Future Science OA最新文献

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease is a developing public health concern in aging communities that affects a sizable section of the global population. The risk of Alzheimer's disease increases with age; it affects one-third of males and two-thirds of women^. This research attempts to assess the effect of nano-selenium and thymoquinone on Nrf2 gene expression levels in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: There were five identical groups of 50 albino male rats: a control group that was healthy; an AD positive control group; an AD group that received nano-selenium (5 mg/kg); an AD group that received thymoquinone (2 mg/kg); and an AD group that received both. The duration of treatment was 4 weeks. The levels of Nrf2 in brain tissues were evaluated using real-time PCR.

Results: Nrf2 mean expression levels in the nano-selenium-treated rats, the thymoquinone-treated rats, and the rats that were given both treatments all increased significantly compared to AD rats with no treatment.

Conclusions: This study showed that nano-selenium and thymoquinone elevated Nrf2 gene expression levels in AD.

Background: Including racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials is essential for advancing health equity. Despite progress, trials often do not mirror patient population demographics.

Methods: The National Library of Medicine's Clinical Trials database was queried for phase III trials of lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. A reference population was identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database, covering 48% of the US population.

Results: Among 181 trials, race and ethnicity data were included in 86.7% and 60.2% of trials, respectively, with improving reporting over time. Participants were predominantly White (76.3%), followed by Asian/Pacific Islander (14.1%), Black/African American (4.5%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%). Hispanic/Latino constituted 6.4% of participants. The proportion of non-White groups increased from 19.4% in trials started before 2011 to 26.2% after 2015. Compared with SEER data, the percentages were lower for Asian/Pacific Islander across all cancers, Black/African American in breast and prostate cancers, American Indian or Alaska Native in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers in US solely trials.

Conclusions: Reporting and enrollment of racial and ethnic minorities in trials remain inadequate but improving. To enhance diversity, real-world data are warranted to identify recruitment goals by better assessing the geographic distribution within the patient population.

Background: Shoulder dystocia, a challenging condition for obstetricians, poses significant risks to both maternal and neonatal health, including maternal postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal hypoxia, and brachial plexus injury. Despite being unpredictable and unpreventable, effective management can mitigate these risks. Miscommunication and poor leadership are responsible for 72% of medical errors, which further highlights the importance of robust leadership skills in obstetric emergencies.

Research design and methods: A qualitative study involving 20 participants through structured interviews assessed preferred leadership styles in managing shoulder dystocia.

Results: Findings revealed that 55% of participants favored quantum leadership. Other preferences included laissez-faire by one anesthesiologist and democratic by two midwives. However, all participants acknowledged the efficacy of the seven quantum leadership skills in managing shoulder dystocia. Discussion emphasized that traditional leadership styles are less effective compared to quantum leadership in managing the complexities of shoulder dystocia. The quantum Ob-Wheel, consisting of 12 milestones, integrates these seven interdependent skills to guide the management process.

Conclusions: Despite the limited sample size of this study, it is worth noting that, given the unpredictable nature of shoulder dystocia, clinicians should be prepared for its occurrence during any birth, with quantum leadership providing a strategic advantage in such scenarios.

Aim: To investigate the comprehensive expression levels and possible molecular mechanisms of Anaphase Promoting Complex Subunit 1 (ANAPC1) in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC).

Methods: Data from 2,031 samples were combined to evaluate ANAPC1 mRNA levels, and 118 samples were collected for immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. High-expression co-expressed genes (HECEGs) associated with ANAPC1 were analyzed for signaling pathways. Clinical significance, immune computations, and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) validation of ANAPC1's role in LUSC were assessed. Molecular docking evaluated binding affinity with potential therapeutics.

Results: ANAPC1 mRNA was significantly upregulated in LUSC (SMD = 1.97, 95% CI [1.26-2.67]). Protein-level analysis confirmed this upregulation (p < 0.001). Most HECEGs associated with ANAPC1 were enriched in cell cycle pathways. Higher ANAPC1 expression correlated with poorer survival in LUSC patients (HR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1-1.49). ANAPC1 expression was higher in males and N1-stage vs. females and N0-stage; lower in grade I vs. II/III. Overexpression reduces immune cell infiltration and immunotherapy effectiveness, while knockdown inhibits cell proliferation. Drug sensitivity and docking analyses identified tenovin-1, carboxyatractyloside, and phycocyanobilin as potential antitumor agents targeting ANAPC1.

Conclusion: The elevated expression of ANAPC1 might play a role in LUSC advancement and progression through its participation in cell growth-related pathways.

Introduction: CHA2DS2-VASc and CHA2DS2-VA scores are often used to demonstrate thromboembolic risk in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Elevated whole blood viscosity is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke.

Objective: This study aimed to ascertain the correlation between whole blood viscosity and CHA2DS2-VASc/CHA2DS2-VA scores.

Methods: This study was performed retrospectively in a tertiary cardiac facility, encompassing 150 patients.

Results: The study's results demonstrate that whole blood viscosity, concerning both high shear rate and low shear rate variables, are statistically significant in forecasting the likelihood of elevated CHA2DS2-VA and CHA2DS2-VASc scores. (AUC: 0.690, 0.693; p: <0.001; 0.647, 0.665; p: <0.05).

Conclusion: Whole blood viscosity had a substantial correlation with the CHA2DS2-VASc/CHA2DS2-VA scores in patients with atrial fibrillation and may be used to evaluate thromboembolism risk, akin to these scores.

A promising trend in complex cancer care is personalized therapy, a molecular profiling to tailor treatments to each patient's unique tumor attributes. Different methodologies have been used to identify cancer's mutation profile, including the use of hydrogel in liquid biopsy. This review aims to assess published works describing the performance of hydrogels as diagnostic devices for cancer biomarker detection. A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across five databases: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, MEDLINE, and EBSCO. Studies were screened, selected, and assessed for quality. Relevant data were extracted, including the demographics of the studies, characteristics of the hydrogel, cancer, sample characteristics captured, and detection methods. From 33 studies, various types and forms of hydrogels were discussed. This review identified the most used hydrogel polymers, including acrylamide, PEG, DNA, and alginate. The most frequently observed cancer sites were breast, liver, and cervical uteri. In addition, this work reports that the most captured biomarkers were CTCs and protein markers. Hydrogels have demonstrated a promising platform for detecting cancer biomarkers in the early stages of research. Future investigations are required to optimize and validate the hydrogel application as a diagnostic device in the translational stage.

Cervical inlet patch refers to heterotopic gastric mucosa located in the proximal esophagus, which can be congenital or acquired and has a rare potential for neoplastic transformation. We report a rare case of a tubulovillous adenoma with high-grade dysplasia arising from an inlet patch. A 67-year-old male presented with a complaint of nighttime acid regurgitation and throat discomfort. Endoscopic examination revealed a 20 mm sessile polyp at 16-18 cm from the incisors, arising in an heterotopic gastric mucosa. Following comprehensive diagnostic workup including endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography, endoscopic mucosal resection was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed a tubulovillous adenoma with high-grade dysplasia developed on gastric heterotopic mucosa with associated intestinal metaplasia. Complete resection was achieved, and follow-up endoscopy at 12 months showed no recurrence with complete resolution of symptoms. This case highlights the neoplastic potential of cervical inlet patches and demonstrates the efficacy of endoscopic resection as a definitive treatment modality for such lesions.

Aim: The surge in different brands of artesunate injection in Uganda, has raised the need for this study, which aimed at quantifying the actual amount of artesunate in different brands of artesunate injections available in Northern and Western Uganda.

Materials and methods: The wavelength at maximum absorbance of pure artesunate powder was determined using Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer and Beer Lambert's plot was generated. This was validated and used to assay 27 brands of artesunate.

Results: In the spectrophotometric assay method used, Beer Lambert's law was obeyed within the range of 20 µg/ml-140 µg/ml with linear regression equation of y = 0.012 + 0.030 and correlation coefficient of (R²) 0.999 (n = 9). The limits of detection (sensitivity) and quantification were found to be 0.83 mg/ml and 2.09 mg/ml respectively. About 66.6% (18) and 33.3% (9) had actual artesunate content higher and lower than labeled claim respectively, while 40.7% (11) had deviations from labeled claim that were within acceptable limits.

Conclusion: Most brands of artesunate injection assayed deviated from labeled claim, regional/environmental factor impacted much on the stability of artesunate thus there is need for further screening of the quality of artesunate injection in circulation in view of the therapeutic consequences of substandard artesunate injection.