Chamaecyparis obtusa

Chamaecyparis obtusa (C. obtusa) is known to have antimicrobial effects and has been used as a medicinal plant and in forest bathing. This study aimed to evaluate the anticariogenic activity of essential oil of C. obtusa on Streptococcus mutans, which is one of the most important bacterial causes of dental caries and dental biofilm formation. Essential oil from C. obtusa was extracted, and its effect on bacterial growth, acid production, and biofilm formation was evaluated. C. obtusa essential oil exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition of bacterial growth over 0.025 mg/mL, with 99% inhibition at a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL. The bacterial biofilm formation and acid production were also significantly inhibited at the concentration greater than 0.025 mg/mL. The result of LIVE/DEAD® BacLight™ Bacterial Viability Kit showed a concentration-dependent bactericidal effect on S. mutans and almost all bacteria were dead over 0.8 mg/mL. Real-time PCR analysis showed that gene expression of some virulence factors such as brpA, gbpB, gtfC, and gtfD was also inhibited. In GC and GC-MS analysis, the major components were found to be α-terpinene (40.60%), bornyl acetate (12.45%), α-pinene (11.38%), β-pinene (7.22%), β-phellandrene (3.45%), and α-terpinolene (3.40%). These results show that C. obtusa essential oil has anticariogenic effect on S. mutans

A standardized pathology report for gastric cancer: 2nd edition

The first edition of ‘A Standardized Pathology Report for Gastric Cancer’ was initiated by the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists and published 17 years ago. Since then, significant advances have been made in the pathologic diagnosis, molecular genetics, and management of gastric cancer (GC). To reflect those changes, a committee for publishing a second edition of the report was formed within the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists. This second edition consists of two parts: standard data elements and conditional data elements. The standard data elements contain the basic pathologic findings and items necessary to predict the prognosis of GC patients, and they are adequate for routine surgical pathology service. Other diagnostic and prognostic factors relevant to adjuvant therapy, including molecular biomarkers, are classified as conditional data elements to allow each pathologist to selectively choose items appropriate to the environment in their institution. We trust that the standardized pathology report will be helpful for GC diagnosis and facilitate large-scale multidisciplinary collaborative studies

Genome-wide association study identifies six new loci influencing pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure.

Numerous genetic loci have been associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in Europeans. We now report genome-wide association studies of pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). In discovery (N = 74,064) and follow-up studies (N = 48,607), we identified at genome-wide significance (P = 2.7 × 10(-8) to P = 2.3 × 10(-13)) four new PP loci (at 4q12 near CHIC2, 7q22.3 near PIK3CG, 8q24.12 in NOV and 11q24.3 near ADAMTS8), two new MAP loci (3p21.31 in MAP4 and 10q25.3 near ADRB1) and one locus associated with both of these traits (2q24.3 near FIGN) that has also recently been associated with SBP in east Asians. For three of the new PP loci, the estimated effect for SBP was opposite of that for DBP, in contrast to the majority of common SBP- and DBP-associated variants, which show concordant effects on both traits. These findings suggest new genetic pathways underlying blood pressure variation, some of which may differentially influence SBP and DBP

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

Publisher Correction: Sex-dimorphic genetic effects and novel loci for fasting glucose and insulin variability.

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21276-3</jats:p

Dental Students’ Satisfaction With Web-Based Learning During the Initial Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated an accelerated shift in education, moving from traditional learning to web-based learning. This transition introduced a notable transactional distance (TD) between the instructors and learners. Although disease control and staff and students’ safety are the top priorities during a pandemic, the successful delivery of education is equally crucial. However, the ramifications of this swift transition are particularly critical in the context of dental education. Dental education is inherently practice oriented, necessitating hands-on training and manual skills development, which poses unique challenges to distance learning approaches. ObjectiveThis study aims to examine dental students’ web-based learning satisfaction and experience of TD, investigate the predictors of web-based learning satisfaction, and explore the perceptions of students about the advantages and disadvantages of web-based learning. MethodsThis study explored the factors associated with web-based learning satisfaction using TD theory during the transition to web-based education. Psychological factors that could influence satisfaction were adapted from the health belief model. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey of 345 dental students from 2 institutions in South Korea who were enrolled in the spring semester of 2020. Data were collected between July 8 and September 14, 2020. Qualitative analysis was used to examine responses to open-ended questions concerning perceptions of web-based learning. ResultsA multivariate hierarchical linear regression model was used to analyze the effects of student characteristics, TD, and psychological factors (ie, perceived risk of infection and efficacy belief of web-based learning) on web-based learning satisfaction. The average score for web-based learning satisfaction was 3.62 (SD 0.84), just above the midpoint of the possible range (1-5). Self-regulated learning (β=0.08; P=.046), learner-instructor interaction (β=0.08; P=.03), and learner-content interaction (β=0.64; P<.001) were associated with higher levels of satisfaction. Moreover, a significant association was revealed between high efficacy beliefs in web-based learning (β=0.20; P<.001) and satisfaction. Although the learning structure (synchronous vs asynchronous) did not exhibit a significant association with satisfaction, the qualitative analysis results revealed that each structure possesses distinct strengths and weaknesses. The students in synchronous learning (79/345, 22.9%) recognized heightened autonomy in the “learning environment” (19/79, 24%); however, technical issues (28/79, 35%) and reduced concentration (15/79, 19%) were identified as downsides. Conversely, the students in asynchronous settings (266/345, 77.1%) emphasized unlimited access to learning content (74/266, 27.8%) and the flexibility of “learning in preferred time” (69/266, 25.9%). Nevertheless, challenges, such as self-management difficulties (66/266, 24.8%) and limited interactions (55/266, 20.7%), were evident. ConclusionsThe findings suggest that efforts to minimize TD, facilitating self-regulated learning and interaction among students and instructors, are critical for achieving web-based learning satisfaction. Moreover, establishing a common understanding among students regarding the necessity and efficacy of web-based learning during epidemics could enhance their satisfaction

Role of Zinc-Doped Bioactive Glass Encapsulated with Microspherical Gelatin in Localized Supplementation for Tissue Regeneration: A Contemporary Review

Gelatin, a natural polymer, provides excellent tissue compatibility for use in tissue rehabilitation. Bioactive glasses (BAG) offer superior capacity in stimulating a bioactive response but show high variability in uptake and solubility. To tackle these drawbacks, a combination of gelatin with BAG is proposed to form composites, which then offer a synergistic response. The cross-linked gelatin structure’s mechanical properties are enhanced by the incorporation of the inorganic BAG, and the rate of BAG ionic supplementation responsible for bioactivity and regenerative potential is better controlled by a protective gelatin layer. Several studies have demonstrated the cellular benefits of these composites in different forms of functional modification such as doping with zinc or incorporation of zinc such as ions directly into the BAG matrix. This review presents a comprehensive perspective on the individual characteristics of BAG and gelatin, including the synthesis and mechanism of action. Further, adaptation of the composite into various applications for bone tissue engineering is discussed and future challenges are highlighted