The Lyme disease (LD) vaccine formerly approved for use in the United States consisted of recombinant outer surface protein A (OspA) from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss), the bacterial genospecies responsible for the vast majority of LD in North America. OspA is an ∼30 kDa lipoprotein made up of 21 antiparallel β-strands and a C-terminal α-helix. In clinical trials, protection against LD following vaccination correlated with serum antibody titers against a single epitope near the C-terminus of OspA, as defined by the mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb), LA-2. However, the breadth of the human antibody response to OspA following vaccination remains undefined even as next-generation multivalent OspA-based vaccines are under development. In this report, we employed hydrogen exchange-mass spectrometry (HX-MS) to localize the epitopes recognized by a unique panel of OspA human MAbs, including four shown to passively protect mice against experimental B. burgdorferi infection and one isolated from a patient with antibiotic refractory Lyme arthritis. The epitopes grouped into three spatially distinct bins that, together, encompass more than half the surface-exposed area of OspA. The bins corresponded to OspA β-strands 8-10 (bin 1), 11-13 (bin 2), and 16-20 plus the C-terminal α-helix (bin 3). Bin 3 was further divided into sub-bins relative to LA-2’s epitope. MAbs with complement-dependent borreliacidal activity, as well as B. burgdorferi transmission-blocking activity in the mouse model were found within each bin. Therefore, the resulting B cell epitope map encompasses functionally important targets on OspA that likely contribute to immunity to B. burgdorferi.

First time examination of the physical and psychological long-term outcome following traumatic hemipelvectomy.

In this study, all patients suffering from traumatic hemipelvectomy that were treated in a level-A trauma center since 1988 were retrospectively evaluated. The authors aimed to compare the physical and psychological outcome following primary amputation (A) vs. limb-preservation (LP) procedures. The patients were examined with a focus on pain, function, mobility and general health. As part of this examination, various scores were recorded, i.e., Majeed Score, Time up & Go or SF-36.

The following work showed 13 patients who had suffered a traumatic hemipelvectomy, 8 of whom survived. Five of these were available for subsequent clinical re-examination; of these, three patients underwent an amputation, while limb preservation was performed on two patients. Mean follow-up of the amputee group was after 12years compared to 6.5years following limb preservation. After limb preservation, both patients reported phantom limb pain at the affected leg, despite pain medication. The general state of health was assessed as 82/100 (A) and 45/100 (LP). The Majeed score was 61 (A) vs. 45 (LP). In the clinical examination, three out of five patients (2 LP, 1 A) showed peroneal palsy (PP). In the quality-of-life analysis based on the SF12/36 and the NHP, amputees scored higher than the patients who underwent limb preservation surgery.

In our small patient cohort, satisfaction, pain and mobility tend to be better following primary amputation compared to limb preserving surgery.

In our small patient cohort, satisfaction, pain and mobility tend to be better following primary amputation compared to limb preserving surgery.Objective To design a cognitive behavioral videogame intervention and to evaluate its preliminary effect on improving youth’s perceptions about themselves, their future, and their ability by incorporating skill development in cognitive reappraisal, an emotion regulation strategy to change perceptions. Materials and Methods We conducted a pilot RCT to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a videogame intervention, empowerED, in enhancing cognitive reappraisal skills. We also assessed beliefs/attitudes, self-efficacy, and emotional self-efficacy as well as user experience and feasibility. Youth (N = 100) aged 14-19 years from one school were enrolled in a pilot RCT assigned either to play empowerED or a control condition. Results Improvements were noted in cognitive reappraisal in the empowerED group compared to the control group (LSM difference = 1.33, P = 0.01). There were no significant differences observed between treatment groups for beliefs/attitudes, self-efficacy, and emotional self-efficacy; however, the empowerED group reported improvements in beliefs/attitudes from pretest to posttest survey responses (M = 1.33, P = 0.01). Conclusion Overall, the intervention was deemed easy to use and beneficial among youth, and feasibly delivered in a high school setting. Given the growing youth mental health needs in schools and the importance of school climate on healthy development, empowerED may offer an effective and innovative student-level approach to improve cognitive reappraisal and later empower youth to enact change in their school climate. Clinical Trials.gov Identifier NCT04025294.The atmospheric reaction of a series of furan compounds (furan (F), 2-methylfuran (2-MF), 3-methylfuran (3-MF), 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF), and 2,3,5-trimethylfuran (2,3,5-TMF)) with nitrate radical (NO3) has been investigated using the relative rate kinetic method in the CHamber for the Atmospheric Reactivity and the Metrology of the Environment (CHARME) simulation chamber at the laboratoire de Physico-Chimie de l’Atmosphere (LPCA) laboratory (Dunkerque, France). The experiments were performed at (294 ± 2) K atmospheric pressure and under dry conditions (relative humidity, RH less then 2%) with proton transfer mass reaction-time of flight-mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) for the chemical analysis. The following rate coefficients (in units cm3 molecule-1 s-1) were determined furan, k(F) = (1.51 ± 0.38) × 10-12, 2-methylfuran, k(2-MF) = (1.91 ± 0.32) × 10-11, 3-methylfuran, k(3-MF) = (1.49 ± 0.33) × 10-11, 2,5-dimethylfuran, k(2,5-DMF) = (5.82 ± 1.21) × 10-11, and 2,3,5-trimethylfuran, k(2,3,5-TMF) = (1.66 ± 0.69) × 10-10. The uncertainty on the measured rate coefficient (ΔkFC) includes both the uncertainty on the measurement and that on the rate coefficient of the reference molecule. To our knowledge, this work represents the first determination for the rate coefficient of the 2,3,5-TMF reaction with NO3. This work shows that the reaction between furan and methylated furan compounds with nitrate radical (NO3) is the dominant removal pathway during the night with lifetimes between 0.5 and 55 min for the studied molecules.Purpose The demand for fertility preservation continues to grow as cancer treatment outcomes improve. The specimen storage period is longer for fertility preservation than for conventional fertility treatment; therefore, a robust management system for stored specimens is required. We conducted the first national survey in Japan on the management of cryopreserved specimens in fertility preservation facilities. Methods Questionnaires were mailed to 130 fertility preservation facilities. Primary outcomes included the official position of the storage manager, support system in case of facility closure, disaster countermeasures, management and operating system for liquid nitrogen storage containers, preservation costs, and method to confirm the intention to continue storage. Results The response rate was 63.8%. The facility director most commonly functioned as the storage manager (59.0%). In case of facility closure, 20.5% had an approved transfer site; 59.0% had not made any decisions. In the management of liquid nitrogen containers, 83.1% regularly replenished the liquid nitrogen, 65.1% regularly checked the amount, and 16.9% had alarm monitoring systems. Regarding disaster countermeasures, 70.9% had taken measures to protect specimens. Conclusion This survey revealed issues such as disparities among facilities regarding long-term specimen storage systems. Accordingly, management standards for fertility preservation facilities should be established.

With the start of the vaccination campaign, anew phase in the management of the coronavirus pandemic has begun. Approval and recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination of children followed gradually; to date (4 October 2022), vaccination for children under five years of age has not been approved in Germany.

The aim was to investigate how parents’ intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 developed from May 2020 to February 2021 (from the first to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic) and to analyse the determinants of the intention to vaccinate.

In May 2020, 612 families participating with their children aged 1.5-6years in the KUNO Kids Health Study completed an online survey (participation rate 51%), and 507completed the second survey in February 2021. Determinants of the intention to vaccinate were analysed for both time points using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models.

While 51% of parents reported wanting their children vaccinated against COVID-19 in May 2020, thaccination campaign addressing parents of younger children.Global climate change and the urgency to transform food crops require substantial breeding efforts to meet the food security challenges. Barley, an important cereal, has remained a preferential host of phytotoxic diseases caused by the Fusarium graminearum that not only severely reduces the crop yield but also compromises its food quality due to the accumulation of mycotoxins. To develop resistance against Fusarium infections, a better understanding of the host-pathogen interaction is inevitable and could be tracked through molecular insights. Here, we focused precisely on the potential gene targets that are exclusive to this devastating pathosystem and could be harnessed for fast breeding of barley. We also discuss the eco-friendly applications of nanobio hybrid and the CRISPR technology for barley protection. This review covers the critical information gaps within the subject and may be useful for the sustainable improvement of barley from the perspective of food and environmental safety concerns.In this work, phosphorus-doped carbon dots (P-DESCDs) were successfully prepared using choline chloride/lactic acid type deep eutectic solvent and phosphoric acid as ingredients, and (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane was used as a bridge to graft P-DESCDs onto the silica surface to obtain a new mixed-mode stationary phase (Sil-P-DESCDs) for reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. The successful preparation of the stationary phase was confirmed by laser scanning confocal microscopy, elemental analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Interestingly, the doping of phosphorus greatly improved the separation performance and hydrophilicity of the Sil-P-DESCDs column. The Sil-P-DESCDs column was found to have certain hydrophobicity, hydrogen bonding ability and shape selectivity by Tanaka and Engelhardt standard test mixtures, and a series of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds such as alkylbenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, sulfonamides, aromatic amines, phenols, flavonoids, nucleoside bases, and alkaloids. In addition, the effects of mobile phase ratio, column temperature, flow rate, salt concentration, and pH on the retention of analytes on Sil-P-DESCDs columns were investigated. Finally, the Sil-P-DESCDs column was applied to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of calcein-7-glucoside in the real sample of medicinal Astragalus pellets, and it was found at a concentration of 0.02 mg/mL.