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Here, the function of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) K⁺/H⁺ antiporter LeNHX2 was studied using 35S-driven gene overexpression of a histagged LeNHX2 protein in Arabidopsis thaliana and LeNHX2 gene silencing in tomato. Transgenic A. thaliana plants expressed the histagged LeNHX2 both in shoots and in roots, as assayed by western blotting. Transitory expression of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged protein showed that the antiporter is present in small vesicles. Internal membrane vesicles from transgenic plants displayed enhanced K⁺/H⁺ exchange activity, confirming the K⁺/H⁺ antiporter function of this enzyme. Transgenic A. thaliana plants overexpressing the histagged tomato antiporter LeNHX2 exhibited inhibited growth in the absence of K⁺ in the growth medium, but were more tolerant to high concentrations of Na⁺ than untransformed controls. When grown in the presence of NaCl, transgenic plants contained lower concentrations of intracellular Na⁺, but more K⁺, as compared with untransformed controls. Silencing of LeNHX2 in S. lycopersicon plants produced significant inhibition of plant growth and fruit and seed production as well as increased sensitivity to NaCl. The data indicate that regulation of K⁺ homeostasis by LeNHX2 is essential for normal plant growth and development, and plays an important role in the response to salt stress by improving K⁺ accumulation.

A U.S. case-control study (2010–2014) demonstrated vaccine effectiveness (VE) for ≥ 1 dose of the thirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) against vaccine-type (VT) invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) at 86 %; however, it lacked statistical power to examine VE by number of doses and against individual serotypes. We used the indirect cohort method to estimate PCV13 VE against VT-IPD among children aged < 5 years in the United States from May 1, 2010 through December 31, 2019 using cases from CDC’s Active Bacterial Core surveillance, including cases enrolled in a matched case-control study (2010–2014). Cases and controls were defined as individuals with VT-IPD and non-PCV13-type-IPD (NVT-IPD), respectively. We estimated absolute VE using the adjusted odds ratio of prior PCV13 receipt (1-aOR x 100 %). Among 1,161 IPD cases, 223 (19.2 %) were VT cases and 938 (80.8 %) were NVT controls. Of those, 108 cases (48.4 %; 108/223) and 600 controls (64.0 %; 600/938) had received > 3 PCV13 doses; 23 cases (17.6 %) and 15 controls (2.4 %) had received no PCV doses. VE ≥ 3 PCV13 doses against VT-IPD was 90.2 % (95 % Confidence Interval75.4–96.1 %), respectively. Among the most commonly circulating VT-IPD serotypes, VE of ≥ 3 PCV13 doses was 86.8 % (73.7–93.3 %), 50.2 % (28.4–80.5 %), and 93.8 % (69.8–98.8 %) against serotypes 19A, 3, and 19F, respectively. At least three doses of PCV13 continue to be effective in preventing VT-IPD among children aged < 5 years in the US. PCV13 was protective against serotypes 19A and 19F IPD; protection against serotype 3 IPD did not reach statistical significance.

Time-varying sources of upwelling waters off the coast of northern Peru are analyzed in a Lagrangian framework, tracking virtual particles backwards in time for 12 months. Particle trajectories are calculated with temperature, salinity and velocity fields from a hindcast spanning 1988–2007, obtained with an eddy-resolving (1/12∘) global configuration of the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) ocean model. At 30 and 100 m, where coastal upwelling rates exceed 50 m month−1, particles are seeded at monthly intervals in proportion to the upwelling rate. Ensemble maps of particle concentration, age, depth, temperature, salinity and density reveal that a substantial but variable fraction of the particles upwelling off Peru arrives via the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC). Particles follow the EUC core within the depth range 125–175 m, characterized by temperatures <17 ∘C, salinities in the range 34.9–35.2 and densities of σθ=25.5–26.5. Additional inflows are via two slightly deeper branches further south from the main system, at around ≈3 and ≈8∘ S. Averaged across the hindcast, annual-mean percentages of particles upwelling at 30 m (100 m) associated with the EUC vary from 57.4 % (52 %) at 92∘ W to 19.2 % (17.9 %) at 165∘ W. Considerable interannual variability in these percentages reveals that more of the Peruvian upwelling can be traced back to the EUC during warm events, such as El Niño. In contrast, upwelling waters are of more local origin during cold events such as La Niña. Despite weaker EUC transport during El Niño, relative flattening of the equatorial thermocline brings the EUC upwelling waters much closer to the Peruvian coast than under neutral or La Niña conditions. Annually averaging EUC transport at specific longitudes, a notable negative-to-positive transition is evident during the major El Niño/La Niña events of 1997/99. On short timescales, a degree of longitudinal coherence is evident in EUC transport, with transport anomalies at 160∘ W evident at the Galápagos Islands (92∘ W) around 30–35 d later. It is concluded that the Peruvian upwelling system is subject to a variable EUC influence, on a wide range of timescales, most notably the interannual timescale of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Identifying this variability as a driver of shifts in population and catch data for several key species, during the study period, these new findings might inform sustainable management of commercially important fisheries off northern Peru.

ObjectiveTo describe the evolution of the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Mexico by states, sex and subtypes from 1990 to 2017.DesignSecondary data analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2017.ParticipantsMexico and its 32 states. Data were publicly available and de-identified and individuals were not involved.MethodsWe analysed age-standardised mortality rates, years of life lost (YLL) due to premature death, years lived with disability (YLD) and disability-adjusted life years (DALY), as well as the percentage of change of these indicators between 1990 and 2017.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2017, the number of deaths, YLL, YLD and DALY due to CKD increased from 12 395 to 65 033, from 330 717 to 1 544 212, from 86 416 to 210 924 and from 417 133 to 1 755 136, respectively. Age-standardised rates went from 28.7 to 58.1 for deaths (% of change 102.3), from 601.2 to 1296.7 for YLL (% of change 115.7), from 158.3 to 175.4 for YLD (% of change 10.9) and from 759.4 to 1472.2 for DALY (% of change 93.8). The highest burden of CKD was for Puebla and the lowest for Sinaloa. It was also greater for men than women. By subtypes of CKD, diabetes and hypertension were the causes that contributed most to the loss of years of healthy life in the Mexican population.ConclusionsMexico has experienced exponential and unprecedented growth in the burden of CKD with significant differences by states, sex and subtypes. Data from the GBD are key inputs to guide decision-making and focus efforts towards the reduction of inequities in CKD. These results should be considered a valuable resource that can help guide the epidemiological monitoring of this disease and prioritise the most appropriate health interventions.

Although the consequences of teen births for both mothers and children have been studied for decades, few studies have taken a broader look at the potential payoffs—and drawbacks—of being born to older mothers. A broader examination is important given the growing gap in maternal ages at birth for children born to mothers with low and high socioeconomic status. Drawing data from the Children of the NLSY79, our examination of this topic distinguishes between the value for children of being born to a mother who delayed her first birth and the value of the additional years between her first birth and the birth of the child whose achievements and behaviors at ages 10-13 are under study. We find that each year the mother delays a first birth is associated with a 0.02 to 0.04 standard deviation increase in school achievement and a similar-sized reduction in behavior problems. Coefficients are generally as large for additional years between the first and given birth. Results are fairly robust to the inclusion of cousin and sibling fixed effects, which attempt to address some omitted variable concerns. Our mediational analyses show that the primary pathway by which delaying first births benefits children is by enabling mothers to complete more years of schooling.

We analyze the effects of early-life exposure to air pollution in a developing country on children’s long-term human capital outcomes. We exploit the geographical variation of the 1997 Indonesian forest fires and cohort variation in exposure as a natural experiment. Children exposed to the fires are shorter on average three years post-exposure and have lower lung capacity 10 years post-exposure, but only children who were exposed in utero continue to exhibit shorter stature at 10 and 17 years post-exposure. We find suggestive evidence that these persistent effects may be due to expectant mothers experiencing poorer respiratory health during the fires.

We outline a practical approach to engaging Latino communities in dementia care research by establishing a community advisory board (CAB). Acknowledging the historical underrepresentation of Latinos in health research, we aimed to ensure that Latino perspectives and concerns were central to our research endeavors. As an initial step we adapted the Patient Advisor Toolkit 1: Orientation for Patient Advisory Committees (PAT-1) created by the Wisconsin Network for Research Support at the University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Nursing to the needs of Latino/a/e/x populations. We describe the CAB formation process, from initial outreach to community members and organizations to the recruitment, engagement, and retention of CAB members. CAB members provided guidance on the legibility and clarity of study materials and assisted with strategic planning for outreach initiatives related to healthy aging, brain health, and dementia risk reduction. Our enduring connections with CAB members and community partners have ensured that our research activities address community needs, provide benefits to the community, and inform our approach to connecting with Latinos in a culturally appropriate way. To foster successful CAB engagement and retention, we recommend 1) building trust with partners, 2) establishing clear expectations, 3) ensuring inclusive communication formats, 4) maintaining open communication, 5) offering honoraria and recognition, 6) affirming CAB members' contributions, 7) understanding power dynamics between the academic institution and the community, and 8) ensuring adequate staff and programmatic support. This approach fosters trust-based relationships and meaningful engagement that advances health equity.

Summary Nature produces biominerals (biogenic minerals) that are synthesized as complex structures, in terms of their physicochemical properties. These biominerals are composed of minerals and biological macromolecules. They are produced by living organisms and are usually formed through a combination of chemical, biochemical and biophysical processes. Microorganisms like Candida in the presence of heavy metals can biomineralize those metals to form microcrystals (MCs) and nanocrystals (NCs). In this work, MCs and NCs of PbS, HgS or HgCl2 as well as CdS are synthesized both in vitro (gels) and in vivo by four Candida species. Our in vivo results show that, in the presence of Pb2+, Candida cells are able to replicate and form extracellular PbS MCs, whereas in the presence of Hg2+ and Cd2+, they did synthesize intercellular MCs from HgS or HgCl2 and CdS NCs respectively. The MCs and NCs biologically obtained in Candida were compared with those PbS, HgS and CdS crystals synthetically obtained in vitro through the gel method (grown either in agarose or in sodium metasilicate hydrogels). This is, to our knowledge, the first time that the biosynthesis of the various MCs and NCs (presented in several species of Candida) has been reported. This biosynthesis is differentially regulated in each of these pathogens, which allows them to adapt and survive in different physiological and environmental habitats.

Epitheliocystis is an emergent infectious disease affecting fish gills and skin worldwide. Few studies document their distribution in wild and cultured fish in Latin America. This study reports the epitheliocystis distribution and prevalence, histopathological index (HI), and its possible relation with other observed pathologies in the gills of cultured tilapias Oreochromis niloticus in ponds and cages of three states of southwestern Mexico. In Guerrero, the number of affected fishes was less (29.2%) compared to Oaxaca (39.8%) and Chiapas (49.1%), with significant difference (Gadj = 13.39, df = 2, P = 0.01). The size of the cysts was between 5.37 to 52.96 μm, and most of the analyzed fish showed a low number of cysts per gill arch. The prevalence by regions was varied (0 to 75%) and no correlation (r = -0.002, P = 0.659, n = 474) between epitheliocystis prevalence and type culture. The fish had a low infestation of Trichodina sp. and monogeneans plus different pathologies such as inflammation, eosinophilic cells, rodlet cells, telangiectasia, edema, and thrombosis. The correlation analyses show a low inverse correlation (r = -0.281, P = 0.000, n = 474) between epitheliocystis prevalence and fish weight; and a low correlation (r = 0.372, P = 0.000, n = 474) between epitheliocystis prevalence vs. HI. The presence of the pathologies registered in this study seems to be possibly associated with other conditions like water quality or toxicants. This research is the first scientific study documenting the presence and distribution of epitheliocystis in Mexico.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between handgrip strength, nutritional status and vitamin D deficiency in Mexican community-dwelling older women. A cross sectional study in women ≥ 60 years-old was performed. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were measured by a quantitative immunoassay technique. Handgrip strength was assessed using a dynamometer, while nutritional status was assessed through the Full Mini Nutritional Assessment (Full-MNA). A total of 116 women participated in the study, their mean age was 70.3 ± 5.8 years; 49.1% of the study group had plasma 25(OH)D levels lower than 40 nmol/L [16 ng/mL]. Meanwhile, 28.45% of participants had low handgrip strength (<16 kg), and 23.1% were identified at risk of malnutrition/malnourished according with Full-MNA score. Women with 25(OH)D deficiency (<40 nmol/L [16 ng/mL]) were more likely to have low handgrip strength (OR = 2.64, p = 0.025) compared with those with higher 25(OH)D values. Additionally, being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition (OR = 2.53, p = 0.045) or having type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (OR = 2.92, p = 0.044) was also associated with low 25(OH)D. The prevalence of low plasma 25(OH)D concentrations was high among Mexican active older women. Low handgrip strength, being at risk of malnutrition/malnourished, or diagnosed with T2DM was also associated with Vitamin D deficiency.