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Over one million Syrian refugees have been residing in substandard living conditions in Lebanon for the past decade. Non-invasive biomonitoring of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) as a pulmonary inflammation biomarker was conducted following and preceding indoor environmental assessments (which revealed elevated mould counts in informal tented settlements and non-residential shelters) to further evaluate effects of environmental exposure to indoor contaminants. Results of biomonitoring (n = 57) provided some insight regarding existing respiratory conditions and the possible implementation of minimally invasive methods to establish susceptibility profiles in Syrian refugees amid limited access to healthcare. The clinical interpretation of FeNO results suggested possible persistent exposure to allergens in addition to significant type 2 inflammation in some subjects. These findings warrant the need to expand this study, investigate other biomarkers, and attempt to correlate findings with environmental conditions to evaluate if a dose–response relationship exists.

Over one million Syrian refugees have been residing in substandard living conditions in Lebanon for the past decade. Non-invasive biomonitoring of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) as a pulmonary inflammation biomarker was conducted following and preceding indoor environmental assessments (which revealed elevated mould counts in informal tented settlements and non-residential shelters) to further evaluate effects of environmental exposure to indoor contaminants. Results of biomonitoring (n = 57) provided some insight regarding existing respiratory conditions and the possible implementation of minimally invasive methods to establish susceptibility profiles in Syrian refugees amid limited access to healthcare. The clinical interpretation of FeNO results suggested possible persistent exposure to allergens in addition to significant type 2 inflammation in some subjects. These findings warrant the need to expand this study, investigate other biomarkers, and attempt to correlate findings with environmental conditions to evaluate if a dose–response relationship exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Length of hospital stay (LOS) for a disease is a vital estimate for healthcare logistics planning. The study aimed to illustrate the effect of factors elicited on arrival on LOS of the COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective, record based, unmatched, case control study using hospital records of 334 COVID-19 patients admitted in an East Indian tertiary healthcare facility during May to October 2020. Discharge from the hospital (cases/survivors) was considered as an event while death (control/non-survivors) as right censoring in the case-control survival analysis using cox proportional hazard model. Results: Overall, we found the median LOS for the survivors to be 8 days [interquartile range (IQR): 7-10 days] while the same for the non-survivors was 6 days [IQR: 2-11 days]. In the multivariable cox-proportional hazard model; travel distance (>16 km) [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.69, 95% CI: (0.50-0.95)], mode of transport to the hospital (ambulance) [aHR: 0.62, 95% CI: (0.45-0.85)], breathlessness (yes) [aHR: 0.56, 95% CI: (0.40-0.77)], number of co-morbidities (1-2) [aHR: 0.66, 95% CI: (0.47-0.93)] (≥3) [aHR: 0.16, 95% CI: (0.04-0.65)], COPD/asthma (yes) [ [aHR: 0.11, 95% CI: (0.01-0.79)], DBP (

Context: Diabetes is a chronic disease associated with many complications. Approximately 20% of people living with diabetes suffer from some form of depression. "Diabetes distress" (DD) is used to describe the significant negative psychological reactions related to emotional burdens and worries specific to an individual's experience to manage severe, complicated chronic disease such as diabetes., Aim: To determine the proportion having DD and to identify the sociodemographic and morbidity related factors associated with the presence of DD among adults with Type2DM who are being treated at PHC Naubatpur, Bihar., Material and Methods: This facility based cross-sectional analytical study was done over 3 months among 260 Type2DM patients attending PHC Naubatpur. Sociodemographic details and morbidity related details were collected followed by PAID questionnaire to assess DD., Results: Around 60% of the participants were of age ≤60 years. Majority (63.8%) of the participants were having diabetes from past 1-10years. One-fourth (24.6%) of them were having score of ≥40, therefore having DD. Alcohol consumption and presence of diabetes complications in the participants were found to be independent predictors of DD., Conclusion: This study showed a high (24.6%) prevalence of DD. It is essential to identify high-risk patients with different mental health needs. Healthcare providers should focus on reducing DD and devise ways to increase self-care practices and coping skills., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Background: This study was carried out to classify the diversity of the deep marine psychrotolerant actinomycetes sp. nov., in the Bay of Bengal and exploit the production of cold-active industrial and pharmaceutical biomolecules., Objective: 1) Characterization, optimum the growth conditions and classify the diversity of the novel isolated deep marine psychrotolerant actinomycetes sp from the Bay-of-Bengal. 2) Screening for industrially important biocatalysts and determine the antimicrobial activities against the five dreadful pathogens. 3) The differential expression profiling of the candidate genes to regulate the biosynthesis of selected enzymes., Methods: The cold-adapted actinomycetes were isolated from the deep marine water collections at 1200 mts below the surface in Bay-of-Bengal. The phenotypic and genotypic characterizations have been carried out to understand the persistent diversity of this novel marine psychrotolerant actinomycetes species. The production of cold-active enzymes, such as amylase, cellulase, lipase, pectinase, and L-asparaginase, were screened and the expression profiling genes were determined by using qRT PCR. The antibacterial and antifungal activities have also been investigated., Results: A total number of 37 novel actinomycetes were isolated and the phenotypic and genotypic characterizations identified the genus, dominated by Streptomyces (17 distinct sub-groups) as the major group, followed by Micromonospora, Actinopolyspora, Actinosynnema, Streptoverticillium, Saccharopolyspora, Nocardiopsis, and Nocardia. The optimum growth and abundant mycelium formation are observed at 15°C to 20°C and also capability for thriving at 4°C. All the isolates exhibited a significant role in the production of biocatalysts, and the antagonistic activities were also noted against five major selected pathogens., Conclusion: The Streptomyces from the Bay-of-Bengal have high biosynthetic potential and can serve as a good resource for the exploration of bioactive natural products., (© 2020 Bentham Science Publishers.)

Clinical evidence shows that following initial response to treatment, drug-resistant cancer cells frequently evolve and, eventually, most tumors become resistant to all available therapies. We compiled a focused library consisting of >500 commercially available or newly synthetized 8-hydroxyquinoline (8OHQ) derivatives whose toxicity is paradoxically increased rather than decreased by the activity of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a transporter conferring multidrug resistance (MDR). Here, we deciphered the mechanism of action of NSC297366 that shows exceptionally strong Pgp-potentiated toxicity. Treatment of cells with NSC297366 resulted in changes associated with the activity of potent anticancer iron chelators. Strikingly, iron depletion was more pronounced in MDR cells due to the Pgp-mediated efflux of NSC297366-iron complexes. Our results indicate that iron homeostasis can be targeted by MDR-selective compounds for the selective elimination of multidrug resistant cancer cells, setting the stage for a therapeutic approach to fight transporter-mediated drug resistance. SIGNIFICANCE: Modulation of the MDR phenotype has the potential to increase the efficacy of anticancer therapies. These findings show that the MDR transporter is a "double-edged sword" that can be turned against resistant cancer., (©2019 American Association for Cancer Research.)

The Single Europe Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) program develops and implements innovative technological and operational solutions to modernize European air traffic management and to eliminate the negative environmental impacts of aviation activity. This article presents our developments within the SESAR Solution "Safety Support Tools for Avoiding Runway Excursions". This SESAR Solution aims to mitigate the risk of runway excursion, to optimize airport operation management by decreasing the number of runway inspections, to make chemical treatment effective with respect to the environment, and to increase resilience, efficiency and safety in adverse weather situations. The proposed approach is based on the enhancement of runway surface condition awareness by integrating data from various sources. Dangerous windy conditions based on Lidar measurements are also discussed as another relevant factor in relation to runway excursions. The paper aims to explore four different data mining methods to obtain runway conditions from the available input data sources, examines their performance and discusses their pros and cons in comparison with a rule-based algorithm approach. The output of the SESAR Solution is developed in compliance with the new Global Reporting Format of the International Civil Aviation Organization for runway condition description to be valid from 2020. This standard is expected to provide concerned stakeholders with more precise information to enhance flight safety and environmental protection., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The authors wish to add the following data corrections to the coauthors listed, because of the updated data for their paper published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [...].

Low-level wind shear, i.e., sudden changes in wind speed and/or wind direction up to altitudes of 1600 ft (500 m) above-ground is a hazardous meteorological phenomenon in aviation. It may radically change the aerodynamic circumstances of the flight, particularly during landing and take-off and consequently, it may threaten human lives and the health of passengers, people at the airport and its surrounding areas. The Bratislava Airport, the site of this case study, is one of the few airports worldwide and the first in Central Europe that is equipped with a Doppler lidar system, a perspective remote sensing tool for detecting low-level wind shear. The main objective of this paper was to assess the weather events collected over a period of one year with the occurrences of low-level wind shear situations, such as vertical discontinuities in the wind field, frontal passages and gust fronts to increase the level of flight safety and protect human lives and health. The lidar data were processed by a computer algorithm with the main focus on potential wind shear alerts and microburst alerts, guided by the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. In parallel, the selected weather events were analyzed by the nearby located meteorological radar to utilize the strengths of both approaches. Additionally, an evaluation of the lidar capability to scan dynamics of aerosol content above the airport is presented.

ABCB6 belongs to the family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, which transport various molecules across extra- and intra-cellular membranes, bearing significant impact on human disease and pharmacology. Although mutations in the ABCB6 gene have been linked to a variety of pathophysiological conditions ranging from transfusion incompatibility to pigmentation defects, its precise cellular localization and function is not understood. In particular, the intracellular localization of ABCB6 has been a matter of debate, with conflicting reports suggesting mitochondrial or endolysosomal expression. ABCB6 shows significant sequence identity to HMT-1 (heavy metal tolerance factor 1) proteins, whose evolutionarily conserved role is to confer tolerance to heavy metals through the intracellular sequestration of metal complexes. Here, we show that the cadmium-sensitive phenotype of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Caenorhabditis elegans strains defective for HMT-1 is rescued by the human ABCB6 protein. Overexpression of ABCB6 conferred tolerance to cadmium and As(III) (As 2 O 3 ), but not to As(V) (Na 2 HAsO 4 ), Sb(V), Hg(II), or Zn(II). Inactivating mutations of ABCB6 abolished vacuolar sequestration of cadmium, effectively suppressing the cadmium tolerance phenotype. Modulation of ABCB6 expression levels in human glioblastoma cells resulted in a concomitant change in cadmium sensitivity. Our findings reveal ABCB6 as a functional homologue of the HMT-1 proteins, linking endolysosomal ABCB6 to the highly conserved mechanism of intracellular cadmium detoxification.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an applied fuzzy model of information technology to obtain quantitative estimates of environmental start-up projects in air transport. The developed model will become a useful tool for venture funds, business angels, or crowdfunding platforms for the development of innovative air transport businesses. Obtaining a quantitative estimate of the environmental start-up projects will increase the sustainability of the decision making on the security of financing of such projects by investors. This article develops a fuzzy evaluation model of project start-ups in air transport as an application of our neuro-fuzzy model in a specific air transport environment. The applied model provides output ranking of start-up project teams in air transport based on a four-layer neuro-fuzzy network. The presented model declares the possibilities of the application to solve these economic problems and offers the space for subsequent research focused on its usability in several areas of start-up development, in sectors and processes differentiated. The benefits are also visible for several types of policies, with an emphasis on decision-making processes in regulatory mechanisms to support the state funding in Slovakia, the EU etc.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a fuzzy model of the risk assessment for environmental start-up projects in the air transport sector at the stage of business expansion. The model developed for the following software will be a useful tool for the risk decision support system of investment funds in financing environmental start-up projects at the stage of market conquest. Developing a quantitative risk assessment for environmental start-up projects for the air transport sector will increase the resilience of making risk decisions about their financing by the investors. In this paper, a set of 21 criteria for assessing the risk of launching environmental start-up projects in the air transport sector were formulated for the first time by presenting inputs in the form of a linguistic risk assessment and the number of credible expert considerations. The fuzzy risk assessment model, based on expert knowledge, uses linguistic variables, reveals the uncertainty of the input data, and displays a risk assessment with linguistic interpretation. The result of the paper is a fuzzy model that is embedded in a generalized algorithm and tested in an example risk assessment of environmental start-up projects in the air transport sector., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Pancreatic cancer has a poor survival rate as compared to other types of cancer. Surface marker CD44 plays important role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell phenotype. Therefore, targeting CD44 positive pancreatic cancer cells might enhance therapies effectiveness. Our previous studies indicated the antitumorigenesis effect of BRM270 in osteosarcoma, lung cancer, and glioblastoma; however there is no evidence on BRM270 impacts on pancreatic cancer growth. In this study, we investigated the effect of BRM270 on the isolated CD44 positive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells (CD44 + PDAC). Results showed that CD44 positive cells undergo apoptosis induced by BRM270. Moreover, BRM270 also inhibits stemness and metastasis traits in CD44 + PDAC via Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway and SALL4 expression. In vivo study indicated that tumor growth derived from CD44 + PDAC was suppressed as daily uptake by BRM270 5 mg/kg. These data suggest the alternative approach in antipancreatic tumorigenesis via herbal plants extract and selectively targeting CD44 + PDAC cells in tumor.

As an innovative technology in biological applications-non-thermal plasma technique-has recently been applied to living cells and tissues. However, it is unclear whether non-thermal plasma treatment can directly regulate the growth and development of livestock. In this study, we exposed four-day-incubated fertilized eggs to plasma at 11.7 kV for 2 min, which was found to be the optimal condition in respect of highest growth rate in chickens. Interestingly, plasma-treated male chickens conspicuously grew faster than females. Plasma treatment regulated the reactive oxygen species homeostasis by controlling the mitochondrial respiratory complex activity and up-regulating the antioxidant defense system. At the same time, growth metabolism was improved due to the increase of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 and their receptors expression, and the rise of thyroid hormones and adenosine triphosphate levels through the regulation of demethylation levels of growth and hormone biosynthesis-related genes in the skeletal muscles and thyroid glands. To our knowledge, this study was the first to evaluate the effects of a non-thermal plasma treatment on the growth rate of chickens. This safe strategy might be beneficial to the livestock industry.

Chemotherapy is a standard treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the dose-limiting toxicity of drugs and the development of chemoresistance are major clinical challenges to successful management of NSCLC. Asian traditional medicine is gaining global attention as a non-toxic alternative to chemotherapy. BRM270 is an extract formulated from seven Asian medicinal plants that has been shown to inhibit tumor cell proliferation in diverse cancer types. We previously demonstrated that BRM270 suppresses tumorigenesis by negatively regulating nuclear factor-κB signaling in multidrug-resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this study we report that the growth, migration, and invasion of normal human lung adenocarcinoma cells and their chemoresistant derivatives was inhibited by BRM270 treatment. Notably, BRM270 was found to modulate CSC self-renewal and tumor-initiating capacity via positive regulation of the miRNA-128. Thus, combination therapy with miRNA-128 and BRM270 may be an effective treatment strategy for chemoresistant NSCLC.

The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is the main reason for failure of cancer treatment caused by drug resistance. Therefore, eradicating cancers by targeting CSCs remains a significant challenge. In the present study, because of the important role of BMI-1 proto-oncogene, polycomb ring finger (BMI-1) and C-terminal Mucin1 (MUC1-C) in tumor growth and maintenance of CSCs, we aimed to confirm that microRNA miR-128, as an inhibitor of BMI-1 and MUC1-C, could effectively suppress paclitaxel (PTX)-resistant lung cancer stem cells. We showed that CSCs have significantly higher expression levels of BMI-1, MUC1-C, stemness proteins, signaling factors, and higher malignancy compared with normal tumor cells. After transfection with miR-128, the BMI-1 and MUC1-C levels in CSCs were suppressed. When miR-128 was stably expressed in PTX-resistant lung cancer stem cells, the cells showed decreased proliferation, metastasis, self-renewal, migration, invasive ability, clonogenicity, and tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo and increased apoptosis compared with miR-NC (negative control) CSCs. Furthermore, miR-128 effectively decreased the levels of β-catenin and intracellular signaling pathway-related factors in CSCs. MiR-128 also decreased the luciferase activity of MUC1 reporter constructs and reduced the levels of transmembrane MUC1-C and BMI-1. These results suggested miR-128 as an attractive therapeutic strategy for PTX-resistant lung cancer via inhibition of BMI-1 and MUC1-C., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Curcumin is a natural polyphenol and essential curcuminoid derived from the rhizome of the medicinal plant Curcuma longa ( L .) is universally acknowledged as " Wonder drug of life ". It is a vital consumable and restorative herb, commonly keened for several ailments such as cancer, arthritis, pain, bruises, gastrointestinal quandaries, swelling and much more. Despite its enormous curative potential, the poor aqueous solubility and consequently, minimal systemic bioavailability with rapid degradation are some of the major factors which restrict the utilization of curcumin at medical perspective. However, to improve its clinically relevant parameters, nanoformulation of curcumin is emerging as a novel substitute for their superior therapeutic modality. It enhances its aqueous solubility and targeted delivery to the tissue of interest that prompts to enhance the bioavailability, better drug conveyance, and more expeditious treatment. Subsequent investigations are endeavored to enhance the bio-distribution of native curcumin by modifying with felicitous nano-carriers for encapsulation. In this review, we specifically focus on the recent nanotechnology based implementations applied for overcoming the innate constraints of native curcumin and additionally the associated challenges which restrict its potential therapeutic applications both in vivo and in-vitro studies, as well as their detailed mechanism of action, have additionally been discussed., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Background: Several efforts have been deployed to cure osteosarcoma, a high-grade malignant bone tumour in children and adolescents. However, some challenges such as drug resistance, relapse, and tumour metastasis remain owing to the existence of cancer stem cells (CSC). There is an urgent need to develop cost-effective and safe therapies., Methods: Wogonin, an extract from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis, has long been considered as a promising natural and safe compound for anti-tumourigenesis, particularly to inhibit tumour invasion and metastasis. Hoechst 33,342 staining, wound healing assay, sphere formation assay, western blotting, and gelatin zymography assays were performed in CD133 positive osteosarcoma cell., Results: In this study, we examined the effect of Wogonin on the mobility of human osteosarcoma CSC. Wogonin induces apoptosis of human osteosarcoma CSC, inhibits its mobility in vitro via downregulation of MMP-9 expression, and represses its renewal ability., Conclusions: We demonstrated that Wogonin decreases the renewal capacity of CSC. By inhibiting the formation of and reducing the size of spheres, Wogonin at a concentration of 40-80 μM effectively minimizes potential risk from CSC. Taken together, we have demonstrated a new approach for developing a potential therapy for osteosarcoma.

Background: Availability and advertising of caffeinated drinks is on the rise in Indian market. Excess caffeine intake may have deleterious effects on health., Objective: To estimate the daily consumption of caffeine among urban school-going adolescents from Delhi., Materials and Methods: A school-based survey was conducted to determine the amount and pattern of caffeine consumption among students of classes 9-12, using a self-administered questionnaire., Results: Of 300 participants (median age 15 year, 174 boys), 291 (97%) were consuming caffeine [mean (SD): 121.0 (98.2) mg/day]. Nineteen (6%) students were consuming more than 300 mg of caffeine per day. Tea/coffee contributed to more than 50% of the caffeine intake. The rest was derived from cola beverages, chocolates, and energy drinks., Conclusion: Average caffeine consumption among school-going adolescents from Delhi is high. The findings of this preliminary survey need to be confirmed in larger data sets.

Lan is a high-incidence blood group antigen expressed in more than 99.9% of the population. Identification of the human ABC transporter ABCB6 as the molecular basis of Lan has opened the way for studies assessing the relation of ABCB6 function and expression to health and disease. To date, 34 ABCB6 sequence variants have been described in association with reduced ABCB6 expression based on the genotyping of stored blood showing weak or no reactivity with anti-Lan antibodies. In the present study we examined the red blood cell (RBC) surface expression of ABCB6 by quantitative flow cytometry in a cohort of 47 healthy individuals. Sequencing of the entire coding region of the ABCB6 gene in low RBC ABCB6 expressors identified a new allele (IVS9+1G>A, affecting a putative splice site at the boundary of exon 9) and two nonsynonymous SNPs listed in the SNP database (R192Q (rs150221689) and G588 S (rs145526996)). The R192Q mutation showed co-segregation with reduced RBC ABCB6 expression in a family, and we found the G588 S mutation in a compound heterozygous individual with undetectable ABCB6 expression, suggesting that both mutations result in weak or no expression of ABCB6 on RBCs. Analysis of the intracellular expression pattern in HeLa cells by confocal microscopy indicated that these mutations do not compromise overall expression or the endolysosomal localization of ABCB6. Genotyping of two large cohorts, containing 235 and 1039 unrelated volunteers, confirmed the high allele frequency of Lan-mutations. Our results suggest that genetic variants linked to lower or absent cell surface expression of ABCB6/Langereis may be more common than previously thought.

ABCB6, a member of the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, has been proposed to be responsible for the mitochondrial uptake of porphyrins. Here we show that ABCB6 is a glycoprotein present in the membrane of mature erythrocytes and in exosomes released from reticulocytes during the final steps of erythroid maturation. Consistent with its presence in exosomes, endogenous ABCB6 is localized to the endo/lysosomal compartment, and is absent from the mitochondria of cells. Knock-down studies demonstrate that ABCB6 function is not required for de novo heme biosynthesis in differentiating K562 cells, excluding this ABC transporter as a key regulator of porphyrin synthesis. We confirm the mitochondrial localization of ABCB7, ABCB8 and ABCB10, suggesting that only three ABC transporters should be classified as mitochondrial proteins. Taken together, our results challenge the current paradigm linking the expression and function of ABCB6 to mitochondria.

The present study investigated the kinetic profile of flumequine (FLU) in gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata (170 g) held at 19 degrees C and evaluated its in vitro efficacy against important bacterial diseases in Mediterranean mariculture. Following a single intravascular injection (10 mg kg(-1) fish), the distribution half-life (t1/2alpha) and the half-life of the terminal phase of elimination (t1/2gamma) of the drug were 0.2 and 30 h respectively. Tissue penetration of FLU was low, since both the apparent distribution volume of the drug at steady-state (Vd(SS)) and the apparent volume of the central compartment (Vc) were small (0.57 and 0.15 l kg(-1)). The mean residence time (MRT) was short (11 h) and the total clearance (CL(T)) of the drug was slow (0.05 l kg(-1) h(-1)). Following oral administration (20 mg kg(-1)), the bioavailability (F %) of FLU was 29% and the maximum plasma concentration was 1.7 microg ml(-1). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the drug in distilled water supplemented with 2% NaCl against Vibrio anguillarum Serotype 1b, Photobacterium damsela ssp. piscicida, V. alginolyticus, V. damsela and V. fluvialis was 0.15, 0.3, 1.2, 0.019 and 0.15 microg ml(-1) respectively. The addition however of 10 mM Ca2+ and 55 mM Mg2+ to the medium resulted in an 8- to >120-fold reduction in FLU activity. The results indicate that FLU has an adequate kinetic profile in gilthead sea bream and that marine cations induce a significant impact on the activity of FLU, rendering its use against bacterial pathogens questionable.