drug testing

BACKGROUND: We describe the first case of a pediatric patient with acute intermittent porphyria and severe chronic porphyric neuropathy treated with givosiran, a small-interfering RNA that drastically decreases delta-aminolevulinic acid production and reduces porphyric attacks' recurrence. CASE REPORT: A 12-year-old male patient with refractory acute intermittent porphyria and severe porphyric neuropathy was followed prospectively for 12 months after givosiran initiation (subcutaneous, 2...

OBJECTIVE: The palmaris longus (PL) contributes to the palmar fascia, wrist flexion, hand muscle balance, and pinch strength. Also, PL is used as a graft source. So, PL's presence is helpful for joint stability and grafting. On the other hand, joint hypermobility (JH) is associated with many complaints and disorders. Considering the adverse effects of JH and benefit-based evolution, the genesis rather than agenesis of PL can be expected in JH. Herein, it was hypothesized that PL might be together with JH, and individuals with PL may have higher scores of JH than those without...

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies' results on the impact of preoperative balance training on postoperative functional recovery after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) appeared to be ambiguous. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to investigate the effects of preoperative balance training on walking ability, balance-specific performance, and other functional indicators in elderly patients post-TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient data were obtained from databases including PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus...

OBJECTIVE: Benzene is one of the major carcinogenic factors that can affect liver, kidneys, and lungs. Chronic inhalation of benzene vapor by petrol stations workers has been shown to have an impact on hematological parameters; thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of benzene exposure on petrol station workers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study involved 99 participants, 50 of whom have been exposed to benzene and 49 of whom have not (control). A 5 ml blood sample in an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulant tube was collected from each subject, and a complete blood count test was used to test hematological parameters...

OBJECTIVE: In this research, we aimed to elucidate the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and obesity on pulmonary volumes and bronchial hyperreactivity, and particularly the effect of supine position on pulmonary volume and functions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study with a total of 96 patients (age range, 20-65 years). Based on the body mass index (BMI) and Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) scores, the patients were divided into four groups: Group 1: AHI≥15/h, BMI≥30 kg/m2 (n=24), Group 2: AHI≥15/h, BMI<30 kg/m2 (n=24), Group 3: AHI<15/h, BMI≥30 kg/m2 (n=24), and Group 4: AHI<15/h, BMI<30 kg/m2 (n=24)...

OBJECTIVE: Despite the multiple available treatment modalities, cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among female gynecological cancers. Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is an effective organelle in ensuring cell homeostasis and is closely related to the development of cancer. Esculetin is a coumarin derivative that has anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Esculetin may have an anticancer effect by inducting apoptosis and ER stress...

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to (1) translate the short version of the Injustice Experience Questionnaire (IEQ-SF) from English to Arabic and (2) test the validity and reliability of the translated Arabic version of the IEQ-SF. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study in which the original English version of the IEQ-SF was translated into Arabic was conducted in accordance with Beaton's translation process. Internal consistency, reproducibility (retest within 5 days), and validity of the translated Arabic version of the IEQ-SF were tested in Arabic-speaking participants (n = 20)...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of panoramic radiographs (PAN) with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in locating the position of the mandibular foramen (MF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 100 patients who underwent CBCT and panoramic imaging were included in the study. The location of the MF was evaluated anterior-posteriorly and superior-inferiorly on both CBCT and panoramic radiographs. Measurements were taken by two examiners, reviewed by a radiologist, and intra-examiner variability was assessed...

OBJECTIVE: The impact of selenium on autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is a subject of ongoing debate. This study aimed to analyze the causal correlations of selenium with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), autoimmune hyperthyroidism (AIH), and Graves' disease (GD) by Mendelian randomization (MR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphisms related to selenium, AIT, AIH, and GD were sourced from the IEU Open GWAS project and FinnGen. Exposure-outcome causality was assessed using inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, and weighted median...

Yerba Mate ( Ilex paraguariensis ) is historically used as a beverage and its extracts are considered traditional medicine in South America. Extract use has been expanding to North American and European markets and the currently available genetic toxicology literature indicate discrepancies in genotoxicity findings for yerba mate. As botanical extract use expands, assumption in safety should be made with caution assuring a good understanding of the test material characterization. Authoritative agencies suggest a two-step paradigm to investigate genotoxicity, and this was implemented to evaluate the safety of yerba mate hydroxycinnamic acid extract...

On the 26 th January 2023, a free to attend, 'improving in vivo snake venom research: a community discussion' meeting was held virtually. This webinar brought together researchers from around the world to discuss current neutralisation of venom lethality mouse assays that are used globally to assess the efficacy of therapies for snakebite envenoming. The assay's strengths and weaknesses were highlighted, and we discussed what improvements could be made to refine and reduce animal testing, whilst supporting preclinical antivenom and drug discovery for snakebite envenoming...

BACKGROUND: As highlighted by recent pandemic outbreaks, antiviral drugs are crucial resources in the global battle against viral diseases. Unfortunately, most antiviral drugs are characterized by a plethora of side effects and low efficiency/poor bioavailability owing to their insolubility. This also applies to the arylnaphthalide lignin family member, diphyllin (Diph). Diph acts as a vacuolar ATPase inhibitor and has been previously identified as a promising candidate with broad-spectrum antiviral activity...

BACKGROUND: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has emerged as a promising candidate for anticancer therapy. However, the application of DHA in clinics has been hampered by several limitations including poor bioavailability, short circulation life, and low solubility, significantly restricting its therapeutic efficacy and leading to notable side effects during the treatment. PURPOSE: We present DHA-loaded zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (D-ZIF) with controllable and targeted DHA release properties, leading to enhanced antitumor effects while reducing potential side effects...

BACKGROUND: New treatment modalities for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are desperately critically needed, given the lack of specificity, severe side effects, and drug resistance with single chemotherapy. Engineered bacteria can target and accumulate in tumor tissues, induce an immune response, and act as drug delivery vehicles. However, conventional bacterial therapy has limitations, such as drug loading capacity and difficult cargo release, resulting in inadequate therapeutic outcomes...

Skin biopsies (Skin snips) have historically been the gold standard for the diagnosis of onchocerciasis. However, in low prevalence areas and in areas with successful ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) programs, skin snips are not sensitive enough to decide when to stop MDA; thus, serological diagnostic tools have been recommended for this purpose. This study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the Ov16 Rapid Diagnostic Test (SD BIOLINE Onchocerciasis RDT) compared to skin snip in endemic areas undergoing ivermectin mass distribution using Community Directed Treatment with Ivermectin (CDTI) strategy...

HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus-1) has been causing severe pandemics by attacking the immune system of its host. Left untreated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), where death is inevitable due to opportunistic diseases. Therefore, discovering new antiviral drugs against HIV-1 is crucial. This study aimed to explore a novel machine learning approach to classify compounds that inhibit HIV-1 integrase and screen the dataset of repurposing compounds. The present study had two main stages: selecting the best type of fingerprint or molecular descriptor using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and building a computational model based on machine learning...

BACKGROUND: No previous study has evaluated patients attitudes towards inclusion in an ongoing cardiac arrest clinical trial. The aim of this study was to assess patientś willingness and motives to participate in the ongoing randomized controlled drug trial "Vasopressin and Steroids in addition to Adrenaline in cardiac arrest" (VAST-A trial) in case of an in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). OBJECTIVES: Hospitalized patients, men ≥ 18 and women ≥ 50 years, were asked for informed consent for inclusion in the VAST-A trial in case of an IHCA, the reason for approving or declining inclusion in the trial and baseline characteristics...

BACKGROUND: Infant, junior, and adult patients with neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) present with various types of seizures. We aimed to conduct a systematic literature review on the clinical characteristics of NIID with seizures to provide novel insight for early diagnosis and treatment and to improve prognosis of these patients. METHODS: We used keywords to screen articles related to NIID and seizures, and data concerning the clinical characteristics of patients, including demographic features, disease characteristics of the seizures, treatment responses, imaging examinations, and other auxiliary examination results were extracted...

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have reported an association between certain medical conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, and severe COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among severe COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the only specialized center for COVID-19 in Kabul, Afghan-Japan Hospital Kabul, Afghanistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was utilized, including 202 patients, admitted to Afghan-Japan Hospital during the first six months of 2022...

BACKGROUND: Clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species in South Korea are continuously exhibiting high rates of antimicrobial resistance to carbapenems, indicating that there are public health concerns among both healthcare-associated infections and community-associated infections. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter isolates originating from community hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 817 non-duplicated Acinetobacter species were isolated from December 2022 to July 2023 at long-term care facilities and general hospitals in 16 regions geographically distributed throughout South Korea...