Biophysical Basis of Paracellular Barrier Modulation by a Pan-Claudin-Binding Molecule.

Claudins are a 27-member protein family that form and fortify specialized cell contacts in endothelium and epithelium called tight junctions. Tight junctions restrict paracellular transport across tissues by forming molecular barriers between cells. Claudin-binding molecules thus hold promise for modulating tight junction permeability to deliver drugs or as therapeutics to treat tight junction-linked disease.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Asthma Severity in US Adults.

: The association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and asthma severity among United States (US) adults with asthma has not been well documented. In addition, whether gender differences exist in this association has been underexplored. We aimed to examine the prevalence of asthma severity in the US adult population with asthma and investigate the association between ACEs and asthma severity by using data from non-institutionalized US adults with asthma.

Development and characterization of a self-nano emulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) for Ornidazole to improve solubility and oral bioavailability of BCS class II drugs.

This study aimed to investigate the in vitro performance of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDSs) of Ornidazole (ORD), a poorly water-soluble drug. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems of ORD were prepared using various oils, non-ionic surfactants, and/or water-soluble co-solvents and assessed visually/by droplet size measurement. Equilibrium solubility of ORD in the anhydrous and diluted SNEDDS was conducted to achieve the maximum drug loading.

Comparative genome analysis of cluster EF bacteriophages Ajin and OverHedge isolated from soil in Tennessee.

Bacteriophages Ajin and OverHedge were isolated from soil in Tennessee using the bacterium . Ajin and OverHedge (cluster EF) have a genome of 56,993 bp and 56,559 bp, containing 86 and 81 predicted genes, respectively. The Ajin genome has unique genes, phosphatase and glycosyltransferase, compared to the OverHedge.

Clinical presentation and symptomatology of Guillain-Barré syndrome: A literature review.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening neurological disorder characterized by acute onset ascending paralysis and sensory abnormalities. This article provides a comprehensive overview of GBS, covering its epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, management and treatment, prognosis, psychosocial impact, recent advances in research, public health implications, and ethical considerations. Epidemiological data reveal variations in GBS prevalence, incidence rates, and geographical distribution influenced by climate, infectious disease prevalence, and genetic susceptibility.

Pregnancy Desirability and Motivational Readiness for Postpartum Contraceptive Use: Findings from Population-Based Surveys in Eight Sub-Saharan African Countries.

This study examined the associations between pregnancy intention and motivational readiness for postpartum contraceptive use. Data for this cross-sectional analysis were derived from nationally representative surveys of the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 (PMA2020) project conducted in eight sub-Saharan African countries. Participants included 9488 nonpregnant women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who had given birth in the last 2 years.

"Is a game really a reason for people to die?" Sentiment and thematic analysis of Twitter-based discourse on Indonesia soccer stampede.

This study examined discourses related to an Indonesian soccer stadium stampede on 1st October 2022 using comments posted on Twitter. We conducted a lexicon-based sentiment analysis to identify the sentiments and emotions expressed in tweets and performed structural topic modeling to identify latent themes in the discourse. The majority of tweets (87.

Structural Basis of Enterotoxin Activation and Oligomerization by Trypsin.

Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CpE) is a β-pore forming toxin that disrupts gastrointestinal homeostasis in mammals by binding membrane protein receptors called claudins. Although structures of CpE fragments bound to claudins have been determined, the mechanisms that trigger CpE activation and oligomerization that lead to the formation of cytotoxic β-pores remain undetermined. Proteolysis of CpE in the gut by trypsin has been shown to play a role in this and subsequent cytotoxicity processes.

Prevalence and determinants of food insecurity among pregnant women in Nigeria: A multilevel mixed effects analysis.

Food insecurity (FI) remains a key priority for sustainable development. Despite the well-known consequences of food insecurity on health and well-being, evidence regarding the burden and determinants of FI among pregnant women in Nigeria is limited. Framed by the social-ecological model, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of FI, and its associations with individual-/household-level and contextual-level factors among pregnant women in Nigeria.

Neighborhood Unsafety, Discrimination, and Food Insecurity among Nigerians Aged 15-49.

We investigated the association between discrimination, neighborhood unsafety, and household food insecurity (FI) among Nigerian adults, as well as the gender-specific differences in these associations. Our analysis utilized data from the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), comprising 56,146 Nigerian adults aged 15-49 (17,346 males and 38,800 females). For bivariate analysis, we employed the Rao-Scott chi-square test to examine the relationship between predictors (discrimination, neighborhood unsafety, and a composite variable of both) and the outcome variable (FI).

Techno-economic analysis of electricity generation from household sewage sludge in different regions of Nigeria.

Waste management has been a chronic environmental challenge in Nigeria, coupled with declining economic performance due to energy crises. This study was designed to estimate electricity potential of sewage sludge to meet the 2030 Renewable Energy target. However, there was a need to fill the gap in data related to wastewater management in Nigeria.

Molecular docking as a tool for the discovery of molecular targets of nutraceuticals in diseases management.

Molecular docking is a computational technique that predicts the binding affinity of ligands to receptor proteins. Although it has potential uses in nutraceutical research, it has developed into a formidable tool for drug development. Bioactive substances called nutraceuticals are present in food sources and can be used in the management of diseases.

Trends, Prevalence, and Risk Factors of Food Insecurity Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women in the United States: Findings from the 2019-2021 National Health Interview Survey.

Despite the widespread food insecurity in the United States, there is limited research investigating its prevalence among pregnant women and the potential impact it has on maternal and child health outcomes. This study examined trends in the prevalence of, and investigated risk factors for, food insecurity among peripartum women, using a nationally representative sample in the United States. This cross-sectional study included pregnant and postpartum women aged 18-49 years who reported being currently pregnant or pregnant in the past 12 months and who participated in the National Health Interview Survey from 2019 to 2021.

Food insecurity and delayed or forgone health care among pregnant and postpartum women in the United States, 2019-2021.

Objective: Despite the growing food insecurity crisis in the United States, limited evidence exists about the effects of food insecurity on the unmet health care needs of peripartum (pregnant and postpartum) women. The aim of this study was to examine the association between food insecurity and delayed or forgone health care among peripartum women in the United States from 2019 to 2021.

Methods: We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis using data from the 2019, 2020, and 2021 National Health Interview Surveys.

COVID-19 crisis interlinkage with past pandemics and their effects on food security.

Background: Pandemics as health and humanitarian crises have exerted traceable impacts on food security. Almost all past and current pandemics have created a food crisis that affects a share of the global population and threaten global food security. With the more frequent outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases or pandemics, this paper looks at the various types of impacts from the current coronavirus crisis and past pandemics to identify their major impact on food security.

Cryo-EM structures of a synthetic antibody against 22 kDa claudin-4 reveal its complex with enterotoxin.

Claudins are a family of ∼25 kDa membrane proteins that integrate into tight junctions to form molecular barriers at the paracellular spaces between endothelial and epithelial cells. Humans have 27 subtypes, which homo- and hetero-oligomerize to impart distinct properties and physiological functions to tissues and organs. As the structural and functional backbone of tight junctions, claudins are attractive targets for therapeutics capable of modulating tissue permeability to deliver drugs or treat disease.

Examining ethno-racial attitudes of the public in Twitter discourses related to the United States Supreme Court ruling: A machine learning approach.

Background: The decision of the US Supreme Court to repeal sparked significant media attention. Although primarily related to abortion, opinions are divided about how this decision would impact disparities, especially for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We used advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques to examine ethno-racial contents in Twitter discourses related to the overturn of .

Caregivers' Self-Rated General Health, Physical and Mental Health Status, Disease Morbidity and Association with Uncontrolled Asthma in Children.

This study examined the association between caregivers' self-rated general health, poor physical/mental health days, disease morbidity and asthma control in children from the United States with current asthma. The data analyzed for this study were obtained from 7522 children aged 0-17 years who participated in the 2012-2014, 2015-2017, 2018, and 2019 cycles of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Asthma Call-back Survey (ACBS). We employed univariate analysis to describe the study population and weighted binary logistic regression to examine the association of predictors with asthma control.

Impact of sex and comorbid diabetes on hospitalization outcomes in acute pancreatitis: A large United States population-based study.

Backgrounds: Data on the association between comorbid diabetes mellitus (DM) and acute pancreatitis (AP) remains limited. Utilizing a large, nationwide database, we aimed to examine the impact of comorbid diabetes mellitus on patients admitted for acute pancreatitis.

Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study of adult patients with AP utilizing the National Inpatient Sample from 2015-2018, using ICD-10 codes.

Factors Associated with the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine/Therapy among United States Adults with Asthma.

This article examined the sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine/therapy (CAM) among adults with current asthma in the United States. We used data from 76,802 adults aged 18 years and above from the 2012-2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Asthma Call-back Survey (ACBS) cycles. Weighted binary and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association of these factors with ever CAM use and the number of CAM use.

Trends in the Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies among US Adults with Current Asthma.

Complementary and Alternative Medicines/Therapies (CAM) are commonly used by US asthma adults, yet little is known about recent trends in their use. Our aim was to report trends in CAM use among US adults with current asthma. We conducted a serial cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the BRFSS Asthma Call-Back Survey (ACBS) collected between 2008 and 2019 (sample size per cycle, 8222 to 14,227).