrion is an organelle originating from an endosymbiotic event and playing a role in several fundamental processes such as energy production, metabolite syntheses, and programmed cell death. This organelle is delineated by two membranes whose synthesis requires an extensive exchange of phospholipids with other cellular organelles such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and vacuolar membranes in yeast. These transfers of phospholipids are thought to occur by a non-vesicular pathway at contact sites between two closely apposed membranes. In plants, little is known about the biogenesis of mitochondrial membranes. Contact sites between ER and mitochondria are suspected to play a similar role in phospholipid trafficking as in yeast, but this has never been demonstrated. In contrast, it has been shown that plastids are able to transfer lipids to mitochondria during phosphate starvation. However, the proteins involved in such transfer are still unknown. Here, we identified in Arabidopsis thaliana a large lipid-enriched complex called the mitochondrial transmembrane lipoprotein (MTL) complex. The MTL complex contains proteins located in the two mitochondrial membranes and conserved in all eukaryotic cells, such as the TOM complex and AtMic60, a component of the MICOS complex. We demonstrate that AtMic60 contributes to the export of phosphatidylethanolamine from mitochondria and the import of galactoglycerolipids from plastids during phosphate starvation. Furthermore, AtMic60 promotes lipid desorption from membranes, likely as an initial step for lipid transfer, and binds to Tom40, suggesting that AtMic60 could regulate the tethering between the inner and outer membranes of mitochondria., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The biogenesis of photosynthetic membranes relies on galactoglycerolipids, which are synthesized via pathways that are dispatched over several cell compartments. This membrane biogenesis requires both trafficking of lipid intermediates and a tight homeostatic regulation. In this work, we address the role of ALA10 (for aminophospholipid ATPase), a P4-type ATPase, in a process counteracting the monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) shortage in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves. ALA10 can interact with protein partners, ALIS1 (for ALA-interacting subunit1) or ALIS5, leading to differential endomembrane localizations of the interacting proteins, close to the plasma membrane with ALIS1 or to chloroplasts with ALIS5. ALA10 interacts also with FATTY ACID DESATURASE2 (FAD2), and modification of ALA10 expression affects phosphatidylcholine (PC) fatty acyl desaturation by disturbing the balance between FAD2 and FAD3 activities. Modulation of ALA10 expression downstream impacts the fatty acyl composition of chloroplast PC. ALA10 expression also enhances leaf growth and improves the MGDG-PC ratio, possibly through MGDG SYNTHASE1 (MGD1) activation by phosphatidic acid. The positive effect of ALA10 on leaf development is significant in conditions such as upon treatment of plants with Galvestine-1, an inhibitor of MGDG synthases, or when plants are grown at chilling temperature., (© 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.)

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) are the major lipid components of photosynthetic membranes, and hence the most abundant lipids in the biosphere. They are essential for assembly and function of the photosynthetic apparatus. In Arabidopsis, the first step of galactolipid synthesis is catalyzed by MGDG synthase 1 (MGD1), which transfers a galactosyl residue from UDP-galactose to diacylglycerol (DAG). MGD1 is a monotopic protein that is embedded in the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts. Once produced, MGDG is transferred to the outer envelope membrane, where DGDG synthesis occurs, and to thylakoids. Here we present two crystal structures of MGD1: one unliganded and one complexed with UDP. MGD1 has a long and flexible region (approximately 50 amino acids) that is required for DAG binding. The structures reveal critical features of the MGD1 catalytic mechanism and its membrane binding mode, tested on biomimetic Langmuir monolayers, giving insights into chloroplast membrane biogenesis. The structural plasticity of MGD1, ensuring very rapid capture and utilization of DAG, and its interaction with anionic lipids, possibly driving the construction of lipoproteic clusters, are consistent with the role of this enzyme, not only in expansion of the inner envelope membrane, but also in supplying MGDG to the outer envelope and nascent thylakoid membranes., (© 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Chronic diseases (CD) are a public health emergency in Mexico. Despite concern regarding the financial burden of CDs in the country, economic studies have focused only on diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Furthermore, these estimated financial burdens were based on hypothetical epidemiology models or ideal healthcare scenarios. The present study estimates the annual expenditure per patient and the financial burden for the nine most prevalent CDs, excluding cancer, for each of the two largest public health providers in the country: the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS)., Methods: Using the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 (ENSANUT) as the main source of data, health services consumption related to CDs was obtained from patient reports. Unit costs for each provided health service (e.g. consultation, drugs, hospitalization) were obtained from official reports. Prevalence data was obtained from the published literature. Annual expenditure due to health services consumption was calculated by multiplying the quantity of services consumed by the unit cost of each health service., Results: The most expensive CD in both health institutions was chronic kidney disease (CKD), with an annual unit cost for MoH per patient of US$ 8,966 while for IMSS the expenditure was US$ 9,091. Four CDs (CKD, arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and chronic ischemic heart disease) accounted for 88% of the total CDs financial burden (US$ 1.42 billion) in MoH and 85% (US$ 3.96 billion) in IMSS. The financial burden of the nine CDs analyzed represents 8% and 25% of the total annual MoH and IMSS health expenditure, respectively., Conclusions/significance: The financial burden from the nine most prevalent CDs, excluding cancer, is already high in Mexico. This finding by itself argues for the need to improve health promotion and disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment to ensure CD primary and secondary prevention. If the status quo remains, the financial burden could be higher.

Photosynthetic membranes, or thylakoids, are the most extensive membrane system found in the biosphere. They form flattened membrane cisternae in the cytosol of cyanobacteria and in the stroma of chloroplasts. The efficiency of light energy capture and conversion, critical for primary production in ecosystems, relies on the rapid expansion of thylakoids and their versatile reorganization in response to light changes. Thylakoid biogenesis results from the assembly of a lipid matrix combined with the incorporation of protein components. Four lipid classes are conserved from cyanobacteria to chloroplasts: mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol, and phosphatidyldiacylglycerol. This review focuses on the production and biophysical properties of galactolipids, making them determinant factors for the nonvesicular/nonlamellar biogenesis and for the three-dimensional architecture of nascent thylakoids. The regulation of MGD1, the committing enzyme of galactolipid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis, via feedback regulatory loops and control of protein binding to membranes, is also detailed., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mexico has undertaken important efforts to decrease maternal mortality. Health authorities have introduced intercultural innovations to address barriersfaced by indigenous women accessing professional maternal and delivery services. This study examines, from the perspective of indigenous women, the barriers andfacilitators of labor and delivery care services in a context of intercultural and allopathic innovations., Methods: This is an exploratory study using a qualitative approach of discourse analysis with grounded theory techniques. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were undertaken with users and non-users of the labor and delivery services, as well as with traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in San Andrés Larráinzar, Chiapas in 2012., Results: The interviewees identified barriers in the availability of medical personnel and restrictive hours for health services. Additionally, they referred to barriers to access (economic, geographic, linguistic and cultural) to health services, as well as invasive and offensive hospital practices enacted by health system personnel, which limited the quality of care they can provide. Traditional birth attendants participating in intercultural settings expressed the lack of autonomy and exclusion they experience by hospital personnel, as a result of not being considered part of the care team. As facilitators, users point to the importance of having their traditional birth attendants and families present during childbirth, to allow them to use their clothing during the attention, that the staff of health care is of the female sex and speaking the language of the community. As limiting condition users referred the different medical maneuvers practiced in the attention of the delivery (vaginal examination, episiotomy, administration of oxytocin, etc.)., Conclusions: Evidence from the study suggests the presence of important barriers to the utilization of institutional labor and delivery services in indigenous communities, in spite of the intercultural strategies implemented. It is important to consider strengthening intercultural models of care, to sensitize personnel towards cultural needs, beliefs, practices and preferences of indigenous women, with a focus on human rights, gender equity and quality of care.

In higher plants, fatty acids (FAs) with 18 carbons (18C) represent about 70% of total FAs, the most abundant species being 18:2 and 18:3. These two polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) represent about 55% of total FAs in Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures, whereas 18:1 represents about 10%. The level of PUFAs may vary, depending on ill-defined factors. Here, we compared various sets of plant cell cultures and noticed a correlation between the growth rate of a cell population and the level of unsaturation of 18C FAs. These observations suggest that the final level of PUFAs might depend in part on the rate of cell division, and that FAD2 and FAD3 desaturases, which are respectively responsible for the formation of 18:2 and 18:3 on phospholipids, have limiting activities in fast-growing cultures. In plant cell culture, phosphate (Pi) deprivation is known to impair cell division and to trigger lipid remodeling. We observed that Pi starvation had no effect on the expression of FAD genes, and that the level of PUFAs in this situation was also correlated with the growth rate. Thus, the level of PUFAs appears as a hallmark in determining cell maturity and aging.

Glycerolipid synthesis in plant cells is characterized by an intense trafficking of lipids between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and chloroplasts. Initially, fatty acids are synthesized within chloroplasts and are exported to the ER where they are used to build up phospholipids and triacylglycerol. Ultimately, derivatives of these phospholipids return to chloroplasts to form galactolipids, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol, the main and essential lipids of photosynthetic membranes. Lipid trafficking was proposed to transit through membrane contact sites (MCSs) connecting both organelles. Here, we review recent insights into ER-chloroplast MCSs and lipid trafficking between chloroplasts and the ER., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Laribacter hongkongensis is a potential emerging pathogen associated with community-acquired gastroenteritis and traveler's diarrhea. We report the isolation of L. hongkongensis from the stool of a patient who had no history of travel outside the United States. The organism was identified by phenotypic tests, mass spectrometry, and gene sequencing., (Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

There has been a dramatic increase in the body of evidence demonstrating the benefits that come from health research. In 2014, the funding bodies for higher education in the UK conducted an assessment of research using an approach termed the Research Excellence Framework (REF). As one element of the REF, universities and medical schools in the UK submitted 1,621 case studies claiming to show the impact of their health and other life sciences research conducted over the last 20 years. The recently published results show many case studies were judged positively as providing examples of the wide range and extensive nature of the benefits from such research, including the development of new treatments and screening programmes that resulted in considerable reductions in mortality and morbidity.Analysis of specific case studies yet again illustrates the international dimension of progress in health research; however, as has also long been argued, not all populations fully share the benefits. In recognition of this, in May 2013 the World Health Assembly requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish a Global Observatory on Health Research and Development (R&D) as part of a strategic work-plan to promote innovation, build capacity, improve access, and mobilise resources to address diseases that disproportionately affect the world's poorest countries.As editors of Health Research Policy and Systems (HARPS), we are delighted that our journal has been invited to help inform the establishment of the WHO Global Observatory through a Call for Papers covering a range of topics relevant to the Observatory, including topics on which HARPS has published articles over the last few months, such as approaches to assessing research results, measuring expenditure data with a focus on R&D, and landscape analyses of platforms for implementing R&D. Topics related to research capacity building may also be considered. The task of establishing a Global Observatory on Health R&D to achieve the specified objectives will not be easy; nevertheless, this Call for Papers is well timed - it comes just at the point where the evidence of the benefits from health research has been considerably strengthened.

Diatoms constitute a major phylum of phytoplankton biodiversity in ocean water and freshwater ecosystems. They are known to respond to some chemical variations of the environment by the accumulation of triacylglycerol, but the relative changes occurring in membrane glycerolipids have not yet been studied. Our goal was first to define a reference for the glycerolipidome of the marine model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, a necessary prerequisite to characterize and dissect the lipid metabolic routes that are orchestrated and regulated to build up each subcellular membrane compartment. By combining multiple analytical techniques, we determined the glycerolipid profile of P. tricornutum grown with various levels of nitrogen or phosphorus supplies. In different P. tricornutum accessions collected worldwide, a deprivation of either nutrient triggered an accumulation of triacylglycerol, but with different time scales and magnitudes. We investigated in depth the effect of nutrient starvation on the Pt1 strain (Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa no. 1055/3). Nitrogen deprivation was the more severe stress, triggering thylakoid senescence and growth arrest. By contrast, phosphorus deprivation induced a stepwise adaptive response. The time scale of the glycerolipidome changes and the comparison with large-scale transcriptome studies were consistent with an exhaustion of unknown primary phosphorus-storage molecules (possibly polyphosphate) and a transcriptional control of some genes coding for specific lipid synthesis enzymes. We propose that phospholipids are secondary phosphorus-storage molecules broken down upon phosphorus deprivation, while nonphosphorus lipids are synthesized consistently with a phosphatidylglycerol-to-sulfolipid and a phosphatidycholine-to-betaine lipid replacement followed by a late accumulation of triacylglycerol., (© 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.)

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is present in most soils at suboptimal concentrations, strongly limiting plant development. Plants have the ability to sense and adapt to the surrounding ionic environment, and several genes involved in the response to Pi starvation have been identified. However, a global understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved in this process is still elusive. Here, we have initiated a chemical genetics approach and isolated compounds that inhibit the response to Pi starvation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Molecules were screened for their ability to inhibit the expression of a Pi starvation marker gene (the high-affinity Pi transporter PHT1;4). A drug family named Phosphatin (PTN; Pi starvation inhibitor), whose members act as partial suppressors of Pi starvation responses, was thus identified. PTN addition also reduced various traits of Pi starvation, such as phospholipid/glycolipid conversion, and the accumulation of starch and anthocyanins. A transcriptomic assay revealed a broad impact of PTN on the expression of many genes regulated by low Pi availability. Despite the reduced amount of Pi transporters and resulting reduced Pi uptake capacity, no reduction of Pi content was observed. In addition, PTN improved plant growth; this reveals that the developmental restrictions induced by Pi starvation are not a consequence of metabolic limitation but a result of genetic regulation. This highlights the existence of signal transduction pathway(s) that limit plant development under the Pi starvation condition., (© 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.)

Thylakoid membranes, the universal structure where photosynthesis takes place in all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms from cyanobacteria to higher plants, have a unique lipid composition. They contain a high fraction of 2 uncharged glycolipids, the galactoglycerolipids mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG and DGDG, respectively), and an anionic sulfolipid, sulfoquinovosediacylglycerol (SQDG). A remarkable feature of the evolution from cyanobacteria to higher plants is the conservation of MGDG, DGDG, SQDG, and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), the major phospholipid of thylakoids. Using neutron diffraction on reconstituted thylakoid lipid extracts, we observed that the thylakoid lipid mixture self-organizes as a regular stack of bilayers. This natural lipid mixture was shown to switch from hexagonal II toward lamellar phase on hydration. This transition and the observed phase coexistence are modulated by the fine-tuning of the lipid profile, in particular the MGDG/DGDG ratio, and by the hydration. Our analysis highlights the critical role of DGDG as a contributing component to the membrane stacking via hydrogen bonds between polar heads of adjacent bilayers. DGDG interactions balance the repulsive electrostatic contribution of the charged lipids PG and SQDG and allow the persistence of regularly stacked membranes at high hydration. In developmental contexts or in response to environmental variations, these properties can contribute to the highly dynamic flexibility of plastid structure., (© FASEB.)

Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG and DGDG) are the most abundant lipids of photosynthetic membranes (thylakoids). In Arabidopsis green tissues, MGD1 is the main enzyme synthesizing MGDG. This monotopic enzyme is embedded in the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts. DGDG synthesis occurs in the outer envelope membrane. Although the suborganellar localization of MGD1 has been determined, it is still not known how the lipid/glycolipid composition influences its binding to the membrane. The existence of a topological relationship between MGD1 and "embryonic" thylakoids is also unknown. To investigate MGD1 membrane binding, we used a Langmuir membrane model allowing the tuning of both lipid composition and packing. Surprisingly, MGD1 presents a high affinity to MGDG, its product, which maintains the enzyme bound to the membrane. This positive feedback is consistent with the low level of diacylglycerol, the substrate of MGD1, in chloroplast membranes. By contrast, MGD1 is excluded from membranes highly enriched in, or made of, pure DGDG. DGDG therefore exerts a retrocontrol, which is effective on the overall synthesis of galactolipids. Previously identified activators, phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylglycerol, also play a role on MGD1 membrane binding via electrostatic interactions, compensating the exclusion triggered by DGDG. The opposite effects of MGDG and DGDG suggest a role of these lipids on the localization of MGD1 in specific domains. Consistently, MGDG induces the self-organization of MGD1 into elongated and reticulated nanostructures scaffolding the chloroplast membrane.-Sarkis, J., Rocha, J., Maniti, O., Jouhet, J., Vié, V., Block, M. A., Breton, C., Maréchal, E., Girard-Egrot, A. The influence of lipids on MGD1 membrane binding highlights novel mechanisms for galactolipid biosynthesis regulation in chloroplasts., (© FASEB.)

The understanding of chloroplast function requires the precise localization of proteins in each of its sub-compartments. High-sensitivity mass spectrometry has allowed the inventory of proteins in thylakoid, stroma, and envelope fractions. Concerning membrane association, proteins can be either integral or peripheral or even soluble proteins bound transiently to a membrane complex. We sought a method providing information at the surface of the outer envelope membrane (OEM), based on specific tagging with biotin or proteolysis using thermolysin, a non-membrane permeable protease. To evaluate this method, envelope, thylakoid, and stroma proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and analyzed by immunostaining and mass spectrometry. A short selection of proteins associated to the chloroplast envelope fraction was checked after superficial treatments of intact chloroplasts. We showed that this method could allow the characterization of OEM embedded proteins facing the cytosol, as well as peripheral and soluble proteins associated via tight or lose interactions. Some stromal proteins were associated with biotinylated spots and analyzes are still needed to determine whether polypeptides were tagged prior import or if they co-migrated with OEM proteins. This method also suggests that some proteins associated with the inner envelope membrane (IEM) might need the integrity of a trans-envelope (IEM-OEM) protein complex (e.g., division ring-forming components) or at least an intact OEM partner. Following this evaluation, proteomic analyzes should be refined and the putative role of inter-membrane space components stabilizing trans-envelope complexes demonstrated. For future comprehensive studies, perspectives include the dynamic analyses of OEM proteins and IEM-OEM complexes in various physiological contexts and using virtually any other purified membrane organelle.

The 12.4 million Mexican migrants in the United States (US) face considerable barriers to access health care, with 45% of them being uninsured. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not address lack of insurance for some immigrants, and the excluded groups are a large proportion of the Mexican-American community. To redress this, innovative forms of health insurance coverage have to be explored. This study analyses factors associated with willingness to pay for cross-border, bi-national health insurance (BHI) among Mexican immigrants in the US. Surveys were administered to 1,335 Mexican migrants in the Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles to assess their health status, healthcare utilization, and willingness to purchase BHI. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of willingness to pay for BHI. Having a job, not having health insurance in the US, and relatives in Mexico attending public health services were significant predictors of willingness to pay for BHI. In addition, individuals identified quality as the most important factor when considering BHI. In spite of the interest for BHI among 54% of the sampled population, our study concludes that this type of coverage is unlikely to solve access to care challenges due to ACA eligibility among different Mexican immigrant populations.

Glycerolipids constituting the matrix of photosynthetic membranes, from cyanobacteria to chloroplasts of eukaryotic cells, comprise monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, digalactosyldiacylglycerol, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. This review covers our current knowledge on the structural and functional features of these lipids in various cellular models, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. Their relative proportions in thylakoid membranes result from highly regulated and compartmentalized metabolic pathways, with a cooperation, in the case of eukaryotes, of non-plastidic compartments. This review also focuses on the role of each of these thylakoid glycerolipids in stabilizing protein complexes of the photosynthetic machinery, which might be one of the reasons for their fascinating conservation in the course of evolution. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Dynamic and ultrastructure of bioenergetic membranes and their components., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Photosynthetic membranes have a unique lipid composition that has been remarkably well conserved from cyanobacteria to chloroplasts. These membranes are characterized by a very high content in galactoglycerolipids, i.e., mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG and DGDG, respectively). Galactoglycerolipids make up the bulk of the lipid matrix in which photosynthetic complexes are embedded. They are also known to fulfill specific functions, such as stabilizing photosystems, being a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids for various purposes and, in some eukaryotes, being exported to other subcellular compartments. The conservation of MGDG and DGDG suggests that selection pressures might have conserved the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis, but this does not appear to be the case. Important evolutionary transitions comprise primary endosymbiosis (from a symbiotic cyanobacterium to a primary chloroplast) and secondary endosymbiosis (from a symbiotic unicellular algal eukaryote to a secondary plastid). In this review, we compare biosynthetic pathways based on available molecular and biochemical data, highlighting enzymatic reactions that have been conserved and others that have diverged or been lost, as well as the emergence of parallel and alternative biosynthetic systems originating from other metabolic pathways. Questions for future research are highlighted., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The World Health Report 2013 provides a major boost to the health research community and, in particular, to those who believe that health research will make its greatest impact on improving health when it is organised through a systems approach. The World Health Report 2013, Research for Universal Health Coverage, starts with three key messages. Firstly, that universal health coverage, with full access to high-quality services, needs research evidence if it is to be achieved; second, all nations should conduct and use research; and finally, the report states that systems are needed to develop national research agendas, to raise funds, to strengthen research capacity, and to make effective use of research findings. Each of these themes is elaborated in the report and supported by extensive references.In this editorial, we first outline the key messages from the World Health Report 2013 and highlight the contributions made by papers from our journal, Health Research Policy and Systems. In addition, we discuss very recent papers that advance some issues even further. In particular, we consider new evidence both on how to achieve financial protection for those who use health services, and on whether healthcare professionals and organisations who engage in research provide an improved healthcare performance. Finally, we propose additional perspectives that add to the impressive body of evidence and analyses presented in the report. Specifically, we suggest that considering the needs of various stakeholders, as attempted in the UK, in parallel with analysing how to fulfil essential functions, should boost the prospects of successfully building and strengthening health research systems. This is important because research is vital for achieving universal health coverage, and consequently for improving the health of millions of people.