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Species of littoral freshwater environments in regions with continental climate experience pronounced seasonal temperature changes. Coping with long cold winters and hot summers requires specific physiological and behavioural adaptations. Endemic amphipods of Lake Baikal, Eulimnogammarus verrucosus and Eulimnogammarus cyaneus, show high metabolic activity throughout the year; E. verrucosus even reproduces in winter. In contrast, the widespread Holarctic amphipod Gammarus lacustris overwinters in torpor. This study investigated the transcriptomic hallmarks of E. verrucosus, E. cyaneus and G. lacustris exposed to low water temperatures. Amphipods were exposed to 1.5°C and 12°C (corresponding to the mean winter and summer water temperatures, respectively, in the Baikal littoral) for one month. At 1.5°C, G. lacustris showed upregulation of ribosome biogenesis and mRNA processing genes, as well as downregulation of genes related to growth, reproduction and locomotor activity, indicating enhanced energy allocation to somatic maintenance. Our results suggest that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway is involved in the preparation for hibernation; downregulation of the actin cytoskeleton pathway genes could relate to the observed low locomotor activity of G. lacustris at 1.5°C. The differences between the transcriptomes of E. verrucosus and E. cyaneus from the 1.5°C and 12°C exposures were considerably smaller than for G. lacustris. In E. verrucosus, cold-exposure triggered reproductive activity was indicated by upregulation of respective genes, whereas in E. cyaneus, genes related to mitochondria functioning were upregulated, indicating cold compensation in this species. Our data elucidate the molecular characteristics behind the different adaptations of amphipod species from the Lake Baikal area to winter conditions.
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Anfípodes , Anfípodes/genética , Animais , Temperatura Baixa , Lagos , Especificidade da Espécie , TranscriptomaRESUMO
The IL-6 family cytokine Oncostatin M (OSM) is involved in cell development, growth, hematopoiesis, inflammation, and cancer. Intriguingly, OSM has proliferative and antiproliferative effects depending on the target cell. The molecular mechanisms underlying these opposing effects are not fully understood. Previously, we found OSM upregulation in different myeloproliferative syndromes. However, OSM receptor (OSMR) expression was detected on stromal cells but not the malignant cells themselves. In the present study, we, therefore, investigated the effect of murine OSM (mOSM) on proliferation in stromal and fibroblast cell lines. We found that mOSM impairs the proliferation of bone marrow (BM) stromal cells, whereas fibroblasts responded to mOSM with increased proliferation. When we set out to reveal the mechanisms underlying these opposing effects, we detected increased expression of the OSM receptors OSMR and LIFR in stromal cells. Interestingly, Osmr knockdown and Lifr overexpression attenuated the OSM-mediated effect on proliferation in both cell lines indicating that mOSM affected the proliferation signaling mainly through the OSMR. Furthermore, mOSM induced activation of the JAK-STAT, PI3K-AKT, and MAPK-ERK pathways in OP9 and NIH/3T3 cells with differences in total protein levels between the two cell lines. Our findings offer new insights into the regulation of proliferation by mOSM.
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Proliferação de Células , Fibroblastos/citologia , Células-Tronco Mesenquimais/citologia , Subunidade beta de Receptor de Oncostatina M/metabolismo , Oncostatina M/metabolismo , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Mesenquimais/metabolismo , Camundongos , Células NIH 3T3 , Transdução de SinaisRESUMO
Autophagy is a genetically regulated process of adaptation to metabolic stress and was recently shown to be involved in the treatment response of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, in vivo data are limited and the molecular mechanism of autophagy regulators in the process of leukemogenesis is not completely understood. Here we show that Beclin-1 knockdown, but not Atg5 deletion in a murine CML model leads to a reduced leukemic burden and results in a significantly prolonged median survival of targeted mice. Further analyses of murine cell lines and primary patient material indicate that active BCR-ABL directly interacts with BECLIN-1 and phosphorylates its tyrosine residues 233 and 352, resulting in autophagy suppression. By using phosphorylation-deficient and phosphorylation-mimic mutants, we identify BCR-ABL induced BECLIN-1 phosphorylation as a crucial mechanism for BECLIN-1 complex formation: interaction analyses exhibit diminished binding of the positive autophagy regulators UVRAG, VPS15, ATG14 and VPS34 and enhanced binding of the negative regulator Rubicon to BCR-ABL-phosphorylated BECLIN-1. Taken together, our findings show interaction of BCR-ABL and BECLIN-1 thereby highlighting the importance of BECLIN-1-mediated autophagy in BCR-ABL+ cells.
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Proteínas de Fusão bcr-abl , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva , Animais , Autofagia , Proteína Beclina-1/genética , Proteínas de Fusão bcr-abl/genética , Proteínas de Fusão bcr-abl/metabolismo , Humanos , Mesilato de Imatinib/farmacologia , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/genética , Camundongos , FosforilaçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Lake Baikal is one of the oldest freshwater lakes and has constituted a stable environment for millions of years, in stark contrast to small, transient bodies of water in its immediate vicinity. A highly diverse endemic endemic amphipod fauna is found in one, but not the other habitat. We ask here whether differences in stress response can explain the immiscibility barrier between Lake Baikal and non-Baikal faunas. To this end, we conducted exposure experiments to increased temperature and the toxic heavy metal cadmium as stressors. RESULTS: Here we obtained high-quality de novo transcriptome assemblies, covering mutiple conditions, of three amphipod species, and compared their transcriptomic stress responses. Two of these species, Eulimnogammarus verrucosus and E. cyaneus, are endemic to Lake Baikal, while the Holarctic Gammarus lacustris is a potential invader. CONCLUSIONS: Both Baikal species possess intact stress response systems and respond to elevated temperature with relatively similar changes in their expression profiles. G. lacustris reacts less strongly to the same stressors, possibly because its transcriptome is already perturbed by acclimation conditions.
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Anfípodes/genética , Anfípodes/fisiologia , Lagos , Estresse Fisiológico/genética , Transcriptoma , Anfípodes/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Cádmio/toxicidade , Geografia , Resposta ao Choque Térmico/genética , Especificidade da Espécie , Estresse Fisiológico/efeitos dos fármacos , Transcriptoma/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death in Germany. The network "Education Against Tobacco" (EAT) is an initiative that was founded in Germany in 2012, in which more than 3500 medical students and physicians engage in volunteer work in about 80 medical faculties in 14 countries. In this article, the concept, activities, objectives and associated research studies oft he EAT initiative are introduced.On the school level, the initiative addresses 10- to 15-year-old secondary school students. In addition to a multimodal approach, school visits use modern media such as facemorphing apps, which are not only used by students (45,000 per year in 14 countries), but by a total of over 500,000 other people as well. The effectiveness of the school-based intervention is currently being investigated in randomised long-term studies with 20,000 adolescents in Germany. A first long-term study demonstrated evidence of a protective effect regarding the onset of smoking, especially among female students, students having a low level of education and students with a migratory background.The programme educates several hundred prospective physicians at 13 (of 28 participating) German medical faculties each year in science-based elective courses for the well-established smoking cessation counselling of patients and sensitises them to the tobacco epidemic. The approved members engage in dialogue with local members of the German house of representatives as "Ärzteverband Tabakprävention".EAT motivates the prospective generation of physicians, initially through prevention in school settings, to face the challenge of national tobacco control at the university and federal level.
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Nicotiana , Abandono do Hábito de Fumar , Prevenção do Hábito de Fumar , Adolescente , Criança , Feminino , Alemanha , Humanos , Masculino , Estudos Prospectivos , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , EstudantesRESUMO
Eulimnogammarus cyaneus and Eulimnogammarus verrucosus, closely related amphipod species endemic to Lake Baikal, differ with respect to body size (10- to 50-fold lower fresh weights of E. cyaneus) and cellular stress response (CSR) capacity, potentially causing species-related differences in uptake, internal sequestration, and toxic sensitivity to waterborne cadmium (Cd). We found that, compared to E. verrucosus, Cd uptake rates, related to a given exposure concentration, were higher, and lethal concentrations (50%; LC50) were 2.3-fold lower in E. cyaneus (4 weeks exposure; 6 °C). Upon exposures to species-specific subacutely toxic Cd concentrations (nominal LC1; E. cyaneus: 18 nM (2.0 µg L-1); E. verrucosus: 115 nM (12.9 µg L-1); 4 weeks exposure; 6 °C), Cd amounts in metal sensitive tissue fractions (MSF), in relation to fresh weight, were similar in both species (E. cyaneus: 0.25 ± 0.06 µg g-1; E. verrucosus: 0.26 ± 0.07 µg g-1), whereas relative Cd amounts in the biologically detoxified heat stable protein fraction were 35% higher in E. cyaneus. Despite different potencies in detoxifying Cd, body size appears to mainly explain species-related differences in Cd uptake and sensitivities. When exposed to Cd at LC1 over 4 weeks, only E. verrucosus continuously showed 15-36% reduced oxygen consumption rates indicating metabolic depression and pointing to particular sensitivity of E. verrucosus to persisting low-level toxicant pressure.
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Anfípodes , Cádmio/farmacocinética , Poluentes Químicos da Água/farmacocinética , Animais , Cádmio/toxicidade , Inativação Metabólica , Cinética , Lagos , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidadeRESUMO
AIM: This randomized controlled trial assessed the impact of Lactobacillus reuteri on pregnancy gingivitis in healthy women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five healthy women (24 test/21 placebo) with pregnancy gingivitis in the third trimester of pregnancy were enrolled. At baseline Gingival Index (GI) and Plaque Index (PlI) were assessed at the Ramfjord teeth and venous blood taken for TNF-α analysis. Subsequently participants were randomly provided with lozenges to be consumed 2 × daily until birth (approx. 7 weeks) containing ≥108 CFU L. reuteri ATCC PTA 5289 and ≥108 CFU L. reuteri DSM 17938 (test) or being devoid of L. reuteri (placebo). Within 2 days after birth recording of GI, PlI and blood sampling were repeated. RESULTS: At baseline, mean GI and mean PlI did not differ significantly between both groups. In the test group mean TNF-α serum level was significantly (p < 0.02) lower than in the placebo group. At reevaluation, mean GI and mean PlI of the test group were both significantly (p < 0.0001) lower than in the placebo group. Mean TNF-α serum level did no longer differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of L. reuteri lozenges may be a useful adjunct in the control of pregnancy gingivitis.
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Gengivite , Limosilactobacillus reuteri , Índice de Placa Dentária , Método Duplo-Cego , Feminino , Humanos , Gravidez , Complicações na Gravidez , ProbióticosRESUMO
Eulimnogammarus verrucosus is an amphipod endemic to the unique ecosystem of Lake Baikal and serves as an emerging model in ecotoxicological studies. We report here on a survey sequencing of its genome as a first step to establish sequence resources for this species. From a single lane of paired-end sequencing data, we estimated the genome size as nearly 10 Gb and we obtained an overview of the repeat content. At least two-thirds of the genome are non-unique DNA, and a third of the genomic DNA is composed of just five families of repetitive elements, including low-complexity sequences. Attempts to use off-the-shelf assembly tools failed on the available low-coverage data both before and after removal of highly repetitive components. Using a seed-based approach we nevertheless assembled short contigs covering 33 pre-microRNAs and the homeodomain-containing exon of nine Hox genes. The absence of clear evidence for paralogs implies that a genome duplication did not contribute to the large genome size. We furthermore report the assembly of the mitochondrial genome using a new, guided "crystallization" procedure. The initial results presented here set the stage for a more complete sequencing and analysis of this large genome.
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Anfípodes/genética , Animais , Genes Homeobox , Tamanho do Genoma , Genoma Mitocondrial , Análise de Sequência de DNA , SibériaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: To reduce smoking uptake in adolescents, the medical students' network Education Against Tobacco (EAT) has developed a school-based intervention involving a face-aging mobile app (Smokerface). METHODS: A two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted, evaluating the 2016 EAT intervention, which employed the mobile app Smokerface and which was delivered by medical students. Schools were randomized to intervention or control group. Surveys were conducted at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 9, 16, and 24 months post-intervention via paper & pencil questionnaires. The primary outcome was the difference in within-group changes in smoking prevalence between intervention and control group at 24 months. RESULTS: Overall, 144 German secondary schools comprising 11,286 pupils participated in the baseline survey, of which 100 schools participated in the baseline and at least one of the follow-up surveys, yielding 7437 pupils in the analysis sample. After 24 months, smoking prevalence was numerically lower in the intervention group compared to control group (12.9 % vs. 14.3 %); however, between-group differences in change in smoking prevalence between baseline and 24-months follow-up (OR=0.83, 95 %-CI: 0.64-1.09) were not statistically significant (p = 0.176). Intention to start smoking among baseline non-smokers declined non-significantly in the intervention group (p = 0.064), and remained essentially unchanged in the control group, but between-group differences in changes at the 24-months follow-up (OR=0.88, 0.64-1.21) were not statistically significant (p = 0.417). CONCLUSION: While a trend towards beneficial effects of the intervention regarding smoking prevalence as well as intention to start smoking among baseline non-smokers was observed, our smoking prevention trial demonstrated no significant effect of the intervention.
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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the secondary ecotoxicological effects of soil amendment materials that can be added to contaminated soils in order to sequester harmful pollutants. To this end, a nonpolluted agricultural soil was amended with 0.5, 2, and 5% of the following four amendments: powder activated carbon (PAC), granular activated carbon, corn stover biochar, and ferric oxyhydroxide powder, which have previously been proven to sequester pollutants in soil. The resulting immediate effects (i.e., without aging the mixtures before carrying out tests) on the springtail Folsomia candida, the earthworm species Aporectodea caliginosa and Eisenia fetida, the marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri, a suite of ten prokaryotic species, and a eukaryote (the yeast species Pichia anomalia) were investigated. Reproduction of F. candida was significantly increased compared to the unamended soil when 2% biochar was added to it. None of the treatments caused a negative effect on reproduction. All amendments had a deleterious effect on the growth of A. caliginosa when compared to the unamended soil, except the 0.5% amendment of biochar. In avoidance tests, E. fetida preferred biochar compared to all other amendments including the unamended soil. All amendments reduced the inhibition of luminescence to V. fischeri, i.e., were beneficial for the bacteria, with PAC showing the greatest improvement. The effects of the amendments on the suite of prokaryotic species and the eukaryote were variable, but overall the 2% biochar dose provided the most frequent positive effect on growth. It is concluded that the four soil amendments had variable but never strongly deleterious effects on the bacteria and invertebrates studied here during the respective recommended experimental test periods.
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Bactérias/efeitos dos fármacos , Carbono/farmacologia , Carvão Vegetal , Compostos Férricos/farmacologia , Invertebrados/efeitos dos fármacos , Microbiologia do Solo , Solo/química , Animais , Invertebrados/fisiologiaRESUMO
With an incidence of more than > 1,000,000/day, sexually transmitted diseases remain a major challenge for health care systems worldwide. To reduce disease burden, complications, and spread, rapid diagnosis permitting early therapy is pivotal. The range of pathogens is wide and co-infections are common. This complicates pre-analytics, which are based on different laboratory techniques with potentially long turnaround times, e.g., cultivation and multistep serologies. Multiplex PCR provides the opportunity to overcome these limitations. In this study, we evaluated a novel assay, the Euroarray STI-11 microarray (EA; Euroimmun Medizinische Labordiagnostika), for the detection of eight obligate or facultative pathogens. Three-hundred-thirteen clinical specimens, which had been tested and pre-characterized for STI causing agents as part of routine diagnostics, were used as cases and controls in this retrospective study. The EA detected 34/44 Chlamydia trachomatis, 48/50 HSV-1, 50/50 HSV-2, 48/48 Mycoplasma hominis, 45/47 Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 9/11 Treponema pallidum, 46/46 Ureaplasma parvum, and 49/49 Ureaplasma urealyticum infections, respectively. 293 samples were EA positive, with polymicrobial infections (positive for two to six microbial or viral agents) detected in 130/293 cases. Specificities were 100% in the respective control groups (n = 18-48 depending on targeted pathogen) except for N. gonorrhoeae (25/26) and U. urealyticum (44/45). The broad spectrum of obligate and facultative pathogens targeted by the EA makes it a valuable tool in the setting of STI diagnostics and surveillance. The test has the potential to diagnose diseases neglected or overlooked in routine clinical practice. Besides a low sensitivity for C. trachomatis, the EA demonstrated high performance for all analyzed parameters. Further studies are warranted in order to capture a larger variety of the tested pathogens.
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Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis , Humanos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/diagnóstico , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/epidemiologia , Chlamydia trachomatis , Ureaplasma , Neisseria gonorrhoeaeRESUMO
Species with effective thermal adaptation mechanisms allowing them to thrive within a wide temperature range can benefit from climatic changes as they can displace highly specialized species. Here, we studied the adaptive capabilities of the Baikal endemic amphipods Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Gerstfeld, 1858) and Eulimnogammarus cyaneus (Dybowsky, 1874) compared to the potential Holarctic Baikal invader Gammarus lacustris Sars, 1863 at the cellular level including the energy metabolism and the antioxidant system. All species were long-term exposed to a range of temperatures (1.5 °C to mimic winter conditions and the three species-specific preferred temperatures (i.e., 6 °C for E. verrucosus, 12 °C for E. cyaneus and 15 °C for G. lacustris). At 1.5 °C, we found species-specific metabolic alterations (i.e., significantly reduced ATP content and lactate dehydrogenase activity) indicating limitations on the activity level in the Holarctic G. lacustris. Although the two Baikal endemic amphipod species largely differ in thermal tolerance, no such limitations were found at 1.5 °C. However, the cold-stenothermal Baikal endemic E. verrucosus showed changes indicating a higher involvement of anaerobic metabolism at 12 °C and 15 °C, while the metabolic responses of the more eurythermal Baikal endemic E. cyaneus may support aerobic metabolism and an active lifestyle at all exposure temperatures. Rising temperatures in summer may provide a competitive advantage for G. lacustris compared to the Baikal species but the inactive lifestyle in the cold is likely preventing G. lacustris from establishing a stable population in Lake Baikal.
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Anfípodes/fisiologia , Temperatura Baixa , Lagos , Anfípodes/classificação , Anfípodes/metabolismo , Animais , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Regiões Árticas , Ecossistema , Metabolismo Energético , Especificidade da Espécie , Estresse FisiológicoRESUMO
Lake Baikal is inhabited by more than 300 endemic amphipod species, which are narrowly adapted to certain thermal niches due to the high interspecific competition. In contrast, the surrounding freshwater fauna is commonly represented by species with large-scale distribution and high phenotypic thermal plasticity. Here, we investigated the thermal plasticity of the energy metabolism in two closely-related endemic amphipod species from Lake Baikal (Eulimnogammarus verrucosus; stenothermal and Eulimnogammarus cyaneus; eurythermal) and the ubiquitous Holarctic amphipod Gammarus lacustris (eurythermal) by exposure to a summer warming scenario (6-23.6 °C; 0.8 °C d-1). In concert with routine metabolic rates, activities of key metabolic enzymes increased strongly with temperature up to 15 °C in E. verrucosus, whereupon they leveled off (except for lactate dehydrogenase). In contrast, exponential increases were seen in E. cyaneus and G. lacustris throughout the thermal trial (Q10-values: 1.6-3.7). Cytochrome-c-oxidase, lactate dehydrogenase, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities were found to be higher in G. lacustris than in E. cyaneus, especially at the highest experimental temperature (23.6 °C). Decreasing gene expression levels revealed some thermal compensation in E. cyaneus but not in G. lacustris. In all species, shifts in enzyme activities favored glycolytic energy generation in the warmth. The congruent temperature-dependencies of enzyme activities and routine metabolism in E. verrucosus indicate a strong feedback-regulation of enzymatic activities by whole organism responses. The species-specific thermal reaction norms reflect the different ecological niches, including the spatial distribution, distinct thermal behavior such as temperature-dependent migration, movement activity, and mating season.
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Adaptação Biológica , Anfípodes/fisiologia , Comportamento Animal , Regulação da Temperatura Corporal , Metabolismo Energético , Regulação Enzimológica da Expressão Gênica , Aclimatação , Animais , Geografia , Especificidade da Espécie , Estresse FisiológicoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: In the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, various health-related apps have been launched, including apps for sexually transmitted diseases. Until now, little has been known about how patients perceive the value of such apps. OBJECTIVE: To investigate patient's attitudes and awareness toward sexually transmitted disease-related apps in an outpatient sexually transmitted disease clinic setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a dermatovenereological outpatient unit between April and July 2019. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire on their perceptions of the popularity and usefulness of sexually transmitted disease-related apps. Descriptive analysis was performed with expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median, range, and interquartile range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were used to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and items of the questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 226 patients were surveyed (heterosexual: 137/193, 71.0%; homosexual: 44/193, 22.8%; bisexual: 12/193, 6.2%); 11.9% (27/225) had previously used health-related apps. Nearly half of the patients (97/214, 45.3%) specifically considered sexually transmitted disease-related apps useful, 47.8% (100/209) voted that they could supplement or support the consultation of a physician. Interestingly, only 35.1% (74/211) preferred a printed patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases over downloading and using an app, but 64.0% (134/209) would download a sexually transmitted disease-related app recommended by their physician. General information regarding sexually transmitted diseases (93/167, 55.7%), evaluation of skin diseases based on photos or videos (78/167, 53.3%), information on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (76/167, 45.5%), mediation of nearby contact points or test sites (74/167, 44.3%), anonymous medical advice (69/167, 41.3%), and calculation of the risk of having a sexually transmitted disease (63/167, 37.3%) were rated as the most important features. Men were more likely than women to find sexually transmitted disease-related apps useful in general (P=.04; χ2=6.28) and to pay for such apps (P=.01; χ2=9.19). Patients aged <40 years would rather download an app recommended by their physician (P=.03; χ2=7.23), whereas patients aged >40 years preferred reading a patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases (P=.02; χ2=8.14). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated high general interest in the use of sexually transmitted disease-related apps in this sample of dermatovenereological outpatients. In particular, young age and male sex were significantly associated with a positive perception, underlining the high potential of apps in the prevention and early recognition of sexually transmitted diseases in this group. Future studies are warranted to validate these findings in other populations.
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Telefone Celular , Aplicativos Móveis , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis , Idoso , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Percepção , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/prevenção & controleRESUMO
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are common pollutants of water ecosystems originating from incineration processes and contamination with mineral oil. Water solubility of PAHs is generally low; for toxicity tests with aquatic organisms, they are therefore usually dissolved in organic solvents. Here we examined the effects of a typical model PAH, phenanthrene, and a solvent, acetone, on amphipods as relevant aquatic invertebrate models. Two of these species, Eulimnogammarus verrucosus and Eulimnogammarus cyaneus, are common endemics of the oligotrophic and pristine Lake Baikal, while one, Gammarus lacustris, is widespread throughout the Holarctic and inhabits smaller and more eutrophic water bodies in the Baikal area. Neither solvent nor phenanthrene caused mortality at the applied concentrations, but both substances affected gene expression in all species. Differential gene expression was more profound in the species from Lake Baikal than in the Holarctic species. Moreover, in one of the Baikal species, E. cyaneus, we found that many known components of the cellular xenobiotic detoxification system reacted to the treatments. Finally, we detected a negative relationship between changes in transcript abundances in response to the solvent and phenanthrene. This mixture effect, weaker than the impact by a single mixture component, needs further exploration.
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Acetona/efeitos adversos , Anfípodes/efeitos dos fármacos , Fenantrenos/efeitos adversos , Transcriptoma/efeitos dos fármacos , Poluentes Químicos da Água/efeitos adversos , Anfípodes/genética , Anfípodes/fisiologia , Animais , Solventes/efeitos adversos , Especificidade da EspécieRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Most smokers start smoking during their early adolescence under the impression that smoking entails positive attributes. Given the addictive nature of cigarettes, however, many of them might end up as long-term smokers and suffering from tobacco-related diseases. To prevent tobacco use among adolescents, the large international medical students' network Education Against Tobacco (EAT) educates more than 40,000 secondary school students per year in the classroom setting, using evidence-based self-developed apps and strategies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the school-based EAT intervention in reducing smoking prevalence among seventh-grade students in Germany. Additionally, we aimed to improve the intervention by drawing conclusions from our process evaluation. METHODS: We conduct a cluster-randomized controlled trial with measurements at baseline and 9, 16, and 24 months postintervention via paper-and-pencil questionnaires administered by teachers. The study groups consist of randomized schools receiving the 2016 EAT curriculum and control schools with comparable baseline data (no intervention). The primary outcome is the difference of change in smoking prevalence between the intervention and control groups at the 24-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes are between-group differences of changes in smoking-related attitudes and the number of new smokers, quitters, and never-smokers. RESULTS: A total of 11,268 students of both sexes, with an average age of 12.32 years, in seventh grade of 144 secondary schools in Germany were included at baseline. The prevalence of cigarette smoking in our sample was 2.6%. The process evaluation surveys were filled out by 324 medical student volunteers, 63 medical student supervisors, 4896 students, and 141 teachers. CONCLUSIONS: The EAT cluster randomized trial is the largest school-based tobacco-prevention study in Germany conducted to date. Its results will provide important insights with regards to the effectiveness of medical student-delivered smoking prevention programs at school. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/13508.
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Temperature is the most pervasive abiotic environmental factor for aquatic organisms. Fluctuations in temperature range lead to changes in metabolic performance. Here, we aimed to identify whether surpassing the thermal preference zones is correlated with shifts in universal cellular stress markers of protein integrity, responses to oxidative stress and lactate content, as indicators of anaerobic metabolism. Exposure of the Lake Baikal endemic amphipod species Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Gerstfeldt, 1858), Ommatogammarus flavus (Dybowski, 1874) and of the Holarctic amphipod Gammarus lacustris Sars 1863 (Amphipoda, Crustacea) to increasing temperatures resulted in elevated heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and lactate content, elevated antioxidant enzyme activities (i.e., catalase and peroxidase), and reduced lactate dehydrogenase and glutathione S-transferase activities. Thus, the zone of stability (absence of any significant changes) of the studied molecular and biochemical markers correlated with the behaviorally preferred temperatures. We conclude that the thermal behavioral responses of the studied amphipods are directly related to metabolic processes at the cellular level. Thus, the determined thermal ranges may possibly correspond to the thermal optima. This relationship between species-specific behavioral reactions and stress response metabolism may have significant ecological consequences that result in a thermal zone-specific distribution (i.e., depths, feed spectrum, etc.) of species. As a consequence, by separating species with different temperature preferences, interspecific competition is reduced, which, in turn, increases a species' Darwinian fitness in its environment.
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Anfípodes/fisiologia , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Estresse Fisiológico , Anfípodes/classificação , Animais , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Ecossistema , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP70/metabolismo , Ácido Láctico/metabolismo , Lagos , Especificidade da Espécie , TemperaturaRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death globally. Most smokers smoke their first cigarette in early adolescence. We took advantage of the widespread availability of mobile phones and adolescents' interest in appearance to develop a free photoaging app which is promoted via a poster campaign in secondary schools. This study aims to evaluate its effectiveness regarding smoking prevalence and students' attitudes towards smoking. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial is conducted with 9851 students of both genders with an average age of 12â years in grades 6 and 7 of 126 secondary schools in Germany. At present, cigarette smoking prevalence in our sample is 4.7%, with 4.6% of the students currently using e-cigarettes (1.6% use both). The prospective experimental study design includes measurements at baseline and at 6, 12 and 24â months postintervention via a questionnaire plus a random cotinine saliva sample at 24â months postintervention. The study groups consist of randomised schools receiving the Smokerface poster campaign and control schools with comparable baseline data (no intervention). The primary end point is the difference of change in smoking prevalence in the intervention group versus the difference in the control group at 24â months follow-up. Longitudinal changes in smoking-related attitudes, the number of new smokers and quitters and the change in the number of never-smokers will be compared between the two groups as secondary outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the University of Gießen and the ministries of cultural affairs, both in Germany. Results will be disseminated at conferences, in peer-reviewed journals, on our websites and throughout the multinational Education Against Tobacco network. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02544360, Pre-results.