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Objective. This study aimed to examine the frequency and predictive factors of adverse oral and dental outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with the goal to address their unmet dental healthcare needs in the metropolitan city of Hong Kong. Methods. 238 RA patients followed up at local public hospitals were recruited in this cross-sectional study. A full dental examination was performed. Data were compared with the retrospective data collected from age-matched control groups in the community conducted in a territory-wide oral health survey in 2011. Predictive factors for severe periodontitis including various demographic and disease-specific factors were examined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results. Loose teeth and gum bleeding were frequent dental complaints. Only 85.0% of RA patients had >20 natural teeth. Total edentulism was observed in 3.8% of patients, which was higher among adult (22–64 years) and elderly (>65 years old) RA patients than their respective age-matched community control groups. RA patients had a higher decayed, missing, and filled tooth score. Adult RA patients had a 5.3-fold increase in risk of severe periodontitis than their community counterparts. The plaque index was the main predisposing factor for severe periodontitis (odds ratio 17.5, p = 0.001 ), which was worse among the 22–34 age group of patients. More RA patients required tooth extraction compared to dental filling for their community controls. Conclusion. Severe periodontitis is a major cause of unmet dental healthcare needs among RA patients in Hong Kong. It is recommended that dental care plans for RA patients be commenced early among newly diagnosed patients.

Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) is a commercially important mollusk; therefore, improvement of its growth performance and quality has been emphasized. During embryonic development, abalones undergo a series of distinct larval stages, including swimming veliger larvae, juveniles, and mature individuals, and their biomolecular composition varies depending on the developmental stage. Therefore, in the present study, we performed untargeted lipid profiling of abalone tissues at different developmental stages as well as the hemolymph of mature female and male abalones using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. These profiles can provide meaningful information to understand compositional changes in lipids through abalone metamorphosis and development. A total of 132 lipids belonging to 15 classes were identified from abalone tissues at different developmental stages. Moreover, 21 lipids belonging to 8 classes were identified from the hemolymph of mature abalones. All data were processed following strict criteria to provide accurate information. Triglycerides and phosphatidylcholines were the major lipid components identified in both tissues and hemolymph, accounting for, respectively, 27% and 15% of all lipids in tissues and, respectively, 24% and 38% of all lipids in the hemolymph. Of note, lysophosphatidylcholine was only detected in the tissues of mature abalones, paving the way for further analyses of abalone lipids based on developmental stages. The present findings offer novel insights into the lipidome of abalone tissues and hemolymph at different developmental stages, building a foundation for improving the efficiency and quality of abalone aquaculture.

Honey is a natural product of bees, and its chemical composition depends on the nectar sources of the surrounding flora as well as environmental factors. However, keeping hives in areas polluted with heavy metals can affect the quality of bee products such as honey. To date, there have been very few studies on the health risks of consuming honey at various locations in the Malaysian state of Sabah, Borneo, in relation to food standards and heavy metal contamination of honey from the stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama in association with pollutant sources. A total of 63 samples of raw and unprocessed honey were collected directly from beekeepers producing honey at five sites in the industrial areas. All selected heavy metals were measured using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES). Overall, the most frequently detected element was Zn (0.090 mg/kg), followed by Pb (0.012 mg/kg), As (0.004 mg/kg), and Cr (0.003 mg/kg), while Cd (0.001 mg/kg) was the lowest element in honey from all areas. With the exception of Cr and Zn, a significant correlation was found between PCA factor score 1 and heavy metal concentration in honey for Pb, Cd, and As, suggesting that the source of pollution for these metal elements was from hives closer to major roads, cities/town, petrochemical hub, and power plants. Although the heavy metal concentrations in the honey samples did not exceed the food standard limits and therefore do not pose a health risk, the observed increase in heavy metal concentrations in honey in industrial areas could pose a potential risk in the future due to the growing interest in rearing of stingless bees for honey production in these areas of Sabah.

In this study, cells from human Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (K562) were cultivated with CuO-TiO2-Chitosan-Berbamine nanocomposites. We examined nanocomposites using XRD, DLS, FESEM, TEM, PL, EDAX, and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as MTT for cytotoxicity, and AO/EtBr for apoptotic morphology assessment. The rate of apoptosis and cell cycle arrests was determined using flow cytometry. Flow cytometry was also employed to identify pro- and antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl2, Bad, Bax, P53, and Cyt C. The FTIR spectrum revealed that the CuO-TiO2-Chitosan-Berbamine nanocomposites were electrostatically interlocked. The nanocomposites’ XRD signals revealed a hexagonal shape. In the DLS spectrum, nanocomposites were found to have a hydrodynamic diameter. As a result of their cytotoxic action, nanocomposites displayed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. The nanocomposites, like Doxorubicin, caused cell cycle phase arrest in K562 cells. After treatment with IC50 concentrations of CuO-TiO2-Chitosan-Berbamine nanocomposites and Doxorubicin, a substantial percentage of cells were in G2/M stage arrest. Caspase-3, -7, -8, -9, Bax, Bad, Cyt C, and P53 expression were considerably enhanced in K562 cells, whereas Bcl2 expression was decreased, indicating that these cells may have therapeutic potential against human blood cancer/leukemia-derived disorders. As a result, the nanocomposites demonstrated outstanding anticancer potential against leukemic cells. CuO-TiO2-Chitosan-Berbamine, according to our findings.

Wire cut EDM is a quite regularly used machining process in mechanical and electronic industries. This research has attempted to machine aluminum alloy for which experimental design was prepared using Box-Behnken design. Different combinational options of pulse-on time (P1), pulse-off time (P2), servo wire feed (WF), and current (I) were investigated and surface roughness after machining was observed. Collected 27 datasets were further used in Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) to produce about 500 datasets. These 500 datasets are approximated data derived from experimental datasets, known as synthetic data. Data model was further developed and used in Gorilla Troops Optimizer (GTO) to locate the optimum machining parameters. With the excellent three search operators: move towards other gorillas, migrate towards unknown places, and migrate towards known places, GTO has produced the lowest surface roughness value of 0.500953 μm when the machining parameters of pulse-on time, pulse-off time, wire feed, and current values were set as 121 μs, 52 μs, 3 m/min, and 166A, respectively. To ensure the accuracy of the synthetic data-based model and optimality, verification and validation were conducted. Wilcoxon signed rank test was conducted for the pairwise comparison of GTO with each of its competing algorithms at the significance level of σ = 0.05. Friedman test was conducted to calculate the average ranking of each algorithm and to detect the global differences between all compared algorithms. Outperforming performance by GTO algorithm in machining of the selected material is found.

We present a case report of an otherwise healthy 37-year-old male without pertinent cardiac history or risk factors, who presented with cardiac trauma after a motor vehicle collision (MVC). Initial workup including electrocardiogram (ECG), transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), and uptrending serial troponins warranted coronary angiography, during which occlusive thrombi were discovered in the proximal right coronary artery (pRCA), the right posterolateral vessel (rPL), and the right posterior descending artery (PDA). Subsequently, the patient underwent percutaneous coronary intervention of the RCA and PDA with aspiration thrombectomy. He was then initiated on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and recovered appropriately. This case is presented with the goal of enlightening the academic community of a rare complication while presenting a judicious approach to management in an attempt to decrease the occurrence of “near misses” in the future.

Background and aim Among patients receiving surgical bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (bAVR), there is an elevated risk of thromboembolic events postoperatively. However, the risks and benefits of varying anticoagulation strategies remain controversial. The aim of this study is to compare the risks and benefits of aspirin monotherapy to aspirin plus warfarin ("concurrent therapy") in patients receiving bAVR. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using patients' data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, including those who underwent bAVR with or without coronary artery bypass grafting between 2009 and 2018. Patients were identified as having been discharged with aspirin only or concurrent therapy. The outcomes were mortality, thromboembolic events, and clinically relevant bleeding during a 6-month follow-up. The event rates were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable survival analysis, incorporating propensity scores, was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for each outcome. Results The cohort consisted of 3047 patients. Approximately 58% of patients received aspirin only and 42% received concurrent therapy. Patients who received concurrent therapy were more likely to be older, have hypertension, previous stroke, and longer hospital stays. After adjustment using multivariable analysis, concurrent therapy was associated with a higher risk of clinically relevant bleeding (aHR, 2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.67-3.25). There was no significant difference in the risk of thromboembolic events or mortality between the two groups. Conclusion Patients who underwent bAVR and were discharged on concurrent therapy compared to aspirin only had a significantly increased risk of bleeding without a significant difference in thromboembolic events.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial inflammatory skin disease of complex etiology. Despite its increasing prevalence, treatment for AD is still limited. Crude drugs, including herbal extracts or natural resources, are being used to treat AD symptoms, with minimum side effects. Cicadidae Periostracum (CP), derived from the slough of insects belonging to the family Cicadidae, is a commonly used crude drug in traditional Asian medicine to treat/control epilepsy, shock, and edema. However, the effect of CP on AD-like skin lesions is unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of a CP water extract on AD disease development in vivo, using a house dust mite-induced AD mouse model, and in vitro, using HaCaT keratinocytes and a 3D human skin equivalent system. Importantly, CP administration alleviated house dust mite-induced AD-like symptoms, suggested by the quantified dermatitis scores, animal scratching behaviors, skin moisture retention capacity, and skin lesion and ear thickness. Furthermore, histopathological analysis demonstrated that CP decreased intralesional mast cell infiltration. In addition, CP treatments decreased the systemic levels of immunoglobulin E, histamine, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and the local mRNA expression of TSLP and several Th1/Th2 cytokines. Our data suggest that these effects were mediated by the inhibition of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. In vivo and in vitro CP treatments resulted in the downregulation of inflammasome components, such as ASC and cleaved caspase-1, as well as related mediators such as IL-1β and reactive oxygen species. Collectively, our results suggest that CP is a potential therapeutic agent for AD, controlling inflammatory responses through the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

The present study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of individual or a combination of nucleotides in soya bean meal‐based diet on growth, survival, apparent digestibility and intestinal condition of whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. The experimental protocol comprised a control set, and four test diets that were separately supplemented with 0.1% inosine monophosphate (IMP, D + I), 0.1% guanosine monophosphate (GMP, D + G), 0.1% mixture of IMP and GMP (D + IG) and 0.1% mixture of IMP, GMP, cytidine monophosphate (CMP) and uridine monophosphate (UMP) (D + IGCU). Triplicate groups of the shrimp (initial body weight = 0.99 ± 0.01 g) were fed four times daily for 8 weeks. Results demonstrated that D + G significantly enhanced body weight gain and specific growth rate in the shrimp compared with control and other dietary treatments with the various combinations of nucleotides (p 0.05). Shrimp fed D + G showed significantly higher feed intake and apparent net protein utilization compared with D + IGCU and, control and D + IG (p < 0.05) respectively. Nucleotide supplementation did not significantly improve the crude protein and lipid digestibility coefficients. This was evident when the data on these parameters were compared with those of the control. Shrimp fed D + G showed significantly improved intestinal villus height and body crude protein content (p < 0.05). In conclusion, GMP supplementation in soya bean meal‐based diet enhanced the growth, feed intake, protein utilization and villus height of L. vannamei.

Methadone is a well-tolerated drug that has been used for pain control and the treatment of opioid addiction. However, some fatal cardiac side effects have been reported previously, including ventricular arrhythmia, stress cardiomyopathy, and coronary artery disease. We reported a middle-aged woman receiving high-dose methadone whom was presented with QT prolongation and torsade de pointes. We replaced the methadone with benzodiazepine and gave lidocaine use simultaneously. Thus, QT interval was shortened within the normal limit. Methadone-induced torsade de pointes is a rare but serious event, and QT interval should be monitored periodically to prevent this fatal adverse event, especially some patients with high-dose methadone use.

Chromium (Cr) is a toxic heavy metal present in industrial effluent which could cause degenerative diseases on ingestion. Therefore, elimination of Cr from contaminated water becomes essential to preserve and sustain the quality of life. In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were impregnated on activated carbon and checked for enhanced removal of Cr(VI). Thus, granular activated carbon (N-GAC) of mesh size 8 ∗ 20 was impregnated with SPIONs to produce SPIONs impregnated activated carbon (Sp-GAC) and characterized using UV-VIS spectrophotometer, FT-IR, SEM-EDX, XRD, and VSM. Sp-GAC was found to be possessing superparamagnetic behavior, and it was used in batch adsorption study where the adsorption parameters like pH, concentration of adsorbent, and adsorbent-adsorbate were optimized. It was found that Cr(VI) adsorption was predominant at acidic pH (pH 3) for both cases; moreover, N-GAC showed better adsorption comparatively. Both the N-GAC and Sp-GAC adsorption were found to be obeying to Langmuir.

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for dysphagia as a complication of stroke. Methods and Design. This is a multicenter, pragmatic, nonrandomized, self-controlled clinical trial. A total of 39 patients were recruited from several Chinese medicine outpatient clinics and hospital-affiliated speech therapy outpatient clinics in Hong Kong. 26 patients completed all the 24 sessions of acupuncture treatment within two months, and only 12 of them were used as self-control. For the self-control group, the retrospective clinical data was taken from the electronic patient records with patient consent. The descriptive swallowing function data were converted into the quantitative Royal Brisbane Hospital Outcome Measure for Swallowing (RBHOMS) scores by two registered speech therapists through a validation process. And the data were validated by reaching consensus between the two speech therapists. All subjects underwent a baseline assessment before commencement of treatment, and outcome assessments were conducted upon the completion of treatment. The primary outcome measure is the RBHOMS score, which is a swallowing disability rating scale for monitoring difficulties in daily swallowing function. Secondary outcome measures include the Chinese version of the Swallow Quality-of-Life Questionnaire and adverse events. All the primary and secondary outcomes were assessed at baseline as well as at the end of acupuncture treatment (month 2). Results. A total of 39 participants aged 46 to 89 years were enrolled in the study, and the male-to-female ratio was 15 : 11. The mean baseline RBHOMS score of all 39 participants was 5.92 ± 2.23. The mean retrospective RBHOMS score of the 12 subjects who were used as self-control was 5.67 ± 1.72 before enrollment, while the mean RBHOMS score of the 26 participants who completed all the 24 sessions of treatment was 6.92 ± 2.07. There were statistically significant differences between the RBHOMS score at the completion of treatment and baseline (p=0.006), and retrospective data (p=0.042). Moreover, a significant difference was also found in terms of swallow quality-of-life score before and after acupuncture treatment (p<0.01). Conclusions. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture for poststroke dysphagia. The findings from this trial can be used as a foundation for future full-scale randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for poststroke dysphagia. Ethics and Dissemination. The ethical approval of the clinical research study was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of both New Territories East and West Cluster of Hong Kong. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and the study was undertaken according to the ICH-GCP Guidelines. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-TRC-12002621 and the registration date is 2012-10-26.

This trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of nucleotides on growth of whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, and the survival and metabolic responses to ammonia stress test. Experimental diets were as follows: low fish meal diet (LFMD), and four LFMD test diets, each supplemented with 0.1% guanosine monophosphate (GMP), 0.1% inosine monophosphate (IMP), 0.1% mixture of GMP and IMP and 0.1% mixture of GMP, IMP, uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cytidine monophosphate (CMP). The shrimp specimens (initial body weight: 0.99 ± 0.01 g) were randomly allocated into five groups and fed four times daily for 8‐weeks. After the trial, final body weight was recorded and haemolymph was withdrawn for haematological analysis. The shrimp was then challenged with 70 mg/L ammonia (LC50) for 10 days. Survival and haemolymph of the shrimp were taken after exposure to ammonia. The highest growth performance was observed in the shrimp fed diet supplemented with GMP (p

An 8‐week study was conducted to explore the results of Macsumsuk® as a feed additive on the stress tolerance and growth of Litopenaeus vannamei in 15 culture tanks of 36 L each. Three hundred shrimp averaging 0.1 ± 0.01 g were fed with five isonitrogenous (48.38 ± 0.38% CP) diets (in triplicate groups) containing kaolinite (Macsumsuk®) at 0%, 0.3%, 0.6%, 1.2% and 2.4%, namely Mk₀, Mk₀.₃, Mk₀.₆, Mk₁.₂ and Mk₂.₄. Specific growth rate (SGR) and weight gain (WG) of shrimp fed diets Mk₁.₂ and Mk₂.₄ were significantly better than those of shrimp fed diet Mk₀ (p

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNPC) and the striatum. Nuclear receptor-related 1 protein (Nurr1) is a nuclear hormone receptor implicated in limiting mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and inflammation in the central nervous system and protecting dopaminergic neurons and a promising therapeutic target for PD. Cicadidae Periostracum (CP), the cast-off skin of Cryptotympana pustulata Fabricius, has been used in traditional medicine for its many clinical pharmacological effects, including the treatment of psychological symptoms in PD. However, scientific evidence for the use of CP in neurodegenerative diseases, including PD, is lacking. Here, we investigated the protective effects of CP on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine- (MPTP-) induced PD in mice and explored the underlying mechanisms of action, focusing on Nurr1. CP increased the expression levels of Nurr1, tyrosine hydroxylase, DOPA decarboxylase, dopamine transporter, and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 via extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation in differentiated PC12 cells and the mouse SNPC. In MPTP-induced PD, CP promoted recovery from movement impairments. CP prevented dopamine depletion and protected against dopaminergic neuronal degradation via mitochondria-mediated apoptotic proteins such as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X, cytochrome c, and cleaved caspase-9 and caspase-3 by inhibiting MPTP-induced neuroinflammatory cytokines, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase 2, and glial/microglial activation. Moreover, CP inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammatory cytokines and response levels and glial/microglial activation in BV2 microglia and the mouse brain. Our findings suggest that CP might contribute to neuroprotective signaling by regulating neurotrophic factors primarily via Nurr1 signaling, neuroinflammation, and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

This paper, among other findings, affirmed Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ published risk model for stroke after isolated CABG, that pre-existing cerebrovascular disease, prior MI, reduced EF and poor renal function as independent risk factors for peri-operative CVA.