Ecological Analysis of the Influence of ACEIs and ARBs on the COVID-19 Prevalence and Death from COVID-19

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs) have been an arguable risk factor for COVID-19 diseases because they could upregulate Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) expression, facilitating SARS-CoV2 entry to the lungs. Several retrospective clinical studies, however, found no such effect. Here, we explore how the use of ACEIs and ARBs links to COVID-19 across all countries of the world. Methods: Data on the availability of ACEIs and ARBs for 200 countries and on the number of cases and number of deaths per country by 28 December 2020 were extracted from WHO and Worldometer website, respectively. Data on life expectancy at age 65 years as a measure of ageing were from WHO and on Gross Domestic Product Per Capita (GDP PPP) and the percentage of urbanization were from the World Bank. Excel and SPSS v 26 software were used for statistical analyses. Results: In linear regression and logistic conditional regression analysis, GDP correlates with COVID-19 prevalence (rho = 0.66, p > 0.001) and deaths from COVID-19 (rho = 0.55, p < 0.001) while urbanization and life expectancy do not when GDP influence is controlled for. After statistically removing the effects of GDP on the prevalence and mortality from COVID-19, we found that countries without ACEI and ARB availability had lower COVID-19 cases and deaths (p < 0.02). Conclusions: Our study based on the global data contradicts findings of most published clinical studies at regional levels. We found that GDP positively correlates with prevalence of and mortality related to COVID-19. ACEI and ARB use increases COVID-19 infectivity and mortality. Keywords COVID-19, RAAS Inhibitors, Ecological Analysis, ACEIs, ARB

The Effectiveness of Tepid Sponge Bath with 32oc and 37oc to Decrease Body Temperature at Toddler with Fever

Introduction: Tepid sponge bath is a therapeutic bath by washing all around of the body with warm water to decrease body temperature. Warm water that used were 32oC (nail warm) and 37oC (warm). The aimed of this study was to compare the effectivity of tepid sponge bath with 32oC and 37oC warm water on decreasing body temperature at toddler with fever. Method: A quasy experimental pre post test design was used in this study. The population was toddler who had body temperature ≥38oC which treated in anggrek pediatric room dr. Iskak public hospital Tulungagung. There were 26 respondents recruited by using purposive sampling technique and divided into two group, each of 13 respondents received tepid sponge bath with 32oC and others received tepid sponge bath with 37oC warm water. The independent variable was tepid sponge bath and dependent variable was body temperature. Data were collected by using digital termometere and noted in respondent observation, then analyzed by using Paired t-Test and Mann Withney U-Test. Result: The result showed that there was an effectivity on decreasing body temperature by giving tepid sponge bath with 32oC and 37oC warm water with significance level p=0.000 and there was a difference decreasing body temperature among both of them with significance level p=0.016. Discussion: It can be concluded that tepid sponge bath with 37oC warm water was more effective than tepid sponge bath with 32oC warm water. Further studies should be observed the effectivity of tepid sponge bath with more specific age, fever character and more time and respondent

Effects of computer-based cognitive training combined with physical training for older adults with cognitive impairment: A four-arm randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: Combined physical (PHY) and cognitive (COG) training in sequential (SEQ) and simultaneous (SIMUL) sessions may delay the progression of cognitive impairment. To date, no study has directly compared in older adults with cognitive impairment the effects of COG training, PHY training, SEQ motor-cognitive training and SIMUL motor-cognitve training on specific indices of cognitive performance and activities of daily living (ADL). The purpose of this study was to determine whether SEQ and SIMUL motor-cognitive training can improve treatment outcomes compared with PHY or COG training alone. We also aimed to compare the effects of SEQ versus SIMUL motor-cognitive training on cognitive functions and instrumental ADL (IADL) in older adults with cognitive impairment. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted. Eighty older adults with cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to COG, PHY, SEQ or SIMUL training groups. The intervention consisted of 90-min training sessions, totaling 36 sessions. Outcome measures were the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, three subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) and the Lawton IADL scale. RESULTS: Significant interaction effects between group and time were found in WMS-spatial span ( CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed SEQ and SIMUL motor-cognitive training led to more pronounced improvements in visuospatial working memory or verbal memory compared with isolated COG or PHY training for community-based older adults with cognitive impairment. For enhancing effects on IADL, we suggest the use of sensitive measurement tools and context-enriched cognitive training involving real-life task demands

A Comparison of Feature-Combination for Example-Based Super Resolution

[[abstract]]Super resolution (SR) in computer vision is an important task. In this paper, we compared several common used features in image super resolution of example-based algorithms. To combine features, we develop a cascade framework to both solve the problem of deciding weights among features and to improve computation efficiency. Finally, we modify the framework to have an adaptive threshold such that not only the computation load is much reduced but the modified framework is suitable to any query image as well as various image databases.[[sponsorship]]the 18th Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (PAKDD)[[conferencetype]]國際[[conferencedate]]2014, 5/13 - 5/16[[booktype]]電子版[[iscallforpapers]]Y[[conferencelocation]]Tainan, Taiwa

Fracture Risk and Use of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers

Medications used to treat hypertension may affect fracture risk. This study investigated fracture risk for users of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). Participants (899 men, median age 70.3 yr (59.9-79.1), range 50.0-96.6 yr; 574 women, median age 65.5 yr (58.1-75.4), range 50.1-94.6 yr) were from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Medication use was self-reported and incident fractures were ascertained using radiological reports. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the femoral neck. Participants were divided into four groups: (1) non-users without hypertension, (2) non-users with hypertension, (3) ACEI users and (4) ARB users. Dosage was calculated using the defined daily dose (DDD) criteria. Participants were followed from date of visit to first fracture, death or 31 December 2016, whichever occurred first. Cox proportional hazards models were used for analyses. At least one incident fracture was sustained by 156 men and 135 women over a median(IQR) of 11.5(6.2-13.2) and 10.9(6.3-11.6) years of follow-up, respectively. In unadjusted analyses, compared to non-users without hypertension, men in all three other groups had a higher risk of fracture (Hazard Ratio (HR, 95%CI) 1.54, 1.00-2.37; 1.90, 1.18-3.05; 2.15, 1.26-3.66), for non-users with hypertension, ACEI and ARB users, respectively). Following adjustment for age, prior fracture and BMD, these associations became non-significant. A dose effect for ARB use was observed; men using lower doses had a higher risk of fracture than non-users without hypertension, in both unadjusted (2.66, 1.34-5.29) and adjusted (2.03, 1.01-4.08) analyses, but this association was not observed at higher doses. For women, unadjusted analyses showed a higher risk for ACEI users compared to non-users without hypertension (1.74, 1.07-2.83). This was explained after adjustment for age, alcohol consumption, prior fracture and BMD (1.28, 0.74-2.22). No other differences were observed. In men, lower dose (0 < DDD ≤ 1) ARB use was associated with an increased risk of fracture. ACEI or ARB use was not associated with increased risk of incident fracture in women. These findings may be important for antihypertensive treatment decisions in individuals with a high risk of fracture. Keywords: Angiotensin II receptor blockers; Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors; Fracture risk

Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation as an alternative approach to inhibit the growth of Cronobacter sakazakii by fine-tuning the activity of CpxRA two-component system

Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic foodborne pathogen primarily found in powdered infant formula (PIF). To date, it remains challenging to control the growth of this ubiquitous bacterium. Herein, antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) was first employed to inactivate C. sakazakii. Through 460 nm light irradiation coupled with hypocrellin B, the survival rate of C. sakazakii was diminished by 3~4 log. The photokilling effect was mediated by the attenuated membrane integrity, as evidenced by PI staining. Besides, scanning electron microscopy showed the deformed and aggregated cell cluster, and intracellular ROS was augmented by 2~3 folds when light doses increase. In addition to planktonic cells, the biofilm formation of C. sakazakii was also affected, showing an OD590nm decline from 0.85 to 0.25. In terms of molecular aspects, a two-component system called CpxRA, along with their target genes, was deregulated during illumination. Using the knock-out strain of ΔCpxA, the bacterial viability was reduced by 2 log under aPDI, a wider gap than the wildtype strain. Based on the promoted expression of CpxR and OmpC, aPDI is likely to play its part through attenuating the function of CpxRA-OmpC pathway. Finally, the aPDI system was applied to PIF, and C. sakazakii was inactivated under various desiccated or heated storage conditions. Collectively, aPDI serves as an alternative approach to decontaminate C. sakazakii, providing a new strategy to reduce the health risks caused by this prevalent foodborne pathogen

Associations Between Aldosterone-Renin-Ratio and Bone Parameters Derived from Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography and Impact Microindentation in Men

Components of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) are present on bone cells. One measure of RAAS activity, the aldosterone-renin-ratio (ARR), is used to screen for primary aldosteronism. Associations between ARR and bone mineral density are conflicting. This study investigated associations between ARR and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and impact microindentation (IMI). Male participants (n = 431) were from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. “Likely” primary aldosteronism was defined as ARR ≥ 70 pmol/mIU. Another group, “possible” primary aldosteronism, was defined as either ARR ≥ 70 pmol/mIU or taking a medication that affects the RAAS, but not a beta blocker, and renin  0.05). There were no associations between ARR or aldosterone and pQCT-derived bone parameters. Men with likely primary aldosteronism had lower bone area, suggesting clinically high levels of ARR may have a negative impact on bone health

Polyethylene Glycol Electrolyte Lavage Solution versus Colonic Hydrotherapy for Bowel Preparation before Colonoscopy: A Single Center, Randomized, and Controlled Study

This single center, randomized, and controlled study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of polyethylene glycol electrolyte lavage (PEG-EL) solution and colonic hydrotherapy (CHT) for bowel preparation before colonoscopy. A total of 196 eligible outpatients scheduled for diagnostic colonoscopy were randomly assigned to the PEG-EL (n=102) or CHT (n=94) groups. Primary outcome measures included colonic cleanliness and adverse effects. Secondary outcome measures were patient satisfaction and preference, colonoscopic findings, ileocecal arrival rate, examiner satisfaction, and cecal intubation time. The results show that PEG-EL group was associated with significantly better colonic cleanliness than CHT group, fewer adverse effects, and increased examiner satisfaction. However, the CHT group had higher patient satisfaction and higher diverticulosis detection rates. Moreover, the results showed the same ileocecal arrival rate and patient preference between the two groups (P>0.05). These findings indicate that PEG-EL is the preferred option in patients who followed the preparation instructions completely

Preparation of TiO2 Nanocrystallite Powders Coated with 9 mol% ZnO for Cosmetic Applications in Sunscreens

The preparation of TiO2 nanocrystallite powders coated with and without 9 mol% ZnO has been studied for cosmetic applications in sunscreens by a co-precipitation process using TiCl4 and Zn(NO3)2·6H2O as starting materials. XRD results show that the phases of anatase TiO2 and rutile TiO2 coexist for precursor powders without added ZnO (T-0Z) and calcined at 523 to 973 K for 2 h. When the T-0Z precursor powders are calcined at 1273 K for 2 h, only the rutile TiO2 appears. In addition, when the TiO2 precursor powders contain 9 mol% ZnO (T-9Z) are calcined at 873 to 973 K for 2 h, the crystallized samples are composed of the major phase of rutile TiO2 and the minor phases of anatase TiO2 and Zn2Ti3O8. The analyses of UV/VIS/NIR spectra reveal that the absorption of the T-9Z precursor powders after being calcined has a red-shift effect in the UV range with increasing calcination temperature. Therefore, the TiO2 nanocrystallite powders coated with 9 mol% ZnO can be used as the attenuate agent in the UV-A region for cosmetic applications in sunscreens

Cyclocarya paliurus Leaves Tea Improves Dyslipidemia in Diabetic Mice: A Lipidomics-Based Network Pharmacology Study

Hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis afflict over 75% of patients with type 2 diabetes, causing diabetic dyslipidemia. Cyclocarya paliurus (CP) leaf is a herbal tea which has long been consumed by the Chinese population, particularly people suffering from obesity and diabetes. CP appears to exhibit a hypolipidemic effect in lipid loaded mice (Kurihara et al., 2003), although the detailed mechanisms and active ingredients for this hypolipidemic effect have not yet been answered. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of CP and predicted the mechanisms by utilizing lipidomics, serum-pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology approaches. Our results revealed that serum and hepatic levels of total triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL), as well as 30 lipids including cholesterol ester (CE), diglyceride (DG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and sphingomyelin (SM) in CP-treated mice were improved in comparison with untreated diabetic mice. In parallel, 14 phytochemical compounds of CP were determined in mice serum after CP administration. Mechanistically, the network pharmacology analysis revealed the predicted targets of CP’s active ingredients ALOX12, APP, BCL2, CYP2C9, PTPN1 and linked lipidome targets PLD2, PLA2G(s), and PI3K(s) families could be responsible for the CP effects on diabetic dyslipidemia. In conclusion, this study revealed the beneficial effects of CP on diabetic dyslipidemia are achieved by reducing accumulation of hepatic lipid droplets and regulating circulatory lipids in diabetic mice, possibly through PI3K signaling and MAPK signaling pathways. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACTWork flow of the evaluation of the effects and mechanisms of Cyclocarya paliurus leaves tea on dyslipidemia in diabetic mice