Search

Introduction: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a patient-centerd, evidence-based approach to improve postoperative outcomes. The protocol involves multidisciplinary collaboration and standardisation of perioperative interventions. ERAS has shown positive results in reducing hospitalisation and complications., Methods: The study conducted in the Department of Urology was a retro-prospective study. It included an ERAS cohort group of 47 patients, studied prospectively from May 2021 to May 2023. These patients were compared to a historical cohort of 47 consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy with traditional care before the ERAS pathway was implemented. The primary outcome was hospital length of stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes included perioperative management, time to recovery milestones and complications., Results: Implementation of ERAS pathway for radical cystectomy was associated with reduced hospital LOS (mean LOS 16.19 ± 2.53 days vs. 10.26 ± 3.33 days 7 days; p  < 0.0001), reduced time to key recovery milestones, including days to first flatus (3.17 vs. 2.68; p  = 0.013) and days to first solid food (5.19 vs. 3.45 p value < 0.0001), first stool (5.53 vs. 4.23; p  < 0.0001), reductions in some complications like postoperative ileus ( p value = 0.021) and need for total parental nutrition ( p value = 0.023)., Conclusion: In conclusion, the implementation of the integrated approach facilitates a more efficient recovery process, potentially reducing healthcare costs and enhancing patient comfort., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests that could potentially influence the objectivity or interpretation of the reported findings., (© 2024 The Author(s). BJUI Compass published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJU International Company.)

The utilization of full-fat high-oleic soybean meal in layer diets could lead to value-added poultry products. To test this idea, 336 hens were randomly assigned to 4 isonitrogenous (18.5% CP) and isocaloric (2,927 kcal/kg) formulated diets and fed the following diets for eight weeks: conventional control solvent-extracted defatted soybean meal (CON); extruded-expelled defatted soybean meal (EENO); full fat normal-oleic soybean meal (FFNO); or full fat high-oleic soybean meal (FFHO). Body weights (BW) were collected at week 0 and week 8. Eggs were collected daily, and the totals counted each week. Feed consumption was measured weekly, and egg quality was measured bi-weekly. Eggs were collected at wk 0 and wk 8 for fatty acid analysis. There were no significant treatment differences in any of the production parameters measured, BW, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio or egg production (P > 0.05). Eggshell strength was significantly greater in eggs produced from the EENO group as compared to the control (P < 0.01), while egg yolk color was significantly darker in eggs of the control and EENO treatment groups relative to the FFNO and FFHO treatments (P < 0.0001). Eggs produced by hens fed the FFHO diet had a 52% increase in monounsaturated n-9 oleic acid content (P < 0.0001) and reduced palmitic (P < 0.01) and stearic (P < 0.0001) saturated fatty acid levels as compared to the conventional controls. These results validate the utilization of FFHO as a value-added poultry feed ingredient to enrich the eggs and/or poultry meat produced., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: Studies in several resource-limited settings have investigated the prevalence and potential factors associated with condom non-use among adolescents, showing inconsistent and varied findings, owing to methodological inconsistencies. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of condom non-use among a global sample of adolescents and their differences based on sex and region., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2009-2018 Global School-based Health Survey data from 58 countries which included 183,100 adolescents aged 12-15 years. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the overall and regional pooled prevalence of condom non-use. Multilevel mixed-effect logistic regressions were used to investigate the correlates of condom non-use., Results: Overall, 26.2% of the total sample reported being sexually active and of these, 27.6% did not use condoms during last intercourse, with boys reporting higher than girls (27.9% vs. 25.6%). The prevalence of condom non-use was the highest in the African region (29.2%) and the lowest in the South-East Asia region (21.1%). There were variations in prevalence across countries, regions, and sex. Female gender, older age, loneliness, suicidal ideation, being bullied, parental support and supervision, truancy, smoking, illicit drug use, early sexual initiation, and having multiple sex partners were associated with condom non-use. There was evidence of heterogeneity of correlates across regions and sex., Conclusions: In this analysis, we found variations in the prevalence and associated factors of condom non-use among adolescents by sex and region. These findings can shape effective sexual health initiatives and improve resource distribution across regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The tumor suppressor breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) complexed with BRCA1-associated RING domain 1 (BARD1), a RING-type E3 ligase, facilitates the attachment of ubiquitin onto the substrate protein. Here, we present a protocol for evaluating the E3 ligase activity of BRCA1-BARD1 and its variants by nucleosomal histone ubiquitylation. We describe steps for isolating 147 bp Widom 601 DNA and assembling nucleosome core particles (NCPs). We then detail procedures for the in vitro ubiquitylation of nucleosome histone H2A by BRCA1-BARD1 and its variants. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wang et al. 1 ., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum-graecum ) is a widely grown dietary herb in Asia, and its seeds are traditionally used for several diseases, including diabetes. The seeds and leaves possess a variety of compounds that play an important role in regulating their hypoglycemic effect. However, so far, no extensive systematic review exists on its antidiabetic effect, highlighting the molecular mechanisms and isolated compounds. The purpose of this review is to summarize the preclinical and clinical antidiabetic properties of fenugreek and its isolated compounds by focusing on underlying mechanisms. PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus databases were searched to retrieve articles until June, 2024. Preclinical studies demonstrated that the antidiabetic effect of fenugreek was mostly associated with enhanced glucose transporter type-4 (GLUT4) translocation and hexokinase activity, decreased glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities, inhibited α-amylase and maltase activities, protected β cells, and increased insulin release. Furthermore, few studies have reported its role as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) modulator, 5'-AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) activator, and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitor. Further clinical trials showed that fenugreek seeds improved blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles. This study highlights significant evidence of the antidiabetic effect of fenugreek and its isolated compounds; therefore, it could be a potential therapy for diabetes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s). Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

DSS1, essential for BRCA2-RAD51 dependent homologous recombination (HR), associates with the helical domain (HD) and OB fold 1 (OB1) of the BRCA2 DSS1/DNA-binding domain (DBD) which is frequently targeted by cancer-associated pathogenic variants. Herein, we reveal robust ss/dsDNA binding abilities in HD-OB1 subdomains and find that DSS1 shuts down HD-OB1's DNA binding to enable ssDNA targeting of the BRCA2-RAD51 complex. We show that C-terminal helix mutations of DSS1, including the cancer-associated R57Q mutation, disrupt this DSS1 regulation and permit dsDNA binding of HD-OB1/BRCA2-DBD. Importantly, these DSS1 mutations impair BRCA2/RAD51 ssDNA loading and focus formation and cause decreased HR efficiency, destabilization of stalled forks and R-loop accumulation, and hypersensitize cells to DNA-damaging agents. We propose that DSS1 restrains the intrinsic dsDNA binding of BRCA2-DBD to ensure BRCA2/RAD51 targeting to ssDNA, thereby promoting optimal execution of HR, and potentially replication fork protection and R-loop suppression., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

On a global scale, the poultry industry expands its wings in terms of meat and egg production to the masses. However, this industry itself requires a sustainable and permanent supply of different inputs, one of which is poultry feed and nutrition. Soybean is a versatile protein that is offered to poultry in different inclusion rates in commercial diets after being processed using various thermal and mechanical processing methods. Conventional commercial soybean meal is usually prepared by the extraction of oil from whole soybeans using solvents, producing a meal that has approximately 1% crude fat. Without oil extraction, full-fat soybean (FFSBM) is produced, and it is an excellent source of dietary energy and protein for poultry with a nutritional profile of 38-40% protein and 18-20% crude fat, on average. FFSBM has less crude protein (CP) than solvent-extracted soybean meal (SE SBM) but higher metabolizable energy due to higher fat content. Alternatively, extruded expeller processing produces defatted soybean meal containing approximately 6-7% crude fat. Studies have demonstrated that FFSBM can be used in poultry diets to improve poultry nutrition, performance, and quality of the poultry meat and eggs produced. This review aims to evaluate the nutrition and use of meals prepared from conventional and high-oleic soybeans using various feed processing methods.

The recent surge in the plant-based protein market has resulted in high demands for soybean genotypes with improved grain yield, seed protein and oil content, and essential amino acids (EAAs). Given the quantitative nature of these traits, complex interactions among seed components, as well as between seed components and environmental factors and management practices, add complexity to the development of desired genotypes. In this study, the across-environment seed protein stability of 449 genetically diverse plant introductions was assessed, revealing that genotypes may display varying sensitivities to such environmental stimuli. The EAAs valine, phenylalanine, and threonine showed the highest variable importance toward the variation in stability, while both seed protein and oil contents were among the explanatory variables with the lowest importance. In addition, 56 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were significantly associated with various seed components. Despite the strong phenotypic Pearson's correlation observed among most seed components, many independent genomic regions associated with one or few seed components were identified. These findings provide insights for improving the seed concentration of specific EAAs and reducing the negative correlation between seed protein and oil contents., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Morroniside (MOR) is an iridoid glycoside and the main active principle of the medicinal plant, Cornus officinalis Sieb. This phytochemical is associated with numerous health benefits due to its antioxidant properties. The primary objective of the present study was to assess the pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms of MOR, utilizing published data obtained from literature databases. Data collection involved accessing various sources, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and SpringerLink. Our findings demonstrate that MOR can be utilized for the treatment of several diseases and disorders, as numerous studies have revealed its significant therapeutic activities. These activities encompass anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, lipid-lowering capability, anticancer, trichogenic, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, osteoprotective, renoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. MOR has also shown promising benefits against various neurological ailments, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, cerebral ischemia, and neuropathic pain. Considering these therapeutic features, MOR holds promise as a lead compound for the treatment of various ailments and disorders. However, further comprehensive preclinical and clinical trials are required to establish MOR as an effective and reliable therapeutic agent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Not declared., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

High oleic (HO) soybeans may serve as a value-added feed ingredient; providing amino acids and estimating their dietary energy value for broilers is essential. In this study, we determined the apparent metabolizable energy (AME), AME corrected for zero nitrogen retention (AMEn), digestibility, and nitrogen (N) retention of HO full-fat (HO-FF) soybean as compared to solvent-extracted soybean meal (SE-SBM), normal oleic full-fat (NO-FF) and extruded expeller (NO-EE) soybean. A total of 240 Ross-708 male broilers were selected, with 8 replicates per treatment and 6 chicks per cage. The AME and AMEn were estimated using the difference method with a 30% inclusion of test ingredients using a corn-soy reference diet with partial and total excreta collection. The index method with partial excreta collection used titanium dioxide as an inert marker. The same starter diet was provided for all birds for 14 d, followed by the reference and assay diets for the next 6 adaptation days. Total excreta were collected twice a day for 3 d. The AME and AMEn values determined for the HO-FF and NO-FF were higher (P < 0.001) than the NO-EE and SE-SBM. The AME of SE-SBM and NO-EE were similar with both methods, but the AMEn of SE-SBM was lower than the NO-EE only with the partial collection method. The agreement between AME and AMEn values determined by partial and total excreta collection analysis was 98%. Data from the total excreta collection method yielded higher AME and AMEn values (P < 0.001) than those from the partial collection method. In summary, HO-FF and NO-FF soybean meals had similar AME and AMEn values. The HO-FF soybean had 39 and 24% higher AME and AMEn than SE-SBM. Hence, high oleic full-fat soybean meal could serve as a valuable alternative feed ingredient to conventional SE-SBM meals in broiler diets, providing additional energy while providing amino acids and more oleic acid to enrich poultry meat products., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The effects of high oleic oil full-fat (HO-FF) soybean meal (SBM) on broiler meat quality could lead to value-added food products. This experiment evaluated the effects of dietary normal oleic extruded expelled (NO-EE), normal oleic full-fat (NO-FF), or HO-FF SBM on live performance, carcass and parts yield, and breast fatty acid composition. Diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. A total of 540 Ross-708 male broilers were raised on floor pens with 18 broilers/pen and 10 replicates/treatment. Data were analyzed in a completely randomized design. Chickens were fed with a starter (0-14 d), grower (15-35 d), or a finisher diet (36-47 d) up to 47 d. Chickens were weighed at 7, 14, 35, and 47 d. At 48 d, 4 broilers per pen were processed. Breast samples were collected and evaluated for quality and fatty acid content. Broilers fed diets with NO-EE were heavier (P < 0.05) than chickens fed diets with full-fat SBM (NO-FF and HO-FF) at d 7, 14, 35 while feed conversion ratio (FCR) of NO-EE was best (P < 0.05) at 7 and 47 d. Carcass yield was also higher for broilers fed NO-EE than the other treatments. Diet did not affect parts yield, breast meat color, cooking, drip loss, white stripping, or SM quality parameters. More breast fillets without wooden breast (score 1) were observed (P < 0.05) for NO-FF than the other 2 treatments. The breast meat fatty acid profile (g fatty acid/100 g of all fatty acids) was significantly affected (P < 0.001) by diet. Broilers fed the HO-FF SBM diet had 54 to 86% more oleic acid, 72.5% to 2.2 times less linoleic acid, and reduced stearic and palmitic acid levels in the breast meat than NO-FF and NO-EE. In conclusion, feeding HO-FF to broilers enriched the oleic acid content of their breast meat while reducing the saturated fatty acid content relative to the NO-FF and NO-EE treatment groups., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

High-oleic (HO) soybean may serve as a value-added feed ingredient to enrich poultry meat due to its fatty acid content. However, the amino acid (AA) nutrient digestibility of soybean meal (SBM) made from these soybeans has yet to be determined. The objective of this study was to determine apparent ileal AA digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal AA digestibility (SID) of high-oleic full-fat (HO-FF) SBM compared to normal oleic full-fat (NO-FF), normal oleic extruded expeller (NO-EE), and solvent-extracted SBM (SE-SBM) in broilers. A nitrogen-free basal diet (NFD) was fed to 1 treatment group with 10 chicks/cage to determine basal endogenous losses (BEL). Titanium dioxide was used as an inert marker. The test diets contained 57.5% of the basal NFD and 42.5% of 1 of the 4 soybean sources. A total of 272 Ross-708 male broilers were placed in 40 battery cages with 5 treatments and 8 replicates per treatment. A common starter diet was provided to all the chickens for 14 d. Experimental diets were provided as a mash for 9 d before sample collection. Chickens were euthanized with CO 2 on d 23, and contents of the distal ileum were collected, frozen, and freeze-dried. The BEL were similar to the values found in the literature. At d 23, broilers fed the SE-SBM had the highest body weight gain and best FCR compared to chickens fed the HO-FF and NO-FF treatments (P < 0.001). Broilers fed the SE-SBM and NO-EE experimental diets had (P < 0.001) higher apparent ileal AA digestibility and AA SID than broilers fed the HO-FF and NO-FF treatments. In conclusion, the SID of AA from HO-FF is similar to the digestibilities of other full-fat soybeans found in the literature and is lower than that of NO-EE and SE-SBM., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Aims: Cardiac disease in systemic sclerosis (SSc) may be primary or secondary to other disease manifestations of SSc. The prevalence of the primary cardiomyopathy of SSc is unknown. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can help accurately determine the presence and cause of cardiomyopathy. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, the CMR features, and the prognostic implications of the primary cardiomyopathy of SSc., Methods and Results: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with SSc who had a clinical CMR for suspected cardiac involvement. We identified the prevalence, the CMR features of the primary cardiomyopathy of SSc, and its association with the long-term incidence of death or major adverse cardiac events (MACEs): heart failure hospitalization, ventricular assist device implantation, heart transplantation, and sustained ventricular tachycardia. Of 130 patients with SSc, 80% were women, and the median age was 58 years. On CMR, 22% had an abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction, and 40% had late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). The prevalence of the primary cardiomyopathy of SSc was 21%. A third of these patients had a distinct LGE phenotype. Over a median follow-up of 3.6 years after the CMR, patients with the primary cardiomyopathy of SSc had a greater incidence of death or MACE (adjusted hazard ratio 2.01; 95% confidence interval 1.03-3.92; P = 0.041)., Conclusion: The prevalence of the primary cardiomyopathy of SSc was 21%, with a third demonstrating a distinct LGE phenotype. The primary cardiomyopathy of SSc was independently associated with a greater long-term incidence of death or MACE., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: C.S. has served as a consultant for Medtronic, Inc. unrelated to the content of this manuscript., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Charcoal rot caused by the fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid is one of various devastating soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) diseases, which can severely reduce crop yield. The investigation into the genetic potential for charcoal rot resistance of wild soybean ( Glycine soja ) accessions will enrich our understanding of the impact of soybean domestication on disease resistance; moreover, the identified charcoal rot-resistant lines can be used to improve soybean resistance to charcoal rot. The objective of this study was to evaluate the resistance of wild soybean accessions to M. phaseolina at the seedling stage and thereby select the disease-resistant lines. The results show that the fungal pathogen infection reduced the growth of the root and hypocotyl in most G. soja accessions. The accession PI 507794 displayed the highest level of resistance response to M. phaseolina infection among the tested wild soybean accessions, while PI 487431 and PI 483660B were susceptible to charcoal rot in terms of the reduction in root and hypocotyl growth. The mean values of the root and hypocotyl parameters in PI 507794 were significantly higher ( p < 0.05) than those of PI 487431 and PI 483460B. A analysis of the resistance of wild soybean accessions to M. phaseolina using the root and hypocotyl as the assessment parameters at the early seedling stage provides an alternative way to rapidly identify potential resistant genotypes and facilitate breeding for soybean resistance to charcoal rot.

Family members play a crucial role in the health of Asian American communities, and their involvement in health interventions can be pivotal in optimizing impact and implementation. To explore how family members can be effectively involved in Asian American health interventions and develop a conceptual framework of methods of involvement at the stages of intervention development, process, and evaluation, this scoping review documented the role of Asian American family members in interventions (across any health objective). Of the 7175 studies identified through database and manual searches, we included 48 studies in the final analysis. Many studies focused on Chinese (54%) or Vietnamese (21%) populations, were conducted in California (44%), and involved spouses (35%) or parents/children (39%). We observed involvement across 3 stages: (1) intervention development (formative research, review process, material development), (2) intervention process (recruitment, receiving the intervention together, receiving a parallel intervention, enlisting support to achieve goals, voluntary intervention support, agent of family-wide change, and participation gatekeepers), and (3) intervention evaluation (received evaluation together, indirect impact evaluation, and feedback during intervention). Impact of family member involvement was both positive (as sources of encouragement, insight, accountability, comfort, and passion) and negative (sources of hindrance, backlash, stigma, obligation, and negative influence). Suggestions for future research interventions include (1) exploring family involvement in South Asian or young adult interventions, (2) diversifying types of family members involved (eg, extended family), and (3) diversifying methods of involvement (eg, family members as implementation agents)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study was conducted to understand the impact of including full fat high-oleic soybean meal in layer hen diets on nutrient digestibility and added nutritional value in eggs. Forty-eight layers (∼36 wk old) were randomly assigned to one of 4 isonitrogenous (18.5% crude protein) treatment diets with 12 replicate birds per treatment in a 3-wk study. Treatments were 1) solvent extracted defatted soybean meal + corn diet, 2) dry extruded defatted soybean meal + corn, 3) full-fat soybean meal + corn, 4) high-oleic full-fat soybean meal + corn diet. Apparent ileal digestibility of crude fat (CF) and crude protein (CP) were determined using celite (∼2%) as an indigestible marker. Tibia strength and egg quality parameters (egg weight, shell strength, Haugh unit, shell color, and yolk color) were recorded during the study. Fatty acid profiles, including the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid (C18:1, cis), in eggs and adipogenic tissue (liver, muscle, and fat pad) were measured using gas chromatography (GC-FID). Digestibility values of CF ranged from 71 to 84% and CP varied from 67 to 72% for treatment diets, with treatment mean values being no different (P > 0.05) between treatment diets. No differences between treatment diets in tibia strength or egg quality parameters (egg weight, shell strength, and Haugh unit) were observed (P > 0.05) except for yolk color. Similarly, there were no differences in the total lipids in egg yolk (P > 0.05) between treatment diets. However, oleic acid percentage of total lipid in egg and tissue was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in hens given the high-oleic full-fat soybean meal diet than in other treatment groups. No difference was observed in oleic acid percentage of total lipid in egg between the other 3 treatment diets (P > 0.05). Overall, the results exhibited that the eggs and tissue of layer hens fed the full-fat high-oleic acid soybean meal diet were higher in oleic acid while the CF and CP digestibility remained similar to the digestibility of the other diets., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Callicarpa arborea Roxb. is widely used as traditional medicine especially by the tribal people of Bangladesh in the management of wide range of ailments. In addition to Bangladesh, the leaves of this plant is utilized as a remedy to various painful and inflammatory conditions including rheumatism, toothache and stomachache in other countries of Indian subcontinent., Aim of the Study: Depending on the ethnomedicinal uses, we undertook this study to investigate the in-vivo analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic extract of C. arborea Roxb. leaves in Swiss albino mice as well as its chemical composition., Materials and Methods: We evaluated the analgesic activity of Callicarpa arborea Roxb. leaves by the acetic acid induced writhing test, the hot plate test, and the formalin test. We undertook the egg albumin induced paw edema test to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of the plant. Furthermore, we conducted the phytochemical profiling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)., Results: In acute toxicity test, no mortality was observed at the highest dose of 2000 mg/kg b.w. Significant (p < 0.005) inhibition of acetic acid induced writhing was observed at both doses of the extract. A dose dependent increase in the response time was seen in the hot-plate test. In the formalin test, the extract significantly inhibited pain response in both early and late phase. We observed marked anti-inflammatory activity manifested by a significant (p < 0.005) reduction in egg albumin induced paw edema. We identified a total of twenty one compounds in the extract of by GC-MS analysis., Conclusion: Taken all into consideration we conclude that the leaves of C. arborea Roxb. possesses potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, thus justifying its's ethnomedicinal use against painful and inflammatory pathological conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Family is uniquely influential in the health of young Asian Americans (AAs), yet little is known on the impact of specific shared family activities. This study explores different types and frequencies of AA young adult shared family activities on perceived familial influence on the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle (diet, physical activity, sleep, social relationships, stress, and risky substances). A nationwide sample of 18-35-year-old AAs was surveyed in March 2021 on a list of 30 shared family activities with mothers, fathers, siblings, or extended family. Overall, 984 unique family relationships reported by 616 young AAs were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis synthesized a reliable two-factor (routine, leisure activities) 10-item Shared Activities with Family (SAF) scale. Mothers were most influential (mean 3.25, SD = 1.14), although shared activities among South Asians or with extended family were most associated with changes in perceived influence. Routine shared activities were more strongly associated with perceived influence on sleep, diet, and risky substances, while leisure shared activities were more associated with influence on developing healthy social relationships. Family-based, dyadic interventions for young AAs may incorporate shared activities (both routine and leisure) to promote healthy behaviors, although further research to explore mechanisms and directionality of influence is needed to inform action., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is rising at a rapid rate worldwide. As a chronic, incurable metabolic disease, diabetes affects a person's life in all ways. Studies thus far have focused on the impact of diabetes on the physical and mental health of persons affected by the quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to explore the whole range of QoL deficits using the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) in type-2 diabetic patients., Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among individuals aged at or above 15 years with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Patients with prior mental health illness and unwillingness to give consent were excluded. A pretested structured questionnaire including the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviews. Appropriate ethical measures were ensured. All statistical analyses were carried out using the statistical software STATA (Version 16.1). Graphs were created using R (Version 4.0.0)., Results: A total of 500 T2 DM patients with a mean age of 55.8 ± 13.2 years (± SD) and a female proportion of 50.8% were included. Overall, 22.2% of participants rated their QoL as poor, and 25% were dissatisfied with their health (as assessed by questions 1 and 2 of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire). More than half (54% and 51.2%, respectively) had an average evaluation of their QoL and health. The QoL scores were below average, with mean scores (± SD) for the physical health, psychological, social relationship, and environmental domains of 37.2 ± 20.5, 44.2 ± 21.0, 39.6 ± 23.2, and 41.6 ± 19.5, respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the patient's level of education and monthly family income were significant positive modifiers and that complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, and peripheral artery disease) were significant negative determinants of the QoL score in different domains., Conclusion: This study found the overall quality of life among T2DM patients below average. Health authorities and clinicians should take these findings into account and incorporate necessary measures to ameliorate negative modifiers of the quality of life of sufferers., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Key Message: Software for high imputation accuracy in soybean was identified. Imputed dataset could significantly reduce the interval of genomic regions controlling traits, thus greatly improve the efficiency of candidate gene identification. Genotype imputation is a strategy to increase marker density of existing datasets without additional genotyping. We compared imputation performance of software BEAGLE 5.0, IMPUTE 5 and AlphaPlantImpute and tested software parameters that may help to improve imputation accuracy in soybean populations. Several factors including marker density, extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD), minor allele frequency (MAF), etc., were examined for their effects on imputation accuracy across different software. Our results showed that AlphaPlantImpute had a higher imputation accuracy than BEAGLE 5.0 or IMPUTE 5 tested in each soybean family, especially if the study progeny were genotyped with an extremely low number of markers. LD extent, MAF and reference panel size were positively correlated with imputation accuracy, a minimum number of 50 markers per chromosome and MAF of SNPs > 0.2 in soybean line were required to avoid a significant loss of imputation accuracy. Using the software, we imputed 5176 soybean lines in the soybean nested mapping population (NAM) with high-density markers of the 40 parents. The dataset containing 423,419 markers for 5176 lines and 40 parents was deposited at the Soybase. The imputed NAM dataset was further examined for the improvement of mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling soybean seed protein content. Most of the QTL identified were at identical or at similar position based on initial and imputed datasets; however, QTL intervals were greatly narrowed. The resulting genotypic dataset of NAM population will facilitate QTL mapping of traits and downstream applications. The information will also help to improve genotyping imputation accuracy in self-pollinated crops., (© 2022. This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Plants act as a rich source of novel natural pesticides. In the backdrop of the recent revival of interest in developing plant-based insecticides, this study was carried out to investigate the pesticidal activity of Sundarban mangrove plants. A total of nine different plant parts from five plants, namely, Aegiceras corniculatum , Excoecaria agallocha , Heritiera fomes , Xylocarpus moluccensis, and Xylocarpus granatum , were extracted with methanol and tested for insecticidal activity against two common stored product pests Sitophilus oryzae and Sitophilus zeamais using direct contact feeding deterrent wafer disc method. Three bark extracts from A. corniculatum , E. agallocha, and H. fomes showed potent and statistically significant insecticidal activity against both S. oryzae and S. zeamais pests (80-100% mortality). All the active bark extracts were further fractionated using C-18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns and tested for their insecticidal activity against S. oryzae pest to identify the active fraction. Only the SPE4 fraction (100% MeOH) from all the three active plants showed the activity against S. oryzae pest with a lethal concentration 50% (LC 50 ) value of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/disc for A. corniculatum , E. agallocha, and H. fomes , respectively. The active fraction of A. corniculatum was further profiled for identification of active compounds using LC-ESI-MS and identified (along with some unknown peaks) two previously reported compounds at m/z 625.17630 (isorhamnetin 3- O -rutinoside) and 422.25346 (paspaline) as major constituents. Insecticidal activities of these plants are reported in this study for the first time and would be useful in promoting research aiming for the development of new biopesticides from mangrove plants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Md. Abdur Rahman et al.)

Liver diseases are quite prevalant in many densely populated countries, including Bangladesh. The liver and its hepatocytes are targeted by virus and microbes, as well as by chemical environmental toxicants, causing wide-spread disruption of metabolic fuctions of the human body, leading to death from end-stage liver diseases. The aim of this review is to systematically explore and record the potential of Bangladeshi ethnopharmacological plants to treat liver diseases with focus on their sources, constituents, and therapeutic uses, including mechanisms of actions (MoA). A literature survey was carried out using Pubmed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases with articles reported until July, 2020. A total of 88 Bangladeshi hepatoprotective plants (BHPs) belonging to 47 families were listed in this review, including Euphorbiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Compositae families contained 20% of plants, while herbs were the most cited (51%) and leaves were the most consumed parts (23%) as surveyed. The effect of BHPs against different hepatotoxins was observed via upregulation of antioxidant systems and inhibition of lipid peroxidation which subsequently reduced the elevated liver biomarkers. Different active constituents, including phenolics, curcuminoids, cucurbitanes, terpenoids, fatty acids, carotenoids, and polysaccharides, have been reported from these plants. The hepatoameliorative effect of these constituents was mainly involved in the reduction of hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation through activation of Nrf2/HO-1 and inhibition of NF- κ B signaling pathways. In summary, BHPs represent a valuable resource for hepatoprotective lead therapeutics which may offer new alternatives to treat liver diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Razina Rouf et al.)

Background: There has been considerable debate regarding the ideal anaesthetic technique for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL). PCNL is usually performed under general anaesthesia (GA) in prone position. The prone position under GA is associated with various complications. To address these complications, our study was carried out to determine whether epidural anaesthesia [EA] with dexmedetomidine sedation can be a better alternative to GA for PCNL., Aims and Objectives: To compare the efficacy and feasibility of performing PCNL under EA in combination with dexmedetomidine infusion., Methods and Material: Out of 225 patients observed in this study, 115 patients (group A) underwent PCNL under EA with dexmedetomidine infusion and 110 patients (group B) underwent PCNL under GA., Results: Mean time to the first dose of rescue analgesia was significantly increased in Epidural group (328.17 ± 63.74) compared to GA group (72.09 min, p < .0001) and the mean Visual analog scale [VAS] scores were significantly lower in epidural compared to GA group at different time intervals during the first 24 h after surgery (p<0.05). Patients in epidural group had significantly less post-operative nausea, vomiting (6.1 % vs 13.6 %), and significantly less shivering (12.2% vs 33.6%). Mean patient satisfaction score in epidural group was significantly higher (8.75 ± 1.29 vs 8.14 ± 1.39, p=0.001); however, the mean surgeon satisfaction score was comparable among the two groups (8.76 ± 1.39 in Group A and 8.61 ± 1.35 in Group B, p=0.421)., Conclusions: Our study shows that EA is an equally effective alternative to GA for PCNL, with more patient satisfaction, less postoperative pain, early ambulation and postoperative recovery, less systemic analgesic requirements and less adverse effects., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Anesthesia: Essays and Researches.)

Amaranthus spinosus is a common vegetable of Bangladesh and well-known for its ethnomedicinal uses. In this study, we have evaluated the ability of powdered supplementation, methanol extract, and aqueous extract of A. spinosus in attenuating in high-carbohydrate-high-fat (HCHF) diet-induced obesity and associated metabolic disorders in female obese rates. Several parameters have been analyzed in this study including body weight, organ weight, fat deposition, glycemic status, lipid levels, hepatic and renal biomarkers, hepatic antioxidant status, and hepatosteatosis. All three samples of A. spinosus significantly reduced weight gain, organ weight, and abdominal fat deposition. Improved glucose tolerance and lipid parameters were seen in obese rats administered with A. spinosus powder, methanol extract, and aqueous extract. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and creatine kinase levels were normalized by the test samples. A. spinosus boosted hepatic antioxidant levels including reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Histopathology of liver tissue revealed increased fat infiltration and higher steatosis score in HCHF diet-fed obese rats which was brought down by A. spinosus . Analyzing all the results it can be concluded that this medicinal herb is beneficial in the management of obesity and obesity-induced metabolic disorders, making it a prospective food supplement., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Prince, Zihad, Ghosh, Sifat, Rouf, Al Shajib, Alam, Shilpi and Uddin.)

Date palm ( P. dactylifera ) plays a vital role in ethnomedicinal practices in several parts of the world. There are over 2000 cultivars of date palm that differ in chemical composition and extent of bioactivity. The present study was undertaken to comparatively evaluate the antioxidant potential of three cultivars of date palm (Ajwah, Safawy and Sukkari) from Saudi Arabia and analyze their phenolic constituents in order to draw a rationale for their activity. Antioxidant activities of the date cultivars were evaluated by different quantitative methods including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, total antioxidant capacity, reducing power, total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC) and tannin content (TTC), while qualitative phenolic composition was determined using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadropole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). All the three date extracts showed good DPPH radical scavenging (IC 50 103-177 μg/mL) and hydroxyl radical scavenging (IC 50 1.1-1.55 mg/mL) activity and total antioxidant capacity (IC 50 87-192 μg/mL). The reducing power was also comparable to that of ascorbic acid, used as standard in above experiments. All the three samples contain significant amount of major antioxidant components (phenolic, flavonoid and tannin) that successfully correlates with the results of radical scavenging assays. UPLC-QTOF-MS revealed a total of 22 compounds in these date cultivars classified into common phenolics, flavonoids, sterols and phytoestrogens. Significant variation in the degree of antioxidant activity of these three date cultivars can be attributed to the difference in the content and composition of phenolic compounds., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Pain is an unpleasant sensation that has complex and varying causative etiology. Modern drug discovery focuses on identifying potential molecules that target multiple pathways with a safer profile compared to those with a single target. The current treatment of pain and inflammation with the available therapeutics has a number of major side effects. Pain is one of the major clinical problems that need functional therapeutics which act on multiple targets and with low toxicity. Curcumin, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound from Curcuma longa, has been used for years in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and in many other systems of traditional medicine. Pre-clinical data published thus far demonstrated that curcumin possesses multi-target biological functions, suggesting its potential use to cure different diseases. However, there is no or very brief systematic review of its potential use in pain and inflammation with underlying mechanisms for such activities. Accordingly, the aim of the current review was to update the pre-clinical data of curcumin and its multiple targeting pathways for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, and to further propose a molecular mechanism(s). A literature study was conducted using different known databases, including Pubmed, SciFinder, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Available pre-clinical data suggest the ameliorating effect of curcumin in pain and inflammation is rendered through the modulation of pain pathways, including inhibition of a number of pro-inflammatory mediators, inhibition of oxidative stress and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), down-regulation of Ca2+/calmodulin-depend protein kinase II (CaMKIIα) and calcium channels like transient receptor potential (TRP), modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor-2 (mGlu2), modulation of monoamine system, inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, remodeling of extracellular matrix proteins, inhibition of apoptosis, inhibition of JNK/MAPK and ERK/CREB signaling pathway, and activation of the opioid system. Taken all together, it is evident that curcumin is one of the promising, safe, and natural polyphenolic molecules that target multiple molecular pathways in pain and can be beneficial in the treatment and management of pain and inflammation., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Heliotropium indicum Linn is a leafy vegetable that has been used in Bangladeshi ethnomedicinal practices. The attenuation effect of H. indicum supplementation was evaluated in high carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet-induced obesity and associated disorders in 8-weeks-old female Wister rats. H. indicum significantly (p < .05) prevented weight gain and improved glucose intolerance in obese rats. It also significantly (p < .05) ameliorated lipid parameters in HCHF diet fed rats preventing hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, resulting in improved the artherogenic index (AI). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were brought to normal by H. indicum. It significantly elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities as well as increased reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration in liver. The intense liver fat deposition was seen in HCHF fed rats which were relatively low in H. indicum fed rats. Therefore, H. indicum has the ability to prevent obesity and associated metabolic disorders. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Obesity and associated metabolic disorders are the most common threats to public health. Modern lifestyle and food habits are the main causes behind this malice, and the introduction of functional foods in daily diet is proved to be highly beneficial. Results of this study demonstrated that H. indicum can effectively attenuate obesity and its associated metabolic complications. Therefore, the current study has the merits to promote scientific knowledge of the dietary application of H. indicum as a functional food among the community., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Garlic ( Allium sativum L.) is a common herb consumed worldwide as functional food and traditional remedy for the prevention of infectious diseases since ancient time. Garlic and its active organosulfur compounds (OSCs) have been reported to alleviate a number of viral infections in pre-clinical and clinical investigations. However, so far no systematic review on its antiviral effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms exists., Scope and Approach: The aim of this review is to systematically summarize pre-clinical and clinical investigations on antiviral effects of garlic and its OSCs as well as to further analyse recent findings on the mechanisms that underpin these antiviral actions. PubMed, Cochrane library, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases were searched and articles up to June 2020 were included in this review., Key Findings and Conclusions: Pre-clinical data demonstrated that garlic and its OSCs have potential antiviral activity against different human, animal and plant pathogenic viruses through blocking viral entry into host cells, inhibiting viral RNA polymerase, reverse transcriptase, DNA synthesis and immediate-early gene 1(IEG1) transcription, as well as through downregulating the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The alleviation of viral infection was also shown to link with immunomodulatory effects of garlic and its OSCs. Clinical studies further demonstrated a prophylactic effect of garlic in the prevention of widespread viral infections in humans through enhancing the immune response. This review highlights that garlic possesses significant antiviral activity and can be used prophylactically in the prevention of viral infections., (© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is common in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients. Serotonin release from platelets promotes platelet aggregation, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI/SNRI) therapy inhibits the transporter responsible for re-uptake., Methods: We reviewed the records of LVAD (HeartMateII™, Abbott Medical, Lake Bluff, IL, USA and Heartware™, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) patients at the Medical University of South Carolina and Johns Hopkins Hospital between January 2009 and January 2016. After exclusions, 248 patients were included for analysis. After univariate analysis, logistic regression multivariate analysis was performed to adjust for any demographic, cardiovascular, and laboratory data variables found to be associated with GI bleeding post-LVAD., Results: Gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 85 patients (35%) with 55% of GIBs due to arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Of the total cohort, 105 patients received an SSRI or SNRI during LVAD support. Forty-four (44) SSRI/SNRI (41.9%) and 41 non-SSRI/SNRI (28.7%) patients had a GIB (RR 1.46, p = 0.03). Twenty-six (26) (24.8%) of the SSRI/SNRI patients had a GIB due to AVMs versus 21 (14.7%) of the non-SSRI/SNRI patients (RR 1.69, p = 0.05). In fully-adjusted multivariate regression analysis, SSRI/SNRI therapy was independently associated with GIB (OR 1.78, p = 0.045). For GIB, the number needed to harm (NNH) was 7.6., Conclusion: In conclusion, SSRI/SNRI therapy is independently associated with an increased risk of GIB in LVAD patients., (Copyright © 2019 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Solanaceae is an important plant family that has been playing an essential role in traditional medicine and human nutrition. Members of the Solanaceae are rich in bioactive metabolites and have been used by different tribes around the world for ages. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from plants have drawn great interest in recent years and raised new hope for developing new antimicrobial agents for meeting the challenges of antibiotic resistance. This review aims to summarize the reported AMPs from plants of the Solanaceae with possible molecular mechanisms of action as well as to correlate their traditional uses with reported antimicrobial actions of the peptides. A systematic literature study was conducted using different databases until August 2019 based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. According to literature, a variety of AMPs including defensins, protease inhibitor, lectins, thionin-like peptides, vicilin-like peptides, and snaking were isolated from plants of the Solanaceae and were involved in their defense mechanism. These peptides exhibited significant antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity against organisms for both plant and human host. Brugmansia, Capsicum , Datura , Nicotiana, Salpichora, Solanum , Petunia , and Withania are the most commonly studied genera for AMPs. Among these genera, Capsicum and the Solanum ranked top according to the total number of studies (35%-38% studies) for different AMPs. The mechanisms of action of the reported AMPs from Solanaceae was not any new rather similar to other reported AMPs including alteration of membrane potential and permeability, membrane pore formation, and cell aggregation. Whereas, induction of cell membrane permiabilization, inhibition of germination and alteration of hyphal growth were reported as mechanisms of antifungal activity. Plants of the Solanaceae have been used traditionally as antimicrobial, insecticidal, and antiinfectious agents, and as poisons. The reported AMPs from the Solanaceae are the products of chemical shields to protect plants from microorganisms and pests which unfold an obvious link with their traditional medicinal use. In summary, it is evident that AMPs from this family possess considerable antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacterial and fungal pathogens and can be regarded as a potential source for lead molecules to develop new antimicrobial agents., (Copyright © 2020 Afroz, Akter, Ahmed, Rouf, Shilpi, Tiralongo, Sarker, Göransson and Uddin.)

Background: Cancer is a dreadful disease causing thousands of deaths per year worldwide, which requires precision diagnostics and therapy. Although the selection of therapeutic regimens depends on the cancer type, chemotherapy remains a sustainable treatment strategy despite some of its known side-effects. To date, a number of natural products and their derivatives or analogues have been investigated as potent anticancer drugs. These drug discoveries have aimed for targeted therapy and reduced side-effects, including natural therapeutic regimens., Objective: This review introduces a prospective fungal-derived polyphenol, Hispolon (HIS), as an anticancer agent. Accordingly, this review focuses on exploring the anticancer effect of hispolon based on information extracted from databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, MedLine, Web of Science, and Google Scholar., Methods: A literature search in PubMed, ScienceDirect, MedLine, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was accomplished, using the keyword 'Hispolon', pairing with 'cancer', 'cytotoxicity', 'cell cycle arrest', 'apoptosis', 'metastasis', 'migration', 'invasion', 'proliferation', 'genotoxicity', 'mutagenicity', 'drug-resistant cancer', 'autophagy', and 'estrogen receptor., Results: Database-dependent findings from reported research works suggest that HIS can exert anticancer effects by modulating multiple molecular and biochemical pathways, including cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy, inhibition of proliferation, metastasis, migration, and invasion. Moreover, HIS inhibits the estrogenic activity and exhibits chemoprevention prospects, possibly due to its protective effects such as anticancer and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. To date, a number of HIS derivatives and analogues have been introduced for their anticancer effects in numerous cancer cell lines., Conclusion: Data obtained from this review suggest that hispolon and some of its derivatives can be promising anticancer agents, and may become plant-based cancer chemotherapeutic leads for the development of potent anticancer drugs, alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Reconstruction of total lip is a challenging task for a plastic surgeon. It becomes more complicated when there is loss of additional tissues like angle of mouth, buccal mucosa or floor of the mouth. Radial forearm flap with palmaris longus tendon provides an easier but reliable technique for three dimensional lip reconstructions with good functional and aesthetic outcome. In this short observational series we included 5 patients of total lip reconstruction and conducted at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital and Private Clinic of Sylhet, Bangladesh from January 2014 to December 2017. Among these one was a case of basal cell carcinoma of upper lip and rest was squamous cell carcinoma of lower lip. The mean age was 71 years. All the flaps survived and patients had normal speech and oral continence. Composite radial forearm flap with palmaris longus tendon is a good, reliable option for total lip reconstruction.

Traditionally, sesame oil (SO) has been used as a popular food and medicine. The review aims to summarize the antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects of SO and its identified compounds as well as further fatty acid profiling and molecular docking study to correlate the interaction of its identified constituents with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). For this, a literature study was made using Google Scholar, Pubmed, and SciFinder databases. Literature study demonstrated that SO has potential antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects in various test systems, including humans, animals, and cultured cells through various pathways such as inhibition of COX, nonenzymatic defense mechanism, inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines, NF-kB or mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, and prostaglandin synthesis pathway. Fatty acid analysis of SO using gas chromatography identified known nine fatty acids. In silico study revealed that sesamin, sesaminol, sesamolin, stigmasterol, Δ5-avenasterol, and Δ7-avenasterol (-9.6 to -10.7 kcal/mol) were the most efficient ligand for interaction and binding with COX-2. The known fatty acid also showed binding efficiency with COX-2 to some extent (-6.0 to -8.4 kcal/mol). In summary, it is evident that SO may be one of promising traditional medicines that we could use in the prevention and management of diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

In this article, we have summarized the biological sources and pharmacological activities of agathisflavone along with molecular docking studies to correlate the interaction of this biflavonoid and biomacromolecules involving in its biological effects observed in database-oriented scientific reports. For this, an up-to-date (from 1991 to October 2018) search was done on the databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, The American Chemical Society, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar databases. The findings suggest that agathisflavone possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiparasitic, cytotoxic, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities. An in silico study of agathisflavone against 17 essential proteins/enzymes revealed that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 are the most efficient enzymes for the interaction and binding of this biflavonoid for its anti-inflammatory activity. In conclusion, agathisflavone may be one of the promising plant-derived lead compounds in the treatment of oxidative stress, inflammatory diseases, microbial infection, hepatic and neurological diseases and disorders, and cancer. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 71(9):1192-1200, 2019., (© 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Fibrosis is a common pathologic outcome of chronic disease resulting in the replacement of normal tissue parenchyma with a collagen-rich extracellular matrix produced by myofibroblasts. Although the progenitor cell types and cellular programs giving rise to myofibroblasts through mesenchymal transition can vary between tissues and diseases, their contribution to fibrosis initiation, maintenance, and progression is thought to be pervasive. Here, we showed that the ability of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) to efficiently induce myofibroblast differentiation of cultured epithelial cells, endothelial cells, or quiescent fibroblasts is dependent on the induced expression and activity of dimeric calpains, a family of non-lysosomal cysteine proteases that regulate a variety of cellular events through posttranslational modification of diverse substrates. siRNA-based gene silencing demonstrated that TGFβ-induced mesenchymal transition of a murine breast epithelial cell line was dependent on induction of expression of calpain 9 (CAPN9), an isoform previously thought to be restricted to the gastrointestinal tract. Mice lacking functional CAPN9 owing to biallelic targeting of Capn9 were viable and fertile but showed overt protection from bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis, and angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction. A predicted loss-of-function allele of CAPN9 is common in Southeast Asia, with the frequency of homozygosity matching the prediction of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Together with the highly spatially restricted pattern of CAPN9 expression under physiologic circumstances and the heartiness of the murine knockout, these data provide a strong signature for tolerance of therapeutic strategies for fibrosis aimed at CAPN9 antagonism., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

Purpose: To study the significance of filling cystometry with pressure flow studies and bladder electromyography (EMG) in assessment and management of neurogenic bladder with myelopathies and evaluated neurological recovery in the follow-up period., Methods: The study was a 3-year prospective urodynamic study in 63 patients, with traumatic and nontraumatic myelopathy. Bladder management was advised based on the cystometric findings. Neurological recovery and mode of bladder management were evaluated during follow-up after a minimum of 6 months., Results: Mean age was 44.6 years (range 10-80 years). Thoracolumbar area was most commonly involved. Cystometry revealed overactive detrusor in 46 patients, (17 had detrusor sphincter dyssynergia [DSD], 29 without DSD) and areflexic/underactive detrusor in 9 patients. Postvoid residual (>15% of voided urine) was significant in 27 patients. Neurological recovery was seen in 60.3%, whereas 22.2% showed no improvement (partial improvement in 4.8%) and 12.6% had normal bladder function both initially and at follow-up. Correlation between neurological recovery and bladder management was found to be insignificant ( P > 0.05) using spearman's correlation coefficient., Conclusion: Filling cystometry with pressure flow studies and EMG study is valuable for the assessment and management of neurogenic bladder in patients with myelopathy. In neurogenic bladder management and follow-up, pressure flow studies help to prevent complications and upper urinary tract complications., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Methods to obtain real-time multidisciplinary input for irAEs that require subspecialist care are unknown. This study aimed to determine whether a virtual multidisciplinary immune-related toxicity (IR-tox) team of oncology and medicine subspecialists would be feasible to implement, be used by oncology providers, and identify patients for whom multidisciplinary input is sought., Patients and Methods: Patients treated with ICIs and referred to the IR-tox team in August 2017 through March 2018 were identified. Feasibility was defined as receipt of electronic referrals and provision of recommendations within 24 hours of referral. Use was defined as the proportion of referring providers who used the team's recommendations, which was determined through a postpilot survey. Demographics and tumor, treatment, and referral data were collected. Patient features and irAE associations were analyzed., Results: The IR-tox team was found to be feasible and used: 117 referrals from 102 patients were received in 8 months, all providers received recommendations within 24 hours, 100% of surveyed providers used the recommendations, and 74% changed patient management based on IR-tox team recommendations. Referrals were for suspected irAEs (n=106; 91%) and suitability to treat with ICIs (n=11; 10%). In referred patients, median age was 64 years, 54% were men, 13% had prior autoimmunity, and 46% received ICI combinations versus monotherapy (54%). The most commonly referred toxicities were pneumonitis (23%), arthritis (16%), and dermatitis (15%); 15% of patients had multisystem toxicities. Multiple referrals were more common in those treated with combination ICIs (odds ratio [OR], 6.0; P=.035) or with multisystem toxicities (OR, 8.1; P=.005). The IR-tox team provided a new multidisciplinary forum to assist providers in diagnosing and managing complex irAEs. This model identifies educational and service needs, and patients with irAEs for whom multidisciplinary care is most sought., Conclusions: A virtual multidisciplinary toxicity team for irAEs was a feasible and used service, and facilitated toxicity identification and management.

Developing alternate therapies for bovine endometritis is important in the context of drug residues in the milk and emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. In this regard, we studied the immunomodulatory effect of curcumin 30 µM, on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS) and/or flagellin (100 ng/ml each)-induced prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) and proinflammatory cytokines (PIC) using primary bubaline endometrial stromal cells. After 24 hr treatment, the supernatant was assayed for PGE 2 while cells were used for relative quantification of cytokines like IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF α transcripts using a control group as calibrator. LPS was found to possess potent stimulatory effect on PGE 2 production, whereas the flagellin was not as potent as LPS in stimulating the PGE 2 production either per se or in combination with LPS. LPS markedly up-regulated the transcripts of IL-8 and IL-6 as compared to IL-1β and TNF α in the bubaline endometrial stromal cells. Except for IL-8, flagellin did not up-regulate other PICs. There was no additive effect between LPS and flagellin on the up-regulation of inflammatory cytokines. Curcumin inhibited the LPS-induced up-regulation of PIC with strong down-regulation of IL-8. The inhibitory effects of curcumin on the inflammatory mediators suggest a potential in the treatment of bovine endometritis., (© 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Ponicidin, an ent-kaurane diterpenoid derived from Rabdosia rubescens, exhibits antitumor activities against several types of cancers. This review summarizes the botanical sources, biological activities, and biopharmaceutical profile of ponicidin. Additionally, a molecular docking study has been undertaken to correlate the interaction of this diterpenoid with biomacromolecules found in the literature. For this purpose, an up-to-date (till December 2018) literature survey was conducted using a number of databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, the American Chemical Society, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar. Findings suggest that ponicidin exerts antioxidant and anticancer activity in various test systems, including experimental animals and cultured cancer cells. Research findings revealed that anticancer mechanisms of ponicidin include antioxidant/oxidative stress induction, cytotoxic, apoptotic inductive, chemosensitizer, antiangiogenic, and antiproliferative effects. In silico study suggests that 5ITD (PI3K) was the best protein with which ponicidin interacts to exert its anticancer effect. In conclusion, ponicidin might be a promising plant-derived cancer chemotherapeutic agent., (© 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

The current meta-analysis aimed to quantify the effectiveness of hypnosis for reducing pain and identify factors that influence efficacy. Six major databases were systematically searched for trials comparing hypnotic inductions with no-intervention control conditions on pain ratings, threshold and tolerance using experimentally-evoked pain models in healthy participants. Eighty-five eligible studies (primarily crossover trials) were identified, consisting of 3632 participants (hypnosis nö=ö2892, control nö=ö2646). Random effects meta-analysis found analgesic effects of hypnosis for all pain outcomes (gö=ö0.54-0.76, p's<.001). Efficacy was strongly influenced by hypnotic suggestibility and use of direct analgesic suggestion. Specifically, optimal pain relief was obtained for hypnosis with direct analgesic suggestion administered to high and medium suggestibles, who respectively demonstrated 42% (pö<ö.001) and 29% (pö<ö.001) clinically meaningful reductions in pain. Minimal benefits were found for low suggestibles. These findings suggest that hypnotic intervention can deliver meaningful pain relief for most people and therefore may be an effective and safe alternative to pharmaceutical intervention. High quality clinical data is, however, needed to establish generalisability in chronic pain populations., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Agathisflavone (AGF) is a biflavonoid with a number of important biological and pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective effects. However, its toxicological effects have not been fully investigated. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the toxicological effects of AGF in mice. For this purpose, the median lethal dose 50% (LD 50 ) was determined along with the anatomic and histopathological parameters (weight, alimentation, excretion, biochemical, and hematological) in fertile untouched female Swiss mice. Results suggest that during the treatment, no deaths were reported at 300 and 2000 mg/kg (n = 03/group, p.o.). Moreover, AGF did not cause significant change in the above mentioned parameters in test animals when compared with the control group (0.05% Tween 80 dissolved in 0.9% saline). Taken all together, this non-clinical toxicological study revealed that AGF has an LD 50 larger than 2000 mg/kg and did not change significantly the hematological, biochemical, histopathological, behavioral, as well as physiological parameters in the female mice., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

This review aims to summarize the anticancer effects of the natural monoterpene phenol derivative of cymenethymol and its derivatives as well as further molecular docking study to correlate the interaction of thymol and biomacromolecules that involved in cancer cell growth. For this, an up-to-date (till July 2018) literature study were made through using PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, The American Chemical Society, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar databases. Literature study demonstrated that thymol, melasolv (3,4,5-Trimethoxycinnamate thymol ester), and Mannich bases of thymol have potential anticancer effects in various test systems, including mice, rats and cultured cancer cells through various anticancer pathways such as antioxidant/oxidative stress induction, apoptosis, anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory, anti-genotoxicity, chemo-, and radiopreventive ways. A few earlier scientific evidences showed that thymol is less toxic to mammalian systems. In silico study of thymol and its derivatives against 17 essential proteins revealed that 6BVH (PARP-1) and 5LIH (protein kinase C) are the most efficient receptor protein for interaction and binding of thymol and melaslov for the cancer prevention and initiation. On the basis of the summary of this review and docking study, it is evident that thymol may be one of promising plant-derived cancer chemotherapeutic agents. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):9-19, 2019., (© 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Background: Open fractures are still associated with troublesome rates of infection. Thorough debridement irrigation and antibiotic cover are of paramount importance irrespective of the fixation method. VAC therapy is a well known method of accelerating the wound healing and decreasing the infection in non healing ulcers. The main drawback of VAC therapy is requirement of a special equipment and high cost. We in our hospital are using low cost custom made VAC therapy for non healing ulcers in lower socio-economic people and have seen extremely good results in wound healing and infection control., Objective: To evaluate the role of pre operative low cost custom made VAC therapy as an adjunctive method of decreasing the rates of infection in late presenting lower limb open fractures., Methods: A retrospective study of 26 open femur and tibia fractures for which low cost VAC therapy was used between January 2014 to January 2017., Results: 2 out of 26 cases (7.4%) ended up with deep infection., Conclusion: Pre operative in-hospital low cost custom made VAC therapy is a useful adjunctive method of reducing infection rates in late presenting open fractures.

Beta (β)-caryophyllene (BCAR) is a major sesquiterpene of various plant essential oils reported for several important pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, nephroprotective, antimicrobial, and immune-modulatory activity. Recent studies suggest that it also possesses neuroprotective effect. This study reviews published reports pertaining to the neuropharmacological activities of BCAR. Databases such as PubMed, Scopus, MedLine Plus, and Google Scholar with keywords "beta (β)-caryophyllene" and other neurological keywords were searched. Data were extracted by referring to articles with information about the dose or concentration/route of administration, test system, results and discussion, and proposed mechanism of action. A total of 545 research articles were recorded, and 41 experimental studies were included in this review, after application of exclusion criterion. Search results suggest that BCAR exhibits a protective role in a number of nervous system-related disorders including pain, anxiety, spasm, convulsion, depression, alcoholism, and Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, BCAR has local anesthetic-like activity, which could protect the nervous system from oxidative stress and inflammation and can act as an immunomodulatory agent. Most neurological activities of this natural product have been linked with the cannabinoid receptors (CBRs), especially the CB2R. This review suggests a possible application of BCAR as a neuroprotective agent., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Focus of the study was to design a novel and cost effective extraction technique for the lycopene from Lycopersicum esculentum L. fruit and to develop and characterize a stable emulgel formulation containing lycopene as an active ingredient as well as to design an analytical method to determine lycopene concentration in emulgel. Emulgel formulation was prepared and evaluated for its stability at different storage conditions, 8 °C, 25 °C, 40 °C, 40 °C + 75% relative humidity (RH) and 50 °C, for 6 months. Results were statistically analyzed using two way ANOVA, Post-Hoc test and paired sample t -test at 5% significance level. Designed extraction technique presented comparable yield, 154.83 mg/Kg of tomato fruit, with all recoveries in the range of 145-156 mg/Kg of tomato. "P-values" calculated for different levels of stability parameters were <0.05, except at 50 °C and time points of 60th day and later. Analytical method designed was having linear range of lycopene 1-10 µg/mL with limit of detection 0.11 µg/mL and limit of quantification 0.34 µg/mL. All inter-day and intra-day recoveries were in the range of 94-105% while in all measurements RSD % was ≤5.36. It can be concluded that the extraction technique was cost effective with comparable results and analytical method was simple, robust, specific and sensitive enough to be used for lycopene concentration determination in emulgel formulation. Furthermore, designed formulation was stable even at high temperature of 40 °C and RH 75%.