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Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is effective and safe, but its outcomes for patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease are relatively unclear. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar till November 2023 yielded studies evaluating TAVI in BAV patients. Inclusion criteria were applied, and data were extracted on clinical and procedural outcomes, including echocardiographic measures and complications. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis. From the 29 studies covering 8045 BAV patients, the mean age was found to be 72.5 ± 10.35 years with a male predominance of 56.4% ± 7.9%. TAVI was significantly beneficial, decreasing the mean aortic gradient from 46.9 to 10.4 mm Hg postprocedure and increasing aortic valve area, evidencing improved hemodynamics. A high procedural success rate of 93.3% was noted, predominantly through femoral access. However, complications included pacemaker need (12.6%), minor bleeding, and acute kidney injury. All-cause mortality escalated from 3.7% perioperatively to 16.8% after 1 year. Hazard ratios and P values highlighted significant outcomes: perioperative hazard ratio for mortality at 3.7% (P < 0.05), reduction in perioperative versus postoperative gradients (P < 0.001), and increase in postoperative aortic valve area (P < 0.001). The need for postdilatation was less than predilatation (P < 0.05), and significant differences were noted in device sizes (P < 0.05). TAVI in BAV patients showed good perioperative outcomes but with moderate complication rates. Notably, there was a significant rise in 1-year mortality, underscoring the importance of careful patient selection and strict postoperative care. More studies are necessary to determine long-term results and refine procedures for this group., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Imaging is instrumental in diagnosing and directing the management of atherosclerosis. In 1958 the first diagnostic coronary angiography (CA) was performed, and since then further development has led to new methods such as coronary CT angiography (CTA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), positron tomography (PET), and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Currently, CA remains powerful for visualizing coronary arteries; however, recent studies show the benefits of using other non-invasive techniques. This review identifies optimum imaging techniques for diagnosing and monitoring plaque stability. This becomes even direr now, given the rapidly rising incidence of atherosclerosis in society today. Many acute coronary events, including acute myocardial infarctions and sudden deaths, are attributable to plaque rupture. Although fatal, these events can be preventable. We discuss the factors affecting plaque integrity, such as increased inflammation, medications like statins, and increased lipid content. Some of these precipitating factors are identifiable through imaging. However, we also highlight significant complications arising in some modalities; in CA this can include ventricular arrhythmia and even death. Extending this, we elucidated from the literature that risk can also vary based on the location of arteries and their plaques. Promisingly, there are less invasive methods being trialled for assessing plaque stability, such as Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR), which is already in use for other cardiac diseases like cardiomyopathies. Therefore, future research focusing on using imaging modalities in conjunction may be sensible, to bridge between the effectiveness of modalities, at the expense of increased complications, and vice versa., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The human DNA repair enzyme AlkB homologue-2 (ALKBH2) repairs methyl adducts from genomic DNA and is overexpressed in several cancers. However, there are no known inhibitors available for this crucial DNA repair enzyme. The aim of this study was to examine whether the first-generation HIV protease inhibitors having strong anti-cancer activity can be repurposed as inhibitors of ALKBH2. We selected four such inhibitors and performed in vitro binding analysis against ALKBH2 based on alterations of its intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and differential scanning fluorimetry. The effect of these HIV protease inhibitors on the DNA repair activity of ALKBH2 was also evaluated. Interestingly, we observed that one of the inhibitors, ritonavir, could inhibit ALKBH2-mediated DNA repair significantly via competitive inhibition and sensitized cancer cells to alkylating agent methylmethane sulfonate (MMS). This work may provide new insights into the possibilities of utilizing HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir as a DNA repair antagonist., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a cool season legume crop that plays vital roles in food and nutritional security, mostly in the least developed countries. Lentil is often cultivated in dry and semi-dry regions, where the primary abiotic factor is drought, which negatively impacts lentil growth and development, resulting in a reduction of yield. To withstand drought-induced multiple negative effects, lentil plants evolved a variety of adaptation strategies that can be classified within three broad categories of drought tolerance mechanisms (i.e., escape, avoidance, and tolerance). Lentil adapts to drought by the modulation of various traits in the root system, leaf architecture, canopy structure, branching, anatomical features, and flowering process. Furthermore, the activation of certain defensive biochemical pathways as well as the regulation of gene functions contributes to lentil drought tolerance. Plant breeders typically employ conventional and mutational breeding approaches to develop lentil varieties that can withstand drought effects; however, little progress has been made in developing drought-tolerant lentil varieties using genomics-assisted technologies. This review highlights the current understanding of morpho-physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of lentil adaptation to drought stress. We also discuss the potential application of omics-assisted breeding approaches to develop lentil varieties with superior drought tolerance traits., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Noor, Tahjib-Ul-Arif, Alim, Islam, Hasan, Babar, Hossain, Jewel, Murata and Mostofa.)

Background: The psychological aspect is one of the important aspects of the affected disaster survivors. The change in the disaster management paradigm is one reason for the need to change interventions that previously only focused on handling posttraumatic distress syndrome into interventions to increase post-traumatic growth to prevent post-disaster psychological disorders. This review aims to synthesise recent research to develop further explanations regarding potential strategies to improve the post-traumatic growth of disaster survivors., Method: This is an integrative review of previous studies. Articles were identified via SCOPUS, EMBASE, JSTOR, PROQUEST, MEDLINE and grey literature (Google Scholar). All subject-relevant literature from 2000 to 2022 was identified. This review included quantitative and qualitative studies and literature reviews, with criteria: all types of interventions used to improve the post-traumatic growth of disaster survivors and potential influencing factors that may affect the implementation as well as other relevant outcomes., Result: From 400 initial search studies, 27 studies (24 quantitative. one qualitative, and two mixed methods) were eligible to be included in the review. Some factors promoting post-traumatic growth included religious coping, culture, social support, the severity of the trauma, coping strategies, education level and work satisfaction., Conclusion: By systematically exploring the factors that foster post-traumatic growth of disaster survival, this integrative review will give fundamental information to develop an intervention that prevents or minimises the psychological impacts of a disaster towards survivors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The current study aimed to delve into the comparative clinical outcomes between external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and sequential High Dose Rate Intracavitary Brachytherapy (HDRICBT) with or without concurrent cisplatin administration on the day of intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) insertion in women with locally advanced cervical cancer., Methods: In this study, conducted between January 2017 and July 2018 at a leading institute in India, diagnosed and untreated patients of locally advanced carcinoma cervix were randomized into two groups. Arm 1 received concurrent cisplatin before each course of brachytherapy, while Arm 2 underwent brachytherapy alone. The outcomes were compared in terms of acute and late toxicities, treatment response, and follow-up. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 16, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05., Results: Both study arms showed similar complete response (CR) rates of 73.3%, with no significant advantage of concurrent cisplatin before brachytherapy. However, a noteworthy trend emerged during follow-up. In the concurrent cisplatin group, the CR rate increased from 73.3% post 1 month of brachytherapy to 86.7% at 3 months and 83.3% at 6 months. Contrastingly, the control group showed CR rates of 73.3% post 1 month, 80% at 3 months, and 76.6% at 6 months. While not statistically significant, this observation suggests a possible enhancement in response rates with concurrent cisplatin and ICBT., Conclusions: Future studies focusing on the optimal drug, dosage, scheduling, and combining cisplatin with other agents are recommended to further explore the potential benefits observed in this study.

Background: Cardiac arrest is one of the fatal medical emergencies which need to be treated immediately. Poor survival rates in the community settings are common because of limited and ineffective bystander basic life support (BLS). This study aimed to identify factors that are associated with the willingness to perform BLS in communities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted with a cross-sectional design. Participants (n = 251) were enrolled from the general population consisting of teachers, security personnel, and police officers recruited through cluster random sampling. Data were gathered using both digital or printed questionnaires. Ordinal logistic regression with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was used to analyze the association between BLS predictors and willingness to perform BLS., Results: Most participants were willing to perform BLS for all genders (55.55%). The inability to perform BLS and fear of causing harm were the main barriers to performing BLS accounting for 61.35% and 43.82%, respectively. Compared to other independent predictors, ages 40-59 were found to be the highest predictors of willingness to perform BLS (AOR:1.44) followed by experience of seeing real or simulation of the emergency case (AOR:1.38) CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the respondents were eager to perform BLS although some barriers were also found. This study provides some understanding of the predictor factors associated with BLS performance and shows respondents with some training or experience were more likely to perform BLS. The results inform policymakers to develop a strategic plan for increasing willingness to apply BLS in the community. WC:250., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest No competing interests declared., (Copyright © 2023 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) can be described as an acute, transiently occurring form of heart failure. It typically causes systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV). Perhaps what is of most significance is the reversible nature of TTS, with many patients achieving recovery within a few weeks to months. TTS can be referred to by other names, attributed to its various precipitants, as well as the structural manifestations of the syndrome. Physical and emotional stressors have been identified as the most common of causes, hence the terms 'stress cardiomyopathy' and 'broken heart syndrome'. Precipitants can range from psychological, and hormonal, to molecular mechanisms. The symptoms of TTS can coalesce with other conditions and hence give rise to many differential diagnoses. Most patients present with dyspnoea and chest pain. The latter also presents in acute coronary syndrome (ACS); thus, ACS is a common differential diagnosis for TTS. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic saw a drastic increase in mental health concerns which have persisted beyond this period. Further studies into personality disorders and their potential predisposition to COVID-19 and thus TTS would advance our understanding of the neuropsychiatric triggers of TTS. There is also a need for a single sensitive and specific diagnostic test for TTS as its diagnosis relies on the culmination of clinical presentation, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR)., (Copyright © 2023 Italian Federation of Cardiology - I.F.C. All rights reserved.)

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health workers' workload is increasing, with the risk of burnout. Several instruments for assessing burnout have been developed since the concept was coined in the 1970s. It is important to map and describe the application of burnout instruments for health workers in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation., Aims: This article aimed to map and describe what instruments are used and variations of their application to research burnout in health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This scoping review searched articles systematically through 7 databases (PubMed, Clinical Key, Scopus, EBSCOhost, APA PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Wiley Online Library). Articles were screened and analyzed following the Arksey and O'Malley framework., Results: From 507 results, 31 peer-reviewed articles were selected. These studies involved 33,879 participants from various health professions. Generally, the research instrument is still dominated by Maslach Burnout Inventory. Applications of burnout measurements vary widely because there is no consensus on the concept of burnout assessment., Conclusion: Inconsistency in burnout-measuring tools can be seen as providing flexibility and alternatives, but at the same time, it is a gap that challenges researchers to develop more comprehensive instruments, especially for the burnout phenomenon in health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Pulmonary blood flow can be assessed on ventilation-perfusion (VQ) scan with relative lung perfusion, with a 55% to 45% (or 10%) right-to-left differential considered normal. We hypothesized that wide perfusion differential on routine VQ studies at 3 mo posttransplant would be associated with an increased risk of death or retransplantation, chronic lung allograft (CLAD), and baseline lung allograft dysfunction., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on all patients who underwent double-lung transplant in our program between 2005 and 2016, identifying patients with a wide perfusion differential of >10% on a 3-mo VQ scan. We used Kaplan-Meier estimates and proportional hazards models to assess the association between perfusion differential and time to death or retransplant and time to CLAD onset. We used correlation and linear regression to assess the relationship with lung function at time of scan and with baseline lung allograft dysfunction., Results: Of 340 patients who met inclusion criteria, 169 (49%) had a relative perfusion differential of ≥ 10% on a 3-mo VQ scan. Patients with increased perfusion differential had increased risk of death or retransplantation ( P  = 0.011) and CLAD onset ( P  = 0.012) after adjustment for other radiographic/endoscopic abnormalities. Increased perfusion differential was associated with lower lung function at time of scan., Conclusions: Wide lung perfusion differential was common after lung transplant in our cohort and associated with increased risk of death, poor lung function, and CLAD onset. The nature of this abnormality and its use as a predictor of future risk warrant further investigation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this communication.

Major proteins of the seminal plasma in a variety of mammals such as bovine PDC-109, equine HSP-1/2, and donkey DSP-1 contain fibronectin type-II (FnII) domains and are referred to as FnII family proteins. To further our understanding on these proteins, we carried out detailed studies on DSP-3, another FnII protein of donkey seminal plasma. High-resolution mass-spectrometric studies revealed that DSP-3 contains 106 amino acid residues and is heterogeneously glycosylated with multiple acetylations on the glycans. Interestingly, high homology was observed between DSP-1 and HSP-1 (118 identical residues) than between DSP-1 and DSP-3 (72 identical residues). Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies showed that DSP-3 unfolds at ~45 °C and binding of phosphorylcholine (PrC) - the head group moiety of choline phospholipids - increases the thermal stability. Analysis of DSC data suggested that unlike PDC-109 and DSP-1, which exist as mixtures of polydisperse oligomers, DSP-3 most likely exists as a monomer. Ligand binding studies monitoring changes in protein intrinsic fluorescence indicated that DSP-3 binds lyso-phosphatidylcholine (K a  = 1.08 × 10 5  M -1 ) with ~80-fold higher affinity than PrC (K a  = 1.39 × 10 3  M -1 ). Binding of DSP-3 to erythrocytes leads to membrane perturbation, suggesting that its binding to sperm plasma membrane could be physiologically significant., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Musti J. Swamy reports financial support was provided by India Ministry of Science & Technology, Department of Science and Technology. Musti J. Swamy reports financial support was provided by University of Hyderabad., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biochemical and biophysical studies revealed that chitinase O from Chitiniphilus shinanonensis (CsChiO) exhibits considerable thermotolerance, possibly due to the formation of a stable structural conformation. CsChiO is an exochitinase with a temperature optimum of 70 °C. The secondary structures of CsChiO and its catalytic domain (Cat-CsChiO) are only marginally affected upon heating up to 90 °C, as revealed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies revealed that CsChiO exhibits two endothermic transitions at ca. 51 °C (T m1 ) and 59 °C (T m2 ), whereas Cat-CsChiO shows a single endothermic transition at 52 °C. Together, the CD and DSC analyses suggested that the catalytic domain of CsChiO undergoes a thermotropic transition at ~52 °C from native state to another stable structural conformation. Results from molecular dynamic simulations corroborated that Cat-CsChiO adopts a stable structural conformation above 50 °C by partial unfolding. Thermotolerant CsChiO would be useful for the conversion of chitin, which is highly abundant, to biologically active COS. This study unveiled the adaptability of enzymes/proteins in nature to perform biological functions at elevated temperatures., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Fibronectin type-II (FnII) family proteins are the major proteins in many mammalian species including bull, horse and pig. In the present study, a major FnII protein has been identified and isolated from donkey (Equus hemionus) seminal plasma, which we refer to as Donkey Seminal Plasma protein-1 (DSP-1). The amino acid sequence determined by mass spectrometry and computational modeling studies revealed that DSP-1 is homologous to other mammalian seminal plasma proteins, including bovine PDC-109 (also known as BSP-A1/A2) and equine HSP-1/2. High-resolution LC-MS analysis indicated that the protein is heterogeneously glycosylated and also contains multiple acetylations, occurring in the attached glycans. Structural and thermal stability studies on DSP-1 employing CD spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry showed that the protein unfolds at ~43 °C and binding to phosphorylcholine (PrC) - the head group moiety of choline phospholipids - increases its thermal stability. Intrinsic fluorescence titrations revealed that DSP-1 recognizes lyso-phosphatidylcholine with over 100-fold higher affinity than PrC. Further, interaction of DSP-1 with erythrocytes, a model cell membrane, revealed that DSP-1 binding is mediated by a specific interaction with choline phospholipids and results in membrane perturbation, suggesting that binding of this protein to sperm plasma membrane could be physiologically significant., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) generated from either chitin (chitin oligosaccharides) or chitosan (chitosan oligosaccharides) have a wide range of applications in agriculture, medicine, and other fields. Here, we report the characterization of a chitosanase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ( Bam Csn) and the importance of a tryptophan (Trp), W204, for Bam Csn activity. Bam Csn hydrolyzed the chitosan polymer by an endo mode. It also hydrolyzed chitin oligosaccharides and interestingly exhibited transglycosylation activity on chitotetraose and chitopentaose. Mutation of W204, a nonconserved amino acid in chitosanases, to W204A abolished the hydrolytic activity of Bam Csn, with a change in the structure that resulted in a decreased affinity for the substrate and impaired the catalytic ability. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Bam Csn could belong to a new class of chitosanases that showed unique properties like transglycosylation, cleavage of chitin oligosaccharides, and the presence of W204 residues, which is important for activity. Chitosanases belonging to the Bam Csn class showed a high potential to generate COS from chitinous substrates.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of Demodex on the face and within the eyelash follicles in patients with rosacea., Subjects and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included 80 participants, 40 patients with rosacea and 40 individuals with no rosacea as controls. The presence of Demodex on the face was assessed by standard superficial skin biopsy. Sixteen eyelashes were epilated from each patient and control., Results: The rate of Demodex infestation and severe infestation on the face in patients with rosacea was significantly higher than the control group. Demodex count within the eyelash follicle was significantly higher in patients with erythematotelangiectatic type rosacea than the control group. There was no increase in blepharitis in rosacea patients but when blepharitis was present, the rate of the presence of Demodex was higher in this group. There was a statistically significant relationship between the presence of Demodex within the eyelashes and itchy eyes in people without blepharitis., Conclusion: When at least one Demodex is found on the face in rosacea patients, the eyelashes should be examined for effective treatment of the mite. Itchy eyes may be an important sign of the presence of Demodex in people without blepharitis., Competing Interests: None

Purpose: In our study, we aimed to investigate the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (GCIPL), retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFL), mean macular volume (MMV), central macular thickness (CMT), mean macular thickness (MMT), and choroidal thickness (CT) values with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients who are diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Materials and methods: The study included 43 patients who were diagnosed with AUD, and 43 healthy controls. Detailed biomicroscopic examinations of all the participants, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, anterior and posterior segment examinations, and then, OCT measurements were carried out. Results: Although the measured values for RNFL in the superior and temporal quadrant are within normal limits, they were slightly higher compared to those in the control group ( p values 0.127 and 0.191 for superior quadrant and temporal quadrant, respectively). The CT measurements in all quadrants were higher than the control group; however, these measurements were not statistically significant ( p  > 0.05). When the relation between clinical features and OCT findings of the patients were examined, it was determined that the ages of the patients were statistically significantly and inversely correlated with the temporal CT and also the nasal and temporal quadrants of RNFL. Conclusions: Our study is the first study that examines the retinal GCIPL and CT with OCT in patients who are diagnosed with AUD. In our results, it was determined that there were no statistically significant differences between the participants in terms of OCT parameters. Further studies with larger sampling groups evaluating neurotransmission findings may provide wider results.

Aquasomes (AQ) are self-assembled nanostructures, made up of a spherical hydroxyapatite core and a carbohydrate layer on top, for delivering bioactive molecules like proteins, peptides, etc., which are adsorbed on the carbohydrate layer. This is the first report of its kind demonstrating AQ as an efficient dual drug delivery system, capable of releasing bioactive molecule and a hydrophobic drug together. The synthesized AQ before and after adsorption of the bioactive molecule are characterized using dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and Raman spectroscopy. BSA (bovine serum albumin) protein is used as the model bioactive molecule for the in vitro dual release studies along with representative hydrophobic drugs Coumarin 153 (C153), Warfarin (WAR), and Ibuprofen (IBU). The release behaviors of the hydrophobic drugs are explained by studying their binding interactions with BSA. The binding interactions of the drugs with BSA are analyzed by carrying out fluorescence quenching experiment of BSA, site marking competition experiment, anisotropy, and E T (30) studies. Further, in vitro biocompatibility studies are performed for dually loaded AQ by using hemolysis assay. The hemolysis assay do not show any lysing of the red blood cells, suggesting the formulations to be clinically capable for administration.

Purpose: To evaluate the retinal and choroidal thicknesses in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using optical coherence tomography., Methods: The study included 26 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 26 age-matched healthy control groups. Detailed ocular examinations were performed on all participants. Cirrus EDI-OCT (enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography) was used for choroidal thickness measurements with frame enhancement software. The subfoveal area was used for choroidal thickness measurements., Results: The patients with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had an average 239.13 ± 57.77  μ m subfoveal choroidal thickness, and the control group had an average 285.02 ± 25  μ m subfoveal choroidal thickness. The subfoveal choroidal thickness measurements revealed a statistically significant difference between patients and the control group ( p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between patients and control group regarding mean macular thickness, central macular thickness, and GCIPL (ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer) thickness. Also, there was no statistically significant difference between patients and control group regarding mean, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal RNFL (retinal nerve fiber layer) thicknesses., Conclusion: Chronic hypoxemia seems to cause decreased choroidal thickness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Sait Alim et al.)

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the choroidal and retinal thicknesses in singleton versus twin pregnancies., Materials and Methods: This study included 20 single and 20 twin pregnant women in their 3 rd trimester with 20 age-matched healthy nonpregnant women as a control group. All participants underwent a detailed ocular examination. Cirrus enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography was used for choroidal thickness (CT) with frame enhancement software. The study was divided into three groups: Group 1 - singleton pregnancy, Group 2 - twin pregnancy, and Group 3 - healthy nonpregnant controls. CT was measured from nasal, subfoveal, and temporal fields., Results: Regarding CT, the twin pregnancy group had the thickest choroid followed by the singleton pregnancy group and control group. There was a statistically significant difference between Group 2 and Group 3 in terms of nasal, subfoveal, and temporal CTs ( P = 0.002, P = 0.001, and P = 0.003, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference between Group 1 and Group 3 regarding just subfoveal CT ( P = 0.028). Regarding retinal thickness, there was a statistically significant difference between Group 1 and Group 3 regarding the mean macular volume and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thicknesses ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, regarding mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, there was a statistically significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 and between Group 2 and Group 3 ( P = 0.004, P = 0.003, respectively)., Conclusion: Our study is the first one which evaluates choroidal and retinal thicknesses in twin pregnancies. We found that there was an increase in CT in the 3 rd trimester of pregnancies and it was prominent in twin pregnancies., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology.)

The community's role during a disaster within the first 24-72 hours before having government's aid is crucial in making the condition under control in a timely manner. Disaster management institution, especially at local level, has not had any models for flood preparedness training through participative approach based on the local wisdom of Jambi community to reduce disaster risks. This study tries to evaluate the effectiveness of training programme for flood preparedness based on the local wisdom designed for Jambi community, Indonesia. This research is an experimental study with pre- and post-test control design, in-class training followed by field practice and evaluated using three components: pre-test and post-test evaluations (score scale: 0-100), skill observation during disaster training (score scale: 1-4). The participants consisted of 24 local people chosen from the disaster-prone area; all participated in the disaster training. The score of pre- and post-test evaluations indicates improved post-test result with 71.4 ( p < 0.005). There was also a skill improvement in the final simulation with 75% excellent score using model modification of programme for enhancement of emergency responses based on the local wisdom. This study completely evaluates the effectiveness of training for flood preparedness based on the local wisdom to improve the knowledge, ability and skill of people in disaster-prone areas., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

The recently concluded World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in Sendai, Japan and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR) have set renewed priorities for disaster risk reduction (DRR) for the next 15 years. This framework is the main guiding instrument for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) within the scope of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. Disaster management policies and practices should be based on an understanding of risks, not just on an ideological level. Gap and key challenges identified include Still weak coordination, cooperation and linkages among the sectors related to DRR, Lacks of skills in loss assessment and post disaster needs, lack of strategic research agenda, absence of consensus regarding terminology, and limited coordination between stakeholders. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of why disaster risk reduction efforts undertaken by regional policy often fail to improve future disaster responses. These findings can be used to help guide to improve regional policy in disaster risk reduction processes. This research is a systematic review study by collecting articles that are relevant to International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. From the analysis, we found that all four priorities for action in the Sendai Framework are relevant to Disaster Risk Management (DRM) field as follows: 1). Understanding disaster risk; 2). Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk; 3). Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience and 4). Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to "Build Back Better" in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

A multiporous nanofiber (MPNFs) of SnO₂ and chitosan has been used for the immobilization of a redox protein, hemoglobin (Hb), onto the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The multiporous nanofiber of SnO₂ that has very high surface area is synthesized by using electrospinning technique through controlling the tin precursor concentration. Since the constructed MPNFs of SnO₂ exposes very high surface area, it increases the efficiency for biomolecule-loading. The morphology of fabricated electrodes is examined by SEM observation and the absorbance spectra of Hb/(MPNFs) of SnO₂ are studied by UV-Vis analysis. Cyclic Voltammetry and amperometry are employed to study and optimize the performance of the resulting fabricated electrode. After fabrication of the electrode with the Hb and MPNFs of SnO₂, a direct electron transfer between the protein's redox centre and the glassy carbon electrode was established. The modified electrode has showed a couple of redox peak located at -0.29 V and -0.18 V and found to be sensitive to H₂O₂. The fabricated electrode also exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of H₂O₂. The catalysis currents increased linearly to the H₂O₂ concentration in a wide range of 5.0×10 -6 -1.5×10 -4 M. Overall experimental results show that MPNFs of SnO₂ has a role towards the enhancement of the electroactivity of Hb at the electrode surface. Thus the MPNFs of SnO₂ is a very promising candidate for future biosensor applications.

This work reports on a novel glucose biosensor based on co-immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase with polymerized multiporous nanofiber (MPNFs) of SnO 2 onto glassy carbon electrode with chitosan. Multiporous nanofibers of SnO 2 were synthesized by electrospinning method from the tin precursor which possesses high surface area good electrical conductivity, and the nanofibers were polymerized with polyaniline (PANI). GOx and HRP were then co-immobilized with the nanofibers on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode by using chitosan. The polymerized nanofibers play a significant role in facilitating the direct electron transfer between the electroactive center of the immobilized enzyme and the electrode surface. The morphology of the nanofiber and polymerized nanofiber has been evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Cyclic Voltammetry and amperometry were employed to study and optimize the performance of the fabricated biosensor. The PANI/SnO 2 -NF/GOx-HRP/Ch/GC biosensor displayed a linear amperometric response towards the glucose concentration range from 5 to 100 μM with a detection limit of 1.8 μM (S/N = 3). Also, the anti-interference study and real sample analysis was investigated. Furthermore, the biosensor reported in this work exhibited excellent stability, reproducibility, and repeatability., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The innovation of nanoparticles assumes a critical part of encouraging and giving open doors and conceivable outcomes to the headway of new era devices utilized as a part of biosensing. The focused on the quick and legitimate detecting of specific biomolecules using functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has turned into a noteworthy research enthusiasm for the most recent decade. Sensors created with gold nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes or in some cases by utilizing both are relied upon to change the very establishments of detecting and distinguishing various analytes. In this review, we will examine the current utilization of functionalized AuNPs and CNTs with other synthetic mixes for the creation of biosensor prompting to the location of particular analytes with low discovery cutoff and quick reaction., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Motivation: Segmental duplications (SDs) or low-copy repeats, are segments of DNA > 1 Kbp with high sequence identity that are copied to other regions of the genome. SDs are among the most important sources of evolution, a common cause of genomic structural variation and several are associated with diseases of genomic origin including schizophrenia and autism. Despite their functional importance, SDs present one of the major hurdles for de novo genome assembly due to the ambiguity they cause in building and traversing both state-of-the-art overlap-layout-consensus and de Bruijn graphs. This causes SD regions to be misassembled, collapsed into a unique representation, or completely missing from assembled reference genomes for various organisms. In turn, this missing or incorrect information limits our ability to fully understand the evolution and the architecture of the genomes. Despite the essential need to accurately characterize SDs in assemblies, there has been only one tool that was developed for this purpose, called Whole-Genome Assembly Comparison (WGAC); its primary goal is SD detection. WGAC is comprised of several steps that employ different tools and custom scripts, which makes this strategy difficult and time consuming to use. Thus there is still a need for algorithms to characterize within-assembly SDs quickly, accurately, and in a user friendly manner., Results: Here we introduce SEgmental Duplication Evaluation Framework (SEDEF) to rapidly detect SDs through sophisticated filtering strategies based on Jaccard similarity and local chaining. We show that SEDEF accurately detects SDs while maintaining substantial speed up over WGAC that translates into practical run times of minutes instead of weeks. Notably, our algorithm captures up to 25% 'pairwise error' between segments, whereas previous studies focused on only 10%, allowing us to more deeply track the evolutionary history of the genome., Availability and Implementation: SEDEF is available at https://github.com/vpc-ccg/sedef.

A novel third generation H 2 O 2 biosensor is fabricated using multiporous SnO 2 nanofiber/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite as a matrix for the immobilization of redox protein onto glassy carbon electrode. The multiporous nanofiber (MPNFs) of SnO 2 is synthesized by electrospinning technique from the tin precursor. This nanofiber shows high surface area and good electrical conductivity. The SnO 2 nanofiber/CNT composite increases the efficiency of biomolecule loading due to its high surface area. The morphology of the nanofiber has been evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cyclic Voltammetry and amperometry technique are employed to study and optimize the performance of the fabricated electrode. A direct electron transfer between the protein's redox centre and the glassy carbon electrode is established after fabrication of the electrode. The fabricated electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic reduction to H 2 O 2 . The catalysis currents increases linearly to the H 2 O 2 concentration in a wide range of 1.0 10 -6 -1.4×10 -4 M and the lowest detection limit was 30nM (S/N=3). Moreover, the biosensor showed a rapid response to H 2 O 2 , a good stability and reproducibility., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) in adult-onset familial Mediterranean fever (FMF)., Methods: Forty two adult-onset FMF patients and forty two healthy controls were included in the present study. Detailed ocular examination was performed, and then the thickness of the peripapillary RNFL and GCIPL was measured by Spectral domain optical coherence tomography. The patients were divided into two groups according to their disease severity score, M694V gene mutation, colchicine dosage used per day, colchicine usage time period and number of FMF attacks per year., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in peripapillary RNFL and retinal GCIPL thickness in patients with adult-onset FMF and controls., Conclusion: According to our study, it looks like that neither adult-onset FMF nor colchicine has any effect on the RNFL and GCIPL thicknesses. Further studies with a large sample size are needed.

HSP-1/2 and PDC-109 belong to a family of fibronectin type II proteins, present in high concentrations in bovine and equine seminal plasma, respectively. These proteins act as extracellular small heat shock proteins and protect target/client proteins against various kinds of stress. They also exhibit characteristic binding to choline phospholipids present on the sperm plasma membrane and cause efflux of choline phospholipids and cholesterol, resulting in sperm capacitation. The current study demonstrates that hypersaline conditions decrease the chaperone-like activity (CLA) of HSP-1/2. On the other hand, lipoprotein aggregates formed by the binding of choline phospholipids to this protein exhibit higher CLA than HSP-1/2 alone in vitro; the increased CLA can be correlated to the increased surface hydrophobicity of the lipoprotein aggregates. Presence of cholesterol in the membrane was found to decrease such enhancement in the CLA. We have also observed that salinity of the medium affects the chaperone activity by altering the polydisperse nature of the HSP-1/2. Together these results indicate that hydrophobicity and polydispersity are important for the chaperone-like activity of HSP-1/2 and factors that can alter these properties of HSP-1/2 can modulate its CLA. Further, studies on PDC-109 show that the chaperone-like and membrane-destabilizing activities of this protein are differentially affected by change in pH.

Study Objective: To determine the effects of the McGrath Series 5 video laryngoscope on intraocular pressure (IOP) during laryngoscopy., Design: Prospective, randomized, double blind., Setting: Operating room., Patients: Eighty adult patients of American Society of Anesthesiologist physical status 1 scheduled for nonophthalmic elective surgery under general anesthesia., Interventions: The endotracheal intubation was provided using McGrath series 5 video laryngoscope in MG group (n=40) or Macintosh laryngoscope in M group (n=40)., Measurements: The IOP of the right and left eyes was measured before and after the laryngoscopic process., Main Results: The mean arterial blood pressure values just before laryngoscopy and intubation and after intubation were 77.38±6.18 and 97.38±12.77 in the McGrath video laryngoscope group and 75.85±7.88 and 99.12±14.30 in the Macintosh laryngoscope group, respectively. The IOP values of the left eye after intubation and at the 5th and the 10th minutes in the Macintosh laryngoscope group were found to be significantly higher than those in the McGrath video laryngoscope group (P=.019, P=.019, and P=.007, respectively). In addition, the IOP values of the right eye were found to be higher after intubation and at the 5th and the 10th minutes in the Macintosh laryngoscope group, compared to the McGrath video laryngoscope group (P=.009, P=.021, and P=.011, respectively). The mean IOP values for the left eye just before laryngoscopy and intubation and after intubation were 10.65±2.52 and 15.57±3.62 in the McGrath video laryngoscope group, and for the right eye, they were 10.60±1.64 and 17.17±2.38 in the Macintosh laryngoscope group, respectively., Conclusion: The McGrath Series 5 video laryngoscope may provide a lower IOP level compared to the Macintosh laryngoscope in an otherwise healthy, young patient population., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Comparison of endoscopic and external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) results and evaluation of patients' satisfaction., Methods: Forty six (35 females and 11 males) patients who underwent endoscopic DCR and 43 (37 females and six males) who underwent external DCR were included. Surgical success was objectively and subjectively assessed. The nasolacrimal duct was irrigated by a saline solution, and the saline solution was objectively visualized by endoscopy from the nose. Subjective assessment was performed asking the patients' epiphora. In addition to evaluating the success of the operation, satisfaction and result surveys were administered to the two groups., Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of age and sex (respectively p=0.486, p=0.23). However, the number of females was higher than the number of males in the two groups, and the difference was statistically significant (endoscopic-DCR p=0.01, external-DCR p=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of postoperative bleeding and punctum damage. The success rate was 84.7% in the endoscopic DCR group and 90.6% in the external DCR group. There was no statistically significant difference in the success rate between the two groups (p=0.397). The survey results revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of patient satisfaction (p=0.397)., Conclusion: The results of many studies in the literature show operation success rates between the two groups that are similar to ours. Both techniques have advantages and disadvantages. Independent of the preferred procedure, our results show that functional success mainly determines patient satisfaction., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Purpose: To evaluate the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) in children with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF)., Methods: The study included 39 FMF patients and 36 healthy controls. After detailed ocular examination, the thickness of the peripapillary RNFL and GCIPL were measured by spectral domain optic coherence tomography (SD-OCT). All measurements were taken from the right eye of the patients and controls. According to their disease severity score (DSS), the patients were divided into two groups: patients with DSS ≤5 and those with DSS >5., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in peripapillary RNFL and retinal GCIPL thickness between patients with FMF and controls., Conclusion: It appears that FMF does not affect the RNFL and GCIPL thickness.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a relatively new, noninvasive imaging technique that has been used increasingly to diagnose and manage a variety of retinal diseases. Since the axons in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) are nonmyelinated within the retina, OCT has been used in various neurodegenerative diseases to visualize the process of neurodegeneration. Decreases in RNFL and ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thicknesses were observed in patients with schizophrenia. To date, there is no clinical research investigating OCT parameters in patients with MD. We compared the RNFL thickness, GCIPL thickness in 58 MD patients and 57 healthy controls, and investigated their correlation with clinical variables of depression. Depressed patients were not different from the healthy controls with regard to OCT parameters. GCIPL and nasal RNFL were correlated with the duration of the latest depressive episode. Some measures of OCT were negatively associated with clinical variables like a family history of psychiatric diagnosis and the duration of the latest episode. Larger studies including depressed patients of different severity, including structured interviews and controlling for the effect of antidepressant treatment will provide better results., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To evaluate retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness analysis of peripapillary optic nerve head (PONH) and macula as well as ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness in obese children., Methods: Eighty-five children with obesity and 30 controls were included in the study. The thicknesses of the PONH and macula of each subject's right eye were measured by high-resolution spectral-domain optic coherence tomography (OCT)., Results: The RNFL thicknesses of central macular and PONH were similar between the groups (all P>0.05). The GCIPL thickness was also similar between the groups. However, the RNFL thickness of temporal outer macula were 261.7±13.7 and 268.9±14.3 µm for the obesity and the control group, respectively (P=0.034)., Conclusion: Obesity may cause a reduction in temporal outer macular RNFL thickness.

Purpose: To investigate possible associations between five different single-nucleotide polymorphisms, from genes associated with arterial stiffness and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), or central retinal vein occlusion., Methods: A total of 187 patients with retinal vein occlusion (133 with BRVO and 54 with central retinal vein occlusion), and 167 controls, were enrolled in this study. All subjects were screened for hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, body mass index, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and very low-density lipoprotein. The genotyping of adiponectin +276 G/T, ACE I/D, AGTR1 A1166C, eNOS E298D, and p22phox -242 C/T polymorphisms was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction., Results: The percentage of the adiponectin +275 T allele carriers was significantly higher in the BRVO patients (37%) than in the controls (23%, P < 0.001). Similarly, the percentage of AGTR1 1166 C allele carriers was significantly higher in the BRVO patients (38%) than in the controls (24%, P < 0.001). At the multiple logistic regression analysis, the adiponectin +275 T allele carrier and AGTR1 1166 C allele carrier status were found to be associated with an increased risk of BRVO (TT vs. GG and TG: odds ratio = 2.278, P = 0.002, 95% confidence interval: 1.370-3.789; CC vs. AA and AC: odds ratio = 1.804, P = 0.025, 95% confidence interval: 1.079-3.017). The genotype distributions or allelic frequencies of ACE I/D, eNOS E298D, and p22phox -242 C/T did not significantly differ between the patients with BRVO and the control subjects. There was no significant difference between the central retinal vein occlusion patients and controls for the genotype or the allele frequency distributions of all evaluated single-nucleotide polymorphisms., Conclusion: Adiponectin +276 G/T and AGTR1 A1166C single-nucleotide polymorphism are likely to be risk factors for BRVO.

Background: Preparedness and preventive measures are needed to reduce the impact of disasters. Disaster preparedness training for nurses has a long history. However, the effectiveness of disaster preparedness training for nursing students has been limited, to some extent, since they have been based on self-evaluation., Objective: The study attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of a disaster preparedness training program followed by a disaster drill designed for nursing students., Participants: Participants were undergraduate students from Universitas Gadjah Mada and diploma students from four randomly chosen nursing colleges located in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. 309 students participated in the training program whereas 225 students participated in the disaster drill., Methods: The present study conducted in-class training followed by a disaster drill and evaluated using 3 components: pre-test and post-test evaluation of knowledge (score range: 0-20), observation of skills during disaster drill (5-point Likert scale), and a structured one-to-one interview of participants' responses to the training and drill process., Results: Pre-test and post-test evaluation scores showed significant improvement (P<0.01, paired t-test) for both university and diploma students. Almost all observation items during the disaster drill were above 4.0 (on 5-point Likert scale). Interview results showed that most participants responded positively., Conclusions: The present study completely evaluated the effectiveness of a disaster preparedness training and disaster drill: The training and drill improved the knowledge and ability of disaster preparedness for both undergraduate and diploma students., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Central corneal thickness and dry eye tests were evaluated in a study population consisting of 68 ankylosing spondylitis patients diagnosed according to the modified New York criteria, and 61 age-matched controls without ankylosing spondylitis. A full ophthalmological evaluation was performed on each subject. All subjects were screened for age, gender, HLA-B27, tear break-up time test, Schirmer test, and duration of disease. Central corneal thickness was measured under topical anesthesia with an ultrasonic pachymeter. The mean central corneal thickness was 537.3 ± 30.6 μm, range 462-600 μm, in ankylosing spondylitis patients, whereas it was 551.7 ± 25.2 μm, range 510-620 μm, in controls (p = 0.005). The Schirmer test result was 7.3 ± 5.9 mm for the ankylosing spondylitis patients and 11.7 ± 5.8 mm for the control group (p = 0.002). Tear break-up time was 7.3 ± 3.2 s for the ankylosing spondylitis patients and 14.0 ± 4.5 s for the control group (p < 0.001). The possibility of a thinner cornea should be taken into consideration in ankylosing spondylitis. In addition, attention must be given to lower dry eye tests in surgical interventions such as photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis in ankylosing spondylitis patients.

Purpose: To map the thickness of the entire cornea using dual-Scheimpflug imaging and to evaluate the changes in the corneal thickness over the entire cornea at different stages of keratoconus., Methods: Corneal pachymetry was performed using the Galilei dual-Scheimpflug analyzer. The thinnest (TCT), central (CCT), paracentral (PaCT), and peripheral corneal thicknesses (PeCT) were also analyzed. The study examined 150 eyes of 150 patients who had myopia or myopic astigmatism and 107 eyes of 75 patients with keratoconus. Of these 107 eyes, 48 were evaluated at stage I keratoconus, 32 at stage II, 12 at stage III, and 15 at stage IV keratoconus. The level of severity of the keratoconus was based on the Amsler-Krumeich classification., Results: There were significant decreases in the thickness values of the entire corneas at all the different stages of progression defined in the Amsler-Krumeich classification. Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the TCT provided a better parameter than did the CCT, PaCT, and PeCT for distinguishing between keratoconus at its different stages and myopic eyes. Although the TCT and CCT parameters provided an effective distinction of eyes with stage II, III, and IV keratoconus from normal eyes, they were not effective for discriminating eyes with stage I keratoconus from eyes with myopia. But, PaCT and PeCT parameters enabled the effective discrimination between eyes with stage IV keratoconus and those with myopia only., Conclusions: The data obtained by dual-Scheimpflug imaging for the corneal thicknesses of the entire cornea provide useful information for grading the severity of keratoconus.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are large groups of zinc-dependent proteases that play an important role in many diseases and pathological processes such as cancer, angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, and vascular disease. Also, it was found that the expression of MMPs was high during the initial period of thrombosis in a rat model of traumatic deep vein thrombosis. Moreover, the presence of metalloproteinase activity and endogenous inhibitor activity in vitrectomy samples are associated with neovascularization of several retinal diseases such as exudative age related maculopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and central retinal vein occlusion. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible association of the matrix metalloproteinase 2-1306C/T (rs 243865) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase 2 G-418C (rs 8179090) polymorphisms with the risk of retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes from ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid anticoagulated blood. Genotyping of the MMP2-1306C/T and TIMP2G-418C polymorphisms were performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The MMP2-1306 T allele carriers (CT + TT) had a significantly increased risk of RVO compared with the CC homozygotes (p < 0.001, odds ratio = 4.78; 95% CI = 2.85-8.09). After adjusting for hypertension, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypercholesterolemia, MMP2-1306 T allele carriers (CT + TT) also had a significantly increased risk of RVO (B = 1.453; p < 0.001; odds ratio = 4.275; 95% CI:2.529-7.224). MMP2-1306C/T, but not TIMP2G-418C, gene variants are a risk factor for the development of retinal vein occlusion., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The recently published paper by Wettstein et al. (2012) reviews the data of literature dealing with participation of small heat shock proteins (sHsp) in cytoskeleton regulation. Analyzing the effect of sHsp on microfilaments, the authors come to conclusion that depending on phosphorylation HspB1 can function as barbed-end-capping protein and can prevent aggregation of F-actin under stress conditions. The modern data do not confirm all these suggestions. We propose that stabilization effect of HspB1 on microfilaments is due to HspB1 interaction with partially unfolded actin or with genuine actin-binding proteins. In addition, HspB1 can exert its stabilizing effect on F-actin by modulating other elements of the cytoskeleton (intermediate filaments and microtubules) or by controlling homeostasis (for instance, redox state). Without being genuine actin-binding proteins, HspB1 and HspB6 predominantly protect microfilaments via an indirect mechanism that is yet to be characterized., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In Pakistan, Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) among married female youth is 17.4% and even lower in rural and slum areas leading to rapid population growth on one hand and poor health consequences on the other. The study was conducted to explore family planning service providers' perceptions regarding use of different contraceptive methods and to identify factors that are influencing their use amongst currently married youth aged 18-24 years in slum areas of Karachi., Method: Qualitative exploratory study design was adopted and a total of ten in-depth interviews were conducted with family planning service providers of the area. For content analysis coding of transcribed interviews was done and then categories were made and furthermore themes were derived., Results: Our findings revealed that family planning service providers perceived that there is low use of contraceptive methods amongst youth of study area and low usage could be due to side effects; myths and misconceptions; lack of proper knowledge about different contraceptives; unmet needs of contraceptives; socio-cultural and religious factors about different contraceptive methods and family planning service providers own biases against or for use of contraceptive methods amongst youth in the study area. However better education of youth and family planning service providers' improved knowledge about counseling and use of contraceptive methods was perceived to be associated with improved use of family planning methods amongst youth of the study area., Conclusion: Exaggerated side effects and socio-cultural factors could be important influences leading to low use of family planning methods amongst youth of Karachi. Some policy initiatives are the training of lady health Workers, lady health visitors, physicians and staff of the pharmacies for counseling youth in the correct use of family planning methods.

It has been previously reported that phosphorylated cofilin interacted with 14-3-3ζ protein to generate a sub-micromolar K(d) binary complex. Here we challenge this hypothesis by analyzing the direct association of recombinant cofilin with 14-3-3ζ using different in vitro biochemical methods. Phosphorylated cofilin at high concentration binds to 14-3-3 immobilized on nitrocellulose, however no complex formation was detected by means of native gel electrophoresis or chemical crosslinking. Intact dimeric or mutant monomeric 14-3-3 was unable to form stable complexes with phosphorylated or unphosphorylated cofilin detected by size-exclusion chromatography. In co-sedimentation assay 14-3-3 did not affect interaction of cofilin with F-actin. The data of native gel electrophoresis indicate that 14-3-3 did not affect interaction of cofilin with G-actin. Thus, cofilin only weakly interacts with 14-3-3 and therefore cannot directly compete with phosphorylated small heat shock protein HspB6 for its binding to 14-3-3. It is hypothesized that phosphorylated HspB6 might affect interaction of 14-3-3 with protein phosphatases (and/or protein kinases) involved in dephosphorylation (or phosphorylation) of cofilin and by this means regulate cofilin-dependent reorganization of cytoskeleton., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Oligomeric association of human small heat shock proteins HspB1, HspB5, HspB6 and HspB8 was analyzed by means of size-exclusion chromatography, analytical ultracentrifugation and chemical cross-linking. Wild-type HspB1 and Cys mutants of HspB5, HspB6 and HspB8 containing a single Cys residue in position homologous to that of Cys137 of human HspB1 were able to generate heterodimers cross-linked by disulfide bond. Cross-linked heterodimers between HspB1/HspB5, HspB1/HspB6 and HspB5/HspB6 were easily produced upon mixing, whereas formation of any heterodimers with participation of HspB8 was significantly less efficient. The size of heterooligomers formed by HspB1/HspB6 and HspB5/HspB6 was different from the size of the corresponding homooligomers. Disulfide cross-linked homodimers of small heat shock proteins were unable to participate in heterooligomer formation. Thus, monomers can be involved in subunit exchange leading to heterooligomer formation and restriction of flexibility induced by disulfide cross-linking prevents subunit exchange.