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Background and purpose: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease specified by chronic and irreversible destruction of neurons. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different extracts (aqueous, hydroalcoholic, hexane, and ethyl acetate) and manna of Echinops cephalotes (EC) on impaired cognitive function induced by scopolamine in mice. EC is shown to have anti-cholinesterase-butyrylcholinesterase activities. Experimental approach: In this study, aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts, hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of EC (25, 50, 100 mg/kg, i.p.), and the manna (25, 50, 100 mg/kg, gavage) were administered for 14 days alongside scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg, i.p.). Rivastigmine (reference drug) was administered for 2 weeks i.p. Mice were tested for their memory function using two behavioral models, object recognition test (ORT) and passive avoidance test (PAT). Findings/Results: Administration of scopolamine significantly impaired memory function in both behavioral models. In the PAT model, all extracts at 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly reversed the effect of memory destruction caused by scopolamine. At a lower dose of 25 mg/kg, however, none of the extracts were able to significantly change the step-through latency time. In the ORT model, however, administration of all extracts at 50 and 100 mg/kg, significantly increased the recognition index. Only the manna and the aqueous extract at 25 mg/kg were able to reverse scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Conclusions and implications: These results suggest that all forms of EC extracts improve memory impairment induced by scopolamine comparably to rivastigmine. Whether the effects are sustained over a longer period remains to be tested in future work.

Converting any desired C−H bond to the intended C−Z bond in a given organic molecule could be the final peak of the C−H functionalization methodology. Among the three types of C−H bonds, the functionalization of the ubiquitous C(sp3)−H bond has gained particular attention, especially in the last two decades. There are different ways to transform C(sp3)−H bonds into desired C−Z bonds. The use of chlorine radicals is one of these methods with a promising future. The literature review shows that different sources have been used for chlorine, including chloride ions (HCl or chloride salts), coordinated chlorides (transition metal complexes), and organic chlorides (organochlorine compounds). However, HCl and FeCl3 have gained the most attention among these sources. There are three major ways to convert chlorine from these sources to chlorine radicals: 1) oxidation of hydrogen chloride or chloride salts, 2) photolysis of metal chloride, and 3) transition metal insertion into C−Cl bonds. This review summarizes published research papers on the use of chlorine radicals for C(sp3)−H bonds functionalization. Therefore, chlorination reactions of C(sp3)−H bonds and reactions in which chlorine radicals do not play a direct role in C(sp3)−H bond cleavage are not within the scope of this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insomnia is a highly prevalent sleep disorder frequently comorbid with mental health conditions in nurses. Despite the effectiveness of evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), there is a critical need for alternative approaches. This study investigated whether internet-delivered mindfulness-based stress reduction (IMBSR) for insomnia could be an alternative to internet-delivered CBT-I (ICBT-I). Objective: The hypothesis was that the IMBSR would be noninferior to the ICBT-I in reducing the severity of insomnia among nurses with insomnia. Additionally, it was expected that ICBT-I would produce a greater reduction in the severity of insomnia and depression than IMBSR. Method: Among 240 screened nurses, 134 with insomnia were randomly allocated (IMBSR, n = 67; ICBT-I, n = 67). The assessment protocol comprised clinical interviews and self-reported outcome measures, including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the 15-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-I). Results: The retention rate was 55% with 77.6% (n = 104) of participants completing the study. At post-intervention, the noninferiority analysis of the ISI score showed that the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval was 4.88 (P = 0.46), surpassing the pre-specified noninferiority margin of 4 points. Analysis of covariance revealed that the ICBT-I group had significantly lower ISI (Cohen's d = 1.37) and PHQ-9 (Cohen's d = 0.71) scores than did the IMBSR group. In contrast, the IMBSR group showed a statistically significant increase in the FFMQ-15 score (Cohen's d = 0.67). Within-group differences showed that both the IMBSR and ICBT-I were effective at reducing insomnia severity and depression severity and improving mindfulness. Conclusion: Overall, nurses demonstrated high levels of satisfaction and adherence to both interventions. The IMBSR significantly reduced insomnia severity and depression, but the findings of this study do not provide strong evidence that the IMBSR is at least as effective as the ICBT-I in reducing insomnia symptoms among nurses with insomnia. The ICBT-I was found to be significantly superior to the IMBSR in reducing insomnia severity, making it a recommended treatment option for nurses with insomnia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nitric oxide (NO) and resistin play significant roles in the inflammatory processes and pathogenesis of psoriasis, and are associated with comorbidities often seen in psoriasis patients. Objective: We evaluated the correlation between the level of resistin gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the serum NO levels in patients with psoriasis. Material and methods: We studied 60 cases with psoriasis and 40 healthy controls. The serum level of NO in the blood of the study groups, psoriasis and healthy control respectively, was determined using the Griess technique and the Kiazist kit (Kiazist, Iran). In addition, we performed real-time PCR to assay resistin gene expression in PBMCs from both groups. Results: The serum NO levels in patients with psoriasis were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p = 0.001). The resistin gene expression in PBMCs was significantly elevated in psoriatic patients group (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings revealed that, in addition to having higher levels of platelets and WBC in their serum, patients with psoriasis, have higher levels of NO and upregulated resistin gene expression, which is likely due to the pathological role of these factors in the occurrence or maintenance of psoriasis. The rise in NO levels and resistin gene expression suggests they may play a role in the pathology of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As high as 20% of the population is thought to have recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), hence, finding new therapeutic agents may be needed. Pomegranate (Punica granatum), has been extensively used in the folk medicine of many cultures, as it possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. In this study, it is hypothesized that a topical form of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) may shorten the duration, accelerate the healing and reduce the pain of RAS patients. The presented randomized, double-blind study was conducted on 56 patients. Herein, 28 patients were advised to apply PPE gel, and the other 28 patients were given placebo gel, twice daily for one week. Efficacy evaluations were made at days 0 (before using the gel), 3, 5 and 7. The mean values of ulcer size, pain and healing duration of ulcers were compared in both groups. PPE gel was significantly effective in reducing the pain (p