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Abstract Background Homelessness is a growing concern in the United States, especially among people who use drugs (PWUD). The degree of material hardship among this population may be linked to worse health outcomes. PWUD experiencing homelessness in urban areas are increasingly subjected to policies and social treatment, such as forced displacement, which may worsen material hardship. It is critical to describe hardship among PWUD and examine if it is linked to health outcomes. Methods Data were collected as part of a prospective cohort study of PWUD in Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado (n = 476). Analysis sample size was smaller (N = 395) after selecting for people experiencing homelessness and for whom data were complete. Five indicators assessing hardship (difficulty finding food, clothing, restrooms, places to wash/shower, and shelter) in the past three months were obtained from participants at baseline and were used in latent class analysis (LCA). We chose a base latent class model after examination of global fit statistics. We then built three auxiliary models using the three-step Bolck–Croon–Hagenaars (BCH) method to test the relationship of latent class membership to several hypothesized social and health variables in this same three month time period. Results Fit statistics, minimum classification probabilities, and ease of interpretation indicated a three-class solution for level of material difficulty. We termed these classes “High Difficulty” (n = 82), “Mixed Difficulty” (n = 215), and “Low Difficulty” (n = 98). Average classification probabilities indicated good class separability. “High Difficulty” participants had high probabilities of usually having difficulty accessing all five resources. “Mixed Difficulty” participants indicated a range of difficulty accessing all resources, with restrooms and bathing facilities being the most difficult. “Low Difficulty” participants were defined by high probabilities of never having access difficulty. In auxiliary analyses, there were significant (p

Abstract Background Angelman syndrome (AS), a severe neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from the loss of the maternal UBE3A gene, is marked by changes in the brain’s white matter (WM). The extent of WM abnormalities seems to correlate with the severity of clinical symptoms, but these deficits are still poorly characterized or understood. This study provides the first large-scale measurement of WM volume reduction in children with AS. Furthermore, we probed the possibility of underlying WM neuropathology by examining the progression of myelination in an AS mouse model. Methods We conducted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on children with AS (n = 32) and neurotypical controls (n = 99) aged 0.5–12 years. In parallel, we examined myelination in postnatal Ube3a maternal-null mice (Ube3a m−/p+; AS model), Ube3a paternal-null mice (Ube3a m+/p−), and wildtype controls (Ube3a m+/p+) using MRI, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and electron microscopy. Results Our data revealed that AS individuals exhibit significant reductions in brain volume by ~ 1 year of age, and by 6–12 years of age WM is reduced by 26% and gray matter by 21%—approximately twice the reductions observed in the adult AS mouse model. Our AS mouse model saw a global delay in the onset of myelination, which normalized within days (likely corresponding to months or years in human development). This myelination delay is caused by the loss of UBE3A in neurons rather than UBE3A haploinsufficiency in oligodendrocytes. Interestingly, ultrastructural analyses did not reveal abnormalities in myelinated or unmyelinated axons. Limitations It is difficult to extrapolate the timing and duration of the myelination delay observed in AS model mice to individuals with AS. Conclusions This study reveals WM deficits as a hallmark in children with AS, demonstrating for the first time that these deficits are already apparent at 1 year of age. Parallel studies in a mouse model of AS show these deficits occur alongside the delayed onset of myelination, which results from the loss of neuronal (but not glial) UBE3A, though the causal relationship between these phenotypes remains to be determined. These findings emphasize the potential of WM as both a therapeutic target for interventions and a valuable biomarker for tracking the progression of AS and the effectiveness of potential treatments.

Abstract Background Cannabis is the most common illicit substance used in pregnancy. As use continues to increase, understanding peoples’ behaviors surrounding cannabis use during pregnancy is needed to improve maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of this study was to better understand pregnant individuals' perceptions and knowledge of cannabis use and use patterns as well as the social and environmental factors that may influence their use. Methods We conducted interviews with 19 participants between December 2022 and March 2023. Individuals self-identified as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), were over 21 years of age, spoke English or Spanish, resided in California, and had used cannabis during pregnancy in the last 0–2 years. Using qualitative, constructivist grounded theory methods, we analyzed the contexts that contributed to participants’ lived experiences surrounding cannabis use behaviors during pregnancy. Results Participants reported making conscious decisions to responsibly manage their cannabis use during pregnancy to minimize potential harm to the fetus. Participants prioritized making what they perceived to be safer adjustments to their use of cannabis: (1) changing the amount of cannabis used, (2) changing the types of cannabis products used, and (3) changing sources of cannabis procurement. Discussion Our findings show that pregnant individuals are seeking information about safe cannabis use beyond medical supervision and are open to altering their cannabis consumption patterns. However, they are unable to find trustworthy and evidence-based harm reduction practices which can be implemented to mitigate harm to their unborn children. A harm reduction approach is needed in the field of maternal cannabis use to promote positive maternal and fetal health outcomes. Conclusions More data is needed on comprehensive harm reduction approaches to cannabis use during pregnancy. This requires implementation of education on these topics in healthcare settings presented by prenatal care clinicians.

Abstract Background Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues have disrupted the illicit drug supply through contamination of other substances (i.e., methamphetamine and cocaine) and replacement of heroin in illicit markets. Increasingly, they are contributing to opioid-overdose related deaths. The rapid and growing presence of fentanyl has led to gaps in research on the impact of this illicit market change on people who use drugs (PWUD). We sought to examine how the changing opioid market and growing fentanyl availability influences the role and use of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a community recruited sample of PWUD (N = 22) in Los Angeles, California between September 2021 and April 2022. Interviews examined opioid use history, current opioid use behaviors and consumption patterns, and MOUD experiences and perceptions. Thematic analysis was used to systematically code and analyze textual interview data. Results The following themes related to fentanyl use and MOUD emerged: (1) Use of deviated MOUD to address fentanyl contamination, (2) Changing perception of the effectiveness of MOUD on fentanyl, and (3) Regulatory limitations of MOUD for fentanyl use disorder. Conclusions PWUD described several repertoires for adjusting to changes in the illicit market of opioids. Clinicians treating PWUD should ask about recent fentanyl use prior to starting MOUD to account for increased tolerance to opioids. Harm reduction strategies such as naloxone kits, safe supply, and supervised consumption facilities can all prevent overdose deaths due to fentanyl.

Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) has been implicated in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Mutations or deletions in TCF4 cause Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. A detailed understanding of its spatial expression across the developing brain is necessary for comprehending TCF4 biology and, by extension, to develop effective treatments for TCF4-associated disorders. However, most current knowledge is derived from mouse models, which are invaluable for preclinical studies but may not fully capture the complexities of human neuropsychiatric phenotypes. This study compared TCF4 expression in the developing mouse brain to its regional and cellular expression patterns in normal prenatal, neonatal, and young adult rhesus macaque brains, a species more relevant to human neurodevelopment. While the general developmental expression of TCF4 is largely conserved between macaques and mice, we saw several interspecies differences. Most notably, a distinct layered pattern of TCF4 expression was clear in the developing macaque neocortex but largely absent in the mouse brain. High TCF4 expression was seen in the inner dentate gyrus of adult mice but not in macaques. Conversely, TCF4 expression was higher in the adult macaque striatum compared to the mouse striatum. Further research is needed to show the significance of these interspecies differences. Still, they underscore the importance of integrating rodent and primate studies to comprehensively understand TCF4 function and its implications for human disorders. Moreover, the primate-specific expression patterns of TCF4 will inform genetic and other therapeutic strategies to treat TCF4-associated disorders.

Introduction: Opioid overdose mortality rates have surged dramatically in the last decade due largely to fentanyl in the illicit US drug supply. As of June 2024, 38 states, three territories, namely US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the District of Columbia, allow the medical use of cannabis products. However, there remains limited qualitative community-based evidence on the role of cannabis co-use among opioid using and injecting populations. In this study, we present data from people who inject drugs (PWID)’s co-use of cannabis-opioid. Methods: We conducted 30 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with PWID from July 2021 to April 2022 at two community sites in Los Angeles, CA, near a syringe service program and a methadone clinic. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. We used constructivist grounded theory methods for identifying and comparing the emerging themes that appeared across transcripts to construct a conceptual explanation of how PWID co-used cannabis and opioids. Participant inclusion criteria included injection drug use, opioid and cannabis use, English fluency, and age 18+ years. Results: PWID described that cannabis co-use assisted in developing patterns of reduced opioid use in a number of ways: 1) maintain opioid cessation and/or adhere to opioid use disorder treatment by managing cessation-specific symptoms, 2) manage symptoms of opioid withdrawal episodically and, 3) decrease opioid use due to low barrier accessibility of cannabis. Discussion: Participants reported myriad benefits of opioid and cannabis co-use for reducing patterns of opioid use. These findings have two major harm reduction implications for PWID: 1) the distribution of cannabis via low threshold peer programming and interventions can facilitate changes in opioid use patterns and 2) access to cannabis co-use, potentially alongside existing Medication for Opioid Use Disorder, in treatment settings may improve efficacy of uptake and treatment outcomes and goals for individual PWID.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore competing priorities when cannabis is used during pregnancy from the perspective of providers and Black and Latina people. Maternal cannabis use is increasingly common, but patients and providers alike struggle to navigate it.MethodsThis pilot used qualitative, constructivist ground theory methods to conduct semi-structured, remote interviews between 16 November 2021, and 7 February 2022 with 7 Black and Latina people who used cannabis during pregnancy, and 10 providers between 15 March 2022, and 6 April 2022, all of who were in Southern California, U.S.ResultsWe identified three main findings: (1) Providers reported barriers to caregiving and relationship building with patients due to maternal cannabis use stigma, (2) Providers prioritized the fetus despite patients’ current health system challenges that drove cannabis use, and (3) Both patients and providers engaged in personal research beyond the healthcare system to better understand maternal cannabis use.DiscussionOur findings indicate that challenges exist between people who use cannabis during pregnancy and providers. Both groups need accurate, sociocultural sensitive information about maternal cannabis use via a harm reduction lens.

Introduction: Patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) may encounter difficulty finding transportation home, increasing length of stay and ED crowding. We sought to determine the preferences of patients discharged from the ED with regard to their transportation home, and their awareness and past use of ridesharing services such as Lyft and Uber. Methods: We performed a prospective, survey-based study during a five-month period at a university-associated ED and Level I trauma center serving an urban area. Subjects were adult patients who were about to be discharged from the ED. We excluded patients requiring ambulance transport home. Results: Of 500 surveys distributed, 480 (96%) were completed. Average age was 47 ± 19 years, and 61% were female. There were 33,871 ED visits during the study period, and 67% were discharged home. The highest number of subjects arrived by ambulance (27%) followed by being dropped off (25%). Of the 408 (85%) subjects aware of ridesharing services, only eight (2%) came to the ED by this manner; however, 22 (5%) planned to use these services post-discharge. The survey also indicated that 377 (79%) owned smartphones, and 220 (46%) used ridesharing services. The most common plan to get home was with family/friend (35%), which was also the most preferred (29%). Regarding awareness and past use of ridesharing services, we were unable to detect any gender and/or racial differences from univariate analysis. However, we did detect age, education and income differences regarding awareness, but only age and education differences for past use. Logistic regression showed awareness and past use decreased with increasing patient age, but correlated positively with increasing education and income. Half the subjects felt their medical insurance should pay for their transportation, whereas roughly one-third felt ED staff should pay for it. Conclusion: Patients most commonly prefer to be driven home by a family member or friend after discharge from the ED. There is awareness of ridesharing services, but only 5% of patients planned to use these services post-discharge from the ED. Patients who are older, have limited income, and are less educated are less likely to be aware of or have previously used ridesharing services. ED staff may assist these patients by hailing ridesharing services for them at time of discharge.

Aims/objective: Influence of genetic variations on the response of clopidogrel, an antiplatelet drug is implicated. In the present study, the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms of MDR1 (C3435T), CYP2C19 [CYP2C19*2 CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*17] and P2Y12 (i-T744C) in Indian population and their effects on clopidogrel response was analyzed. Methods and results: To analyze the prevalence of polymorphisms, 102 healthy individuals were recruited. Clopidogrel response was assessed by ADP induced platelet aggregation in clopidogrel naïve acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients (n = 26) screened from 100 AMI cases, before loading dose of 300 mg, at 24 h before next dose and 6 days after on 75 mg per day and platelet aggregation inhibition (PAI) was calculated between these time intervals. Genotyping was carried out by PCR-based restriction enzyme digestion method for C3435T of MDR1 and i-T744C of P2Y12, by multiplex PCR for CYP2C19*2 (G681A) and CYP2C19*3 (G636A) and by nested PCR for CYP2C19*17 (C806T). The effect of the above mentioned genetic variations on PAI was analyzed. Variant allele of CYP2C19*3 was not observed while the prevalence of 3435T of MDR1 (0.524), CYP2C19*2 (681A, 0.352); i-744C of P2Y12 (0.088), as well as wild type allele CYP2C19*17 (C806, 0.897) associated with decrease clopidogrel response were observed. Trend toward poor response to clopidogrel was observed at 24 h with the variant genotypes of CYP2C19*2 and i-T744C of P2Y12 as compared to wild type. Conclusion: The present study did show a trend toward impaired response of clopidogrel to inhibit platelet aggregation with variant genotypes of CYP2C19*2 and iT744C of P2Y12 compared to respective wild type genotype at 24 h.

Background: Homelessness is a growing concern in the United States, especially among people who use drugs (PWUD). The degree of material hardship among this population may be linked to worse health outcomes. PWUD experiencing homelessness in urban areas are increasingly subjected to policies and social treatment, such as forced displacement, which may worsen material hardship. It is critical to describe hardship among PWUD and examine if it is linked to health outcomes. Methods: Data were collected as part of a prospective cohort study of PWUD in Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado (n = 476). Analysis sample size was smaller (N = 395) after selecting for people experiencing homelessness and for whom data were complete. Five indicators assessing hardship (difficulty finding food, clothing, restrooms, places to wash/shower, and shelter) in the past three months were obtained from participants at baseline and were used in latent class analysis (LCA). We chose a base latent class model after examination of global fit statistics. We then built three auxiliary models using the three-step Bolck–Croon–Hagenaars (BCH) method to test the relationship of latent class membership to several hypothesized social and health variables in this same three month time period. Results: Fit statistics, minimum classification probabilities, and ease of interpretation indicated a three-class solution for level of material difficulty. We termed these classes "High Difficulty" (n = 82), "Mixed Difficulty" (n = 215), and "Low Difficulty" (n = 98). Average classification probabilities indicated good class separability. "High Difficulty" participants had high probabilities of usually having difficulty accessing all five resources. "Mixed Difficulty" participants indicated a range of difficulty accessing all resources, with restrooms and bathing facilities being the most difficult. "Low Difficulty" participants were defined by high probabilities of never having access difficulty. In auxiliary analyses, there were significant (p < 0.05) differences in experiences of displacement, opioid withdrawal symptoms, nonfatal overdose, and violent victimization between classes. Conclusions: This LCA indicates that among PWUD experiencing homelessness there exist distinct differences in resource access and material hardship, and that these differences are linked with political, social, substance use, and other health outcomes. We add to the literature on the relationship between poverty and health among PWUD. Policies which increase difficulty accessing necessary material resources may negatively impact health in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Angelman syndrome (AS), a severe neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from the loss of the maternal UBE3A gene, is marked by changes in the brain's white matter (WM). The extent of WM abnormalities seems to correlate with the severity of clinical symptoms, but these deficits are still poorly characterized or understood. This study provides the first large-scale measurement of WM volume reduction in children with AS. Furthermore, we probed the possibility of underlying WM neuropathology by examining the progression of myelination in an AS mouse model. Methods: We conducted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on children with AS (n = 32) and neurotypical controls (n = 99) aged 0.5–12 years. In parallel, we examined myelination in postnatal Ube3a maternal-null mice (Ube3am−/p+; AS model), Ube3a paternal-null mice (Ube3am+/p−), and wildtype controls (Ube3am+/p+) using MRI, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and electron microscopy. Results: Our data revealed that AS individuals exhibit significant reductions in brain volume by ~ 1 year of age, and by 6–12 years of age WM is reduced by 26% and gray matter by 21%—approximately twice the reductions observed in the adult AS mouse model. Our AS mouse model saw a global delay in the onset of myelination, which normalized within days (likely corresponding to months or years in human development). This myelination delay is caused by the loss of UBE3A in neurons rather than UBE3A haploinsufficiency in oligodendrocytes. Interestingly, ultrastructural analyses did not reveal abnormalities in myelinated or unmyelinated axons. Limitations: It is difficult to extrapolate the timing and duration of the myelination delay observed in AS model mice to individuals with AS. Conclusions: This study reveals WM deficits as a hallmark in children with AS, demonstrating for the first time that these deficits are already apparent at 1 year of age. Parallel studies in a mouse model of AS show these deficits occur alongside the delayed onset of myelination, which results from the loss of neuronal (but not glial) UBE3A, though the causal relationship between these phenotypes remains to be determined. These findings emphasize the potential of WM as both a therapeutic target for interventions and a valuable biomarker for tracking the progression of AS and the effectiveness of potential treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) has been implicated in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Mutations or deletions in TCF4 cause Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. A detailed understanding of its spatial expression across the developing brain is necessary for comprehending TCF4 biology and, by extension, to develop effective treatments for TCF4-associated disorders. However, most current knowledge is derived from mouse models, which are invaluable for preclinical studies but may not fully capture the complexities of human neuropsychiatric phenotypes. This study compared TCF4 expression in the developing mouse brain to its regional and cellular expression patterns in normal prenatal, neonatal, and young adult rhesus macaque brains, a species more relevant to human neurodevelopment. While the general developmental expression of TCF4 is largely conserved between macaques and mice, we saw several interspecies differences. Most notably, a distinct layered pattern of TCF4 expression was clear in the developing macaque neocortex but largely absent in the mouse brain. High TCF4 expression was seen in the inner dentate gyrus of adult mice but not in macaques. Conversely, TCF4 expression was higher in the adult macaque striatum compared to the mouse striatum. Further research is needed to show the significance of these interspecies differences. Still, they underscore the importance of integrating rodent and primate studies to comprehensively understand TCF4 function and its implications for human disorders. Moreover, the primate-specific expression patterns of TCF4 will inform genetic and other therapeutic strategies to treat TCF4-associated disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let p be a prime number. For each natural number n, we study the behavior of the function f p (n) which enumerates the number of factorizations a b = n with a + b a perfect square (mod p). The study of this function is inspired by the cognate function f (n) which enumerates the number of factorizations a b = n with a + b a perfect square. The descent theory of elliptic curves would show that if f (n) is unbounded for squarefree values of n, then there are elliptic curves over the rational number field with arbitrarily large rank. In this note, we show for every prime p, f p (n) is unbounded as n ranges over squarefree values, thus providing some evidence for the conjecture that f (n) is unbounded for squarefree n. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cannabis is the most common illicit substance used in pregnancy. As use continues to increase, understanding peoples' behaviors surrounding cannabis use during pregnancy is needed to improve maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of this study was to better understand pregnant individuals' perceptions and knowledge of cannabis use and use patterns as well as the social and environmental factors that may influence their use. Methods: We conducted interviews with 19 participants between December 2022 and March 2023. Individuals self-identified as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), were over 21 years of age, spoke English or Spanish, resided in California, and had used cannabis during pregnancy in the last 0–2 years. Using qualitative, constructivist grounded theory methods, we analyzed the contexts that contributed to participants' lived experiences surrounding cannabis use behaviors during pregnancy. Results: Participants reported making conscious decisions to responsibly manage their cannabis use during pregnancy to minimize potential harm to the fetus. Participants prioritized making what they perceived to be safer adjustments to their use of cannabis: (1) changing the amount of cannabis used, (2) changing the types of cannabis products used, and (3) changing sources of cannabis procurement. Discussion: Our findings show that pregnant individuals are seeking information about safe cannabis use beyond medical supervision and are open to altering their cannabis consumption patterns. However, they are unable to find trustworthy and evidence-based harm reduction practices which can be implemented to mitigate harm to their unborn children. A harm reduction approach is needed in the field of maternal cannabis use to promote positive maternal and fetal health outcomes. Conclusions: More data is needed on comprehensive harm reduction approaches to cannabis use during pregnancy. This requires implementation of education on these topics in healthcare settings presented by prenatal care clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues have disrupted the illicit drug supply through contamination of other substances (i.e., methamphetamine and cocaine) and replacement of heroin in illicit markets. Increasingly, they are contributing to opioid-overdose related deaths. The rapid and growing presence of fentanyl has led to gaps in research on the impact of this illicit market change on people who use drugs (PWUD). We sought to examine how the changing opioid market and growing fentanyl availability influences the role and use of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a community recruited sample of PWUD (N = 22) in Los Angeles, California between September 2021 and April 2022. Interviews examined opioid use history, current opioid use behaviors and consumption patterns, and MOUD experiences and perceptions. Thematic analysis was used to systematically code and analyze textual interview data. Results: The following themes related to fentanyl use and MOUD emerged: (1) Use of deviated MOUD to address fentanyl contamination, (2) Changing perception of the effectiveness of MOUD on fentanyl, and (3) Regulatory limitations of MOUD for fentanyl use disorder. Conclusions: PWUD described several repertoires for adjusting to changes in the illicit market of opioids. Clinicians treating PWUD should ask about recent fentanyl use prior to starting MOUD to account for increased tolerance to opioids. Harm reduction strategies such as naloxone kits, safe supply, and supervised consumption facilities can all prevent overdose deaths due to fentanyl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adam, a justice-involved young man, was brought into the emergency department at the county hospital in cardiogenic shock due to a recurring episode of injection-drug-use-related infective endocarditis (IDU-IE). Adam had initiated injection opioid use in prison. He was surgically treated for the previous episodes of IDU-IE but was unable to fully recover due to limitations in care within penal medicine. This case report explores the prison as a determinant of health, interactions between clinical, welfare, and penal medicine, to produce and maintain health inequities, and structural drivers of physician moral injury through an interview with Adam and reflexive writings from emergency medicine physicians. This case demonstrates the need for three types of structural health interventions: (1) restorative justice, community-based reentry programs, and housing as welfare medicine, (2) increased harm reduction services across healthcare, especially penal medicine, and (3) equitable institutional protocols (contrary to ambiguous guidelines) to treat clinical conditions like IDU-IE that disproportionately impact structurally vulnerable patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupling-onto approach was equipped to synthesis seven AB2-type miktoarm stars nanomaterials using carbodiimide chemistry. Glycine, the simplest amino acid is chosen as “arm A”, seven biodegradable amides and polyamides as various “arm B” and amino adipic acid as “core” were used. The structures of these hydrophobic tridentate nano-stars were confirmed with FT-IR and 1H NMR. The diameter of the nano-stars recorded via DLS ranged from 256.3 nm to 933.4 nm. TGA analysis of the product reported a noticeable loss of 32% by total mass at 400 °C, indicating thermal degradation. The products show significant structural degradation after 15 days of biological treatment with E. coli. All the seven tridentate nano-stars can potentially be equipped as drug-delivery vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish the linear independence of values of the q -analogue of the exponential function and its derivatives at specified algebraic arguments, when q is a Pisot–Vijayaraghavan number. We also deduce similar results for cognate functions, such as the Tschakaloff function and certain generalised q -series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vital trial in gene delivery implicates the want for competent and safe delivery systems to announce therapeutic genes into target cells. Virus vectors are disparaged for genetic toxicity, immune response, and poor delivery ability for large-sized genetic materials. Polyplexes having cationic biodegradable polymeric materials (BPMs) can substitute viral vectors. Synthetic BPMs-based non-viral gene delivery systems can be embedded with assorted characteristics like biocompatibility and self-assembly. Using nanoscale BPMs, delicate manipulation of a broad scope of physicochemical properties, like surface charge, stimuli-sensitivity, and particle size can be executed. This contribution summarizes the recent developments of BPMs in gene delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of seven novel amorphous amides and polyamides were synthesized from four biodegradable carboxylic acids by direct polycondensation with aliphatic diamines using Yamazaki-Higashi phosphorylation. Aliphatic carboxylic acids like acrylic acid, lactic acid, and adipic acid whereas aromatic carboxylic acid like terephthalic acid were reacted with ethylenediamine and diamino-propane respectively. The monocarboxylic acids yielded amides, whereas the dicarboxylic acids formed polyamides. The obtained products were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, LCMS, SEM, TGA, and DSC along with microbial biodegradation. The TGA thermogram comparison studies show a decrease in thermal degradation with an increase in the aliphatic chain. Also, the introduction of an aromatic ring decreases degradability. Glass transition of aliphatic polyamide at 140 °C has negligible melting endotherm. Also, the samples were structurally degraded after 15 days of biological treatment which was confirmed via FT-IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, Pterocarpus marsupium Linn bark extract is used for the treatment of diabetes. It has a rich profile of chemical constituents. However, phytochemicals with antidiabetic activity are not reported yet. To comprehend more about this plant's antidiabetic mechanism of action, 26 reported phytochemicals, namely, pterostilbene, marsupsin/carpusin, 7-O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy-4'-methoxy-5-hydroxy isoflavone, (-)-epicatechin, pterosupin, liquiritigenin, vijayoside, pteroside, propterol-b, beta-eudesmol, pseudobaptigenin, isoliquiritigenin, garbanzol, 5-de-oxykaempferol, catechol, gallic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, naringetol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, trans-stilbene, 3,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone, 7,4'-dihydroxyflavone, (2S)-7-hydroxyflavanone, oleanolic acid, lupeol and marsupol/ebanol, were subjected to molecular docking studies using six targets of diabetes, namely, C and N-terminal subunits of human maltase-glucoamylase, glucagon like peptide-1, N-terminal sucraseisomaltase, human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor -α and γ. The docking studies were carried out using PyRx and AutoDock Vina 1.1.2 software. Compounds with optimum binding affinity were subjected to evaluate drug likeliness and toxicity using SwissADME and admetSAR web tools. Vijayoside was found to have maximum affinity (-8.5 Kcal mol-1) with N-terminal subunit of human maltaseglucoamylase. The binding energies of O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy-4'-methoxy-5-hydroxy isoflavone was found to be maximum with C-terminal (-10.0 Kcal mol-1). Danugliprion, a standard, was found to have maximum binding affinity (-11.4 Kcal mol-1) with glucagon-like peptide-1. Pteroside was found to bind favorably (-7.5 Kcal mol-1) with N-terminal sucrase-isomaltase.7-O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy-4'-methoxy-5-hydroxy isoflavone has exhibited stable interactions with other receptors (-10.2 and -8.2 Kcal mol-1 for human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α and γ). These three phytochemicals also exhibited druggability properties. Further in vitro and in vivo studies may fully validate the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We explore the holographic time-like entanglement entropy (TEE) in the boundary theory of three-dimensional Lifshitz spacetime. There have been various holographic proposals for TEE in recent years and we test those proposals in the Lifshitz background. We obtain the analytic result for TEE in each proposal, compare the results, and analyze how the anisotropic scaling affects the TEE. We find that different holographic proposals give the same result for TEE in the Lifshitz background. Our analysis further suggests that the TEE of the Lifshitz system contains real and imaginary parts, both of which depend on the anisotropic parameter.