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Context: Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. It is a heterogeneous disease partly responsible for treatment failure in luminal B patients. Deregulation of fibroblast growth factor signaling has been found and its therapeutic/prognostic value is explored. Aims: Most of the research has studied the FGFR1 gene while our study explored its protein expression by immunohistochemestry and examined the association with clinicopathological features, different molecular subtypes and survival. Subjects and Methods: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples of invasive breast carcinomas were used to analyze FGFR1 expression. FGFR 1 was scored by percentage and intensity of cell cytoplasm staining, correlations were investigated and survival curves were constructed. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between the marker expression and the clinicopathological characteristics. Overall specific survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and statistical significance was assessed using the log-rank test. Results: FGFR1 was associated at different staining threshold cut-offs with tumor size (P = 0.002), infiltrating lymph node (P = 0.022), distant metastasis (P = 0.003), positive estrogen receptor (P = 0.000), HER2 overexpression (P = 0.044) and luminal phenotypes (P = 0.026). The results also emphasize FGFR1 correlation expression with distant metastasis in luminal B tumors (P = 0.035) but not with luminal A and with overexpressed HER2 protein in both luminal tumors. FGFR1 expression affect luminal B patients survival with poor outcome. Conclusions: FGFR1 expression may serve as a prognostic and predictive factor in luminal breast cancers, it can also be considered as a potential therapeutic target in luminal B cases.

We investigate the transmittance spectrum of a multichannel filter composed of dielectric (A) and plasma (P) materials in the microwave region within the transfer matrix formalism. Two configurations of the proposed filter are studied under the influence of an applied magnetic field: (1) a periodic structure containing (A/P)N unit cells surrounded by air and (2) the introduction of a second dielectric material (D) acting as a defect layer to produce an (AP)N/2/D/(AP)N/2 structure. Our findings reveal that in the periodic case, the number of resonant states of the transmittance increases with number N; however, the observed blue and red shifts depend on the intensity and orientation of the applied magnetic field. We present contour plots of the transmission coefficients that show the effect of the incident angle on the shifts of the photonic band gaps. Furthermore, we find that the introduction of a defect layer generates additional resonant states and merges the central resonant peak into a miniband of resonances. Moreover, we show that the number of resonant peaks and their locations can be modulated by increasing the unit cell number, N, as well as increasing the width of the inserted defect layer. Our proposed structures enable the design of novel photonic filters using magnetized plasma materials operating in the microwave region.

Context: The population's use of halophyte plants in traditional medicine is a fundamental component of the exploration of natural remedies. Aims: To analyze a list of halophyte plants and their ethnobotanical characteristics, with a focus on those most commonly used in traditional medicine in the southeast of Algeria (Biskra). Methods: The ethnobotanical surveys were conducted between 2017 and 2019 by interviewing 120 informants using a questionnaire and applying a semi-structured interview methodology. The data was analyzed using ethnobotanical statistical tools, including the informant consensus factor (ICF), citation frequency (CF), use value (UV), family importance value (FIV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), plant part value (PPV), and relative importance (RI), as well as statistics analysis (ANOVA) to compare the use of medicinal plants according to age, gender, and education level. Results: The results of the survey enabled us to identify 12 species distributed across eight different families. The most common family was that of the Amaranthaceae (four species), while the most frequently utilized parts of plants were leaves (PPV = 0.4). Furthermore, decoctions were the most commonly prepared form (33.39%). The highest ICF values were observed for the endocrinological and digestive disease groups (ICF = 0.97). The statistical analysis (ANOVA) revealed a significant difference in the knowledge of the use of halophyte plants in traditional medicine according to age and level of education. Conclusions: The findings of this research suggest that the halophyte flora in our arid study area may offer a promising source for the discovery of new drugs, a prospect that requires further investigation and exploration.

Introduction: Blood lactate is a marker of tissue hypoxia while capillary refill time (CRT) is a surrogate of tissue perfusion. Measuring these parameters is recommended for assessing circulatory status and guiding resuscitation. However, blood lactate is not widely available in African emergency departments. Additionally, CRT assessment faces challenges related to its precision and reproducibility. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of visual CRT(V-CRT) compared to plethysmographic CRT (P-CRT) in predicting lactate levels among septic patients. Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled consecutive patients with sepsis or septic shock over a 6-month period from a tertiary hospital in Marrakech, Morroco. V-CRT and P-CRT were evaluated upon admission, and simultaneous measurements of arterial lactate levels were obtained. The precision of V-CRT and P-CRT in predicting arterial lactate was assessed using ROC curve analysis. Results: Forty-three patients aged of 64±15 years, of whom 70 % were male, were included in the study. Of these, 23 patients (53 %) had sepsis, and 20 patients (47 %) experienced septic shock. Both V-CRT and P-CRT demonstrated statistically significant correlations with arterial lactate, with correlation coefficients of 0.529 (p < 0.0001) and 0.517 (p = 0.001), respectively. ROC curve analysis revealed that V-CRT exhibited satisfactory accuracy in predicting arterial lactate levels >2 mmol/l, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8 (95 % CI=0.65 – 0.93; p < 0.0001). The prediction ability of P-CRT was lower than V-CRT with an AUC of 0.73 (95 % CI: 0.57–0.89; p = 0.043). The optimal thresholds were determined as 3.4 s for V-CRT (sensitivity = 90 %, specificity = 58 %) and 4.1 s for P-CRT (sensitivity = 85 %, specificity = 62 %). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the plethysmographic evaluation did not improve the accuracy of CRT for predicting lactate level. However, V-CRT may still serve as a viable surrogate for lactate in septic patients in low-income settings.

Background Muscle injuries are the most frequent in football and may lead to the end of a player’s career. Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of prevention programs for all injury types. Few studies have evaluated the effects of exercise on muscle injuries. The aim of this study is to report, through a systematic review of research of high level of proof (randomized controlled trial) the efficacy of preventive programs for muscle injuries for football players. Methods A documentary search was conducted in October 2022 from three databases: Medline via its PubMed interface, Google Scholar, and COCHRANE databases. We only included original articles published between October 2012 and October 2022 with a high level of evidence. The research was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. The target population consisted of professional and semi-professional footballers. The intervention in question was structured injury preventive protocols, including specific training or pre-established protocols such as the FIFA 11+ program, compared to each other or with regular training sessions. The main outcomes were the incidence rates of muscle injuries and severe injury in each group, as well as the time loss to injury. Results Seven randomized controlled trials with a high level of evidence confirmed using the PEDRO scale were included. There were 3815 male professional football players. There was heterogeneity in the age, hours of exposure, and duration of the intervention. The prevention protocols used were FIFA 11+, bounding exercises, NHE, and stretching exercises. Structured exercises significantly reduce the severity of muscle injury and, consequently, time loss to injury. Discussion Despite the diversity of prevention programs, teams still lack standardized programs. Structured exercises, such as FIFA 11+ and bounding exercises, which combine strengthening, body kinesthesic awareness, and neuromuscular control, reduce the incidence and severity of muscle injury. FIFA 11+ is the first and most complete structured program, but lacks some exercises, such as adductor strengthening. Conclusion This review showed the interest in structured exercises in reducing severity and time loss to injury in professional football players. It shows that effective MI prevention program should combine variable structured programs taking into consideration risk evaluation. Registration This review was registered on 8/17/2023 in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews under the reference code CRD42023452202.

Abstract Aims Predicting mortality in severe AL cardiac amyloidosis is challenging due to elevated biomarker levels and limited thresholds for stratifying severe cardiac damage. Methods and results This prospective, observational, cohort study included de novo, confirmed cardiac AL amyloidosis patients at the Henri Mondor National Reference Centre. The goal was to identify predictors of mortality to enhance prognostic stratification and improve informed decision‐making regarding therapy. Over the 12‐year study period, among the 233 patients included, 133 were NYHA III‐IV and 179 Mayo 2004 III. The independent predictors for mortality identified were hsTnT, NT‐proBNP, cardiac output, and conjugated bilirubin. A novel prognostic, conditional stratification, Mondor amyloidosis cardiac staging (MACS) was developed with biomarker cut‐off values for Stage 1: hsTnT ≤ 107 ng/L and NT‐proBNP ≤ 3867 ng/L (n = 77; 33%); for stage 2 NT‐proBNP > 3867 ng/L (n = 72; 30%). For stage 3, if troponin >107 ng/L, regardless of NT‐proBNP then CB 4 μmol/L, was added (n = 41; 17.5%) and stage 4: CB > 4 μmol/L (n = 43; 18.5%). The median overall survival was 8 months 95% CI [2–24]. At 1 year, 102 (44%) patients died and the Kaplan–Meier median survival with MACS Stage 1 was not reached, while stage 2 was 15.2 months (95% CI [11–18]) and stage 3, 6.6 months (95% CI [1–13]). Notably, among European stage II patients, 17.1%, n = 8 were MACS stage 3 and European stage IIIb 21.4% (n = 23) were MACS stage 4. Importantly, among European stage IIIb patients 42.2% (n = 29) were classified MACS stage 4 and 12.5% n = 9 were only MACS stage 2. Conclusions The Mondor prognostic staging system, including conjugate bilirubin may significantly improve prognostic stratification for patients with severe cardiac amyloidosis.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is an overlooked type of violence, remaining largely concealed and relegated to the private domain of family affairs. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers IPV a critical global public health concern. Its repercussions extend beyond physical harm, significantly affecting the mental and emotional health of women within our nation. This study aimed to determine the demographic characteristics of women who have experienced IPV by conducting a thorough cross-sectional investigation. The research was conducted among patients seeking consultation at the forensic medicine department of Laghouat Hospital, located in a southern Algerian region where population dynamics may vary compared to other parts of the country. In this study, 566 female violence victims were initially screened, 341 of which reported IPV experiences. Data were then gathered through individual interviews with the victims using a data collection form to investigate the demographic characteristics of these victims. This study sheds light on several factors intricately linked to IPVs. These factors include the age of the victim, educational level, occupation, living standards, marital status, marriage duration, number of children, spouse’s premarital acquaintance, sexual activity, and the association of verbal threats and obscene remarks. This study emphasizes that IPV is preventable, highlighting the pivotal role of societal strategies in its mitigation. Proactive measures involving governmental bodies, legal systems, official organizations, educational institutions, the media, and voluntary groups must be taken to effectively reduce the incidence of IPV.