bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mutational profile of KRAS-positive colorectal cancer
Authors: Telysheva E. N. , Shaikhaev E. G. , Snigireva G. P.
Published: March 2022

Aim: to study the features of the molecular genetic profile of KRAS-positive colorectal cancer (CRC).

Material and Methods. The study included 42 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The KRAS gene mutation was detected in tumor tissue of these patients by real-time PC R. Using the next generation sequencing technology (NGS ) on the Illumina platform, the genes involved in the molecular pathogenesis of colorectal cancer, namely KRAS, BRAF, NRAS, APC, TP53, SMAD2, SMAD4, FBXW7, PIK3CA, CTNNB1, TCF7L2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH3, MSH6, ATM, TGF-BR2, AKT1, CDC27, CASP8, MAP2K4, DCC, DMD, MAP7, ERBB2, P3H3, MIER3, CADM1, FLT4, PTPN12, PIK3R1, and EP300 were analyzed. Sample preparation of libraries from isolated DNA was carried out using commercial kits GeneRead DNAS eq Targeted Panel v2 Human Colorectal Cancer (Qiagen, USA ); NEBNext Ultra DNA library Prep kit for Illumina and NEBNext Multiplex Oligos for Illumina (New England BioLabs).

Results. In 36 patients with KRAS-positive tumors, changes were observed in 13 genes involved in the molecular pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. A total of 82 somatic variants were identified. Moreover, 9 patients additionally had one mutation each, 17 patients had 2 mutations each, 7 patients had 3 mutations each, and 3 patients had 4 mutations each. Combination of three mutations in key genes involved in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (KRAS, APC и TP53) was detected in 15 (36 %) patients. Combination of two mutations in the KRAS and APC genes was detected in 10 (23.8 %) patients, and in the KRAS and TP53 genes – in 8 (19.1 %) patients. The largest number of somatic mutations was found in the APC (59.5 %) and TP53 (54.7 %) genes. It was hown that a combination of three mutations in key genes was the most unfavorable prognosis factor and indicated a higher aggressiveness of the tumor process.

Conclusion. The information obtained using the NGS method on the mutational status of a KRAS -positive tumor in patients with colorectal cancer allows for personalized treatment as well as predicting the outcome.
Beyond Equilibrium: Kinetic Isotope Fractionation in High-Temperature Environments
Authors: Watkins James M. , Antonelli Michael A.
Published: March 2022

Igneous and metamorphic rocks exhibit greater isotopic heterogeneity than expected from equilibrium. Large nonequilibrium isotope effects can arise from diffusion and chemical reactions, such as crystal growth and dissolution. The effects are time-dependent and can, therefore, be used to probe timescales of igneous and metamorphic processes that are inaccessible to direct observation. New discoveries of isotopic variability in nature, informed by diffusion and reaction modeling, can provide unique insights into the formation of rocks in the interiors of planetary bodies.
Unlocking the Single-Crystal Record of Heavy Stable Isotopes
Authors: Tissot François L. H. , Ibañez-Mejia Mauricio
Published: March 2022

Stable isotopes provide deep insights into processes across a wide range of scales, from micron- to cosmic-size systems. Here, we review how continued advances in mass-spectrometry have enabled the analysis of ever-smaller samples and brought the field of heavy stable isotope geochemistry to its next frontier: the single-crystal scale. Accessing this record can be as enlightening as it is challenging. Drawing on novel systematics at different stages of development (from well-established to nascent), we discuss how the isotopes of heavy elements, such as magnesium, iron, zirconium, or uranium, can be used at the single-crystal and subcrystal scales to reconstruct magma thermal histories, crystal growth timescales, or, possibly, magma redox conditions.
Ironing Out Isotopic Differences Among Rocky Bodies
Authors: Sossi Paolo A. , Shahar Anat
Published: March 2022

The variability of iron isotopes among rocky bodies in the inner Solar System provides a window onto the diversity of materials and mechanisms from which they formed. The magnitude of isotopic variation in mantle-derived rocks within a given body is similar to that between different planetary bodies. Isotopic signatures arising from primordial events, namely, evaporation/condensation, core formation and melting/crystallization, may be progressively diluted, modified, and redistributed over time by global recycling processes such as plate tectonics. Here, we assess the relative influence of these primordial mechanisms on the iron isotope compositions of igneous rocks and their implications for the structure and accretion histories of rocky planets.
Forming Earth’s Continental Crust: A Nontraditional Stable Isotope Perspective
Authors: Aarons Sarah M. , Johnson Aleisha C. , Rader Shelby T.
Published: March 2022

The formation of continental crust via plate tectonics strongly influences the physical and chemical characteristics of Earth’s surface and may be the key to Earth’s long-term habitability. However, continental crust formation is difficult to observe directly and is even more difficult to trace through time. Nontraditional stable isotopes have yielded significant insights into this process, leading to a new view both of Earth’s earliest continental crust and of what controls modern crustal generation. The stable isotope systems of titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), molybdenum (Mo), and thallium (Tl) have proven invaluable. Processes such as fractional crystallization, partial melting, geodynamic setting of magma generation, and magma cooling histories are examples of processes illuminated by these isotope systems.
The Digital Native Debate in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Literature / Le débat sur les natifs du numérique dans l'enseignement supérieur: une analyse comparative de la littérature récente
Authors: Smith Erika
Published: March 2022

More than a decade after Prensky’s influential articulation of digital natives and immigrants, great disagreement exists around these characterizations of students and the impact of such notions within higher education. Perceptions of today’s undergraduate learners as tech-savvy “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001a), who both want and need the latest emerging technologies in all learning situations, continue to dominate the discourse in education technology research and practice. Popular yet largely unsubstantiated conceptions of digital natives are often embedded within the assumptions of contemporary research on student perceptions of emerging technologies, seemingly without regard for a growing body of evidence questioning such notions. In order to promote critical discussion in the higher education community considering potential directions for further research of these issues, especially within the Canadian context, the purpose of this review of recent literature is to analyze key themes emerging from contemporary research on the Net generation as digital natives.

Plus d'une décennie après la célèbre distinction de Prensky entre les natifs et les immigrants du monde numérique, un désaccord important existe à propos de ces caractérisations des élèves et de leur impact dans l'enseignement supérieur. Le discours dominant dans la recherche et la pratique des technologies de l’éducation perpétue une représentation des étudiants d’aujourd’hui comme étant des «natifs du numérique» hautement qualifiés (Prensky, 2001a), désirant et requérant à la fois les dernières technologies dans toutes les situations d'apprentissage. Ces conceptions populaires mais controversées continuent à être au coeur de plusieurs hypothèses de la recherche contemporaine sur les perceptions des élèves à l’égard des nouvelles technologies, et ce, au mépris d’un nombre croissant de preuves contraires. Afin de promouvoir la discussion critique dans la communauté de l'enseignement supérieur, laquelle s’est engagée dans une réflexion sur les orientations possibles pour des recherches plus poussées sur ces questions, en particulier dans le contexte canadien, cette revue de la littérature récente a pour but d'analyser les principaux thèmes et problèmes issus de la recherche contemporaine sur la génération de l’Internet ou des natifs du monde numérique.
Ergenlerde Üstbiliş ve Sınav Kaygısı Arasındaki İlişkide Ruminasyon ve Bilişsel Esnekliğin Aracılık Rolü
Authors: KIRKIK Mertcan , BALKIS Murat
Published: March 2022

Bu çalışmanın amacı sınav kaygısı, üstbiliş, ruminasyon ve bilişsel esneklik arasındaki doğrudan ve dolaylı ilişkileri incelemektir. Çalışmaya toplam 504 orta öğretim son sınıf öğrencisi katılmıştır. Katılımcılar amaçlı örnekleme yöntemiyle belirlenmiştir. Çalışmada veri toplamak için Sınav Kaygısı Envanteri, Üstbiliş Ölçeği Çocuk Ergen Formu, Ruminasyon Ölçeği Kısa Formu, Bilişsel Esneklik Ölçeği ve Kişisel Bilgi Formu kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizi SPSS 20.0 ve AMOS 22.0 programları kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiler Pearson momentler çarpımı korelasyon katsayısı yöntemi ile belirlenmiş olup sınav kaygısı, üstbiliş, ruminasyon ve bilişsel esneklik arasındaki doğrudan veya dolaylı ilişkiler, Yapısal Eşitlik Modeli yöntemi kullanılarak test edilmiştir. Ayrıca verilerin analizinde betimsel istatistiksel yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Yapısal Eşitlik Modeli çerçevesinde elde edilen bulgulara göre, ruminasyon ve bilişsel esneklik üstbiliş ve sınav kaygısı arasındaki ilişkide aracık rolü üstlenmektedir. Diğer taraftan bilişsel esneklik, ruminasyon ve sınav kaygısı arasındaki ilişkide aracılık rolü üstlenmektedir. Araştırmada elde edilen bulgular, ilgili literatür çerçevesinde tartışılmış, araştırmacı ve uygulamacılara yönelik önerilerde bulunulmuştur.
E-sport w perspektywie teologii mediów i komunikacji
Authors: Drzewiecki Piotr
Published: March 2022

E-sport stał zjawiskiem kulturowym, społecznym i gospodarczym. Interesującym przedmiotem badań jest osoba i wspólnota graczy wirtualnych, a skoro zatem podejmuje się analiz antropologicznych, pojawiają się również pytania natury teologicznej. E-sport jest również przedmiotem współczesnych nauk o komunikacji społecznej i mediach, w tym teologii komunikacji i mediów. W artykule podjęto próbę ustalenia nauki Kościoła katolickiego o mediach i komunikacji na temat e-sportu, jak również interpretacji teologicznej nie podjętych jeszcze w Magisterium zagadnień dotyczących zespołowych rozgrywek gier wideo w rzeczywistości wirtualnej. Zastosowano metodę teologii mediów i komunikacji oraz metodę jakościowej analizy i krytyki piśmiennictwa.
Wprowadzenie zastępczych (substytutów) rodziców chrzestnych przez Konferencję Episkopatu Polski a możliwe sytuacje analogiczne poza przypadkami przysposobienia
Authors: Trojanowski Bartosz
Published: March 2022

W wielu przypadkach praktyki duszpasterskiej pojawiają się sytuacje, w których rodzice chrzestni nie mogą, nie chcą pełnić swojego zadania lub nie zostali wyznaczeni przez rodziców lub prawnych opiekunów. W konsekwencji tego dziecko, a nawet dorosły w najbliższym czasie od chrztu nie może otrzymać „pomocy duchowej”, którą powinien być rodzic chrzestny wobec swojego chrześniaka.

W przypadku zadania chrzestnego można mówić o pewnego rodzaju analogii do urzędu kościelnego, a w konsekwencji można również stwierdzić istnienie „wakatu” zadania chrzestnego w przypadkach, kiedy nie ma nikogo, kto byłby powołany do udzielenia tej „duchowej pomocy” rodzicom lub prawnym opiekunom.

W rezultacie można mówić o pewnego rodzaju luce prawnej, ponieważ prawo powszechne nie podaje wprost rozwiązania tej kwestii prawnej. Pośrednio jednak można upatrywać rozwiązanie takiej sytuacji w możliwości wyznaczenia świadka bierzmowania, który nie jest chrzestnym. Jednakże to rozwiązanie, zawarte w prawie powszechnym, jest możliwe jedynie w momencie przystępowania do sakramentu bierzmowania. Dlatego można mówić dalej o luce prawnej, ponieważ są inne przypadki, w których ustanowienie zastępczej „pomocy duchowej” świadczonej przez tych, którzy pełnią zadanie rodziców chrzestnych, jest jak najbardziej wskazane. Dlatego w rozwiązaniu tej kwestii należy przywołać prawo partykularne obowiązujące w Polsce, które stosuje się w przypadkach przysposobienia
Oxidative Stress: Meeting Multiple Targets in Pathogenesis of Vascular
Endothelial Dysfunction
Authors: Gupta Vardan , Garg Anchal , Tomar Ritu , Arora Mandeep Kumar
Published: March 2022

The vascular endothelium is the innermost lining of blood vessels, which maintains vaso-constriction and vasodilation. Loss of vascular tone is a hallmark for cardiovascular disorders. Nu-merous factors, such as over-activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, kinases, growth factors, etc., play a crucial role in the induction and progression of vascular abrasion. Interestingly, dysregulation of these pathways either enhances the intensity of oxidative stress, or these pathways are affected by oxidative stress. Thus, oxidative stress has been considered a key culprit in the pro-gression of vascular endothelial dysfunction. Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen and nitro-gen species causes abnormal gene expression, alteration in signal transduction, and the activation of pathways, leading to induction and progression of vascular injury. In addition, numerous antioxidants have been noted to possess promising therapeutic potential in preventing the development of vascular endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, we have focused on current perspectives in oxidative stress sig-nalling to evaluate common biological processes whereby oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the progression of vascular endothelial dysfunction.
Overview on Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP): A Potential
Target for Diabetes Intervention
Authors: Basnet Rajesh , Basnet Til Bahadur , Basnet Buddha Bahadur , Khadka Sandhya
Published: March 2022

Background:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common metabolic disorder characterized by a persistent increment of blood glucose. Type 2 DM is characterized by insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is among the factors that control the produc-tion and loss of pancreatic β-cells.

Objective:

Recent studies have shown that high glucose can significantly up-regulate the expression of the TXNIP. Overexpression of TXNIP in β-cells not only induced apoptosis but also decreased the production of insulin. At the same time, TXNIP deficiency protected the apoptosis of β-cells, leading to increased insulin production. Therefore, finding small molecules that can modulate TXNIP expression and downstream signalling pathways is essential. Thus, the inhibition of TXNIP has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and other tissues such as the heart and the kid-ney in DM. Therefore, DM treatment must target small TXNIP activity, inhibit expression, and promote endogenous cell mass and insulin production.

Conclusion:

This review briefly describes the effect mechanism, regulatory mechanism, and crystal structure of TXNIP. In addition, we highlight how TXNIP signalling networks contribute to diabe-tes and interact with drugs that inhibit the development often and its complexes. Finally, the current status and prospects of TXNIP targeted therapy are also discussed.
Current Status of In vitro Models of the Blood-brain Barrier
Authors: Dong Xiaowei , Shah Brijesh
Published: March 2022

Disorders of the brain constitute the most debilitating situation globally with increased mortality rates every year, while brain physiology and cumbersome drug development processes exacerbate this. Although blood-brain barrier (BBB) and its components are important for brain protection, their complexity creates major obstacles for brain drug delivery, and the BBB is the primary cause of treatment failure, leading to disease progression. Therefore, developing an ideal platform that can predict the behavior of a drug delivery system in the brain at the early development phase is extremely crucial. In this direction, in the last two decades, numerous in vitro BBB models have been developed and investigated by researchers to understand the barrier properties and how closely the in vitro models mimic in vivo BBB. In-vitro BBB models mainly involve the culture of endothelial cells or their coculture with other perivascular cells either in two or three-dimensional platforms. In this article, we have briefly summarized the fundamentals of BBB and outlined different types of in vitro BBB models with their pros and cons. Based on the available reports, no model seems to be robust that can truly mimic the entire properties of the in vivo BBB microvasculature. However, human stem cells, coculture and threedimensional models have been found to mimic the complexity of the barrier integrity not completely but more precisely than other in vitro models. More studies aiming towards combining these models together would be needed to develop an ideal in vitro model that can overcome the existing limitations and unravel the mysterious BBB vasculature.
Modifications of Ribonucleases in Order to Enhance Cytotoxicity in Anticancer Therapy
Authors: Nassiri Mohammadreza , Gopalan Vinod , Vakili-Azghandi Masoume
Published: March 2022

Ribonucleases (RNases) are a superfamily of enzymes that have been extensively studied
since the 1960s. For a long time, this group of secretory enzymes was studied as an important model
for protein chemistry such as folding, stability, and enzymatic catalysis. Since it was discovered that
RNases displayed cytotoxic activity against several types of malignant cells, recent investigation has
focused mainly on the biological functions and medical applications of engineered RNases. In this review,
we describe the structures, functions, and mechanisms of antitumor activity of RNases. They
operate at the crossroads of transcription and translation, preferentially degrading tRNA. As a result,
this inhibits protein synthesis, induces apoptosis, and causes the death of cancer cells. This effect can
be enhanced thousands of times when RNases are conjugated with monoclonal antibodies. Such combinations,
called immunoRNases, have demonstrated selective antitumor activity against cancer cells
both in vitro and in animal models. This review summarizes the current status of engineered RNases
and immunoRNases as promising novel therapeutic agents for different types of cancer. Also, we describe
our experimental results from published or previously unpublished research and compare them
with other scientific information.
HDAC Inhibition as Neuroprotection in COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Sixto-López Yudibeth , Correa-Basurto José
Published: March 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for COVID-19 affecting millions of humans
around the world. COVID-19 shows various clinical symptoms (fever, cough, fatigue, diarrhea,
body aches, headaches, anosmia, and hyposmia). Approximately 30% of patients with COVID-19
showed neurological symptoms, from mild to severe manifestations including headache, dizziness,
impaired consciousness, encephalopathy, anosmia, hypogeusia, and hyposmia, among others. The
neurotropism of the SARS-CoV-2 virus explains its neuroinvasion provoking neurological damage
such as acute demyelination, neuroinflammation, etc. At the molecular level, the COVID-19 patients
had higher levels of cytokines and chemokines known as cytokines storms which disrupt the
blood-brain barrier allowing the entrance of monocytes and lymphocytes, causing neuroinflammation,
neurodegeneration, and demyelination. In addition, the proinflammatory cytokines have been
observed in ischemic, hemorrhagic strokes, seizures, and encephalopathy. In this sense, early neuroprotective
management should be adopted to avoid or decrease neurological damage due to
SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several approaches can be used; one of them includes using HDAC inhibitors
(HDACi) due to their neuroprotective effects. Also, the HDACi down-regulates the proinflammatory
cytokines (IL-6 and TNF decreasing the neurotoxicity. HDACi can also avoid and
prevent the entrance of the virus into the central nervous System (CNS) and decrease the virus replication
by downregulating the virus receptors. Here we review the mechanisms that could explain
how the SARS-CoV-2 virus could reach the CNS, induce neurological damage and symptoms, and
the possibility to use HDACi as neuroprotective therapy.
Accelerating Dynamic MRI Reconstruction Using Adaptive Sequentially
Truncated Higher-Order Singular Value Decomposition
Authors: Li Yang , Shen Qiannan , Jiang Mingfeng , Zhu Lingyan , Li Yongming , Wang Pin , Li Tie-Qiang
Published: March 2022

Background:

Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) plays an important role in
cardiac perfusion and functional clinical exams. However, further applications are limited by the speed
of data acquisition.

Objective:

A low-rank plus sparse decomposition approach is often introduced for reconstructing dynamic
magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) from highly under-sampling K-space data. In this paper,
the reconstruction problem of DMR is transformed into a low-rank tensor plus sparse tensor recovery
problem.

Methods:

A sequentially truncated higher-order singular value decomposition method is proposed to
quickly approximate the low-rank tensor space structure and learn sparse components by adding a tensor
kernel norm to the low-rank tensor and a l1 norm to the sparse tensor to constrain the two parts at
the same time. The optimization problem is solved by using the iterative soft-thresholding algorithm;
therefore, under the premise of ensuring the accuracy of the data, the amount of computation can be
effectively reduced.

Results:

Compared with the state-of-the-art methods, the experimental results show that the proposed
method can achieve better performance in terms of reconstruction speed and reconstruction quality on
3D and 4D dMRI datasets.

Conclusion:

The multidimensional MRI time series is represented by the tensor tool and decomposed
into low rank tensor terms and sparse tensor terms. The low rank spatial structure is captured by the
adaptive ST-HOSVD for fast approximation and the sparse component is constrained efficiently with a
sparsity transform and l1 norm. The optimization problem is solved by an iterative soft-thresholding
algorithm. Through extensive 3D and 4D dMRI experiments, it is demonstrated that our method can
achieve superior reconstruction performance and efficiency compared with the other three state-of-theart
methods reported in the literature.
Quinoline: Synthesis to Application
Authors: Purohit Priyank , Mittal Ravi Kumar , Aggarwal Meenu , Khatana Kavita
Published: March 2022

This review aims to provide a comprehensive report on the quinoline ring with respect to
its synthesis, reactivity, and therapeutic values. The reactivity of quinoline for the metal, electrophile,
and other reactive counterparts defines the shape of the quinoline pharmacophore, which is an important
part of this report; moreover, its spectroscopic characteristics have been included herein with
suitable illustration. The quinoline and its derivatives have been presented as well as the general
synthetic approaches along with the new developments in the catalytic system; the relevant information
is also summarized under the various separate activity classes. The synthesis of heterocyclic
scaffolds has been a concern for scientists, so herein we have tried to include the synthetic parameters
of quinoline with regard to the important pharmacological aspects.
Deciphering the Significance of Plasma Chemokines as Prognostic
Biomarkers in Pegylated IFN-Α-2a /Ribavirin-Treated Chronic Hepatitis
C Genotype 4 Patients
Authors: Hamed M. Haroon , Pushparaj Peter Natesan , Rehman Shafiqur , Al-Karim Saleh , Bazarah Salem , Qadri Ishtiaq
Published: March 2022

Background:

Hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection is a major clinical burden globally. Pegylated
IFN-α-2a (PEG-IFN-α-2a) with ribavirin (RIB) therapy induces an array of cellular antiviral responses,
including dsRNA kinases (PKR), chemokines, and cytokines to tackle the HCV infection.
However, many HCV patients develop resistance to PEG-IFN/RIB therapy rendering the therapy
ineffective.

Objectives:

Here, we assess the significance of chemokines in response to PEG-IFN-α-2a with ribavirin
(PEG-IFN/RIB) therapy.

Methods:

Twenty patients with HCV infection and ten healthy controls were enrolled in this study and
patients were categorized into two groups 1), HCV-Responder (HCV-R), and 2) HCV-non-responder
(HCV-NR). We analyzed IP-10, MIG, MCP-1, EOTAXIN, RANTES, IL-8, MIP-1a, and MIP-1b by a
magnetic bead-based multiplex immunoassay approach based on Luminex X-MAP multiplex technology,
using a MAGPIX instrument (Luminex Corporation, USA).

Results:

A significant elevation of ALT and AST enzymes was observed in HCV-NR. Besides, the
PEG-IFN/RIB therapy in both MIG and MCP-1 in HCV-NR patients was significantly induced. PEGIFN/
RIB therapy significantly increased the levels of chemokines, such as IL-8, IP-10, EOTAXIN,
MIG, RANTES, and MIP-1β, in HCV-R, indicating the chemokine response to PEG-IFN/RIB therapy.

Conclusions:

Hence, MCP-1 and MIG could be the potential biomarkers in HCV-NR and might be
associated with the development of liver fibrosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Limitations:

Our study has only twenty samples of PEG-IFN/RIB treated HCV patients. This might be
the reason for the lack of association between some of the inflammatory markers evaluated and the
SVR, therefore, the association found between the chemokine levels observed in the plasma of HCV-R
and HCV-NR and EVR cannot be extrapolated to patients infected with other HCV genotypes.
Neuroprotective Substances: Are they Able to Protect the Pancreatic Beta- Cells Too?
Authors: Ostrovskaya Rita U. , Ivanov Sergei V.
Published: March 2022

Background:

Growing pieces of evidence demonstrate a close relationship between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The similarity of physiological and pathological processes occurring in pancreatic β-cells and neurons over the course of these pathologies allows raising the question of the practicability of studying neuroprotective substances for their potential antidiabetic activity.

Objective:

This review analyzes studies of antidiabetic and cytoprotective action on pancreatic β-cells of the neuroprotective compounds that can attenuate the oxidative stress and enhance the expression of neurotrophins: low-molecular-weight NGF mimetic compound GK-2, selective anxiolytic afobazole, antidepressants lithium chloride, and lithium carbonate on the rat streptozotocin model of T2D.

Results:

It was found that all the above-listed neuroprotective substances have a pronounced antidiabetic activity. The decrease in the β-cells number, the average area of the pancreatic islets, as well as the violation of their morphological structure caused by the streptozotocin was significantly weakened by the therapy with the investigated neuroprotective substances. The extent of these morphological changes clearly correlates with the antihyperglycemic effect of these compounds.

Conclusion:

The presented data indicate that the neuroprotective substances attenuating the damaging effect of oxidative stress and neurotrophins deficit cannot only protect neurons but also exert their cytoprotective effect towards pancreatic β-cells. These data may provide a theoretical basis for the further study of neuroprotective drugs as potential therapeutic options for T2D prevention and treatment.
Use of Patent Information to Characterize Trends in the Therapeutic Applications of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC-EVs)
Authors: Ponce-Polo Ángela , Hidalgo Alvaro Ritoré , Martínez Arturo Argüello , Guijarro Roke Iñaki Oruezabal
Published: March 2022

Extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC-EVs) are
gaining interest for medical purposes. The promising therapeutic effects exhibited in both
preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that they may become an alternative for certain
applications to cell-based therapies, which are subjected to stricter regulations. The
commercial exploitation of these candidates requires a proper patent strategy from both the
industry and public research organizations. Here, we performed a global patent literature
analysis to identify key players and therapeutic applications in the field. Our results
showed an increasing rate of patent publications since 2009, with Asia (specifically China)
leading the patenting activity. The therapeutic use of MSC-EVs within patent literature covers
a wide range of diseases, in which “Dermal and Wounds,” “Neurology” and “Cardiovascular”
are the main therapeutic areas. Moreover, most of these patents include “productby-
process” claims, since the therapeutic effects of MSC-EVs could be influenced by their
manufacturing process. Our results followed scientific and clinical literature trends.
The Impact of Metabolic Risk Factors, Diabetes, Medications, and
Comorbid Illness on Transit Time at Capsule Endoscopy: A Prospective
Cohort Study
Authors: Bassan Milan S. , Cheng Robert , Choi Nak-Jin , Vivekanandarajah Suhirdan , Abey Shehan , McDonald Jenny
Published: March 2022

Background:

Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is a safe and effective way of investigating obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. One of the main limitations of VCE is suboptimal visualisation due to prolonged gastric transit time (GTT) or rapid small intestinal transit time (SITT). The role of metabolic risk factors, diabetes, and medications on transit times remains unclear.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of diabetes, obesity, medications, and metabolic syndrome on transit times at VCE.

Method:

The study performed was a single centre, observational study.

Results:

Significant predictors of decreased GTT were increasing age and use of beta blocker medication. No predictive factors for increased GTT were identified. Significant predictors of decreased SITT on univariate analysis were increased GTT, serum glucose >5mmol/L, obesity, and diabetes. On multivariate analysis, increased GTT and glucose remained significant.

Conclusions:

Beta-blocker therapy reduces GTT. Hyperglycaemia at the time of VCE reduces SITT. These allow for possible therapeutic strategies to improve the diagnostic yield at VCE.
Mindfulness in Well-Being, Cognition and Learning: Benefits on Higher Education and Health-Care Professions
Authors:   Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA, Victoria Maria ,   Biology of Behavior institute, BoBi, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA,   Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA, Lodhi Sara ,   Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
Published: March 2022

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that can be defined as one’s ability to be present to the surroundings and environment, and not overreact to what is happening around us. With the recent pandemic still affecting the world, more studies have recently become known describing the suitability of mindfulness to prevent and manage mental health. This fact alone offers grounds for mindfulness practices to be added to any stressful environment, including Institutions of higher education and the workforce. Even more, mindfulness practices have a strong link to brain function, increasing cognitive ability, memory, and emotional regulators. The objective of mindfulness-based practices is to experience cognitive flexibility and attentional focus, essential traits for students and health-care professionals in today’s world. As a College of Pharmacy, training future healthcare workers, we wanted to decide whether mindfulness practices might be of benefit to be included in the curriculum. Herein we performed a selective literature review to determine how mindfulness affect human cognition and learning. We observed that, compared to non-meditators, meditators are more likely to experience less mental, emotional, and physical symptoms associated with stress, burnout, or feelings of hopelessness. Several studies discuss the improvements that mindfulness-based meditation has on cognitive flexibility and attentional functions. We widen our search to reveal the impact that mindfulness-based meditation has in the stress observed in education, students and healthcare professionals. Higher education and health professionals are more likely to experience severe stress and suffer from enervation. We concluded that, in our line of work, those pursuing higher education and health professional degrees would benefit from practicing mindfulness. Incorporating mindfulness-based meditation can help alleviate these symptoms and improve not only the quality of life and learning, but also the patient-doctor interaction.
Motivations Toward Using Digital Health and Exploring the Possibility of Using Digital Health for Mental Health in Bangladesh University Students: Cross-sectional Questionnaire Study
Authors: Sifat Munjireen S , Saperstein Sandra L , Tasnim Naima , Green Kerry M
Published: March 2022

Background

Digital health is efficacious for the management and prevention of mental health (MH) problems. It is particularly helpful for the young adult population, who appreciate the autonomy digital health provides, and in low-income countries, where the prevalence of MH problems is high but the supply of professionals trained in MH is low.

Objective

The objectives of this study are 2-fold: to determine whether university students in Bangladesh find using digital health for MH promotion acceptable and to examine motivational factors for using digital health for MH.

Methods

This study used a cross-sectional survey to examine the likelihood that university students in Bangladesh (n=311) would use different forms of digital health platforms for MH promotion and assessed drivers of intention to use and actual use of digital health generally and digital health for MH through the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model. The results provided evidence that the university student population in Bangladesh is likely to use digital health to promote their MH.

Results

Social influence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.68, 95% CI 1.40-2.01; P<.001), ease of use (aOR 1.85, 95% CI 1.35-2.53; P<.001), and perceived usefulness (aOR 4.12, 95% CI 1.79-9.51; P=.001) of digital health were found to be significant drivers of the intention to use general digital health, and having an intention to use digital health (aOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.17-3.78; P=.01) had the greatest influence on actual use of digital health. Social influence (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.43-2.04; P<.001), perceived usefulness (aOR 8.92, 95% CI 4.18-19.04; P<.001), and use of general digital health (aOR 2.16, 95% CI 1.18-3.97; P=.01) were associated with higher intention to use digital health for MH. The use of general digital health (aOR 4.19, 95% CI 2.37-7.41; P<.001) was associated with the actual use of digital health for MH, as were greater non–stigma-related barriers to using traditional clinical MH services (aOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.10-3.80; P=.02).

Conclusions

Overall, we see that the use of digital health for MH is acceptable in this population and can be helpful for students who perceive barriers to receiving traditional care. We also gain insight into how to promote the intention to use digital health, which in turn promotes the actual use of digital health.
Assessment of Preparedness for the COVID-19 Pandemic in Schools in Al-Rusafa District, Baghdad, Iraq, 2021
Authors: Kamoona Marha , Kumar Deepak , Yoos Alison , Abdul Latif Bashar , AL-Temeemy Ayad , Al Ghanimy Safaa
Published: March 2022

Background

Following the international spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19 pandemic, the Iraqi government took several steps to prevent community transmission, including the indefinite closure of schools as a measure to safeguard schoolchildren from COVID-19. The key rationale behind these decisions was the insufficient preparedness level within schools to prevent infection and the lack of appropriate vaccines for children.

Objective

Researchers assessed COVID-19 preparedness levels in schools in Al-Rusafa district, Baghdad, to prepare schools for reopening.

Methods

An observational study design was conducted to assess the schools. Stratified sampling was performed to make the sample more representative; we stratified the schools into 3 categories based on sex, level (primary or secondary), and administration (public or private). The study population comprised all students and teachers in the selected sample. The assessment was carried out retrospectively for 3 months, from May 31, 2021. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Tables and pie charts were used to display the results.

Results

The assessment was completed in 40 schools—20 (50%) primary schools, 10 (25%) high schools, 6 (15%) intermediate schools, and 4 (10%) secondary schools. Overall, the assessment covered 1162 teachers and 16,776 students. The highest infection rate, according to school category, was among primary school staff (6.14%). Moreover, 92% (n=39) of the schools did not have a contact number for a nearby ambulance, and early detection system was weak in 60% (n=24) of the schools, which reflected low levels of school participation in preparing against the COVID-19 pandemic. Referral system for any sick person to an appropriate health facility was not present or was disabled in 63% (n=25) of the schools.

Conclusions

The assessment concluded that none of the schools had a robust screening system to record students infected with COVID-19. The study discusses several actions and requirements that should be reviewed and addressed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the schools and the community.
Token Economy–Based Hospital Bed Allocation to Mitigate Information Asymmetry: Proof-of-Concept Study Through Simulation Implementation (Preprint)
Authors: Hiragi Shusuke , Hatanaka Jun , Sugiyama Osamu , Saito Kenichi , Nambu Masayuki , Kuroda Tomohiro
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

Hospital bed management is an important resource allocation task in hospital management, but currently, it is a challenging task. However, acquiring an optimal solution is also difficult because intraorganizational information asymmetry exists. Signaling, as defined in the fields of economics, can be used to mitigate this problem.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to develop an assignment process that is based on a token economy as signaling intermediary.

METHODS

We implemented a game-like simulation, representing token economy–based bed assignments, in which 3 players act as ward managers of 3 inpatient wards (1 each). As a preliminary evaluation, we recruited 9 nurse managers to play and then participate in a survey about qualitative perceptions for current and proposed methods (7-point Likert scale). We also asked them about preferred rewards for collected tokens. In addition, we quantitatively recorded participant pricing behavior.

RESULTS

Participants scored the token economy–method positively in staff satisfaction (3.89 points vs 2.67 points) and patient safety (4.38 points vs 3.50 points) compared to the current method, but they scored the proposed method negatively for managerial rivalry, staff employee development, and benefit for patients. The majority of participants (7 out of 9) listed human resources as the preferred reward for tokens. There were slight associations between workload information and pricing.

CONCLUSIONS

Survey results indicate that the proposed method can improve staff satisfaction and patient safety by increasing the decision-making autonomy of staff but may also increase managerial rivalry, as expected from existing criticism for decentralized decision-making. Participant behavior indicated that token-based pricing can act as a signaling intermediary. Given responses related to rewards, a token system that is designed to incorporate human resource allocation is a promising method. Based on aforementioned discussion, we concluded that a token economy–based bed allocation system has the potential to be an optimal method by mitigating information asymmetry.
Economic Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Cancer Between 2000 and 2015 in Saskatchewan: Study Protocol (Preprint)
Authors: Penz Erika Dianne , Fenton Benjamin John , Hu Nianping , Marciniuk Darcy
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are both detrimental diseases that present great burdens on society. Years of life lost (YLL), premature years of life lost (PYLL), working years lost (WYL), and productivity loss are all effective measures in identifying economic burden of disease.

OBJECTIVE

We propose a population-based study to analyze comprehensive provincial cohorts of Saskatchewan residents with COPD, lung cancer, and combined COPD and lung cancer in order to identify the burden these diseases present.

METHODS

Saskatchewan residents over the age of 35 years who had COPD, lung cancer, or both, between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2015, will be identified and used in this study. Data for analysis including age, gender, and date of death, alongside Statistics Canada income estimates, will be used to estimate productivity loss and WYL. Statistics Canada life tables will be used to calculate YLL and PYLL by subtracting the patients’ ages at death by their life expectancies, adjusted using sex and age at death.
We will link the Saskatchewan cancer registry with Saskatchewan health administrative databases to create three cohorts: (1) COPD; (2) lung cancer; and (3) COPD and lung cancer. Individuals with lung cancer will be identified using ICDO-T (International Classification of Diseases for Oncology-Topography) codes, and those with COPD will be defined and identified as individuals who had at least 1 visit to a physician with a diagnosis of COPD or 1 hospital separation with a diagnosis of COPD. Those without a valid health care coverage for a consecutive 12 months prior to the first diagnostic code will be excluded from the study. Those with a combined diagnosis of COPD and lung cancer will be identified as individuals who were diagnosed with COPD in the 12 months following their lung cancer diagnosis or anytime preceding their lung cancer diagnosis.

RESULTS

As of April 2021, we have had access to all relevant data for this study, have received funding (January 2020), and have begun the preliminary analysis of our data set.

CONCLUSIONS

It is well documented that COPD and lung cancer are both destructive diseases in terms of YLL, PYLL, WYL, and productivity loss; however, no studies have been conducted to analyze a cohort with combined COPD and lung cancer. Understanding the economic burden associated with each of our 3 cohorts is necessary in understanding and thus reducing the societal impact of COPD and lung cancer.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR1-10.2196/31350
Motivations Toward Using Digital Health and Exploring the Possibility of Using Digital Health for Mental Health in Bangladesh University Students: Cross-sectional Questionnaire Study (Preprint)
Authors: Sifat Munjireen S , Saperstein Sandra L , Tasnim Naima , Green Kerry M
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

Digital health is efficacious for the management and prevention of mental health (MH) problems. It is particularly helpful for the young adult population, who appreciate the autonomy digital health provides, and in low-income countries, where the prevalence of MH problems is high but the supply of professionals trained in MH is low.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study are 2-fold: to determine whether university students in Bangladesh find using digital health for MH promotion acceptable and to examine motivational factors for using digital health for MH.

METHODS

This study used a cross-sectional survey to examine the likelihood that university students in Bangladesh (n=311) would use different forms of digital health platforms for MH promotion and assessed drivers of intention to use and actual use of digital health generally and digital health for MH through the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model. The results provided evidence that the university student population in Bangladesh is likely to use digital health to promote their MH.

RESULTS

Social influence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.68, 95% CI 1.40-2.01; P<.001), ease of use (aOR 1.85, 95% CI 1.35-2.53; P<.001), and perceived usefulness (aOR 4.12, 95% CI 1.79-9.51; P=.001) of digital health were found to be significant drivers of the intention to use general digital health, and having an intention to use digital health (aOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.17-3.78; P=.01) had the greatest influence on actual use of digital health. Social influence (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.43-2.04; P<.001), perceived usefulness (aOR 8.92, 95% CI 4.18-19.04; P<.001), and use of general digital health (aOR 2.16, 95% CI 1.18-3.97; P=.01) were associated with higher intention to use digital health for MH. The use of general digital health (aOR 4.19, 95% CI 2.37-7.41; P<.001) was associated with the actual use of digital health for MH, as were greater non–stigma-related barriers to using traditional clinical MH services (aOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.10-3.80; P=.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we see that the use of digital health for MH is acceptable in this population and can be helpful for students who perceive barriers to receiving traditional care. We also gain insight into how to promote the intention to use digital health, which in turn promotes the actual use of digital health.
Utilization of Heart Rate Variability for Autonomic Nervous System Assessment in Healthy Pregnant Women: A Systematic Literature Review (Preprint)
Authors: Sharifiheris Zahra , Bender Miriam , Rahmani Amir M
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) plays a central role in pregnancy-induced adaptations and failure in the required adaptations is associated with adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes. Mapping maternal ANS function in healthy pregnancy may help to understand ANS function.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine if Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been used to assess ANS function during pregnancy, and if so whether specific HRV patterns have been identified during pregnancy representing the ANS function.

METHODS

Data Sources included CINAHL, PubMed, and SCOPUS databases in September 2020-June 2021. For study selection, studies that assessed HRV in healthy pregnant individuals at least once during pregnancy and/or labor, with/out comparison group (e.g., complicated pregnancy) were included. Covidence online software was used for relevancy screening. For data extraction, a narrative synthesis was applied in three steps of preliminary analysis, exploration of relationships, and assessment of the robustness of the synthesis.

RESULTS

We found eight studies that met the inclusion criteria. In 87.5% of studies, HRV was measured using ECG, and operationalized in three different ways: linear Frequency-domain (FD), linear Time-domain (TD), and non-linear methods. FD was measured in all, TD in 75%, and non-linear methods in 5% of the studies. The assessment duration varied from 5 min to 24 hours. TD indexes and most of the FD indexes decreased from first to third trimester in majority of the studies. Of FD indexes, LF (nu) and LF/ HF ratio showed ascending trend from early to late pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified three HRV measuring methods along with potentially indicative HRV patterns. However, we found no justification for the selection of measurement tools, measurement timeframes, and operationalization, which threaten generalizability and reliability of pattern findings. More research is needed to determine criteria and methods for determining HRV patterns corresponding to ANS functioning in healthy pregnant persons.

CLINICALTRIAL

N.A.