A hypothetical intervention to reduce inequities in anxiety for Multiracial people: simulating an intervention on childhood adversity.

Multiracial people report higher mean Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scores and prevalence of anxiety than other racial groups. Studies using statistical interactions to estimate racial differences in ACEs-anxiety associations do not show stronger associations for Multiracial people. Using data from Waves 1 (1995-97) through 4 (2008-09) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we simulated a stochastic intervention over 1,000 resampled datasets to estimate the race-specific cases averted per 1,000 of anxiety if all racial groups had the same exposure distribution of ACEs as Whites. Simulated cases averted were greatest for the Multiracial group, (median = -4.17 cases per 1,000, 95% CI: -7.42, -1.86). The model also predicted smaller risk reductions for Black participants (-0.76, 95% CI: -1.53, -0.19). CIs around estimates for other racial groups included the null. An intervention to reduce racial disparities in exposure to ACEs could help reduce the inequitable burden of anxiety on the Multiracial population. Stochastic methods support consequentialist approaches to racial health equity, and can encourage greater dialogue between public health researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

A Decade of Tweets: Visualizing Racial Sentiments Towards Minoritized Groups in the United States Between 2011 and 2021.

BACKGROUND: Research has demonstrated the negative impact of racism on health, yet the measurement of racial sentiment remains challenging. This article provides practical guidance on using social media data for measuring public sentiment. METHODS: We describe the main steps of such research, including data collection, data cleaning, binary sentiment analysis, and visualization of findings. We randomly sampled 55,844,310 publicly available tweets from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2021 using Twitter's Application Programming Interface. We restricted analyses to US tweets in English using one or more 90 race-related keywords. We used a Support Vector Machine, a supervised machine learning model, for sentiment analysis. RESULTS: The proportion of tweets referencing racially minoritized groups that were negative increased at the county, state, and national levels, with a 16.5% increase at the national level from 2011 to 2021. Tweets referencing Black and Middle Eastern people consistently had the highest proportion of negative sentiment compared with all other groups. Stratifying temporal trends by racial and ethnic groups revealed unique patterns reflecting historical events specific to each group, such as the killing of George Floyd regarding sentiment of posts referencing Black people, discussions of the border crisis near the 2018 midterm elections and anti-Latinx sentiment, and the emergence of COVID-19 and anti-Asian sentiment. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the utility of social media data as a quantitative means to measure racial sentiment over time and place. This approach can be extended to a range of public health topics to investigate how changes in social and cultural norms impact behaviors and policy.A supplemental digital video is available at http://links.lww.com/EDE/C91.

All Stressors Are Not Equal: The Salience of Racial Discrimination and Appraisal for Blood Pressure in African American Women.

OBJECTIVE: Psychosocial stress is a major predictor of chronic disease among African American (AA) women. Stress is a process involving exposure, appraisal of threat, coping, and psychobiologic adaptation. However, many studies focus on the frequency of stress events and/or coping; few explicitly study stress events and their appraisals; and AA women experience high levels of racial discrimination, a well-known form of social identity threat (i.e., negative experiences due to judgment based on identity). Stressors related to social identity threat may be differentially appraised and associated with divergent physiologic outcomes. This study examined the differences in the frequency and stressfulness associated with general stressors and racial discrimination in relation to blood pressure (BP) among AA women. METHODS: Multivariable regression was used on cross-sectional data from 208 middle-aged AA women residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. RESULTS: AA women reported less frequency of racial discrimination compared with general stressors, but were more likely to appraise racial discrimination events as stressful. Racial discrimination stressfulness was more strongly associated with systolic BP (SBP) than the number of racial discrimination events. There was a U-shaped association between racial discrimination stress and SBP, with those reporting "none" and "high/very high" distress having the highest SBP ( b = 12.2 [2.7 to 21.8] and b = 15.7 [1.5-29.8], respectively, versus moderate stress). Conversely, those reporting "very low" general stressfulness had the lowest SBP ( b = -7.9 [-15.8 to -0.1], versus moderate stress). Diastolic BP followed a similar pattern, although results were nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of stress appraisal measures and adds to the body of evidence documenting racial discrimination as a salient psychosocial stressor for AA women.

Novel tropane analogues as Hsp90 inhibitors targeting colon cancer: Synthesis, biological estimation, and molecular docking study.

New derivatives of tropane scaffold were prepared from the reaction of their thione or thioamide derivatives with α-halocarbonyl compounds. The structures of all new derivatives were assured and proved with their spectral data. The novel tropane derivatives were examined for their cytotoxicity on two colon tumor cell lines; Caco2 and HCT116 cells. The most active compounds 3, 4, 5, 9d and 14a displayed significant antitumor activities with IC50 range of 9.50 - 30.15 µM compared to doxorubicin. Moreover, they revealed reduced cytotoxic effect on WI-38 normal ones, signifying their great safety. With the aim of better understanding the inhibitory potential of such compounds on heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90), there activities were assessed against such enzyme demonstrating high inhibitory activities with IC50 range of 56.58-78.85 nM. Western blotting was carried out to ensure the inhibitory activity on Hsp90, results showed that 3 markedly suppressed Hsp90 expression on Caco2 cell line. Additionally, a molecular docking analysis of the most potent derivatives at the Hsp90 binding site was carried out in order to approve the performed in vitro assays.

Factors affecting Saudi medical students' engagement during synchronous and asynchronous eLearning and their impacts on the students' academic achievement: a national survey.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic learning (eLearning) has become a necessity in education. eLearning can be either synchronous, where classes are conducted in real-time, or asynchronous, where students can access the class material at any time. Student-instructor interaction has become essential to the educational process. In the literature, most studies have focused on the preferred methods of eLearning and the barriers to interaction in eLearning. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the factors that affect students' interactions during eLearning and their impacts on students' academic achievements. METHODS: A national cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical and pre-clinical medical students who were attending universities in five regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a bespoke online self-administered questionnaire covering sociodemographic features, eLearning barriers, preferences, and the impact of eLearning on students' performance and understanding. RESULTS: This study involved 1371 medical students, of whom 52.37% were male and 51.13% were in their pre-clinical years of medical college. Of the participants, 59.88% (n = 821) preferred synchronous modalities of eLearning, and 33.33% (n = 457) avoided interaction during synchronous lectures. The main predictors of avoiding interaction during online lectures were being male in the clinical years of medical studies, being in a quiet atmosphere, having difficulties using the eLearning platform, having a poor internet connection, having a visual learning style, being insecure, and the presence of opposite-sex students and facilitators. In addition, 12.25% students (n = 168) reported a lower grade point average (GPA), whereas 11.96% (n = 164) reported an improved GPA after eLearning compared with in-person/onsite learning sessions. The GPA fluctuation was related to gender, personality type, learning style, interaction, and eLearning modality preference. Moreover, the students' understanding was enhanced by recorded lectures (n = 1,093, 79.72%) and supportive multimedia (n = 1,037, 75.64%), and the easy to use platform (n = 1037, 75.64%). CONCLUSION: The synchronous modality of eLearning was the preferred teaching method among the medical students. However, multiple individual, technical, and environmental factors affected their interaction, performance, and understanding during these sessions. Hence, future interventional research is recommended to overcome interaction barriers and enhance student performance and understanding of eLearning.

Correlation between whole salivary prostaglandin E2 and hemoglobin A1c levels among type-2 diabetic and non-diabetic patients with periodontal inflammation.

BACKGROUND: It is hypothesized that whole salivary prostaglandin E2 (PgE2) levels are higher in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (type-2 DM) than non-diabetic individuals with periodontal inflammation; and that whole salivary expression of PgE2 is correlated with hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels. The aim of the present study was to compare whole salivary PgE2 levels among patients with type-2 DM and non-diabetic individuals with periodontal inflammation. METHODS: Sociodemographic data, duration since the diagnosis and management of type-2 DM, most recent hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c level), and any familial history of DM was retrieved from patient's healthcare records. Participants were divided into four groups: Group-1: type-2 diabetics with periodontal inflammation; Group-2: type-2 diabetics without periodontal inflammation; Group-3: non-diabetics with periodontal inflammation; and Group-4: non-diabetics without periodontal inflammation. Plaque and gingival indices (PI and GI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL) and marginal bone loss (MBL) were measured. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected and PgE2 levels were measured. Group-comparisons were done and P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: One-hundred-sixty individuals were included. Mean HbA1c levels were higher in Group-1 than groups 2 (P < 0.05), 3 (P < 0.05) and 4 (P < 0.05). The PI (P < 0.05), GI (P < 0.05) and PD (P < 0.05) were higher in Group-1 than groups 2 and 4. The CAL was higher in Group-1 than groups 2 (P < 0.05) and 3 (P < 0.05). The PD (P < 0.05), PI (P < 0.05) and GI (P < 0.05) were higher in Group-3 than Group-4. The MBL was higher in Group-1 than groups 2 (P < 0.05), 3 (P < 0.05) and 4 (P < 0.05). The PgE2 levels were higher in Group-1 than groups 2 (P < 0.05), 3 (P < 0.05) and 4 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia in patients with type-2 DM is associated with increased expression of whole salivary PgE2 levels and worsened periodontal inflammation compared with individuals with well-controlled type-2 DM and non-diabetic individuals.

Local Oxygen-Based Therapy (blue®m) for Treatment of Peri-Implant Disease: Clinical Case Presentation and Review of Literature about Conventional Local Adjunct Therapies.

Peri-implant diseases including peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis are among the major causes of failure of implant-supported dental restorations. They are characterized by progressive inflammation of the peri-implant mucosa, extending to the surrounding connective tissues and leading to bone loss and implant failure. Although strict oral hygiene practices help in preventing peri-implant diseases, plaque buildup around the implant restoration leads to chronic inflammation, due to the adherent bacterial biofilm. While mechanical debridement and non-surgical therapy to remove inflamed connective tissue (ICT) form the mainstay of treatment, additional local adjunctive therapies enhance clinical outcomes. Topical oxygen therapy is known to reduce inflammation, increase vascularity, and act as a bacteriostatic measure. The use of oxygen-based therapy (blue®m) products as a local adjunctive therapy for peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis can result in clinical outcomes similar to that of conventional local adjuncts such as chlorhexidine, antibiotics, and antibacterial agents. This report aims to present the clinical findings of patients with peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, who were managed using local oxygen-based therapy as an adjunct to non-surgical therapy. In addition, a review of the literature about commonly used local adjuncts for peri-implant diseases has been included in the report to provide a means of comparison between conventional local adjunct therapy and topical oxygen-based therapy. Based on the reported findings and reviewed literature, local oxygen-based adjunct therapy was equally effective as conventionally used local adjuncts such as antibiotics, antibacterials, and probiotics, in treating patients with peri-implant diseases.

The role of Fusobacteria in oral cancer and immune evasion.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is growing evidence that suggests a possible role for bacteria in the progression of cancer. Fusobacteria have been detected in different types of cancers, including colorectal and oral cancers. Fusobacteria are common opportunistic oral bacteria known to cause various infections. In this review, we focus on the association between Fusobacteria and cancer, specifically oral cancer, and provide insight into the role of Fusobacteria in carcinogenesis and immune evasion. RECENT FINDINGS: Recently, it has been suggested that Fusobacteria are among the bacteria that contribute to the progression of cancer and might affect disease prognosis and treatment outcome. Moreover, Fusobacteria might alter tumor microenvironment and have an impact on tumor immune response. Thus, understanding the effect of Fusobacteria on cancer cells and tumor microenvironment is crucial to improve treatment outcome. SUMMERY: Recent evidences suggest that Fusobacteria not only have an impact on tumor progression, but might also affect tumor immune response. Moreover, Fusobacteria presence in the tumor microenvironment might have an impact on treatment outcome and might be used as a prognostic factor.

Selective Catalytic Behavior Induced by Crystal-Phase Transformation in Well-Defined Bimetallic Pt-Sn Nanocrystals.

The Pt-Sn bimetallic system is a much studied and commercially used catalyst for propane dehydrogenation. The traditionally prepared catalyst, however, suffers from inhomogeneity and phase separation of the active Pt-Sn phase. Colloidal chemistry offers a route for the synthesis of Pt-Sn bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) in a systematic, well-defined, tailored fashion over conventional methods. Here, the successful synthesis of well-defined ≈2 nm Pt, PtSn, and Pt3 Sn nanocrystals with distinct crystallographic phases is reported; hexagonal close packing (hcp) PtSn and fcc Pt3 Sn show different activity and stability depending on the hydrogen-rich or poor environment in the feed. Moreover, face centred cubic (fcc) Pt3 Sn/Al2 O3 , which exhibited the highest stability compared to hcp PtSn, shows a unique phase transformation from an fcc phase to an L12 -ordered superlattice. Contrary to PtSn, H2 cofeeding has no effect on the Pt3 Sn deactivation rate. The results reveal structural dependency of the probe reaction, propane dehydrogenation, and provide a fundamental understanding of the structure-performance relationship on emerging bimetallic systems.

Silent Brain Infarction, Delirium, and Cognition in Three Invasive Cardiovascular Procedures: a Systematic Review.

Silent brain infarctions (SBIs) are brain lesions noted on neuroimaging that are not associated with clinical symptoms. SBIs are associated with a number of vascular risk factors and are common following invasive cardiovascular procedures such as atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Although not eliciting signs of clinical stroke, SBIs are associated with increased frailty, and motor and mood features. Less is known, however, about the relationship between SBI, cognition, and delirium following invasive cardiac procedures and most investigations into these relationships have been reported in large-scale epidemiological studies. In the current paper, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate evidence of a relationship between SBI, delirium, and cognitive decline following CABG, AF ablation, and TAVR. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria. In general, our review identified conflicting results for each cardiac procedure, with some studies suggesting a relationship between SBI, cognitive impairment, and delirium, whereas others showed no relationship between SBI, cognitive impairment, and delirium. Potential reasons for this discrepancy as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Incident racial discrimination predicts elevated C-Reactive protein in the Black Women's experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) study.

INTRODUCTION: Racial discrimination is a distinct health threat that increases disease risk among Black Americans. Psychosocial stress may compromise health through inflammatory mechanisms. This study examines incident experiences of racial discrimination and changes in the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP) over a two-year period among Black women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-an inflammatory autoimmune disease sensitive to psychosocial stress and characterized by stark racial inequities in outcomes. METHODS: Data are from the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study. Participants (n = 380) from metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia were enrolled from April 2015 to May 2017. Incident racial discrimination was assessed bi-annually via self-report using the Experiences of Discrimination measure. CRP was assessed annually over a two-year period. Latent change score analyses modeled longitudinal within-person associations between incident racial discrimination and change in log-transformed CRP from baseline to Year 2. RESULTS: Incident experiences of racial discrimination were associated with elevated log-CRP across the two-year study period (b = 0.039, SE = 0.017, 95% CI: 0.006, 0.071). For each domain of incident racial discrimination experienced, CRP increased 3.98%. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to growing evidence on the biological consequences of racism and is the first to document an association between incident racial discrimination and changes in inflammation among Black women with SLE. Racial inequities in SLE outcomes and other diseases driven by inflammatory pathways may be explained in part through experiences of racial discrimination.

The Water Surrounding the Iceberg: Cultural Racism and Health Inequities.

Policy Points Cultural racism-or the widespread values that privilege and protect Whiteness and White social and economic power-permeates all levels of society, uplifts other dimensions of racism, and contributes to health inequities. Overt forms of racism, such as racial hate crimes, represent only the "tip of the iceberg," whereas structural and institutional racism represent its base. This paper advances cultural racism as the "water surrounding the iceberg," allowing it to float while obscuring its base. Considering the fundamental role of cultural racism is needed to advance health equity. CONTEXT: Cultural racism is a pervasive social toxin that surrounds all other dimensions of racism to produce and maintain racial health inequities. Yet, cultural racism has received relatively little attention in the public health literature. The purpose of this paper is to 1) provide public health researchers and policymakers with a clearer understanding of what cultural racism is, 2) provide an understanding of how it operates in conjunction with the other dimensions of racism to produce health inequities, and 3) offer directions for future research and interventions on cultural racism. METHODS: We conducted a nonsystematic, multidisciplinary review of theory and empirical evidence that conceptualizes, measures, and documents the consequences of cultural racism for social and health inequities. FINDINGS: Cultural racism can be defined as a culture of White supremacy, which values, protects, and normalizes Whiteness and White social and economic power. This ideological system operates at the level of our shared social consciousness and is expressed in the language, symbols, and media representations of dominant society. Cultural racism surrounds and bolsters structural, institutional, personally mediated, and internalized racism, undermining health through material, cognitive/affective, biologic, and behavioral mechanisms across the life course. CONCLUSIONS: More time, research, and funding is needed to advance measurement, elucidate mechanisms, and develop evidence-based policy interventions to reduce cultural racism and promote health equity.

The effect of vitamin K4 supplementation on insulin resistance in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the possible clinical effects of vitamin K4 supplementation in individuals with type 2 diabetes namely insulin resistance, glycaemic control, and lipid profile. METHODS: This was a prospective randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 106 patients were randomised to receive either 1 mg of vitamin K4 (menadiol diacetate) or placebo for 24 weeks. RESULTS: Ninety patients (n = 45 in each study group) were included in the final analysis. After 24 weeks, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (16.54 ± 7.81 vs. 29.09 ± 36.56, P = 0.027) and fasting serum insulin (FSI) (6.86 ± 3.45 vs. 11.13 ± 12.66 µU/ml, P = 0.032) were significantly lower in the vitamin K group compared to placebo. Additionally, triglycerides (TG) (144.94 ± 50.7 vs. 172.8 ± 101.5 mg/dl, P = 0.031) and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) levels (28.9 ± 9.88 vs. 34.6 ± 20.30 mg/dl, P = 0.027) decreased significantly in the vitamin K group after 24 weeks compared to baseline. Moreover, more patients in the vitamin K group (35.6%) had their antidiabetic medication doses reduced after 24 weeks compared to placebo (13.3%, P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Vitamin K4 supplementation for 24 weeks is capable of improving insulin resistance and TG levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. In addition, the improvement in insulin resistance was reflected in the decrease in antidiabetic medication doses. However, it did not affect fasting plasma glucose (FPG) or glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov with ID: NCT04285450.

Examining Twitter-Derived Negative Racial Sentiment as Indicators of Cultural Racism: Observational Associations With Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight Among a Multiracial Sample of Mothers, 2011-2021.

BACKGROUND: Large racial and ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes persist. Increasing evidence points to the potential role of racism in creating and perpetuating these disparities. Valid measures of area-level racial attitudes and bias remain elusive, but capture an important and underexplored form of racism that may help explain these disparities. Cultural values and attitudes expressed through social media reflect and shape public norms and subsequent behaviors. Few studies have quantified attitudes toward different racial groups using social media with the aim of examining associations with birth outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We used Twitter data to measure state-level racial sentiments and investigate associations with preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) in a multiracial or ethnic sample of mothers in the United States. METHODS: A random 1% sample of publicly available tweets from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2021, was collected using Twitter's Academic Application Programming Interface (N=56,400,097). Analyses were on English-language tweets from the United States that used one or more race-related keywords. We assessed the sentiment of each tweet using support vector machine, a supervised machine learning model. We used 5-fold cross-validation to assess model performance and achieved high accuracy for negative sentiment classification (91%) and a high F1 score (84%). For each year, the state-level racial sentiment was merged with birth data during that year (~3 million births per year). We estimated incidence ratios for LBW and PTB using log binomial regression models, among all mothers, Black mothers, racially minoritized mothers (Asian, Black, or Latina mothers), and White mothers. Models were controlled for individual-level maternal characteristics and state-level demographics. RESULTS: Mothers living in states in the highest tertile of negative racial sentiment for tweets referencing racial and ethnic minoritized groups had an 8% higher (95% CI 3%-13%) incidence of LBW and 5% higher (95% CI 0%-11%) incidence of PTB compared to mothers living in the lowest tertile. Negative racial sentiment referencing racially minoritized groups was associated with adverse birth outcomes in the total population, among minoritized mothers, and White mothers. Black mothers living in states in the highest tertile of negative Black sentiment had 6% (95% CI 1%-11%) and 7% (95% CI 2%-13%) higher incidence of LBW and PTB, respectively, compared to mothers living in the lowest tertile. Negative Latinx sentiment was associated with a 6% (95% CI 1%-11%) and 3% (95% CI 0%-6%) higher incidence of LBW and PTB among Latina mothers, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Twitter-derived negative state-level racial sentiment toward racially minoritized groups was associated with a higher risk of adverse birth outcomes among the total population and racially minoritized groups. Policies and supports establishing an inclusive environment accepting of all races and cultures may decrease the overall risk of adverse birth outcomes and reduce racial birth outcome disparities.

Leading Change at Berkeley Public Health: Building the Anti-racist Community for Justice and Social Transformative Change.

A transformative change grounded in a commitment to antiracism and racial and health equity is underway at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. Responding to a confluence of national, state, and local circumstances, bold leadership, and a moral and disciplinary imperative to name and address racism as a root cause of health inequities, our community united around a common vision of becoming an antiracist institution. Berkeley Public Health has a long history of efforts supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice. Building upon those efforts, we pursued an institution-wide initiative, one that creates a more equitable and inclusive school of public health that models and supports the development of future public health leaders, practitioners, scholars, and educators. Grounded in the principles of cultural humility, we recognized that our vision was a journey, not a destination. This article describes our efforts from June 2020 through June 2022 in developing and implementing ARC4JSTC (Anti-racist Community for Justice and Social Transformative Change), a comprehensive, multiyear antiracist change initiative encompassing faculty and workforce development, student experience, curriculum and pedagogy, community engagement outreach, and business processes. Our work is data informed, grounded in principles of change management, and focused on building internal capacity to promote long-term change. Our discussion of lessons learned and next steps helps to inform our ongoing work and antiracist institutional change efforts at other schools and programs of public health.

Non-convulsive status epilepticus in Sotos syndrome: rare first presentation in a rare syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Prior to illustration of the causative genetic mutation responsible for Sotos syndrome, diagnosis was based on clinical criteria. They include characteristic facial gestalt, developmental delay, and evidence of overgrowth, in addition to other minor features as cardiac &genitourinary congenital malformation, seizures, scoliosis, among other features. Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) was not previously reported among Sotos patients. CASE SUMMARY: An eleven-years old boy, with developmental delay, characteristic facial & skeletal features presented to the emergency department with a two-hour episode of lapse of consciousness. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed fluctuating generalized spike-wave/poly-spike wave discharge <2.5 Hertz (Hz), lasting throughout the duration of recording. Intravenous (IV) levetiracetam was associated with clinical & EEG improvement & accordingly the patient was diagnosed as NCSE. The mother reported history of polyhydramnios, febrile seizure & developmental delay. Through clinical & radiological assessment revealed generalized hypotonia, low intelligence quotient (IQ), congenital ureteric stricture & pulmonary hypertension, prominent retro-cerebellar cistern, in addition to scoliosis & facial features suggestive of Sotos Syndrome. Six months after presentation, the patient remained seizure free on levetiracetam monotherapy. CONCLUSION: NCSE could occur in Sotos syndrome. In our case, the first reported case of NCSE in Sotos syndrome, the characteristic facial & skeletal findings initiated further work up with fulfillment of the criteria required for the clinical diagnosis of Sotos syndrome.

Digital Storytelling as a Tool to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Intention in a Latinx Church Community.

Although colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) rates have improved for all racial groups due to wider availability of screening, Latinx continue to have lower screening rates and are more likely to be diagnosed with later stages of colorectal cancer compared to non-Latinx whites. More culturally tailored educational interventions are needed to reach this population. This study introduced a digital storytelling (DST) intervention in a church community setting and explored its potential to influence CRCS intention and perception among Latinx and the acceptability of the DST intervention. Participants (n=20) between the ages of 50 and 75 who were not up-to-date with CRCS were recruited to view digital stories developed by fellow church members with previous CRCS experience. They completed surveys assessing their intention to complete CRCS before and after the viewing and were asked to participate in focus groups to understand, qualitatively, how the digital stories influenced their perceptions and intentions related to CRCS. Analysis of participant narratives revealed three overarching themes related to their perceptions and intentions of CRCS after the DST intervention: (1) the duality of the faith-health connection and fatalism, (2) willingness to consider other screening methods, and (3) the push-pull of individual barriers and interpersonal facilitators. Participants felt the DST intervention humanized the CRCS process and that it would be acceptable and well received in other church settings. The introduction of a community-based DST intervention within a church setting is a novel strategy with the potential to influence members of the Latinx church population to complete CRCS.

Electronic nose versus quadrupole mass spectrometry for identifying viral hepatitis C patients.

Hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver disease and transplantation and is a significant burden on public health worldwide. This study aimed to apply the Electronic Nose (E-Nose) and quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS) technologies for screening blood samples from hepatitis C patients and healthy controls. We analysed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace over blood samples to identify those VOCs characteristic for diagnosing hepatitis C patients. The study comprised 150 acute hepatitis C patients with age range: 24-59 years, and mean age ±SD: 41.5 ± 12.8 years and 150 age-matched healthy controls (age range: 24-51 and mean age: 40.11 ± 4.89 years) from the Hospital of the Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. Collected blood samples were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using the E-Nose and MS/MS techniques, respectively. Principal component analysis of the E-Nose 10-sensor responses accurately classified blood samples from hepatitis C patients and healthy controls. The first two principal components explained over 98.35% of the variance in signals with no false-positive (healthy controls) or false-negative (hepatitis C patients) results. MS/MS showed two fragmentation ions at m/z of 104 and 151 Da with the positive electrospray ionization mode (ESI+) in blood samples for hepatitis C patients, but not for healthy controls or background water samples. We identified the two specific fragmentation ions at m/z 104 and m/z 151 Da as malonic acid (MF: C3 H4 O4 ; MW: 104.06 g/mol) and monosaccharide pentose (MF: C5 H10 O5 ; MW: 150.13 g/mol) in VOCs of the headspace over blood samples for hepatitis C patients. This provides a rationale for developing diagnostic tests for hepatitis C virus based on altered trace VOCs concentrations using the relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use, portable and non-invasive E-Nose technology.

Protective Places: the Relationship between Neighborhood Quality and Preterm Births to Black Women in Oakland, California (2007-2011).

Black women have the highest incidence of preterm birth (PTB). Upstream factors, including neighborhood context, may be key drivers of this increased risk. This study assessed the relationship between neighborhood quality, defined by the Healthy Places Index, and PTB among Black women who lived in Oakland, California, and gave birth between 2007 and 2011 (N = 5418 women, N = 107 census tracts). We found that, compared with those living in lower quality neighborhoods, women living in higher quality neighborhoods had 20-38% lower risk of PTB, independent of confounders. Findings have implications for place-based research and interventions to address racial inequities in PTB.

Novel 6,7,8-trihydrobenzo[6',7']cyclohepta[2',1'-e]pyrazolo[2,3-a]pyrimidine derivatives as Topo IIα inhibitors with potential cytotoxic activity.

Novel tetracyclic pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives; namely benzo[3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-e]pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-2-amines 6a-e and benzo[3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-e]pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-2(6H)-ones 15a-d, were designed and synthesized as topoisomerase IIα inhibitors with potential anticancer activity. The structure and their mechanistic pathway were discussed and confirmed based on spectral data and DFT calculations. Compounds 6a, 6c, 15b, 15c and 15d exhibited potent Topo II inhibitory activity at one-digit IC50 values (2.35 - 7.18 µM). Among the tested compounds, aminopyrazolopyrimidine derivatives 6a (IC50 = 3.44 µM) and 6c (IC50 = 2.35 µM) were comparable/ equipotent to Doxorubicin (IC50 = 2.71 µM) against Topo II. The most active compounds in Topo II assay were further investigated in vitro for their cytotoxic potential. The oxo-pyrazolopyrimidine derivative 15c; was the most potent possessing one-digit IC50 values (HCT116 IC50 = 2.32 ± 0.13 µM, MCF7 IC50 = 1.137 ± 0.06 µM). Compound 15c was two times more potent than Doxorubicin against MCF7 breast cancer cells. 15c exhibited a safety profile much better than that of Doxorubicin against non-cancerous cells. Compound 15c was also found to be a good apoptotic inducer. Moreover, docking result revealed well-fitting and proper orientation of 15c into Topo II-DNA complex.