Evolutionary Dynamics of Chromatin Structure and Duplicate Gene Expression in Diploid and Allopolyploid Cotton.

Polyploidy is a prominent mechanism of plant speciation and adaptation, yet the mechanistic understandings of duplicated gene regulation remain elusive. Chromatin structure dynamics are suggested to govern gene regulatory control. Here, we characterized genome-wide nucleosome organization and chromatin accessibility in allotetraploid cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (AADD, 2n = 4X = 52), relative to its two diploid parents (AA or DD genome) and their synthetic diploid hybrid (AD), using DNS-seq. The larger A-genome exhibited wider average nucleosome spacing in diploids, and this intergenomic difference diminished in the allopolyploid but not hybrid. Allopolyploidization also exhibited increased accessibility at promoters genome-wide and synchronized cis-regulatory motifs between subgenomes. A prominent cis-acting control was inferred for chromatin dynamics and demonstrated by transposable element removal from promoters. Linking accessibility to gene expression patterns, we found distinct regulatory effects for hybridization and later allopolyploid stages, including nuanced establishment of homoeolog expression bias and expression level dominance. Histone gene expression and nucleosome organization are coordinated through chromatin accessibility. Our study demonstrates the capability to track high-resolution chromatin structure dynamics and reveals their role in the evolution of cis-regulatory landscapes and duplicate gene expression in polyploids, illuminating regulatory ties to subgenomic asymmetry and dominance.

Organellar transcripts dominate the cellular mRNA pool across plants of varying ploidy levels.

Mitochondrial and plastid functions depend on coordinated expression of proteins encoded by genomic compartments that have radical differences in copy number of organellar and nuclear genomes. In polyploids, doubling of the nuclear genome may add challenges to maintaining balanced expression of proteins involved in cytonuclear interactions. Here, we use ribo-depleted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze transcript abundance for nuclear and organellar genomes in leaf tissue from four different polyploid angiosperms and their close diploid relatives. We find that even though plastid genomes contain <1% of the number of genes in the nuclear genome, they generate the majority (69.9 to 82.3%) of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts in the cell. Mitochondrial genes are responsible for a much smaller percentage (1.3 to 3.7%) of the leaf mRNA pool but still produce much higher transcript abundances per gene compared to nuclear genome. Nuclear genes encoding proteins that functionally interact with mitochondrial or plastid gene products exhibit mRNA expression levels that are consistently more than 10-fold lower than their organellar counterparts, indicating an extreme cytonuclear imbalance at the RNA level despite the predominance of equimolar interactions at the protein level. Nevertheless, interacting nuclear and organellar genes show strongly correlated transcript abundances across functional categories, suggesting that the observed mRNA stoichiometric imbalance does not preclude coordination of cytonuclear expression. Finally, we show that nuclear genome doubling does not alter the cytonuclear expression ratios observed in diploid relatives in consistent or systematic ways, indicating that successful polyploid plants are able to compensate for cytonuclear perturbations associated with nuclear genome doubling.

Imprisonment for South Ethiopian people living with HIV presents a double health burden: lived experiences of prisoners.

BACKGROUND: Optimal adherence is crucial for ensuring both therapeutic and preventative benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Sub-optimal adherence is common in prisoners and little information is available about its predisposing circumstances in resource-limited settings. We explored lived experiences of inmates living with HIV (ILWH) and experiential accounts of service providers in South Ethiopia to identify barriers to and facilitators of HIV care use in the prison context. METHODS: We conducted qualitative in-depth interviewing with eleven ILWH and eleven service providers. Audio recorded interview data were transcribed verbatim in Amharic language, translated into English and coded based on emerging concepts. We employed a descriptive phenomenological approach to abstract meaning attributed to the prisoners' lived experiences in relation to HIV care use and service providers' experiential account regarding care provision as presented to our consciousness. FINDINGS: Several concepts emerged as barriers to HIV care use amongst ILWH in South Ethiopia including: limited access to standard care, insufficient health staff support, uncooperative security system, loss of patient privacy, a lack of status disclosure due to social stigma, and food supply insufficiency. In addition to a unique opportunity offered by an imprisonment for some ILWH to refrain from health damaging behaviours, the presence of social support in the prison system facilitated care use. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified important structural and social contexts that can both hinder and enhance HIV care use amongst ILWH in South Ethiopia. Given the disproportionate burden of HIV in prisoners and the potential of transmission to others during and after incarceration, development of contextually-responsive strategies is required to address the barriers and to also strengthen the enablers.

Parental legacy versus regulatory innovation in salt stress responsiveness of allopolyploid cotton (Gossypium) species.

Polyploidy provides an opportunity for evolutionary innovation and species diversification, especially under stressful conditions. In allopolyploids, the conditional dynamics of homoeologous gene expression can be either inherited from ancestral states pre-existing in the parental diploids or novel upon polyploidization, the latter potentially permitting a wider range of phenotypic responses to stresses. To gain insight into regulatory mechanisms underlying the diversity of salt resistance in Gossypium species, we compared global transcriptomic responses to modest salinity stress in two allotetraploid (AD-genome) cotton species, Gossypium hirsutum and G. mustelinum, relative to their model diploid progenitors (A-genome and D-genome). Multivariate and pairwise analyses of salt-responsive changes revealed a profound alteration of gene expression for about one third of the transcriptome. Transcriptional responses and associated functional implications of salt acclimation varied across species, as did species-specific coexpression modules among species and ploidy levels. Salt responsiveness in both allopolyploids was strongly biased toward the D-genome progenitor. A much lower level of transgressive downregulation was observed in the more salt-tolerant G. mustelinum than in the less tolerant G. hirsutum. By disentangling inherited effects from evolved responses, we show that expression biases that are not conditional upon salt stress approximately equally reflect parental legacy and regulatory novelty upon allopolyploidization, whereas stress-responsive biases are predominantly novel, or evolved, in allopolyploids. Overall, our work suggests that allopolyploid cottons acquired a wide range of stress response flexibility relative to their diploid ancestors, most likely mediated by complex suites of duplicated genes and regulatory factors.

Global Patterns of Subgenome Evolution in Organelle-Targeted Genes of Six Allotetraploid Angiosperms.

Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are a prominent process of diversification in eukaryotes. The genetic and evolutionary forces that WGD imposes on cytoplasmic genomes are not well understood, despite the central role that cytonuclear interactions play in eukaryotic function and fitness. Cellular respiration and photosynthesis depend on successful interaction between the 3,000+ nuclear-encoded proteins destined for the mitochondria or plastids and the gene products of cytoplasmic genomes in multi-subunit complexes such as OXPHOS, organellar ribosomes, Photosystems I and II, and Rubisco. Allopolyploids are thus faced with the critical task of coordinating interactions between the nuclear and cytoplasmic genes that were inherited from different species. Because the cytoplasmic genomes share a more recent history of common descent with the maternal nuclear subgenome than the paternal subgenome, evolutionary "mismatches" between the paternal subgenome and the cytoplasmic genomes in allopolyploids might lead to the accelerated rates of evolution in the paternal homoeologs of allopolyploids, either through relaxed purifying selection or strong directional selection to rectify these mismatches. We report evidence from six independently formed allotetraploids that the subgenomes exhibit unequal rates of protein-sequence evolution, but we found no evidence that cytonuclear incompatibilities result in altered evolutionary trajectories of the paternal homoeologs of organelle-targeted genes. The analyses of gene content revealed mixed evidence for whether the organelle-targeted genes are lost more rapidly than the non-organelle-targeted genes. Together, these global analyses provide insights into the complex evolutionary dynamics of allopolyploids, showing that the allopolyploid subgenomes have separate evolutionary trajectories despite sharing the same nucleus, generation time, and ecological context.

Nuclear-cytoplasmic balance: whole genome duplications induce elevated organellar genome copy number.

The plant genome is partitioned across three distinct subcellular compartments: the nucleus, mitochondria, and plastids. Successful coordination of gene expression among these organellar genomes and the nuclear genome is critical for plant function and fitness. Whole genome duplication (WGD) events in the nucleus have played a major role in the diversification of land plants and are expected to perturb the relative copy number (stoichiometry) of nuclear, mitochondrial, and plastid genomes. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms whereby plant cells respond to the cytonuclear stoichiometric imbalance that follows WGDs represents an important yet underexplored question in understanding the evolutionary consequences of genome doubling. We used droplet digital PCR to investigate the relationship between nuclear and organellar genome copy numbers in allopolyploids and their diploid progenitors in both wheat and Arabidopsis. Polyploids exhibit elevated organellar genome copy numbers per cell, largely preserving the cytonuclear stoichiometry observed in diploids despite the change in nuclear genome copy number. To investigate the timescale over which cytonuclear stoichiometry may respond to WGD, we also estimated the organellar genome copy number in Arabidopsis synthetic autopolyploids and in a haploid-induced diploid line. We observed corresponding changes in organellar genome copy number in these laboratory-generated lines, indicating that at least some of the cellular response to cytonuclear stoichiometric imbalance is immediate following WGD. We conclude that increases in organellar genome copy numbers represent a common response to polyploidization, suggesting that maintenance of cytonuclear stoichiometry is an important component in establishing polyploid lineages.

Factors affecting optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy and viral suppression amongst HIV-infected prisoners in South Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining optimal adherence and viral suppression in people living with HIV (PLWH) is essential to ensure both preventative and therapeutic benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Prisoners bear a particularly high burden of HIV infection and are highly likely to transmit to others during and after incarceration. However, the level of treatment adherence and viral suppression in incarcerated populations in low-income countries is unknown. This study aimed to determine factors affecting optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy and viral suppression amongst HIV-infected prisoners in South Ethiopia. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 to compare the level of adherence and viral suppression between incarcerated and non-incarcerated PLWH. Patient information including demographic, socio-economic, behavioral, and incarceration-related characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire. Medication adherence was assessed according to self-report and pharmacy refill. Plasma viral load measurements undertaken within the study period were prospectively extracted to determine viral suppression. Univariate and multivariate logistic and fractional regression models were used to analyse data. RESULTS: Seventy-four inmates living with HIV (ILWH) and 296 non-incarcerated PLWH participated in the study. While ILWH had a significantly higher pharmacy refill adherence compared to non-incarcerated PLWH (89 vs 75%), they had a slightly lower dose adherence (81% vs 83%). The prevalence of viral non-suppression was also slightly higher in ILWH (6.0%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.7-14.6%) compared to non-incarcerated PLWH (4.5%; 95%CI: 2.4-7.5%). Overall, missing ART appointments, dissatisfaction with ART services, inability to comply with a specified medication schedule, and types of methods used to monitor the schedule (e.g., news time on radio/TV or other social cues) were significantly associated with non-adherence according to self-report. In ILWH specifically, accessing ART services from a hospital, inability to properly attend clinic appointments, depressive symptoms, and lack of social support predicted NA. Viral non-suppression was significantly higher in males, people of age 31to 35 years and in those who experienced social stigma, regardless of their incarceration status. CONCLUSIONS: Sub-optimal dose adherence and viral suppression are generally higher in HIV-infected prisoners in South Ethiopia compared to their non-incarcerated counterparts. A multitude of factors were found to be responsible for this requiring multilevel intervention strategies focusing on the specific needs of prisoners.

'I have a healthy relationship with alcohol': Australian midlife women, alcohol consumption and social class.

Alcohol consumption by Australian women during midlife has been increasing. Health promotion efforts to reduce alcohol consumption in order to reduce alcohol-related disease risk compete with the social contexts and value of alcohol in women's lives. This paper draws on 50 qualitative interviews with midlife women (45-64 years of age) from different social classes living in South Australia in order to gain an understanding of how and why women might justify their relationships with alcohol. Social class shaped and characterized the different types of relationships with alcohol available to women, structuring their logic for consuming alcohol and their ability to consider reducing (or 'breaking up with') alcohol. We identified more agentic relationships with alcohol in the narratives of affluent women. We identified a tendency for less control over alcohol-related decisions in the narratives of women with less privileged life chances, suggesting greater challenges in changing drinking patterns. If classed differences are not attended to in health promotion efforts, this might mitigate the effectiveness of alcohol risk messaging to women.

Effect of perinatal depression on risk of adverse infant health outcomes in mother-infant dyads in Gondar town: a causal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Approximately one-third of pregnant and postnatal women in Ethiopia experience depression posing a substantial health burden for these women and their families. Although associations between postnatal depression and worse infant health have been observed, there have been no studies to date assessing the causal effects of perinatal depression on infant health in Ethiopia. We applied longitudinal data and recently developed causal inference methods that reduce the risk of bias to estimate associations between perinatal depression and infant diarrhea, Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI), and malnutrition in Gondar Town, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cohort of 866 mother-infant dyads were followed from infant birth for 6 months and the cumulative incidence of ARI, diarrhea, and malnutrition were assessed. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess the presence of maternal depression, the Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) guidelines were used to identify infant ARI and diarrhea, and the mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) was used to identify infant malnutrition. The risk difference (RD) due to maternal depression for each outcome was estimated using targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE), a doubly robust causal inference method used to reduce bias in observational studies. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of diarrhea, ARI and malnutrition during 6-month follow-up was 17.0% (95%CI: 14.5, 19.6), 21.6% (95%CI: 18.89, 24.49), and 14.4% (95%CI: 12.2, 16.9), respectively. There was no association between antenatal depression and ARI (RD = - 1.3%; 95%CI: - 21.0, 18.5), diarrhea (RD = 0.8%; 95%CI: - 9.2, 10.9), or malnutrition (RD = -7.3%; 95%CI: - 22.0, 21.8). Similarly, postnatal depression was not associated with diarrhea (RD = -2.4%; 95%CI: - 9.6, 4.9), ARI (RD = - 3.2%; 95%CI: - 12.4, 5.9), or malnutrition (RD = 0.9%; 95%CI: - 7.6, 9.5). CONCLUSION: There was no evidence for an association between perinatal depression and the risk of infant diarrhea, ARI, and malnutrition amongst women in Gondar Town. Previous reports suggesting increased risks resulting from maternal depression may be due to unobserved confounding.

Impact of strategic use of antiretroviral therapy intervention to the HIV continuum of care in 13 cities in Indonesia: an interrupted time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: In 2013 the Indonesian government introduced the strategic use of antiretroviral therapy (SUFA) initiative of expanding access to HIV test and treatment, to help achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. However, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of the impact of this intervention in Indonesia. We conducted an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis across 6-years to assess its immediate and medium-term impact. METHODS: Monthly aggregated HIV data from all HIV care clinics for persons aged ≥ 15 years were collected from 13 pilot cities. The data period encompassed 3-years prior to SUFA (26 Dec 2010-25 Dec 2013) and 3-years post-SUFA (26 Dec 2013-25 Dec 2016). The ITS was performed using a multilevel negative binomial regression model to assess the immediate and trend changes in each stage of the HIV continuum of care. RESULTS: In the pre-SUFA period, the overall coverage in the respective risk populations for HIV tests, cases, enrolments, eligible cases and ARV initiation were 1.0%, 8.6%, 98.9%, 76.9% and 75.8% respectively. In the post-SUFA period coverage was 3%, 3.8%, 98.6%, 90.3% and 81.2% respectively-with a significant increase in the median number of HIV tests, HIV cases, those eligible for ARV treatment and treatment initiation (p < 0.05 for each). The ITS analysis demonstrated immediate increases in HIV tests (IRR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.25, 1.59; p < 0.001) and an immediate decrease in detected HIV cases per person tested (IRR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.69-0.86; p < 0.001) in the month following commencement of SUFA. There was also a 3% decline in the monthly trend for HIV tests performed (IRR = 0.97; 95% CI 0.97-0.98, p < 0.001), a 1% increase for detected cases (IRR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.0-1.02, p < 0.001), and a 1% decline for treatment initiation (IRR = 0.99,95% CI 0.99-1.0 p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SUFA was associated with an immediate and sustained increase in the absolute number of HIV tests performed, detected HIV cases, and close to complete coverage of detected cases that were enrolled to care and defined as eligible for treatment. However, treatment initiation remained sub-optimal. The findings of this study provide valuable information on the real-world effect of accelerating ARV utilizing Treatment as Prevention for the full HIV continuum of care in limited resource countries.

Various structural factors influenced early antiretroviral therapy initiation amongst HIV infected prisoners: a qualitative exploration in South Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), non-AIDS related comorbidities and mortality, and prevents transmission. However, the prevalence of delayed ART initiation amongst prisoners in sub-Saharan African countries is high and the contributing factors to this are relatively unknown. METHODS: Qualitative interviewing was employed to understand the prisoners' lived world with regard to initiating ART and associated barriers and facilitators in the South Ethiopian prison system. We interviewed seven (five male and two female) inmates living with HIV (ILWH) and eleven stakeholders who had a role in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care provision for incarcerated people. A phenomenological approach was used to analyse the interview data in which meaning attributed to the lived experiences of the participants was abstracted. RESULTS: In this study, participants discussed both barriers to, and facilitators of, early ART initiation during incarceration. The barriers included a lack of access to voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services, poor linkage to care due to insufficient health staff training, uncooperative prison security systems and loss of privacy regarding disclosure of HIV status. Insufficient health staff training and uncooperative prison security systems both contributed to a loss of patient privacy, ultimately resulting in treatment refusal. Although most participants described the importance of peer education and support for enhancing HIV testing and treatment programs amongst prisoners, there had been a decline in such interventions in the correctional facilities. Service providers suggested opportunities that a prison environment offers for identification and treatment of HIV infected individuals and implementation of peer education programs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified crucial barriers to and facilitators of early ART initiation amongst prisoners, a key HIV priority population group. Interventions that address the barriers while strengthening the facilitators may enhance a greater utilisation of ART.

Changing Epidemiology of Gonorrhea in Adelaide, South Australia.

BACKGROUND: Gonorrhea is a significant public health concern. The changing epidemiology of gonorrhea in Australia has highlighted the need for detailed examination of surveillance data to determine population groups at greatest risk for infection. METHODS: We analyzed deidentified gonorrhea notification data for the years 2012 to 2017, in Adelaide (N = 3680), calculating age-adjusted notification and antibiotic resistance rates. Age, gender, year, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status were assessed for associations with gonorrhea notifications using negative binomial, log binomial and spatial autoregressive models. Maps were generated to examine spatial localization of gonorrhea rates in Adelaide. RESULTS: Gonorrhea notification rates in Adelaide increased annually, with a 153% adjusted increase in rates from 2012 to 2017, localized to specific areas and inversely associated with income levels. The increase in rates in 2016 and 2017 was associated with young heterosexuals from low income areas. Azithromycin-resistant notifications increased significantly in 2016 in young heterosexuals. Reinfections were significantly more likely in men who have sex with men than other population groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the changing epidemiology of gonorrhea in Adelaide from a largely men who have sex with men profile toward an increase in young heterosexual gonorrhea. This could be seen as a harbinger for future increases in heterosexually transmitted HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in Australia.

Postnatal depression and its association with adverse infant health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postnatal Depression (PND) is a mood disorder that steals motherhood and affects the health and development of a newborn. While the impact of PND on motherhood and newborn in developed countries are well described, its epidemiology and health consequences in infant is not well known in middle-and low-income countries. The objective of this review was to determine the burden and association of PND with adverse infant health outcomes in low-and middle- income countries. METHODS: We searched observational studies written in the English language and conducted in middle-and low-income countries between December 1st, 2007, and December 31st, 2017. The CINHAL, MEDLINE, Emcare, PubMed, Psych Info, and Scopus databases were searched for the following search terms: PND, acute respiratory infection, pneumonia, diarrhea, exclusive breastfeeding, common infant illnesses, and malnutrition. We excluded studies in which the primary outcomes were not measured following a standardized approach. We have meta-analyzed the estimates from primary studies by adjusting for possible publication bias and heterogeneity. The analysis was conducted in Stata 14. The study was registered in PROSPERO protocol number CRD42017082624. RESULT: Fifty-eight studies on PND prevalence (among 63,293 women) and 17 studies (among 32,454 infants) on infant health outcomes were included. PND prevalence was higher in the low-income countries (Pooled prevalence (PP) = 25.8%; 95%CI: 17.9-33.8%) than in the middle-income countries (PP = 20.8%; 95%CI: 18.4-23.1%) and reached its peak in five to ten weeks after birth. Poor obstetric history and social support, low economic and educational status, and history of exposure to violence were associated with an increased risk of PND. The risk of having adverse infant health outcomes was 31% higher among depressed compared to non-depressed postnatal mothers (Pooled relative risk (PRR) = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.17-1.48). Malnutrition (1.39; 1.21-1.61), non-exclusive breastfeeding (1.55; 1.39-1.74), and common infant illnesses (2.55; 1.41-4.61) were the main adverse health outcomes identified. CONCLUSIONS: One in four and one in five postnatal mothers were depressed in low and middle-income countries, respectively. Causes of depression could be explained by social, maternal, and psychological constructs. High risk of adverse infant health outcomes was associated with PND. Timely screening of PND and evidence-based interventions were a pressing need in low and middle-income countries.

Antenatal depression and its potential causal mechanisms among pregnant mothers in Gondar town: application of structural equation model.

BACKGROUND: Various forms of life stressors have been implicated as causes of antenatal depression. However, there is a lack of understanding of which forms of stress lead to antenatal depression and through what mechanisms. Modeling stress processes within a theoretical model framework can enhance an understanding of the mechanisms underlying relationships between stressors and stress outcomes. This study used the stress process model framework to explore the causal mechanisms underlying antenatal depression in Gondar, Ethiopia. METHODS: Questionnaires, using an Online Data collection Kit (ODK) tool were administered face-to-face in 916 pregnant women in their second and third trimesters. Pregnant women were included from six randomly selected urban districts in Gondar, Ethiopia during June and August 2018. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to screen for antenatal depression. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was employed to explore the direct, indirect, and total effect of stressors and mediators of antenatal depression. RESULT: Sixty-three participants (6.9%) reported symptoms of depression. Of these, 16 (4.7%) and 47 (8.1%) were in their second and third trimesters, respectively. The SEM demonstrated several direct effects on antenatal depression scores including unplanned pregnancy (standardized ß = 0.15), having a history of common mental health disorder (standardized ß = 0.18) and fear of giving birth to the current pregnancy (standardized ß = 0.29), all of which were associated with a higher depression score. Adequate food access for the last 3 months (standardized ß = - 0.11) was associated with decreased depression score. Social support (ß = - 0.21), marital agreement (ß = - 0.28), and partner support (ß = -.18) appeared to partially mediate the link between the identified stressors and the risk of antenatal depression. CONCLUSION: Both direct and indirect effects contributed to higher antenatal depression score in Ethiopian women. The three psychosocial resources namely marital agreement, social and partner support, mediated reduced antenatal depression scores. Early screening of antenatal depression and enhancing the three psychosocial resources would help to improve maternal resilience.

Global burden of antenatal depression and its association with adverse birth outcomes: an umbrella review.

BACKGROUND: Women of childbearing age are at high risk of developing depression and antenatal depression is one of the most common mood disorders. Antenatal depression is also associated with a number of poor maternal and infant outcomes, however, there remains a lack of focus on mental issues in antenatal care, particularly in lower income countries. This systematic review of reviews provides useful evidence regarding the burden of antenatal depression which may provide guidance for health policy development and planning. METHODS: We searched CINAHL(EBSCO), MEDLINE (via Ovid), PsycINFO, Emcare, PubMed, Psychiatry Online, and Scopus databases for systematic reviews that based on observational studies that were published in between January 1st, 2007 and August 31st, 2018. We used the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklist scores to assess the quality of the included reviews. We applied vote counting and narrative review to summarize the prevalence of antenatal depression and its associated factors, while statistical pooling was conducted for estimating the association of antenatal depression with low birth weight and preterm birth. This systematic review of reviews was registered on PROSPERO with protocol number CRD42018116267. RESULTS: We have included ten reviews (306 studies with 877,246 participants) on antenatal depression prevalence and six reviews (39 studies with 75,451 participants) conducted to identify the effect of antenatal depression on preterm and low birth weight. Globally, we found that antenatal depression prevalence ranged from 15 to 65%. We identified the following prominent risk factors based on their degree of influence: Current or previous exposure to different forms of abuse and violence (six reviews and 73 studies); lack of social and/or partner support (four reviews and 47 studies); personal or family history of any common mental disorder (three reviews and 34 studies). The risk of low birth weight and preterm birth was 1.49 (95%CI: 1.32, 1.68; I2 = 0.0%) and 1.40 (95%CI: 1.16, 1.69; I2 = 35.2%) times higher among infants born from depressed mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Globally, antenatal depression prevalence was high and could be considered a common mental disorder during pregnancy. Though the association between antenatal depression and adverse birth outcomes appeared to be modest, its absolute impact would be significant in lower-income countries with a high prevalence of antenatal depression and poor access to quality mental health services.

Causal mechanisms of postnatal depression among women in Gondar town, Ethiopia: application of a stress-process model with generalized structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: Postnatal depression (PND) is the second most common cause of disability and the most common complication after childbirth. Understanding the potential mechanisms by which the stress process can lead to PND is an important step for planning preventive interventions for PND. This study employed a stress process model to explore the possible pathways leading to PND in Gondar Town, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cohort study was conducted in 916 pregnant women, who were assessed for depression in their second or third trimester of pregnancy and re-assessed two to eight weeks after birth. Women with an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) ≥6 were considered to be depressed. Modified Poisson regression was used to identify the independent predictors of PND. A Generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) was then used to explore the direct and indirect effects of stressors and their mediators on PND. RESULTS: The prevalence and incidence proportion of PND were 9.27% (95%CI: 7.45, 11.36) and 7.77% (95%CI: 6.04, 9.79), respectively and 2.1% of the women demonstrated symptoms of depression within the study period. PND was independently predicted by having limited postnatal care services, Antenatal Depression (AND) and a Common Mental Disorders (CMD) before pregnancy, (IRR = 1.8; 95%CI: 1.0, 3.2), 1.6(95%CI: 1.4, 1.7), and 2.4 (95%CI: 1.4, 4.3) respectively). In SEM, AND (standardized total effect = 0.36) and a CMD before pregnancy (standardized total effect = 0.11) had both a direct and an indirect positive effect on PND scores. Low birth weight (standardized ß = 0.32) and self-reported labor complications (standardized ß = 0.09) had direct effects only on PND scores. CONCLUSION: The observed incidence and prevalence of PND in Ethiopia were lower than in previous studies. A CMD before pregnancy and low birth weight (LBW) increased PND scores, and these effects were in part mediated via antenatal depression and labor complications. Early detection and treatment of depression before or during pregnancy could either directly or indirectly reduce the risk of labor complications and PND. Interventions that reduce LBW or improve the uptake of postnatal care might reduce PND incidence.

Does Resilience Moderate the Relationship Between Stress and Smoking Status?

BACKGROUND: There is a growing evidence that resilience to stress can promote nonsmoking. However, few studies have undertaken quantitative research to investigate whether resilience, generated by internal and external factors, moderates the impact of stress on the likelihood of smoking. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to help fill this knowledge gap in relation to smokers and ex-smokers, and those people who have never smoked. METHODS: A large online cross-sectional survey was administered in Australia (2015-2016) to collect data on demographic variables, levels of internal and external resilience, and stress from current and past smokers (n = 400) and those who have never-smoked (n = 921). Logistic regressions were employed to test our hypotheses. RESULTS: Most participants were female (82%) and ranged between 18 and 77 years. Higher levels of reported perceived stress and stress-related variables did significantly predict smoking. The combined impact of internal and external resilience factors predicted never-smoking and lessened the relationship between perceived stress and stress-related variables, and the likelihood of smoking. CONCLUSION: These results are important because they suggest that the social environment should be developed to augment social support and internal properties such as developing "a strong sense of purpose in life" to encourage people not to commence smoking, rather than focus on smoking cessation.

Message on a bottle: are alcohol warning labels about cancer appropriate?

BACKGROUND: Although most Australians are unaware of the risk, there is strong evidence for a direct link between alcohol consumption and many types of cancer. Warning labels on alcohol products have been proposed as a cost-effective strategy to inform the community of this health risk. We aimed to identify how Australians might respond to such an approach. METHODS: We conducted a national online survey canvassing responses to four separate cancer warning messages on labels. The graphically presented messages were informed by qualitative data from a series of focus groups among self-identified 'light-to-moderate' drinkers. For each label, participants were asked their level of agreement with impact statements about raising awareness, prompting conversation, influencing drinking behaviour and educating others about cancer risk. We analysed responses according to demographic and other factors, including self-reported drinking behaviour (using the 3-item Alcohol Use Disorder Test - AUDIT-C - scores). RESULTS: Approximately 1600 participants completed the survey, which was open to all Australian adults over a period of 1 month in 2014. Overall, the labels were well received, with the majority (>70 %) agreeing all labels could raise awareness and prompt conversations about the cancer risk associated with alcohol. Around 50 % or less agreed that the labels could influence drinking behaviour, but larger proportions agreed that the labels would prompt them to discuss the issue with family and friends. Although sex, AUDIT-C score and age were significantly associated with agreement on bivariate analysis, multivariate analyses demonstrated that being inclined to act upon warning label recommendations in general was the most important predictor of agreement with all of the impact statements. Having a low AUDIT-C score also predicted agreement that the labels might prompt behaviour change in friends. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that providing detailed warnings about cancer risk on alcohol products is a viable means of increasing public awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption. Further research is needed to explore the ability of such warnings to influence behavioural intentions and actual drinking behaviour.

A high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of rohu carp, Labeo rohita, and its utilization in SNP-based exploration of gene flow and sex determination.

Labeo rohita (rohu) is a carp important to aquaculture in South Asia, with a production volume close to Atlantic salmon. While genetic improvements to rohu are ongoing, the genomic methods commonly used in other aquaculture improvement programs have historically been precluded in rohu, partially due to the lack of a high-quality reference genome. Here we present a high-quality de novo genome produced using a combination of next-generation sequencing technologies, resulting in a 946 Mb genome consisting of 25 chromosomes and 2,844 unplaced scaffolds. Notably, while approximately half the size of the existing genome sequence, our genome represents 97.9% of the genome size newly estimated here using flow cytometry. Sequencing from 120 individuals was used in conjunction with this genome to predict the population structure, diversity, and divergence in three major rivers (Jamuna, Padma, and Halda), in addition to infer a likely sex determination mechism in rohu. These results demonstrate the utility of the new rohu genome in modernizing some aspects of rohu genetic improvement programs.

The ongoing impacts of hepatitis c--a systematic narrative review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Many countries have developed, or are developing, national strategies aimed at reducing the harms associated with hepatitis C infection. Making these strategies relevant to the vast majority of those affected by hepatitis C requires a more complete understanding of the short and longer term impacts of infection. We used a systematic approach to scope the literature to determine what is currently known about the health and psychosocial impacts of hepatitis C along the trajectory from exposure to ongoing chronic infection, and to identify what knowledge gaps remain. METHODS: PubMed, Current Contents and PsychINFO databases were searched for primary studies published in the ten years from 2000-2009 inclusive. Two searches were conducted for studies on hepatitis C in adult persons focusing on: outcomes over time (primarily cohort and other prospective designs); and the personal and psychosocial impacts of chronic infection. All retrieved studies were assessed for eligibility according to specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, data completeness and methodological coherence. Outcomes reported in 264 included studies were summarized, tabulated and synthesized. RESULTS: Injecting drug use (IDU) was a major risk for transmission with seroconversion occurring relatively early in injecting careers. Persistent hepatitis C viraemia, increasing age and excessive alcohol consumption independently predicted disease progression. While interferon based therapies reduced quality of life during treatment, improvements on baseline quality of life was achieved post treatment--particularly when sustained viral response was achieved. Much of the negative social impact of chronic infection was due to the association of infection with IDU and inflated assessments of transmission risks. Perceived discrimination was commonly reported in health care settings, potentially impeding health care access. Perceptions of stigma and experiences of discrimination also had direct negative impacts on wellbeing and social functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis C and its management continue to have profound and ongoing impacts on health and social well being. Biomedical studies provided prospective information on clinical aspects of infection, while the broader social and psychological studies presented comprehensive information on seminal experiences (such as diagnosis and disclosure). Increasing the focus on combined methodological approaches could enhance understanding about the health and social impacts of hepatitis C along the life course.