Effectiveness of Mechanisms and Models of Coordination between Organizations,Agencies and Bodies Providing or Financing Health Services in Humanitarian Crises: A Systematic Review

Background

Effective coordination between organizations, agencies and bodies providing or financing health services in humanitarian crises is required to ensure efficiency of services, avoid duplication, and improve equity. The objective of this review was to assess how, during and after humanitarian crises, different mechanisms and models of coordination between organizations, agencies and bodies providing or financing health services compare in terms of access to health services and health outcomes.

Methods

We registered a protocol for this review in PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews under number PROSPERO2014:CRD42014009267. Eligible studies included randomized and nonrandomized designs, process evaluations and qualitative methods. We electronically searched Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the WHO Global Health Library and websites of relevant organizations. We followed standard systematic review methodology for the selection, data abstraction, and risk of bias assessment. We assessed the quality of evidence using the GRADE approach.

Results

Of 14,309 identified citations from databases and organizations'' websites, we identified four eligible studies. Two studies used mixed-methods, one used quantitative methods, and one used qualitative methods. The available evidence suggests that information coordination between bodies providing health services in humanitarian crises settings may be effective in improving health systems inputs. There is additional evidence suggesting that management/directive coordination such as the cluster model may improve health system inputs in addition to access to health services. None of the included studies assessed coordination through common representation and framework coordination. The evidence was judged to be of very low quality.

Conclusion

This systematic review provides evidence of possible effectiveness of information coordination and management/directive coordination between organizations, agencies and bodies providing or financing health services in humanitarian crises. Our findings can inform the research agenda and highlight the need for improving conduct and reporting of research in this field.     

Lipid lowering activity of novel N-(benzoylphenyl)pyridine-3-carboxamide derivatives in Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic rats

Abstract

Context: Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Many dyslipidemic patients do not achieve their target lipid levels with the currently available medications, and most of them may experience many side effects.

Objective: The present work aimed toward identifying a new class of novel nicotinic acid-carboxamide derivatives as promising antihyperlipidemic compounds.

Materials and methods: Six novel N-(benzoylphenyl)pyridine-3-carboxamide derivatives were synthesized using acid chloride pathways. All structures were confirmed using ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, IR, and HRMS. The evaluation of biological activity was conducted using Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic rats model.

Results: This study revealed that some of the newly synthesized novel N-(benzoylphenyl)pyridine-3-carboxamide derivatives mainly C4 and C6 possessed significant antihyperlipidemic activities on lipid components TG and TC (p value?<0.05).

Discussion and conclusion: This research opens the door for new potential antihyperlipidemic compounds derived from nicotinic acid that need further optimization of their biological activities.     

Microtubule Affinity-Regulating Kinase 4: Structure, Function, and Regulation

MAP/Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) belongs to the family of serine/threonine kinases that phosphorylate the microtubule-associated proteins (MAP) causing their detachment from the microtubules thereby increasing microtubule dynamics and facilitating cell division, cell cycle control, cell polarity determination, cell shape alterations, etc. The MARK4 gene encodes two alternatively spliced isoforms, L and S that differ in their C-terminal region. These isoforms are differentially regulated in human tissues including central nervous system. MARK4L is a 752-residue-long polypeptide that is divided into three distinct domains: (1) protein kinase domain (59–314), (2) ubiquitin-associated domain (322–369), and (3) kinase-associated domain (703–752) plus 54 residues (649–703) involved in the proper folding and function of the enzyme. In addition, residues 65–73 are considered to be the ATP-binding domain and Lys88 is considered as ATP-binding site. Asp181 has been proposed to be the active site of MARK4 that is activated by phosphorylation of Thr214 side chain. The isoform MARK4S is highly expressed in the normal brain and is presumably involved in neuronal differentiation. On the other hand, the isoform MARK4L is upregulated in hepatocarcinoma cells and gliomas suggesting its involvement in cell cycle. Several biological functions are also associated with MARK4 including microtubule bundle formation, nervous system development, and positive regulation of programmed cell death. Therefore, MARK4 is considered as the most suitable target for structure-based rational drug design. Our sequence, structure- and function-based analysis should be helpful for better understanding of mechanisms of regulation of microtubule dynamics and MARK4 associated diseases.     

Polyhydroxyalkanoates – what are the uses? Current challenges and perspectives

Over the past few decades, a considerable attention has been focused on the microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) owing to its multifaceted properties, i.e. biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity and thermo-plasticity. This article presents a critical review of the foregoing research, current trends and future perspectives on the value added applications of PHAs in the biomedical, environmental and industrial domains of life.     

Assessment of aphid infestation levels in some cultivars of mustard with varying defensive traits

Phloem-sucking mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) is a major pest of mustard (Brassica juncea). Pot experiment with randomised block design was conducted with five replicates of each of five cultivars (Alankar, Pusa Jai Kisan, Rohini, Sakha and Varuna) of the mustard for their degree of inherited resistance and/or susceptibility to the mustard aphid infestation. Forty-five days old (from date of sowing) pot-grown plants of all selected cultivars of mustard were exposed to 40 adult mustard aphids. The aphid-infested plants were kept in specially designed net houses of fine mesh to protect from predators and/or migration of aphids from one to other host. The aphid population and some growth attributes of the selected cultivars of mustard were recorded 15 and 30 days later (i.e. at 60 and 75 days after sowing). The aphid population multiplied more rapidly on Rohini than other four cultivars. Cultivar Alankar resisted most and supported to least number of aphid’s off-springs. Statistically analysed growth attributes (fresh plant mass, dry plant mass, protein, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents), resistance attribute (proline) and population demography of aphids revealed that some inherited characteristics of avoidance, antibiosis and repellence to herbivores helped cultivar Alankar to excel despite equal degree of aphid attacks as on other cultivars. Cultivar Rohini for the want of such resisting factors remained vulnerable to aphid herbivory. These two cultivars (Alankar and Rohini) form good research material for comparative studies on plant defences to herbivory and a tri- trophic resistance through volatile chemical signalling.     

WSB-1, a novel IL-21 receptor binding molecule, enhances the maturation of IL-21 receptor

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a pleiotropic cytokine that regulates T-cell, B-cell, NK-cell, and myeloid-cell functions. IL-21 binds with its cognate receptor complex, which consists of the IL-21 receptor (IL-21R) and the common gamma chain. We identified a novel IL-21R-binding molecule, WSB-1, which contains WD-40 repeats and a SOCS-box domain. WSB-1 associates with the middle part of intracytoplasmic region of IL-21R and enhances the maturation of IL-21R from N-linked glycosylated form to fully glycosylated mature form. Furthermore, WSB-1 moderates IL-21R degradation. Taken together, our present study suggests that WSB-1 has a role in the tuning of the maturation and degradation of IL-21R.     

Salicylic Acid Modulates Antioxidant System,Defense Metabolites,and Expression of Salt Transporter Genes in Pisum sativum Under Salinity Stress

At present plants continuously exposed to salinity stress due to the challenging environment that has reduced the crop growth and productivity worldwide. Application of phytohormones by using seed priming method emerges as one of the most reliable and cost effective to alleviate the toxic effect of salinity stress. In this study, we evaluate the effect of seed-primed salicylic acid (SA) to reduce the adverse effect of different salt concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 300 mM NaCl) in pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings. After seedling emergence, percent seed germination was calculated; however, after 60 days; plants were sampled for studying the growth and photosynthetic traits, lipid peroxidation level, antioxidant activities, ions accumulation, and its sequestration. The results depicted that salinity treatments hampered overall growth performance and induced oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. Salinity also has negatively influence on ion accumulation as Na⁺ ion increased while K⁺ ion decreased. On the other hand, seed priming with SA significantly reduced the salinity-induced effects on the overall performance of plants, including growth and photosynthetic attributes. SA alleviated the adverse effect of salinity even at higher salinity level by inducing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, soluble sugars, and proline accumulation, and regulating ion homeostasis along with up-regulation of Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters (SOS1 and NHX1). Thus, seed priming with SA shows a comprehensive role in mitigation of salinity stress and can be used as a model for promising salinity tolerant cultivation.

     

Pulmonary gas transfer related to markers of angiogenesis during the menstrual cycle.

Gas transfer in the female lung varies over the menstrual cycle in parallel with the cyclic angiogenesis that occurs in the uterine endometrium. Given that vessels form and regress in the uterus under the control of hormones, angiogenic factors, and proangiogenic circulating bone marrow-derived progenitor cells, we tested the possibility that variation in pulmonary gas transfer over the menstrual cycle is related to a systemic cyclic proangiogenic state that influences lung vascularity. Women were evaluated over the menstrual cycle with weekly measures of lung diffusing capacity and its components, the pulmonary vascular capillary bed and membrane diffusing capacity, and their relation to circulating CD34(+)CD133(+) progenitor cells, hemoglobin, factors affecting hemoglobin binding affinity, and proangiogenic factors. Lung diffusing capacity varied over the menstrual cycle, reaching a nadir during the follicular phase following menses. The decline in lung diffusing capacity was accounted for by approximately 25% decrease in pulmonary capillary blood volume. In parallel, circulating CD34(+)CD133(+) progenitor cells decreased by approximately 24% and were directly related to angiogenic factors and to lung diffusing capacity and pulmonary capillary blood volume. The finding of a greater number of lung microvessels in ovariectomized female mice receiving estrogen compared with placebo verified that pulmonary vascularity is influenced by hormonal changes. These findings suggest that angiogenesis in the lungs may participate in the cyclic changes in gas transfer that occur over the menstrual cycle.