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Fundamental Research Sep 2023RNA molecules serve a wide range of functions that are closely linked to their structures. The basic structural units of RNA consist of single- and double-stranded... (Review)
Review
RNA molecules serve a wide range of functions that are closely linked to their structures. The basic structural units of RNA consist of single- and double-stranded regions. In order to carry out advanced functions such as catalysis and ligand binding, certain types of RNAs can adopt higher-order structures. The analysis of RNA structures has progressed alongside advancements in structural biology techniques, but it comes with its own set of challenges and corresponding solutions. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in RNA structure analysis techniques, including structural probing methods, X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, cryo-electron microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering. Often, a combination of multiple techniques is employed for the integrated analysis of RNA structures. We also survey important RNA structures that have been recently determined using various techniques.
PubMed: 38933295
DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2023.06.001 -
Fundamental Research May 2024Bioaerosols are a subset of important airborne particulates that present a substantial human health hazard due to their allergenicity and infectivity. Chemical reactions... (Review)
Review
Bioaerosols are a subset of important airborne particulates that present a substantial human health hazard due to their allergenicity and infectivity. Chemical reactions in atmospheric processes can significantly influence the health hazard presented by bioaerosols; however, few studies have summarized such alterations to bioaerosols and the mechanisms involved. In this paper, we systematically review the chemical modifications of bioaerosols and the impact on their health effects, mainly focusing on the exacerbation of allergic diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, and bronchitis. Oxidation, nitration, and oligomerization induced by hydroxyl radicals, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide are the major chemical modifications affecting bioaerosols, all of which can aggravate allergenicity mainly through immunoglobulin E pathways. Such processes can even interact with climate change including the greenhouse effect, suggesting the importance of bioaerosols in the future implementation of carbon neutralization strategies. In summary, the chemical modification of bioaerosols and the subsequent impact on health hazards indicate that the combined management of both chemical and biological components is required to mitigate the health hazards of particulate air pollution.
PubMed: 38933216
DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2023.10.017 -
Fundamental Research May 2024The aerosol transmission of coronavirus disease in 2019, along with the spread of other respiratory diseases, caused significant loss of life and property; it impressed... (Review)
Review
The aerosol transmission of coronavirus disease in 2019, along with the spread of other respiratory diseases, caused significant loss of life and property; it impressed upon us the importance of real-time bioaerosol detection. The complexity, diversity, and large spatiotemporal variability of bioaerosols and their external/internal mixing with abiotic components pose challenges for effective online bioaerosol monitoring. Traditional methods focus on directly capturing bioaerosols before subsequent time-consuming laboratory analysis such as culture-based methods, preventing the high-resolution time-based characteristics necessary for an online approach. Through a comprehensive literature assessment, this review highlights and discusses the most commonly used real-time bioaerosol monitoring techniques and the associated commercially available monitors. Methods applied in online bioaerosol monitoring, including adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence, laser/light-induced fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and bioaerosol mass spectrometry are summarized. The working principles, characteristics, sensitivities, and efficiencies of these real-time detection methods are compared to understand their responses to known particle types and to contrast their differences. Approaches developed to analyze the substantial data sets obtained by these instruments and to overcome the limitations of current real-time bioaerosol monitoring technologies are also introduced. Finally, an outlook is proposed for future instrumentation indicating a need for highly revolutionized bioaerosol detection technologies.
PubMed: 38933213
DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2023.05.012 -
Fundamental Research May 2024Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exerted a profound adverse impact on human health. Studies have demonstrated that aerosol transmission is one of the major... (Review)
Review
Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exerted a profound adverse impact on human health. Studies have demonstrated that aerosol transmission is one of the major transmission routes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Pathogenic microorganisms such as SARS-CoV-2 can survive in the air and cause widespread infection among people. Early monitoring of pathogenic microorganism transmission in the atmosphere and accurate epidemic prediction are the frontier guarantee for preventing large-scale epidemic outbreaks. Monitoring of pathogenic microorganisms in the air, especially in densely populated areas, may raise the possibility to detect viruses before people are widely infected and contain the epidemic at an earlier stage. The multi-scale coupled accurate epidemic prediction system can provide support for governments to analyze the epidemic situation, allocate health resources, and formulate epidemic response policies. This review first elaborates on the effects of the atmospheric environment on pathogenic microorganism transmission, which lays a theoretical foundation for the monitoring and prediction of epidemic development. Secondly, the monitoring technique development and the necessity of monitoring pathogenic microorganisms in the atmosphere are summarized and emphasized. Subsequently, this review introduces the major epidemic prediction methods and highlights the significance to realize a multi-scale coupled epidemic prediction system by strengthening the multidisciplinary cooperation of epidemiology, atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, sociology, demography, etc. By summarizing the achievements and challenges in monitoring and prediction of pathogenic microorganism transmission in the atmosphere, this review proposes suggestions for epidemic response, namely, the establishment of an integrated monitoring and prediction platform for pathogenic microorganism transmission in the atmosphere.
PubMed: 38933199
DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2023.05.022 -
Fundamental Research May 2024The environmental stability of infectious viruses in the laboratory setting is crucial to the transmission potential of human respiratory viruses. Different experimental... (Review)
Review
The environmental stability of infectious viruses in the laboratory setting is crucial to the transmission potential of human respiratory viruses. Different experimental techniques or conditions used in studies over the past decades have led to diverse understandings and predictions for the stability of viral infectivity in the atmospheric environment. In this paper, we review the current knowledge on the effect of simulated atmospheric conditions on the infectivity of respiratory viruses, mainly focusing on influenza viruses and coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. First, we summarize the impact of the experimental conditions on viral stability; these involve the methods of viral aerosol generation, storage during aging and collection, the virus types and strains, the suspension matrixes, the initial inoculum volumes and concentrations, and the drying process. Second, we summarize and discuss the detection methods of viral infectivity and their disadvantages. Finally, we integrate the results from the reviewed studies to obtain an overall understanding of the effects of atmospheric environmental conditions on the decay of infectious viruses, especially aerosolized viruses. Overall, this review highlights the knowledge gaps in predicting the ability of viruses to maintain infectivity during airborne transmission.
PubMed: 38933192
DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2023.12.017 -
Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and... 2024Within Diagnosis Related Groups, based on service capability, efficiency, and quality safety assessment, clinical pharmacists contribute to promoting rational drug...
BACKGROUND
Within Diagnosis Related Groups, based on service capability, efficiency, and quality safety assessment, clinical pharmacists contribute to promoting rational drug utilisation in healthcare institutions. However, a deficiency of pharmacist involvement has been observed in the total parenteral nutrition support to patients following haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) within DRGs.
METHODS
This study involved 146 patients who underwent HCT at the Department of Haematology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, spanning from January 2020 to December 2022.
RESULTS
Patients were allocated equally, with 73 in the control group and 73 in the pharmacist-involved group: baseline characteristics showed no statistics significance, including age, body mass index, nutrition risk screening-2002 score, liver and kidney function, etc. Albumin levels, prealbumin levels were significantly improved after a 7-day TPN support (34.92 ± 4.24 vs 36.25 ± 3.65, = 0.044; 251.30 ± 95.72 vs 284.73 ± 83.15, = 0.026). The body weight was increased after a 7-day support and before discharge (58.77 ± 12.47 vs 63.82 ± 11.70, = 0.013; 57.61 ± 11.85 vs 64.92 ± 11.71, < 0.001). The length of hospital stay, costs and the rate of re-admissions were significantly shortened (51.10 ± 1.42 vs 46.41 ± 1.86, = 0.048; 360,162.67 ± 91,831.34 vs 324,070.16 ± 112,315.51, 0.035; 61.64% vs 43.84%, 0.046).
CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacist-joint TPN support enhances the service efficiency score of medical units, ensuring the fulfilment of orders and rational medication.
PubMed: 38933175
DOI: 10.1080/20523211.2024.2361320 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2024Blau syndrome (BS), is an autoinflammatory granulomatosis disease characterized by a distinct triad of skin, joint, and eye disorders similar to those of sarcoidosis,...
Blau syndrome (BS), is an autoinflammatory granulomatosis disease characterized by a distinct triad of skin, joint, and eye disorders similar to those of sarcoidosis, but the lung involvement frequently observed in sarcoidosis are rare. Granulomas from patients with BS displayed a distinct morphology indicating an exuberant chronic inflammatory response. Patients with BS may have granulomatous lung lesions, which require early diagnosis. To determine whether therapeutic intervention is needed for lung lesions, examining transbronchial lung cryobiopsy specimens and accumulating cases of BS with lung involvement could be contributed to improving BS management in the future.
PubMed: 38933100
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1380236 -
Arthroplasty Today Jun 2024Debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) is a well-accepted surgical strategy for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total knee arthroplasty...
BACKGROUND
Debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) is a well-accepted surgical strategy for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). DAIR in TKA may be incorrectly thought of as a "simple" procedure not requiring formal specialized training in arthroplasty. Currently, there are no studies comparing the risk of treatment failure based on surgeon fellowship training.
METHODS
A retrospective review was performed of consecutive patients who underwent DAIR for TKA PJI at our institution. Two cohorts were created based on whether DAIR was performed by an arthroplasty fellowship-trained (FT) surgeon or nonarthroplasty fellowship-trained (NoFT) surgeon. Primary outcome was treatment failure following DAIR at a minimum of 1 year postoperatively. Treatment failure was based on the Tier 1 International Consensus Meeting definition of infection control. Secondary outcomes were also recorded including death during the totality of PJI treatment.
RESULTS
A total of 112 patients were identified (FT = 68, NoFT = 44). At a mean follow-up of 7.3 years [standard deviation = 3.9], 73 patients (59.8%) failed treatment. Fellowship training in arthroplasty significantly improved treatment success rates (FT, 35/68 [51.5%]; NoFT, 10/44 [22.7%]; odds ratio 2.5 [95% confidence interval 1.1 to 5.9; = .002]). Survivorship also differed significantly between the cohorts; at timepoints of 1.5 months, 5 months, 30 months, and 180 months, survivorship of the FT cohort was 79.4%, 67.6%, 54.4%, and 50.7%, respectively, compared with a survivorship of 65.9%, 52.3%, 25%, and 22.7% in the NoFT cohort ( = .002).
CONCLUSIONS
TKA PJI treated with DAIR should not be considered a simple procedure. Improved treatment success may be associated with subspecialty fellowship training in arthroplasty.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
IV.
PubMed: 38933043
DOI: 10.1016/j.artd.2024.101378 -
Ecology and Evolution Jun 2024Cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater sources are a global concern, and gaining insight into their causes is crucial for effective resource management and control. In this...
Cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater sources are a global concern, and gaining insight into their causes is crucial for effective resource management and control. In this study, we present a novel computational framework for the causal analysis of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) in Lake Kinneret. Our framework integrates Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) and Extended CCM (ECCM) causal networks with Bayesian Network (BN) models. The constructed CCM-ECCM causal networks and BN models unveil significant interactions among factors influencing cyanoHAB formation. These interactions have been validated by domain experts and supported by evidence from peer-reviewed publications. Our findings suggest that levels are influenced not only by community structure but also by ammonium, phosphate, oxygen, and temperature levels in the weeks preceding bloom occurrences. We demonstrated a non-parametric computational framework for causal analysis of a multivariate ecosystem. Our framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving blooms in Lake Kinneret. It captures complex interactions and provides an explainable prediction model. By considering causal relationships, temporal dynamics, and joint probabilities of environmental factors, the proposed framework enhances our understanding of cyanoHABs in Lake Kinneret.
PubMed: 38932972
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11475 -
Archivum Immunologiae Et Therapiae... Jan 2024Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune disease that leads to joint destruction. A number of immune cells that affect joint tissues are involved in the...
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune disease that leads to joint destruction. A number of immune cells that affect joint tissues are involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. This leads to the synthesis of many pro-inflammatory mediators. The transport of drugs, as well as many cytokines involved in the development of inflammation in RA patients, is mediated by membrane transporters. Membrane transporters are proteins that mediate the transfer of substrates across biological membranes. But to date there are no studies examining the expression of solute carrier (SLC) transporters in joint tissues. The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of individual SLC family transporters in the synovial membranes (SMs) and infrapatellar fat pad (Hoffa's pad) of RA patients. The study included 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 20 with osteoarthritis as the control group who were undergoing joint replacement surgery as a normal part of clinical care. In the SM and Hoffa's pad of RA patients the following 17 membrane transporters were defined at relevant expression levels for SLC transporter superfamily: . The confirmed expression of these transporters in the SMs as well as Hoffa's pad of patients with RA and OA, and the differences in their expression between these groups, suggests the involvement of SLC transporters in both the maintenance of homeostasis under physiological conditions in the tissues of the joints, as well as in the inflammatory process in RA.
Topics: Humans; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Female; Synovial Membrane; Middle Aged; Solute Carrier Proteins; Male; Aged; Adipose Tissue; Adult; Membrane Transport Proteins; Biological Transport; Osteoarthritis
PubMed: 38932672
DOI: 10.2478/aite-2024-0014