bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arthroscopic superior capsule reconstruction using autologous fascia lata and biceps tendon augmentation
Authors: Hsu Chen-Heng , Chiu Chih-Hao , Weng Chun-Jui , Hsu Kuo-Yau , Chan Yi-Sheng , Chen Alvin Chao-Yu
Published: June 2020

Background
While arthroscopic superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) has been recently introduced to treat irreparable rotator cuff tear with encouraging outcomes, graft options and fixation remain debated. The purpose of this article is to describe a novel technique and present preliminary results in using long head of biceps tendon (LHBT) as augmentation for SCR with fascia lata autograft.
Methods
Retrospective analysis was performed on 18 patients undergoing arthroscopic SCR with LHBT augmentation for irreparable rotator cuff tear between October 2017 and November 2019. Preoperative radiographic survey confirmed massive rotator cuff tear with moderate to severe muscle fatty infiltration and availability of LHBT. Fascia lata autograft harvested from ipsilateral thigh was folded and securely sutured. The folded fascia graft was then introduced through standard anterolateral portal and fixed to superior glenoid superiorly and greater tuberosity laterally with suture anchors. Anteriorly, fascia lata graft was sutured with proximal portion of LHBT instead of subscapularis tendon. A full coverage of rotator cuff defect by facial graft was then confirmed arthroscopically to allow tension-free suturing between posterior margin of fascia graft and residual infraspinatus tendon. Postoperative abduction brace and regular follow-up was arranged.
Results
Being intact in 4 patients and either partially torn or subluxed in 14 patients, LHBT in all 18 patients were available for augmentation surgery. Preliminary functional survey revealed encouraging outcomes with a mean follow-up of 11.5 months. Nine patients with more one year follow-up regained full forward elevation; ASES improved from 24.3 to 90.2. Acromiohumeral distance improved from 3.3 mm to 8.6 mm with radiographic analysis in those 9 patients.
Conclusions
Arthroscopically LHBT augmented SCR is a novel technique and can be one of feasible opinions for irreparable rotator cuff tear.
Structural Modelling of the Lumenal Domain of Human GPAA1, the Metallo-Peptide Synthetase Subunit of the Transamidase Complex, Reveals Zinc-Binding Mode and Two Flaps Surrounding the Active Site
Authors: Su Chinh Tran-To , Sinha Swati , Eisenhaber Birgit , Eisenhaber Frank
Published: June 2020

Background The transamidase complex is a molecular machine in the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotes that attaches a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) lipid anchor to substrate proteins after cleaving a C-terminal propeptide with a defined sequence signal. Its five subunits are very hydrophobic; thus, solubility, heterologous expression and complex reconstruction are difficult. Therefore, theoretical approaches are currently the main source of insight into details of 3D structure and of the catalytic process. Results In this work, we generated model 3D structures of the lumenal domain of human GPAA1, the M28-type metallo-peptide-synthetase subunit of the transamidase, including zinc ion and model substrate positions. In comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of M28-type structures and our GPAA1 models, we estimated the metal ion binding energies with evolutionary conserved amino acid residues in the catalytic cleft. We find that canonical zinc binding sites 2 and 3 are strongest binders for Zn1 and, where a second zinc is available, sites 2 and 4 for Zn2. Zinc interaction of site 5 with Zn1 enhances upon substrate binding in structures with only one zinc. Whereas a previously studied glutaminyl cyclase structure, the best known homologue to GPAA1, binds only one zinc ion at the catalytic site, GPAA1 can sterically accommodate two. The M28-type metallopeptidases segregate into two independent branches with regard to one/two zinc ion binding modality in a phylogenetic tree where the GPAA1 family is closer to the joint origin of both groups. For GPAA1 models, MD studies revealed two large loops (flaps) surrounding the active site being involved in an anti-correlated, breathing-like dynamics. Conclusions In the light of combined sequence-analytic and phylogenetic arguments as well as 3D structural modelling results, GPAA1 is most likely a single zinc ion metallopeptidase. Two large flaps environ the catalytic site restricting access to large substrates.
Towards Data-Driven Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship: Secondary use of Routine Electronic Care and Prescribing Records to Inform Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes
Authors: Dutey-Magni Peter , Gill Martin J , Mcnulty David , Sohal Gurjit , Hayward Andrew , Shallcross Laura
Published: June 2020

Background

Hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes are multidisciplinary initiatives to optimise the use of antimicrobials. Most AMS programmes rely on time-consuming manual audits to monitor clinicians’ antibiotic prescribing practice. Much of the information needed is already contained within electronic health records (EHRs) and could be used to inform AMS programmes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of building analytics from hospital EHRs to facilitate AMS interventions.
Methods

This study used electronic prescribing, laboratory and clinical coding records of adult patients admitted to six specialties at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK between September 2017 and August 2018 (n = 61,679 admissions). Duration of prescribing, compliance with clinical guidelines, and timing of switch from intravenous to oral antibiotics in relation to clinical progression were assessed. Outputs were visualised at ward, specialty and consultant levels.
Results

A total of 59,884 antibacterial prescription records were linked into 24,653 therapy episodes. Among the 35% of admissions prescribed an antibacterial, the mean days of therapy per admission was 4.3 days and 9.9 days in elective and emergency hospitalisations respectively. Twenty-two percent (207/997) of therapy episodes for low-severity community-acquired pneumonia were initiated with the antibiotic recommended by locally-approved prescribing guidelines. Data suggested average delays in switching from intravenous to oral therapy of up to 3.6 days [95% CI: 3.4; 3.7]. Microbial cultures were performed prior to treatment initiation in just 22% of antibacterial prescriptions.
Conclusions

Hospital EHRs can be used to construct meaningful measures of antibiotic stewardship, demonstrating potential value for audit and feedback interventions.
Gut mycobiota alterations in patients with COVID-19 and H1N1 and associations with immune and gastrointestinal symptoms
Authors: Lv Longxian , Gu Silan , Jiang Huiyong , Yan Ren , Chen Yanfei , chen Yunbo , Luo Rui , Huang Chenjie , Lu Haifeng , Zheng Beiwen , Zhang Hua , Xia Jiafeng , Tang Lingling , Sheng Guoping , Li Lanjuan
Published: June 2020

The relationship between gut microbes and COVID-19 or H1N1 flu is not fully understood. Here, we compared gut mycobiota of 67 COVID-19 patients, 35 H1N1 patients and 48 healthy controls (HCs) using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 3-ITS4 sequencing. Fungal richness decreased in COVID-19 and H1N1 patients compared to HCs, but fungal diversity decreased in only H1N1 patients. Fungal mycobiota dysbiosis in both COVID-19 and H1N1 patients was mainly characterized by depletions of fungi such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, but several fungi, such as Candida parapsilosis, and Malassezia yamatoensis, were enriched in H1N1 patients. The altered fungal taxa were strongly associated with clinical features such as the incidence of diarrhoea, albumin. Gut mycobiota between COVID-19 patients with mild and severity symptoms are not different, as well as between COVID-19 patients in and out hospital. Therefore, gut mycobiota dysbiosis occur in covid-19 or H1N1 patients and do not improve until discharge.
Predictors of mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shi Changcheng , Wang Limin , Ye Jian , Gu Zhichun , Wang Shuying , Xia Junbo , Xie Yaping , Li Qingyu , Xu Renjie , Lin Nengming
Published: June 2020

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a high mortality rate, especially in patients with severe illness. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the potential predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and three electronic Chinese databases were searched from December 1, 2019, to April 29, 2020. Eligible studies reporting potential predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19 were identified. Unadjusted prognostic effect estimates were pooled using the random-effects model if data from at least two studies were available. Adjusted prognostic eﬀect estimates were presented by qualitative analysis.Results: Thirty-six observational studies were identified, of which 27 were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 106 potential risk factors were tested and the following important predictors were associated with mortality: advanced age, male sex, current smoking status, preexisting comorbidities (especially chronic kidney, respiratory, and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases), symptoms of dyspnea, complications during hospitalization, corticosteroid use and a severe condition. Additionally, a series of abnormal laboratory biomarkers of hematologic parameters, hepatorenal function, inflammation, coagulation, and cardiovascular injury were also associated with fatal outcome.Conclusion: We identified predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19. These findings could help healthcare providers take appropriate measures and improve clinical outcomes in such patients.
One-stage posterior debridement, titanium mesh cage bone grafting and single-segment fixation for treating mono-segmental lumbar and lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis in adult patients following minimum 5-year follow-up
Authors: Xu Zhenchao , Wang Xiyang , Liu Zheng
Published: June 2020

Background
To evaluate the mid-long term outcomes of surgical management of mono-segmental lumbar and lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis (TB) by one-stage posterior debridement, titanium mesh cage bone grafting and single-segment fixation.
Methods
A total of 62 patients with mono-segmental lumbar or lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis were enrolled. One-stage posterior debridement, titanium mesh cage bone grafting and single-segment fixation was performed. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared and analyzed.
Results
All patients were followed up for an average of 75.0 ± 11.5 months and completely cured at the final follow-up. C-reactive protein (CRP) and Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) returned to normal within three months postoperatively. Postoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability index (ODI) were significantly improved compared with preoperative values. Bony fusion occurred after an average of 9.8 ± 2.6 months. The lordosis angle and lumbosacral angle were increased from preoperative 20.4 ± 2.9° and 14.7 ± 3.4°to postoperative 32.8 ± 3.6° and 22.4 ± 5.5°, with the angle loss of 1.0 ± 0.7° and 0.8 ± 0.7° at the final follow-up, respectively. No significant differences between preoperative and postoperative adjacent segment disc height (DH) were found.
Conclusions
one-stage posterior debridement, titanium mesh cage bone grafting and single-segment fixation can be an effective and feasible treatment option for mono-segmental lumbar and lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis in adults. It may preserve lumbar normal motor units and decrease adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) with the advantages of minimally invasion and rapid postoperative rehabilitation.
Forecasting Covid-19 epidemic in Isfahan using a dynamic modeling approach
Authors: Moein Shiva , Nickaeen Niloofar , Roointan Amir , Borhani Niloofar , Heidari Zarifeh , Javanmard Shaghayegh Haghjooy , Ghaisari Jafar , Gheisari Yousof
Published: June 2020

The multidimensional destructions caused by Covid-19 have been compared to that of World War II. What makes the situation even more complicated is the ambiguity regarding the duration and the final size of the pandemic. It is critical especially for the governments, healthcare systems, and economic sectors to have an estimation of the future of this disaster. Using a dynamic model, we have here simulated the epidemic in Isfahan province, Iran for the episode of Feb 14th to April 11th and also have forecasted the remaining course with three scenarios which differ in terms of the stringency of social distancing. Results of this study indicate that in a “good scenario”, the epidemic could be overcome by following a strict lockdown for some weeks. Notably, even partial restrictions in the “feasible scenario” decline hospital admissions and mortality rates by one third compared to the “bad scenario” in which no limitation is imposed. Taken together, inattention to preventive strategies will result in a dramatic increase of the medical, social, and economical burden of the outbreak.
Seasonal Effect of Ultraviolet Irradiation on Polymethoxyflavone and Hesperidin Content in Ponkan and Tachibana Flavedo
Authors: Yamaga Ittetsu , Hamasaki Sakura
Published: June 2020

Ponkan (Citrus reticulate) and Tachibana (Citrus tachibana) contain large amounts of polymethoxyflavones (PMFs). To produce highly functional food with high potential, it is important to develop technologies to increase their PMF content. Nobiletin content of the flavedo changed in harvested ‘Ohta Ponkan’ fruits after ultraviolet (UV)-C irradiation and PMF content increased for only the first 2 days following irradiation. The effect of UV-C or UV-B irradiation on PMF content at each harvest time (UV-C, July to December; UV-B, July to September) was observed in Ponkan and Tachibana. We found that UV-C had the greatest impact earlier in the season. The effects of UV-B irradiation were similar to UV-C results. Therefore, it is beneficial to harvest early and extract PMFs from fruit 24 hours after UV-C irradiation.
Si-rich Mg-sursassite Mg4Al5Si7O23(OH)5 with octahedrally coordinated Si: A new ultrahigh-pressure hydrous phase
Authors: Bindi Luca , Welch Mark D. , Bendeliani Aleksandra A. , Bobrov Andrey V.
Published: June 2020

The crystal structure of a new high-pressure hydrous phase, Si-rich Mg-sursassite, of ideal composition Mg4Al5Si7O23(OH)5, that was produced by sub-solidus reaction at 24 GPa and 1400 °C in an experiment using a model sedimentary bulk composition, has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The phase was found to be topologically identical to Mg-sursassite, Mg5Al5Si6O21(OH)7, and has space group P21/m and lattice parameters a = 8.4222(7), b = 5.5812(3), c = 9.4055(9) Å, b = 106.793(8)°, V = 423.26(6) Å3, and Z = 1. The empirical formula determined by electron microprobe analysis of the same crystal as was used in the X-ray experiment is [Mg3.93(3)Fe0.03(1)]Σ3.96[Al4.98(3)Cr0.04(1)]S5.02 Si7.02(4)O23(OH)5, with hydroxyl content implied by the crystal-structure analysis. The most significant aspect of the structure of Si-rich Mg-sursassite is the presence of octahedrally coordinated Si. Its structural formula is M1,VIIMg2M2,VIMg22+M3,VI(Al0.5Si0.5)2M4,VIAl2M5,VIAl2T1,IVSi2T2,IVSi2T3,IVSi2 O23(OH)5. Si-rich Mg-sursassite joins the group of hydrous ultrahigh-pressure phases with octahedrally coordinated Si that have been discovered by experiment, and that may play a significant role in the distribution and hosting of water in the deep mantle at subduction zones. The reactions defining the stability of Si-rich Mg-sursassite are unknown, but are likely to be fundamentally different from those of Mg-sursassite, and involve other ultrahigh-pressure dense structures such as phase D, rather than phase A.
Insights on Engineered Microbes in Sustainable Agriculture: Biotechnological Developments and Future Prospects
Authors: Sudheer Surya , Bai Renu Geetha , Usmani Zeba , Sharma Minaxi
Published: June 2020

Background:

Background: Enhanced agricultural production is essential for increasing demand of the growing world population. At the same time, to combat the adverse effects caused by conventional agriculture practices to the environment along with the impact on human health and food security, a sustainable and healthy agricultural production needs to be practiced using beneficial microorganisms for enhanced yield. It is quite challenging because these microorganisms have rich biosynthetic repositories to produce biomolecules of interest; however, the intensive research in allied sectors and emerging genetic tools for improved microbial consortia are accepting new approaches that are helpful to farmers and agriculturists to meet the ever-increasing demand of sustainable food production. An important advancement is improved strain development via genetically engineered microbial systems (GEMS) as well as genetically modified microorganisms (GMOs) possessing known and upgraded functional characteristics to promote sustainable agriculture and food security. With the development of novel technologies such as DNA automated synthesis, sequencing and influential computational tools, molecular biology has entered the systems biology and synthetic biology era. More recently, CRISPR/Cas has been engineered to be an important tool in genetic engineering for various applications in the agri sector. The research in sustainable agriculture is progressing tremendously through GMOs/GEMS for their potential use in biofertilizers and as biopesticides.

Conclusion:

In this review, we discuss the beneficial effects of engineered microorganisms through integrated sustainable agriculture production practices to improve the soil microbial health in order to increase crop productivity.
Antiproliferative Activity of 8-methoxy Ciprofloxacin-Hydrozone/Acylhydrazone Scaffolds
Authors: Wang Li-Ping , Xu Zhi , Deng Gui-Ying , Xu Sha-Li
Published: June 2020

Aims:

A series of 8-methoxy ciprofloxacin- hydrazone/acylhydrazone hybrids were evaluated
for their activity against a panel of cancer cell lines including HepG2 liver cancer cells, MCF-7, doxorubicin-
resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/DOX) breast cancer cells, DU-145 and multidrug-resistant DU145
(MDR DU-145) prostate cancer cells to seek for novel anticancer agents.

Background:

Ciprofloxacin with excellent pharmacokinetic properties as well as few side effects, is one
of the most common used antibacterial agents. Notably, Ciprofloxacin could induce cancer cells apoptosis,
and cell cycle arrest at the S/G2 stage. The structure-activity relationship reveals that the introduction
of the methoxy group into the C-8 position of the fluoroquinolone moiety has resulted in a greater
binding affinity to the binding site, and 8-methoxy ciprofloxacin derivatives have proved a variety of
biological activities even against drug-resistant organisms. However, to the best of our current knowledge,
there are no studies that have reported the anticancer activity of 8-methoxy ciprofloxacin derivatives
so far. Furthermore, many fluoroquinolone-hydrazone/acylhydrazone hybrids possess promising
anticancer activity. Thus, it is rational to screen the anticancer activity of 8-methoxy ciprofloxacin derivatives.

Objective:

To enrich the structure-activity relationship and provide new anticancer candidates for further
investigations.

Methods:

The desired 8-methoxy ciprofloxacin-hydrazone/acylhydrazone hybrids 5 and 6 were screened
for their in vitro anticancer activity against liver cancer cells HepG2, breast cancer cells MCF-7,
MCF7/DOX, prostate cancer cells DU-145 and MDR DU-145 by MTT assay.

Results:

Some of 8-methoxy ciprofloxacin-hydrazone hybrids showed potential activity against HepG2,
MCF-7, MCF-7/DOX, DU-145 and MDR DU-145 cancer cell lines, low cytotoxicity towards VERO
cells and promising inhibitory activity on tubulin polymerization.

Conclusion:

Compounds 5d and 5f showed promising anticancer activity, low cytotoxicity, and potential
tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity, were worthy of investigation.

Other:

The structure-activity relationship was enriched.
Computational Evaluation and In Vitro Validation of New Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors
Authors: Gómez-Ganau Sergi , Castillo Josefa , Cervantes Andrés , de Julián-Ortiz Jesus Vicente , Gozalbes Rafael
Published: June 2020

Background:

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane protein that acts as a receptor of extracellular protein ligands of the epidermal growth factor (EGF/ErbB) family. It has been shown that EGFR is overexpressed by many tumours and correlates with poor prognosis. Therefore, EGFR can be considered as a very interesting therapeutic target for the treatment of a large variety of cancers such as lung, ovarian, endometrial, gastric, bladder and breast cancers, cervical adenocarcinoma, malignant melanoma and glioblastoma.

Methods:

We have followed a structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) procedure with a library composed of several commercial collections of chemicals (615,462 compounds in total) and the 3D structure of EGFR obtained from the Protein Data Bank (PDB code: 1M17). The docking results from this campaign were then ranked according to the theoretical binding affinity of these molecules to EGFR, and compared with the binding affinity of erlotinib, a well-known EGFR inhibitor. A total of 23 top-rated commercial compounds displaying potential binding affinities similar or even better than erlotinib were selected for experimental evaluation. In vitro assays in different cell lines were performed. A preliminary test was carried out with a simple and standard quick cell proliferation assay kit, and six compounds showed significant activity when compared to positive control. Then, viability and cell proliferation of these compounds were further tested using a protocol based on propidium iodide (PI) and flow cytometry in HCT116, Caco-2 and H358 cell lines.

Results:

The whole six compounds displayed good effects when compared with erlotinib at 30 μM. When reducing the concentration to 10μM, the activity of the 6 compounds depends on the cell line used: the six compounds showed inhibitory activity with HCT116, two compounds showed inhibition with Caco-2, and three compounds showed inhibitory effects with H358. At 2 μM, one compound showed inhibiting effects close to those from erlotinib.

Conclusion:

Therefore, these compounds could be considered as potential primary hits, acting as promising starting points to expand the therapeutic options against a wide range of cancers.
Inflammasomes in the Pathophysiology of Maternal Obesity: Potential Therapeutic Targets to Reduce Long-Term Adverse Health Outcomes in the Mother and Offspring
Authors: Murthi Padma , Rajaraman Gayathri
Published: June 2020

Over the past 20 years, the prevalence of obesity has risen dramatically worldwide, with an
increase in occurrence among women in their reproductive age. Obesity during pregnancy is associated
with significantly increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In addition to the short-term
adverse health outcomes, both mother and the child are prone to develop cardiovascular, metabolic and
neurological disorders. Although associations between obesity during pregnancy and adverse maternalfetal
health outcomes are clear, the complex molecular mechanisms underlying maternal obesity remain
largely unknown. This review describes multimeric self-assembling protein complexes, namely inflammasomes,
as potential molecular targets in the pathophysiology of maternal obesity. Inflammasomes are
implicated in both normal physiological and in pathophysiological processes that occur in response to an
inflammatory milieu throughout gestation. This review highlights the current knowledge of inflammasome
expression and its activity in pregnancies affected by maternal obesity. Key discussions in defining
pharmacological inhibition of upstream as well as downstream targets of the inflammasome signaling
cascade; and the inflammasome platform, as a potential therapeutic strategy in attenuating the
pathophysiology underpinning inflammatory component in maternal obesity are presented herein.
Carbon Nanotubes Inhibit the Pepsin Activity at High Ionic Strength
Authors: Jasem Khlowd M. , Al-Hakeim Hussein K. , Al-Shams Jawad K.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common chronic gastrointestinal
disorder in adults that occurs as the stomach contents reflux and come up into the esophagus
due to a dysfunction in the lower oesophageal sphincter. One approach commonly used to treat
GERD is inhibition of the activity of pepsin enzyme. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanoparticles of
carbon atoms that possess numerous interesting physical and chemical properties. CTNs functionalization
expands the range of their properties to make them soluble in biological fluids and to confer
the property of carrying drug or biological macromolecules which increase the scope of their applications
in biomedical science.

Objective:

This study aims to utilize CNTs as a pepsin inhibitor and as a new medication for the
treatment of GERD.

Methods:

The pepsin activity before and after the addition of an exact amount of the CNTs to the reaction
mixture was measured colorimetrically.

Results:

The results showed that both Vmax and Km changed after the addition of CNTs to the pepsin
solution indicating a mixed inhibition of pepsin activity. This finding pointed to the ability of
CNTs to bind with the pepsin molecule and pepsin-protein complex, therefore inhibiting the enzyme
activity.

Conclusion:

The findings also demonstrated a complete inhibition of pepsin activity by CNTs when
increasing the ionic strength of the reaction mixture. It can be inferred that using CNTs at a high concentration
of NaCl at 37°C is the optimal condition for pepsin inhibition.
Nanoemulsion: A Novel Drug Delivery Approach for Enhancement of Bioavailability
Authors: Pandey Parijat , Gulati Nisha , Makhija Manish , Purohit Deepika , Dureja Harish
Published: June 2020

Background:

Poor bioavailability and solubility of drugs in aqueous phase are the most important problems of newly developed chemical entities that can be improved by nanoemulsion.

Objectives:

BCS class II and IV which are poorly soluble in water demonstrate various problems in conventional dosage forms. For the improvement of solubility, bioavailability and getting the best therapeutic effect of poorly soluble drugs nanoemulsion is the best solution.

Methods:

Nanoemulsion are thermodynamically unstable isotropic system with droplet size 1-100 nm in which two immiscible fluids are combined together to form one phase by using an emulsifying agent. Nanoemulsion can be designed to promote the bioavailability of API by trapping them inside.

Results:

Nanoemulsion can be developed in many dosage forms such as oral, parenteral, topical, ophthalmic dosage form in large scale using common operation at a very low cost. Large range of lipophilic drugs can be easily incorporated in nanoemulsion.

Conclusion:

In this review, attention is focused on the type of nanoemulsions, their advantages over other dosage form, method for their preparation, characterization, applications and patents in various fields.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome (ACOS) are Risk Factors for Cryptococcosis
Authors: Pereira Aline B. Mahler , Rogerio Alexandre P.
Published: June 2020

Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection of global importance affecting the central nervous system and other organs such as the lungs. The severity of cryptococcosis is largely dependent on the integrity of the host immune system. The protection to cryptococcosis is associated with Th1 immune response while Th2 results in susceptibility to Cryptococcus infection. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease commonly coordinated by Th2 immune response. The airway inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients is characterized by increased neutrophils, macrophages, proteases, IL-6, IL-8, and Th1 cytokines. Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome (ACOS) patients present phenotype that shares Th1 (COPD) and Th2 (asthma). There are several risk factors associated with Cryptococcus infection, including smoking, that cause airway remodeling and dysregulated and damaging airway inflammation.
Analysis of Ion and pH Effects on Iron Response Element (IRE) and mRNA-Iron Regulatory Protein (IRP1) Interactions
Authors: Khan Mateen A.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Cellular iron uptake, utilization, and storage are tightly controlled
through the action of iron regulatory proteins (IRPs). IRPs achieve this control by binding to
IREs-mRNA in the 5'- or 3'-end of mRNAs that encode proteins involved in iron metabolism.
The interaction of iron regulatory proteins with mRNAs containing an iron responsive
element plays a central role in this regulation. The IRE RNA family of mRNA regulatory
structures combines absolutely conserved protein binding sites with phylogenetically conserved
base pairs that are specific to each IREs and influence RNA/protein stability. Our
previous result revealed the binding and kinetics of IRE RNA with IRP1. The aim of the present
study is to gain further insight into the differences in protein/RNA stability as a function
of pH and ionic strength.

Objective:

To determine the extent to which the binding affinity and stability of protein/RNA
complex was affected by ionic strength and pH.

Methods:

Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize IRE RNA-IRP protein interaction.

Results:

Scatchard analysis revealed that the IRP1 protein binds to a single IRE RNA molecule.
The binding affinity of two IRE RNA/IRP was significantly changed with the change in
pH. The data suggests that the optimum binding of RNA/IRP complex occurred at pH 7.6.
Dissociation constant for two IRE RNA/IRP increased with an increase in ionic strength,
with a larger effect for FRT IRE RNA. This suggests that numerous electrostatic interactions
occur in the ferritin IRE RNA/IRP than ACO2 IRE RNA/IRP complex. Iodide quenching
shows that the majority of the tryptophan residues in IRP1 are solvent-accessible, assuming
that most of the tryptophan residues contribute to protein fluorescence.

Conclusion:

The results obtained from this study clearly indicate that IRE RNA/IRP complex
is destabilized by the change in pH and ionic strength. These observations suggest that
both pH and ion are important for the assembly and stability of the IRE RNA/IRP complex
formation.
Social, Behavioral, and Cultural factors of HIV in Malawi: Semi-Automated Systematic Review
Authors: Thiabaud Amaury , Triulzi Isotta , Orel Erol , Tal Kali , Keiser Olivia
Published: June 2020

Background

Demographic and sociobehavioral factors are strong drivers of HIV infection rates in sub-Saharan Africa. These factors are often studied in qualitative research but ignored in quantitative analyses. However, they provide in-depth insight into the local behavior and may help to improve HIV prevention.

Objective

To obtain a comprehensive overview of the sociobehavioral factors influencing HIV prevalence and incidence in Malawi, we systematically reviewed the literature using a newly programmed tool for automatizing part of the systematic review process.

Methods

Due to the choice of broad search terms (“HIV AND Malawi”), our preliminary search revealed many thousands of articles. We, therefore, developed a Python tool to automatically extract, process, and categorize open-access articles published from January 1, 1987 to October 1, 2019 in the PubMed, PubMed Central, JSTOR, Paperity, and arXiV databases. We then used a topic modelling algorithm to classify and identify publications of interest.

Results

Our tool extracted 22,709 unique articles; 16,942 could be further processed. After topic modelling, 519 of these were clustered into relevant topics, of which 20 were kept after manual screening. We retrieved 7 more publications after examining the references so that 27 publications were finally included in the review. Reducing the 16,942 articles to 519 potentially relevant articles using the software took 5 days. Several factors contributing to the risk of HIV infection were identified, including religion, gender and relationship dynamics, beliefs, and sociobehavioral attitudes.

Conclusions

Our software does not replace traditional systematic reviews, but it returns useful results to broad queries of open-access literature in under a week, without a priori knowledge. This produces a “seed dataset” of relevance that could be further developed. It identified known factors and factors that may be specific to Malawi. In the future, we aim to expand the tool by adding more social science databases and applying it to other sub-Saharan African countries.
Predicting Current Glycated Hemoglobin Levels in Adults From Electronic Health Records: Validation of Multiple Logistic Regression Algorithm
Authors: Alhassan Zakhriya , Budgen David , Alshammari Riyad , Al Moubayed Noura
Published: June 2020

Background

Electronic health record (EHR) systems generate large datasets that can significantly enrich the development of medical predictive models. Several attempts have been made to investigate the effect of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) elevation on the prediction of diabetes onset. However, there is still a need for validation of these models using EHR data collected from different populations.

Objective

The aim of this study is to perform a replication study to validate, evaluate, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of replicating a predictive model that employed multiple logistic regression with EHR data to forecast the levels of HbA1c. The original study used data from a population in the United States and this differentiated replication used a population in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A total of 3 models were developed and compared with the model created in the original study. The models were trained and tested using a larger dataset from Saudi Arabia with 36,378 records. The 10-fold cross-validation approach was used for measuring the performance of the models.

Results

Applying the method employed in the original study achieved an accuracy of 74% to 75% when using the dataset collected from Saudi Arabia, compared with 77% obtained from using the population from the United States. The results also show a different ranking of importance for the predictors between the original study and the replication. The order of importance for the predictors with our population, from the most to the least importance, is age, random blood sugar, estimated glomerular filtration rate, total cholesterol, non–high-density lipoprotein, and body mass index.

Conclusions

This replication study shows that direct use of the models (calculators) created using multiple logistic regression to predict the level of HbA1c may not be appropriate for all populations. This study reveals that the weighting of the predictors needs to be calibrated to the population used. However, the study does confirm that replicating the original study using a different population can help with predicting the levels of HbA1c by using the predictors that are routinely collected and stored in hospital EHR systems.
Closing the Psychological Treatment Gap During the COVID-19 Pandemic With a Supportive Text Messaging Program: Protocol for Implementation and Evaluation
Authors: Agyapong Vincent Israel Opoku , Hrabok Marianne , Vuong Wesley , Gusnowski April , Shalaby Reham , Mrklas Kelly , Li Daniel , Urichuk Liana , Snaterse Mark , Surood Shireen , Cao Bo , Li Xin-Min , Greiner Russ , Greenshaw Andrew James
Published: June 2020

Background

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread globally with far-reaching, significant, and unprecedented impacts on health and everyday life. Threats to mental health, psychological safety, and well-being are now emerging, increasing the impact of this virus on world health. Providing support for these challenges is difficult because of the high number of people requiring support in the context of a need to maintain physical distancing. This protocol describes the use of SMS text messaging (Text4Hope) as a convenient, cost-effective, and accessible population-level mental health intervention. This program is evidence-based, with prior research supporting good outcomes and high user satisfaction.

Objective

The project goal is to implement a program of daily supportive SMS text messaging (Text4Hope) to reduce distress related to the COVID-19 crisis, initially among Canadians. The prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms; the demographic correlates of the same; and the outcomes of the Text4Hope intervention in mitigating distress will be evaluated.

Methods

Self-administered anonymous online questionnaires will be used to assess stress (Perceived Stress Scale), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale [GAD-7]), and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]). Data will be collected at baseline (onset of SMS text messaging), the program midpoint (6 weeks), and the program endpoint (12 weeks).

Results

Data analysis will include parametric and nonparametric techniques, focusing on primary outcomes (ie, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms) and metrics of use, including the number of subscribers and user satisfaction. Given the large size of the data set, machine learning and data mining methods will also be used.

Conclusions

This COVID-19 project will provide key information regarding prevalence rates of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms during the pandemic; demographic correlates of distress; and outcome data related to this scalable population-level intervention. Information from this study will be valuable for practitioners and useful for informing policy and decision making regarding psychological interventions during the pandemic.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/19292
Nature and Diffusion of COVID-19–related Oral Health Information on Chinese Social Media: Analysis of Tweets on Weibo
Authors: Tao Zhuo-Ying , Chu Guang , McGrath Colman , Hua Fang , Leung Yiu Yan , Yang Wei-Fa , Su Yu-Xiong
Published: June 2020

Background

Social media has become increasingly important as a source of information for the public and is widely used for health-related information. The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has exerted a negative impact on dental practices.

Objective

The aim of this study is to analyze the nature and diffusion of COVID-19–related oral health information on the Chinese social media site Weibo.

Methods

A total of 15,900 tweets related to oral health and dentistry information from Weibo during the COVID-19 outbreak in China (December 31, 2019, to March 16, 2020) were included in our study. Two researchers coded 1000 of the total tweets in advance, and two main thematic categories with eight subtypes were refined. The included tweets were analyzed over time and geographic region, and coded into eight thematic categories. Additionally, the time distributions of tweets containing information about dental services, needs of dental treatment, and home oral care during the COVID-19 epidemic were further analyzed.

Results

People reacted rapidly to the emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 threat to dental services, and a large amount of COVID-19–related oral health information was tweeted on Weibo. The time and geographic distribution of tweets shared similarities with epidemiological data of the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Tweets containing home oral care and dental services content were the most frequently exchanged information (n=4803/15,900, 30.20% and n=4478, 28.16%, respectively). Significant differences of public attention were found between various types of bloggers in dental services–related tweets (P<.001), and the tweets from the government and media engaged the most public attention. The distributions of tweets containing information about dental services, needs of dental treatment, and home oral care information dynamically changed with time.

Conclusions

Our study overviewed and analyzed social media data on the dental services and oral health information during the COVID-19 epidemic, thus, providing insights for government organizations, media, and dental professionals to better facilitate oral health communication and efficiently shape public concern through social media when routine dental services are unavailable during an unprecedented event. The study of the nature and distribution of social media can serve as a useful adjunct tool to help make public health policies.
A Mindfulness-Based Brain-Computer Interface to Augment Mandala Coloring for Depression: Protocol for a Single-Case Experimental Design (Preprint)
Authors: Daudén Roquet Claudia , Sas Corina
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

The regular practice of mindfulness has been shown to provide benefits for mental well-being and prevent depression relapse. Technology-mediated interventions can facilitate the uptake and sustained practice of mindfulness, yet the evaluation of interactive systems, such as brain-computer interfaces, has been little explored.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this paper is to present an interactive mindfulness-based technology to improve mental well-being in people who have experienced depression. The system, Anima, is a brain-computer interface that augments mandala coloring by providing a generative color palette based on the unfolding mindfulness states during the practice. In addition, this paper outlines a multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design methodology to evaluate training effectiveness.

METHODS

Adult participants who have experienced depression in the past, have finished treatment within the last year, and can provide informed consent will be able to be recruited. The Anima system, consisting of 2 tablets and a nonintrusive mental activity headband, will be delivered to participants to use during the study. Measures include state and trait mindfulness, depression symptoms, mental well-being, and user experience, and these measures will be taken throughout the baseline, intervention, and monitoring phases. The data collection will take place in the form of a questionnaire before and after each mandala-coloring session and a semistructured interview every 2 weeks. Trial results will be analyzed using structured visual analysis, supplemented with statistical analysis appropriate to single-case methodology.

RESULTS

Study results will offer new insights into the deployment and evaluation of novel interactive brain-computer interfaces for mindfulness training in the context of mental health. Moreover, findings will validate the effectiveness of this training protocol to improve the mental well-being of people who have had depression. Participants will be recruited locally through the National Health Service.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence will assist in the design and evaluation of brain-computer interfaces and mindfulness technologies for mental well-being and the necessary services to support people who have experienced depression.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/20819
Proposed Implementation of Blockchain in British Columbia’s Health Care Data Management (Preprint)
Authors: Cadoret Danielle , Kailas Tamara , Velmovitsky Pedro , Morita Plinio , Igboeli Okechukwu
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

There are several challenges such as information silos and lack of interoperability with the current electronic medical record (EMR) infrastructure in the Canadian health care system. These challenges can be alleviated by implementing a blockchain-based health care data management solution.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to provide a detailed overview of the current health data management infrastructure in British Columbia for identifying some of the gaps and inefficiencies in the Canadian health care data management system. We explored whether blockchain is a viable option for bridging the existing gaps in EMR solutions in British Columbia’s health care system.

METHODS

We constructed the British Columbia health care data infrastructure and health information flow based on publicly available information and in partnership with an industry expert familiar with the health systems information technology network of British Columbia’s Provincial Health Services Authorities. Information flow gaps, inconsistencies, and inefficiencies were the target of our analyses.

RESULTS

We found that hospitals and clinics have several choices for managing electronic records of health care information, such as different EMR software or cloud-based data management, and that the system development, implementation, and operations for EMRs are carried out by the private sector. As of 2013, EMR adoption in British Columbia was at 80% across all hospitals and the process of entering medical information into EMR systems in British Columbia could have a lag of up to 1 month. During this lag period, disease progression updates are continually written on physical paper charts and not immediately updated in the system, creating a continuous lag period and increasing the probability of errors and disjointed notes. The current major stumbling block for health care data management is interoperability resulting from the use of a wide range of unique information systems by different health care facilities.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis of British Columbia’s health care data management revealed several challenges, including information silos, the potential for medical errors, the general unwillingness of parties within the health care system to trust and share data, and the potential for security breaches and operational issues in the current EMR infrastructure. A blockchain-based solution has the highest potential in solving most of the challenges in managing health care data in British Columbia and other Canadian provinces.
Experiences With Internet Triaging of 9498 Outpatients Daily at the Largest Public Hospital in Taiwan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Lu Ding-Heng , Hsu Chia-An , Yuan Eunice J , Fen Jun-Jeng , Lee Chung-Yuan , Ming Jin-Lain , Chen Tzeng-Ji , Lee Wui-Chiang , Chen Shih-Ann
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

During pandemics, acquiring outpatients’ travel, occupation, contact, and cluster histories is one of the most important measures in assessing the disease risk among incoming patients. Previous means of acquiring this information in the examination room have been insufficient in preventing disease spread.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to demonstrate the deployment of an automatic system to triage outpatients over the internet.

METHODS

An automatic system was incorporated in the existing web-based appointment system of the hospital and deployed along with its on-site counterpart. Automatic queries to the virtual private network travel and contact history database with each patient’s national ID number were made for each attempt to acquire the patient’s travel and contact histories. Patients with relevant histories were denied registration or entry. Text messages were sent to patients without a relevant history for an expedited route of entry if applicable.

RESULTS

A total of 127,857 visits were recorded. Among all visits, 91,195 were registered on the internet. In total, 71,816 of them generated text messages for an expedited route of entry. Furthermore, 65 patients had relevant histories, as revealed by the virtual private network database, and were denied registration or entry.

CONCLUSIONS

An automatic triage system to acquire outpatients’ relevant travel and contact histories was deployed rapidly in one of the largest academic medical centers in Taiwan. The updated system successfully denied patients with relevant travel or contact histories entry to the hospital, thus preventing long lines outside the hospital. Further efforts could be made to integrate the system with the electronic medical record system.