Thinking with Clay: Procreation and the Ceramic Paradigm in Israelite Religion

The cross-cultural connection between ceramic production and the creation of humans in the ancient Near East offers a new lens through which to examine biblical discourse about procreation and subject formation. The physical properties of clay make it an effective discursive tool in ancient Near Eastern texts, including the Hebrew Bible, for conceptualizing the processes that form and shape the human. Adopting a materialist approach, this article argues that biblical writers are not simply thinking about clay in relation to procreation and subject formation, but are thinking with it – that the raw materials, technologies, and objects of ceramic production helped to generate the ideologies and ritual processes that shape the human from gestation to birth and into early childhood. Material culture from ancient Israel supports this assessment. The manufacture of Judean Pillar Figurines out of clay and their apparent association with childbirth and the nurture of young children further suggest the prevalence of the ceramic paradigm in ancient religious ideology and ritual.

Lsm12 is an NAADP receptor and a two-pore channel regulatory protein required for calcium mobilization from acidic organelles

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is a potent Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger which uniquely mobilizes Ca2+ from acidic endolysosomal organelles. However, the molecular identity of the NAADP receptor remains unknown. Given the necessity of the endolysosomal two-pore channel (TPC1 or TPC2) in NAADP signaling, we performed affinity purification and quantitative proteomic analysis of the interacting proteins of NAADP and TPCs. We identified a Sm-like protein Lsm12 complexed with NAADP, TPC1, and TPC2. Lsm12 directly binds to NAADP via its Lsm domain, colocalizes with TPC2, and mediates the apparent association of NAADP to isolated TPC2 or TPC2-containing membranes. Lsm12 is essential and immediately participates in NAADP-evoked TPC activation and Ca2+ mobilization from acidic stores. These findings reveal a putative RNA-binding protein to function as an NAADP receptor and a TPC regulatory protein and provides a molecular basis for understanding the mechanisms of NAADP signaling.

Plasma Levels of Leptin and Risk of Future Incident Venous Thromboembolism

Background Circulating levels of leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, are frequently elevated in obesity. Leptin has been reported to upregulate prothrombotic hemostatic factors in vitro and could potentially mediate venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk in obesity. However, whether leptin is associated with VTE remains uncertain. Objective This article investigates the association between plasma leptin and risk of incident VTE, and the potential of leptin to mediate VTE risk in obesity. Methods A population-based nested case–control study with 416 VTE cases and 848 age- and sex-matched controls was derived from the Tromsø Study. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for VTE across leptin quartiles. Analyses were performed separately in men and women using sex-specific quartile cut-offs determined in controls. Results In the age-adjusted model, the VTE risk increased across leptin quartiles, particularly in men. Compared with the lowest quartile, the ORs for VTE in the highest quartile were 1.70 (95% CI 1.04–2.79) in men and 1.36 (95% CI 0.85–2.17) in women. However, with additional adjustment for body mass index (BMI), risk estimates were markedly attenuated in men (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.55–1.93) and women (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.45–1.48). The ORs for VTE were increased in obese men and women (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and were only marginally affected after adjustment for leptin. Conclusion Our results indicate that the apparent association between plasma leptin levels and VTE risk is confounded by BMI and that leptin is not a relevant mediator for VTE risk in obesity.

Coffee and Tea Consumption and the Risk of Glioma: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

In this systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis, we aim to assess whether coffee and tea consumption is related to the risk of glioma. We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the EuropePMC up until 1st October 2020. Exposures in this study were coffee and tea consumption. The main outcome of this study was the incidence of glioma. This study compares the association between the exposure of coffee and tea with the incidence of glioma, the results are reported in Relative Risks (RRs). There are 12 unique studies comprising of 1,960,731 participants with 2,987 glioma cases. Higher coffee consumption was associated with a statistically non-significant trend towards lower risk of glioma (RR 0.77 [0.55, 1.03], p=0.11; I2: 75.27%). Meta-regression showed that the association between coffee and glioma was reduced by smoking (p=0.029). Higher tea consumption was associated with the lower risk of glioma (RR 0.84 [0.71, 0.98], p=0.030; I2: 16.42%). Sensitivity analysis by removal of case-control studies showed that higher coffee consumption (RR 0.85 [0.72, 1.00], p=0.046; I2: 0%) and higher tea consumption (RR 0.81 [0.70, 0.93], p=0.004; I2: 0%, Pnon-linearity=0.140) were associated with lower risk of glioma. Dose-response meta-analysis showed that every 1 cup of coffee per day decreases the risk of glioma by 3% (RR 0.97 [0.94, 0.99], p=0.016, Pnon-linearity=0.054) and every 1 cup of tea per day decreases the risk of glioma by 3% (RR 0.97 [0.94, 1.00], p=0.048). This meta-analysis showed apparent association between coffee and tea intake and risk of glioma.

Dietary Phytochemical Index and Psychological Disorders in a large sample of Iranian adults: a population-based study

Background: Intake of plant foods including of Phytochemicals may be decrease risk of mental health.Aim: This study aim to investigate association of Dietary Phytochemical Index)DPI( with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in a large sample of Iranian adults.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 7385 adult aged 20-50 years old were provided from the recruitment phase of Yazd Health Study, a population-based cohort research on Iranian adults. Food intakes were assessed via validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were assessed using a validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales questionnaires with 21-items. DPI was calculated by percent of daily energy intake taken from phytochemical-rich foods.Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, normal weight subjects in the highest tertile of DPI had a lower risk of depression (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.44–0.97) and anxiety symptoms (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.45–0.93) compared with those in the lowest tertile. However, no apparent association was found between depression, anxiety and stress in overweight and obese subjects. Conclusion: We found significant association between DPI and mental health in normal weight adults. Prospective studies are required to approve these conclusions.

The Succession of Flies of Forensic Importance Is Influenced by Volatiles Organic Compounds Emitted During the First Hours of Decomposition of Chicken Remains

After death, a series of primary reactions occur that produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released into the environment. In this study, we investigated if the succession of flies of forensic importance in the first hours after death is mediated by VOCs in order to better understanding of the ecology of necrophagous insects. In total, 685 adult insects (Diptera and Hymenoptera) were collected by traps baited with chicken remains at different decomposition times (0, 6, 12, 24, 36, or 48 h). Of the total of insects caught, individuals from six families of Diptera can be cataloged of forensic importance. The most abundant dipteran family was Piophilidae with 213 individuals, followed by Calliphoridae with 178 specimens. Of the total flies caught, 90% were females and the rest were males. Most of the caught females were categorized as gravid, which visited more often the decaying tissues compared to nongravid females. The abundance of the flies increased in the remains with a longer time of decomposition. Six VOCs emitted in different relative quantities were identified according to the decomposition time of the remains. An apparent association was observed between the emission of ρ-cresol with Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann), between the emission of phenol, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide with Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart), and between the emissions of indole with Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius).

β 2-Agonists and the Incidence of Parkinson Disease

A recent study found a decreased risk of Parkinson disease (PD) associated with the β2 adrenergic agonist (β2-agonist) salbutamol. However, other mechanisms might explain this apparent association. Using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we formed a cohort of 2,430,884 patients aged 50 years or older between 1995 and 2016. During follow-up, 8,604 cases of PD were identified and matched to 86,040 controls on sex, age, date of cohort entry, and duration of follow-up, after applying a 1-year latency time window. Incidence rate ratios of PD associated with use of β2-agonists were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Ever-use of β2-agonists was associated with a 17% decreased rate of PD (rate ratio = 0.83, 95% confidence interval: 0.75, 0.91) compared with no use. However, this association was limited to early short-term use and was no longer observed after more than 2 years of cumulative duration of use (rate ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.80, 1.17). A similar pattern was observed when stratifying by time since first β2-agonist prescription and by duration of follow-up. The apparent association of β2-agonists with a decreased risk of PD is likely the result of reverse causality rather than a biological effect of these drugs on the risk of PD.

Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

The presentation of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in pediatric populations has several important distinctions from that in adults, especially among prepubertal patients, in which there is no apparent association with gender or obesity. Pediatric patients are more likely to be asymptomatic or present with atypical symptoms than their adult counterparts, posing a diagnostic challenge in some cases. It is important to be aware of the ways in which diagnostic criteria for IIH are modified from that of adults. Ideal treatment practices and the natural history of pediatric IIH remain unclear. Acetazolamide is the mainstay of medical treatment, but some patients with significant visual loss may require surgical intervention. Multicenter studies to accrue a large number of cases and future prospective studies will help to better define pediatric IIH and to formulate consensus guidelines for treatment and management of these patients.