Groups Of Subjects Research Articles

Single-Nucleus Transcriptomic Atlas of Human Pericoronary Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Normal and Pathological Conditions.

Pericoronary epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a unique visceral fat depot that surrounds the adventitia of the coronary arteries without any anatomic barrier. Clinical studies have demonstrated the association between EAT volume and increased risks for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the association remain elusive. We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing on pericoronary EAT samples collected from 3 groups of subjects: patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery for severe CAD (n=8), patients with CAD with concomitant type 2 diabetes (n=8), and patients with valvular diseases but without concomitant CAD and type 2 diabetes as the control group (n=8). Comparative analyses were performed among groups, including cellular compositional analysis, cell type-resolved transcriptomic changes, gene coexpression network analysis, and intercellular communication analysis. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to confirm the presence of CAD-associated subclusters. Unsupervised clustering of 73 386 nuclei identified 15 clusters, encompassing all known cell types in the adipose tissue. Distinct subpopulations were identified within primary cell types, including adipocytes, adipose stem and progenitor cells, and macrophages. CD83high macrophages and FOSBhigh adipocytes were significantly expanded in CAD. In comparison to normal controls, both disease groups exhibited dysregulated pathways and altered secretome in the primary cell types. Nevertheless, minimal differences were noted between the disease groups in terms of cellular composition and transcriptome. In addition, our data highlight a potential interplay between dysregulated circadian clock and altered physiological functions in adipocytes of pericoronary EAT. ANXA1 (annexin A1) and SEMA3B (semaphorin 3B) were identified as important adipokines potentially involved in functional changes of pericoronary EAT and CAD pathogenesis. We built a complete single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of human pericoronary EAT in normal and diseased conditions of CAD. Our study lays the foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies for treating CAD by targeting and modifying pericoronary EAT functions.

Features of sensorimotor response of students with different types of attitude to the disease: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION. One of the key psychophysiological features of a subject who has lost his health is sensorimotor response, reflecting the features of neuroplasticity, and allowing us to understand how much a person is able to adapt to the changed living conditions that the disease inevitably imposes. In turn, achieving the desired result of rehabilitation will become more effective if, when building rehabilitation measures, it is taken into account how a person with certain health problems treats his changed condition, that is, to determine the type of attitude to the disease of a participant in rehabilitation measures. AIM. To study the features of simple and complex sensorimotor reactions in boys and girls with different types of attitudes to the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS. 160 subjects (average age — 21 ± 2.3 years) of both sexes were examined. The main criterion for the sample formation was the different level of health of the study participants. Respondents with 2 and 3 health groups were selected. The diagnosis of the types of attitude to the disease was carried out using the “Type of attitude to the disease” technique. The fixation of the sensorimotor response was performed using the Rebus computer technique, which allows recording a simple and complex sensorimotor reaction. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. It was revealed that harmonious (25 %), anosognosic (10.6 %) and ergopathic (20.6 %) types of attitude to the disease predominate in the group of subjects. Shown: 1) subjects with anosognosic type have the highest accuracy of a simple sensorimotor reaction (−0.12 ± 0.12), compared with the other two identified types of attitude to the disease (p 0.05); 2) subjects with anosognosic type have the lowest values of the average execution time of a complex sensorimotor reaction (361.51 ± 31.14), compared with subjects with a harmonious (386.19 ± 32.18) and ergopathic (396.50 ± 50.05) type of attitude to the disease; 3) the quality (R = 0.299, R2 = 0.090 at p = 0.020) and accuracy (R = 0.293, R2 = 0.086 at p = 0.023) of a simple sensorimotor reaction affect the type of attitude to the disease. CONCLUSION. In subjects with different types of attitude to the disease, the features of sensorimotor response differ from each other. The most effective sensorimotor reactions are performed by subjects with an anosognosic type of attitude to the disease. The type of attitude to the disease and the parameters of sensorimotor response, such as the quality and accuracy of a simple sensorimotor reaction are related to each other.

Prevalence and risk factors of hyperuricemia among freshmen at Beijing Sport University from 2021 to 2022

To investigate the prevalence of hyperuricemia among freshmen enrolled in Beijing Sport University and to explore the influencing factors of hyperuricemia in the college population. The study period was from September 2021 to February 2022.3372 freshmen of the class of 2021 from Beijing Sport University in Beijing were selected as the study subjects, and two blood uric acid tests were performed on non-same days to calculate the prevalence of the population and to explore the risk factors of hyperuricemia in the college student population using a case-control method.246 people were selected from the hyperuricemia patients of the population to be included in the case group by convenience sampling, and 211 people were selected from the non-hyperuricemia persons of the population to be included in the control group. They were included in the control group, underwent physical and laboratory examinations, and were retrospectively surveyed with questionnaires that included general information such as age, gender, specialty, place of birth, and diet related to hyperuricemia, awareness of hyperuricemia disease, physical activity level, and sleep. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square analysis, one-way Logistic regression analysis, and multi-factor logistic regression analysis. The number of patients actually diagnosed with hyperuricemia by two blood uric acid tests on non-same days was 479, with a population prevalence rate of 14.21%. Among them, the number of males in the diseased population was 391(22.39%), and the number of females in the diseased population was 88(5.41%). A total of 457 subjects were enrolled in the case-control study, among them, 246 in the case group(218 males and 28 females, average age 19.74 years), 211 in the control group(177 males and 34 females, average age 19.93 years), and 247 in the case group, 211 in the control group, and 2 groups of subjects were included. A total of 211 subjects, and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of gender composition and age distribution. One-way logistic regression analysis showed that central obesity(OR=31.52, 95%CI 7.59-130.86), obesity(OR=2.59, 95%CI 1.20-5.58), overweight(OR=1.67, 95%CI 1.08-2.59), frequent consumption of fresh vegetables(OR=0.66, 95%CI 0.43-0.99), and drinking 1500-2000 mL of water per day(OR=0.63, 95%CI 0.41-0.95) were associated with hyperuricemia, and multifactorial Logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the above factors, and finally central obesity(OR=32.05, 95%CI 7.65-134.20), BMI obesity(OR=3.22, 95%CI 1.44-7.20), and daily water intake of 1500-2000 mL(OR=0.60, 95%CI 0.37-0.95) were included in the model at the level of P=0.05. The current high prevalence of hyperuricemia in the college student population, which is more prevalent in male college students. Obesity and central obesity are risk factors for hyperuricemia in young college students, and daily water intake of 1500-2000 mL is a protective factor.

Computer vision for eye diseases detection using pre‐trained deep learning techniques and raspberry Pi

AbstractEarly diagnosis of eye diseases is very important to prevent visual impairment and guide appropriate treatment methods. This paper presents a unique approach that can detect numerous eye diseases automatically. Initially, this approach used the pre‐trained ImageNet models that provides various pre‐trained models for training the acquired data. The existing data sets are composed of 645 data images acquired clinically, represented by two groups of subjects as healthy and others holding the proposed eye defect like cataracts, foreign bodies, glaucoma, subconjunctival haemorrhage, and viral conjunctivitis. Followed by comparisons of the pre‐trained model's coefficients and prediction performance. Later, the first‐class execution model is integrated within the Raspberry Pi staging and the real‐time digital camera detection. The evaluation process used the confusion matrix, model accuracy, precision factor, recall coefficient, F1 score, and the Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). Resulting in the performance of these pre‐trained ImageNet models used in this study represented by 93% (InceptionResNetV2), 90% (MobileNet), 86% (Residual Network ResNet50), 85% (InceptionV3), 78% (Visual Geometry Group VGG19), and 72% (Neural Architecture Search Network NASNetMobile). The results show that the InceptionResNetV2 achieved the highest performance. This proposed approach shows its efficiency and strength by early detection of the subject's unhealthy eyes through real‐time monitoring in the field of ophthalmology.

Radiomics features of the cardiac blood pool to indicate hemodynamic changes in pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF).

To test the hypothesis that cine MRI-derived radiomics features of the cardiac blood pool can represent hemodynamic characteristics of pulmonary hypertension-heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF). Nineteen PH-HFpEF patients (9 male, 57.8 ± 14.7 years) and 19 healthy controls (13 male, 50.3 ± 13.6 years) were enrolled. All participants underwent a cardiac MRI scan. One hundred and seven radiomics features (7 classes) of the blood pool in the left and right ventricles/atrium (LV/RV/LA/RA) were extracted from 4-chamber cine (2D images) at the stages of systole, rapid filling, diastasis, and atrial contraction within a cardiac cycle. For PH-HFpEF patients, features acquired from LV/LA were related to the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP); features acquired from RV/RA were related to the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to test the capability of radiomics features in discriminating 2 subject groups. Features acquired from different chambers at various periods present diverse properties in representing hemodynamic indices of PH-HFpEF. Multiple radiomics features blood pool were significantly related to PCWP and/or mPAP (r: 0.4-0.679, p < 0.05). In addition, multiple features of blood pools acquired at various time points within a cardiac cycle can efficiently discriminate PH-HFpEF from controls (individual AUC: 0.7-0.864). Cine MRI-derived radiomics features of the cardiac blood pool have the potential to characterize hemodynamic abnormalities in the context of PH-HFpEF.

The Impact of Anemia on the Survival of Patients Diagnosed With Low-Grade Malignant B-cell Lymphomas.

B-cell lymphomas with a low degree of malignancy represent a heterogeneous group of diseases, that evolve slowly, butpresent particularities in terms of long-term survival. We investigated the impact of anemia from the time of diagnosis in 249 patients with malignant B-cell lymphomas, diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2015, in the Hematology Department of the Sibiu County Emergency Hospital, Romania. We included 126(50.6%) male and 123 (49.4%) female patients with the average age being 68.2 years. Among all patients, 106 (42.6%) were diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 61 (24.5%) with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), 53 (21.3%) with multiple myeloma (MM), 16 (6.4%) with follicular lymphoma (FL), nine (3.6%) with plasmacytoma, and four cases with hairy cell leukemia (HCL). The serum Hb value in the subject group varied between 2.6 g/dL and 17 g/dL.At diagnosis, 18 (7.2%) patients had severe anemia, 32 (12.9%)had moderate anemia, 58 (23.3%) had mild anemia, and 141 (56.6%) had no anemia at all at the time of diagnosis. In our group, the higher degree of anemia was correlated with a more advanced stage of the disease but not with the older age of the patients. Our study's highest median value of LDH corresponded to moderate anemiaand the lowest value to patients who did not have anemia. Patients who did not have anemia at diagnosis had the best survival at five years, followed by those with mild anemia, then those with moderate anemia. In our cohort, subjects with the lowest Hb value at diagnosis had the worst survival. The results of our study conclude that anemia represents a negative impact factor not only on the patient's quality of life but also on their survival.

Self-evaluation of appearance by female medicine students

Background and Study Aim. Nowadays western culture promotes appearance-wise the ideal of a slim body. The purpose of the research was to study body composition of female medicine students and compare these results with their self-evaluation on the problem. Material and Methods. Ninety-nine Casimir Pulaski Radom University in Radom females students (22.0±2.1 years old) who studied at a medicine faculty have been involved in the research. The study was conducted in accordance with the basic bioethical norms of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association on Ethical Principles for Conducting Scientific and Medical Research. Written informed consent was obtained from each study participant. The study was approved in advance by Ethical Committee of the Casimir Pulaski Radom University in Radom. The studies included survey research: The International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ) - Short Form, The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), Questionnaire of self-evaluation of appearance, body mass and height. According to the Three Sigma Rule border values, research samples were selected regarding compacted values of corresponding parameters. Pearson correlation has been used with a purpose to study an interaction between anthropometric parameters of subjects. Two pair t-test for arithmetic means was applied to compare mean values of the anthropometric parameters of the subjects. Factor analysis has been used with a purpose to study body building of students. Calculations were done using Data Analysis from MS Excel Offices and computer package Statistica. Results. Shapiro – Wilk method was used to determine normality of distribution of quantity parameters studied in the research (p&gt;0.4). Because Gauss distribution was noticed, parametric statistics were applied in mathematics elaboration of anthropometric parameters. According to the Method of Principal components, the Factor analysis has been done. A number of variables were reduced to twenty-three (11 – 33). Three Eigenvalues appeared greater than one (17.4; 3.3; 1.1). Number of factors extracted equals 3. Corresponding part of variation forms 94.7% of the total. The rest of variation (5.3%) presents other factors. The main factor (the first one) forms more than three quarters of variation – 75.7%. Conclusions. Accuracy of estimation of a body height among female subjects was determined as a difference between results of subject’s answer and results of measurement. Two groups of subjects have been formed: 58 subjects presented their knowledge of values of body height and 38 subjects – estimated their own hypothetic values.

Gastric microbiome composition in obese patients and normal weight subjects with functional dyspepsia.

Despite the numerous studies demonstrating gut microbiota dysbiosis in obese subjects, there is no data on the association between obesity and gastric microbiota. The aim of this study was to address this gap in literature by comparing the composition of gastric microbiota in obese patients and a control group which included normal weight volunteers diagnosed with functional dyspepsia (FD). A total of 19 obese patients, and 18 normal weight subjects with FD and normal endoscopy results were included in the study. The gastric tissue samples were collected from participants in both groups by bariatric surgery and endoscopy, respectively, and profiled using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. There was no significant difference in the α-diversity scores, while distinct gastric microbial compositions were detected in both groups. Significantly lower levels of Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria, and higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio were recorded in the obese patients. A total of 15 bacterial genera exhibited significant difference in gastric abundance with Prevotella_7, Veillonella, Cupriavidus, and Acinetobacter, present in frequencies higher than 3% in at least one subject group. Our study suggests a significant association between obesity and gastric microbiome composition. Future studies with larger sample size and gastric samples from subjects without any gastrointestinal complications are required to confirm our conclusions.

Metformin in diabetes management: expanding benefits. Review

We have conducted a narrative review based on a structured search strategy, focusing on the effects of metformin on the progression of non‑diabetic hyperglycemia to clinical type 2 diabetes mellitus. The principal trials that demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of diabetes in at‑risk populations randomized to metformin (mostly with impaired glucose tolerance) were published mainly from 1999 to 2012. Metformin reduced the 3‑year risk of diabetes by ‑31% in the randomized phase of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), vs.‑ 58% for intensive lifestyle intervention. Metformin was most effective in younger, heavier subjects. Diminishing but still significant reductions in diabetes risk for subjects originally randomized to these groups were present in the trial’s epidemiological follow‑up, the DPP Outcomes Study (DPPOS) at 10 years (‑18 and ‑34%, respectively), 15 years (‑18 and ‑27%), and 22 years (‑18 and ‑25%). Long‑term weight loss was also seen in both groups, with better maintenance under metformin. Subgroup analyses from the DPP/DPPOS have shed important light on the actions of metformin, including a greater effect in women with prior gestational diabetes, and a reduction in coronary artery calcium in men that might suggest a cardioprotective effect. Improvements in long‑term clinical outcomes with metformin in people with non‑diabetic hyperglycemia («prediabetes») have yet to be demonstrated, but cardiovascular and microvascular benefits were seen for those in the DPPOS who did not vs. did develop diabetes mellitus. Multiple health economic analyses suggest that either metformin or intensive lifestyle intervention is cost‑effective in a community setting. Long‑term diabetes prevention with metformin is feasible and is supported in influential guidelines for selected groups of subjects. Future research will demonstrate whether intervention with metformin in people with non‑diabetic hyperglycemia will improve long‑term clinical outcomes.

Marxism and Class-Based Analysis in the Body of Knowledge: The Scientometric Analysis and Research Agenda

This study provides a comprehensive scientometric analysis to examine the incorporation and impact of Marxist theory and class-based analysis within the broader academic knowledge base. By utilizing Scientometric data from renowned scientific databases covering the last seventy years, we can pinpoint important patterns, notable authors, essential publications, subject groups, and relevant keywords relating to Marxism and class analysis. These findings show increasing interest in the topic, especially after the 2000s. This analysis emphasizes the importance of theoretical study and the working class as topics that often appear in recent research. Additionally, we analyze the distribution of research output and country collaborations, observing substantial clustering in the Americas and the United Kingdom. Despite increasing interest in this topic, our analysis reveals gaps in existing research, namely in the practical implementation and integration of different disciplines. Based on these observations, we suggest a study plan that prioritizes the need for more detailed empirical investigation, examination of social class dynamics in non-Western settings, and the incorporation of Marxist analysis into current topics such as globalization and the working class. This agenda aims to increase the significance and practicality of class-based analysis in understanding contemporary socio-economic phenomena.

Effects of Active Chronic Cigarette-Smoke Exposure on Circulating Fibrocytes

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that active smoking impacts upon mediators and abundance of circulating fibrocyte cells in smoking-related disease characterised by fibrosis.MethodsFlow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to investigate blood from five patient groups: healthy never-smokers, healthy current smokers, stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) active smokers, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) never-smokers, and IPF active smokers.ResultsA significant inverse dose–response relationship was observed in healthy smokers among cumulative smoking burden (pack-years) and fibrocyte abundance (p = 0.006, r = −0.86). Among serum profibrotic fibrocyte chemokines measured, CCL18 rose significantly alongside fibrocyte numbers in all five subject groups, while having an inverse dose–response relationship with pack-year burden in healthy smokers (p = 0.003, r = −0.89). In IPF, CCL2 rose in direct proportion to fibrocyte abundance irrespective of smoking status but had lower serum levels in those currently smoking (p = < 0.001). For the study population, CXCL12 was decreased in pooled current smokers versus never-smokers (p = 0.03).ConclusionThe suppressive effect of current, as distinct from former, chronic smoking on circulating fibrocyte abundance in healthy smokers, and modulation of regulatory chemokine levels by active smoking may have implications for future studies of fibrocytes in smoking-related lung diseases as a potential confounding variable.

Administrative and legal status of subjects of information support for the administration of justice

Introduction. Information support is an integral part of the effective functioning of the justice system in a democratic state governed by the rule of law. The proper work of responsible entities directly affects compliance with the principles of the rule of law, transparency, equality before the law, etc. Timely transfer of data, protection of confidential information, ensuring access to materials for participants in the process - all this is the responsibility of special subjects of information support of justice. However, in the context of the development of information technology and cyber threats, there is a need to thoroughly study their administrative and legal status, functions, tasks and responsibilities. The purpose of the paper is to study the legal nature of the administrative and legal status of subjects of information support for the administration of justice. Results. The paper examines the legal nature of their status and its constituent elements. The author identifies the main groups of such subjects: subjects of administration of registers and databases, subjects of administration of judicial communications, and subjects of information protection. The paper analyses the administrative and legal status of the High Council of Justice, State Judicial Administration, National Information Systems, Information Court Systems, Centre for Court Services, and the information protection units within the framework of their functions, duties and responsibilities. The author substantiates the need for a comprehensive review of the principles of functioning of the subjects of information support of justice in order to improve the efficiency of the judicial system in the context of digitalisation and combating cyber threats. Conclusion. Information support is critical for the effective operation of the justice system in the context of digitalisation. The proper operation of responsible entities directly affects compliance with the principles of justice. Their administrative and legal status is determined by their functions, rights, duties and responsibilities under the law. Given cyber threats and technological development, a comprehensive review of the legal framework for the functioning of these entities is needed to optimise their work and increase the efficiency of the judicial system. The list of such entities is not exhaustive and requires further research.

Facial soft-tissue shape changes after fixed edgewise treatment with premolar extraction in individual artificial-intelligence-classified facial profile patterns

ObjectiveTo examine the patterns of pretreatment facial soft tissue shape in orthodontic cases with premolar extraction using artificial intelligence (AI) and to investigate the corresponding changes.MethodsOne hundred and fifty-two patients who underwent orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction were enrolled. Lateral cephalograms were obtained before and after the treatment. For each record, the outlines of the nose-lip-chin profile and corresponding 21 cephalometric variables were extracted. The AI method classified pretreatment records into three subject groups based on the feature variables extracted from the outline. Dentoskeletal and soft tissue facial form changes observed after treatment were compared statistically (P < 0.05) between the groups using ANOVA. Multivariate regression models were used for each group.ResultsGroup 1 (n = 59) was characterized by Class II high-angle retrognathic mandible with an incompetent lip, group 2 (n = 55) by Class I malocclusion with retruded and thin lips, and group 3 (n = 38) by Class I malocclusion with an everted superior lip before treatment. The ratios of anteroposterior soft tissue to hard tissue movements in Group 1 were 56% (r = 0.64) and 83% (r = 0.75) for the superior and inferior lips, respectively, whereas those in Group 2 were 49% (r = 0.78) and 91% (r = 0.80), and 40% (r = 0.54) and 79% (r = 0.70), respectively, in Group 3.ConclusionsThe modes of facial form changes differed depending on the pre-treatment profile patterns classified by the AI. This indicates that the determination of the pre-treatment profile pattern can help in the selection of soft tissue to hard tissue movement ratios, which helps estimate the post-treatment facial profile with a moderate to high correlation.

Evaluating the efficacy of cranial electrotherapy stimulation in mitigating anxiety-induced cognitive deficits

Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) that has demonstrated potential to modulate neural activity in a manner that may be conducive to improved cognitive performance. While other forms of NIBS, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), have received attention in the field as potential acute cognitive enhancers, CES remains relatively unexplored. The current study aimed to assess the efficacy of CES in improving acute cognitive performance under normal experimental conditions, as well as during sessions of induced situational anxiety (threat of shock or ToS). To study this question, participants completed a cognitive battery assessing processing speed and distinct aspects of executive functioning (working memory, inhibition, and task switching) in two separate sessions in which they received active and sham CES. Participants were randomly assigned to between subject groups of either situational anxiety (ToS) or control condition (no ToS). We predicted that active CES would improve performance on assessments of executive functioning (working memory, inhibition, and task switching) relative to sham CES under ToS. We did not find any significant effects of ToS, CES, or an interaction between ToS and CES for any measures of executive functioning or processing speed. These findings suggest that a single dose of CES does not enhance executive functioning or processing speed under normal conditions or during ToS.

The Combination of Gardenia jasminoides, Boswellia serrata, Commiphora myrrha, Foeniculum vulgarae, and Daucus carota Essential Oil Blend Improved the Inflammatory and Clinical Status in Respiratory Tract Infection of COVID-19 Patients: A Multicentre, Randomized, Open-label, Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Essential oils (EO) are complex volatile, naturally synthesized compounds from aromatic plants. It considers as healthy, effective, and safe since they were coming from nature. Gardenia jasminoides, Boswellia serrata, Commiphora myrrha, Foeniculum vulgarae, and Daucus carota are known to have antimicrobials, antioxidants, antiinflammation properties against respiratory tract infection. However, despite its natural content, a safety profile needs to be observed. Therefore, in this study, EO blend (EOB) made from the combination of these 5 plants was assessed for its efficacy and safety for respiratory tract infection in human.METHODS: A multicentre, randomized, open-label, phase II controlled trial involving 80 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 was conducted. One group of subjects only received standard of care (SoC), while the other group receive SoC and EOB orally for 10 days.RESULTS: There were significant decrease in interleukin (IL)-6 level (p=0.016) and interferon (IFN)-γ level (p=0.012), as well as better respiratory rate (p=0.024) for the group receiving SoC and EOB compared to the group receiving SoC only. However, there was no significant differences in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine, and the corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation value in both groups. All subjects with adverse effects were improved and recovered, and there were no serious adverse events found.CONCLUSION: The combination of G. jasminoides, B. serrata, C. myrrha, F. vulgarae, and D. carota EOB could improve the inflammatory and clinical status and safe to be used as adjuvant therapy for treating COVID-19 in adults.KEYWORDS: essential oils, COVID-19, inflammation, safety

The prognostic potential of the pulmonary function tests parameters in determining the risks of comorbid pathology development

The aim is to study the prognostic potential of the parameters of the pulmonary function tests parameters in determining the risks of developing comorbid pathology. Material and methods. The study included 102 people, with an average age of 47 [43-52.7] years. Questionnaires, anthropometry, blood sampling for biochemical analysis, and spirometry were conducted. Cardiovascular risk (CVR) was calculated on the SCORE2 scale, stratification of the subjects by risk groups was carried out in accordance with the gradation on the scale used. Statistical processing was performed using nonparametric methods. Results. According to the calculation of the SSR on the SCORE2 scale, all the subjects were in the range of moderate (58.7 %) and high risk (41.3 %). The obtained data from the study of the respiratory function of the general sample were slightly lower in women than in men, with significant differences in the obtained FVC, FEV1, FEF2575. Depending on the presence of arterial hypertension (AH) it was found that the median values of both the actual and calculated lower limits of the norm (LLN) of spirometry indicators among people with AH were lower than those studied without hypertension. At the same time, significant differences depending on the presence of AH were revealed only in the case of LLN for FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF2575. In individuals with hypertension, the LLN-FEV1/FVC index was significantly lower than 70 %. In the group of subjects with hypertension, an inverse reliable relationship was found (p = −0.4; p &lt; 0.001) between LLN-FEV1/FVC and the level of uricemia – a decrease in the index by 0.008 % will lead to an increase in uric acid by 1 mmol/l. A decrease in LLN-FEV1/FVC by 0.2 l and LLN-FEF2575 by 0.03 l/sec will increase the CVR on the SCORE2 scale by 1 % ((p = −0.5; p &lt; 0.001) (p=−0.3; p=0.002), respectively). Conclusion. An assessment of the prognostic potential of the pulmonary function tests parameters in determining the risks of comorbid pathology, namely a combination of cardiovascular diseases and respiratory pathology, was carried out. A combined approach to the examination of the able-bodied population, taking into account spirometry data, will help to personify and in-depth assess the risks of developing significant diseases that affect the quality and life expectancy of the patient, his ability to work.

Alterations in neural activation in the ventral frontoparietal network during complex magnocellular stimuli in developmental dyslexia associated with READ1 deletion

BackgroundAn intronic deletion within intron 2 of the DCDC2 gene encompassing the entire READ1 (hereafter, READ1d) has been associated in both children with developmental dyslexia (DD) and typical readers (TRs), with interindividual variation in reading performance and motion perception as well as with structural and functional brain alterations. Visual motion perception -- specifically processed by the magnocellular (M) stream -- has been reported to be a solid and reliable endophenotype of DD. Hence, we predicted that READ1d should affect neural activations in brain regions sensitive to M stream demands as reading proficiency changes.MethodsWe investigated neural activations during two M-eliciting fMRI visual tasks (full-field sinusoidal gratings controlled for spatial and temporal frequencies and luminance contrast, and sensitivity to motion coherence at 6%, 15% and 40% dot coherence levels) in four subject groups: children with DD with/without READ1d, and TRs with/without READ1d.ResultsAt the Bonferroni-corrected level of significance, reading skills showed a significant effect in the right polar frontal cortex during the full-field sinusoidal gratings-M task. Regardless of the presence/absence of the READ1d, subjects with poor reading proficiency showed hyperactivation in this region of interest (ROI) compared to subjects with better reading scores. Moreover, a significant interaction was found between READ1d and reading performance in the left frontal opercular area 4 during the 15% coherent motion sensitivity task. Among subjects with poor reading performance, neural activation in this ROI during this specific task was higher for subjects without READ1d than for READ1d carriers. The difference vanished as reading skills increased.ConclusionsOur findings showed a READ1d-moderated genetic vulnerability to alterations in neural activation in the ventral attentive and salient networks during the processing of relevant stimuli in subjects with poor reading proficiency.

Effects of Konjac Glucomannan and Its Oligosaccharides on Improvement of Lactose Intolerance as Gut Prebiotics.

Lactose intolerance (LI) is a widespread health issue affecting almost 70% of the world population. This study evaluates the potential prebiotic benefits of konjac glucomannan (KGM) and konjac oligogalactomannan (KOGM) in improving LI. Colonic fermentation results indicate that lactase groups of healthy subjects showed lower pH, higher lactic acid content, and lactase activity in fermentation broth compared with LI subjects. Total short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) content reached 1.71 mmol/L in healthy subjects, whereas it was 1.49 mmol/L in LI subjects. In vivo studies demonstrated that KGM and KOGM intake reduced total cholesterol (T-CHO) and triglyceride (TG) levels in the liver and significantly increased immunoglobulin G (lgG) and immunoglobulin A (lgA) values, while KOGM inclusion led to a significant 23.04% increase in serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels compared to the Blank group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, ileal tissue analysis revealed a marked increase in villus height and intestinal wall thickness (p < 0.05) as well as a decrease in crypt depth (p < 0.05). The composition and proportion of gut microbiota have improved with KGM and KOGM use, notably increasing the abundance of Lactobacillus and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, respectively (p < 0.05). Compared with the Blank group, Lactobacillus abundance increased by approximately 25.82% in the Drug group, 18.23% in the KGM group, and 8.67% in the KOGM group. These findings suggest that KGM and KOGM can be utilized as prebiotics to alleviate LI symptoms.

PENGARUH MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN EDUCANDY TERHADAP MOTIVASI BELAJAR SISWA KELAS IV PADA MATA PELAJARAN PENDIDIKAN PANCASILA DI SD NEGERI 1 WONOBOYO

This study aims to determine whether there is an effect of Educandy learning media on the learning motivation of fourth grade students in Pancasila Education subjects at SD Negeri 1 Wonoboyo. This research is a quasi-experimental quantitative research, namely Non-Equivalent Control Group Design, which has two groups of subjects for the experimental class and the control class. Involving as many as 36 students. Data collection techniques were observation, questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis is normality test, homogeneity test, and independent sample t-test. The use of learning motivation questionnaires to determine student learning motivation at the beginning and end. The results of the initial motivation questionnaire for the control and experimental classes respectively obtained an average value of 68.33 and 66.44, while the results of the final motivation questionnaire were 61.11 and 72.78. The hypothesis test conducted was obtained when the significance value (2-tailed) was 0.000. The conclusion obtained is if there is an effect of Educandy learning media on the learning motivation of SD Negeri 1 Wonoboyo students.

Physiological activity, severity of neurotic symptoms and personality traits of patients in a psychiatric day ward in the initial and final phases of the psychodynamic psychotherapy process. Quasi-longitudinal pilot study.

Aim of the studyThe aim of the study was to explore HR (heart rate) and EDA (electrodermal activity) activity of patients in the initial and final phase of a 12-week psychodynamic psychotherapy process. The physiological data obtained were corelated with psychological variables (questionnaire results of patients).Subject or material and methodsData from 12 patients with a diagnosis of neurotic disorders and/or personality disorders were analysed. Patients were examined with the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), KON-2006 (Neurotic Personality Questionnaire) and Symptom Checklist "O". Physiological data were collected using a galvanometer and a pulsometer.ResultsThe results of psychological questionnaires in the final phase of psychotherapy showed a reduction in symptoms in most of the scales compared to the initial questionnaires. Patients' EDA and HR scores decreased in the final phase of psychotherapy compared to the initial phase. Most of scores of personality disorder traits showed a negative correlation with EDA and a positive correlation with HR, neurotic personality traits correlated positively with EDA and negatively with HR. At the end of the psychotherapy process, a positive correlation was observed between personality traits and physiological measures.DiscussionThe obtained results suggest that psychotherapy can lower the intensity of the physiological activity of patients. Psychotherapy probably has the potential to change the direction of physiological responses of patients with personality disorder traits.ConclusionsPhysiological activity can potentially be used as an objective measure of the effectiveness of psychotherapy. The study should be repeated on a larger group of subjects to confirm the results we obtained.