MyMedR

A Dimeric sesquiterpenoid from a Malaysian Meiogyne as a new inhibitor of Bcl-xL/BakBH3 domain peptide interaction

Litaudon M, Bousserouel H, Awang K, Nosjean O, Martin MT, Dau ME, et al.

J Nat Prod, 2009 Mar 27;72(3):480-3.

PMID: 19161318 DOI: 10.1021/np8006292

In an effort to find potent inhibitors of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL, a systematic in vitro evaluation was undertaken on 1470 Malaysian plant extracts. The ethyl acetate extract obtained from the bark of Meiogyne cylindrocarpa was selected for its interaction with the Bcl-xL/Bak association. Bioassay-guided purification of this species led to the isolation of two new dimeric sesquiterpenoids (1 and 2) possessing an unprecedented substituted cis-decalin carbon skeleton. Meiogynin A (1) showed the strongest activity with a K(i) of 10.8 +/- 3.1 microM.

Spine Surgeons Burnout and Quality of Life: Results of a Worldwide Survey

Abduljabbar FH, Teles AR, Ouellet JA, Ferland CE, Wong CC, Barbagallo G, et al.

Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 2021 Oct 15;46(20):1418-1927.

PMID: 34559753 DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004038

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of burnout, assess the personal and professional characteristics associated with burnout in spine surgeons and determine their quality of life.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Burnout is a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased sense of accomplishment that leads to decreased effectiveness at work. To date, there has been a lack of information on the prevalence of burnout among spine surgeons worldwide and the risk factors associated with this condition.

METHODS: An electronic survey with members of AO Spine was performed in May 2018. The survey evaluated demographic variables, practice characteristics, burnout, and quality of life. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and EuroQol 5-dimensions (EQ5D) were used to evaluate burnout and quality of life, respectively.

RESULTS: A total of 818 surgeons from 86 countries completed the survey. The prevalence of burnout was 30.6%. In the multiple linear model, emotional fatigue was independently associated with younger age (B = -0.17, CI95% = -0.26 to -0.07, P

Fulltext Resolving the ancestry of Austronesian-speaking populations

Soares PA, Trejaut JA, Rito T, Cavadas B, Hill C, Eng KK, et al.

Hum Genet, 2016 Mar;135(3):309-26.

PMID: 26781090 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-015-1620-z

There are two very different interpretations of the prehistory of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA), with genetic evidence invoked in support of both. The "out-of-Taiwan" model proposes a major Late Holocene expansion of Neolithic Austronesian speakers from Taiwan. An alternative, proposing that Late Glacial/postglacial sea-level rises triggered largely autochthonous dispersals, accounts for some otherwise enigmatic genetic patterns, but fails to explain the Austronesian language dispersal. Combining mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome and genome-wide data, we performed the most comprehensive analysis of the region to date, obtaining highly consistent results across all three systems and allowing us to reconcile the models. We infer a primarily common ancestry for Taiwan/ISEA populations established before the Neolithic, but also detected clear signals of two minor Late Holocene migrations, probably representing Neolithic input from both Mainland Southeast Asia and South China, via Taiwan. This latter may therefore have mediated the Austronesian language dispersal, implying small-scale migration and language shift rather than large-scale expansion.

Fulltext Author Correction: Ongoing declines for the world's amphibians in the face of emerging threats

Luedtke JA, Chanson J, Neam K, Hobin L, Maciel AO, Catenazzi A, et al.

Nature, 2024 Jan;625(7993):E2.

PMID: 38040869 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06851-6

Fulltext Ongoing declines for the world's amphibians in the face of emerging threats

Luedtke JA, Chanson J, Neam K, Hobin L, Maciel AO, Catenazzi A, et al.

Nature, 2023 Oct;622(7982):308-314.

PMID: 37794184 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06578-4

Systematic assessments of species extinction risk at regular intervals are necessary for informing conservation action1,2. Ongoing developments in taxonomy, threatening processes and research further underscore the need for reassessment3,4. Here we report the findings of the second Global Amphibian Assessment, evaluating 8,011 species for the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. We find that amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate class (40.7% of species are globally threatened). The updated Red List Index shows that the status of amphibians is deteriorating globally, particularly for salamanders and in the Neotropics. Disease and habitat loss drove 91% of status deteriorations between 1980 and 2004. Ongoing and projected climate change effects are now of increasing concern, driving 39% of status deteriorations since 2004, followed by habitat loss (37%). Although signs of species recoveries incentivize immediate conservation action, scaled-up investment is urgently needed to reverse the current trends.

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