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La enfermedad quística ovárica (COD) es una de las principales causas de falla reproductiva y de infertilidad, y constituye uno de los de los trastornos reproductivos más frecuentes en vacas lecheras de alta producción. El desarrollo de esta enfermedad está asociado a un desequilibrio en el eje hipotalámico-hipofisario-gonadal en el cual factores endocrinos, entre ellos el sistema de factores de crecimiento análogos a insulina (IGF), participan en el desarrollo folicular, diferenciación celular y la secreción de hormonas ováricas. Considerando al sistema IGF como un importante regulador del crecimiento y funcionalidad folicular, evaluamos la participación de componentes del sistema IGF en el desarrollo de la COD. Las alteraciones en diferentes componentes del sistema IGF que podrían afectar al normal funcionamiento del ovario participando en el desarrollo de la COD en bovinos. SUMMARY. Participation of the IGF system in the pathogenesis of bovine cystic ovarian disease. Cystic ovarian disease (COD) is one of the most frequent reproductive disorders in dairy cows. Their development is associated with an imbalance in the hypothalamus-hypophyseal-gonadal axis in which endocrine factors, including insulin like growth factor (IGF) system, are involved in follicular development, cell differentiation and secretion ovarian hormones. Considering that the IGF system is an important regulator of the follicular growth and functionality, we have evaluated the involvement of members of the IGF system in the COD development. Alterations in different components of the IGF system could modify the normal ovarian function and participate in the development of the COD in cattle.

Investigating the contribution of mindfulness training to psychological well-being and quality of life in the university setting is of interest. The objective of the study is to present a comparative analysis of the scores in the variables of self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills before and after the application of an intervention program based on mindfulness. An ex post facto cross-sectional design and a convenience sample of participants were adopted. The participants were students belonging to Education Sciences who benefited from the activities of the program. Instruments were administered to assess mindfulness, self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills. The correlations of the mindfulness variable with the other psychoeducational variables evaluated were also analyzed. The results indicate an increase in the scores in the selected variables of mindfulness, resilience, communication skills, and some of the coping strategies considered productive or functional such as problem solving, self-criticism, emotional expression, desiderative thinking, social support, and cognitive restructuring. Statistically significant correlations were also observed between the variable mindfulness and those of perceived self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills. The development of mindfulness training programs in the university setting is necessary to contribute to the improvement of more adaptive coping skills and the promotion of resilience.

Growth hormone is a key endocrine factor for metabolic adaptations to lactation and optimal reproductive function of the dairy cow. This study aimed to analyze the expression of GH and its receptor (GHR) in ovarian follicles, along with metabolic biomarkers, during the resumption of the postpartum follicular development, and to analyze the immunolocalization and protein expression of GH and GHR in preovulatory follicles. Thirty-six dairy cows were grouped according to the postpartum days (PPD) until the establishment of the first dominant follicle in: cows that established their first dominant follicle at fewer postpartum days (FPPD group; n = 15) and cows that established their first dominant follicle at more postpartum days (MPPD group; n = 22). For a second analysis, the same cows were regrouped according to the calving season (S), into cows calving in autumn (n = 20) and cows calving in winter (n = 17). During the PP, blood and follicular aspirates were obtained at two timepoints (T): when the first dominant follicle was established (T1, day 9 ± 2), and when the preovulatory follicle was established (T2, day 45 ± 2). Also, six dairy cows were ovariectomized in proestrus and ovarian histological sections were obtained. Growth hormone mRNA was detected in granulose cells from ovarian follicle sampled during PP. A PPD × T interaction was observed for GHR mRNA, where it was greater in the FPPD cows than in the MPPD cows at T1. Metabolic biomarkers and reproductive hormones showed differences or interaction between PPD, T, S, depending on the case. Also, GH and GHR were immunolocalized in granulosa and theca interna cells of preovulatory follicles. These results confirm the expression of GH and GHR in the mature ovarian follicles of dairy cows and show a possible association between greater GHR expression and an earlier resumption of postpartum follicular development., Competing Interests: Declarations of Competing Interest None of the authors have a conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The relationship between attentional resources and functionality in individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) is clinically relevant. This study aimed to examine the possible relationship between the degree of ID and attentional resources, and to evaluate whether attentional resources predict the performance of basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) in individuals with mild and moderate ID. This study, which employed a descriptive, cross-sectional, observational design, was conducted between July 2019 and May 2020. The sample consisted of 166 individuals divided into three groups: moderate ID, mild ID, and those without ID. These groups were compared for attentional functions ( p < 0.001), obtaining an effect size ranging from medium to large. The results indicated that 40% of the variance in basic ADL performance was explained by the age of the participants, degree of disability, and sustained attention in individuals with ID. Additionally, 64% of the variance in instrumental ADL performance was explained by sustained, divided, and executive attention. Therefore, attentional resources appear to be associated with the performance of basic and instrumental ADL in individuals with mild and moderate ID.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) act through their receptor (GR) as regulators in different biological processes such as reproduction. In the absence of GCs, the GR remains inactive in the cytoplasm by associating with heat shock proteins (HSPs), which act as molecular chaperones, among which the most relevant are HSP90 and HSP70. Cytoplasmic GC-activated GR mediates non-genomic effects, interacting with members of signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt, which participates in several metabolic processes, including the insulin signaling pathway. The aim of the present study was to evaluate possible associations between the cytoplasmic GR and the main intermediates of the insulin signaling pathway and HSP90 and HSP70 in ovaries of dairy cows. To this end, the protein expression of cytoplasmic GR, key members of the insulin signaling pathway, and HSPs was evaluated in ovarian preovulatory follicles of non-lactating Holstein cows in proestrus. Positive associations were observed between protein expression of GR and HSP90, IRS1, pIRS1, PI3K and pAkt (p < 0.05; β > 0) in granulosa cells of dominant follicles of dairy cows. Instead, in theca cells, no associations were observed between protein expression of GR and members of the insulin signaling pathway or HSPs. These data provide evidence of the possible association between the non-genomic mechanisms of action of the GR and the insulin signaling pathway in the bovine ovary., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

School anxiety depends on multiple factors that occur directly or indirectly in the teaching-learning process, such as going to the blackboard in class or reporting low grades at home. Other factors that influence school climate are social skills and coping strategies. That said, the aim of this research was to analyze the sources of school anxiety, coping strategies, and social skills in Italian secondary school students through an artificial neural network. For this purpose, a quantitative and ex post facto design was used in which the Inventory of School Anxiety (IAES), the Coping Scale for Children (EAN), and the Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Social Skills student version (EHS-A) were administered. The results showed that cognitive avoidance and behavioral avoidance coping strategies, together with the lack of social skills in students, are the variables that contributed the most to school anxiety scores in the artificial neural network. The conclusions revolve around the need to develop primary prevention programs.

Adaptive sports could produce multiple health benefits in people with physical disabilities. The aim is to evaluate if adaptive sports practice has an influence on physical and mental quality of life. A meta-analysis was performed using electronic databases and other sources. A within- and between-group analysis for physical and mental quality of life was conducted. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used as a measure of the mean size effect. The statistical heterogeneity, the risk of bias, and the quality of evidence were evaluated. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and four of them were included in the meta-analysis. In mental quality of life, significant differences were observed in the within-group analysis (SMD = 0.71, p < 0.001) and between people practicing adaptive sports and those not engaging in them (SMD = 0.62, p = 0.009). In physical quality of life, significant differences were also found between pre- and post-practice of adaptive sports (SMD = 1.03, p = 0.007). The engagement in adaptive sports showed a positive impact on the mental quality of life among adults with physical disabilities. However, the positive effect of adaptive sports practice on physical quality of life was shown only in the pre-post-test analysis. Further studies are required to validate the obtained findings.

Institutionalized individuals with intellectual disabilities have few opportunities to participate in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), which probably affects higher cognitive functions, or vice versa. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the possible difference in the ability to perform IADLs and executive functioning between individuals with and without intellectual disabilities and to determine if executive functions are associated with the performance of IADLs in people with intellectual disabilities. This was a multi-center cross-sectional study, conducted between July 2019 and May 2020. Participants with intellectual disabilities were recruited from four centers for people with intellectual disabilities. Adults without these disabilities were gathered from several community centers. The sample consisted of 90 individuals with moderate intellectual disabilities and 79 individuals with no intellectual disability. Executive functions were evaluated using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-WAIS-IV, the INECO Frontal Screening test, the Semantic Verbal Fluency Test, and the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome-BADS-Scale. The performance of the IADLs was assessed by the Lawton and Brody Scale. The results showed that the higher the function in instrumental activities, the lower the impairment of executive functions. Executive functions accounted for 81% of the total variance in the ability to perform the IADLs. In conclusion, individuals with moderate intellectual disabilities demonstrated limitations in executing the IADLs, which were partially associated with low performance in executive functions. This information could help in the development of evidence-based intervention programs and facilitate the formulation of appropriate support strategies to enhance participation in these activities.

Suicidal behavior among young people has become an increasingly relevant topic after the COVID-19 pandemic and constitutes a public health problem. This study aimed to examine the variables associated with suicide risk and determine their predictive capacity. The specific objectives were: (1) to analyze the relationship between suicide risk and model variables and (2) to design an artificial neural network (ANN) with predictive capacity for suicide risk. The sample comprised 337 youths aged 18-33 years. An ex post facto design was used. The results showed that emotional attention, followed by problem solving and perfectionism, were variables that contributed the most to the ANN's predictive capacity. The ANN achieved a hit rate of 85.7%, which is much higher than chance, and with only 14.3% of incorrect cases. This study extracted relevant information on suicide risk and the related risk and protective factors via artificial intelligence. These data will be useful for diagnosis as well as for psycho-educational guidance and prevention. This study was one of the first to apply this innovative methodology based on an ANN design to study these variables.

Mathematics and statistical skills are crucial to daily life. However, many students found mathematics difficult to learn and understand. This research aimed to find relationships between mathematics and statistical attitudes and emotional dimensions, such as anxiety or self-efficacy. The sample consisted of two groups: the first group was formed by 276 Spanish students (75.7% female with an average age of 19.92 years) from different degrees at the University of Granada and the second one by agroup of 19 secondary school students from of a Secondary School in Granada, Spain (57.9% male students between 14 and 16 years of age from a public school). The instruments applied were a scale of attitude toward mathematics, a scale of attitude toward statistics, a scale to assess mathematical anxiety, and a scale to assess self-efficacy. An artificial neural network for the backpropagation algorithm was designed using dependent variable. The results showed a negative impact of anxiety on those attitudes, while self-efficacy had a positive impact on those mentioned attitudes. Therefore, emotional education is important in the well-being, and teaching in mathematics. The usefulness of the innovative neural network analysis in predicting the constructs evaluated in this study can be highlighted., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer CR declared a shared affiliation with the authors JM-R to the handling editor at the time of review., (Copyright © 2023 Hernández de la Hera, Morales-Rodríguez, Rodríguez-Gobiet and Martínez-Ramón.)

Introduction: Iron deficiency and anemia are common after bariatric surgery. Women have a higher risk of developing such long-term complications. Though oral supplementation is indicated, intravenous iron therapy is required in some cases., Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent bariatric surgery between 2012 and 2018. Postoperative anemia patients receiving parental iron therapy were assessed during the first 24 months. Their baseline characteristics, surgery type, and laboratory test results were analyzed. A follow-up analysis included a subgroup of women with and without gynecological disorders. Patients with vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiencies were excluded., Results: Six hundred eleven (63.3%) met the inclusion criteria: 525 underwent gastric bypass, of which 79.6% were women. Overall, postoperative anemia was 28.9% (24.5% related to gastric bypass), especially among women (84%). Anemia refractory to oral iron therapy was observed in 12.9% of patients. All the patients requiring iron infusions (n = 54) were women, and half of them (51.8%) reported abnormal uterine bleeding. Postsurgical hemogram values were significantly lower in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (despite the same number of infusions) than in those without gynecological disorders; 89.2% of these women had preoperative anemia., Conclusion: Anemia is frequent in bariatric surgery patients despite supplementation. Women undergoing gastric bypass with a history of gynecological disorders are prone to require more iron infusions. Consulting with the patient about a higher risk is important, and probably knowing the plan or including the opinion of an OBGYN to determine as a team the assessment, treatment, and prognosis., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The alteration of signaling molecules involved in the general metabolism of animals can negatively influence reproduction. In dairy cattle, the development of follicular cysts and the subsequent appearance of ovarian cystic disease (COD) often lead to decreased reproductive efficiency in the herd. The objective of this review is to summarize the contribution of relevant metabolic and nutritional sensors to the development of COD in dairy cows. In particular, we focus on the study of alterations of the insulin signaling pathway, adiponectin, and other sensors and metabolites relevant to ovarian functionality, which may be related to the development of follicular persistence and follicular formation of cysts in dairy cattle. The results of these studies support the hypothesis that systemic factors could alter the local scenario in the follicle, generating an adverse microenvironment for the resumption of ovarian activity and possibly leading to the persistence of follicles and to the development and recurrence of COD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Context: Dairy cattle experience stressful environmental situations that affect production. Heat stress during gestation can influence the intrauterine development of offspring, resulting in long-term damage that can affect the reproductive life of the adult offspring., Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in the expression and regulation of steroid hormone receptors in the ovary of Holstein cows gestated under different temperature-humidity index (THI) during their in utero development., Methods: Animals were classified by their exposure to temperature-humidity index (THI) ≥72 during their development in utero according to date of birth or date of effective service of their mother. This study was not carried out under controlled conditions, but the conditions to which the cows were naturally exposed during their development were considered retrospectively, controlling the variables in the statistical analyses (age as a covariate, dairy farm as a random factor). Gestation was divided into two periods (P1=days 0-150; and P2=day 151 to calving) and three trimesters (T1=days 0-90; T2=days 91-180; and T3=day 181 to calving), and the exposure to THI ≥72 was calculated in each one. The following characteristics were evaluated: gene expression of estrogen receptor (ESR) 1, ESR2 and progesterone receptor (PGR), CpG methylation in the 5'UTR of ESR1 and ESR2, and protein expression of ESR1, ESR2, PGR and coregulatory proteins in the dominant follicles of daughter cows in adulthood., Key Results: We found associations between heat stress variables during gestation and the methylation status of CpG sites in the 5'UTR of ESR1 and ESR2 in dominant follicles. Results also showed association between exposure to high THI values during intrauterine development and expression of ESR1, ESR2 and PGR and coregulatory proteins in dominant follicles of adult cows., Conclusions: These results provide novel information about the impact of prenatal heat stress on molecular aspects at the ovary level in the offspring, during their adult life, which probably impacts the reproductive aspects of the herd.

Purpose: To identify preoperative factors that influence the outcomes of gastric bypass surgery, in terms of excess weight loss at 24 months., Methods: This retrospective study included two groups of patients who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. Group A (poor outcomes) had ≤ 50%EWL or BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ; group B (excellent outcomes) had ≥ 80%EWL at 24 months. A comparative analysis of demography, anthropometry, comorbidities, and metabolic status was performed. A linear regression model was used to evaluate %EWL association; the number of preoperative and postoperative consultations were also compared., Results: A total of 202 patients completed follow-up; 71 (35.1%) and 78 (38%) had poor and excellent outcomes (%EWL 44.1 ± 9.4% vs. 92 ± 10.9%), respectively. Mean age was 40.4 ± 8.9 years. Patients with poor outcomes had higher weight and BMI, lesser preoperative %EWL, higher dyslipidemia and diabetes rates with longer periods of evolution, and increased HbA1c% levels. In the linear regression analysis, preoperative %EWL and initial and preoperative BMI were statistically significant determinants of %EWL at 24 months Diabetes remission was 46.2% (group A) vs. 66.6% (group B). Group A had higher non-attendance rates after surgery., Conclusion: The factors independently associated with greater %EWL at 24 months between groups were higher preoperative %EWL, and lower initial and preoperative BMI., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Affective-sexual and gender diversity is an increasingly distinctive and extended reality and should be acknowledged and respected. From a psychosocial and educational point of view, it is appropriate to review young people's attitudes and knowledge regarding this, relating them to aspects such as empathy, violence, or bullying, to implement quality education in the early stages of primary education. The main objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between empathy levels, attitudes toward transsexuality, and bullying among Spanish university students. The sample consisted of 247 students. Instruments were administered to evaluate negative attitudes toward transsexual people, gender ideology, transphobia, bullying, and empathy. Inverse relationships were found between transphobia and empathy. Regression analysis demonstrated the predictive ability of empathy on attitudes toward transsexual people. The results of this study are expected to increase awareness in society and encourage appropriate, satisfactory, or tolerable coexistence, in which all individuals can be free to live and express themselves. While the results indicated that the quality of life of transgender people has comparatively improved, there is still a long way to go.

In dairy cows, reproductive diseases such as cystic ovarian disease (COD) represent a major problem that impacts on dairy production. It has been postulated that the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system may contribute to follicular persistence and development of COD. Thus, the aim of the present study was to analyze relevant members of the IGF system in a critical period immediately after the expected time of ovulation, to obtain information about their role in follicular persistence in dairy cows. Proteins of the IGF system were evaluated at 0 (expected day of ovulation), 5, 10 and 15 days of follicular persistence to determine whether the changes previously detected in cows with COD occur early in COD pathogenesis. The serum concentration of IGF1 was higher in cows with 10 and 15 days of follicular persistence than in control cows. IGF1 expression in granulosa cells was similar in the follicles analyzed. In contrast, in theca cells, persistent follicles of days 5 and 10 showed the lowest IGF1 expression. IGF binding protein (IGFBP) 2 and 3 expression was lower in persistent follicles than in dominant follicles of the control group. Although IGF receptor (IGFR) 1 expression was similar in the groups analyzed, p-IGFR1 expression was significantly higher in dominant follicles of the control group than in persistent follicles. These data suggest alterations in the IGF system at the early stages of follicular persistence. The evidences obtained allow supporting that the IGF system could plays a key role in dairy cattle reproduction., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a useful predictive tool for a wide variety of fields of knowledge. Despite this, the educational field is still an environment that lacks a variety of studies that use this type of predictive tools. In parallel, it is postulated that the levels of self-esteem in the university environment may be related to the strategies implemented to solve problems. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to analyze the levels of self-esteem presented by teaching staff and students at university ( N  = 290, 73.1% female) and to design an algorithm capable of predicting these levels on the basis of their coping strategies, resilience, and sociodemographic variables. For this purpose, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Brief Resilience Scale were administered. The results showed a relevant role of resilience and stress perceived in predicting participants' self-esteem levels. The findings highlight the usefulness of artificial neural networks for predicting psychological variables in education., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Martínez-Ramón, Morales-Rodríguez, Ruiz-Esteban and Méndez.)

RmInt1 is a group II intron encoding a reverse transcriptase protein (IEP) lacking the C-terminal endonuclease domain. RmInt1 is an efficient mobile retroelement that predominantly reverse splices into the transient single-stranded DNA at the template for lagging strand DNA synthesis during host replication, a process facilitated by the interaction of the RmInt1 IEP with DnaN at the replication fork. It has been suggested that group II intron ribonucleoprotein particles bind DNA nonspecifically, and then scan for their correct target site. In this study, we investigated RmInt1 binding sites throughout the Sinorhizobium meliloti genome, by chromatin-immunoprecipitation coupled with next-generation sequencing. We found that RmInt1 binding sites cluster around the bidirectional replication origin of each of the three replicons comprising the S. meliloti genome. Our results provide new evidence linking group II intron mobility to host DNA replication., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Molina-Sánchez, García-Rodríguez, Andrés-León and Toro.)

The circular economy encompasses a sustainable economic model based on a production, consumption, distribution and maintenance process that reuses as much as possible. In this research, the two-step composite Circular Economy Business Index was created, based on 17 environmental practices that companies have implemented to reduce the generation of waste and emissions and to increase the reuse and efficiency of materials and energy, among other actions. The use of a sample of 26,783 companies from 49 countries and 10 sectors for the period 2014-2019 allowed the aggregation of these initiatives at the country and industry levels. In this sense, our results show less progress in the circular transformation worldwide and can be used in the design of policies aimed at promoting changes in production and consumption systems in specific geographic or industrial contexts., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Stressors activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reducing fertility by interfering with the mechanisms that regulate the timing of events within the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. In the HPA axis, melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) mediates responses to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in concert with melanocortin receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2). The aims of the present study were: (1) to evaluate the effects of ACTH administered in cows in the preovulatory period on the expression of the MC2R/MRAP2 complex in the dominant follicle; and (2) to analyze the involvement of Extracellular signal Regulated Kinase 1 (ERK1) signaling in the activation of MC2R and the expression of key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of glucocorticoids (GCs) in the dominant follicle. To this end, 100 IU ACTH was administered to Holstein cows from a local dairy farm during pro-estrus every 12 h for four days until ovariectomy, which was performed before ovulation. Protein immunostaining of MC2R was higher in the dominant follicles of ACTH-treated cows (p < 0.05). Also, Western blot analysis showed higher activation of the ERK1 signaling pathway in ACTH-treated cows (p < 0.05). Finally, immunohistochemistry performed in the dominant follicles of ACTH-treated cows detected higher expression of CYP17A1 and CYP21A2 (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the bovine ovary is able to respond locally to ACTH as a consequence of stress altering the expression of relevant steroidogenic enzymes. The results also confirm that the complete GC biosynthesis pathway is present in bovine dominant follicle and therefore GCs could be produced locally., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

It is necessary for the university environment to contribute to the improvement of the attention paid to affective-sexual, bodily, and gender diversity. This research deals with how, by means of a teaching innovation program, competences for affective-sexual diversity were developed. Specifically, negative attitudes towards diversity, knowledge, and degree of empathy on these issues before and after the implementation of the program are compared. The degree of satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and fulfillment of the objectives proposed in the program were also evaluated. An ex post facto design was used. The participants in this study were 129 students belonging to Educational Sciences and Psychology, out of 2400 who benefited from the innovation program. The results showed an increase in competences related to the attention to diversity, with the improvement of attitudes and knowledge about affective-sexual diversity after the application of the program. It is concluded that this type of innovation program, with quality training, contributes to the improvement of coexistence and the prevention of gender violence in university classrooms, eliminating stereotypes and negative attitudes towards diversity.

Objective.: To determine the titer of antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein (S) in health personnel between the 4th and 12th week after receiving the BBIBP-CorV vaccine (Sinopharm)., Materials and Methods.: We included a total of 168 healthcare workers from two hospitals in the region, who complied with the complete Sinopharm vaccine schedule; serum antibodies were measured using the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 test., Results.: All participants developed antibodies to the RBD domain. The lowest antibody titer level was 1.78 U/mL. Levels equal to or above 250 were found in 70 (41.7%) participants. The geometric mean was 82.6 (95% CI: 67.8-100.6). Women had higher antibody levels. Participants whose antibodies were measured between 4- and 7-weeks post-vaccination showed significantly higher antibody levels than patients whose antibody levels were measured between 10- and 12-weeks post-vaccination. Among patients with a history of COVID-19, antibody levels were found to be at or above 250 U/mL in 88% of cases, compared to 6% among those without a history of COVID-19, (p<0.001)., Conclusion.: All participants immunized with BBIBPCorV vaccine were positive for antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein RBD. The correlation between the titer level and protection against COVID-19, as well as the length of the protection provided by the vaccine, needs to be evaluated.

Function of bacterial small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) and overall RNA metabolism is largely shaped by a vast diversity of RNA-protein interactions. However, in non-model bacteria with defined non-coding transcriptomes the sRNA interactome remains almost unexplored. We used affinity chromatography to capture proteins associated in vivo with MS2-tagged trans -sRNAs that regulate nutrient uptake (AbcR2 and NfeR1) and cell cycle (EcpR1) mRNAs by antisense-based translational inhibition in the nitrogen-fixing α-rhizobia Sinorhizobium meliloti . The three proteomes were rather distinct, with that of EcpR1 particularly enriched in cell cycle-related enzymes, whilst sharing several transcription/translation-related proteins recurrently identified associated with sRNAs. Strikingly, MetK, the synthetase of the major methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine, was reliably recovered as a binding partner of the three sRNAs, which reciprocally co-immunoprecipitated with a FLAG-tagged MetK variant. Induced (over)expression of the trans -sRNAs and MetK depletion did not influence canonical riboregulatory traits, `for example, protein titration or sRNA stability, respectively. An in vitro filter assay confirmed binding of AbcR2, NfeR1 and EcpR1 to MetK and further revealed interaction of the protein with other non-coding and coding transcripts but not with the 5S rRNA. These findings uncover a broad specificity for RNA binding as an unprecedented feature of this housekeeping prokaryotic enzyme.

Background: The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass continues to be one of the most performed bariatric surgeries because of its adequate balance of outcomes, complications, and durability. Recently, the role of the biliopancreatic limb on weight loss and co-morbidity control has gained attention because it seems to have a positive impact based on limb length., Objective: To compare results at 12 months of a "standard" (group 1) versus a long (group 2) biliopancreatic limb bypass. Biliopancreatic limbs were 50 cm and 200 cm, and alimentary limbs were 150 cm and 50 cm, respectively., Setting: Academic Referal Center; Mexico City; Public Seeting., Methods: Randomized study with patients undergoing both types of surgeries at a single academic center from 2016 to 2018. The analysis included weight loss, co-morbidity control (diabetes and hypertension), biochemical panel, operative outcomes, and complications., Results: Two-hundred ten patients were included (105 in each group). Almost all data were homogenous at baseline. Female sex comprised 86.1% of cases, with a mean body mass index of 43.5 kg/m 2 . Excess weight loss (77.6 ± 15.7% versus 83.6 ± 16.7%; P = .011) and total weight loss (33.5 ± 6.4% versus 37.1 ± 7.1%; P < .001) was higher in group 2; better HbA1C levels were also observed. Co-morbidity outcomes, operative data, and complications were similar between groups., Conclusion: The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with 200 cm of biliopancreatic limb length induces more weight loss at 12 months than a 50 cm limb length. Better HbA1C levels were also observed, but similar effects on co-morbidities and complications were noted., (Copyright © 2021 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Metabolic surgery for managing class 1 obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus has recently gained popularity. The Latino population presents high rates of these diseases. Reports on surgical outcomes in this population are scarce., Methods: Prospective study with Mexican patients diagnosed with diabetes and class 1 obesity submitted to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The objective was to determine short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes (weight loss, metabolic, morbidity, and diabetes remission). Sub-analysis was included, based on preoperative usage of one (group A) or more (group B) oral hypoglycemic agents ± insulin., Results: Fifty-one patients with a mean body mass index of 33.1 ± 1.9 kg/m 2 , and glycated hemoglobin 7.2 ± 1.7% were included. Significant improvements were observed in almost every parameter. At 24, 36, and 60 months, complete diabetes remission was achieved in 73.8%, 52.2%, and 50% of patients with glycated hemoglobin levels of 5.7% ± 0.8%, 5.8% ± 0.5%, and 6.1% ± 0.8%, respectively. At 24, 36, and 60 months, patients in group A (N=28) showed 90.9%, 69.2%, and 75% remission, respectively, versus patients in group B (N=23), who had remission rates of 50%, 30%, and 25% during the same period. Diabetes relapse was higher in patients using ≥ 2 oral hypoglycemic agents ± insulin before surgery., Conclusion: Gastric bypass is a safe and effective metabolic surgery that results in excellent mid- and long-term results among Mexicans. Patients using one drug preoperatively showed improved results and remission rates, which underscores the importance of intervening in the early stages of the disease., Trial Registration: Clinical Trials identifier: NCT04595396 ( www.ClinicalTrials.gov ).

The COVID-19 global health emergency has greatly impacted the educational field. Faced with unprecedented stress situations, professors, students, and families have employed various coping and resilience strategies throughout the confinement period. High and persistent stress levels are associated with other pathologies; hence, their detection and prevention are needed. Consequently, this study aimed to design a predictive model of stress in the educational field based on artificial intelligence that included certain sociodemographic variables, coping strategies, and resilience capacity, and to study the relationship between them. The non-probabilistic snowball sampling method was used, involving 337 people (73% women) from the university education community in south-eastern Spain. The Perceived Stress Scale, Stress Management Questionnaire, and Brief Resilience Scale were administered. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 24) was used to design the architecture of artificial neural networks. The results found that stress levels could be predicted by the synaptic weights of coping strategies and timing of the epidemic (before and after the implementation of isolation measures), with a predictive capacity of over 80% found in the neural network model. Additionally, direct and significant associations were identified between the use of certain coping strategies, stress levels, and resilience. The conclusions of this research are essential for effective stress detection, and therefore, early intervention in the field of educational psychology, by discussing the influence of resilience or lack thereof on the prediction of stress levels. Identifying the variables that maintain a greater predictive power in stress levels is an effective strategy to design more adjusted prevention programs and to anticipate the needs of the community., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Morales-Rodríguez, Martínez-Ramón, Méndez and Ruiz-Esteban.)

The present study aims analyze the risk factors that lead to high levels of burnout among nurses and physicians and the protective factors that prevent them. Thus, it is also intended to explore the possible correlation between physical and verbal violence produced at work and the symptoms derived from burnout. Methods: The search was carried out on the Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science databases between 2000 and 2019 (on which date the bibliographic search ends). Descriptive studies estimating the prevalence of workplace violence and risk and protective factors and burnout were included. An adapted version of the Downs and Black quality checklist was used for article selection. 89.6 percent of the studies analysed were in the health sector. There is a significant correlation between burnout symptoms and physical violence at work. On the one hand, the risk factors that moderate this correlation were of structural/organisational type (social support, quality of the working environment, authoritarian leadership, little autonomy or long working days, etc.) and personal type (age, gender, nationality or academic degree, etc.). On the other hand, protective factors were the quality of the working environment, mutual support networks or coping strategies. The results were analysed in-depth and intervention strategies were proposed.

Heat stress has been widely studied in relation to its effects on the production and reproduction of dairy cattle. However, the long-term effects of heat stress during intrauterine development on adult cows have been scarcely considered. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate possible changes in the reproductive performance of Holstein cows gestated under different values of the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) during their intrauterine development. Data collected from a database of reproductive and productive records of 10,790 Holstein cows from the central region of Argentina and the THI data from the agrometeorological station of the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) EEA Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina, were used. The gestation of the cows evaluated was divided into trimesters, in which the highest THI cycles (sum of three or more consecutive days of exposure to a THI ≥72 during each trimester) and number of days with a THI ≥ 72 were calculated. The calving-to-conception and calving-to-first-service intervals of the cows evaluated were considered as reproductive variables associated with their first lactation. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used, considering the cow's dairy farm as a random factor within the model. The exposure of the animals to environments with a THI ≥72 during the first trimester of gestation had a negative impact on the reproductive efficiency parameters analyzed. The results obtained indicate that the exposure of pregnant females to high THI values has a long-term impact on their daughters, which may contribute to a decrease in their reproductive performance, possibly through inherited epigenetic characteristics that remain in later generations through fetal programming., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Anxiety disorders and suicide are commonly under-recognized issues that can be a public health problem. Adolescents are among the most affected population groups and studying them can prevent serious health problems. These two elements are related, but at the same time, they can only be understood from a multifactorial point of view, so other related variables such as emotional intelligence, empathy, or coping strategies are key to understand their effect on the population. In this study, a series of methods to measure the variables of interest were applied to a specific group of adolescents to determine their mental health levels, focusing on suicide and anxiety episodes. The results reflected average levels with a tendency to be high in the case of anxiety and nonalarming levels in terms of suicide risk, both parameters presenting more worrying values in women. In turn, the correlation between suicide and anxiety was demonstrated considering the other variables (coping strategies, empathy, emotional intelligence, and prosociality). This research has relevant implications for the diagnosis, orientation, and design of psychoeducational and clinical interventions that contribute to the improvement of their well-being and quality of life.

Background: Bariatric surgery is indicated for major weight loss and for the control of associated comorbidities, particularly type 2 diabetes. Remission prediction scores have been proposed for this end, such as: DiaRem, Ad-DiaRem, ABCD, and DiaBetter. Nevertheless, they have not been evaluated all together in a specific population., Methods: Retrospective study with Mexican patients submitted to gastric bypass with at least 12 months follow-up. All patients had BMI > 30 kg/m 2 and type 2 diabetes. The primary objective was to evaluate the remission prediction performance of scores. A baseline analysis (anthropometric, biochemical, and metabolic) and remission rates were obtained. Remission scores and cut-off values were assigned based on original descriptions. A ROC analysis was performed for sensibility and specificity., Results: A total of 95 patients were included. Mean age 44 years, 85.6% female with mean BMI of 44.1 kg/m 2 , and mean HbA1C of 7.2%. At 12 months, complete remission was obtained in 76.8%. ROC curves were plotted showing that DiaRem had 75.3% sensitivity and 68.2% specificity (AUC 0.723 p = 0.001), Ad-DiaRem had 84.9% and 50% (AUC 0.702 p = 0.002), ABCD had 57.5% and 77.3% (AUC 0.0.690 p = 0.002), and DiaBetter had 72.6% and 77.3% (AUC 0.748 p < 0.001)., Conclusion: In Mexican patients with obesity and type 2 Diabetes, submitted to gastric bypass, remission prediction could be assessed with any current model showing satisfactory sensibility and specificity. Among such models, DiaBetter obtained the best statistical performance in our population. Type 2 diabetes remission rate at 1 year is similar to any other race or ethnicity.

Reproductive diseases in dairy cows as cystic ovarian disease (COD) represent a major problem that impacts on dairy production. COD is characterized by anovulation, persistence of the dominant follicle, and interruption of normal estrous cycles. Anovulation is attributable to a failure in the LH surge, due to endocrine imbalances and alterations in local factors, such as the insulin signaling pathway. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the expression of critical nodes of the insulin pathway, including insulin receptor (IR), IR substrate (IRS), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), and protein kinase B (also known as Akt or pan-Akt), in ovarian follicular structures of cows during the development of follicular persistence induced by long-term progesterone administration. Immunoexpression of IR, p-IR, IRS1, p-IRS1, PI3K, pan-Akt and p-pan-Akt was evaluated in situ by immunohistochemistry and the concentration of insulin in serum and follicular fluid was determined by radioimmunoassay. p-IR, p-IRS1, PI3K and p-pan-Akt expression was decreased in follicles at different times of persistence in relation to the control dominant follicles, in both granulosa and theca cells, whereas IR and IRS1 immunoexpression was decreased in persistent follicles at 5 and 15 days of persistence in granulosa cells. Serum and follicular fluid insulin concentration was higher in cows with persistent follicles than in control cows. These results show that decreased expression and/or activation of the receptors and other intermediates of the insulin signaling pathway in persistent follicles indicates that reduced response/resistance to insulin rather than the concentration of insulin per se may be one of the important molecular mechanisms in the development of persistent follicles in dairy cows., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are among the primary compounds regulating placental development. In bitches, relative abundance of IGF1, IGF2 and IGFR1 mRNA transcripts have been studied in the pre-implantation uterus and early endotheliochorial placentas. The IGF2 and IGFR1 distribution has also been previously described in the uterus before embryo implantation. The aim of this study was to detect, characterize, and localize the presence of IGF1, IGF2, and IGFR1 in early-developing and mature placentas of dogs. Placentas of 15 bitches were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. The IGFs were located in endometrial epithelium and glands, with the staining pattern and intensity being less in mature placentas. Cytotrophoblast cells (CTB) and syncytiotrophoblast (STB) cells contained both IGFs; the labeling was greater in CTB of the early-developing than mature placentas. The maternal endothelium was positively stained for both IGFs, while the vascular endothelium of the chorioallantoic membrane were only stained for IGF2. The IGFR1 was detected in all cell populations evaluated. Results regarding trophoblastic IGF are quite consistent with those reported in human placentas. Spatiotemporal IGFs/IGFR1 pattern might reflect the occurrence of autocrine and paracrine signaling during placentation in bitches, and the involvement in early placental developmental processes. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that, besides hemotrophic actions of plasma IGFs, endometrial secreted IGFs may promote early placental development through histotrophic signaling., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study forms part of the project "Cross-disciplinary education for sexual, body, and gender diversity" (Code 419). The aim of this study was to analyze the role played by the psychoeducational variables involved in burnout (resilience, self-efficacy, self-esteem, emotional intelligence, empathy, and everyday stress) on attitudes toward sexual and gender diversity rights. Participants comprised 170 university students undertaking a degree in primary education. Instruments were administered to assess the constructs analyzed, ensuring informed consent, voluntary participation, anonymity, and data confidentiality. An ex post facto design was employed to determine whether attitudes toward sexual and gender diversity rights are influenced by the possible relationships and role of these variables. We found statistically significant associations between students' attitudes toward sexual and gender diversity at all three levels (sociocultural, relational, and personal) and the variable of burnout. Attitudes towards gender sexual orientation and gender identity rights influence burnout, and vice versa. As we ponder deeply about how these factors influence one another, we can shift our perspectives in a way that builds social harmony. It is important to learn how exactly these influences work, and this knowledge translates into making teaching strategies more effective to help raise awareness about guaranteeing rights for all. At the personal level of students' attitudes toward sexual and gender diversity/equality, we found positive correlations between this level and the total score for the variable of resilience and with its factor of personal competence. The data obtained will be of use for future psychoeducational assessment and intervention programs related to an education in sexual orientation and gender identity rights that are aimed at developing socio-emotional competencies and attention to diversity with the ultimate goal of improving social harmony by dismantling stereotypes and raising awareness of the importance of the variables of resilience, self-efficacy, self-esteem, emotional intelligence, empathy, and everyday stress which highlights how "education is an instrument of social transformation".

Determining what factors influence the psychological well-being of undergraduate university students may provide valuable information to inform the development of intervention programs and targeted learning activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between psychological well-being in university students and their self-reported learning styles and methodologies, social skills, emotional intelligence, anxiety, empathy and self-concept. The final sample consisted of 149 Spanish university students, with an average age of 21.59 years ( SD = 4.64). Psychological well-being dimensions, along with learning style and methodology preferences, social skills, level of social responsibility, emotional intelligence, state and trait anxiety, empathy and levels of self-concept were measured using a series of validated self-report scales. The results indicate that the total variance explained by the university students' psychological well-being factors were as follows: i) self-acceptance dimension (R 2 = 0.586, F (6,99) = 23.335, p < 0.001); ii) positive relationships dimension (R 2 = 0.520, F (6,99) = 17.874, p < 0.001); iii) autonomy dimension (R 2 = 0.313, F (4,101) = 11.525, p < 0.001); iv) environmental mastery dimension (R 2 = 0.489, F (4,101) = 24.139, p < 0.001); v) personal growth dimension (R 2 = 0.354, F (4,101) = 13.838, p < 0.001); and vi) purpose-in-life dimension (R 2 = 0.439, F (4,101) = 19.786, p < 0.001). The study findings may be used to inform new educational policies and interventions aimed at improving the psychological well-being of university students in the international context., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The pathophysiological changes associated with hypoestrogenism of menopause, a condition known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause, are responsible for the hallmark symptoms of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), namely dyspareunia secondary to vaginal dryness. Many postmenopausal women with VVA find sexual relations to be challenging or impossible. Ospemifene has estrogen-like effects on the vaginal epithelium, and is indicated to treat moderate-to-severe symptomatic VVA (Europe) or moderate-to-severe symptomatic dyspareunia and vaginal dryness (United States) in postmenopausal women. The case studies presented in this article follow the progress of two women who began treatment with ospemifene for the main presenting symptom of dyspareunia. Both women had concerns about the impact of their symptomatology on new relationships. The patient in case 1 experienced relevant improvement within 3 months of treatment start and, by 1 year, dyspareunia was absent. Vaginal lubricants were no longer required. The patient in case 2 experienced relevant improvement within 4 weeks of starting ospemifene. At 15 months, with the use of a lubricant for vaginal penetration, she could enjoy sexual intercourse without pain. At the time of writing, she had been receiving ospemifene continuously for more than 2 years with effective symptom relief and good tolerability., Competing Interests: Disclosure and potential conflicts of interest: Dr. Jurado López reports personal fees from Shionogi, outside the submitted work. Dr. Molero Rodríguez reports personal fees from Shionogi, outside the submitted work. The authors have also provided scientific support to Shionogi Spain by lecturing and/or taking part in Advisory Board meetings organized by Shionogi (Madrid, Spain). The authors’ time was compensated by Shionogi Spain according to local codes of practice. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Potential Conflicts of Interests form for the authors is available for download at: https://www.drugsincontext.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/dic.2020-3-8-COI.pdf, (Copyright © 2020 Jurado López AR, Molero Rodríguez F.)

Ambient temperatures that result in body temperatures beyond those of the thermo-neutral zone for dairy cattle can lead to reduced reproductive efficiencies that have negative effects on economic and productive efficiencies of dairy farms. In addition, in pregnant cows, ambient temperature-induced heat stress leads to modifications in the epigenome of the developing embryo, which, in turn, could lead to phenotypic variations in the sexually mature animal and its offspring. In the mammalian response to stress, adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulates the synthesis and secretion of glucocorticoids, which may have detrimental effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the female estrous cycle. The aim of this review is to describe the effects of ambient heat stress on the reproductive system of dairy cattle and its potential trans-generational effects. There are many heat stress occurrences in dairy cattle during a large portion of the year in many countries and there is an increase in incidence with the onset of global warming. These heat stress conditions make it possible that the embryo/fetus of cows may be affected when heat stress conditions prevail in ways that there is impaired fertility of the sexually mature cows that develop from these embryos/fetuses. This is the outcome because of molecular changes in ovarian glucocorticoid response caused by epigenetic modifications established during fetal development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The finding of novel molecular markers for prediction or prognosis of invasiveness in colorectal cancer (CRC) constitutes an appealing challenge. Here we show the up-regulation of EPDR1 in a prospective cohort of 101 CRC patients, in a cDNA array of 43 patients and in in silico analyses. EPDR1 encodes a protein related to ependymins, a family of glycoproteins involved in intercellular contacts. A thorough statistical model allowed us to conclude that the gene is significantly up-regulated in tumour tissues when compared with normal mucosa. These results agree with those obtained by the analysis of three publicly available databases. EPDR1 up-regulation correlates with the TNM staging parameters, especially T and M. Studies with CRC cell lines revealed that the methylation of a CpG island controls EPDR1 expression. siRNA knocking-down and overexpression of the gene following transient plasmid transfection, showed that EPDR1 favours cell proliferation, migration, invasiveness and adhesion to type I collagen fibres, suggesting a role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Both statistical and functional analysis correlated EPDR1 overexpression with invasiveness and dissemination of tumour cells, supporting the inclusion of EPDR1 in panels of genes used to improve molecular subtyping of CRC. Eventually, EPDR1 may be an actionable target.

Introduction: Burnout syndrome has been characterized as a process of chronic responses to occupational stress in certain employee groups. However, this phenomenon has also been reported in other participant groups including university students. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS), composed of the Exhaustion, Cynicism and Efficacy subscales, was used to evaluate burnout in this sample group while the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was used to gather data related to engagement, a positive psychology construct composed of the three factors, namely vigor, dedication, and absorption. To date, no studies considered these factors in relation to occupational therapy students. This begs the question, is there a relationship between occupational therapy students' self-reported levels of burnout and engagement?, Objectives: The study objectives are to (1) ascertain the self-reported levels of burnout and engagement in a sample of Australian Occupational undergraduate therapy students, and (2) analyze the sociodemographic, occupational and academic characteristic associated with these levels., Methods: Participants were 225 Australian undergraduate occupational therapy students from Monash University completed the MBI-SS and the UWES for students. Descriptive, bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed., Results: Regarding MBI-SS burnout dimensions, exhaustion was associated with age, year level of enrolment and hours of direct time spent working on occupational therapy studies, explaining 15% of its variance. Cynicism and efficacy were associated with age, year level of enrolment and hours of indirect time, accounting for 16% of its variance. For the UWES engagement dimensions, year level of enrolment and hours of indirect time spent working on occupational therapy studies were significant predictors of vigor, explaining 27% its variance while while age, gender, year level of enrolment, hours of indirect time spent working on occupational therapy studies, and hours spend per week engaged in self-care activities accounted for 23% of the variance of dedication. Finally, age, year level of enrolment, and hours of indirect time spent working on occupational therapy studies explained 27% of the variance of absorption., Conclusion: The results indicate that a number of demographic and academic study variables are significantly associated with burnout syndrome and education engagement reported by undergraduate occupational therapy students., (Copyright © 2019 Morales-Rodríguez, Pérez-Mármol and Brown.)

The peri-calving period is characterized by a negative energy balance, which leads to lipid mobilization. Thus, during this period, the liver has important functions related to optimizing milk yield, preventing metabolic and infectious diseases, and improving fertility. To clarify the relationship between liver fatty acid metabolism and reproductive performance, the present study was conducted to assess the abundance of specific hepatic proteins related to lipid metabolism in both plasma and follicular fluid in dairy cattle with different days to conception (DC). Sixteen animals were grouped according to DC, as more and fewer DC (MDC and FDC, respectively). Blood and liver biopsies were sampled 14 days before the expected calving date and 4, 14 and 28 days after calving. The plasma beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentrations and the liver triacylglycerol (TAG) content were greater in the MDC group (P <  0.05), whereas the protein abundance of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 was greater in the FDC group (P < 0.05). Additionally, total bilirubin (TBil) concentration was less in the FDC than MDC group on day 28 (P < 0.05). These results indicate lipid mobilization and liver fatty acid oxidation capacity in dairy cows could contribute to the adaptations and reproductive performance., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Group II introns are self-splicing mobile genetic retroelements. The spliced intron RNA and the intron-encoded protein (IEP) form ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) that recognize and invade specific DNA target sites. The IEP is a reverse transcriptase/maturase that may bear a C-terminal endonuclease domain enabling the RNP to cleave the target DNA strand to prime reverse transcription. However, some mobile introns, such as RmInt1, lack the En domain but nevertheless retrohome efficiently to transient single-stranded DNA target sites at a DNA replication fork. Their mobility is associated with host DNA replication, and they use the nascent lagging strand as a primer for reverse transcription. We searched for proteins that interact with RmInt1 RNPs and direct these RNPs to the DNA replication fork. Co-immunoprecipitation assays suggested that DnaN (the β-sliding clamp), a component of DNA polymerase III, interacts with the protein component of the RmInt1 RNP. Pulldown assays, far-western blots and biolayer interferometry supported this interaction. Peptide binding assays also identified a putative DnaN-interacting motif in the RmInt1 IEP structurally conserved in group II intron IEPs. Our results suggest that intron RNP interacts with the β-sliding clamp of the DNA replication machinery, favouring reverse splicing into the transient ssDNA at DNA replication forks., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

The main objective of the present research is to analyze the relationship of levels of self-efficacy and anxiety, coping strategies, and emotional intelligence in Spanish university students. This study has a cross-sectional design. The sample was composed of 258 university students recruited from three academic areas. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Significant bivariate analysis showed a significant inverse correlation between self-efficacy and state anxiety ( r = -0.340) and trait anxiety ( r = -0.466). In addition, a direct correlation was found between self-efficacy and the coping strategies of problem-solving ( r = 0.312), emotional expression ( r = 0.133), cognitive restructuring ( r = 0.195), social withdrawal ( r = 0.103), and coping with a situation ( r = 0.303), as well as with the emotional intelligence dimensions of emotional clarity ( r = 0.397) and repair mood ( r = 0.347). Multivariate regression analysis showed that trait anxiety, problem-solving, emotional expression, social withdrawal, and emotional clarity were significantly related to the dependent variable, predicting 39% of total variance on levels of general perceived self-efficacy. In conclusion, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the related factors to general perceived self-efficacy in undergraduate students.

Qigong is an ancient form of health maintenance, which is part of Traditional China Medicine. Numerous beneficial mental and physical effects have been classically ascribed to this traditional psychosomatic method. The purpose of this work has been to assess the effects of Taoist qigong practice on several hormonal parameters of the Hipotalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis and specific measures of psychological well-being in healthy subjects. Forty-three healthy volunteers participated in the study, of whom 22 were randomly allocated to the experimental group, and 21 were assigned to the control group. Experimental participants underwent a qigong training program for one month. Blood samples for the quantification of hormonal parameters, and several instruments to assess anxiety and depression symptoms as well as subjective sleep quality, were obtained before and after the program. Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group showing lower blood levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This study shows that Taoist qigong is a psychosomatic method able to exert a modulatory action on ACTH levels in healthy subjects. We consider the need to continue exploring the psychobiological modulation of this qigong method and its possible repercussion for human health care., (© 2018 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

High-producing dairy cows frequently suffer metabolic alterations that cause different diseases, which could decrease the reproductive efficiency of the herd. Among these reproductive disorders, cystic ovarian disease (COD) has been related to alterations in metabolites and hormonal factors such as insulin, adiponectin and leptin. The aim of this study was to determine the protein expression of adiponectin and some of its downstream targets in ovarian follicles of control cows and cows with clinical diagnosis of COD. We also analyzed some key metabolic sensors in plasma and follicular fluid from both groups. In follicular cysts, we detected higher protein expression of adiponectin receptor 2 (AdipoR2), 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1) and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) relative to control antral follicles (p < 0.05). This was related to higher plasma adiponectin concentration in cows with COD than in control cows (p < 0.05). On the other hand, insulin concentrations showed an opposite pattern (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we found alterations in local and systemic concentrations of several metabolites. In this regard, in follicular fluid of cystic cows, the concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate were higher (p < 0.05), whereas the concentrations of glucose and triacylglycerol were lower than in follicular fluid from control cows (p < 0.05). Besides, in both follicular fluid and plasma of cows with COD, the concentration of cholesterol was higher than in control animals (p < 0.05). These results evidence a local altered scenario of some metabolic sensors in cystic follicles, which could generate an adverse microenvironment for the resumption of ovarian activity, possibly causing the persistence of follicles and the recurrence of COD., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cystic ovarian disease (COD) represents an important cause of infertility in dairy cattle and is associated with multiple physiological disorders. Steroidogenesis, which is necessary to ensure normal ovarian functions, involves multiple enzymatic pathways coordinated by insulin and other proteins. We have previously shown that cows with COD have an altered insulin response. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated further alterations in intermediates downstream of the PI3K pathway and pathways mediated by ERK as critical signals for the expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the ovaries of control cows and cows with spontaneous COD. To this end, we evaluated the gene and protein expression of pan-AKT, mTOR, ERK1/2, and steroidogenic enzymes by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Steroid hormone concentrations were assessed at systemic and intrafollicular level. Results showed altered expression of intermediate molecules of the insulin signaling pathway, whose action might modify the synthetic pathway of steroidogenic hormones. Similarly, the expression of steroidogenic enzymes and the concentration of progesterone in serum and follicular fluid were altered. These alterations support the hypothesis that systemic factors contribute to the development and/or maintenance of COD, and that metabolic hormones within follicles such as insulin exert determinant effects on ovarian functionality in cows with COD., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mutation-driven activation of KRAS is crucial to cancer development. The human gene yields four mRNA splicing isoforms, 4A and 4B being translated to protein. Their different properties and oncogenic potential have been studied, but the mechanisms deciding the ratio 4A/4B are not known. To address this issue, the expression of the four KRAS isoforms was determined in 9 human colorectal cancer cell lines. HCT116 and SW48 were further selected because they present the highest difference in the ratio 4A/4B (twice as much in HCT116 than in SW48). Chromatin structure was analysed at the exon 4A, characteristic of isoform 4A, at its intronic borders and at the two flanking exons. The low nucleosome occupancy at exon 4A in both cell lines may result in a fast transcriptional rate, which would explain the general lower abundance of isoform 4A, also found in cells and tissues by other authors, but due to its similarity between both cell lines, chromatin structure does not influence alternative splicing. DNA methylation downstream exon 4A significantly differs in HCT116 and SW48 cells, but the CCCTC-binding factor, which affects the processivity of RNA polymerase and the alternative splicing, does not bind the differentially methylated sequences. Quantitative epigenetic analysis at mononucleosomal level revealed significant differences between both cell lines in H3K4me3, H3K27me3, H3K36me3, H3K9ac, H3K27ac and H4K20me1, and the inhibition of some histone-modifying enzymes alters the ratio 4A/4B. It can be concluded that the epigenetic modification of histones has an influence on the selection of isoforms 4A and 4B., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that no conflicts of interests exists.

Mobile group II introns are ribozymes and retroelements that probably originate from bacteria. Sinorhizobium meliloti , the nitrogen-fixing endosymbiont of legumes of genus Medicago , harbors a large number of these retroelements. One of these elements, RmInt1, has been particularly successful at colonizing this multipartite genome. Many studies have improved our understanding of RmInt1 and phylogenetically related group II introns, their mobility mechanisms, spread and dynamics within S. meliloti and closely related species. Although RmInt1 conserves the ancient retroelement behavior, its evolutionary history suggests that this group II intron has played a role in the short- and long-term evolution of the S. meliloti genome. We will discuss its proposed role in genome evolution by controlling the spread and coexistence of potentially harmful mobile genetic elements, by ectopic transposition to different genetic loci as a source of early genomic variation and by generating sequence variation after a very slow degradation process, through intron remnants that may have continued to evolve, contributing to bacterial speciation.

Cystic ovarian disease (COD) is one of the main causes of infertility in dairy cattle. It has been postulated that the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system may contribute to follicular persistence and development of COD. The initiation of the IGF response is a result of interactions between IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) and IGFBP proteases, mainly pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A). IGFBPs bind IGFs with high affinity and consequently regulate their access to IGF receptors (IGFRs). The aim of this research was to determine variations in components of the IGF system in the ovaries of cows with persistent follicles induced by long-term administration of progesterone. Proteins of the IGF system were evaluated at 0 (expected day of ovulation), 5, 10 and 15 days of follicular persistence to determine whether the changes occur early in the development of COD. The concentrations of IGF1 and IGFBP4 in follicular fluid were similar in all groups with follicular persistence and in control antral follicles. IGFR1 and IGFBP4 expression in situ were higher in granulose cells in persistent follicles than in control follicles. No differences were found in PAPP-A concentration within follicular fluid in persistent follicles relative to control antral follicles. These data support the hypothesis that the IGF system is altered in the initial stages of development of follicular persistence and has a determinant role in ovarian function in cattle., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In dairy cattle, cystic ovarian disease (COD) is an important cause of subfertility, and two of the main signs are ovulation failure and follicular persistence. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of the cytokines IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in ovarian follicular structures at different times of persistence in a model of follicular persistence induced by prolonged treatment with progesterone in dairy cows. Protein expression of IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Additionally, IL-6 concentration in follicular fluid and serum was determined by ELISA. IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α expression was increased in follicles with different persistence times in relation to the control dominant follicles, in granulosa cells. For IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, this increase was detected early (P0: expected time of ovulation and/or P5: 5 days of follicular persistence). Additionally, theca cells showed an increase in IL-6 in antral (groups P10 and P15) and persistent follicles (group P10) related to dominant follicles from the control group (p < 0.05). Serum concentration of IL-6 was higher in groups P5, P10 and P15 than in control cows (p < 0.05). The results show evidence that early development of COD in cows is concurrent with altered expression of these cytokines in different ovarian follicular structures and may contribute to the follicular persistence and endocrine changes found in cattle with follicular cysts., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Glucocorticoids (GCs) such as cortisol and corticosterone are important steroid hormones with different functions in intermediate metabolism, development, cell differentiation, immune response and reproduction. In response to physiological and immunological stress, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) acts on the adrenal gland by stimulating the synthesis and secretion of GCs. However, there is increasing evidence that GCs may also be synthesized by extra-adrenal tissues. Here, we examined the gene and protein expression of the enzyme 11β-hydroxylase P450c11 (CYP11B1), involved in the conversion of 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol, in the different components of the bovine ovary and determined the functionality of CYP11B1 in vitro CYP11B1 mRNA was expressed in granulosa and theca cells in small, medium and large antral ovarian follicles, and CYP11B1 protein was expressed in medium and large antral follicles. After stimulation by ACTH, we observed an increased secretion of cortisol by the wall of large antral follicles. We also observed a concentration-dependent decrease in the concentration of cortisol in response to metyrapone, an inhibitor of CYP11B1. This decrease was significant at 10 -5  µM metyrapone. In conclusion, this study demonstrated for the first time the presence of CYP11B1 in the bovine ovary. This confirms that there could be a local synthesis of GCs in the bovine ovary and therefore a potential endocrine responder to stress through these hormones., (© 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.)