The house fly, Musca domestica (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Muscidae), is a significant threat to human and animal health and is also resistant to a variety of insecticides. Plant-derived benzoates are known to have insecticidal activities against various insects. In this study, the larvicidal, pupicidal, and adulticidal activities of benzoate derivatives (benzyl alcohol BA, benzyl benzoate BB, and methyl benzoate MB) were assessed and investigated for their effects on larval structure and acetylcholinesterase activity. Six concentrations (2.5 to 100 mg/mL) of benzoate derivatives were applied to larvae and pupae through the residual film method and topical application, respectively. Meanwhile, concentrations from 0.625 to 50 mg/L air were applied to adult flies through a fumigation assay. BA and MB achieved promising results against larvae with LC50 values of 10.90 and 11.53 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, BA killed 100% of the larvae at a concentration of 25 mg/mL, and MB achieved the same effect at a concentration of 50 mg/mL. Regarding the pupicidal activity, MB showed a percentage inhibition rate (PIR) of 100% at a concentration of 100 mg/mL, while the same effect was achieved by BA at a concentration of 50 mg/mL. Meanwhile, BB did not show any effect on the larvae or pupae at any of the tested concentrations. Moreover, the scanning microscopy observations on the treated larvae by BA and MB estimated flaccid and deformity in the larva body with a shrunken cuticle. Additionally, both BA and MB suppress nerve signal transmission by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that BA and MB may be useful in control housefly populations. These substances cause severe muscular relaxation and deformities in insects.
Zeolite-A was synthesized successfully from kaolinite and hybridized with two species of biopolymers (chitosan (CH/Z) and ß-cyclodextrin (CD/Z)). The obtained hybridized forms were assessed as potential adsorbents of Congo red synthetic dye (CR) with enhanced affinities and elimination capacities. The synthesized CD/Z and CH/Z hybrids demonstrated uptake capacities of 223.6 and 208.7 mg/g, which are significantly higher than single-phase zeolite-A (140.3 mg/g). The integrated polymers change the surface area, surface reactivity, and number of free active receptors that are already present. The classic isotherm investigations validate Langmuir equilibrium behavior for ZA and Freundlich properties for CD/Z and CH/Z. The steric parameters validate a strong increase in the existing active receptors after the incorporation of CD (CD/Z) to be 98.1 mg/g as compared to 83 mg/g for CH/Z and 60.6 mg/g for ZA, which illustrate the detected uptake behaviors. Moreover, the CR dye was adsorbed as several molecules per single site, reflecting the vertical uptake of these molecules by multimolecular mechanisms. The energetic assessment, considering both Gaussian energies and adsorption energies (<40 kJ/mol), validates the dominant impact of the physical mechanism during the sequestration of CR (dipole binding interactions (2-29 kJ/mol) and hydrogen bonds (<30 kJ/mol)), in addition to the considerable effect of ion exchange processes. Based on the thermodynamic parameters, the CR molecules were adsorbed by exothermic and spontaneous reactions.
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 primarily occurs through binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), which is abundantly expressed in various anatomical sites, including the nasopharynx, lungs, cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. This study aimed to nurses' knowledge and protective health behaviors about prevention of covid-19 pandemic complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive design study was conducted from October 1, 2022, to March 15, 2023. A non-probability purposive sample of 50 nurses from different educational levels, genders, and departments at Baghdad teaching hospitals was selected. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. RESULTS: The study comprised an equal distribution of male and female participants, with the majority (44%) aged between 22 and 30 years. A significant proportion (52%) of nurses held institute degrees. Forty-six percent were single, and the majority (74%) had 1-5 years of experience. The mean scores were 0.70 for nurses' knowledge and 3.22 for nurses' protective health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that nurses possess satisfactory knowledge and exhibit high levels of protective health behaviors regarding complications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended to conduct future research focusing on nurses' knowledge and practices related to patient care in the context of a pandemic.
Quantitative Structure Activity Relation (QSAR) models are mathematical techniques used to link structural characteristics with biological activities, thus considered a useful tool in drug discovery, hazard evaluation, and identifying potentially lethal molecules. The QSAR regulations are determined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). QSAR models are helpful in discovering new drugs and chemicals to treat severe diseases. In order to improve the QSAR model's predictive power for biological activities of naturally occurring indoloquinoline derivatives against different cancer cell lines, a modified machine learning (ML) technique is presented in this paper. The Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA) operators are used in the suggested model to enhance the performance of the Sinh Cosh Optimizer (SCHO). Moreover, this improvement functions as a feature selection method that eliminates superfluous descriptors. An actual dataset gathered from previously published research is utilized to evaluate the performance of the suggested model. Moreover, a comparison is made between the outcomes of the suggested model and other established methodologies. In terms of pIC50 values for different indoloquinoline derivatives against human MV4-11 (leukemia), human HCT116 (colon cancer), and human A549 (lung cancer) cell lines, the suggested model achieves root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.6822, 0.6787, 0.4411, and 0.4477, respectively. The biological application of indoloquinoline derivatives as possible anticancer medicines is predicted with a high degree of accuracy by the suggested model, as evidenced by these findings.
Numerous heat transfer applications, such as heat exchangers, solar trough collectors, and fields including food processing, material research, and aerospace engineering, utilize hybrid nanofluids. Compared to conventional fluids, hybrid nanofluids exhibit significantly enhanced thermal conductivity. The aim of this work is to explore flow and heat transmission features under of magneto-hydrodynamic bioconvective flow of carbon nanotubes over the stretched surface with Dufour and Soret effects. Additionally, comparative dynamics of the carbon nanotubes (SWCMT - MWCNT/C2H6O2 with SWCMT - MWCNT/C2H6O2 - H2O) flow using the Prandtl fluid model in the presence of thermal radiation and motile microorganisms has been investigated. Novel feature Additionally, the focus is also to examine the presence of microorganisms in mixture base hybrid nanofluid. To examine heat transfer features of Prandtl hybrid nanofluid over the stretched surface convective heating is taken into consideration while modeling the boundary conditions. Suitable similarity transform has been employed to convert dimensional flow governing equations into dimensionless equations and solution of the problem has been obtained using effective, accurate and time saving bvp-4c technique in MATLAB. Velocity, temperature, concentration and microorganisms profiles have been demonstrated graphically under varying impact of various dimensionless parameters such as inclined magnetization, mixed convection, Dufour effect, Soret effect, thermal radiation effect, and bioconvection lewis number. It has been observed that raising values of magnetization (0.5 ≤ M ≤ 4), mixed convection (0.01 ≤ λ ≤ 0.05) and inclination angle (0° ≤ α ≤ 180°) enhance fluid motion rapidly in Ethylene glycol based Prandtl hybrid nanofluid (SWCMT - MWCNT/C2H6O2) when compared with mixture base working fluid of carbon nanotubes SWCMT - MWCNT/C2H6O2 - H2O). Raising thermal radiation (0.1 ≤ Rd ≤ 1.7) and Dufour number (0.1 ≤ Du ≤ 0.19) values improves temperature profile. Moreover, a good agreement has been found between the current outcome and existing literature for skin friction outcomes.
The research aim is to clarify the effect of courtyard placement, the ratio between length and width, and courtyard orientation on energy consumption in residential buildings in hot and dry climates, to seek planning and designing alternatives for new cities and new residential complexes that are consistent with the environment and climate and save the consumption of energy used in the buildings. The research method was conducted through Design Builder software for simulation purposes. The reference model with the 157.25 m2 which accommodates a central square courtyard measuring 5 m × 5 m, on a residential building model in the New Valley Governorate of Kharga City, Egypt. The courtyard simulation is aimed to determine Less energy consumption inside the different case studies, in 9 courtyard placements The studied alternatives for Courtyard Placement, are (the center of the building, sub facades, and main facades). The different ratios are (1:1, 1.25:1, 1.5:1-1.75:1, 2:1, 2.25:1, 2.5-1). The longitudinal axis of the Courtyard has been oriented to the east-west direction for all placements, and north-south direction for all placements. Also, (orientation angle is Zero), it offered the percentages of better and worst cases in each position of the courtyard. The research findings suggest that the best Placement of the Courtyard that achieved the highest rate of saving of energy consumed inside the used building model was at the southwestern façade, with a saving rate of 18.73%. Then, the Placement of the Courtyard at the northwestern and southeastern facades with a saving rate of 17.91%, with a length-to-width ratio (2.5:1) if the longitudinal axis of the Courtyard is oriented in the north-south direction, Through the study, we conclude that the placement and orientation of the courtyard and its regular formation have contributed to rationalizing energy consumption in residential buildings, the study reached some important standards that could represent a methodological framework for designing contemporary residential buildings with an energy-efficient inner courtyard.
Prucalopride (PCD), is a modern medication approved by the United States in 2018 to alleviate constipation caused by motility issues. PCD demonstrates a strong affinity and selectivity toward the 5-HT4 receptor. The study here introduces a feasible, direct, non-extractive, and affordable pathway for PCD analytical tracking. The fluorimetric study is based on the on-off effect on the emission amplitude of fluorone-based dye (pyrosin B). In a one-pot experiment, the complex between PCD and pyrosin B is formed instantly in an acidic medium. Correlation between decreased pyrosin B emission and PCD concentrations provides a linear calibration plot from 50 to 900 ng/mL. PCD-dye complex system affecting variables were meticulously tuned. The values of the estimated limit of quantitation and limit of detection for the current methodology were 47.5 and 15.7 ng/mL, respectively. Conformity of the strategy validity was achieved by a comprehensive study of the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use criteria. The method was convincingly applied for PCD assay in tablets and content uniformity investigation. Furthermore, PCD tracking in the spiked biological fluid was applied. Finally, the method uses distilled water as dispersing medium which rise accommodation with the green chemistry principle.
Benzofurans , Fluorescent Dyes , Benzofurans/chemistry , Benzofurans/analysis , Fluorescent Dyes/chemistry , Humans , Spectrometry, Fluorescence , Molecular Structure , Limit of Detection
Eletriptan (ETR), a selective pharmaceutical agent agonist of the 5-hydroxytryptamine1 receptor subtype, are primarily used to treat acute migraine attacks. ETR is a triptan-class medication that works by narrowing cerebral blood vessels and reducing chemicals that produce headache pain, light and sound sensitivity, and nausea. Due to its effectiveness in reducing migraine symptoms, it is a worthwhile choice for those looking for quick and efficient treatment. A green, raid, one-pot and straightforward fluorescence spectrometric method was employed to evaluate ETR in tablets and biological samples. By introducing the ETR drug and the fluorescent ligand, Acid red 87, in an acidic buffer, a quenching of the ligand native fluorescent was promptly produced. The quenching action was simply attributed to the selective ion-pair complex generation between the cationic target and the selected ligand. An increase in ETR concentration was linearly proportional to the quenching response in the 50.0 - 500.0 ng/mL range. The optimal configurations for adjusting the system's variable parameters were determined by examining the ETR-Acid red 87 system's response. Additionally, the sensor that was developed met the standards set by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. The sensitivity thresholds of the approach were 13.8 and 42.0 ng/mL for the detection and quantification parameters, respectively, LOD and LOQ. This approach proficiently evaluated the pharmaceutical and biological samples of ETR. Finally, the proposed approach not only simplifies the analysis process but also limits the badimpact on the environment, making it a promising technique for analytical applications.
Pyrrolidines , Spectrometry, Fluorescence , Tryptamines , Tryptamines/analysis , Tryptamines/blood , Tryptamines/chemistry , Spectrometry, Fluorescence/methods , Humans , Pyrrolidines/chemistry , Green Chemistry Technology/methods , Migraine Disorders/drug therapy , Tablets , Limit of Detection , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Vein of Galen malformation (VGM) is a rare congenital, uncommon intracerebral vascular anomaly rarely complicated with the development of brain abscess as secondary to primary infection or after endovascular treatment. We report a very rare finding of a vein of Galen aneurysm associated with a large brain abscess at the time of diagnosis. A 12-year-old boy with a high-grade fever, severe headache, and recurrent episodes of convulsions came into the radiology department of Kassala Advanced Diagnostic Center. On a Siemens 16-slice scanner, brain non-contrast enhanced computed tomography (NECT) and contrast enhanced CT (CECT) was used to determine the source of the acute headache and convulsions which revealed a right frontal peripherally enhancing cystic lesion measuring 5.7 × 4.7 × 5.3 cm2 surrounded by massive vasogenic edema causing mass effect with midline shift to the left side by 1.5 cm suggestive of brain abscess. There is evidence of another avidly enhancing lesion seen within the third ventricle continuous with a straight sinus surrounded by extensive vascular loops consistent with an aneurysm of the vein of Galen, it was causing compression of the cerebral aqueduct with upstream mild hydrocephalus with dilated both lateral ventricles. Late presentation, diagnosis, and treatment also lead to an increase in the morbidities and mortalities of such case conditions. Urgent intervention should be considered for better outcomes.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer with a highly immunosuppressive microenvironment. This single-blind, randomized study aimed to evaluate the synergistic immunomodulatory effects of synbiotics (probiotics and inulin prebiotics), as well as their impact on postoperative complications and outcomes, compared to the use of probiotics alone. Ninety patients diagnosed with PDAC were enrolled and randomly assigned into three groups: the placebo group, the probiotics group (receiving a mixture of ten strains of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus bacteria at a dose of 25 billion CFUs), and the synbiotics group (the same probiotics along with inulin prebiotics). The interventions were administered for 14 days before the surgery and continued for one month postoperatively. Tumor tissue infiltration of CD8 + T cells and the expression of IFN γ were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Inflammatory cytokines concentrations, including Il 1 B, IL 6, and IL 10, were evaluated as well by ELISA at various time points pre- and postoperative. Furthermore, patients were followed up after the surgery to assess postoperative short-term outcomes. Our results showed a significant elevation of CD8 + T cell proportion and IFN γ expression in the synbiotics group compared to the probiotics group (p = 0.049, p = 0.013, respectively). Inflammatory cytokines showed a significant gradual decrease in the synbiotics group compared to placebo and probiotics-treated groups (p = 0.000 for both). Administration of synbiotics and probiotics significantly decreased the rate of postoperative complications including anastomotic leakage, diarrhea, and abdominal distension (p = 0.032, p = 0.044, p = 0.042, respectively), with a remarkable reduction in bacteremia in the synbiotics group. These results revealed that this synbiotics formulation potentially enhances the immune response and reduces complications associated with surgery.Clinical trial identification: NCT06199752 (27-12-2023).
Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal , Pancreatic Neoplasms , Synbiotics , Humans , Synbiotics/administration & dosage , Male , Female , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/immunology , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/surgery , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/therapy , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology , Middle Aged , Aged , Pancreatic Neoplasms/immunology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/surgery , Probiotics/therapeutic use , Probiotics/administration & dosage , Single-Blind Method , Cytokines/metabolism , Postoperative Complications/prevention & control , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
BACKGROUND: Life-threatening blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) typically occurs alongside multiple other traumatic injuries. Symptoms of BTAI can range from being asymptomatic in the case of intimal tears to becoming catastrophic in the case of uncontained aortic ruptures. The aim of this research was to examine the clinical outcomes for those who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in hospital settings. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted using patient data that were extracted from Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the duration between January 2011 and December 2021. This study included data from all patients aged 18 and up who had been diagnosed with BTAI and had undergone TEVAR. The BTAI diagnoses were confirmed using CT scans. Logistic regression was utilized to identify predictors of patients' health status improvement and length of stay. RESULTS: A total of 80 patients were involved. Around 50.0% (n=40) of the patients had grade 3 thoracic aortic injuries. The median duration of stay was 14.00 days (Interquartile range 21.00). Only one patient developed post-procedure complications (1.3%). Almost one-third (31.3%; n=25) of the patients required subclavian coverage. One patient developed intraoperative endoleak (1.3%). One patient developed an access site complication (1.3%). The mortality rate within 30 days of the operation was 1.3%. The vast majority of the patients (92.5%; n=74) showed improvement upon discharge from the hospital. The baseline patient characteristics and length of hospitalization had no effect on the improvement of patient status upon discharge or their length of stay (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with BTAI have shown an excellent success rate with TEVAR and a low complication rate. Predictors of procedure success and length of stay need to be identified; however, this can't be done without larger-scale investigations. This can aid in the development of preventative measures that improve clinical outcomes for the patients.
Cryptosporidiosis is a global health problem threats life of immunocompromised patients. Allium sativum (A. sativum) is one of the therapeutic options for cryptosporidiosis. This study develops green synthesized ZnO-NPs based on A. sativum extract, and assesses its therapeutic application in treating experimental cryptosporidiosis in immunosuppressed mice. FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, and zeta analyzer were used for characterization of bio ZnO-NPs. The morphology of prepared materials appeared as sponge with many pores on the whole surface that allows the feasibility of bio ZnO-NPs for different biological activities. Its structural analysis was highly stabilized with negative charge surface which indicated for well distribution into the parasite matrix. Twenty-five immunosuppressed Cryptosporidium parvum infected mice, classified into 5 groups were sacrificed at 21th day after infection with evaluation of parasitological, histopathological, oxidative, and proinflammatory biomarkers. Treated mice groups with 50 and 100 mg/kg of AS/ZnO-NPs showed a highly significant decline (79.9% and 83.23%, respectively) in the total number of expelled oocysts. Both doses revealed actual amelioration of the intestinal, hepatic, and pulmonary histopathological lesions. They also significantly produced an increase in GSH values and improved the changes in NO and MDA levels, and showed high anti-inflammatory properties. This study is the first to report green synthesis of ZnO/A. sativum nano-composite as an effective therapy in treating cryptosporidiosis which gave better results than using A. sativum alone. It provides an economical and environment-friendly approach towards novel delivery synthesis for antiparasitic applications. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Green synthesis of ZnO-NPs was developed using A. sativum extract. The morphology of prepared ZnO-NPs appeared as sponge with many pores on SEM The study evaluates its therapeutic efficacy against murine cryptosporidiosis The green synthesized ZnO-NPs significantly reduced percent of oocyst shedding, improved the pathological changes, and showed high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials.
Background: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolic agent used for treating slowly growing solid tumors like breast and ovarian carcinoma. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main biologically active constituent of Nigella sativa, it has been found to demonstrate anticancerous effects in several preclinical studies, and this is because TQ possesses multitarget nature. Stem cells-derived exosomes are in the spotlight of research and are promising tissue regenerative and anticancer cell-derived nanovesicles. Aim: Herein, we studied the antineoplastic effects of Exosomes derived from mammary stem cells (MaSCs-Exo) on breast cancer cells, alone or combined with TQ when compared to a breast cancer chemotherapeutic agent; 5-FU. Methods: Our approach included performing viability test and measuring the expression of pro-apoptotic gene (Bax), anti-apoptotic gene (BCL-2) and angiogenic gene (VEGF) on Human MCF-7 cells (breast adenocarcinoma cells), the MCF-7 cells were cultured and incubated with medium containing 5-FU (25 µg/ml), TQ (200 µg/ml), MaSCs-Exo (100 µg protein equivalent), a combination of TQ (200 µg/ml) and MaSCs-Exo (100 µg). Results: Our obtained results show that TQ and MaSCs-Exo each can effectively inhibit breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) proliferation and growth. Also, the results show that the combination of TQ and MaSCs-Exo had higher cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cells than TQ or 5-FU, alone. Conclusion: The present study shows a promising anticancer potential of exosomes isolated from mammary stem cells; this effect was potentiated by adding TQ with MaSCs-derived exosomes.
Antineoplastic Agents , Benzoquinones , Breast Neoplasms , Exosomes , Humans , Animals , Female , Breast Neoplasms/veterinary , Fluorouracil/pharmacology , Fluorouracil/therapeutic use , Apoptosis , Exosomes/metabolism , Exosomes/pathology , Cell Line, Tumor , Stem Cells/metabolism , Stem Cells/pathology
Avapritinib (AVA) is the first medication authorized by the US-FDA in 2020 for the management of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) that can't be treated by surgery. Cancer is among the most common causes of death worldwide and is the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular disease. Therefore, a quick, easy, sensitive, and straightforward fluorimetric approach was used to analyse AVA in pharmaceutical materials and blood plasma (pharmacokinetic). The suggested technique relies on 2% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS, pH 4) micellar system augmentation of the fluorescence of the tested drug. The technique demonstrated high relative fluorescence intensity (RFI) at 430 nm after excitation at 340 nm. Concentrations ranging from 20.0-400.0 ng mL-1 with a limit of quantitation of 9.47 ng mL-1 were used to obtain luminescence data for the studied medicine. In addition, the quantum yield of the AVA fluorescence was increased with the gradual addition of a surfactant at a concentration above its critical micellar level. This knowledge has been exploited to enhance the effectiveness of a spectrofluorometric technique for the estimation of AVA in human plasma (98.95 ± 1.22%) and uniformity tests with greenness assessments. The conditions for enhanced fluorescence were optimized and fully validated using US-FDA and International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) rules. This innovative strategy was expanded for AVA stability research in human plasma across various circumstances. This approach is an eco-friendly solution compared to traditional testing methods that use hazardous chemicals.
Background: Melanoma is one of the deadliest skin cancers that originate from melanocytes due to sun exposure, causing mutations. Early detection boosts the cure rate to 90%, but misclassification drops survival to 15-20%. Clinical variations challenge dermatologists in distinguishing benign nevi and melanomas. Current diagnostic methods, including visual analysis and dermoscopy, have limitations, emphasizing the need for Artificial Intelligence understanding in dermatology. Objectives: In this paper, we aim to explore dermoscopic structures for the classification of melanoma lesions. The training of AI models faces a challenge known as brittleness, where small changes in input images impact the classification. A study explored AI vulnerability in discerning melanoma from benign lesions using features of size, color, and shape. Tests with artificial and natural variations revealed a notable decline in accuracy, emphasizing the necessity for additional information, such as dermoscopic structures. Methodology: The study utilizes datasets with clinically marked dermoscopic images examined by expert clinicians. Transformers and CNN-based models are employed to classify these images based on dermoscopic structures. Classification results are validated using feature visualization. To assess model susceptibility to image variations, classifiers are evaluated on test sets with original, duplicated, and digitally modified images. Additionally, testing is done on ISIC 2016 images. The study focuses on three dermoscopic structures crucial for melanoma detection: Blue-white veil, dots/globules, and streaks. Results: In evaluating model performance, adding convolutions to Vision Transformers proves highly effective for achieving up to 98% accuracy. CNN architectures like VGG-16 and DenseNet-121 reach 50-60% accuracy, performing best with features other than dermoscopic structures. Vision Transformers without convolutions exhibit reduced accuracy on diverse test sets, revealing their brittleness. OpenAI Clip, a pre-trained model, consistently performs well across various test sets. To address brittleness, a mitigation method involving extensive data augmentation during training and 23 transformed duplicates during test time, sustains accuracy. Conclusions: This paper proposes a melanoma classification scheme utilizing three dermoscopic structures across Ph2 and Derm7pt datasets. The study addresses AI susceptibility to image variations. Despite a small dataset, future work suggests collecting more annotated datasets and automatic computation of dermoscopic structural features.
BACKGROUND: With increases in cannabis use and potency, there is a need to improve our understanding of the impact of use on cognitive function. Previous research indicates long-term cannabis use may have a negative effect on executive function. Few studies have examined persistence of it in protracted abstinence, and there is limited evidence of predictors of worse cognitive function in current and former users. In this study, we aim to evaluate the associations between cannabis use status (current, former, and never use) and self-report cognition. Further, we investigate if cannabis use characteristics predict self-report cognitive function. METHODS: Cross-sectional cannabis use data from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III), a national survey (N = 36,309) conducted in the USA between 2012 and 2013 were used alongside the Executive Function Index scales. The data were analyzed by using Ordinary Least Squares regression. RESULTS: Current (N = 3,681, Female = 37.7%) and former users (N = 7,448, Female = 45.4%) reported poorer cognition than never users (N = 24,956, Female = 56.6%). Self-reported cognition of former users was in-between that of current and never users. Several cannabis use characteristics were associated with self-reported cognition in current and former users. CONCLUSION: While prospective studies are required to confirm, findings suggest cannabis use is linked to worse cognition. There may be some limited recovery of cognition in former users and some cannabis use characteristics predict impairment. These findings add to our understanding of the cognitive impact of cannabis use. As worse cognitive function may impact relapse, findings have implications for personalization of cannabis use disorder treatment.
Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are seriously associated with respiratory diseases in humans and animals. The first human pathogenic SARS-CoV emerged in 2002-2003. The second was MERS-CoV, reported from Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in 2012, and the third one was SARS-CoV-2, identified from Wuhan City, China, in late December 2019. The HCoV-Spike (S) gene has the highest mutation/insertion/deletion rate and has been the most utilized target for vaccine/antiviral development. In this manuscript, we discuss the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and recombination patterns of selected HCoVs with emphasis on the S protein gene of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 to elucidate the possible emergence of new variants/strains of coronavirus in the near future. The findings showed that MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 have significant sequence identity with the selected HCoVs. The phylogenetic tree analysis formed a separate cluster for each HCoV. The recombination pattern analysis showed that the HCoV-NL63-Japan was a probable recombinant. The HCoV-NL63-USA was identified as a major parent while the HCoV-NL63-Netherland was identified as a minor parent. The recombination breakpoints start in the viral genome at the 142 nucleotide position and end at the 1082 nucleotide position with a 99% CI and Bonferroni-corrected p-value of 0.05. The findings of this study provide insightful information about HCoV-S gene diversity, recombination, and evolutionary patterns. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the possible emergence of new strains/variants of HCoV is imminent.
Alginate (ALG) and its oxidised form alginate-dialdehyde (ADA) are highly attractive materials for hydrogels used in 3D bioprinting as well as drop-on-demand (DoD) approaches. However, both polymers need to be modified using cell-adhesive peptide sequences, to obtain bioinks exhibiting promising cell-material interactions. Our study explores the modification of ALG- and ADA-based bioinks with the adhesive peptides YIGSR (derived from laminin), RRETEWA (derived from fibronectin) and IKVAV (derived from laminin) for 3D bioprinting. Two coupling methods, carbodiimide and Schiff base reactions, were employed to modify the polymers with peptides. Analytical techniques, including FTIR and NMR were used to assess the chemical composition, revealing challenges in confirming the presence of peptides. The modified bioinks exhibited decreased stability, viscosity, and stiffness, particularly-ADA-based bioinks in contrast to ALG. Sterile hydrogel capsules or droplets were produced using a manual manufacturing process and DoD printing. NIH/3T3 cell spreading analysis showed enhanced cell spreading in carbodiimide-modified ADA, Schiff base-modified ADA, and PEG-Mal-modified ADA. The carbodiimide coupling of peptides worked for ADA, however the same was not observed for ALG. Finally, a novel mixture of all used peptides was evaluated regarding synergistic effects on cell spreading which was found to be effective, showing higher aspect ratios compared to the single peptide coupled hydrogels in all cases. The study suggests potential applications of these modified bioinks in 3D bioprinting approaches and highlights the importance of peptide selection as well as their combination for improved cell-material interactions.
Bone fracture as a consequence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and associated osteoporosis (OP) is considered a risk factor for increasing the mortality rate among CRC patients. SNHG16/ miRNA-146a/ TRAF6 signaling pathway is a substantial contributor to neoplastic evolution, progression, and metastasis. Here, we investigated the effect of zoledronate (ZOL) on the growth of CRC and associated OP in a mouse model. Thirty Balb/c mice were divided into Naïve, azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), and ZOL groups. Body weight and small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) expression, microRNA-146a, and TRAF6 in bone, colon, and stool were investigated. Samples of colon and bone were collected and processed for light microscopic, immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin 20 (CK20), nuclear protein Ki67 (pKi-67), and caudal type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDx2) in colon and receptor activator of nuclear factor kB (RANK) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in bone. A computerized tomography (CT) scan of the femur and tibia was studied. ZOL produced a significant decrease in the expression of SNHG16 and TRAF6 and an increase in miRNA-146a in the colon and bone. ZOL administration improved the histopathological changes in the colon, produced a significant decrease in CK20 and Ki-67, and increased CDx2 expressions. In bone, ZOL prevented osteoporotic changes and tumour cell invasion produced a significant decrease in RANK and an increase in OPG expressions, alongside improved bone mineral density in CT scans. ZOL could be a promising preventive therapy against colitis-induced cancer and associated OP via modulation expression of SNHG16, miRNA-146a, and TRAF6.
Colorectal Neoplasms , Disease Models, Animal , Mice, Inbred BALB C , MicroRNAs , Osteoporosis , RNA, Long Noncoding , Signal Transduction , TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6 , Zoledronic Acid , Animals , TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6/metabolism , TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , MicroRNAs/genetics , Zoledronic Acid/therapeutic use , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Osteoporosis/metabolism , Osteoporosis/drug therapy , Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Mice , RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics , RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism , Azoxymethane/toxicity , Dextran Sulfate , Humans , Male , Colon/pathology , Colon/drug effects , Colon/metabolism , Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use , Bone Density Conservation Agents/pharmacology
