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Topic Review
Uric Acid and Hypertension
The relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and hypertension has been a subject of increasing interest since the 1870 discovery by Frederick Akbar Mahomed. Several epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between high SUA levels and the presence or the development of hypertension. Genetic analyses have found that xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) genetic polymorphisms are associated with hypertension. However, genetic studies on urate transporters and Mendelian randomization studies failed to demonstrate a causal relationship between SUA and hypertension. Results from clinical trials on the role of urate-lowering therapy in the management of patients with hypertension are not uniform.
  • 855
  • 01 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Steroidal Saponins
Cancer is a global health burden responsible for an exponentially growing number of incidences and mortalities, regardless of the significant advances in its treatment. The identification of the hallmarks of cancer is a major milestone in understanding the mechanisms that drive cancer initiation, development, and progression. The hallmarks of cancer have been targeted to effectively treat various types of cancers. These conventional cancer drugs have shown significant therapeutic efficacy but continue to impose unfavorable side effects on patients. Naturally derived compounds are being tested in the search for alternative anti-cancer drugs. Steroidal saponins are a group of naturally occurring compounds that primarily exist as secondary metabolites in plant species. Studies have suggested that steroidal saponins possess significant anti-cancer capabilities. 
  • 853
  • 18 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Plasma-Based Cancer Treatments
Plasma medicine is a multidisciplinary field of research which is combining plasma physics and chemistry with biology and clinical medicine to launch a new cancer treatment modality. It mainly relies on utilizing low temperature plasmas in atmospheric pressure to generate and instill a cocktail of reactive species to selectively target malignant cells for inhibition the cell proliferation and tumor progression. Intracellular mechanisms of action and significant pathways behind the anticancer effects of plasma and selectivity toward cancer cells are comprehensively discussed. A thorough understanding of involved mechanisms helps investigators to explicate many disputes including optimal plasma parameters to control the reactive species combination and concentration, transferring plasma to the tumors located in deep, and determining the optimal dose of plasma for specific outcomes in clinical translation. As a novel strategy for cancer therapy in clinical trials, designing low temperature plasma sources which meet the technical requirements of medical devices still needs to improve in efficacy and safety.
  • 852
  • 24 Mar 2021
Topic Review
The Endocannabinoid System and Its Correlation with Neuropathologies
Abstract: The worldwide prevalence of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, such as depression or Alzheimer ’s disease, has spread extensively throughout the last decades, becoming an enormous health issue. Numerous data indicate a distinct correlation between the altered endocannabinoid signaling and different aspects of brain physiology, such as memory or neurogenesis. Moreover, the endocannabinoid system is widely regarded as a crucial factor in the development of neuropathologies. Targeting those disorders via synthetic cannabinoids, as well as phytocannabinoids, becomes a widespread research issue. Thus, this text provides a current state of knowledge of the correlation between the endocannabinoid and neuropathologies. We believe that this might contribute to finding a new preventive and therapeutic approach to both neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. 
  • 849
  • 29 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Abusive Head Trauma
Abusive head trauma (AHT), commonly known as shaken baby syndrome (SBS), is an injury to a child's head caused by someone else. Symptoms may range from subtle to obvious. Symptoms may include vomiting or a baby that will not settle. Often there are no visible signs of trauma. Complications include seizures, visual impairment, cerebral palsy, and cognitive impairment. The cause may be blunt trauma or vigorous shaking. Often this occurs as a result of a caregiver becoming frustrated due to the child crying. Diagnosis can be difficult as symptoms may be nonspecific. A CT scan of the head is typically recommended if a concern is present. While retinal bleeding is common, it can also occur in other conditions. Abusive head trauma is a type of child abuse. Educating new parents appears to be beneficial in decreasing rates of the condition. Treatment occasionally requires surgery, such as to place a cerebral shunt. AHT is estimated to occur in 3 to 4 per 10,000 babies a year. It occurs most frequently in those less than five years of age. The risk of death is about 25%. The diagnosis may also carry legal consequences for the parents.
  • 849
  • 18 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Point-of-Care C-Reactive Protein Testing
C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care test(-ing) (POCT) is one of the top strategies targeted at clinicians to reduce antibiotic prescribing, and it is increasingly being promoted to enhance antibiotic stewardship. CRP-POCT can guide antibiotic prescribing for (lower and upper) RTIs in primary care can reduce antibiotic prescribing at index consultations especially if cut-off guidance is provided.
  • 847
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Newborn Screening for Diabetes Research
This study explores the use of newborn screening in diabetes research, considering the overlap between metabolic networks in diabetes and inborn errors of metabolism. It compares dried blood spots collected between 24-72 hours at birth (up to 5 days) and cord blood, collected at birth. Both samples yield and complement different kinds of information. Cord blood may reflect maternal and placental metabolism for some analytes while dried blood spots collected for newborn screening reflects neonatal metabolism in a catabolic state.
  • 847
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Primary Hypertrophic Osteoathropathy
Pachydermoperiostosis (PDP) or primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO) is a rare genetic disorder that affects both bones and skin. Other names are idiopathic hypertrophic osteoarthropathy or Touraine-Solente-Golé syndrome. It is mainly characterized by pachydermia (thickening of the skin), periostosis (excessive bone formation) and finger clubbing (swelling of tissue with loss of normal angle between nail and nail bed). This disease affects relatively more men than women. After onset, the disease stabilizes after about 5–20 years. Life of PDP patients can be severely impaired. Currently, symptomatic treatments are NSAIDs and steroids or surgical procedures. In 1868, PDP was first described by Friedreich as ‘excessive growth of bone of the entire skeleton’. Touraine, Solente and Golé described PDP as the primary form of bone disease hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in 1935 and distinguished its three known forms.
  • 847
  • 03 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury is one of the major drawbacks of mortality and causes significant short/long-term neurological dysfunction in newborn infants worldwide. To date, due to multifunctional complex mechanisms of brain injury, there is no well-established effective strategy to completely provide neuroprotection. Although therapeutic hypothermia is the proven treatment for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), it does not completely chang outcomes in severe forms of HIE. Therefore, there is a critical need for reviewing the effective therapeutic strategies to explore the protective agents and methods. In recent years, it is widely believed that there are neuroprotective possibilities of natural compounds extracted from plants against HIE. These natural agents with the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, and neurofunctional regulatory properties exhibit preventive or therapeutic effects against experimental neonatal HI brain damage.
  • 846
  • 20 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Gut-Liver Axis and Liver Disease
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs in patients with chronic liver damage, inflammation and cirrhosis. The facilitators involved in increasing the HCC risk in the damaged liver are yet to be discovered. Diet and lifestyle have a profound effect on the liver inflammation and HCC. The term “gut liver axis” describes the bidirectional relationship between the liver and the gut, which are both anatomically and functionally related. Chronic liver damage is characterised by increased intestinal permeability that allows the translocation of various components and metabolites from the gut microbiota to the liver, resulting in liver inflammation and fibrosis. 
  • 846
  • 25 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Web-Based Orthopedic Personalized Predictive Tools
Web-based personalized predictive tools in orthopedic surgery are becoming more widely available. Despite rising numbers of these tools, many orthopedic surgeons may not know what tools are available, how these tools were developed, and how they can be utilized. The aim of this scoping review is to compile and synthesize the profile of existing web-based orthopedic tools. We conducted two separate PubMed searches—one a broad search and the second a more targeted one involving high impact journals—with the aim of comprehensively identifying all existing tools. These articles were then screened for functional tool URLs, methods regarding the tool’s creation, and general inputs and outputs required for the tool to function. We identified 57 articles, which yielded 31 unique web-based tools. These tools involved various orthopedic conditions (e.g., fractures, osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal neoplasias); interventions (e.g., fracture fixation, total joint arthroplasty); outcomes (e.g., mortality, clinical outcomes).
  • 845
  • 20 Nov 2020
Topic Review
International Epidemiological Association
The International Epidemiological Association (IEA) is a worldwide association with more than 2000 members in over 100 different countries, who follow the aims of the association to facilitate communication amongst those engaged in research and teaching of epidemiology throughout the world, and to encourage its use in all fields of health including social, community and preventative medicine. These aims are achieved by holding scientific meetings and seminars, by publication of journals, reports, translations of books, by contact amongst members and by other activities consistent with these aims. Members are accepted without regard to race, religion, sex, political affiliation or country of origin. The association publishes its own Journal, the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE) , which is published bi-monthly, a complimentary copy of which is included in the membership dues. It also sponsors a number of highly reputable publications such as A Dictionary of Epidemiology, and The Development of Modern Epidemiology . In addition, the association organizes The World Congress of Epidemiology (WCE) which is held triennially in different parts of the world. The 19th WCE was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 2011, while the 20th WCE will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, August 2014 . Regional Scientific Meetings are also held in the IEA regions during three-year periods between WCEs. The IEA is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and is run by a council including executive and regional councilors for its 7 regions in addition to the ex-officio members.
  • 843
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Informing Patients about Biosimilar Medicines
Biosimilar medicines support the sustainability of national healthcare systems, by reducing costs of biological therapies through increased competition. However, their adoption into clinical practice largely depends on the acceptance of healthcare providers and patients. Patients are different from health care professionals (HCPs), who are informing themselves professionally. For patients, the biosimilar debate only becomes actual when they are confronted with disease and drug choices. 
  • 839
  • 24 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Obesity and Asthma in Adults/Children
Obesity increases the risk of developing asthma in children and adults. Obesity is associated with different effects on lung function in children and adults. In adults, obesity has been associated with reduced lung function resulting from a relatively small effect on forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), with the FEV1/FVC ratio remaining unchanged or mildly increased (restrictive pattern). In contrast, in children, obesity is associated with normal or higher FEV1 and FVC but a lower FEV1/FVC ratio (obstructive pattern). This anomaly has recently been associated with a phenomenon known as dysanapsis which results from a disproportionate growth between lung parenchyma size and airway calibre. The mechanisms that promote disproportionate lung parenchyma growth compared with airways in obese children remain to be elucidated. Obesity and dysanapsis in asthma patients might contribute to asthma morbidity by increasing airway obstruction, airway hyper-reactivity and airway inflammation. Obesity and dysanapsis in asthma patients are associated with increased medication use, more emergency department visits, hospitalizations and systemic corticosteroid burst than patients with normal weight. Dysanapsis may explain the reduced response to asthma medications in obese children. Weight loss results in a significant improvement in lung function, airway reactivity and asthma control.
  • 838
  • 27 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Electronic Health Interventions
eHealth interventions play a growing role in shaping the future healthcare system. The integration of eHealth interventions can enhance the efficiency and quality of patient management and optimize the course of treatment for chronically ill patients.
  • 837
  • 24 Feb 2021
Topic Review
The Role of Cholesterol-Related Genes in Dyslipidemia
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by a combination of at least three metabolic abnormalities, which include increased abdominal circumference, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides (TG) and reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Dyslipidemia is the major constituent of MetS, characterized by raised free fatty acids (FFAs), TG, small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) levels, but low HDL cholesterol level. Insulin resistance, which is associated with increased fasting blood glucose, increases the visceral adipocyte’s sensitivity toward lipolytic hormones. These conditions result in a flux of FFA to the liver, further stimulating hepatic TG synthesis and subsequently promotes ApoB formation. Meanwhile, for the formation of LDL, an important parameter in dyslipidemia is mediated by lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in muscles and adipose tissues. These processes might indicate the interaction of various cell structures in the development of MetS and could influence each of the MetS features in multiple ways.
  • 835
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Somatostatin Receptor Ligands in Clinical Management of Acromegaly
Somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs) represent a true milestone in the medical therapy for acromegaly. The first-generation SRLs (FG-SRLs), octreotide and lanreotide, have demonstrated good efficacy in disease control and tumor shrinkage, and are still considered first-line medical therapies. The development of long-acting release (LAR) formulations has certainly improved the therapeutic tolerability of these drugs.  In the case of FG-SRL-resistant disease, pasireotide, the only second generation SRL currently available, demonstrated superiority in disease control and tumor shrinkage compared to FG-SRLs. However, its use in clinical practice is still limited due to concern for impairment in glucose homeostasis.
  • 834
  • 21 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Ingestive Behaviors
Ingestive behaviors encompass all eating and drinking behaviors. These actions are influenced by physiological regulatory mechanisms; these mechanisms exist to control and establish homeostasis within the human body. Disruptions in these ingestive regulatory mechanisms can result in eating disorders such as obesity, anorexia, and bulimia. Research has confirmed that physiological mechanisms play an important role in homeostasis; however, human food intake must also be evaluated within the context of non-physiological determinants present in human life. Within laboratory environments, hunger and satiety are factors that can be controlled and tested. Outside of experiments though, social constraints may influence the size and number of daily meals.
  • 834
  • 30 Oct 2022
Topic Review
The Potential of Exerkines in Women’s COVID-19
Exerkines are a group of promising molecules that may underlie the beneficial effects of physical exercise in diseases. The idea of exerkines is to understand the effects of physical exercise on diseases better. Exerkines have a high potential for the treatment of diseases and, considering that, there is still no study of the importance of exerkines on the most dangerous disease in the world in recent years, COVID-19.
  • 834
  • 05 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Health Effects of Resorcylic Acid Lactones
Zearalenol and zearalenone are two resorcylic acid lactones known for their potent estrogenic effects. They are considered as toxic compounds from the mycotoxin category and are mainly produced by Fusarium fungi. Their estrogenic action made them either beneficial or toxic according to the physiological situation they are tested in. Here are reported the exposure recorded in humans as well as their blood levels. Then, beneficial and adverse effects observed in vivo essentially in animal models are analysed.
  • 834
  • 08 Feb 2023
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