bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single Nucleotide Variants in the TLR1, TLR2 and TLR6 Genes: A Case–Control Study in a Colombian Population
Authors: Gutierrez-Castañeda Luz D. , Acosta Carmen R. , Bustos Mónica A. , García Diana K. , Bohada Diana P. , Rodríguez Raúl , Guerrero Martha Inirida
Published: October 2023

Background: Single nucleotide variants in toll-like receptor genes play a crucial role in leprosy susceptibility or resistance. Methods: With an epidemiology case–control study, associations between SNVs rs5743618 in TLR1, rs5743708 in TLR2, and rs5743810 in TLR6 and overall susceptibility for leprosy were estimated in 114 cases and 456 controls. Following that, stratified analysis was performed. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Genotyping was performed using predesigned TaqMan probes. Results: The A/G genotype of rs5743810 behaved as a protective factor for the development of leprosy in the codominant (OR= 0.37; 95% CI = 016–0.86, p = 0.049) and over-dominant (OR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.16–0.88, p = 0.019) inheritance models. The A/G and A/A genotypes behaved as a protective factor (OR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.17–0.87, p = 0.016) in the dominant model. The SNVs rs5743618 and rs5743708 showed no association with any of the models. The CGG haplotype (rs5743618–rs5743708–rs5743810) behaved as a susceptibility factor for developing leprosy (OR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.11–3.10, p = 0.019). The latter haplotype behaved as a susceptibility factor for leprosy development in women (OR = 2.39; 95% CI = 1.21–4.82, p = 0.013). Conclusions: The identified variants in the genes encoding TLRs, specifically rs5743810 in TLR6 and CGG (rs5743618–rs5743708–rs5743810) haplotypes, may somehow explain leprosy susceptibility in the studied population in a leprosy endemic region in Colombia.
Neutron Dark Decay
Authors: Fornal Bartosz
Published: October 2023

There exists a puzzling disagreement between the results for the neutron lifetime obtained in experiments using the beam technique versus those relying on the bottle method. A possible explanation of this discrepancy postulates the existence of a beyond-Standard-Model decay channel of the neutron involving new particles in the final state, some of which can be dark matter candidates. We review the current theoretical status of this proposal and discuss the particle physics models accommodating such a dark decay. We then elaborate on the efforts undertaken to test this hypothesis, summarizing the prospects for probing neutron dark decay channels in future experiments.
Advances in mRNA-Based Cancer Vaccines
Authors: Ni Ling
Published: October 2023

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for millions of deaths every year. Immunotherapy is a groundbreaking approach for treating cancer through harnessing the power of the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells. Cancer vaccines, one immunotherapy approach, have shown promise in preclinical settings, but researchers have struggled to reproduce these results in clinical settings. However, with the maturity of mRNA technology and its success in tackling the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, cancer vaccines are expected to regain attention. In this review, we focused on the recent progress made in mRNA-based cancer vaccines over the past five years. The mechanism of action of mRNA vaccines, advancements in neoantigen discovery, adjuvant identification, and delivery materials are summarized and reviewed. In addition, we also provide a detailed overview of current clinical trials involving mRNA cancer vaccines. Lastly, we offer an insight into future considerations for the application of mRNA vaccines in cancer immunotherapy. This review will help researchers to understand the advances in mRNA-based cancer vaccines and explore new dimensions for potential immunotherapy approaches.
In Vitro Transcribed RNA-Based Platform Vaccines: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Perenkov Alexey D. , Sergeeva Alena D. , Vedunova Maria V. , Krysko Dmitri V.
Published: October 2023

mRNA was discovered in 1961, but it was not used as a vaccine until after three decades. Recently, the development of mRNA vaccine technology gained great impetus from the pursuit of vaccines against COVID-19. To improve the properties of RNA vaccines, and primarily their circulation time, self-amplifying mRNA and trans-amplifying mRNA were developed. A separate branch of mRNA technology is circular RNA vaccines, which were developed with the discovery of the possibility of translation on their protein matrix. Circular RNA has several advantages over mRNA vaccines and is considered a fairly promising platform, as is trans-amplifying mRNA. This review presents an overview of the mRNA platform and a critical discussion of the more modern self-amplifying mRNA, trans-amplifying mRNA, and circular RNA platforms created on its basis. Finally, the main features, advantages, and disadvantages of each of the presented mRNA platforms are discussed. This discussion will facilitate the decision-making process in selecting the most appropriate platform for creating RNA vaccines against cancer or viral diseases.
Combination of Measures to Restore Eutrophic Urban Ponds in The Netherlands
Authors: Lürling Miquel , van Oosterhout Frank , Mucci Maíra , Waajen Guido
Published: October 2023

Urban ponds provide the most important public contact with surface waters, implying that good water quality is crucial to the quality of urban life. Three eutrophic urban ponds in the south of The Netherlands with a long history of eutrophication-related nuisance were studied and subjected to mitigating measures. The external nutrient load from a mixed sewer overflow to one of the ponds had already been dismantled prior to the study, in a second pond it was dismantled during, while in the third pond the major nutrient source (stormwater run-off from impervious surfaces) was left untouched. In order to rehabilitate the ponds, all were dredged to reduce the internal loading, the fish biomass was reduced, the banks were softened, macrophytes were planted, users were advised to minimize the feeding of the fish and waterfowl, and the external nutrient load was reduced in two of the ponds. The two ponds in which the major external load was reduced showed strongly improved water quality after the additional in-pond measures. In contrast, the pond with ongoing external loading from stormwater run-off showed only marginally improved water quality. This study underpins that stormwater run-off can be polluting and that mitigating measures should only be implemented when the system analysis has revealed their feasibility.
The Algicidal Potential of a Floating-Bed System against Microcystis aeruginosa in Laboratory Conditions
Authors: Zeng Guoming , Liang Dong , Tang Cheng , Huang Yuanyuan , Sun Da
Published: October 2023

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms pose a major threat. Among them, Microcystis aeruginosa has raised serious concerns for human health due to its frequent occurrence. In this study, an ecological floating-bed system consisting of activated carbon fibers, aquatic plants (Ipomoea aquatica Forsskal), animals (Daphnia), and a solar-powered ultrasonic device was designed. The algae-killing efficiency, removal mechanism, and toxicological effects of the floating-bed system on Microcystis aeruginosa were determined under different conditions. The results showed that the average activity of algal cell dehydrogenase (DHA) was reduced by 64.09%, the average malondialdehyde (MDA) content was reduced to 0.125 μmol/L, and the average removal rate of soluble protein was 57.22% under optimal conditions (pH = 7, temperature = 25 °C, dissolved oxygen concentration = 5 mg/L, and hydraulic retention time = 36 h). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the structure within the cells of Microcystis aeruginosa was severely damaged after treatment with the solar-powered ultrasonic carbon fiber eco-floating-bed system. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis showed that the pyrrole ring of chlorophyll-a was degraded. In addition, a tadpole-based micronucleus test and a comet assay were conducted to assess cell viability and DNA damage in water samples treated with the floating-bed system, and the results confirmed that chromosome damage and genotoxicity were significantly reduced. These findings suggest that the floating-bed system is effective in destroying algal cells, leading to massive algal cell death and reducing the risk of secondary contamination. This study provides a new perspective for further research on ecological floating-bed technology, demonstrating its potential practical application in the prevention and control of cyanobacterial blooms.
Automatic Extraction Method of Aquaculture Sea Based on Improved SegNet Model
Authors: Xie Weiyi , Ding Yuan , Rui Xiaoping , Zou Yarong , Zhan Yating
Published: October 2023

Timely, accurate, and efficient extraction of aquaculture sea is important for the scientific and rational utilization of marine resources and protection of the marine environment. To improve the classification accuracy of remote sensing of aquaculture seas, this study proposes an automatic extraction method for aquaculture seas based on the improved SegNet model. This method adds a pyramid convolution module and a convolutional block attention module based on the SegNet network model, which can effectively increase the utilization ability of features and capture more global image information. Taking the Gaofen-1D image as an example, the effectiveness of the improved method was proven through ablation experiments on the two modules. The prediction results of the proposed method were compared with those of the U-Net, SegNet, and DenseNet models, as well as with those of the traditional support vector machine and random forest methods. The results showed that the improved model has a stronger generalization ability and higher extraction accuracy. The overall accuracy, mean intersection over union, and F1 score of the three test areas were 94.86%, 87.23%, and 96.59%, respectively. The accuracy of the method is significantly higher than those of the other methods, which proves the effectiveness of the method for the extraction of aquaculture seas and provides new technical support for automatic extraction of such areas.
Geochronological and Sedimentological Study of the Fluvio-Lacustrine Deposits from Shigu to Longjie: Implications for the Evolution of the Lower Jinsha River since the Early Pleistocene
Authors: Liu Fenliang , Gao Hongshan , Li Zongmeng , Huang Changjun , Xi Zhen , Xue Yun
Published: October 2023

The formation of the Jinsha River drainage is a significant subject of concern in the geological and geomorphological fields. Among them, one key question is whether there was a regional paleo lake into which Lower Jinsha River drainage drained during the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene, due to massive fluvio-lacustrine sediments widely distributed in the Lower Jinsha River. Nevertheless, there has yet to be a consensus on the genesis of those fluvio-lacustrine sediments due to poor sedimentological and chronological data. In this study, to unravel the origin of those fluvio-lacustrine sediments and the formation model of the Lower Jinsha River, sedimentary characteristics, including spatial distribution, lithological composition, and stratigraphic contact relationship of those fluvio-lacustrine sediments were analyzed, and chronological determination of the fluvio-lacustrine sediments using Electron Spin Resonance and Optically stimulated luminescence method was conducted. The results show that in the Lower Jinsha River, the lacustrine sediments are mainly composed of silt and clay, with apparent horizontal bedding, stacked with fluvial cobble-gravel and sand, and are in unconformable contact with the underlying bedrock strata or paleo soil. The lacustrine sediments are spatially discontinuous and mainly distributed in the Shigu, Taoyuan, Panzhihua, and Longjie reaches. Downstream of these reaches are deeply incised gorges with an average slope >30°, and many landslide landforms and deposits can be identified here. In each reach, the lacustrine sediments were closely distributed along the trunk and tributary channels in the plane and were distributed at different altitudes, forming a sequence of lacustrine terraces. Chronological analysis shows that in different reaches, the deposition ages of lacustrine sediments are significantly different. In each reach, the deposition age of the lacustrine terraces of high altitude is older than that of low altitude. The above characteristics collectively indicate that the lacustrine sediments in the Lower Jinsha River were locally deposited by individual dammed lakes, probably induced by landslide rather than a regional paleo lake by tectonic activities. During the incision process of the river valley, landslides continuously block the river channel, forming dammed lakes, and then deposited lacustrine sediments at different elevations, forming lacustrine terraces. The lacustrine sediment of the topmost lacustrine terrace in Panzhihua reach was dated to be 1.78 Ma, combined with previous studies on the fluvial terraces, indicating the Lower Jinsha River existed and started to incise its valley before the early Pleistocene. The widespread dammed lake sediment indicates that the formation of the Jinsha River valley follows the pattern of “incision-landslide-damming-aggradation-incision”.
Sedimentary Sequence and Age of Core NTCJ1 in the Sheyang Estuary, Western South Yellow Sea: A Re-Interpretation
Authors: Xia Fei , Zhang Yongzhan , Wang Li , Liu Dezheng
Published: October 2023

The Sheyang estuary is located on the northern Jiangsu muddy coast, in the western South Yellow Sea, and in the transition area between the eroded coast of the abandoned Yellow River delta and the silted coast of the central Jiangsu. This area is also one of the key areas of interactions between the paleo-Yellow River and paleo-Changjiang River during the late Quaternary. In order to investigate deeply the late Quaternary sedimentary sequence models of coasts and continental shelves under the interactions of the above two large rivers, the sedimentary sequence and age of the core NTCJ1 drilled at the Sheyang estuary were re-examined and re-interpreted recently, based on the existing data on lithology, grain size, ostracods, foraminifera, clay minerals, geochemical elements, and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating, together with other adjacent key cores and shallow seismic profiles. The three new perspectives were summarized as follows: Firstly, the 22.00 m-long core NTCJ1 recorded the evolution of the sedimentary environments since Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5), and the first continental facies layer formed in MIS 4-2 is supposed to be missing; therefore, the MIS 1 marine facies layer directly overlays on the MIS 5 marine facies layer. Furthermore, the second continental facies layer formed in MIS 6 and/or the stage of the relatively low sea-level of MIS 5 has not been drilled yet. Secondarily, the middle-upper part of the NTCJ1 core sediments (0.00–17.95 m) are characterized by a finer grain, with a predominantly silty texture and dark yellow tone, and from bottom to top it shows a change from fine to coarse and then to fine in grain size, which could be substantially interpreted as the abandoned Yellow River deltaic deposits mainly formed in 1128–1855 CE, and may contain a small amount of Holocene coastal-shallow marine deposits at the bottom; however, it is difficult to identify them currently. Thirdly, the lower part of the NTCJ1 core sediments (17.95–22.00 m) have not yet been drilled through and are characterized by a coarser grain, with a predominantly fine sandy texture and dark grey tone, which could be interpreted as a delta front deposit in the MIS 5 tidal estuary and were obviously influenced by the paleo-Yellow River.
Development Trends, Current Hotspots, and Research Frontiers of Oyster Reefs: A Bibliometric Analysis Based on CiteSpace
Authors: Cheng Jie , Lu Duian , Sun Li , Mo Wei , Shen Mengnan , Li Ming , Li Chenyang , Zhang Ming , Cheng Jun , Wang Degang , Tan Yonghua
Published: October 2023

The ocean is the largest reservoir on Earth. With the scarcity of water resources, the destruction of the benign cycle of the marine ecosystem would seriously impact people’s quality of life and health. Oyster reefs, the world’s most endangered marine ecosystems, have been recognized as a global issue due to their numerous essential ecological functions and provision of various ecosystem services. As a result, interest in oyster reef research has been steadily increasing worldwide in recent decades. The goal of this study is to assess the knowledge structure, development trends, research hotspots, and frontier predictions of the global oyster reef research field. Based on 1051 articles selected from the Web of Science Core Collection from 1981 to 2022, this paper conducted a visual analysis of oyster reef ecosystems conservation, restoration, and management. Specifically, it examined research output characteristics, research cooperation networks, highly cited papers and core journals, and keywords. Results indicate a steady rise in research interest in oyster reefs over the past 40 years, with notable acceleration after 2014. Authoritative experts and high-impact organizations were also identified. This paper outlines habitat conservation and restoration, ecosystem services, and the impacts of climate change as the primary research hotspots and frontiers. This paper provides valuable guidance for scholars and regulators concerned about oyster reef conservation to conduct research on oyster reefs.
Study on the Snowmelt Flood Model by Machine Learning Method in Xinjiang
Authors: Zhou Mingqiang , Lu Wenjing , Ma Qiang , Wang Han , He Bingshun , Liang Dong , Dong Rui
Published: October 2023

There are many mountain torrent disasters caused by melting icebergs and snow in Xinjiang, which are very different from traditional mountain torrent disasters. Most of the areas affected by snowmelt are in areas without data, making it very difficult to predict and warn of disasters. Taking the Lianggoushan watershed at the southern foot of Boroconu Mountain as the research subject, the key factors were screened by Pearson correlation coefficient and the factor analysis method, and the data of rainfall, water level, temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and snow depth were used as inputs, respectively, with support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), artificial neural network (ANN), recurrent neural network (RNN), and long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) models used to simulate the daily average water level at the outlet of the watershed. The research results showed that the root mean square error (RMSE) values of SVR, RF, KNN, ANN, RNN, and LSTM in the training period were 0.033, 0.012, 0.016, 0.022, 0.011, and 0.010, respectively, and in the testing period they were 0.075, 0.072, 0.071, 0.075, 0.075, and 0.071, respectively. The performance of LSTM was better than that of other models, but it had more hyperparameters that needed to be optimized. The performance of RF was second only to LSTM; it had only one hyperparameter and was very easy to determine. The RF model showed that the simulation results mainly depended on the average wind speed and average sea level pressure data. The snowmelt model based on machine learning proposed in this study can be widely used in iceberg snowmelt warning and forecasting in ungauged areas, which is of great significance for the improvement of mountain flood prevention work in Xinjiang.
2D and 3D Numerical Simulation of Dam-Break Flooding: A Case Study of the Tuzluca Dam, Turkey
Authors: Akgun Cagri , Nas Salim Serkan , Uslu Akin
Published: October 2023

Unlike river floods, floods caused by dam breaks occur much more abruptly and at higher water velocities. The failure of a dam due to any reason can pose a significant threat to settlements in the downstream area due to the high volume of water in its reservoir. In this case study, 2D and 3D numerical failure simulations of Tuzluca Dam, to be built in the Igdir province of Turkey, was performed using the Flow3D Hydro software. The Shallow Water and Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations were used to simulate flood propagation. In the numerical models, RNG k-ε was chosen as the turbulence model. In the analyses carried out under different scenarios, it was observed that in both methods (2D and 3D), significant flood depths would occur in two downstream village settlements. Within the scope of the study, the mortality rates in different dam-break scenarios of the Tuzluca Dam were also investigated. It has been observed that the dam failure time and breach geometry have a significant impact on the flood propagation and the loss of life in settlements. Additionally, a dam-break experiment in literature dam-break experiment was numerically solved using the Flow3D Hydro software to validate the numerical model, and a satisfactory harmony was observed between the experimental results and the numerical models. Although the 3D analysis provided a more accurate representation of the experimental results, it took approximately 20 times longer to complete the dam failure simulation in the case study compared to the 2D model. As a result, it has been determined that for comprehensive studies such as those of dam failures, 2D analyses may be more practical, while for smaller-scale scenarios or situations requiring greater precision, 3D modelling is appropriate.
Weight Concern and Body Image Dissatisfaction among Hispanic and African American Women
Authors: Olvera Norma , Matthews-Ewald Molly , Zhang Rongfang , Scherer Rhonda , Fan Weihua , Arbona Consuelo
Published: October 2023

Weight concern and body image dissatisfaction continue to be understudied among African American and Hispanic women. To address the gap in the extant literature, this study examined a sample of Hispanic and African American women (N = 477, Meanage = 43.7 years) and explored (a) differences in weight concern and body image dissatisfaction; (b) the contribution of perceived weight status and body image dissatisfaction to weight concern; and (c) the extent to which the association between body image dissatisfaction and weight concern was moderated by ethnicity. Participants completed a health survey and a figure rating scale. The findings indicated that Hispanic women compared to African American women endorsed smaller silhouettes as an ideal body size (χ2(7, n = 436) = 22.36, p = 0.002, Cramer’s V = 0.23). More Hispanic women (77%) than African American women (62%) had a discrepancy between their perceived actual and ideal body size. The relationship between body image dissatisfaction and weight concern varied by ethnicity. That is, the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and weight concern was statistically significant among African American women (β = 0.21, p = 0.008) but was insignificant among Hispanic women (β = 0.11, p = 0.135). This study has implications regarding the identification of risk factors associated with weight concern.
Formation of patient-centeredness for persons with disabilities and poor mobile groups
Authors:   SBHI SR Tolyatti Exercise Therapy Centre, Tolyatti, Russia, Medvedeva M. V. , Popova I. V. ,   SBHI SR Tolyatti Exercise Therapy Centre, Tolyatti, Russia
Published: October 2023

One of the criteria for the quality of medical care is medical care availability for all groups of the population, including people with disabilities and reduced mobility groups, in order to ensure unimpeded access for citizens of this category to receive guaranteed medical care. In this regard, the formation of patient-centered care for people with disabilities and reduced mobility groups of the population is becoming an important direction in the system of providing medical care to the population.
The idea of the "public good" and the true foundations of good-doing in the philosophy of P. E. Astafiev
Authors:   Oryol State Institute of Culture, Pozdnyakov А. А.
Published: October 2023

The author analyzes some aspects of P. E. Astafyev's philosophy related to the moral dimension of human existence. The «public good» is regarded as a secondary value. Love appears as the highest value, as a unity of idealization of the object, faith in it and attraction to it.
Tolstoy and Wittgenstein on education
Authors:   Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn, Azarov K.V.
Published: October 2023

Tolstoy deeply influenced Wittgenstein. They both shared an anti-foundationalist position on many philosophical questions. Not surprisingly, Tolstoy and Wittgenstein’s views on education were germane. They both advocated a creative free educational process. The two can be compared to how educational philosophy develops out of anti-foundationalist premises. The article shows the Tolstoyan influence in non-religious spheres of Wittgenstein’s thought, particularly in Wittgenstein’s view on education.
Esofagite Eosinofílica - uma revisão de literatura
Authors: E Silva Sara Louise de Oliveira , Oliveira Carolina Silva , Barros Gabriel Elias de Lima , Silva Thaís Linhares , Baldo Bárbara Garcia de Freitas
Published: October 2023

A esofagite eosinofílica (EoE) é uma condição crônica associada a inflamações no esôfago causadas por reações imunomediadas. Nos últimos anos, houve um aumento progressivo nos casos dessa doença, com uma incidência de 5 a 10 casos a cada 100.000 habitantes por ano e uma prevalência de 0,5 a 1 caso a cada 1.000 pessoas, tornando-se um problema importante de saúde pública. A EoE geralmente é diagnosticada em crianças ou em adultos com mais de 50 anos, frequentemente após uma endoscopia digestiva alta que revela inflamação eosinofílica no epitélio do esôfago. Os sintomas da EoE podem ser semelhantes aos do refluxo gastroesofágico e estão frequentemente associados a condições atópicas prévias, como asma e rinite. Esses sintomas incluem vômitos, náuseas, queimação, dificuldade em engolir, especialmente alimentos sólidos, dor abdominal e, em alguns casos, dor no peito. A falta de especificidade dos sintomas pode levar a atrasos no diagnóstico, o que pode resultar em complicações, como a formação de estenoses no esôfago, prejudicando a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. O diagnóstico da EoE envolve a análise da história clínica, a exclusão de outras doenças similares e exames complementares, como a endoscopia digestiva alta e biópsias do esôfago. O diagnóstico é confirmado quando se observam 15 ou mais eosinófilos por campo de grande aumento nas biópsias. O tratamento da EoE inclui corticosteróides, inibidores de bomba de prótons, mudanças na dieta e, em casos mais graves, dilatação endoscópica para aliviar a dificuldade de deglutição. O manejo da EoE pode ser uma terapia crônica, e a escolha do tratamento depende da eficácia, das preferências do paciente e das características individuais. Mudanças na dieta e a eliminação de alimentos específicos têm sido eficazes em alguns casos, especialmente quando há alergias alimentares envolvidas.
Realidade virtual como proposta de intervenção nas patologias vestibulares: revisão integrativa
Authors: De Carvalho Hugo Amilton Santos , De Sousa Laryssa Cristine Santos , Da Conceição Lucienne Pereira , Dos Santos Natália Ventura , Novanta Gabriela Guenther Ribeiro
Published: October 2023

Recentemente, a realidade virtual foi introduzida na reabilitação vestibular por meio de vários dispositivos e protocolos, dos quais as técnicas tiveram um efeito semelhante à terapia vestibular convencional, entretanto, com algumas vantagens. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, com o objetivo de averiguar a eficácia da realidade virtual como proposta de intervenção nas patologias vestibulares. Foram realizadas buscas nas bases de dados na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), MEDLINE, PubMED e LILACS. Dos quais foram selecionados os artigos nos idiomas em português, inglês e espanhol, com data de publicação entre os anos de 2012 a 2022. Após analise metodológica, foram selecionados para a amostra final, seis artigos que condiziam com o objetivo deste estudo, publicados entre 2019 a 2022. Os achados deste estudo evidenciaram que a realidade virtual tem demonstrado um grande potencial e eficácia como proposta de intervenção no tratamento de pacientes com patologias vestibulares, por apresentar como um recurso motivacional devido aos componentes atrativos, dos quais, podem induzir os pacientes para uma maior adesão ao protocolo de reabilitação.
Does Morphine Exposure Before Gestation Change Anxiety-Like Behavior During Morphine Dependence in Male Wistar Rats?
Authors: Sabzevari Saba , Rohbani Kiyana , Sadeghi-Adl Mahsa , Khalifeh Solmaz , Sadat-Shirazi Mitra-Sadat , Zarrindast Mohammad-Reza
Published: October 2023

Background: Anxiety is one of the comorbid disorders of opioid addiction, which leads to opioid abuse or persuades people to engage in opioid abuse. Evidence revealed that morphine exposure before conception changes the offspring’s phenotype. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of morphine dependence and abstinence on anxiety-like behavior in morphine-exposed and drug-naïve offspring. Methods: Adult male and female rats were treated with morphine or vehicle for 21 days. Then, all rats were left without drug treatment for 10 days. A morphine-exposed female rat was mated with either a vehicle-exposed or morphine-abstinent male. According to parental morphine exposure, the offspring were categorized into four distinct groups: (1) control (both drug-naïve parents), (2) paternal morphine-exposed, (3) maternal morphine-exposed, and (4) biparental morphine-exposed. The anxiety-like behavior was measured in adult male offspring using open field and elevated plus-maze tests before morphine exposure (naïve), 21 days after morphine exposure (dependence), and ten days after the last morphine exposure (abstinence). Findings: The results indicated that anxiety-like behavior increased before morphine exposure in maternal and biparental morphine-exposed offspring (P<0.05). However, after morphine exposure, the anxiety level did not change among the groups. Ten days after the last morphine exposure, anxiety-like behavior increased only in biparental morphine-exposed offspring (P<0.05). Conclusion: The offspring of morphine-abstinent parents exhibited an anxious phenotype. Disruption of the HPA axis was seen in the progeny of maternal and biparental morphine-exposed rats. Indeed, morphine exposure for 21 days did not change anxiety-like behavior in these offspring which might be correlated to disruption of HPA axis in them.
Revolutionizing hyperlipidemia treatment: Nanoencapsulated CoQ10 and selenium combat simvastatin-induced myopathy and insulin resistance in rats
Authors: Zalam Hager A , El Denshary Ezz ElDeen Saeed , Mohsen Rania , Khlail Islam , Khattab Mahmoud , Hamzawy Mohamed
Published: October 2023

Purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a nanoencapsulated platform for Coenzyme Q10 (coQNPs) or selenium (SeNPs) and explore their potential therapeutic benefits in treating hyperlipidemia and combating simvastatin-induced myopathy and adverse reactions in hyperlipidemic rats. Methods: The physical and chemical properties of the solid nanoparticles (SLNPs), coQNPs, and SeNPs were characterized, including zeta potential studies. Male Wistar albino rats were treated with various interventions for 112 days, including a nano-vehicle only, high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with simvastatin alone, or with coQNPs or/ and SeNPs for the last 30 days. Results: The coQNPs and SeNPs exhibited uniform spherical shapes with high encapsulation efficiency (EE% 91.20 ±2.14 and 94.89 ±1.54, respectively). The results demonstrated that coQNPs and SeNPs effectively reduced hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, simvastatin-induced myopathy, and hepatotoxicity. However, combining simvastatin with coQNPs and SeNPs resulted in severe liver and muscle damage. Treatment with simvastatin and SeNPs or simvastatin and coQNPs alone showed significant improvements compared to simvastatin treatment alone. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the CoQNPs or SeNPs platforms offer advanced relief for hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance while limiting adverse effects such as myopathy and hepatotoxicity.
AMPK signaling pathway as a potential therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease
Authors: Athari Seyed Zanyar , Farajdokht Fereshteh , Keyhanmanesh Rana , Mohaddes Gisou
Published: October 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Genetic factors, inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, cytotoxic factors, and mitochondrial dysfunction are all involved in neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases. The risk of PD can be higher in aging individuals due to decreased mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) function. The potential of AMPK to regulate neurodegenerative disorders lies in its ability to enhance antioxidant capacity, reduce oxidative stress, improve mitochondrial function, decrease mitophagy and macroautophagy, and inhibit inflammation. In addition, it has been shown that modulating the catalytic activity of AMPK can protect the nervous system. This article reviews the mechanisms by which AMPK activation can modulate PD.
Lipid-based nanoparticles as oral drug delivery systems: overcoming poor gastrointestinal absorption and enhancing bioavailability of peptide/protein-based drugs
Authors: Mehrdadi Soheil
Published: October 2023

Delivery and formulation of oral therapeutic peptide/protein-based biotechnological drugs have always been a challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. The bioavailability of oral biopharmaceuticals mainly relies on their gastrointestinal solubility and permeability which are affected by their poor membrane penetration, high molecular weight and proteolytic (chemical and enzymatic) degradation resulting in limited delivery and therapeutic efficacy. The present review article highlights the challenges and limitations of oral delivery of therapeutic peptide/protein-based drugs focusing on the application, potential and importance of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructure lipid carriers (NLCs) as lipid-based drug delivery systems (LBDDSs) and their advantages and drawbacks. LBDDSs, due to their lipid-based matrix can encapsulate both lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs, and by reducing the first-pass effect and avoiding proteolytic degradation offer improved drug stability, dissolution rate, absorption, bioavailability and controlled drug release. Furthermore, their small size, high surface area and surface modification increase their mucosal adhesion, tissue-targeted distribution, physiological function and half-life. Properties such as simple preparation, high-scale manufacturing, biodegradability, biocompatibility, prolonged half-life, lower toxicity, lower adverse effects, lipid-based structure, higher drug encapsulation rate and various drug release profile compared to other similar carrier systems makes LBDDSs a promising drug delivery system. Nevertheless, undesired physicochemical features of peptide/protein drug development and discovery such as plasma stability, membrane permeability and circulation half-life remain a serious challenge which should be addressed in future.
Investigating the Direct Non-Medical and Indirect Costs Incurred by Hospitalized Patients Infected with COVID-19 Omicron Variant: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bagheri Masood , Ebrahimi Tavani Masoumeh , Gharibi Farid
Published: October 2023

Background. Health systems are responsible for providing healthcare services for all people in a community with reasonable costs. The primary objective was to evaluate and minimize the various expenses the patients incur consistently. The current study aimed to examine the direct non-medical and indirect expenses incurred to hospitalized patients infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2022 at Kosar Hospital in Semnan, Iran to investigate 400 hospitalized patients infected with the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The data were collected using a standardized instrument and conducting interviews with the patient. The descriptive findings were presented as frequencies (percentages) for qualitative variables and as means (standard deviations) for quantitative variables. The statistical relationship between demographic and background variables and the types of costs imposed on patients was examined performing T-test, ANOVA, and Tukey's post hoc test. Results. The study findings revealed that the patients and their families spent 20,260,000 IRR on direct non-medical treatment and 28,300,000 IRR on indirect treatment. A comprehensive statistical analysis was conducted to examine the correlation between demographic and background variables and the types of the costs incurred by patients and their families. The results indicated that a previous lung disease, asthma, diabetes, an admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), a coma in the patient, and COVID-19-induced heart complications were statistically and significantly associated with the direct non-medical costs. Furthermore, it was found that variables such as age, gender, educational status, employment status, engagement in occupational and physical activities, as well as the occurrence of a coma imposed additional indirect costs on the patients and their families (P<0.05). Conclusion. In sum, an infection with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 placed a substantial financial burden on the individuals and their households. Various factors may have influenced the magnitude of these expenses; therefore, it was recommended that these factors should be considered when implementing the promotional initiatives.
Electrochemical Sensing Platform Based on the Modification of Carbon-Ceramic Electrode with Bimetallic Fe/Mn-MOF Applied in the Determination of Nifedipine in Human Serum Samples
Authors: Majidi Mir Reza , Maleki Fatemeh , Fadakar Bajeh Baj Reza
Published: October 2023

Background: Nifedipine, known as a calcium channel blocker, is widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and angina pectoris. However, its high doses are toxic and may result in a heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, etc. Methods: In the present research, the bimetallic Fe/Mn-MOF modified carbon-ceramic electrode (CCE) was used for studying the electrochemical behavior and determination of nifedipine. The presence of Fe/Mn-MOF on the surface of the CCE as an efficient modifier caused an increase in the current density of nifedipine oxidation. In this way, optimization of some effective parameters consisting of buffer type, pH, modifier concentration, etc. was successfully performed. Moreover, other analytical parameters including reproducibility, repeatability, stability, and selectivity were investigated. Results: The relative standard deviation (RSD) of peak current was 3.2 % for 10 µmol.L-1 nifedipine. Meantime, the linear range of 1-200 µmol.L-1. Additionally, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification were obtained 0.24 μmol.L-1 and 0.82 µmol.L-1 respectively. The results showed that the modified electrode has a good electro-oxidation capability for nifedipine. Finally, for investigating the accuracy of the fabricated sensing assay, the determination of nifedipine in drug and human serum samples was performed. The recoveries and the related RSDs% were obtained 96.4-102% and 2.2-3.6% respectively. Conclusion: This modified electrode exhibited appropriate stability, low cost, simple preparation, fast response time, high repeatability, and good sensitivity. The obtained results clearly demonstrate the applicability of the proposed sensing assay in various matrix effects which does not affect the electrochemical response.
Widening the Lens: Reflecting on the Mixing of System Dynamics With Action Research Alongside Work Within the Problem Structuring Methods Field Comment on "Insights Gained From a Re-analysis of Five Improvement Cases in Healthcare Integrating System Dynamics Into Action Research"
Authors: Ackermann Fran
Published: October 2023

This commentary reflects upon the insights for improvement cases reported by Holmström et al where they consider the integration of action research (AR)—a research methodology—and system dynamics (SD)—a modelling technique—to manage the complexity of patient care pathways. Whilst this combination can be effective, recognising that SD is a simulation model whereas AR is a research approach is important for both practical and conceptual reasons. In addition, some of the benefits noted can also be achieved through taking a wider examination of modelling techniques, particularly problem structuring methods (PSMs) as SD has been considered a PSM and PSMs are designed to effectively engage multi-disciplinary group members in the search for solutions as this will provide further avenues for both engagement and learning.
Molecular Analysis of Ndm-1 Positive Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains Isolated From Patients With Bacteremia Due to Urinary System Infection
Authors: Akgül Ömer , Bora Gülhan
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Health concerns about Klebsiella pneumoniae, which causes urinary tract infections (UTIs) and sepsis, are increasing worldwide. In addition, New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase (NDM) carrier K. pneumoniae and other Gram-negative bacteria appear to cause serious clinical problems. This study aimed to reveal NDM-1 positive K. pneumoniae carrier status, molecular properties, and antibiotic resistance differences of patients who have bacteremia due to urinary system infections. Methods: Blood culture, biochemical tests, Vitek2, polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) methods were used for the microbiological analysis of K. pneumoniae strains. Results: Overall, 146 K. pneumoniae strains were obtained from the cultures, 16 of which were found to be NDM-1 positive. Although these strains were discovered to have resistance to the authorized antibiotics, they were sensitive to gentamicin (CN), colistin (CT), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT). Furthermore, it was found that the resistance rates of carbapenem (ertapenem (Etp), imipenem (Ipm), and meropenem (Mem)) were high. All K. pneumoniae strains represented extended-spectrum beta-lactam resistance. It was found that the phylogenetic affinities of K. pneumoniae strains were higher with Asian strains. Five and eleven K. pneumoniae isolates were determined to be ST17 and ST147 type variations, respectively, as a conclusion of the MLST study. Conclusions: It was observed that the presence of NDM-1-positive K. pneumoniae may pose a serious problem in patients with bacteremia caused by UTI. It has been demonstrated that it is important to develop preventive and control measures in the hospital by considering NDM-1-positive K. pneumoniae strains with multi-drug resistance.
The hypoglycemic effects of Juglans regia L. internal septum in type 2 diabetic patients: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Afra Fatemeh , Zargaran Arman , Shirzad Nooshin , Hemmatabadi Mahboobeh , Ebrahimpur Mahbube , Karimi Mehrdad , Khanavi Mahnaz , Mirshekari Mehrzad , Namazi Soha
Published: October 2023

Introduction: The internal septum of J.regia is traditionally used to control diabetes, and its effectiveness has been shown in animal studies. Accordingly, human clinical trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood insulin level, and insulin resistance as a complementary for better control of type 2 diabetes. Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial. The lyophilized powder of extract of the internal septum of J.regia was used to fill the capsules. Sixty type 2 diabetic patients were randomly divided into two groups. 500 mg capsules three times daily before meal was added to their routine drug regimen, and HbA1c, FBS, and blood insulin level were checked at the baseline and after three months. Results: Sixty patients completed the study. The mean(±SD) age of patients was 49.1(10.2) and 50.9(12.7) years in the placebo and J.regia groups, respectively. We observed that J.regia internal septum increases the level of HbA1c by about 0.02 units, but this effect was not significant (MD=0.02,95%CI=-0.36 to 0.40, P=0.93). Regarding the impact of capsules on insulin level, it seems that J.regia-containing capsules can raise insulin level by one unit. However, it was not significant (MD=1.01,95%CI=-0.86 to 2.88, P=0.28). As for FBS, it can cause a decrease of four units, but this effect is also not significant (MD=-3.98,95%CI=-18.33 to 10.37, P=0.58). Conclusion: Based on our study, the internal septum of J.regia has no significant effect on HbA1c, FBS, and insulin resistance. Moreover, no specific adverse reaction was observed in any of the patients.
Goal-directed therapy in cardiovascular surgery: A case series study
Authors: Givtaj Nader , Hosseinzadeh Elnaz , Hadipourzadeh Fatemeh Shima , Faritous Zahra , Askari Mohammad Hasan , Ghanbari Garekani Maryam
Published: October 2023

Hemodynamic and intravascular volume monitoring has been utilized and significantly improved thanks to the technology revolution. Goal-Directed Therapy (GDT) derived from this advanced monitoring is beneficial for complex surgeries, and it shifted the medical approaches from static therapy to more personalized functional treatments. Conventional monitoring methods such as blood pressure, heart rate, urinary output, and central venous pressure are commonly used. However, studies have shown these routine parameters often cannot precisely estimate the quality of tissue perfusion. Tissue hypoperfusion and hypoxia play a crucial role in initiating a systemic inflammatory response after prolonged surgeries, resulting in unstable hemodynamic condition of the patients. Several studies reported the importance of GDT in non-cardiac surgeries and there are few reports on cardiac surgeries. However, tissue perfusion and fluid management are more critical in complex and prolonged cardiovascular surgeries to avoid complications such as low cardiac output syndrome and renal or pulmonary dysfunction. Different advanced hemodynamic monitorings have been utilized perioperatively in cardiac surgery to help decision-making on inotrope and fluid management. In this article we present 5 cases of usefulness hemodynamic monitoring in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgeries.
Avaliação da toxidade de inseticidas para as abelhas europa (Apis mellifera)
Authors: Da Cunha Júnior João Luiz , Ulhôa João Luís Ribeiro , Oliveira João Antônio Ulhôa
Published: October 2023

As abelhas são grandes responsáveis pela polinização, no entanto o seu número vem diminuindo, além de outros fatores, por causa do uso indiscriminado de defensivos agrícolas, como por exemplo os inseticidas. Visando isto o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a toxidade de inseticidas em abelhas da espécie Apis mellifera. O experimento foi conduzido no laboratório de Entomologia da ULBRA em Itumbiara-GO. O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, contando com seis tratamentos e cinco repetições. Foram aplicados doses de inseticidas sobre as abelhas e realizado as análises dos resultados. Nas condições que esse experimento foi conduzido foi possível observar que o uso de inseticidas afetou significamente os adultos e larvas da Apis mellifera. No entanto, no intuito de aprimorar os métodos de avaliação de risco e compreender as implicações ambientais e econômicas do uso exagerado de inseticidas, são necessários maiores estudos para entender a ação desses inseticidas a longo prazo.