-
Reviews on Environmental Health Jul 2024Solid fuel use is increasingly linked to low birth weight (LBW), but conclusions were inconsistent. We aimed to summarize the association between solid fuel use and LBW.... (Review)
Review
Solid fuel use is increasingly linked to low birth weight (LBW), but conclusions were inconsistent. We aimed to summarize the association between solid fuel use and LBW. Twenty-one studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified through PubMed, Qvid Medline, and Web of Science databases. The final search occurred on March 20, 2024. Summary relative effect and 95 % confidence intervals were estimated with a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate possible sources of heterogeneity and to test the stability of the results. Nineteen studies evaluated the association between solid fuel use in pregnant woman and LBW (1.188 for solid fuels: 1.055 to 1.322). No significant heterogeneity was identified among the included studies (p=0.010, Tau=0.02, I=48.1 %). Subgroup analysis found positive correlations for Asia, data years prior to 2014, and rural studies (1.245 for Asia: 1.077 to 1.412; Tau=0.03, I=56.0 %; 1.243 for data years prior to 2014: 1.062 to 1.424; Tau=0.04, I=60.98 %; 1.514 for rural: 1.258 to 1.771; Tau=0.00, I=0.0 %). Our meta-analysis showed that solid fuel use in pregnant women had an impact on LBW. Measures and policies are also needed to promote energy conversion and to limit and reduce the use of solid fuels.
PubMed: 38963124
DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2024-0055 -
Protein and Peptide Letters Jul 2024Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a single-chain polypeptide with various physiological functions. Escherichia coli is one of the most desirable hosts for...
INTRODUCTION
Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a single-chain polypeptide with various physiological functions. Escherichia coli is one of the most desirable hosts for recombinant protein production, especially for human proteins whose post-translation modifications are not essential for their bioactivity, such as hIGF-1.
OBJECTIVES
In this study, bacterial thioredoxin (Trx) was studied as a fused and non-fused protein to convert the insoluble form of recombinant human IGF-1 (rhIGF-1) to its soluble form in E. coli.
METHODS
The rhIGF-1 was expressed in the E. coli Origami strain in the form of fused-Trx. It was co-expressed with Trx and then purified and quantified. In the next step, the biological activity of rhIGF-1 was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay in human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) regarding the differentiation enhancement effect of IGF-1 through the osteogenic process.
RESULTS
Results showed that Trx in both the fused and non-fused forms had a positive effect on the production of the soluble form of rhIGF-1. A significant increase in ALP activity in hASCs after rhIGF-1 treatment was observed, confirming protein bioactivity.
CONCLUSION
It was strongly suggested that the overproduction of Trx could increase the solubility of co-expressed recombinant proteins by changing the redox state in E. coli cells.
PubMed: 38963110
DOI: 10.2174/0109298665314267240624091046 -
Psychophysiology Jul 2024Social support is a key predictor of well-being, but not everyone experiences mental health benefits from receiving it. However, given that a growing number of...
Social support is a key predictor of well-being, but not everyone experiences mental health benefits from receiving it. However, given that a growing number of interventions are based on social support, it is crucial to identify the features that make individuals more likely to benefit from social ties. Emerging evidence suggests that neural responses to positive social feedback (i.e., social reward) might relate to individual differences in social functioning, but potential mechanisms linking these neural responses to psychological outcomes are yet unclear. This study examined whether neural correlates of social reward processing, indexed by the reward positivity (RewP), relate to individuals' affective experience following self-reported real-world positive social support events. To this aim, 193 university students (71% females) underwent an EEG assessment during the Island Getaway task and completed a 10-day ecological momentary assessment where participants reported their positive and negative affects (PA, NA) nine times a day and the count of daily positive and negative events. Experiencing a higher number of social support positive events was associated with higher PA. The RewP moderated this association, such that individuals with greater neural response to social feedback at baseline had a stronger positive association between social support positive events count and PA. Individual differences in the RewP to social feedback might be one indicator of the likelihood of experiencing positive affect when receiving social support.
PubMed: 38963092
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14640 -
Disability and Rehabilitation Jul 2024Low back pain management has evolved with researchers advocating for a biopsychosocial management model. The biopsychosocial management model has been predominantly...
PURPOSE
Low back pain management has evolved with researchers advocating for a biopsychosocial management model. The biopsychosocial management model has been predominantly applied in high-income countries and underexplored in low- and middle-income countries including Ghana. This study aimed to explore the potential barriers and facilitators to patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and physiotherapists engagement with a biopsychosocial intervention (exercise and patient education) as part of a feasibility study.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
This was a qualitative study embedded within a mixed-methods, sequential, feasibility study, in Ghana, applying semi-structured interviews. Two categories of participants involved in this study were, two trained physiotherapists, and six patients with CLBP, sampled within the feasibility study.
RESULTS
Regarding the barriers and facilitators to the delivery of the BPS intervention, five interlinked themes emerged from the thematic analysis. These were: structure and process of delivery; patients' expectations; patients' health beliefs, autonomy, and engagement; external influences and personal and professional characteristics of physiotherapists.
CONCLUSION
The themes that emerged from this study demonstrated many positive facilitators based on participants' improved understanding of LBP and the clarity and purpose of the biopsychosocial intervention. The results therefore demonstrate a potential to deliver the biopsychosocial intervention in a Ghanaian context.
PubMed: 38963089
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2374497 -
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine :... Jul 2024Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is characterized by excessive sleepiness during the day, prolonged sleep at night, and difficulty waking up. The true prevalence of IH is...
STUDY OBJECTIVES
Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is characterized by excessive sleepiness during the day, prolonged sleep at night, and difficulty waking up. The true prevalence of IH is uncertain. ICSD provides criteria for diagnosing IH; however, the definition has evolved. Managing IH involves using pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches, although the most effective strategies are still unclear. The objective of this scoping review was to identify the extent, range, and nature of the available evidence, identify research gaps, and discuss the implications for clinical practice and policy.
METHODS
To conduct this review, a comprehensive search was conducted across scientific databases, without any restrictions on the date or study type. Eligible studies examined the effectiveness of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for IH and reported the outcomes of these interventions. Data from the studies were screened, analyzed, and synthesized to provide an overview of the available literature landscape.
RESULTS
51 studies were included in this review, which used various methods and interventions. Pharmacological treatments, particularly modafinil, have been frequently studied and have yielded positive results. There is also emerging evidence for alternative medications such as low-sodium oxybate and pitolisant. Non-pharmacological approaches, such as CBT-H and tDCS have also shown promise in managing IH.
CONCLUSIONS
This review highlights the complexity of managing IH management and emphasizes the need for personalized multidisciplinary approaches. Pharmacological interventions are important in managing IH and can be complemented by non-medication strategies. Larger-scale studies are necessary to advance our understanding of IH and to improve treatment outcomes.
PubMed: 38963076
DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.11250 -
Psychophysiology Jul 2024Flexible use of emotion regulation (ER) strategies is central to mental health. To advance our understanding of what drives adaptive strategy-switching decisions, in...
Flexible use of emotion regulation (ER) strategies is central to mental health. To advance our understanding of what drives adaptive strategy-switching decisions, in this preregistered study, we used event-related potentials (late positive potential, LPP and stimulus preceding negativity, SPN) and facial electromyography (EMG corrugator activity) to test the antecedents and consequences of switching to an alternative ER strategy. Participants (N = 63, M = 24.8 years, all female) passively watched and then implemented an instructed ER strategy (reappraisal or distraction) in response to high-intensity negative pictures that were either easy or difficult to reinterpret (high or low reappraisal affordance, respectively). Next, they decided to "switch from" or "maintain" the instructed strategy and subsequently implemented the chosen strategy. Reappraisal affordance manipulations successfully induced switching. Regarding antecedents, switching was predicted by the reduced ER efficacy of the current strategy (corrugator, but not LPP). Switching to distraction was additionally predicted by increased responses to the stimulus during passive viewing (corrugator and LPP) and increased anticipatory effort in implementing reappraisal (SPN). Concerning consequences, switching to distraction improved, whereas switching to reappraisal impaired post-choice ER effects (LPP). However, starting with reappraisal was overall more effective than starting with distraction, irrespective of the subsequent decision (corrugator). Our results suggest that switching between ER strategies occurs in accordance with situational demands (stimulus affordances) and is predicted by reduced peripheral physiological ER efficacy. However, only switching to distraction leads to improved regulatory effects. These insights provide neurocognitively grounded starting points for developing interventions targeting ER flexibility.
PubMed: 38963073
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14646 -
Journal of Asian Natural Products... Jul 2024Five new glycosides, namely methyl 3-methoxybenzoate-4,5-di---D-glucopyranoside ,...
Five new glycosides, namely methyl 3-methoxybenzoate-4,5-di---D-glucopyranoside , (1a,3a,3)-3-(4'---D-glucopyranosyl-3'-methoxyphenyl)-5,6-dioxa-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane-1-one , quinolin-4(1)-one-3---D-glucopyranoside , 3-methoxy-propiophenone 4--(6'--D-xylopyranosyl)--D-glucopyranoside , methyl 3-methoxybenzoate 4--(6'--D-xylopyranosyl)--D-glucopyranoside , and one known compound, bambulignan B were isolated from the culms of var. Their structures were determined using spectroscopic analysis. All compounds were evaluated for their DPPH radical scavenging activity. Compound exhibited antioxidant activity with IC value of 59.5 μM (positive control, L-ascorbic acid, IC = 12.4 μM; 2,6-ditertbutyl-4-methyl phenol, IC = 11.8 μM).
PubMed: 38963070
DOI: 10.1080/10286020.2024.2366450 -
Psychophysiology Jul 2024This study tested whether self-reports of childhood adversity would predict altered error processing under emotional versus non-emotional task conditions. N = 99...
This study tested whether self-reports of childhood adversity would predict altered error processing under emotional versus non-emotional task conditions. N = 99 undergraduates completed two selective attention tasks, a traditional color-word Stroop task and a modified task using emotional words, while EEG was recorded. Participants also completed self-report measures of adverse and positive childhood experiences, executive functioning, depression, current stress, and emotion regulation. Reports of adversity were robustly correlated with self-reported challenges in executive functioning, even when controlling for self-reported depression and stress, but adversity was not correlated with task performance. With regard to neural markers of error processing, adversity predicted an enhanced error-related negativity and blunted error-positivity, but only during the emotion-word blocks of the task. Moreover, error-related changes in alpha oscillations were predicted by adversity, in a pattern that suggested less error responsiveness in alpha patterns during the emotion block, compared to the color block, among participants with higher adversity. Overall, results indicate alterations in error monitoring associated with adversity, such that in an emotional context, initial error detection is enhanced and sustained error processing is blunted, even in the absence of overt performance changes.
PubMed: 38963045
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14644 -
Oncology Reports Aug 2024Lysine methyltransferase 5A (KMT5A) is the sole mammalian enzyme known to catalyse the mono‑methylation of histone H4 lysine 20 and non‑histone proteins such as p53,...
Lysine methyltransferase 5A (KMT5A) is the sole mammalian enzyme known to catalyse the mono‑methylation of histone H4 lysine 20 and non‑histone proteins such as p53, which are involved in the occurrence and progression of numerous cancers. The present study aimed to determine the function of KMT5A in inducing docetaxel (DTX) resistance in patients with breast carcinoma by evaluating glucose metabolism and the underlying mechanism involved. The upregulation or downregulation of KMT5A‑related proteins was examined after KMT5A knockdown in breast cancer (BRCA) cells by Tandem Mass Tag proteomics. Through differential protein expression and pathway enrichment analysis, the upregulated key gluconeogenic enzyme fructose‑1,6‑bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) was discovered. Loss of FBP1 expression is closely related to the development and prognosis of cancers. A dual‑luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that KMT5A inhibited the expression of FBP1 and that overexpression of FBP1 could enhance the chemotherapeutic sensitivity to DTX through the suppression of KMT5A expression. The KMT5A inhibitor UNC0379 was used to verify that DTX resistance induced by KMT5A through the inhibition of FBP1 depended on the methylase activity of KMT5A. According to previous literature and interaction network structure, it was revealed that KMT5A acts on the transcription factor twist family BHLH transcription factor 1 (TWIST1). Then, it was verified that TWSIT1 promoted the expression of FBP1 by using a dual‑luciferase reporter gene experiment. KMT5A induces chemotherapy resistance in BRCA cells by promoting cell proliferation and glycolysis. After the knockdown of the KMT5A gene, the FBP1 related to glucose metabolism in BRCA was upregulated. KMT5A knockdown expression and FBP1 overexpression synergistically inhibit cell proliferation and block cells in the G2/M phase. KMT5A inhibits the expression of FBP1 by methylating TWIST1 and weakening its promotion of FBP1 transcription. In conclusion, KMT5A was shown to affect chemotherapy resistance by regulating the cell cycle and positively regulate glycolysis‑mediated chemotherapy resistance by inhibiting the transcription of FBP1 in collaboration with TWIST1. KMT5A may be a potential therapeutic target for chemotherapy resistance in BRCA.
Topics: Humans; Breast Neoplasms; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Female; Twist-Related Protein 1; Nuclear Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Fructose-Bisphosphatase; Docetaxel; Cell Line, Tumor; DNA-Binding Proteins; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; Cell Proliferation; DNA Methylation
PubMed: 38963044
DOI: 10.3892/or.2024.8769 -
Molecular Medicine Reports Sep 2024As sequencing technology transitions from research to clinical settings, due to technological maturity and cost reductions, metagenomic next‑generation sequencing... (Review)
Review
As sequencing technology transitions from research to clinical settings, due to technological maturity and cost reductions, metagenomic next‑generation sequencing (mNGS) is increasingly used. This shift underscores the growing need for more cost‑effective and universally accessible sequencing assays to improve patient care and public health. Therefore, targeted NGS (tNGS) is gaining prominence. tNGS involves enrichment of target pathogens in patient samples based on multiplex PCR amplification or probe capture with excellent sensitivity. It is increasingly used in clinical diagnostics due to its practicality and efficiency. The present review compares the principles of different enrichment methods. The high positivity rate of tNGS in the detection of pathogens was found in respiratory samples with specific instances. tNGS maintains high sensitivity (70.8‑95.0%) in samples with low pathogen loads, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Furthermore, tNGS is effective in detecting drug‑resistant strains of , allowing identification of resistance genes and guiding clinical treatment decisions, which is difficult to achieve with mNGS. In the present review, the application of tNGS in clinical settings and its current limitations are assessed. The continued development of tNGS has the potential to refine diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficacy and improving infectious disease management. However, further research to overcome technical challenges such as workflow time and cost is required.
Topics: Humans; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Communicable Diseases; Metagenomics; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
PubMed: 38963022
DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2024.13277