Retrospective study on the efficacy of monocyte distribution width (MDW) as a screening test for COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic genetic testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can detect viruses with high sensitivity; however, there are several challenges. In the prevention, testing, and treatment of COVID-19, more effective, safer, and convenient methods are desired. We evaluated the possibility of monocyte distribution width (MDW) as an infection biomarker in COVID-19 testing. METHODS: The efficacy of MDW as a screening test for COVID-19 was retrospectively assessed in 80 patients in the COVID-19 group and 232 patients in the non-COVID-19 group (141 patients with acute respiratory infection, 19 patients with nonrespiratory infection, one patient with a viral infection, 11 patients who had received treatment for COVID-19, one patient in contact with COVID-19 patients, and 59 patients with noninfectious disease). RESULTS: The median MDW in 80 patients in the COVID-19 group was 23.3 (17.2-33.6), and the median MDW in 232 patients in the non-COVID-19 group was 19.0 (13.6-30.2) (P < 0.001). When the COVID-19 group was identified using the MDW cut-off value of 21.3 from the non-COVID-19 group, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.844, and the sensitivity and specificity were 81.3% and 78.2%, respectively. Comparison of MDW by severity between the COVID-19 group and patients with acute respiratory infection in the non-COVID-19 group showed that MDW was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group for all mild, moderate I, and moderate II disease. CONCLUSIONS: MDW (cut-off value: 21.3) may be used as a screening test for COVID-19 in fever outpatients. Trial registration This study was conducted after being approved by the ethics committee of National Hospital Organization Omuta National Hospital (Approval No. 3-19). This study can be accessed via https://omuta.hosp.go.jp/files/000179721.pdf .

Effects of ivabradine and atenolol on heart rate and heart rate variability in healthy cats over a 24 h period: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Ivabradine is used to treat tachycardia; unlike atenolol, it does not affect blood pressure or myocardial contractility. This study compared the impact of ivabradine and atenolol on heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) during a 24 h period, feeding and sleeping times, via a Holter electrocardiogram in healthy cats. We hypothesised that ivabradine and atenolol would lower the HRs equally well, even at times of excitement and rest, such as during feeding and sleep; that ivabradine, unlike atenolol, would have an effect on HRV. METHODS: Five clinically healthy cats were used in the prospective blinded crossover study receiving 3 days of ivabradine (0.30 mg/kg per os twice daily) followed by atenolol (6.25 mg/cat per os twice daily, range 1.3-2.0 mg/kg) or receiving atenolol followed by ivabradine. A placebo period was initiated before the start of the crossover test, data obtained during that period were used as a baseline (BL). Evaluation parameters included HR and HRV, for the whole 24 h period and for feeding and sleeping times, comparing the effect of ivabradine and atenolol with BL. RESULTS: The HR for the whole 24 h, feeding and sleeping times, were significantly lower with ivabradine and atenolol, compared to BL (p < 0.05). The HRV for the whole 24 h and sleeping time were significantly higher after ivabradine compared with BL and after atenolol. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy cats, ivabradine and atenolol significantly reduced the HR regardless of excitement and rest; their effects were comparable. Ivabradine significantly increased HRV in comparison to BL whereas atenolol did not.

Hyperpolarized (129) Xe MRI using isobutene as a new quenching gas.

The use of a quenching gas, isobutene, with a low vapor pressure was investigated to enhance the utility of hyperpolarized (129) Xe (HP Xe) MRI. Xenon mixed with isobutene was hyperpolarized using a home-built apparatus for continuously producing HP Xe. The isobutene was then readily liquefied and separated almost totally by continuous condensation at about 173 K, because the vapor pressure of isobutene (0.247 kPa) is much lower than that of Xe (157 kPa). Finally, the neat Xe gas was continuously delivered to mice by spontaneous inhalation. The HP Xe MRI was enhanced twofold in polarization level and threefold in signal intensity when isobutene was adopted as the quenching gas instead of N2 . The usefulness of the HP Xe MRI was verified by application to pulmonary functional imaging of spontaneously breathing mice, where the parameters of fractional ventilation (ra ) and gas exchange (fD ) were evaluated, aiming at future extension to preclinical studies. This is the first application of isobutene as a quenching gas for HP Xe MRI.

Effects of clbR overexpression on enzyme production in Aspergillus aculeatus vary depending on the cellulosic biomass-degrading enzyme species.

ClbR is a Zn(II)2Cys6 transcriptional activator that controls the expression of cellulase-related genes in response to Avicel and cellobiose in Aspergillus aculeatus. A clbR-overexpressing strain (clbR-OE) that expresses the clbR gene at levels sevenfold higher than the control strain sustainably produced xylanolytic and cellulolytic activities during 10-day cultivation of A. aculeatus, enabling synchronization of xylanolytic and cellulolytic activities at a maximum level. However, clbR overexpression did not simultaneously increase levels of all xylanolytic and cellulolytic enzymes. Peptide mass fingerprint analysis revealed markedly increased production of FIa-xylanase in clbR-OE, whereas expression of FIII-avicelase and FII-carboxymethyl cellulase was unaffected and expression of hydrocellulase was lower in clbR-OE than in the control. Northern blot analysis confirmed that these effects of clbR overexpression on enzyme production were mediated at the transcriptional level. These data suggest that ClbR participates in diverse signaling pathways to control the expression of cellulosic biomass-degrading enzymes in A. aculeatus.

Bisquinoline-based fluorescent zinc sensors.

Several bisquinoline derivatives, N,N'-bis(2-quinolylmethyl)-N,N'-dialkylethylnediamines (alkyl=methyl, ethyl, isopropyl and t-butyl), have been synthesized and their fluorescent responses toward zinc ion were investigated. These compounds exhibit zinc ion-induced fluorescence and their intensities decrease as the alkyl groups become larger. The t-butyl derivative (BQDtBEN) exhibited negligible fluorescence even in the presence of zinc ion. The fluorescence intensity of the zinc complex of the bisquinoline derivative (BQDMEN) is higher than that of TQEN (N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-quinolylmethyl)ethylenediamine), indicating that the TQEN-Zn complex has an intramolecular quenching mechanism due to the energy transfer among four quinoline rings and the remaining photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism. Introduction of methoxy substituents into the quinoline ring shifted the excitation and emission wavelengths towards a lower-energy direction and increased the fluorescence intensity, which allows N,N'-bis(6-methoxy-2-quinolylmethyl)-N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine (6-MeOBQDMEN) to be used for cellular fluorescent microscopic analysis (lambdaex=331 nm, lambdaem=406 nm and phi=0.28 for 6-MeOBQDMEN-Zn complex).

Hepatic lesions caused by migrating larvae of Ascaris suum in chickens.

Group A consisted of chickens infected with a single dose of Ascaris suum and group B of chickens infected with two successive doses. At days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 after the first or second infection dose, six chickens from each group were sacrificed. In both groups, larvae were recovered from the livers on days 1, 3, and 7 and lungs on days 3 and 7. No larvae were detected in chickens on day 14. Clear white lesions were noticed only on the livers from chickens of group B at day 7 but had disappeared at day 14. A comparison with group B showed mild histological changes that developed relative to the livers from group A.

Quinoline-based tetradendate nitrogen ligands stabilize the bis(micro-oxo) dinuclear manganese(iii,iii) core.

Quinoline-based, tetradentate nitrogen ligands, N,N'-bis(2-quinolylmethyl)-N,N'-dialkyl-1,2-ethanediamine (alkyl = methyl, bqdmen; ethyl, bqdeen; isopropyl, bqdpen), have been investigated as the supporting ligands for the formation of bis(micro-oxo) dinuclear manganese complexes. Bis(micro-oxo)Mn(2)(iii,iii) complexes and were obtained for bqdmen and bqdeen, respectively, as evidenced by X-ray crystallography, whereas bqdpen did not afford any manganese complexes due to its steric bulk. Complexes and exhibit highly positive Mn(2)(iii,iii)/Mn(2)(iii,iv) and Mn(2)(iii,iv)/Mn(2)(iv,iv) redox couples relative to the corresponding pyridine-ligated (micro-O)(2)Mn(2)(iii,iii) complexes.

Methoxy-substituted TQEN family of fluorescent zinc sensors.

Two methoxy-substituted TQEN (N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-quinolylmethyl)ethylenediamine) derivatives, T(MQ)EN (N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(6-methoxy-2-quinolylmethyl)ethylenediamine) and T(TMQ)EN (N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(5,6,7-trimethoxy-2-quinolylmethyl)ethylenediamine), have been prepared, and their fluorescence properties with respect to Zn2+ coordination were investigated. Introduction of a methoxy substituent at 6-position of the quinoline ring enhances the fluorescence intensity by 10-fold, and the three methoxy substituents in the 5,6,7-positions afford significant enhancement of the long-wavelength component of the fluorescence of zinc complex. The substituents did not alter the binding affinity of these compounds toward zinc ion significantly. T(MQ)EN was proved to be effective in detection of zinc ion in cells by fluorescent microscopy.