English Publications Research Articles

TikTok as Digital Communication: Empowering Malaysian Users to Enhance English Public Speaking Skills

TikTok as Digital Communication: Empowering Malaysian Users to Enhance English Public Speaking Skills

Scoping review on the link between economic growth, decent work, and early childhood caries

BackgroundEarly Childhood Caries (ECC) is a prevalent chronic non-communicable disease that affects millions of young children globally, with profound implications for their well-being and oral health. This paper explores the associations between ECC and the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8).MethodsThe scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. In July 2023, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using tailored search terms related to economic growth, decent work sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and efforts to eradicate forced labor, slavery, and human trafficking and ECC all of which are the targets of the SDG8. Only English language publications, and publications that were analytical in design were included. Studies that solely examined ECC prevalence without reference to SDG8 goals were excluded.ResultsThe initial search yielded 761 articles. After removing duplicates and ineligible manuscripts, 84 were screened. However, none of the identified studies provided data on the association between decent work, economic growth-related factors, and ECC.ConclusionsThis scoping review found no English publication on the associations between SDG8 and ECC despite the plausibility for this link. This data gap can hinder policymaking and resource allocation for oral health programs. Further research should explore the complex relationship between economic growth, decent work and ECC to provide additional evidence for better policy formulation and ECC control globally.

Tooth Wear in Older Adults: A Review of Clinical Studies.

Tooth wear is a prevalent dental condition among older adults, leading to pain and adversely affecting aesthetics, functionality, and their overall quality of life. This review aims to update the information on tooth wear in older adults from the past five years and to provide guidance on the clinical management of tooth wear in older adults. A literature search was conducted in three electronic databases, Scopus, Pubmed, and Embase, for English publications from January 2019 to December 2023 on clinical studies with participants aged 65 or above on tooth wear. A total of 307 articles were retrieved and 14 articles were finally included as references for this study. This review highlights the common causes of tooth wear and various risk factors, such as medical conditions, hyposalivation, dietary habits, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and occlusal factors, associated with tooth wear. It is crucial for oral health care professionals to diagnose and manage tooth wear at an early stage through a risk assessment and a clinical examination to avoid complex restorative procedures. Tooth wear management should prioritize prevention, aiming to control etiological and risk factors while employing non-restorative treatments. Restorative intervention, if indicated, should be simple, minimally invasive, and cost-effective. Tooth wear progression should be monitored regularly to determine if a further intervention is needed. Since the clinical studies on tooth wear in older adults over the past five years are limited and mainly cross-sectional, more interventional clinical studies are warranted to provide more clinical guidance on tooth wear management in older adults.

CIRSE Standards of Practice on Management of Endoleaks Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Endoleaks represent the most common complication after EVAR. Some types are associated with ongoing risk of aneurysm rupture and necessitate long-term surveillance and secondary interventions. This document, as with all CIRSE Standards of Practice documents, will recommend a reasonable approach to best practices of managing endoleaks. This will include imaging diagnosis, surveillance, indications for intervention, endovascular treatments and their outcomes. Our purpose is to provide recommendations based on up-to-date evidence, updating the guidelines previously published on this topic in 2013. The writing group was established by the CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee and consisted of clinicians with internationally recognised expertise in endoleak management. The writing group reviewed the existing literature performing a pragmatic evidence search using PubMed to select publications in English and relating to human subjects up to 2023. The final recommendations were formulated through consensus. Endoleaks may compromise durability of the aortic repair, and long-term imaging surveillance is necessary for early detection and correct classification to guide potential re-intervention. The majority of endoleaks that require treatment can be managed using endovascular techniques. This Standards of Practice document provides up-to-date recommendations for the safe management of endoleaks.

Improving Students’ English Public Speaking Skill toward Campus Visit Program

The purpose of this study is to open the author's knowledge window directly, namely by conducting workshops so that UMT and UAD students can explore their public speaking in accordance with language cultures abroad and locally. not only that the workshop has a good impact, namely improving the quality and providing experience to students so that they can evaluate their English skills to speak in public, It is also useful in the context of globalization which will provide cross-cultural knowledge that is very important and valuable. In this paper, the author shares information about the Muhammadiyah museum and several tourist attractions and its history as learning material for a broader insight into an area.

The efficacy of purified pollen extract for reducing vasomotor symptoms in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Menopause impacts the quality of life for women, with symptoms varying from hot flashes to night disturbances. When menopausal hormonal therapy is contraindicated or women refuse menopausal hormonal therapy, many consider alternatives such as pollen extract for treating vasomotor symptoms. This meta-analysis focuses on the impact of using purified pollen extract as a treatment option to reduce vasomotor symptoms in women, specifically focusing on symptoms such as hot flashes, night disturbances, myalgias, and depression. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the following Boolean search string "women OR females" AND "purified pollen OR pollen extract OR cytoplasmic pollen OR Bonafide OR Femal OR Estroven OR Serelys" AND "menopausal symptoms OR vasomotor symptoms OR hot flashes OR night sweats OR sleep disturbance." Publications in English from 2003 to the present were included. To assess the risk of bias, authors used the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias 2 for a randomized controlled trial and Risk-of-Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) for observational studies. Using ReviewManager, a Der Simonian-Laird random-effects model meta-analysis was conducted to determine the standardized mean differences (SMDs) in the outcomes for each study. Five articles were retained: one randomized controlled trial and four observational studies ( N = 420). An overall decrease in scores from the baseline of studies compared with a 3-month follow-up after purified cytoplasm of pollen (PCP) treatment was recognized when compiling the data. Overall, there was significant improvement across all outcomes at 3 months: hot flashes demonstrated an overall improvement in SMD of -1.66 ( P < 0.00001), night disturbance scores were improved with an SMD of -1.10 ( P < 0.0001), depression scores were improved with an SMD of -1.31 ( P < 0.0001), and myalgia had an improvement in SMD of -0.40 ( P < 0.00001). When controlled studies were pooled for meta-analysis, outcomes, however, were no longer statistically significant. Evaluating the risk-to-benefit ratio of alternative therapies, such as PCP extract, is important to care for women who cannot take traditional vasomotor symptom therapies. Pooled data from controlled studies evaluating PCP extract suggest that vasomotor symptom improvements seen in noncontrolled studies may have been due to the placebo effect; however, its use was not associated with significant adverse effects.

Beyond traditional teaching: a systematic review of innovative pedagogical practices in higher education

Background Pedagogical best practices play a pivotal role in ensuring the academic success of students within the higher education landscape. This study aims to systematically synthesize innovative pedagogical best practices within the university context. Methods We conducted a thorough systematic review using the rigorous PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology. Our review involved comprehensive searches of scientific databases, including Eric, Scopus, and Proquest, covering both Spanish and English publications. We strategically employed Boolean operators like AND and OR to create a robust search equation. Our primary research question guiding this investigation was: “What innovative pedagogical practices have been developed in university settings to improve teaching and learning effectiveness?” This central question led us to delve deeply into the strategies utilized, pedagogical approaches adopted, and the noticeable impact achieved after their implementation. Additionally, we carefully established stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to ensure methodological rigor. Results A total of 25 scholarly articles that met the pre-established criteria were meticulously identified and included in this systematic review. The results were thoughtfully categorized into three distinct teaching strategies: the first emphasizing student-centered approaches, the second showcasing the integration of educational technology, and the third highlighting evaluation and feedback methodologies. Conclusions This systematic exploration of pedagogical best practices underscores their paramount importance in driving continuous improvement in teacher training and fostering innovation within the educational arena. Such practices not only create an engaging and effective learning environment but also set the stage for ongoing advancements in the teaching and learning processes.

Feasibility and acceptability of study methods and psychosocial interventions for body image among women diagnosed with breast cancer: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

This systematic review aimed to summarize evidence for the feasibility and acceptability of psychosocial interventions for body image among women diagnosed with breast cancer and the study methods used to evaluate the interventions in question. Articles were identified via MEDLINE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, PsychINFO, and EMBASE. Inclusion criteria were: (1) peer-reviewed publication in English from 2000 onward with accessible full-text, (2) reported data on the feasibility and/or acceptability of psychosocial interventions and/or study methods, (3) included at least one measure of body image or reported a body-related theme, and (4) sample comprised women diagnosed with breast cancer. All study designs were eligible. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Sixty-two articles were included. Participants and comparator groups varied as did interventions. Feasibility and acceptability of the interventions and study methods were inconsistently operationalized and reported across studies. Evidence of feasibility and acceptability was heterogeneous within and across studies, though mostly positive. Published psychosocial interventions for body image and study methods are generally feasible and acceptable. Findings should be used to advance the development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions designed to improve outcomes (body image or otherwise) for women diagnosed with breast cancer. This review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; ID: CRD42021269062, 11 September 2021).

Multipluralism with education in Google books: Mechanisms descriptive about transsexuality and social representations and rights of adolescents

The work presented was prepared according to the need to understand the representations of human beings in their recognized historical rights identified throughout mainly adolescence as an important stage of life. This research is also motivated to understand public health policies identified in alignment with the representations of the human being in the phases of life, especially those aimed at transsexuals. I used the following lexical items added in English using the search engine through Google Books and, concomitantly, scanning in Brazilian Portuguese in a correspondence search engine called Brazilian Corpus made available by the Linguateca1 initiative. Therefore, these are recognized masculine genders, women, gays, lesbians, homosexuals, transgender people; person, transgender, transgender person, transsexual person, spiritual person, transgender person, transsexual person, gender queer, gender dysphoria, gender identity, gender diverse, gender non-conforming minors, gender non-conforming, gender affirming, non-binary; non-binary; transgender, gender diversity, non-conforming adolescents, LGBTQ, non- conforming people, minority genders, gender transition, family, adopted family (as well as their own plural forms). The phases of life have been operationalized by the following measures: man, woman, adolescent, adolescence, adult, boy, girl, child, elderly, child, young person and adolescent (as well as their plural forms). The data for the analysis consists of publications made available by Google Books in the period 1800 to 2008, totaling approximately 500 million words, in addition to the use of the SKETCH ENGINE Corpus which brings together publications in English and Brazilian Portuguese in this analysis. The Portuguese Corpus contains around 1 billion words of data from newspapers and magazines on the Internet in four Portuguese-speaking countries between 2012 and 2019 and is called the Portuguese Web (ptTenTen20). To this end, several analyzes were carried out, focusing in particular on the results related to the rights of transsexual people and when these rights began to be recognized in publications and the possible health policies addressed to adolescents and education.

Factors Influencing Vertical Radicular Fractures in Teeth Supported by Metallic Dental Core: A Scoping Review.

The aim of this work is to conduct a literature review to highlight all the parameters involved in sub-prosthetic radicular fractures of teeth supported by metallic dental core. The following research was performed among published studies over the last 10 years in two PubMed/Medline and Scopus and supplemented by manual searching within the bibliographies. The search was restricted to publications in English and French. Out of the 1464 articles initially identified, 18 studies met our inclusion criteria and were subsequently included in the literature review. These consisted of eight Finite Element Analysis Studies, two Retrospective Studies and one Randomized Controlled Trial. The results of this review show that radicular fractures are influenced by several variables, including predisposition, with maxillary premolars and mandibular molars being the most commonly affected teeth. Intracanal preparation can induce crack formation, leading to localized high stress concentrations. Increased ferrule height to 2 mm significantly enhances dental fracture resistance. Using high modulus of elasticity alloys results in nearly complete stress transmission to dentin due to their limited deformability and absorption capacity. The highest fracture resistance is achieved when posts are sealed using resin-modified glass-ionomer cement. Longer posts may be preferable to prevent vertical fractures. Additionally, occlusal factors, through repetitive stresses, contribute to crack propagation from surface defects, a phenomenon termed fatigue fracture. These findings have significant implications. Practitioners should be aware of the predisposition of certain teeth, the importance of preserving the ferrule effect, the choice of root post materials, post Cement Material and the role of occlusal forces in managing and preventing vertical root fractures.

What are the observed procedural costs of vascular access surgery? Protocol for a systematic review

IntroductionA central component in the introduction of a novel surgical procedure or technique is an evaluation of its cost efficiency when compared with a benchmark standard of care. Accurate assessment...

Central contrast sensitivity as an outcome measure in randomized controlled trials in glaucoma ‐ a systematic review

Aims/Purpose: Standard automated perimetry (SAP) is currently the gold standard for diagnosing and assessing glaucoma progression. However, contrast sensitivity (CS) has shown promise as a valuable diagnostic tool in the early stages of glaucoma. This study aims to describe the evaluation of central CS as an outcome measure in randomized controlled trials on glaucoma.Methods: A descriptive systematic review was conducted, searching multiple databases for relevant literature and abstracts. Two independent authors screened the records and collected data, with a third reviewer available for resolution in case of disagreements. Eligibility criteria included the use of central CS as an outcome measure, publication in English with no restrictions on the date, glaucoma of any type (including suspects and ocular hypertension), and no limitations on age, sex, ethnicity, or geographical location. Any type of intervention and comparator was included, while animal studies were excluded.Results: The initial search yielded 990 articles and abstracts for title and abstract screening, of which 29 met the eligibility criteria for full‐text data extraction. The review is currently in progress.Conclusions: Glaucoma affects not only peripheral visual functions but also central visual functions in the early stages. SAP detects visual field defects only after a significant loss of retinal ganglion cells. Visual acuity (VA) is routinely used in glaucoma evaluation but provides limited information on the disease stage, focusing mainly on foveal involvement. Currently, there are no widely accepted examinations of central visual functions routinely performed for suspected or established glaucoma patients. Studies have shown that CS declines in the early stages of glaucoma. This review aims to provide insight into the tests used to assess CS in glaucoma and their performance.

The relationships between obesity and epilepsy: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

There is ongoing debate regarding the association between epilepsy and obesity. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the correlation between epilepsy and obesity. This study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. On The Prospero website, this study has been successfully registered (CRD42023439530), searching electronic databases from the Cochr-ane Library, PubMed, Web of Sciences and Embase until February 10, 2024.The search keywords included "Epilepsy", "Obesity", "Case-Control Studies", "cohort studies", "Randomized Controlled Trial" and "Cross-Sectional Studies". The medical subject headings(MeSH) of PubMed was utilized to search for relevant subject words and free words, and a comprehensive search strategy was developed. Two reviewers conducted article screening, data extraction and bias risk assessment in strict accordance with the predefined criteria for including and excluding studies. The predefined inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) Inclusion of case-control, cohort, randomized controlled trial, and cross-sectional studies; 2) Segregation of subjects into epileptic patients and healthy controls; 3)Obesity as the outcome measure; 4) Availability of comprehensive data; 5) Publication in English. The exclusion criteria were as follows: 1) Exclusion of animal experiments, reviews, and other types of studies; 2) Absence of a healthy control group; 3) Incomplete data; 4) Unextractable or unconvertible data; 5) Low quality, indicated by an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality(AHRQ) score of 5 or lower,or a Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score less than 3. The subjects included in the study included adults and children, and the diagnostic criteria for obesity were used at different ages. In this study, obesity was defined as having a body mass index(BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or higher in adults and being above the 85th percentile of BMI for age in children. We used obesity as an outcome measure for meta-analysis using RevMan, version 5.3. A meta-analysis was conducted on a total of 17 clinical studies, which involved 5329 patients with epilepsy and 480837 healthy controls. These studies were selected from a pool of 1497 articles obtained from four electronic databases mentioned earlier. Duplicate studies were removed based on the search strategies employed. No significant heterogeneity was observed in the outcome measure of obesity in epileptic patients compared with healthy controls(p = 0.01,I2 = 49%). Therefore, a fixed effects model was utilized in this study. The findings revealed a significant difference in obesity prevalence between patients with epilepsy and healthy controls(OR = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.20-1.38, p<0.01). The results of this meta-analysis indicate that epilepsy patients are more prone to obesity than healthy people, so we need to pay attention to the problem of post-epilepsy obesity clinically. Currently, there is a scarcity of largescale prospective studies. Additional clinical investigations are warranted to delve deeper into whether obesity is a comorbidity of epilepsy and whether obesity can potentially trigger epilepsy.

The influence of vitamin and mineral consumption on the course of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Aim: The study of the role of micronutrients in the prevention of the severe course of the coronavirus disease. Materials and Methods: In order to fulfill the task, there was conducted an analytical review of medical and biological publications in English in the electronic databases PubMed Medline of the US National Library of Medicine (NLM), Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for the period from 2015 to November 2023, where included 50 published articles, 28 preprints and 109 trials. In the course of the study, the bibliographic-semantic research method was used according to the "Preferred Reporting Elements for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" (PRISMA) protocol. According to this protocol, identified literary sources were sequentially analyzed by title, keywords, abstract and full text of articles. Based on the results of 16 searches, 2650 articles from PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Embase, 3162 articles from preprint servers and 237 trials were rejected. In the final article synthesis, we included 50 published articles, 28 preprints, and 109 trials. Conclusions: The most effective in preventing complications of the coronavirus disease are vitamins A, D, E, K, C, B3, B6, B9, B12 and such mineral substances as Mg, Se and Zn. The consumption of appropriate bioactive complexes and source products can be considered a clinically and economically effective strategy for the prevention of a severe course of the coronavirus disease.

Effectiveness of nursing interventions in the prevention of falls in older adults in the community and in health care settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCT

ObjectiveTo estimate the effectiveness of fall prevention programs in people aged 65 years and older involving nursing professionals. MethodsWe included available full-text randomized clinical trials on nurse-led prevention of falls in the community in people over 65 years of age and reporting the incidence of such falls. An extensive search was performed in 14 databases covering the period 2016–2018 for publications in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.The quality of the papers was assessed independently and blindly by reviewers working in pairs using the risk of bias dominios of the Cochrane Collaboration.The hazard ratio was used as a measure of the effect size of the incidence of falls. A random-effects model was assumed for statistical analyses. The influence of moderator variables of the studies on the effect sizes was performed using ANOVAs and its 95% CI for each moderator category. ResultsA total of 31 randomized clinical trials were selected with 25,551 participants. The most frequent type of intervention was education (57.1%), followed by multifactorial models (37.1%). The probability of falling was significantly reduced by 13% in the intervention groups compared to the control groups (RR+=0.87). Multifactorial (RR+=0.89) and education-based (RR=+0.84) interventions significantly reduced the probability of falls by 11% and 16%, respectively. ConclusionsDiscarding publication bias prevention programs carried out by nurses produce a significant 10% reduction in falls. Education-based and multifactorial interventions are the most effective when conducted by nurses.

Animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows and their validity and practicality: a systematic review of the existing literature.

Animal welfare is of increasing importance, with consumers preferring animal products made with ethical practices due to growing awareness. This shift highlights the need for reliable methods to evaluate welfare. This systematic review aims to assess the validity of current animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows to aid farmers and agricultural professionals in evaluating and improving welfare amidst the lack of a clear legislative definition. The literature search spanned five databases: CAB Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Livivo, covering publications in English and German from 2011 to 2021. Specific search terms were employed, and abstracts were screened for relevance. Publications were categorized based on exclusion criteria, with a final verification process conducted by three independent scientists. Research highlights correlations between welfare measures, farm characteristics and innovative indicators like hair cortisol concentration. Farming systems and housing methods significantly affect welfare, with pasture-based systems generally resulting in reduced lameness and improved behavior. Proper housing design and management practices are important, as they influence indicators like lameness and cleanliness. Heart rate variability and heart rate monitoring provide insights into dairy cow stress levels during milking and other stressors, making them valuable for welfare assessment. Biomarker research emphasizes the need to balance productivity and health in breeding strategies, as high milk production alone does not indicate good welfare. Behavioral studies and the human-animal relationship are key to understanding welfare. Precision Livestock Farming offers real-time assessment capabilities, although validation is needed. Stress physiology is complex, and while cortisol measurement methods are promising, further research is necessary. Assessment tools like the Animal Needs Index and routine herd data analysis are valuable for identifying welfare concerns. Key findings highlight the WQ® protocol's effectiveness and versatility, the challenge of its time demands, and the DCF protocol's promise for more practical and efficient welfare assessments. Commercial animal welfare audits should prioritize easily observable indicators and herd records due to logistical constraints in measuring biomarkers or heart rate variability. This focus on easily accessible indicators, such as body condition score, lameness, claw health, cleanliness, and somatic cell count allows effective welfare assessments, enabling prompt action to enhance wellbeing.

Take-Home Naloxone Access and Use among Older Adults Living with Pain: A Scoping Review.

Opioids are a common treatment for older adults living with pain. Given high rates of polypharmacy and chronic comorbidities, older adults are at risk of opioid overdose. Evidence is now available that take-home naloxone (THN) supports reduction of opioid-related harms. It is unknown what THN initiatives are available for older adults, especially those living with chronic pain. To summarize the literature regarding THN, with a focus on older adults using opioids for pain, including facilitators of and barriers to THN access, knowledge gaps, and pharmacist-led initiatives. A scoping review, guided by an established framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, was performed. Methods involved searching 6 bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, and PubMed), reference harvesting, and citation tracking. Searches were conducted up to March 2023, with no date limits applied; only English publications were included. Study eligibility was determined according to preset criteria, including age; discrepancies were resolved by discussion and consensus. Data were extracted and categorized through thematic analysis. Four studies met the eligibility criteria. All 4 studies detailed THN programs in primary care settings involving older adults taking opioids for pain management. Two of the studies highlighted patient-specific risk factors for opioid overdose, including concomitant use of benzodiazepines and/or gabapentinoids, mean morphine milligram equivalents per day of at least 50, and previous opioid overdose. Two of the studies assessed patient knowledge of opioid overdose management and attitudes toward THN. Educational programs increased patients' interest in THN. The literature about THN for older adults living with pain is limited, and no literature was found on pharmacist-led initiatives in this area. Future research on THN provision for older adults, including pharmacist-led initiatives, could help to optimize care for older adults living with pain.

ТАТАРСКИЕ КУПЦЫ НА РЫНКАХ БЛИЖНЕГО И СРЕДНЕГО ВОСТОКА В XIX В.

The article is devoted to determining the role and importance of the Tatar merchant class in the development of foreign trade relations of the Russian Empire with the markets of the Near and Middle East during the XIX century. The author reveals the ethno-confessional features of the participation of Tatar traders in the specified region, the role and importance of the community of culture, religion, language with the peoples of the East, as well as the historical ties of the Tatars of the Volga region and Crimea with the Asian states. The article contains an overview of the leading centers of foreign trade in the Near and Middle East, the features of trade operations and traditions, the main trade routes, vehicles, etc. The author pays special attention to the trade of Tatar pilgrims during the Hajj to Mecca and Medina, in the markets of Iran, Syria and Iraq, Palestine, Hejaz and Nejd as part of the Ottoman Empire. He reveals the range and volumes of goods sold and purchased by Tatar merchants in the markets of the Middle East, as well as the prices of goods. The article presents a variety of statistical material characterizing the foreign trade relations of the Russian Empire with the states and peoples of the specified region of the East. The author uses archival documents, mainly from the Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire, as well as little-known pre-revolutionary publications in Russian, English, French, Spanish, and Turkish.

Nature-derived Alkaloids as a Promising Bioactive Compound in Drug Discovery to Meet Global Leishmania Needs

Background: Natural products have been important resources for potential drug development. Among the many classes of natural products, alkaloids have the most therapeutic applications. Treatment of leishmaniasis by chemical drugs remains a challenge because of toxic side effects, limited efficacy, and drug resistance. This review focuses to embrace all researches on leishmanicidal alkaloids over a specific range of time, with special consideration the molecular mechanism of action, and structure-related activity. Methods: All publications (in English) from Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar from 2000-2021 using a variety of keywords such as natural alkaloids, herbal alkaloids, marine alkaloids along with leishmaniasis were included in the present study. In this summary, the focus is mainly on natural alkaloids of plant, mineral, marine origin, etc., which have empirically demonstrated the antileishmanial effect. Results: Fourteen categories of alkaloids with anti-leishmaniasis activity were extracted from the articles. The highest number of alkaloids belonged to isoquinoline, indole, and quinoline alkaloids (21.78%, 20.67%, and 16.48% respectively). This review indicated that the mentioned alkaloids are able to inhibit the proliferation of parasites, the respiratory chain and protein synthesis, arrest the cell cycle, disrupt the mitochondrial membrane integrity, inhibit leishmanial topoisomerase, induce mitochondrial dysfunction, and changes in the parasite morphology. Discussion: The present study highlighted antileishmanial alkaloids that are active against different species of Leishmania in vitro and some of them are also active in visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis models. However, more clinical studies are needed to clarify the anti-leishmanial activity of alkaloids against leishmania in detail. Conclusion: Among the reported compounds, two main classes of alkaloids including isoquinoline and indole alkaloids cover a wider range of anti-parasitic compounds, and structure-activity relationships (SAR) studies of these molecular skeletons may be good lead compounds and afford the structural clues to develop novel medicines with more selective therapeutic profiles.

The humanistic and societal impact of obesity in Japan: a targeted literature review.

Obesity is a focus of Japanese public health policy, due to Japanese individuals' high susceptibility to weight-related conditions. In contrast to global definitions, obesity is defined as a body-mass-index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2 in Japan. Despite public efforts, rates of obesity have not decreased over the past decade. To better understand its societal impact, we examined the economic, quality of life (QoL), and complications burden of obesity in Japan. Electronic databases were searched for English and Japanese-language publications from 2005 to December 2020 reporting on adults with obesity in Japan; other diseases were excluded, with no restriction on intervention. Outcomes of interest included costs or resource use, QoL, risk of complications, and other clinical outcomes. We identified 137 studies, including 19 reporting on economic evidence, eight reporting on QoL, and 115 reporting on the relationship between obesity and the risk of complications or mortality. The studies consistently showed that Japanese adults with obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) are at increased risk of complications vs. normal weight adults. They also confirmed higher total and medical costs, resource use, and hospitalization costs among adults with obesity vs. normal weight adults. In addition, the studies confirmed a considerable impact of obesity on physical and mental aspects of QoL. Overall, this study found that obesity in Japan is associated with a substantial burden. Japanese people are at risk even with BMI ≥25-<30 kg/m2, which are generally considered as pre-obese in other countries.