Commercial Speech and the Prohibition of Tobacco Advertising: The Colombian Constitutional Court Approach.

This article argues that the decision by the Columbian high court to totally ban the advertising and promotion of tobacco products is sound and could indeed be applied to other types of harmful products.

Modulation of DRG neurons response to semaphorin 3A via substrate stiffness.

Semaphorin 3A (Sema3a) is a chemotropic protein that acts as a neuronal guidance cue and plays a major role in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons projection during embryo development. The present study evaluated the impact of stiffness in the repulsive response of DRG neurons to Sema3a when cultured over substrates of variable stiffness. Stiffness modified DRG neurons morphology and regulated their response to Sema3a, reducing the collapse of growth cones when they were cultured on softer substrates. Sema3a receptors expression was also regulated by stiffness, neuropilin-1 was overexpressed and plexin A4 mRNA was downregulated in stiffer substrates. Cytoskeleton distribution was also modified by stiffness. In softer substrates, ßIII-tubulin and actin co-localized up to the leading edge of the growth cones, and as the substrate became stiffer, ßIII-tubulin was confined to the transition and peripheral domains of the growth cone. Moreover, a decrease in the α-actinin adaptor protein was also observed in softer substrates. Our results show that substrate stiffness plays an important role in regulating the collapse response to Sema3a and that the modulation of cytoskeleton distribution and Sema3a receptors expression are related to the differential collapse responses of the growth cones.

A human rights-based approach to non-communicable diseases: mandating front-of-package warning labels.

Across the globe, the consumption of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods and beverages has escalated rates of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), driven by deceptive marketing tactics from the food and beverage industry. The international community has increasingly recognized the need to provide consumers with accurate health information on food and beverage products as part of their right to health. In July 2020, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to health released a powerful Statement calling for the adoption of front-of-package warning labeling to tackle NCDs. Just a few weeks after the Statement's release, the Pan American Health Organization published a report highlighting the relevance of front-of-package labeling as a policy tool for the prevention of NCDs in the Americas, demonstrating further support to this regulatory intervention.In this piece, we explain why front-of-package warning labeling should be part of a comprehensive strategy to promote healthier lives, delving into the human-rights aspects of front-of-package labels. In particular, we explore the role the food and beverage industry play in increasing the consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages, and the relevance of scientific evidence free from conflicts of interest to adequately protect the right to health and health-related rights.

Identification of a de novo splicing variant in the Coffin-Siris gene, SMARCE1, in a patient with Angelman-like syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Patients affected by Angelman syndrome (AS) present severe intellectual disability, lack of speech, ataxia, seizures, abnormal electroencephalography (EEG), and a characteristic behavioral phenotype. Around 10% of patients with a clinical diagnosis of AS (AS-like) do not have an identifiable molecular defect. Some of these patients harbor alternative genetic defects that present overlapping features with AS. METHODS: Trio whole-exome sequence was performed on patient and parent's DNA extracted from peripheral blood. Exome data were filtered according to a de novo autosomal dominant inheritance. cDNA analysis was carried out to assess the effect of the splice site variant. RESULTS: We identified a novel heterozygous SMARCE1 splicing variant that leads to an exon skipping in a patient with an Angelman-like phenotype. Missense variants in the SMARCE1 gene are known to cause Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS), which is a rare congenital syndrome. Clinical reevaluation of the patient confirmed the presence of characteristic clinical features of CSS, many of them overlapping with AS. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account the novel finding reported in this study, we consider that CSS should be added to the expanding list of differential diagnoses for AS.