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Although two-dose mRNA vaccination provides excellent protection against SARS-CoV-2, there is little information about vaccine efficacy against variants of concern (VOC) in individuals above eighty years of age.sup.1. Here we analysed immune responses following vaccination with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine.sup.2 in elderly participants and younger healthcare workers. Serum neutralization and levels of binding IgG or IgA after the first vaccine dose were lower in older individuals, with a marked drop in participants over eighty years old. Sera from participants above eighty showed lower neutralization potency against the B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta) and P.1. (Gamma) VOC than against the wild-type virus and were more likely to lack any neutralization against VOC following the first dose. However, following the second dose, neutralization against VOC was detectable regardless of age. The frequency of SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific memory B cells was higher in elderly responders (whose serum showed neutralization activity) than in non-responders after the first dose. Elderly participants showed a clear reduction in somatic hypermutation of class-switched cells. The production of interferon-[gamma] and interleukin-2 by SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific T cells was lower in older participants, and both cytokines were secreted primarily by CD4 T cells. We conclude that the elderly are a high-risk population and that specific measures to boost vaccine responses in this population are warranted, particularly where variants of concern are circulating. Individuals over eighty years of age are less likely to mount a good immune response against SARS-CoV-2 (measured by neutralization titres) after the first dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, but achieve good neutralization after the second dose., Author(s): Dami A. Collier [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Isabella A. T. M. Ferreira [sup.1] [sup.2] , Prasanti Kotagiri [sup.1] [sup.2] , Rawlings P. Datir [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Eleanor Y. [...]

Water-splitting is one of the potential avenues to store electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the form of fuel, though the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limits its extensive application as it requires a high overpotential. The rationale behind designing efficient catalysts is mainly governed by the electronic and crystal structure of the catalyst. However, optimization of the spin-polarized charge transfer during electrolysis reveals the improvement of catalytic activity for the OER process by enhancing the faradaic efficiency and reducing the overpotential. Here, we report enhancing the electrocatalytic efficiency of the state-of-the-art Ni, Fe-based OER catalyst by controlling the spin-polarization during electrolysis. This spin-polarization is introduced using the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect by integrating the catalyst with perylene diimide (PDI)-based chiral supramolecular polymers. The improvement in the OER exhibits a decrease in the reaction overpotential and minimizes the byproduct production compared to the only catalyst and its analogous achiral modification. Therefore, this study represents a viable strategy for improving the catalytic activity of the top-performing catalysts employing chirality to introduce spin-alignment in the anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia globally and its frequency increases as the world's population ages. AD is one of the largest healthcare issues of the 21st century as the primary cause of dementia and neurodegenerative illnesses. An acquired loss of cognitive function across many cognitive areas is referred to as dementia. The animal studies conducted in this research article to determine whether chemical compounds cause AD may be useful in understanding the disease's mechanism and treatment options. Objectives: The current study assessed the effectiveness of C-Phycocyanin (C-PC) from Spirulina platensis and ethanolic extract of Clerodendreme inerme against scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's in mice. Since Clerodendreme inerme and C-PC are rich in active chemical constituents, they function as beneficial antioxidants. These constituents include saponins, oil, fat, phenolic compounds, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, amino acids, proteins and carbs. Thus, an assessment of the anti-Alzheimer properties of the ethanolic extract from Clerodendreme inerme and C-Phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis was conducted. Materials and Methods: The study was designed to evaluate prophylactic effect of Spirulina platensis and Clerodendreme inerme against Scopolamine induced Alzheimer's in mice. Piracetam (200 mg/kg) was used as a standard. The extracts from the plant and leaves of Spirulina platensis and Clerodendreme inerme were screened for anti-alzheimer potential in scopolamine induced Alzheimer's in mice by administering 0.4 mg/kg b.w/day i.p. as test dose. Behavioral Assessments as well as serum levels of AchE, in vitro and Bio-chemical parameters were assessed. Results: Treated with ethanolic extracts of Clerodendreme inerme, C-PC of Spirulina platensis, it demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in escape latency time and an increase in time spent in the target quadrant. Clerodendreme inerme and C-PC of Spirulina platensis both reduce the escape latency time and transfer latency time in EPM in a dose-dependent manner. AD rodents treated with ethanolic extracts of Clerodendreme inerme, C-PC of Spirulina platensis demonstrated a dose-dependent rise in percentage change in the Y maze test. Apart from behavioral assessments, extracts from ethanolic extract of Clerodendreme inerme, SP demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in AchE level, since the loss of ACh resulting from AChE's hydrolytic action causes cognitive impairment. AD rodents that were pretreated with ethanolic extract of Clerodendreme inerme, SP there is an increase in catalase and lipid peroxidation. Conclusion: The study concludes that Spirulina platensis and Clerodendreme inerme extracts have a significant anti-Alzheimer activity. This is likely because the extracts contain a variety of nutrients, including saponins, oil, fat, phenolic compounds, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, amino acids, steroids, proteins and carbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) emphasize drug costs as the differentiator between NICE recommended anti-VEGF treatments but may neglect real-world non-drug costs of running nAMD services in the UK. To address this, this study identified real-world non-drug service cost items relevant to UK NHS nAMD clinics, including costs arising from operational strain (demand exceeding capacity). Cost items were identified by a structured literature review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, and an expert panel of 10 UK-based ophthalmologists with relevance to real-world practice. These items underwent meta-synthesis and were then determined in a consensus exercise. Of 237 cost items identified, 217 (91.6%) met the consensus threshold of >0.51 and were included in the nAMD Service Non-Drug Cost Instrument (nAS). Sensitivity of cost items taken from UK Health Technology Assessment (HTA) using the nAS as the reference standard was low (HTAmin: 1.84%, 95% CI 0.50–4.65%; HTAmax: 70.51%, 95% CI 63.96–76.49%). False negative rates showed variable likelihood of misclassifying a service by cost burden depending on prevalence. Scenario analysis using cost magnitudes estimated annual per-patient clinic cost at £845 (within capacity) to £13,960 (under strain) compared to an HTAmin estimate of £210. Accounting for cost of strain under an assumed 50% increase in health resource utilization influenced cost-effectiveness in a hypothetical genericisation scenario. Findings suggested that HTA underestimates UK NHS nAMD clinic cost burden with cost of strain contributing substantial additional unmeasured expense with impact on CEA. Given potential undertreatment due to strain, durability is suggested as one of the relevant factors in CEA of nAMD anti-VEGF treatments due to robustness under limited capacity conditions affecting UK ophthalmology services. When considering how well treatments work versus how much they cost, the focus is usually only on the price of the medicine itself. However, other real-world costs exist. In the UK, when treating certain eye problems such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), there are additional expenses related to running clinics and managing treatments that often go unnoticed. To get a better understanding of these hidden costs, the study examined factors like clinic workload and the extra expenses that come with it. Ten eye doctors in the UK were consulted for their expert opinions and numerous research papers were reviewed to identify these additional costs. The study grouped different costs in a tool called the nAMD Service Non-Drug Cost Instrument (nAS). When the findings of the nAS tool were compared to the usual methods of calculating costs, it was found that the conventional approach overlooked many of the actual expenses. Busy clinics face unique challenges, such as higher operational costs associated with staffing for extended hours, emergency appointments, extended waiting times and the potential to miss optimal treatment windows. This can lead to disease progression and the onset of comorbidities, which require more complex and costly treatments. Recognizing these real costs is crucial when making decisions about treatments, especially when treatments require more frequent visits to eye clinics. This study emphasizes the importance of considering all expenses, not just the obvious ones like medication and doctor visits when determining the most effective way to manage eye conditions like nAMD in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding solvent‐solute interactions is essential to designing and synthesising soft materials with tailor‐made functions. Although the interaction of the solute with the solvent mixture is more complex than the single solvent medium, solvent mixtures are exciting to unfold several unforeseen phenomena in supramolecular chemistry. Here, we report two unforeseen pathways observed during the hierarchical assembly of cationic perylene diimides (cPDIs) in water and amphiphilic organic solvent (AOS) mixtures. When the aqueous supramolecular polymers (SPs) of cPDIs are injected into AOS, initially kinetically trapped short SPs are formed, which gradually transform into thermodynamically stable high aspect ratio SP networks. Using various experimental and theoretical investigations, we found that this temporal evolution follows two distinct pathways depending on the nature of the water‐AOS interactions. If the AOS is isopropanol (IPA), water is released from cPDIs into bulk IPA due to strong hydrogen bonding interactions, which further decreases the monomer concentration of cPDIs (Pathway‐1). In the case of dioxane AOS, cPDI monomer concentration further increases as water is retained among cPDIs (Pathway‐2) due to relatively weak interactions between dioxane and water. Interestingly, these two pathways are accelerated by external stimuli such as heat and mechanical agitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of the study was to comparatively evaluate the efficacy of clinical and radiographic effects of calcarea phosphorica (CP) and calcium (Ca)(OH)2(Dycal) in indirect pulp capping of permanent teeth over a period of 6 months. Methodology: Permanent teeth were selected from children between the age group of 7 and 12 years, of which 20 teeth were considered, each for indirect pulp capping with CP and Ca(OH)2, respectively. Increase in dentin thickness was measured at baseline, 3 month, and 6 month on digitized radiographs using CorelDraw software. Results: Independent t-test had indicated that at the end of 3 and 6 months, a statically significant increase in dentin thickness with both CP and Dycal (P ≤ 0.001) was found within the CP group; the thickness of dentin formed was 0.089 mm ± 0.031 mm at first 3 months and 0.055 ± 0.022 mm at the second 3 months (P ≤ 0.001) evaluated using paired t-test. In the Dycal group, increment in dentin deposited was 0.068 mm at the first 3 months and second 3 months. It was 0.030 mm (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Both clinically and radio graphically, CP is superior to Dycal as indirect pulp capping medicament in permanent teeth.