Due to the retrognathic mandible, an orthodontist frequently observes skeletal class II malocclusion in growing patients. The preferred technique for analyzing and monitoring the temporomandibular joint alterations caused by the functional device is magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]. The study aimed to assess and compare changes in the articular disc's dimension and location before and following the use of various class II correctors to correct the class II molar relation using MRI technology. Methods: 39 adolescent patients aged 15-23 years old [24 girls and 15 boys] who were diagnosed with skeletal Class II division 1 malocclusion based on clearly defined criteria underwent treatment with either the power scope II [PS], Sabbagh Advanced Repositioning Appliance [SARA] and or Dynaflex [DF] with fixed appliances. For fixed functional treatment, the average length of treatment was 5-7 months. The changes in the articular disc dimension and position and condylar position were assessed. The study was done at the Department of Orthodontics at the College of Dentistry, Hawler Medical University in Erbil City. Results: Group DF has a significant effect on the condylar position index and posterior joint space on the closed mouth and disc length on both open and close mouth techniques, and in the group SARA, disc position, and condylar position index on closed mouth technique have shown that significant differences were observed. Conclusion: Class II malocclusions can be effectively corrected by fixed functional appliances. The statistical significance forward movement of the condyle in the glenoid fossa and the posterior movement of the articular disc concerning the condylar head was observed. The mechanism of action of functional appliances appears to include the forward migration of the C-GF complex.

Safe water is a global public health concern amid increasing scarcity and pollution. Bottled water production and consumption contribute to these problems. This study examines tap water consumption in Italy, assessing associated sociodemographic factors and related health outcomes such as obesity and self-perceived health status. Data from the Italian National Statistics Institute's "Aspects of daily life" survey (N=45,597) were analyzed. Covariates included education, age, gender, economic status, region, concerns about waste and climate change, consumption of carbonated drinks excluding water, alcohol consumption, consumption of vegetables, consumption of snacks, body mass index, and self-perceived health status. Bivariate analyses and mixed-effect logistic regression models explored the associations. People who drink tap water were 19,674 with a higher prevalence in people aged 45 to 59 old, people with a graduate/post-graduate degree diploma, with optimal economic resources, and concerned about waste production and climate change, coming from the North-East regions of Italy. Underweight people showed a higher prevalence of TW assumption as well as those who drink less than occasionally carbonated drinks, drink alcohol, consume vegetables more than once a day, and snacks less than once a week with a satisfying level perceived health status. Regressions showed that all age classes are less likely to drink tap water than people younger than 20 years old. The category with “inadequate” economic resources is more likely to consume tap water. Low educational classes show a low likelihood of consuming tap water as well as Islands. A concern about waste production and climate change is associated with an increased likelihood of assuming tap water. Tap water consumption was negatively associate with obesity but not with a satisfactory Self-perceived health status. Insights from this study can inform public health strategies.

Background: Health insurance (HI) run by government is providing health care service to large population. Due to poor accountability, participation and sustainability, cooperative health insurance is becoming more popular and effective in low and middle income and some high-income countries too. In Nepal, there are public and cooperative HI is in practice. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of public (government) and cooperative HI in relation to benefit packages, population coverage, inclusiveness, health care utilization, and promptness for treatment in these two health insurance models in Nepal. Method: This is an institution based concurrent mixed study consists of qualitative and quantitative variables from public and cooperative groups. We included all public HI operated by government hospitals and cooperatives groups those purchased hospital service in contract. Two separate study tools were applied to access the effectiveness of insurance models. The key questions were asked for the representatives of government and private health insurance. The numeric information consisted of in quantitative data and subjective response was included in qualitative approach. Descriptive statistics and Mean Whitney U test was applied in numeric data and qualitative information were analyzed by inductive approach Results: The study revealed that new enrolment was not increased, health care utilization rate was increased and the benefit package was almost same in both groups. The overall inclusiveness was higher for the government HI, but enrolment from the religious minority, proportion of negotiated amount during treatment were significantly higher (p<0.05). During illness, the response time to reach hospital was significantly faster in cooperative health insurance than government health insurance. Qualitative findings showed that level of participation, accountability, transparency and recording system was better in cooperative health insurance than public. Conclusion: Cooperative HI could be more sustainable and accountable to the community for all; low, middle and high-income countries.

Background: Disparity in adult mortality (AM) with reference to social dynamics and health care has not been sufficiently examined. This study aimed to identify the gap in the understanding of AM in relation to religion, political stability, economic level, and universal health coverage (UHC). Methods: A cross-national study was performed with different sources of data, using the administrative record linkage theory. We created a new data set using data from the 2013 World Bank data catalogue by region, The Economist (Political instability index 2013), Stuckler David et al. (Universal health coverage, 2010), and religious categories of all UN country members. Descriptive statistics, a t-test, an ANOVA followed by a post hoc test, and a linear regression were used where applicable. Result: The average AM rate for males and females was 0.20 ± 0.10 and 0.14 ± 0.10, respectively. AM was significantly higher in economically weak countries, countries with political instability, countries with traditional religion, without achievement of UHC, and Sub-Saharan Africa (p<0.01). There was high disparity of AM between countries with and without UHC (F = male: 61.89, female: 51.85, p<0.001) and between groups with low and high income (F = male: 36.33, female: 42.39, p<0.001). UHC and political stability would significantly reduce AMR by > 0.41 in both sexes and high economic status would reduce male AMR by 0.44, and female AMR by 0.70, in relation to countries without UHC, with political instability, and low economic status. Conclusions: Disparities in AM can be reduced after the achievement of UHC and economically productive activities for those adults affected by conflict and political unrest.

Bartonella species, intracellular parasitic zoonotic pathogens, has drawn increasing attention for their diverse host range and associated human diseases. This study investigates Bartonella infection in small mammals in Yunnan Province, China, focusing on tissue tropism. 333 small mammals were sampled from 13 species, 3 orders, 4 families, and 4 genera in Heqing and Gongshan Counties. Conventional PCR and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) were utilized for detection and quantification, followed by bioinformatic analysis of obtained DNA sequences. Results show a 31.5% detection rate, varying across species. Notably, Apodemus chevrieri, Eothenomys eleusis, Niviventer fulvescens, Rattus tanezumi, Episoriculus leucops, Anourosorex squamipes, and Ochotona Thibetana exhibited infection rates of 44.4%, 27.7%, 100.0%, 6.3%, 60.0%, 23.5%, and 22.2%, respectively. Genetic analysis identified 30, 10, and 5 strains based on ssrA, rpoB, and gltA genes, with nucleotide identities ranging from 92.1% to 100.0%. Bartonella strains were assigned to B. grahamii, B. rochalimae, B. sendai, B. koshimizu, B. phoceensis, B. taylorii, and a new species identified in the Episoriculus leucops (GS136). Tissue distribution analysis revealed varied copy numbers across different tissues, with the highest load in spleen. These findings underscore Bartonella's diverse species and host range in Yunnan Province, highlighting its broad tissue tropism in small mammals.

Preventive Maintenance (PM) is a periodic maintenance strategy, which has great results for devices in extending their life, increasing productivity, and most importantly, help avoid unexpected breakdowns and their costly consequence. A preventive maintenance scheduling (PMS) is determining the time for carrying out PM, and it represents a sensitive issue in terms of impact on production if the time for the PM process is not optimally distributed. In this study, hybrid heuristic methods were used to solve the PMS problem, as genetic algorithm and Tabu research were adopted. The optimal solution was reached in a short time compared to previous studies in which optimal methods were used, integer programming and nonlinear integer programming. Also, sensitivity analysis was applied to measure the robustness and strength of the method used, where an optimal solution was obtained for all experiments and in record time. This method can be used for power plants in privet or public sectors, to generate an optimal PMS, to save money, and to avoid water or electricity cuts.

The pharmacological effects of the fruiting body of Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Os) exerted antioxidant, anti-virus, and immunomodulatory, whereas the anti-inflammatory effects and active components of Os mycelial submerged culture (OMSC) are not known. This study aimed to investigate the active compounds in the fermented liquid (FLOS), hot water (WEOS), and 50-95% (EEOS-50, EEOS-95) ethanol extracts of OMSC and their anti-inflammatory effects and potential mechanisms in LPS-stimulated microglial BV2 cells. The results demonstrated that all of the OMSC extracts could inhibit NO production in BV2 cells. EEOS-95 exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects (41 % inhibitory ability at 500 µg/mL), and its ergosterol, GABA, total phenolic, and total flavonoid contents were significantly higher than those of the other extracts (18.60, 18.60, 2.28, and 2.14 mg/g, p &lt; 0.05, respectively). EEOS-95 also has a strong inhibitory ability against IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α with IC50 of 617, 277 and 507 µg/mL, respectively, which is higher than that of 1 mM melatonin. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of EEOS-95 seems to be associated with up-regulation of PPAR-γ/Nrf-2/HO-1 antioxidant-related expression and down-regulation of NF-κB/COX-2/iNOS pro-inflammatory expression signaling. Therefore, we hypothesized that EEOS-95 can prevent neurodegenerative diseases, but the effect on the application in vivo should be further investigated.

We report a facile route for the green synthesis of trimethylchitosan nitrate-capped silver nanoparticles (TMCN-AgNPs) with positive surface charge. In this synthesis, silver nitrate, glucose, and trimethyl chitosan nitrate (TMCN) were used as silver precursor, reducing agent, and stabilizer, respectively. The reaction was carried out in a stirred basic aqueous medium at room temperature without the use of energy-consuming or expensive equipment. We investigated the effects of the concentrations of NaOH, glucose, and TMCN on the particle size, zeta potential, and formation yield. The AgNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy, laser Doppler anemometry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the TMCN-AgNPs was studied by the reduction of 4-nitrophenol using NaBH₄ as a reducing agent. We evaluated the antibacterial effects of the TMCN-AgNPs on Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus using the broth microdilution method. The results showed that both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were killed by the TMCN-AgNPs at very low concentration (< 6.13 μg/mL). Moreover, the TMCN-AgNPs also showed high antibacterial activity against clinically isolated multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was ≤ 12.25 μg/mL.

A reduction in population sodium (as salt) consumption is one of the most cost-effective strategies to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and it is a global health priority. High potassium intake is also recommended to reduce cardiovascular disease. To establish effective policies for setting targets and monitoring effectiveness within each country, the current level of consumption should be known. Greece lacks data on actual sodium and potassium intakes. The aim of the present study was therefore to assess dietary salt (using sodium as biomarker) and potassium intakes in a sample of healthy adults in northern Greece and to determine whether adherence to a Mediterranean diet is related to different sodium intakes or sodium-to-potassium ratio. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Thessaloniki greater metropolitan area (northern Greece) (n=252, aged 18-75 years, 45.2% males). Participants’ dietary sodium and potassium intakes were determined by 24h urinary sodium and potassium excretions. In addition, we estimated their adherence to Mediterranean diet by the use of an 11-item MedDietScore (range 0-55). The mean sodium excretion was 175 (SD 72) mmol/day, equivalent to 4,220 (1,745) mg of sodium or 10.7 (4.4) g of salt per day and potassium excretion was 65 (25) mmol/day, equivalent to 3,303 (1,247) mg/day. Men had higher sodium and potassium excretions compared to women. Only 5.6% of the sample had salt intake <5g/d, which is the target intake recommended by the WHO. Mean sodium-to-potassium excretion ratio was 2.82 (1.07). There was no significant difference in salt or potassium intake or their ratio across MedDietScore quartiles. No significant relationships were found between salt intake and adherence to Mediterranean diet, suggesting that the perception of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet does not hold when referring to salt consumption. These results suggest the need for a larger nation-wide survey on salt intake in Greece and underline the importance of continuation of salt reduction initiatives in Greece.

Background: Despite a range of available treatments, there is a remaining unmet need for patients with severe post-partum hemorrhage (sPPH). Objective: This manuscript evaluated efficacy and safety of recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in sPPH management. Methods: An open-label, multi-center, randomized controlled trial (RCT; NCT00370877) and four observational studies (OS; OS-1 [NCT04723979], OS-2, OS-3 and OS-4) were analyzed regarding efficacy (need for subsequent invasive procedures, including uterine compression sutures, uterine or iliac artery ligation, arterial embolization or hysterectomy) and safety (incidence of thromboembolic events [TE] and maternal mortality) of rFVIIa for sPPH. The RCT, and OS-1 and OS-2, included a control group of women who did not receive rFVIIa (with propensity score-matching used in OS-1 and OS-2), whereas OS-3 and OS-4 provided descriptive data for rFVIIa exposed women only. Results: A total of 446 women exposed to rFVIIa and 1,717 non-exposed controls were included. In the RCT, fewer rFVIIa exposed women (50% [21/42]) had an invasive procedure versus non-exposed women (91% [38/42]; odds ratio 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.03–0.35). In OS-1, more rFVIIa exposed women (58% [22/38]) had an invasive procedure versus non-exposed women (35% [13.3/38]; odds ratio 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.06–5.99). In OS-2, 17% (3/18) of rFVIIa exposed women and 32% (5.6/17.8) of non-exposed women had an invasive procedure (odds ratio 0.33, 95% confidence interval 0.03–1.75). Across all included women, TEs occurred in 1.5% (0.2% arterial and 1.2% venous) of rFVIIa exposed women and 1.6% (0.2% arterial and 1.4% venous) of non-exposed women with available data. Conclusions: The positive treatment effect of rFVIIa in the RCT was not confirmed in the OS. However, the safety analysis did not show any increased incidence of TEs with rFVIIa treatment.

Cancer being a multi-factorial disease, a multi-target approach is needed to treat it with minimal side-effects. Therefore, combined use of a proven herbal formula with chemo-therapy could be the better therapeutic. It may maintain homeostasis by synergistically targeting multiple signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis, thus circumventing recurrence, resistance, and immunosuppression. Here we aim to determine the effectiveness and safety of an FDA-approved herbal formula, SR033 in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and paclitaxel (PTX). We report chemo-sensitization and chemo-synergy in HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, immunomodulation of COX-2, PD-L1, VEGF and TGFβ and overall survival in-vitro and in-vivo via oral and topical delivery of SR033. In-vitro, SR033/5FU significantly reverses 5FU and PTX-resistance, lower COX-2, and PD-L1, resulting in TGFβ/ VEGF axis modulation. Furthermore, the study suggests that due to anti-oxidative potential of SR033, oral administration exerts chemo-preventive activity and restores cellular compartment in solid tumor and ascites-bearing mice models. Furthermore, the topical application, SR033L with low-dose 5FU increases survival rate, reduces tumor growth, and completely restores local and peripheral neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in solid tumor mice model. The study indicates that SR033 could be a strong candidate in combination with low-dose 5FU and PTX for a holistic approach to cancer management.

The study delves into the multifaceted landscape of human-macaque conflict within temple ecosystems, with a specific focus on Bonnet Macaques. In the context of intertwined religious, cultural, and social values, understanding public attitudes towards these commensal species becomes pivotal. The research aims to decipher the socio-economic factors that shape perceptions of human-monkey conflict within temples and to explore public attitudes within sacred groves. To achieve these objectives, a comprehensive questionnaire was administered through household interviews to 100 residents living within both a 1 sq. km and a 2 sq. km radius of the study area, ensuring direct participant interaction. The survey, taking approximately 40 minutes per participant, examined six variables, including occupation, religion, and annual income. The data collected was analysed using SPSS ver. 24 software, employing the chi-square test of independence to explore associations between categorical variables. The findings revealed that occupation and religion emerged as influential factors in shaping perceptions of Bonnet Macaques as problematic. While annual income hinted at significance, age, education, and knowledge of Kysannur Forest Disease (KFD) did not significantly impact Bonnet Macaque perception. Interestingly, age emerged as a significant factor influencing the perception of the monkeys' religious significance, whereas only education and religious affiliation impacted feeding practices towards the monkeys. Surprisingly, other demographic variables such as age, gender, occupation, and income showed no significant influence on monkey feeding practices. These results underscore the intricate interplay of socioeconomic, cultural, and religious factors in shaping public attitudes and behaviours towards Bonnet Macaques. The study further sheds light on the impact of education and religious affiliation on feeding practices, emphasizing the need for nuanced conservation strategies. Recognizing these complexities is crucial for developing culturally sensitive conservation efforts. By acknowledging the influential factors identified in this research, conservation strategies can be tailored to specific communities, fostering harmonious coexistence between humans and Bonnet Macaques in temple ecosystems. This nuanced approach ensures that conservation efforts are not only effective but also respectful of the diverse socio-cultural contexts within which they are implemented.

In the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, if a preventive restriction (PR), intended to arrest the transmission of the virus, is effective we expect a decrease in the rate of transmission. If an effective PR is lifted or relaxed, the rate may show some increase. We test this expectation in the history of PR imposition and relaxation in all countries based on available public database. We found marginal or no negative correlation between standing stringency index of PR and change in slope of the local curve. A change in stringency index was significantly negatively correlated with change in slope, but change in stringency of PRs could explain only 6.1 percent of the variance in rates of transmission. The distribution of slope changes after imposing versus after relaxing PRs was highly overlapping with only a tail consisting of 4.5 % PR impositions being clearly non-overlapping with PR relaxation. Non-parametrically, only 9.4% of PR impositions were associated with a reduction in the slope above the expectation of a null hypothesis. In brief, globally, preventive restrictions have played a very small role in the pandemic process over the one year period. This feedback needs to be considered in making policy for disease prevention in the further course of the pandemic as well as in any future threats of respiratory disease epidemics.

Multicore magnetic nanoparticles of manganese ferrite were prepared using carboxymethyl-dextran and melamine as agglutinating agents. The nanoparticles prepared using melamine exhibit a flower-shape structure, a saturation magnetization of 6.16 emu/g and good capabilities for magnetic hyperthermia. Magnetoliposome-like structures containing the multicore nanoparticles exhibit sizes in the range 250 – 400 nm. A new antitumor thienopyridine derivative was loaded in these nanocarriers with a high encapsulation efficiency of 98% ± 2.6%. Release profiles in absence and presence of an AMF indicate a transport by diffusion, with a maximum compound release of 31% under the AMF. A sustained and controlled drug release in anticipated from the results, pointing to suitable characteristics of the magnetoliposomes for dual cancer therapy (combined magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy).

Georgia is ranked fifth highest among states for rates of HIV diagnosis. About 4% of persons living with HIV infection in the United States reside in Georgia, and almost 19% of these people do not know their HIV status. The present study examined the trends and associated factors of HIV testing among adults in Georgia between 2010 and 2014 by analyzing data of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). A total of 30,791 persons aged ≥18 years were identified who responded to the question “Have you ever been tested for HIV?” Overall, there were 11,543 respondents who had been tested for HIV, with a decrease in percentage from 49.4% in 2010 to 43.7% in 2014 (p<0.001). Factors associated with HIV testing were being black (p<0.001), being younger than 55 years (p<0.001), single (p=0.02), attaining education level above high school (P<0.001), engaging in HIV high-risk behaviors (p<0.001), and not having healthcare coverage (p=0.03). Overall in Georgia, there has been a decline in the temporal trend of HIV testing, and more than half of adults have never been tested for HIV. For reducing HIV transmission in Georgia, enhancing access and utilization of HIV testing should be a public health priority.

(R)-1-(4-Amino-3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-bromoethan-1-ol has been synthesised in 93% enantiomeric excess (ee) by asymmetric reduction of the corresponding ketone catalysed by a ketoreductase and NADPH as the co-factor in DMSO. (S)-N-(2,6-Dichloro-4-(1-hydroxyethyl)phenyl)acetamide has been synthesised in >98% ee by the same system. Both synthons are potential precursors for clenbuterol enantiomers. Clenbuterol is a β₂-agonist used in veterinary treatment of asthma in several countries. The drug is listed on the World Anti-doping Agency’s Prohibited list due to its effect on increased protein synthesis in the body. However, racemic clenbuterol has recently been shown to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. In order to reveal which one (or both) of the enantiomers that cause this effect, the pure enantiomers need to be studied separately. Our biocatalytic approach in order to obtain enantiopure clenbuterol should be applicable to industrial scale.

Background: Smoking, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a well-known risk factor for diabetes. Low socioeconomic status, especially lack of education, also is a risk factor for diabetes. Therefore, we assessed the association of education and smoking status, including ETS exposure, with the prevalence of diabetes. Methods: Data were from the 2007–2013 Korea National Health and Nutritional Evaluation Survey (KNHANES). Multivariable logistic regression examined associations between various lifestyle and health factors and prevalence of diabetes while controlling for potential confounding variables. Subgroup analysis was performed according to smoking status to determine factors associated with diabetes. Results: Of 19,303 individuals analyzed, 1,325 (11.4%) had diabetes. Greater average age, male sex, lower educational level, unemployment, and coexisting health problems were significantly associated with diabetes. Individuals with only elementary, middle, or high school level education had significantly greater odds ratios (p<0.05) compared to college graduates; smokers and nonsmokers exposed to ETS had significantly greater OR (p<0.05) than nonsmokers unexposed to ETS. Subgroup analysis of diabetics according to smoking status revealed significant associations (p<0.05) for diabetic nonsmokers exposed to ETS with female sex, single status, elementary level education, urban residence, National Health Insurance (NHI), hypertension, no alcohol intake, and no moderate physical activity. For diabetic smokers, there were significant associations (p<0.05) with elementary education, urban residence, lack of moderate physical activity, no alcohol intake, and NHI. Conclusions: The results suggested that smoking status, including ETS exposure, was associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes especially in populations with less education. Thus, we should direct efforts for controlling diabetes toward individuals with lower levels of education, and those who are smokers and nonsmokers exposed to ETS.

In Philadelphia chromosome positive B-cell (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (LLA), growing evidence has ac-cumulated about the efficacy of low-intensity and chemo-free regimens. Our objective was to analyze all recent trials evaluating these treatments and to compare them in terms of efficacy. We applied the Shiny method, an artificial intelligence technique, to analyze Kaplan-Meier curves and reconstruct patient-level data. Reconstructed patient data were then evaluated through standard survival statistics and subjected to indirect head-to-head treatment comparisons. The endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Based on 848 reconstructed patients, 9 trials were analyzed. The survival data from these trials were pooled into three types of treatments: i) treatments based on ty-rosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) combined with reduced-intensity chemotherapy (denoted as TKICHE); ii) TKIs as-sociated to steroids with no chemotherapy (TKISTE); iii) chemotherapy-free combinations of blinatumomab plus TKIs (TKIBLI). According to the Shiny method, the three PFS curves were reported in a single Kaplan-Meier graph and subjected to survival statistics. In terms of PFS, TKIBLI ranked first, TKICHE second, and TKISTE third; the differences between these three regimens were statistically significant. This multi-treatment Kaplan-Meier graph, generated through the Shiny method, summarized the current evidence on these treatments in both qualitative and quantitative terms.

: In Philadelphia chromosome positive B-cell (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (LLA), growing evidence has accumulated about the efficacy of low-intensity and chemo-free regimens. Our objective was to analyse all recent trials evaluating these treatments and to compare them in terms of efficacy. We applied the Shiny method, an artificial intelligence technique, to analyse Kaplan-Meier curves and reconstruct patient-level data. Reconstructed patient data were then evaluated through standard survival statistics and subjected to indirect head-to-head treatment comparisons. The endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Based on 562 reconstructed patients, 8 trials were analyzed. The survival data from these trials were pooled into three types of treatment: i) treatments based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) combined with reduced-intensity chemotherapy (denoted as TKICHE); ii) TKIs associated to steroids with no chemotherapy (TKISTE); iii) chemotherapy-free combinations of blinatumomab plus TKIs (TKIBLI). According to the Shiny method, the three PFS curves were reported in a single Kaplan-Meier graph and subjected to survival statistics. In terms of PFS, TKIBLI ranked first, TKICHE second, and TKISTE third; the differences between these three regimens were statistically significant. In conclusion, the multi-treatment Kaplan-Meier graph generated in this study has effectively summarized the current evidence on these treatments in comparative terms.

As of the end of 2022, despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global HIV epidemic persists, with 39 million individuals living with the virus and 1.3 million new infections reported in that year. Opportunistic infections associated with AIDS claimed the lives of over 630,000 people in 2022, contributing to a cumulative death toll exceeding 40.4 million since the disease's emergence in 1981. Although advances in HIV diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy have transformed the disease into a manageable chronic condition, issues like drug resistance, low compliance, and high treatment costs persist. Until a vaccine becomes available, a comprehensive approach involving prevention and therapy is essential, particularly for high-risk populations. Research shows that prevention strategies are more cost-effective than treatment. The development of antiretroviral drugs has also spurred the creation of antivirals for other infections. The emergence of COVID-19 vaccines has opened new avenues for HIV vaccine development, as lessons from vaccine platform technologies like mRNA, viral vectors, and protein subunits can be applied to HIV. This review explores the most promising prophylactic and therapeutic HIV vaccine trials, emphasizing the need for a multi-pronged approach combining vaccines with non-vaccine strategies. Though significant progress is anticipated, the road to a viable HIV vaccine remains long, especially for high-risk populations, such as medical workers, blood transfusion recipients, and drug users. The combinatorial approach, capitalizing on various aspects of immunity, may hold the key to defeating HIV in the future.

The endogenous miRNAs of breast milk are the products of more than 1,000 nonprotein-coding genes, giving rise to mature small regulatory molecules of 19–25 nucleotides. They are incorporated in macromolecular complexes, loaded on Argonaut proteins, sequestrated in exosomes, lipid complexes, or present in exfoliated cells of epithelial, endothelial, or immune origins. Their expression is dependent on the stage of lactation, however their detection depends on progress in RNA sequencing and the reappraisal of small RNAs definition. Some miRNAs from plants are detected in breast milk, opening the possibility of stimulation of immune cells of the allergic repertoire. Each miRNA harbors a seeding sequence, which targets mRNAs, gene promoters, or long noncoding RNAs. Their activities depend on their bioavailability. Efficient doses of miRNAs are estimated at roughly 100 molecules in the cytoplasm of target cells from in vitro and in vivo experiments. Each miRNA is included in networks of stimulation/inhibition/sequestration driving the expression of cellular phenotypes. Three types of stress applied during lactation to manipulate miRNA supply, have been explored on the rodent offspring: foster mother, cafeteria diet, early weaning. The review present the main mature miRNAs described across current mothers’ cohorts, their bioavailability in experimental models, and the studies assessing the potentials of miR-26 or miR-320 miRNA families to alter offspring phenotype.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a critical healthcare challenge due to its ability to cause persistent infections and the acquisition of antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Lack of preventive vaccines and rampant drug resistance phenomenon has rendered patients vulnerable. As new antimicrobials are in the preclinical stages of development, mining for the unexploited drug targets is also crucial. Here, we designed a chimeric vaccine against P. aeruginosa using a subtractive proteomics approach and identified nine unique enzymes as novel drug targets in PAO1 proteome. A total of five unique proteins were selected as potential vaccine candidates based on essentiality, extracellular localization, virulence, antigenicity, pathway association, protein-protein interaction analysis, hydrophilicity, and low molecular weight. These include two outer membrane porins OprF (P13794) and OprD (P32722), a protein activator precursor pra (G3XDA9), a probable outer membrane protein precursor PA1288 (Q9I456), and a conserved hypothetical protein PA4874 (Q9HUT9). These proteins were further analyzed using a reverse vaccinology approach to identify immunogenic and antigenic T cell and B cell epitopes. The best scoring epitopes qualifying for all set criteria were then further subjected to the construction of a polypeptide multi-epitope vaccine construct with cholera toxin B (CtxB) subunit as an adjuvant. The identified drug targets qualifying the screening criteria were: UDP-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucuronic acid 3-dehydrogenase WbpB (G3XD23), aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Q51344), 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-hydroxymethyldihydropteridine pyrophosphokinase (Q9HV71), 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic-acid transferase (Q9HUH7), glycyl-tRNA synthetase alpha chain (Q9I7B7), riboflavin kinase/FAD synthase (Q9HVM3), aconitate hydratase 2 (Q9I2V5), probable glycosyltransferase WbpH (G3XD85) and UDP-3-O-[3-hydroxylauroyl] glucosamine N-acyltransferase (Q9HXY6). For druggability and pocketome analysis crystal and homology structures of these proteins were retrieved and developed. A sequence-based search was performed in different databases (ChEMBL, Drug Bank, PubChem and Pseudomonas database) for the availability of reported ligands and tested drugs for the screened targets. These predicted targets may provide a basis for the development of reliable antibacterial preventive and therapeutic options against P. aeruginosa.

The recent outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major threat to human health and the global economy. In addition to the development of vaccines there is an urgent need for preventive and therapeutic strategies towards severe COVID-19. Key to this would be a better understanding of the molecular mechanismsoiuuuu affected by SARS-COV-2. To address this, we performed a systems biology approach by integrating available RNA-seq datasets from post-mortem lung tissue of COVID-19 patients and cell culture models infected with SARS-COV-2, Respiratory Syncytial virus or influenza virus. We identified two gene-expression modules that are commonly regulated by the three viral diseases and one that is specific to COVID-19. All 3 gene-expression modules represent key inflammatory processes. We identified several proteins within these networks that can be targeted by FDA approved drugs. Key examples are TNF, NFkB, INTERLEUKIN-1 and ALOX5 signaling pathways. Our data also suggest that Vitamin D supplementation and a ketogenic diet should be further analyzed as preventive strategies. In conclusion, our data highlights the potential of transcriptomics to unravel the pathological processes related to COVID-19 and guide the initiation of clinical trials.

In this paper we study a bilinear optimal control problem related to a 2D parabolic-elliptic chemo-repulsion system consider a nonlinear chemical signal production term. We prove the existence of global optimal solutions with bilinear control, and applying a result on the existence of Lagrange multipliers in Banach spaces, we derive an optimality system for a local optimal solution.

Background Aspergillus spp. is a widely distributed filamentous fungus in the environment due to its high sporulation capacity. Currently, invasive aspergillosis (IA) is the most common invasive fungal infection in patients with hematologic malignancies with high rates of mortality and morbidity. The multifactorial nature of the disease requires appropriate risk stratification to allow the most appropriate preventive measures to be adapted and implemented according to the characteristics of the patient. In this sense, the present research aims to identify recent risk factors and environmental control measures against invasive aspergillosis to establish preventive actions to reduce the incidence of invasive aspergillosis in hospitals; (2) Methods: We conducted a qualitative systematic review of the scientific literature on environmental risk factors and preventive measures for invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematological malignancies. The Medline, Cochrane and Scopus databases were consulted, following the PRISMA and STROBE guidelines; (3) Results Adequate implementation of environmental control measures is presented as the most efficient intervention in terms of prevention to decrease the incidence of invasive aspergillosis in hospitals. We identify neutropenia, fungal contamination, lack of adequate environmental control measures in hospitals and patients´ homes, duration of hospitalization, and anemia as independent risk factors. We show that HEPA, LAF and Plasmair® systems are suitable methods to reduce the concentration of airborne fungal spores. Antifungal prophylaxis did not influence the reduction of IA significantly in our study; (4) Conclusions: Proper professional training and environmental control measures in hospitals are essential for the prevention of invasive aspergillosis. We should optimize risk stratification for patients with hematologic malignancies. Antifungal prophylaxis should be complementary to environmental control measures and should never be substituted for these last ones. Studies should also be done to evaluate the efficiency of environmental control measures against IA at patients' homes.

To understand great disparities in disease outcomes between CIVID-19 patients, we explore infection and host responses in kinetics. From existing data, we deduced a model that the lungs are damaged by rapidly rising flow resistance as a result of retaining white blood cells in lung tissues. The retention of white blood cells is initially triggered by viral infection but aggravated by injuries caused by low temperature. Lungs are initially damaged by fluid leakage, rapidly followed by extruding blood into alveolar spaces. The step of blood extruding is predicted to take place in a very short time. Our simulations show that as little as 0.1% retention of white blood cells in the lungs can lead to their failure in 5 to 10 days. The small degrees of imbalance implies that this imbalance could be corrected by a large number of factors that are known to reduce flow resistance. The model implies that the top priority is maintaining blood micro-circulation and preserving organ functions in the entire disease course, especially after the virus has spread the whole lungs. From exploring a large number of hypothetical infection modes, we propose preventive, mitigating and treatment strategies for ultimately ending the pandemic. The first strategy is avoiding exposures that could result in widespread damages to lungs and taking post exposure mitigating measures that would reduce disease severity. The second strategy is reducing death rate and disability rate from the current levels to one tenth for infected patients by using multiple factors health optimization method. The double reduction strategies are expected to generate a series of chain reactions that favor mitigating or ending the pandemic. Some reactions include a big reduction of the amount of viral discharges from infected patients into the air, the avoidance of panic, chronic stress and emotional distress, and cross-infections which are expected in quarantines. The double reductions would have a final effect of ending the pandemic.

The permanent protection of groundwater and surface sources of drinking water in the required raw water quality from contamination is the primary foundation of preserving the life of society and the entire engineering infrastructure operability not only in the Czech Republic but also in other countries of the world. One of the basic ways of contamination prevention enhancement and risk mitigation of putting a water source out of operation is the identification of the given risk as well as soil contamination monitoring. The purpose of this study is to understand specific aspects of contamination threats to drinking water sources and determine possible solutions to eliminate the risk, shown in the example case study in the Czech Republic conditions. Based on the findings, a proposal to enhance the prevention of water source contamination has been elaborated in the form of recommendations regarding the ways and means used to monitor the risk areas and to implement technical measures so as to eliminate or terminate the specified risk. A complex approach based on the integration of interdisciplinary factors and methodology is required to minimize the threats of aquatic ecosystems contamination in the Czech Republic.

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a growing global health problem that requires new and effective prevention and management strategies. Recent research has highlighted the role of epigenetic changes in the development and progression of T2D, and the potential of functional foods as complementary therapy for the disease. This review aims to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the preventive epigenetic mechanisms of functional foods in T2D. We provide background information on T2D and its current treatment approaches, an explanation of the concept of epigenetics, and an overview of the different functional foods with demonstrated preventive epigenetic effects in T2D. We also discuss the epigenetic mechanisms by which these functional foods prevent or manage T2D and the studies that have investigated their preventive epigenetic effects. In addition, we revisit works on the beneficial influence of functional foods against the programming and complications of parentally-triggered offspring diabetes. We also postulate, albeit based on the scarce data, that epigenetic inheritance mechanistically mediates the impacts of functional nutrition against the metabolic risk of diabetes in the offspring. Finally, our review highlights the importance of considering the preventive epigenetic mechanisms of functional foods as a potential avenue for the development of new prevention and management strategies for T2D.

A major advance of drug discovery and targeted therapy directed to cancer cells may be achieved by exploitation and immunomodulation of their unique biological property. This re-view summarizes our efforts to develop novel chemo-thermo-immuno-therapy (CTI therapy) by conjugating a melanogenesis substrate, N-propionyl cysteaminylphenol (NPrCAP: amine analog of tyrosine), with magnetite nanoparticles (MNP). In our approach, NPrCAP provides a unique drug delivery system (DDS) because of its selective incorporation into melanoma cells. It also functions as a melanoma-targeted therapeutic drug because of its production of highly reactive free radicals (melanoma-targeted chemotherapy). Moreover, utilization of MNP is a platform to develop thermo-immunotherapy because of heat shock protein (HSP) generation upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The feasibility of our approach was successfully shown in experimental in vivo and in vitro mouse melanoma models and in preliminary clinical trials to a limited number of advanced melanoma patients.

Reviewed are recent efforts leading to chemo-enzymatic syntheses of strongly fluorescent ribosides of nucleobase analogs, potentially applicable in analytical biochemistry and cell biology. Described are syntheses and properties of fluorescent purine, 8-azapurine and etheno-purine ribosides, obtained using various types of the purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) as catalysts of ribosylation, and -ribose-1-phosphate (r1P) as a second substrate. In several instances, the ribosylation sites were different than the canonical purine N9. Some of the obtained ribosides show fluorescence yields close to 100%. Their main applications are assays of PNP, nucleoside hydrolases, and other enzyme activities both in vitro and, possibly, within the living cells, using fluorescence microscopy.

Smokeless tobacco (ST) products vary significantly in their oral carcinogenicity. Much is known about the differences in chemical, but not bacterial, constituents of these products. In this study, we explore the composition and function of the bacteriome in ST products from 4 countries using q-PCR and 16S rRNA-based next generation sequencing. The bacterial load (16S rRNA copies/gram) was lowest in Swedish snus (3.4E+6) and highest in Yemeni shammah (6.6E+11). A total of 491 species-level taxa, many of which are potentially novel, belonging to 178 genera and 11 phyla were identified. Species richness and diversity were highest for Swedish snus and lowest for Yemeni shammah. Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Oceanobacillus spp. were the most abundant in American snuff; species of Pseudomonas, Massilia, Propionibacterium, Puniceispirillum and Gloeothece predominated in Swedish snus. In Sudanese toombak, Facklamia, Desemzia, Atopostipes and Lysinibacillus spp. accounted for the majority of the bacteriome. Yemeni shammah exclusively contained Bacillus spp. PICRUSt functional prediction showed that genes encoding cadmium/zinc and nickel transport systems were enriched in the presumptively “high carcinogenicity” products. The bacteriome of ST products thus differed qualitatively, quantitatively and functionally. The relevance of these differences, particularly with respect to nickel and cadmium, to oral carcinogenesis warrants further investigation.

In recent years, the chiral biological effects of nanomedicines have become a subject of widespread interest. The research focus has been on understanding the influence of material chirality on cellular transcription and metabolism. Stress granules are membraneless organelles formed through liquid-liquid phase separation of G3BP1 proteins and related compartments. They have been extensively studied and proven to be closely associated with cellular damage repair and metabolism. However, the role and mechanism of chiral nanomaterials in modulating stress granules remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and structural characteristics of stress granules under the individual influence of chiral nanomaterials and in combination with chemotherapy. To achieve this, we constructed a library of chiral ligand-modified materials and employed immunofluorescence, live-cell imaging, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assays. We also used proximity labeling techniques combined with proteomics analysis to identify the protein corona adsorbed on the surface of the nanomaterials and explore their relationship with nanomaterial chirality. Our results demonstrate that the assembly of stress granules is chiral-dependent and can be regulated by chiral nanomaterials. Furthermore, we achieved enhanced chemotherapy sensitivity in cancer cells and protected normal cells by exploiting the chiral-dependent modulation of material assembly in stress granules. This study provides important insights into the regulation of membraneless cellular structures based on chiral biological effects.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is key to reducing the probability of contracting COVID-19. The vaccine is generally known to prevent severe illness, death, and hospitalization as a result of the disease and for considerably reducing COVID-19 infection risk. Accordingly, this might significantly change an individual’s perceived risk of altering everyday behaviors. For instance, the proliferation of vaccination is anticipated to reduce preventive behaviors such as staying at home, handwashing, and wearing a mask. We corresponded with the same individuals monthly for 18 months from March 2020 (early stage of COVID-19) to September 2021 in Japan to independently construct large sample panel data (N=54,007), with a participation rate of 54.7 %. We used a fixed effects model, controlling for key confounders, to determine whether vaccination was associated with a change in preventive behaviors. The major findings are as follows. Contrary to the prediction, (1) based on the whole sample, being vaccinated against COVID-19 led people to stay at home; however, it did not change the habit of handwashing and wearing a mask. Especially after the second shot, respondents were likelier to stay at home by 0.107 (95% CIs: 0.059–0.154) points on a 5-point scale compared to before the vaccination. Dividing the entire sample into young and old, (2) those aged ≤ 40 years were more likely to go out after being vaccinated, and (3) people over 40 years of age were more likely to stay at home (similar to the first result). Preventive behaviors impact all individuals during the current pandemic. Informal social norms motivate people to increase or maintain preventive behaviors even after being vaccinated in societies where these behaviors are not enforced.

Western Anatolia comprises a vast amount of various volcanic successions spanning from Eocene to Upper Miocene periods. These units mainly display southward younging in broad sense and display large amounts of chemical variation that spanned from basalt to rhyolite. The southward younging of magmatism and chemical variations have been largely attributed to the retreat and roll-back of the Hellenic slab and the western escape of the Anatolian microplate. However, there is still a lack of high precision data to pinpoint the exact nature of the magmatism and lithospheric tectonics. In this contribution we investigated a poorly known region along the Western Anatolia along Manisa district called Karakılıçlı volcanic field. We investigated two different volcanic sections (Kalpakkaya and Çamlık hill) that display the best volcano-sedimentary features in terms of geochronology and geochemistry. Samples acquired from the bottom, middle and upper portions of these sections display Early-Middle Miocene ages of 17.64±0.20, 17.22±0.15, 16.16±0.17 and 16.36±0.13, 15.79±0.71 and 13.61±0.20 Ma respectively. The results indicate that the volcanism in the region generated by the melting of the mantle and/or lithospheric mantle by slab retreat and roll-back of the Hellenic slab and evolved in the shallow magma chambers/mushes by fractional crystallization, magma mixing and crustal assimilation.

Pancreatic alterations like inflammation and insulin resistance accompany hypothyroidism. Molecular iodine (I2) exerts antioxidant and differentiation actions in several tissues, and the pancreas is an iodine-uptake tissue. We analyzed the effect of two oral I2 doses on pancreatic disorders in a model of hypothyroidism for 30 days. Adult female rabbits were divided into the following groups: control, moderate oral dose of I2 (0.2 mg/kg, M-I2), high oral dose of I2 (2.0 mg/kg, H-I2), oral dose of methimazole (MMI; 10 mg/kg), MMI+M-I2, and MMI+H-I2. Moderate or high I2 supplementation did not modify circulating metabolites or pancreatic morphology. The MMI group showed circulating reductions of thyroxine (T4) and triiodo-thyronine (T3), moderate glucose increments, and significant increases in cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins. Acinar fibrosis, high insulin content, lipoperoxidation, and over-expression of GLUT4 were observed in the pancreas of this group. M-I2 supplementation normalized the T4 and cholesterol, but T3 remained low. Pancreatic alterations were prevented, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), antioxidant enzymes, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) maintained their basal values. In MMI+H-I2, hypothyroidism was avoided, but pancreatic alterations and low PPARG expression remained. In conclusion, M-I2 supplementation reestablishes thyronine synthesis and diminishes pancreatic alterations, possibly related to Nrf2 and PPARG activation.

The Armed Criminal Group (KKB) in Papua is still conducting acts of terror such as burning public facilities, killing people, and spreading propaganda through social media, which could threaten the integrity of Papua as part of Indonesia. This study used a critical discourse analysis approach to identify various propaganda for Free Papua, collected from uploads on Facebook owned by KKB Papua and its sympathizers. The propaganda claims that TNI and Polri conduct open operations, form militias, and commit violence and torture against the Papuan people. Non-Papuan Indonesians are labeled with derogatory words, while Papuan students are persecuted. Independence is seen as a way to liberate Papua from Indonesian colonialism, with demands for a referendum and termination of special autonomy. KKB also proclaimed a provisional Constitution (UUD) and rejected Indonesian legal products. The propaganda techniques used by KKB include card stacking, name calling, glittering generalities, and bandwagons. To overcome this propaganda, efforts are needed to provide correct and reliable information, education, and instill a sense of belonging to Indonesia for the Papuan people. By doing so, acts of propaganda and separatism by the Free Papua Movement can be overcome, and the integrity of the nation can be maintained.

The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer are high in Romania compared to other European countries, particularly for locally advanced cervical cancer cases, which are predominant at the time of diagnosis. Widely accepted therapeutic guidelines indicate that the treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer consists of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (total dose 85-90Gy at point A), with surgery not being necessary as it does not lead to improved survival and results in significant additional morbidity. In Romania, the treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer differs, involving lower-dose chemotherapy (total dose 60-65Gy at point A), followed by surgery which, under these circumstances, ensures better local control. In this regard, we attempted to evaluate the role and necessity of surgery in Romania, considering that in our study, residual lesions were found in 55.84% of cases on resected specimens, especially in cases with unfavorable histology (adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinoma). This type of surgery was associated with significant morbidity (28.22%) in our study. The recurrence rate was 24.21% for operated patients compared to 62% for non-operated patients receiving suboptimal concurrent chemotherapy alone. In conclusion, In Romania, surgery will continue to play a predominant role until radiotherapy achieves the desired effectiveness for local control.

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen, a valuable Chinese herb in Yunnan Province, is susceptible to leaf spot caused by Boeremia linicola. Nonetheless, effective control methods against leaf spot in P. notoginseng are lacking. We surveyed understorey P. notoginseng bases in Lincang, Lancang, and Xundian, with incidence rate reaching 80% and an average disease index of 25 in severe cases. We found that pathogenic bacteria overwinter in infected leaves and soil, with conidia and conidiophores serving as the primary infection source. The strain B. linicola LYB-2 showed the best growth at 20°C and pH 5.0. We also screened control agents using the plate and face-off culture methods. Tetramycin exhibited 38.56–74.67% inhibition with an EC50 of 0.60 mg/L. Copper abietate showed 3.10–34.76% inhibition with an EC50 of 3,120.05 mg/L. Trichoderma atroviride and T. harzianum exhibited inhibition rates of 52.48% and 44.19%, respectively, while Bacillus subtilis reached 78.45%. Field tests demonstrated significant control effects with 20% copper abresinate, B. subtilis, T. virenceae BH-10 preparation, and 0.3% tetramycin, achieving 82.57%, 72.56%, 71.3%, and 70.2% inhibition, respectively. These findings support their eco-friendly use for preventing and controlling leaf spot disease in P. notoginseng forests; we provide vital scientific evidence for disease prediction and green control strategies.

Abstract: The study aimed to determine the factors associated with the avoidance of dental preventive care in adolescents and their parents in the framework of The Youth and Parents Risk Factor Behavior Survey in Slovakia has been initiated during the years 2015/2016. The data were collected using two separate standardized questionnaires: (i) the questionnaire for adolescents (n=515) and (ii) the questionnaire for parents (n=681). The study group consisted of 57 adolescents (54.4% males) who did not visit the dentist for preventive care in the previous year. The control group consisted of 458 adolescents (35.8% males) who visited a dentist for preventive care at least once in the previous year. A significantly higher number of males (54.4%), older adolescents (21.4%) were not visiting dental preventive care regularly. Incomplete family (56.1%), stressful situations at home (17.5%), and feeling unwell were observed as the factors contributing to the avoidance of dental preventive care. More than 34.5% of adolescents were not visiting either dental preventive care but also pediatric preventive care (AOR=5.14; 95%CI=2.40, 10.99). Divorced mothers and mothers with household income lower than 900 € had significantly higher dental care avoidance in their children. A significantly higher percentage of fathers from the exposed group were not visiting dental preventive care regularly (47.8%; p&lt; .05). The results of the study can be used as an educational intervention steps focusing on the influence of parental and adolescent behavior in dental preventive care.

The research objectives was to determine the plants vegetation profile in forest revegetation and Mount Arjuna springs. The method used was descriptive method. While based on the techniques and tools used to research, the author uses the survey method to obtain facts that occur in the research area, namely in the area around the springs of Arjuna mount, Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. Data obtained in the field are then processed and analyzed using GIS, ArcView 3.3 and Google Earth programs. The results of the study explain the profile of plant vegetation, namely plant stratification, bird wealth, taxonomic wealth and plant density have a significant effect on forest revegetation and springs in Arjuna mount. The forest vegetation profile has a positive and significant effect on the preservation of springs. The better the profile of forest vegetation, the preservation of springs will be better, and vice versa.

Keywords: chronic lymphocytic leukemia; older patient, Bruton tyrosine kinase, BCL2, cost-effectiveness Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) and the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax, with or without the anti CD20 monoclonal antibody Obinutuzumab, represent the preferred options for the first-line therapy of CLL because they are more effective and may improve quality of life. However, pa-tient’s inclusion criteria were heterogeneous across trials designed for older patients and the identification of CLL-specific parameters identifying unfit patients at risk of developing drug-specific adverse events are required to guide treatment choice. Due to inclusion/exclusion criteria in trials, higher discontinuation rates with BTKi were reported in real-world studies and registry analyses provided useful information on factors predicting for earlier discontinuation in a real-world setting. Though targeted agents were shown to be cost-effective treatments in high-income countries, the out-of-pocket expenses may limit accessibility to these drugs and the overall expenditure for new drugs in CLL is projected to increase substantially posing an issue for sustainability. This being said, the choice of a finite duration treatment based on venetoclax containing regimens or treatment until progression with BTKi is today possible in high- income countries and the therapy choice drivers are represented by coexisting medical conditions rather than age, by patient expectations, logistics and sustainability.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the failure mechanism and preventive strengthening methods of prefabricated full length small box girder (PSBG) under car explosion. After damage analysis during blast loads using the commercial software Autodyn, three strengthening methods are presented to improve the blast mitigation performance. The results show that the failure modes and bearing capacity are significantly different with various strengthening measures. Adhering U-shaped steel plate can effectively enhance the shear performance of PSBG under blast loads. Strengthening the bottom of the upper flange of box girder with steel plate can effectively mitigate the local bending failure, and enhance the overall flexural capacity during car explosion.

Objective: This study aimed to determine impact of eHealth literacy on health promotion activities and preventive health practice among adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and May 2022 with 706 adolescents in Çorum, Turkey. A face to face questionnaire form including socio demographic characteristics, preventive health practices, eHealth Literacy scale and Adolescent Health Promotion Scale were used. The data of the research were analyzed with the SPSS 22.0 program. Percentage, mean, Pearson Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used in the analyzes. The p<0.05 value was considered statistically significant in the evaluations. Results: In the study, 55.8% were female and the mean age of the whole group was 16.09±2.63 years. The mean score of eHealth Literacy scale was 29.40±6.29. The mean of the total scores obtained from the Adolescent Health Promotion Scale was 137.97±21.87. Among the adolescents 96.0% didn’t use alcohol and 81% didn’t smoke. The rate of annual weight measure was 68.8%. Measurements of annual blood pressure, annual blood iron, annual cholesterol, annual dental examination and regular exercise rate were below 50%. There was a significant positive correlation between eHealth literacy and the Adolescent Health Promotion Scale (p<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to predict eHealth literacy using the variables of Adolescent Health Promotion and preventive health practices. eHealth literacy was positively and significantly predicts health promotion behaviors (β= 0.27, t (695)= 7.54, p<0.001). eHealth literacy increased annual weight measurement by more than 0.13 (β=0.13), the annual blood iron measurement by more than 0.16 (β=0.16), annual dental examination by more than 0.11 (β=0.11). Conclusions: Adolescents ehealth literacy was high and effected via health promotion activities and preventive health practices. Developing eHealth litracy interventions will be important for environments with a high concentration of adolescents (schools, courses). Also, primary health care services should be entegrated with school environment.

Chemo-resistance is a substantial challenge in the realm of cancer treatment that requires exploring new therapeutic approaches for effective mitigation. Achieving this goal requires examination of the molecular mechanisms involved in both tumor growth and therapeutic interventions. The potential of NRF2 (Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2) in addressing resistance to chemotherapy across diverse cancer types highlights its value as a promising therapeutic approach based on cancer characteristics. Manipulating the NRF2 signaling pathway has a dual impact, offering promise for both preventing and treating cancer, as well as inhibiting carcinogenesis. The influence of the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway on the progression of tumor formation and resistance to drugs has been well-documented. The interplay between the NRF2 signaling pathway and processes such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response (UPR), and autophagy plays a crucial protective role. A deeper understanding of NRF2's role in the modulating these pathways is necessary to develop novel approaches for improving chemotherapeutic efficacy. This article discusses the significance of the NRF2-KEAP1 pathway in preventing/promoting cancer and resistance mechanisms to various chemotherapeutic agents, with a focus on the complementary effects of antioxidants via NRF2-mediated signaling pathways. This study aims to provide a molecular basis for targeting NRF2 via inhibitors/activators as promising therapeutic strategies to overcome chemo-resistance.

We report fabrication of a multifunctional photonic integrated chip on lithium niobate on insulate (LNOI), which is achieved by femtosecond laser assisted chemo-mechanical polish. We demonstrate a high extinction ratio beam splitter, a 1 × 6 optical switch, and a balanced 3 × 3 interferometer on the fabricated chip by reconfiguring the microelectrode array integrated with the multifunctional photonic circuit.

Although fine dust can cause various disorders, including cardiovascular, neurological, renal, reproductive, motor, systemic, respiratory, and cancerous diseases, there are not enough research for an oral disease. In this study we used various methods, including quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, ELISA, and Alizarin O staining, to reveal the preventive effects of hemp-derived biomaterials in periodontal cells against fine dust. In this study, the two biomaterials (MSE; mature hemp stem extract and IE; induced exosomes derived from gingival cells exposed to MSE) revealed three main biological functions against fine dust. First, two materials suppressed the levels of inflammatory genes and activated anti-inflammatory genes in gingival cells. Second, these materials activated differentiation to osteoblast, periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) and pulp progenitor cells (PPCs) from periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). Third, IE and MSE activated upregulation of LL-37 and down-regulation of MCP-1 in gingival cells and PDLSCs, respectively. Consequently, MSE and IE showed potential as a functional biomaterial in various fields, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and foods.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relatively frequent, chronic disease that impacts significantly the patient’s quality of life. Although many therapeutic options are available, additional approaches are needed because many patients either do not respond to current therapies or show significant side effects. Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a cytokine with potent cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. The purpose of this study was to assess if the administration of CT-1 could reduce colon damage in mice with experimental UC. UC was induced with 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in the drinking water. Some mice received i.v. dose of CT-1 (200 µg/kg) 2 hours before and 2 and 4 days after DSS administration. Animals were followed during 7 days after DSS. The severity of UC was measured by standard scores. Colon damage was assessed by histology and immunohistochemistry. Inflammatory mediators were measured by Western blot and PCR. CT-1 administration to DSS-treated mice ameliorated both the clinical course (disease activity index), histological damage, inflammation (colon expression of TNF-α, IL-17, IL-10, INF-γ, and iNOS), and apoptosis. Our results suggest that CT-1 administration before UC induction improves the clinical course, tissue damage and inflammation degree in DSS-induced UC in mice.

Three different fields intersect in search of an understanding of the point-of-origin of modern-age diseases: 1) D-amino acids and their role under stress conditions; 2) evolutionary origin of the mitochondrion organelle in the eukaryotic cell; and 3) gut microbiota and human healthHere it is first suggested that D-amino acids function as universal signaling agents, after having evolved as prokaryotic communication, part of an organic communication process that governs the basic activities of all the cells and coordinates cell action.Mitochondria (symbiotic prokaryotic organelles), are creative source of D-amino acids as signaling agents in the central nervous system and in the neuroendocrine systems.Amino acids racemases catalyzes the conversion between the L-enantiomers ( protein building blocks) into D-enantiomers (signaling agents).It is suggested that hectic modern life may affect human health by causing stress to the gut microbiota. These affected, gut microbiota then secrete D-amino acids that enter the blood stream, as signaling agents, causing communication errors in the central nervous system, and in the neuroendocrine systems due to excessive quantity of D-amino acids.Treating gut microbiota with inhibitors of amino acids racemases or finding D-amino acid scavengers may be used in developing novel therapeutic strategies for diseases related to the central nervous system and neuroendocrine systems caused by stressed gut microbiota.

Background: Facebook represents a new dimension for global information sharing. Suicidal behaviours and attempts are growingly reported on Facebook. This scoping review explores the various aspects of suicidal behaviours associated with Facebook, discussing the challenges and preventive measures. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus were searched for related articles published in English up to October 2021, using different combinations of "Facebook" and "suicide". A group of consultant psychiatrists screened the records and read the full-text articles to extract relevant data. Results: Facebook impacts suicidal behaviours in different aspects. Announcing suicides through sharing notes or personal information, which can be helpful in prediction of suicide, and harmful since negatively affects audience. Live-streaming videos of suicide is another aspect, which questions the ability of Facebook to monitor shared contents that can negatively affect the audience. Helping bereaved families to share feelings and seek support online, commemorating the lost person by sharing their photos is another positive impact. Moreover, it can provide real-world details of everyday user behaviours, which are helpful to predict suicide risk, primarily through novel machine-learning techniques, and provide early warning and valuable help to prevent it. It can also provide a timeline of the user's activities and state of mind before suicide. Conclusions: Social media can detect suicidal tendencies, provide support for those seeking help, comfort family and friends with their grief, and provide insights via timelining the users' activities leading to their suicide. The lack of quantitative studies on evaluating preventative efforts on Facebook was one of the limitations. The creators' commitment and the users' social responsibility will be required to create a mentally healthy Facebook environment.

Current oncological developments are based on improved understanding of genetics, and especially the discovery of genes whose alterations affect cell functions with consequences for the whole body. Our work is focused on the one of these genes, the BARD1 and its oncogenic role in breast cancer. Most importantly, the study points to new avenues in the treatment and prevention of the most frequent female cancer based on BARD1 research. The BARD1 and BRCA1 proteins have similar structures and functions, and they combine to form the new molecule BARD1-BRCA1 heterodimer. The BARD1-BRCA1 complex is involved in genetic stabilization at the cellular level. It allows to mark abnormal DNA fragments by attaching ubiquitin to them. In addition, it blocks (by ubiquitination of RNA polymerase II) the transcription of damaged DNA. Ubiquitination, as well as stabilizing chromatin, or regulating the number of centrosomes, confirms the protective cooperation of BARD1 and BRCA1 in the stabilization of the genome. The overexpression of the oncogenic isoforms BARD1β and BARD1δ permit cancer development. The introduction of routine tests, for instance, to identify the presence of the BARD1β isoform, would make it possible to detect patients at high risk of developing cancer. On the other hand, introducing BARD1δ isoform blocking therapy, which would reduce estrogen sensitivity, may be a new line of cancer therapy with potential to modulate responses to existing treatments. It is possible that the BARD 1 gene offers new hope for improving breast cancer therapy.

Current oncological developments are based on improved understanding of genetics, and especially the discovery of genes whose alterations affect cell functions with consequences for the whole body. Our work is focused on the most important of these genes, the BARD1 and its oncogenic role in breast cancer. Most importantly, the study points to new avenues in the treatment and prevention of the most frequent female cancer based on BARD1 research. The BARD1 and BRCA1 proteins have similar structures and functions, and they combine to form the new molecule BARD1-BRCA1 heterodimer. Through ubiquitination, this heterodimer has significant effects on individual proteins, enabling, among others, the destruction of damaged DNA fragments. Ubiquitination, as well as stabilizing chromatin, or regulating the number of centrosomes, confirms the protective cooperation of BARD1 and BRCA1 in the stabilization of the genome. The overexpression of the oncogenic isoforms BARD1β and BARD1δ permit cancer development. The introduction of routine tests, for instance, to identify the presence of the BARD1β isoform, would make it possible to detect patients at high risk of developing cancer. On the other hand, introducing BARD1δ isoform blocking therapy, which would reduce estrogen sensitivity, may be a new line of cancer therapy with potential to modulate responses to existing treatments. It is possible that the BARD 1 gene offers new hope for improving breast cancer therapy.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause variable symptoms, which may be irreversible if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. We aimed to develop a widely accepted expert consensus to guide the practice of diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the literature published in PubMed since January 2003. Data were used to design a two-round Delphi survey to study the level of consensus among 42 experts. Results: The panelists agreed on the need for educational and organizational changes in the current medical practices for diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Recognition of clinical symptoms should receive the highest priority in establishing the diagnosis. There is agreement that the serum B12 concentration is useful as a screening marker, whereas methylmalonic acid or homocysteine can support the diagnosis. Patient lifestyle, disease history and medications can provide clues to the cause of B12 deficiency. Regardless of the cause of the deficiency, initial treatment with parenteral B12 was regarded as the first choice for patients with acute and severe manifestations of B12 deficiency. The use of high-dose oral B12 at different frequencies may be considered for long-term treatment. Prophylactic B12 supplementation should be considered for specific high-risk groups. Conclusions: There is a consensus that clinical symptoms need to receive more attention in establishing a diagnosis. B12 laboratory markers can support the diagnosis. The severity of clinical symptoms, the causes of B12 deficiency and the treatment goals govern decisions regarding the route and dose of B12 therapy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for society, especially for those residing in long-term care facilities (LTCF). This study aimed to describe rates of infection, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 among older people and staff of LTCF in a state of Southeastern Brazil and identify strategies to prevent and control the disease spread. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 164 LTCF (6,017 older people). Among the studied LTCF, 48.7% confirmed COVID-19 infection in older people, resulting in 39.6% hospitalization and 32.3% death among infected. Moreover, 68.9% of LTCF confirmed COVID-19 infection in the staff, with 7.3% hospitalization and 1.2% death. Preventive measures were identified and classified as organizational, infrastructure, hygiene items and personal protective equipment, and staff training against COVID-19. These measures showed strategies and barriers experienced in the daily routine of LTCF during the pandemic. LTCF in Brazil experienced challenges similar to observed worldwide.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pollution poses significant environmental consequences, and thus new degradation methods must be explored to mitigate this problem. We previously demonstrated that a consortium of three Pseudomonas and two Bacillus species can synergistically degrade PET in culture. The consortium more readily consumes Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), a byproduct made in PET depolymerization, compared to PET, and can fully convert BHET into metabolically usable monomers terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). Because of its crystalline structure, the main limitation of the biodegradation of post-consumer PET is the initial transesterification from PET to BHET, depicting the need for the transesterification step in the degradation process. Additionally, there have been numerous studies done on the depolymerization reaction of PET to BHET, yet few have tested the biocompatibility of that product with a bacterial consortium. In this report, a two-step process was implemented for sustainable PET biodegradation, where PET is first depolymerized to form BHET using an Orange Peel Ash (OPA) catalyzed glycolysis reaction, followed by complete degradation of the BHET glycolysis product by the bacterial consortium. Results show that OPA-catalyzed glycolysis reactions can fully depolymerize PET, with an average BHET yield of 92% (w/w) and that the reaction product is biocompatible with the bacterial consortium. After inoculation with the consortium, 19% degradation of the glycolysis product was observed in 2 weeks, for a total degradation percentage of 17% when taking both steps into account. Furthermore, the 10-week total BHET degradation rate was 35%, demonstrating that the glycolysis products are biocompatible with the consortium for longer periods of time, for a total two-step degradation rate of 33% over 10 weeks. While we predict complete degradation is achievable using this method, further experimentation with the consortium can allow for a circular recycling process, where TPA can be recovered from culture media and reused to create new materials.

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether early surfactant administration affects the status of ductus arteriosus (DA) in preterm infants ≤32 weeks of gestational age (GA) within 24 hours of birth. Materials and Methods: It is a prospective study conducted from March 15, 2022, to November 15, 2023, in a tertiary academic center. In-born infants ≤ 32 weeks of gestation (n = 88) were enrolled. The study group was further divided into surfactant (n=44) and non-surfactant (n=44) subgroups. Results: 76% of the preterm infants who received surfactant therapy (RRR = 0.839) recorded an increase in Kindler Score at 24 hours of life (1-RR = 1-0.24 = 76%). Surfactant administration was significantly associated with decreased pre-ductal diastolic pressure (29.9 mmHg vs. 34.8 mmHg, p=0.0231), post-ductal diastolic pressure (28.7 mmHg vs. 32.2 mmHg, p=0.0178) pre-ductal MAP (41.6 mmHg vs. 46.5 mmHg, p=0.0210) post-ductal MAP (41.0 mmHg vs. 45.3 mmHg, p=0.0336). There were no significant changes in ductus arteriosus parameters at 24 hours of life. Conclusions: Early surfactant administration does not affect the status of ductus arteriosus in preterm infants ≤32 weeks of gestational age at 24 hours of life.

The rapid emergence of COVID-19 necessitated policy responses worldwide, focusing on vaccination and mobility restrictions. However, studies on individual non-pharmacological preventive measures are less common. In particular, Chile represents a unique scenario for analyzing the adoption of preventive measures and changes amid aggressive communication and vaccination campaigns. This study aims to provide insights into public adherence to non-pharmacological measures in the face of diseases, using a cohort of 386 participants from 2021 to 2022. This was achieved by employing a questionnaire to measure adherence to self-care practices and by analyzing contact tracing data from health authorities. We performed bivariate analysis and a linear regression model. Mask-wearing in public places was the most commonly used measure (95.9% in 2021 and 89.9% in 2022). The median adherence score increased from 18 to 19 for both measurements, respectively. The regression model shows that women are more likely to adopt preventive behaviors in both waves and being a young adult (30-49 years) predicted the adoption of behavioral precautions in 2022. Adherence to preventive measures increased even with high vaccination coverage, likely due to the epidemiological situation with the Omicron variant circulating in 2022.

Childhood hygiene education has resulted in individuals engaging in hand washing and mask wearing to cope with COVID-19. Individuals can form sustainable development-related habits through childhood education.

The best form of prevention against human infection through bacteria, viruses and other parasites is ozone disinfection of wastewater and drinking water as a highly effective, well-known method. As a therapeutic measure, various preclinical studies showed promising results, which are being revisited and reconsidered in times of pandemics and led to interesting results in recent clinical trials and reports, as presented by the example of protective measures against covid-19 in particularly vulnerable clinical personnel. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, repeated ozone treatments have led to new findings in the "immunomodulation" through ozone. The more effective immune response is discussed as the response of innate immune memory and opens interesting aspects for complementary treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Improving the effectiveness of health interventions is a major challenge in public health research and program development. A large body of literature has found low or no impact of health education and promotional interventions. We aim to develop a conceptual framework in support of intervention designs for preventive health behavior improvement programs and outcomes. The proposed approach is based on a narrative review of empirical literature assessing the limitations of less effective or ineffective field experiments regarding preventive health education and promotion interventions. We found three major limitations regarding the mental model’s balance of treatment and comparison groups, treatment groups’ willingness to adopt suggested behaviors, and the type, length, frequency, intensity, and sequence of treatments. To minimize the influence of these concerns, we propose a mental model-based repeated multifaceted (MRM) intervention design framework to provide an intervention design for improving health education and promotional programs.

In December 2019, outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and exported across the world leading to thousands of deaths and millions of suspected cases. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection into the host undergoes a huge number of complex replicative machineries which still remains unclear. Understanding the mechanism (s) of replication and mode of infection of SARS-CoV2 to human cells will help us in the development of novel vaccines or drugs for the eradication and prevention of the disease. This review compiles the knowledge of SARS-CoV2 replicative machinery, mode of infection to the human cells and the development of drugs and vaccines which are currently under clinical trials.

Background: Health behaviors, such as diet and exercise, are actions individuals take that can potentially impact gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and the gut microbiota. Little is known about how health behaviours impact GI symptoms and the gut microbiota after anti-cancer therapies. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study that investigated relationships between GI symptoms, gut microbiota, and patient-reported outcomes in adult cancer survivors. Gut microbiota was assessed from stool samples using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. GI symptoms and health behaviors were measured via self-report. Descriptive statistics, linear regression, and correlation analyses are reported. Results: A total of 334 cancer survivors participated and a subsample of 17 provided stool samples. Most survivors rated their diet as moderately healthy (55.7%) and reported engaging in low intensity exercise (53.9%) for ≤5 hours/week (69.1%). Antibiotic use was associated with more belly pain, constipation, and diarrhea (p&lt; .05). Survivors consuming a healthier diet had fewer symptoms of gas/bloating (p= 0.02). Better diet health was positively correlated with Lachnospiraceae abundance, and negatively with Bacteroides abundance (ps &lt;.05). Greater exercise frequency positively correlated with abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Anaerostipes, Alistipes, and Subdoligranulum. (ps&lt;.05). Conclusion: Results provide evidence for associations between dietary health behaviours and GI symptoms. Diet and exercise behaviours are related to certain types of bacteria, but the direction of causality is unknown. Dietary-based interventions may be optimally suited to address survivors’ GI symptoms by influencing the gut microbiota. Larger trials are needed.

Caries are lesions caused by acidic compounds derived from the metabolism of bacteria such as streptococci. It is not merely the presence of acidogenic bacteria that causes caries but an imbalance in the oral biofilm microhabitat and its behavior. One factor underlying biofilm formation is quorum sensing (QS), that in gram-positives relies on peptidic molecules, whereas in gram-negatives is driven by small diffusible signals. Strategies based on QS inhibition have been proposed as alter-natives to antimicrobial therapies. Here, we investigate the antibiofilm potential of the lactonase enzyme Aii20J, previously reported as effective against biofilms of periodontal disease origin. We generated in vitro polymicrobial biofilms dominated by gram-positive taxa using supragingival samples from caries-free and caries-active children. The effect of Aii20J on the biofilms was evalu-ated regarding its biomass-reducing ability, as assessed with crystal violet assay, and its effects on the bacterial composition of the polymicrobial biofilms, as assessed by 16S community profiling. We describe significant biomass reductions upon Aii20J exposure without significant changes in bac-terial composition at the genus level. Our results support the use of Aii20J to prevent oral biofilm formation while highlighting the influence of the polymicrobial environment on bacterial commu-nities and their response to antibiofilm treatments.

Background: Countries around the world are facing extraordinary challenges in implementing various measures to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Guided by international recommendations, Saudi Arabia has implemented a series of infection control measures after the detection of the first confirmed case in the country. However, in order for these measures to be effective, public attitudes and compliance must be conducive as perceived risk is strongly associated with health behaviors. The primary objective of this study is to assess Saudis’ attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measures to guide future health communication content. Methods: Naïve Bayes machine learning model was used to run Arabic sentiment analysis of Twitter posts through the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) library in Python. Tweets containing hashtags pertaining to seven public health measures imposed by the government were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 53,127 tweets were analyzed. All measures, except one, showed more positive tweets than negative. Measures that pertain to religious practices showed the most positive sentiment. Discussion: Saudi Twitter users showed support and positive attitudes towards the infection control measures to combat COVID-19. It is postulated that this conducive public response is reflective of the overarching, longstanding popular confidence in the government. Religious notions may also play a positive role in preparing believers at times of crises. Findings of this study broadened our understanding to develop proper public health messages and promote stronger compliance with control measures to control COVID-19.

The high demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) requires more LNG carriers (LNGCs) to be in operation. During transportation, there is a high risk due to the required extremely low temperatures and the explosive nature of LNG cargo. Moreover, when there is a lack of experience in operating old LNGCs, there is a serious concern regarding operational accidents. A systematic maintenance strategy, especially for LNG cargo containment systems, is crucial for maintaining safe LNG transportation at sea. The purpose of this study is to develop preventive LNG cargo containment system maintenance models by using LNGC dock specifications from LNGCs of various ages. The dock specifications from a conventional LNGC repairing dock were analyzed using natural language processing techniques in order to develop preventive maintenance models of the LNG cargo containment system. From these results, and by considering the ship’s age, it was found that for young LNGCs the priority for repair should focus on checking routine consumable spare parts by tank inspections, whereas for older LNGCs the focus should be on tank condition maintenance rather than on other facilities. These results are expected to be useful in the development of a maintenance strategy of preventive LNG cargo containment systems in maritime LNG transportation.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is a complex gastrointestinal disorder with a multifactorial etiology, including environmental triggers, autoimmune mechanisms, and genetic predisposition. Despite advancements in therapeutic strategies for IBD, its associated mortality rate continues to rise, which is often attributed to unforeseen side effects of conventional treatments. In this context, we explored the potential of Ecklonia cava extract (ECE) derived from an edible marine alga known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in mitigating IBD. This study investigated the effectiveness of ECE as a preventive agent in a murine model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Our findings revealed that pretreatment with ECE significantly ameliorated colitis severity as evidenced by increased colon length, reduced spleen weight, and histological improvements demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis. Furthermore, ECE significantly attenuated the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and mediators and the infiltration of immune cells known to be prominent features of colitis in mice. Notably, ECE restored dysbiosis of intestinal microflora and aided in the recovery of damaged intestinal mucosa. Mechanistically, ECE exhibited protective effects against pathogenic colitis by inhibiting the NLRP3/NF-κB pathway known to be pivotal regulators in the inflammatory signaling cascade. These compelling results suggest that ECE holds promise as a potential candidate for IBD prevention. It might be developed into a functional food for promoting gastrointestinal health. This research sheds light on the preventive potential of natural compounds like ECE in the management of IBD, offering a safer and more effective approach to combating this challenging disease.

Background: The UNHLM pledged to enroll 30 million in TB preventive treatment (TPT) by 2022, necessitating TPT expansion to all at TB risk. We assessed uptake and completion of a 12-dose, weekly isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) TPT regimen. Methods: Between February 2018 - March 2019 in Dhaka, community-based TPT using 3HP targeted household contacts of 883 confirmed drug-sensitive pulmonary TB patients. Adhering to WHO guidelines, contacts underwent active TB screening before TPT initiation. Results: Of 3,193 contacts who advised health facility visits for screening, 67% (n=2,149) complied. Among these, 1,804 (84%) received chest X-rays. Active TB was diagnosed in 39 (2%) contacts; they commenced TB treatment. Over 97% of 1,216 contacts began 3HP TPT, with completion rates higher among females, those with more education and income, non-slum residents, and those without 3HP-related adverse events. Adverse events, mainly mild, occurred in 5% of participants. Conclusions: The 3HP weekly regimen, with its short duration, self-administered option, and minimal side effects, achieved satisfactory completion rates. A community-focused 3HP TPT approach is feasible, scalable nationally, and aligns with UNHLM targets.

Never in mitosis gene A-related kinase 2 (NEK2) a member of serine-threonine kinase protein mainly involved in the cell cycle process. Clinical studies revealed NEK2 overexpression in various tumour types, also NEK2 was reported for their association with genetic abnormalities like mitotic machinery deregulation and chromosomal instability. Besides NEK2 plays a key role in maintaining the transformed phenotype of cancer cells and chemo-resistance of several tumour types. Thus, NEK2 transcriptional profile is important for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis stages of cancer studies. Screening of novel NEK2 inhibitor would be beneficial in developing the specific lead molecules. Our studies involved NEK2 transcriptional profile search, screening of druggable cavities in NEK2, Drug likeliness of mangrove derived naphthoquinone derivatives avicennoneA , avicennoneB , avicennoneC , avicennoneD , avicenoneE , avicennone F , and avicennone G , avicequinone A, stenocarpoquinone B , avicequinone C , avicenol A , avicenol C,brugine, apigenin, chrysin and molecular docking studies to assess MNC compounds binding efficacy towards NEK2. Mangrove derived compounds conferred the intermolecular hydrogen bond, Pi-alkyl,pi-cation interactions with NEK2 kinase domain region residues Tyr 19, Lys 37, Arg 164, Lys174. Nearly 200 kinase proteins contained this promising Cys 22 residue as its positioned in the catalytic site like NEK family proteins. Avicenna A, Avicennone G, Chrysin and Brugine formed the irreversible covalent binding with NEK2 through Cys 22, thus they can be considered as potential kinase inhibitors with the limited off-target response. But these MNC compounds need to be tested further in invitro and invivo studies to propose as potent NEK2 inhibitors.

Groundwater (GW) flooding mechanisms differ from river flooding both spatially and temporally, and preventative methods against groundwater flooding must take this into account. Although groundwater flooding caused by river water rise occurs seldom, it can occasionally become severe and last for a long time if the river is significantly flooded. In the southwest portion of the research domain, Friedrichshafen with a few urban communities, the level of the groundwater table was discovered to be roughly 1 m below the surface. It was discovered that the urban settlement area only has one-story buildings. In the study region, it is typical for the single-story building's foundation bottom level to extend up to a depth of about 1.5 meters. Therefore, flood mitigation methods are taken into account for the southwest portion of the study region. The installation of a pumping well, drainage, and a barrier in the affected area are three different flood control strategies that are taken into consideration for the study area. From a technical and cost-benefit perspective, installing a pumping well that withdraws water and lowers the groundwater table was found to be the most effective flood control measure locally in a small region (e.g., 1km x 1km). By contrast, removing groundwater by building drainage and barriers was also shown to be ineffective to lower the groundwater table over an extended region and was significantly more expensive than the installation of wells. Additionally, when river flooding is taken into account compared to the default scenario where no intake of water from the river is included along the western border of the study area, it is discovered that the spread of pollution is significantly greater.

Chestnut is an interesting productive alternative for farmers in Southern Chile. However, cli-matic variability with the occurrence of late spring and early summer frost have cause damages on young trees. Glycine‒betaine (GB) spraying on shoots of sensitive chestnut induce an increase in tolerance during subsequent chilling stress. Experiment was performed on three years-old trees (cultivar Cittá di Castello) conducted in a leader training system and sprayed with com-mercial GB (120 g hL‒1). In summer trees treated with GB showed a better recovery after the frost (‒2.34°C) occurrence for 3.5 h compared to the control. Whereas trees obtained a 28% greater growth of central axis than untreated control (January). The trunk diameter measured in January showed the highest value under GB (27.2mm) compared with the control (25.7 mm). The GB ap-plication increased by 50 and 47% highest fresh and dry weight respectively in leaves. Under GB trees reached a 28% higher net photosynthesis (AN) compared to the AN in control (11.93 µmol CO2 m‒2 s‒1). Moreover, achieved higher stomatal conductance and transpiration rate was 44 and 31% with GB compared to control trees respectively. Antioxidant performance was differentially affected by GB activating non-enzymatic mechanisms and caused a reduced lipid peroxidation. Glycine‒Betaine has become as an interesting agronomic tool that aimed to increase tolerance to environmental stresses such as low temperatures that cause damage to herbaceous shoots and leaves in young chestnut trees.

SARS-CoV-2 is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 which induces severe pneumonia that has considerable death rate. In this article, we summarised the evolution of SARS CoV-2 from alpha to omicron variant. The origin, transmission capability, and innate immunity potential of the Omicron variety remain unknown in the aftermath of its appearance. It's also unclear whether further varieties based on Omicron may emerge in the future. However, there is no question that the Omicron version of SARS-CoV-2 would not be the last. The COVID-19 pandemic has become more difficult to control due to the constant appearance of new SARS-CoV-2 mutations. We have discussed about the epidemiology, treatment plans for SARS CoV-2 and preventive strategies for future pandemic.

Objectives: In December 2019 a novel human-infecting coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has emerged. The WHO has stated the epidemic as a “public health emergency of international concern”. A dramatic situation has emerged with thousands of deaths, occurring mainly in the aged and very ill people. Epidemiological studies suggest that immune system function is impaired in elderly individuals and these subjects often present a severe deficiency in nutrients as fatsoluble and hydrosoluble vitamins. Design: In this second part of the review about Cov2 in aged people, we searched for studies describing the possible efficacy of vitamins A, D, E and C in improving the immune system function and their possible activities against viruses. Results: Vitamins may shift the proinflammatory Th17 mediated immune-response arising in the autoimmune diseases towards a T-cell regulatory phenotype. These diseases may serve as a paradigm for the study of CRS emerging in the course of SARS CoV-2 infection. Conclusion: This review discusses about the possible activity of Vitamin A, D, E and C in restoring normal antiviral Immune System function or the potential therapeutic role of these micronutrients as a part of a multi-treatment strategy against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Excess weight, which is seen as the background cause of most diseases, is gradually becoming the most important problem in the world. The cafeteria diet is robust diet that mimics the western diet and provides rapid weight gain associated with the obesity, diabetes, and cancer. The relationship between obesity and cancer is well known. For this reason, it is of great importance to reveal the first molecular and metabolic alterations that occur before entering the obesity process with any factor to understand the pathology of many diseases and to treat them in the early period. The beneficial effects of probiotics are attributed to their metabolite content with antioxidant properties or the postbiotic metabolites produced by them. In this study, the effects of different dietary practices on the hepatic antioxidant system of rats in developmental period were investigated by real-time PCR, enzyme activity measurements, and quantitative measurements of metabolites. After all, it was observed that CAF caused serious impairments by affecting the hepatic antioxidant system at gene and protein levels, and these impairments were relatively reversed with SCD Probiotics supplementation. In addition, regardless of the CAF diet, the regulatory effect of SCD Probiotics supplementation on the hepatic antioxidant system is remarkable.

In order to follow the Preventive Chemotherapy for the transmission control as recommended by WHO, Gabon initiated in 2014 the mapping of Schistosomiasis and Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH). Here we report the results of the Northern and Eastern health regions, representing a third of the land area and 12% of its total population. All the 9 departments of the two regions were surveyed and from each, 5 schools were examined with 50 schoolchildren per school. The parasitological examinations were realized using the filtration method for urine and the Kato-Katz technique for stool samples. Overall 2245 schoolchildren (1116 girls and 1129 boys), mean aged 11.28 ± 0.04 years, were examined. Combined schistosomiasis and STH affected 1270 (56.6%) with variation between regions, departments and schools. For schistosomiasis, prevalence were 1.7% across the two regions, with no significant difference (p>0.05) between the Northern (1.5%) and the Eastern (1.9%). Schistosomiasis is mainly caused by Schistosoma haematobium with a prevalence of 1.5%, 1.9% and 1.7%, respectively in the North, East and globally. STH are more common than schistosomiasis, with an overall prevalence of 56.1% significantly different between the Northern (58.1%) and Eastern (53.6%) regions (p = 0.034). Trichuris trichiura is the most abundant infection with a prevalence of 43.7% followed by Ascaris lumbricoides 35.6% and hookworms 1.4%. According to these results, an appropriate mass drug administration strategy is given for the control of each neglected tropical disease group surveyed.

Alteration in heparan sulfate (HS) biosynthesis has been described to impact a range of pivotal processes involved in cancer progression. HS 3-O-sulfotransferase 3B1 (HS3ST3B1) catalyzes the reaction of 3-O-sulfation within HS chains. Over the past few years, a growing number of studies has reported a tumor-promoting effect of this HS-modifying enzyme in various cancers. Consistent with these studies, we previously reported that HS3ST3B1 overexpression increased survival and resistance to apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer (BrCa) cells. In the present study, we further investigated the biological and clinical significance of HS3ST3B1 expression in BrCa. Interrogation of public databases revealed that high expression levels of HS3STB1 are associated with invasive and mesenchymal-like phenotype in BrCa cells and predict poor clinical outcome in BrCA patients with chemotherapy. In vitro, HS3ST3B1 overexpression increased the invasive properties of MDA-MB-231 cells and enhanced chemo-resistance to conventional anticancer drugs. Mechanistically, we found that the advantage given by HS3ST3B1 was linked to the expression and activation of PDGF-Rβ. Silencing the expression of this receptor reversed the effects driven by HS3ST3B1 overexpression. Altogether, our results suggest that HS3ST3B1 may play an important role in the progression of aggressive BrCa and offer a potentially druggable target for therapeutic application.

The Philippines has the highest HIV incidence rate in the Asia-Pacific region. Previous studies identified multilevel factors contributing to this phenomenon. This scoping review describes the extent of the literature on HIV contributory factors and identifies gaps to guide directions for HIV prevention research. The keywords HIV incidence, individual, sociocultural, environmental factors, and Philippines, were used to search for evidence on Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. A total of 1,017 peer-reviewed articles published in the English language from 2014 to 2024 were reviewed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review protocol. Thirty articles were included in this review. The majority of the available evidence was quantitative studies published between 2020 and 2024. Individual, sociocultural, economic, educational, political, and environmental factors shaped the Philippines’ HIV epidemic. Low levels of HIV knowledge, low testing rates, high-risk sex behaviors, stigma, lifestyle, location, lack of HIV education in schools, conservative society, and restrictive policies are HIV contributing factors. The Philippine HIV epidemic is multifactorial. Identifying the contributory factors is crucial in developing targeted interventions for high-risk populations. A dedicated HIV research program is needed to provide evidence-based information to guide the development of HIV preventive programs and research.

The number of fishers working on commercial fishing vessels worldwide is approximately 159,800 according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The International Labour Organization estimates that the mean annual number of deaths during fishing is approximately 24,000. Most guidelines for the prevention of marine accidents have been developed with a focus on vessels involved in international navigation. As these guidelines may have parts that are unsuitable for application in small-scale boats operating in coastal areas, appropriate modifications are required. This study analyzed quantitative data on 1,790 marine accidents that occurred in trap fishery, a globally common type of fishery, and data obtained through a survey of 101 fishers in South Korea. A guideline to reduce the rate of fatal accidents was developed using the Bayesian network, a method used for the analysis of accidents, as suggested in the formal safety assessment protocol. The results of data analysis and the developed guidelines are expected to be beneficial to all fishers involved in trap fishery across many countries worldwide.

The aim of this study was to estimate the association between fear of COVID-19 and risk perception with preventive behavior in health professionals from three Latin American countries. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. Health professionals with on-site care in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru were surveyed. Information was collected through an online self-report questionnaire. The main variables were preventive behavior as the dependent variable and fear of COVID-19 and risk perception as independent variables. Linear regression was used, and Beta coefficients and p-values were calculated. 435 health professionals were included, the majority were aged 42 years or older (45.29%, 95%CI: 40.65%-50.01%) and female (67.82%, 95%CI: 63.27%-72.05%). It was shown that the greater the fear of COVID-19, the greater the preventive behavior of COVID-19 infection (B=2.21, p=0.002 for total behavior; B=1.12, p=0.037 for additional protection at work; B=1.11, p<0.010 for hand washing). The risk perception of COVID-19 infection had a slight direct relationship with preventive behaviors (B=0.28, p=0.021 for total behavior; B=0.13, p=0.015 for hand washing), with the exception of the preventive behavior of using additional protection at work (p=0.339). We found that fear and risk perception are associated with increased practice of hand washing and use of additional protection at work. Further studies are required on the influence of working conditions, job performance and the occurrence of mental health problems in frontline personnel with regard to COVID-19.

Objective: We tested a model of individual health literacy information sharing with family members, personal preventive behaviours and family well-being during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong. Methods: We analysed data of 1501 randomly selected Chinese adults from a cross-sectional survey in Hong Kong from 9 to 23 April, 2020. Individual health literacy about COVID-19 with the items extracted from the questionnaire in World Health Organization Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Action Plan Guidance for COVID-19 preparedness and response, COVID-19 information sharing with family members, preventive behaviours against COVID-19 and family well-being were measured. Structural equation modelling analysis tested the proposed model. Findings: COVID-19 information sharing with family members partially mediated the association between individual health literacy and personal preventive behaviours. The direct effect of 0.24 was shown, and the indirect effect through COVID-19 information sharing with family members was small at 0.03 (Z = 3.66, p < 0.001). Family well-being was associated with personal preventive behaviours against COVID-19. The model was adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status factors and had good fit with RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.96, and SRMR = 0.02. Conclusion: COVID-19 information sharing with family members was a partial mediator between individual health literacy and personal preventive behaviours against COVID-19. Strategies for enhancing health literacy and preventive measures against COVID-19 are needed to promote family well-being in the pandemic.

Landiolol is an ultra-short-acting, selective ß1- adrenergic receptor blocker that was originally approved by Japan for the treatment of intraoperative tachyarrhythmias. It has gained attention for its use in the management of tachyarrhythmias and perioperative tachycardia, especially atrial fibrillation for both cardiac and non-cardiac surgeries. It can be the ideal agent for heart rate control due to its high β1‐selectivity, the potent negative chronotropic effect, a limited negative inotropic potential, and an ultrashort elimination half‐life (around 4 min); moreover, it may have a potential therapeutic effect for sepsis and pediatric patients. Landiolol seems to be superior to other short‐acting and selective beta‐blockers such as esmolol. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of landiolol, a new ultra-short-acting ß1 selective antagonist, including its pharmacology, clinical applications, efficacy, safety profile, and future directions in research and clinical data.

To clarify whether changes in biological features of breast tumor cells and intra-tumor immunity after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may correlate with pathological responses and prognosis in breast cancer patients treated with NAC, we investigated various biomarkers using both pre- and post-NAC tumor samples. The study subjects were 24 primary breast cancer patients, who were treated with NAC at the Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School Hospital between 2010 and 2011. All of them had a non-pathological complete response (pCR) to NAC and their pre- and post-NAC tumor samples were available for biomarker assays. Ki67 labeling index, apoptosis, factors related to cancer stem cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and expression levels of CD-8, CD-4, FoxP3, PD-L1, and PD-1 were studied using the paired samples. Biological characteristics of residual tumors such as nuclear grade (NG) and vascular invasion (v) were also investigated. The median age was 53 years-old and 14 patients had stage III tumors, while 10 had stage II tumors. A higher expression level of CD8, CD4, or PD-1 in pre-NAC samples and of CD8, CD4 or PD-L1 in post-NAC samples was significantly correlated with a better pathological response to NAC. Positivity of ZEB1, vimentin, and v or NG 3 in post-NAC samples was significantly correlated with either worse disease-free survival (DFS) or worse overall survival (OS) by univariate analyses. Multivariate analyses for DFS and OS revealed that positivity for v and vimentin expression in residual tumors were independent prognostic factors in this study. These findings indicate that activated intra-tumor immune microenvironments may play significant roles in pathological responses to NAC, and that the up-regulation of vimentin and v-positivity in residual tumors may be pivotal prognostic factors in non-pCR cases to NAC.

Introduction: Uganda has got the highest prevalence rate of malaria among the risk groups compared to other parts of the world. In addition, Uganda bears a particularly large burden from the disease which is limited by a lack of reliable data, but it is clear that the prevalence of malaria infection, incidence of disease, and mortality among pregnant women all remain very high. According to the Iganga DHIS2 Jan-May report, a higher number of pregnant women received Intermittent Preventive Treatment one (IPT1) and the numbers dropped for IPT2 and IPT3. The district is also referral point of the greater Busoga region and has got several challenges towards malaria control. The study aimed at assessing the uptake of Intermittent Preventive Treatment and the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women in Iganga district so as to generate evidence for scaling up appropriate interventions for IPT uptake among pregnant women. Methods: The research was a retrospective study using secondary data to assess the uptake of IPT and prevalence of malaria for financial year 2019/2020 in nine Public Health Centre IIIs and one Public Health Centre IV. In this study IPT was defined as the administration of a curative dose of an effective antimalarial drug to all pregnant women without testing for presence of malaria parasite and at least three doses as recommended. Secondary data from HMIS was obtained and analyzed to assess the uptake of IPT services and the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women was determined using proportions. Results: The study found that of 6,672 women who received the first dose of IPT-SP, 1671 (25%) of the women received less than 2 doses of IPT and 46% of pregnant women received more than 2 doses of IPT. The study showed that a total of 3,435 pregnant women tested positive for malaria which brings the prevalence to 50%, and being highest among pregnant women aged 20-24 years at 50%. Conclusions: The study showed that the uptake of IPT was relatively low among lower age groups with a relatively high prevalence of malaria among the same age group. This calls for all stakeholders (DHO, MOH, Iganga District, NGOs e.t.c) urgent attention thus to ensure mass sensitization about malaria and IPT importance with IEC and ITN distribution, early diagnosis and treatment, giving incentives to ANC attending mothers, control of the vector.

Modern research achievements support health-promoting effects of natural products and diets rich in polyphenols. Pomegranate (PG) (Punica granatum L.) contain a considerable number of bioactive compounds that exert a broad spectrum of beneficial biological activities, including antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiobesity, and atheroprotective properties. In this view, the reviewed literature shows that PG intake might reduce insulin resistance, cytokine levels, redox gene expression, blood pressure elevation, vascular injuries and lipoprotein oxidative modifications. Lipid parameters corrective capabilities of PG-ellagitannins are also sufficiently reported to be significantly effective in reducing hyperlipidemia (TC, LDL-C, VLDL-C, and TAGs), plasma HDL-C concentrations, TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. The health benevolent effects of pomegranate consumption appear to be produced through the amelioration of adipose tissue endocrine function, fatty acid utilization, GLUT receptor expression, paraoxonase activity enhancement, PPAR and NFκB modulation. Although the results from animal experiments are encouraging, human findings published in this field are inconsistent and still limited in many points of view. The present review discusses and provides a critical analysis of PG's bioeffects on metabolic syndrome components, type-2 diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia, as well as on some cardiovascular-related diseases. A brief overview of the pharmacokinetic properties, safety, and bioavailability of PG-ellagitannins is also included.

We report the isolation of two novel degrading bacterial strains active against the potential environmental pollutant acetamino-phen/paracetamol. Streptomyces Chrestomyceticus (RS2) and Streptomyces Flavofuscus (M33) collected from El-Natrun Valley, Egypt, water, sediment, and sand samples were taxonomically characterized via conidiophores morphologic characterization under Trans-mission Electron Microscope (TEM). Genotypic identification, done based on their 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis followed by BLAST alignment and deposited on the NCBI as 2 novel strains. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using an appropriate software. Acetaminophen degradation-products chemical structure was identified by GC/LC MS. The biological antimicrobial activity of some selected acetaminophen degradation-products extracts and derived compounds was examined against panel of test micro-organisms and found to be have high anti-microbial effect. In addition, in silico cheminformatics Swiss ADMET evaluation of these selected deg-radation extract for gastric absorption, distribution, hepatic metabolism, renal excretion as well as distribution to CNS and finally not mutagenic/teratogenic or genotoxic virtually. In vitro cytotoxic activity of these selected bio-degradation products was performed against HepG2 and MCF7 cancer cell lines, revealing that M33 and RS2 extract effect on acetaminophen/paracetamol bio-degradation products are potentially safe with higher IC50 on HepG2 and MCF7, in comparison to acetaminophen/paracetamol with IC50 of 108.5 μg/ml. Moreover, the in vivo acute oral single dose toxicity experiment was conducted, being compared with acetamino-phen/paracetamol to confirm that the bio-degradation products have lower toxicity than acetaminophen in vivo and in silico.

Diabetes mellitus and dental caries (tooth decay) are not only common Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) contributing to high burden of diseases but costly diseases to manage. Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of mortality and reduced life expectancy across the globe. Early child hood dental caries (ECC) denotes a common chronic childhood disease and cariogenic dietary patterns dominated by refined sugar is one of the main causative factors. Thus, high burden of ECC could be a proxy indicator of excessive refined sugar consumption of a child. If such unhealthy dietary patterns are continued through to adolescent to adulthood, there is a high probability of an individual becoming a diabetic. Therefore, it is rational to argue high ECC burden in a country could be an indicator of future burden of diabetes. Moreover, ECC provides a critical period and a window of opportunity across life-course perspective, to intervene with cariogenic dietary patterns underpinned by common risk factor approach. This could be achieved by tailored dietary counseling for parental care givers of children with ECC. A healthy dietary pattern fostered in the childhood, most probably would continue to adulthood which may become beneficial in reducing the incidence of diabetes. Against this backdrop, we provide a perspective from Sri Lanka: a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) which records the highest prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in south Asia. Our perspective will provide novel insights and innovative ideas into prevention and control of diabetes burden in LMICs, harnessing the potential of preventive dentistry.

Worldwide, it is estimated that at least 1 in 4 adults suffers from hypertension, and this number is expected to increase as populations grow and age. Blood pressure (BP) possesses substantial heritability, but is also heavily modulated by lifestyle factors. As such, digital, lifestyle-based in-terventions are a promising alternative to standard care for hypertension prevention and man-agement. In this study we assessed the prevalence of elevated and high BP in a Dutch general pop-ulation cohort undergoing a health screening, and observed the effects of a subsequent self-initiated, digitally-enabled lifestyle program on BP regulation. Baseline data were available for 348 participants, of which 56 had partaken in a BP-focused lifestyle program and got re-measured 10 months after the intervention. Participants with elevated SBP and DBP at baseline showed a mean decrease of 7.2 mmHg and 5.4 mmHg, respectively. Additionally, 70% and 72.5% of participants showed an improvement in systolic and diastolic BP at remeasurement. These improvements in BP are superior to those seen in other recent studies. The long-term sustainability and the efficacy of this and similar digital lifestyle interventions will need to be estab-lished in additional, larger studies.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus-2) of the family Coronaviridae, appeared in Wuhan, Hubei province, China being its epicenter in December 2019. This disease was declared as posing Public Health International Emergency by World Health Organization on January 30, 2020, attained the status of a very high-risk category on February 29, and now having a pandemic status (March 11, 2020). COVID-19 has presently spread to more than 195 countries/territories while killing nearly 19,600 humans out of cumulative confirmed cases accounting to more than 430,000 within a short period of just a few weeks. The majority of deaths have been reported in Italy and China. Researchers worldwide are pacing with high efforts to counter the spread of this virus and to design effective vaccines and therapeutics/drugs. Few of the studies have shown the potential of animal-human interface and zoonotic links in the origin of SARS-CoV-2. Exploring the possible zoonosis and revealing the factors responsible for its initial transmission from animals to humans will pave ways to design and implement effective preventive and control strategies to counter COVID-19. The present review presents an overview of COVID-19 and the causative virus SARS-CoV-2, with particular emphasis on the role of animals and their jumping the cross-species barriers, experiences learned from SARS- and MERS-CoVs, zoonotic links, and spillover events, transmission to humans and rapid spread., highlighting in very brief the preventive and control measures along with a few of the recent research developments to counter this pandemic virus/disease.

Abstract: Background: To determine the impact of a patient's ethnicity on the seeking preventive dental services at the Community Health Centers (CHCs) in South-Central Texas. Methods: Pri-mary electronic health records (HER) data were collected regarding each patient's medical and dental history, and comprehensive treatment planning. The researchers retrieved EHR from Jan-uary 2016 to 2022. Bivariate analysis was completed to test outcome with predicator and covariates using appropriate statistical tests. A multiple linear regression model was used to understand the association between the predictor and outcome variable while controlling for confounders. Results: The study findings revealed significantly higher dental visits (2.26 ± 2.88) for Hispanic patients. The results from the multiple regression model indicated that non-Hispanic patients had a 8% fewer chance of visiting the CHCs for preventive dental services compared to the Hispanic population (p-value<0.001) when all other variables are held constant. However, the study results were not significant as the effect size was small to conclude the effect of ethnicity on the patients visiting the dental clinic at the CHCs for preventive services. Conclusion: The study concluded that there is no difference in the preventive dental services completed by Hispanics and Non-Hispanics when all other variables are controlled.

Introduction: Skin cancer is the 5th most common cancers in western countries with surge in the cases of occurrence with the passing time making it a global burden on health care system. In this present study, the cancer preventive activities of Argemone mexicana Linn (AM), which has been widely used by folklores to treat different ailments. Aim: The experiment advocates the cancer preventive activity of ethanolic extract of AM and to against DMBA/TPA induced skin cancer in mice model. Materials and Methods: Experimental animals were divided into doses group,100mg/kg B.W, 250mg/kg B.W, 500mg/kg B.W and 1000mg/kg B.W and subjected to toxic dose determination. The DMBA/TPA method was followed to induce the skin cancer in mice along with the feeding of non-toxic doses of 100mg/ kg, 250mg/kg, 500mg/kg mice were given as a pretreatment and 500mg/kg as a separate post treatment group as per body weight. The anti-cancerous activity was determined by different parameters on 0day, 30th day and 60th day including change in incidence of tumour induction, haematological parameters, histopathology and changes in pattern of TNF-α secretion and NF-kB (p65 subunit) signaling pathway in the blood serum. Results: The 1000 mg/kg BW was found to exhibit sub-acute toxicity. It was observed that the 500mg/kg BW pretreated group resisted and delayed the tumour formation for up to 8 weeks as compared to the Negative Control group where growth was seen in 4 weeks. The tumour burden was also found to be varying in a dose-dependent where on 60th day, Negative Control group and 100mg/kg BW was found to possess significantly high (p&lt;0.001) tumour burden in comparison to the 500mg/kg BW group where tumour burden was not found till 60th day. The study was validated by body weight, blood parameters, histopathology and altered pattern in regulation of TNF-α and NF-kB signaling pathway which play an important role in cancer progression. The expression of TNF-α and p65 subunit of NF-kB signaling pathway was found to be reduced significantly in a dose dependent manner and found to be highly reduced in 500mg/kg BW group (p&lt;0.001) as compared to Negative control. Conclusion: The 500mg/kg BW pretreated group was found to have significant results in comparison to 500mg/kg BW post treatment group. The study revealed effective cancer preventive activity of Argemone mexicana Linn leaves (AML) in the mice model and paved a pathway for molecular approaches which could be explored more in future studies.

Aluminum, a contentious trace element found in the environment, has been demonstrated to have harmful effects on both humans and animals. In contrast, Sempervivum tectorum, an evergreen plant, has been found to offer numerous beneficial effects for both humans and animals. Therefore, this study aims to assess the protective effect of S. tectorum on certain reproductive biomarkers in male rats exposed to aluminum. Thirty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: NTC (no-treatment control) received distilled water; NC (negative control) received drinking water containing 1 mg/L aluminum sulfate (AS); E1 received 1 mg/L AS along with an 8% S. tectorum extract; PC (positive control) received only 8% S. tectorum extract; E2 received 1 mg/L AS for three months followed by 8% extract for one month. The study analyzed testosterone, LH, FSH, body weight, and the histological structure of the testis, epididymis, and prostate, as well as the levels of zinc, manganese, copper, and iron in these organs. Significant decreases in body weight, testis, and epididymis size were observed in the aluminum-exposed groups compared to the control, whereas these decreases were not significant in the S. tectorum-treated groups compared to the control. Aluminum exposure led to significant decreases in testosterone and LH levels, with FSH levels showing a non-significant decrease in males, which were mitigated significantly by the administration of the plant extract. Histological analysis revealed alterations in the testis, epididymis, and prostate of the AS-exposed groups, including necrosis of seminiferous tubule epithelium and Leydig cells in the testis, and basal epithelial necrosis in the epididymis and prostate. Aluminum levels increased in all organs studied, while levels of zinc, copper, iron, and manganese decreased, showing a negative and significant correlation with aluminum levels. The aqueous extract of S. tectorum demonstrated a protective effect on certain studied biomarkers in male rats affected by aluminum exposure.

Little is known about the effect of statin use in lung cancer development in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We analyzed the database of the National Health Insurance Service to further investigate the clinical impacts of statin on lung cancer development and overall survival (OS) in IPF patients. The analysis included 9,182 individuals diagnosed with IPF, of which 3,372 (36.7%) were statin users. Compared to statin non-users, the time from diagnosis of IPF to lung cancer development and OS were longer in statin users in IPF patients. In Cox proportional hazard regression models, higher statin compliance, statin use, and being female had an inverse association with lung cancer risk, while older age at diagnosis of IPF and smoking history were associated with higher risk of lung cancer in IPF patients. For OS, statin use, female sex, higher exercise frequency, and diabetes were associated with longer survival. In contrast, older age at diagnosis of IPF and smoking history were associated with shorter OS in IPF patients. These data from a large population indicate that statin had an independent protective association with lung cancer development and mortality in IPF patients.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

The effect of aqueous extracts of the biomass of the adult Ulomoides dermestoides beetle on the delayed effects of the defoliant paraquat causing parkinsonism in experimental mice was evaluated. The motor activity of the animals was analyzed in behavioral tests using a rotarod and a vertical pole. The number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunopositive neurons in the ventral part of the substantia nigra of the midbrains of experimental and control mice was studied by immunohistochemistry. In the model in vitro system with SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma, the effect of the extracts on cell proliferation was examined in the absence and presence of the neurotoxin MPP⁺. The isolation of biologically active substances from raw biomass using cavitation effects made it possible to obtain extracts with protective properties in the model of an early stage of Parkinson's disease used in this study.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

This paper is focused on typical rural settlements in the Stara Planina Mountain area in Serbia. They are distinguished by their authenticity, identity and character, and they have still not been destroyed by inappropriate development as is the case in some other mountain areas in Serbia, where the effects of urbanization, globalization and homogenization are obvious. Consequently, there is a need to prevent these effects in mountain areas where there is a threat of disbalance between development and the inherited natural and cultural values. The paper starts from several important concepts that relate contemporary approaches to cultural heritage preservation, place morphology and planning future development. The concept definitions from recent documents from related fields are used. These concepts are then applied to the area of Stara Planina Mountain and its rural settlements. The necessity for an integrative approach to planning this area with significant natural and anthropogenic potential is pointed out, including its integration into international programs of sustainable development.