Weeds as a predominant food source: a review of the diet of common hamsters Cricetus cricetus in farmlands and urban habitats

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High-resolution habitat and bathymetry maps for 65,000 sq. km of Earth’s remotest coral reefs

Coral Reefs - With compelling evidence that half the world’s coral reefs have been lost over the last four decades, there is urgent motivation to understand where reefs are located and their...     

Early calcium handling imbalance in pressure overload-induced heart failure with nearly normal left ventricular ejection fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a common clinical syndrome associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic options are limited due to a lack of knowledge of the pathology and its evolution. We investigated the cellular phenotype and Ca²⁺ handling in hearts recapitulating HFpEF criteria. HFpEF was induced in a portion of male Wistar rats four weeks after abdominal aortic banding. These animals had nearly normal ejection fraction and presented elevated blood pressure, lung congestion, concentric hypertrophy, increased LV mass, wall stiffness, impaired active relaxation and passive filling of the left ventricle, enlarged left atrium, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Left ventricular cell contraction was stronger and the Ca²⁺ transient larger. Ca²⁺ cycling was modified with a RyR2 mediated Ca²⁺ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and impaired Ca²⁺ extrusion through the Sodium/Calcium exchanger (NCX), which promoted an increase in diastolic Ca²⁺. The Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA2a) and NCX protein levels were unchanged. The phospholamban (PLN) to SERCA2a ratio was augmented in favor of an inhibitory effect on the SERCA2a activity. Conversely, PLN phosphorylation at the calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII)-specific site (PLN-Thr17), which promotes SERCA2A activity, was increased as well, suggesting an adaptive compensation of Ca²⁺ cycling. Altogether our findings show that cardiac remodeling in hearts with a HFpEF status differs from that known for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. These data also underscore the interdependence between systolic and diastolic “adaptations” of Ca²⁺ cycling with complex compensative interactions between Ca²⁺ handling partner and regulatory proteins.     

The influence of subjective sleep quality on the association between eveningness and depressive symptoms

Increasing evidence suggests that eveningness is associated with increased risk for depression. Eveningness, however, is also associated with poor sleep quality and the unique role of eveningness in depressive symptomatology remains to be elucidated. The goal of the current study, therefore, was to examine the inter-relationships between eveningness, subjective sleep quality and depressive symptoms in healthy participants free of current or previous depression and sleep disorder. Here, 167 healthy participants (mean age 24.16, 129/38 females/males) completed the reduced Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Bootstrap mediation analysis for a simple mediation model including rMEQ, PSQI and CES-D was applied. Eveningness was associated with increased depressive symptoms and mediation analysis showed that this relationship was partly mediated by sleep quality. Our results suggest that indicators of depression observed in evening-type individuals cannot be attributed exclusively to disturbed sleep. We suggest that interventions that target both sleep quality and dysfunctional cognitive styles would be optimal to promote well-being in evening-type individuals.     

Enantiomeric separation of aminophosphonic acids by capillary electrophoresis

Racemic aminophosphonic acids were completely resolved into their enantiomers by capillary electrophoresis using β-cyclodextrin as a chiral selector in a borate electrolyte. The reproducibility of sample injection, solute migration time, and detection limits of the solute were studied. The calibration curve obtained from peak areas was linear over the concentration range of 10 to 300 μg/mL. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Fifteen compelling open questions in plant cell biology

As scientists, we are at least as excited about the open questions—the things we do not know—as the discoveries. Here, we asked 15 experts to describe the most compelling open questions in plant cell biology. These are their questions: How are organelle identity, domains, and boundaries maintained under the continuous flux of vesicle trafficking and membrane remodeling? Is the plant cortical microtubule cytoskeleton a mechanosensory apparatus? How are the cellular pathways of cell wall synthesis, assembly, modification, and integrity sensing linked in plants? Why do plasmodesmata open and close? Is there retrograde signaling from vacuoles to the nucleus? How do root cells accommodate fungal endosymbionts? What is the role of cell edges in plant morphogenesis? How is the cell division site determined? What are the emergent effects of polyploidy on the biology of the cell, and how are any such “rules” conditioned by cell type? Can mechanical forces trigger new cell fates in plants? How does a single differentiated somatic cell reprogram and gain pluripotency? How does polarity develop de-novo in isolated plant cells? What is the spectrum of cellular functions for membraneless organelles and intrinsically disordered proteins? How do plants deal with internal noise? How does order emerge in cells and propagate to organs and organisms from complex dynamical processes? We hope you find the discussions of these questions thought provoking and inspiring.

We asked 15 experts to address what they consider to be the most compelling open questions in plant cell biology and these are their questions.     

Patient-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related harms in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-summary

BackgroundDisease and disability from alcohol use disproportionately impact people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While varied interventions have been shown to reduce alcohol use in high-income countries, their efficacy in LMICs has not been assessed. This systematic review describes current published literature on patient-level alcohol interventions in LMICs and specifically describes clinical trials evaluating interventions to reduce alcohol use in LMICs.Methods and findingsIn accordance with PRISMA, we performed a systematic review using an electronic search strategy from January 1, 1995 to December 1, 2020. Title, abstract, as well as full-text screening and extraction were performed in duplicate. A meta-summary was performed on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated alcohol-related outcomes. We searched the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, WHO Global Health Library, and PsycINFO. Articles that evaluated patient-level interventions targeting alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in LMICs were eligible for inclusion. No studies were excluded based on language.After screening 5,036 articles, 117 articles fit our inclusion criteria, 75 of which were RCTs. Of these RCTs, 93% were performed in 13 middle-income countries, while 7% were from 2 low-income countries. These RCTs evaluated brief interventions (24, defined as any intervention ranging from advice to counseling, lasting less than 1 hour per session up to 4 sessions), psychotherapy or counseling (15, defined as an interaction with a counselor longer than a brief intervention or that included a psychotherapeutic component), health promotion and education (20, defined as an intervention encouraged individuals’ agency of taking care of their health), or biologic treatments (19, defined as interventions where the biological function of alcohol use disorder (AUD) as the main nexus of intervention) with 3 mixing categories of intervention types. Due to high heterogeneity of intervention types, outcome measures, and follow-up times, we did not conduct meta-analysis to compare and contrast studies, but created a meta-summary of all 75 RCT studies. The most commonly evaluated intervention with the most consistent positive effect was a brief intervention; similarly, motivational interviewing (MI) techniques were most commonly utilized among the diverse array of interventions evaluated.ConclusionsOur review demonstrated numerous patient-level interventions that have the potential to be effective in LMICs, but further research to standardize interventions, populations, and outcome measures is necessary to accurately assess their effectiveness. Brief interventions and MI techniques were the most commonly evaluated and had the most consistent positive effect on alcohol-related outcomes.Trial registrationProtocol Registry: PROSPERO CRD42017055549

Catherine Staton and co-workers report on evidence about interventions against harmful alcohol use in low- and middle-income countries.     

Prevention of violence against women and girls: A cost-effectiveness study across 6 low- and middle-income countries

BackgroundViolence against women and girls (VAWG) is a human rights violation with social, economic, and health consequences for survivors, perpetrators, and society. Robust evidence on economic, social, and health impact, plus the cost of delivery of VAWG prevention, is critical to making the case for investment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where health sector resources are highly constrained. We report on the costs and health impact of VAWG prevention in 6 countries.Methods and findingsWe conducted a trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis of VAWG prevention interventions using primary data from 5 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in sub-Saharan Africa and 1 in South Asia. We evaluated 2 school-based interventions aimed at adolescents (11 to 14 years old) and 2 workshop-based (small group or one to one) interventions, 1 community-based intervention, and 1 combined small group and community-based programme all aimed at adult men and women (18+ years old). All interventions were delivered between 2015 and 2018 and were compared to a do-nothing scenario, except for one of the school-based interventions (government-mandated programme) and for the combined intervention (access to financial services in small groups). We computed the health burden from VAWG with disability-adjusted life year (DALY). We estimated per capita DALYs averted using statistical models that reflect each trial’s design and any baseline imbalances. We report cost-effectiveness as cost per DALY averted and characterise uncertainty in the estimates with probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEACs), which show the probability of cost-effectiveness at different thresholds. We report a subgroup analysis of the small group component of the combined intervention and no other subgroup analysis. We also report an impact inventory to illustrate interventions’ socioeconomic impact beyond health. We use a 3% discount rate for investment costs and a 1-year time horizon, assuming no effects post the intervention period. From a health sector perspective, the cost per DALY averted varies between US$222 (2018), for an established gender attitudes and harmful social norms change community-based intervention in Ghana, to US$17,548 (2018) for a livelihoods intervention in South Africa. Taking a societal perspective and including wider economic impact improves the cost-effectiveness of some interventions but reduces others. For example, interventions with positive economic impacts, often those with explicit economic goals, offset implementation costs and achieve more favourable cost-effectiveness ratios. Results are robust to sensitivity analyses. Our DALYs include a subset of the health consequences of VAWG exposure; we assume no mortality impact from any of the health consequences included in the DALYs calculations. In both cases, we may be underestimating overall health impact. We also do not report on participants’ health costs.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that investment in established community-based VAWG prevention interventions can improve population health in LMICs, even within highly constrained health budgets. However, several VAWG prevention interventions require further modification to achieve affordability and cost-effectiveness at scale. Broadening the range of social, health, and economic outcomes captured in future cost-effectiveness assessments remains critical to justifying the investment urgently required to prevent VAWG globally.

In a cost-effectiveness study, Dr. Giulia Ferrari and colleagues examine the costs and health impact of prevention of violence against women and girls in six low- and middle-income countries.     

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