Narra J (Journal)
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Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited studies in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) research
Get PDFoai:https://narraj.org/main/oai:article/2The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a glycoprotein which plays a vital role in different inflammatory conditions and in the catabolism of lipids and triglycerides. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the top 100 most cited studies on ApoE research. A bibliometric study was conducted. On January 18, 2021, studies published on ApoE were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection database without any limitations. The obtained data were analyzed for a number of attributes using HistCiteTM and VOSviewer software. The search yielded a total of 16,242 results. Of the total retrieved results, the top 100 most cited studies were selected. The top 100 most cited studies on ApoE were published from 1977 to 2017 and were cited 86,181 times. Single study citations ranged from 426 to 6,327. The studies were published in 41 journals authored by 589 authors. The study “Gene dose of apolipoprotein E type 4 allele and the risk of Alzheimer's disease in late onset families” was cited 6,327 times. Mahley RW, Roses AD, and Saunders AM were the most prolific authors who published ten studies each. Most of the studies were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. A total of 151 institutions were involved, and the USA was the most productive country. Our finding provides valuable insight on ApoE research which may be useful for researchers, academia, and funding agencies to identify new future research domains
Attitude towards Zika among frontline physicians in a dengue-endemic country: A preliminary cross-sectional study in Indonesia
Get PDFIn dengue-endemic countries such as Indonesia, Zika may be misdiagnosed as dengue, leading to underestimates of Zika disease and less foreknowledge of pregnancy-related complications such as microcephaly. Objective: To assess the attitudes of frontline physicians in a dengue-endemic country toward testing for Zika infection among patients with dengue-like illnesses. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among general practitioners (GPs) in Indonesia. The survey assessed their attitude and also collected sociodemographic data, characteristics of their medical education, professional background, and workplace, and exposure to Zika cases. A two-step logistic regression analysis was used to assess possible variables associated with these attitudes. Results: A total of 370 GPs were included in the final analysis of which 70.8% had good attitude. Unadjusted analyses suggested that GPs who were 30 years old or older and those who had medical experience five years or longer had lower odds of having a positive attitude compared to those who aged younger than 30 years and those who had medical experience less than five years, OR: 0.58; 95%CI: 0.37, 0.91 and OR: 0.55; 95%CI: 0.35, 0.86, respectively. No explanatory variable was associated with attitude in the fully adjusted model. Conclusion: Our findings point to younger GPs with a shorter medical experience being more likely to consider testing for Zika infection among their patients presenting with dengue-like illnesses. Strategic initiatives may be needed to enhance older or longer-experienced physicians' capacity in diagnosing Zika infection
Persistence of long COVID symptoms in COVID-19 survivors worldwide and its potential pathogenesis - A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFThe study sought to determine the prevalence of persistent long COVID symptoms such as anxiety, depression, dizziness, chest pain, sleep difficulty, palpitations, weight loss, and hair loss among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors worldwide and to discuss the potential pathogeneses. Potential studies were searched in three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) as of January 30, 2021. Data on study characteristics, patient characteristics during the follow-up, the number of patients with persistent long COVID symptoms and total COVID-19 survivors were collected according to PRISMA guidelines. To assess the quality of studies, the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used. The estimated prevalence of each long COVID symptom and the association between COVID-19 severity and the occurrence of prolonged symptoms was assessed, if appropriate. The global prevalence of prolonged anxiety was 15.76% (95%CI: 6.36%, 25.15%). Chest pain persisted in 10.36% (239/3,224) of COVID-19 patients (95%CI: 4.92%, 15.80%). Prolonged depression was found in 24 of 548 COVID-19 survivors with an estimated prevalence of 4.32% (95%CI: 2.62%, 6.03%) and dizziness was presented in 4.83% (118/2,219, 95%CI: 1.50%, 8.16%) after recovery. Hair loss was complained by 527 of 2,251 recovered patients (cumulative prevalence of 24.76%, 95%CI: 19.60%, 29.91%), while weight loss was identified in 37 cases among 452 COVID-19 survivors (8.19%, 95%CI: 5.66%, 10.71%). Prolonged palpitation was experienced by 19.38% (211/1,926) survivors with 95%CI: 2.40%, 41.16%. Sleep difficulty was found in 541 of 2,622 COVID-19 survivors (17.87%, 95%CI: 7.55%, 28.20%). The association between COVID-19 severity and the occurrence of persistent long COVID symptoms was not analyzed due to the lack of data. In conclusion, persistent psychological symptoms are frequently reported among COVID-19 survivors. Follow-up studies with a longer duration and larger population are warranted to assess the extent of prolonged symptoms and the quality of life of COVID-19 survivors. Despite various potential pathogeneses that have been hypothesized, a definitive mechanism is yet to be addressed
Accuracy of Meningitis Bacterial Score (MBS) as an indicator in establishing the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis in adults
Get PDFBacterial meningitis persists as a worldwide threat contributing to high mortality and morbidity rate, where differentiating bacterial meningitis from aseptic meningitis is key for better management and outcomes. Hence, this study aimed to assess the Bacterial Meningeal Score (BMS) as a tool for early diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis. This study employed a retrospective cross-sectional method using medical records of patients with meningitis and meningoencephalitis who were hospitalized at Dr. Soetomo Hospital, from January 2018 to September 2021. Data of demographics, clinical, laboratory and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile and culture were collected. The diagnostic performance of the BMS in diagnosing acute bacterial meningitis was evaluated by its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (LR +) and negative likelihood ratio (LR -). A total of 128 patients who had been diagnosed with meningitis and meningoencephalitis were included. Out of total patients, 53 samples were diagnosed with acute bacterial meningitis as confirmed by CSF culture. The sensitivity and specificity of BMS with cutoff >2.5 in diagnosing acute bacterial meningitis were 92.4% and 92.0%, respectively with PPV 89.1% and NPV 94.5%. The area under the curve (AUC) of BMS in diagnosing of acute bacterial meningitis was 95.6% (95%CI: 92.3%, 99%). A BMS score of greater than 2.5 indicates a high likelihood of acute bacterial meningitis, whereas a score less than 2.5 indicates a low likelihood
Narra J Co-Editor-in-Chief is awarded as Highly Cited Researcher (HCR) 2021
Get PDFWe acknowledge and congratulate Narra J Co-Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Kuldeep Dhama, as Highly Cited Researcher (HCR) 2021 by Clarivate. Dr. Kuldeep Dhama, is a Principal Scientist at ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Izatnagar, India. He is a NAAS (National Academy of Agricultural Science, India) Associate, Fellow-Royal Society of Medicine (FRSM), UK, and has worked as Nodal Officer, WTO, and a member of Wildlife Health Specialist Group (IUCN). His research and teaching experience cover microbiology, immunology, virology, public health, medicine, and biomedicine. He is actively serving as Editor-in-Chief, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Editor, Associate Editor, Guest Editor and Member of Editorial Board for more than 15 scientific journals. Dr. Kuldeep Dhama role as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Narra J will enhance the quality of the Narra J one of the reputable journals in the near future. In his 27 years of research experience, he has published not only a great quantity of research (over 578 research publications indexed in Scopus with h-index of 50), but has published in highly respected journals such as Nature. Congratulations on an impactful career
Impact of economic disruptions and disease experiences on COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Asia: A study in Malaysia
Get PDFDuring the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, individuals have had a variety of experiences with the disease and economic disruptions in Asia. We assessed how these experiences could impact COVID-19 vaccination intent and uptake in one of the Asian country, Malaysia. Two opt-in internet-based cross-sectional samples were collected: a March wave (26 March – 7 April 2021) and a June wave (22 June – 10 July 2021). Individuals were asked about their vaccination status, their employment status, and their experience with COVID-19 cases. The impact of economic disruptions and experiences with COVID-19 on COVID-19 vaccination was assessed through a multivariable, multinomial logistic regression model. Among 1,493 participants (735 in March and 758 in June wave), 26% were already vaccinated, 57% planned to vaccinate, and 17% had no plan to vaccinate. The number who had lost a job or earned less because of the pandemic was 30% in March and 36% in June. Across both waves, 5%-6% had a personal, very serious experience of COVID-19, 13%-16% knew of a family member or friend with a very serious experience of COVID-19, and 43%-61% knew of a very serious COVID-19 case through media. Notably, compared to those who worked the same amount throughout the pandemic, those who lost their job had lower odds of already being vaccinated (OR: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.23, 0.59), but similar odds of planning to become vaccinated. Personal, family/friend, and media experiences were also all related to increased odds of planning to vaccinated or being already vaccinated. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to large disruptions in people’s lives. People’s experiences during the pandemic impact their likelihood of being vaccinated or planning to vaccinate against COVID-19. Equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccines will require outreach to groups with less stable employment and can leverage people’s experiences with disease during the pandemic
Investigation of the role of sleep quality and sleep duration on fasting blood glucose level in acute ischemic stroke patients: A preliminary study
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the sleep quality and sleep duration with the level of fasting blood glucose in patients with acute ischemic stroke. A cross-sectional study was conducted among acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to Dr. Soetomo Hospital and Universitas Airlangga Hospital from May to October 2021. Patients who met the inclusion were enrolled. To assess the sleep quality, Pittsburgh Sleeps Quality Index (PSQI) was applied. To determine sleep duration during the nocturnal period, Fitbit Charge 2 HR device was used. Evaluation of plausible confounders was assessed through physical examination, interviews, and a set of validated questionnaires. A total of 30 acute ischemic stroke patients were included in this study. The mean age of the participants was 56.40±9.77 years and 60% were males. There were 63.3% patients classified as mild stroke and 36.7% moderate-severe stroke. The average PQSI score was 5.57±2.59, while the average sleep duration was 319.8±108.7 minutes. The average fasting blood glucose level was 89.03±14.71 mg/dL. Significant positive correlation was obtained between sleep duration and fasting blood glucose level (r=0.533; p=0.002). Similarly, there was no statistically significant correlation between sleep quality with the level of fasting blood glucose (r=-0.167; p=0.377). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the correlation between sleep quality and sleep duration with the level of fasting blood glucose levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke. This study therefore might be of great interest to provide insights on the importance of sleep management in acute ischemic stroke patients
Obstructive sleep apnea and chronic pain as risk factors of cognitive impairment in elderly population: A study from Indonesia
Get PDFObstructive sleep apnea (OSA), one of the most prevalent sleep-related breathing disorders in the elderly, seems to be underdiagnosed. Meanwhile, the resulting complication on cognitive function could impact on patient’s quality of life. Association between OSA and cognitive function in the elderly varies highly, depending on study type, setting, and possibly by demographic differences. Therefore, this study sought to determine the risk of OSA among elderly and to assess the association of OSA risk and other plausible factors with cognitive function. In this cross-sectional study, patients aged 60 years and above who visited the outpatient clinic at two main hospitals in Surabaya of Indonesia were examined. A total of 178 participants were interviewed to evaluate the OSA risk using STOP-Bang questionnaire, the cognitive dysfunction using Montreal Cognitive Assessment Indonesian version (MoCA-Ina), depressive symptoms using Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), and sleep disorder using Insomnia Screening Questionnaire (ISQ). The Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests were used to assess factors associated with cognitive impairment. In addition, logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the role of high risk of OSA on cognitive impairment. A total of 120 patients were considered having high risk of OSA (STOP-Bang score ≥3), and 129 had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (MoCA-Ina <26). Among the elderly who had high risk of OSA, 94 were diagnosed with MCI (78.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high risk of OSA (OR: 2.99; 95%CI: 1.39, 6.46, p=0.005), chronic pain (OR: 5.53; 95%CI: 1.19, 25.64, p=0.029), and low education level (OR: 4.57; 95%CI: 1.79, 11.63) were associated with MCI. In conclusion, our data suggests a high prevalence of MCI among high risk OSA elderly. Screening and comprehensive management might be beneficial to improve or to preserve cognitive function in elderly group
Peroxidative degradation of proteins and lipids in undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia in children, Ukraine
Get PDFThe aim of the study was to assess the state of lipid and protein peroxidation in children with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD). In this study, 63 children (33 children with UCTD and 30 children without UCTD were recruited and the indicators of lipid and protein peroxidation were measured. The enzymatic, colorimetric method was used to measure the level of total cholesterol (TC). The phospholipids were analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization. Lipid peroxidation was studied by assessing the change of index and the end product of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), using spectrophotometric method. Protein peroxidation - by the content of carbonylated protein based on 2,4 dinitrophenyl-hydrazones derivatization. The activity of the antioxidant defense system enzymes was assessed by measuring catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Our study revealed a significant increase of PPO products in the venous blood plasma and LPO products in erythrocytes in children with UCTD. Furthermore, an imbalance of the antioxidant defense system was observed in both blood plasma and erythrocytes membrane
Molecular docking of two cytotoxic compounds from Calotropis gigantea leaves against therapeutic molecular target of pancreatic cancer
Get PDFThe utilization of natural compounds as therapeutic agents to treat pancreatic cancer has recently focused on natural drug research. Calotropis gigantea has long been believed to be a medicinal plant that helps in treating various diseases. The bioactive compounds 9-metoxipinoresinol and isoliquiritigenin isolated from C. gigantea leaves are proven to act as therapeutic agents by inhibiting the cancer cell growth of Panc-1 cells. This study aimed to screen the potential molecular inhibition mechanisms of 9-metoxipinoresinol and isoliquiritigenin against pancreatic cancer development in-silico. We analyzed the activity of the aforementioned two compounds as inhibitors of several proteins that play a role in the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, such as GCNT3, GOT1, c-Met, PPARγ, BUB1, and NF-κβ, through molecular docking investigation. Our data suggested that 9-metoxipinoresinol and isoliquiritigenin were able to have well interaction with the target proteins, in which the predicted affinity energy ranged between -6.8 and 8.7 kcal/mol. The docking scores of 9-metoxipinoresinol and isoliquiritigenin were higher than the standard drug used (gemcitabine). Based on the binding affinity energy, GCNT3 and BUB1 are potentially to be used as target molecules for cancer therapy using 9-metoxipinoresinol and isoliquiritigenin, respectively