Evaluation of the Interactions between Human Serum Albumin (HSA) and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory (NSAIDs) Drugs by Multiwavelength Molecular Fluorescence, Structural and Computational Analysis

The interaction between drugs and transport proteins, such as albumins, is a key factor in drug bioavailability. One of the techniques commonly used for the evaluation of the drug-protein complex formation is fluorescence. This work studies the interaction of human serum albumin (HSA) with four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, naproxen, and diflunisal—by monitoring the fluorescence quenching when the drug-albumin complex is formed. Two approaches—the double logarithm Stern-Volmer equation and the STAR program—are used to evaluate the binding parameters. The results are analyzed considering the binding properties, determined by using other complementary techniques and the available structural information of albumin complexes with NSAID-related compounds. Finally, this combined analysis has been synergistically used to interpret the binding of flurbiprofen to HSA.

RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Introduction: In addition to recognizing and taking into account the vital need for the maintenance and repair of historical structures, this study will focus on their inherent design potential at the intersection of the new and the old. Purpose of the study: The study aims to review the approach to restoring such landmarks as the library in Vyborg and the Arsenal building in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. We will also focus on the restoration of more mundane structures. In addition to historical monuments, this study will look at instances when there is no attempt to return the buildings to some idealized version of the past, but instead, the restoration process is used to celebrate the qualities of the buildings’ age in the here and now, and to recognize that they are living, evolving, and constantly changing entities. Methods: The study uses the method of analysis, which we apply to the standard solutions for various purposes and objects, in the form of structural and technological protection of cultural heritage sites during their restoration and adaptation. The use of modern restoration materials and protective structures’ construction technologies will help protect the environment while taking into account LEED, BREEAM, the Energy Star program (the USA), and the GREEN ZOOM standards. Results: We offer selected examples from contemporary practice in Europe, the United States, and Russia to illustrate these approaches to restoration, including two student-led architectural installations that explore the creative intersection between the new and the old. Discussion: Discussing the execution of specific restoration and reconstruction projects reveals the importance of international cooperation in the development of educational strategies and practices in the field of conserving and restoring the cultural heritage. The growing volume of conservation and restoration work is putting pressure on the development of research approaches and methodologies aimed at solving practical problems. At the same time, the restorer must be mindful of continuity with the past when reconstructing the more mundane and utilitarian structures that can benefit from less restrictive approaches to the intersection of the old and the new.

Observations and Simulations of Reconnecting Current Sheets in the Solar Corona

<p>Jets and mass ejections are ubiquitous features of the Sun’s corona. These explosive dynamics are all believed to be driven by magnetic reconnection at two types of current sheets that form in the solar atmosphere: those that form at magnetic null points and separatrix surfaces, and those, such as the heliospheric current sheet, that form as a result of a large expansion of a bipolar magnetic field. In our breakout model, both types of current sheets are essential for the explosive release of magnetic energy. We report on the first direct observations of reconnection and island formation in a null-point current sheet associated with a large coronal jet. The topology and velocities of the islands are in excellent agreement with our numerical simulations of coronal jets. We discuss the implications of the observations and our models for understanding the energetic particles produced by these events and their release into interplanetary space, as well as the implications for observations by Solar Orbiter and the Parker Solar Probe.</p><p>This work was supported by the NASA Living With a Star Program.</p><p> </p>

Structured, proactive care coordination versus usual care for Improving Morbidity during Post-Acute Care Transitions for Sepsis (IMPACTS): a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial

Abstracts Background Hospital mortality for patients with sepsis has recently declined, but sepsis survivors still suffer from significant long-term mortality and morbidity. There are limited data that support effective strategies to address post-discharge management of patients hospitalized with sepsis. Methods The Improving Morbidity during Post-Acute Care Transitions for Sepsis (IMPACTS) study is a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial at three hospitals within a single healthcare delivery system comparing clinical outcomes between sepsis survivors who receive usual care versus care delivered through the Sepsis Transition and Recovery (STAR) program. The STAR program includes a centrally located nurse navigator using telephone counseling and electronic health record-based support to facilitate best-practice post-sepsis care strategies for patients during hospitalization and the 30 days after hospital discharge, including post-discharge review of medications, evaluation for new impairments or symptoms, monitoring existing comorbidities, and palliative care referral when appropriate. Adults admitted through the Emergency Department with suspected infection (i.e., antibiotics initiated, bacterial cultures drawn) and deemed, by previously developed risk-stratification models, high risk for readmission or death are included. Eligible patients are randomly allocated 1:1 to either Arm 1, usual care or Arm 2, STAR. Planned enrollment is 708 patients during a 6-month period. The primary outcome is the composite of all-cause hospital readmissions and mortality assessed 30 days post discharge. Secondary outcomes include 30- and 90-day hospital readmissions, mortality, emergency department visits, acute care-free days alive, and acute care and total costs. Discussion This pragmatic evaluation provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of a strategy to improve delivery of recommended post-sepsis care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03865602. Registered retrospectively on 6 March 2019.