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Despite growing interest in the health-related consequences of racially discriminatory institutional policies and practices, public health scholars have yet to reach a consensus on how to measure and analyze exposure to institutional racism. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of institutional racism in the context of quantitative research on minority health and health disparities in the United States. We begin by providing definitions of key concepts (e.g., racialization, racism, racial inequity) and describing linkages between these ideas. Next, we discuss the hypothesized mechanisms that link exposure to institutional racism with health. We then provide a framework to advance empirical research on institutional racism and health, informed by a literature review that summarizes measures and analytic approaches used in previous studies. The framework addresses six considerations: (1) policy identification, (2) population of interest, (3) exposure measurement, (4) outcome measurement, (5) study design, and (6) analytic approach. Research utilizing the proposed framework will help inform structural interventions to promote minority health and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.

Introduction: AI technologies have led to transformative changes in various industries across medicine and healthcare, environmental assessments, smart cities, smart surveillance and security etc. In this article, the dual nature of AI has been investigated. Material and Methods: It is a review article that described the ethical concerns of societies in AI. Conclusion: Despite of the many amazing prospective applications, there are ethical and dual use issues of AI which necessitates enhanced governance and vigilance. Addressing these issues requires adherence to the basic ethical principles. Herein, we present the various concerning dimensions of the AI and discuss them under the lens of ethical concepts.

Background: CCHFV is well recognized as a major public health threat and its prevalence and epidemiological distribution in Pakistan and specifically in KP province is not well documented. Methods: We used a gold-standard PCR-based diagnostic assay for confirmation of CCHFV among suspected patients. A total of 150 patients were enrolled from June 2022 to September 2022 and their blood samples were collected for PCR confirmation. Results: The overall positivity rate for CCHFV was 26.67 %, with the virus mostly prevalent in the middle-aged group (21–40 years). In the July of 2022, a significant spike in the prevalence of CCHFV was observed in provincial capital Peshawar with the highest burden (31.57 %). Conclusion: Our findings indicate the necessity of strengthening CCHFV monitoring programs and intensifying efforts to identify hotspot regions for effective surveillance and control of CCHFV. The months before the Eid-ul-Adha are crucial in the context of CCHFV control.

In this study, we report the mutational profiles, pathogenicity, and their association with different clinicopathologic and sociogenetic factors in patients with Pashtun ethnicity for the first time. A total of 19 FFPE blocks of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) from the Breast Cancer (BC) tissue and 6 normal FFPE blocks were analyzed by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Various somatic and germline mutations were identified in cancer-related genes, i.e., ATM, CHEK2, PALB2, and XRCC2. Among a total of 18 mutations, 14 mutations were somatic and 4 were germline. The ATM gene exhibited the maximum number of mutations (11/18), followed by CHEK2 (3/18), PALB2 (3/18), and XRCC2 (1/18). Except one frameshift deletion, all other 17 mutations were nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). SIFT prediction revealed 7/18 (38.8%) mutations as deleterious. PolyPhen-2 and MutationTaster identified 5/18 (27.7%) mutations as probably damaging and 10/18 (55.5%) mutations as disease-causing, respectively. Mutations like PALB2 p.Q559R (6/19; 31.5%), XRCC2 p.R188H (5/19; 26.31%), and ATM p.D1853N (4/19; 21.05%) were recurrent mutations and proposed to have a biomarker potential. The protein network prediction was performed using GeneMANIA and STRING. ISPRED-SEQ indicated three interaction site mutations which were further used for molecular dynamic simulation. An average increase in the radius of gyration was observed in all three mutated proteins revealing their perturbed folding behavior. Obtained SNVs were further correlated with various parameters related to the clinicopathological status of the tumors. Three mutation positions (ATMp. D1853N, CHEK2 p.M314I, and PALB2 p.T1029S) were found to be highly conserved. Finally, the wild- and mutant-type proteins were screened for two drugs: elagolix (DrugBank ID: DB11979) and LTS0102038 (a triterpenoid, isolated from the anticancer medicinal plant Fagonia indica). Comparatively, a higher number of interactions were noted for normal ATM with both compounds, as compared to mutants.

The objective of this study was to determine whether exposure to structural racism–related state laws is associated with cardiovascular health among a racially and ethnically diverse sample of US adults. Data were from the Database of Structural Racism–Related State Laws and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The sample included 958 019 BRFSS 2011 and 2013 respondents aged 18 years or older from all 50 US states. The exposure was a summary index of 22 state laws related to the criminal legal system, economics and labor, education, health care, housing, immigration, and political participation. The outcome was the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7), a summary index of 7 cardiovascular health indicators. Linear regression models included fixed effects for year and state to control for time trends and unmeasured, time-invariant, state-level contextual factors. In the full sample, a 1 SD increase in the structural racism state legal index was associated with a 0.06-unit decrease in the LS7 (b = −0.06; 95% CI, −0.09 to 0.02; P  = .001), controlling for individual- and state-level covariates. Contrary to expectations, stratified models revealed no statistically significant differences by race and ethnicity in the association between the structural racism state legal index and the LS7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Findings on the effect of network size and support on functional health are mixed. We examine whether network types, that simultaneously incorporate multiple network characteristics, are associated with functional health in late life. Methods: Data are from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 3005). We estimated the longitudinal effect of membership in five multidimensional network types on disability in six activities of daily living using negative binomial regression, and on mobility (assessed using a timed walk test) using a generalized linear mixed model. Results: Compared to those in the large without strain network, older adults in the small, restricted, high contact network had fewer disabilities but worse mobility, while those in the large network with strain also had worse mobility. Discussion: Care plans focusing on function and mobility should consider multiple aspects of older adults' social networks including network size, diversity, and relationship strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we described the biofabrication of samarium oxide nanoparticles (HT‐Sm2O3 NPs) by applying the aqueous fruit extract of Hyphaene thebaica was utilized as an eco‐friendly chelating agent. The prepared NPs were subjected to various physicochemical properties and potential in biomedical applications. X‐ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed sharp peaks that corroborated with the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS) card no. 00–042‐1464. Crystallite size obtained from Debye–Scherrer approximation and Williamson–Hall (W–H) plot was 28.73 and 69.3 nm, respectively. Optical bandgap was calculated by employing Kubelka–Munk (K–M) function and was found to be ~4.58 eV. Raman shift was observed at 121, 351, 424—, and 561 cm−1. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra revealed two major peaks positioned at 360 and 540 nm. The high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM) analysis of HT‐Sm2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) showed that they predominantly have spherical to cuboidal shapes. Additionally, the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern presented spotty rings, indicating a high level of crystallinity in these NPs. The potential nanomedicine applications were studied using diverse bioassays using different treatments. The antioxidant activity demonstrated 45.71% ± 1.13% inhibition at 1000 μg/mL. Brine shrimp lethality assay revealed the highest cytotoxicity of 46.67% ± 3.33% at 1000 μg/mL and LC50 value of 1081 μg/mL. HT‐Sm2O3 NPs exhibited inhibition of angiogenesis (20.41% ± 1.18%) at of 1000 μg/mL. MTT assay results indicated that HT‐Sm2O3 NPs exhibit inhibitory effects on cell lines. Specifically, these NPs showed an IC50 value of 104.6 μg/mL against 3T3 cells. Against MCF‐7 cells, the NPs demonstrated an IC50 value of 413.25 μg/mL. Additionally, in the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the newly synthesized NPs showed an IC50 value of 320 μg/mL. The antidiabetic assessment through α‐glucosidase and α‐amylase inhibition assays revealed, an IC50 value of 380 μg/mL for α‐glucosidase and 952 μg/mL for α‐amylase was calculated. Overall, our study suggested that the Sm2O3 NPs possess moderate anticancer, cholinesterase inhibition, and antidiabetic potential, however, needs further assessment. Research Highlights: In this work, nano‐samaria is synthesized using an eco‐friendly and green approach.The nanoparticles were characterized using techniques such as Raman, HR‐TEM, FTIR, DRS, XRD, and so on, and the applications were studied using multiple in vitro bioassays for Diabetes, Alzheimer, and Cancer.The nano‐samaria revealed good potential for potential biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Plants from genus Ephedra are commonly used by the Chinese people as folk medicine for treatment of various diseases. The current study was designed to explore the ethno-pharmacological based pharmacological potentials of Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C.A. Mey. (E. intermedia). Plant aerial parts were extracted using ten solvent systems with increasing order of polarity. Samples were analyzed for total phenolic and flavonoid contents, HPLC-DAD analysis, antibacterial, antifungal, HepG2 cell line cytotoxicity, hemolysis and antioxidant potentials following standard procedures. Highest percent extract recovery was observed in Eth+WT (25.55 % w/w) solvent system. Flavonoid and phenolic contents were higher in chloroform and Met+WT fractions respectively. Considerable antibacterial activity was shown by Eth+Met extract against B. subtilis and K. pneumonia (MIC of 11.1μg/mL for each). Eth extract exhibited high antifungal activity against A. fumigates (15±0.31 mm DIZ). Met+WT extract showed significant cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell lines with IC50 of 13.51+0.69 μg/mL. Substantial free radical scavenging activity (74.9%) was observed for Met+Eth extract. In the current study, several solvent systems were used for more effective extraction of fractions and can be useful in the isolation of phytochemicals. Various fractions exhibited considerable antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic potentials. Biological potentials of E. intermedia signify its potential uses in microbial, cancer and degenerative disorders and thus warrant further detailed studies.

Transformation of science by embracing the concepts of open science presents a very attractive strategy to enhance the reliability of science. Open science policies embody the concepts of open data and open access that encompass sharing of resources, dissemination of ideas, and synergizing the collaborative forums of research. Despite the opportunities in openness, however, there are grave ethical concerns too, and they present a dual-use dilemma. Access to sensitive information is seen as a security risk, and it also possesses other concerns such as confidentiality, privacy, and affordability. There are arguments that open science can be harmful to marginalized groups. Through this study, we aim to discuss the opportunities of open science, as well as the ethical and security aspects, which require further deliberation before full-fledged acceptance in the science community.

Abstract COVID-19 which started in Wuhan, China and swiftly expanded geographically worldwide, including to Low to Middle Income Countries (LMICs). This in turn raised numerous ethical concerns in preparedness, knowledge sharing, intellectual property rights, environmental health together with the serious constraints regarding readiness of health care systems in LMICs to respond to this enormous public health crisis. From the restrictions on public freedom and burgeoning socio-economic impacts to the rationing of scarce medical resources, the spread of COVID-19 is an extraordinary ethical dilemma for resource constrained nations with less developed health and research systems. In the current crisis, scientific knowledge and technology has an important role to play in effective response. Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility of all countries with a moral obligation to support each other. This review discusses the ethical concerns regarding the national capacities and response strategies in LMICs to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the deep link between the environment and the increasing risk of pandemics.

Dengue is a growing mosquito-borne viral disease prevalent in 128 countries, while 3.9 billion people are at high risk of acquiring the infection. With no specific treatment available, the only way to mitigate the risk of dengue infection is through controlling of vector, i.e., Aedes aegypti. Nanotechnology-based prevention strategies like biopesticides with nanoformulation are now getting popular for preventing dengue fever. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by an eco-friendly process, through extracts of medicinal plants have indicated potential anti-dengue applications. Green synthesis of metal NPs is simple, cost-effective, and devoid of hazardous wastes. The recent progress in the phyto-synthesized multifunctional metal NPs for anti-dengue applications has encouraged us to review the available literature and mechanistic aspects of the dengue control using green-synthesized NPs. Furthermore, the molecular bases of the viral inhibition through NPs and the nontarget impacts or hazards with reference to the environmental integrity are discussed in depth. Till date, major focus has been on green synthesis of silver and gold NPs, which need further extension to other innovative composite nanomaterials. Further detailed mechanistic studies are required to critically evaluate the mechanistic insights during the synthesis of the biogenic NPs. Likewise, detailed analysis of the toxicological aspects of NPs and their long-term impact in the environment should be critically assessed.

Objective: Aging-related changes and caregiver burden may increase the risk for sleep disturbances among older caregivers, yet few studies have examined the prevalence of insomnia and daytime sleepiness in this group. We examined the relationship of caregiver status with insomnia and daytime sleepiness among persons of advanced age (>75 years of age). Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Community. Participants: Yale Precipitating Events Project participants (n=383, mean age 84.4 years, 67% female, 12% African American, 25% caregivers). Measurements: Caregivers were persons who reported caring for another person in the past week or caring for/helping a friend or relative >4 times in the past month. We examined the correlates of caregiver status, including demographic (age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, marital status), psychosocial (living alone, Medicaid eligibility, depressive symptoms, social support, hours volunteered), and physical (obesity, chronic conditions, medication use, self-rated health status, physical activity, functional disability, cognitive impairment) factors. We used the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to establish insomnia severity (ISI score 0-28) or clinically significant insomnia symptoms (ISI ≥8). We used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to establish daytime sleepiness (ESS score 0-24) or hypersomnia (ESS ≥10). In nonparametric multivariable regression analyses, we examined the relationship of caregiver status with insomnia or daytime sleepiness. Results: Compared to non-caregivers, caregivers were younger, more educated, less likely to be Medicaid eligible and had lower rates of depression, obesity, poor self-rated health, low physical activity, functional disability, and cognitive impairment. Mean ISI and ESS scores were in the normal range and similar among non-caregivers and caregivers (ISI scores of 6.9±5.6 and 6.9±5.4, and ESS scores of 6.4±4.7 and 6.1±4.3, in non-caregivers and caregivers, respectively). Multivariable-adjusted models demonstrated no significant differences in ISI and ESS scores between non-caregivers and caregivers (regression coefficients for ISI and ESS scores of -0.01 [95% CI = -1.58, 1.21] and -0.10 [-1.05, 1.21], respectively). Conclusion: When compared to older non-caregivers, older caregivers had more advantageous demographic, psychosocial, and physical profiles and had similar levels of insomnia and daytime sleepiness on standardized questionnaires. Future research is needed to elucidate contextual factors (e.g., caregiving intensity and care partner disease) that may increase the risk of sleep disturbances among caregivers of advanced age [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution insight on the cytotoxic and anticancer activities and molecular mechanism of phyto‐reduced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in MCF‐7 breast cancer cell lines. A simple, entirely green synthesis process was optimized for the phyto‐reduction of AgNP (~12.7 nm) using aqueous leaf extracts of Indigofera heterantha. The structural and vibrational properties of biosynthesized AgNPs were extensively characterized using UV–Vis spectrophotometer, x‐ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while their shape and morphology was studied through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell viability assay indicates concentration dependent inhibition with IC50, 27.93 ± 2.10 μg/mL against MCF‐7 cells and 294.38 ± 3.87 μg/mL against L929 cells. The manifested anticancer mechanism in MCF‐7 cells was extensively studied using Acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB), 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) and Annexin‐V/propedium iodide fluorescence microscopic assays. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using DCFH‐DA fluorescent spectroscopy. Overall, the results show that AgNPs exhibit cytotoxic and apoptotic effect on breast cancer MCF‐7 cells by damaging membrane integrity and nuclear fragmentation due to oxidative stress generated by elevated level of ROS. Research Highlights: Biomimetic synthesis of nano dimension size silver nanoparticles (AgNPs).Characterization of AgNPs through UV–Vis, DLS, XRD, FTIR, and SEM.Cytotoxic and anticancer effects of the biosynthesized AgNPs in L929 fibroblast cells and MCF7 breast cancer respectively.Determination of morphological, and nuclear changes triggered by AgNPs in MCF 7 breast cancer cells using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry.Apoptosis induction by AgNPs in cancer cells through oxidative stress generated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biosynthesis of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) nanorods was performed using dried fruit extracts of Hyphaene thebaica as a cost effective reducing and stabilizing agent. XRD, DRS, FTIR, zeta potential, Raman, HR-SEM, HR-TEM, EDS and SAED were used to study the main physical properties while the biological properties were established by performing diverse assays. The zeta potential is reported as − 5.21 mV. FTIR indicated Bi–O and V–O vibrations at 640 cm−1 and 700 cm−1/1120 cm−1. Characteristic Raman modes were observed at 166 cm−1, 325 cm−1 and 787 cm−1. High resolution scanning and transmission electron micrographs revealed a rod like morphology of the BiVO4. Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Fusarium solani indicated highest susceptibility to the different doses of BiVO4 nanorods. Significant protein kinase inhibition is reported for BiVO4 nanorods which suggests their potential anticancer properties. The nanorods revealed good DPPH free radical scavenging potential (48%) at 400 µg/mL while total antioxidant capacity of 59.8 µg AAE/mg was revealed at 400 µg/mL. No antiviral activity is reported on sabin like polio virus. Overall excellent biological properties are reported. We have shown that green synthesis can replace well established processes for synthesizing BiVO4 nanorods.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an emerging field of nanotechnology, preferred over physical and chemical synthesis owing to their safety, cost-effectiveness nature, bio-compatibility, eco-friendly and scalable properties. The present study includes Seripheidium quettense aqueous extract mediated green synthesis, optimization of silver nanoparticles (Sq-AgNPs) and their pharmacological evaluations. Synthesis was done considering various optimization parameters including concentrations of AgNO3, pH of the reaction mixture, extract to precursor ratio and temperature. Biosynthesis was carried out using our already optimized conditions. UV–visible spectrophotometer, FTIR, XRD and SEM analysis were used for characterization of Sq-AgNPs. The synthesized Sq-AgNPs (49.96–54.36 nm) were evaluated for their antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer and hemolytic potentials. The maximum antibacterial activity was found against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Bacillus subtilis with their MICs of 11.1, 33.3 and 33.3 μg/mL, respectively. Aspergillus nigar was found as the most susceptible fungal strain with the highest zone of inhibition (13.2 ± 0.72 mm). Sq-AgNPs inhibited proliferation of human liver cancer cell lines (HepG2) with median lethal concentration (IC50s) of 62.5 µg/mL. Results of the hemolytic assay showed that SqNPs are bio-compatible and have less effect on erythrocytes even at high concentration of 100 µg/mL.

Abstract Background Plants represent an intricate and innovative source for the discovery of novel therapeutic remedies for the management of various ailments. The current study has been aimed to validate the therapeutic potential of ethnomedicinally significant plant Atriplex lasiantha Boiss. Methods The polarity based extraction process was carried out using fourteen solvents to figure out best extraction solvent and bioactive fractions. Total phenolic-flavonoids contents were quantified colorimetrically and polyphenolics were measured using HPLC-DAD analysis. Moreover, the test samples were tested against several diseases targets following various assays including free radicals scavenging, antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic and antileishmanial assay. Results Among the solvent fractions, maximum yield was obtained with methanol-water extract i.e., 11 ± 0.49%. Maximum quantity of gallic acid equivalent phenolic content and quercetin equivalent flavonoid content were quantified in methanol-ethyl acetate extract of A. lasiantha. Significant quantity of rutin i.e., 0.3 μg/mg was quantified by HPLC analysis. The methanol-ethyl acetate extract of A. lasiantha exhibited maximum total antioxidant and total reducing power with 64.8 ± 1.16 AAE/mg extract respectively, while showing 59.8 ± 1.07% free radical scavenging potential. A significant antibacterial potential was exhibited by acetone-distilled water extract of A. lasiantha with 11 ± 0.65 mm zone of inhibition against B. subtilis. Considerable antifungal activity was exhibited by ethyl acetate-n-hexane extract of aerial part of A. lasiantha with 14 ± 1.94 mm zone of inhibition against A. fumigatus. Highest percentage of α-amylase inhibition (41.8 ± 1.09%) was observed in ethyl acetate-n-hexane extract. Methanol-acetone extract of A . lasiantha demonstrated significant inhibition of hyphae formation with 11 ± 0.49 mm bald zone of inhibition. Significant in-vitro cytotoxicity against Hep G2 cell line has been exhibited by methanol-chloroforms extract of A . lasiantha. Conclusion The current study reveals the prospective potential of Atriplex lasiantha Boiss. for the discovery of biologically active compounds through bioassay guided isolation against various diseases.

This contribution reports the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf extracts of D. mucronata and their diverse applications. Synthesized AgNPs were characterized using diverse techniques, i.e. UV, XRD, EDS, SEM, TEM, FTIR and TGA/DTA. These techniques confirmed the authenticity of the synthesized nanoparticles. The bimodulated AgNPs revealed the highest radical scavenging potential, i.e. 86.4% relative to plant extract at 600 μg/ml. Escherichia coli was found to be the most susceptible strain to AgNPs. Growth of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was also inhibited. Hemolytic activity revealed negligible hemolysis, indicating the biocompatible nature of biomodulated AgNPs. Furthermore, no mutagenic properties were shown by the biogenic AgNPs. Synthesized nanoparticles possessed promising insecticidal potential and had no phytotoxic activity. No haemagglutination was observed for biogenic AgNPs.