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Background: Soy milk contains some beneficial components such as isoflavones which can exert favorable effects on the cardiovascular health. The current study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the potential effects of soy milk consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors in adults. Methods: Relevant articles published up to June 2020 were systematically retrieved from SCOPUS, PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. In our study, we included all the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impact of soy milk consumption on various cardiometabolic risk factors in adults (age � 18 years). A meta-analysis of the eligible studies was performed using the random-effects model. Results: The quantitative meta-analysis of 18 eligible RCTs (665 participants, age range 18�65 years) demonstrated that the consumption of soy milk significantly reduced systolic (P < 0.001) and diastolic (P = 0.002) blood pressure, total (P = 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.041) cholesterol, waist circumference (P = 0.005), C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (P = 0.016). Significant between-study heterogeneity was found for the pooled effect sizes of blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In addition, the subgroup analyses indicated that the decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was more pronounced when soy milk was consumed for � 4 weeks. However, there were no significant differences between soy milk and control groups for the other factors, namely body weight, body mass index (BMI), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and fasting insulin, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen. Conclusions: The current systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that incorporating soy milk into the diet might favorably affect several cardiometabolic risk factors in both healthy and unhealthy individuals. © 2021 The Authors

Objectives The clinical course and progression of acute pancreatitis are poorly understood to date, necessitating more studies of clinical profiles during the disease. Moreover, understanding the etiologies and clinical presentations of acute pancreatitis (AP) in children can contribute to early diagnosis and, hence, earlier interventions. Therefore, this article aims to study the clinical profiles of children with acute pancreatitis (AP) in relation to complications and other variables. Study design We retrospectively studied 56 patients who presented with AP to the pediatric department in Salmaniya Medical Complex between January 2006 and December 2017. Cases of chronic pancreatitis and ages above 12 years were excluded. The data concerned demographics, etiology, clinical data, hospital course, and outcomes. Results The study included 56 patients aged a mean of 8.46 years (male:female - 33:23). The average hospital stay was 7.68 days. Patients received parenteral feeds a mean of 2.77 days. All patients had an ultrasound, nine required CT scans (16.1%), and five MRIs (8.9%). There were 18 local complications (32.1%): pseudocysts (n=3, 5.36%), cholangitis (n=2, 3.6%), and edema (n=13, 23.2%). There were 23 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (41.1%). No mortalities occurred but there were six recurrences (10.7%). Symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, and nausea occurred in 100%, 57.1%, 35.7%, and 23.2% of patients, respectively. Etiologies were 41.1% biliary, 23.2% idiopathic, 19.6% traumatic, and 8.93% drug-induced. Leukocytes were elevated in 20 patients (35.7%), c-reactive protein (CRP) in five (8.93%), serum amylase in 45 (80.4%), and urinary amylase in all 56 patients (100%). Conclusion Most pediatric AP cases were attributed to biliary causes followed by trauma. Age was significantly correlated with complication rates (P=0.013). Abdominal pain was a more common symptom than vomiting. Leukocytosis was associated with ICU admissions. There was no significant relation between c-reactive protein, serum amylase, or urinary amylase, and complications or ICU admissions. Pediatric AP was self-limiting and there were no fatalities.

Houman Alimoradi,1,* Khaled Greish,2,3,* Anita Barzegar-Fallah,1 Lama Alshaibani,2 Valeria Pittalà4 1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; 2College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, and Nanomedicine Unit, Princess Al-Jawhara Centre for Molecular Medicine and Inherited Disorders, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain; 3Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt; 4Department of Drug Science, University of Catania, Catania, Italy *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Anticancer drug delivery systems are often limited by hurdles, such as off-target distribution, slow cellular internalization, limited lysosomal escape, and drug resistance. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a stable nitric oxide (NO)-releasing nanoparticle (polystyrene-maleic acid [SMA]-tert-dodecane S-nitrosothiol [tDodSNO]) with the aim of enhancing the anticancer properties of doxorubicin (Dox) and a Dox-loaded nanoparticle (SMA-Dox) carrier. Materials and methods: Effects of SMA-tDodSNO and/or in combination with Dox or SMA-Dox on cell viability, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, lysosomal membrane permeability, tumor tissue, and tumor growth were studied using in vitro and in vivo model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In addition, the concentrations of SMA-Dox and Dox in combination with SMA-tDodSNO were measured in cells and tumor tissues. Results: Combination of SMA-tDodSNO and Dox synergistically decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis in 4T1 (TNBC cells). Incubation of 4T1 cells with SMA-tDodSNO (40 µM) significantly enhanced the cellular uptake of SMA-Dox and increased Dox concentration in the cells resulting in a twofold increase (P