• Knapp Bradshaw posted an update 5 days ago

    This study aims to synthesize evidence on dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor and mortality in COVID-19 patients and factors affecting it.

    We performed a systematic literature search from PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases from inception of databases up until 7 March 2021. Studies that metall of the following criteria were included 1) observational studies or randomized controlled trials that report COVID-19 patients, 2) reporting DPP-4 inhibitor use, 3) mortality, and 4) mortality based on DPP-4 inhibitor use. The exposure was DPP-4 inhibitor, defined as DPP-4 inhibitor use that started prior to COVID-19 hospitalization. The control group was patients with no exposure to DPP-4 inhibitor. The outcome was mortality. The pooled effect estimate was reported as risk ratio (RR).

    There were 4,477 patients from 9 studies in this systematic review and meta-analysis. 31% of (15%, 46%) the patients use DPP-4 inhibitor. Mortality occurs in 23% (15%, 31%) of the patients. DPP-4 inhibitor was associated with lower mortality in patients with COVID-19 (RR 0.76 [0.60, 0.97], p=0.030, I2 44.5%, p=0.072). Bay 11-7085 clinical trial Meta-regression analysis showed that the association between DPP-4 inhibitor and mortality was significantly affected by metformin (RR 1.02 [1.00, 1.04], p=0.048) and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB) use (RR 1.04 [1.01, 1.07], p=0.006), but not age (p=0.759), sex (reference male, p=0.148), and hypertension (p=0.218).

    DPP-4 inhibitor use was associated with lower mortality in COVID-19 patients, and the association was weaker in patients who were also taking metformin and/or ACE inhibitors.

    DPP-4 inhibitor use was associated with lower mortality in COVID-19 patients, and the association was weaker in patients who were also taking metformin and/or ACE inhibitors.

    It is necessary to ensure functional diagnosis and auditory rehabilitation as part of a continuous and inseparable follow-up process that begins with Neonatal Hearing Screening to achieve the expected outcome in children with hearing loss. Different software controls the data of this process, adopting different strategies and involving the technology for this. However, there is no specific model available in the literature for analyzing the quality of the software aimed at recording and monitoring data from Neonatal Hearing Screening.

    To propose a specific model for the analysis of the quality of softwares used for monitoring Neonatal Hearing Screening data, based on the ISO/IEC 25,010/2011 standards.

    This is an applied research, in which a model was proposed, applied and evaluated to analyze the quality of Neonatal Hearing Screening softwares, based on an exploratory documental analysis of softwares related to the Neonatal Hearing Screening record domain. The quality model was proposed based on the ISOsider, in each country, the socioeconomic and health context to validate its applicability.

    The quality model presented in this article introduced important general and specific criteria to analyze softwares for Neonatal Hearing Screening. This model has been validated by specialists in informatics and audiology. Therefore, this model can be used comprehensively, as a standard assessment tool for Neonatal Hearing Screening softwares, allowing predicting improvements. It is suggested that the audiologists and informatics responsible for softwares of this nature, consider, in each country, the socioeconomic and health context to validate its applicability.It is usually held that good-quality models for the biological activity of peptides must take into account their 3D architecture and descriptors of quantum mechanics. However, the present study shows that it is possible to build up models without these complex calculations. The structure of tripeptides represented by sequences of one-symbol abbreviations of the corresponding amino acids serves to build up quantitative structure-activity relationships for the antioxidant activity of tripeptides from frog skin. The statistical quality of the best model for the validation set is n = 27, r2 = 0.93, RMSE = 0.15.Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been attracting attention as tools for intracellular delivery of membrane-impermeant functional molecules. Among the variety of CPPs that have been developed, many are composed of both natural and unnatural amino acids. We previously synthesized α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids (dAAs) containing a five-membered carbocyclic ring in its side chain and revealed the utility of dAAs for the development of novel CPPs. In the present study, we designed a six-membered carbocyclic ring dAA with an amino group on the ring and introduced it into arginine (Arg)-rich peptides to further investigate the value of dAAs for developing CPPs. We also assessed the effects of the size of the dAA carbocyclic ring on cellular uptake of dAA-containing peptides. The stability of the peptide’s secondary structure and its membrane permeability were both greater in dAA-containing peptides than in an Arg nonapeptide. However, the number of carbon atoms in the dAA side chain ring had little effect. Nevertheless, these results show the utility of cyclic dAAs in the design of novel CPPs containing unnatural amino acids.Xanthine oxidase is the rate-limiting enzyme critical for the synthesis of uric acid, and therefore xanthine oxidase inhibitors are considered as one of the promising therapies for hyperuricemia and gout. In our previous study, series of 2-(4-alkoxy-3-cyano)phenyl-6-oxo-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acids and 2-(4-alkoxy-3-cyano)phenyl-6-imino-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acids were synthesized that presented excellent in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory potency. Interestingly, molecular docking studies revealed that the interaction behavior of these compounds with xanthine oxidase was changed after the conversion from a hydroxy group to amine group. To further investigate the structure-activity relationships of these pyrimidine-containing xanthine oxidase inhibitors and explore the contribution of amino or hydroxy group on xanthine oxidase inhibitory potency, several 2-phenylpyrimidine derivatives with amino or hydroxy functional group were designed and synthesized. Thereafter, the structure-activity research and molecular modeling study proved that hydroxy and amino groups could be used as pharmacophore elements for the design of 2-phenylpyrimidines xanthine oxidase inhibitors.