Multiple neuronal systems put together Hydra mechanosensory actions
Background The human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, is a cosmopolitan blood-sucking ectoparasite affecting mostly schoolchildren in both developed and developing countries. In Honduras, chemical pediculicides are the first line of treatment, with permethrin as their main active ingredient. Despite the extended use of these products, there is currently no research investigating insecticide resistance in Honduran head lice. In head lice, the most common mechanism is knockdown resistance (kdr), which is the result of two point mutations and the associated amino acid substitutions, T917I and L920F, within the voltage-sensitive sodium channel (VSSC). Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from 83 head lice collected in the localities of San Buenaventura and La Hicaca, Honduras. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify a 332-bp fragment of the VSSC gene that contains a site affected by C/T mutation which results in a T917I amino acid substitution on each human head louse genomic DNA fragments. Resultsere has demonstrated to be a reliable, economic, and reproducible assay that can be used to accurately genotype individual head lice for the mutation encoding the resistance-conferring T917I amino acid substitution. This highlights the necessity of proactive resistance management programmes designed to detect pyrethroid mutations before they become established within populations of head lice.Background Repeat-induced point (RIP) mutation in Neurospora crassa degrades transposable elements by targeting repeats with C→T mutations. Whether RIP affects core genomic sequence in important ways is unknown. Results By parent-offspring whole genome sequencing, we estimate a mutation rate (3.38 × 10-6 per bp per generation) that is two orders of magnitude higher than reported for any non-viral organism, with 93-98% of mutations being RIP-associated. RIP mutations are, however, relatively rare in coding sequence, in part because RIP preferentially attacks GC-poor long duplicates that interact in three dimensional space, while coding sequence duplicates are rare, GC-rich, short, and tend not to interact. Despite this, with over 5 coding sequence mutations per genome per generation, the mutational burden is an order of magnitude higher than the previously highest observed. Unexpectedly, the majority of these coding sequence mutations appear not to be the direct product of RIP being mostly in non-duplicate sequence and predominantly not C→T mutations. Nonetheless, RIP-deficient strains have over an order of magnitude fewer coding sequence mutations outside of duplicated domains than RIP-proficient strains. Conclusions Neurospora crassa has the highest mutation rate and mutational burden of any non-viral life. While the high rate is largely due to the action of RIP, the mutational burden appears to be RIP-associated but not directly caused by RIP.Background Chronic pain is a major health problem globally with severe personal and economic consequences. Maternal chronic pain is associated with their children's pain. Family pain models and shared environmental aspects are important in the understanding of chronic pain among adolescents. Pain in itself impairs the quality of life (QoL). However, satisfaction in the aspects of health and functioning, social and economic, psychological, and family life will together constitute a person's subjective experience of QoL. On this background, we considered it important to gain an understanding of the QoL of mothers who have children with chronic pain. We aimed to gain a broader understanding of the QoL in mothers of children with chronic pain and to investigate how they managed their children's pain. Methods This study had a qualitative design with face-to-face, in-depth interviews. The concept of QoL was used as a framework for developing a thematic, semi-structured interview guide. Eight mothers of adolescents with chronic pain (two boys and six girls) participated with signed consent. Results Socio-economic difficulties and health complaints were common. Psychological stress, because of their children's physical pain and other stressful experiences such as bullying, dominated everyday life. Lack of predictability and of responsible involvement from the fathers' side increased the mothers' burden considerably. Experiencing not being helped by others such as health professionals resulted in feelings of helplessness. Conclusions These mothers had reduced QoL caused by their own health problems, concern for the child's well-being and lack of social support, which affected the child's upbringing and pain management. By improving these mothers' QoL, family-based shared pain management strategies could help in health promotion, leading to a more positive QoL circle. Elements of family and cognitive therapy could be applied when supporting the mothers and children and improving their QoL.Background Prescribing trends suggest that pharmacologic alternatives to antipsychotics are gaining in popularity, but randomized trial (RCT) data of their comparative safety is scarce. see more Our objective was to describe the comparative safety of pharmacologic interventions for treating neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, from inception to May 28, 2019, for studies of pharmacologic interventions used to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia. Dementia care partners selected fracture risk as our primary outcome. Pairs of reviewers, working independently, conducted all study screening, data abstraction, and risk of bias appraisal. We conducted Bayesian random-effects network meta-analyses (NMAs) using data from RCTs to derive odds ratios (ORs). In secondary analyses, we conducted frequentist random-effects NMAs using data from RCTs and Bayesian three-level hierarchical random-effects NMAs incorporating data from RCTs and non-randomized studincreased odds of death compared to antidepressants (OR 5.28, 95% CrI 1.06 to 3.51; NNH = 47). Conclusion Although antipsychotics were associated with greater harm than antidepressants and anticonvulsants in subgroups of persons with dementia, medications used in lieu of antipsychotics for treating neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia, such as anticonvulsants and dextromethorphan-quinidine, were also associated with harm. Decision-making concerning treatments prescribed in lieu of antipsychotics should include potential harms. Prospero registration CRD42017050130.