Effect of cord factor, a toxic glycolipid from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, on mouse liver drug metabolizing enzymes

Cord factor (a mycobacterial toxin) treatment of mice for 72 hr resulted in decreased activities of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes. The toxin treated animals exhibited reduced levels of liver cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5, accompanied by significant lowering of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase activities. The hepatic activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase were diminished, while liver cytosolic glutathione S-transferase activity was inhibited in mice receiving the toxin. Earlier studies from this laboratory (J. K. Batra, Ph.D. Thesis, Delhi University, India, 1982) on the effects of experimental tuberculosis on hepatic drug metabolism revealed changes similar to the presently reported influence of cord factor on mouse liver microsomal monooxygenases. Thus, the action of cord factor (on hepatic drug metabolism) largely mimics the effects of tuberculosis infection.     

Association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and Gastric Disease Risk: Findings from a Korean Population-Based Cohort Study

Evidence suggests that diets with high pro-inflammatory potential may play a substantial role in the origin of gastric inflammation. This study aimed to examine the association between the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII^TM) and gastric diseases at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 7.4 years in a Korean population. A total of 144,196 participants from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study_Health Examination (KoGES_HEXA) cohort were included. E-DII scores were computed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to assess the association between the E-DII and gastric disease risk. In the prospective analysis, the risk of developing gastric disease was significantly increased among individuals in the highest quartile of E-DII compared to those in the lowest quartile (HR_quartile4vs1 = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.08–1.38). Prospective analysis also showed an increased risk in the incidence of gastritis (HR_quartile4vs1 = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.04–1.37), gastric ulcers (HR_quartile4vs1 = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.16–1.85), and gastric and duodenal ulcers (HR_quartile4vs1 = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.17–1.81) in the highest E-DII quartile compared to the lowest quartile. In the cross-sectional analysis, the E-DII score was not associated with the risk of gastric disease. Our results suggest that a pro-inflammatory diet, indicated by high E-DII scores, is prospectively associated with an increased risk of gastric diseases. These results highlight the significance of an anti-inflammatory diet in lowering the risk of gastric disease risk in the general population.     

Evaluation of a New Smartphone Powered Low-cost Pulse Oximeter Device

BackgroundMeasurement of blood oxygen saturation is a vital part of monitoring coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Pulse oximetry is commonly used to measure blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate for appropriate clinical intervention. But the majority of direct-to-consumer grade pulse oximeters did not pass through in-vivo testing, which results in their accuracy being questionable. Besides this, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic exposed the limitations of the device in resource limited areas since independent monitoring is needed for COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this study was to perform an in-vivo evaluation of a newly developed smartphone powered low-cost pulse oximeter.MethodsThe new prototype of a smartphone powered pulse oximeter was evaluated against the standard pulse oximeter by taking measurements from fifteen healthy volunteers. The accuracy of measurement was evaluated by calculating the percentage error and standard deviation. A repeatability and reproducibility test were carried out using the ANOVA method.ResultsThe average accuracy for measuring spot oxygen saturation (SPO2) and pulse rate (PR) was 99.18% with a standard deviation of 0.57 and 98.78% with a standard deviation of 0.61, respectively, when compared with the standard pulse oximeter device. The repeatability and reproducibility of SPO2 measurements were 0.28 and 0.86, respectively, which is in the acceptable range.ConclusionThe new prototype of smartphone powered pulse oximeter demonstrated better performance compared to the existing low-cost fingertip pulse oximeters. The device could be used for independent monitoring of COVID-19 patients at health institutions and also for home care.     

“Meaningful Use” of ambulatory EMR: Does it improve the quality and efficiency of health care?

The US government has initiated incentive programs to encourage the adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMR). To qualify for the incentive payment, healthcare providers need to demonstrate “meaningful use” of EMR systems, which requires the use of certified EMRs and the implementation of a set of standard functionalities. In this paper, we examine how the meaningful use of EMRs would affect health care outcomes in outpatient settings. Our results show that the use of core functionalities required by “meaningful use” criteria and the use of certified EMRs have a positive impact on the quality and efficiency of health care. In addition, we find the relationship between the meaningful use and quality of care is moderated by the length of use. The implications of this study are also discussed.