Tag: pubmed

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 9;800:149562. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149562. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) has proved to be an important tool for the genetic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 from clinical samples. The use of different available NGS tools applied to wastewater samples could be the key for an in-depth study of the excreted virome, not only focusing on SARS-CoV-2 circulation and typing, but also to detect other potentially pandemic viruses within the same family. With this aim, 24-hours composite wastewater samples from March and July 2020 were sequenced by applying specific viral NGS as well as target enrichment NGS. The full virome of the analyzed samples was obtained, with human Coronaviridae members (CoV) present in one of those samples after applying the enrichment. One contig was identified as HCoV-OC43 and 8 contigs as SARS-CoV-2. CoVs from other animal hosts were also detected when applying this technique. These contigs were compared with those obtained from contemporary clinical specimens by applying the same target enrichment approach. The results showed that there is a co-circulation in urban areas of human and animal coronaviruses infecting domestic animals and rodents. NGS enrichment-based protocols might be crucial to describe the occurrence and genetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and other Coronaviridae family members within the excreted virome present in wastewater.

PMID:34391155 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149562

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2021 Aug 4;207:112018. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112018. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Complete treatment of cancer remains a major challenge today. Herein, a biocompatible drug delivery system named as PCM + PTX@mPBs/PEG was constructed. In this system, Paclitaxel (PTX) was blended with phase-change material (PCM) and loaded in mesoporous Prussian blue nanoparticles (mPBs), and chelated with polyethylene glycol at surface. The blank PCM@mPBs/PEG had uniform particle size distribution, large pore size to load drug, excellent photothermal efficiency and good biocompatibility. After loading PTX, PCM + PTX@mPBs/PEG was demonstrated with a high loading capacity and the drug presented temperature-responsive release characteristics. In addition, PTX can be released under the exposure of an NIR laser. In vitro cell experiments showed that nanoparticles can be exposed to near-infrared irradiation to increase uptake in cells, which enhanced anticancer activity. After tail vein injection of PCM + PTX@mPBs/PEG suspension in tumor-bearing mice, PCM + PTX@mPBs/PEG can accumulate at the tumor site through passive transport. The tumor was effectively suppressed by phototherapy and chemotherapy with few side effects. In summary, compared with photothermal therapy or chemotherapy alone, the prepared PCM + PTX@mPBs/PEG showed synergistic photothermal and chemotherapeutic effects on cancer treatment of mice.

PMID:34391167 | DOI:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112018

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 6;800:149516. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149516. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Fish from both aquaculture and wild capture are exposed to veterinary and medicinal antibiotics (ABs). This study explored the occurrence and probable source of 46 antibiotic residues in muscle of farmed salmon and wild trout from Chile. Results showed that at least one AB was detected in all studied samples. Diverse patterns were observed between farmed and wild specimens, with higher ABs concentrations in wild fish. Considering antimicrobial resistance, detected ABs corresponded to the categories B (Restrict), C (Caution) and D (Prudence) established by Antimicrobial Advice Ad Hoc Expert Group (European Medicines Agency). Multivariate statistic was used to verify differences between farmed and wild populations, looking for the probable source of ABs as well. Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed that ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, enrofloxacin, amoxicillin, penicillin G, oxolinic acid, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and clarithromycin were associated with wild samples, collected during the cold season. Conversely, norfloxacin, sulfaquinoxaline, sulfadimethoxine, nitrofurantoin, nalidixic acid, penicillin V, doxycycline, flumequine, oxacillin, pipemidic acid and sulfamethizole were associated with wild samples collected during the warm season. All farmed salmon samples were associated with ofloxacin, tetracycline, cephalexin, erythromycin, azithromycin, roxithromycin, sulfabenzamide, sulfamethazine, sulfapyridine, sulfisomidin, and sulfaguanidine. In addition, linear discriminant analysis showed that the AB profile in wild fish differ from farmed ones. Most samples showed ABs levels below the EU regulatory limit for edible fish, except for sulfaquinoxaline in one sample. Additionally, nitrofurantoin (banned in EU) was detected in one aquaculture sample. The differences observed between farmed and wild fish raise questions on the probable source of ABs, either aquaculture or urban anthropic activities. Further research is necessary for linking the ABs profile in wild fish with the anthropic source. However, to our knowledge, this is the first report showing differences in the ABs profile between wild and aquaculture salmonids, which could have both environmental and health consequences.

PMID:34391145 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149516

Child Abuse Negl. 2021 Aug 11;120:105260. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105260. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) shifted child welfare funding to interventions proven effective in preserving families with parental substance use and child welfare involvement. The Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) program serves this population with FFPSA aligned goals.

OBJECTIVE: This study was the first to test the sustained effects of START from the initial CPS report through 12-months post-intervention.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Children (n = 784) receiving START services in four sites were compared to 784 children receiving child welfare treatment as usual (TAU).

METHODS: Using child welfare administrative data, children in START were matched to children in TAU using propensity score matching. Outcomes were tested during the intervention period, and at six- and 12-months post-intervention using comparative statistics and multilevel logistic regression.

RESULTS: The odds of START children being placed in out-of-home care (OOHC) during the intervention period were half those of children in TAU (20.3% vs. 35.2%, p < .001, OR = 0.47, 95% CI [0.37, 0.59]). When placed in OOHC, START children were more likely to be reunified with their parents (p = .042, OR = 1.44, 95% CI [0.99, 1.62]). At 12-months post-intervention, 68.5% of START and 56.0% of TAU-served children remained free from both OOHC placement and child abuse and neglect (after multilevel clustering adjustment: p < .001, OR = 1.85, 95% CI [1.41, 2.43]).

CONCLUSION: The primary impact of START was significantly reduced rates of OOHC placement, with results sustained through 12-months post-intervention and after accounting for family clusters and site differences.

PMID:34391128 | DOI:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105260

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2021 Aug 4;205:114301. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114301. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Lipids play a major role in platelet signaling and activation. In this study, we analyzed the platelet lipidome in an untargeted manner by reversed-phase UHPLC for lipid species separation coupled to high-resolution QTOF-MS/MS in data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode with sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH) for compound detection. Lipid identification and peak picking was supported by the characteristic regular elution pattern of lipids differing in carbon and double bond numbers. It was primarily based on post-acquisition targeted feature extraction from the SWATH data. Multiple extracted ion chromatograms (EICs) from SWATH data of diagnostic ions on MS1 and MS2 level from both positive and negative ion mode allowed to distinguish between poorly resolved isomeric lipids based on their distinct fragment ions, which were used for relative quantification at a molecular lipid species level. It supports assay specificity for relative lipid quantitation via multiple quantifiably ions unlike to data-dependent acquisition methods which rely on precursor ions only. This approach was used to analyze human platelet samples. 457 lipids were annotated. Concentrations of lipids were estimated by stable isotope-labelled lipid class-specific internal standards as surrogate calibrants. Heatmaps of lipid concentrations in dependence on carbon and double bond numbers for the distinct lipid classes revealed a snapshot of the platelet lipidome in the resting state with lipid species distributions within classes supporting some functional interpretations. As expected, activation of the platelets by thrombin has led to significant alterations in the platelet lipidome as proven by univariate (volcano plot) and multivariate (PLS-DA) statistics. Several lipids were significantly up-regulated (lysophosphatidylinositols, oxylipins such as thromboxane B2 (TXB2), hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid (HHT), hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (HODE), sphingoid-bases, (very) long chain saturated fatty acids) or down-regulated (lysophosphatidylethanolamines, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phosphatidylinositols). Several of them are well known as biomarkers of platelet activation while others may provide some further insights into pathways of platelet activation and platelet metabolism.

PMID:34391135 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114301

Thromb Res. 2021 Aug 2;206:18-28. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2021.07.016. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Oral anticoagulant (OAC)-related adverse events are high post-hospitalization. We planned to develop and validate a prediction model for OAC-related harm within 30 days of hospitalization.

METHODS: We undertook a population-based study of adults aged ≥66 years who were discharged from hospital on an OAC from September 2010 to March 2015 in Ontario, Canada. The primary outcome was a composite of time to first hospitalization or emergency department visit for a hemorrhagic or thromboembolic event, or mortality within 30 days of hospital discharge. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to build the model.

RESULTS: We included 120,721 patients of which 5423 experienced the outcome. Most patients were aged ≥75 years (59.5%) and were female (55.6%). Sixty percent of the cohort had a follow-up visit with a healthcare provider within 7 days of discharge. Patients discharged on a direct acting OAC versus warfarin (apixaban: Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-0.94; dabigatran: HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.63-0.84; rivaroxaban: HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.71-0.88), were prevalent users of the dispensed OAC versus incident users (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69-0.96), had a joint replacement in the past 35 days (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.33-0.50) or major surgery during index hospital stay (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.60-0.80) had a lower risk for the outcome. The Cox model was stable with acceptable discrimination but poor goodness-of-fit.

CONCLUSIONS: A model for OAC-related harm in the early post-discharge period was developed. External validation studies are required to understand the model’s poor calibration.

PMID:34391064 | DOI:10.1016/j.thromres.2021.07.016

EBioMedicine. 2021 Aug 11;70:103536. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103536. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder characterized by proteinuria and/or multisystem involvement. Disease-specific therapy has yet to be developed due to the lack of understanding of underlying mechanism(s). We postulate that accelerated ageing in general, and particularly cellular senescence, play a role in its pathophysiology.

METHODS: We compared women with preeclampsia vs. normotensive pregnancies with respect to epigenetic markers of ageing and markers of senescence in tissues/organs affected by preeclampsia (blood, urine, adipose tissue, and kidney).

FINDINGS: We demonstrate that preeclamptic compared to normotensive pregnant women: (i) undergo accelerated epigenetic ageing during pregnancy, as demonstrated by an “epigenetic clock”; (ii) exhibit higher levels/expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors in blood and adipose tissue; (iii) display increased expression of p16^INK4A in adipose tissue and renal sections, and (iv) demonstrate decreased levels of urinary α-Klotho (an anti-ageing protein) at the time of delivery. Finally, we provide data indicating that pre-treatment with dasatinib, a senolytic agent, rescues the angiogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) obtained from preeclamptic pregnancies, and promotes angiogenesis, even under pro-inflammatory conditions.

INTERPRETATION: Taken together, our results identify senescence as one of the mechanisms underpinning the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Therapeutic strategies that target senescent cells may offer novel mechanism-based treatments for preeclampsia.

FUNDING: This work was supported by NIH grants, R01 HL136348, R37 AG013925, P01 AG062413, R01 DK11916, generous gifts from the Connor Fund, Robert J. and Theresa W. Ryan and from The George G. Beasley family, the Noaber Foundation, and the Henry and Emma Meyer Professorship in Molecular Genetics.

PMID:34391091 | DOI:10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103536

Public Health. 2021 Jul 20;198:96-101. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.07.007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The transmission of COVID-19 has sent Malaysia into cycles of tightening and relaxation of movement control, which are still continuing currently in line with local fluctuations of new COVID-19 cases. During movement control, measures comprising physical distancing, hand cleaning or sanitizing, and sanitization of premises are consistently implemented while self-isolation and travel restrictions are adaptively enforced. This study aims to examine if the control of COVID-19 transmission has an effect on the national influenza occurrences as some measures for COVID-19 control are similar to those for influenza.

STUDY DESIGN: For this study, data of weekly new cases of influenza and COVID-19 were obtained from official platforms for non-parametric statistical analysis.

METHODS: This study compared the influenza occurrences before and after the onset of COVID-19 using the Mann-Whitney U-test and explored Spearman’s correlations between COVID-19 and influenza incidences after the onset of COVID-19.

RESULTS: It shows that influenza incidences before and after the onset of COVID-19 were significantly different and that influenza cases have significantly reduced after the onset of COVID-19. The weekly cases of influenza and COVID-19 were significantly and negatively correlated.

CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the co-benefits of COVID-19 control measures and alleviates the concern for the risk of COVID-19 and influenza co-infection.

PMID:34391039 | DOI:10.1016/j.puhe.2021.07.007

Environ Pollut. 2021 Aug 4;289:117903. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117903. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Effects of source inhomogeneity on pollutant dispersion from a cubic building array are investigated as a function of the external wind direction. Using building-resolving large-eddy simulation, it is found that the results depend strongly on the source location and source uniformity inside a near-field region defined by a radius of homogenisation (RAD) based on the spatial autocorrelation of the pollutant concentration. The sensitivity of the RAD to the source location changes abruptly around 30° and is greatly reduced for wind angles between 30 and 45°, in agreement with velocity statistics and the mean horizontal streamlines. The optimal source allocation, which is a proxy for emissions from time-dependent traffic, also changes around 30°. This work clarifies the relationship between inhomogeneous velocity and pollutant statistics and may be applied to the formulation of traffic control policy.

PMID:34391049 | DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117903

Int J Nurs Stud. 2021 Jul 15;122:104037. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104037. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common chronic condition amongst children. Poor adherence to asthma medications can increase asthma exacerbations, absence from school, healthcare utilisation and costs and decrease quality of life. Emerging evidence suggests the use of electronic adherence monitoring devices in improving children’s adherence to medications.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of electronic adherence monitoring devices in improving inhaler adherence amongst children with asthma.

DESIGN: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES: A systematic search using Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses from inception up to April 6, 2021, was conducted.

REVIEW METHODS: Randomised controlled trials evaluating the use of electronic adherence monitoring devices amongst children and published in English were included. The outcomes were inhaler adherence, asthma exacerbation, lung function, asthma control and accessibility. The overall effect was measured using Hedges’ g and determined using Z-statistics at a significance level of p < 0.05. Heterogeneity was assessed using χ² and I² statistics. The individual and overall quality of evidence was assessed. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted. Narrative synthesis of outcomes was performed when meta-analysis could not be conducted on the data.

RESULTS: A total of 13,429 records were identified, and 10 randomised controlled trials in 11 articles amongst 1123 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed that the electronic adherence monitoring device group was 1.50 times more likely to adhere to inhalers compared with the control group with medium-to-large effect size (g = 0.64). A series of subgroup analyses showed that no significant subgroup differences for inhaler adherence were found amongst different populations, comparator, setting, duration of the monitoring period, reminder, and feedback functions of the electronic adherence monitoring devices. Children found the devices as user friendly with high accessibility scores. However, no significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups for asthma exacerbations, lung function and asthma control.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study suggested that electronic adherence monitoring devices could improve inhaler adherence. Future devices should contain actuation and inhalation functions that can help to confirm actual inhalation amongst children with asthma. The overall evidence of outcomes ranged from very low to high. Furthermore, future large-scale trials were recommended before clinical implementations.

PMID:34391027 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104037