Corona

Contaminating microplastics can interact with food proteins in the food matrix and during digestion. This study investigated adsorption of chicken egg protein ovalbumin to polystyrene (PS, 110 and 260 μm) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 140 μm) MPs in acidic and neutral conditions and alterations in ovalbumin structure. Ovalbumin adsorption affinity depended on MPs size (smaller > larger), type (PS > PET) and pH (pH 3 > pH 7)...

Chitosan-based nanoparticles inevitably adsorb numerous proteins in the bloodstream, forming a protein corona that significantly influences their functionality. This study employed a pre-coated protein corona using cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp peptide (cRGD)-modified bovine serum albumin (BcR) to confer tumor-targeting capabilities on siVEGF-loaded chitosan-based nanoparticles (CsR/siVEGF NPs) and actively manipulated the serum protein corona composition to enhance their anti-tumor angiogenesis. Consequently, BcR effectively binds to the nanoparticles' surface, generating nanocarriers of appropriate size and stability that enhance the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation, as well as suppress tumor proliferation and angiogenesis in tumor-bearing nude mice...

Inverse sandwich complexes of Yb and Sm stabilized by a bulky b-diketiminate (BDI) ligand have been prepared: (BDI)Ln(h6,h6-C6H6)Ln(BDI); Ln = lanthanide. Coordinated benzene ligands can be neutral, di-anionic or, often controversially discussed, even tetra-anionic. The formal charge on benzene is correlated to assignment of the metal oxidation state which generally poses a problem. Herein, we take advantage of the structural similarities found when comparing CaII with YbII, and SrII with SmII complexes. In this work, we found an excellent overlap of the Ca/Yb inverse sandwich structures but a striking difference for the Sr/Sm pair...

The insecticidal property of ring C-seco limonoids has been discovered empirically and the target protein identified, but, to date, the molecular mechanism of action has not been described at the atomic scale. We elucidate on computational grounds whether nine C-seco limonoids present sufficiently high affinity to bind specifically with the putative target enzyme of the insects (ecdysone 20-monooxygenase). To this end, 3D models of ligands and the receptor target were generated and their interaction energies estimated by docking simulations...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of physiological abnormalities characterized by obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and hypertriglyceridemia, which carry the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Immune and metabolic alterations have been observed in MetS and are associated with autoimmune development. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease caused by a complex interaction of environmental, hormonal, and genetic factors and hyperactivation of immune cells...

The continuous monitoring of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) plays a crucial role in improving our understanding of the prominent parameters affecting building users' health and perception of their environment. In field studies, indoor environment monitoring often does not go beyond the assessment of air temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration, lacking consideration of other important parameters due to budget constraints and the complexity of multi-dimensional signal analyses. In this paper, we introduce the Environmental Quality bOX (EQ-OX) system, which was designed for the simultaneous monitoring of quantities of some of the main IEQs with a low level of uncertainty and an affordable cost...

Students serve as ambassadors, conveying effective messages to encourage the adoption of promotes healthy behaviors. Recognizing their consciousness about corona illness 2019 (COVID-19), desires to utilize the COVID-19 vaccines, and other associated variables will aid in developing viable vaccination promotion tactics for the present COVID-19 pandemic. A transverse-segment internet poll of university students in the healthcare and non-healthcare industries was conducted to analyze their motivations to be vaccinated against the coronavirus...

Objective: This study aims at comparing the energy expenditure (EE) and heart rate (HR) data from Ring Fit Adventure (RFA) with those from indirect calorimetry (COSMED) and a heart rate monitor (Polar FT7). A secondary goal is to evaluate self-reported enjoyment and perceived effort levels. Materials and Methods: Thirty participants (age = 21.8 ± 2.2; body mass index = 31.8 ± 4.4) were recruited for two laboratory visits. The first visit involved baseline measurements...

CASE: In this report, a rare case of primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma (PCACC) localized in the subcutaneous tissue of the scapular region that grew after BNT162b2 corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is presented and may be explained by CD4 and CD8 cell infiltration. The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine has been associated with a multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-V). A comparable immune reaction could potentially enhance tumor growth rate. CONCLUSION: Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinomas are rare tumors with unique locations...

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are primarily produced from fermentation of fiber, regulate insulin secretion through free fatty acid receptors 2 and 3 (FFA2 and FFA3). As these are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), they have potential therapeutic value as targets for treating type 2 diabetes (T2D). The exact mechanism by which these receptors regulate insulin secretion and other aspects of pancreatic β cell function is unclear. It has been reported that glucose-dependent release of acetate from pancreatic β cells negatively regulates glucose stimulated insulin secretion...

Over the years, there has been significant interest in PEGylated lipid-based nanocarriers within the drug delivery field. The inevitable interplay between the nanocarriers and plasma protein plays a pivotal role in their in vivo biological fate. Understanding the factors influencing lipid-based nanocarrier and protein corona interactions is of paramount importance in the design and clinical translation of these nanocarriers. Herein, discoid-shaped lipid nanodiscs (sNDs) composed of different phospholipids with varied lipid tails and head groups were fabricated...

This study aimed to monitor long-term land use dynamics for understanding the natural forest integrity and intactness of the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarhole) Tiger Reserve (RTR) pre- and post-declarations as TR. We employed multi-source data from Survey of India Toposheets (1:50 k), Landsat-7, and Sentinel-2A along with Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) vegetation canopy height (10 m) data, a high-spatial resolution CORONA (1970) images and temporal Google Earth Pro images for mapping and validation...

Methodologies across the dispersion preparation, characterization, and cellular dosimetry of hydrophilic nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed and used extensively in the field of nanotoxicology. However, hydrophobic NPs pose a challenge for dispersion in aqueous culture media using conventional methods that include sonication followed by mixing in the culture medium of interest and cellular dosimetry. In this study, a robust methodology for the preparation of stable dispersions of hydrophobic NPs for cellular studies is developed by introducing continuous energy over time via stirring in the culture medium followed by dispersion characterization and cellular dosimetry...

OBJECTIVE: Femoral artery cannulation is the most commonly used approach for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in robotic cardiac procedures. However, without adding a distal perfusion cannula, leg ischemia can occur in up to 11.5% of patients. There is a well-described 2 to 4 mm size arterial branch that originates from the medial side of the external iliac artery or inferior epigastric artery, immediately above the inguinal ligament, and connects to the obturator artery. Therefore, it was historically named the corona mortis , which means "crown of death" in Latin...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is evidence to suggest that assessing back-specific altered self-perception may be useful when seeking to understand and manage low back pain (LBP). The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ) is a patient-reported measure of back-specific body perception that has never been adapted and psychometrically analysed in Italian. Hence, the objectives of this research were to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Italian version of this outcome measure (namely, the FreBAQ-I), to make it available for use with Italians suffering from chronic LBP...

BACKGROUND: The course of organ dysfunction (OD) in Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is unknown. Herein, we analyse the temporal patterns of OD in intensive care unit-admitted COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Sequential organ failure assessment scores were evaluated daily within 2 weeks of admission to determine the temporal trajectory of OD using group-based multitrajectory modelling (GBMTM). RESULTS: 392 patients were enrolled with a 28-day mortality rate of 53...

As the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns forced populations across the world to become completely dependent on digital devices for working, studying, and socializing, there has been no shortage of published studies about the possible negative effects of the increased use of digital devices during this exceptional period. In seeking to empirically address how the concern with digital dependency has been experienced during the pandemic, we present findings from a study of daily self-reported logbooks by 59 university students in Copenhagen, Denmark, over 4 weeks in April and May 2020, investigating their everyday use of digital devices...

Especially in times of (corona) crisis, the German press plays a crucial role in communicating Germany's economic policy orientation, influencing how the crisis is communicated to the public. The issue of joint European debt has never been more visible than in these times, as has the threat of a new euro crisis-Italy in focus. This study explores the German media framing of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using Italy as an example. Applying quantitative content analysis, the relative prevalence of frames rooted in competing economic policy paradigms (neoliberal/Keynesian) in press coverage from February to July 2020 is examined...

BACKGROUND: COVID-19, a pandemic since 2019, is still causing significant healthcare burden across the world. Although the disease primarily presents with respiratory symptoms, a multitude of signs and symptoms may be manifested elsewhere in the body. AIM: This study was to estimate the prevalence of oral manifestations in COVID-19 diagnosed patients and thereby understand the effects of corona virus disease on oral health. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 472 patients were evaluated using a questionnaire and further examined visually using a mouth mirror and a light source...

Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a compound derived from cruciferous vegetables, has garnered attention for its anticancer properties. This review synthesizes existing research on PEITC, focusing on its mechanisms of action in combatting cancer. PEITC has been found to be effective against various cancer types, such as breast, prostate, lung, colon, and pancreatic cancers. Its anticancer activities are mediated through several mechanisms, including the induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death), inhibition of cell proliferation, suppression of angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels that feed tumors), and reduction of metastasis (spread of cancer cells to new areas)...