Activity

The expression levels of hsa_circ_0001666 and hsa_circ_0062142 in CD were significantly higher than those in UC and HC (p<0.01). Epacadostat ROC curves suggested the favorable diagnostic value of hsa_circ_0062142 and hsa_circ_0001666 (AUC=0.803 and 0.858, respectively, p<0.01). In silico analysis indicated that these circRNAs may be involved in the progress of CD.

Hsa_circ_0062142 and hsa_circ_0001666 may play critical roles in the pathogenesis and serve as potential biomarkers of CD.

Hsa_circ_0062142 and hsa_circ_0001666 may play critical roles in the pathogenesis and serve as potential biomarkers of CD.Supportive father involvement during pregnancy can positively impact maternal and child outcomes. Father participation in prenatal care is increasing, yet little research exists to understand how mothers and fathers experience father participation in prenatal care and their preferences for father participation. We interviewed expectant first-time mothers (N = 22) and fathers (N = 20) to learn about fathers’ participation in prenatal care, perceptions of providers’ treatment of fathers, and preferences for father participation. Interviews were coded using principles of grounded theory. Father participation ranged from attendance at visits considered “important” (e.g., ultrasounds) to attendance at every appointment. Experiences of father participation varied, with many describing it as both an important act of support for the mother and part of assuming the role of father. Most participants saw great value in father participation in prenatal care as an opportunity for fathers to learn how to support a healthy pregnancy, bond with their developing baby, and share joy and/or worries with mothers. Participants generally felt that fathers were made to feel welcome and wanted providers to be inclusive of fathers during appointments. Results of this study suggest that father participation presents an opportunity for prenatal care providers to foster fathers’ positive involvement in pregnancy, support for mothers, and preparation to parent.

Eating disorders commonly co-occur with gastrointestinal problems. This case-control study aimed to (a) document the prevalence of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) in eating disorders, (b) examine the specific impact of disordered eating behaviors on the risk of DGBI, and (c) explore the impact of current eating disorder psychopathology on DGBI.

We included 765 cases with eating disorders and 1,240 controls. DGBI were assessed via the ROME III questionnaire. Prevalences of DGBI were calculated across eating disorder diagnoses (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and multiple eating disorders) and in controls. The association between disordered eating behaviors and DGBI was examined using logistic regression models. Lastly, we compared the total number of DGBI in individuals with high versus low current eating disorder symptoms.

A large majority (88.2-95.5%) of individuals with eating disorders reported at least one DGBI and 34.8-48.7% reported three or more DGBI. Of the DGBI categories, functional bowel disorders were the most commonly endorsed category, and of the individual DGBI, irritable bowel syndrome was the most frequently reported (43.9-58.8%). All investigated disordered eating behaviors showed a positive association with most DGBI categories. Finally, individuals reporting high current eating disorder symptoms reported higher mean number of DGBI (3.03-3.34) than those with low current symptoms (1.60-1.84).

The directionality and mechanisms underlying the nature of the relationship between gastrointestinal and eating disorder symptoms is worthy of further study and clinicians should adopt an integrated approach by attending to both gastrointestinal and eating disorder symptoms in their patients.

The directionality and mechanisms underlying the nature of the relationship between gastrointestinal and eating disorder symptoms is worthy of further study and clinicians should adopt an integrated approach by attending to both gastrointestinal and eating disorder symptoms in their patients.The peroxisome is responsible for a variety of vital pathways in primary metabolism, including the very long-chain fatty-acid oxidation and plasmalogen lipid biosynthesis. Autosomal recessive disorder of the Zellweger spectrum (ZSD) is a major subset of peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBDs) that can be caused by mutations in any of the 14 PEX genes. Zellweger syndrome (ZS) is the foremost common and severe phenotype within the heterogeneous ZSD. However, missense mutations encode proteins with residual functions, which are associated with phenotypes that are milder than ZS. Mutations in the PEX1 gene are among the most prevalent. PEX1 and PEX6 proteins, belonging to the AAA family of ATPases, form a hexameric complex, which is associated with peroxisome membranes and essential for peroxisome biology. In this study, a two-month-old Iranian boy with hypotonia, poor feeding, and difficulty in breathing was diagnosed with Zellweger syndrome. The parents of the patient were second cousins and healthy and no similar cases were observed in the parents’ family. The PEX1 gene was sequenced in the patient and his parents. The compound heterozygous mutations, p. Arg949Trp and p. Gly970Ala, were identified in the patient, while the parents were heterozygous for these alleles. Sequence analysis of the mutant PEX1 D2 domain revealed that mutation p. Arg949Trp precisely occurred in a conserved arginine residue (P4 Arg), which hinders the substrate processing of the complex. Several database records have reported mutation p. Arg949Trp(R949W) but its clinical significance is given as uncertain. We report here a novel mutation, p. Gly970Ala, which is not recorded before and may prevent proper interaction of PEX1 and PEX6 proteins. In summary, the clinical findings and peroxisome profile of the patient suggested that compound heterozygosity for these two missense mutations resulted in a nonfunctional PEX1/PEX6 complex causing the severe ZS phenotype.

Detection of 3-quinuclidinol (3Q), a marker for the chemical warfare agent 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, is very difficult by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), providing low, broad signals even when analyzed in isolated form. Therefore, a method that can convert 3Q into a substrate with enhanced detectability by GC/MS would be an important tool for its analysis.

2,2,2-Trichloroethoxycarbonyl chloride (TrocCl) was used in the derivatization of 3Q in three different soils of varying composition and total organic content (Virginia type A soil, Nebraska EPA standard soil and Ottawa sand) when present at a 10μg g

concentration in each. A direct derivatization protocol and one involving the pre-extraction of the analyte were evaluated for their individual efficiencies and subsequent analysis using electron ionization GC/MS.

The practical derivatization of 3Q, when present at low levels (10μg g

) in three different soil matrices, was found to be rapid (1h) and to take place smoothly at ambient temperature (and as low as 4°C).