These results demonstrate that lens-associated ciliary zonules are directly involved in the lens immune response and suggest the ciliary body as a source of immune cells to the avascular lens.Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disease that is common in society, does not threaten life, impairs quality of life, and causes serious economic losses. Gastrointestinal system complaints and especially IBS are common in patients with chronic kidney disease. It has also been shown that psychiatric diseases are more common in patients with IBS. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of IBS in hemodialysis patients and to investigate the factors associated with IBS. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the questionnaire prepared to evaluate depression, anxiety, and abdominal pain was administered face-to-face to 686 patients by the same researcher in seven dialysis centers; 404 patients without exclusion criteria were included in the study. The diagnosis of IBS was made according to Rome IV criteria. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors that are significantly related to IBS. Findings In 69 (17.1%) of the patients included in the study, symptoms were consistent with IBS. Binominal logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of age, dialysis duration, diabetes, proton pump inhibitor, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, calcium acetate use, Hamilton depression and anxiety scores associated with IBS in the presence of IBS of the participants. The logistic regression model was statistically significant, χ2 (3) = 69.748, P less then 0.001. Independent risk factors for IBS in hemodialysis patients were determined as anxiety, long-term dialysis treatment, and using calcium acetate as a phosphorus binder. Discussion In hemodialysis patients, IBS occurs approximately twice as often as in a healthy population. Independent risk factors for IBS in hemodialysis patients are anxiety, long-term dialysis treatment, and using calcium acetate as a phosphorus binder.Insulin is routinely used to manage hyperglycaemia in organ donors and during the peri-transplant period in islet transplant recipients. However, it is unknown whether donor insulin use (DIU) predicts beta-cell dysfunction after islet transplantation. We reviewed data from the UK Transplant Registry and the UK Islet Transplant Consortium; all first-time transplants during 2008-2016 were included. Linear regression models determined associations between DIU, median and coefficient of variation (CV) peri-transplant glucose levels and 3-month islet graft function. In 91 islet cell transplant recipients, DIU was associated with lower islet function assessed by BETA-2 scores (β [SE] -3.5 [1.5], P = .02), higher 3-month post-transplant HbA1c levels (5.4 [2.6] mmol/mol, P = .04) and lower fasting C-peptide levels (-107.9 [46.1] pmol/l, P = .02). Glucose at 10 512 time points was recorded during the first 5 days peri-transplant the median (IQR) daily glucose level was 7.9 (7.0-8.9) mmol/L and glucose CV was 28% (21%-35%). Neither median glucose levels nor glucose CV predicted outcomes post-transplantation. Data on DIU predicts beta-cell dysfunction 3 months after islet transplantation and could help improve donor selection and transplant outcomes.Objectives As there is no objective test for pain, sufferers rely on language to communicate their pain experience. Pain description frequently takes the form of metaphor; however, there has been limited research in this area. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/AZD0530.html This study thus sought to extend previous findings on metaphor use in specific pain subgroups to a larger, heterogeneous chronic pain sample, utilizing a systematic method of metaphor analysis. Design Conceptual metaphor theory was utilized to explore the metaphors used by those with chronic pain via qualitative methodology. Methods An anonymous online survey was conducted which asked for the descriptions and metaphors people use to describe their pain. Systematic metaphor analysis was used to classify and analyse the metaphors used into specific metaphor source domains. Results Participants who reported chronic pain completed the survey (N = 247, age 19-78, M = 43.69). Seven overarching metaphor source domains were found. These were coded as Causes of Physical Damage, Common Pain Experiences, Electricity, Insects, Rigidity, Bodily Misperception, and Death and Mortality. Conclusions Participants utilized a wide variety of metaphors to describe their pain. The most common descriptions couched chronic pain in terms of physical damage. A better understanding of pain metaphors may have implications for improved health care communication and provide targets for clinical interventions.The genus Phytophthora represents a group of plant pathogens with broad global distribution. The majority of them causes collar and root-rot of diverse plant species. Little is known about Phytophthora communities in forest ecosystems, especially in Neotropical forests where natural enemies could maintain the huge plant diversity via negative density dependence. We characterized the diversity of soil-borne Phytophthora communities in the North French Guiana rainforest and investigated how they are structured by host identity and environmental factors. In this little-explored habitat, 250 soil cores were sampled from ten plots hosting ten different plant families across three forest environments (Terra Firme, Seasonally Flooded and White Sand). Phytophthora diversity was studied using baiting approach and metabarcoding (High Throughput Sequencing) on environmental DNA extracted from both soil samples and baiting-leaves. These three approaches revealed very similar communities, characterized by an unexpected low diversity of Phytophthora species, with the dominance of two cryptic species close to Phytophthora heveae. As expected, Phytophthora community composition of French Guiana rainforest was significantly impacted by the host plant family and environment. However, these plant pathogen communities are very small and are dominated by generalist species, questioning their potential roles as drivers of plant diversity in these Amazonian forests. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.