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aimed to identify the prevalence of anxiety among hypertensive patients in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected using an electronic self-administered pretested questionnaire distributed via trained data collectors. Data were analyzed using t-test and chi-test. Results: A total of 2135 participants were enrolled in this study. Anxiety was reported in 5% of all participants and 8% of the hypertensive participants. Older age, marital status, higher body mass index (BMI), smoking, and Khat chewing were strongly associated with anxiety among the general population. In addition, less adherence to medication made participants with HTN significantly more anxious. Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety among hypertensive individuals is higher compared to the general population. Moreover, anxiety is significantly associated with some sociodemographic in the general population, and with less adherence to medications in hypertensive patients. Further studies with data from medical record including more variables are needed to highlight this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical outcomes after lung transplantation, a life-saving therapy for patients with end-stage lung diseases, are limited by primary graft dysfunction (PGD). PGD is an early form of acute lung injury with no specific pharmacologic therapies. Here, we present a large multicenter study of plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples collected on the first posttransplant day, a critical time for investigations of immune pathways related to PGD. We demonstrated that ligands for NKG2D receptors were increased in the BAL from participants who developed severe PGD and were associated with increased time to extubation, prolonged intensive care unit length of stay, and poor peak lung function. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were increased in PGD and correlated with BAL TNF-α and IFN-γ cytokines. Mechanistically, we found that airway epithelial cell NKG2D ligands were increased following hypoxic challenge. NK cell killing of hypoxic airway epithelial cells was abrogated with NKG2D receptor blockade, and TNF-α and IFN-γ provoked neutrophils to release NETs in culture. These data support an aberrant NK cell/neutrophil axis in human PGD pathogenesis. Early measurement of stress ligands and blockade of the NKG2D receptor hold promise for risk stratification and management of PGD.

Platelets have a wide range of functions including critical roles in hemostasis, thrombosis, and immunity. We hypothesized that during acute inflammation, such as in life-threatening sepsis, there are fundamental changes in the sites of platelet production and phenotypes of resultant platelets. Here, we showed during sepsis that the spleen was a major site of megakaryopoiesis and platelet production. Sepsis provoked an adrenergic-dependent mobilization of megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) from the bone marrow to the spleen, where IL-3 induced their differentiation into megakaryocytes (MKs). In the spleen, immune-skewed MKs produced a CD40 ligandhi platelet population with potent immunomodulatory functions. Transfusions of post-sepsis platelets enriched from splenic production enhanced immune responses and reduced overall mortality in sepsis-challenged animals. These findings identify a spleen-derived protective platelet population that may be broadly immunomodulatory in acute inflammatory states such as sepsis.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) results in catastrophic lung failure and has an urgent, unmet need for improved early recognition and therapeutic development. Neutrophil influx is a hallmark of ARDS and is associated with the release of tissue-destructive immune effectors, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and membrane-anchored metalloproteinase disintegrins (ADAMs). Here, we observed using intravital microscopy that Adam8–/– mice had impaired neutrophil transmigration. In mouse pneumonia models, both genetic deletion and pharmacologic inhibition of ADAM8 attenuated neutrophil infiltration and lung injury while improving bacterial containment. Unexpectedly, the alterations of neutrophil function were not attributable to impaired proteolysis but resulted from reduced intracellular interactions of ADAM8 with the actin-based motor molecule Myosin1f that suppressed neutrophil motility. In 2 ARDS cohorts, we analyzed lung fluid proteolytic signatures and identified that ADAM8 activity was positively correlated with disease severity. We propose that in acute inflammatory lung diseases such as pneumonia and ARDS, ADAM8 inhibition might allow fine-tuning of neutrophil responses for therapeutic gain.

Sepsis, the leading cause of mortality in hospitals, currently lacks effective early diagnostics. A new cellular host response test, the IntelliSep test, may provide an indicator of the immune dysregulation characterizing sepsis. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between the measurements performed using this test and biological markers and processes associated with sepsis. Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), an agonist of neutrophils known to induce neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, was added to whole blood of healthy volunteers at concentrations of 0, 200, and 400 nM and then evaluated using the IntelliSep test. Separately, plasma from a cohort of subjects was segregated into Control and Diseased populations and tested for levels of NET components (citrullinated histone (cit-H3) DNA and neutrophil elastase (NE) DNA) using customized ELISA assays and correlated with ISI scores from the same patient samples. Significant increases in IntelliSep Index (ISI) scores were observed with increasing concentrations of PMA in healthy blood (0 and 200: p < 10−10; 0 and 400: p < 10−10). Linear correlation was observed between the ISI and quantities of NE DNA and Cit-H3 DNA in patient samples. Together these experiments demonstrate that the IntelliSep test is associated with the biological processes of leukocyte activation and NETosis and may indicate changes consistent with sepsis.

Poor intrinsic corrosion resistance of Mg alloys is often attributed to recommended heterogeneous microstructures containing more electrochemically noble secondary phases resulting in the preferential dissolution of Mg. The investigation herein demonstrates the laser (excimer laser, λ = 248 nm, 25 ns) processing of cast Mg-Al-Zn (AZ91D) and Mg-Al (AM60B) alloys mitigates the impact β-Mg17Al12 and Al-Mn intermetallic particles have on the corrosion resistance. Control of the laser fluence reduced surface defects commonly formed while improving the corrosion lifetime. Scanning electron microscopy of laser processed specimens revealed significant dissolution of the β phase and Al-Mn intermetallic particles. The corrosion response showed that an order of magnitude reduction in H2 evolution reaction rate was achieved for all times of immersion. Electron impedance spectroscopy showed a 10-fold increase in the estimated polarization resistance with laser processed surfaces, exhibiting a corrosion lifetime of the order of 60 h. The impedance data were verified by 72 h time lapse images of the fully immersed samples exhibiting minimal filiform corrosion coverage for both processed alloys in a quiescent 0.6 M NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harta bersama merupakan suatu akibat hukum setelah terjadinya perceraian. Kedudukan harta bersama setelah perceraian diatur menurut hukumnya masing-masing, sesuai dengan ketentuan Pasal 37 UU Perkawinan. Berdasarkan Pasal 97 KHI apabila putus perkawinan karena perceraian maka harta bersama dibagi dua. Namun dalam kenyataannya berdasarkan Putusan Mahkamah Agung Nomor 597 K/Ag/2016, hakim memutukan bagian yang diterima oleh bekas isterinya lebih besar dari bekas suaminya. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menjelaskan pertimbangan hakim Mahkamah Agung dalam pembagian harta bersama setelah perceraian, dan pemenuhan prinsip keadilan dan kepastian hukum terhadap pembagian harta bersama setelah perceraian berdasarkan Putusan Mahkamah Agung RI Nomor 597 K/Ag/2016. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian hukum normatif dengan menggunakan pendekatan undang-undang, pendekatan kasus dan pendekatan konseptual. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa hakim Agung dalam putusannya Nomor 597 K/Ag/2016 berdasarkan asas keadilan dan sosial justice tidak membagi ½ (seperdua) bagian harta bersama untuk bekas suami dan untuk bekas isteri, bahkan hakim Agung memutuskan pembagian harta bersama 2/3 untuk bekas isteri dan 1/3 bagian untuk bekas suami dengan pertimbangan bekas isteri lebih berkontribusi dalam menghasilkan harta bersama. Keputusan hakim Agung yang mengenyampingkan Pasal 97 KHI, dimana hakim Agung berpendapat kurang adil dan tidak sependapat dengan Hakim Mahkamah Syariah Aceh mengingat porsi andil isteri lebih besar dalam perolehan harta bersama dalam perkawinan.

Corrosion is an issue in Mg alloys resulting from chemical, and hence electrochemical, heterogeneity of alloy microstructures. In Mg alloy AZ31B-H24 (UNS M1 1311), Al8Mn5 intermetallic particles are dispersed throughout the matrix, forming micro-galvanic couples. Laser surface modification was performed in Ar and N2 environments with a pulsed excimer laser (λ = 248 nm, 25 ns full width at half maximum) with the aim of imparting chemical homogeneity on corrosion resistance. The results show the intermetallic particles can be partially or completely dissolved during lasing, resulting in a localized enrichment of Al and Mn in the matrix adjacent to the Al8Mn5 particles. In addition, thin oxide and nitride films were formed during processing, dependent on the processing gas used, not previously reported. Improved corrosion resistance at open circuit potential was observed for laser processed AZ3 1B, verified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and mass loss after immersion in 0.6 M NaCl. All processed samples showed a reduction in the H2 evolution reaction rate, as well as a reduction in growth of filiform-like corrosion surface coverage. The improvement was attributed to homogenization instead of film formation. Material characterization was performed by optical and electron microscopy, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, and white light interferometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alterations in mitochondrial function and morphology are critical adaptations to cardiovascular stress, working in concert in an attempt to restore organelle-level and cellular-level homeostasis. Processes that alter mitochondrial morphology include fission, fusion, mitophagy, and biogenesis, and these interact to maintain mitochondrial quality control. Not all cardiovascular stress is pathologic (e.g., ischemia, pressure overload, cardiotoxins), despite a wealth of studies to this effect. Physiological stress, such as that induced by aerobic exercise, can induce morphologic adaptations that share many common pathways with pathological stress, but in this case result in improved mitochondrial health. Developing a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying alterations in mitochondrial quality control under diverse cardiovascular stressors will aid in the development of pharmacologic interventions aimed at restoring cellular homeostasis.

Rifapentine (RPT) is an antituberculosis drug that may shorten treatment duration when substituted for rifampin (RIF). The maximal tolerated daily dose of RPT and its potential for cytochrome 3A4 induction and autoinduction at clinically relevant doses are unknown. In this phase I, dose-escalation study among healthy volunteers, daily doses as high as a prespecified maximum of 20 mg/kg/day were well tolerated. Steady-state RPT concentrations increased with dose from 5 to 15 mg/kg, but area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-24) and maximum concentration (Cmax) were similar in the 15- and 20-mg/kg cohorts. Although RPT pharmacokinetics (PK) appeared to be time-dependent, accumulation occurred with daily dosing. The mean AUC0-12 of oral midazolam (MDZ), a cytochrome 3A (CYP3A) probe drug, was reduced by 93% with the coadministration of RPT and by 74% with the coadministration of RIF (P < 0.01). Changes in the oral clearance of MDZ did not vary by RPT dose. In conclusion, RPT was tolerated at doses as high as 20 mg/kg/day, its PK were less than dose-proportional, and its CYP3A induction was robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess mental health status among Latinos, culturally and linguistically appropriate instruments are needed. The purpose of this study was to assess psychometric properties and sensitivity of the Spanish revised Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-24), a self-report mental health assessment instrument first developed and validated in English. The Spanish translation was field tested among Spanish-speaking recipients of inpatient (N = 283) or outpatient (N = 311) mental health services in Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, and California. BASIS-24 was completed within 72 h of admission and up to 48 h before discharge (for inpatients) or at intake and 30-60 days later for outpatients. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated adequate fit for the model obtained from the English instrument. Internal consistency reliability exceeded 0.70 for five of the six factors. Concurrent and discriminant validity were partially supported. Improvement following treatment was statistically significant, with small to moderate effect sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determined the correlation between students' perception of teacher transactional leadership style with Student motivation of study biology. Students have perception of teacher transactional leadership style during the learning process. Student perception about teacher transactional leadership style can be one of the factors that influence the motivation to learn biology. This perception may occur at each school included in SMA Negeri 31 Jakarta. This research was conducted in SMAN 31 Jakarta in May 2016. The method used was descriptive method through correlational studies with survey techniques. The total sample in this study were 85 students with simple random sampling technique. Having tested the research data were normally distributed and homogeneous. The regression equation Ŷ = 37,453+ 0.485X obtained. The correlation coefficient of 0.496.Which means that 21.9% of the variable motivation of study biology can be determined by the variable student perception about teacher transactional leadership style.