Unique Circulating MicroRNA Associations with Dysglycemia in People Living with HIV and Alcohol Use

People living with HIV (PLWH) have increased prevalence of comorbid conditions including insulin resistance and at-risk alcohol use. Circulating microRNAs (miRs) may serve as minimally invasive indicators of pathophysiological states. We aimed to identify whether alcohol modulates circulating miR associations with measures of glucose/insulin dynamics in PLWH. PLWH (N=96; 69.8% male) enrolled in the Alcohol & Metabolic Comorbidities in PLWH: Evidence-Driven Interventions (ALIVE-Ex) study were stratified into negative phosphatidylethanol (PEth<8ng/ml, N=42) and positive PEth (PEth≥8ng/ml, N=54) groups. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered, and total RNA was isolated from fasting plasma to determine absolute miR expression. Circulating miRs were selected based on their role in skeletal muscle (miR-133a, miR-206), pancreatic β-cell (miR-375), liver (miR-20a), and adipose tissue (miR-let-7b, miR-146a, miR-221) function. Correlation and multiple regression analyses between miR expression and adiponectin, 2h glucose, insulin, and C-peptide values were performed adjusting for BMI category, age, sex, and viral load. miR-133a was negatively associated with adiponectin (p=0.002) in the negative PEth group, and miR-20a was positively associated with 2h glucose (p=0.013) in the positive PEth group. Regression analyses combining miRs demonstrated that miR-133a (p<0.001) and miR-221 (p=0.010) together predicted adiponectin in the negative PEth group. miR-20a (p<0.001) and miR-375 (p=0.002) together predicted 2h glucose in the positive PEth group. Our results indicate that associations between miRs and measures of glucose/insulin dynamics differed between PEth groups suggesting that the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to altered glucose homeostasis in PLWH are potentially modulated by alcohol use.

An Analysis of the Influencing Factors of the Romanian Agricultural Output within the Context of Green Economy

The objective of this study is to analyze the trends in agriculture and the factors affecting the output of agriculture (OA) in the EU and Romania in the context of green economy. The research used the quantitative (mathematical regression function, correlation matrix, and R-squared) and qualitative (the SWOT matrix of the agriculture sector in Romania) methods. The data on Romanian agriculture were gathered from Eurostat for the period of 2006–2019. The results showed that there is a direct and positive relationship between the OA and its influencing factors. Moreover, it revealed the negative relationships between the employees in agriculture (−0.58), air pollutants (−0.49), agriculture land (−0.42), irrigation norm (−0.39), agriculture training (−0.33) and the OA, and positive relationships between the area under organic farming (0.56), the average area per holding (0.56), the number of tractors (0.53) and the OA. Romania is a country where employment and agriculture areas are greater than in other EU countries; however, the results of our research highlight the significance of a careful analysis of the influencing factors, of making the difference between the thin line of sustainable performance, of developing new measures, of reducing risks, and of gaining new knowledge and agricultural skills, as an important activity, especially for Romania.

The structure–function correlation analysed by OCT and full field ERG in typical and pericentral subtypes of retinitis pigmentosa

To investigate the structure–function correlation analysed by full-field electroretinography (ffERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in typical and pericentral subtypes of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study of right eyes was conducted. The primary analysis used ffERG data to compare the RP subtypes. The subgroup analysis was used to correlate the structure, analysed by OCT, and function, determined by ffERG. Linear regressions explored the relationship between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and multiple parameters. A total of 188 eyes were included. Amplitudes of responses of rod, rod-cone, cone, and 30 Hz flicker of typical type were lower than those of pericentral and other types. In the subgroup analysis, 41 and 21 eyes of the typical and pericentral types were studied, respectively. The correlation between the estimated preserved photoreceptor area and all ffERG amplitude parameters were significant in the typical type, but not in pericentral type. Old age, decreased intact ellipsoid zone length, typical type, and thin central retinal thickness were negatively correlated with BCVA. Typical type RP developed more extensive degeneration and poorer BCVA compared to others. Strong structure–function correlation was found in typical type while not in pericentral type. OCT may be a useful tool for monitoring RP status in typical type, providing useful parameters for the prediction of BCVA.

Relationship between family functions with depression in palliative patients

Background: Diseases or health problems are a part of life that can occur at any time. Terminal disease represents a patient's irreversible health condition, so that this group of patients can be given a therapeutic approach known as palliative care. Patients who experience significant conflict in the family can increase the likelihood of depression. Patients and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study in 32 subjects chosen by consecutive sampling. Measuring instrument used was Beck’s Depression Inventory. The family function scale is derived from the McCaster’s Model of Family Functioning known as the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Results: In this study, the average age of the sample was 46 years, unmarried from high school education. In the description of family functions obtained with overall results with moderate function. Correlation between the two things was found to be a weak negative correlation between FAD score and BDI score. The smaller the value score of FAD then will the greater the value of BDI. The worse the function of the family will be more severe levels of depression experienced by the sample in this study. Conclusion: We found there was a significant weak negative correlation between family function and depression in palliative patients at Sanglah Hospital Denpasar.

A Framework for Brain Atlases: Lessons from seizure Dynamics

Understanding the relationship between the brain's structural anatomy and neural activity is essential in identifying the structural therapeutic targets linked to the functional changes seen in neurological diseases. An implicit challenge is that the varying maps of the brain, or atlases, used across the neuroscience literature to describe the different regions of the brain alters the hypotheses and predictions we make about the brain's function of those regions. Here we demonstrate how parcellation scale, shape, and anatomical coverage of these atlases impact network topology, structure-function correlation (SFC), and the hypotheses we make about epilepsy disease biology. Through the lens of our disease system, we propose a general framework to evaluate the validity of an atlas used in an experimental system. This framework aims to maximize the descriptive, explanatory, and predictive validity of these atlases. Broadly, our framework strives to augment neuroscience research utilizing the various atlases published over the last