bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monitoring the burden of COVID-19 and impact of hospital transfer policies on Australian aged-care residents in residential aged-care facilities: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Nair Shruti Premshankar , Quigley Ashley L , Moa Aye , Chughtai Abrar Ahmad , Macintyre Chandini Raina
Published: April 2023

Background Residential aged-care facilities in Australia emerged as the high-risk setting during the COVID-19 outbreaks due to community transmission. The vulnerable aged-care residents of these facilities suffered due to low hospital transfers and high mortality and morbidity rates. This study aimed to assess the burden of COVID-19 in residential aged-care facilities across Australia and the impact of hospital transfer policies on resident hospitalisation during the first year of the pandemic.Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study by collecting data from weekly aged-care outbreak reports published by open-sources and official government sources between 1st March and 20th November 2020.A comprehensive line list of outbreaks was created using open-source data. Statistical analyses were performed on the data obtained.Results 126 aged-care COVID-19 outbreaks were identified in Australia during the study period. The incidence rate of COVID-19 infections among aged-care residents in Australia was (1118.5 per 100,000 resident population) which is 10 times higher than the general population (107.6 per 100,000 population). The hospitalisation rate for aged-care residents in Australia was 0.93 per 100,000 population. The hospitalisation rate of aged-care residents in Victoria was merely 3.14 per 100,000 population despite having the highest COVID-19 cases in the state. Excluding South Australia, all states followed case-by-case hospital transfer policies for aged-care residents.Conclusion This study documented a higher risk of COVID-19 infection for aged-care residents and workers but found low hospitalisation rates among residents across Australia. The hospitalisation rates in Victoria were higher than the national average but low when considering the COVID-19 infection rates in the state. The hospitalisation rates could have been impacted due to the state hospital transfer policies at that time. We recommend immediate hospital transfer of infected residents to hospitals as healthcare settings follow necessary infection control measures and ensure staff are trained in personal protective equipment use.
WITHDRAWN: Targeting the PLUNC-NLRP3 inflammasome axis could inhibit nasopharyngeal carcinoma lung metastasis
Authors: Zhou Qing , Qiu Yanbing , Liu Qingluan , Liu Yijun , Yang Yuqin , Shi Lei , Liu Ying , Guo Yilin , Li Xiayu , Gao Ge , Fan Songqing , Zeng Zhaoyang , Xiong Wei , Tan Ming , Li Guiyuan , Zhang Wenling
Published: April 2023

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor that occurs in the nasopharynx. PLUNC is an early identified secreted protein specifically expressed in the nasopharynx that acts a potential suppresser gene in NPC, but its specific biological role and its mechanism are unclear. We used mRNA-seq combined with RNC-seq to identify the biological role of PLUNC. Tail vein injection of NPC cells to observe the biological role of PLUNC in vivo. The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome was detected by immunoblotting assays and immunofluorescence, and the expression of EMT-related molecules was detected by immunoblotting assays. Then, the migration and invasion were detected by wound healing assay and transwell chamber assay. The mRNA-seq and RNC-seq results showed that PLUNC inhibited NPC progression, and data analysis revealed its correlation with NOD-like receptors. The results confirmed that PLUNC was negatively correlated with NLRP3 inflammasome, and in vivo experiments further elucidated that PLUNC inhibited NPC lung metastasis, and that PLUNC overexpression combined with MCC950 could most effectively inhibit NPC lung metastasis. Our results suggest that PLUNC could inhibit lung metastasis of NPC by suppressing the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, and targeting the PLUNC-NLRP3 inflammasome axis may provide a new therapeutic strategy for NPC patients.
Stark Effects in Momentum Space
Authors: Özay Selda , Öztekin Emin
Published: April 2023

In this study, when hydrogen or a hydrogen-like atom is placed in a uniform electric field, shifts in energy levels are calculated in momentum space by using the Fourier transform of hydrogen type orbitals. By choosing the electric field in the z-direction, the z average value to be calculated to form the Hamiltonian matrix elements is written in the momentum space. The average value obtained is found as the product of the angular and radial integrals. To calculate the angular integrals, recurrence relations of the spherical harmonics especially in dipole transitions and derivative relations of spherical harmonics with respect to angles are used. The radial integrals are calculated analytically using the recurrence relations and series expressions of the Gegenbauer polynomials. The analytical expression obtained for the average value is quite convenient for numerical calculations. As a result, Hamiltonian matrix elements are obtained using the Mathematica programming language and the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrix are calculated by using the Jacobi method. The results found are in complete agreement with the results in the configurations space.
Prevalence and associated factors of Self-medication in worldwide pregnant women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: BOUQOUFI Afaf , LAHLOU Laila , BOUJRAF Said , HADJ Fatima AIT EL , RAZINE Rachid , ABOUQAL Redouane , KHABBAL Youssef
Published: April 2023

Background: Self-medication during pregnancy is of great interest. The use of drugs during pregnancy requires a careful reflection on the benefits to the mother and the risks to the fetus. It is a difficult medical situation for clinicians to select the drug because of the various pharmacokinetic and physiological changes encountered in pregnant women this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication and associated factors in worldwide pregnant women by a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the published studies on self-medication during pregnancy.
Methods: Searches were carried out at PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The quality of the studies and the risk of bias were analyzed using the Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies instrument. The extracted data were tabulated and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively through meta-analysis.
Results: The overall prevalence of self-medication among pregnant women was 44.50% (95% CI: 38.92-50.23). The subgroup analysis has shown a difference in the prevalence of self-medication which is influenced by region, Income of countries, and study design. The Heterogeneity, assessed by the statistical test I2 varied from 96% to 99% and was statistically significant. The result of this funnel plot showed that the funnel plot was symmetry with p-value = 0.36, and there is no publication bias.
Conclusion: The results obtained from this study showed that the prevalence of self-medication among pregnant women is relatively high. This requires effective measures and interventions to reduce self-medication.
Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.aa.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=312333 ID=CRD42022312333.
LncRNA xist regulates sepsis-associated neuroinflammation in the periventricular white matter of CLP rats by miR-122-5p/PKCη Axis
Authors: Wang Huifang , Jiang Shuqi , Liu Nan , Zhou Qiuping , Li Qian , Chen Zhuo , Lin Yiyan , Chen Chunbo , Deng Yiyu
Published: April 2023

Background Neuroinflammation is a common feature of many neurological diseases, and remains crucial for disease progression and prognosis. Activation of microglia and astrocytes arouse neuroinflammation. However, little is known about the role of lncRNA xist and miR-122-5p in the occurrence of sepsis-associated neuroinflammation (SAN). In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA xist and miR-122-5p in the pathogenesis of SAN.Methods The level of miR-122-5p and proinflammatory mediators were detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of intracranial infection (ICI) patients by ELISA and qRT-PCR. Adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), following a high-throughput sequencing analysis was performed to scan miRNAs expression in the periventricular white matter (PWM). The level of lncRNA xist, miR-122-5p and proinflammatory mediators were measured using qRT-PCR and western blot. Bioinformatics analyses were used to predict the target of lncRNA xist, miR-122-5p and protein kinase C eta (PKCη). The interactions between PKCη and miR-122-5p was validated using Luciferase reporter assay. Activated BV2 and astrocytes in vitro were used to detected lncRNA xist/miR-122-5p/ PKCη axis.Results The level of miR-122-5p was significantly decreased in the CSF of ICI patients, while expression of proinflammatory mediators were saliently upregulated. Besides, it is found that expression of proinflammatory mediators was negatively correlated with the level of miR-122-5p. A high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that miR-122-5p expression was downregulated with 1.5-fold changes in the PWM of CLP rats. Bioinformatics analysis found that lncRNA xist and PKCη were the upstream and downstream target genes of miR-122-5p, respectively. lncRNA xist and PKCη were identified as a significant increase in the PWM of CLP rats. Moreover, overexpression of miR-122-5p or knockdown of lncRNA xist could significantly downregulate the level of PKCη and proinflammatory mediators from activated microglia and astrocytes. Meanwhile, in vitro investigation showed that silencing lncRNA xist or PKCη or overexpression of miR-122-5p could obviously inhibit the release of proinflammatory mediators from activated BV2 cells and astrocytes.Conclusion LncRNA xist regulates release of proinflammatory mediators in the PWM of CLP rats from activated microglia and astrocytes by miR-122-5p/PKCη Axis.
A mixed Cauchy-Schwarz inequality with applications
Authors: Sahoo Satyajit , Moradi Hamid , Sababheh Mohammad
Published: April 2023

This paper shows a new mixed Cauchy-Schwarz inequality for Hilbert-space operators. In particular, we show that if $T$ is a bounded linear operator on a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$, and if $x,y\in\mathcal{H}$, then \[\left| \left\langle Tx,y \right\rangle \right|\le \sqrt{\left\langle {{\left| {{T}^{*}} \right|}^{\frac{3-t}{2}}}x,x \right\rangle \left\langle {{\left| T \right|}^{\frac{1+t}{2}}}y,y \right\rangle };\text{ }\left( 0\le t\le 1 \right),\] where $\left| T \right|={{\left( {{T}^{*}}T \right)}^{\frac{1}{2}}}$, and $T^*$ is the adjoint operator of $T$. We also present several applications of the obtained results, where new bounds for the numerical radius will be shown.
Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles using Barley straw and Fumaria parviflora extract: Optimization of synthesis, Evaluating of Nanoparticles stability, Antibacterial activities
Authors: Fakharzadeh Maryam , Fazljoo Seyed Esmail
Published: April 2023

This study indicates an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Barley straw and Fumaria paroflora extracts and a mixture of them (1:1 v/v). Optimum conditions for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles were obtained by changing the reaction time, PH, and temperature. Characterization of silver nanoparticles was explored by different techniques including UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and SEM. UV-Visible spectroscopy showed the formation of Bs-AgNPs, Fp-AgNPs, and Bs-Fp-AgNPs with maximum absorption in the range of 400–450 nm. FTIR spectral data revealed the role of different functional groups of biomolecules involved in bioreduction as well as the capping and stabilizing of NPs. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles. The SEM study showed that the shape of the nanoparticles is spherical, and the size decreases with increasing temperature. The size and surface charge of nanoparticles were evaluated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) spectroscopy, and the effect of temperature on particle size distribution was evaluated. Also, the effect of temperature and PH on the zeta potential of nanoparticles was investigated. The formation rate of Fp-AgNPs was higher compared to Bs-AgNPs, but Barley straw nanoparticles were smaller and more stable. Using a mixture of Fumaria parviflora and Barley straw extract resulted in the production of nanoparticles that formed faster and had good stability. The biosynthesized nanoparticles showed suitable activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, this study highlights the use of a mixture of extracts (Bs and Fp) to synthesize silver nanoparticles.
Effect of appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy on mortality of patients with bloodstream infections: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Xu Shanshan , Song Zhihui , Han Furong , Zhang Chao
Published: April 2023

Background Little evidence exists regarding the prevalence of pathogens in bloodstream infections (BSIs), the mortality risk, and the benefit of combination therapy over monotherapy. This study aims to describe patterns of empiric antimicrobial therapy, and the epidemiology of Gram-negative pathogens, and to investigate the effect of appropriate therapy and appropriate combination therapy on the mortality of patients with BSIs.
MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study including all patients with BSIs of Gram-negative pathogens from January 2017 to December 2022 in a Chinese general hospital. The in-hospital mortality was compared between appropriate and inappropriate therapy, and between monotherapy and combination therapy for patients receiving appropriate therapy. We used Cox regression analysis to identify factors independently associated with in-hospital mortality.
ResultsWe included 205 patients in the study, of whom 147 (71.71%) patients received appropriate therapy compared with 58 (28.29%) who received inappropriate therapy. The most common Gram-negative pathogen was Escherichia coli (37.56%). 131 (63.90%) patients received monotherapy and 74 (36.10%) patients received combination therapy. The in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in patients administered appropriate therapy than inappropriate therapy (16.33% vs 48.28%, p=0.004); adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.55 [95% CI 0.35–0.84], p=0.006). In-hospital mortality was also not different in combination therapy and monotherapy in the multivariate Cox regression analyses (adjusted HR 0.42 [95% CI 0.15–1.17], p=0.096). However, combination therapy was associated with lower mortality than monotherapy in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock (adjusted HR 0.94 [95% CI 0.86–1.02], p=0.047).
ConclusionsAppropriate therapy was associated with a protective effect on mortality among patients with BSIs due to Gram-negative pathogens. Combination therapy was associated with improved survival in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Clinicians need to choose optical empirical antimicrobials to improve survival outcomes in patients with BSIs.
The psychological experience of patients with kinesiophobia after cardiac surgery-a qualitative study
Authors: Wang YuChen , Chen YuHong , Yang Guang , Zang YaNing
Published: April 2023

Background: The rehabilitation process of postoperative cardiac surgery patients integrates both long-term recovery from heart disease and short-term postsurgical rehabilitation, and patients may have fears about exercising that affect recovery from the disease and the surgical trauma. At present, few studies have focused on the real experience of patients with kinesiophobia after cardiac surgery.
Objectives: To explore the real psychological experiences of patients with kinesiophobia after cardiac surgery and to understand kinesiophobia from the patient's perspective.
Methods: This study used a phenomenological approach to recruit 21 participants. The data were gathered through semistructured in-depth face-to-face interviews. Data were analyzed according to the Colaizzi phenomenology method.
Results: Six themes were summarized: Barriers to nurse-patient communication; Psychological mapping caused by the external environment; Week support system ; Intrusive thinking; Postoperative adverse reaction; Health behavior dynamics: real practice behavior of early activities.
Conclusions: Kinesiophobia in postoperative cardiac surgery patients is a change in psychological state resulting from three stimuli: external environment (medical staff, wardmates, and family), physiological (postoperative somatic sensation), and psychological, and all three influence and interact with each other. Coping with kinesiophobia in patients after cardiac surgery is a dynamic process that requires internal and external support.
Completion of the maternal and neonatal continuum of care service utilisation and determining factors in Assosa Zone, North Western Ethiopia
Authors: Adete Solomon Abtew , Mmusi-Phetoe RM
Published: April 2023

Background Maternal and neonatal health continuum of care (MNH CoC) is one of the recommended strategies for reducing maternal and neonatal deaths. However, its utilisation remains low in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. The purpose of the study was to determine the magnitude of maternal and neonatal continuity of care utilisation and identify determining factors in Assosa Zone, North Western Ethiopia.Method Facility based cross-sectional study design was used to conduct the study from January to March. Proportional allocation of samples to health facilities and simple random sampling followed by systematic sampling was used to select a sample of 564 women who had given birth in the preceding nine months before data collection for the study. Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire. The data was analysed using SPSS version 27 software.Result The overall completion of maternal and neonatal CoC services in the antenatal, childbirth and postnatal periods was 53.7%. The study showed that factors such as education, occupation, partner support, knowledge of the expected number of antenatal visits, early booking of antenatal care, places of ANC, place of PNC, comprehensive counselling and physical examination during ANC, and mode of delivery were significantly associated with completion of MNC CoC services. However, the odd of completion of MNH CoC services were decreased by 21% (AOR = 0.21, 95%CI = 0.09–0.51) among women who had knowledge of neonatal danger signs or complications than their counterparts.Conclusions The completion of MNH CoC services was low among women and many women did not receive lifesaving intervention along the continuum of care pathways. Hence, compressive awareness raising, education, counselling and empowering of women in health care at the household, community and facility level required to improve the completion of maternity continuum of care.
Canagliflozin alleviates pulmonary hypertension partially by inhibition of PPARγ S225 phosphorylation and PPARγ-mediated suppression of oxidative stress
Authors: huang xiaoying , Li Xiuchun , Song Lanlan , Wang Xinghong , Zhu Xiayan , Tong Shuolan , Chen Zhili , Wang Yangyue , Zhang Chi , Zhang Jianhao , Sun Yihan , Zhong Chuyue , Su Lihuang , Wang Liangxing
Published: April 2023

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive fatal disease with no cure. Canagliflozin (CANA), a new anti-diabetic agent, has been found to have remarkable cardiovascular benefits. However, it remains unknown whether CANA is beneficial in vascular pathology of PH. Therefore, our study aims to investigate the role and pharmacological mechanism of CANA in treating PH. Firstly, CANA suppressed increased pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and vascular remodeling in both mouse and rat PH models. Then, network pharmacology, transcriptomics, and biological results suggested that CANA could ameliorate PH through suppressing excessive oxidative stress and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation partially by activation of PPARγ. Further studies demonstrated that CANA inhibited PPARγ Ser225 phosphorylation (a novel serine phosphorylation in PPARγ), thereby promoting nuclear translocation of PPARγ, enhancing its ability to resist oxidative stress and proliferative. Taken together, this study is the first to uncover the potential pharmacological effect and molecular mechanisms of CANA on PH, aiming to encourage future research and clinical trials.
Diagnostic performance analysis of the ICOPE screening tool for identifying decline in intrinsic capacity
Authors: Lu Fei , Li Jiaojiao , Liu Xiaohong , Liu Shuo , Sun Xiaohong , Wang Xueying
Published: April 2023

Background: Intrinsic capacity (IC) is a comprehensive indicator of an individual's positive attributes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a two-step approach to assess IC decline among older people. The first step involved using the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) screening tool to identify potential issues, and the second step involved using detailed assessments for confirmation. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of ICOPE screening tool as a simple preliminary screening to identify IC decline among community-dwelling older adults, which was rarely reported in China.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 228 community-dwelling older individuals aged ≥75 (mean age, 84.0±4.4 years; 131 [57.5%] females) who completed the IC evaluation according to the WHO IC assessment pathway. The diagnostic performance of the ICOPE screening tool were calculated using a 2 × 2 table and a receiver operating characteristic curve.
Results: The proportion of possible IC decline identified by the ICOPE screening tool was 79.4%, whereas the actual IC decline assessed by the detailed assessment was 73.2%, mainly in locomotion. The ICOPE screening tool showed a sensitivity of 94.6% and specificity of 62.3% for identifying IC decline, with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 86.0%. With the exception of the sensory dimension, the sensitivity of the ICOPE screening tool for diagnosing impairments in each dimension of the IC was highest in the cognition domain (100%) and lowest in the vitality domain (51.3%), whereas the specificity was highest in vitality (94.7%) and lowest in cognition (55.6%).
Conclusions: The ICOPE screening tool has high sensitivity and can be used as an IC screening tool in community-dwelling older people. However, further improvements are needed in the vitality dimension of the ICOPE screening tool to enhance its sensitivity in identifying individuals at risk of malnutrition.
Challenges for medical students in applying ethical principles to allocate life-saving medical devices during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Hsieh Hsing-yen , Huang Ru-yi , Lin Chyi-her , Lin Guan-chun , Lin Jhen-Yu , Aldana Clydie
Published: April 2023

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a widespread ethical dilemma of distributing scarce life-saving medical devices to critically ill patients and created a huge opportunity for virtual learning for medical students to exercise the principles of medical ethics.
Methods: We arranged for medical students to interact with virtual patients with respiratory failure and asked them to apply ethical principles to justify their prioritization of who should receive life-saving facilities. We analyzed the reports and investigated the ethical principles chosen and the factors that may play important roles in making critical medical decisions.
Results: A total of 67 medical students were recruited. Overall, 73% of them made decisions based on principles of justice. However, 66% of the participants applied multiple ethical principles to justify their clinical decisions. While facing conflicting choices regarding different ethical principles, 48% used the principle of justice to justify their final decisions. However, they had diverse interpretations of the principle of justice. Most students requested additional medical knowledge, laws, or guidelines from institutions to help them make decisions, and 43% of them were able to proposed a strategy to address this ethical dilemma.
Conclusions: Justice is the first priority for medical students while allocating medical facilities to critically ill patients. Clear guidelines may help them make ethical decisions when facing this dilemma.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging of lipid heterogeneity in the inner mitochondrial membrane
Authors: Taki Masayasu , Wang Junwei , Yamaguchi Shigehiro
Published: April 2023

The inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) undergoes dynamic morphological changes that are crucial for the maintenance of mitochondrial functions as well as cell survival. As the dynamics of the membrane are governed by its lipid components, a fluorescent probe that can sense spatiotemporal alterations in the lipid properties of the IMM over long periods of time is required to understand mitochondrial physiological functions in detail. Herein, we report a red-emissive IMM-labeling reagent with excellent photostability and sensitivity to its environment, which enables the visualization of the IMM ultrastructure using super-resolution microscopy as well as of the lipid heterogeneity based on the fluorescence lifetime at the single mitochondrion level. Combining the probe and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) showed that peroxidation of unsaturated lipids in the IMM by reactive oxygen species caused an increase in the membrane order, which took place prior to mitochondrial swelling.
Circular RNA circBNC2 facilitates glycolysis and stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma through the miR-217/high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) axis Running title: CircBNC2/miR-217/HMGA2 axis in HCC
Authors: Feng Yan , Xia ShuFeng , Hui Junlan , Xu Yan
Published: April 2023

Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) constitutes approximately 90% of primary liver carcinoma and is a major health threaten worldwide. CircBNC2 has been implicated in the progression of several cancers. However, its roles in carcinogenesis and glycolysis in HCC are still unclear. In this study, CircBNC2 and high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) were highly expressed while miR-217 was poorly expressed in HCC tissues and cells. CircBNC2 upregulation was related to poor prognosis and TNM staging. CircBNC2 knockdown inhibited HCC progression. Moreover, CircBNC2 knockdown suppressed the levels of PCNA, HK2, and OCT4. Notably, circBNC2 functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-217 to up-regulate HMGA2 expression. The inhibitory effects of circBNC2 silence on the growth and stemness of HCC cells, and levels of PCNA, HK2 and OCT4 were aggravated by miR-217 overexpression, but neutralized by HMGA2 overexpression. Besides, Furthermore, circBNC2 silence blocked tumor growth through upregulating miR-217 and downregulating HMGA2, PCNA2, HK2 and OCT4 in vivo. Thus, the current data confirmed that CircBNC2 sponged miR-217 to up-regulate HMGA2 level, thereby contributing to HCC glycolysis and progression. These findings may present novel insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of HCC.
DDX5 inhibits hyaline cartilage fibrosis and degradation in osteoarthritis via alternative splicing and G-quadruplex unwinding
Authors: Sun Yang , Liu Qianqian , Han Mingrui , Wu Zhigui , Fu Wenqiang , Ji Jun , Liang Qingqing , Tan Minjia , Zhai Linhui , Gao Jian , Shi Dongquan , Jiang Qing , Sun Ziying , Lai Yuping , Xu Qiang
Published: April 2023

Hyaline cartilage fibrosis is one of the important reasons for the poor prognosis of advanced osteoarthritis (OA), and is the main factor leading to joint stiffness and deformity. However, the mechanism of hyaline cartilage fibrosis remains largely unclear. Here we found that DDX5, one of the most important members of the DEAD-box RNA helicase family, was dramatically downregulated in the degenerated articular cartilage of aged mice, destabilization of the medial meniscus murine model as well as patients with OA. Chondrocyte-specific deletion of Ddx5 led to much severe and early OA lesions in murine model. In vitro and in vivo experimental findings showed that DDX5 deficiency increased the hyaline cartilage fibrosis phenotype by upregulating collagen type I (COL1) expression and downregulating collagen type II (COL2) expression. In addition, loss of DDX5 aggravated cartilage degradation through inducing the production of cartilage-degrading enzymes. Mechanistically, on one hand, DDX5 was enriched at the Col2 promoter, was extremely proficient at unfolding Col2 promoter G4-DNA and activated Col2 transcription, which explains why DDX5 deficiency directly leads to a decrease in Col2 transcription. On the other hand, DDX5-induced exon 25 skipping of Fn1-AS and exon 14 skipping of Plod2-AS produced two alternative splicing transcripts, but the weaken DDX5 resulted in abundance of the Fn1-AS-WT and Plod2-AS-WT variants, which promotes transcription of fibrosis-related genes (Col1, Acta2, etc) and extracellular matrix degradation genes (Mmp13, Nos2, etc), respectively. Our data suggest that strategies aimed at upregulation of DDX5 will be of great value for the treatment of cartilage fibrosis and damage in OA.
Risk factors for visual acuity after idiopathic macular hole surgery
Authors: Li Xiaoxia , Zhang Luyi , Shen Yu , Liu Hui , Wu Miaoqin
Published: April 2023

Background To investigate the postoperative visual acuity of idiopathic macular hole (IMH) with 23G vitrectomy and its associated factors.Methods 71 patients (75 eyes) were included in this retrospective study, we assessed the different risk factors that might be associated with visual acuity after IMH surgery which were treated in our department between April 2015 and July 2021. The patients comprised 16 males (16 eyes) and 55 females (59 eyes) with mean age 61.9 ± 9.0 years. Data on sex, age, eyes, macular hole (MH) duration, visual acuity (VA), minimum linear diameter (MLD), base diameter (BD), external limiting embrane (ELM), ellipsoid zone (EZ), axial length (AL), surgical methods, tamponade, nerve growth factor (NGF) and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) were collected. Logistics regression analysis of risk factors associated with visual acuity after IMH surgery.Results Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative VA and MH duration were significant risk factors for VA after IMH surgery (all p < 0.05). The overall closure rate was 100%. There was statistically significant difference in the VA between preoperation and postoperation using paired t-test (p = 0.000). The mean best corrected VA increased from 0.99 ± 0.38 logMAR before surgery to 0.64 ± 0.32 logMAR. Moreover, the VA after surgery of the coverage group was greater than the insertion group. The postoperation VA of MH duration ≤ 3 months group was better than the VA of MH duration > 6 months (p = 0.003).Conclusions Ophthalmologists should be aware of the preoperatice VA and MH duration are the risk factors of VA after IMH surgery. Early surgery is necessary for IMH according to surgical indication. Poor VA and the long MH duration before surgery will influence the IMH prognosis.
Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Nursing Intervention on Compliance and Glycemic Control Among Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Mani Kavitha , Subramaniam Aruna , Nashwan Abdulqadir J. , Victor Virginia M. , Daniel Esther S.
Published: April 2023

Background: The concept of becoming healthy as a promotive model or maintaining an individual's health with any NCDs, particularly with a diabetic condition, adhering to the treatment strategies as a preventive model to avoid complications, is mainly in the hands of everyone. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the cognitive behavioral nursing intervention on compliance to the advice of the health care providers and glycemic control among patients with type II diabetes mellitus.
Methods: A quantitative and true-experimental research design was used to assess the effectiveness of the cognitive behavioral nursing intervention. The study population consisted of patients with type-II diabetes mellitus. First, the villages were chosen using a simple random sampling method, and then the sample size of 208 patients was selected using the inclusion criteria from those villages. The experimental group (n1) consisted of 105 samples, and the control group (n2) =103. The data was collected using the compliance scale and analyzing the patient's fasting blood sugar, postprandial and HbA1c at 0, 3rd and 6th months of intervention from the respective samples at their residences by structured interview technique.
Results: The study findings indicated that there is a significant improvement in compliance (p<0.05) and glycemic control (p<0.001) among patients with experimental group after cognitive behavioral nursing intervention. There was a significant difference in compliance and glycemic control among patients in the experimental group during the posttests compared with the pretest (p<0.05). Comparison of glycemic variables between experimental and control group, during post-test-I and II shows that the fasting blood sugar was statistically significant at p<0. 001.Compliance and FBS had negative weak correlation in posttest I (r= -0.337, p=0.028) in the experimental group.
Conclusion: The results highlighted that cognitive behavioral nursing intervention effectively improves compliance and glycemic control among patients with Diabetes mellitus living in the villages.
Pharmacophore Variants of the Macrocyclic Peptide Triazole Inactivator of HIV-1 Env
Authors: Gupta Monisha , Canziani Gabriela , Ang Charles Gotuaco , Mohammadi Mohammadjavad , Abrams Cameron F. , Yang Derek , Smith III Amos B. , Chaiken Irwin
Published: April 2023

Previously we established a family of macrocyclic peptide triazoles (cPTs) that inactivate the Env protein complex of HIV-1, and identified the pharmacophore that engages Env’s receptor binding pocket. Here, we examined the hypothesis that the side chains of both components of the triazole Pro - Trp segment of cPT pharmacophore work in tandem to make intimate contacts with two proximal subsites of the overall CD4 binding site of gp120 to stabilize binding and function. Variations of the triazole Pro R group, which previously had been significantly optimized, led to identification of a variant MG-II-20 that contains a pyrazole substitution. MG-II-20 has improved functional properties over previously examined variants, with Kd for gp120 in the nM range. In contrast, new variants of the Trp indole side chain, with either methyl- or bromo- components appended, had disruptive effects on gp120 binding, reflecting the sensitivity of function to changes in this component of the encounter complex. Plausible in silico models of cPT:gp120 complex structures were obtained that are consistent with the overall hypothesisof occupancy by the triazole Pro and Trp side chains, respectively, into the β20/21 and Phe43 sub-cavities. The overall results strengthen the definition of the cPT-Env inactivator binding site and provide a new lead composition (MG-II-20) as well as structure-function findings to guide future HIV-1 Env inactivator design.
Neuromuscular and occlusion analysis to evaluate the efficacy of three splints on patients with bruxism
Authors: Lei Qun , Lin Dong , Liu Yuyu , Lin Kaijin , Huang Wenxiu , Wu Dong
Published: April 2023

[Objective] Occlusal splints are always applied on individuals with bruxism to reduce tooth wearand relieve orofacial symptoms such as myofascial pain. The stomatognathic system ismainly composed of tooth, occlusion, masticatory muscles, and temporomandibular joint. The occlusion and masticatory muscles function are regarded as the important parameters for evaluating the stomatognathic system state objectively. However, the effects of occlusal splints on individuals with bruxism is rarely elucidated from accurate neuromuscular analysis and occlusion evaluation. The aim of the present study was to estimate the effects of three different splints (two clinically common full coverage occlusal splint and an modified anterior splint) on subjects with bruxism using K7-J5 neuromuscular analysis system and Dental Prescale II (DP2) to evaluate occlusion.
[Methods] Sixteen subjects claimed to be suffering from nocturnal bruxism,with complete dentition and stable occlusal relationship, were selected for study.The intermaxillary space and the baselines of EMG-activity of the anterior temporalis and masseter were recorded for all the subjects. The participants was treated with three different splints, and outcomes were estimated by comfort index, occlusion and surface electromyography of anterior temporalis and masseter.
[Results] At teeth clenched position, EMG data were significantly lower in the participants with use of modified anterior splint than with hard, soft occlusal splint or without splint (p < 0.05). The maximum bite force and bite area occur in subjects without use of splint , while the minimal occur in subjects with use of modified anterior splint. Intermaxillary spaceincreased and masticatory muscles presented significant reduction of EMG data at rest position as a result of J5 (p < 0.05).
[Conclusion] Modified anterior splint seems to be more comfortable and effective in reducing occlusion force andelectromyographic activity of anterior temporalis and masseter for subjects with bruxism.
Improved phyllosphere microbiome composition of tea plant with the application of small peptides in combination with rhamnolipid
Authors: Chen Hao , Song Yujie , Wang Shuangshuang , Kai Fan , Wang Hui , Mao Yilin , Zhang Jie , Xu Yang , Yin Xinyue , Wang Yu , Ding Zhaotang
Published: April 2023

Background: Small peptides play a crucial role in plant growth and adaptation to the environment. Exogenous small peptides are often applied together with surfactants as foliar fertilizers, but the impact of small peptides and surfactants on the tea phyllosphere microbiome remains unknown.
Results: In this study, we investigated the effects of small peptides and different surfactants on the tea phyllosphere microbiome using 16s and ITS sequencing. Our results showed that the use of small peptides reduced the bacterial diversity of the tea phyllosphere microbiome and increased the fungal diversity, while the use of surfactants had a suppressive effect on both bacterial and fungal diversity. Furthermore, the addition of rhamnolipid to small peptides significantly improved the tea phyllosphere microbiome community structure, making beneficial microorganisms such as Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium, Meyerozyma, and Vishniacozyma dominant populations.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that the combined use of small peptides and surfactants can significantly modify the tea phyllosphere microbiome community structure, particularly for beneficial microorganisms closely related to tea plant health. Thus, this study provides a reference for the application of small peptides and surfactants in agricultural production, which can be used to regulate the phyllosphere microbiome community in tea plant management.
Complete genome sequence of Aeromonas phage GomatiRiver_11, a novel T4-like bacteriophage that infects Aeromonas hydrophila
Authors: Sahoo Lopamudra , Parhi Janmejay , Tripathy Partha Sarathi , Kallappa Girisha Shivani , S Nithin M , Debnath Chandan , Singha Abhijit , Datta Joydeep
Published: April 2023

Motile Aeromonas Septicaemia (MAS) is the most common bacterial fish illness. This is a opportunistic microorganisms that produce hemorrhagic septicaemia and ulcerative diseases in a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial animals, including humans. Antibiotics have been used as a most prevalent control option for MAS in both hatcheries and farms, despite the fact that it not only kill target bacteria but might harm host’s natural habitat and water quality parameters. So urge of using phage therapy among researchers is now increasing. Phages or bacteriophages are viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria and help to decline bacterial growth. In the present study Aeromonas phage GomatiRiver_11 phage has been isolated for the first time from various water bodies of Tripura, India. The whole genome sequence of the phage was found to be 10,390 bp with a total of 9 ORFs. The phylogenetic analysis of the species revealed that this phage is closely related to Aeromonas phage Asfd_1 (MK577502.1). Moreover, the electron microscopy analysis revealed Podoviridae characteristics of characterized phage genome. This new phage genome and its analysis will be essential for phage therapy against MAS affected fish species of Northeast India and associated water bodies.
Comparative analysis of molecular weight determination techniques for cellulose oligomers
Authors: Li Wei , Ogawa Yu , Mortha Gérard , Otsuka Issei , Nishiyama Yoshiharu
Published: April 2023

Accurate determination of molecular weight is crucial for understanding the chemical and physical properties of cellulose. However, traditional methods for analyzing high-molecular-weight cellulose are often unsuitable for cellulose oligomers. In this study, we emphasize how the molecular weight distribution affect the accuracy of four characterization methods, including liquid and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectroscopy (MALDI MS) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). These techniques were compared on two typical cellulose oligomers with diverse molecular weight and properties. None of the techniques investigated could accurately characterize the molecular weight of cellulose oligomers with a broad molecular weight distribution. Liquid-state NMR was reliable method to determine the number-average molecular weight but do not give molecular weight distribution. MALDI MS was more sensitive to the low molecular weight portion, whereas SEC was a preferred technique for cellulose oligomers with relatively higher molecular weight. For solution-based characterization techniques, carbanilation was the prefered derivatization method over nitration due to its higher scattering power or increase of molar mass. MALDI MS revealed cellulose molecules had dissimilar degree of substitution through the same carbanilation reaction, which may explain errors in molecular weight determination by SEC. Overall, our study highlights the importance of considering molecular weight distribution when characterizing cellulose oligomers and demonstrates the strengths and limitations of different techniques for this purpose.
Theoretical study of the competition between folding and contact interactions on the properties of polymers using self-avoid random walk algorithm
Authors: Neto Rosenvaldo José Santos , Costa Ariadne Andrade , Gomes Paulo Freitas
Published: April 2023

The self-avoid random walk algorithm has been extensively used in the study of polymers. In this work we study the basic properties of the trajectories generated with this algorithm when two interactions are added to it: contact and folding interaction. These interactions represent the internal forces of the polymer as well as the effect of the solvent. When independently added to the algorithm, the contact interaction creates the compact phase while the folding one creates the extended phase. These are the consequences of the typical event of each interaction. On the other hand, when this typical event is avoided there is no established phase on the system. When simultaneously added, there is a competition between the interactions and the folding one is dominant over the contact one. The resulting phase is always the extended one with and without the contact interaction.
Breaking down barriers: Overcoming bottlenecks in the health- care system for newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
Authors: Badran Eman F , Rawajbeh Ahmad , Alhaj Waseem , Elqunj Abdallah , Askar Mohammad , Jammal Maryam Al , AL-Qhaiwi Ala’a , Qawasmeh Rafeef , Alhalaki Majd
Published: April 2023

Purpose: To evaluate the practices of neonatologists and pediatricians for neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in Jordan to identify gaps in diagnosis, management, and follow-up of HIE, including the availability of long-term follow-up services. This is an important clinical issue to address as HIE is the fourth leading cause of infant mortality in Jordan.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 15 neonatologists and 42 pediatricians treating neonates with HIE in Jordan. Data were collected using a custom-designed, self-report questionnaire, consisting of 35 items across four dimensions: participant demographics; indicators used for HIE diagnosis; criteria used to determine HIE severity and HIE management strategy, including therapeutic hypothermia practice; and availability of long-term services for HIE follow-up. Items were answered on a 5-point Likert scale, with anchors measuring the extent to which practices were used: 1, never; 2, seldom; 3, sometimes; 4, frequent; and 5, always.
Results: The Apgar score was used by 70% of participants to evaluate neonates’ status at birth and the SARNAT staging score to determine the severity of HIE. Management strategy included the transfer of neonates to intensive care (30%), initiation of therapeutic hypothermia within 6 h post-natal (70%), and continuation of hypothermia for the full recommended 72 h (63.2%). Timely access to brain imaging was not available to all participants. Technology to assess brain activity was insufficient.
Conclusion: The development of a bundle for HIE practices would be recommended in Jordan to improve the quality of care for neonates with HIE.
Transdermal and moisturizing effects of novel supramolecular hyaluronic acid
Authors: Wang Haimiao , Jin Zhongxia , Xia Lu , Wang Lei , Sheng Xiyin , Wang Shaocheng , Xu Tongxun , He Peng , Li Chen
Published: April 2023

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an important macromolecular polymer widely existing in skin, which can lock water molecules in the skin.Due to the barrier effect of skin stratum corneum, high molecular weight HA can not enter the deep skin, while low molecular weight HA has ability limited to maintian water.Nowadays, HA injection is widely used as a supplement method, which brings many disadvantages due to its invasiveness.Therefore, in this study, the ionic liquid induction technology was used to transform the macromolecular HA into the supermolecular state. Through in vitro transdermal experiment and human skin moisturizing experiment, it was proved that the supermolecular state HA has better transdermal and skin moisturizing ability, which provide a new potential method for non-invasive exogenous supplementation of HA.