Quantum Molecular Resonance Inhibits NLRP3 Inflammasome/Nitrosative Stress and Promotes M1 to M2 Macrophage Polarization: Potential Therapeutic Effect in Osteoarthritis Model In Vitro.

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Quantum Molecular Resonance (QMR) technology in an in vitro model of osteoarthritis-related inflammation. The study used THP-1-derived macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and hyaluronic acid fragments to induce the expression of inflammatory cytokines and nitrosative stress. QMR treatment inhibited COX-2 and iNOS protein expression and activity and reduced NF-κB activity. Furthermore, QMR treatment led to a significant reduction in peroxynitrite levels, reactive nitrogen species that can form during inflammatory conditions, and restored tyrosine nitration values to those similar to sham-exposed control cells. We also investigated the effect of QMR treatment on inflammasome activation and macrophage polarization in THP-1-derived macrophages. Results showed that QMR treatment significantly decreased NLRP3 and activated caspase-1 protein expression levels and downregulated IL-18 and IL-1ß protein expression and secretion. Finally, our findings indicate that QMR treatment induces a switch in macrophage polarization from the M1 phenotype to the M2 phenotype.

Australian soil microbiome: A first sightseeing regional prediction driven by cycles of soil temperature and pedogenic variations.

Declines in soil multifunctionality (e.gsoil capacity to provide food and energy) are closely related to changes in the soil microbiome (e.g., diversity) Determining ecological drivers promoting such microbiome changes is critical knowledge for protecting soil functions. However, soil-microbe interactions are highly variable within environmental gradients and may not be consistent across studies. Here we propose that analysis of community dissimilarity (ß-diversity) is a valuable tool for overviewing soil microbiome spatiotemporal changes. Indeed, ß-diversity studies at larger scales (modelling and mapping) simplify complex multivariate interactions and refine our understanding of ecological drivers by also giving the possibility of expanding the environmental scenarios. This study represents the first spatial investigation of ß-diversity in the soil microbiome of New South Wales (800,642 km2 ), Australia. We used metabarcoding soil data (16S rRNA and ITS genes) as exact sequence variants (ASVs) and UMAP (Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection) as the distance metric. ß-Diversity maps (1000-m resolution)-concordance correlations of 0.91-0.96 and 0.91-0.95 for bacteria and fungi, respectively-showed soil biome dissimilarities driven primarily by soil chemistry-pH and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC)-and cycles of soil temperature-land surface temperature (LST-phase and LST-amplitude). Regionally, the spatial patterns of microbes parallel the distribution of soil classes (e.g., Vertosols) beyond spatial distances and rainfall, for example. Soil classes can be valuable discriminants for monitoring approaches, for example pedogenons and pedophenons. Ultimately, cultivated soils exhibited lower richness due to declines in rare microbes which might compromise soil functions over time.

Soil Properties Drive Microbial Community Structure in a Large Scale Transect in South Eastern Australia.

Soil microbial communities directly affect soil functionality through their roles in the cycling of soil nutrients and carbon storage. Microbial communities vary substantially in space and time, between soil types and under different land management. The mechanisms that control the spatial distributions of soil microbes are largely unknown as we have not been able to adequately upscale a detailed analysis of the microbiome in a few grams of soil to that of a catchment, region or continent. Here we reveal that soil microbes along a 1000 km transect have unique spatial structures that are governed mainly by soil properties. The soil microbial community assessed using Phospholipid Fatty Acids showed a strong gradient along the latitude gradient across New South Wales, Australia. We found that soil properties contributed the most to the microbial distribution, while other environmental factors (e.g., temperature, elevation) showed lesser impact. Agricultural activities reduced the variation of the microbial communities, however, its influence was local and much less than the overall influence of soil properties. The ability to predict the soil and environmental factors that control microbial distribution will allow us to predict how future soil and environmental change will affect the spatial distribution of microbes.

Validación de un manual sobre buenas prácticas de enfermería en cuidados intensivos / Validation of a manual on good nursing practices in intensive care

Introducción: los profesionales de enfermería deben poseer una formación que garantice asumir con calidad los retos que imponen la complejidad del paciente crítico. Objetivo: validar un libro de buenas prácticas de enfermería en cuidados intensivos para la seguridad del paciente. Método: triangulación metodológica mediante criterio de 20 expertos por el método Delphi y pre-experimento con prueba de entrada y salida en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos del Hospital General Docente Octavio de la Concepción y de la Pedraja de Baracoa, Guantánamo, desde 2016- 2017. Resultados: el consenso general de los expertos fue de muy de acuerdo para los fundamentos que sustentan la seguridad del paciente en las buenas prácticas de enfermería en las UCI y la calidad del libro propuesto. Las calificaciones de los procederes de enfermería de la prueba de salida, correspondiente al pre-experimento, fueron significativamente superiores a las de entrada. Conclusiones: se acepta como válido y factible el libro de buenas prácticas de enfermería en la UCI para la seguridad del paciente(AU)

Introduction: Nursing professionals must have a training that guarantees quality assurance of the challenges imposed by the complexity of the critical patient. Objective: to validate a book of good nursing practices in intensive care for patient safety. Method: methodological triangulation by criteria of 20 experts by the Delphi method and pre-experiment with entrance and exit test in the Intensive Care Unit of the General Teaching Hospital "Octavio de la Concepcion y de la Pedraja" of Baracoa, Guantanamo, since 2016 to 2017. Results: the general consensus of the experts was "very much in agreement" for the foundations that support patient safety in good nursing practices in the ICU and the quality of the proposed book. The qualifications of the nursing procedures of the exit test, corresponding to the pre-experiment, were significantly higher than the entrance tests. Conclusions: the book of good nursing practices in the ICU for patient safety is accepted as valid and feasible(AU)

Introdução: os profissionais de enfermagem devem ter um treinamento que garanta com qualidade os desafios impostos pela complexidade do paciente crítico. Objetivo: validar um livro de boas práticas de enfermagem em terapia intensiva para a segurança do paciente. Método: triangulação metodológica usando critérios 20 especialistas por método Delphi e pré-experimento com entrada de teste e saída na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva do Hospital Geral de Ensino "Octavio de la Concepcion e Pedraja" Baracoa Guantánamo a partir de 2016 - 2017. Resultados: o consenso geral dos especialistas foi concordo totalmente para os fundamentos que suportam a segurança do paciente na melhor prática de enfermagem em UTI e qualidade do livro proposto. As qualificações dos procedimentos de enfermagem do teste de saída, correspondentes ao pré-experimento, foram significativamente superiores aos testes de entrada. Conclusões: o livro de boas práticas de enfermagem na UTI para segurança do paciente é aceito como válido e factível(AU)

Factores psicosociales relacionados con la calidad de vida en salud en pacientes hemodializados / Psychosocial factors linked to health related quality of life in hemodialysis patients

Objetivo: analizar la relación existente entre las variables edad, tiempo en tratamiento, sexo, apoyo familiar percibido, salud mental, estado de salud percibido y la calidad de vida (CV) Método: Se evaluaron 128 pacientes del Hospital Clínico Regional y de un Centro de diálisis privado, ambos de la ciudad de Antofagasta. Se utilizó el cuestionario específico para CV en enfermedad renal KDQOL-36 Õ y los instrumentos Apgar Familiar y GHQ-28. Se analiza la relación existente entre cada dimensión de la CV evaluada y los factores mencionados. Resultados: No se encuentra relación entre la CV el tiempo viviendo con la enfermedad, como tampoco con la edad o el sexo. Las diversas dimensiones en salud mental son de las evaluadas las que presentan un mayor grado de correlación con las dimensiones de calidad de vida. Conclusiones: La salud mental es un elemento modulador de la CV, en tanto otros como el sexo, el tiempo de diálisis o la edad de los participantes no constituyeron elementos relevantes en esta evaluación.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between the variables age, time in treatment, gender, perceived family support, mental health, perceived health status and quality of life (QoL). Method: We studied 128 patients in Public Hospital and a private dialysis center, both in the city of Antofagasta. We used the questionnaire for kidney disease 36 Õ KDQOL-36 Õ, the Apgar Family and GHQ-28. We evaluated the relationship between each dimension of the QoL and the factors mentioned. Outcomes: No relationship was found between the QoL and time living with the disease, gender and age. The several dimensions of mental health is assessed to have a greater correlation with the dimensions of quality of life. Conclusions: Mental health is a modulator of the QoL, while others such as gender, length of dialysis and the age of the participants were not factors relevant to this assessment.

Membrane mucin Muc4 induces density-dependent changes in ERK activation in mammary epithelial and tumor cells: role in reversal of contact inhibition.

The membrane mucin Muc4 has been shown to alter cellular behavior through both anti-adhesive effects on cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions and its ability to act as an intramembrane ligand for the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB2. The ERK pathway is regulated by both cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion. An analysis of the effects of Muc4 expression on ERK phosphorylation in mammary tumor and epithelial cells, which exhibit both adhesion-dependent growth and contact inhibition of growth, showed that the effects are density dependent, with opposing effects on proliferating cells and contact-inhibited cells. In these cells, cell-matrix interactions through integrins are required for activation of the ERK mitogenesis pathway. However, cell-cell interactions via cadherins inhibit the ERK pathway. Expression of Muc4 reverses both of these effects. In contact-inhibited cells, Muc4 appears to activate the ERK pathway at the level of Raf-1; this activation does not depend on Ras activation. The increase in ERK activity correlates with an increase in cyclin D(1) expression in these cells. This abrogation of contact inhibition is dependent on the number of mucin repeats in the mucin subunit of Muc4, indicative of an anti-adhesive effect. The mechanism by which Muc4 disrupts contact inhibition involves a Muc4-induced relocalization of E-cadherin from adherens junctions at the lateral membrane of the cells to the apical membrane. Muc4-induced abrogation of contact inhibition may be an important mechanism by which tumors progress from an early, more benign state to invasiveness.

Muc4-ErbB2 complex formation and signaling in polarized CACO-2 epithelial cells indicate that Muc4 acts as an unorthodox ligand for ErbB2.

Muc4 serves as an intramembrane ligand for the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB2. The time to complex formation and the stoichiometry of the complex were determined to be <15 min and 1:1 by analyses of Muc4 and ErbB2 coexpressed in insect cells and A375 tumor cells. In polarized CACO-2 cells, Muc4 expression causes relocalization of ErbB2, but not its heterodimerization partner ErbB3, to the apical cell surface, effectively segregating the two receptors. The apically located ErbB2 is phosphorylated on tyrosines 1139 and 1248. The phosphorylated ErbB2 in CACO-2 cells recruits the cytoplasmic adaptor protein Grb2, consistent with previous studies showing phosphotyrosine 1139 to be a Grb2 binding site. To address the issue of downstream signaling from apical ErbB2, we analyzed the three MAPK pathways of mammalian cells, Erk, p38, and JNK. Consistent with the more differentiated phenotype of the CACO-2 cells, p38 phosphorylation was robustly increased by Muc4 expression, with a consequent activation of Akt. In contrast, Erk and JNK phosphorylation was not changed. The ability of Muc4 to segregate ErbB2 and other ErbB receptors and to alter downstream signaling cascades in polarized epithelial cells suggests that it has a role in regulating ErbB2 in differentiated epithelia.