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nosocomial infections in Africa needs to be defined.

The prevalence of obesity and overweight in childhood has increased dramatically over the past decades globally. Thus, the risk factors of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents must be studied.

This study aimed to reveal the prevalence of childhood obesity and examine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and z-body mass index (z-BMI) via parental obesity and dietary intake using path analysis.

Stratified cluster sampling was used to select 17,007 participants aged 6-12 years on two avenues per region in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Path analysis was conducted to examine the mediators between SES and z-BMI.

The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 13.36% and 8.60%, respectively, and were positively correlated with the father’s education level, family income, a birth weight > 3000g, a parental obesity history, vegetable intake and red meat intake (all P < 0.05). Four mediators (paternal obesity history, red meat intake, vegetable intake, and nutritional supplements) were observed, and the four path analyses were significant (all P < 0.05). The adjusted total effects on z-BMI were significant for income (β

= 0.03; P < 0.01), father’s education (β

= 0.05; P < 0.001), and region (β

= 0.11; P<0.001), and the total mediation effects were 20.69%, 16.67%, and 5.36%, respectively. All the variables accounted for 12.60% of the z-BMI variance.

The prevalence of overweight/obesity in children was notable, and the relationship between SES and z-BMI was mediated by paternal obesity history and dietary intake.

The prevalence of overweight/obesity in children was notable, and the relationship between SES and z-BMI was mediated by paternal obesity history and dietary intake.

The identification of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in genome-wide association studies is challenging due to the unknown nature of the interactions and the overwhelmingly large number of possible combinations. Parametric regression models are suitable to look for prespecified interactions. Nonparametric models such as tree ensemble models, with the ability to detect any unspecified interaction, have previously been difficult to interpret. However, with the development of methods for model explainability, it is now possible to interpret tree ensemble models efficiently and with a strong theoretical basis.

We propose a tree ensemble- and SHAP-based method for identifying as well as interpreting potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions on large-scale biobank data. A set of independent cross-validation runs are used to implicitly investigate the whole genome. We apply and evaluate the method using data from the UK Biobank with obesity as the phenotype. The results are in line with previous research on obesity as we identify top SNPs previously associated with obesity. We further demonstrate how to interpret and visualize interaction candidates.

The new method identifies interaction candidates otherwise not detected with parametric regression models. However, further research is needed to evaluate the uncertainties of these candidates. The method can be applied to large-scale biobanks with high-dimensional data.

The new method identifies interaction candidates otherwise not detected with parametric regression models. However, further research is needed to evaluate the uncertainties of these candidates. The method can be applied to large-scale biobanks with high-dimensional data.

Cyclocybe aegerita (syn. Agrocybe aegerita) is a commercially cultivated mushroom. Its archetypal agaric morphology and its ability to undergo its whole life cycle under laboratory conditions makes this fungus a well-suited model for studying fruiting body (basidiome, basidiocarp) development. To elucidate the so far barely understood biosynthesis of fungal volatiles, alterations in the transcriptome during different developmental stages of C. aegerita were analyzed and combined with changes in the volatile profile during its different fruiting stages.

A transcriptomic study at seven points in time during fruiting body development of C. aegerita with seven mycelial and five fruiting body stages was conducted. Differential gene expression was observed for genes involved in fungal fruiting body formation showing interesting transcriptional patterns and correlations of these fruiting-related genes with the developmental stages. Combining transcriptome and volatilome data, enzymes putatively involved in the bd for prospective enzyme characterization studies to further elucidate the so far barely understood biosynthesis of fungal C8 oxylipins.Social stressors produce neurobiological and emotional consequences in social species. Environmental interventions, such as environmental enrichment and exercise, may modulate physiological and behavioral stress responses. The present study investigated the benefits of environmental enrichment and exercise against social stress in the socially monogamous prairie vole. Female prairie voles remained paired with a sibling (control) or were isolated from a sibling for 4 weeks. The isolated groups were assigned to isolated sedentary, isolated with environmental enrichment, or isolated with both enrichment and exercise conditions. Behaviors related to depression, anxiety, and sociality were investigated using the forced swim test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM), and a social crowding stressor (SCS), respectively. cFos expression was evaluated in stress-related circuitry following the SCS. Both enrichment and enrichment with exercise protected against depression-relevant behaviors in the FST and social behavioral disruptions in the SCS, but only enrichment with exercise protected against anxiety-related behaviors in the EPM and altered cFos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in isolated prairie voles. Enrichment may improve emotion-related and social behaviors, however physical exercise may be an important component of environmental strategies for protecting against anxiety-related behaviors and reducing neural activation as a function of social stress.Dependent variables commonly studied during countermovement vertical jump (CMVJ) tests largely stem from male-only studies despite females’distinct energy storage and reutilisation strategies. This could limit progress among females seeking increased CMVJ performance through targeted changes in certain variables. We explored relationships between CMVJ performance metrics (jump height, modified reactive strength index, jump power, and takeoff momentum) and (a) temporal and force application variables and (b) inter-limb force and yank (i.e., rate of force development) asymmetry in 31 recreationally active females. Participants performed eight CMVJs while ground reaction force (GRF) data were obtained. Fadraciclib Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients assessed the strength and direction of the associations. Twenty-six significant relationships (r ≥ ±0.357; p less then 0.05) were detected across the CMVJ performance variables. The significantly correlated variables were generally isolated to only one of the four performance metrics. Only the percentage of concentric phase inter-limb force asymmetry was significantly associated with CMVJ performance, specifically jump power and takeoff momentum. Coaches and physical performance professionals should be aware of popular strategy variables’ association or lack of association with commonly studied performance metrics when seeking to understand or improve specific CMVJ jumping abilities in females.Prospective memory (PM) problems in aging and, to a greater extent, in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), compromise functional independence. This study examined the effectiveness of a cognitive training program based on visual imagery to improve PM among older adults with and without MCI. Participants were older adults, 24 with MCI and 24 cognitively healthy (HOA). Half of them (12 MCI and 12 HOA) were randomly assigned to the PM training program, the other half to the no-training control group. All participants also completed a pre- and post-test evaluation, including neuropsychological tests, questionnaires, and the Ecological Test of Prospective Memory (TEMP). There was no significant effect of the intervention on the TEMP total, event-based or time-based scores for either the MCI or HOA groups. However, the trained MCI group committed fewer false alarms (i.e., more efficient identification of prospective cues) in the event-based condition of the TEMP at post-test. On the other hand, all trained participants performed better than control participants on retrospective memory tests, which suggests that visual imagery-based training is more effective to improve retrospective memory than PM. Possible explanations for these results are explored.Polyanions are negatively charged macromolecules known for several decades as inhibitors of many viruses in vitro, notably AIDS virus. In the case of enveloped viruses, this activity was assigned to the formation of a polyelectrolyte complex between an anionic species, the polyanion, and the spike cationic proteins which are, for polymer chemists, comparable to cationic polyelectrolytes. Unfortunately, in vitro antiviral activity was not confirmed in vivo, possibly because polyanions were captured by cationic blood elements before reaching target cells. Accordingly, virologists abandoned the use of polyanions for antiviral therapy. In the case of coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 and its mutants the game may not be over because these viruses infect cells of airways and not of blood. This communication proposes strategies to use polysulfates to attack and inhibit viral particles before they reach target cells in the airways. For this, polysulfate solutions may be administered by spray, gargling and nebulization or used to capture virus-containing droplets and aerosols by bubbling when these vectors are in the atmosphere. The technical means exist. However, biocompatibility and biofunctionality tests are necessary in the case of airways. Such tests require manipulation of pathogens, something which is beyond the competences of a biomaterialist. For this, a specialist in virology is necessary. Attempts to find one failed so far despite all-around solicitations over the past ten months and despite the fact that attacking the virus with polysulfates may complement beneficially the defensive strategies based on masks, vaccines and hospitals.Child sexual abuse is present in all strata of Israeli society. However, there is scant research on the emotional experiences of non-abusing mothers after disclosure. In particular, no studies have examined the experiences of these mothers from the Jewish Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel. The current study analyzed the drawings and short narratives of 21 Israeli Ultra-Orthodox mothers to explore the effects of the disclosure of their child’s sexual abuse. A phenomenological approach was used to analyze the drawings and yielded four different phenomena (1) squiggles that represented distress, (2) the mother-child relationship, (3) pseudo-sweet houses, and (4) split drawings. The drawings were either colorful, sweet or shallow, or alternatively were in black and white. As confirmed by the narratives, these drawings primarily expressed the negative emotions of shock, sadness, distress, guilt, and failure as mothers. While some mothers reported breaking down and that pain had permeated their daily lives others coped by dissociating the painful experience, putting up a façade of normalcy, or splitting their lives into two parts corresponding to before and after the disclosure.