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IntroductionT follicular (TFH) and peripheral helper (TPH) cells have been increasingly recognized as a pathogenic subset of CD4 T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The SLAM Associated Protein (SAP) regulates TFH and TPH function by binding to the co-stimulatory signaling lymphocyte activation molecule family (SLAMF) receptors that mediate T cell - B cell interactions. SAP and SLAMF are critical for TPH-dependent B cell maturation into autoantibody-producing plasma cells that characterize SLE pathogenesis. We hypothesized that SAP-expressing TPH cells are involved in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN).MethodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated using density gradient separation from whole blood. Cells were stained for cell surface markers, followed by permeabilization and staining of intracellular SAP for spectral flow cytometry analysis. We also analyzed SAP expression from renal infiltrating LN T cells using the available single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA seq) Accelerated Medicines Partnership (AMP) SLE dataset.ResultsPBMC from 30 patients with SLE (34 ± 10 years old, 83% female), including 10 patients with LN, were analyzed. We found an increase in total SAP-positive CD4 and CD8 T cells in SLE compared with controls (55.5 ± 2.6 vs. 41.3 ± 3.4, p=0.007, and 52.5 ± 3.0 vs. 39.2 ± 2.8, p=0.007 respectively). In CD4 T cells, the highest SAP expression was in the TPH subset. The frequency of SAP+TPH in circulation correlated with disease activity; SLE patients with renal disease had higher levels of circulating SAP+TPH that remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, race, low complements, and elevated anti-dsDNA (p=0.014). scRNA-seq data of renal infiltrating T cells in LN identified SAP expression to localize to the TFH-like CD4 cluster and GZMK+ CD8 cluster. Increased SAP expression in LN was associated with the differential expression of SLAMF3 and SLAMF7 and granzyme K and EOMES. The existence of two predominant SAP-expressing subsets, the TFH-like CD4 T cells, and GZMK+ effector CD8 T cells, was verified using scRNA-seq data from a human transcriptomic atlas of fifteen major organs.ConclusionThe expansion of SAP-expressing T helper cells was associated with LN in our cohort and verified using scRNA-seq data of renal infiltrating T cells. Improved SLAM and SAP signaling understanding can identify new therapeutic targets in LN.

Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) and its derivatives, including extracellular vesicles (EVs) and outer membrane proteins, are recognized for enhancing intestinal balance and metabolic health. However, the mechanisms of Akkermansia muciniphila’s action and its effects on the microbiome are not well understood. In this study, we examined the influence of A. muciniphila and its derivatives on gastrointestinal (GI) and metabolic disorders through a meta-analysis of studies conducted on mouse models. A total of 39 eligible studies were identified through targeted searches on PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Embase until May 2024. A. muciniphila (alive or heat-killed) and its derivatives positively affected systemic and gut inflammation, liver enzyme level, glycemic response, and lipid profiles. The intervention increased the expression of tight-junction proteins in the gut, improving gut permeability in mouse models of GI and metabolic disorders. Regarding body weight, A. muciniphila and its derivatives prevented weight loss in animals with GI disorders while reducing body weight in mice with metabolic disorders. Sub-group analysis indicated that live bacteria had a more substantial effect on most analyzed biomarkers. Gut microbiome analysis using live A. muciniphila identified a co-occurrence cluster, including Desulfovibrio, Family XIII AD3011 group, and Candidatus Saccharimonas. Thus, enhancing the intestinal abundance of A. muciniphila and its gut microbial clusters may provide more robust health benefits for cardiometabolic, and age-related diseases compared with A. muciniphila alone. The mechanistic insight elucidated here will pave the way for further exploration and potential translational applications in human health.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of information literacy on creativity and job involvement of librarians. Methodlogy: This applied and quantitative research was conducted with survey method. The data collection tools were three standard questionnaires. The face validity of the measurement tool was confirmed by experts and its reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which was 0.94 for information literacy, 0.71 for creativity and 0.85 for job involvement. The statistical population was a total number of 148 librarians affiliated to the Public Libraries of West Azerbaijan Province that 121 of them completed the questionnaire. Statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS software.Findlings: Based on Pearson test, there was a positive and significant relationship between librarians' information literacy with their creativity (r = 0.351) and job involvement (r = 0.276). Also, a positive and significant relationship (r = 0.240) was observed between creativity and job involvement of librarians. Findings of multiple regression test showed that creativity can be predicted by two dimensions of information literacy; also, one dimension of information literacy can predicted the librarians' job involvement.Conclusion: Information literacy and creativity of librarians of the public libraries of West Azerbaijan province are at a good level and their job involvement is moderate. As librarians' information literacy increases, so does their job involvement and creativity.Value: This study examined the information literacy, creativity and job involvement of librarians as well as the relationship between these variables in a study.

Objective There is a lack of data on the use of telemedicine (TM) in SLE. SLE outcome measures remain complex, and clinicians and clinical trialists have raised concerns about the accuracy of virtual disease activity measures. This study evaluates the level of agreement between virtual SLE outcome measures and face-to-face (F2F) encounter. Here, we describe the study design, virtual physical examination protocol and demographics for the first 50 patients evaluated.Methods and analysis This is an observational, longitudinal study of 200 patients with SLE with varying levels of disease activity from 4 academic lupus centres serving diverse populations. Each study participant will be evaluated at a baseline and a follow-up visit. At each visit, participants are evaluated by the same physician first via a videoconference-based TM and then a F2F encounter. For this protocol, virtual physical examination guidelines relying on physician-directed patient self-examination were established. SLE disease activity measures will be completed immediately after the TM encounter and repeated after the F2F encounter for each visit. The degree of agreement between TM and F2F disease activity measures will be analysed using the Bland-Altman method. An interim analysis is planned after the enrolment of the first 50 participants.Ethics and dissemination This study has been reviewed by the Columbia University Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB Protocol #: AAAT6574). The full results of this study will be published after the final data analysis of 200 patients. The abrupt shift to TM visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted clinical practice and clinical trials. Establishing a high level of agreement between SLE disease activity measures obtained with videoconference TM and F2F at the same time point, will allow for improved assessment of disease activity when F2F data cannot be acquired. This information may guide both medical decision-making and provide reliable outcome measures for clinical research.

Purpose: Hacking the human brain and manipulating human trust to obtain information and get monetary gains is called social engineering. This study aims to visualize and analyze the co-authorship networks in the Scopus citation database's social engineering research from 1926 to 2020. Method: The present quantitative study used the bibliometric method and social network analysis. The study collected data from the Scopus database. A total number of 1994 records were taken as the sample of the study. Researchers used descriptive and inferential statistics and social network analysis to obtain results; to do this, different software types were used in the study (SPSS, Microsoft Excel, Text Statistics Analyzer, ISI.exe, Pajek, and VOSviewer). Findings: The findings indicate the top three sources of publishing and the related subject areas. Furthermore, the top three core authors and countries were identified. Also, the authors with high centrality measures in the co-authorship networks were identified. A large majority of papers had only one author. The Collaborative Coefficient among researchers was 0.36. Based on the results of Spearman's test, there was a significant association between the number of documents, the number of citations, and the rate of total link strength of the countries. Likewise, there was a positive and high significant association between degree and closeness centralities. Conclusion: The researchers' frequently used keywords in this area were social engineering, phishing, and information security; in addition, the frequency of keywords was not compatible with Zipf’s Law. A small sample of keywords will not properly follow Zipf’s distribution.

Background: The aim of the present research is to investigate the research outputs on ethics and technology from the perspective of teachers, based on Google Scholar, from 1983 to 2020. Methods: This applied and quantitative study used descriptive and bibliometric methods. The population and sample of the study were 1343 documents retrieved from Google Scholar between 1983 and 2020. Harzing’s Publish or Perish software was used to collect data. VOSviwer and SPSS software were used respectively for visualizing co-authorship network and statistical cases. Results: Based on findings, in the first 16 years only 84 documents were published; the number of publications during the next years steadily increased. About 64% of the papers were written by one author; while only less than 3% of papers had five or six authors. Also, Spearman correlation test showed that there was a significant and positive association between publication year with Google Scholar rank as well as between publication year and the number of authors per paper. The association between publication year and citation per author and publication year with citation was negative and significant. Furthermore, in the present study, the core authors based on co-authorship network and Collaborative Coefficient (CC) were identified. Conclusion: In Google Scholar the new published papers are retrieved and placed in the first ranks. The number of citations per author and number of citations in total increased when the year of publication decreased. It seems the number of published papers is not reason enough to receive higher citation.

ABSTRACT Background and objectives: COVID-19 outbreak is characterized as a pandemic. Owing to the effect of this disease on people’s lives, news about the methods of preventing and treating this disease is released every day. There have been some clinical data suggesting that vitamins C and D can be useful in treating patients with COVID-19 disease. In this study, we aimed to examine vitamin C and D searching trends in 10 countries and worldwide about the COVID-19 news based on the data on Google Trends. Methods: We surveyed the searches about vitamins C and D using some keywords on Google Trends from December 15, 2019 to April 29, 2020. Results: The number of searches increased after the release of news about the effect of vitamins C and D on COVID-19. Conclusion: The results suggest that as the news about the role of vitamins on infection prevention and treatment spreads, people become more interested in expanding their nutritional knowledge.

Researchers worldwide are striving hard to find a solution for the coronavirus pandemic and reduce the fatalities from this severe outbreak. The purpose of this article is to evaluate and visualize the published documents about coronavirus research, based on extracted data from Web of Science (WoS) citation database. The study used a bibliometric method and social network analysis. Data were collected using the WoS database on February 23, 2020, with 13252 records being retrieved and used as the study sample. Descriptive statistics were used in the bibliometric method and network analysis. Text Statistics Analyzer and ISI.exe were used to compute the number of authors per document. VOSviewer and UCINET were used respectively for visualization and for measuring the centrality and the density of networks. Study findings indicate the top actors of the scientific society (authors, institutions, countries) that had the most publication on coronavirus. Similarly, the top keywords used by authors were identified. Also, the density and centrality measures of co-authorship networks (degree, closeness, betweenness) for the top 10 authors, institutions, countries, and keywords were identified. The Journal of Virology had the highest number of published papers on coronavirus research. The study revealed that the leading researchers and institutions were mostly from the United States of America, England, China, Germany, Netherlands, France, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

BackgroundThe pandemic disrupted the care of patients with rheumatic diseases; difficulties in access to care and its psychological impact affected quality of life. Telemedicine as an alternative to traditional face-to-face office visits has the potential to mitigate this impact.ObjectiveTo evaluate patient and provider experience with telemedicine and its effect on care.MethodsWe surveyed patients with rheumatic diseases and their rheumatology providers. The surveys were conducted in 2020 and repeated in 2021. We assessed data on quality of care and health-related quality of life.ResultsHundred patients and 17 providers responded to the survey. Patients reported higher satisfaction with telemedicine in 2021 compared to 2020 (94 vs. 84%), felt more comfortable with (96 vs. 86%), expressed a stronger preference for (22 vs. 16%), and higher intention to use telemedicine in the future (83 vs. 77%); patients thought physicians were able to address their concerns. While providers' satisfaction with telemedicine increased (18–76%), 14/17 providers believed that telemedicine visits were worse than in-person visits. There were no differences in annualized office visits and admissions. Mean EQ-5D score was 0.74, lower than general population (0.87) but equivalent to a subset of patients with SLE (0.74).ConclusionOur data showed a high level of satisfaction with telemedicine. The lower rheumatology provider satisfaction raises concern if telemedicine constitutes an acceptable alternative to in-person care. The stable number of office visits, admissions, and the similar quality of life to pre-pandemic level suggest effective management of rheumatic diseases using telemedicine/in-person hybrid care.

BackgroundNuts are in the spotlight because of their association with improved health outcomes. We aimed to summarize the findings of previous studies to evaluate the impact of nuts consumption on glycaemic and lipid profile, inflammation, and oxidative stress.MethodsElectronic searches for observational and intervention studies were undertaken in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Science Direct until 2022 for searching the studies aiming the application of different types of nuts and the beneficial effects of nuts in improving glycemia, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress.ResultsResults from 56 interventional, 9 narrative and 3 systematic reviews, and 12 meta-analysis studies, aiming at the evaluating beneficial effects of different types of nuts on metabolic markers, showed that nut consumption could improve metabolic markers, including glycaemic factors, lipid profile, and inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters in both healthy and individuals with metabolic disorders in a type-, dose- and duration-dependent manner. According to their unique nutrient components, nuts can be known as a part of a healthy diet, resulting in improved metabolic biomarkers.ConclusionConsidering the efficacy of nuts in improving metabolic markers, incorporation of, incorporating nuts the effectiveness of nuts in improving metabolic markers, incorporating nuts in the diet may prevent the incidence or aggravation of chronic metabolic diseases. Considering the health benefits of the nuts' components, including essential micronutrients, if consumed in the appropriate dose and duration to provide the necessary amount of effective micronutrients to improve health, we will see an improvement in metabolic factors. At the same time, more research is required to determine the optimal type, dose, and duration of nut intervention with regards to metabolic control and reducing the risk of developing metabolic disorders.

Abstract Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a complication of pregnancy that can be associated with neonatal complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recently, probiotic use has been proposed for better control of glucose in GDM patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of probiotic yoghurt compare with ordinary yoghurt on GDM women. Methods In this double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, 84 pregnant women with GDM were randomly assigned into two groups of 42 recipients who underwent 300 g/day of probiotic yoghurt or placebo for 8 weeks. Blood glucose, HbA1c, and the outcome of pregnancy were compared between the two groups after the intervention. Results According to the findings of present trial no significant differences were observed in general characteristics between the two groups (p > 0.05). Both fasting and post prandial blood glucose as well as the level of HbA1c were decreased significantly in probiotic group (p

As the Moderna (mRNA-1273) and Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccines become available to patients with autoimmune diseases and SLE, practitioners will have to inform them about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. Here we discuss the challenges of applying vaccine data to patients with autoimmune diseases and the evidence available in the literature that may help in the decision process.

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects the joints in up to 95% of patients. The diagnosis and evaluation of SLE arthritis remain challenging in both practice and clinical trials. Frequency domain optical imaging (FDOI) has been previously used to assess joint involvement in inflammatory arthritis. The objective of this study was to evaluate FDOI in SLE arthritis.Methods Ninety-six proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints from 16 patients with SLE arthritis and 60 PIP joints from 10 age-matched, gender-matched and race/ethnicity-matched controls were examined. A laser beam with a wavelength of 670 nm, 1 mm in diameter and intensity modulated at 300 MHz and 600 MHz was directed onto the dorsal surface of each joint, scanning across a sagittal plane. The transmitted light intensities and phase shifts were measured with an intensified charge-coupled device camera. The data were analysed using Discriminant Analysis and Support Vector Machine algorithms.Results The amplitude and phase of the transmitted light were significantly different between SLE and control PIPs (p

Objective Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinal toxicity is an ongoing concern for rheumatologists. The revised 2016 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) guidelines created controversy regarding the correct dosing and evaluation of HCQ toxicity. The current study was initiated to further understand rheumatologists’ practices regarding HCQ.Methods A questionnaire-based survey was distributed electronically to rheumatologists. We collected information on HCQ dosing, clinical decision-making processes, familiarity with the AAO 2016 guidelines, and perceived disparities between the AAO 2016 guidelines and rheumatological clinical practice.Results 78 rheumatologists completed the survey (49% from USA, 90% academic practices, 82% self-identified as lupus experts). Only lupus expert (n=64) data were included in subsequent analysis. The mean cohort size was 747 (50–6571), a total cohort 45 612 patients. HCQ was prescribed to >75% of patients with SLE by 81.3% of SLE experts, with routine counselling about ophthalmic risks. The typical dose of HCQ used was 200–400 mg/day. 17% of rheumatologists use doses up to 600 mg/day, while 6.2% use up to 6.5 mg/kg/day. HCQ adherence is routinely assessed. 479 cases of HCQ retinal toxicity (1.05%) and 9 cases of HCQ-associated blindness (1.8 per 10 000 patients) were reported. 89.1% of respondents reported familiarity with the AAO guidelines. Those aware of the guidelines cited limited dosing options (54.7%), lack of supporting evidence (57.8%) and low patient adherence (43.8%) as obstacles to greater implementation of the guidelines.Conclusion These data suggest that HCQ toxicity and blindness are rare in patients with SLE. Rheumatologists treating patients with SLE are aware of the guidelines and appreciate the importance of partnering with ophthalmologists in preventing retinal toxicity.

Over the 2 months since coronavirus first appeared in China, cases have emerged on every continent, and it is clear that patients with autoimmune diseases might also be affected. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious viral illness with a mortality rate approaching 2%. Here we discuss the challenges that patients with autoimmune diseases might face and the information on using immunomodulatory therapies like chloroquine, tocilizumab and baricitinib to quench the cytokine storm in patients with very severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus casei 01 on dietary intake, body weight, and glycemic control in patients with T2DM. Method Forty patients with T2DM (n = 20 for each group) were assigned into two groups in present trial. The patients in the probiotic group received a daily capsule containing a minimum of 108 CFU of L. casei 01 for 8 week. The placebo group took capsules filled with maltodextrin for the same time period. Dietary intake questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were collected, and the participants were assessed by an endocrinologist at baseline and at the end of the trial. Results Lactobacillus casei 01 supplementation significantly decreased total energy, carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake compared with placebo (p = 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.009, p = 0.001; respectively). Moreover weight, BMI, and waist circumference were significantly decreased in intervention group compared with placebo group (p

Beneficial effects of n-3 fatty acids on metabolic biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been reported. The objectives of this current research were to investigate the effects of n-3 supplementation on metabolic factors, weight, and body mass index (BMI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), using a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). Online databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Science Direct were searched until 2021 to identify eligible articles. Thirty trials were included. The results showed that n-3 consumption can significantly reduce glycemic factors including fasting blood sugar (FBS) (−0.36 (−0.71 to −0.01)), glycated hemoglobulin (HbA1c) (−0.74 (−1.13 to −0.35)), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA.IR) (−0.58 (−1.13 to −0.03)). Furthermore, significant improvement in lipid profile including triglycerides (TG) (−0.27 (−0.37 to −0.18)), total cholesterol (−0.60 (−0.88 to −0.32)), low density lipoprotein (LDL) (−0.54 (−0.85 to −0.23)), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (0.60 (0.23 to 0.96)) levels were found in the present meta-analysis. The reduction in the inflammatory marker’s tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (−0.13 (−0.75 to 0.48)) and c-reactive protein (CRP) (−0.72 (−1.70 to 0.27)), as well as weight (−0.09 (−0.24 to 0.07)) and BMI (−0.13 (−0.29 to 0.02)) were not statistically significant. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the optimal dose and duration of n-3 consumption for patients with T2DM is 1000–2000 mg/d for more than 8 weeks. The present meta-analysis and review reveals that n-3 supplementation can improve glycemic factors and lipid profile in patients with T2DM. Furthermore, n-3 supplementation may provide beneficial effects on inflammatory markers and body weight if used at the appropriate dose and duration.

Background Endometriosis has been widely implicated as one of the causes of chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and infertility. The purpose of our study was to define the presumed correlation between visual and histologic diagnostic features of endometriosis based on the peritoneal findings identified in laparoscopy as a diagnostic trial with a standardized technique. So, all the specimens including complete excised lesions suggestive of endometriosis and systematic biopsies of normal appearing pelvic peritoneum were analyzed. This study was performed in Mahdieh hospital and IRHRC1 .between 2004 and 2005. Materials and methods A diagnostic study of 30 patients (14 to 45 years) undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for the evaluation of chronic pelvic pain, infertility, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia .(was carried out (average age was 28.6±5.14 All areas suggestive of endometriosis were excised and examined pathologically. Peritoneal biopsy specimens were obtained from areas of normal appearing peritoneum to rule out .microscopic endometriosis The positive predictive value, sensitivity, negative predictive value and specificity were .determined for identified endometriosis versus the histological findings . Results The mean prevalence of abnormalities visually consistent with endometriosis was 63% while 42% confirmed histologically. The positive predictive value was 42.1%, sensitivity 88.8%, negative predictive 90.9% and specificity 47.6% for visual versus histological diagnosis .of endometriosis. Conclusion A diagnosis of endometriosis should be established only after histologic confirmation.

Purpose: The main objective of this research is to examine the correlation between study approaches and the frequency of virtual social network usage among university students.Methodology: This study utilized a quantitative approach and survey method to gather data from 276 students at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. Two questionnaires were employed, with reliabilities confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data analysis was conducted at both descriptive and inferential levels using SPSS software.Findings: The average virtual network usage was 3.80, while deep, strategic, and superficial study approaches scored 3.82, 3.91, and 3.20 respectively. Pearson correlation revealed a positive relationship between superficial study approach and virtual network usage, while a negative correlation was found with deep and strategic approaches. Significant relationships were noted between GPA and virtual network usage (negative), GPA and deep/strategic approaches (positive), and GPA and surface approach (negative). Only the strategic approach showed a negative predictive power with a beta coefficient of -0.32.Conclusion: The predominant study approach among students was strategic. Increased virtual network usage was associated with a decrease in strategic and deep approaches. Students adopting strategic and deep approaches exhibited better academic performance.Value: This study aims to bridge the gap in research on the use of new media and its impact on students' study approaches.