Psychosocial factors likely contribute to racial and ethnic inequalities in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, precise social, psychological, and physiological pathways linking race and ethnicity to the development of CVDs are not well understood. Systemic inflammation, commonly indexed by C-reactive protein (CRP), is a biomarker for CVD risk and progression. The objective of this study was to identify mediating pathways from race and ethnicity to CRP through social, psychological, and behavioral variables.

Constructed Wetlands (CWs) are a nature-based solution for the treatment of wastewater. The CWetlands - the Constructed Wetlands Knowledge Platform - intends to help understand how CWs can support achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The platform is based on more than 100 attributes of CWs including criteria for design criteria, operation, efficiency, climate and other geographical factors. This study aims at developing an attribute value extraction mechanism tool in R to extract meaningful information from peer-reviewed journal articles in a reliable and fast way. •The tool focuses on the extraction of eighteen different extractable attributes gathered in 4 classes, which describe the main characteristics of CW systems.•The process contains 4 sub-processes: 1-2) the papers are accessed and pre-processed, 3) the attributes are extracted by two data mining techniques: Keyword Match and Web Scrap, and 4) the values are exported to a database.•For the development and testing of the tool, 13 articles were used. The tool achieved a mean success rate of 79% in 30 min; less compared with the 480 min needed with a manual approach. In further versions, the tool is expected to obtain a higher success rate in all attributes.

Apart from osteogenesis, neovascularization of the defect area is an important determinant for successful bone healing. Accordingly, several studies have employed the combined delivery of VEGFA and BMP2 for bone regeneration. Nevertheless, the outcomes of these studies are highly variable. The aim of our study was to compare the effectiveness of adenoviral mediated delivery of BMP2 alone and in combination with VEGFA in rat bone marrow stromal cells (rBMSC) seeded on a poly(LLA-co-CL) scaffold in angiogenesis and osteogenesis using a critical-sized rat calvarial defect model. Both mono delivery of BMP2 and the combined delivery of a lower ratio of VEGFA and BMP2 (1:4) led to up-regulation of osteogenic genes (Alpl and Runx2) and increased calcium deposition in vitro, compared with the GFP control. Micro computed tomography (microCT) analysis of the rat calvarial defect at 8 weeks showed that the mono delivery of BMP2 (43.37 ± 3.55% defect closure) was the most effective in healing the bone defect, followed by the combined delivery of BMP2 and VEGFA (27.86 ± 2.89%) and other controls. Histological and molecular analyses supported the microCT findings. Analysis of the angiogenesis, however, showed that both mono delivery of BMP2 and combined delivery of BMP2 and VEGFA had similar angiogenic effect in the calvarial defects. Examination of the key genes related to host response against the adenoviral vectors showed that the current model system was not associated with adverse immune response. Overall, the results show that the mono delivery of BMP2 was superior to the combined delivery of BMP2 and VEGFA in healing the critical-sized rat calvarial bone defect. These findings underscore the importance of appropriate growth factor combination for the successful outcome in bone regeneration.

This article contains data of the sequence variation in the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region of the Malayan gaur (Bos gaurus hubbacki), locally known as the seladang, from two captive centers. Thirty fecal samples of Malayan gaur were collected from Jenderak Selatan Wildlife Conservation Center (Pahang) and the Sungkai Wildlife Reserve (Perak) for DNA extraction and amplification with polymerase chain reactions. DNA sequences were then analyzed using neighbor joining (NJ) and maximum parsimony (MP) methods. Based on the 652 base pairs obtained, we found seven variable characters with a value of 1%. The genetic distance between the two captive centers was 0.001. Haplotype analyses detected only four haplotypes between these two captive centers. Both NJ and MP trees demonstrate that all individuals in the Jenderak and Sungkai captive centers are in the same clade. Genetic variation of the Malayan gaur in these centers is considered low, possibly because individuals share the same common parent. This sequence variation data are of paramount importance for designing a proper breeding and management program of the Malayan gaur in the future.

Ensembles of principal neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) generate the initial engrams for fear memories, while projections from the BLA to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are essential for the encoding, transfer and storage of remote fear memories. We tested the effects of chronic pain on remote fear memories in mice. Male mice underwent classic fear conditioning by pairing a single tone (conditional stimulus, CS) with a single electric foot shock (unconditional stimulus, US). Sciatic nerve constriction was used to induce neuropathic pain at various time points before or after the fear conditioning. The mice with sciatic nerve cuffs implanted 48 h after the fear conditioning showed an increased freezing response to CS when compared to mice without cuffs or when compared to mice in which the nerve cuffing was performed 48 h before the fear conditioning. The enhancing effect of pain on consolidated fear memory was further tested and mice in which the nerve cuffing was performed 14 days after the fear conditioning also showed an increased fear response when tested 56 days later. We used immunostaining to detect morphological changes in the BLA that could suggest a mechanism for the observed increase in fear response. We found an increased number of calbindin/parvalbumin positive neurons in the BLA and increased perisomatic density of GAD65 on projection neurons that connect BLA to mPFC in mice with nerve cuffs. Despite the strong increase of c-Fos expression in BLA and mPFC that was induced by fear recall, neither the BLA to mPFC nor the mPFC to BLA projection neurons were activated in mice with nerve cuffs. Furthermore, non-injured mice had an increased fear response when BLA to mPFC projections were inhibited by a chemogenetic method. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that persistent pain has a significant impact on consolidated fear memories. Very likely the underlying mechanism for this phenomenon is increased inhibitory input onto the BLA to mPFC projection neurons, possibly from neurons with induced parvalbumin expression. Conceivably, the increased fear response to consolidated fear memory is a harbinger for the later development of anxiety and depression symptoms associated with chronic pain.

Phenol is classified as priority pollutant. Phenol and its derivatives are stable in water, environmental contamination, and health concerns that are used as raw material in many chemical industries. This study investigated the removal of phenol by electro-H2O2/UV system. The response surface methodology (RSM) using central composite design (CCD) was used to modeling and optimization of experimental parameters such as pH, contact time, initial concentration of phenol, concentration of hydrogen peroxide, and current density. The obtained results demonstrated that the efficiency of the electro-H2O2/UV system was maximum (>99%) under the optimal conditions for the phenol removal from aqueous solutions, 2 mM of hydrogen peroxide concentration, 50 mg/L of initial phenol concentration, pH of 5, 10 mA/cm2 of current density, reaction time of 25 min and 2.1 kW h/m3 of energy consumption. Therefore, the electro-H2O2/UV system is an efficient method for the removal of organic compounds from industrial wastewater.

The present study discusses the isolation of ursolic acid from the chloroform extract of Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb) Steud fruits and its cytotoxic effect has been assessed in-vitro was performed in different cells lines (A-549, MCF-7, HepG2) and in-vivo using N-diethylnitrosamine. The obtained results revealed that ursolic acid showed significant cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines in comparison to Doxorubicin as a reference drug. Moreover, we have assessed the inhibitory effects of Paulownia tomentosa fruit chloroform extract and the isolated ursolic acid on hepatocarcinogenesis was carried out for the first time using N-diethylnitrosamine, where the group treated with ursolic acid given orally after 8 weeks of cancer induction showed the most significant results in comparison to the chloroform extract. The effect of ursolic acid on intoxicated rats caused significant restoration of most of the normal hepatocytes architecture with regular dark nuclei and the group treated with Paulownia tomentosa fruits showed remarkable results with improvement in biochemical analysis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Despite evidence that screening reduces CRC incidence and mortality, only about 60% of age-eligible adults are up-to-date on CRC screening. This analysis aims to identify self-reported barriers to CRC screening among patients in a safety-net healthcare setting. Participants were recruited from safety-net primary care sites that were participating in a trial to increase CRC screening. At baseline, patients (n = 483) completed self-report surveys that assessed demographics, healthcare and CRC screening. Barriers to CRC screening were assessed through an open-ended question. Using a basic text analysis, data were coded and organized into key topics. Overall, 65.2% ever had CRC screening; 46.4% were up-to-date. Of those who described barriers (n = 198), 22.9% said they were not due for screening or their provider had not recommended it. Other common barriers included fear or worry about the procedure or outcome, financial challenges such as lack of insurance or cost of testing, and logistic challenges such as transportation and time. Fewer said that screening was of low importance or mentioned discomfort with the procedure or colonoscopy preparation. In this safety-net setting, CRC screening rates were lower than national rates. These qualitative results are similar to quantitative findings reported in the literature but the qualitative data add to our understanding of patient-reported concerns and challenges faced by safety-net patients. These results may be applied to developing targeting communication or intervention strategies to improve CRC screening rates within safety-net health centers.

High turnover rates among clinical trial investigators contribute to inefficiency, instability, and increased costs for the clinical research enterprise; however, factors contributing to investigator turnover have not been well characterized.

The choice of a primary treatment for ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (OAML) depends on the extent of tumor spread. However, radiotherapy is commonly used as a first-line therapy despite ophthalmic complications, because most OAMLs are in a limited stage of progression. However, the initial therapeutic modality, including chemotherapy and treatment of the advanced stage, has not been fully established for OAML. Therefore, we evaluated the optimal therapeutic options and survival outcome-related parameters for patients with primary OAML.

Compartmental diffusion MRI models that account for intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) of blood perfusion allow for estimation of the fractional volume of the microvascular compartment. Conventional IVIM models are known to be biased by not accounting for partial volume effects caused by free water and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or for tissue-dependent relaxation effects. In this work, a three-compartment model (tissue, free water and blood) that includes relaxation terms is introduced. To estimate the model parameters, in vivo human data were collected with multiple echo times (TE), inversion times (TI) and b-values, which allowed a direct relaxation estimate alongside estimation of perfusion, diffusion and fractional volume parameters. Compared to conventional two-compartment models (with and without relaxation compensation), the three-compartment model showed less effects of CSF contamination. The proposed model yielded significantly different volume fractions of blood and tissue compared to the non-relaxation-compensated model, as well as to the conventional two-compartment model, suggesting that previously reported parameter ranges, using models that do not account for relaxation, should be reconsidered.

As there is limited data on the sustainability of desensitization of multifood-oral immunotherapy (multifood-OIT), we conducted a multisite multifood-OIT study to compare the efficacy of successful desensitization with sustained dosing vs discontinued dosing after multifood-OIT.

Population-based studies to estimate viral load (VL) suppression and rate of acquired HIV drug resistance (ADR) are essential in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted the first nationally representative study estimating VL suppression and ADR in Cameroon.

Molecular docking analysis of twenty two phytoconstituents from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, against seven targets of obesity like pancreatic lipase, fat and obesity protein (FTO protein), cannabinoid receptor, hormones as ghrelin, leptin and protein as SCH1 and MCH1 is detailed in this data article. Chemical structures of phytoconstituents were downloaded from PubChem and protein structures were retrieved from RCSB protein databank. Docking was performed using FlexX software Lead IT version 2.3.2; Bio Solved IT. Visualization and analysis was done by Schrodinger maestro software. The docking score and interactions with important amino acids were analyzed and compared with marketed drug, orlistat. The findings suggest exploitation of best ligands experimentally to develop novel anti-obesity agent.

This study examined the level of acceptance of Health Information Technology (HIT) as tools for diabetes care and management, in six selected tertiary hospitals in southwestern zone of Nigeria. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study was conducted amongst selected healthcare stakeholders namely Nurses, Doctors, Laboratory Scientists, Pharmacists, ICT unit Professionals, Medical Record Officers, and Type-2 diabetes out-patients available in the designated hospitals. Adapting Technology Acceptance and Chronic Care Models, the level of HIT acceptance by the respondents in the study area was measured in terms of Perceived Ease-of-Use, Perceived Usefulness, and the Perceived Unintended Consequences relating to HIT, while also considering the roles of the government, community and healthcare organizations. One hundred and fifty (150) respondents were examined, each for both Staff and Patients, and the factor variables studied on a 5-point Likert rating scale of measurement from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). The results revealed strong perception of Staff and Patients about HIT implementation and acceptance and showed that in some cases, the perception of Staff and patients about HIT acceptance are the same, while different in some. The study concluded that for acceptability of HIT, hospitals have to embark on 'continuous' training for the HIT users, so that users would familiarize themselves with the system, and it will be fully incorporated into their workflow. Based on the findings, a conceptual Health Information Technology Acceptance Framework for Chronic diseases' management, especially for diabetes mellitus was developed.

Intratumoral injection of oncolytic viruses provides a direct means of tumor cell destruction for inoperable tumors. Unfortunately, oncolytic vectors based on human adenovirus (HAdV) typically do not spread efficiently throughout the tumor mass, reducing the efficacy of treatment. In this study, we explore the efficacy of a conditionally replicating HAdV vector expressing the p14 Fusion-Associated Small Transmembrane (FAST) protein (CRAdFAST) in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mouse models of cancer. The p14 FAST protein mediates cell-cell fusion, which may enhance spread of the virus-mediated, tumor cell-killing effect. In the murine 4T1 model of cancer, treatment with CRAdFAST resulted in enhanced cell death compared to vector lacking the p14 FAST gene, but it did not reduce the tumor growth rate in vivo. In the human A549 lung adenocarcinoma model of cancer, CRAdFAST showed significantly improved oncolytic efficacy in vitro and in vivo. In an A549 xenograft tumor model in vivo, CRAdFAST induced tumor cell fusion, which led to the formation of large acellular regions within the tumor and significantly reduced the tumor growth rate compared to control vector. Our results indicate that expression of p14 FAST from an oncolytic HAdV can improve vector efficacy for the treatment of cancer.

Responsible gambling (RG) tools, aiming at helping gamblers to avoid gambling-related harms, are common in online gambling platforms. Gambling industry, policy makers, and researchers have warned that RG tools can potentially disturb recreational gamblers, channeling them to less protective operators. No evidence exists to support these concerns, and they can hinder the development of effective RG tools. The current study aimed to investigate the recreational gamblers' experiences of RG tools.

We report in this study the identification of a natural product-like antagonist (1a) of Vps34 as a potent autophagy modulator via structure-based virtual screening. Aurone derivative 1a strongly inhibited Vps34 activity in cell-free and cell-based assays. Significantly, 1a prevents autophagy in human cells induced either by starvation or by an mTOR inhibitor. In silico modeling and kinetic data revealed that 1a could function as an ATP-competitive inhibitor of Vps34. Moreover, it suppressed autophagy in vivo and without inducing heart or liver damage in mice. 1a could be utilized as a new motif for more selective and efficacious antagonists of Vps34 for the potential treatment of autophagy-related human diseases.

22q11.2 heterozygous multigene deletions confer an increased risk of schizophrenia with marked impairment of cognition. We explored whether genes on 22q11.2 are associated with cognitive performance in patients with idiopathic schizophrenia. A total of 240 schizophrenia patients and 240 healthy controls underwent the Japanese-language version of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and were genotyped for 115 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tag SNPs) at the 22q11.2 region using the golden gate assay (Illumina®). Associations between z-scores of the BACS cognitive domains and SNPs and haplotypes were analyzed using linear regression in PLINK 1.07. An additional set of 149 patients with bipolar disorder were included for cognitive assessment and selected SNPs were genotyped using real-time PCR. Patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder showed qualitatively comparable profiles of cognitive impairment across BACS subdomains, as revealed by significant correlation between the two groups in the resulting cognitive effect sizes relative to controls. rs4819522 (TBX1) and rs2238769 (UFD1L) were significantly and nominally associated, respectively, with symbol coding in patients with schizophrenia. Haplotype analyses revealed that haplotypes containing the A allele at rs4819522 and G allele at rs2238769 showed significant negative associations with symbol coding in patients with schizophrenia. There was no effect of any haplotypes on cognition in patients with bipolar disorder. Our results have implications for the understanding of the role of haplotypes of UFD1L and TBX1 genes associated with symbol coding in patients with schizophrenia. Further replication studies in a cohort of newly diagnosed patients and other ethnicities are warranted.

This pilot randomized controlled trial sought to evaluate whether an online intervention for problem gambling could lead to improved gambling outcomes compared to a no intervention control. Participants were recruited through a crowdsourcing platform.