Mixia Research Articles

Internet addiction in adolescents in Central Siberia: analysis of prevalence and structure of consumed content

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Internet addiction (IА) and the structure of consumed content among adolescents in Central Siberia. Materials and methods . From January to May 2019, 3,012 adolescents (45.8% of boys and 54.2% of girls) aged 12–18 years were examined (average age 14.5 ± 1.3 years). Younger adolescents (12–14 years old) accounted for 52.5%, and seniors (15–18 years old) accounted for 47.5%. Peculiarities of online behavior were evaluated according to Chen’s Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS) adapted by V.L. Malygin and K.A. Feklisov; a total CIAS score of ≥ 65 indicated Internet addiction. Gambling addiction was rated according to the Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents, and addiction to social networks was rated according to the Social Media Disorder Scale. The structure of the consumed content was estimated in the overall sample and in two age groups. The data obtained were processed by non-parametric statistical methods using the Statistica 12.0 software. Quantitative characteristics are presented as the median and the interquartile range Me (Q 25 – Q 75 ), binary signs are represented as a share (%) and the confidence interval. The significance of the differences ( p ) for quantitative indicators was evaluated by Mann – Whitney U -test and for binary characters by Pearson’s χ2 criterion. The differences between the groups were considered statistically significant at p ≤ 0.05. Results. The overall prevalence of IА was 6.9%, adaptive use of the Internet was observed in 49.4% of adolescents, non-adaptive use was registered in 43.6% of cases. The frequency of Internet addiction increases with age: from 6.0% in 12–14 year-old adolescents to 8.0% in 15–18 year-old adolescents ( p = 0.0324). Content consumed by adolescents included gambling addiction (11%), addiction to social networks (8.0%), mixed IA (2.6%), and undifferentiated Internet addiction (2.8%). Younger adolescents are more often dependent on online games (12.2%), social networks (9.3%), and mixed IА (3.3%), while in older adolescents, undifferentiated IА is more often observed (39.5%). Conclusion . High level of IA prevalence in adolescents in Central Siberia confirms the relevance of this problem and indicates the need to develop preventive measures aimed at maintaining child and adolescent health.

Proprioceptive Recognition with Artificial Neural Networks Based on Organizations of Spinocerebellar Tract and Cerebellum.

Muscle kinematics and kinetics are nonlinearly encoded by proprioceptors, and the changes in muscle length and velocity are integrated into Ia afferent. Besides, proprioceptive signals from multiple muscles are probably mixed in afferent pathways, which all lead to difficulties in proprioceptive recognition for the cerebellum. In this study, the artificial neural networks, whose organizations are biologically based on the spinocerebellar tract and cerebellum, are utilized to decode the proprioceptive signals. Consistent with the controversy of the proprioceptive division in the dorsal spinocerebellar tract, the spinocerebellar tract networks incorporated two distinct inferences, (1) the centralized networks, which mixed Ia, II, and Ib and processed them together; (2) the decentralized networks, which processed Ia, II, and Ib afferents separately. The cerebellar networks were based on the Marr-Albus model to recognize the kinematic states. The networks were trained by a specific movement, and the trained networks were subsequently required to predict kinematic states of six movements. The results demonstrated that the centralized networks, which were more consistent with the physiological findings in recent years, had better recognition accuracy than the decentralized networks, and the networks were still effective even when proprioceptive afferents from multiple muscles were integrated.

Surveillance in stage I MOGCTs (malignant ovarian germ cell tumors): A MITO prospective study (multicenter Italian trials in ovarian cancer).

5516 Background: The standard of treatment of stage I MOGCTs is surgery followed by BEP (bleomycin + etoposide + cisplatin) chemotherapy, except for stage IA dysgerminoma (D) and IAG1 immature teratoma (IT). Surveillance has emerged as a possible option to avoid adjuvant chemotherapy in IB-C1 D, IA-C G2 – G3 IT, and in stage IA mixed and yolk sac tumors (YST), after comprehensive surgical staging (CSS) with negative postoperative markers. The aim of this study was to analyze oncological outcome of stage I MOGCT patients included in the MITO9 study. Methods: MITO9 was a prospective observational study analyzing data collected between 2013 and 2018. 41 patients with stage I conservatively treated MOGCTs were included. Three groups were identified: group A. IA D and IAG1 IT candidate to surveillance according to guidelines; group B. stages IB-C1 D, stage IA-C G2-G3 IT, stage IA mixed and YST were consulted about the option of close surveillance vs adjuvant chemotherapy in case of CSS; group C. all other patients receiving BEP. Results: Median age was 25.6 years (range 14-40). Median follow up was 36,4 months. Group A included 12 patients, 5 IA G1 IT and 7 IA D. Group B included 24 patients. Of these, 2 out of 5 patients (40%) were positive at restaging and were excluded from surveillance protocol. Seven of the 22 remaining patients (31.8%) received chemotherapy, while 15 (68.1%) were enrolled in the surveillance protocol. Out of these 15 patients, 4 were stage IC D (one IC1, one IC2 and two IC3), 2 were mixed stage IA with YST tumor, 9 were G3 IT (four IA, three IC2, one IC3 and one IB). The 7 patients receiving chemotherapy were: 1 dysgerminoma IC2, 2 YST IA, 3 IT G3 (one IA and one IC2) and 1 mixed IA tumour. Group C included 5 patients, three IC YST and two mixed IC2 with YST. Survival of these patients was 100%, while disease free survival was 97.5%. Only one patient in C Group, a stage IA G3 IT treated with adjuvant BEP, relapsed as mature teratoma. None of the patients in the surveillance protocol experienced relapse. Conclusions: These data suggest that close surveillance could be an alternative option to avoid adjuvant chemotherapy in properly staged IB-C1 D, stage IA G2 – G3 IT, stage IA mixed and YST. These findings deserve further confirmation in an international cooperative setting.

Genome-wide maps of nucleosomes of the trichostatin A treated and untreated archiascomycetous yeast <em>Saitoella complicata</em>

We investigated the effects of trichostatin A (TSA) on gene expression and nucleosome position in the archiascomycetous yeast Saitoella complicata. The expression levels of 154 genes increased in a TSA-concentration-dependent manner, while the levels of 131 genes decreased. Conserved genes between S. complicata and Schizosaccharomyces pombe were more commonly TSA-concentration-dependent downregulated genes than upregulated genes. We calculated the correlation coefficients of nucleosome position profiles within 300 nucleotides (nt) upstream of a translational start of S. complicata grown in the absence and the presence of TSA (3 μg/mL). We found that 20 (13.0%) of the 154 TSA-concentration-dependent upregulated genes and 22 (16.8%) of the 131 downregulated genes had different profiles (r 0.8). We did not observe a GC content bias between the 300 nt upstream of the translational start of the TSA-concentration-dependent genes with conserved nucleosome positioning and the genes with different nucleosome positioning, suggesting that TSA-induced nucleosome position change is likely not related to DNA sequence. Most gene promoters maintained their nucleosome positioning even after TSA treatment, which may be related to DNA sequence. Enriched and depleted dinucleotides distribution of S. complicata around the midpoints of highly positioned nucleosome dyads was not similar to that of the phylogenetically close yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe but similar to the basidiomycete Mixia osmundae, which has similar genomic GC content to that of S. complicata.

Genome sequencing provides insight into the reproductive biology, nutritional mode and ploidy of the fern pathogenMixia osmundae

Mixia osmundae (Basidiomycota, Pucciniomycotina) represents a monotypic class containing an unusual fern pathogen with incompletely understood biology. We sequenced and analyzed the genome of M.osmundae, focusing on genes that may provide some insight into its mode of pathogenicity and reproductive biology. Mixia osmundae has the smallest plant pathogenic basidiomycete genome sequenced to date, at 13.6Mb, with very few repeats, high gene density, and relatively few significant gene family gains. The genome shows that the yeast state of M.osmundae is haploid and the lack of segregation of mating genes suggests that the spores produced on Osmunda spp. fronds are probably asexual. However, our finding of a complete complement of mating and meiosis genes suggests the capacity to undergo sexual reproduction. Analyses of carbohydrate active enzymes suggest that this fungus is a biotroph with the ability to break down several plant cell wall components. Analyses of publicly available sequence data show that other Mixia members may exist on other plant hosts and with a broader distribution than previously known.

Kinetic peculiarities of diamond crystallization in K-Na-Mg-Ca-Carbonate-Carbon melt-solution

The kinetic peculiarities of diamond crystallization in multicomponent K-Na-Mg-Ca-carbonate-carbon system have been studied in conditions of diamond stability at 1500–1800°C and 7.5–8.5 GPa. It has been established that the diamond phase nucleation density at a fixed temperature of 1600°C decreases from 1.3 × 105 nuclei/mm3 at 8.5 GPa to 3.7 × 103 nuclei/mm3 at 7.5 GPa. The fluorescence spectra of obtained diamond crystals contain peaks at 504 nm (H3-defect), 575 nm (NV-center), and 638 nm (NV-defect), caused by the presence of nitrogen impurity. In the cathodoluminescence spectra, an A-band with the maximum at 470 nm is present. The obtained data make it possible to assign the synthesized diamonds in the carbonate-carbon system to the mixed Ia + Ib type.

Correction to ‘Characteristics of nucleosomes and linker DNA regions on the genome of the basidiomycete Mixia osmundae revealed by mono- and dinucleosome mapping’

Correction to ‘Characteristics of nucleosomes and linker DNA regions on the genome of the basidiomycete <i>Mixia osmundae</i> revealed by mono- and dinucleosome mapping’

Characteristics of nucleosomes and linker DNA regions on the genome of the basidiomycete Mixia osmundae revealed by mono- and dinucleosome mapping

We present findings on the nucleosomal arrangement in the genome of the basidiomycete Mixia osmundae, focusing on nucleosomal linker DNA regions. We have assembled the genomic sequences of M. osmundae, annotated genes and transcription start sites (TSSs) on the genome, and created a detailed nucleosome map based on sequencing mono- and dinucleosomal DNA fragments. The nucleosomal DNA length distribution of M. osmundae is similar to that of the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus fumigatus, but differs from that of ascomycetous yeasts, strongly suggesting that nucleosome positioning has evolved primarily through neutral drift in fungal species. We found clear association between dinucleotide frequencies and linker DNA regions mapped as the midpoints of dinucleosomes. We also describe a unique pattern found in the nucleosome-depleted region upstream of the TSS observed in the dinucleosome map and the precursor status of dinucleosomes prior to the digestion into mononucleosomes by comparing the mono- and dinucleosome maps. We demonstrate that observation of dinucleosomes as well as of mononucleosomes is valuable in investigating nucleosomal organization of the genome.

Prospective study in critically ill non-neutropenic patients: diagnostic potential of (1,3)-β-D-glucan assay and circulating galactomannan for the diagnosis of invasive fungal disease

Diagnosis of invasive fungal disease (IFD) in patients under intensive care is challenging. Circulating biomarkers, (1,3)-β-D-glucan (BG) and galactomannan (GM), were prospectively assessed in 98 critically ill patients at risk of IFD. There were 11 cases of invasive aspergillosis (IA; 4 proven and 7 probable), 9 cases of proven invasive candidiasis (IC), 1 case of mixed proven IC and probable IA, 1 case of proven zygomycosis, and 1 case of mixed mycelial proven IFD. In all IA cases there was no significant difference when the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of GM (0.873 [95%CI, 0.75-0.99]) and BG (0.856 [95% CI, 0.71-0.99]) were compared (p = 0.871). The AUC for BG in IC and for the rest of the IFD cases was 0.605 (95% CI, 0.39-0.82) and 0.768 (95% CI, 0.63-0.90) respectively. Positive BG (40%) predated blood culture (n = 3) and abdominal pus (n = 1) a mean of 3.25 days before Candida was grown. In patients with IFD caused by molds, BG appeared a mean of 5.65 days before culture results. For the diagnosis of patients at risk of IC, BG has shown a high NPV (94.5%), with positive results also predating blood cultures in 30% of patients. In conclusion, early BG results permit a timely initiation of antifungal therapy in patients at risk of IFD.

Identity of the plasmodial slime mold Phytoceratiomyxa osmundae and the lectotypification of Taphrina osmundae, the basionym of Mixia osmundae

Phytoceratiomyxa osmundae, parasitic on fronds of Osmunda japonica var. sublancea in Taiwan, was described as a new genus and species in the Myxomycetes by Sawada in 1929. Our investigations on the type specimen, and related descriptions and illustrations of P. osmundae, revealed that this microorganism, originally identified as a myxomycete, was phenotypically identical with Mixia osmundae, which was transferred from the Ascomycota to the Basidiomycota based on the integrated analysis of molecules and morphology by Nishida et al. in 1995. In addition, a lectotype for Taphrina osmundae, the basionym of Mixia osmundae, is also designated. A nomenclatural proposal regarding the generic names Phytoceratiomyxa and Mixia related to this study will be published elsewhere.

Identity of the plasmodial slime mold &lt;i&gt;Phytoceratiomyxa osmundae&lt;/i&gt; and the lectotypification of &lt;i&gt;Taphrina osmundae&lt;/i&gt;, the basionym of &lt;i&gt;Mixia osmundae&lt;/i&gt;

Phytoceratiomyxa osmundae, parasitic on fronds of Osmunda japonica var. sublancea in Taiwan, was described as a new genus and species in the Myxomycetes by Sawada in 1929. Our investigations on the type specimen, and related descriptions and illustrations of P. osmundae, revealed that this microorganism, originally identified as a myxomycete, was phenotypically identical with Mixia osmundae, which was transferred from the Ascomycota to the Basidiomycota based on the integrated analysis of molecules and morphology by Nishida et al. in 1995. In addition, a lectotype for Taphrina osmundae, the basionym of Mixia osmundae, is also designated. A nomenclatural proposal regarding the generic names Phytoceratiomyxa and Mixia related to this study will be published elsewhere.

Phylogenetic positions of rust fungi parasitic on ferns: Evidence from 18S rDNA sequence analysis

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of fern rusts were carried out based on 18S rDNA sequences. We sequenced the 18S rDNAs of fern rusts (Hyalopsora polypodii andUredinopsis intermedia) and non-fern rusts (Aecidium epimedii, Coleosporium asterum, Ochropsora kraunhiae, Puccinia suzutake andPhysopella ampelopsidis) and analyzed their phylogenetic relationships with other members of the Urediniomycetes. Our bootstrapped neighbor-joining tree obtained from these analyses showed that rust fungi were apparently monophyletic at high confidence level (100% bootstrap confidence). In this molecular phylogenetic tree, the two fern rusts did not occupy the basal position within the rust fungal lineage and did not form a monophyletic lineage. Two species of the Cronartiaceae (Peridermium harknessii, Cronartium ribicola) and one species of the Coleosporiaceae (Coleosporium asterum) grouped with the fern rusts. Therefore, our results suggested that the two fern rusts were not primitive. On the other hand,Mixia osmundae, which is parasitic on the primitive fernOsmunda, was phylogenetically far from the fern rusts.

Mixia osmundae: transfer from the Ascomycota to the Basidiomycota based on evidence from molecules and morphology

To determine phylogenetic placement of Mixia osmundae (T. Nishida) Kramer (Mixiaceae, Protomycetales), we sequenced the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene from M. osmundae IFO-32408 and compared it with that from 4 archiascomycetes (Ascomycota) and 24 basidiomycetes. Our molecular phylogeny indicates that M. osmundae and the basidiomycetes Rhodosporidium toruloides, Leucosporidium scottii, Sporobolomyces roseus, Sporidiobolus johnsonii, Cronartium ribicola, Peridermium harknessii, and Erythrobasidium hasegawianum group together in 100% of bootstrap replicates. The M. osmundae spores on the host fern Osmunda japonica have been regarded as ascospores (i.e., endogenously produced within an ascus), but our light microscopic, SEM, and TEM observations for fresh materials of M. osmundae on O. japonica in Japan clearly demonstrated that these are produced exogenously, blastically, and simultaneously from the sporogenous cell. Evidence from both molecular and morphological characters suggests that M. osmundae is not a member of the ascomycetes and is not related to either the Taphrinales or Protomycetales. Obviously Mixia osmundae is a member of the basidiomycetes and placed within the simple septate basidiomycete lineage. Key words: fungal evolution, basidiomycete phylogeny, Mixia osmundae, Taphrinales, Protomycetales, 18S rRNA.

Major histocompatibility complex determinants select T-cell receptor alpha chain variable region dominance in a peptide-specific response.

Dominant expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha or beta chain variable region (V alpha or V beta) gene families has been observed in the T-cell response to some conventional peptide antigens. Current models for the interaction of TCR V region elements with different determinants of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-peptide complex, the normal TCR ligand, suggest that the TCR V-J junctional region (CDR3, where J is joining) is the primary contact with a peptide epitope and that other TCR V region segments may interact directly with neighboring MHC determinants. This suggests that V alpha or V beta dominance in a specific response can be MHC-selected. In this case, if related peptides bind to an MHC molecule in a similar orientation, they could select for identical V alpha or V beta dominance even if they are noncrossreactive at the level of T-cell activation. We have screened for this possibility by introducing minimal conservative substitutions in a synthetic peptide, YYEELLKYYEELLK, that is presented to T cells in association with an uncommon A beta E alpha d mixed Ia isotype. We report here that the peptide variant FFEELLKFFEELLK is noncrossreactive with YYEELLKYYEELLK but appears to preserve the same MHC binding motif since T-cell responses are restricted to the same mixed A beta E alpha isotype. Although the two peptides are noncrossreactive in either direction, the same members of the V alpha 4 gene family are dominantly expressed in T cells specific for either peptide. We conclude that the similar topography of the two MHC-peptide complexes gives functional significance to a unique A beta E alpha determinant that selects for V alpha 4 dominance.

Extracts of pregnancy urine contain a mitogen for human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL).

A mitogen for human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) has been found in commercial batches of crude human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is obtained from pregnancy urine. These crude hCG preparations, as well as column eluates free of hCG and a previously noted immunosuppressive factor, are mitogen for normal human PBL cultured in fetal calf serum. This mitogen is designated pregnancy-associated growth factor (PAGF) because of its source. PAGF induces 3H-thymidine incorporation of mixed Ia+ non-T cells and T cells, probably confined to the helper subclass; proliferation is abolished by complement-mediated lysis using monoclonal antisera to Ia, mature T cells (OKT3), and the Th (OKT4) subset, but not by antisera to the Ts (OKT8) subset. The proliferating cell is a T cell because irradiation of these cells, but not the non-T cells, abolished PAGF mitogenicity. In addition, PAGF augments the autologus mixed lymphocyte reaction. Preliminary experiments indicate that its m.w., in the range of 18,000 to 22,000, is different from epidermal growth factor, the only previously described growth factor found in crude hCG preparations. In addition epidermal growth factor failed to stimulate PBL under similar conditions.