bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disease progression and costs at the 3‐year follow‐up of the GERAS‐US study
Authors: Chandler Julie M. , Rentz Dorene M. , Zagar Anthony , Kim Yongin , Schwartz Ronald L. , Fillit Howard
Published: April 2023

Introduction

GERAS‐US prospectively characterized clinical and economic outcomes of early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Societal cost changes were examined in amyloid‐positive patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD (MCI) and mild dementia due to AD (MILD).

Methods

Cognition, function, and caregiver burden were assessed using Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cognitive Function Index (CFI), and Zarit Burden Interview, respectively. Costs are presented as least square mean for the overall population and for MCI versus MILD using mixed model repeated measures.

Results

MMSE score and CFI worsened. Total societal costs (dollars/month) for MCI and MILD, respectively, were higher at baseline ($2430 and $4063) but steady from 6 ($1977 and $3032) to 36 months ($2007 and $3392). Direct non‐medical costs rose significantly for MILD. Caregiver burden was higher for MILD versus MCI at 12, 18, and 24 months.

Discussion

Function and cognition declined in MILD. Non‐medical costs reflect the increasing impact of AD even in its early stages.

HIGHLIGHTS

In the GERAS‐US study, total societal costs for patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI) and mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (MILD) were higher at baseline but steady from 6 to 36 months.

Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Cognitive Function Index (CFI) worsened; the rate of decline was significant for patients with MILD but not for those with MCI.

There was a rise in direct non‐medical costs at 36 months for patients with MILD.

Caregiver burden was higher for MILD versus MCI at 12, 18, and 24 months.

Slowing the rate of disease progression in this early symptomatic population may allow patients to maintain their ability to carry out everyday activities longer.
Restylane: What we know
Authors: Lateef Almeera , Snyder Alan , Schlesinger Todd
Published: April 2023

Restylane is a hyaluronic acid‐based facial and hand dermal filler line used for cutaneous augmentation and fold‐crease reduction approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003. It is sourced from nonanimal products which confers low immunogenicity and mitigates risk of hypersensitivity reactions and forgoes the need for allergy testing. Restylane has been observed to have excellent longevity secondary to its unique cross‐linking properties, lasting in the skin for up to 12 months. Despite its relatively low‐risk profile, case reports indicate injection site reactions being common, with more serious adverse events being very rare. In these cases, dissolution of Restylane is performed with hyaluronidase, while intralesional steroids can be utilized to manage unwanted inflammatory reactions. Overall, its low reaction potential, established safety profile, facial filler product‐line consistency as well as indication diversity, and prolonged mechanism of action have been leading factors in its continued popularity over the past two decades.
Self‐care behaviours of patients with left ventricular assist devices in Israel: changes during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Melnikov Semyon , Ben Avraham Binyamin , Itzhaki Ben Zadok Osnat , Shaul Aviv , Abuhazira Miri , Yaari Vicky , Jaarsma Tiny , Ben‐Gal Tuvia
Published: April 2023

Aims

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) support the hearts of patients with advanced heart failure. Following LVAD implantation, patients face a complex regimen of self‐care behaviours including self‐care maintenance, self‐care monitoring and self‐care management. However, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, symptoms of anxiety and depression may have interfered with their self‐care. Currently, little is known on how specific self‐care behaviours of LVAD‐implanted patients changed during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We aim to describe the changes in self‐care behaviours among patients with an implanted LVAD in Israel during the COVID‐19 pandemic and explore the factors related to self‐care behaviour change.

Methods

A prospective observational cross‐sectional study design. A convenience sample of 27 Israeli LVAD‐implanted patients (mean age 62.4 ± 9, 86% male, 78.6% living with a partner) completed the LVAD Self‐Care Behaviour Scale (1 = never to 5 = always) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (0 = not at all to 3 = most of the time). Data were collected before and after the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Israel. Statistical analyses included paired t‐tests, Pearson's correlations, and one‐way repeated measures ANOVAs.

Results

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, a significant decrease was found in patients' adherence to checking and recording their LVAD speed, flow, power and PI (Pulsatility Index) (P = 0.05), checking their INR (P = 0.01), and daily weighing (P < 0.01). The prevalence of some behaviours (e.g. regularly exercising) increased in some patients and decreased in others. Patients living without a partner worsened their adherence to some of the self‐care behaviours (e.g. taking medicines as prescribed), compared with those living with a partner (Mb = 5.0 ± 0 and Md = 5.0 ± 0, delta = 0 vs. Mb = 5.0 ± 0 and Md = 4.6 ± 0.9, delta = −0.4, respectively; F = 4.9, P = 0.04). Women, and not men, tended to improve their adherence to the self‐care behaviour such as avoiding kinking, pulling, or moving the LVAD driveline at the exit site (Mb = 4.0 ± 1.0 and Md = 5.0 ± 0, delta = 1.0 vs. Mb = 4.5 ± 0.9 and Md = 4.4 ± 1.2, delta = −0.1, F = 4.7, P = 0.04, respectively). In total, 41% (11) patients reported neither anxiety nor depression, 11% (3) reported anxiety, 15% (4) reported depression, and 44% (12) reported both anxiety and depression. No associations between anxiety and/or depression and self‐care behaviours were found.

Conclusions

Priorities in self‐care behaviours among patients with implanted LVAD changed after the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Factors that assisted with adherence to self‐care behaviours included living with a partner and being female. The current results may guide further research on identifying behaviours that are at risk of not being maintained during a time of emergency.
Clinical characteristics, outcome, and therapeutic effect of tafamidis in wild‐type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy
Authors: Takashio Seiji , Morioka Mami , Ishii Masanobu , Morikawa Kei , Hirakawa Kyoko , Hanatani Shinsuke , Oike Fumi , Usuku Hiroki , Kidoh Masafumi , Oda Seitaro , Yamamoto Eiichiro , Matsushita Kenichi , Ueda Mitsuharu , Tsujita Kenichi
Published: April 2023

Aims

Tafamidis improves prognosis in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR‐CM). However, real‐world data on the therapeutic effect of tafamidis are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical course, outcomes, and effectivity monitoring of the therapeutic effect of tafamidis in patients with ATTR‐CM.

Methods and results

This is a single‐centre, retrospective observational study. We evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes in 125 consecutive patients with wild‐type ATTR‐CM (ATTRwt‐CM) treated with tafamidis (treatment group) and 55 untreated patients (treatment‐naïve group). We monitored the therapeutic effect of tafamidis for 12 months by evaluating serial cardiac biomarker and imaging findings. The treatment group had significantly more favourable outcome in all‐cause mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure than the treatment‐naïve group in both the entire cohort (P < 0.01) and the propensity score‐matched cohort (P < 0.05). Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that tafamidis treatment significantly reduced all‐cause mortality (P = 0.03, log‐rank test), with the curves diverging after approximately 18 months of treatment in the propensity score‐matched cohort. On inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis, tafamidis treatment showed a reduced all‐cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR), 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.11–0.93; P = 0.04]. High‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs‐cTnT) > 0.05 ng/mL, B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) > 250 pg/mL, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2 scored 1 point each. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a high score (2–3 points) was a significantly poor prognostic factor of composite clinical outcomes, including all‐cause death and hospitalization for heart failure (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.22–1.98; P < 0.01) for patients in the treatment group. After 12 months of tafamidis treatment, hs‐cTnT levels decreased significantly [0.054 (0.036–0.082) vs. 0.044 (0.033–0.076); P = 0.002], with no significant changes in BNP levels, echocardiographic parameters, native T1 value, and extracellular volume fraction on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Conclusions

The prognosis of patients with ATTRwt‐CM treated with tafamidis was more favourable than that of untreated patients. Patient stratification combined with biomarkers (hs‐cTnT, BNP, and eGFR) predicted clinical outcomes. hs‐cTnT may be a useful biomarker for evaluating the therapeutic effect of tafamidis.
Association between patient volume to cardiologist, process of care, and clinical outcomes in heart failure
Authors: Nishi Masahiro , Seki Tomotsugu , Shikuma Akira , Kawamata Hirofumi , Horiguchi Go , Matoba Satoaki
Published: April 2023

Aims

The impact of hospital volume on clinical performance has been investigated by many researchers to date and thought that it is associated with quality of care and outcome for patients with heart failure (HF). This study sought to determine whether annual admissions of HF per cardiologist are associated with process of care, mortality, and readmission.

Methods and results

Among the nationwide registry ‘Japanese registry of all cardiac and vascular diseases ‐ diagnostics procedure combination’ data collected from 2012 to 2019, a total of 1 127 113 adult patients with HF and 1046 hospitals were included in the study. Primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality, and secondary outcome was 30 day in‐hospital mortality and readmission at 30 days and 6 months. Hospital and patient characteristics and process of care measures were also assessed. Mixed‐effect logistic regression and Cox proportional‐hazards model was used for multivariable analysis, and adjusted odds ratio and hazard ratio were evaluated. Process of care measures had inverse trends for annual admissions of HF per cardiologist (P < 0.01 for all measures: prescription rate of beta‐blocker, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, and anticoagulant for atrial fibrillation). Adjusted odds ratio for in‐hospital mortality was 1.04 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–1.08, P = 0.04) and 30 day in‐hospital mortality was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01–1.09, P = 0.01) for interval of 50 annual admissions of HF per cardiologist. Adjusted hazard ratio for 30 day readmission was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02–1.08, P < 0.01) and 6 month readmission was 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03–1.11, P < 0.01). Plots of the adjusted odds indicated 300 as the threshold of annual admissions of HF per cardiologist for substantial increase of in‐hospital mortality risk.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated that annual admissions of HF per cardiologist are associated with worse process of care, mortality, and readmission with the threshold for mortality risk increased, emphasizing the optimal proportion of patients admitted with HF to cardiologist for better clinical performance.
Gram‐Scale Synthesis of Chain‐Deuterated Sphingosine and Its Derivatization to Produce Ceramide, Sphinganine and Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate
Authors: Mu Yonghang , Wang Zi , Song Linhua , Ma Kun , Chen Yao , Li Peixun , Yan Zifeng
Published: April 2023

Sphingosine plays crucial roles in various cellular functions. Deuterated molecules are widely used as the important tools to explore the structure, property, and function of biochemical materials. We here report a gram‐scale synthesis of sphingosines with different deuterated chains. The synthesis started from different protiated fatty acids, which underwent hydrothermal platinum‐catalyzed hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange to produce the deuterated chains with different length. The Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons (HWE) coupling of a chiral amino acid derivative with the deuterated chains generated the unsaturated ketone precursors. The following stereoselective reduction via cyclic Felkin–Anh transition led to the desired anti‐amino alcohol geometry. This efficient protocol enabled the gram‐scale synthesis of the chain‐deuterated sphingosines. The subsequent synthesis of the chain‐deuterated derivatives, i. e. ceramide, sphinganine and sphingosine‐1‐phosphate, is also described. Their deuterium content was simultaneously characterized by 1H NMR and high‐resolution mass spectrum (HRMS).
Photoinduced Glycosylation Using a Diarylthiophene as an Organo Lewis Photoacid Catalyst
Authors: Otani Naoki , Higashiyama Kohei , Sakai Hayato , Hasobe Taku , Takahashi Daisuke , Toshima Kazunobu
Published: April 2023

Here reports an photoinduced glycosylation of trichloroacetimidate donors and several alcohols using 3,11‐dimethoxydinaphthothiophene as an organo Lewis photoacid catalyst upon long‐wavelength UV‐LED light (385 nm) irradiation. The reaction proceeded under mild reaction conditions smoothly to give the corresponding glycosides in good to high yields. In addition, the present glycosylation method was applicable to a wide range of trichloroacetimidate donors and acceptors. Furthermore, the dinaphthothiophene catalyst could be recovered and reused without any loss of efficiency. Moreover, this glycosylation method was applied successfully to the total synthesis of a biologically active natural product, cholesteryl 6‐O‐myristoyl‐α‐glucoside.
Speeding up SDS–PAGE: Theory and experiment
Authors: Koshkina Maria K. , Shelomov Mikhail D. , Pometun Anastasia A. , Savin Svyatoslav S. , Tishkov Vladimir I. , Atroshenko Denis L.
Published: April 2023

In order to accelerate Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE), here we propose an optimized version of the technique enabled by experimental tuning reinforced by theoretical description. In the resulting system, the gel buffer was diluted twofold and supplemented with glycine at a low concentration, whereas a higher voltage was applied. This approach reduced runtime from 90 to 18 min. It is important to emphasize that, despite the high voltage applied to the gel, the resolution of the bands did not decrease compared to the original Laemmli method. The proposed acceleration approach can be used in other variants of SDS–PAGE.
Enhancement of biogas yield from dual organic waste using hybrid statistical approach and its effects on ternary fuel blend (biodiesel/n‐butanol/diesel) powered diesel engine
Authors: Ahmad Aqueel , Yadav Ashok Kumar , Singh Achhaibar , Singh Dinesh Kumar
Published: April 2023

Economic and environmental concerns have driven biofuel research in the last few decades. In order to this, biogas production is being encouraged on a worldwide scale to reduce carbon emissions and increase resource recovery from diversified wastes. The present contribution involves finding the best way to turn food waste and animal manure into biogas and its effective utilization in a dual‐fuel mode diesel engine. For the experimentation, a Taguchi approach was used to develop an L25 orthogonal array with three factors and five levels of parameters: cattle dung and food waste ratios, retention times, and digester temperatures. Using the response surface method (RSM), genetic algorithm (GA), and cuckoo search algorithm (CSA), the biogas yield was optimized and compared to get the best optimization technique. Based on the specific goals of the study, GA is the best combination of parameters for producing biogas. The optimal condition for producing biogas was a cattle dung and food waste ratio of 0:100 (wt/wt %) with a retention time of 15 days and a digester temperature of 40°C, and the corresponding value of the biogas yield was 551.633 mL/day. Experiments were done to confirm this prediction. This study also intends to determine the viability of ternary fuel blends (microalgae biodiesel, n‐butanol additive, and diesel) as a pilot fuel and biogas as a primary fuel by changing their mass flow rates (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kg/h) in the CI engine. The D70BD20Bu10 ternary fuel blend with 1.5 kg/h of biogas flow rate was found to be an optimum blend due to its improved performance and emission characteristics compared to other tested fuels. This fuel blending improves brake thermal efficiency (BTE) by 6.25% and reduces brake‐specific fuel consumption (BSFC) by 2.14%. NOx and smoke emissions were both reduced by 58.22% and 54.59%, respectively. However, HC and CO emissions were on the higher side compared to diesel.
Contribution of bedrock structures to the bedrock surface topography and groundwater flow systems within deep glaciofluvial aquifers in Kurikka, Western Finland
Authors: Ruuska Eemi , Skyttä Pietari , Putkinen Niko , Valjus Tuire
Published: April 2023

One of the key challenges related to glaciofluvial aquifers is understanding how the underlying bedrock structures and the associated bedrock surface topography contributed to the deposition of the glaciofluvial sediments and the generation of groundwater flow pathways. In this study from Western Finland, we present a new digital elevation model of the Precambrian crystalline bedrock surface buried up to 100 m beneath the glaciofluvial sediments along the Kurikka depression. We link bedrock topography to structural anisotropy using additional data from rock outcrops, boreholes and gravity data. Brittle deformation zones are seen in the bedrock‐digital elevation model (DEM) as sharp breaks in the rock surface. These vertical fracture zones contributed to the development of interlinked elongate bedrock depressions and delimit rock blocks with different elevations. A narrow, zigzagging trench, with a stepped floor, follows WNW‐ESE and NE‐SW oriented fracture zones and forms a major hydraulic connection between two major parts of the aquifer. Furthermore, the conductive fracture zones are conduits which connect the shallow glacifluvial aquifer system to deep groundwater in the bedrock. Understanding bedrock structures and buried topography is critical for successful groundwater modelling in crystalline, fractured bedrock.
Trends in post‐1950 riparian vegetation recovery in coastal catchments of NSW Australia: Implications for remote sensing analysis, forecasting and river management
Authors: Zhang Nuosha , Fryirs Kirstie
Published: April 2023

Extensive riparian vegetation clearance occurred in many rivers of southeastern Australia throughout the 19th and 20th century, post colonisation. With improvements in river management practices, coincident with a period of minimal flooding, vegetation recovery of riparian corridors has been occurring since the 1980s in all coastal catchments of New South Wales (NSW). However, the catchment‐by‐catchment spatial pattern and temporal trends, trajectories and rates of vegetative recovery remain unknown. We reconstruct a 70‐year time series of change in riparian vegetation coverage for all rivers in coastal catchments of NSW, utilising historical aerial imagery, Landsat and Sentinel data and a manual digitisation and machine learning method. We quantify and statistically analyse decadal trends in woody and non‐woody vegetation coverage along 19 485 km of stream length in 20 catchments. Across the region, there has been, on average, a 40% increase in vegetation coverage along riparian corridors since the 1950s, with some catchments increasing towards a current day coverage of between 60% and 80%. However, the trends vary by subregion and by catchment. An early logarithmic increase occurred up to 2004 on the North coast, and a recent and accelerated exponential increase since 1995 has occurred on the South coast. After a steep initial increase, riparian corridor vegetation coverage has fluctuated on the Central coast since about 1995. We used these linear, exponential and logarithmic regressions to undertake preliminary forecasts of possible future timeframes of riparian vegetation change, based on several climate, management and natural disaster disturbance scenarios. If the current trend continues, riparian vegetation coverage can reach 70% across the region by 2055. However, if management practices change or catastrophic disturbance events such as fire and flood occur, increases in riparian vegetation coverage could be set back by up to 30 to 40 years.
Request delay and survivability optimization for software defined‐wide area networking (SD‐WAN) using multi‐agent deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Ouamri Mohamed Amine , Azni Mohamed , Singh Daljeet , Almughalles Waleed , Muthanna Mohammed Saleh Ali
Published: April 2023

Data exchange between headquarters and local branches represents a major challenge issue for business success. For this issue, traditional solutions applied to wide area networks (WAN) remain unrealistic and require a good knowledge of the systems. Recently, software‐defined wide area networking (SD‐WAN) plays a pivotal role and constitutes, in general, a reliable solution for wide area networking. Compared to the classical WAN, SD‐WAN decouples the control plane from gateway devices. Moreover, SD‐WAN are based on centralized WAN management with dynamic reconfiguration, allowing it to control the entire service requirements. Nevertheless, traffic management is the most usual metric in SD‐WAN. It gives a clear indication on propagation latency, request delay and survivability; that is, network connectivity. In this article, to guarantee an efficient quality of service and deal with the increased delay problem, we investigate the problem of joint optimization of average request delay and survivability in the proposed SD‐WAN model. The optimization approaches are formulated so as to minimize the average request delay and maximize the network connectivity. Subsequently, we adopt a multi‐agent deep Q‐Network algorithm to solve it, where the reward function is reformulated based on the optimization objective. Simulation results show that our strategy improves the system's performance significantly in terms of request delay and survivability, compared to traditional baseline algorithms.
The effect of low dietary inflammatory index score formula on inflammatory, metabolic, and clinical outcomes in critically ill traumatic brain injury patients: A single‐blind randomized controlled pilot study
Authors: Jandari Sajedeh , Rezvani Reza , Yousefian Sajedeh , Mosalmanzadeh Negin , Bagherniya Mohammad , Soleimani Davood , Mousavian Seyedeh Zeynab , Shivappa Nitin , Hébert James R. , Jafarzadeh Esfahani Ali , Akhgari Abass , Jarahi Lida , Safarian Mohammad
Published: April 2023

In traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, a complex cascade of inflammatory responses are frequently observed following trauma. Numerous dietary agents have long been found to have potential in modulating inflammatory responses. This pilot study, designed an enteral formula with low inflammatory properties based on the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) and evaluated its effect on inflammatory and metabolic factors in critically ill TBI patients. This single‐blind randomized controlled pilot study was conducted at the Neurosurgical ICU of Shahid Kamyab Hospital (Mashhad, Iran). A total of 20 TBI patients were randomly assigned to receive either low‐DII score or standard formula at the intensive care unit (ICU). The primary outcomes of the study included clinical status, inflammatory biomarkers, APACHE II, SAPS II, SOFA, and NUTRIC scores. The trial groups did not differ significantly in baseline values. Following 14 days of intervention, there was a statistically significant decrease in the APACHE II, SAPS II, and NUTRIC scores and a significant increase in the GCS score in the low‐DII score formula group compared to the standard formula group. Over 2 weeks, high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) values of −2.73 (95% CI: −3.67, −1.79) mg/dL in the low‐DII score formula group versus 0.65 (95% CI: −0.29, 1.58) mg/dL in controls were obtained. Moreover, the length of hospital stay was longer for the standard formula group than for the low‐DII score formula group. The low‐DII score formula improves inflammatory factors (serum hs‐CRP) and metabolic biomarkers (LDL‐c and FBS). Furthermore, clinical outcomes, including the length of hospital stay and disease severity, appear to be enhanced.
Personality theory: New factors to incorporate in public decision‐making in communities
Authors: Yan Mengyao , Zhang Jinzi , Ge Pu , Wu Yibo
Published: April 2023

Background

This study explored the effects of personality factors on public behavioral decision‐making.

Methods

We examined the literature on personality theory based on triadic interaction decision theory, and summarized and compared the findings with studies of the Big Five personality characteristics. A literature review method was used to explore the implications of personality theory for public decision‐making in Chinese communities.

Results

Individuals with high neuroticism can be targeted by influential communicators. Individuals with high extraversion can influence decision‐making through interpersonal relationships. Individuals with high levels of openness can be influenced by the development of novel activities. Conscientious individuals respond to scientific and rational knowledge. Individuals with high agreeableness can be influenced by groups.

Conclusions

Personality traits can influence behavioral decisions and can have positive or negative effects on behavioral outcomes. For people with different personality traits, social actors and social activity communicators should formulate targeted measures according to the classification of personality traits. The current findings have implications for enriching research perspectives and approaches to public community decision‐making.
Childhood‐onset disabilities and lifetime earnings growth: A longitudinal analysis
Authors: Jeon Sung‐Hee , Park Jungwee , Kohen Dafna
Published: April 2023

This study offers insights into lifetime earnings growth differences between individuals with and without childhood‐onset disabilities (COD) defined as disabilities whose onset occurred before an individual's 16th birthday. We use a newly available database linking data from the 2017 Canadian Survey of Disability with individual income tax records covering a period of over 3 decades. We estimate the average earnings growth profiles of individuals with COD from the age when individuals generally enter the labor market to the age when most retire. The main finding of our study is that individuals with COD experience very little earnings growth when they are in their mid‐30 and 40s while the earnings of those without COD grow steadily until they reach their late 40s and early 50s. The largest earnings growth differences between individuals with and without COD are observed for male university graduates.
No Life on this Planet Without PHB
Authors: Seebach Dieter
Published: April 2023

The history of discovery byRosetta Reuschof oligo‐ and poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrates (OHBs and PHBs) consisting of less thanca. 150 HB units is described. These ‘short‐chain’ biopolymers can be detected in all living organisms and have numerous physiological activities of fundamental importance for the chemistry of life. The largest are components of ion channels such as Ca2+‐polyphosphate‐PHB (Ca‐PPi‐PHB) in genetically competentE. coliand in mammalian mitochondria. Sequences with chain lengths <ca. 30 occur covalently attached to proteins (post‐translational PHBylation), and methyl esters of the dimer and trimer are used by certain bacteria as highly efficient antioxidants. With synthetic monodisperse OHBs (up to 128mer) our group has contributed structural investigations, and we have shown that OHBs≥16 alone make phospholipid bilayer vesicles permeable to Ca ions. An extensive biochemical analysis of the TRPM8 protein channel, responsible for the sense of heat in our skin, proved to be fully active only when PHBylated. Reasons for the difficulty of detecting OHBs and PHBs are discussed: the polyester chain is highly flexible, and there is ester cleavage by base, acid, nucleophiles,Lewisacids, and heat – in stark contrast to peptides. PHBs may be called a ubiquitous butfleetingspecies in the chemistry of life – worth being appreciated and studied much more intensively in the future! A speculation about PHB's possible role in prebiotic compartmentalization is presented, and recent uses of compartmentalization in organic synthesis are briefly mentioned.

Portions of the figures used herein were presented in a lecture at the International Symposium on Biopolymers on September 13, 2022, in Sion (Switzerland).
Changes in the prehospital emergency technician's resilience during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A web‐based cross‐sectional study
Authors: Ebrahimian Abbasali , Keshavarz‐Tork Asghar , Akbari‐Shahrestanaki Yousof , Tourdeh Maedeh , Fakhr‐Movahedi Ali
Published: April 2023

Background and Aims

Resilience is a process that enables people to control the stressors of their lives. During the COVID‐19 crisis, work stress increased among prehospital emergency technicians. So, it was possible to reduce their resilience. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the prehospital emergency technicians' resilience during the pandemic of COVID‐19.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted at the prehospital emergency department in Qazvin province. For 6 months, 234 emergency technicians participated in this study. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and the emergency medical services resilience scale (EMSRS).

Results

The Friedman test indicated no significant difference between the mean scores of EMS employees' resilience during 6 months (p > 0.05). However, the correlation matrix between the scores of EMSRS during 6 months indicated that the resilience scores of EMS employees were positively correlated during the study (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

The EMS technicians' resilience was almost constant and moderate during the 6 months of care for patients with COVID‐19 and their transfer to the hospital, indicating that the COVID‐19 crisis could suppress the emergency medical technicians ability to increase resilience.
Face mask correlation with allergic rhinitis symptoms severity during COVID‐19 pandemic: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Esmaeilzadeh Hossein , Goodarzian MReza , Abbasi Alireza , Alamdari Mohammad , Mortazavi Negar
Published: April 2023

Background

Face mask is the first line to protect the respiratory mucosa from the coronavirus particles in aerocells and droplets and without this, the exposure of the mucosa to the virus and allergens trigger the immune and inflammatory system. These lead to Allergic Rhinitis (AR) symptoms or virus infection.

Aim

This study discusses about the effects of face mask on the severity of AR symptoms using the Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22) in AR cases during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic.

Method

In this cross‐sectional study, 54 cases previously diagnosed as moderate and severe AR based on Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma and Visual Analog Scale score referred to the tertiary allergy clinic were involved, while 5 of them were excluded. AR symptoms before and during the pandemic were compared based on the SNOT‐22 questionnaire. Demographics, AR severity, and comorbidities were registered.

Results

The mean age was 31.4 ± 13.5 years with the male−female ratio of 1.4. The mean SNOT‐22 score was 36.1 ± 20.3 before and 29.5 ± 16.8 during the pandemic. Although 36.7% (n: 18) of all participants had severe symptoms before the pandemic, 10.2% (n: 5) had severe AR symptoms during the pandemic. 53.0% (n: 26) of patients had moderate AR symptoms, and 36.7% (n: 18) had mild AR symptoms in the pandemic. There was no significant difference between each paired subgroup in AR symptom changes but the symptom improvement was significant in most of the subgroups when compared to the pre‐pandemic period. Smoking had an adverse effect on AR symptoms (p: 0.034).

Conclusion

Face mask affects the quality of life in AR patients and improves the severity of AR symptoms during COVID‐19 pandemic. Smoking worsens this severity. Age, gender, pet ownership, underlying conditions, and previous COVID‐19 infection were not associated with AR symptoms severity and alteration in the AR individuals' quality of life during the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Double diffusive Buoyancy‐driven flow in a fluid‐saturated elliptical annulus with a neural network‐based prediction of heat and mass transfer
Authors: Boulechfar Hichem , Berrahil Farid , Boulmerka Aissa , Filali Abdelkader , Djezzar Mahfoud
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a numerical study of buoyancy‐driven double‐diffusive convection within an elliptical annulus enclosure filled with a saturated porous medium. An in‐house built FORTRAN code has been developed, and computations are carried out in a range of values of Darcy–Rayleigh number Ram (10 ≤ Ram ≤ 500), Lewis number Le (0.1 ≤ Le ≤ 10), and the ratio of buoyancy forces N (−5 ≤ N ≤ 5). In addition, three methods are used, namely the multi‐variable polynomial regression, the group method of data handling (GMDH), and the artificial neural network (ANN) for the predictions of heat and mass transfer rates. First, results are successfully validated with existing numerical and experimental data. Then, the results indicated that temperature and concentration distributions are sensitive to the Lewis number and thermal and mass plumes are developing in proportion to the Lewis number. Two particular values of Lewis number Le = 2.735 and Le = 2.75 captured the flow's transition toward an asymmetric structure with a bifurcation of convective cells. The average Nusselt number tends to have an almost asymptotic value for Le » 5. For the case of aiding buoyancies N > 1, the average Nusselt Number decreased by 33% when the Lewis number increased to its maximum value. Then, it increased by 10% when the Lewis number increased to Le = 1 for the case of opposing buoyancies N < 1 and then decreased by 33% when the Lewis number increased to its maximum value., contrary to the behavior of the average Sherwood number that increased by 700% for both cases N > 1 and N < 1. New correlations of , and as a function of Ram, Le, and N are derived and compared with GMDH and ANN methods, and the ANN method showed higher performance for the prediction of and with R2 exceeding 0.99.
Tracer‐aided ecohydrological modelling across climate, land cover, and topographical gradients in the tropics
Authors: Arciniega‐Esparza Saul , Birkel Christian , Durán‐Quesada Ana María , Sánchez‐Murillo Ricardo , Moore Georgianne W. , Maneta Marco P. , Boll Jan , Negri Laura Benegas , Tetzlaff Dörthe , Yoshimura Kei , Soulsby Chris
Published: April 2023

Quantitative estimations of ecohydrological water partitioning into evaporation and transpiration remains mostly based on plot‐scale investigations that use well‐instrumented, small‐scale experimental catchments in temperate regions. Here, we attempted to upscale and adapt the conceptual tracer‐aided ecohydrology model STARRtropics to simulate water partitioning, tracer, and storage dynamics over daily time steps and a 1‐km grid larger‐scale (2565 km2) in a sparsely instrumented tropical catchment in Costa Rica. The model was driven by bias‐corrected regional climate model outputs and was simultaneously calibrated against daily discharge observations from 2 to 30 years at four discharge gauging stations and a 1‐year, monthly streamwater isotope record of 46 streams. The overall model performance for the best discharge simulations ranged in KGE values from 0.4 to 0.6 and correlation coefficients for streamflow isotopes from 0.3 to 0.45. More importantly, independent model‐derived transpiration estimates, point‐scale residence time estimates, and measured groundwater isotopes showed reasonable model performance and simulated spatial and temporal patterns pointing towards an overall model realism at the catchment scale over reduced performance in the headwaters. The simulated catchment system was dominated by low‐seasonality and high precipitation inputs and a marked topographical gradient. Climatic drivers overrode smaller, landcover‐dependent transpiration fluxes giving a seemingly homogeneous rainfall‐runoff dominance likely related to model input bias of rainfall isotopes, oversimplistic Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) estimates and averaged Leaf Area Index (LAI). Topographic influences resulted in more dynamic water and tracer fluxes in the headwaters that averaged further downstream at aggregated catchment scales. Modelled headwaters showed greater storage capacity by nearly an order of magnitude compared to the lowlands, which also favoured slightly longer residence times (>250 days) compared to superficially well‐connected groundwater contributing to shorter streamflow residence times (<150 days) in the lowlands. Our findings confirm that tracer‐aided ecohydrological modelling, even in the data‐scarce Tropics, can help gain a first, but crucial approximation of spatio‐temporal dynamics of how water is partitioned, stored and transported beyond the experimental catchment scale of only a few km2.
Clinical validation of methylation biomarkers for optimal detection of high‐grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia
Authors: Voss Féline O. , Thuijs Nikki B. , Duin Sylvia , Özer Müjde , van Beurden Marc , Berkhof Johannes , Steenbergen Renske D. M. , Bleeker Maaike C. G.
Published: April 2023

The precursor lesions of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) include human papillomavirus (HPV)‐associated and HPV‐independent squamous neoplasia with a varying cancer risk. Our study aimed to validate the accuracy of previously identified DNA methylation markers for detection of such high‐grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). A large clinical series of 751 vulvar lesions, originally diagnosed as high‐grade VIN, were reassessed and categorized into HPV‐associated or HPV‐independent vulvar disease categories. Together with 113 healthy vulvar controls, all samples were tested for 12 methylation markers with quantitative multiplex methylation‐specific PCR (qMSP). Performance of individual markers and selection of an optimal marker panel for detection of high‐grade VIN was determined by logistic regression analysis. SST was the best‐performing individual marker (AUC 0.90), detecting 80% of high‐grade VIN cases, with excellent detection of HPV‐independent VIN (95%), known to have the highest cancer risk. Merely 2% of controls tested methylation positive for SST. Selection of a marker panel, including ZNF582, SST and miR124‐2, resulted in a comparably high accuracy for detection of high‐grade VIN (AUC 0.89). In conclusion, we clinically validated the accuracy of 12 DNA methylation markers for detection of high‐grade VIN. SST, as a sole marker or in a panel, provides an optimal diagnostic tool to distinguish high‐grade VIN in need of treatment, particularly HPV‐independent VIN, from low‐grade or reactive vulvar lesions. These findings warrant further prognostic validation of methylation biomarkers for cancer risk stratification of patients with VIN.
Electrical stimulation for therapeutic approach
Authors: Kim Enji , Kim Sumin , Kwon Yong Won , Seo Hunkyu , Kim Moohyun , Chung Won Gi , Park Wonjung , Song Hayoung , Lee Dong Ha , Lee Jakyoung , Lee Sanghoon , Jeong Inhea , Lim Kyeonghee , Park Jang‐Ung
Published: April 2023

Electrical stimulation as a therapeutic approach is widely applicable in terms of target tissues or target effects. This method can be an alternative to conventional therapies for patients who are resistant to drugs or are ineligible for surgical operations. In addition, as researchers have actively studied how to adjust the parameters for electrical stimulation in order to improve effectiveness, many patients have already received treatments with electrical stimulation. With respect to devices for electrical stimulation, recent studies are focused on developing reliability for safe and long‐term operations. From the point of view of engineers, a comprehensive understanding of how electrical stimulation modulates the biological system is essential to develop advanced strategies that provide effective therapeutic results. Herein, the fundamental mechanisms for delivering electrical stimulation on biological tissues are reviewed along with the requirements that need to be qualified by the electrodes. Furthermore, the latest advances in electrical stimulation devices are discussed followed by an introduction of representative applications of therapeutic electrical stimulation.
Neuroprotective effects of photobiomodulation by hormesis on scopolamine induced neurodegenerative diseases of memory disorders in rats a paradigm shift
Authors: N. Danappanvar Aravinda , Biradar Prakash R. , Jalalpure Sunil S. , Belgaonkar Ashwini S.
Published: April 2023

The loss and progressive dysfunction of neurons are hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of the current study is to explore the effects of photobiomodulation at 460–660 nm (100–1000 lux units) on the progression of scopolamine‐induced cognitive dysfunctions in Wistar male rats. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is defined as “the use of monochromatic or quasi‐monochromatic light from a low‐power laser or light‐emitting diode (LED) source to modify or modulate biological functions.” Neuroprotective activity was assessed by in vivo models such as the Morris water maze, the elevated plus maze (EPM), and the T‐maze. After using scopolamine (1 mg/kg/day) as a dementia induction model for 21 days, the induction was primarily due to impairments in cholinergic transmission, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The in vitro determinations, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), Interleukin 1 beta (IL‐1β), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), were assessed biochemicals and biomarkers. The structural and morphological integrity of the cortex and hippocampus was investigated through histopathology. In vivo studies of exteroceptive behavior models such as the Morris water maze, the EPM, and the T‐maze revealed that administration of scopolamine resulted in enhanced escape latency time (ELT), transfer latency (TL), and decreased percentage alternation, respectively. The levels of AChE, BChE, reduced, GSH, SOD, TNF‐α, IL‐1β and ALP were increased, while MDA level was decreased. In contrast to normal and control groups with treatment groups, histopathology of the cortex and hippocampus examination revealed the maintenance of structural integrity and densities of CA1 and CA3 neuronal cells. However, network pharmacology predicted Ca+2 modulation of various pathways, among the treatments with red LED light showed highly significant amelioration compared with normal and control groups. Photobiomodulation by hormesis, chromophores in cells, and tissues excitation can influence neuroprotective effect mainly by scavenging of ROS, variation in the level of GSH MDA and SOD mitochondrial electron transfer, the improved abscopal effects on improved in gut microbiome by resembles the of fecal ALP level correlation of intestinal microbiome, cholinergic neurotransmissions, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant activities.
Origin of the kinetic HDAC2‐selectivity of an HDAC inhibitor
Authors: Mishima Hirokazu , Itoh Yukihiro , Kurohara Takashi , Suzuki Takayoshi , Asada Naoya , Kusakabe Ken‐ichi , Okamoto Yuko
Published: April 2023

A newly synthesized small molecule, KTT‐1, exhibits kinetically selective inhibition of histone deacetylase 2, HDAC2, over its homologous enzyme, HDAC1. KTT‐1 is hard to be released from the HDAC2/KTT‐1 complex, compared to the HDAC1/KTT‐1 complex and the residence time of KTT‐1 in HDAC2 is longer than that in HDAC1. To explore the physical origin of this kinetic selectivity, we performed replica‐exchange umbrella sampling molecular dynamics simulations for formation of both complexes. The calculated potentials of mean force suggest that KTT‐1 is stably bound to HDAC2 and that it is easily disassociated from HDAC1. In the direct vicinity of the KTT‐1 binding site in both enzymes, there exists a conserved loop consisting of four consecutive glycine residues (Gly304‐307 for HDAC2; Gly299‐302 for HDA1). The difference between the two enzymes comes from a single un‐conserved residue behind this loop, namely, Ala268 in HDAC2 and Ser263 in HDAC1. The Ala268 contributes to the tight binding of KTT‐1 to HDAC2 by the linear orientation of Ala268, Gly306, and one carbon atom in KTT‐1. On the other hand, Ser263 cannot stabilize the binding of KTT‐1 to HDAC1, because it is relatively further away from the glycine loop and because the directions of the two forces are not in line.
Effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on psychological outcomes in college and university students during COVID‐19 pandemics: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Reangsing Chuntana , Moonpanane Katemanee , Pitchalard Khanittha , Kodyee Salisa , Seethikaew Nathamon , Oerther Sarah
Published: April 2023

Objective

We synthesized the effects of mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) on psychological outcomes in college and university students during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Method

Ten electronic databases were searched from inception to December 2021. We reviewed studies with college and university students receiving MBIs with psychological outcomes. We only reviewed studies written in English. A random‐effects model was used to compute the effect size.

Results

Overall, MBIs showed a significantly moderate improvement in anxiety (g = 0.612, 95% CI: 0.288−0.936, I2 = 77%); depression (g = 0.372, 95% CI: 0.032−0.713, I2 = 72%); and mindfulness (g = 0.392, 95% CI:0.102−0.695, I2 = 64%) compared with control groups, while these interventions had a small effect in reducing stress, but not a significant one (g = 0.295, 95% CI: −0.088 to 0.676, I2 = 77%) compared with control groups.

Conclusion

MBIs significantly improved psychological outcomes among college and university students during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Clinicians and health providers should consider using MBIs as alternative complementary treatment for improving and preventing anxiety and depression in college and university students during COVID‐19.

Clinical Relevance

The use of MBIs for college and university students is an effective method to decrease anxiety, depressive symptoms, and increase mindfulness. MBIs would become a very useful means of alternative complementary treatment in mental health and clinical psychiatry