Extracellular vesicles from Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PC-H1 inhibit HIF-1α-mediated glycolysis of colon cancer.

Aims: Extracellular vesicles from Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PC-H1 have antiproliferative activity of colon cells, but the effect on glycolytic metabolism of cancer cell remains enigmatic. The authors investigated how Lacticaseibacillus paracasei extracellular vesicles (LpEVs) inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells by affecting tumor metabolism. Materials & methods: HCT116 cells were treated with LpEVs and then differentially expressed genes were analyzed by transcriptome sequencing, the sequencing results were confirmed in vivo and in vitro. Results: LpEVs entered colon cancer cells and inhibited their growth. Transcriptome sequencing revealed differentially expressed genes were related to glycolysis. Lactate production, glucose uptake and lactate dehydrogenase activity were significantly reduced after treatment. LpEVs also reduced HIF-1α, GLUT1 and LDHA expression. Conclusion: LpEVs exert their antiproliferative activity of colon cancer cells by decreasing HIF-1α-mediated glycolysis.

The magnitude of neonatal near miss and associated factors among live births in public hospitals of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia, 2020: A facility-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Neonates with severe complications at birth or during the neonatal period who nearly died but survived constitute neonatal near miss (NNM) cases. Identifying NNM cases and correcting contributing factors are of the utmost importance to get relevant controls for neonatal deaths. However, limited studies are assessing the prevalence of NNM and associated factors with NNM cases in Ethiopia. So, this study is aimed at assessing the magnitude of neonatal near miss and associated factors among live births in public hospitals of Jimma zone, southwest Ethiopia, 2020. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 260 neonates from April 1-30 / 2020. Face to face interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the mothers and a standard checklist was used for their neonates. The data was encoded and entered into Epi-Data version 4.2 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Independent variables with marginal associations (p-value <0.25) in the bivariable analysis were eligible for multivariable logistic regression analysis to detect an association with outcome variables. Finally, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% CI were used to estimate the strength of associations, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. RESULT: The magnitude of NNM was 26.7% with [95%CI: 21.6-32.5]. Hypertension during pregnancy [AOR: 3.4; 95%CI: 1.32-8.88], mode of delivery [AOR: 3.32; 95%CI: 1.48-7.45], Obstructed labor [AOR: 2.95; 95%CI: 1.32-6.45] and non-vertex fetal presentation during delivery [AOR: 4.61; 95%CI: 2.16-9.84] were identified as significantly predictors of NNM. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Over a quarter of the neonates were with NNM cases, which is relatively higher than the report of studies done in other countries. Hypertension during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, prolonged labor, and non-vertex fetal presentation were all found to increase the likelihood of NNM. Therefore, concerted efforts are needed from local health planners and health care providers to improve maternal health care services especially in early identification of the complications and taking appropriate management.

The Magnitude of Diabetes Mellitus in Adult Hypertensive Patients in Northeast Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are the most common comorbid non-communicable chronic diseases that threaten human beings worldwide. Hypertension is associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and vis-a-vis. However, there is limited information on the magnitude of diabetes mellitus in hypertensive patients in sub-Saharan countries. Hence, this study assessed the magnitude of diabetes mellitus and its associated factors among adult hypertensive patients attending a hypertension clinic in Northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study conducted on 407 participants from April to June 2019. The participants were included in the study using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using the WHO STEPwise method. We run descriptive statistics to determine the magnitude of diabetes mellitus in hypertensive patients and logistic regression to identify factors associated with diabetes, and statistically significant associations were declared at a P-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: The magnitude of diabetes mellitus among hypertensive patients was 29.1%, of whom 24% were newly diagnosed. Respondents with a family history of diabetes mellitus (AOR: 4.6, CI: 2.2, 9.48), increased waist-to-height ratio (AOR: 21.5, CI: 5.62,43.67), increased waist circumference (AOR: 3.2, CI: 1.58, 6.53) and primary school educational status (AOR: 3.2, CI: 1.41, 7.25) were more likely to have diabetes. Similarly, respondents with longer hypertension duration (AOR: 4.09, CI: 1.22, 13.64), past daily smoking history (AOR: 10.46, CI: 1.59,6.8), increased diastolic blood pressure (AOR: 4.15, CI: 1.51, 11.37), and increased waist circumference (AOR: 7.5, CI: 4.47,14.95) were more likely to be diagnosed newly for diabetes. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated around one-third of hypertensive patients had diabetes. Family history of diabetes mellitus, primary educational status and increased waist-to-height ratio and waist circumference were significant predictors of diabetes among hypertensive patients. The finding suggests the need for regular diabetic screening among hypertensive patients.

Application of Nursing Process and Its Affecting Factors among Nurses Working in Mekelle Zone Hospitals, Northern Ethiopia.

Background. Nursing process is considered as appropriate method to explain the nursing essence, its scientific bases, technologies and humanist assumptions that encourage critical thinking and creativity, and permits solving problems in professional practice. Objective. To assess the application of nursing process and it's affecting factors in Mekelle Zone Hospitals. Methods. A cross sectional design employing quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted in Mekelle zone hospitals March 2011. Qualitative data was collected from14 head nurses of six hospitals and quantitative was collected from 200 nurses selected by simple random sampling technique from the six hospitals proportional to their size. SPSS version 16.1 and thematic analysis was used for quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Results. Majority 180 (90%) of the respondents have poor knowledge and 99.5% of the respondents have a positive attitude towards the nursing process. All of the respondents said that they did not use the nursing process during provision of care to their patients at the time of the study. Majority (75%) of the respondent said that the nurse to patient ratio was not optimal to apply the nursing process. Conclusion and Recommendation. The nursing process is not yet applied in all of the six hospitals. The finding revealed that the knowledge of nurses on the nursing process is not adequate to put it in to practice and high patient nurse ratio affects its application. The studied hospitals should consider the application of the nursing process critically by motivating nurses and monitor and evaluate its progress.