Abstract Both environmental and genetic triggers factor into the etiology of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), including Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Although the exact ...pathogenesis and causative interaction between environment and genes are unknown, GD and HT share similar immune-mediated mechanisms of disease. They both are characterized by the production of thyroid autoantibodies and by thyroidal lymphocytic infiltration, despite being clinically distinct entities with thyrotoxicosis in GD and hypothyroidism in HT. Family and population studies confirm the strong genetic influence and inheritability in the development of AITD. AITD susceptibility genes can be categorized as either thyroid specific (Tg, TSHR) or immune-modulating (FOXP3, CD25, CD40, CTLA-4, HLA), with HLA-DR3 carrying the highest risk. Of the AITD susceptibility genes, FOXP3 and CD25 play critical roles in the establishment of peripheral tolerance while CD40, CTLA-4, and the HLA genes are pivotal for T lymphocyte activation and antigen presentation. Polymorphisms in these immune-modulating genes, in particular, significantly contribute to the predisposition for GD, HT and, unsurprisingly, other autoimmune diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the immunoregulatory genes may functionally hinder the proper development of central and peripheral tolerance and alter T cell interactions with antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the immunological synapse. Thus, susceptibility genes for AITD contribute directly to the key mechanism underlying the development of organ-specific autoimmunity, namely the breakdown in self-tolerance. Here we review the major immune-modulating genes that are associated with AITD and their potential functional effects on thyroidal immune dysregulation.
Three-dimensional printing with Digital Lighting Processing (DLP) printer has come into the new wave in the tissue engineering for regenerative medicine. Especially for the clinical application, it ...needs to develop of bio-ink with biocompatibility, biodegradability and printability. Therefore, we demonstrated that Silk fibroin as a natural polymer fabricated with glycidyl-methacrylate (Silk-GMA) for DLP 3D printing. The ability of chondrogenesis with chondrocyte-laden Silk-GMA evaluated in vitro culture system and applied in vivo. DLP 3D printing system provided 3D product with even cell distribution due to rapid printing speed and photopolymerization of DLP 3D printer. Up to 4 weeks in vitro cultivation of Silk-GMA hydrogel allows to ensure of viability, proliferation and differentiation to chondrogenesis of encapsulated cells. Moreover, in vivo experiments against partially defected trachea rabbit model demonstrated that new cartilage like tissue and epithelium found surrounding transplanted Silk-GMA hydrogel. This study promises the fabricated Silk GMA hydrogel using DLP 3D printer could be applied to the fields of tissue engineering needing mechanical properties like cartilage regeneration.
Various substances, including collagen (Naticol®) and ascorbic acid, that inhibit and prevent skin aging have been studied. Collagen prevents skin aging, has anti-inflammatory effects, and assists in ...normal wound healing. Ascorbic acid is a representative antioxidant that plays a role in collagen synthesis. To achieve a synergistic effect of collagen and ascorbic acid on all skin types, we prepared a product named "TEENIALL." In addition, we used a container to separate ascorbic acid and collagen to prevent the oxidation of ascorbic acid. To confirm the effects of TEENIALL, we first confirmed its penetrability in fibroblasts, keratinocytes, melanocyte, and human skin tissues. Thereafter, we confirmed the collagen synthesis ability in normal human fibroblasts. Based on the results of in vitro tests, we conducted a clinical trial (KCT0006916) on female volunteers, aged 40 to 59 years, with skin wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, to evaluate the effects of the product in improving skin wrinkles, skin lifting, and pigmentation areas before using the product, and after 2 and 4 weeks of using the product. The values of nine wrinkle parameters that were evaluated decreased and those for skin sagging, pigmentation, dermal density, and mechanical imprint (pressure) relief were improved. Skin wrinkle and pigmentation were evaluated to ensure that the improvement effect was maintained even after 1 week of discontinuing the product use. The evaluation confirmed that the effects were sustained compared to those after 4 weeks of using the product. Additionally, skin wrinkles, skin lifting, radiance, and moisture content in the skin improved immediately after using the product once. Based on the results of in vitro and ex vivo experiments and the clinical trial, we show that the product containing ascorbic acid and collagen was effective in alleviating skin aging.
Previous research on the sharing economy has not typically focused on organizational structure and its management in spite of the fact that the essence of recent peer-to-peer business practices is ...the collaboration of online platforms and sharable assets owned by market peers. This paper critically examines a theoretical model to explore how these market partners engage in this platform organization and how their perceptions of attachment and ownership are established within the new organizational structure. The results of structural equation modeling applied to 224 Airbnb hosts indicate that attachment to a platform firm plays a vital role in achieving a sense of psychological ownership that ultimately influences citizenship behaviors toward the organization as well as toward peer hosts. The results suggest that the newly formed structure should acknowledge an establishing mechanism of attachment and psychological ownership in partnering with individual service providers in its operational management.
•Airbnb hosts' perspectives on how they attach to the firm and peer hosts.•Formation of hosts' attachment to Airbnb and peer hosts by identifying antecedent variables.•An important role of hosts' attachment within the sharing economy business.•Organizational citizenship behaviors of attached hosts.•The mediating effect of psychological ownership on the relationship between attachment and citizenship behaviors.
Globally, the public health domain is increasingly emphasizing the need for surfaces that can resist bacterial contamination, as the consumption of bacteria-infected substance may cause illnesses. ...Thus, this study aimed to modify polyurethane (PU) synthetic leather surfaces by coating their upper layer with fluorine-functionalized nano-silica particles (FNPs). This simple modification imparted omniphobic characteristics, realizing anti-biofouling and self-cleaning properties. The effectiveness in preventing bacterial adhesion was confirmed by the dip-inoculation method using Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Bacterial adhesion was evaluated based on bacterial counts using the pour plate method and by directly enumerating from scanning electron microscopy images. The attachment of bacteria to the modified omniphobic FNPs-coated PU leather surface decreased by over 98.2% compared to that on the bare surface. We expect that the method developed in this study will significantly reduce or even eliminate the potential risks associated with various biological cross-contamination scenarios, thereby enhancing hygiene standards.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD) are prevalent autoimmune disorders, representing opposite ends of the clinical spectrum of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). The pathogenesis ...involves a complex interplay between environment and genes. Specific susceptibility genes have been discovered that predispose to AITD, including thyroid-specific and immune-regulatory genes. Growing evidence has revealed that genetic and epigenetic variants can alter autoantigen presentation during the development of immune tolerance, can enhance self-peptide binding to MHC (major histocompatibility complex), and can amplify stimulation of T- and B-cells. These gene-driven mechanistic discoveries lay the groundwork for novel treatment targets. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of key AITD susceptibility genes (Tg11All genes were underlined to indicate italicization., TSHR, HLA-DR3, and CD40) and their translational therapeutic potential.
Abstract
Context
Hyperglycemic emergencies such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome (HHS) and new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) have been reported in severe acute ...respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Hyperglycemia is a predictor of poor prognosis in COVID-19 disease.
Objectives
The objective of this work is to describe a case series of HHS and/or DKA likely triggered by the COVID-19 vaccine. The aim is to alert physicians of the potential hyperglycemic complications from the COVID-19 vaccination and to provide further insight into the underlying mechanism of the bidirectional relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and DM.
Case Descriptions
All 3 patients developed HHS and/or DKA within 2 to 10 days of the COVID-19 vaccination. PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 was negative and other clinical precipitating factors were excluded. Two patients had a history of type 2 DM (T2DM) with pre-admission HbA1c levels of 7.0% to 7.5% while 1 patient was newly diagnosed with T2DM during the hospitalization. They were each treated with insulin infusion and were discharged on subcutaneous insulin therapy. Due to the rapid resolution of the hyperglycemia, insulin was discontinued in all patients within 8 weeks and they remain well-controlled on oral DM medications.
Conclusion
Severe hyperglycemia including HHS and DKA may be triggered by COVID-19 vaccination. Early evaluation and screening of patients with hyperglycemic symptoms after COVID-19 vaccination is recommended. The vaccine-induced hyperglycemia may provide further insight into the underlying pathogenesis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection itself. The underlying robust inflammatory response and “cytokine storm” may be the primary precipitant.
Education and training are needed for nursing students using artificial intelligence-based educational programs. However, few studies have assessed the effect of using chatbots in nursing education.
...This study aimed to develop and examine the effect of an artificial intelligence chatbot educational program for promoting nursing skills related to electronic fetal monitoring in nursing college students during non-face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This quasi-experimental study used a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized pretest-posttest design.
The participants were 61 junior students from a nursing college located in G province of South Korea. Data were collected between November 3 and 16, 2021, and analyzed using independent t-tests.
The experimental group-in which the artificial intelligence chatbot program was applied-did not show statistically significant differences in knowledge (t = -0.58, p = .567), clinical reasoning competency (t = 0.75, p = .455), confidence (t = 1.13, p = .264), and feedback satisfaction (t = 1.72, p = .090), compared with the control group; however, its participants' interest in education (t = 2.38, p = .020) and self-directed learning (t = 2.72, p = .006) were significantly higher than those in the control group.
The findings of our study highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence chatbot programs as an educational assistance tool to promote nursing college students' interest in education and self-directed learning. Moreover, such programs can be effective in enhancing nursing students' skills in non-face-to face-situations caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract
Background
Since COVID-19 limits safe clinical practice settings, virtual reality (VR) emerged as an alternative to practical education. Using VR simulation to learn mechanical ventilation ...is rare in nursing education.
Methods
This study developed a VR simulation program for mechanical ventilation care and evaluated its effects. We adopted a quasi-experiment design. Participants were fourth-year students across nursing colleges in South Korea.
Results
The interaction effect of the intervention time point and control group, to which the VR simulation program was applied, showed a significant difference in self-efficacy (F = 19.54,
p
< .001) and clinical reasoning capacity (F = 16.97,
p
< .001). Learning satisfaction of the experimental group was statistically significantly higher than that of the control group(F = 5.22,
p
= .026). The level of learning immersion (t = − 3.13,
p
= .003) and learning satisfaction (t = − 3.49,
p
= .001) were statistically significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group.
Conclusion
These findings confirmed that the VR stimulation program for nursing students had a positive effect on their self-efficacy, clinical reasoning capacity, and learning satisfaction. Furthermore, it was effective in improving their nursing competence.
Microwave-powered cold plasma treatment (CPT) was evaluated as a means to improve the microbiological safety of fresh vegetables and dried fruits. The CPT at 900 W, conducted for 10 min using ...nitrogen as a plasma-forming gas, inactivated Salmonella Typhimurium inoculated on cabbage and lettuce by approximately 1.5 log CFU/g. The CPT at 400–900 W and 667 Pa, conducted for 1–10 min using a helium–oxygen gas mixture, inactivated Listeria monocytogenes on cabbage by 0.3–2.1 log CFU/g in a time-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The Weibull model adequately described the inactivation of L. monocytogenes on cabbage by CPT. The CPT at the optimum conditions of treatment power (400 W) and time (10 min) inactivated L. monocytogenes on lettuce by 1.8 ± 0.2 log CFU/g. As the water activity of the dried figs increased from 0.70 to 0.93, the reductions in numbers of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes on figs increased from 0.5 to 1.3 log CFU/g and from 1.0 to 1.6 log CFU/g, respectively. The microbial inactivation by CPT increased synergistically when the pH of the figs was reduced from 6 to 4. CTPs have potential application to increase the microbiological safety of vegetables and dried fruits.
•CPT non-thermally inhibit Listeria monocytogenes on cabbage, lettuce and dried figs.•Food water activity, surface geometry, and pH were important CPT parameters.•Microbial inhibition by CPT was linearly correlated with treatment time.•CPT combined with lowering pH inhibited the pathogens synergistically.•CPT can increase the microbiological safety of vegetables and dried fruits.
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