A cross- sectional study of refugees in Norway and Serbia: Levels of mental distress and social-demographic risk factors.

This cross-sectional study has assessed and compared symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among one refugee group during flight (in Serbia) and another refugee group after flight (in Norway). Results indicate high levels of mental distress in both samples of refugees (Serbia: N = 100, Norway: N = 78). Participants in Serbia reported higher levels of symptoms than the participants in Norway. Moreover, the study found that female gender, low education, refused asylum, high age, and concerns about family correlated with mental distress among the participants.

Cross-kingdom regulation of ginseng miRNA156 on immunity and metabolism.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To study the cross-border regulation of immunity and energy metabolism by ginseng miRNA156, and to provide a new perspective for further exploring the possibility of ginseng miRNA156 as a pharmacodynamic substance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Combined with the previous research results of our research group, miRNA156 with high expression in blood sequencing of intragastrically administered with ginseng decoction was selected. Bioinformatics analysis was performed on the selected differential miRNA156. The target genes of differential miRNA156 were mainly enriched in metabolic, immune and other signaling pathways. According to the analysis results, the experimental part will use qi deficiency fatigue model and RAW264.7 cells. The contents of lactic acid (LA), creatine kinase (CK), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), liver glycogen (LG), muscle glycogen (MG), interleukin 4 (IL-4), matrix metallo-proteinase 9 (MMP-9), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde, phosphor-enolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6pase), nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured after administration of miRNA156. RESULTS: Ginseng miRNA156 can accelerate the removal of metabolic waste during exercise. Increase the glycogen reserve in, provide energy for the body, regulate the activity of key gluconeogenesis enzyme phosphorus, improve the energy metabolism system of, and enhance the endurance of fatigue mice. The contents of matrix metalloproteinase 9, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde were affected, and the content of TNF-α in the supernatant of RAW264.7 cells was significantly increased, which had certain antioxidant capacity and potential immunomodulatory effects. CONCLUSION: Ginseng miRNA156 has a certain regulatory effect on the energy metabolism and immune function of mice, which makes it possible to regulate the cross-species regulation of ginseng miRNA in theory, provides ideas for ginseng miRNA to become a new pharmacodynamic substance.

Predicting factors for extremity fracture among border-fall patients using machine learning computing.

Background: The factors causing the injuries sustained from falls at US-Mexican border include falls from border wall or fence, fleeing from border patrols, ejecting from vehicle, and others. This study aimed to determine the factors leading to anatomical injuries and to identify the importance of factors leading to limb fracture and internal organ injuries. Methods: A total of 178 patients who sustained musculoskeletal injuries or internal organ injuries and were admitted to our hospital were included in this retrospective study. Factors indexed for analysis included demographics, comorbidities, and falling mechanic factors. Correlations between anatomical injuries and mechanical injuries were analyzed. Multilayer perceptron neural network (MPNN) was used to identify predictive factors and to stratify the importance of these factors leading to injuries. The SPSS software was used for statistical analysis and predictive factor analysis. Results: The extremity fracture was associated with border wall/fence fall (p = 0.001) and fleeing (p = 0.002). The spine fracture was correlated with bridge jump/fall (p = 0.007), fence jump/fall (p = 0.026). The vehicle ejecting/MVA was correlated with head injury (P < 0.001), chest injury (P < 0.001), and abdominal injury p < 0.001). MNPP stratify the importance of factor causing injury with multiple factor considered. Conclusion: The various injury factors caused different anatomical injuries. Multifactorial assessment associated with these injuries can improve the accuracy of diagnosis and develop a predictive model for clinical applications.

Fibrinogen: connecting the blood circulatory system with CNS scar formation.

Wound healing of the central nervous system (CNS) is characterized by the classical phases of 'hemostasis', 'inflammation', 'proliferation', and 'remodeling'. Uncontrolled wound healing results in pathological scar formation hindering tissue remodeling and functional recovery in the CNS. Initial blood protein extravasation and activation of the coagulation cascade secure hemostasis in CNS diseases featuring openings in the blood-brain barrier. However, the relevance of blood-derived coagulation factors was overlooked for some time in CNS wound healing and scarring. Recent advancements in animal models and human tissue analysis implicate the blood-derived coagulation factor fibrinogen as a molecular link between vascular permeability and scar formation. In this perspective, we summarize the current understanding of how fibrinogen orchestrates scar formation and highlight fibrinogen-induced signaling pathways in diverse neural and non-neural cells that may contribute to scarring in CNS disease. We particularly highlight a role of fibrinogen in the formation of the lesion border between the healthy neural tissue and the fibrotic scar. Finally, we suggest novel therapeutic strategies via manipulating the fibrinogen-scar-forming cell interaction to improve functional outcomes.

SoxB1 transcription factors are essential for initiating and maintaining neural plate border gene expression.

SoxB1 transcription factors (Sox2/3) are well known for their role in early neural fate specification in the embryo, but little is known about functional roles for SoxB1 factors in non-neural ectodermal cell types, such as the neural plate border (NPB). Using Xenopus laevis, we set out to determine if SoxB1 transcription factors have a regulatory function in NPB formation. Herein, we show that SoxB1 factors are necessary for NPB formation, and that prolonged SoxB1 factor activity blocks the transition from a NPB to a neural crest state. Using ChIP-seq we demonstrate that Sox3 is enriched upstream of NPB genes in early NPB cells and in blastula stem cells. Depletion of SoxB1 factors in blastula stem cells results in downregulation of NPB genes. Finally, we identify Pou5f3 factors as potential Sox3 partners in regulating the formation of the NPB and show their combined activity is needed for normal NPB gene expression. Together, these data identify a novel role for SoxB1 factors in the establishment and maintenance of the NPB, in part through partnership with Pou5f3 factors.

Emergence of the brain-border immune niches and their contribution to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

Historically, the central nervous system (CNS) was regarded as 'immune-privileged', possessing its own distinct immune cell population. This immune privilege was thought to be established by a tight blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal-fluid barrier (BCSFB), which prevented the crossing of peripheral immune cells and their secreted factors into the CNS parenchyma. However, recent studies have revealed the presence of peripheral immune cells in proximity to various brain-border niches such as the choroid plexus, cranial bone marrow (CBM), meninges, and perivascular spaces. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests that peripheral immune cells may be able to infiltrate the brain through these sites and play significant roles in driving neuronal cell death and pathology progression in neurodegenerative disease. Thus, in this review, we explore how the brain-border immune niches may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). We then discuss several emerging options for harnessing the neuroimmune potential of these niches to improve the prognosis and treatment of these debilitative disorders using novel insights from recent studies.

Destruction of the brush border by Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium subverts resorption by polarized epithelial cells.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is an invasive, facultative intracellular gastrointestinal pathogen that destroys the brush border of polarized epithelial cells (PEC). The brush border is critical for the functions of PEC because it resorbs nutrients from the intestinal lumen and builds a physical barrier to infecting pathogens. The manipuation of PEC during infection by Salmonella was investigated by live-cell imaging and ultrastructural analysed of the brush border. We demonstrate that the destruction of the brush border by Salmonella significantly reduces the resorption surface of PEC along with the abrogation of endocytosis at the apical side of PEC. Both these changes in the physiology of PEC were associated with the translocation of type III secretion system effector protein SopE. Additionally, the F-actin polymerization rate at the apical side of PEC was highly altered by SopE, indicating that reduced endocytosis observed in infected PEC is related to the manipulation of F-actin polymerization mediated by SopE and, to a lesser extent, by effectors SopE2 or SipA. We further observed that in the absence of SopE, Salmonella effaced microvilli and induced reticular F-actin by bacterial accumulation during prolonged infection periods. In contrast to strains translocating SopE, strains lacking SopE did not alter resorption by PEC. Finally, we observed that after engulfment of Salmonella, ezrin was lost from the apical side of PEC and found later in early endosomes containing Salmonella. Our observations suggest that the destruction of the brush border by Salmonella may contribute to the pathogenesis of diarrhea.

A new multivariate index for ecological security assessment in the China-Myanmar border region.

The coordination of development efforts and ecological conservation in China's border regions is a significant challenge due to the overlap of biodiversity hotspots, ecologically fragile zones, and impoverished areas. Achieving the harmonious integration of ecological preservation and economic development relies on the fundamental assessment of ecological security (ES). However, comprehensive assessments of ES in border regions remain limited. This study introduces a new index, the multivariate ecological security index (MESI), which integrates ecosystem vigor, organization, elasticity, services and risk. Here, the MESI was utilized to assess the temporal and spatial changes in ES and its associated impact factors in the China-Myanmar border region (CMBR) from 2000 to 2020. The MESI provides a clear representation of the actual ES status in the CMBR, exhibiting a significant correlation with the eco-environmental quality index (EEQI; p < 0.01). The ES status exhibited notable spatial heterogeneity in the CMBR, consisting primarily of both relatively safe and safe levels, which accounted for approximately 85% of the total area. From 2000 to 2020, the CMBR experienced a gradual improvement in ES status, with the area experiencing an increase in the ES level accounting for 23.41% of the total area, which exceeded the proportion of the area experiencing a decrease in the ES level (4.71%). The combined impact of multiple factors exerted a greater influence on ES than did individual factors alone. Notably, human factors increasingly influenced the ES status during the study period. The results of this study provide valuable insights for ecological preservation and sustainable management in the CMBR, and the MESI can be extended to assess the ES of other regions.

Implementation of a pilot checklist for control standardization on fishery goods consignments at the Livorno border control post.

To standardize control activities, it is necessary to introduce checklists to support the control of consignments entering the European Union through border control posts (BCPs). This study aimed to develop a pilot checklist for the control of fishery consignments, preliminarily identified as the predominant group of goods entering the Livorno (Italy) BCP. The design of the pilot checklist was preceded by i) a revision of the current European and national legislation on the general and specific objectives of border control activities on fishery products and ii) a comparative analysis of two checklists (one of the Ministry of Health and one of the former Livorno border inspection post) developed on the basis of the repealed legislation. This comparison aimed to define the pilot checklist structure, verification objectives, and selection of assessment scores to be included in defining consignment compliance and acceptability. Once developed, the clarity and ease of use of the first draft of the pilot checklist were verified through its use in a field test during the control of 64 fishery product consignments. 22 regulatory sources (18 European and 4 national) were selected as reference legislation. The pilot checklist was structured as a dynamic "read-do" document based on the workflow of control activities described in the current legislation. The field test was useful in improving the clarity of the verification objectives within the documentary, identity, and physical control sections and in facilitating the use of the checklist and the collection of evidence during the control activity. This study, which focused on fishery products, can provide a practical approach for the development of checklists for all the other categories of goods under the responsibility of BCPs.

Risk factors associated with loneliness among mexican-origin adults in southern Arizona.

This study examines factors associated with symptoms of loneliness among a sample (n = 213) of mostly Mexican-origin adults at risk of chronic diseases in Southern Arizona's Pima, Yuma, and Santa Cruz counties. It uses baseline data from a community-based participatory research partnership and multinominal logistic regression models. Controlling for chronic diseases and sociodemographic characteristics, perceived social support and hope exhibit negative main effects on loneliness when comparing individuals who experienced loneliness for 5-7 days in the preceding week with those who did not encounter such feelings during the same period (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 0.49 and 0.47; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.34-0.73 and 0.29-0.75, respectively). However, when considered together, perceived social support and hope display a positive and statistically significant combined effect on loneliness (AOR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01-1.06). Holding all covariates constant, individuals reporting loneliness for 5-7 days exhibit a relative risk ratio of 1.24 (95% CI = 1.06-1.46) for a one-unit increase in physical problem severity compared to those who do not experience loneliness. Moreover, being 65 years old or older (AOR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.03-0.84), and having been born in Mexico and lived in the US for less than 30 years (AOR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.02-0.74) are associated with negative main effects on loneliness when comparing individuals who experienced loneliness 1-2, and 5-7 days in the preceding week with those who did not feel loneliness during the same timeframe, respectively. Recognizing the crucial role of loneliness in shaping health outcomes for Mexican-origin adults, our findings underscore the significance of fostering supportive environments that not only enhance well-being but also cultivate robust community bonds within the US-Mexico border region.

Competitiveness of citrus export and its determinants: a two-way fixed effect panel data model approach.

Pakistan has a conducive condition for the development of a wide range of scrumptious fruits. As a result, the country grows a diverse assortment of tropical and subtropical fruits; the most prized and top-ranked fruit among all fruits grown in Pakistan is citrus. Citrus is the principal fruit that contributes significantly to Pakistan's export earnings and national income. In this study, the cross-border determinants influencing Pakistan's citrus exports to its topmost 22 trading partners are examined using a gravity model technique. This is the first large study from Pakistan by using gravity model to check the impact of various cross-border factors on citrus fruit export. The analysis is based on a panel dataset covering the years 2003 to 2021. To estimate the results, the study used fixed effect regression with time and country fixed effects. The results signify that per capita income, population, and some regional dummies are positively associated with citrus exports from Pakistan. Citrus price, distance, exchange rate, and other regional dummies are observed to have an adverse effect on citrus exports. Trade agreements between Pakistan and trade partners such as free trade agreements, preferential trade agreements, and SAFTA, have been observed as important determinants of citrus exports. Citrus exporters in Pakistan can also benefit from understanding the factors that influence export markets. By addressing the challenges identified in this study, Pakistan can enhance its citrus exports and boost its agricultural sector.

Policy solutions for addressing carbon leakage: Insights from meta-regression analysis.

Carbon leakage has become a key issue in global climate initiatives. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of various policy solutions for mitigating carbon leakage, as explored extensively in the literature. Employing a meta-regression analysis, this paper analyzes 416 leakage ratio estimates extracted from 39 economic studies published in English and Chinese between 2004 and 2022. These estimates evaluate the effects of diverse climate policies and modeling assumptions on carbon leakage. The results confirm that both 'intra-region' and 'cross-border' anti-leakage policies significantly impact carbon policy regions. The findings imply to policymakers that, although the implementation of border carbon adjustments provokes international debate under current WTO regulations, the 'intra-region' policies, which are more politically feasible, can achieve comparable effectiveness.

Border cells without theta rhythmicity in the medial prefrontal cortex.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a key brain structure for higher cognitive functions such as decision-making and goal-directed behavior, many of which require awareness of spatial variables including one's current position within the surrounding environment. Although previous studies have reported spatially tuned activities in mPFC during memory-related trajectory, the spatial tuning of mPFC network during freely foraging behavior remains elusive. Here, we reveal geometric border or border-proximal representations from the neural activity of mPFC ensembles during naturally exploring behavior, with both allocentric and egocentric boundary responses. Unlike most of classical border cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) discharging along a single wall, a large majority of border cells in mPFC fire particularly along four walls. mPFC border cells generate new firing fields to external insert, and remain stable under darkness, across distinct shapes, and in novel environments. In contrast to hippocampal theta entrainment during spatial working memory tasks, mPFC border cells rarely exhibited theta rhythmicity during spontaneous locomotion behavior. These findings reveal spatially modulated activity in mPFC, supporting local computation for cognitive functions involving spatial context and contributing to a broad spatial tuning property of cortical circuits.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Overseas-Imported Infectious Diseases Identified through Airport Health-Screening Measures: A Case Study on Fuzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the epidemiological characteristics of imported infections and assess the effectiveness of border health screening in detecting imported diseases. METHODS: We obtained infection data for 2016 to 2019 from the Fuzhou Changle International Airport Infection Reporting System. The demographic, temporal, and spatial characteristics of travel-related infections were analyzed using r×c contingency tables, the Cochran-Armitage trend test, and seasonal-trend decomposition using LOESS (STL). Detection rates were used as a proxy for the effectiveness of border health-screening measures. RESULTS: Overall, 559 travel-related infections were identified during the study period, with 94.3% being imported infections. Airport health screening demonstrated an overall effectiveness of 23.7% in identifying travel-associated infections. Imported infections were predominantly identified in males, with 55.8% of cases occurring in individuals aged 20-49. The peak periods of infection importation were from January to February and from May to August. The infectious diseases identified were imported from 25 different countries and regions. All dengue fever cases were imported from Southeast Asia. Most notifiable infections (76.0%) were identified through fever screening at the airport. CONCLUSION: The increasing number of imported infections poses a growing challenge for public health systems. Multifaceted efforts including surveillance, vaccination, international collaboration, and public awareness are required to mitigate the importation and spread of infectious diseases from overseas sources.

miR-137 confers robustness to the territorial restriction of the neural plate border.

The neural plate border (NPB) of vertebrate embryos is segregated from the neural plate (NP) and epidermal regions, and comprises an intermingled group of progenitors with multiple fate potential. Recent studies have shown that, during the gastrula stage, TFAP2A acts as a pioneer factor in remodeling the epigenetic landscape required to activate components of the NPB induction program. Here, we show that chick Tfap2a has two highly conserved binding sites for miR-137, and both display a reciprocal expression pattern at the NPB and NP, respectively. In addition, ectopic miR-137 expression reduced TFAP2A, whereas its functional inhibition expanded their territorial distribution overlapping with PAX7. Furthermore, we demonstrate that loss of the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A expanded miR-137 expression to the NPB. Bisulfite sequencing revealed a markedly elevated presence of non-canonical CpH methylation within the miR-137 promoter region when comparing NPB and NP samples. Our findings show that miR-137 contributes to the robustness of NPB territorial restriction in vertebrate development.

How culture shapes choices related to fertility and mortality: Causal evidence at the Swiss language border.

Results from cultural evolutionary theory often suggest that social learning can lead cultural groups to differ markedly in the same environment. Put differently, cultural evolutionary processes can in principle stabilise behavioural differences between groups, which in turn could lead selection pressures to vary across cultural groups. Separating the effects of culture from other confounds, however, is often a daunting and sometimes intractable challenge for the working empiricist. To meet this challenge, we exploit a cultural border dividing Switzerland in ways that are independent of institutional, environmental and genetic variation. Using a regression discontinuity design, we estimate discontinuities at the border in terms of preferences related to fertility and mortality, the two basic components of genetic fitness. We specifically select six referenda related to health and fertility and analyse differences in the proportion of yes votes across municipalities on the two sides of the border. Our results show multiple discontinuities and thus indicate a potential role of culture in shaping stable differences between groups in preferences and choices related to individual health and fertility. These findings further suggest that at least one of the two groups, in order to uphold its cultural values, has supported policies that could impose fitness costs on individuals relative to the alternative policy under consideration.

Asylum seekers and the role of the acute care physician.

There has been a recent influx of migrants and asylum seekers to the United States. They often arrive with poor social support and an inability to access reliable health care. This can lead to overutilization of emergency departments (ED) while awaiting legal proceedings. With asylum seekers in all 50 states, it is important for emergency physicians (EP) to understand the barriers to care and difficulties asylum seekers face, and to gain tools to improve both migrants' and community health. Migration and experiences within the United States can worsen pre-existing health conditions. EPs are uniquely positioned to screen for acute pathology and link people to care. Psychiatric illnesses may present differently in asylum seekers. EPs must understand the sequalae of trauma to address it. EPs must also be aware of legal protections for asylum seekers to care for these patients, and recognize challenges faced by the population to mitigate health disparities.

Predicting sales and cross-border e-commerce supply chain management using artificial neural networks and the Capuchin search algorithm.

E-commerce provides a large selection of goods for sale and purchase, which promotes regular transactions and commodity flows. Efficient distribution of goods and precise estimation of customer wants are essential for cost reduction. In order to improve supply chain efficiency in the context of cross-border e-commerce, this article combines machine learning approaches with the Internet of Things. The suggested approach consists of two main stages. Order prediction is done in the first step to determine how many orders each merchant is expected to get in the future. In the second phase, allocation operations are conducted and resources required for each retailer are supplied depending on their needs and inventory, taking into account each store's inventory as well as the anticipated sales level. This suggested approach makes use of a weighted mixture of neural networks to anticipate sales orders. The Capuchin Search Algorithm (CapSA) is used in this weighted combination to concurrently enhance the learning and ensemble performance of models. This indicates that an effort is made to reduce the local error of the learning model at the model level via model weight adjustments and neural network configuration. To guarantee more accurate output from the ensemble model, the best weight for each individual component is found at the ensemble model level using the CapSA method. This method yields the ensemble model's final output in the form of weighted averages by choosing suitable weight values. With a Root Mean Squared Error of 2.27, the suggested technique has successfully predicted sales based on the acquired findings, showing a minimum decrease of 2.4 in comparison to the comparing methodologies. Additionally, the suggested method's strong performance is shown by the fact that it was able to minimize the Mean Absolute Percentage Error by 14.67 when compared to other comparison approaches.

With a little help from my (neighbouring) friends. 'Border region patient mobility' in the European Union: A policy analysis.

Increased disparities in income and health care expenditure across EU countries may lead to an increase in patient mobility, which may, in turn, call for more action by the EU and its Member States. At present, patient mobility (or cross-border healthcare) is still a marginal phenomenon but is deemed to increase in the future. In this paper we examine border region patient mobility, defined as patients receiving care in a neighbouring country within a certain proximity. We examine, with the use of a spatial competition model, the options used to regulate such a patient flow and their welfare implications, both for patients and Governments. We show that marginal price costing would lead to an increase in patient welfare, whilst reducing the risk of increasing cost for the exporting country. At present there seems to be an East/West difference in the way these flows are regulated. In order to increase equity, we suggest that a 'joint implementation' of EU Directives by neighbouring Member States, especially in the field of cross-border healthcare, would allow Member States to define target populations (in terms of type of care and distance travelled) that could allow more freedom in terms of border care, without increasing health care expenditure. A future combination of the two existing legal frameworks in this field would also be more user- or patient-friendly.

Awareness and Interest in Rhinoplasty and Its Postoperative Complications Among Females in the Northern Border Region, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Rhinoplasty is a popular cosmetic surgical procedure that aims to reshape the nose, enhance its appearance, and improve nasal function. This study investigated the awareness, attitudes, and interest in rhinoplasty among females in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia, as well as their knowledge of potential postoperative complications. METHODS: An online survey was used to perform a cross-sectional study. Female participants aged between 18 and 45 years, living in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia, were selected. The questionnaire consisted of three main sections: personal information, attitude toward rhinoplasty, and complications of rhinoplasty. RESULTS: 905 females participated in our study. The majority (87.8%, n=795) had heard about rhinoplasty before, and 54.9% (n=497) knew someone who had undergone the surgery. Social media was the most common source of information about rhinoplasty (67.2%, n=608). A significant proportion of participants (72.4%, n=655) believed that their nose appearance sometimes or always limited their social and professional activities. However, only 16.7% (n=151) expressed a desire to change or improve their nose appearance through surgery. The educational status of the participant (*p*=0.027) and their father (*p*=0.011) were significantly associated with interest in rhinoplasty. Satisfaction with nose appearance, breathing, and family and friends' opinions about the participant's nose were also significantly associated with interest in rhinoplasty (*p*<0.001 for all). The majority of participants (88.4%, n=800) were aware of at least one complication, with the most recognized complications being breath disorders (74.6%, n=675), headache (70.6%, n=639), and mismatch of their new noses with the rest of their faces (69.8%, n=632). Age (*p*=0.008), city of residence (*p*<0.001), and satisfaction of family and friends with the participant's nose (*p*=0.019) were significantly associated with complication awareness. CONCLUSION: This study found that women in Saudi Arabia's Northern Border Region had a high level of awareness and interest in rhinoplasty, despite concerns regarding the safety, availability of educational resources, and ethical considerations in promoting the procedure. The findings highlight the need for accurate and comprehensive information about rhinoplasty and its potential complications to be readily available to the public, particularly through targeted educational interventions and responsible advertising regulations.