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Objectives: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by altered clonal proliferation of lymphoid progenitor cells and their accumulation in the bone marrow (BM) and other organs. Precursor B-cell ALL (B-ALL) is the most common immunological subtype of ALL and the most frequent cancer in children. According to the World Health Organization, any disease classification must be periodically reviewed and updated, thus, there is a constant need for the characterization of new molecular biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. This study aimed to compare microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles between bone marrow and peripheral blood samples and evaluate potential diagnostic biomarkers for childhood B-ALL. Materials and methods: Peripheral blood and bone marrow samples were collected from children with B-ALL admitted to the Onco-Hematology Service of the Joana de Gusmão Children's Hospital (HIJG), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, as well as healthy controls. The samples were subjected to miRNA microarray analysis followed by RT-qPCR validation. Results: Microarray analysis revealed no differences in miRNA expression between peripheral blood and bone marrow samples from the same B-ALL patients. Comparison of peripheral blood profiles between B-ALL and control subjects revealed 13 differentially expressed miRNAs, and among these, five were selected as potential biomarkers for RT-qPCR validation based on their respective expression status. Additionally, nine miRNAs were included in the RT-qPCR validation based on literature findings. RT-qPCR analysis did not show significant differences between bone marrow and peripheral blood samples for 12 of the 14 miRNAs tested. Furthermore, it was found that one miRNA was downregulated and 10 were upregulated in B-ALL patients. Enriched pathway analysis of these differentially expressed miRNAs identified genes with important regulatory roles associated with cell cycle, proliferation, and apoptosis. Discussion: miRNA profile signatures have a high potential for cancer diagnosis, including that of childhood acute leukemia. In this study, we demonstrate important similarities between miRNA profile signatures of peripheral blood and bone marrow samples of children with B-ALL. Also, we demonstrated that some miRNAs are differentially expressed in leukemia patients when compared with healthy controls. Importantly, receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that all miRNAs significantly altered in B-ALL had high performance and could be used to distinguish patients from healthy subjects. Conclusion: Together, these data suggest an equivalence between peripheral blood and bone marrow miRNA expression profiles and demonstrate the potential of some miRNAs as B-ALL biomarkers.

Introduction: Sensory symptoms and deficits are frequently observed in diabetic polyneuropathy, but motor deficits are more difficult to recognise or often neglected. As a part of a rehabilitation team, we observed altered muscle strength in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in relation to neuropathy. Weakness in muscles in DM has significant effects on patient's daily living activities. Aim: To find the relationship of muscle strength in diabetes subjects characterised by microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy and peripheral neuropathy associated) and biochemical measurements. Materials and Methods: The present observational study was conducted at the Department of Orthopaedics, Srinivas Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India for a period of nine months from February 2020 to November 2020. Study included 72 patients divided into T2DM subjects (n=36) and non diabetic controls (n=36) with age

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance, carcass yield and growth curves of different commercial strains of broiler chicken. 2400 day-old chicks, males and females of the Cobb500, RossAp95, Hubbard Flex and a new Francesa line were used. The birds were distributed in a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement 4x2 (line x sex), forming eight treatments with 10 replicates each. The birds were fed with the same diet. Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion were determined. At 42 days, it was determined at the request of carcass and cuts of each lineage. The Gompertz model was applied to a growth curve for each line. The RossAP95 line shows the best performance results. Growth curves showed lower sexual dimorphism in the Hubbard Flex line. The Hubbard Flex strain presented higher thigh yield and a Cobb500 genetics the higher breast yield. Based on the results found it was observed that the RossAP95 performed better. Hubbard Flex line exhibits the least sexual dimorphism. The Cobb500 have better yield for breast and as Hubbard Flex birds greater thigh yield.

INTRODUCCIÓN: la enfermedad ósea metabólica del prematuro resulta de la desmineralización ósea. Existen factores que deben vigilarse con la finalidad de realizar diagnóstico y tratamiento temprano. OBJETIVO: determinar los factores de riesgo asociados a osteopenia en prematuros. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: estudio transversal comparativo de octubre del 2011 a octubre del 2013. Se incluyeron 120 prematuros < 37 semanas gestacionales, ≤ 1,500 gramos al nacer y ≥ 21 días. Diagnóstico de la enfermedad: hipofosfatemia (< 3.5 mg/dL), normocalcemia (8.5- 10 mg/dL), hipocalcemia (< 8.5 mg/dL) elevación de fosfatasa alcalina (> 900 UI/L). Factores de riesgo determinados con razón de momios (OR). Estadística inferencial con c2 y t de Student. RESULTADOS: se diagnosticó enfermedad ósea metabólica en 58 prematuros (48%), peso 1067 ± 216 gramos, edad gestacional 28 ± 1.6 semanas, edad postnatal 41 ± 15.5 días. Género masculino 32 (55%). Factores de riesgo: peso < 1,000 gramos OR 4.64, (2.13-10.10), displasia broncopulmonar moderada o severa OR 3.13 (1.44-6.81), tres o más eventos de sepsis OR 3.43 (1.62 7.28), sedación prolongada OR 4.09 (1.06-15.73) y corticoide prolongado OR 9.54 (2.06-44.16). CONCLUSIONES: nuestros resultados muestran que los factores de riesgo para enfermedad ósea metabólica del prematuro fueron peso al nacer menor de 1,000 gramos, displasia broncopulmonar moderada o severa, tres o más eventos de sepsis, sedación y corticoides durante tiempo prolongado.

Despite recent research which more and more stresses the importance of osteocytes in regulating bone and systemic mineral metabolism, current molecular and functional knowledge of osteocyte properties are still incomplete, mostly due to limited availability of in vitro models.Osteocytes are terminally differentiated dendritic cells, and therefore are not easy to obtain and maintain in primary cultures. As an alternative, osteocyte differentiation can be induced by progressive osteoblast embedding in mineralised extracellular matrix. In this model, which is suitable for reproduction of bone development, the presence of calcified matrix prevents several cell biological methods from being used. Therefore, the osteocyte-like MLO-Y4 cell line continues to be the most widely used cellular system.Here we show that treatment of primary osteoblasts or MC3T3-E1 cells with retinoic acid generates a homogeneous population of ramified cells with osteocyte features, as confirmed by morphological and molecular analyses. The first morphological changes are detectable in primary cells after 2 days of treatment, and in the cell line after 4 days of treatment. Differentiation is complete in 5 and 10 days, respectively, with progressive development of dendrites, loss of the ability to produce extracellular matrix, down-regulation of osteoblast markers, and up-regulation of osteocyte-specific molecules, most notably among them sclerostin.Compared to other published protocols, our method has a number of advantages. It is easy to perform and does not require special instrumentation, it is highly reproducible, and rapidly generates a mature osteocyte population in the complete absence of extracellular matrix, allowing the use of these cells for unlimited biological applications.

Objectives: With the menopausal transition, there is a decline in estrogen concentration with potential health consequences affecting the quality of life. The loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, known as sarcopenia is common in postmenopausal women. The primary objective of this study is to assess the quality of life in postmenopausal women and its association with sarcopenia., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 106 postmenopausal women. Menopausal symptoms and risk of sarcopenia were assessed with Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and Strength Assistance walking Rising from a chair Climbing stairs and Falls (SARC-F) questionnaires, respectively. Sarcopenia was defined and assessed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia guidelines 2019., Results: The mean age was 59.34 ± 7.21 years and the mean age at menopause was 49.50 ± 2.67 years. The majority (80.2%) of the women had high MRS scores (≥9). The majority had mild somatic, moderate psychologic, and severe urogenital symptoms. SARC-F score was low in 85.8% of women. Most of the women (45.3%) had sarcopenia. Somatic symptoms were significant in women with sarcopenia. Urogenital symptoms were significant with greater menopausal duration. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass index was significantly less with greater menopausal duration. MRS score positively correlated with both SARC-F score and sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with greater menopausal duration., Conclusions: Most of the women had moderate to severe MRS scores suggestive of a poor quality of life. The majority of the women had sarcopenia. Most of the women felt they were strong (according to SARC-F score) despite sarcopenia. Although quality of life did not differ significantly with the duration of menopause, urogenital symptoms were significantly severe with greater menopausal duration. Despite no significant association between quality of life and sarcopenia in postmenopausal women, somatic symptoms were significant in women with sarcopenia. The greater menopausal duration was associated significantly with sarcopenia., Competing Interests: Financial disclosures/Conflicts of interest: None reported., (Copyright © 2024 by The Menopause Society.)

Background: Subclinical thyrotoxicosis (SCH) is characterized by normal serum thyroid hormone levels and low thyrotropin levels. The impact of this condition on the skeletal system may vary depending on its cause, yet the relationship is not fully comprehended in premenopausal women. Studies are scarce about its effects on bone health in our population., Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in premenopausal women with SCH and determine if any differences exist based on the condition's etiology., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Ramaiah Medical College involving 36 participants for one year and six months after approval from the Ethics Committee. The carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen in blood and BMD were measured at the lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) and femoral neck by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Hologic v 2.0, Hologic, Massachusetts, U.S.). Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20 (Released 2011; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).  Results: The mean age of the study population was 35.2 ± 7.2 years. The etiology was Graves' disease [n=11 (33.3%)], iatrogenic [n=14(38.8%)], toxic adenoma [n=6 (15.1%)], and multi-nodular goiter [n=5 (15.1%)]. The mean BMI was 23.5 ± 3.8 kg/m 2 , and the mean levels of corrected calcium, phosphorus, and 25 hydroxy-vitamin D were 9.12 ± 0.25 mg/dl, 2.95 ± 0.34 mg/dl, and 29.4 ± 6.4 ng/ml, respectively. The mean BMD at hip and spine was 0.81 ±0.16 g/cm 2 and 0.92±0.08 g/cm 2 respectively. The mean Z-score was (-0.02 ± 0.8) and (-0.92± 0.08) at the hip and spine. No significant difference was observed in the BMD at the hip (p = 0.14) or spine (p = 0.44) between the endogenous and exogenous subclinical thyrotoxic subgroups. At the same time, the carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen was significantly different between the two groups (p<0.05)., Conclusion: In our cross-sectional study of premenopausal women with SCH, BMD at the hip or spine as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry did not reveal any significant reduction. The subclinical thyrotoxic state may not have an adverse effect on bone health in premenopausal females with sufficient levels of serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D in the short term., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, LU et al.)

Introduction: Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor arising from adrenomedullary chromaffin cells that has a varied clinical presentation. Identification of this tumor, which has episodic symptoms, is a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Diagnosis at an appropriate time is important because it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aims to mitigate the limited availability of data in our geographical area., Aims and Objectives: To assess the clinical, biochemical, and radiological features and outcomes of patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma at our center., Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study. Patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma during 2015-2023 were included in the study. Clinical, biochemical, and radiological data were collected at presentation, post-surgery, discharge, and until the last follow-up; data were retrieved from hospital records. Statistical analysis was done using IBM Corp. Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp., Results: This study included 19 patients, of whom 10 (52.6%) were female. The most common clinical presentation was a hypertensive crisis in patients with pre-existing hypertension (63.1%), followed by headache (47.3%). The classical triad of headache, palpitation, and sweating was seen in only three patients (15.7%). The mean tumor size was 5.01±2.06 cm, with a range of 2.5 to 12 cm. All patients underwent adrenalectomy; six patients (31.5%) had perioperative complications, with post-operative hypotension being the most common at 21% (n = 4), followed by an acute coronary event during alpha blockade in one patient (0.05%) and an intra-operative hypertensive crisis in one patient (5%). A biochemical remission rate post-surgery was achieved in 17 (89.47%) patients., Conclusions: Hypertensive crisis in patients with pre-existing hypertension was the predominant presenting feature in most of our patients. Female predominance was noted (52.3%) compared to males. Perioperative complications were observed in 31.5% of patients, with post-operative hypotension being the most common complication., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, LU et al.)

Depression is a pervasive mental health disorder characterized by persistent sadness and an inability to enjoy activities that were once enjoyable. This study compares the dermatoglyphic patterns of depressed patients with those of healthy, normal individuals in order to determine if dermatoglyphic patterns can be used as biomarkers for early diagnosis and prompt intervention of depression. A total of 100 depressive disorder patients of both sexes between the ages of 18 and 60 were selected for the study. Dermatoglyphic patterns of individual digits were analyzed using the "Ink and Paper" technique. The Whorl, Loop, and Arch patterns, as well as the AFRC, TFRC, and a-b ridge count, were examined using One-Way ANOVA significance and a Chi-Square test using SPSS 20.0. The results showed that the right hand in the depressive diseased group had decreased numbers of Whorls in the 2nd and 5th digits, and decreased numbers of Loops in all five digits. Similarly, decreased numbers of Whorls were found in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th digits of the left hand, as well as decreased Loops in the 4th digit. However, there were no changes in the Arches of either hand when compared to the control group. The AFRC and TFRC were significantly decreased (p<0.0001), but there was no significant decrease in the a-b ridge count in the depressive diseased group when compared to the control group. Dermatoglyphics, a noninvasive method, can serve as a screening indicator for depressive individuals, the appearance of the decreased count of whorls and loops parameters might be used as an exploratory sign., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Biomedical Informatics.)

Niranjan Vijayaraghavan Background  Survival data for patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma are very sparse in India. We performed this study to find the median overall survival of patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma and to identify prognostic factors for survival. Methods  This is a retrospective study of 30 patients with inoperable and metastatic cholangiocarcinoma treated with cisplatin and gemcitabine chemotherapy. Overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the impact of age, gender, performance status, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19.9, liver function test on survival. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results  The mean age of the population was 47.5 years (±14.5). The most common presenting complaint was jaundice followed by abdominal pain. Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma comprised of 86%. Median number of cycles was 4 and the response rate was 46.6% (partial response and stable disease) The median overall survival was 9 months (95% confidence interval = 6.0-11.8 months). The median survival of patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score < 2 and ≥2 were 15.6 and 4.2 months ( p  = 0.002), respectively. The median overall survival for patients with albumin > 3.0 g/dL was 12.1 and 4.5 months for < 3.0 g/dL ( p  = 0.039). Patients with CA 19.9 < 200 U/mL had a better overall survival (13.2 months) than those above 200 U/mL (5.6 months) ( p  = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, performance status was found to be the only independent prognostic factor. Conclusion  Advanced cholangiocarcinoma has a poor prognosis. Performance status, serum albumin, and CA 19.9 were found to be prognostic., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None., (MedIntel Services Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Depression can adversely affect the quality of life of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) patients after stroke. However, there were still no objective methods to diagnose T2DM patients with poststroke depression (PSD). Currently, the diagnosis of depression in T2DM patients after stroke mainly depends on the subjective method (such as Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). But due to its considerably complex and diverse clinical symptoms of depression, this method unavoidably results in a considerable error rate. Our results could be helpful for the development of objective method to diagnose PSD in Type2DM and also provide novel ideas to study the pathogenesis of PSD in Type2DM. Therefore, we conducted this study to deal with this problem. To assess the levels of Urinary Citrate and Butyric acid in Type 2 DM with Post Stroke Depression (PSD) and without Post Stroke Depression (PSD) and To Correlate the levels of same for Objective Diagnosis of PSD in Type2 DM., Material: A total of 128 Type2 DM patients with history of stroke for at least 3months were taken into study after obtaining informed consent from them. Using HAM-D (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) they were divided into 2 groups. One Group included 64 patients of Type 2 DM stroke with Depression and Another group included 64 patients of Type 2 DM stroke without Depression. Urinary Citrate and Butyric acid were measured in both groups using ELISA Kits., Observation: Urinary concentrations of Citrate and Butyric Acid showed statistical significance between Type 2 DM with Post Stroke Depression (PSD) and Type 2DM without Post Stroke Depression (PSD), with chi square test values of ϰ2=11.91 for Urinary Citrate (p=0.008), ϰ2= 24.69 for Urinary Butyric acid (p=0.00)., Conclusion: Mean levels of Urinary Citrate and Butyric acid were significantly higher in Type 2 Diabetic Stroke with Depression when compared to Type 2 Diabetic Stroke without Depression., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

Medical use of Cannabis (or hemp) began thousands of years ago. In the 20th century, mechanisms of action were demonstrated with the discovery of its active substances, the phytocannabinoids, and its pharmacological targets, the endocannabinoid system. This system is composed of receptors, endogenous substances, and enzymes, and it participates in the modulation of physiological mechanisms in several species, including dogs. Studies indicate that changes in this system may contribute to the genesis of some diseases. Therefore, the use of substances that act on its components may help in the treatment of these diseases. The main phytocannabinoids described are Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In humans, the benefits of using CBD in several diseases have been demonstrated. The popularization of this type of treatment has also reached veterinary medicine, which on one hand was related to an increase in adverse event records, but on the other also allowed reports of anecdotal evidences of its effectiveness and safety in animals. Clinical studies published so far indicate that the use of CBD in dogs can be safe at given doses and can contribute to osteoarthritis and idiopathic epilepsy treatments. Clinical and pre-clinical studies and case reports were reviewed in this report to identify the main characteristics of hemp-based therapies in dogs, including its pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and efficacy in the treatment of diseases., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study investigated the effect of surface roughness (polished vs. CAD/CAM milling roughness simulation) on the fatigue behavior of five dental ceramics for manufacturing CAD/CAM monolithic restorations. Specimens of five dental ceramics (FC- feldspathic; PICN- polymer-infiltrated ceramic-network; ZLS- zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate glass-ceramic; LD-lithium disilicate glass-ceramic; YZ-yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal), to be tested under fatigue (12 × 12 × 1.2 mm 3 ), were assigned into two groups according to surface treatment: polished 'p' (#2500-grit SiC papers) and CAD/CAM milling roughness simulation 'gr' (grinding with #60-grit SiC paper). The fatigue test was performed through the stepwise method (40N-660N; step of 20N; 10,000 cycles/step; 20 Hz frequency). Roughness, topographic and fractographic analyses were performed. The fatigue data were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Mantel-Cox (Log rank), and Pearson correlation was used to correlate roughness vs. fatigue data. CAD/CAM milling roughness simulation led to significantly (p < 0.05) greater roughness (Ra and Rz), promoting a more irregular topography with scratches and grooves, and led to a lower fatigue performance for all the tested ceramics. Fractographic analysis depicted the origin of failure at the higher stress concentration side, the side subjected to tensile tension during the fatigue test. The CAD/CAM milling roughness simulation significantly decreased the fatigue performance of the evaluated ceramic materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To study the impact of sorghum diet on growth, and micronutrient status of school going children for a period of 8 mo., Methods: Children (n = 160 boys and n = 160 girls) aged between 9 to 12 y were randomly allocated into two groups (n = 80 in the control and n = 80 in the experimental group) to receive 60% sorghum diet and 40% of rice diet (Exp G) and regular rice diet (100%; CG). Anthropometric indices and biochemical parameters were measured at baseline and at 8 mo using standardized methods., Results: The growth rate was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the Exp G of girls, whereas in boys it was in the CG. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, albumin, retinol binding protein (RBP) and iron levels were significantly improved (p < 0.05) in the Exp G of both the genders and in boys, serum folic acid and calcium levels were also improved with sorghum diet., Conclusions: Serum micronutrient status, in terms of hemoglobin, serum folic acid, albumin, RBP, ferritin, calcium and iron can be improved with sorghum supplementation in school going children.

In orthodontic treatment, teeth are moved in to new positions and relationships and the soft tissue and underlying bone are altered to accommodate changes in esthetics and function. Function is more important than esthetics. The speciality of orthodontics has in addition to its benefits, complications as well as risks associated with its procedures. However the benefits outweigh the risks & complications in most of the treatment cases. Few of the unwanted side effects associated with treatment are tooth discolorations, enamel decalcification, periodontal complications like open gingival embrasures, root resorption, allergic reactions to nickel & chromium as well as treatment failure in the form of relapse.

The toxicity and tissue reactions to dental materials are receiving more attention as a wide variety of materials are used and as federal agencies demonstrate more concern in this area. A further indication of the importance of the interaction of materials and tissues is the development of recommended standard practices and tests for the biological interaction of materials.

Lasers have been used in dentistry since 1994 to treat a number of dental problems. A variety of lasers are now available for use in dentistry. Once stated as an intricate technology with restricted usage in clinical dentistry, there is a growing awareness of the usefulness of lasers in the armamentarium of the modern dental practice, where they can be used as an adjunct or alternative to various long-standing approaches.

The principal reason of gingival inflammation is bacterial plaque, along with other predisposing factors. These predisposing factors are calculus, malocclusion, faulty restorations, complications associated with orthodontic therapy, self- inflicted injuries, use of tobacco & radiation therapy. The contributing factors to gingival inflammation & periodontal destruction are deficient dental restorations and prosthesis. Inadequate dental procedures that add to the weakening of the periodontal tissues are referred to as iatrogenic factors.