Medicine Research Research Articles

One Page in the History of Starvation and Refeeding.

There is a long history of starvation, including reports dated back to antiquity. Despite exceptional scientific developments, starvation still exists today. The medical aspects of starvation were well established in the twentieth century, particularly following studies related to the 1943-1944 Bengal famine in India and starved prisoners of war and survivors of World War 2. The refeeding of the starved victims provided disappointing results. Nevertheless, those studies eventually led to the development of a new branch of research in medicine and to the definition of what is now known as refeeding syndrome. This paper briefly reviews the history and groundwork that led to today's understanding of starvation and refeeding, with a particular emphasis on the observations from studies on starved Holocaust survivors and prisoners of war after World War 2. The relevance of these studies for modern times is briefly discussed.

The Evolution of Drug Regulatory Sciences in the Netherlands: More than a Country Report.

In the Netherlands, drug regulatory science is a vibrant national and internationally oriented community. In this review, we present the factors that have contributed to this successful collaboration between relevant stakeholders and that led to a surge of activities around how regulatory science became embedded in the ecosystem of medicines research, clinical pharmacology, policymaking and regulation. We distinguished three pivotal episodes: (i) TI Pharma Escher-project, (ii) Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board as catalyst of the big jump, and (iii) Regulatory Science Network Netherlands and multistakeholder engagement. The research agenda has been influenced by the dynamic evolution of legal frameworks in Europe, such as the EU orphan medicines legislation of 2001 and the EU pharmacovigilance legislation of 2012. All these developments have inspired and have raised pertinent regulatory sciences questions. Furthermore, clinical pharmacology as a discipline has been very influential in shaping regulatory science, contributing to discussions on the level of clinical evidence that is necessary to justify marketing approval of a new medicine. With a growing interest of multiple parties such as academics, European Medicines Agency, national agencies, patient organizations and EFPIA, connecting regulatory science activities is key.

Prenylated Flavonoids of the Moraceae Family: A Comprehensive Review of Their Biological Activities.

Prenylated flavonoids (PFs) are natural flavonoids with a prenylated side chain attached to the flavonoid skeleton. They have great potential for biological activities such as anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, enzyme inhibition, and anti-Alzheimer's effects. Medicinal chemists have recently paid increasing attention to PFs, which have become vital for developing new therapeutic agents. PFs have quickly developed through isolation and semi- or full synthesis, proving their high value in medicinal chemistry research. This review comprehensively summarizes the research progress of PFs, including natural PFs from the Moraceae family and their pharmacological activities. This information provides a basis for the selective design and optimization of multifunctional PF derivatives to treat multifactorial diseases.

The skåne emergency medicine (SEM) cohort

BackgroundIn the European Union alone, more than 100 million people present to the emergency department (ED) each year, and this has increased steadily year-on-year by 2–3%. Better patient management decisions have the potential to reduce ED crowding, the number of diagnostic tests, the use of inpatient beds, and healthcare costs.MethodsWe have established the Skåne Emergency Medicine (SEM) cohort for developing clinical decision support systems (CDSS) based on artificial intelligence or machine learning as well as traditional statistical methods. The SEM cohort consists of 325 539 unselected unique patients with 630 275 visits from January 1st, 2017 to December 31st, 2018 at eight EDs in the region Skåne in southern Sweden. Data on sociodemographics, previous diseases and current medication are available for each ED patient visit, as well as their chief complaint, test results, disposition and the outcome in the form of subsequent diagnoses, treatments, healthcare costs and mortality within a follow-up period of at least 30 days, and up to 3 years.DiscussionThe SEM cohort provides a platform for CDSS research, and we welcome collaboration. In addition, SEM’s large amount of real-world patient data with almost complete short-term follow-up will allow research in epidemiology, patient management, diagnostics, prognostics, ED crowding, resource allocation, and social medicine.

A comprehensive review of early gastric cancer research in traditional Chinese and western medicine

A comprehensive review of early gastric cancer research in traditional Chinese and western medicine

Based on the Molecular Mechanism of CiteSpace Sanqi Total Saponin and the Prevention and Treatment of Renal Fibrosis, Hot Spot Visualization Analysis

This study aims to study the current situation, hot spots and development trends of Sanqi total saponins in the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis through a visual map, in order to provide a direction and trend for the research of traditional Chinese medicine on the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis. Method: By using CiteSpace visualization software, the relevant literature on the use of Sanqi total saponins in the CNKI database for the treatment of renal fibrosis was visually analyzed, including posting trends, authors, institutions and keywords, and the corresponding knowledge map was generated. Results: From 2005 to 2022, a total of 1,533 documents were included in the research results. From 2008 to 2017, an average of 99 articles were published every year, accounting for 67.5% of the total number of articles published. Among them, the number of articles published in 2010 and 2013 reached 114, the highest in previous years. At the same time, Yang Min is the author who has published the most articles, with a total of 29 papers. Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the main research institution in this field. Through cluster analysis of research hotspots, ten clusters were obtained, including rats, left ventricular reconstruction, oxidative stress, drug interaction, astragaloside, apoptosis, matrix metalloproteinase-9,oleoside, lipopolysaccharide, atherosclerosis, etc. Future research focuses include oxidative stress, autophagy process, Sanqi total saponins, inflammatory response, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and pharmacokinetics. Conclusion: The knowledge map reveals the research status and research hotspots of Sanqi total saponins in the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis, including oxidative stress, inflammation, cell proliferation and apoptosis, which will become the focus of research on the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis in traditional Chinese medicine in the future. However, the collaboration between research authors and scientific research institutions lacks closeness, lacks core authors, and has not yet formed an influential research organization. The depth and breadth of research need to be further enhanced.

Molecular stratification of the human fetal vaginal epithelium by spatial transcriptome analysis.

The human vaginal epithelium is a crucial component of numerous reproductive processes and serves as a vital protective barrier against pathogenic invasion. Despite its significance, a comprehensive exploration of its molecular profiles, including molecular expression and distribution across its multiple layers, has not been performed. In this study, we perform a spatial transcriptomic analysis within the vaginal wall of human fetuses to fill this knowledge gap. We successfully categorize the vaginal epithelium into four distinct zones based on transcriptomic profiles and anatomical features. This approach reveals unique transcriptomic signatures within these regions, allowing us to identify differentially expressed genes and uncover novel markers for distinct regions of the vaginal epithelium. Additionally, our findings highlight the varied expressions of keratin ( KRT) genes across different zones of the vaginal epithelium, with a gradual shift in expression patterns observed from the basal layer to the surface/superficial layer. This suggests a potential differentiation trajectory of the human vaginal epithelium, shedding light on the dynamic nature of this tissue. Furthermore, abundant biological processes are found to be enriched in the basal zone by KEGG pathway analysis, indicating an active state of the basal zone cells. Subsequently, the expressions of latent stem cell markers in the basal zone are identified. In summary, our research provides a crucial understanding of human vaginal epithelial cells and the complex mechanisms of the vaginal mucosa, with potential applications in vaginal reconstruction and drug delivery, making this atlas a valuable tool for future research in women's health and reproductive medicine.

Thiazole derivatives: prospectives and biological applications

Thiazole derivatives have long been a hot topic in pharmaceutical research and remain among the greatest active fields in heterocyclic chemistry. Thiazole derivatives, as one of the potentially favored structure, have been extensively desirable by industrial and medicinal researchers and have gained significant success in the previous decades due to their various biological activities, such as anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-HIV, antiulcer, and anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, many thiazole drugs are well-known pharmaceuticals on the market. This review summarizes the freshly synthesized routes and prospective biological activities of thiazole derivatives. In addition, it highlights thiazoles as treatment drugs in clinical trials or approved by the FDA and spotlights on some of their industrial applications. On the other hand, one of the goals of this review is to open up prospects for the future design, development, and usage of thiazole derivatives as potent drugs.

Study on the Compositional Analysis, Extraction Process, and Hemostatic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Cirsium japonicum Fisch. ex DC.-Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB Extracts.

Cirsium japonicum Fisch. ex DC. (CF) and Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB (CS) are commonly used clinically to stop bleeding and eliminate carbuncles. Still, CF is mainly used for treating inflammation, while CS favors hemostasis. Therefore, the present study used UHPLC-MS to analyze the main chemical constituents in CF-CS extract. We optimized the extraction process using single-factor experiments and response surface methodology. Afterward, the hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects of CF-CS extract were investigated by determining the clotting time in vitro, the bleeding time of rabbit trauma, and the induction of rabbit inflammation using xylene and lipopolysaccharide. The study of hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects showed that the CF-CS, CF, and CS extract groups could significantly shorten the coagulation time and bleeding time of rabbits compared with the blank group (p < 0.01); compared with the model group, it could dramatically inhibit xylene-induced ear swelling in rabbits and the content of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the serum of rabbits (p < 0.01). The results showed that combined CF and CS synergistically increased efficacy. CF-CS solved the problem of the single hemostatic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of a single drug, which provided a new idea for the research and development of natural hemostatic and anti-inflammatory medicines.

A narrative review of the phenomenon of predatory journals to create awareness among researchers in veterinary medicine.

In recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of predatory journals has increased significantly. Predatory journals exploit the "open-access model" by engaging in deceptive practices such as charging high publication fees without providing the expected quality and performing insufficient or no peer review. Such behaviors undermine the integrity of scientific research and can result in researchers having trouble identifying reputable publication opportunities, particularly early-career researchers who struggle to understand and establish the correct criteria for publication in reputable journals. Publishing in journals that do not fully cover the criteria for scientific publication is also an ethical issue. This review aimed to describe the characteristics of predatory journals, differentiate between reliable and predatory journals, investigate the reasons that lead researchers to publish in predatory journals, evaluate the negative impact of predatory publications on the scientific community, and explore future perspectives. The authors also provide some considerations for researchers (particularly early-career researchers) when selecting journals for publication, explaining the role of metrics, databases, and artificial intelligence in manuscript preparation, with a specific focus on and relevance to publication in veterinary medicine.

Improving transformation and regeneration efficiency in medicinal plants: Insights from other recalcitrant species.

Medicinal plants are integral to traditional medicine systems world-wide, being pivotal for human health. Harvesting plant material from natural environments, however, has led to species scarcity, prompting action to develop cultivation solutions that also aid conservation efforts. Biotechnological tools, specifically plant tissue culture and genetic transformation, offer solutions for sustainable, large-scale production and enhanced yield of valuable biomolecules. While these techniques are instrumental to the development of the medicinal plant industry, the challenge of inherent regeneration recalcitrance in some species to in vitro cultivation hampers these efforts. This review examines the strategies for overcoming recalcitrance in medicinal plants using a holistic approach, emphasising the meticulous choice of explants, e.g. embryonic/meristematic tissues; plant growth regulators, e.g. synthetic cytokinins; and use of novel regeneration-enabling methods to deliver morphogenic genes e.g. GRF/GIF chimeras and nanoparticles, which have been shown to contribute to overcoming recalcitrance barriers in agriculture crops. Furthermore, it highlights the benefit of cost-effective genomic technologies that enable precise genome editing and the value of integrating data-driven models to address genotype-specific challenges in medicinal plant research. These advances mark a progressive step towards a future where medicinal plant cultivation is not only more efficient and predictable but also inherently sustainable, ensuring the continued availability and exploitation of these important plants for current and future generations.

Galactagogue activity of poly-herbal decoction from Indonesia: a randomized open label controlled trial.

Indonesia have several herbs empirically used as galactagogue. However there are limited clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of this herbs especially poly-herb. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of polyherbal galactagogue (PHG) consist of katuk leaves, torbangun leaves and papaya leaves compared to commercial galactagogue capsules (CGC) that contain a single plant extract, katuk leaves. This study was an open label randomized controlled trial with 120 subjects that randomly assigned into two groups, PHG and CGC. This study was conducted at the herbal medicine research house (Rumah Riset Jamu/RRJ) Hortus Medicus and 30 subsites in Central Java and Jogjakarta provinces from July to November 2018. Duration ofintervention 28days. Parameter of efficacy breast milk volume, baby weight, prolactin level and parameter of safety ALT, AST, Urea, Creatinin were performed at baseline, day 14 and 28. The symptom of side effects also recorded every week. Breast milk volume and infant's weight increased at day-14 and 28 in both groups. However, prolactin level in both groups decreased. There were no significant differences of efficacy parameters at baseline in both groups. At three times measurement of ALT, AST, Urea and Ceratinin average levels were within the normal range. About 3-5% mothers experience higher ALT, AST and nausea that can tolerated well. No side effect was found in infants. PHG and CGC have the equal efficacy and safety as a galactagogue. The optimal used is for 14days.

Revisiting drug-protein interaction prediction: a novel global-local perspective.

Accurate inference of potential drug-protein interactions (DPIs) aids in understanding drug mechanisms and developing novel treatments. Existing deep learning models, however, struggle with accurate node representation in DPI prediction, limiting their performance. We propose a new computational framework that integrates global and local features of nodes in the drug-protein bipartite graph for efficient DPI inference. Initially, we employ pre-trained models to acquire fundamental knowledge of drugs and proteins and to determine their initial features. Subsequently, the MinHash and HyperLogLog algorithms are utilized to estimate the similarity and set cardinality between drug and protein subgraphs, serving as their local features. Then, an energy-constrained diffusion mechanism is integrated into the transformer architecture, capturing interdependencies between nodes in the drug-protein bipartite graph and extracting their global features. Finally, we fuse the local and global features of nodes and employ multilayer perceptrons to predict the likelihood of potential DPIs. A comprehensive and precise node representation guarantees efficient prediction of unknown DPIs by the model. Various experiments validate the accuracy and reliability of our model, with molecular docking results revealing its capability to identify potential DPIs not present in existing databases. This approach is expected to offer valuable insights for furthering drug repurposing and personalized medicine research. Our code and data are accessible at: https://github.com/ZZCrazy00/DPI.

Taking Traditional Medicine (Sowa Rigpa) research from Bhutan to the world

Bhutan Sorig Journal is the second peer-reviewed journal of the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, the only medical university in the country. The vision of Bhutan Sorig Journal is to serve as an archival and repository of research in Traditional Medicine not only in Bhutan but also in the South Asia region. As Bhutan was known as the Land of Medicinal Herbs owing to their abundance in our pristine mountains and low-lying plains, our special focus will be on the therapeutic discovery of herbs and natural minerals with potential pharmaceutical benefits. The journal will initiate active processes to document knowledge and skills that are in dying stages in the face of the onslaught of modern technology and information. The journal will provide a place to accommodate discussion and debate on all topics that will enlighten human minds with knowledge and their application to serve all sentient beings on earth.

Mesenchymal stem cells for repairing glaucomatous optic nerve.

Glaucoma is a common and complex neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and axons. Currently, there is no effective method to address the cause of RGCs degeneration. However, studies on neuroprotective strategies for optic neuropathy have increased in recent years. Cell replacement and neuroprotection are major strategies for treating glaucoma and optic neuropathy. Regenerative medicine research into the repair of optic nerve damage using stem cells has received considerable attention. Stem cells possess the potential for multidirectional differentiation abilities and are capable of producing RGC-friendly microenvironments through paracrine effects. This article reviews a thorough researches of recent advances and approaches in stem cell repair of optic nerve injury, raising the controversies and unresolved issues surrounding the future of stem cells.

DNA shape features improve prediction of CRISPR/Cas9 activity

The CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology has transformed basic and translational research in biology and medicine. However, the advances are hindered by off-target effects and a paucity in the knowledge of the mechanism of the Cas9 protein. Machine learning models have been proposed for the prediction of Cas9 activity at unintended sites, yet feature engineering plays a major role in the outcome of the predictors. This study evaluates the improvement in the performance of similar predictors upon inclusion of epigenetic and DNA shape feature groups in the conventionally used sequence-based Cas9 target and off-target datasets. The approach involved the utilization of neural networks trained on a diverse range of parameters, allowing us to systematically assess the performance increase for the meticulously designed datasets- (i) sequence only, (ii) sequence and epigenetic features, and (iii) sequence, epigenetic and DNA shape feature datasets.The addition of DNA shape information significantly improved predictive performance, evaluated by Akaike and Bayesian information criteria. The evaluation of individual feature importance by permutation and LIME-based methods also indicates that not only sequence features like mismatches and nucleotide composition, but also base pairing parameters like opening and stretch, that are indicative of distortion in the DNA-RNA hybrid in the presence of mismatches, influence model outcomes.

Evaluation and reduction of background interference caused by airborne particles in gamma spectrometry measurements

Gamma-ray spectrometry has wide applications in various fields of science, technology, medicine, and basic research. Despite many advantages of this technique, background quantification constitutes one of the challenges in performing measurements. This study aimed to show the effect of air pollution on gamma spectrometric measurements and provide a low-cost system to improve their quality. To improve the background parameters of the spectrometer, a special system was implemented to ventilate the detector chamber, where the air stream is cleaned using a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter and nitrogen evaporating from the dewar's vessel.. A strong correlation was observed between the concentrations of particulates in the air and the level of count rates in specific areas of the gamma spectrum. For example, the results show a significant effect of reductions in the average number of counts within the 46.5 keV line of the 210Pb isotope, where the background decreased by 71 %.

Development of somatotyping in Russia according to scientometric analysis from 2013 to 2023

BACKGROUND: Somatotyping has a long history and at the same time is widespread today in medicine, sports, and biomedical research, which necessitates the need to combat the inertia of scientific paradigms and methods .&#x0D; AIM: The goal is to identify the main trends and patterns in the development of modern somatotyping based on scientometrics of publication activity since 2013.&#x0D; METHODS: Based on RSCI data, a database was formed on the use of somatotyping for the period from 2013 to 2023. Key words of publications, frequency and scientific areas of application of somatotyping schemes were analyzed.&#x0D; RESULTS: Anthropometry techniques were most often used to identify predictors of adaptation failure or disease development. When searching for characteristics of samples that differ in influencing factors, body composition was more often used. An increase in studies using somatotyping according to Heath-Carter and Chernorutsky has been revealed. The share of studies performed using the methods of R.N. is decreasing. Dorokhov and V.G. Petrukhin and Taner, and the variety of somatotyping schemes used. In the study of adolescence, first adulthood and when somatotyping women, somatotyping according to R.N. was more often used. Dorokhov, in clinical studies - according to Z. Rees and H. Eisenck, in the study of athletes - according to Heath-Carter, in combined somatotyping - according to Bashkirov, Taner and Z. Rees and H. Eisenck.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: The main problem that anthropologists faced was the comparability of the results obtained using different somatotyping schemes.

Development in the Synthesis of Bioactive Thiazole-Based Heterocyclic Hybrids Utilizing Phenacyl Bromide.

Heterocyclic hybrid frameworks represent a burgeoning domain within the realms of drug discovery and medicinal chemistry, attracting considerable attention in recent years. Thiazole pharmacophore fragments, inherent in natural products such as peptide alkaloids, metabolites, and cyclopeptides, have demonstrated a broad spectrum of pharmacological potentials. Given their profound biological significance, a plethora of thiazole-based hybrids have been synthesized through the conjugation of thiazole moieties with bioactive pyrazole and pyrazoline fragments. This review systematically presents a compendium of robust methodologies for the synthesis of thiazole-linked hybrids, employing the (3 + 2) heterocyclization reaction, specifically the Hantzsch-thiazole synthesis, utilizing phenacyl bromide as the substrate. The strategic approach of molecular hybridization has markedly enhanced drug efficacy, mitigated resistance to multiple drugs, and minimized toxicity concerns. The resultant thiazole-linked hybrids exhibit a myriad of medicinal properties viz. anticancer, antibacterial, anticonvulsant, antifungal, antiviral, and antioxidant activities. This compilation of methodologies and insights serves as a valuable resource for medicinal chemists and researchers engaged in the design of novel thiazole-linked hybrids endowed with therapeutic attribute.

A promising area of research in medicine: recent advances in properties and applications of Lactobacillus-derived exosomes.

Lactobacillus-derived exosomes, small extracellular vesicles released by bacteria, have emerged as a promising area of research in recent years. These exosomes possess a unique structural and functional diversity that allows them to regulate the immune response and promote gut health. The isolation and purification of these exosomes are crucial for their effective use as a therapeutic agent. Several isolation and purification methods have been developed, including differential ultracentrifugation, density gradient centrifugation, and size-exclusion chromatography. Lactobacillus-derived exosomes have been demonstrated to have therapeutic potential in various diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, and neurological disorders. Moreover, they have been shown to serve as effective carriers for drug delivery. Genetic engineering of these exosomes has also shown promise in enhancing their therapeutic potential. Overall, Lactobacillus-derived exosomes represent a promising area of research for the development of novel therapeutics for immunomodulation, gut health, and drug delivery.