Bioresilience to Mercury Chloride of the Brine Shrimp Artemia Salina after Treatment with Homeopathic Mercurius Corrosivus.

INTRODUCTION: Finding solutions to mitigate the impact of pollution on living systems is a matter of great interest. Homeopathic preparations of toxic substances have been described in the literature as attenuation factors for intoxication. Herein, an experimental study using Artemia salina and mercury chloride was developed as a model to identify aspects related to bioresilience. AIMS: The aim of the study was to describe the effects of homeopathic Mercurius corrosivus (MC) on Artemia salina cysts hatching and on mercury bioavailability. METHODS: Artemia salina cysts were exposed to 5.0 µg/mL of mercury chloride during the hatching phase. MC potencies (6cH, 30cH, and 200cH) were prepared in sterile purified water and poured into artificial sea water. Different controls were used (non-challenged cysts and challenged cysts treated with water, succussed water, and Ethilicum 1cH). Four series of nine experiments were performed to evaluate the percentage of cyst hatching. Soluble total mercury (THg) levels and precipitated mercury content were also evaluated. Solvatochromic dyes were used to check for eventual physicochemical markers of MC biological activity. RESULTS: Significant delay (p < 0.0001) in cyst hatching was observed only after treatment with MC 30cH, compared with controls. This result was associated with an increase of THg concentration in water (p = 0.0018) and of chlorine/oxygen ratio (p < 0.0001) in suspended micraggregates, suggesting changes in mercury bioavailability. A specific interaction of MC 30cH with the solvatochromic dye ET33 (p = 0.0017) was found. CONCLUSION: Changes in hatching rate and possible changes in Hg bioavailability are postulated as protective effects of MC 30cH on Artemia salina, by improving its natural bioresilience processes.

Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats-cas9-based strategies towards HIV eradication: A literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Despite Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) being a major global health burden, no currently available therapy can eliminate it. One of the major challenges in developing treatment is the presence of latent HIV reservoirs. On the other hand, development of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats-Cas9 (CRISPR-Cas9) has made genome editing possible and thus can be used to address HIV latency and successfully treat HIV. This literature review aims to identify and appraise existing CRISPR-Cas9 strategies that address HIV treatment, particularly during latency. METHODS: The PubMed Database was used to retrieve relevant articles. This review included articles that mentioned the use of CRISPR-Cas9 as a treatment for HIV and are written in English and/or Indonesian language. RESULTS: The included studies (n = 17) showed that the CRISPR-Cas9 system can be utilized to disrupt the HIV-1 genome to inhibit viral reproduction and virulence. This system can be further optimized by combining several CRISPR-Cas9 systems. However, the use of CRISPR-Cas9 may cause HIV resistance, particularly to its guide RNA. This technique has also never been applied in vivo, thus more research is needed before wider implementation. A limitation of this review is the lack of data regarding CRISPR-Cas9 systems quality in some studies, thus limiting appraisal. CONCLUSIONS: While the use of CRISPR-Cas9 to cure HIV seems promising, further studies regarding CRISPR-Cas9 quality, potential for development of gRNA-resistant HIV-1 strains and in vivo demonstration of the techniques are needed to progress this concept toward HIV eradication.

Assessing the personal impact of epilepsy in a population-based cohort of Veterans.

PURPOSE: Epilepsy impacts patient lives in multidimensional ways. Although previous work has investigated epilepsy impact on health status, little is known about the overall quantified impact of epilepsy in Veterans. Our goal was to describe the impact of epilepsy on Veterans' lives using the Personal Impact of Epilepsy Scale (PIES) and determine the patient and clinical characteristics most strongly correlated with epilepsy impact. We described cohort characteristics and developed regression models to determine which characteristics were most strongly associated with PIES subscale (seizure, medication, comorbidity) scores and quality of life (QOL). RESULTS: Approximately 36% of those who were invited responded to the survey. Of the 438 respondents included in the analyses, roughly 50% were aged 45-64 years (35% >65; 14% 18-44); 19% were women. Almost 90% had previously received care by an epilepsy specialist, 37% of which was in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and 38% in both VHA and community. The PIES scores were moderately low (mean: 88.68, [standard deviation (SD) = 63.24]; 300 total). The PIES overall and subscale scores were significantly lower for older Veterans with epilepsy (VWE) (>65) compared with younger (18-44 years) and middle-aged (45-64 years) VWE [p < 0.001], indicating that older Veterans had a lower epilepsy impact overall, and for seizures, medication, and comorbidity. The younger and middle-aged VWE had a significantly higher proportion with psychiatric diagnosis compared with older VWE [p < 0.001]. There was a trend for significance for the overall PIES scores by gender, with women having total higher (worse) scores (mean = 93.10, SD = 69.68) than men (mean = 74.39, SD = 59.97), which was driven by a statistically higher score on the seizure subscale for women (mean = 27.66, SD = 27.97) compared with men (mean = 19.29, SD 25.35; p = 0.04). Regression models revealed that frequent seizures (>1/month, >2/month) and diagnoses of dementia significantly predicted higher (more negative) Seizure Severity PIES score [all p < 0.05]. Frequent seizures (>1/month), number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and diagnosis of dementia predicted negative impact, and older age predicted positive impact for medication subscale. Frequent seizures (>1/month) and diagnoses of depression and dementia predicted negative mood and social impact [all p < 0.05]. Seizure frequency (>2/month) was the only variable that significantly predicted lack of excellent QOL [p < 0.05]. Effects for gender were not significant after controlling for other variables. CONCLUSIONS: Findings were similar to a prior study of generic health outcomes in younger and older VWE using the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Seizure frequency was consistently associated with negative impact of epilepsy in all age groups. While dementia and other diagnosed health conditions also contributed to epilepsy impact, older VWE had significantly lower PIES scores even after controlling for physical conditions and dementia. Lower (better) scores for comorbidity and medication scales in older VWE may be due to fewer diagnosed psychiatric comorbidities and psychiatric medication that have similar cognitive impact as AEDs, and which may also interact with AEDs. Implementation of patient self-management programs to improve seizure control may reduce epilepsy impact for Veterans and reduce Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare utilization. The PIES may also be useful to measure outcomes of self-management interventions.

A Majority of FXTAS Cases Present with Intranuclear Inclusions Within Purkinje Cells.

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects carriers of a FMR1 premutation. Symptoms include cerebellar ataxia, tremor, and cognitive deficits. The most characteristic pathology of FXTAS is the presence of eosinophilic ubiquitin-positive intranuclear inclusions in neurons and astrocytes throughout the nervous system and non-nervous tissues. Inclusions are present in neurons throughout the brain but are widely believed not to be present in the Purkinje cells (PCs) of the cerebellum. However, we analyzed 26 postmortem cases of FXTAS and demonstrated that 65 % of cases presented with inclusions within PCs of the cerebellum. We determined that the presence or absence of inclusions in PCs is correlated with age and that those cases with PC inclusions were overall 11 years older than those with no PC inclusions. Half of the cases with PCs with inclusions presented with twin nuclear inclusions. This novel finding demonstrating the presence of inclusions within PCs provides an insight into the understanding of the FXTAS motor symptoms and provides a novel target for the development of therapeutic strategies.

Serotonergic signalling suppresses ataxin 3 aggregation and neurotoxicity in animal models of Machado-Joseph disease.

Polyglutamine diseases are a class of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders for which there is no effective treatment. Here we provide evidence that activation of serotonergic signalling is beneficial in animal models of Machado-Joseph disease. We identified citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in a small molecule screen of FDA-approved drugs that rescued neuronal dysfunction and reduced aggregation using a Caenorhabditis elegans model of mutant ataxin 3-induced neurotoxicity. MOD-5, the C. elegans orthologue of the serotonin transporter and cellular target of citalopram, and the serotonin receptors SER-1 and SER-4 were strong genetic modifiers of ataxin 3 neurotoxicity and necessary for therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, chronic treatment of CMVMJD135 mice with citalopram significantly reduced ataxin 3 neuronal inclusions and astrogliosis, rescued diminished body weight and strikingly ameliorated motor symptoms. These results suggest that small molecule modulation of serotonergic signalling represents a promising therapeutic target for Machado-Joseph disease.

Infectious disease research in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region: a scientometric analysis.

Objectives: This study compared the research output of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to understand research trends and clarify past, present, and future patterns using scientometric techniques. Methods: This scientometric study systematically mined health and social science publications from the Web of Science and Scopus databases using keywords associated with infectious disease. The analysis included only English-language articles and review articles by authors from any ASEAN country. Publication, citation, and text co-occurrence network analyses were performed. R Studio and VOSviewer enabled data management, analysis, and visualization. Results: Searches identified 12,511 articles published between 1925 and 2022, with a notable increase in research publications since 2003. The leading journals on infectious disease were associated with established publishing houses, including BMC, BMJ, and The Lancet. The most-cited articles were primarily global burden of disease studies, with 7,367 citations. Among ASEAN countries, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore had the most publications and collaborative efforts on the topic. Analysis of keyword co-occurrence revealed clusters related to global health, dengue, bacterial studies, non-dengue viral topics, and diagnostics. Most early studies examined diagnostics, gene and sequencing methodologies, and virology; later, the focus shifted toward herbal and alternative medicine. Conclusion: Recently, the research capacity of Southeast Asia has expanded dramatically, with substantial contributions from high-income countries (HICs). Intense cooperation between member states is essential, emphasizing the role of HICs in supporting their neighbors. Increased research efforts and collaboration must be dedicated to innovative approaches to combat persistent health conditions, along with emerging issues like climate change.

Comparison of Ten Surrogate Insulin Resistance and Obesity Markers to Identify Metabolic Syndrome in Mexican Adults.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of clinical traits directly linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases, whose prevalence has been rising nationally and internationally. We aimed to evaluate ten known and novel surrogate markers of insulin resistance and obesity to identify MetS in Mexican adults. The present cross-sectional study analyzed 10575 participants from ENSANUT-2018. The diagnosis of MetS was based on the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria, stratified by sex and age group. According to ATP III, the best biomarker was the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) in men aged 20-39 and 40-59 years and lipid accumulation product (LAP) in those aged ≥60 years. The best biomarker was LAP in women aged 20-39 and triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) in those aged 40-59 and ≥60 years. Using the IDF criteria, the best biomarker was LAP in men of all ages. TyG gave the best results in women of all ages. The best biomarker for diagnosis of MetS in Mexican adults depends on the criteria, including sex and age group. LAP and TyG are easy to obtain, inexpensive, and especially useful at the primary care level.

Anxiety and its risk factors among non-Japanese residents living in Japan undergoing COVID-19 situation: A cross-sectional survey.

INTRODUCTION: In the context of collective efforts taken in Japan to control the spread of COVID-19, the state of emergency and social distancing have caused a negative impact on the mental health of all residents, including foreign communities in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the level of anxiety and its associated factors among non-Japanese residents residing in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A web-based survey in 13 languages was conducted among non-Japanese residents living in Japan during the COVID-19 situation. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory assessed the level of anxiety-State (STAI-S) scores prorated from its six-item version. The multivariable logistic regression using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) method was performed to identify the associated factors of anxiety among participants. RESULTS: From January to March 2021, we collected 392 responses. A total of 357 valid responses were analyzed. 54.6% of participants suffered from clinically significant anxiety (CSA). In multivariable logistic model analysis, the CSA status or the high level of anxiety was associated with three factors, including having troubles/difficulties in learning or working, decreased sleep duration, and decreased overall physical health (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests several possible risk factors of anxiety among non-Japanese residents living in Japan undergoing the COVID-19 pandemic, including the troubles or difficulties in learning or working, the decrease in sleep duration, and the decrease in overall physical health.

Langya virus outbreak: current challenges and lesson learned from previous henipavirus outbreaks in China, Australia, and Southeast Asia.

Background and aims: A new novel virus, Langya virus (LayV), was detected in China in August 2022, 3 years after the COVID-19 pandemic. LayV is similar to the previously discovered Mojiang henipavirus. Other zoonotic henipaviruses include the Hendra and Nipah viruses. The emergence of the zoonotic Langya virus is attributed to climate change and wildlife encroachment, as LayV is detected in shrews. Those who are infected in China showed various symptoms, but no deaths have been recorded yet. This review aims to shed light on the current state of Langya virus outbreak, its infection control efforts, and the remaining challenges that need to be addressed to curb the outbreak. Methods: We utilized online publication databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus in writing this review article. Results: A surveillance study on thirty-five febrile patients in Eastern China identified the Langya virus outbreak. The current efforts from the Chinese government and health authorities to reduce the transmission and spread of Langya virus such as isolation and characterization of LayV, challenges associated with the increase in cases of LayV, and trackable recommendations such as strengthening the healthcare system in China, sensitization of people about risks associated with Langya virus outbreaks, creating an intensive surveillance system network, etc. were discussed. Conclusion: It is germane and pertinent that the Chinese government and health authorities continue to intensify efforts against Langya virus and address the challenges to effectively reduce transmission.

Adaptation of health systems to climate change-related infectious disease outbreaks in the ASEAN: Protocol for a scoping review of national and regional policies.

BACKGROUND: The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states (AMS) are among the countries most at risk to the impacts of climate change on health and outbreaks being a major hotspot of emerging infectious diseases. OBJECTIVE: To map the current policies and programs on the climate change adaptation in the ASEAN health systems, with particular focus on policies related to infectious diseases control. METHODS: This is a scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Literature search will be conducted on the ASEAN Secretariat website, government websites, Google, and six research databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Embase, World Health Organization (WHO) Institutional Repository Information Sharing (IRIS), and Google Scholar). The article screening will be based on specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Policy analysis will be conducted in accordance with the WHO operational framework on climate-resilient health systems. Findings will be analyzed in the form of narrative report. The reporting of this scoping review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this study as this is a scoping review protocol. Findings from this study will be disseminated through electronic channels.

Clinical Trial Participation and COVID-19: a Descriptive Analysis from the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Registry.

As COVID-19 cases begin to decrease in the USA, learning from the pandemic experience will provide insights regarding disparities of care delivery. We sought to determine if specific populations hospitalized with COVID-19 are equally likely to be enrolled in clinical trials. We examined patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at centers participating in the American Heart Association's COVID-19 CVD Registry. The primary outcome was odds of enrollment in a clinical trial, according to sex, race, and ethnicity. Among 14,397 adults hospitalized with COVID-19, 9.5% (n = 1,377) were enrolled in a clinical trial. The proportion of enrolled patients was the lowest for Black patients (8%); in multivariable analysis, female and Black patients were less likely to be enrolled in a clinical trial related to COVID-19 compared to men and other racial groups, respectively. Determination of specific reasons for the disparities in trial participation related to COVID-19 in these populations should be further investigated.

Can Thailand achieve COVID-19 herd immunity?

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a great impact on the social, economic, and health systems of Thailand. A variety of measures to curb the spread of the disease were implemented since the beginning of the pandemic, including a strict national lockdown protocol. The Thai government aimed to achieve herd immunity through an efficient vaccination programme. Initially, vaccine supply shortage and a lack of vaccine options plagued the health system, but this has since been improved. Continuous monitoring of the situation through research is being carried out to assess the level of immunity among the population whereby the current general recommendation is presently a fourth booster dose for adults. Hurdles towards achieving herd immunity remain. One such issue is the low level of vaccine literacy among those that are unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated. Another obstacle is the sizeable rate of hesitancy towards getting booster doses. Achieving herd immunity in the Thai population would require multilateral cooperation, improved health promotion to target population groups, such as older adults, and a developed distribution system for those with limited access, such as those in the rural areas.

In situ structural characterization of a recombinant protein in native Escherichia coli membranes with solid-state magic-angle-spinning NMR.

The feasibility of using solid-state magic-angle-spinning NMR spectroscopy for in situ structural characterization of the LR11 (sorLA) transmembrane domain (TM) in native Escherichia coli membranes is presented. LR11 interacts with the human amyloid precursor protein (APP), a central player in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. The background signals from E. coli lipids and membrane proteins had only minor effects on the LR11 TM resonances. Approximately 50% of the LR11 TM residues were assigned by using (13)C PARIS data. These assignments allowed comparisons of the secondary structure of the LR11 TM in native membrane environments and commonly used membrane mimics (e.g., micelles). In situ spectroscopy bypasses several obstacles in the preparation of membrane proteins for structural analysis and offers the opportunity to investigate how membrane heterogeneity, bilayer asymmetry, chemical gradients, and macromolecular crowding affect the protein structure.

[Evaluation of pain intensity and vital signs in the cardiac surgery postoperative period]. / Avaliação da intensidade de dor e sinais vitais no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca.

The objective of this study is to analyze the changes in vital signs of postoperative cardiac surgery patients, according to the referred pain intensity. This descriptive-exploratory study was performed using quantitative analysis to investigate 38 patients submitted to a first dressing change. The analysis of the data, measured before and after performing the nursing procedure, indicated that the manifestation of pain occurred at different levels. The main changes in vital signs referred to blood pressure. In conclusion, there is a relationship between pain intensity and vital signs, and the care that is delivered is indispensible to reestablishing the health state of the postoperative patient.

Accelerating Indonesian COVID-19 vaccination rollout: a critical task amid the second wave.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has been spreading in every part of the world, putting nations at risk with its pandemic status, including Indonesia. COVID-19 vaccine has been deemed as one of the most effective interventions to date for mitigating the spread and mortality from COVID-19. Responding to the situation, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has allocated the means necessary to procure and distribute COVID-19 vaccines; placing into consideration the unique context of the country, recently categorized as a middle-income country and archipelagic with a population over 270 million. This article aims to present the challenges associated with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination as well as recommendations to mitigate them, to ensure a timely and effective COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia.

Strengthening Virology Research in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: Preparing for Future Pandemics.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is known to be a global hotspot to viral outbreaks because of many factors. To limit the impact of future outbreaks, it is crucial for the ASEAN governments to strengthen regional virology research capacity. The ASEAN governments have collaborated in several virology initiatives, with the most recent being the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Center for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases. However, several challenges, including technology disparities, nationalistic tendencies, and the lack of public acceptance toward virus sharing, need to be addressed to maximize the region's collaboration potential in virology research. We recommend the governments to 1) prioritize the strengthening of research capacities; 2) develop stronger cooperation and possible centralization of efforts on top of national capacities; 3) develop an equitable and secure research framework; and 4) improve the public awareness regarding the importance of regional public health responses.

Dengue and COVID-19 infections in the ASEAN region: a concurrent outbreak of viral diseases.

Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have faced dengue outbreaks for decades, and the region has one of the highest rates of dengue globally. Outbreaks continue to occur concurrently with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the 10 ASEAN countries. Both infectious diseases pose a tremendous burden in these countries related to both infection control and the economy. Increases in the number of dengue cases occurred in part due to disruptions in the pathogen-host-vector relationship caused by changes in human behaviour in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of dengue was further aggravated by the implementation of lockdowns and social distancing policies. These measures limited the coverage of dengue preventive programs and delayed the medical management of both diseases due to co-infection and misdiagnosis. It is of the utmost importance for the population to remain aware of both diseases, and dengue vector control strategies must be devised to properly address outbreaks using digitalization and remote surveillance. Similarly, critical triage algorithms and further research are also needed to combat co-infection and misdiagnosis. Controlling the spread of COVID-19 though vaccination should also be undertaken to reduce the impact of the pandemic.

Yemen's triple emergency: Food crisis amid a civil war and COVID-19 pandemic.

Yemen has been termed as the world's worst humanitarian crisis by the United Nations. About 20.1 million (more than 50% of population) Yemenis are facing hunger and 10 million are severely food insecure according to reports by the World Food Programme. With the spread of COVID-19, the situation in Yemen has worsened and humanitarian aid from other countries has become the basis of life for hundreds of thousands of Yemenis after the threat of famine. Yemen is practically one of the poorest countries in the world. It has structural vulnerabilities that have developed over a protracted period of conflict and poor governance and more than 50% live in starving, they suffer for getting one meal a day. To prevent a total collapse of Yemen's food crises, the government and the international community should act now more decisively.

Immobilized kidney 28-kDa endostatin-related (KES28kDa) fragment promotes endothelial cell survival.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Renal ischemia-hypoxia is a leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Ischemia causes extracellular matrix breakdown of the tubular basement membrane. Endostatin (ES) is the C-terminal fragment of collagen XVIII generated by proteolytic cleavage. Recent studies have demonstrated that ES expression is upregulated in ischemic kidneys. The present study aimed to characterize ES from ischemic kidneys. METHODS: Ischemic renal failure was induced via 45 min of occlusion of the left renal artery and vein. After the ischemic period, blood was collected. Kidneys were harvested and used for immunohistochemical testing and protein extraction. Three-step purification was used. Soluble and immobilized purified ES were tested in cell viability and adhesion assays. results: The soluble KES28kDa inhibited endothelial cell proliferation: 25 versus 12.5 microg (p < 0.05); 12.5 versus 3.15 microg (p < 0.05). Immobilization of KES28kDa supports endothelial cell survival over the control (p = 0.021). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells plated on immobilized KES28kDa showed an increase in membrane ruffles and stress fibers. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate the local synthesis of a 28-kDa ES-related fragment following AKI and suggest its role in endothelium survival.

Study of blood porphyrin spectral profile for diagnosis of chronic renal failure.

The progression to end-stage renal failure is independent of the initial pathogenic mechanism. Metabolic acidosis is a common consequence of chronic renal failure that results from inadequate ammonium excretion and decreased tubular bicarbonate reabsorption. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is the immediate metabolic precursor of the heme molecule. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of erythrocytes protoporphyrin IX at an animal model during progressive renal disease. A total of 36 eight-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into six groups: Normal, 4 and 8 weeks after 5/6 nephrectomy (NX). Renal function was evaluated by creatinine clearance and plasma creatinine levels. The autofluorescence of erythrocytes porphyrin of healthy and NX rats was analyzed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Emission spectra were obtained by exciting the samples at 405 nm. Significant differences between normal and NX rats autofluorescence shape occurred in the 600-700 nm spectral region. A correlation was observed between emission band intensity at 635 nm and progression of renal disease.