Using a Syrian (Golden) Hamster Biological Model for the Evaluation of Recombinant Anthrax Vaccines

In this paper, we demonstrate that a Syrian hamster biological model can be applied to the study of recombinant anthrax vaccines. We show that double vaccination with recombinant proteins, such as protective antigen (PA) and fusion protein LF1PA4, consisting of lethal factor I domain (LF) and PA domain IV, leads to the production of high titers of specific antibodies and to protection from infection with the toxicogenic encapsulated attenuated strain B. anthracis 71/12. In terms of antibody production and protection, Syrian hamsters were much more comparable to guinea pigs than mice. We believe that Syrian hamsters are still underestimated as a biological model for anthrax research, and, in some cases, they can be used as a replacement or at least as a complement to the traditionally used mouse model.

Centrosome maturation requires phosphorylation-mediated sequential domain interactions of SPD-5

Centrosomes consist of two centrioles and surrounding pericentriolar material (PCM). PCM expands during mitosis in a process called centrosome maturation, in which PCM scaffold proteins play pivotal roles to recruit other centrosomal proteins. In C. elegans, the scaffold protein SPD-5 forms PCM scaffold in a PLK-1 phosphorylation-dependent manner. However, how phosphorylation of SPD-5 promotes PCM scaffold assembly is unclear. Here, we identified three functional domains of SPD-5 through in vivo domain analyses, and propose that sequential domain interactions of SPD-5 are required for mitotic PCM scaffold assembly. Firstly, SPD-5 is targeted to centrioles through direct interaction between its centriole localization (CL) domain and a centriolar protein PCMD-1. Then, intra- and inter-molecular interaction between SPD-5 phospho-regulated multimerization (PReM) domain and the PReM association (PA) domain is triggered by phosphorylation by PLK-1, which leads to PCM scaffold expansion. Our findings suggest that the sequential domain interactions of scaffold proteins mediated by Polo/PLK-1 phosphorylation is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of PCM scaffold assembly.

Exploring the Adoption of Precision Agriculture for Irrigation in the Context of Agriculture 4.0: The Key Role of Internet of Things

In recent years, the concept of Agriculture 4.0 has emerged as an evolution of precision agriculture (PA) through the diffusion of the Internet of things (IoT). There is a perception that the PA adoption is occurring at a slower pace than expected. Little research has been carried out about Agriculture 4.0, as well as to farmer behavior and operations management. This work explores what drives the adoption of PA in the Agriculture 4.0 context, focusing on farmer behavior and operations management. As a result of a multimethod approach, the factors explaining the PA adoption in the Agriculture 4.0 context and a model of irrigation operations management are proposed. Six simulation scenarios are performed to study the relationships among the factors involved in irrigation planning. Empirical findings contribute to a better understanding of what Agriculture 4.0 is and to expand the possibilities of IoT in the PA domain. This work also contributes to the discussion on Agriculture 4.0, thanks to multidisciplinary research bringing together the different perspectives of PA, IoT and operations management. Moreover, this research highlights the key role of IoT, considering the farmer’s possible choice to adopt several IoT sensing technologies for data collection.

Assessment of Burnout Among Canadian Pharmacists Working in Team-based Primary Care Settings

Background: Burnout syndrome is well-documented among healthcare professionals across various practice settings. There has been recent expansion of Canadian pharmacists into team-based primary care and burnout in this setting has not been assessed. Our objective was to assess workplace burnout and to identify factors that play a role in perpetuating or diminishing it. Method: An online survey to assess burnout was developed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) tool and questions regarding pharmacist background and practice. Invitations to complete the survey were sent to Canadian pharmacists working in team-based primary care settings on November 26, 2019 via a national primary healthcare listserv. Results: A total of 31/433 completed responses were collected. The main analysis focused on the personal accomplishment (PA) domain as it had an adequate response rate. The PA domain had a median score of 5.0 (95% CI 4.69-5.22). We compared medians of the PA domain across different groups of each categorical variable. We found that the number of years working in primary care settings was positively associated with a higher PA domain score (p= 0.029). Discussion: PA was higher in pharmacists who have been practicing in a primary care setting for longer; however, burnout rates could not be properly assessed due to the limited response rate. Conclusion: This is the first study to assess burnout among Canadian team-based primary care pharmacists. Personal accomplishment was higher in those who have been practicing in a primary care setting for longer. Future studies should consider alternate methods to evaluate burnout in this population. Article Type: Original Research

Physical Activity and Mortality in Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Recommendations for improved survival after cancer through physical activity (PA) exist, although the evidence is still emerging. Our primary objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between prediagnosis and postdiagnosis PA and survival (cancer-specific, all-cause, and cardiovascular disease mortality) for all cancers and by tumor site. Secondary objectives were to examine the associations within population subgroups, by PA domain, and to determine the optimal dose of PA related to survival. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, and SportsDiscus databases were searched from inception to November 1, 2018. DerSimonian-Laird random-effects models were used to estimate the summary hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for primary and secondary analyses and to conduct dose-response analyses. Results Evidence from 136 studies showed improved survival outcomes with highest vs lowest levels of prediagnosis or postdiagnosis total or recreational PA for all-cancers combined (cancer specific mortality: HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.79 to 0.86, and HR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.53 to 0.75, respectively) as well as for 11 specific cancer sites. For breast and colorectal cancers, greater reductions were observed for postdiagnosis PA (HR = 0.58–0.63) compared with prediagnosis PA (HR = 0.80–0.86) for cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. Survival benefits through PA were observed in most subgroups (within sex, body mass index, menopausal status, colorectal subtypes, and PA domain) examined. Inverse dose-response relationships between PA and breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality were observed, with steep reductions in hazards to 10–15 metabolic equivalent hours per week. Conclusion Higher prediagnosis and postdiagnosis levels of PA were associated with improved survival outcomes for at least 11 cancer types, providing support for global promotion of PA guidelines following cancer.

Tumour-associated mutations of PA-TM-RING ubiquitin ligases RNF167/RNF13 identify the PA domain as a determinant for endosomal localization

In the present study, we have identified a role for the PA domain of the RNF13/RNF167 ubiquitin ligases, showing that it is both sufficient and required for endosomal localization. Furthermore, although PA domain point-mutations identified from tumours are ligase active, PA mutant proteins are mislocalized within the cell.