Molecular docking of HSPs (heat shock proteins) from rice seed

The expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) is an essential part of the heat shock response in plants where HSPs act as chaperones that help in protein folding and unfolding mechanism. This project focuses on determining the docking mechanism and conformation stability of HSPs from rice seed at several simulated temperatures. HSP20 was selected from previously isolated rice seed proteins and the sequence was used for homology modelling. The suitable model of this sequence was then selected to undergo molecular dynamics simulation and docking procedure with the targeted proteins. The simulated environmental temperature was set as 37oC and 100oC during the simulation process. Model for the selected HSP20 protein was generated successfully via I-Tasser server. The results of 50ns simulation at 310K and 373K for selected model were plotted in the graphs of RMSD, RMSF, hydrogen bonding number and radius of gyration. The RMSD result showed that HSP20 model was more stable at simulated temperature of 37oC as compared to 100oC. Whereas for the RMSF graph visualization, two significant loops of this model were found in the same position of its 3D structure as corresponded in both 37oC and 100oC results. For the results of hydrogen bonding number and radius of gyration, the mean numbers were around 102 and 1.6 respectively for 37oC and 100oC simulations. These findings indicated the responsible stability and flexibility of the model’s 3D structure in terms of its secondary structure, folding pattern and loops location. Molecular docking of this HSP20 model with the selected proteins: TPR and SGT1 was carried out successfully with ZDock server. The docked structures generated were used to understand the docking mechanism and protein-protein interactions between these proteins. Further study of these protein models is required for understanding on the roles of binding conformation between them as well as possible protein-protein interaction of HSP20 with other co-chaperones

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The Prevalence of Sarcopenia and Its Impact on Clinical Outcomes in Lumbar Degenerative Spine Disease—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The association of sarcopenia with poor clinical outcomes has been identified in various medical conditions, although there is a lack of quantitative analysis to validate the influence of sarcopenia on patients with lumbar degenerative spine disease (LDSD) from the available literature. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with LDSD and examine its impact on clinical outcomes. The electronic databases (PubMed and Embase) were systematically searched from inception through December 2020 for clinical studies investigating the association of sarcopenia with clinical outcomes in patients with LDSD. A random-effects model meta-analysis was carried out for data synthesis. This meta-analysis included 14 studies, comprising 1953 participants. The overall prevalence of sarcopenia among patients with LDSD was 24.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.3%–34.3%). The relative risk of sarcopenia was not significantly increased in patients with LDSD compared with controls (risk ratio, 1.605; 95% CI, 0.321–8.022). The patients with sarcopenia did not experience an increase in low back and leg pain. However, lower quality of life (SMD, −0.627; 95% CI, −0.844–−0.410) were identified postoperatively. Sarcopenia did not lead to an elevated rate of complications after lumbar surgeries. Sarcopenia accounts for approximately one-quarter of the population with LDSD. The clinical manifestations are less influenced by sarcopenia, whereas sarcopenia is associated with poorer quality of life after lumbar surgeries. The current evidence is still insufficient to support sarcopenia as a predictor of postoperative complications

Ultrasound Imaging in Predicting the Autograft Size in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is widely used to restore knee stability after injury, but the risk of revision surgery increases when the autograft size is inadequate. Ultrasound (US) measurements of preoperative target tendons have been applied to predict the intraoperative autograft size, with various outcomes across different studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the evidence and investigate the usefulness of US in predicting autograft size. Electronic databases were searched for relevant studies from inception to 19 January 2022. The primary outcome was the correlation between the preoperative US measurements of donor tendons and intraoperative autograft size. The secondary outcomes encompassed the predictive performance of US for autograft size and the comparison between US and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for preoperative tendon measurements. Nine studies, comprising 249 patients, were enrolled. The preoperative US measurements of the donor tendons demonstrated a significant positive correlation with their intraoperative autograft diameter, with a pooled correlation coefficient of 0.443 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.266–0.591, p < 0.001) for the gracilis and semitendinosus autograft, 0.525 (95% CI, 0.114–0.783, p = 0.015) for the semitendinosus autograft, and 0.475 (95% CI, 0.187–0.687, p = 0.002) for the gracilis autograft. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of US imaging in predicting the autograft diameter were 0.83 (95% CI 0.57–0.95) and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.36–0.91), respectively. Moreover, no significant differences were observed between US and MRI measurements in predicting the sizes of the gracilis and semitendinosus autografts. Preoperative US measurements of the target tendons were moderately correlated with the intraoperative autograft size. US imaging has a discriminative performance similar to that of MRI in predicting the autograft size. A standardized US scanning protocol is needed for future studies to minimize the variations in tendon measurements across different investigators and increase the comparability of US imaging with intraoperative findings