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Diabetes mellitus, linked with insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia, is a leading cause of mortality. Glucose uptake through glucose transporter type 4, especially in skeletal muscle, is crucial for maintaining euglycaemia and is a key pathway targeted by antidiabetic medication. Abrus precatorius is a medicinal plant with demonstrated antihyperglycaemic activity in animal models, but its mechanisms are unclear. This study evaluated the effect of a 50% ethanolic (v/v) A. precatorius leaf extract on (1) insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and (2) related gene expression in differentiated C2C12 myotubes using rosiglitazone as a positive control, and (3) generated a comprehensive phytochemical profile of A. precatorius leaf extract using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry to elucidate its antidiabetic compounds. A. precatorius leaf extract significantly increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and insulin receptor substrate 1 and Akt substrate of 160 kDa gene expression; however, it had no effect on glucose transporter type 4 gene expression. At 250 µg/mL A. precatorius leaf extract, the increase in glucose uptake was significantly higher than 1 µM rosiglitazone. Fifty-five phytochemicals (primarily polyphenols, triterpenoids, saponins, and alkaloids) were putatively identified, including 24 that have not previously been reported from A. precatorius leaves. Abrusin, precatorin I, glycyrrhizin, hemiphloin, isohemiphloin, hispidulin 4′- O - β -D-glucopyranoside, homoplantaginin, and cirsimaritin were putatively identified as known major compounds previously reported from A. precatorius leaf extract. A. precatorius leaves contain antidiabetic phytochemicals and enhance insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in myotubes via the protein kinase B/phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway by regulating insulin receptor substrate 1 and Akt substrate of 160 kDa gene expression. Therefore, A. precatorius leaves may improve skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and hyperglycaemia. Additionally, it is a valuable source of bioactive phytochemicals with potential therapeutic use for diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the significance of fatty acids in cosmetics, highlighting the emergence of plant-derived options due to the declining demand for animal-derived ingredients amidst rising veganism. Topics include the unique structure and anti-inflammatory properties of ximenynic fatty acid, its potential applications in skincare, such as anti-aging and under-eye care, and its promising role in addressing cellulite and scalp care concerns.

Presents a glassed-in porch that was remodeled into a brick-facaded conservatory in Long Island. Araine Wellin's federal-style home; How the symmetry was maintained; Architect Paul Erdmann; Before and after pictures.

Oral administration of rich in flavonoids hydroalcoholic extract from Zuccagnia punctata (ZpE) improves lipid profile and prevents vascular dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of ZpE to prevent metabolic and vascular alterations induced by high fat diet (HFD) on a metabolically obese and normal weight rabbit model. The major components of ZpE were analyzed by HPLC method. Rabbits were separated into six groups: 1-fed on standard chow (CD); 2-fed on HFD; 3, 4, 5- fed on HFD and orally administrated 2.5 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg GAE/day of ZpE, respectively (ZpE- HFD); 6- fed on HFD and orally administered 30 mg orlistat/day (Or-HFD). All diets were administrated by 6 weeks. The major compounds of ZpE identified were chalcones: 2′,4′-dihydroxy-3′-methoxychalcone and 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone. Oral treatment with ZpE 5 mg GAE/day as well as orlistat prevented the HFD-induced increase of triglycerides, fasting glucose, intraperitoneal glucose test, white cells, and TyG index. Acetylcholine relaxation was reduced in arteries from HFD group and oral administration of ZpE reached this response to CD values. Contractile response to angiotensin II was lower in arteries from rabbits fed on HFD treated with ZpE 5 and 10 mg GAE/day than those of untreated rabbits. Moreover, ZpE could inhibit the activity of pancreatic lipase in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion the ZpE may prevent normal weight obesity by inhibiting the pancreatic lipase. Thus, the use of ZpE as a natural product in the prevention of metabolic syndrome and endothelial dysfunction is very promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of ailments. The knowledge of them is handed down from generation to generation and is described in several pharmacopoeia and in the general literature. The immense biodiversity of the Brazilian flora, covering about 25% of all plant species worldwide, makes Brazil a huge potential source of medicinal plants. Indeed, many of these plant species are already used in the Brazilian ethnopharmacology for their probable effect to induce diuresis, to reduce fluid retention, and to treat cardiovascular and renal disorders. This review article describes and discusses the main native Brazilian medicinal plants (including some of their isolated compounds) used as diuretics. It also gives a comprehensive analysis of the most relevant scientific studies presented to date, as well as addressing a special topic with future prospects for plant species that have not yet been scientifically studied. In brief, several plants can be indicated for more detailed study, with a view to obtain scientific subsidies for a new and effective diuretic medicine in the future. These include Bauhinia forficata, Leandra dasytricha , and Tropaeolum majus. Other species have reputed medicinal properties but lack experimental assays to demonstrate their pharmacological effects (e.g., Mikania hirsutissima, Phyllanthus niruri, and Tagetes minuta). Several active principles are indicated as responsible for the diuretic effects of the plants studied, with emphasis on phenolic compounds as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and xanthones. These results should encourage more detailed preclinical, clinical, and phytochemical investigations on Brazilian plants in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer chemoprevention is a promising strategy taken to block, reverse, or retard carcinogenesis. α-Mangostin, a natural xanthone isolated from the pericarps of mangosteen, represents one of the most studied chemopreventive agents. This compound has been reported to interfere with all the major stages of carcinogenesis: initiation, promotion, and progression. A number of mechanisms have been proposed for its anticarcinogenic activities. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the mechanisms that contribute to the observed activity of α-mangostin related to (i) modulation of carcinogenic biotransformation and mitigation of oxidative damage, (ii) induction of growth arrest and apoptosis, (iii) suppression of angiogenesis and metastasis, and (iv) combination with clinical chemotherapy drugs enhancing their efficacy and decreasing the toxic side effects. In addition, pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies of α-mangostin have also been highlighted in this review. Despite an overwhelming amount of knowledge in preclinical studies, there was almost no translation of α-mangostin into the clinic. It is hoped that continuous extensive and profound research will lead to the application of α-mangostin from experimental studies to evidence-based, clinically applicable pharmaco-therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal Plants of Brazil. Medicinal Plants of India. Medicinal Plants of Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual perspective taking can be used to determine where objects are located relative to another agent, or whether the agent can see a particular object. Four experiments indicated that different processes provide these different kinds of information. When participants were asked to report whether an object was to the left or to the right of another agent, response times (RTs) increased with increasing angular distance between the participant and the agent, suggesting that participants mentally transformed their perspective to align it with that of the agent. For visibility judgments, RTs were independent of the angle between the participant and the agent but increased with the distance between the agent and the object, suggesting that participants traced the agent's line of sight. Together, these data suggest that perspective taking encompasses at least two qualitatively different computational processes: one that updates the viewer's imagined perspective, and one that traces a line of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) technology involves an interactive computer environment or games that appear and feel real. (1,2) Users are able to interact with a virtual environment using off-the-shelf (3,4) or [...], Background. Virtual reality (VR) is an interactive technology that allows customized treatment and may help in delivering effective person-centered rehabilitation. Purpose. The purpose of this review was to systematically review and critically appraise the controlled clinical trials that investigated VR effectiveness in orthopedic rehabilitation. Data Sources. Pubmed, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro, REHABDATA, and Sage publications were searched up to September 2018. In addition, manual searching and snowballing using Scopus and Web of Science were done. Study Selection. Two reviewers screened studies for eligibility first by title and abstract and then full text. Data Extraction. Articles were categorized into general or region-specific (upper limbs, lower limbs, and spine) orthopedic disorders. Study quality was assessed using the Evaluation Guidelines for Rating the Quality of an Intervention Study scoring. Metaanalysis quantified VR effectiveness, compared with no treatment, in back pain. Data Synthesis. Nineteen studies were included in the quality assessment. The majority of the studies were of moderate quality. Fourteen studies showed that VR did not differ compared with exercises. Compared with the no-treatment control, 5 studies favored VR and 3 other studies showed no differences. For low back pain, the meta-analysis revealed no significant difference between VR and no-treatment control (n = 116; standardized mean difference = -0.21; 95% confidence interval = -0.58 to 0.15). Limitations. Limitations included heterogeneity in interventions and the outcome measures of reviewed studies. Only articles in English were included. Conclusion. The evidence of VR effectiveness is promising in chronic neck pain and shoulder impingement syndrome. VR and exercises have similar effects in rheumatoid arthritis, knee arthritis, ankle instability, and post-anterior cruciate reconstruction. For fibromyalgia and back pain, as well as after knee arthroplasty, the evidence of VR effectiveness compared with exercise is absent or inconclusive.

The number of individuals seeking care in emergency departments (EDs) is increasing at a considerable rate. Between 2000 and 2011, the number of ED visits in the United States rose [...], Background. Emergency department (ED) use in the United States is expected to rapidly increase. Nearly half of all ED visits are classified as semiurgent or nonurgent, and many fall into the musculoskeletal category. Despite growing international evidence that patients are appropriately and safely managed by ED physical therapists in a time-efficient manner, physical therapist practice in EDs is not widely understood or utilized in the United States. To date, no studies have reported the impressions of ED physicians about this practice. Objectives. The purposes of this study were: (1) to assess ED physicians' impressions of ED physical therapist practice 2 years after practice was initiated and (2) to determine whether physicians' impressions changed 7 years later. Methods. All ED staff physicians and medical residents at a level I trauma hospital were invited to complete a survey in 2004 and 2011. Results. In both years, a majority of physicians reported favorable impressions of ED physical therapist practice. Physical therapists were valued for educating patients about safety and injury prevention, providing appropriate gait training, assisting with disposition planning, and providing interventions as alternatives to pain medication. Many physicians supported standing physical therapist orders for certain musculoskeletal conditions. The most common concern was the additional time that patients spend in the ED for a physical therapist consult. Limitations. The results of this study may not reflect the impressions of physicians in all EDs that employ physical therapists. Conclusions. Emergency department physicians reported favorable impressions of ED physical therapist practice 2 years and 9 years following its implementation in this hospital. This study showed that ED physicians support standing physical therapist orders for certain musculoskeletal conditions, which suggests that direct triage to ED physical therapists for these conditions could be considered.

2019 OCT 10 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Women's Health Weekly -- Investigators publish new report on Biotechnology - miRNA-Based Therapy. According to news reporting from [...]

Although life expectancy in the United States has been increasing at a fairly constant rate, population health appears to fluctuate with the economic cycle. In particular, a significant body of [...], Objective. To assess the association between aggregate unemployment and hospital discharges for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among adults and seniors, 1995-2011. Data Sources/Study Setting. Community hospital discharge data from states collected for the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID) and economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995-2011. Study Design. Quarterly time series study of unemployment and aggregate hospital discharges in local areas using fixed effects to control for differences between local areas. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Secondary data on inpatient stays and unemployment rates aggregated to micropolitan and metropolitan areas. Principal Findings. For both adults and seniors, a 1 percentage point increase in the contemporaneous unemployment rate was associated with a statistically significant 0.80 percent (adults) to 0.96 percent (seniors) decline in AMI hospitalization during the first half of the study but was unrelated to the economic cycle in the second half of the study period. Conclusions. The study found evidence that the aggregate relationship between health and the economy may be shifting for cardiovascular events, paralleling recent research that has shown a similar shift for some types of mortality (Ruhm 2013), self-reported health, and inpatient use among seniors (McInerney and Mellor 2012). Key Words. Acute myocardial infarction, economic cycles, hospital utilization, determinants of health, Medicare

I don't know whether it's prevalence of negative work relationships or their impact, or the combination of both, but recently I've been thinking (as have others (1)) that it seems [...]

During the last half of the 1990s, almost half of all Americans and Europeans died of heart disease.1 In 2006, atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) became the number one killer [...]

Abstract Small-scale (< 1 [m.sup.2]) spatial variability in soil properties was investigated at two locations in Berkshire, UK. At each site, nine samples were collected sequentially in a regular grid [...]

Abstract The increase in both automation and precision in the analysis of geological materials has had significant impact upon forensic investigations in the last 10 years. There is however, a [...]

Abstract Major and trace elemental composition provides a powerful basis for forensic comparison of soils, sediments and rocks. However, it is important that the potential 'errors' associated with the procedures [...]

Abstract The key role of a forensic scientist is to assist in determining whether a crime has been committed, and if so, assist in the identification of the offender. Many [...]

Abstract Particle size is a fundamental property of any sediment, soil or dust deposit which can provide important clues to nature and provenance. For forensic work, the particle size distribution [...]

Joseph J. Vitale (#) David M. Larson (+) Introduction We and our colleagues have long been interested in the effects of deficiencies of essential nutrients on the pathogenesis and progression [...]

2016 DEC 3 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Investigators publish new report on Proteins - Carrier Proteins. According to news [...]

Dear Sir, Soil evidence can often be crucial in forensic enquiry. Although it is most frequently valuable in establishing whether a particular sample can be excluded from having come from [...]