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Lactobacillus reuteri AN417 is a newly characterized probiotic strain. The activity of AN417 against oral pathogenic bacteria is unknown. We investigated the antibacterial activity of cell-free L. reuteri AN417 culture supernatant (LRS) against three oral pathogens: Porphyromonas gingivalis , Fusobacterium nucleatum , and Streptococcus mutans . P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum have been implicated in periodontal disease, whereas S. mutans causes dental caries. Exposing these oral pathogenic bacteria to LRS significantly reduced their growth rates, intracellular ATP levels, cell viability, and time-to-kill. The minimal inhibitory volume of LRS was 10% (v/v) against P. gingivalis , 20% (v/v) for F. nucleatum , and 30% (v/v) for S. mutans . LRS significantly reduced the integrity of biofilms and significantly suppressed the expression of various genes involved in P. gingivalis biofilm formation. The L. reuteri AN417 genome lacked genes encoding reuterin, reuteran , and reutericyclin, which are major antibacterial compounds produced in L. reuteri strains. LRS treated with lipase and α-amylase displayed decreased antibacterial activity against oral pathogens. These data suggest that the antibacterial substances in LRS are carbohydrates and/or fatty acid metabolites. Our results demonstrate that LRS has antimicrobial activity against dental pathogenic bacteria, highlighting its potential utility for the prevention and treatment of P. gingivalis periodontal disease.

As the physical properties of ABX 3 perovskite-based oxides strongly depend on the geometry of oxygen octahedra containing transition-metal cations, precise identification of the distortion, tilt, and rotation of the octahedra is an essential step toward understanding the structure–property correlation. Here we discover an important electrostatic origin responsible for remarkable Jahn–Teller-type tetragonal distortion of oxygen octahedra during atomic-level direct observation of two-dimensional [AX] interleaved shear faults in five different perovskite-type materials, SrTiO 3 , BaCeO 3 , LaCoO 3 , LaNiO 3 , and CsPbBr 3 . When the [AX] sublayer has a net charge, for example [LaO] + in LaCoO 3 and LaNiO 3 , substantial tetragonal elongation of oxygen octahedra at the fault plane is observed and this screens the strong repulsion between the consecutive [LaO] + layers. Moreover, our findings on the distortion induced by local charge are identified to be a general structural feature in lanthanide-based A n  + 1 B n X 3 n  + 1 -type Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) oxides with charged [LnO] + (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Eu, and Gd) sublayers, among more than 80 RP oxides and halides with high symmetry. The present study thus demonstrates that the local uneven electrostatics is a crucial factor significantly affecting the crystal structure of complex oxides. The authors observe two-dimensional shear faults in five different perovskite-type materials and detailed structures of more than 80 oxides and halides to elucidate an electrostatic origin for Jahn–Teller-type tetragonal distortion of oxygen octahedra.

Since two major criteria for melting were proposed by Lindemann and Born in the early 1900s, many simulations and observations have been carried out to elucidate the premelting phenomena largely at the crystal surfaces and grain boundaries below the bulk melting point. Although dislocations and clusters of vacancies and interstitials were predicted as possible origins to trigger the melting, experimental direct observations demonstrating the correlation of premelting with lattice defects inside a crystal remain elusive. Using atomic-column-resolved imaging with scanning transmission electron microscopy in polycrystalline BaCeO 3 , here we clarify the initiation of melting at two-dimensional faults inside the crystals below the melting temperature. In particular, melting in a layer-by-layer manner rather than random nucleation at the early stage was identified as a notable finding. Emphasizing the value of direct atomistic observation, our study suggests that lattice defects inside crystals should not be overlooked as preferential nucleation sites for phase transformation including melting. No experimental observations have been reported to clarify how a melting transition proceeds inside a crystal. Here the authors demonstrate that melting is initiated at two-dimensional faults inside BaCeO 3 crystals below the melting temperature in a layer-by-layer manner.

Communities inhabiting the arid and semi-arid areas of eastern Africa have long suffered from and engaged in pastoral conflicts. However, since some countries in the region became oil producers, the conditions affecting pastoral conflicts have changed. This study examines how oil extraction may influence pastoral conflicts by using a survey experiment conducted in Turkana County, Kenya, on a sample of 801 respondents. The study finds that overall, respondents’ perceived risks of pastoral conflicts decrease when they are primed about the consequences of oil extraction leading to fundamental changes in pastoral livelihoods, such as an increase in employment opportunities in the oil sector and rapid social changes. The residents of Turkana view pastoral conflicts as customary as long as pastoralism continues and fundamental changes to pastoralism-based livelihoods originating from oil discovery and extraction may lead to a decrease in the pastoralist population engaging in pastoral conflicts.

As childhood obesity rates increase worldwide, the prevalence of obesity-related hypertension is also on the rise. Obesity has been identified as a significant risk factor for hypertension in this age group. National Health Surveys and meta-analyses show increasing trends in obesity and pediatric hypertension in obese children. The diagnosis of hypertension in children involves percentiles relative to age, sex, and height, unlike in adults, where absolute values are considered. Elevated blood pressure (BP) in childhood is consistently associated with cardiovascular disease in adulthood, emphasizing the need for early detection and intervention. The pathogenesis of hypertension in obesity involves multiple factors, including increased sympathetic nervous system activity, activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), and renal compression due to fat accumulation. Obesity disrupts normal RAAS suppression and contributes to impaired pressure natriuresis and sodium retention, which are critical factors in the development of hypertension. Risk factors for hypertension in obesity include degree, duration, and distribution of obesity, patient age, hormonal changes during puberty, high-sodium diet, sedentary lifestyle, and socioeconomic status. Treatment involves lifestyle changes, with weight loss being crucial to lowering BP. Medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers may be considered first, and surgical approaches may be an option for severe obesity, requiring tailored antihypertensive medications that consider individual pathophysiology to avoid exacerbating insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.

Chronic oral inflammation and biofilm-mediated infections drive diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial potential of an ethanol extract from Astilbe chinensis inflorescence (GA-13-6) as a prominent candidate for natural complex substances (NCS) with therapeutic potential. In LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, GA-13-6 significantly suppressed proinflammatory mediators, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and nitric oxide (NO), surpassing purified astilbin, a known bioactive compound found in A . chinensis . Furthermore, GA-13-6 downregulated the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), indicating an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory cascade. Remarkably, GA-13-6 exhibited selective antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans , Streptococcus sanguinis , and Porphyromonas gingivalis , key players in dental caries and periodontitis, respectively. These findings suggest that complex GA-13-6 holds the potential for the treatment or prevention of periodontal and dental diseases, as well as various other inflammation-related conditions, while averting the induction of antibiotic resistance.

Kawasaki disease, an acute systemic vasculitis affecting children, is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in developed countries. This vasculitis has a predilection for the coronary artery, and coronary artery abnormalities are the main criteria for its diagnosis. The diagnosis of coronary abnormalities has historically been based on dichotomous criteria, but recent guidelines have accepted the body surface area-adjusted z score system to define coronary abnormalities and classify coronary artery aneurysms. Z score systems have improved risk classifications of coronary aneurysms and improved correlations with clinical prognosis. However, the discrepancy of calculated z scores according to the formula has been noticed in the application of the z score system, which is possibly related to the diagnosis of coronary artery abnormalities. This variability was greater in larger coronary aneurysm dimensions. A careful choice of the z score formula and its consistent use is needed in clinical applications.

Are residents of developing countries willing to support economic development despite environmental damage and conflict risks? To examine this question, we conducted a survey experiment in Turkana County, home to an economically and politically marginalised pastoral community in Kenya but newly impacted by a large-scale infrastructure development project, namely, the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project, which will generate economic development at the expense of significant environmental degradation and intensified conflict risks. We found that the majority of our respondents in Turkana support LAPSSET regardless of the expected environmental damages and conflict risks. Although concerns about unequal distribution of economic opportunities and cross-border ethnic conflicts decreased support for LAPSSET, the decreases in support were substantively small and only found conditionally based on certain sub-groups. Our results align with earlier literature findings that residents of developing countries are willing to tolerate negative consequences while prioritising economic development.

Objective Kenya's 1985 education reform implemented curriculum changes to prepare children for the job market and changed the instructional language from English to local ethnic languages during the first three years of primary education. This article examines the reform's impact on (i) level of education completed, (ii) income level, and (iii) preference for national versus ethnic interests. Methods Using survey data collected from randomly selected Kenyan citizens in Nairobi, this article uses a regression discontinuity (RD) design comparing the first cohort exposed to the reform to those who were not. Results The education and income levels of those beginning their education under the reform were higher. The reform did not influence preference for national or ethnic interests. Conclusions The reform partially increased children's job market preparation but was unsuccessful in addressing unemployment. Teaching children in local languages exhibited no negative effects on ethnic as opposed to national interests.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a protein that plays a crucial role in diverse cellular functions, from wound healing to bone regeneration. However, a major obstacle to the widespread application of bFGF is its inherent instability during storage and delivery. Here, we describe the stabilization of bFGF by covalent conjugation with a heparin-mimicking polymer, a copolymer consisting of styrene sulfonate units and methyl methacrylate units bearing poly(ethylene glycol) side chains. The bFGF conjugate of this polymer retained bioactivity after synthesis and was stable to a variety of environmentally and therapeutically relevant stressors—such as heat, mild and harsh acidic conditions, storage and proteolytic degradation—unlike native bFGF. Following the application of stress, the conjugate was also significantly more active than the control conjugate system in which the styrene sulfonate units were omitted from the polymer structure. This research has important implications for the clinical use of bFGF and for the stabilization of heparin-binding growth factors in general. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is crucial for a range of diverse cellular processes, from wound healing to bone regeneration, yet is inherently unstable. This important biologic has now been covalently linked to a polymer that mimics the polysaccharide heparin to produce a conjugate that shows remarkable stability to a wide range of therapeutically and environmentally relevant stressors.