Effect of nutritional status on outcomes in children receiving umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The impacts of nutritional status on clinical outcomes in children receiving umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation (UCBT) are not fully described. We evaluated the risk for malnutrition before transplantation admission and influence of weight loss during hospitalization on short-term clinical outcomes in children with UCBT. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective study of pediatric patients up to age 18 years who received UCBT and were treated at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University between January 2019 and December 2020. RESULTS: The mean age of the 91 patients was 1.3 years, with 78 (85.7%) men and 13 (14.3%) women (p<0.001). UCBT was performed mostly for primary immunodeficiency disease (PID) (83, 91.2%). The weight loss differences among children with different primary diseases were statistically significant (p=0.003). Children with a large amount of weight loss during hospitalization (n = 24) had higher risks of skin graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (multivariate OR=5.01, 95% CI: 1.35-18.65), intestinal GVHD (multivariate OR=7.27, 95% CI: 1.74-30.45), a longer median hospital stay (p=0.004), higher antibiotic costs (p=0.008) and higher total hospitalization costs (p=0.004). Malnutrition on admission was significantly positively correlated with longer parenteral nutrition (PN) time (p=0.008). Early nutritional intervention effects on clinical outcomes need further assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight recipient child and excessive weight loss during transplantation increases the length and cost of hospital stay, and is associated with a high incidence of GVHD, which affects the prognosis of transplantation and medical resources consumption.

Nutrition status survey of type 2 and 3 spinal muscular atrophy in Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nutritional status of children with SMA types II and III in a Chinese population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective medical record review of prospectively collected data from children with SMA types II and III in a single centre. We analysed data including clinical parameters, anthropometrics, and 24-hour dietary intake records in our clinic. RESULTS: We analysed the anthropometric data from 86 children with 69 (80%) SMAII and 17 (20%) SMAIII; 47 (55%) were female, mean age was 5.22 ± 3.73 years. The WAZ of the SMAII (n = 69) and SMAIII (n = 17) were -0.48 (IQR -1.69, 0.57) vs -0.53 (IQR -1.60, 0.55), P = 0.926; the HAZ were -0.62 (IQR -1.4, 0.3) vs -0.6 (IQR -1.61, 0.4), P=0.72; the BMIZ were -0.51 (IQR -1.53, 0.99) vs -0.08 (IQR -1.625, 1.125), P = 0.537.The dietary intake of 51 children was compared to the Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). The actual energy intake in SMAII was similar to the DRIs, but which in SMAIII was less than the DRIs (1312.4 ± 329.5 kcal vs. 1655 ± 640.1 kcal, P = 0.028). The protein intake in SMAII and SMAIII was higher than the DRIs (55 ± 16.3 g/d vs 30.2 ± 4.6 g/d, P < 0.05; 56.8 ± 18.1 g/d vs 41.5 ± 17.5 g/d, p = 0.22), and calcium intake was lower than the recommendation (507.7 ± 177.8 mg/d vs 731.7 ± 123.4 mg/d, P < 0.05; 478.4 ± 207.4 mg/d vs 478.4 ± 207.4 mg/d, P = 0.01). Swallowing on the Neuromuscular Disease Status Scale was 7.41 ± 0.5. CONCLUSIONS: Children with SMAII and SMAIII were at risk for malnutrition and low calcium intake.

Advances in heterologous biosynthesis of plant and fungal natural products by modular co-culture engineering.

Heterologous biosynthesis has been long pursued as a viable approach for high efficiency production of natural products with various industrial values. Conventional methods for heterologous biosynthesis use the mono-culture of an engineered microbe for accommodating the whole target biosynthetic pathway to produce the desired product. The emergence of modular co-culture engineering, which divides the pathway between multiple co-culture strains, presents a new perspective to conduct heterologous biosynthesis and improve the bioproduction performance of natural products. This review highlights recent advances in utilizing the modular co-culture engineering approaches to address the challenges of plant and fungal natural product biosynthesis. Potential directions for future research in this promising field are also discussed.

Women's Experiences of Sexual Harassment in Online Gaming.

To better understand the types of sexual harassment women experience in online gaming, their labeling of such experiences, and the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim, we surveyed women gamers to inquire about their experiences. Participants were 182 women from North America who played online video games. Overall, 56.6% of participants reported experiencing one or more types of sexual harassment during online gaming. Additionally, 45.6% of participants reported witnessing one or more types of sexual harassment perpetrated against other women. About half (50.5%) of participants who had experienced harassment labeled their own experiences as "sexual harassment," and 42.2% labeled the behaviors that they witnessed against someone else as "sexual harassment." Results speak to the need for prevention interventions to protect women gamers.

Ex vivo analysis platforms for monitoring amyloid precursor protein cleavage.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder and the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. The presence of large numbers of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and cerebral atrophy is the characteristic feature of AD. Amyloid ß peptide (Aß), derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP), is the main component of senile plaques. AD has been extensively studied using methods involving cell lines, primary cultures of neural cells, and animal models; however, discrepancies have been observed between these methods. Dissociated cultures lose the brain's tissue architecture, including neural circuits, glial cells, and extracellular matrix. Experiments with animal models are lengthy and require laborious monitoring of multiple parameters. Therefore, it is necessary to combine these experimental models to understand the pathology of AD. An experimental platform amenable to continuous observation and experimental manipulation is required to analyze long-term neuronal development, plasticity, and progressive neurodegenerative diseases. In the current study, we provide a practical method to slice and cultivate rodent hippocampus to investigate the cleavage of APP and secretion of Aß in an ex vivo model. Furthermore, we provide basic information on Aß secretion using slice cultures. Using our optimized method, dozens to hundreds of long-term stable slice cultures can be coordinated simultaneously. Our findings are valuable for analyses of AD mouse models and senile plaque formation culture models.

Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) mediates pyrene-induced inflammatory responses in mouse liver, with increased serum amyloid A proteins and Th17 cells.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), a known xenobiotic sensor, plays an important role in drug metabolism by regulating numerous genes. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pyrene, an environmental pollutant, is a CAR activator and induces mouse hepatotoxicity via CAR. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanisms of the inflammatory response in pyrene-caused mice liver injury. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Effects of pyrene on the liver were investigated in wild-type and CAR knockout (KO) mice. Levels of pyrene and its urinary metabolite were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Inflammatory responses were measured by qRT-PCR, western blotting, and ELISA for cytokines. KEY RESULTS: Serum amyloid A proteins (SAAs) were markedly increased in the liver and serum of pyrene-exposed wild-type mice. IL-17-producing helper T cells (Th17 cells) and IL-17 levels were increased in the liver of pyrene-exposed wild-type mice. Hepatic mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNFα, and serum IL-6 levels were significantly elevated in pyrene-treated wild-type mice. However, these changes were not observed in CAR KO mice. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: CAR plays a crucial role in pyrene-caused mice liver inflammatory response with increased SAAs and Th17 cells. Our results suggest that serum SAAs may be a convenient biomarker for early diagnosis of liver inflammatory response caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including pyrene. CAR and Th17 cells may be potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies for xenobiotic-induced liver inflammation.

Examining Sexual Behavior Among U.S. Transgender Adolescents.

The health of transgender adolescents (i.e., those identifying with a gender other than their sex assigned at birth) is gaining attention from researchers, yet little work has examined normative sexual behaviors among this population. Self-identified gender minority adolescents, including those identifying as trans boys, trans girls, nonbinary, and questioning their gender identity (age range 14-18, Mage = 16, n = 1,223) from all 50 U.S. states responded to anonymous online surveys. Participants reported on their age of initiation and number of sexual partners for four sexual behaviors ranging in intimacy (i.e., sexual touching, oral sex, vaginal sex, and anal sex). Participants also indicated the gender of their sexual partners and experiences with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), STI tests, and pregnancy. Overall, transgender adolescents' age of initiating sexual behaviors and number of sexual partners are similar to those observed in prior studies of cisgender adolescents. No differences were found between gender identity subgroups on ever engaging, age of initiation, number of partners, and gender of partners across the four sexual behaviors, with some exceptions for anal sex. Participants reported low rates of STIs and pregnancy, but also low rates of STI testing. Implications for sex education and health care are discussed.

Indirect Effects of the Family Check-Up on Youth Extracurricular Involvement at School-Age through Improvements in Maternal Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood.

Extracurricular involvement in the school-age years has widespread potential benefits for children's subsequent socioemotional development, especially for low-income youth. However, there is a dearth of research on interventions aimed at increasing school-age extracurricular involvement in low-income youth. Thus, the present study aimed to test the collateral effect of a brief, family-focused intervention for low-income families, the Family Check-Up, on children's school-age extracurricular involvement via improvements in maternal Positive Behavior Support in early childhood. The sample (n = 630, 50% female, 50% White, 28% Black/African American) represented a subsample of families from the Early Steps Multisite Study. At age 2, families were randomly assigned to the Family Check-Up or Women, Infants, and Children Nutritional Supplement Services as usual. Mother-child dyads participated in observed interaction tasks at child ages 2 and 3 that were subsequently coded to assess positive behavior support. Primary caregivers reported on children's school-age extracurricular involvement at ages 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5. Results indicated that although there was not a direct path between intervention status and children's school-age extracurricular involvement, a significant indirect path emerged from intervention group to changes in positive behavior support between ages 2 to 3 to children's school-age extracurricular involvement. The results are discussed in terms of implications for designing preventive interventions in early childhood that promote extracurricular involvement at school-age, particularly for children at risk for maladaptive outcomes.

Extracurricular involvement in the school-age period and adolescent problem behavior among low-income youth.

OBJECTIVE: The present study tested the protective role of youth's school-age extracurricular involvement and multiple informants' reports of adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems in a sample of youth from low-income households. METHOD: Participating youth (n = 635, 49% female, 49% White, 28% Black/African American, 14% biracial, 8% other race, 13% Hispanic/Latinx) were drawn from the Early Steps Multisite Study. At ages 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5, primary caregivers reported the number of extracurricular activities for which youth participated (Parent Aftercare Survey). At ages 14 and 16, measures of internalizing and externalizing problems were collected from primary and alternate caregivers (Child Behavior Checklist) and target youth (Child Depression Inventory-Short Form, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and Self-Report of Delinquency). At age 16, target youth also contributed measures of risky sexual behaviors and substance use (Youth Risk Behavior Survey). Teachers contributed measures of youth's internalizing and externalizing problems at age 14 (Teacher Report Form). RESULTS: After accounting for the effects of multiple sociodemographic factors, initial levels of child problem behavior, and intervention group status, structural equation models revealed that school-age extracurricular involvement was inversely associated with latent factors representing adolescent externalizing, but not internalizing, problems at ages 14 (ß = -.13, p < .01) and 16 (ß = -.12, p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that low-income, school-age children's involvement in extracurricular activities serves a protective function in relation to adolescent externalizing problems. Future studies should assess underlying mechanisms and expand the scope of adolescent outcomes to include prosocial functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Chrysene, a four-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, induces hepatotoxicity in mice by activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of persistent organic global environmental pollutants and cause harmful effects on human health. Here, we evaluated adverse effects of chrysene, which is a four-ring PAH and an important member of 16 priority PAHs, on the liver. Chrysene was detected in some common raw and cooked Chinese food samples. Hepatotoxicity including increased relative liver weight, hepatocyte swelling and degeneration, and elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were observed in chrysene-exposed C57BL/6 mice. Glutamine treatment effectively ameliorated chrysene-induced mice liver injury by decreasing serum ALT levels. Chrysene induced mice hepatic glutathione depletion and oxidative DNA damage with increased 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels. Hepatic expression levels of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), AhR-related target genes including CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP1B1, and AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) were significantly increased in chrysene-exposed C57BL/6 mice. Chrysene induced mice hepatic mRNA levels of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Nrf2-mediated phase II detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes including NQO1, UGT1A1, UGT1A6, SULT1A1, GSTm1, GSTm3, Catalase (CAT), GPx1, and SOD2. We found that chrysene had toxic effects including increased relative liver weight and elevated serum ALT levels on AhR+/+ mice but not AhR-/- mice. Chrysene significantly induced hepatic mRNA levels of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 in AhR+/+ mice but not AhR-/- mice. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that hepatotoxicity causes by chrysene is dependent on AhR, and Nrf2 plays an important regulation role in protection against oxidative liver injury induced by chrysene.

Establishing microbial co-cultures for 3-hydroxybenzoic acid biosynthesis on glycerol.

Converting renewable feedstocks to aromatic compounds using engineered microbes offers a robust approach for sustainable, environment-friendly, and cost-effective production of these value-added products without the reliance on petroleum. In this study, rationally designed E. coli-E. coli co-culture systems were established for converting glycerol to 3-hydroxybenzoic acid (3HB). Specifically, the 3HB pathway was modularized and accommodated by two metabolically engineered E. coli strains. The co-culture biosynthesis was optimized by using different cultivation temperatures, varying the inoculum ratio between the co-culture strains, recruitment of a key pathway intermediate transporter, strengthening the critical pathway enzyme expression, and adjusting the timing for inducing pathway gene expression. Compared with the E. coli mono-culture, the optimized co-culture showed 5.3-fold improvement for 3HB biosynthesis. This study demonstrated the applicability of modular co-culture engineering for addressing the challenges of aromatic compound biosynthesis.

The Mediating Effect of Self-Regulation in the Association Between Poverty and Child Weight: A Systematic Review.

Deficits in self-regulation (SR) have been proposed as a potential contributor to child overweight/obesity, a public health concern that disproportionately affects children living in poverty. Although poverty is known to influence SR, SR has not been considered as a potential mechanism in the association between poverty and child obesity. The aim of the current paper was to systematically review the current literature to determine whether SR is a viable mechanism in the relationship between child exposure to poverty and later risk of overweight/obesity. We systematically review and summarize literature in three related areas with the aim of generating a developmentally informed model that accounts for the consistent association between poverty and child weight, specifically how: (1) poverty relates to child weight, (2) poverty relates to child SR, and (3) SR is associated with weight. To quantify the strength of associations for each pathway, effect sizes were collected and aggregated. Findings from the studies included suggest small but potentially meaningful associations between poverty and child SR and between SR and child weight. The conceptualization and measurement of SR, however, varied across literature studies and made it difficult to determine whether SR can feasibly connect poverty to child obesity. Although SR may be a promising potential target for obesity intervention for low-income children, additional research on how SR affects risk of obesity is crucial, especially based on the lack of success of the limited number of SR-promoting interventions for improving children's weight outcomes.

Expression of cry2Ah1 and two domain II mutants in transgenic tobacco confers high resistance to susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm.

To improve the novel Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal gene cry2Ah1 toxicity, two mutants cry2Ah1-vp (V354VP) and cry2Ah1-sp (V354SP) were performed. SWISS-MODEL analysis showed two mutants had a longer loop located between ß-4 and ß-5 of domain II, resulting in higher binding affinity with brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) of Helicoverpa armigera comparing with Cry2Ah1. The cry2Ah1, cry2Ah1-vp, and cry2Ah1-sp were optimized codon usage according to plant codon bias, and named mcry2Ah1, mcry2Ah1-vp, and mcry2Ah1-sp. They were transformed into tobacco via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and a total of 4, 8, and 24 transgenic tobacco plants were obtained, respectively. The molecular detection showed the exogenous gene was integrated into tobacco genome, and successfully expressed at the transcript and translation levels. Cry2Ah1 protein in transgenic tobacco plants varied from 4.41 to 40.28 µg g-1 fresh weight. Insect bioassays indicated that all transgenic tobacco plants were highly toxic to both susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm larvae, and the insect resistance efficiency to Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm was highest in mcry2Ah1-sp transgenic tobacco plants. The results demonstrated that cry2Ah1 was a useful Bt insecticidal gene to susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm and had potential application for insect biocontrol and as a candidate for pyramid strategy in Bt crops.