Influence of automated indexing in Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) selection for pharmacy practice journals

Background: The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus is the controlled vocabulary used to index articles in MEDLINE. MeSH were mainly manually selected until June 2022 when an automated algorithm, the Medical Text Indexer (MTI) automated was fully implemented. A selection of automated indexed articles is then reviewed (curated) by human indexers to ensure the quality of the process. Objective: To describe the association of MEDLINE indexing methods (i.e., manual, automated, and automated + curated) on the MeSH assignment in pharmacy practice journals compared with medical journals. Methods: Original research articles published between 2016 and 2023 in two groups of journals (i.e., the Big-five general medicine and three pharmacy practice journals) were selected from PubMed using journal-specific search strategies. Metadata of the articles, including MeSH terms and indexing method, was extracted. A list of pharmacy-specific MeSH terms had been compiled from previously published studies, and their presence in pharmacy practice journal records was investigated. Using bivariate and multivariate analyses, as well as effect size measures, the number of MeSH per article was compared between journal groups, geographic origin of the journal, and indexing method. Results: A total of 8479 original research articles was retrieved: 6254 from the medical journals and 2225 from pharmacy practice journals. The number of articles indexed by the various methods was disproportionate; 77.8 % of medical and 50.5 % of pharmacy manually indexed. Among those indexed using the automated system, 51.1 % medical and 10.9 % pharmacy practice articles were then curated to ensure the indexing quality. Number of MeSH per article varied among the three indexing methods for medical and pharmacy journals, with 15.5 vs. 13.0 in manually indexed, 9.4 vs. 7.4 in automated indexed, and 12.1 vs. 7.8 in automated and then curated, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed significant effect of indexing method and journal group in the number of MeSH attributed, but not the geographical origin of the journal. Conclusions: Articles indexed using automated MTI have less MeSH than manually indexed articles. Articles published in pharmacy practice journals were indexed with fewer number of MeSH compared with general medical journal articles regardless of the indexing method used

Characterisation of the Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae SXT-related Integrative and Conjugative Element ICEApl2, and analysis of the encoded FloR protein: hydrophobic residues in transmembrane domains contribute dynamically to florfenicol and chloramphenicol efflux

Objectives To characterize ICEApl2, an SXT-related integrative and conjugative element (ICE) found in a clinical isolate of the porcine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, and analyse the functional nature of the encoded FloR. Methods ICEApl2 was identified in the genome of A. pleuropneumoniae MIDG3553. Functional analysis was done using conjugal transfer experiments. MIDG3553 was tested for susceptibility to the antimicrobials for which resistance genes are present in ICEApl2. Lack of florfenicol/chloramphenicol resistance conferred by the encoded FloR protein was investigated by cloning and site-directed mutagenesis experiments in Escherichia coli. Results ICEApl2 is 92 660 bp and contains 89 genes. Comparative sequence analysis indicated that ICEApl2 is a member of the SXT/R391 ICE family. Conjugation experiments showed that, although ICEApl2 is capable of excision from the chromosome, it is not self-transmissible. ICEApl2 encodes the antimicrobial resistance genes floR, strAB, sul2 and dfrA1, and MIDG3553 is resistant to streptomycin, sulfisoxazole and trimethoprim, but not florfenicol or chloramphenicol. Cloning and site-directed mutagenesis of the floR gene revealed the importance of the nature of the hydrophobic amino acid residues at positions 160 and 228 in FloR for determining resistance to florfenicol and chloramphenicol. Conclusions Our results indicate that the nature of hydrophobic residues at positions 160 and 228 of FloR contribute dynamically to specific efflux of florfenicol and chloramphenicol, although some differences in resistance levels may depend on the bacterial host species. This is also, to our knowledge, the first description of an SXT/R391 ICE in A. pleuropneumoniae or any member of the Pasteurellaceae

Design and Fabrication of sub-THz Steerable Photonic Transmitter 1×4 Array for Short-Distance Wireless Links

In this paper we present the latest results on the design, fabrication and test of stand-alone photonic devices devoted to ultra-high bandwidth wireless access networks operating near the Terahertz (THz) band. We review the sub-THz photonics-based technology devices developed as part of the TERAPOD project, comprising the monolithically integrated Silicon Nitride photonic integrated circuit for phase distribution, the 1×4 array of integrated Uni-Travelling Carrier Photo-Diodes (UTC-PDs) and the radiative design of the high-frequency four element linear patch antenna array based on Benzocyclobutene (BCB) layers. We also report the suitability to assemble all those components in a robust small-form factor hybrid package

Mineralisation of surfactants using ultrasound and the Advanced Fenton Process

The destruction of the surfactants, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (DBS) and dodecyl pyridinium chloride (DPC), using an advanced oxidation process is described. The use of zero valent iron (ZVI) and hydrogen peroxide at pH = 2.5 (the advanced Fenton process), with and without, the application of 20 kHz ultrasound leads to extensive mineralisation of both materials as determined by total organic carbon (TOC)measurements. For DBS, merely stirring with ZVI and H2O2 at 20°C leads to a 51% decrease in TOC, but using 20 kHz ultrasound at 40°C, maintaining the pH at 2.5 throughout and adding extra amounts of ZVI and H2O2 during the degradation, then the extent of mineralisation of DBS is substantially increased to 93%. A similar result is seen for DPC where virtually no degradation occurs at 20°C, but if extra amounts of both ZVI and hydrogen peroxide are introduced during the reaction at 40°C and the pH is maintained at 2.5, then an 87% mineralisation of DPC is obtained. The slow latent remediation of both surfactants and the mechanism of degradation are also discussed

Epidemiological, socio-demographic and clinical features of the early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in Ecuador

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread rapidly around the globe. Nevertheless, there is limited information describing the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Latin America. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 9,468 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ecuador. We calculated overall incidence, mortality, case fatality rates, disability adjusted life years, attack and crude mortality rates, as well as relative risk and relative odds of death, adjusted for age, sex and presence of comorbidities. A total of 9,468 positive COVID-19 cases and 474 deaths were included in the analysis. Men accounted for 55.4% (n = 5, 247) of cases and women for 44.6% (n = 4, 221). We found the presence of comorbidities, being male and older than 65 years were important determinants of mortality. Coastal regions were most affected by COVID-19, with higher mortality rates than the highlands. Fatigue was reported in 53.2% of the patients, followed by headache (43%), dry cough (41.7%), ageusia (37.1%) and anosmia (36.1%). We present an analysis of the burden of COVID-19 in Ecuador. Our findings show that men are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19 than women, and risk increases with age and the presence of comorbidities. We also found that blue-collar workers and the unemployed are at greater risk of dying. These early observations offer clinical insights for the medical community to help improve patient care and for public health officials to strengthen Ecuador’s response to the outbreak

Determining the neurotransmitter concentration profile at active synapses

Establishing the temporal and concentration profiles of neurotransmitters during synaptic release is an essential step towards understanding the basic properties of inter-neuronal communication in the central nervous system. A variety of ingenious attempts has been made to gain insights into this process, but the general inaccessibility of central synapses, intrinsic limitations of the techniques used, and natural variety of different synaptic environments have hindered a comprehensive description of this fundamental phenomenon. Here, we describe a number of experimental and theoretical findings that has been instrumental for advancing our knowledge of various features of neurotransmitter release, as well as newly developed tools that could overcome some limits of traditional pharmacological approaches and bring new impetus to the description of the complex mechanisms of synaptic transmission

Effects of retinoic acid on compensatory lung growth

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We investigated the effect of Retinoic acid in the growth of contralateral lung after pneumonectomy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twentyone adult male Wistar albino rats from the same colony were used. They were divided into three groups (Group A, B and C). Group A undergone only left posterolateral thoracotomy. In Group B and C, the rats were subjected to left posterolateral thoracotomy and left pneumonectomy. In Group C, rats were given intraperitoneal Retinoic acid during the operation and continued to be given everyday postoperatively. Rats were sacrificed on the 10^thday and their total body, right lung weights and right lung volumes were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The volume and weight indices of the lung were found to be higher in Group C. In histopathological examination, there was a reduction in the mean number of alveoli in Group B and C. A significant rise in the mean dimension and average wall thickness of the alveolar structure were determined in Group C.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Retinoic acid contributes to the compensatory growth of the residual lung tissue.</p